Latest / ABJ / ABJ Podcast Ep 44 Matt Deuerlein

Transcript

ABJ Podcast Ep 44 Matt Deuerlein · ABJ

0:32
Ladies and we are back once again for an episode of the, a
0:35
BJ podcast, your host, Anthony Blackwell here for episode 44
0:40
with ref, Matt, but we'll get to that in one second.
0:43
Make sure that you check out the links below for not only my
0:45
stuff but my guests and their links as well as merchandise and
0:49
we still have the links up for Edina and Mike who are too
0:51
injured wrestlers. I don't have links up for this
0:54
current one but just found out today that big F and Vinny tore
0:59
his ACL and we'll be out of wrestling for quite some time.
1:02
Once again, all these injuries from these performers, they
1:06
just, they take away from their bookings and their dreams, but
1:09
also takes away from their shoot jobs and then ways to make
1:12
money. So keep an eye out on the scene,
1:14
if you're a wrestling fan of who's hurt and who's not hurting
1:18
who you can support. And keep that in mind, when
1:20
you're at a show and go buy a t-shirt support these people
1:22
because in one second, they can go in there and it all could be
1:25
over or they can be out of work for six.
1:27
Seven months, it's hard to pay the bills and they're doing it
1:30
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the latest in traditional in the style.
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Jack Styles in school County, Pennsylvania, Clips on the
1:58
podcast have been doing really well, but putting them out three
2:01
a day. Trying to get caught up with
2:04
them, so I'm trying to do three different ones.
2:06
Monday through Sunday, people are really enjoying the car, the
2:08
clips, and they're actually going back and watching previous
2:10
episodes, and that's the goal. So thank you guys so much.
2:13
I have no new read ad reads aren't ad reads but reviews from
2:18
previous podcast, but if you do them on Spotify or apple, I
2:22
should be able to find them. If I don't read yours and you're
2:25
like, hey you ever read by and send me a screenshot.
2:27
Let me know you did it just because sometimes I don't get
2:28
the alerts. Also is Facebook side.
2:31
I think we just Just hit 617 subscribers.
2:34
So we're we're flying on our way up to that precious at 1K, so
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we're getting there. So, if you guys are watching
2:41
this, hit that share button, let people know what you're watching
2:43
and what you're into and tell them to check it out.
2:46
So without further Ado, let's bring in my guest, it's bringing
2:49
rough. Matt.
2:51
Hey everybody, what's going on? Matt, you're Infamous clip.
2:56
Has been played numerous times on this podcast of II like to
2:59
end the show with it. That's one of my favorite and
3:04
most recent times of a fan, just get a little upset with the
3:07
wrestler. And then you shush, shush
3:10
shooting them back to their seats and they told you your
3:12
number one as well. So in the minutes and really
3:17
days following that was just like, I don't feel so great
3:22
about this. I got home and tell my wife,
3:25
what happened and she's like, no, no, you're fine.
3:29
You were well within your bounds I and messenger.
3:31
Ah, shit about My gosh. I am so sorry like dudes.
3:35
Grandmother left them. There she was like I'm done and
3:38
she took off. I love it was like like memes
3:53
this too will pass. Yeah.
3:58
Ricky is a fan of The Alex black middle finger, I am as well.
4:06
I hate Ricky price but I love that middle finger.
4:08
Oh my God, it's so I love how he's like walking up to the
4:11
cameras. Making sure like no one sees him
4:13
and they just flipping off MIT and he just like hiding with it.
4:16
And then then he just gets upset, he just starts it's so
4:19
good. I love it personally
4:22
professionally about three inches from MIT.
4:25
He put it right in his mouth. I don't think I would have
4:30
liked. Touch the wrestlers like that.
4:35
Like I understand that. There's no guardrails and
4:38
there's a little bit more freedom than say.
4:40
If you were a true are Smackdown or ew, but do not walk up to a
4:45
wrestler and put your middle finger in their face when some
4:51
people may not know you and not know what you're gonna do next
4:55
but I digress. Thank you for having me.
4:57
This is a long time coming. We've been talking about this
5:00
since The pandemic days. Yeah and finally made it work.
5:06
Yeah, so I was supposed to have you on.
5:08
We're going to shoot for later on this year because thankfully
5:13
and and I'm very grateful that my bookings have been very high
5:16
on this. And a lot of people are tied to
5:18
an end to be on it and that's awesome.
5:19
And I'm trying to get everybody on with my list is quite large.
5:22
If everybody who wants to be on the show and I had someone back
5:25
out and I said, boy, what better person to try to squeeze it in
5:28
because, you know, I really want to talk to you and a lot of good
5:31
luck. Those are coming up that you
5:32
want to promote. So what a better time to get you
5:34
on? Absolutely.
5:36
The second you were like, hey, let's do this Tuesday and
5:38
thinking, perfect. I have a ton of stuff coming up,
5:41
ton of really good things to promote.
5:43
So let's pick a pattern. Let's get to it.
5:47
Yeah, so as my second Referee on the show, that's exciting.
5:51
First one ref Gina, who is unbelievable.
5:54
I I really, really appreciate and love the the aspect of a
5:59
referee, I think so. A Lot of times in the wrestling
6:02
business and it gets it gets overlooked.
6:04
I don't think you guys are appreciated enough enough and
6:07
I'm in The Firm camp that refs should have merch.
6:10
I really do I think as a referee you should have merch.
6:13
I think you're just as much a part of the show.
6:15
I think you're just as important.
6:16
I think pulling the curtain back.
6:19
A lot of people think that you're just, you know, they
6:21
don't really know the roles roles of a referee and it's not
6:24
like it's boxing or any other sport.
6:26
You have a lot more involved in what you have to get
6:28
accomplished in that short amount of time, that people
6:30
don't even know you're doing. Doing it's funny that you bring
6:33
that up and first thank you. You were talking about Edina and
6:39
Mike before you brought me in and we were at the edema
6:43
fundraiser. That was held at Classics in
6:46
Scranton. We're all the bands are playing
6:48
and I was eating my dinner and hanging out and talking to a
6:51
Deena's mom. And she says to me.
6:55
Why did you know that she was hurt.
6:57
I said immediately just wait, how did you know immediately?
7:02
I said cuz she landed. Really, really funny.
7:05
Hmm I said and then we had a conversation immediately and I
7:09
let everybody know what was going on so that we can adjust
7:13
accordingly. So that is part of what we do as
7:17
a wrap for communicators, it's not just enforcing whatever
7:22
rules are enforceable that particular day or week and That
7:25
promotion, but it's about communicating, it's about
7:29
safety. It's Safety.
7:30
First and all times timing of the show.
7:33
Yeah, absolutely. I making sure everyone stays on
7:35
time dealing with the consequences of not Kiki.
7:44
But but how you just said there that you You Seen Her Go Down
7:47
awkwardly and actually you will like you kind of like during the
7:50
match you if you go back and watch it on Smash Master
7:53
wrestling on YouTube, you could We see you like, oh, like you,
7:56
like you, you react to the bump and it wasn't just like a
7:59
referee actual bomb. Like it was a legit reaction,
8:02
and how you said. I immediately had a conversation
8:04
with everybody, but as a fan they have no idea that
8:07
conversation just happen because you're good at what you do.
8:10
Well, thank you. And the first thing I did
8:12
because I do you know, what's in the corners, like talk to me,
8:14
what's going on and she said and I quote, I don't fucking know.
8:24
Doesn't sound thrilled. I hope she's not like piston
8:27
Eric because it's an accident accidents happen.
8:30
I Don't Like Anything could happen, you know.
8:33
And I was just like what's going on.
8:36
She's like collarbone like okay so I go over the kit and I like
8:40
collarbone and I remember in the the chinlock I'm like hey when
8:45
she comes back in watch the collarbone and they pass it all
8:49
around and that's all part of it.
8:51
Yeah. Sonia.
8:52
It's so crazy. Crazy like as a longtime fan.
8:56
I did, I didn't know any of that stuff existed, but, you know,
9:00
being in the business and learning that it to me, it gives
9:03
me such a more of an appreciation of the referees
9:06
role in a wrestling ring and what you guys do and how you
9:08
guys keep people safe. And and honestly like when I
9:11
talked about it before the with rap Gina, you're actually
9:14
working with people who you know, like athletes don't want
9:18
to say when they're hurt. Our don't want to say quit our,
9:21
don't want to stop the production of the show.
9:24
And then you're sitting there as a referee gone.
9:26
You're legit hurt. Where do I make my call here?
9:29
You know. Yeah.
9:31
And that doesn't have a judgment call and you kind of trust the
9:35
performer and you trust to an extent because sometimes you're
9:39
right, adrenaline's going, you don't know how hurt you really
9:42
are. But you try to trust the
9:44
performer as far as you can until you can't.
9:49
Yeah. And a great way to the best,
9:52
showcasing of that. Where this happened not too long
9:56
ago, maybe within past couple years on live TV was Matt Hardy
10:01
when he took that bump off the scaffolding and his head and ref
10:05
Aubrey called the match and Matt kept fighting, and it kept going
10:09
on TV and you could see her legit fighting with Matt Hardy
10:12
who's not conscious but he's bodies keeping him moving and
10:16
she's legit. Like know this match is over but
10:19
the cameras kept rolling and ever, and that's happening on a
10:21
live million dollar production. Russian television show and
10:25
she's trying to say for spider safety, like he's legit hurt and
10:28
it just kept rolling, you know? I mean like that's a tough spot
10:31
to be in, it's very difficult and she does a great job with
10:35
stuff like that and she has been in the business, her whole
10:38
career. Like she was not a long time,
10:40
wrestling fan. She was someone who kind of
10:42
started in the independent scene, and then quickly got
10:45
picked up by a, ew, because of what she brings to the table at
10:48
her attitude and her, you know, like her just her being her.
10:52
Absolutely. And I met her at the first pizza
10:55
party. Wrestling show maybe a week for
10:58
years ago, when it was in New Jersey.
11:00
Mmm. And she's super nice and she's
11:04
come a very long way she's good at what she does.
11:06
Hmm. Yeah, she's super entertaining
11:08
and I think she's a video game developer to like she actually
11:12
codes video games and stuff like that.
11:14
Like that's her legit like passion besides wrestling and
11:18
hopefully she can help them figure out what's going on with
11:21
the Cayman have. To come out.
11:23
Yeah, I think the game is good. I just think the right now, they
11:25
had issues with the rating because there was supposed to be
11:28
when you bled. It was supposed to drip onto the
11:30
mat and the rating system is like nope.
11:32
And then the name of the game, kind of got flagged by gcw fight
11:37
forever because they're like, hey, we had a show called fight
11:39
forever and that's ours. So now that's kind of holding
11:43
everything up. I was talking to Heather the
11:46
other day and he told me that he saw a clip of like someone
11:48
throwing a Molotov cocktail. And he's like, you know, I'm
12:02
sure I'm sure, no, I'm listen. I, this is the prime example, of
12:08
when a host of a podcast has ADHD, and we just go on the side
12:11
tanks. You know?
12:12
I mean, but, well, speaking of professional wrestling mat.
12:15
When, when did you fall in? Love with this industry?
12:18
When did you become a wrestling fan?
12:21
I've been watching you as long as I can.
12:22
Remember, my father spent a good portion of the 70s going to
12:27
Madison Square Garden during like Bruno's rain.
12:30
And Pedro's rain, like he was there because he lived in North
12:34
Jersey in turn. Then I lived in north northern
12:38
New Jersey till I was nine and he took me to my first show The
12:43
Summer before we moved to Pennsylvania.
12:46
And it was actually an independent show at the high
12:49
school that he Went to in Clifton New Jersey which is now
12:52
I think a middle school Christopher Columbus and it was
12:55
either football field it was in the middle of June.
12:58
It was headlined by Don, Muraco against Bob Orton and in the
13:02
show. That's crazy.
13:04
Yeah. And then the next week WWF was
13:07
at The Meadowlands. And we went to that too and the
13:10
main event was Warrior, rude for the title.
13:13
Nice. I'm a huge and I still, I still
13:15
read my brother to this day, because while he was six, he
13:19
fell asleep from the The van. I'm like, Yep.
13:22
This Warrior and now, he's like almost 40 and doesn't watch
13:27
wrestling and he's like, yeah, I don't care now.
13:29
Yeah, carried what we were six. I fell asleep during a NASCAR
13:35
race, like Pocono front, for strats, just out cold.
13:41
Well, we moved to Pennsylvania to the Poconos and the second
13:45
house that we move to was actually in effort by 10 minutes
13:49
from Pocono Raceway. It's like close enough that you
13:52
could hear the cars if you muted your TV when the race started.
13:56
Well, we would go because that's just what you did in the 90s and
14:01
my dad would build this big Deck on the back of his pickup truck
14:07
and we go in the infield, oh my god there.
14:11
And let me tell you, 13 years old.
14:17
Yeah, so my, my dad, I for years would tell me the infield, the
14:21
infield and he said, I'm not taking you into the infield
14:24
until you're 18 years old, and I was like, why he goes, it's,
14:28
it's redneck Mardi, Gras. It's just, there's drugs, sex
14:32
and rock and roll going on, and I'll park and Infield and 18
14:36
years old. He was not lying, first three
14:39
minutes in. There's a woman performing,
14:42
let's just say a mouth hug on her husband, in front of
14:44
everybody. Girls were flashing, whatever
14:47
they had. I was immediately handed a beer
14:51
because I was wearing a Dale, Earnhardt, jr.
14:53
Budweiser hat and they're like, you have Junior on your hat.
14:56
Here's a beer. And I was like, I'm not gonna
14:58
say no, and I'm 18 years old. So speaking of Deer park next to
15:09
us. They were from West Virginia.
15:11
They had a deck on top of their truck, tarp hanging off of it
15:14
with a picnic table underneath 6 a.m. this woman walks off the
15:20
deck. Through the tarp through the
15:24
picnic table. Yeah, to the ground, her husband
15:28
climbs down Works her. Looks at the coach of the tarp
15:34
looks at her looks of the tarp. Again, looks at her fixes, the
15:40
tarp gets a beer and climbs back up to the top of the truck.
15:46
My dad's freaking out like this woman needs medical attention.
15:49
Yeah, they don't care if their son was with them, who is
15:53
probably like nine at the oldest.
15:55
They had to just sit in the pickup truck the rest of the
15:58
day. And yeah, So when we move to the
16:03
Poconos not NASCAR for they did, thank God.
16:08
There was a, there was a little Indie that ran the next town
16:12
over when we lived in Saint Petersburg.
16:14
And the next town over was windgap and Pennsylvania
16:18
championship wrestling. Right?
16:19
At the Plainfield, Township Fire Hall every month, one of their
16:22
firefighters, the Volunteer Fire Company.
16:25
One of the firefighters was a wrestler, Judd, the stud steel
16:29
so he had a promoters license and he Would run shows and we
16:33
would go because it was Kevin's from home and it was super cheap
16:37
and it was in that moment that I realized that anyone could do
16:42
this you didn't have to. Because like that first Indy
16:44
show like you're seeing Dumber Bronco.
16:46
You're seeing Bob or gear like yeah, this is kind of a thing.
16:49
I like you're seeing just these local dudes and you're like this
16:53
is something I can do. So it made me realize that in
16:57
the moment. And now here I am not.
17:01
How did you how did you transition later from that fan
17:04
to a referee? Did you go to wrestling school?
17:07
Did you do? I want to be a wrestler first
17:09
and then transition to a ref did you always want to be a ref?
17:12
What, how did that plan out? So in April of 2000, I showed up
17:17
to valet championship wrestling at Cafe Metropolis.
17:20
In downtown Wilkes-Barre. That was a mecca for the local
17:24
scene, huh? Yeah.
17:29
And I was going to be a wrestler and know the jelly button.
17:35
Image is supposed out who looked at me and said he would make a
17:39
good referee. I was like yeah sure whatever.
17:42
I was like I'm gonna trade him wrestle but I was going to
17:44
college here and I was going home to the Poconos of the
17:47
summer. So I was like, I'll start in the
17:49
fall semester. I'll just kind of hang out for a
17:50
bit. It turned into me, working a
17:54
couple shows as a referee later on.
17:57
I did wrestle. A few matches and then that all
18:04
shut down because it was all very, very legal.
18:07
And Phil Stamper had come into the fold and Brad and Joe and
18:13
Joe being Joey Devine. Oh Brad's Old Tag partner and
18:16
some of the other local guys JS, Michaels had gone up and done
18:20
that when Brad and Joey found Worldstar wrestling.
18:25
That was where I came back into the fold.
18:28
On the independent side and I started with a backstage
18:31
interviewer and I became a ring announcer.
18:35
At one point, I was a manager, but I still at that point wanted
18:40
to wrestle world star kind of petered out a bit locally and
18:46
Joey breads old partner opened a hardcore venue called the zoo
18:51
which was upstairs from another hardcore venue that we had moved
18:56
to what we moved out of metropolis.
18:59
Joe bought a ring and Eric pin hat was running trading at the
19:06
at the music venue and all you had to do was work at the shows
19:09
and help bands carry equipment up and everything one day, Eric
19:16
and his tag partner, Irish cab at that point, they were the
19:19
rigging crew. They were booked at
19:22
groundbreaking wrestling in Hanover.
19:24
Pennsylvania, which is run by Greg, excellent.
19:28
And they had no referee so they're like hey that carafe and
19:32
I've been working on it a little bit in training because I
19:34
realized how little I like to get hurt.
19:37
So I decided that wrestling really wasn't for me, but I
19:40
still wanted to do something and I just kind of fell into the
19:44
refereeing thing and now that was 2004 And now, here I am
19:49
today now, will you always did that ever happen?
19:53
Like the mental state of like why don't I don't want to be a
19:56
ref. I don't want to be these other
19:57
roles I want to be like, did you ever struggle with that idiot
20:01
first. But I don't think there were a
20:04
whole lot of referees around at the time.
20:07
So I actually was getting out there more as a referee, and I
20:11
just kind of settled into it. Mmm, And II was very quickly in
20:19
a lot of different places after the groundbreaking wrestling
20:23
thing within three months. I was in Shikara and because I'd
20:29
ring announced for them over the summer.
20:31
Thanks to my old friend Shane storm.
20:36
He was like Hey I can try the gyms all available free on
20:39
lions. Come it was the year that
20:40
Sweeney one. The alliance cop.
20:42
Young Lions coming to but my friend that he bring it out is
20:47
in Wilkes-Barre I could bring him.
20:48
And next thing I knew I was there and then there was an idea
20:53
for me to be involved in a very specific angle as a referee and
20:57
then that angle never materialized and I just rode up
20:59
on the roster for three years. Yeah.
21:02
That's a I mean regardless of how things went It down in that
21:06
promotion but boy, The Who's Who of wrestling in the Northeast
21:10
area? Came out of came out of that
21:12
promotion. Yes they did.
21:14
And I don't know if you're aware of this but this right here this
21:19
is what I was getting when we were off the air, this is every
21:21
match of ever raft. What written down in a book.
21:25
And you go through here and some of the names that you see, it's
21:30
unbelievable. The people that because of
21:32
Chikara I got to share a rank with you.
21:35
You ever have you ever wrapped one of his matches at Chikara?
21:40
I dropped his first match in Chikara really, yes, When he was
21:47
still the right stuff. Brodie Lee.
21:48
And he'd beat, actually, he lost to Jerry got TV who was Equinox
21:55
at that point. Yeah, that's so cool, man.
21:58
Let, yeah, like I actually was at when we're at Hamburg, I
22:02
bought a bunch of like a by tell g'kar eight-by-tens off of Gary
22:08
and like I have like the colony. I have the the the Sean's old
22:13
one. I have Avery's old one with him
22:15
and pineapple Pete. Well, now then it was a slam
22:17
dunk. I have ya later, Uno player Dos,
22:21
like I have all these like who you see on TV now but not under
22:24
the same characters. Let's it's so cool.
22:26
Yeah, and it's amazing to see how far some of those people
22:30
have commented well-deserved. Like yeah.
22:32
Your orange Cassidy isn't either.
22:42
Yeah, like he can, he can go a Claudio.
22:46
It's awesome to like see Claudio still going.
22:49
He was like the nicest guy and he is probably hands down one of
22:53
the best people I've ever been in the ring with.
22:55
Yeah, were you? There was a show in Pine Grove
22:59
that Claudio did. I don't remember, it might have
23:01
been Chikara, I'm not sure, but I remind my buddy.
23:04
He has a video of it where I guess the venue was light and
23:08
they still need it. People out like to come in, so
23:10
Claudia went out. On the Main Street of Pine Grove
23:14
in his full gear and he was just posing outside walking down the
23:17
street flexing and posing, and he's pointing people into the
23:20
venue. It's like, yeah, that sounds
23:23
like a very Claudio thing to do. I never worked a show in Pine
23:26
Grove. I did a couple shows.
23:28
We were in Barnesville. Oh, at Lakeside Ballroom.
23:33
Know that was wxw. This was out there Firehouse.
23:38
Oh oh wow. Okay, I did A couple shows that
23:42
the Lakeside Barbara when I was in wxw, which actually came when
23:46
I left Chikara under the most sprinkle a of circumstances.
23:53
And if you know, you know, but I felt a called me one day and
23:59
he's like, hey, can you get to Allentown for wxw?
24:02
But yeah, sure and wxw as a point of reference had done the
24:06
show with my high school. When I was a senior in high
24:08
school, a wxw was The place locally because it wasn't a lot
24:15
locally and I remember I wrote for the school newspaper and I
24:19
interviewed a couple of wrestlers and all that stuff.
24:22
I'm like, that's pretty cool and now I'm going to be on their
24:26
show. Yeah, I was there for 10 years
24:28
and wxw for the ones who don't know if you're not local to the
24:31
area or you're just hearing that is that is essentially the some
24:34
wild Samoans. Cool.
24:36
Yes. Yeah.
24:37
And for example, that is where he's often came from More more
24:45
like for the back, that's where Batista trained, you know, was
24:48
at the wild Samoans and that's where Mickey Rourke trained for
24:52
the movie The Wrestler and he was out a couple of shovels.
24:58
Hey guys, I actually sang photos of and I don't think a lot of
25:01
people know this but troske was telling me that it wasn't
25:05
actually. Mickey, Rourke was the first
25:07
pick, the first pick was Nicolas Cage and Nicholas teams came in
25:11
train. And and bumped it was like not a
25:13
chance and left hard now. Yeah, he's like not a chance and
25:21
I mean Mickey Rourke did a fantastic job but yeah.
25:24
So kind of going back to the role of referee and and it's
25:28
more than just putting on a striped shirt and counting to
25:30
123 or asking someone if they quit.
25:32
There's a lot more movie Magic behind it.
25:34
There's a lot more involved in what you have to be as a referee
25:37
training at a place where Essentially, your backyard or so
25:41
have a dope venue then transitioning to all these other
25:44
venues and all these other spots.
25:46
When did you actually have someone pull you aside and say,
25:50
like, hey, this is where you have to do this or do that.
25:52
Or did you just kind of pick it up along the way?
25:55
So I picked a lot of it up on along the way and I actually
25:58
remember there's a conversation in reading and it opened my eyes
26:04
to lie. It was after I was out in
26:06
Chikara show and Icarus pulled me aside.
26:10
Like, why do I have a feeling that they just kind of taught
26:13
you the rules of wrestling and that was bad because like Eric
26:18
had never trained a referee. So I'm glad we're talking 20
26:22
years ago, Eric was great at teaching bumps.
26:25
Eric watched me, take flip bumps for an hour and a half a night
26:33
for like an entire like, for like three training sessions in
26:36
a row. Until I got it.
26:41
Yeah. So but as a referee he was only
26:46
like two years in as a wrestler himself.
26:49
So a lot of what I got. I got along the way and I made a
26:53
lot of mistakes and I am sure I pissed a lot of people off and
26:59
for that I apologize. 20 years later.
27:03
You're still you're still learning like you're just out
27:05
there doing it, get it done. If you didn't put the Shirt on
27:08
nobody else would have? Yeah, I mean yeah this is this
27:10
is true and I got out there and I got it done and I learned as I
27:14
could. Thankfully also at this time,
27:18
like I'm 23 years in and that Turner had just graduated from
27:23
The Ring of Honor school and he was in that first training class
27:27
that was run by CM Punk. So Turner was booked everywhere
27:31
and he would just tell people I've got a rep, I can break.
27:34
So next thing I know he called me up.
27:36
He's like, hey, let's go to The two sets of you get the car and
27:39
go to Boston, we will go to devil.
27:41
There we go, all over the place and that experience helped me.
27:48
Learn more about wrapping and learn more about the process and
27:54
working with different people because I'd be at Chikara two
27:58
days a month. We do Friday Saturday, sometimes
28:01
Friday, Saturday Sunday, but I was always with a lot of the
28:04
same people, which is nice for Comfort, but had their own rules
28:09
there as well. There is a little bit different
28:13
way different than normal rustling.
28:15
Yes. Oh, absolutely.
28:16
We're getting on the road with Turner and subsequently been
28:19
getting into wxw taught me. Like it may be more versatile
28:24
and really filled in those gaps. Yeah, I remember the first time
28:28
I seen Lucha tag. I was like, what is happening?
28:30
And they're like, oh that's the rule here.
28:31
I'm like what? And then I watched I was like
28:34
now it's my favorite form of tag team matches.
28:37
I don't know how it As a referee.
28:38
But as a viewer, I prefer Lucha tag over at any other type of
28:42
tag team match, I love the flower of Lucha tags.
28:47
It takes away from some of the more traditional tag psychology,
28:52
but that's okay because there's a time and a place for that to I
28:54
love tag team psychology. I love cutting off the ring
28:57
distracted, the ref drawn. The Wrath that false tags.
29:00
I love all that stuff. But mucha just had which attacks
29:04
have we a smoothness to them? those are actually now the camp
29:09
LeapFrog trios rules, which you can see on the high-tension
29:13
network YouTube page, especially Christmas trios, where I wrapped
29:19
many, who drools, truth is, most of the card, a good portion of
29:25
it, but it's fun, it's fun. It's fast paced and it's
29:32
definitely different for sure. Yeah, but you're right, it was a
29:35
lot of fill in the blanks fill in the gaps and learn as you go.
29:40
Now, on the scene you've been around for a very long time,
29:43
we'll just kind of stick with the with the roles of referees
29:45
who are some people? You got to share a locker room
29:47
with or some people you've worked with.
29:49
I know we talked about Aubrey in the beginning that that maybe
29:53
have helped you or maybe just work good people, that you
29:55
really enjoyed working with I will never ever, ever, ever,
29:59
ever be able to thank enough for say a bad word about brace
30:04
remsburg is such a nice guy. Rice was so patient with me when
30:11
I had no business being in that, Chikara locker room and really
30:16
taught me. I just kind of learned through
30:18
osmosis and watching and actual physical part of it took a
30:23
little bit to catch up but Gathering the Knowledge was so
30:28
helpful I got to work at wxw with.
30:34
He's now known as Sean Bennett in WWE and he was also a wealth
30:42
of knowledge learned so much from him.
30:44
And another guy could never say a bad word about Sean Bennett
30:47
ever. I'd say those are the two main
30:49
ones we have a lot of local reps.
30:51
Zach corbucci, I learned from watching him.
30:56
He was A Worldstar when I first broke in.
31:00
Those are the three that really stick out though.
31:02
Yeah. And Bryce's another one too.
31:03
If you go back and watch the old shekhar stuff, he wasn't always
31:06
a ref. He was he was Ring announcing,
31:09
he was in, he did almost every roll.
31:11
You can think of it that company at one point in time, and then
31:14
transition to referee, it's Bears.
31:16
Ever anyone in the wrestling business that deserves the
31:20
success that they have, it is great.
31:21
Schramsberg. Yeah, there is.
31:24
So I got to meet him twice. Now once at a show and then one
31:28
said defens Hurry. And he's such a nice human just,
31:31
it's just awesome to be around. Absolutely, yeah.
31:36
Now on the flip side of that horse on people that stand out,
31:40
I know you got your book but who are some who are some people you
31:43
stood in the ring with and called some matches for that
31:45
stand out that, you know that World of Fun.
31:50
I'm pretty sure that this past week.
31:54
I mean, Kevin Owens was in the main last year at media, so
31:58
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Do the first two WrestleMania
32:01
Main eventers. That I've ever shared a ring
32:05
with and I worked with at shekhar's can trios.
32:11
If you go back and watch from shekhar, has negative balance,
32:17
Mike Quackenbush and Claudio casting going for a long time,
32:21
stood. As the best match I ever, reft
32:24
may still to this day obviously matches with orange Cassidy.
32:30
I spent a lot of time with him Eddie Kingston but then also on
32:35
the flip side, I was actually just talking to my friend Kyle
32:37
about this today. I once worked to show any
32:39
Stroudsburg going to Kamala was on, that's great.
32:44
It was around the time that is R&B album came out and I'll
32:47
never forget, I was the only rep on the show.
32:50
He comes out for his matches, a title match.
32:52
So they were through Magics that, come on wins, because in
32:55
the belt, he's walking in the ring and he looks at the crowd
32:58
oohs. I may take this belt back to
33:00
Mississippi. I mean Uganda.
33:04
Yeah, I've known that I watch the old.
33:10
Mean Gene Okerlund outtakes on YouTube with them having a real
33:13
bad day. I just put that on because
33:14
there's no way you can't be happy and watch that.
33:17
And, and the one is like him. Reading the newspaper.
33:20
Like, what are you doing? You know, you can't read English
33:22
like, he's like, I'm not from, I'm from Uganda.
33:25
Like, he's just like almost forgets his character.
33:27
Yeah, give us some nice also. That's so they brought him in
33:37
there's a little promotion, I was running Stroudsburg at that
33:40
point show, before that got to work with the New Age Outlaws
33:44
and be in the ring while they did their whole entrance.
33:49
One time. I worked.
33:49
Maryland, championship wrestling, Scott Hall, son was
33:52
booked and Scott Hall, did the survey, and I'm in the brain for
33:56
it trying not to Mark out. The one time I worked a show in
33:59
Nanticoke and The Honky Tonk Man was on the show.
34:04
And he walks over to the other side of Nanticoke Armory where
34:07
the microphone was because it was nowhere near the ring and
34:11
they didn't have a wireless one. So he just kind of walked over
34:13
there. There's a little stage and he
34:16
goes who wants to hear me sing my song.
34:18
And at that moment, I did not care to just like I do please
34:26
and the chat moon like skaro says, is Ron Simmons in that
34:30
book. And then earlier on that time,
34:45
Phil Stanford, Matt D JS, Michaels and Gideon.
34:48
Rego went to the club in 2001, an incriminating story, not for
34:56
me. Was a, there was a time where
35:04
the woodlands just God forever ago.
35:07
But have I love how it was Duck Club in 2001?
35:11
I love. That's the most 2001.
35:13
They were all time Doug. Yeah, I mean, yeah, so Woodlands
35:17
had Club Evolution, which they still have and Thursday night
35:23
was there under 21 night. So we would go and It was
35:28
something I always used to hear stories of all.
35:33
You gotta go to the Woodlands. You go to the Woodlands I've
35:35
till this day have never been. I don't even think, is it like
35:37
still a thing? There's a woodland still, like
35:40
actually a few weeks ago when we were all off for President's
35:45
Day, my wife and daughter and I we make a Sushi Japanese
35:49
restaurant there and we went, we got Sushi and it's really good.
35:54
I never was a club guy. Give me a dive bar with a With
35:57
a, with a shitty shitty. Punk band that just making noise
36:02
and a stinky bathroom. That's my, that's my That's
36:09
where I belong. And also where I spent most of
36:11
my time, but I like, I dabbled. I was also an intern for our
36:17
local radio station or time 40 radio station up here.
36:20
So I would go and work skaro says, Matt, please take me
36:24
clubbing with you. You're gonna have to ask Jay,
36:27
Freddy and Commander effects to do that.
36:29
But the one time, they came down to work GSW, they went to the
36:33
Woodlands after That's crazy. That, that is well outside my
36:40
wheelhouse. But now, now it's well outside
36:46
my wheelhouse. So, you talked about a lot of
36:49
the big names that we've seen on TV referees, who are some Talent
36:53
locally that you've seen. And I know this kind of can go
36:56
to the Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn's Claudio of the world before the
36:59
world knew who they were, but who are some people you stepped
37:02
in the ring with as a ref and you just watch them work and Be
37:06
like they're special there. Someone who's going to take off.
37:09
There's someone who has a lot of potential.
37:12
There are a lot of those and we are very lucky in northeast
37:17
Pennsylvania to have that kind of scene where like I remember
37:21
working little shows in Hazleton with the company that became
37:25
true wrestling with like Tony, get it working working on the
37:30
shows and like, clay dragster, who I wish was still more active
37:35
than he is today. Like out there doing his thing.
37:39
Like you look today and you see Mike's tyros out there really
37:44
becoming a leader. I talked to him about this at
37:48
The High Ground show, the one, I ground show that I worked
37:51
before. I decided not to anymore.
37:55
And and and I was like, okay? See if I sold Bambino?
38:08
And I told her like, I wasn't sure how this was going to go,
38:12
but you Ed and he put his work in and it was fantastic.
38:19
Trying to think of some other guys who just looked like they
38:22
had It, whether it be as a tag team or in singles, when he had
38:29
a break dance like and Kevin Graham in 2015, 2016, 2017 and
38:35
Bruce still out there, plugging away and get back on the road
38:38
more and doing more, but he went to Japan.
38:42
He teams the great Buddha. Kevin move to Texas and stop
38:47
wrestling and now does a very good podcast.
38:50
Yeah. The whole podcast Network called
38:51
Prairie, DirecTV Hey, everyone should check out but those were
38:56
guys get the work with Jerry when he was been Gerard, an
39:03
equinox, get to work with Shane storm and stigma getting work
39:07
with guys like Halo Wicked, who is the most slept on wrestler?
39:14
At least the Northeast. I watched an old Shikara that we
39:18
did a review show on and it was the one that went it was in
39:20
Pottsville a Goodfellas and Hollow Wicked wrestled.
39:24
There was a tag match, but the two people, they wrestled were,
39:28
it was two females. And one of them I think is, is
39:32
who knows wife. Yeah not oh no shit.
39:40
Shit shit. Oh my God, I'm having such a
39:43
brain fart. Whatever.
39:47
Anyway, she was there and she beat the dog shit out.
39:49
Like Carl Wicked. Take some sick-ass bumps and
39:53
like he was so good that whole state like I caught on a lot of
39:56
the g'kar after like I didn't really know what your car was a
39:58
thing and then I did the camp LeapFrog stuff and then when I
40:02
started going back and watching shekhar and man like him mantis,
40:07
I love mantis. Like they are also good.
40:12
Absolutely. I got yelled at on conference
40:14
called the other day for saying absolutely too much and now I'm
40:16
doing it here. One other guy to add to this
40:19
conversation is jogi see ya? So I remember when Jo was coming
40:26
to w xw is one of DJ Hyde students?
40:30
He was the first excite wrestling champion and just to
40:33
see how far he's come out as shown.
40:35
He posted sometimes Instagram the other day, they showed my
40:37
wife and Mike, look at Gacy in the arena where the Lakers play.
40:45
Look at this. It's just so cool.
40:48
How about I mean, he's not really the Pennsylvania scene
40:50
but he's part of the Northeast seen and you look at him in the
40:53
independency in the you look at him now, Damien priest, moving
40:57
on, um, I'm saying like his he how he transformed himself and
41:01
how he you know, I mean put the work he if you seen pictures of
41:04
him then and now he's not the same person.
41:08
Fair enough. Yeah.
41:10
Well I guess I'll leave that one but also he was a ref and I was
41:25
on shows it's cool. We are so privileged to be in
41:28
the Northeast and always have eyes on us and always have all
41:33
these guys like really making it and really getting out the
41:36
Alexander James. Yes.
41:39
Who started as a student at wxw now, he trains at WX.
41:44
Sorry it's easy W that we trains it wxw Germany.
41:49
It's right. It's insane to Siege the growth
41:53
of all of these dudes. It's Carol says moose has just
41:57
entered the chat, I guess. Um, so I guess that means I need
42:02
to make sure shon-kar defeats Mike's Kairos the Saturday night
42:07
at The X in Johnson City. New York, see you Sally.
42:10
Is that the Saturday? It's the Saturday.
42:13
Hmm. It's give me a bit of a ribbing
42:16
here, and that's amazing. Maybe, I need to make sure Mike
42:22
isn't the champion past Saturday.
42:25
Yeah, actually, I don't have a booking this Saturday.
42:28
So I might I might have to make a trip up to Binghamton could be
42:32
a good show and if you can't make it, I'll just go to
42:34
twitch.tv backslash excite wrestling.
42:37
It'll all be there. Yeah.
42:39
I'm a obviously ass Kairos fan but one of the first people I
42:43
have started. And watching the independence.
42:44
When I got back when I started getting into it was ppw and at
42:47
the time he was there world champion with Sean car and I
42:50
just never watch him being like, I like this guy.
42:52
I like his he'll work. I like his in-ring work.
42:55
I'm a fan of him as a wrestler so he's someone I always like a
42:59
fuck. If I can seek out because I
43:01
don't really work a lot of show with some of them I try to Sean
43:05
has come such a long way. I will never forget couple
43:09
points in my career with Sean, where one?
43:14
Hey Pete, welcome. So one day we were at at what
43:21
excite used to be was called 3DW.
43:23
And Sean was working ekso bionics.
43:25
They're doing like a best-of-seven series and Shawn's
43:28
dad threw in the towel from the crowd and it got such a great
43:33
reaction. The other shon-kar story, it was
43:37
when he was challenging, Joey image for the GSW heavyweight
43:40
title and his then girlfriend went into Labor.
43:45
So, he was trying to rush back to Binghamton and they got into
43:48
a car accident while she was giving him while she was in
43:52
labor. Well, she was, she was at home.
43:55
Oh, Sean cage. We're all in this car and that
44:04
was a night. I liked his Feud with AJ Evers.
44:10
Pete will take any opportunity to put AJ Evers.
44:13
I'm not mad at all. Side Story from Chris Decker.
44:25
So speaking of age, Grounded Allentown.
44:41
And the entire point of the Stables that we are there to
44:45
kill the town. We were there to kill Allentown
44:49
and this is because of something I witnessed a wxw where Adam
44:53
Cole's booking was a little funny one night.
44:55
And when we got to the Back DJ I told them that he killed the
44:57
town. He told to have them call.
45:00
He killed the town. Yes.
45:03
So so AJ. Oh yeah, he absolutely kill
45:08
downtown. That aged that aids.
45:13
Well, it did not so much and Who is like, Vince Lombardi?
45:59
Stuff is the most entertaining. One of the most entertaining
46:04
people to be around and just watching the ring.
46:06
He's just, he's, he's amazing. It's so funny because he had the
46:13
long hair and I won't tie wants to drop his chute job, but we
46:17
were at high tension at the Steamtown Mall and my wife and
46:22
my daughter were there and our friend Sara was sitting with
46:26
them. And AJ comes up for his next
46:30
time these acts and Ashley, my wife looks at Sarah and goes, do
46:34
you know, this is what he does for a living and she's a service
46:37
like that guy. yeah, it's funny the night before that show
46:42
happened him and Tommy, wrestled him, and Tommy Russell at the
46:45
sanctuary are the Friday before and they just go into the back
46:50
to just like get notes and make sure I'm good for commentary and
46:55
Tommy is putting on AJ's geared, AJ's, putting on Tommy's gear
46:59
and then they just looked at me and go don't say a word to
47:02
anyone and they came out with like a baby mask on and then
47:05
they took it off and they Wrestled a match, and I just
47:08
called it as if it was, Just them and they didn't character
47:11
swap. So, Tommy was AJ.
47:13
AJ was Tommy, they didn't tell anyone they were gonna do it,
47:17
especially troske, so trustee seeing him, take the mask off
47:22
and be, obviously, AJ was Tommy. He was just like, what that's
47:27
just a magic going to get Maj is in your locker room or even a
47:30
tommy vax. So one kind of sanctuary Tommy
47:35
Roch and I devised a plan to get you.
47:39
Rusty like that because trustee told rush and taught me that he
47:43
wanted a very old-school NWA style matching them and we went
47:48
out there and the entire story of the bathroom them just
47:51
aggravating Me by cheating and yelling, what are you gonna do
47:56
about it? Have you ever had a situation
48:01
working with maybe a newer Talent or a talent words?
48:04
They just get carried away and they like as a ref.
48:07
You're just stuck. You're like well either that's a
48:09
three or that's a disqualification or you're out
48:11
of the ring for 10 seconds. Like we're the maybe the match
48:14
didn't end the way it was supposed to end on paper but as
48:17
a referee, they left you. No choice.
48:20
I wanted to shoot camping out at wxw.
48:24
I have started because of a wrestler that a.j. wrestled one.
48:30
Another great story. He's trying to fire up the crowd
48:33
by like pounded on the mat. AJ had him in like a chinlock.
48:37
Well, I like okay, go, are you tapping yell?
48:40
He's like, oh wait, no, he started to stop his foot.
48:43
Oh, now I've started to check in that matter.
48:46
Is that a tap out? Oh, no, it's not.
48:49
Okay, for the record. This guy called the entire
48:53
beginning of the match, but with AJ's, by saying we are first,
48:56
we're going to walk up. Then because they does Maddie
49:04
agent goes. That goes, then I'm going to
49:08
back you into the ropes. I'm going to rip you off the
49:12
ropes. Nature is like tell me more.
49:28
Next day, maybe it wasn't yours. No like a heart punch, it was
49:36
his first match. And he insists on being the
49:40
heel, even though he's told 25 tickets and look like crazy.
49:46
Yeah. What was going back to the
49:48
referee thing was, how you have to shoot call something out?
49:52
Wasn't it shekhar? I think Brian was time.
49:54
I've never physically seen the match, but either Brian said it
49:57
was either. Chikara are one All those crazy
49:59
promotions. Where were they said the ref
50:01
like he, he tapped and the referee goes what, and then they
50:05
just ring the bell. Clanging, listen to the guy like
50:07
it was one of those looks like, stick things like that, that
50:11
checks out. Yeah.
50:14
But he also is like he tapped out and I was like, no, I didn't
50:17
you tap out, bring the vest. I just want to say, have you
50:23
ever done any crazy spots of that nature?
50:26
But I mean, if you look at some clips or look at some, Recent
50:28
highest high tension stuff. You've been known to Bodyslam us
50:32
up a few people in your career. Yes.
50:35
And actually, that was not the first time I had done that.
50:39
We were at the IW TV, family reunions show the first one.
50:47
Oh, Jesus Christ Pete. We're not going to go down that
50:51
route of sprinkle a Badness. No, I'm intrigued.
50:57
We were doing a six way and there's a wrestler from the
51:01
Midwest. Name is Mikey and everyone was
51:04
taking turns body-slamming, like you more in the back talking
51:07
about this Marik and eliciting. Those you want to Bodyslam
51:10
Mikey, Mike? Yeah, sure.
51:12
So it's like 12:07 p.m. IM, the first show of medicine
51:17
WrestleMania week and here. I am body-slamming is, dude,
51:19
I've never been told and you bought us time Tommy and
51:23
high-tension. I did yeah, definitely Tommy.
51:28
He's the, he's the worst. We have a chat to chat question
51:32
here. Hunter Dylan says any advice for
51:34
people who want to train to be a referee?
51:37
Absolutely listen and that's first and foremost is listen
51:44
because so much of a A communication that if you're not
51:48
listening, you're not communicating properly.
51:52
Fuck their schools are few and far between these days, I think
51:55
locally. But there is the X up in Johnson
52:00
City in New York. And I'm not sure where you're
52:04
watching from, so I can't speak to your local area.
52:06
If you're not from here, but I know off of Junior has a school
52:11
of broadheads Bill, and they're doing stuff.
52:15
So the There are a few places around.
52:18
It's that were something you want to explore, but the big
52:20
thing is be a sponge and just listen and pay attention to the
52:26
referees that are on TV because that is what people are
52:31
expecting when they go to a show, they're expecting at least
52:34
some kind of familiarity. Yeah, I remember being a wxw one
52:38
time and I was checking the guys before the match and Tommy sweet
52:42
says to me, do they do that on Monday nights?
52:46
I said, nah, no, thanks. Justin, you don't do it here and
52:50
I've taken that with me ever since.
52:52
Here's the thing, though, I like the ref checks in the beginning,
52:55
I like it. It's old school and I still, I
52:58
wish more people did it, to be honest with you, I like to boot
53:00
check in the lecture. I just I just think it.
53:03
It's something for the fans to watch while they're waiting for
53:05
the next person to come out and a heel or a Babyface can
53:09
interact more with that. Now, if you're running Along on
53:11
time, obviously that takes away a little bit but I'm a fan of
53:14
it. I don't know.
53:15
I like it. I totally see.
53:17
See that like in some situations it's warranted.
53:20
But also so many shows now are on streaming services there on
53:26
Twitch that you do have to be mindful of that time constraint.
53:31
And it from my perspective, it's weird to check the heel when the
53:36
face is now there yet. And I and then check the face
53:40
and it just kind of stops. All momentum.
53:43
Yeah, that there is, that's true warrior.
53:46
If you check them both. You're double killing the
53:49
momentum because now you're taking 45 seconds to a minute.
53:55
And if there's that promoter, has you doing entrance to exit
54:03
as your time now you're eating into their time.
54:07
So I agree with you to an extent that there is a time and a place
54:10
for it. Yeah, I think I think if someone
54:12
like, if especially if you're doing continuity for a story
54:14
like so say, for example, taught AJ Evers has been winning.
54:19
His last three matches by brass knuckles.
54:21
And then you come and you're like, wait a second and you
54:23
check them, you know what I mean?
54:24
Something of that nature. But yeah, yeah.
54:27
Now here's a question. One, question, and we are
54:28
getting close to the end. So if anyone has anything in the
54:30
chat that they want to say to Matt are, you know, any any
54:33
positive things you want to lay out?
54:35
There are any questions, please do.
54:37
So we're getting close to the end but I think a big thing
54:40
that's talked about now in wrestling especially when it
54:42
comes to watching A&W as a product.
54:43
And a and wbe were people kind of Hate on the aw referees
54:49
because they're so animated and they're like, well, they're
54:51
being there to involved in the match and the old-school guys
54:54
don't like their style or refereeing and it's more of that
54:57
loose base because they came from places like shekhar and the
55:00
newer Indie scene is more of that style of referee and so
55:03
that old-school ref where you're almost like have to be hidden.
55:06
Where do you lie on the spectrum of that?
55:09
I think there's a time and a place for everything.
55:11
It depends on the story and the situation that the match is
55:14
trying to tell. If I asked To be a part of
55:18
something. I will think about if it makes
55:21
sense, before I agree to it. I will think about it makes
55:24
sense for the story that's being told.
55:27
However, keep in mind that aew and WWE don't have the same
55:31
Target that don't have the same fan base.
55:36
I mean, they do, but the same time.
55:38
They are vastly different styles and the fan bases are expecting
55:43
sometimes vastly different things.
55:46
So for someone who's on that more old-school, mindset of reps
55:53
should be stomach. Well, they're not really who,
55:55
aw, trying to get and if someone's looking really good,
56:00
someone is saying, oh, well, that's kind of like Or like that
56:06
represents total referee. He was like.he, who isn't an
56:11
active participant because let's be realistic.
56:14
Here you are a person who is watching all these things happen
56:19
around you and yes it's your job at the same time.
56:22
You're watching, people get thrown around and just and their
56:25
stomach. Like, and not react to it at all
56:30
to show. No, emotion.
56:31
Have no like response at all kind of doesn't make sense, but
56:37
it also depends on the situation or like, how over the top.
56:40
You could be about it. Yeah, I will do what I'm asked
56:45
especially whoever is promoting the show and pay me at the end
56:48
of the night, if there's something you want, by all
56:50
means, I'll find a way to make it work, but I will think about
56:54
it first and see if it Makes sense if it's going to detract
56:59
from the story that the wrestlers are trying to sell
57:01
because at the end of the day they're the stars on the
57:04
support. Yeah.
57:06
Here we go. For our last ones, here are two
57:07
questions. One, what would your dream bug
57:09
job be if you weren't a referee And then I'll ask the next one
57:14
after that one. So I went to school to be a
57:18
radio DJ and that I realized, I didn't want to move to a
57:22
cornfield in Iowa and make minimum wage because that's kind
57:25
of much like it's much like wrestling.
57:27
That's how you do it. You go to the little stations
57:29
and work your way up. So that would be a lot of fun.
57:34
If I could write a letter to my younger self.
57:36
I'm sorry. I'm your good.
57:40
People audio wise If you could write your letter to your
57:43
younger self, what would it say? Shut up.
57:46
Haha. I feel that I feel that my soul
57:50
not for you for me being so awkward, which I would write
57:55
that to wake up earlier to be an hour ago.
57:59
But I can I can I kind of pull the curtain back a little bit on
58:03
for us. Yeah so a lot maybe about a year
58:07
ago I would say we had a personal interaction that no one
58:11
knew about. That wasn't amazing.
58:13
But it was also because we didn't really know each other as
58:16
people and and one of the things I really enjoy about you and I'm
58:21
a fan of is, it was awkward and it was it didn't get really
58:24
ugly. It was just it wasn't good but
58:26
it wasn't awful. But at we for a while we just
58:30
kind of just didn't talk to each other.
58:31
We just kind of went our own ways and we were at a show one
58:34
day and you you came up as a veteran move and I respect the
58:37
shit out of that because it's probably something I should have
58:39
done cuz I haven't been in as long as you but You're like, hey
58:42
man, we're going to be working a lot running by Heidi.
58:45
We're gonna be working a lot with each other.
58:47
Can we have, can we have a conversation?
58:49
Can we get past this? So, it's not awkward and I
58:52
respect you, and you respect me type deal.
58:54
And, and I want to say, like as someone that we went through
58:58
that, I respect the show that meant, and I'm really, really
59:00
happy. I did that because I think it
59:01
flourished into a way better friendship and relationship.
59:04
So my advice to be, if you do have heat in wrestling terms
59:08
are, if you do, if you think there's something there that you
59:10
can possibly Wash with a conversation, please do so you
59:14
don't nobody wants to be the locker room where you have that
59:17
kind of environment or our there's two people, kind of
59:19
going that route and I think you as a veteran seen that and and
59:23
ended it and I really respect it.
59:26
Well, thank you and I'm glad that you were agreeable to that
59:29
and like we're going to be on shows together all the time and
59:32
like why make it weird? Yeah.
59:36
Why wipe caught my purposely continue to drag nothing out.
59:42
Now sometimes there are situations where it's better to
59:48
just not speak to people that you've had disagreements with
59:53
and it's okay to just like, have that Mutual understanding of
59:56
like, we're just going to chill away from each other and that's
1:00:00
that. And you run with your circle
1:00:01
over on with mine. And it's, that's that I like in
1:00:05
your situation where we had a conversation, you're right.
1:00:09
It wasn't the best of conversations, and And it it
1:00:12
kind of became a thing for a couple minutes and like we
1:00:15
talked through it but like, left it on not fantastic term.
1:00:19
So it's just yeah, there's this Dom.
1:00:22
Yeah, we doing here because what?
1:00:24
Because we both had the same idea in the same premise.
1:00:27
We just couldn't get to the end the same way.
1:00:29
And like I said, I feel like, I mean, at least on my end.
1:00:32
I definitely respected you for what you've done in the business
1:00:34
and how long you been in the business and the circle you run
1:00:36
in and the people you work with, and I respect every single one
1:00:38
of them and I was just like, I don't want to get too much into
1:00:44
it, but I was like, why is he coming at me like that?
1:00:45
And then I was just like, I never was like, every single
1:00:48
person what I approach them like, why?
1:00:50
Because I wanted to find out the like, that's Matt and I was just
1:00:53
like, Oh, and it wasn't like a negative thing.
1:00:55
It was like, you just don't know him as a person.
1:00:57
You should really have a conversation and I was like
1:00:59
maybe you're right and then when you came up and we had a
1:01:02
conversation and then learning more about you and having more
1:01:04
conversations and learn even like on this podcast about how
1:01:07
you came up and how you approach things and do things and
1:01:09
everyone has their Corks And One has their flaws or, you know,
1:01:13
things the way they and I'm the same way I have mine and we just
1:01:16
kind of met in the middle and and I'm like I said I would say
1:01:19
from anyone who's listening. Just please have those
1:01:21
conversations. Please just try it.
1:01:22
If you if you generally. Like the person are you
1:01:24
generally want to make things better?
1:01:26
Don't be. Don't don't let things and ugly.
1:01:28
And just a conversation. Goes a long way.
1:01:31
Absolutely. There it is.
1:01:33
Again, my manager in Los Angeles.
1:01:41
I say 100%. That's my that's my thing.
1:01:44
But yeah. So I will going back to the
1:01:46
radio thing. I honestly growing up I was a
1:01:49
Howard Stern guy. That was my car ride to school
1:01:52
every day, was Howard Stern. So that that's what got me into
1:01:54
like the conversations and listen to people and talking
1:01:57
about things that may be taboo and stuff like that.
1:01:59
And then the podcast game was Kevin Smith.
1:02:02
So it's like a mix of those two but I definitely feel you on the
1:02:05
on the radial side. I think I did a radio spot once
1:02:08
where I kind of hosted for a block.
1:02:11
An internet radio show, and it was a lot of fun.
1:02:13
But yeah, II did College radio for my undergrad and grad school
1:02:18
stuff, undergrad that WR Casey and Wilkes-Barre and W ESS it
1:02:24
East Stroudsburg for grad school and it's an experience.
1:02:29
I would never trade for anything.
1:02:32
If if I know you and it's not because of wrestling, or because
1:02:37
of work, it's because of College radio.
1:02:41
Some of my closest friends, especially w.
1:02:43
E, SS came from their other people.
1:02:47
I still talk to you like every day.
1:02:49
So I'm just gonna be a immersing myself in like the local Punk
1:02:53
and Scott hardcore scene and we ran to wrestling shows for
1:02:58
fundraisers for ew. E, SS.
1:03:00
We would run concerts we would do all sorts of stuff and like
1:03:05
just knowing the bands and knowing the people and like It
1:03:10
was a lot of fun, it's not sustainable as a career, I don't
1:03:14
believe but you know it was fun while I got to do it and share
1:03:21
my love of music with people. That's that's kind of my start
1:03:26
in to prevent before professional wrestling to.
1:03:28
I was involved in the local music scene, just helping out
1:03:31
beating people going to show supporting and then the podcast
1:03:34
led me to interviewing been. So I definitely feel you too.
1:03:37
I wish we had more time. We just hit the hour mark, I
1:03:40
don't want to go Sue long so I think if we start this
1:03:41
conversation will be here from there for hours, but I
1:03:43
definitely want to have you back on because I definitely want to
1:03:46
tap more into your music scene, side of things.
1:03:49
I think that's very, very interesting.
1:03:51
So I definitely would love to have you back on or even if like
1:03:54
I'm doing the review stuff if you'd like, let's review an old
1:03:57
album that you're passionate about or something like that but
1:04:00
where can people I know you for a sponsorship you have someone
1:04:03
who sponsors you. A lot of Smash Master.
1:04:05
What's the local music scene? So yeah Derek I had to Sponsors
1:04:09
and smash Master. I'll put them both over right
1:04:11
now. The first to speak for these
1:04:14
feet. First Productions, that was the
1:04:17
It Go. Defeat first, that TV and they
1:04:21
film Punk and hardcore. Sometimes rap shows some
1:04:26
alternative bands. It's all on their website.
1:04:31
My old friend, Andy Peck, who I once met a hardcore show and
1:04:34
didn't even realize it. We were in New Jersey and Irish
1:04:39
kind of was like oh there's Andy and I was like, I don't know,
1:04:41
Andy next thing I knew he was filming GSW and so they have a
1:04:47
lot of good stuff up there and go to feet.
1:04:48
First got TV like you mean she was going to change the band.
1:04:53
I'm repping here. Some old school hardcore and
1:04:56
Stroudsburg break guys. I'm rough and I'm rubbing.
1:04:59
My Grim, my Grooms Toy Show shirt quite the other sponsor.
1:05:06
I Had It. Smash Master totally different.
1:05:09
There's an ice cream shop in West Pittston, Pennsylvania
1:05:11
called ballyhoo. And it's it's an ice cream shop
1:05:16
and like old style candy store. Hmm.
1:05:20
So you go in there and they have like the little Penny candies
1:05:23
and larger candies as well and all different kinds of ice
1:05:27
cream, they have a Tandy cake, ice cream up a cell that's
1:05:30
amazing and they make their own waffle bowls there and waffle
1:05:35
cones. And I, it's just like it, like,
1:05:38
an old-style, ice cream, and candy shop, and there was
1:05:42
nothing better. Than when you're because we had
1:05:44
four and Monty City at one point in time, growing up, we had for
1:05:48
Penny candy stores and they're all, like, video stores that had
1:05:51
Penny Candy, and you're like, your mom, or it would hook you
1:05:55
up with, like, three bucks for the day and you just go and get
1:05:58
like a dollar worth of Swedish Fish or like, but you know what,
1:06:02
I miss, that were popular, the grape ones.
1:06:04
Number the grape was Swiss there, right?
1:06:07
Favorite. They don't make them and then
1:06:08
they make them, but they don't taste the same.
1:06:11
Can I tell what more AJ her store?
1:06:13
Please? Please move on.
1:06:14
So house. And AJ and I are calling their
1:06:26
match want to show and we'll just say a vet, I'm not going to
1:06:31
name them here, but we'll just say of that.
1:06:33
And I'll tell you, when we get off the air, walks up to AJ.
1:06:40
After he's not calling the stuff because AJ and duties pockets
1:06:44
and left in the corner and he goes, here's your wallet.
1:06:47
Here's your cell phone, here's your keys.
1:06:50
You should be thanking me. I could have made, I could have
1:06:52
taken your debit card, or made long-distance phone calls, and
1:06:56
your cell phone. That's a direct quote, like I'm
1:06:59
not. I'm just, please don't make
1:07:02
long-distance phone calls on a cell phone, my bills.
1:08:04
Why? And the guys like Aunt, I was
1:08:06
just kidding. Like you just said that you
1:08:11
weren't you, you were talking about long distance cell phone
1:08:14
calls, like so that is a great story from a vet that I may have
1:08:20
absolutely name-dropped and did not mean to as a funny story I
1:08:24
would have bought the monster and drank it.
1:08:27
That's what I would have done. I'm gonna have Nu in bought the,
1:08:39
the item and then drank it. That's what I want.
1:08:44
Yeah. But anyway, Matt, thank you so
1:08:48
much for your time. We'll listen.
1:08:49
Let's real quick. The links below, Matt.
1:08:51
So I asked, Matt, what links he wanted to put in a man says, I
1:08:54
don't do social media so instead of that go check out the
1:08:57
promotion at work. So in the links below are the
1:09:00
links for Instagram Pages for labor of love excite wrestling,
1:09:03
BYOB wrestling and smash Master wrestling.
1:09:06
You can see Matt at on for Great in Johnson City, New York and
1:09:10
excite wrestling Labor of Love on for 23 in Philadelphia, BYO
1:09:15
in 428 and Olympian. As I say they're all looking
1:09:19
Oliphant sorry, Pennsylvania. It's actually coming next to
1:09:25
truth. Okay, well, I'm actually really
1:09:27
looking for that show the card. They just put out for.
1:09:29
That is really good. Give me a real good time.
1:09:32
I hear the building is a little small but that's what basement
1:09:36
shows are. Yeah, it's supposed to have a
1:09:38
basement, she'll feel to it and this would be like punk music
1:09:41
and stuff, right? Like rock music.
1:09:42
Yeah. There's a band called The
1:09:44
Feeding season there in Stroudsburg and on the promoter
1:09:47
tells me that they are very good.
1:09:48
I haven't had the chance to listen to Libya.
1:09:50
I hope more music makes it in their way into The wrestling I
1:09:53
love when they cross breed and but done right, like I hate.
1:09:57
When do to be put someone who sings A 338.
1:10:00
Second song that has nothing to do with the entrance and then
1:10:02
stops after the show Punk show, I think it's fun anyway, and
1:10:06
then the last one is going to be on five to six through
1:10:08
Pennsylvania, smash Master into the woods.
1:10:10
So make sure you come check out all these shows links are below
1:10:13
for their Instagram pages, that will lead you to their social
1:10:15
medias and their and their websites.
1:10:18
And when we get inside you but I want to put over my daughter is
1:10:22
a member Of a local Irish dance group and they're called the
1:10:27
Emerald Isle Step dancers. They are out of the Mountaintop
1:10:30
area with classes. Also here in Pittston and they
1:10:34
consume a lot of my time because especially now we are out of
1:10:38
what they call March Madness. We were supposed to be in the
1:10:42
Gerard Bill parade and then that got postponed due to rain and
1:10:46
that just we want them not being able to go, but we're in most of
1:10:49
the local parades and they danced it.
1:10:53
Nursing homes for March and everything like that.
1:10:55
And it's I I spend a lot of time there and they're really good
1:11:00
people. Also, make sure you see me when
1:11:03
you can because coming August, I'm gonna have a newborn and I'm
1:11:06
not going to be out there as much.
1:11:08
So like this room everything right now, I want the posters
1:11:11
are down because it's going to be a nursery in August.
1:11:14
Yeah, well congratulations. We wish you the, the family
1:11:19
months much luck with. And with the new addition, Well,
1:11:23
you know, I, you know, I did you reveal what you're having boy,
1:11:26
girl or it's a boy, the first grandson in the family, like
1:11:31
Avery, obviously, is a girl, you've made a very chic.
1:11:33
Yeah, sister-in-law has two daughters.
1:11:42
So, we were the first and it's running same time, the age age
1:11:46
groups are right there. Maybe your baby and Coach is
1:11:48
baby are like the new tag team coming up.
1:11:51
So Coaches on the first people, I told Coach, even though we
1:11:55
wrestled each other at backbreakers and we had like our
1:11:58
Feud coaches, while my closest friends and they are so excited
1:12:02
that that we're going to have, we're going to have them and
1:12:05
that they're going to be so close in age, but it's funny.
1:12:09
I got home the night of Dina got hurt.
1:12:13
I drove home in that snow and my wife called me in the kitchen.
1:12:16
She just looks at me. And that was my account Del.
1:12:18
I was just coming down from way, trying to help Athena through
1:12:21
this man. Match, and then she's like, hey,
1:12:25
you did it. I want you to be able to
1:12:49
feel that and like I said, anyone in the While you're gone.
1:12:52
We're going to work on Matt deep marriage.
1:12:54
It has happened. You're getting merch.
1:12:58
Yeah, and I'll merge goes to the baby, the baby, the kid fund,
1:13:02
the kids, put your kids in college to your merch.
1:13:07
Okay, no pressure. You buttons.
1:13:12
But jeez, what do I gotta do now?
1:13:14
Yeah, but not thank you so much for coming on and and filling in
1:13:19
a gap for me and short notice. It means a lot.
1:13:22
I'm glad I'm glad we had that conversation.
1:13:24
I'm glad we had today's conversation.
1:13:26
I wish you nothing but success you've been in the business a
1:13:28
long time. You have a lot of great stories.
1:13:29
You like I said that book is super sick.
1:13:31
I wish I would have done something like that but everyone
1:13:34
please go check out. Those links below, go check out
1:13:36
those promotions and and show that support will be back this
1:13:40
Thursday with Dylan mesh on the podcast, was gonna be fun
1:13:43
because me and Dylan mesh went to the same high school.
1:13:47
I actually graduated with his younger brother.
1:13:48
Yeah, I graduated was younger brother.
1:13:50
So we're going to, we're going to have to, we're going to have
1:13:52
some reminiscent time of being a golden bear.
1:13:54
But but I didn't actually do. I didn't know mesh.
1:13:58
Like I knew his brother, but I didn't really know him.
1:14:00
And I saw what kind of figure those parts out.
1:14:02
But then talking to me, like, you know, my brother.
1:14:04
And then we told my coworker from the Same area of 57 hours.
1:14:07
That's really exciting, but that will be this Thursday and then
1:14:10
we'll continue on this month and keep going.
1:14:13
A lot of content on the page a lot more coming.
1:14:15
We have movie reviews, not sure. Exactly if we're going to do a
1:14:18
movie review this week, we had a death in the family, but if if
1:14:23
we can squeeze in time this weekend we might go see the
1:14:25
Mario movie. So me and Heidi will do another
1:14:28
movie review that won't be harmed movie related.
1:14:30
So if you don't like horror movies, we're going to talk
1:14:32
Maria movie. But thank you guys so much.
1:14:35
About the page. Make sure you hit like
1:14:36
subscribe, leave those reviews. And once again, thank you all
1:14:39
for the continued support for the ABJ podcast and this content
1:14:42
creating Journey. Here's some outro music by the
1:14:44
converse. Get, we'll see you next time.