Latest / What Do You Call It? Podcast! / 🎧CRAIG RYAN🎧 talks EMPORIUM, Team Xtreme, Burridge Fight Design, Danny Dyer & Printworks & more

Transcript

🎧CRAIG RYAN🎧 talks EMPORIUM, Team Xtreme, Burridge Fight Design, Danny Dyer & Printworks & more · What Do You Call It? Podcast!

• 0:08
  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages,
• 0:12
  it's time for What Do You Call It podcast.
• 0:30
  Hello and welcome to another episode of What Do You Call It
• 0:36
  Podcast. I'm your host.
• 0:38
  GB Today guest is a good friend of the show.
• 0:42
  He provides techno vibes and wrestling vibes.
• 0:46
  Please welcome the techno warrior.
• 0:50
  Craig, Ryan Craig. He didn't say, mate, you're
• 0:53
  good. Yeah, I'm really, really good.
• 0:55
  Thank you. How are you?
• 0:56
  Not bad mate, not bad. Weekend is round the corner.
• 0:59
  So whenever I do the instruction I mentioned, the weekend gets me
• 1:03
  excited. But I also like to do the
• 1:05
  podcast and speak with various talent.
• 1:07
  But I've previously spoken to you and we've become mates and
• 1:12
  we discussed Emporium Pro Wrestling in the first episode
• 1:15
  along with Greg Barbage. So the link in below you can see
• 1:21
  the first interview, the origins of Emporium Pro Wrestling.
• 1:25
  And since then they've had two shows.
• 1:28
  So what we're going to discuss is those two shows, your
• 1:31
  involvement. So I thought you 2 did a very
• 1:33
  good job hyping up. This is before any show had
• 1:37
  happened. But there's such passion,
• 1:39
  there's such determination, such love for wrestling and you know,
• 1:44
  2 wrestlers that want to put on a good show.
• 1:46
  That's Kate towards everyone. That has happened since two
• 1:51
  shows at the Genesis Cinema. Bethnal Green.
• 1:54
  Good location. I've been lucky enough to attend
• 1:56
  both shows, really enjoy myself. Second show I took a missus.
• 2:01
  She's never been to rest show before and she loved it.
• 2:05
  Sexy Rat was her favorite. So Craig, sorry Craig, do
• 2:08
  apologise, but. Yeah, so, well, like you were
• 2:14
  like, I cannot get sexy rat out of my hair.
• 2:17
  I swear to God. I told, I told him like in
• 2:19
  training. I was like, you've definitely
• 2:21
  become a fan favorite. But yeah, no, it doesn't
• 2:23
  surprise me. But I'm really glad that she had
• 2:25
  a good night. Like it was the first.
• 2:27
  Show she loved it so that one thing about important wrestling
• 2:32
  it there's there's something for everyone for the die hard
• 2:35
  wrestling fan for the casual fan and someone who's never watched
• 2:39
  it so Craig, please tell me first of all your thoughts on
• 2:44
  both these shows. I mean, I really feel like what
• 2:49
  we've set out to do is becoming quite apparent and like the
• 2:52
  narrative and kind of like the ethos and the like, the vibe is
• 2:56
  actually becoming very true to what the mission was, let's say.
• 3:01
  I think when you add me and Greg on and we were talking about it,
• 3:03
  it's like it's a wrestling show with a club night with mental
• 3:08
  cabaret and it's all tying together and it's something for
• 3:11
  the masses. It's something for people like
• 3:15
  your Mrs. for example, you've never been to a wrestling show
• 3:17
  and like had an amazing time. And I think it's like we really
• 3:20
  want to get obviously like the wrestling fans in, but we want
• 3:23
  to get like your average punters in that have like never been to
• 3:26
  a show and just have like a mad night hour and have like a mad
• 3:28
  experience. So I think we've got like top
• 3:31
  wrestling in it. We've got like some amazing
• 3:33
  matches already. I think like when you saw like
• 3:35
  Robbie Axon's Tommy, I think that was like that blew everyone
• 3:38
  away. That was actually an insane
• 3:39
  match. But then you've got like where
• 3:41
  we had Kaiju for the first for the show.
• 3:44
  We had the odd statement now, which is the the movie mayhem
• 3:48
  match where it's just like absolute chaotic.
• 3:50
  I think home alone. Yeah, like my like I just showed
• 3:56
  my partner because he couldn't actually make it the night.
• 3:58
  And then he I was just watching the hard Cam and he's like, this
• 4:00
  is mental. We literally just watching it
• 4:02
  happen. I was like, but yeah, it, it was
• 4:04
  just, it was just crazy. But it's, yeah, it's really
• 4:07
  setting out to be like a real like, like statement really
• 4:11
  like, kind of like a, a moment and a social moment in like the
• 4:14
  London, like cultural calendar. Do you know what I mean?
• 4:17
  And I feel like I'm super proud of what we've achieved from and
• 4:21
  bullish fight design. We've done it all together.
• 4:23
  We've read that everyone's pushed us out.
• 4:26
  Everyone's like, really proud. Like we were all buzzing like
• 4:29
  the first show just as much bosom from the Steffen show and
• 4:34
  yeah, and also Genesis Cinema have been super, super happy
• 4:37
  with it, like. Fantastic venue really.
• 4:40
  Yeah, that's insane race. I think like like you can see it
• 4:43
  on pictures, but until you're in there it is like an epic like
• 4:47
  surrounds and do you know what I mean?
• 4:50
  Really easy to get to, by the way.
• 4:52
  Really easy. Yeah, super easy.
• 4:54
  Like he's got like Stephanie Green and then like White Chapel
• 4:58
  and stuff. And it is really like, given
• 5:01
  that like East London vibe and like I think I mentioned in the
• 5:04
  first, in the first when we first caught up, it's nice
• 5:08
  because it is an independent venue and it's like supporting
• 5:11
  independent venues, independent wrestlers like independent, like
• 5:15
  cabaret artists. And it all is just tying in
• 5:17
  together and they, they, they want more and more like they
• 5:21
  want us there like a lot more. We're looking at how much we can
• 5:24
  regularly do it. And they are just as part of
• 5:28
  this show as us. So it's been an incredible
• 5:31
  partnership. They've been really, really
• 5:34
  amazing. And yeah, it's just like onwards
• 5:36
  and upwards. So yeah, we're super buzz.
• 5:39
  Like we think it's actually it's, it's turning out to be
• 5:41
  pretty, pretty epic. And we just can't wait to
• 5:44
  continue it and just take it further and further and further.
• 5:46
  I. Want to talk about your
• 5:47
  involvement as a talent? So the first show came out
• 5:51
  enormous pop, like I, you know, obviously being a fanboy and
• 5:54
  obviously mates now and stuff like that.
• 5:56
  And obviously I'm going to be biased, but just in general when
• 5:59
  you come out, you teamed up with Greg, you know, just against the
• 6:03
  Snyder brothers who fantastic Hills by the way, brilliant.
• 6:05
  I obviously booed them. I'm sure they might might be
• 6:08
  nice lads, but I'm so convinced they're Dicks because of how
• 6:11
  good they are. But I mean, if I think of all
• 6:15
  parcels, I've got fights with everyone else, but I'm going to
• 6:16
  leave you guys alone. I don't know, come out to a
• 6:20
  massive pop. You're teaming up with Greg,
• 6:22
  someone who's helped train you, you know, become a professional
• 6:25
  wrestler. Tell me about that moment when
• 6:27
  you came out to that massive pop.
• 6:29
  And even the second show we came out again, great pop.
• 6:32
  You got spotlighted very well. The match of unfortunately
• 6:36
  spoiler. It may have not been a night the
• 6:38
  second time but just tell me mate your involvement as an
• 6:40
  actual talent and being there performing live.
• 6:44
  I mean, it's it's an unreal experience.
• 6:46
  I mean, like everyone who's a wrestler, like when we get that
• 6:49
  pop, it's like it's an adrenaline rush.
• 6:52
  But I think it's just I'm just personally talking about myself
• 6:55
  and these and the involvement of Emporium.
• 6:57
  It's that extra little bit. Firstly, if I break it down,
• 7:00
  like the first show, teaming with Greg, who is kind of like
• 7:05
  giving me this life, like and like taught me everything.
• 7:10
  It was an amazing experience and it was just like an honour, a
• 7:13
  true honour. Then to do it with going to be
• 7:17
  quite outside two of my friends and against them.
• 7:19
  Like I feel like having decided there, like it was an extra bit
• 7:22
  of honour as well, an extra bit of like the real, real
• 7:25
  happiness. And then like, you have all of
• 7:28
  us, lot of BFCS doing their matches and just massive support
• 7:31
  if I could. But all that energy that was in
• 7:34
  backstage and like when we just finished, everyone's walking
• 7:36
  off, it was just unreal. Everyone was so, so happy.
• 7:39
  And so just like, there was so many hugs.
• 7:41
  There was so many. Like, I can't believe it's on
• 7:43
  this. So yeah, I mean, for myself, I
• 7:45
  think the first show was incredible.
• 7:47
  And then, yeah, I have to admit, the second show I just
• 7:50
  absolutely love that. I think I changed my Tron
• 7:53
  because I kind of like felt it would need to be a bit more
• 7:55
  impactful. So that's why I've done a bit
• 7:57
  more of like a happy hardcore techno vibe, like real in your
• 8:00
  Face. And that is like the screen
• 8:02
  itself, which just has that impact.
• 8:05
  So yeah, that was just incredible.
• 8:08
  I'll be honest, when it was like running the show and then being
• 8:11
  like, oh, I've got a match as well for the first show, I was
• 8:13
  like, I don't know if I can do this.
• 8:15
  I'm like, let's do running around like a madman.
• 8:16
  Do you know what I mean back? Yeah, yeah, that can imagine,
• 8:18
  mate. Yeah, yeah.
• 8:20
  And I was like, Oh no, oh God, I've got to go on.
• 8:21
  So then I'm just running in. So I kind of went into turbo
• 8:24
  moves the second show. Everything ran smooth.
• 8:29
  We knew what we were doing. And I think of it is because it
• 8:32
  is with the BFD lot and we can plan it and we know what we're
• 8:35
  coming up. We do have time to kind of like
• 8:38
  work on our matches. We can work together.
• 8:41
  We can, we can we know each other's move sets.
• 8:43
  We know what works, we know what doesn't like.
• 8:45
  So it really kind of like we prepare for it and we've got
• 8:49
  that extra bit of time to kind of like just mediate like an
• 8:51
  epic, epic show and an epic matches.
• 8:55
  But yeah, it's definitely becoming a bit of a like easier
• 9:00
  to run, let's say, but also being able to kind of put myself
• 9:03
  forward as, as wrestle and wrestle because it's I'm doing
• 9:08
  it with my mates, I'm doing it with my BFT family.
• 9:10
  And I feel like that is something that we really have
• 9:12
  pushed and really want to be part of it.
• 9:14
  So it's just been an incredible experience to not only run the
• 9:18
  show, but run it with people that I get to see every week
• 9:22
  that that I train with, that grow me as a person, that we
• 9:26
  grow together. And doing it as a massive,
• 9:30
  massive unit with Greg being like the leader in this and kind
• 9:33
  of like driving us and giving us everything that like him, all of
• 9:36
  the experiences, knowledge and yeah, just doing it as like a
• 9:41
  team. Evidently that's kind of like
• 9:42
  where the how it started and how it's going.
• 9:45
  So yeah, there's a lot of passion.
• 9:48
  One thing you've left out by the way, D Jane as well after.
• 9:52
  Oh yeah, and the. Reston show, which is mental,
• 9:54
  but an after party, yeah. I mean, that's not allowed, to
• 9:58
  be honest. Again, it's like I've just kind
• 10:00
  of like just done it in like a proper turbo Mose and just been
• 10:03
  Oh yeah, now we'll go on the decks.
• 10:05
  So yeah, I mean, that's kind of like an added element that we
• 10:08
  wanted to make sure we brought to.
• 10:09
  It is like a free after party, a free rave.
• 10:12
  And I love DJ and as well, I mean, like, obviously that's
• 10:14
  where the characters come from. That's kind of where like the
• 10:17
  gimmick is. And so I was like, yeah, I'll go
• 10:19
  and do it. So I've gone from like, yeah,
• 10:21
  doing backstage in the ring. Got the same mate. 2:00 AM
• 10:25
  packing up the lights, packing up the decks back by 4:00 AM.
• 10:29
  Can't sleep because I'm buzzing and everything's amazing and
• 10:31
  what happened? Then it's 6:00 AM and then I'll
• 10:34
  kind of get some care. So yeah, it's definitely like a,
• 10:38
  it's like waking up the next day and like, breathe now.
• 10:42
  Do you know what I mean? Just like that was worth it,
• 10:46
  let's do this again. Let's do it again.
• 10:48
  Like, yeah. No, that's awesome.
• 10:50
  I did actually on Friday, like at the end, I couldn't say too
• 10:53
  late. Lucky actually did make it for
• 10:54
  the last train, but I was like, I thought a bit he was like no,
• 10:57
  too busy DJ and I know he wasn't really by the way.
• 11:01
  And yeah, just sort of switched off a little bit.
• 11:02
  I did give you a thank you as well, you know, for promoting my
• 11:06
  podcast during the show. The Medlock didn't expect it.
• 11:09
  It was just before the second-half started.
• 11:11
  And that was so cool to see, man, that was awesome.
• 11:14
  Like, thank you. I mean, it's the least we can
• 11:16
  say. I mean, he given all of us so
• 11:18
  much support and like you've you've had a lot of us on and
• 11:21
  you asked to come on again today.
• 11:22
  So I really thank you for that. And like so, yeah, the least we
• 11:25
  can do. Awesome man.
• 11:29
  Is there anything you can reveal about future shows for Important
• 11:32
  Room? I know you said basically the
• 11:33
  relationship with Genesis is going to probably continue, but
• 11:37
  is there any more matches to be announced?
• 11:40
  Any dates that you can leak out or is it just follow us and see?
• 11:46
  No, I think I can. So we're looking at two shows
• 11:50
  before the end of the year. Actually this this could be a
• 11:52
  little bit of an exclusive. So we've got a few shows at the
• 11:55
  end of the year. We're looking at a November date
• 11:58
  and then a December date. So we're just kind of passing
• 12:01
  that in. Annoyingly, we can't get to date
• 12:03
  yet, but we are going to work on that and hopefully soon.
• 12:05
  So everyone who's listening have a look at socials, just see if
• 12:09
  yeah, as soon as it gets announced it'll all be up there.
• 12:13
  But we are potentially looking at if we can do an adult show
• 12:18
  and evening followed on the next day by a more of a kids
• 12:21
  friendlier show. So we're seeing if we can maybe
• 12:25
  do like 2 shows in the space of, yeah, I guess 24 hours.
• 12:30
  So we're like Will, Greg. Still be on commentary for the
• 12:33
  Family Show? It'll be a commentary, but I
• 12:36
  reckon they'll have to be a little bit more.
• 12:39
  Yeah. So that's kind of like something
• 12:40
  that we're like looking at. And I think that'd be a dream.
• 12:42
  OK. But I definitely think there's
• 12:43
  like appetite. I think like there's something
• 12:45
  that we can definitely do. So yeah, that's something that
• 12:49
  we're looking at. And as soon as, again, that's
• 12:51
  confirmed, we'll be able to kind of like push it out on our
• 12:53
  social channels. So you'll see.
• 12:55
  So yeah, that's same as I mentioned, this is all kind of
• 12:58
  like stem from Genesis 1 and goes back there and seeing as
• 13:01
  like it's been quite a big success.
• 13:03
  So it's like how we can amplify it and how we can kind of like
• 13:06
  do more, let's say, with the promotion.
• 13:09
  So yeah, that's kind of on the horizon.
• 13:11
  Still planning it out, but yeah, it's super exciting time.
• 13:15
  Wicked, man, I'm so toughed for you and your crew and the time
• 13:20
  I've had on NBA, the shows, everyone is so friendly people,
• 13:24
  they're friendly. And the fact that you can
• 13:26
  interact with wrestlers after the show as well, not many
• 13:28
  companies do that. Probably charge you for it.
• 13:30
  Maybe. I mean, business is a business,
• 13:32
  I get it. But same time, that's what thing
• 13:34
  probably separates your show as my other shows.
• 13:36
  You can interact with wrestlers, get your photos, get a beer,
• 13:38
  listen to you DJ and go home with all these memories and
• 13:42
  they'll be back. And if they do want to come to
• 13:44
  the next important pro wrestling show or future shows, where can
• 13:48
  they keep up to date with the lineup and dates?
• 13:52
  Our social so emporium Prores and then all information and
• 13:57
  tickets will be available on Genesis Cinema as well.
• 14:00
  So yeah. So please keep an eye out,
• 14:02
  follow us on Instagram, on Twitter, on Facebook, on all the
• 14:05
  major platforms. We've also actually recommended
• 14:08
  started uploading the first show matches on our YouTube channel
• 14:12
  as well. So they're going to be slowly
• 14:13
  coming up. I think we've got the first
• 14:16
  booster tag match that we did and then also Robbie X and Tommy
• 14:20
  Tanner's matches now or I think it was up from yesterday.
• 14:23
  So if anyone wants to go and check it out, please visit our
• 14:26
  YouTube channel as well. Do watch it, do watch it, but
• 14:29
  just in general check out the channel.
• 14:30
  But that match was awesome as well.
• 15:08
  Important personal guy. We discussed it, but let's talk
• 15:10
  about the techno warrior. Craig, Ryan.
• 15:13
  Craig, let's rewind the clocks, mate.
• 15:15
  Get to do this with you. Now tell me how you became a fan
• 15:19
  of wrestling. I mean, I've always been a fan
• 15:23
  as a kid. I mean, I'm very much from the
• 15:25
  attitude there. Very much so.
• 15:27
  My favorite was always Team Extreme and Lisa.
• 15:30
  So Hardy Boys and Lisa they I was obsessed.
• 15:34
  I was obsessed. I feel like I used to have like
• 15:37
  a little Team Extreme T-shirt. As many people will understand
• 15:41
  this, I got 2 pairs of socks. I cut holes out.
• 15:44
  I would do one and then I would do the other.
• 15:46
  Guilty. Guilty.
• 15:48
  We ordered it, we ordered it. I'd be in the mirror like this
• 15:51
  and stuff thinking I was amazing and but yeah, no, I've just been
• 15:55
  a massive fan and since like since as a kid, to be honest,
• 15:59
  it's always a really funny story that stays in my mind And I was
• 16:03
  never like the never the the ones, the football, never the
• 16:07
  one the rugby P used to be quite a bit like AI Guess a scary
• 16:11
  time. Little lads like little like,
• 16:14
  I'll be honest, a little camp lad like walking around high
• 16:16
  school. It's not unless in Liverpool.
• 16:18
  It's not the best, but I remember this one day in which
• 16:21
  we had PE and it was like apparatus.
• 16:24
  And this is in high school and, and I think you were just meant
• 16:27
  like climb ladders or like climb up like apparatus and then maybe
• 16:33
  just like jump off a little bit. And I don't know what possessed
• 16:36
  me, but I just felt like, OK, I'm just going to climb up.
• 16:38
  It must have been like, I don't know, 1518 feet.
• 16:41
  I just want some bombs. And I swear to God, everyone,
• 16:45
  including the PE teacher was like, I cannot believe you did
• 16:48
  that. And I remember looking and being
• 16:50
  like, what? I don't know what I did.
• 16:52
  And then I just stuck in my mind.
• 16:54
  I might not be like sportiest, I might not be the football guy, I
• 16:57
  might not be the rugby, but I'm the guy who felt like I could do
• 17:02
  that and it shocked everyone. And I don't know why that is
• 17:04
  always staying in my mind, but it's always just been something
• 17:08
  that I think about now and again, just there was definitely
• 17:11
  a crash mat. I just want to make sure that
• 17:12
  was clear. I was going to say not just like
• 17:14
  concrete or pavement. No, no, no, there's a crash mat.
• 17:17
  I worked my way up to concrete, but no, there was a crash mat.
• 17:20
  But it's just one of those memories where it's like, I this
• 17:23
  is me and this is what I I'm all about.
• 17:27
  Yeah, I felt like wrestling you the gimmicks and the characters.
• 17:31
  And you don't have to be like the biggest guy.
• 17:33
  Like you can actually be like this kind of like mad like
• 17:37
  crazy, like little little lucha guy and like be and and still be
• 17:42
  just as like I had that wow factor.
• 17:44
  So it's always been something I've stayed in my mind.
• 17:46
  So yeah, just go back to your question.
• 17:48
  Always been a fan of the kids growing up.
• 17:50
  Were there and growing up as a teenager and then yeah, just
• 17:53
  followed on to now I guess. When did you decide that you
• 17:58
  wanted to become pro wrestler? Was there a specific moment,
• 18:01
  match or just junior fandom? You know, just kind of didn't go
• 18:05
  out of it. It's developed a love for it
• 18:07
  that wanted you to take a further step to get into Ring.
• 18:12
  To be honest, so the way it happens was I was part of this
• 18:16
  gym in which they had like special classes, like it was
• 18:20
  like this London gym and they have like they had like Wiccan
• 18:24
  yoga or like aerial classes. It was like mad classes, right?
• 18:27
  And I used to be like just part of this gym just on a as a
• 18:30
  membership. Then they had a lucha libre
• 18:35
  class and I was like, that's a bit of me.
• 18:38
  So I, that was like three, 3 1/2 years ago.
• 18:41
  Yeah, 3 1/2 years ago. And so I come and then there's
• 18:44
  this man who's teaching it called Greg Burridge.
• 18:47
  And I was there every single class.
• 18:49
  I'd go to every single like gym, every single like location in
• 18:53
  London because it was like twice a week and like different ones
• 18:56
  because it was all part of my membership.
• 18:57
  And I'd go, and then I'd go and I'd love it and I'd love it.
• 19:00
  And I'd that comic for next week.
• 19:02
  And then in the end, Greg was just like, you should just come
• 19:06
  to my gym, Like you should just come down and check it out.
• 19:08
  And I was like, no, I don't want to do that.
• 19:10
  Like that's mental. And I remember getting off at
• 19:14
  Walthamstow where and walking down and going inside and I was
• 19:18
  like, this is mental. Like they are like crazy.
• 19:22
  And I was like, I was like, hi, I'm I'm.
• 19:23
  Messy. This is real, yeah.
• 19:26
  And I was like, this is real. And I just was obsessed.
• 19:31
  I, I just like, I couldn't wait to go back next week.
• 19:34
  I just couldn't wait to see the guys.
• 19:35
  I couldn't wait to see Greg. I couldn't wait to see everyone.
• 19:38
  I just couldn't wait to feel those ropes like and, and, and
• 19:40
  it was just, it went from strength to strength to strength
• 19:43
  to strength. And I quit that gym and then
• 19:47
  just did this full time. And I always say, like the best
• 19:51
  thing that ever came out of that membership was me and Greg.
• 19:53
  And we both laugh about it now. So it very much happens
• 19:57
  randomly, like randomly. And I tell you what, at the age
• 20:02
  that I'm at now, I'm just, I'm a little bit older.
• 20:04
  So I'm I'm 35. So at that age I just wish I
• 20:07
  started it sooner, but but haven't let that stop me.
• 20:10
  So like I'm just putting all of my efforts into it now.
• 20:14
  I'm just going for it. What's happening is happening
• 20:16
  and it was just making as many opportunities as I possibly can
• 20:19
  and getting as many opportunities.
• 20:21
  But I just. Love it so much and like I'm so
• 20:25
  so thankful that you can see. It in your work that you love
• 20:28
  it? Yeah.
• 20:29
  It's something you just cannot fake.
• 20:32
  Yeah, exactly, Exactly. And I think it's just like the
• 20:35
  way you describe it and you speak to me and you speak to
• 20:37
  people outside of like the wrestling, like industry and
• 20:40
  world. They're like, Oh my God.
• 20:42
  All right, calm down. Like we get it, we get it.
• 20:47
  But yeah, it's just been. So that's how it started, to be
• 20:50
  honest. And I've just been so lucky to
• 20:52
  have Greg to say he's he's taught me everything.
• 20:55
  He's built me up from like from the grounds or from like this,
• 20:58
  like Whitney, shy little lads who was like, I'm going to do.
• 21:02
  I mean, I think I might do this to be in like that techno
• 21:04
  warrior Craig Ryan with my move sets, with the confidence, being
• 21:09
  able to put a match together, being able to structure a match,
• 21:12
  being able to know how to like worth the crowds.
• 21:14
  Like it's it's just been organic, like natural, kind of
• 21:19
  like learning like for like a sponge, evidently.
• 21:22
  Do you know what I mean? And yeah, it's just become this
• 21:26
  next step now in my career is to start this promotion.
• 21:30
  So it's just been an amazing time.
• 21:33
  It means amazing. Like looking back for the past 3
• 21:35
  1/2 years, like what happens? It's just crazy.
• 21:39
  And but yeah, I just can't wait for like, what what the future
• 21:42
  holds, to be honest. What the best advice, Grace,
• 21:46
  given you relating to wrestling, I'd say.
• 21:53
  I feel like if you know Greg and you know and like you can see
• 21:59
  it, it's like the characterization and be the
• 22:02
  character. I think like what we all are in
• 22:05
  BFD is 110 times versions of ourselves.
• 22:09
  Like, like I am a DJ, but I'm now the technical warrior Craig
• 22:14
  Ryan, which is like this, like happy hardcore, like bouncing
• 22:16
  around. Just go to the corner shop just
• 22:18
  up. To exactly.
• 22:20
  Yeah, yeah, you wake up and it's like, put it on Connie.
• 22:22
  Do you know what I mean? Well, I think some like the
• 22:26
  characterization that is totals and I think just like like we
• 22:31
  are, we are superheroes. Do you know what I mean?
• 22:34
  Like we're we're we're like we're we're action figures.
• 22:37
  Like God, I can hear Greg in the head now.
• 22:38
  Do you know what I mean? He's coming out.
• 22:41
  But like we're selling to the crowd.
• 22:42
  Like we are actually like we are putting on a show like it's a
• 22:46
  spectacle, like it's their night off.
• 22:48
  It's that there needs to be a release.
• 22:50
  So we have to be those characters that you saw us like,
• 22:53
  really like, convince them that a techno DJ is fighting to
• 22:58
  gangster wannabe twins. Do you know what I mean?
• 23:01
  So like, yeah, it's like, it's that.
• 23:03
  So yeah, it's definitely the characterization that he's
• 23:06
  taught us, and we're all very thankful for that.
• 23:10
  Yeah, I actually do think cat work is so important, and I
• 23:14
  think it's become a little bit lost in modern wrestling, in my
• 23:17
  opinion. I mean, it's all good having the
• 23:19
  talent, that's brilliant, that's fantastic.
• 23:21
  Some stuff that there's time out there who can do things that you
• 23:24
  can dream of, but unless you're invested in that person, it's
• 23:28
  kind of all for nothing to some degree in my opinion as a fan.
• 23:32
  But you know, as you have talent and the fact that it's all been
• 23:35
  drawing your character work is just as important as being a
• 23:38
  good talent as well, like in ring talent.
• 23:41
  But I want to know, Craig, your debut because I love asking
• 23:44
  wrestlers this, especially British wrestlers.
• 23:46
  Tell me about your first official in ring debut match.
• 23:51
  And it was a holiday camp in I think Camber Sands.
• 23:55
  Yeah, Camber Sands. And that must have been like 3,
• 23:59
  no, like 2 1/2 years ago, maybe a little bit more.
• 24:03
  It was with a lad from the BFD. So like we travelled down.
• 24:08
  He was basically took me under his wing.
• 24:12
  And yeah, I never forgot that. It was very much like, I
• 24:15
  remember my gear. My gear was ridiculous.
• 24:16
  It was like, I just went down to like Cyber dog and just like cut
• 24:19
  this up and this shirt off. And it was like, because I was
• 24:23
  like, Oh yeah, techno dance music.
• 24:24
  And I remember also being I was never Craig Ryan.
• 24:27
  I was the Scouse bounce. And I loved, I loved it at the
• 24:33
  start and I was like, it's so good.
• 24:34
  And then I remember going Instagram.
• 24:36
  I was like, can I have a name? Can I just have an actual name?
• 24:40
  And then Craig started and it all rolls on and but yeah, my my
• 24:43
  debut, it was in a holiday camp in Camber Sands.
• 24:47
  And yeah, I can remember like every some kind of moments.
• 24:50
  And it was, it was like some of the, it was like, just like the,
• 24:53
  the like taking like a body slam and then obviously doing like
• 24:57
  maybe a bit of an international. And then I think my biggest move
• 24:59
  was my head scissors. But instead of the way I do it
• 25:02
  now where it's like proper, like flying, it was like, do you know
• 25:06
  what I mean? And I can see it.
• 25:08
  And it was like, like, I was like, I don't know, like a prawn
• 25:11
  or something. And I look back now, it's like,
• 25:15
  it's just a development, you know what I mean?
• 25:16
  And stuff. But when I hit that, I was like,
• 25:19
  I am amazing. That's absolutely.
• 25:22
  Like, yeah, bounce forever. Yes, that's bounce, but there
• 25:26
  was a lot of work that needs to be done.
• 25:27
  But yeah, yeah, I remember that that day.
• 25:31
  So yeah, that was my debut, a holiday campaign.
• 25:34
  Campus hands. You actually look back in quite
• 25:36
  positive. It's quite nice.
• 25:37
  A lot of wrestlers get fucking. And, you know, I like, I mean, I
• 25:41
  like ask this question because every answer tends to be
• 25:43
  different stuff. But it's nice that you can flex
• 25:45
  back for it. Yeah, it was great.
• 25:47
  I was called Scouts bounced. Yeah, it was a holiday camp.
• 25:49
  And you know, the move that I did at first I look back wasn't
• 25:53
  great. But now I've perfected it, you
• 25:54
  know, Now you're flying with style.
• 25:57
  I was like, yeah. I might look like I'm not going
• 26:01
  to somebody's heads me again, old I'm I'm able to feel my age,
• 26:06
  but I'm sort of near your age, maybe older, maybe younger.
• 26:09
  That's I'll tell you off camera. But Craig, let me know about
• 26:14
  some of your career highlights. We've discussed in great detail
• 26:16
  now in two interviews about important pro wrestling.
• 26:19
  But tell me about some of your other career highlights that you
• 26:22
  look back with fond memory so far.
• 26:26
  I think one match that really stands out was a six man tag
• 26:31
  that I had with UKPW and that was with Tommy Tanner, Tyler
• 26:36
  Walker Project. I see.
• 26:37
  So Nathan Blade, Time Money and Ryan Snyder.
• 26:41
  The reason it stands out is because it was all of us 6 and
• 26:44
  it was like fighting with brothers.
• 26:45
  Do you know what I mean? And it was just like we all knew
• 26:47
  each other's move sets. We knew how each other worked.
• 26:51
  I still very much look back at that match and go on YouTube and
• 26:56
  like literally still have a bit of like so much passion and so
• 26:59
  much like a big smile on my face.
• 27:01
  And, and the reason that just stands out is because it was
• 27:04
  from the start of like working together again.
• 27:07
  We had a very, we were very lucky that we all came from the
• 27:09
  same club and we were able to work together to build something
• 27:13
  special and to then like smashing the match.
• 27:19
  We were very proud of it. So then coming backstage and
• 27:21
  giving like the biggest group hug that I've ever felt.
• 27:25
  And it was just like smile for me.
• 27:27
  It's a ear. And it was just like, that one
• 27:29
  really stands out. So it's.
• 27:30
  More than wrestling, like I'm dealing with my friends as well
• 27:33
  like. I'm doing it with my friend, my
• 27:35
  yeah, my friends in the ring. And it's just, it's one of those
• 27:37
  ones where like, it just really, really stands out as like a
• 27:40
  special moment and where we've all done it together.
• 27:45
  And the reason I say that is because that was like pre
• 27:48
  Emporium. Obviously now with Emporium
• 27:50
  happening, we are able to do this as the FD and we're able to
• 27:53
  work with our friends and work with our BC family and build
• 27:55
  like some these amazing matches. So the reason that that one
• 27:58
  stands out is that it was five of my really like close mates in
• 28:02
  the ring together or working together or supporting each
• 28:05
  other or protecting each other and or just like selling out the
• 28:09
  best that we possibly can for each other to make the other one
• 28:11
  a superstar. And so that one really stands
• 28:14
  out in my mind. And then I guess another career
• 28:17
  highlights would be learning and having in my move set and
• 28:21
  perfecting it. My favorite ever move, which is
• 28:24
  the Lisa Rana. So top row public and Rana and,
• 28:29
  and I remember turning to one of the lads in training, one of the
• 28:33
  big boys and being like, if it takes me years, I'm willing to
• 28:36
  do it. And he's like, do you want to
• 28:38
  just try it now? It's not that hard.
• 28:39
  And I was like, no, I can't do that.
• 28:41
  It's going to take me like 5 years minimum.
• 28:45
  Like just just try it. And it's like, OK.
• 28:47
  And I remember doing it and this is really funny video because
• 28:50
  like it's somewhat filmed before me and I did it and I just, I'm
• 28:53
  just there like this and it hasn't sunk in and then.
• 28:57
  Then look at the light. Yeah.
• 28:59
  And then Greg goes show out to the camera, show out and I go
• 29:04
  and I was like, I just like, honestly, I was like, Oh my God,
• 29:06
  I just did it. And I was like, I'm expecting
• 29:08
  it's going to take like 2-3 years.
• 29:10
  Like the fact it's like amazing move that it's like honestly
• 29:13
  means so much to me. I still watch it on over on like
• 29:16
  like highlights and stuff. So a career highlight of that is
• 29:19
  learning that move again, having the original video of the first
• 29:23
  time I hit it and how I've perfected.
• 29:25
  Is that on your Instagram? The yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 29:30
  I can send you if you want. I'll die.
• 29:32
  If any fans want to watch it, by the way, how can they watch it?
• 29:37
  Craig Ryan under score PW There's a video which is like
• 29:43
  from the beginning and it's kind of like leading all the way up
• 29:46
  to like I think of like the first year of the Lisa Rana or
• 29:50
  I'm trying to I'm trying to perfect that.
• 29:52
  I want to kind of call it the horror crate horror Craig
• 29:54
  Reiner, but we'll figure out how I can do that.
• 29:58
  I. Was going to say again, squeeze.
• 29:59
  It makes sense. Yeah, it's a lot.
• 30:02
  So that's unnatural. Yeah, horrid.
• 30:04
  Craig Reiner. So yeah, it's yes, I'm on
• 30:07
  YouTube, but I actually want to do a bit of a new montage about
• 30:10
  it because like I've changed a little bit.
• 30:12
  I've been being able to kind of like perfect it in a way that I
• 30:15
  kind of go around and then switch and stuff.
• 30:18
  And again, that's Greg like developing it.
• 30:20
  I think it's like those signature moves are just so
• 30:23
  important and like, I think another thing I remember Greg
• 30:26
  saying, it's like you can have like 4 to 5 things removed and
• 30:31
  that's that's all you need. You don't have to like know like
• 30:34
  I don't need to know what a moon soul and Anna Swanson bomb Anna
• 30:38
  Horikurana and this and that and that and you and actually think
• 30:41
  I'd go into it like, Oh my God, why don't I know that yet?
• 30:43
  It's like, maybe I should just like focus on the moon that I
• 30:45
  actually do know perfect them and then just know how to build
• 30:48
  ass. And then actually here's another
• 30:50
  funny story. So like basically I was like a
• 30:52
  classic me. I'm like, what I'm going to do
• 30:55
  Greg, I'm going to run off. I'm going to go, I'm going to
• 30:57
  bounce off this butt off that and then I'm going to switch it
• 30:59
  and then I'm going to runner it. And he's like, why do you want
• 31:01
  to do that? He's like, well, I want to
• 31:02
  change my move, don't I? And he's like, come here.
• 31:04
  He's like, yeah. And he's like, give me a hand.
• 31:06
  I was like that. And he goes, I was like, oh,
• 31:08
  what do you do that That's your move.
• 31:11
  Do not ever change that. Do not ever do that.
• 31:14
  That is you do. That is what you're famous for.
• 31:16
  He's like, don't be changing it. And I was like, OK, yeah, yeah.
• 31:20
  That's fine. Yeah, well, I've got the
• 31:23
  message. Yeah, OK, I'll do it.
• 31:25
  So yeah. And ever since then I was like,
• 31:27
  yeah, I should just be hitting it and hitting it and hitting
• 31:29
  it. So yeah, the importance of
• 31:31
  signatures, I guess. Awesome, man.
• 31:35
  One last question for you, Craig.
• 31:36
  This doesn't have to be about wrestling.
• 31:38
  You can switch off, but I feel like one of the answers might be
• 31:41
  wrestling late because of who you've discussed already. 3
• 31:45
  dream dinner guests for your dream party.
• 31:48
  You're the host. Pastor bread.
• 31:50
  Look at the smile. Pastor present then.
• 31:52
  Or like fiction, nonfiction, doesn't matter.
• 31:55
  Three people. OK.
• 31:57
  Give me the first one go. Do you say fiction or going to
• 32:02
  be like? Anyone.
• 32:04
  Any my, anything, anyone, anything doesn't matter.
• 32:09
  Honey die. Yeah, yeah.
• 32:13
  Danny Dyer, I think it'd just be a laugh.
• 32:15
  I just think he's couldn't. Actually expect to me said more
• 32:17
  but no no, although marching pad wasn't that great though I
• 32:20
  watched that lot the other week do.
• 32:22
  You know I cry that to Mom. But I hate it.
• 32:24
  But I was a bit disappointed. I kind of expected.
• 32:25
  I thought he was good, but yeah. Yeah, I think he's just like
• 32:29
  such a like British, like I can't join such an obsession
• 32:34
  with him. So yeah, Danny Dyer, Buffy the
• 32:37
  Vampire Slayer, because again, I'm absolutely obsessed with
• 32:40
  Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So I have a sandwich or get out
• 32:42
  of Buffy. This dinner guest is this dinner
• 32:44
  is turning into a mad one. Actually, you need to like
• 32:46
  really think about it and then go on, Lisa.
• 32:52
  I love that. So that's.
• 32:53
  That's when the answer I predicted.
• 32:55
  I was actually going to ask you like, oh, who's your favorite
• 32:57
  member of Team Extreme in the end.
• 32:58
  But then he's like later on and he mentioned a little bit more.
• 33:00
  I was like OK later, probably not going to ask.
• 33:03
  Yeah. Buffy not that Michelle Keller,
• 33:07
  she can wait outside and they are So what normally say dream
• 33:10
  dinner guests right? But because you are the techno
• 33:13
  warrior, you get to pick one venue to go.
• 33:16
  Raven with your 3 guests. So you've had your meal, This is
• 33:20
  the off party where you've taken them.
• 33:23
  And does it still have to be there?
• 33:27
  No, no. We can do some time traveling
• 33:30
  there. Prim works.
• 33:32
  Prim Works. I cannot believe that that venue
• 33:36
  closed like that is if you were, if you've experienced it, you'll
• 33:40
  know what I'm talking about. It was the best, most perfect,
• 33:44
  beautiful venue that ever existed.
• 33:47
  It was so well organised. There was so much euphoria in
• 33:50
  the room. They had it because it was like
• 33:52
  an old like running mill. So it was like proper long with
• 33:54
  like the screens and it's such a shame that I closed.
• 33:58
  I think there's talks about maybe reopening it somehow.
• 34:01
  But I can I can describe like the amount of nights like Peggy
• 34:05
  Goo Tiësto, like there was so many nights, night after night,
• 34:09
  moment after moment that I like still remember from that like
• 34:12
  from printworks. And it was just incredible.
• 34:14
  And that very much was like a proper euphoria, kind of like
• 34:18
  everyone was together. No trouble.
• 34:22
  Best raves that you've ever like been to?
• 34:24
  Visuals in your face, lasers in your face.
• 34:28
  I don't know if it's Ryan or Craig now coming out.
• 34:30
  It's one of them. Do you know what I mean?
• 34:33
  But yeah, it was honestly amazing.
• 34:35
  So yeah, me, Danny Dyer, Lisa and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we
• 34:40
  all go into the frameworks for a mass one.
• 34:42
  Love it, love it mate. Craig, you have told the
• 34:45
  listeners where to find you on Search Media now because I told
• 34:48
  them about to find this video. But is there anything you want
• 34:50
  to share, anything you want to say or any wrestlers you like to
• 34:53
  call out to a future match? The opportunity is yours because
• 34:57
  we're now at the end of this interview.
• 34:59
  Well, firstly I want to say, yeah, please check socials, but
• 35:03
  I also want to say please check the Burrage Fight Design social
• 35:05
  and start following Burrage Fight Design if you haven't.
• 35:07
  And if you are interested in starting your wrestling journey,
• 35:11
  a wrestling career, it's an amazing place to be.
• 35:14
  We train a welcome style on every Wednesday at 7:30.
• 35:21
  It's so welcoming, such a amazing place.
• 35:25
  If you fancy just getting maybe a little bit fitter, if you want
• 35:27
  to check it out or if you feel like this is something that you
• 35:30
  want to do, yeah, please come. So check out Social for British
• 35:34
  Life Design. And yeah, just a bit of a mind
• 35:37
  plug, check out Craig Ryan under Score PW as well if you want to
• 35:41
  keep me up to date, if you want to keep us late of anything I'm
• 35:43
  doing. And then also Emporium as well.
• 35:46
  So please follow all the Emporium socials.
• 35:50
  Wrestler don't want to call out. OK, Yeah.
• 35:54
  You fight for this one. You're like.
• 35:56
  So here's a list. I've, I've always said to Greg
• 36:01
  Gray, I would love to and like, he probably doesn't know who I
• 36:04
  am or we might have chatted like a bit.
• 36:06
  I'd love to wrestle Cassius. Yes, yes, rings A.
• 36:11
  Bell yeah, like I think that'll be a really good match because
• 36:14
  like I think what he does is like amazing and I think it
• 36:16
  would be a very. UK talent am I?
• 36:18
  Wrong. Yeah, UK talent, yeah, yeah, UK
• 36:20
  talent. So you actually yeah, he's been
• 36:23
  trained by Greg as well. I think it would be a very much,
• 36:26
  I don't know, old school leader versus Trish, kind of like male
• 36:31
  version of that. So like I'd love to do something
• 36:32
  like that. But yeah.
• 36:34
  So if Cassius is listening and ever fancies a little scrap, I'm
• 36:37
  me. I thought it, but to be honest,
• 36:40
  like I think also just wrestling all out with BFT and like
• 36:44
  looking at what we can do important and building this
• 36:46
  matches and storylines. Like I can't wait to work with
• 36:49
  work with our last and like work and do more and more matches
• 36:52
  with them. And so yeah, I mean, yeah,
• 36:55
  anything's fair game. Do you know what I mean?
• 36:58
  They had it. Craig.
• 36:59
  Thank you for coming on, mate. It means a lot.
• 37:02
  I'll see you again and you all take a beer with me, but I do
• 37:06
  thank you very much for your support and the talent from
• 37:09
  pouring progress and cleaning yourself coming on and showing
• 37:12
  love. Like this video?
• 37:15
  Subscribe to the channel, give Craig a follow, give Emporium a
• 37:18
  follow and give me a follow. All our social media handles
• 37:21
  will be in description below. But for now, everyone have a
• 37:23
  good weekend. Take care.
• 37:38
  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages,
• 37:42
  it's time for What Do You Call It podcast.