Latest / Scene Projects Sports Network / Jesse B: Insights into Wrestling, Refereeing, and Fitness in the Ring

Transcript

Jesse B: Insights into Wrestling, Refereeing, and Fitness in the Ring · Scene Projects Sports Network

0:01
What's up, everyone?
0:02
Welcome to a very exciting episode of Beyond the Bell.
0:06
Today, instead of having a restaurant, we have a very interesting person here.
0:11
Somebody from a different side still in the ring.
0:14
I wanna introduce you guys to a very great referee.
0:17
This is Jesse B.
0:19
Hey.
0:20
What's going on, guys?
0:21
Thanks for having me on.
0:22
It's great to have you on here, man.
0:24
So how long have you been doing this?
0:26
I've been training since March.
0:29
So not a not a terrible long time, but about eight eight months or so.
0:34
Seven, eight, nine months.
0:35
Around there.
0:36
You're fairly fresh here in the industry.
0:38
I love it.
0:39
Mhmm.
0:41
And you already have over a 100 matches officiated in that six months that you've been
0:46
doing this.
0:47
That is awesome.
0:48
Yep.
0:48
Getting there.
0:49
Oh, yeah.
0:51
So what made you wanna do this?
0:54
Oh, man.
0:55
I mean, growing up as a fan, I mean, I've been a fan since, I don't know, since I was five,
1:02
maybe six, and I just never really got away from it.
1:06
You know?
1:06
Like, a lot of people that have, like, that high school stage where they kinda get away
1:11
from it a little bit.
1:12
They get into sports.
1:13
They don't really have time to sit home and watch Monday Night Raw or SmackDown or
1:17
whatever's on, and I just never had that, like, low period.
1:22
I was just I've always been a fan from when I was a kid, so now I'm still doing it.
1:27
But where it really got me wanting to do it do it was I went to a couple, like, big shows,
1:33
like Monday Night Raw, SmackDown.
1:36
I used to go to a lot of the WWE live events when those were around.
1:40
And, just because me and my mom, we didn't have a ton of money.
1:43
So but those are a lot more affordable to go to, and you can still see some of your
1:46
favorite, wrestlers.
1:49
And I was like, that's great and all, but, like, I always hear about the indie scene.
1:53
I always hear about the indies and, like, how much how much fun the indies are, but, like,
1:58
it's really kinda hard to get into it at first.
2:01
You know?
2:01
Like, you gotta, like, kinda know somebody who knows somebody or, like, find an indie
2:06
wrestler.
2:06
And then once that happens, then it opens up all of these promotions that they work for.
2:10
And then you go down those rabbit holes, and you can find different talent that are, you
2:15
know, part of that roster of those different promotions.
2:17
And, I found one here in Atlanta.
2:23
They're called the disruptor wrestling.
2:25
They they usually do about six months at a time.
2:28
So they'll, like, do shows for six months, and then they'll take a few months off, and they'll
2:31
come back for six months.
2:32
And, I took a buddy with me.
2:35
He was not a wrestling fan at all, but he was like, hey, man.
2:38
Like, we're good friends.
2:38
I'd love to come check it out.
2:40
Like, he's not judgmental about it or whatever.
2:42
And I was like, alright.
2:42
Cool.
2:44
Me and him went to the show.
2:45
It was a blast.
2:47
Got front row seats, and I felt like a kid in the candy store.
2:49
I was like, man, it's so cool having wrestlers walk right past me and, like, give like, one of
2:54
the guy's name is Rico Gonzalez.
2:56
He, he gave me he he had, like, a title necklace.
3:00
It was, a big chain necklace with, like, a title on it.
3:03
And he's like, hey, man.
3:04
Hold this for me, and I'll I'll get it back for you after the match.
3:06
And I was like, of course.
3:07
Hell yeah.
3:08
And we started taking pictures with it.
3:10
It was super cool.
3:11
It was super cool.
3:11
And it it's just the indie shows are so much more, there's so much more involvement and
3:17
engagement, and the the heckling is always really funny.
3:20
And, you know, I've been to a couple bad shows here and there, you know, but, like, most of
3:25
the time, it's always just kind of a family experience where, you know, the people have
3:29
been coming to the shows for years, and they're just supporting their favorite local talent.
3:35
But, then I kinda started my own podcast for a little bit where I would interview indie
3:41
wrestlers.
3:42
But, honestly, I was kinda using it as a way to get in.
3:46
Right?
3:46
And I was like, you know what?
3:47
I'm gonna do on-site interviews.
3:49
I'm gonna go to wherever they're at.
3:51
I'm gonna bring cameras, mics, all that stuff.
3:53
And then now I'm in the back, and now I'm talking to promoters, and now I'm talking to
3:57
referees.
3:58
I'm talking to just kind of I I kinda wanted to get a lay of the land because you don't wanna
4:02
really just Google wrestling school and pick the first one with no, like, knowledge.
4:08
So I kinda started doing my research.
4:12
There's a few there's the night the Nightmare Factory here, which is Cody Rhodes training
4:17
school that's ran by a few people here in Atlanta.
4:20
There's, w w a four, in Atlanta.
4:25
There's PCW.
4:26
That's where I train at.
4:28
That one's in Conyers, which isn't too far away from Georgia or Atlanta.
4:32
It's about forty minutes or so.
4:33
I think there's a couple more, but those are, like, the big ones, here in Georgia.
4:39
So I I got to get to know another referee.
4:42
He goes by Daryl Hall.
4:44
He's known as grandpa on the Indies.
4:46
He's kinda like the godfather of the Georgia refs.
4:49
You know?
4:51
Kinda like your old guy, your mentor type of deal.
4:54
Yeah.
4:54
Yeah, man.
4:55
He was awesome.
4:56
I got to know him, and I was like, hey, man.
4:57
Like, I don't know about wrestling, but I'd like to, like, do refereeing or get trained or
5:02
just kind of see if I like it.
5:04
You know?
5:04
Let me get in the ring and figure it out.
5:05
And he was like, yeah.
5:07
I train on, you know, these days at this school.
5:10
Come check it out.
5:11
And I was like, alright.
5:11
Cool.
5:12
So I paid the monthly fee, went in, took the first bump, and been doing it ever since.
5:17
And I just I love it.
5:18
It's awesome.
5:19
That is great, man.
5:21
I love that.
5:22
Like, you know, you started as a fan.
5:23
You were, you know, you went and you made sure to check it first, and now you're here.
5:28
And, I mean, clearly, you love it because, I mean, you're doing you're still here, still
5:35
doing it six months later.
5:38
And it seems like you're doing a lot of what I'm doing because I'm kinda trying to get my
5:44
foot in the door, still in the ring, but not much as a referee.
5:47
So we're kinda doing the same thing with the podcast.
5:50
Yeah.
5:51
It's a great way to get in.
5:52
I mean, because most talent, they're always open to doing interviews.
5:56
I mean, some of them will care about your size, but most of them don't.
5:59
Like, those are the really cool ones you get to know where they're like, hey.
6:03
Is this your first ever episode?
6:04
Sure.
6:05
Yeah.
6:05
I'll meet you at this convention, and we'll talk at whatever.
6:08
And I was like, alright.
6:08
Cool.
6:09
Then just I but as we're walking, I'm asking them questions about their life and and their
6:14
goals and how they got started to get that kinda that personal foundation first.
6:19
And then once the interview starts, it's like it's easy.
6:21
It's just like talking to a friend at that point.
6:24
Exactly.
6:25
And that brings me to my next question.
6:26
What what is the goal with this?
6:28
Is the goal to keep working the Indies, or do you wanna get out and, like, get into the big
6:32
leagues being the referee?
6:35
Well, my goal is to get to the big leagues.
6:39
I love the indie scene.
6:41
I'm already planning on doing shows in other states.
6:45
But, if you're not in it to, like, get to the e or get to TNA or get to AEW or even, like, DPW
6:54
or, I don't know, like, hog or any of those promotions, like, I don't know.
6:58
Like like, a lot like, there's some people that do this who are cool with just kinda staying
7:02
local, and they're just kinda hanging out with their buddies on the weekends, which is cool.
7:07
I like that aspect of it.
7:09
But at the same time, I mean, this is a dream.
7:11
You know?
7:12
Like, I'm chasing it.
7:14
I'm getting to know as many people as I can.
7:15
I'm getting to know the right people.
7:17
I'm getting I'm staying my I'm staying away from muddy business.
7:20
I'm just, you know, being myself and making sure those first impressions are as good as
7:24
they can be.
7:26
And, yeah.
7:28
I mean, in my opinion, if you're not shooting for if you're not shooting to the top, then
7:32
what are you doing?
7:33
You know?
7:33
That's that that's my opinion on it.
7:35
I I'm I'm on a health journey.
7:37
I've been losing weight, hit the gym all the time because, like, at the end of the day, it's
7:43
not sound mean, but, like, none of these promotions don't wanna see, like, fat refs.
7:48
You know what I'm saying?
7:48
Like
7:49
Yeah.
7:49
All the WWE refs, they're all in shape.
7:51
They all look great.
7:52
Like, they gotta be in just as good of a shape as the wrestlers are.
7:56
So, like, when I saw first video myself in the ring, I was, like, two sixty, and I was just
8:00
like, man, this is this is hard to watch.
8:03
You know?
8:04
For me, I was watching myself.
8:06
I was like, no, man.
8:07
I can't.
8:07
So now I just got under two thirty, so I'm really been working on myself.
8:11
And, I feel like it'll also boost my confidence and, you know, just it's just a personal thing.
8:18
I'm sure some people are okay with it.
8:19
But, like, you look at the upper echelon cream of the crop, if you will, you're not seeing a
8:26
lot of 300 pound, 400 pound refs.
8:28
You know?
8:29
No.
8:30
Not at all.
8:32
So then have you ever refed any of the matches that have any of the, like, bigger names then
8:38
that went back to The Indies at all?
8:40
Or
8:43
Trying to think.
8:44
My biggest match I had so far is I haven't been doing it a whole whole lot.
8:52
I did Dragon Con, and, Teddy Long introduced the the women's world heavyweight championship.
9:00
It was new to the promotion.
9:02
Jimmy Wang Yang did a run-in at one point because it was his daughter that was in the
9:06
match.
9:08
So I'd say that's probably my biggest one so far.
9:12
I know I might be reffing a match with, I don't know if you know Cruel.
9:18
He's the, he he just won the MLW heavyweight championship.
9:21
But I know I've heard the name.
9:23
I haven't had a chance to check him out yet.
9:26
Okay.
9:26
Yeah.
9:27
You should definitely check him out.
9:29
He's awesome.
9:29
He's got, like, a kinda like a Jason Voorhees kind of thing going on, and he's huge.
9:34
He's a big dude, but he's also super talented.
9:38
He just won the MLW heavyweight championship, so I'm super proud of him.
9:43
But
9:44
Yeah.
9:44
That's awesome.
9:45
I mean, definitely someone that I'm gonna have to be paying attention to now if they're
9:49
holding the belt.
9:51
100%.
9:55
So then, you know, you've worked obviously match that have a huge name on it, like Teddy
10:02
Long and things attached to it even just as an announcer and stuff.
10:05
Mhmm.
10:06
Are there any people that you want to referee a match that they're in?
10:12
Oh, man.
10:14
Like, if I'm thinking of, like, local talent, like like, some of the Bullet Club guys live
10:22
here in Georgia, and they still do local shows like, Doc Gallows, Carl Anderson.
10:27
I actually ran in I've ran in I've ran into Doc Gallows, like, two or three times just in
10:33
public randomly.
10:34
Like, I'm working.
10:35
And Yeah.
10:35
I'm like, oh, shit.
10:36
There's Doc Gallo.
10:37
I'm like, what's up, man?
10:38
What's going on?
10:40
I actually just about his book.
10:41
Booked both of them.
10:43
That'd be yeah.
10:44
That'd be sick.
10:45
That'd be awesome.
10:47
AJ Styles trained here, in Georgia.
10:50
He was actually just at a Georgia any promotion last week that I couldn't make, which was a
10:56
bummer.
10:56
But
10:57
Oh, wow.
10:57
He took he took pictures with a lot of the local talent there.
11:00
So that was cool.
11:02
Cody Rhodes, he comes down to do he he was just at the Nightmare Factory last week.
11:11
So that I mean, there's big names here.
11:13
I don't if you know Jack Jameson.
11:15
He's in Ring of Honor.
11:16
I ref one of his matches recently.
11:18
You ref two of his matches?
11:20
I did.
11:21
Yeah.
11:21
I was at One Fall Wrestling.
11:23
Yep.
11:25
He's awesome.
11:30
So, like, where is, like, your dream to end up then refereeing?
11:35
Is it WWE?
11:36
Is it TNA?
11:37
Is it AEW?
11:38
Where's the one you would like to be at the end of the day when it's all said and
11:43
done?
11:44
I mean, I grew up a WWE kid.
11:47
So yeah.
11:48
I'd say WWE, but, honestly, I'd be happy with getting I grew up with TNA too.
11:54
Like, I I remember first tuning into TNA and seeing, like, Sharkboy and Samoa Joe, AJ
12:00
Styles, those guys.
12:01
I was like, what?
12:02
And, like, you know, Christopher Daniels and, like, that whole period.
12:06
So, like, I'd love to do TNA, AEW, and, like I was saying, even, like, the the bigger indie
12:12
promotions like House of Glory or, I'd love to do New Japan.
12:18
That'd be sick.
12:20
Any big Mexican promotions?
12:22
Because I speak Spanish too so I can, like, do something over there.
12:25
That that'd be fun.
12:26
I mean, I'm okay with going wherever, but, like, the angle is is for sure, like, WWE.
12:32
You know?
12:33
Yeah.
12:34
100%.
12:35
I mean, the fact is, obviously, you're willing to travel if you can.
12:39
I mean, New Japan and, like, Mexican promotions, you said, just anywhere.
12:43
You
12:43
Oh, yeah.
12:44
Oh, yeah.
12:44
You got you clearly have a passion for this, and you clearly enjoy what you do.
12:50
And that's that's why I love to see you in this industry.
12:54
So I guess, do you have, like, any a match that you would say is, like, your favorite that
13:01
you've done?
13:02
Oh, man.
13:05
Let's see.
13:08
This past week, last Friday, I did a, so the school that I I train at, we do three shows a
13:19
month.
13:19
So we do second, third, and fourth Friday of every month.
13:23
So a lot of times, I'll ref those shows to get my reps in.
13:25
I'm filming it.
13:28
I'm filming an interview.
13:29
I don't know what Terrence is doing.
13:30
I'm in the middle of filming an interview.
13:32
I'm filming an interview, grandpa.
13:34
I'm interviewing someone right now.
13:35
On this draft over here.
13:36
Okay.
13:37
Well, Terrence must be sleeping.
13:39
He's moving the way he looks.
13:41
Doing all this.
13:41
I'll put me on the feet well in here.
13:43
Take him out.
13:43
Take him out.
13:47
No.
13:48
It's fine.
13:48
Yeah.
13:49
It happens.
13:51
It is what it is.
13:52
Alright.
13:53
What was it?
13:54
Okay.
13:54
So, yeah, so I did a I did a show for, Platinum Championship Wrestling.
13:59
It was a well, I guess it was, so CCDL, which is like, it's like a lucha promotion, but it's
14:07
under the same umbrella as our school.
14:10
And, it was it was like our it was like our mania.
14:15
It was called.
14:16
So this was the second, second year of.
14:21
And, I did a match with, there's a Nathaniel Vanderbilt and RC Daniels.
14:28
They're just they're those are some guys I've trained with.
14:31
So, like, you know, most people outside of Georgia wouldn't know who they are, but they're
14:35
very talented.
14:37
And that was probably my favorite match was Atlanta Street Fight.
14:40
So no rules, weapons allowed, and it was a brutal, brutal, brutal match.
14:47
RC Daniel's mom was in the crowd, like, freaking out and crying, and it was Well, it
14:52
was kinda
14:53
like a death match in a way.
14:55
Sort of.
14:55
Yeah.
14:56
Just minus all the light tubes and the barbed wire.
14:59
It was it was it was a crazy it was a crazy match.
15:02
There was a spot where, Nathaniel Vanderbilt it was like a like a guardrail that he, like,
15:09
propped up on the ring in the floor, and he, like, power bombed him through it.
15:14
And it was like, man, they were, like, in my ear, like, can you please tell us he's okay?
15:17
Like, is he okay is he alive?
15:19
Because, like, the hard cam angle was here.
15:22
And the way he looked like he hit they thought he, like, clipped his head on the ring or
15:26
something.
15:27
And, but, no, they they did it perfectly.
15:31
That was it was it was a it was just it wasn't just a great match because of all the crazy
15:34
spots, but the story was great.
15:38
I've seen RC Daniels from, like, a while now and just seeing him grow as a performer has
15:43
been really great.
15:44
You know, he's learning his his baby face stuff, and, he's learning his character, and
15:49
he's getting better with, like, his emotions and his and his his, his face work has been
15:55
getting a lot better too because, like, we we used to call him, we used to say he had, like
16:01
he just had, like, a resting, like, I don't care face.
16:04
Like, he would close somebody and just be like, you know, like, is it like, you know, but he's
16:10
been getting a lot better with it.
16:11
But that would I would say that's my favorite match just because of, like, I personally know
16:14
these guys.
16:15
I trained with them, and just seeing them, like, have match the night was awesome.
16:21
I would say outside of that, I'm trying to think.
16:27
Dragon Con was amazing in front of, like, two, three thousand people.
16:31
That was a huge show.
16:33
Know, that sounds amazing.
16:35
It was awesome.
16:36
It was awesome performing in front of that many people.
16:40
Just the whole thing, like, Teddy Long and Jimmy Wang Yang, a guy I grew up with with both
16:45
of them.
16:45
And, it was it was it was, like because, like, my goal when I started training in March was to
16:51
ref at DragonCon.
16:53
And since I know the promoter, I told him about this goal.
16:57
And he's like, you know what, man?
16:58
If you if you get some shows under your belt, I'll give you a match or two.
17:01
Like, just see how you do in your training and if you like
17:03
And you got the match.
17:05
And I got it.
17:05
Yeah.
17:06
Match or two, you got the match.
17:08
The, you know, the women's champion.
17:11
Yeah.
17:11
He was like, I wanted to give you the match the most Gaga, like, with the most, like, crazy
17:15
stuff you had to remember and all the run ins and crazy stuff with the crowd.
17:19
And, actually, I did another match that night that was, it's the owner of Dragon Con.
17:26
He, he has this character called Scott e Crampton, and he's, like, this evil owner who's
17:31
rich, and he's always, it's so fun.
17:34
He comes out with, like, a, like, a dress jacket that's, like, blinged out with lights.
17:39
Like, kinda think, like, Chris Jericho's old jacket.
17:41
You know?
17:42
Oh god.
17:42
He comes in with, like, Nikes with, like, lights on the bottom and shit.
17:46
I'm just like, oh my god.
17:47
This guy.
17:48
But he had a match against Michael Mosley, and the match started okay.
17:56
So so Scott Crampton, he's like a, out of shape dad bod kinda white guy.
18:02
Right?
18:02
Yeah.
18:03
And he starts off the match.
18:04
He he has his lucha mask, and he's like, I'm Finnish.
18:07
So in my Finnish heritage, you all know we invented lucha libre, so I'm gonna wear this
18:13
mask.
18:14
And so the match starts.
18:16
He instantly rolls out the ring, goes under the ring, and then this big buff black dude comes
18:21
out with wearing the same mask.
18:24
And I have to be like, oh, there you are.
18:25
Come on.
18:26
Get back in here.
18:27
What are
18:27
you try and just play it off like you
18:30
guys know.
18:30
And then they do
18:31
That's probably gotta be the funniest match you've ever worked.
18:34
Oh my it was.
18:35
And then they did it again with a huge white dude wearing a mask.
18:40
So they didn't even just stop at one switch out.
18:42
They switched out multiple times throughout the match.
18:45
Oh my god.
18:46
It was so funny.
18:47
It was so funny.
18:48
Also, it wasn't my match, but we had a tag team match where they did a Pokemon gimmick.
18:54
And they, like, called out different Pokemons that come out and assist in the match.
18:58
It was cool.
18:58
It was cool.
18:59
There was, like, a guy in a big, like, oh, what's the name?
19:02
I'm blanking out.
19:05
I don't know.
19:05
But he came out of Jigglypuff as one of them, and he started singing Jigglypuff.
19:10
Everybody in the ring fell asleep, and everybody in the audience was falling asleep.
19:14
He was using that to try and pin someone out.
19:16
Dragon Con's always fun.
19:18
We had Superman come out, fucking do a do a do a dolphin dive on everybody.
19:24
Dragon Con's a lot of fun.
19:26
It's it's a once a year show, but, like, I wish I wish we did more.
19:30
But
19:31
It's definitely one that I will have to try and make it to one of these years and see.
19:35
Do you got to?
19:36
We always do it on Thursdays.
19:39
It's it's always the first day at DragonCon, so it's, it's a big show, man.
19:44
And if you don't get there early I mean, we had so many people outside who couldn't make it in
19:48
because we didn't have any more seats, you know, which sucks, but it is what it is.
19:54
I mean, that's how it goes sometimes.
19:56
Mhmm.
19:57
Especially when it's a big show like that and you you're doing a lot of fun things that not a
20:02
lot of other places are doing, people want to be there.
20:04
Yes.
20:05
Yeah.
20:07
Oh, yeah.
20:09
So then I guess my next question I mean, I guess it feels kinda like a basic question, but
20:13
I love asking it.
20:14
As a wrestling fan, who would you say is on your route Mount Rushmore?
20:19
You know, your top four.
20:21
It's always a tough one.
20:25
Man.
20:25
I would say since I grew up in the ruthless aggression era, right, I understand there were
20:31
people before that, but, like, this might not rush more.
20:34
Alright?
20:35
I don't care.
20:35
Yeah.
20:36
So I would put, Cena, Jeff Hardy, Mysterio, and I got one more spot.
20:47
Let's see.
20:48
One more spot.
20:51
I'm thinking from that era.
20:54
Yeah.
20:54
I mean, I'm thinking that, like, you're
20:56
I'm thinking, like, Orin or Edge or Batista or one of those Undertaker.
21:02
I mean, Undertaker was the man during that time.
21:05
Yes.
21:06
I'll I'll put Undertaker on there.
21:08
So Taker, Hardy, Sina, and I and Mysterio.
21:14
That's my personal.
21:16
Those those are my favorites.
21:18
I had posters of them growing up.
21:20
I mean
21:21
Oh, yeah.
21:21
I know, dude.
21:22
I mean, I used to have, like, three Mysterio shirts.
21:25
Yeah.
21:25
Used to wear them every week to school.
21:27
Three days of week, I'd be wearing Ray Mysterio.
21:31
Yeah.
21:31
Oh, yeah.
21:33
Yeah.
21:33
That that's that's my Mount Rushmore, though.
21:37
Yeah.
21:37
And that's honestly, that's the probably the most solid one from the ruthless aggression
21:41
era.
21:42
And, I mean, when you're talking about that era, obviously, you can't not name John Cena
21:46
because he was the one who coined it.
21:48
Yep.
21:49
Mhmm.
21:50
100%.
21:53
So, yes, do you have anything upcoming that you're excited to be working on then?
21:58
Any upcoming ones you're at that you're excited for?
22:01
Oh, man.
22:02
I did two shows last night.
22:05
Two?
22:05
See, I got I got Georgia classic this upcoming weekend, World of Lucha, Deep South.
22:12
I'm fully booked for next month.
22:14
So, I mean, I'm always excited for any show I get to be on.
22:20
One fall is always a fun one, because one fall, they use a lot of, like, Ring of Honor talent.
22:27
AEW guys will come down and do like, they just had their big show, their mania, I guess.
22:34
And, like, Darby Allen made an appearance.
22:37
Jay Lethal had a I think Jay Lethal has a match at the show I'm doing on the fifth, I believe.
22:44
Billy Gunn's always there.
22:47
So it's a good like, it's a at QT Marshall's, he kinda runs it.
22:52
So he's usually there, and just kinda getting to be around those kinda people.
22:57
And, like, it's like a blend of, like, that talent and local Georgia talent, and it just
23:01
kinda becomes a mishmash of just great talent.
23:06
You know?
23:07
So being around that kind of atmosphere, and just getting to know people and be a positive
23:12
person and just, you know, talking and then learning how to stop talking when you need to
23:16
stop talking.
23:18
You know?
23:18
So Exactly.
23:19
But, yeah, I mean, all the promotions are great, though.
23:23
I mean, there's Kraken Pro.
23:24
Kraken Pro has been doing really well.
23:27
That's down in, Tifton, Georgia.
23:30
It's about a two and a half hour drive from where I live at, which worth it in my opinion.
23:35
It's always fun.
23:36
Yeah.
23:36
I mean, I always tell people it's worth it if you can, especially with where I live.
23:41
I mean, just two hours from me, we have Midwest All Pro.
23:44
That was started by Eugene back in '21.
23:47
Okay.
23:48
Wow.
23:49
I have to check that out.
23:50
Midwest All Pro.
23:52
You might be seeing me there soon.
23:53
You never know.
23:54
Yeah.
23:55
I'm looking I'm thinking about going there.
23:56
They got, like, a week long training camp to see if you like it during the summer.
24:00
You know?
24:00
Oh, that's cool.
24:01
Is it is it is there, like, a fee for it?
24:03
Or
24:04
Yeah.
24:05
It's like I think it was, like, $200 or something to go take some bumps and see if I
24:09
enjoy it.
24:10
Man, man.
24:10
Man, it might be worth it, man.
24:11
You never know.
24:12
It could, it could spark something in you, you know, like it did with me.
24:17
It was it was crazy.
24:18
I have there's a
24:19
guy who's a mom before.
24:21
Yeah.
24:22
Yeah.
24:23
There's a guy here.
24:24
He's a he's, like, a local legend.
24:27
He was in, like, NWA Anarchy back in, like, early two thousands, and he trained with AJ
24:32
Styles.
24:33
And he
24:34
trained with AJ.
24:35
Slim j.
24:37
Really?
24:38
Yep.
24:38
That's awesome.
24:40
Yeah.
24:40
He's he's a great dude, man.
24:42
He's one of the nicest guys I ever met, and, he he he's kinda one of the guys I always pick his
24:49
brain about stuff.
24:50
Like, my first day of training, I was like, alright.
24:52
What am I doing?
24:53
I'm freaking out.
24:53
What do do before I bump?
24:54
What do do?
24:55
What what what am I doing?
24:55
What am I doing?
24:56
And he was he was like, hey, man.
24:58
Just blow all the air out of your lungs.
25:00
This is gonna come out anyway.
25:02
You know?
25:02
Like, right before you bump, just and take it.
25:06
You know?
25:06
And that helped so much because, like, I've seen people bump who are new, and they just
25:11
knock all the wind out of their selves, and it's just you know?
25:15
And then we don't see them again because they didn't like it.
25:18
So Yeah.
25:20
So as a referee, have you ever had to take a move while refereeing a match?
25:27
Not not a move necessarily.
25:30
I mean, I've been missile dropkicks.
25:31
I've been clotheslined.
25:34
I've I've been regular just bumped.
25:36
I've been elbowed in the face.
25:37
I mean, it's just most of the time, I'm just getting hit.
25:40
I'm not getting picked up and, like, thrown around or anything.
25:42
But
25:44
So you're not doing all the crazy stuff yet?
25:47
No.
25:47
Not not yet.
25:48
I'd love to stunner somebody, though, or hit it with an RKO or something like that.
25:52
That'd be
25:52
You'd like to do something crazy.
25:54
Just come out and be the referee that fights back one match.
25:56
Just Yeah, dude.
25:57
Yeah, man.
25:58
I know I know there's some there's some plans in the pipeline of me possibly getting a match
26:04
at some point.
26:05
So it's a I
26:07
would love to see that.
26:08
I mean, I think you would definitely do great in a match.
26:13
Oh, yeah.
26:14
If you check out my Instagram, you'll see some of my, my conditioning drills that we do and me
26:19
hitting insults and landing back flips and stuff.
26:21
You
26:22
know?
26:22
So I did my research today.
26:25
That's good.
26:26
That's good.
26:27
That's good.
26:29
Yeah.
26:30
And you definitely I mean, a lot of what you do, it's it's tough.
26:34
Well, you can tell.
26:35
Like, it's hard training, and that's why I'm always like, people say it's not a sport, but,
26:42
like, it's just a sport with the added touch of entertainment to it.
26:46
Yeah.
26:46
It's it's a 100% a sport.
26:48
Like, the what pisses me off all the time is, like like, we did a show at, there's a big
26:56
amphitheater called the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta.
27:00
And, the Suicide Boys were on tour, so they were doing the show.
27:05
And then we were set up in the same area right next to where the stage was.
27:09
So we had a ring set up.
27:10
So once the the concert ended, then they all started coming down the stairs, and there we
27:15
are, free wrestling, ready to go.
27:18
Right?
27:19
And, man, it was just a bunch of high drunk, like, late teens, early twenties.
27:25
And, I was standing there in the ring, making sure everything was safe, checking the boards,
27:30
and all that kind of stuff.
27:31
And, I can't tell you how many people were like, alright.
27:34
Let let me let me get in there.
27:36
Hey.
27:36
I'll I'll do a bad flip.
27:38
Hey, man.
27:38
I'm not gonna get hurt.
27:39
It's all fake.
27:40
It doesn't hurt.
27:41
And I'll I'll just say, hey.
27:42
Come here.
27:43
Come here.
27:43
I was like, smack the ring for me.
27:45
Just hit it as as hard as you can with your hand.
27:49
And all of them are
27:50
like one time, and ever since then, I learned.
27:53
Yeah.
27:54
They're all just like, oh my god.
27:55
Ow.
27:56
That hurts.
27:57
I'm like, yeah.
27:58
Like, what Yeah.
28:00
You land even slightly wrong.
28:01
You're gonna hurt a lot more than your hand does.
28:04
Yes.
28:04
The wrestlers know how to fall safely.
28:07
I mean, they're basically, like, parkour people.
28:09
They're literally they're literally there's they're stuntmen.
28:14
They're literal stuntmen.
28:16
Like, you take like, a lot of your trading is the same thing stuntmen go through
28:20
to
28:20
be able to learn how to not kill yourself.
28:24
Yeah.
28:24
I mean, you just tuck your head and make sure you land flat and try and spread that impact as
28:29
much as you can so it doesn't hurt as much when you hit it.
28:32
And, I mean, there's there's a lot that goes into it.
28:35
And then there's just a lot of things to think about.
28:37
But once once you get to a certain point, then it's just kinda second nature at that point.
28:41
But, like, I don't know.
28:43
It all it always bugs me when people think it's just the easiest thing in the world.
28:48
Oh, yeah.
28:48
Too because, like, I mean, you literally, like I mean, what was it?
28:53
Ten years ago, Ray Mysterio accidentally killed someone in the ring down in Mexico.
28:57
Wasn't that, like, ten, sixteen years ago, Ariel?
28:59
Like Mhmm.
29:00
Yep.
29:01
But people still say it's fake.
29:02
After that was worldwide, everybody had seen the news.
29:06
Yep.
29:07
Yep.
29:07
Yep.
29:07
It's, yeah.
29:08
He just hit him in the wrong spot, and I think he, like, hit a part of his neck just right
29:13
where it just instant.
29:14
Just dead.
29:15
Yep.
29:16
You know?
29:17
I mean, there's people who break their necks, who get injured all the time, who you know,
29:21
it's just
29:21
Oh, yeah.
29:22
I was supposed to interview somebody.
29:24
He's out on injury right now because he took broke his arm during a match.
29:28
Yep.
29:29
Yep.
29:30
Yeah.
29:30
I've had broken ankles, slipped ribs, that kind of stuff.
29:34
Not me, but, like, I've witnessed him in the ring, and I've had to call the ex once or
29:38
twice.
29:39
So it's it's just it's a sport, and they're putting their lives and their body on the line
29:45
for your entertainment.
29:46
So, like, appreciate it.
29:48
Yeah.
29:49
And I always hate the disrespect of saying that it's not real because it very much is.
29:54
But
29:54
Yeah.
29:55
Like, fake is not the right word.
29:56
It's choreographed.
29:57
It's not fake.
29:58
It's choreographed.
30:00
Exactly.
30:00
It's like, would you call would you call a jet like, the things Jackie Chan does in his movies
30:06
without lines fake?
30:07
I don't see people saying that.
30:09
Yeah.
30:10
I'm like, hey.
30:10
You like the Avengers?
30:11
You know, that's all fake.
30:12
It's like Right.
30:14
And, you know, is actually fake.
30:16
Their stunts are actually fake and safely tethered.
30:19
It's a lot different.
30:20
It's a lot safer than wrestling.
30:21
It's a lot faker.
30:23
Oh, yeah.
30:23
For sure.
30:25
So when it comes to, like, having a match, what is your dream match type?
30:29
You know?
30:29
Like, what would you want?
30:31
Like, your basic one on one or, like, a tag team, triple threat, Ironman?
30:39
No, man.
30:39
It's a cage match for me.
30:41
I wanna do a cage match so bad.
30:43
Are we talking the cell cage or the steel cage?
30:46
Both.
30:47
I mean, both.
30:48
In the indie in the indies, it's usually a steel cage, but, like, hell in a cell cell or,
30:54
like, a elimination chamber would be pretty sick being in there.
30:58
I'm just thinking on an indie level.
31:01
Yeah.
31:01
A cage match would be amazing or, like, a ladder match would be fun.
31:05
I just did my first hardcore match last night, so that was that was fun.
31:10
So when it comes to, like, your first time, like, actually working a match match, you would
31:14
want it to be you against someone inside the cage.
31:19
Oh, yeah.
31:20
Yeah.
31:20
I mean, honestly, that's the perfect way to start if you ask me.
31:24
Dude, hell yes.
31:26
Especially, like, with how I flip and stuff.
31:28
I mean, I I would be flipping all over the place.
31:30
Oh, absolutely.
31:36
Well, I think I'm actually about out of questions here.
31:40
Is there anything you wanna tell everyone before we go?
31:45
I would just say with some advice, just, be open minded, be a sponge, and absorb
31:53
information from any and everybody.
31:55
Don't be picky about link.
31:58
Like like, I trained with grandpa, and I trained with, Richard Bousnego, and I trained
32:02
with, Brian and Trey and Bill and, like, all these local, like, trainers here.
32:08
And it's like, it's great.
32:10
I love their information.
32:11
And because of them, I'm where I'm at currently.
32:14
But, like, at the same time, I'm also going to other promotions, and I'm learning from vets.
32:21
And I'm and even people who have been who just got in it like me, I'm learning from them.
32:25
Or, and I just kinda take a little bit of everything and just make it my own.
32:30
And I'm just I'm not just, like, copy and paste.
32:33
This guy told me exactly how he does it, so I'm a do it exactly like how he does.
32:38
You know?
32:39
To me, that doesn't make sense.
32:41
Exactly.
32:41
You know, a big thing with what you said there's information does lie anywhere at any
32:45
level.
32:46
You can be just starting out, and somebody newer than you might have like, some
32:50
information you had never heard before.
32:53
Oh, yeah.
32:53
Absolutely.
32:54
And even, like, small stuff, like, a lot of local referees, like, I always learn from we
33:00
have Paul, Espinal.
33:02
We have Daryl Hall.
33:03
We have Mike Fulalove.
33:05
He's on DPW as well.
33:07
He does the DPW shows, but he also does commentary at, at our school, like, once a
33:13
month, or he'll ref at our school for once or twice a month.
33:16
He's very seasoned, and, I mean, he he does shows all over The United States.
33:21
I mean, he's in Chicago.
33:22
He does stuff.
33:23
He went to Vegas, Romania, and he was doing a bunch of local shows there.
33:26
And, you know, he's a really he's an awesome dude.
33:30
Mike Full of Love or Mike Full Black.
33:32
He is awesome.
33:33
Like, great great dude.
33:35
I've gotta work with him a couple times.
33:37
But, like, most of my questions are always like, hey.
33:40
How do you connect your, like, radio, like, connector, like, through like, oh, you you cut
33:44
a hole in your back pocket so you put oh, okay.
33:46
Cool.
33:46
Or you like to go in the front, or do you attach in the back?
33:48
What what what do you have in your ref bag?
33:50
Okay.
33:50
Sunscreen.
33:51
Okay.
33:51
That's smart for outdoor shows.
33:54
Gloves, safety glasses, med kits.
33:58
Even like like, I just worked with Paul Espinal for the first time on Sunday, and he has, like,
34:04
what's it called?
34:05
It's like a like a tool that has, like, a knife, a screwdriver.
34:10
It has, like, everything just in case.
34:11
Army knife?
34:13
Yeah.
34:13
Like, Swiss army knife.
34:14
He's like, you never know.
34:16
You might need it.
34:16
And I'm like, alright.
34:17
I guess I'm adding the Swiss army knife to my bag.
34:20
It's just it's just there's so many just little small things.
34:24
Like, even, like, they showed it on Friday.
34:27
Like, I what I used to do, now I stopped because I I I learned, but he was like, hey.
34:31
When you go to and I I used to do this.
34:34
I go to.
34:35
He was like, Kyle, looks like you're calling for the bell.
34:38
So, like, you might wanna be careful when you do that at some promotions.
34:41
You might go two, and then they might ring the bell thinking you're telling them to ring the
34:45
bell.
34:46
So now you now I just go two or two, and I just stay still.
34:50
I stay clear.
34:51
You know?
34:51
So it's just it's small stuff.
34:53
Positioning in the ring, communicating time cues, or, hey.
34:58
Hard cams to your left.
34:59
Hard cams to your left.
35:00
Hard cams to your right.
35:01
Hey.
35:02
Like, slow down, speed up, or, you know, whatever.
35:05
You know?
35:05
It's it's a it's a lot of information, but I'm still learning kinda how to, like, communicate
35:10
certain things.
35:11
I got to meet Robert Gibson on Sunday.
35:13
That was cool.
35:15
Rock and roll express, baby.
35:17
Oh, yeah, man.
35:18
I mean, hell.
35:19
Robert Gibson.
35:20
That is amazing.
35:21
He was doing a seminar, and he was showing, he was showing the wrestlers how to how to how to
35:27
take certain bumps and how to transition into different moves.
35:30
And he was wearing, like, the WWE, performance center shirt and pants.
35:34
And I was like, this is pretty cool.
35:36
This guy's pretty he's made it.
35:37
He's been there.
35:38
You know?
35:39
Anybody you can learn from is that guy.
35:41
Well, yeah.
35:42
Absolutely.
35:43
And, I mean, definitely a great source of information from what I've heard from different
35:47
people in the indie scene and from people who have just met him that he's just an all around
35:50
great person to be in the same room as.
35:53
Yeah.
35:53
He was he was great.
35:54
He was super, like, open and giving and, like, he didn't come off like, yeah.
36:00
Like, don't talk to me.
36:01
Like, he was very open.
36:02
Hey, man.
36:02
How's it going?
36:03
Nice to meet you.
36:04
Like, he was very cordial, and it was it was nice getting to meet him.
36:08
But, yeah, I don't think I got anything else.
36:10
Just wanted to give that that advice of just be open minded and listen from all angles and all
36:16
people that are in the business.
36:18
You know?
36:19
Yeah.
36:19
Well, thank you for coming on.
36:22
It was great to be able to talk to you and be able to give you your first interview, and I'm
36:26
glad I got to learn about, like, refereeing and things like that.
36:30
I mean, I haven't known much about it.
36:32
Have a great day.
36:33
Alright.
36:34
Thank you, sir.