Transcript

ABJ Podcast Ep 69 HC Loc · ABJ

0:38
Ladies and gentlemen, we are back once again, episode 69 of
0:43
the a BJ podcast with my guest, 8C Lok guys.
0:48
I know we talked about it last episode but this will be the
0:50
last live podcast for a little bit.
0:53
I have to take some time away. Figure some things out step away
0:57
and start start doing a little bit of a shoot job.
0:59
Again, if you're in the wrestling business, that's what
1:01
we call it a shoot job and figure some things out.
1:05
I will be back very soon. Don't worry.
1:08
Got to take a little bit of time off, maybe a month, maybe two,
1:11
maybe while I'm away, who knows? I may find ways to schedule some
1:14
interviews and record stuff and maybe once I'm getting closer
1:18
start back up, you might see some pre-recorded interviews
1:21
drop. So we never know, just keep your
1:22
eyes open. If you can check out the links
1:24
below for not just myself, but my guests so you can follow us
1:28
on social media, stay with everything that's going on with
1:31
us and continue to follow the the podcast and all of my guests
1:36
who have been on it. I want to thank Anyone who has
1:38
been on the podcast and has supported people who have went
1:40
and bought merchandize, and all that stuff and supported me on
1:43
this journey since October, but sometimes life throws some
1:45
curveballs and I try to, I try to fight my way through it,
1:48
without going through the necessary steps and Now's the
1:52
Time where I got to kind of take a step away, figure things out,
1:56
but you know, we'll get there. It's not, it's not a goodbye,
1:59
it's a see you later, but I will be back very, very soon.
2:02
It's too much fun doing it. I love meeting new people, but I
2:05
want to say thank you to my sponsor real quick.
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checking them out one time. When if he's in the Philly area
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they got those are oh wage Tag. Team Champions sitting there.
3:23
And I my guest here was a former roh tag team champion with the
3:28
the chaos crew. So we'll talk more about that.
3:31
But this guy has been up and down the road.
3:33
He is, he's probably my first guest that has made it to the
3:36
dance, you know? I mean, A lot of these
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independent people are chasing that dream.
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They want to have that moment. They want to experience that
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life and and HC, low care has done essentially everything you
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can do in this business. The referee Tag Team Champions
3:49
first-ever inter-gender match on W in WWE, WWE history ECW from
3:56
The Ring crew to wrestling in front of live crowds.
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I mean, this guy has done it all.
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Now, he has his own school and he's training some of the top
4:02
talent that you're going to see on the independent scene in the
4:05
near future, and right now, they're just fantastic.
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People. So he's done it all and he's one
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of the most respected people in this business.
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He has a great mind and it's always a pleasure to see him and
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I love seeing him every time it shows and him and his crew come
4:18
in and they just dominate dominate shows and they always
4:21
steal the night. So, without further Ado, let me
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bring in my guest HC. Fucking Lok baby.
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Hey, buddy, what's going on? Hey, buddy, thanks for those
4:33
kind words. It's all 100% true, but I met
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You for the first time, I don't know why my phone's all of a
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sudden blowing up now, but I met you for the first time at the
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sanctuary you came in with your team and it kind of became this
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thing for a while at Sanctuary where create a pro guys were
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coming. Your crew was coming guys from
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Syracuse were coming and it was almost like a team versus Team
4:59
Battle every week. We were yeah, mix mixing
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matching people from different samples and it was putting
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together. Some really, really fun,
5:06
interesting matches. And we got the CC In rain and TJ
5:08
epics and and all these people just kind of come in and then
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you had some good matches in there to with, you know, Johnny
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Moran and a few other people you and in and tore it up and it was
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just a really fun summer where that was the summer.
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I think the sanctuary was working, triple overtime where
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there was probably something going on every single weekend
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and I got a lot of my reps on commentary and just got to wrap
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after rep after rep because I was my early early beginning
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stages of doing it and what better person to to learn and
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and watching the ring is it was just so that was amazing.
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Talented people. Yeah, man.
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That place was fine. We always enjoy coming down
5:45
there. It's such a beautiful building.
5:47
And the production is so cool and a lot of times guys don't
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get the get the chance to work in front of that.
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Certainly not very often on the independence and the way that's
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film and the way you do the commentary in the way troske
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does all of his production, it's very good.
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I'm big on trying to get my students, you know, obviously
6:04
goal. Number one is to entertain a
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live crowd but to get them. Ready, does see how they do
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things on television to and there's a good place to practice
6:11
that. So yeah, we love in the cameras.
6:13
Always? Yeah, yeah, the safety of
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safety. So the roof that ring, I've
6:18
never had bombs but that ring. They said the dream to fall in
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love all on it is and it is, I mean, not to blow kayfabe on it.
6:26
You're a little bit, it's almost difficult because it's, it's
6:29
like, oh that I'm a type of guy when it's gonna hurt a little
6:33
bit, I got to feel it a little bit, you know what I mean?
6:34
And that is. And but I mean, That it.
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But in the spirit of what that place is, which is I do, that's
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like a training camp, that's like a workout place, you know,
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go place to go, get wraps in and get better.
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And if you can do that and not worry about getting hurt to, I
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mean, that's a beautiful thing. Yeah.
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Well let's let's rewind the clock here.
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It's C. And let's go back to the
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beginning when at your earliest memory, when did you remember
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just falling love with professional wrestling?
7:02
Watching it on TV or whatever it may be?
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I can remember specifically, Being I don't know how old I
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might have been maybe 10 years old.
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That's that's probably pretty close and it was winter time and
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my dad had us out back, stacking wood and I didn't want to help.
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I didn't want to, you know, looking for any reason to get
7:22
away from that. So, like, Dad, I gotta go to the
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bathroom. All right, get back.
7:25
Maddie, does he still calls me? And so, I go in, and, of course,
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instead of using the bathroom, I turn on the TV and there's
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Adrian, Adonis not flower shop. Adrian, Adonis NYC, A badass
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trajan, Adonis. And I've never seen rustling
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before, but I saw a ring. So I thought is this boxing
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what's going on? But he was a heel.
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So he was hollering at the crowd and hollering, the referee.
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I thought I thought I was witnessing something huge and
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like this guy, you know, is freaking out.
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He's being a jerk here on television when he supposed to
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be wrestling, I had no idea, I mean I'd never heard of it
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before. Never certainly never saw before
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and had no inkling that it wasn't work whatsoever.
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So I just was captivated like, holy crap.
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I went out and told my dad and I can remember.
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I'm kind of giggling, but didn't say nothing anyway and it was a
8:16
while and then I became so obsessed with it and finding it.
8:20
And of course, everything was like, everybody else, my ate,
8:23
everything was, Hulk, Hogan around those days, and I
8:27
remember specifically the day being all pumped up talk again.
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Excited telling my parents about.
8:32
This big match coming up whatsoever going on.
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I don't know. Is can Hogan and mr.
8:37
Dirty really beat these guys are WrestleMania or something like
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that and went to my room and my dad hollers.
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Hey, come back here. So I did am I in he says to my
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mother goes, tell him I go tell me what?
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I'm just a little kid. Shows it's fake.
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I what do you mean? They know who's going to win?
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I go. Oh, how do you know?
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And I remember my mother specifically saying it was in
9:02
the paper, which is bullshit right over here.
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You know, procedure, just trying to convince me that she knew,
9:07
but But, you know, that, I mean, that suspension of disbelief and
9:12
getting into it, and there's that, I mean, especially with
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today's fans, you don't really sometimes, you know, you don't
9:19
always really expect them to believe it's all 100% real, but
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if you can create any type of Doubt or suspend disbelief,
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that's it, still gets me a really good false finish or, or
9:29
really hot promo, or it's like they did he clear that with the
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other guy or not, stuff like that, it's the same formula
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still works all these years later.
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And, and I didn't want to believe it wasn't real.
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I went to my first day of wrestling school, half-ass,
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hoping, I everybody's wrong. I'm going to go in there and
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they're going to I mean I knew better obviously at some point
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you're like, okay, you can't really whip somebody off the
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ropes and expect him to come back.
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You know what I mean? Stuff like that, but it doesn't
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work out. They're still right?
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But I was so much so in love with it, you know that I mean.
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And in those days, I went to nursing school in 1994.
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I told you I get long-winded with these answers.
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I love wonder. I was in school.
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Went with the wrestling school in 1994.
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And if there was internet at all, I didn't have it.
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I never heard of a dirty. I did nothing.
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You know, I didn't know any, I didn't know what.
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I never heard the word, kayfabe Mark shoot work.
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Another, I never heard any of that.
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Nothing, and I didn't, and I was shocked to know that people call
10:25
spots in the rain. I had no idea, you know, and I
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mean, we can never go back to those times, but it's kind of a
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beautiful thing. I was the last of that
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generation, you know that we're all right.
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Now we're going to smarten you up kid.
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Cuz we can now call people and I have great kids.
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I mean, I can't think I can't tell you the last time I had to
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Well, I could tell you the last time I had a reprimand somebody
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for being disrespectful and it may be fairly recently but I got
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real good kids in my school but you know, they know all the
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lingo and know the gist of it before they even come in, you
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know what I mean? So yeah.
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It's just different. Yeah, I did.
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They teach you. The like the special Carney
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speak when you went to school. Or was that already out?
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No, no. My trainer didn't so much, but I
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in my first year, I started hearing the better.
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Do it in the locker room and sometimes they do it in front of
11:17
me and guys my age because, you know, I'm a kid, you know, I
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don't I'm not even all the way smartened up to the business,
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really, you know what I mean? And it was, I mean, I'm not
11:27
going to say it was better. I mean, it's so great now.
11:30
But I mean, that was a special time when it was really when you
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really counted on whether all those people in the stands,
11:37
thought it was 100% real or not, but your money was made in your
11:41
tickets were sold on never breaking that.
11:44
Never going to dinner with them with your opponent stuff like
11:47
that, you know? I mean it was, it was, it was
11:50
I'm not going to, you know, to each their own.
11:52
I'm not going to say it was better but but I liked it, you
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know? It was it was, it was like, you
11:56
really felt like felt like you were part of something.
11:59
You know what I mean? It felt like you were really
12:03
honored to I'm in this club and you might think, you know, but
12:06
you don't know. Now that's still kind of the
12:08
case. You know what I mean?
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The problem is, is that everybody thinks they do know.
12:12
Yeah. I mean they just do, you know
12:13
what I mean? You know, you go to, I don't
12:19
know, go you go anywhere, you know what I mean?
12:21
Or somebody doesn't like something that they saw on raw
12:25
and they're posting or Channing, that's bad booking.
12:28
You're not even supposed to know what the word booking means.
12:30
I mean, I know that we can't, you know, you can't unring the
12:33
Bell, you know what I mean? But it's it's so much different
12:35
than it was back in back in those days, I feel I think the
12:39
people who are doing it the best right now is probably a ew,
12:43
because W soap. At the point where they're just
12:45
like, we don't care if you believe it's real or not worth
12:47
it for us. It's a production.
12:49
This is this is we don't, we don't care and sometimes will
12:54
Peak out the curtain and say something that we know that, you
12:56
know, and all only is the Smart fans will get it.
12:59
But aw, like like the punk stuff like people are still like I
13:03
think it's this or I think it's that, and they're pretty decent
13:06
backstage, going, we're back. Yeah, I mean like yeah, I'm Jeff
13:10
is doing beautifully at that where it's like and be grateful.
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Thank you. Quit the company in two years,
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you know what I mean? Yeah, he's doing a great job
13:18
with that. But yeah, I think the beautiful
13:20
part about this business now is at least for me when I'm trying
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to get someone new who's into the business are trying to get
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someone who's never watched wrestling or only knows
13:28
wrestling as the fake sport, you know?
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I mean I'm like well that right there is then just don't think
13:33
that you're watching a sport. If you chant like the sport
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you're going to expect a sport and you're not going to enjoy
13:39
it. Go like you're going to a
13:41
theater, its action theater. You're going to see it.
13:44
And I hate I And I love the term from the sanctuary, but you're
13:46
going to see, son fighting. And as if you're going to watch
13:50
a heel verse a good guy Versa bad guy, you're going to watch a
13:53
vengers in a ring and if you buy into the storylines, if you buy
13:57
into the characters and what you're supposed to do with those
13:59
characters and eliminate the idea that it's a legitimize
14:02
sport, you will have a better time and because you buy it
14:06
because you when you go see Phantom of the Opera, you know,
14:08
that's not a real monster on that mask.
14:10
It's all theater, but you buy into it and you suck yourself
14:12
into the drama of it and you have a good I'm I think if more
14:16
people see now professional wrestling in that sense, I think
14:20
they buy into it more and they have a better time instead of
14:23
always trying to figure out the magic trick if that makes sense.
14:26
It does there's a little asterisks, I'll put next to that
14:32
with the way, some people work these days and I'm not going to
14:35
fall for bearing. Anybody on TV that's on
14:38
television right now. And yeah and yeah, but but there
14:42
are certain people out there that work more And it's all
14:46
entertainment but they work more where you can tell, boy, we hope
14:51
you enjoy my performance as opposed to I'm trying to win
14:55
this goddamn match. You know what I mean?
14:57
And that's, that's what's entertaining to me, the Phantom
14:59
of the Opera great analogy, okay?
15:03
And we know that that's not really a monster under that
15:06
mask, but at no point in that play at no point, does he lift
15:09
up that mask and say, Hey, you know, this is all fake, right?
15:12
And then put it back down and go back to doing this thing.
15:14
Right here, I hate wrestlers that do that in, not so many
15:17
words, and I'm not saying that they that they don't admit it.
15:21
So, I hate people that admitted to work.
15:24
I'm talking to you right now. I'm not saying that I'm saying
15:26
when they do stuff, Although I do admit there's a market for
15:31
and that's a beautiful thing about the business right now.
15:32
For my taste. I like my matches to look
15:37
competitive. I like it to be.
15:39
The entertainment comes to me, Jerry Jarrett had a sign on his
15:43
office. Wall that said personal issues,
15:45
draw money and I have a picture of that picture and it hangs in
15:49
my school. And and I believe that that's
15:52
where that comes from a speech. I give all the time to my
15:57
students and every seminar I ever give is like a certain kind
16:01
of wrestling to fireworks. Fourth of July is coming up
16:04
timely topic on the fourth of July.
16:07
You go see the fireworks? They're awesome.
16:08
I mean it's so cool how I can't imagine how they do that.
16:12
I would build those things and you are and that's awesome.
16:16
But if they do that, every Wednesday for every Monday
16:20
night, you know, before the yeah, that was cool.
16:23
But, you know, I don't got to see it.
16:24
I saw that, you know what I mean?
16:26
And so if so if certain Of matches are just about.
16:31
I got to do all this cool stuff and it is really cool and I
16:34
can't do it, but I'm not going to sell it.
16:37
I'm not going to go for a cover. I'm not that, I don't think that
16:40
there's any Jeopardy of the match being over because I just
16:44
whatever the case may be like, literally you'll see the
16:47
sometimes did a 450 Splash to the outside through a table,
16:51
literally less than 20 seconds later.
16:53
Both guys are back up running spots in the ring.
16:55
Takes me right out of it. I don't be I don't begrudge
16:58
anybody for loving every second of that.
17:01
For loving every second of it and there's room for both.
17:03
The cool thing about it is is that about wrestling these days
17:08
as that, there really can be something for everybody, you
17:11
know? I mean there you can have Bryan,
17:14
Danielson versus okada and it worked UFC fight.
17:18
Basically, you know, with some pro wrestling high spots in it,
17:21
on the same card that orange Cassidy sticks.
17:25
His pants and his pocket and fake kicks people in the shin
17:28
and people lose their mind for both.
17:30
That's beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing.
17:33
It's the Muppet Show. It's the Muppet Show on ropes,
17:36
right? Yeah.
17:38
And then, and then a guy spooky guy comes out and you get the
17:40
range of emotion. That's why I love doing
17:42
commentary, but at the end of a commentary show, I'm mentally
17:45
exhausted because I have to like as the narrator.
17:48
You have to put yourself in the emotions of your highs and your
17:51
lows, and your fear and your not fear and you're laughing and
17:53
you're not laughing. And it's it's it's a it's a
17:56
gambler of of feelings and it because if you play it straight,
17:59
the whole way through, it's not fun.
18:01
For the people watching at home, you know, sure.
18:03
Yeah, sure. Yeah.
18:04
It's such a beautiful industry. I love it.
18:07
I want to do, gives me goosebumps.
18:09
Yeah. When did you transition from a
18:11
fan growing up watching and everything to going into school
18:15
and how did you find your school at that point in time?
18:17
Obviously, nowadays people can just go on and Google machine it
18:20
up and saying, seriously schools near me And there's a lot of
18:24
wrestling schools, but at some point in time there was only a
18:26
handful. Yeah and I didn't I didn't have
18:29
any idea how people got Into it or anything like that.
18:32
There was a an and one of the after mags probably DWI partner.
18:39
Yeah, me too. For wonderful.
18:41
Willie for Al Snow School, body, Slammers, GM out Lima, Ohio.
18:48
Then I called I had to get up the nerve.
18:50
I was always so shy. So, I mean, I could wait until
18:53
million stories of that like, have to get up the nerve to call
18:56
out there, dial all the numbers but one and think about nothing.
19:00
But okay, that last number, huh? Now I'm gonna talk to somebody,
19:03
you know, like happy get up the nerve to do it and talk to
19:05
whoever it was and they mailed me information.
19:07
And and I really wanted to do it, but I kind of chickened out,
19:13
you know, I was like for everybody and this will sound
19:16
crappy, you know, but literally everybody.
19:18
Every family member every friend, you got to remember.
19:20
This is 1994. Maybe I started looking for
19:22
schools in 93, and if Rey Mysterio TV, I don't even think.
19:27
Rey Mysterio has been on ECW TV and if he was I hadn't seen him.
19:31
Not that, I mean I'm a little taller than Ray but there wasn't
19:34
anybody my size and if so it just didn't it was either shot
19:38
that way in a certain way or wasn't talked about or everybody
19:42
had and work Heights and weights.
19:44
Anyway, and that was constantly told I couldn't do it because
19:48
because of my size and I never lived away from home.
19:51
And here I am going out to do this thing.
19:54
Everybody. I know tells me.
19:56
Is that a possibility for me anyway?
19:59
And I'm trying to chicken it out and I'm like, ah, I don't know.
20:02
We'll see if it's meant to be. It's meant to be and as corny as
20:07
this sounds, and it's super corny.
20:11
I can remember being home on a Sunday afternoon and not to get
20:14
all philosophical or religious on you.
20:17
And it's, I'm a big believer that it's nobody's business.
20:20
What anybody believes in? I don't, I don't, you know, but
20:23
I don't know if you want to call it fate or God or whatever
20:26
Sunday afternoon. Watching television and that old
20:32
movie body body slam came on and if you ever saw that its way
20:36
before your time, but it was awesome.
20:38
And I'm like, is this my sign? I don't know.
20:42
And it was so awesome. And then I got done, and I
20:44
switched channels. And immediately after that, I
20:48
switch the channels. And remember, those do Night
20:50
Court that was on and in that apis episode bull, the bailiff.
20:56
He was a pro wrestler in there and I'm literally Telling myself
20:59
a holy shit, it, what's going in?
21:01
And then the next night swear to God on all six of my children
21:05
and two grandchildren that the next night on my local news.
21:11
A guy named Robert Bailey came on saying he started crunchers
21:14
Jim pro wrestling school. 25 minutes away from my house and
21:18
Elmira New York and I drove down there.
21:21
And I was his first student. And, you know, it's been, it's
21:25
aside from those kids and grand kids and a wife or to its Been
21:29
my entire life ever since then. Yeah.
21:31
I mean, you, you have I said in the intro, man, you have done
21:34
probably everything you can possibly do in this industry
21:37
from ring crew to training to. Now training yourself refereeing
21:42
on TV than being a worker on TV holding championships, all over
21:46
the place. When you when you first start
21:50
off and you're going with that training and obviously you're
21:52
starting to learn to let you talked a little bit about how
21:54
the was backstage and it's much different than it is backstage
21:57
in a locker room than it is now I think everything backstage
22:00
then, I don't know if I would have personally been able to
22:03
handle it. Um, yeah, the old school way of
22:05
things but it's it's, it is a much, much different world.
22:10
And you kind of, like you said, you're that last generation of
22:13
blending in the old school with the new school and you're a good
22:16
representation of what wrestling should be, you know what I mean?
22:20
And it's but when you got your first set of matches, how was it
22:25
finally getting your training done and going through
22:27
everything and then being Told hey suit up, you're going in for
22:30
your first, your first performer first match.
22:33
Oh man, it was great. I had spent about 18 months,
22:36
which is just crazy. I mean, it's just, it's just how
22:38
things lined up. But my first 18 months in the
22:41
business about And I do. And then maybe a tag team once
22:52
in a while. But it was I my first match was
22:57
January 15th, 1995, and I didn't have a singles match until
23:02
August 6th 1996. So but you know, I'm home in the
23:06
ring and doing security and doing all things paying your
23:08
dues every weekend, or as often, as there was an independent show
23:11
in a been wrestling with this will big back then, so it
23:13
probably wasn't every weekend, but I'm still training every
23:16
day. So I mean it was great.
23:19
But you know, Back on it. Now I didn't know anything but I
23:22
was I was excelling at wrestling school so much so that the Carny
23:29
guy as much as I love them who owned the place would after, you
23:33
know, not too long, he would only pay the trainer came from
23:38
Pittsburgh to Elmyra every week because there's no real
23:41
wrestlers around, you know, to teach us and he would start
23:44
bringing them in only every other week.
23:46
So and then have me show the rest of the Glass stuff that I'd
23:50
learned and I didn't know anything, you know, I mean, I
23:53
was just excelling in the class, you know, which was weird
23:55
because I was never an athlete high school or anything like
23:57
that. I just happen to have an
23:58
aptitude for it but um, but you asked how it was, what it was
24:03
like to finally transition and do what I was nervous as could
24:06
be. And but my first singles match,
24:09
believe it or not was with Steve Corino.
24:11
And we were too young green kids didn't know nothing.
24:14
I watched it. You know, I lived for 20 years
24:17
thinking that we About the same there, he helped me through
24:21
that. But, you know, we were just kids
24:23
and then I, somebody found that thing and posted on YouTube and
24:26
I watch not like, I didn't know anything and he was as green as
24:29
he was maybe a year in the business at that point or a year
24:33
year more than me or something like that.
24:35
You know? And but he was working every
24:37
weekend and he helped me so much, you know, and he would you
24:41
know, that's how the running theme he would years later as
24:44
well. But yeah, but it was awful, if
24:47
you're listening right down that named Karina Because I think
24:50
there's another young guy coming up with that last name.
24:52
You're going to be seeing pretty soon.
24:54
Oh, yes, yes. I love them.
24:56
Yep, some rumors. I'm hearing, maybe you'll be
25:00
seeing him on a on a three-letter moniker TV show
25:03
pretty soon. It's possible.
25:05
It's possible. Yeah, I heard it's a very good
25:07
try out. Yeah.
25:09
Yeah. Yeah.
25:11
From what I know there might be a little stall in that action
25:14
but I think it's going to end up that way for sure good.
25:17
I'm sure I sure hope so. That kid, kills it.
25:19
It was another their Sanctuary kid, another thing?
25:22
Yeah, yeah. So and was it 9999 when you,
25:31
when this, when this happened, right?
25:33
No. 9090 2998 we talked about, Matt.
25:38
Yes, you yeah. Actually, I'm not sure how long.
25:46
How did that? How did that come together?
25:48
Where were you brought in as extra Talent here?
25:51
Yeah, this is brought in as an extra and and I counted Howard
25:56
Finkel all the time. Again, sitting at my telephone
26:00
getting up the nerve to call him.
26:01
Hi mr. People, my name is Matt nolza.
26:03
Professional wrestler from like to come in and mailing them
26:08
stuff all the time. And he was booking the extras at
26:10
those times and And I remember the day coming home to my
26:14
parents house and there was a message from that famous voice
26:17
on the answering machine saying. I think we can put you to work,
26:20
so they did. And again, I was small, you
26:24
know? I mean there's you know I'm I'm
26:27
the guy say 58 but I might be lying 5758 somewhere in there,
26:31
you know. Yeah, it's it even says 58 on my
26:35
driver's license to hold it. But um, but uh, So, I got there
26:41
and, and I was so scared, you know, they said, put your bags
26:45
down and go to catering and thank God when I walked into the
26:48
catering because there's every Star in the world, you're
26:50
supposed to say, hello to everybody.
26:51
But I was so shy that I didn't want to and scared that I didn't
26:55
want to you know, luckily some some folks came and said hi to
26:59
me just but some of the extra Talent there.
27:02
I knew from from the independence.
27:04
So I sat at their table and so Tony garea comes along and says,
27:13
says, I don't think we have a match for you, but get dressed.
27:15
Anyway, all right. Yes, sir.
27:17
So I did, and I'm just watching the Monitor and raw had already
27:21
started as I recall, or maybe maybe there was a tape draw.
27:23
First, I think that might have been at.
27:25
I think that might have been the case, something like that, but
27:27
there was magic in the ring. Maybe dark matches doesn't
27:30
matter and I could see through the crowd of people backstage,
27:34
were on the monitor. Here comes Tony degree Korea.
27:38
Looking at me and smiling. And I told you and he says
27:44
you're going to work with Luna. I said, huh?
27:47
Okay. And so, of course you say yes,
27:50
sir Goldust going to beat you up a little bit beforehand and and
27:55
do your thing, you know. And and they, you know, they
27:58
literally tell you I, we were not there very long, literally
28:00
told you every move to make and I did quite well at that I
28:03
guess. But she was a funny thing about
28:05
that is if you ever watched that clip, she hits me with a
28:08
headbutt and as Jim Ross called it dangerously low.
28:11
Whoa, which worked out great, but that's supposed to be a
28:14
splash. She was she told me to go to a
28:16
certain spot and she couldn't make it to me.
28:18
So, ended up being a headbutt to the nut meat and which I mean
28:23
it's a woman fighting a man so I thought that was better anyway.
28:25
You know so worked out really good.
28:27
We got to the back and she goes. How was your peepee I go good
28:30
man, thank you so much but it was fun is very nerve-wracking
28:35
than Irish at there. Just in the dressing room you
28:39
know and everybody's Mick Foley's there and he was
28:41
awesome. Always was but you know think I
28:43
shared Adventure. Yeah I think it's are
28:46
dimensionless shamrockin, go guys?
28:48
Yeah he's great. I love him.
28:50
He's my favorite is Shawn and my number two is make.
28:54
Yeah, yeah, son. Dustin would be just came by to
28:58
make up songs. You all right?
28:59
You sure you're all right, like a man.
29:00
I just, and it's kept probably a terrible thing to say but I you
29:04
know, because You don't you you know I certainly don't want to
29:07
add cocky but you want to you want to be not in the least but
29:12
you want to be a professional to and I just yes sir.
29:14
I just I can't believe I just got the opportunity to do that.
29:17
Thank you sir. You know.
29:18
So which is funny because I met him years later and I'll get her
29:22
was around him years later and said, hey, do you remember the
29:25
night Luna work with a man and he's at a trillion matches, but
29:28
how you gonna forget that, right?
29:29
There's a guy there. Purple singlet cuz ya know that
29:32
was me and he goes oh man, you know.
29:35
But when did I hit you? You created history.
29:38
Like you. Yeah, first match on Raw?
29:41
Yeah. Now it's pretty popular so it's
29:43
kind of a You know, so it's kind of a cool little little thing
29:48
that for my resume, you know, a little cool little thing.
29:52
It's funny though again to put it back to the business being
29:55
different, there was an old job guy named AJ / trewsy from
29:59
Allentown. Pennsylvania.
30:00
He was, he was always on WE TV and WF at the time and and I
30:06
work with them on Independence, a lot and he was a Super
30:08
Destroyers and ECW when they were Eastern championship
30:13
wrestling, all that stuff. And that was a taped wrong again
30:17
that I was on and I don't know if I mentioned that earlier but
30:19
it was taped. So on the next week, I watch it
30:22
at home, my parents house and as soon as that match ends, my
30:28
phone rings and it's AJ, Peruzzi.
30:31
Bitching it me coming up one side and down the other thing
30:35
you should have. Told him you were sick.
30:37
You should have said, no, you should have that those values
30:40
you but you'll never get anything in there any.
30:42
Ah, because I lost to a woman and You know, well, no offense
30:46
to anybody. I get that mentality to some
30:49
degree especially back then, but you know I'm a kid and she's a
30:53
killer and and dust and beat me up beforehand and I have no
30:57
regrets, you know? And and years later you know, is
31:01
certainly not frowned upon at all.
31:03
So there's certainly ways loan as the was that the Loon is the
31:08
first female in WB who was put in a video game.
31:11
She was the first female to yeah, break that barrier.
31:14
Barrier and and you were the Catalyst.
31:16
Yeah. That Matt's was a catalyst of
31:18
her probably. Like.
31:19
All right. Now Luna we're going to put you
31:20
in a cage like she was she would never cross that barrier, could
31:23
because I didn't have a women's division around her, but always
31:25
gave her that work of going out and teaming with dust are to
31:28
teaming with Bambam or when she was a valet with Sean.
31:32
Like she always had that don't mess with her.
31:34
She'll kill you but the handset that bar somewhere and that
31:37
Mance was, was a very crucial moment of that.
31:40
Thanks, man. Yeah, I mean, it's one of those
31:42
things that That you know, it still brought up all these years
31:45
later 1998, how long those that? So whatever, 25 years ago, I'm a
31:49
fan. So, so, you know.
31:52
Yeah. So I've been very lucky.
31:55
I've been, I'm, you know, another one of my Corning, you
31:58
saying corny things. I tell my students is we make
32:00
our own luck. You have to work hard and put
32:02
yourself in these positions, but it's lock nonetheless, you know?
32:06
I've gotten to be in the right place at the right time or work
32:10
hard enough or impress the right people and got to have a few
32:13
questions. Things like that in my career
32:15
lucky I'm a lucky old man. Yeah, so you go down to a
32:20
seminar down in what Florida and you meet up with another.
32:24
Pretty big name that ends up opening the door for you to
32:27
enter into what was now known as ECW.
32:30
Correct. Yeah.
32:30
Yeah. Dory Funk jr.
32:32
Coach Punk. He had been doing, he'd been
32:36
doing them for WF. You know that that was his gig.
32:40
It was the exact same thing, but would be They would invite Edge
32:44
and Christian and Kurt Angle and whoever to Stanford to work out
32:49
in the warehouse and they called that the function dojo and as
32:54
soon as he split from them. In fact, not everybody even knew
33:00
he was split from them. Ve changed the name to the
33:02
fucking conservatory and I can remember specifically, I'd
33:06
already been sticking my nose in it ECW a little bit.
33:11
I show up help with the ring, that's what You kids showed up
33:15
and helped with the ring. Eventually they let me work out
33:18
with the guys before doors. Open beat the crap out of me.
33:21
I didn't say nothing but thank you come back the next day or
33:24
the next week you know. But I hadn't been doing that
33:27
very long and I was afforded that opportunity to go to Ocala.
33:32
Florida, where I'm at Amy? Dumas, she was there.
33:36
Lita, she was my, she was my buddy that whole week.
33:40
Well, more than that whole week because we both ended up In ECW
33:45
right after. She had started there too but I
33:48
and I know I've never seen her, so maybe she didn't start.
33:50
But um, we both ended up with any CW right after that.
33:54
But I went down there and I did well, I guess and coach was
34:01
very, very complementary complimentary towards me, you
34:04
know, I'm not putting myself over just to tell you what he
34:07
said to me, but at the end of the week, there were three
34:11
people my my butt. Dave, to John, who I went to
34:14
wrestling school with who wrestled his danger for a long
34:16
time. Big guy should have made a
34:18
million dollars, Lita Amy Dumas, and myself, after everything was
34:24
done after the last night and said, coach, can we sit with
34:28
you? And you tell us what you
34:30
honestly, think. And what if we have a future?
34:33
And he said, complimentary honestly, the one he
34:35
complimented. The least was a me just because
34:37
their work wasn't quite there yet, but she was beautiful.
34:39
And she was getting it. And it's a, you know, it's a
34:42
cosmetic business and she got It, you know, she heard her and
34:44
Trish obviously her Legends. So but the time she was still
34:49
green. Not that I wasn't, but, but I
34:51
was doing no. I think what helped her out
34:53
heavily in her early, least, my early memories of what made her
34:56
stand out is was inter-gender work because she would just come
35:00
off. The top rope, a guy would be
35:01
able to catch her. She would do a Huna.
35:02
Connor honest, you do that. Yeah.
35:04
And that seems like that's a real.
35:05
Yeah. Yeah absolutely.
35:07
Yeah so I sat with coach at the end of the week and he said I
35:12
think you're a great car. Printer, which means you know
35:14
how to build a match. I said his exact words were I
35:18
think you can draw money for any company in the world.
35:22
I think ecw's your best bet and I'd like to help.
35:25
I mean I can get that those few sentences tattooed on me because
35:28
that's word for word and I've told this story a million times
35:31
and it was an honor you know and he called Tommy Dreamer for me
35:34
and then the very next week it wasn't it was still help with
35:38
the ring, still get your get beat up but it was I want to see
35:42
you have a practice match beforehand and before It's not
35:46
just work out on, see if a practice match.
35:48
So I did took me to decide. He said, said very good.
35:53
You bump good? You sell real good.
35:55
So I can't offer you a job, but you're always welcome here.
35:58
And who knows what will happen and that began two months, and
36:02
that was back. When we're doing four shots a
36:03
week, two months of me. Going everywhere on my own dime.
36:10
Another lesson for the kiddos out there and I had a wife and
36:13
kids do. I'm not saying yeah, I had a
36:15
wife and kids to it's not not saying it was the most
36:17
responsible thing in the world but we got by four shots a week
36:22
for two months, setting up the ring, working out with Tracy
36:25
Smothers or whoever turned down the ring.
36:28
And then finally We're in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania where
36:35
I met Colby kirino when he was three years old.
36:37
His dad brought him to a CW Show and he said, hi, Tommy Dima and
36:42
I tell him that every time I see him, but at any rate, uh, and
36:47
now I wrestle him when I see him, it's so crazy.
36:49
I'm sold. But um, Bill Alfonso came up to
36:52
me and said, go find Road quick killed.
36:56
Danny during Chris Chetty. Angel DeVito of course is my
36:59
partner later and maybe a couple other people instead and then
37:04
bring them to me. And I did, I said Franz who
37:07
wants to use, ponds wants to find you want to see and they
37:10
walk towards that. Here, here's everybody Fonzie.
37:14
There was another sit in a circle.
37:16
He said, sit down to me and he said, said this meeting is about
37:23
you. And he pointed at me like that.
37:26
He said, I need you to know that hasn't gone.
37:29
Unnoticed that you show up here and that you do everything
37:33
that's asked of you and more. It's you work hard but you
37:37
clearly want to be on this team and I'm here to tell you that
37:42
everybody sitting in the circle. Over the last several weeks is
37:45
come to me and ask me to step up to the office and get you hired
37:50
and get you on the payroll. Congratulations.
37:53
Starting next week you'll be going to check your full time
37:55
ECW. And everybody shook my hand and
37:58
hugged me and dude, I could almost hear a thing about that
38:01
now. I mean what a huge honor that
38:04
was these guys became my very good friends and some of them
38:07
aren't even in the business anymore.
38:08
But at the time I greatly looked up to them, they Rock television
38:12
every week there and every show and I just wanted to be one of,
38:15
you know, apologize. My father keeps trying to call.
38:19
So if if you if there was anything in my audio right
38:22
there, I was hanging up. At any rate.
38:29
So that started that run. That's that's how I got in
38:32
there. Just showed up.
38:33
That's all you can. That's why I teach my students
38:35
to do. That's what you do.
38:36
You show up, you work, you, you do what you can do and you talk
38:38
about paying your dues, that's a huge thing that's in our
38:42
business. I hope that it said and taught
38:47
by everybody like it, like I teach now, but in those days in
38:50
ECW, especially pay your dues kid.
38:53
Pay, your dues, pay your dues and you talk about doing that, I
38:56
would leave my house. I'll drive whatever it was
39:00
depending on traffic three, four, five hours to exit 53.
39:04
On the Long Island, Expressway pick up these.
39:07
Ew ring truck. Hop in that thing and drive it.
39:11
Wherever we were to be Philadelphia, could be Orlando
39:14
that thing had a governor on it. So it wouldn't go more than 40
39:17
miles an hour. That wasn't a rib out by ECW.
39:20
It was, that's how they bought it when they bought it used.
39:23
They are spending money to fix it because it's only ring true
39:26
and pay your dues kid, right? So, you had to leave earlier.
39:30
If you're driving to. Think about that, if you can
39:31
only go 40 miles an hour, you're driving from New York to
39:33
Orlando, how much earlier do you have to leave your family to be
39:36
there on time, right? So I would do that.
39:39
At my the ring throughout truck get their setup.
39:43
The ring I would be in charge me and the ring crew would be in
39:49
charge of going to buy tables that day because of course he's
39:52
ew rate. Tables everyday Staples Home
39:55
Depot or Not Home Depot. Staples Staples OfficeMax and
39:57
Office Depot look for him in every city.
40:01
No internet. What was it?
40:03
Tables and chairs and garbage can bill for each city of ECW
40:09
show, I don't really know but I can tell you that those banquet
40:14
tables are called a foot banquet tables.
40:16
I remember paying between 28 and 32 dollars form their 150 bucks
40:20
now which is why you see everybody going through those
40:22
doors and that table. Yeah.
40:25
But so, I don't know what happened to that market but uh,
40:29
at any rate, uh, so go buy tables or whatever we needed,
40:34
sometimes guitars, you know, whatever, told to get half Have
40:39
to have two doesn't matter if you're done doing your other
40:43
job. Have to be in the ring at 5:00
40:45
with Tracy Smothers to stretch out and work out.
40:48
Have to do that. Me personally I would then and
40:54
this was Tommy Dreamer doing me a favor because I had a family
40:57
and it's another Payday for me. I would then go sell t-shirts to
41:00
the fans walking in. Head to the back, get on my
41:04
referee gear, I would wrestle referee ringing out from
41:09
backstage. If we didn't have a ring
41:10
announcer on that Loop, Tear down the ring.
41:14
Go out some T-shirts to the fans on the way out, getting the ring
41:18
truck and we had to go to her or at least encouraged to go to the
41:22
next town that night because we had to be there first before
41:25
anybody else the next day. And I was low man as we said on
41:29
ring true. So who do you think I'd to
41:31
drive? Who do you think had to sleep on
41:32
the floor? All that stuff.
41:34
So when people talk about, And I'm so much.
41:41
I'm a much Kinder trainer. I'm a much Kinder veteran than I
41:44
might have been years ago? I don't think I was ever mean.
41:46
Anybody was very much more drill sergeant like.
41:49
But if somebody says, oh man, I had to drive three hours for
41:53
their and all the way to that show.
41:55
And, you know, I only got 50 bucks or whatever.
41:57
I'm like, I don't want to hear it.
42:00
Do you want to be a wrestler or not?
42:01
You know what I mean? Is, you know, I remember the
42:04
first time I got paid for commentary.
42:05
I was like This is, yeah, I get paid for thinking.
42:09
I mean, like a thing. I would just go in and just
42:14
being happy as part of the environment.
42:15
Knowing I was paying my dues, I think the first couple times I
42:17
got paid, I gave my pay to a talent like, ISO at my thing is
42:23
like, I felt like, I had imposter syndrome for a long
42:26
time, so I didn't feel like I belong, but I'm, yeah, first
42:28
time me and my buddy got paid. There was a wrestler.
42:31
She she, she just got off a really bad injury and she missed
42:34
a lot of her bookings. And I got 20 bucks and my buddy
42:36
got A box just for commentating and help production and we both
42:40
took our 20 bucks together and that could have been gas on the
42:42
way home. And we both gave it to that
42:44
talent because she missed ya, six months on, looking to see
42:47
what I mean. Like, that's awesome.
42:48
Yeah, and that's a beautiful thing.
42:50
I try to do that sometimes, especially if I know that we go
42:53
to, especially for my students. But for, for anybody, but
42:57
especially for my students, if we go to a show and I made a lot
43:01
more than them, or maybe they didn't even get paid or
43:03
something like that, you know, you try to help you know, so, So
43:07
Bubba Ray Dudley would do that for the ring crew.
43:09
Sometimes he come over and pay for our meal because, you know,
43:12
and that was always appreciated. Always remember those things
43:15
should always remember Jerry, Lynn every single night coming
43:19
out and thanking the rain crew before he left, you say goodbye
43:22
to everybody tonight, right? That's the business but he and
43:25
he alone not that anybody else was a jerk.
43:29
Some people were but not that they necessarily were but he
43:33
made a point to come. Thank the ring for every night.
43:35
Next time we're on a show together.
43:37
Is check out with me and my boys did we always think the ring
43:41
crew always? Because how are you going to do
43:42
the the without a ring? You know, and it's just makes
43:47
life so much easier, you know, if you're if you feel
43:50
appreciated, if you can if you can be generous when you can
43:54
meet other people and maybe when you needed, they'll be generous
43:57
with you and it's, you know, it's still a special thing.
44:02
We talked earlier about it being I can't, we might have even
44:04
talked about this off are, but about feeling, Like you're in a
44:07
special Club being in a pro wrestler and that's part of it.
44:11
You know, that's part of it being taken care of each other
44:13
being generous with each other, you know, looking out for the
44:17
boys, you know. And by the boys, I mean these
44:20
badass women, there were wrestling with us now too.
44:22
But there's a boys, you know? And so, you know, beautiful
44:26
thing, man. I still feel so lucky to do it,
44:28
you know? And a matter of fact, while I'm
44:30
being all philosophical every seminar, every teach, every
44:35
student that's ever walked through my doors, I had another
44:37
Thing I always mention is if there's one thing, the
44:40
professional wrestlers can do better.
44:41
Anybody else on the planet? It's bitch about stuff.
44:44
They can say, oh man, my payoff was the shit that ring sucked.
44:49
My match was so terrible. There's no way I should have
44:51
lost to that guy. They want a bitch each other in
44:54
the car on the way home. Now I get it as long as you're a
44:57
long as you're in the car and nobody's around, you know, you
44:59
don't like that. You know, you're venting in the
45:02
car on the way home. But I ask everybody that I ever
45:06
speak to and as to any The wrestlers are perspiring
45:09
wrestlers that are listening to this, that if, when you're
45:13
saying God, dang it, I should have made more money or I'll my
45:16
match stuck if you just take a second to think, man.
45:19
All I ever wanted to do was be a pro wrestler and I just did it.
45:22
Not very many people can say that.
45:24
There's I mean, there's a tons of pro pro wrestlers.
45:27
I don't mean there are, but even if there were a million and I
45:29
don't think there are there 8 billion people on the planet.
45:31
There's not very much of us, you know.
45:33
And if you can just want some well remember man, the thing up.
45:37
Of the most of my life. I just got to do on be in front
45:41
of 13. People in a shitty ring in a in
45:45
a, in a cornfield, which we've all done or God willing and and
45:50
some nights arena with several hundred several thousand
45:53
whatever people there. You know, it's all I ever wanted
45:55
to do and I just got to do it. Yeah man I hope next time I make
45:58
more money. My match is a little better but
45:59
I'm blessed. I'm lucky.
46:02
Look at you if you honestly one of the things I used to do as
46:05
well as I walk into an arena and I But I would look at 15 people
46:09
who showed up at the show, just for that opportunity and they
46:12
didn't get a match. And you did, are they want, they
46:15
would have loved to be on, commentary are being a ring.
46:17
Announcer are been getting some type of right?
46:19
And any type of nut at the show that day and they didn't.
46:22
And you did, you know, I mean, so you kind of yeah and you
46:25
drove four hours and that guy lived down the block, you know?
46:28
I mean. Yeah.
46:29
That's that's a that's a thing to look at 42 and be and be
46:31
thankful for, for sure, for sure.
46:34
And if you can also try to not get so frustrated when you don't
46:36
get something. Because maybe next time you will
46:39
you know there's only so many spots.
46:40
So there's been times where I went to shows got nothing but I
46:44
made three new connections and three new friends and then I
46:47
went to a show that was another four hours away.
46:49
And they were my friend backstage because we made that
46:51
connection at a show before backwards.
46:53
Exactly. Yeah, so transitioning from ECW.
46:57
You go to the next company that is revert revered and regarded
47:02
as a very bright spot in professional wrestling history
47:05
of roh. Now you said Your style of
47:08
wrestling is when it looks like a shoot fight.
47:10
Like when it when you when you watch it and you believe it's
47:13
real roh. Yeah, it was his bread and
47:15
butter 100% And I wasn't as good and still I'm not.
47:18
Now with some of those people like a Bryan.
47:20
Danielson as far as like almost doing a work MMA thing.
47:24
Yeah, I love that. When I say, I like it, looking
47:27
like a shoe. I mean like I like working
47:29
matches with the intent to win. Now at the end, you know, that's
47:35
That's what I find entertaining, you know, not, you know you'll
47:37
never see me not that it in part of the reason is because I can't
47:42
do it. Let's be clear but you'd never
47:43
see me. You know whatever do a double
47:46
backflip and land on my feet and have something you know be very
47:50
impressive looking but in no way was it does it help me win the
47:54
match? Throw my arms up and ask for
47:57
Applause, you know type of thing.
47:59
You know, maybe if I'm a cocky he'll what I'm saying by and
48:01
large, know what I mean, I'm trying to win.
48:02
I'm going for a cover, each a big move, go for a couple.
48:05
So yeah, that's all Ring of Honor.
48:06
I just watched, I just watched a whole documentary.
48:08
Well, the Dark Side of Junkyard Dog Chuckles.
48:12
He knew 67 things and he did those six.
48:16
Everything's very, very well. And he made a copy right thing
48:20
to say, well, it's about making a connection with the people,
48:23
you know, but if the same thing, same time, And even though you
48:27
might not look at all those six or seven things, I think they're
48:30
all real. It wasn't, he also wasn't
48:33
winking at the camera. You know what I mean and saying,
48:36
oh, this is all baloney. Yeah, always cutting Pro most
48:39
like his life depended on it. You know what I mean?
48:41
He needs to win this match. So, yeah, Ring of Honor, the
48:46
guys, from our video games polsky route, Feinstein, Doug
48:49
Gentry, they started that God bless, dog.
48:51
He's passed away. Now did several years ago.
48:57
I reached out to them when I saw, they were going to start
49:00
something and I knew them from ECW because they were on the
49:04
road full time with ECW and I sent him a tape and all those
49:08
things and said, yeah come on in.
49:10
So how that actually worked out, you know, another one of those
49:15
lucky happenstance things for me they wanted to I was going to be
49:21
in a tag team, obviously in that ended up being Tony DeVito,
49:23
there was another guy. Nobody knows this almost nobody
49:26
knows this. Another guy the first time but
49:28
that shit the bed and I love the guy and I don't want to bury,
49:31
I'm not going to say his name now, just for that reason.
49:33
But I started with a different partner and that Murphy
49:39
Recreation Center packed full of Rowdy Philadelphia fans and he
49:42
couldn't hang, you know, so he wasn't invited back and I was
49:45
told to pick a new tag team partner.
49:47
I said Tony DeVito and the Carnage was born, you know,
49:49
that's how that happened. That was but the very first
49:52
show, they wanted to, they knew they were the successor to East.
49:56
Ew, maybe, maybe that's a good way to put it.
49:59
Yeah, and he CW. I was, I was the wrestling
50:01
referee. They scream official official.
50:03
I would wrestle in a referee outfit.
50:05
So I refereed. The first match Ring of Honor
50:07
history, so I get to have that distinction of being the very
50:11
first entering talent to ever walk through a curtain for Ring
50:14
of Honor, you know. And then that You know, long
50:18
story short. There's a lot of cool matches, a
50:20
lot of cool times that evolved in the cons prove myself.
50:24
Antonio De Vito, we still team now.
50:27
We got to be World Tag Team Champions and then, you know, we
50:30
were in there with the briscoes and the SAT is in the back seats
50:34
and and it was great times man. Very, very lucky.
50:37
And some of them names you just said, still on the scene right
50:40
now. I gotta wrestle back seats
50:42
tomorrow, not Trent, God blessing, but, you know, Johnny
50:45
and the new back seats are coming in.
50:47
My show tomorrow. So yeah, the the new back seats
50:51
are very, very impressed that my seen them work at all.
50:53
The wind show that we were at together.
50:55
They they actually I think they beat you up a little bit that
50:58
show. Oh yeah.
50:59
That's right. That's right.
51:00
Yeah. I think I think they beat you
51:01
up. Yeah.
51:03
That was I think I was my kids are talented but I think I think
51:07
your crew. I think your career you can roll
51:08
up there with. You got some young good guys
51:09
too. Yeah, we're going to do a
51:11
six-man on Saturday of Johnny cashmere in the new back seats
51:16
versus me and R TJ affix the CE o Connors.
51:18
So yeah, that's going to be pretty cool.
51:20
So pretty excited about that one.
51:23
That's what we're, what promotion without bien that's
51:26
excite wrestling. That's my, my school is
51:29
affiliated with exite wrestling right now.
51:31
My school is called the Fighting Arts Pro Wrestling Institute,
51:34
located in Horseheads, New York inside.
51:36
The are not Mall. Actually, it's a really cool
51:37
location. It's a, it's a beautiful,
51:39
beautiful spot and we run a excite wrestling show there
51:45
every month. That's tomorrow.
51:47
And then exite wrestling has a has, had a building in
51:52
Binghamton in the Binghamton mall as well.
51:54
So, we'd always run to. And actually though that mole
51:57
has been sold in the Saturday, is our last show at the one in
52:00
Binghamton, so that's going to be a special night fillets.
52:03
Yeah, we're going to get another building up there.
52:04
We just don't have one yet, but in the meantime, we're just
52:06
going to run my building in my school.
52:08
Once a month. We have spot shows coming up, we
52:10
have a speedy fast it's called and Binghamton New York if you
52:13
ever had chicken Speedy stuff like that was that was invented
52:16
in New York. And they have a or in Binghamton
52:18
New York and they had, they have a three-day Festival like big
52:24
fair for every year and they spend a bunch of money and they
52:27
bring in concerts and we're going to wrestle there.
52:30
Three days in a row, got Kurt Angle coming in, Matt Cardona
52:33
coming and you know so it's one of those cool festival type
52:36
shows where you can spend a little bit of money on Talent,
52:38
you know. So let me fun.
52:40
I was in and I was in a con. It was a con / rustling show and
52:44
being to Binghamton tmjd through it was Yeah, I try.
52:48
I saw you. That was it?
52:49
Yeah. Shell.
52:49
That's a, that's a really nice venue that.
52:51
Jim is beautiful? Yeah, that was a nice.
52:53
Nice place. Yeah, felt bad for me.
52:55
It, make money that day but yet, but the nice show.
52:57
Yeah, it was, it was a big. It was a big adventure for a
53:01
first-time show. He put a lot of work and you
53:03
know, but a lot of big names, there are a lot of cool matches
53:05
happened that night. A lot of people that were on TV,
53:07
a lot of ECW Legends were there. It was a, it was a really fun
53:10
time, but that was like, yeah, on this, briefing them all that
53:12
wasn't too far away, not at all. No, as a matter of fact, I
53:15
excite wrestling co-promoted. That.
53:18
Yeah. But it didn't, it didn't as we
53:21
saw, didn't didn't do all that, well, crowd wise.
53:24
But, you know, it's easier for me to say because, you know, you
53:28
and me didn't spend our money on it, but it's one of those.
53:30
Well, at least it was a fun day, you know, type of thing.
53:32
So whole time. Yeah, I'm having a blast when I
53:34
can look it over and I'm like, I feel so bad for him.
53:37
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
53:44
I got to call Tommy Dreamer. Versus a dreamer Russell, that
53:50
night? It was supposed to be dreamer,
53:53
incredible. But credible He didn't perform.
53:57
He was just ringside. I forget who it was now.
53:59
Yeah. That was my match.
54:01
Yeah. Oh yeah.
54:02
It was you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
54:05
They want anything. We do that every time.
54:07
I don't know. Well, I don't know what Pete we
54:12
call it. PJ just incredible.
54:13
I don't know what he's supposed to do, but he was going to come
54:15
out, but they wanted to be me versus dreamer.
54:18
I don't know. Dreamer doesn't ever want to
54:19
wrestle me or what? But every single time I'm booked
54:22
to wrestle him. It's because we're both baby
54:24
faces depending on the Say ucl's.
54:27
I don't people and you grab people by the junk, I wouldn't
54:29
want to wrestle, right Dewey. That's what I learned it from
54:31
him. It's true.
54:34
But every time I supposed to Russell, Tommy Dreamer says, you
54:37
know, what I do, we start wrestling each other and we'll
54:39
have a couple of Heels come out. And then, um, you'll face them,
54:42
we've probably done that half a dozen times and I still do your
54:45
eyes. Cannot see Renee.
54:46
Yeah, that's right. Yeah yeah, yeah.
54:49
That was fun day. Yeah.
54:51
Yeah. That was fun.
54:52
I was awesome. And then I got to see horn that
54:54
day. That was really fun.
54:55
He armed. Great.
54:57
Yeah, I was great. No, really impressed me that
54:59
show and I think she needs more time on TV.
55:01
Julia heart did a really good job.
55:05
She did well enough TV time. I was really impressed with her
55:08
ring work. Yeah.
55:10
Yeah. That's I mean, that's kind of a
55:14
You know they're making money and God bless them and Tony Kahn
55:16
can spend his money. Anyway, he wants to but some of
55:19
those folks who were so green. I mean, just so but have all the
55:23
potential in the world if they're super lucky, they
55:27
wrestle once a week and most of them don't you know what I mean?
55:30
So I mean and and then you have to weigh that out.
55:34
Is it really smart for a contractor?
55:36
Talons getting paid all this money to be allowed to go work.
55:40
Independent shows where they could have a shitty ring and get
55:42
hurt. But then again, if they don't
55:45
how they ever going to get any better because it's not having a
55:49
six-minute TV match or even a 10-minute TV match where you're
55:53
out there, obviously learning on the job and you can see
55:55
potential, but you can't, you can't get great that way.
56:01
You can get a little better here and there.
56:03
But it's, I mean, like, for instance terrible.
56:08
I'm not going to think of her name right now, probably named
56:10
tell the story, but who's the big?
56:13
Careful lady that had that there.
56:16
The TBS Champion for a long time.
56:18
Come on, Jake Cargill. I think they made a big deal out
56:22
of it. I'm not going to get the number
56:23
exactly right. That she had went 90 in.
56:25
Oh yeah. 56. And oh, okay, that's even proves
56:28
my point of more. 56 and no took her like three years to do that
56:31
or two or three. I mean if you're doing that I
56:34
mean it's one thing. If you're just an independent
56:37
wrestler that's kind of a you're just coming up and it's kind of
56:39
a hobby or something like that but if you're doing this full
56:41
time and you know she is Not out working and he's and you only
56:45
get to do it in front of people. And that's where you learn is in
56:48
front of people. We learn it in the school, we
56:50
get it. So it starts to click in front
56:51
of people because you're out there saying, oh, if I wait a
56:54
little bit longer before I do that, I'll get this reaction.
56:58
You know what I mean? So you have to do it in front of
56:59
people and in two or three years to only get to do it. 56 times
57:03
for a contracted television Talent.
57:06
That's an uphill battle. If she did great, I'm not not a
57:08
knock against her, but but it's not really easy when you get
57:13
better that Yeah, she was. You know what she was doing
57:15
backstage. A lot of people weren't aware
57:17
of. She wasn't, she wasn't in the
57:19
ring in front of a crowd, Daniel Bryan, and William Regal would
57:22
pull, are there side? And yeah?
57:23
Teachers. Yeah, and that's kind value.
57:27
I love Chris dat ladder, but I hate the way they transition
57:30
that title off of Jade to her. Like, yeah, she already
57:32
wrestling match. I was like, so bummed.
57:33
Yeah, and they change Chris. That lenders, whole gimmick and
57:37
made her like she was different and she was special and now they
57:40
just made it like every other female on the roster like a
57:42
glamorous pretty girl. And I was like, that's not Chris
57:45
like yeah I want the bloop. I want the nail Ian.
57:48
Who cares what that? That that's who you are.
57:51
I love that about. Yeah.
57:52
But yeah that's that's really that's a lot.
57:55
You know, you how you say that too?
57:57
Is like one of the things I learned a lot just from talking
57:59
independent Talent. Is that click moment?
58:02
Aha moment is when you're going to school and you're training
58:04
your training and then you start doing that road work and then
58:06
you're on your own and you're not with your buddies and you're
58:09
traveling. And in that moment clicks we're
58:10
just like, oh my God, it came together and it's usually that
58:13
Five-minute conversation 10-minute conversation to put
58:16
your match together and then you go in and perform it in your
58:18
like oh it everything that I was being taught just came together
58:21
but yeah hey buddy this is going to sound so lame.
58:25
But remember me telling me that my dad was trying to call and I
58:27
had to keep hanging up on him. He just drill a hold on a
58:30
second. I got to talk to him for just
58:31
like this, so everybody watching, I'm so sorry.
58:34
That's all right, hold on, just a second.
58:37
Hey Pop. I hung up on you a couple times.
58:40
I'm on a live interview right now online.
58:43
So yeah. And they can hear me talking to
58:45
you right now. It's going out live on the
58:47
internet. So I'll call you as soon as I'm
58:49
done. It's only going to be, we're
58:51
going to be done in two minutes, okay, two minutes.
58:53
Yep, that's all. We're going to be done in two
58:57
minutes and I'll call you or you can stay here if you want.
58:59
And I'll talk to you in two minutes.
59:00
Literally, I'm going to be done. Okay, stay here if you want.
59:03
Okay. All right buddy, I'm back.
59:06
I lost mine. That friend, that's my pop, he's
59:08
tattooed. So I spend most of my days
59:14
taking care of him but he still worries about me almost 50 and
59:17
I'm like, yeah, I'm still a little boy though, in closing
59:21
HC. Look where can people find you?
59:23
Where can people support you? And and and, and how can they
59:26
find your school? If they want to come train?
59:29
Hola best thing you can do is if you just search me on Facebook,
59:33
if my shoot name is Matt Knowles.
59:35
I don't know if you know this, but my mother didn't name.
59:36
Eh, SI Lok but, but if you say, if you search HC low, get will
59:40
come up, or find me on Twitter at twitter.com/randymckown
59:44
direct you to all that stuff but it's called fighting Arts Pro
59:47
Wrestling Institute, that's on Facebook as well and of course
59:51
exite wrestling.com that's why I'm still independent Russell
59:55
over. That's where I'm most most
59:57
closely fill of the affiliated with and I cope Remote the shows
1:00:00
and things of that nature. And again I really think it
1:00:02
would that that we offer curriculum and my school that
1:00:06
can really get you ready to do this for whatever level you want
1:00:09
if it's a hobby as long as you take it seriously and you work
1:00:12
hard, you're welcome. If you think that this is
1:00:14
something that you might want to do for a career, I strongly
1:00:17
believe that that I have the knowledge and the experience
1:00:20
where I can help try to get you there.
1:00:21
So please everybody who's interested to get a hold of me
1:00:25
and we'll get to work. And I'll tell you right now, his
1:00:28
group of That you will be traveling with learning from
1:00:31
not, just from him, but his students are.
1:00:32
I'm not bullshitting are some of the most talented group of
1:00:35
people I've ever seen in my life.
1:00:37
They're, if you think he's the way he conducts himself, and it
1:00:40
just really, really personable. And just his whole team is the
1:00:43
same way, hit up that school. If you're in the New York area,
1:00:45
if you're willing to make the drive and do that sacrifice, I
1:00:48
think the biggest thing you pull out of this is just if you want
1:00:50
something bad enough, you got to work for it, you're going to
1:00:53
have to struggle and you're going to have to not make some
1:00:55
money. You're going to have to not be
1:00:56
around the people you love, but if you want to chase your dream,
1:00:58
that's what comes with it. It Matt, thank you so much for
1:01:01
this. I appreciate you so goddamn
1:01:03
much, and thank you for having me.
1:01:06
I can't wait to eat bump each other again down the road and
1:01:08
just keep doing. You're doing man, I'm proud of
1:01:09
you. Thanks man.
1:01:10
I really appreciate you. Let's do this again.
1:01:12
Sometime. Absolutely everybody.
1:01:14
Thank you so much for tuning. The a BJ podcast that's going to
1:01:16
do it for episode 69. Here's some music by the
1:01:19
converse kid Billy tray. We'll see you next time or a
1:01:21
deer.