Hardkore Kidd Preview Interview (!!!)

Whether you agree with me or not, the Hardkore Kidd Aaron Aguilera could be considered a SoCal Indy icon. Aguilera has been around the SoCal scene way before it was even considered “a scene”. Before SoCal became internationally known as a hotbed for Indy wrestling, Aguilera was kicking ass and taking names in WPW and UIWA rings since 1996. There’s a saying you may or may not have heard, “You don’t know what you got til it’s gone”, and that is definitely the case with Hardkore Kidd. Not many realize the impact Aguilera has made throughout the years, but Aguilera’s WWE developmental deal is proof that hard work does indeed pay off.

Benjamin Tomas had the chance to sit down with the Hardkore Kidd Aaron Aguilera right before he packed his bags to compete in Ohio Valley Wrestling, the WWE’s developmental league. To read the preview interview, click below.As he was leaving Southern California, I had the privilege to conduct a last interview with Aaron Aguilera aka the Hardkore Kidd. This interview will be very long, but at the request of Mr. Aguilera, I am publishing a short version of the interview as a preview. The complete piece will be available in a few weeks.

Benjamin Tomas: Last time we talked, you didn’t have a deal with the WWE. Today, you’re packing your bags for Ohio Valley Wrestling (the minor leagues for the WWE). How did you get another deal?

Hardkore Kidd: I was actually reading my horoscope, and it warned me that the time was right for a change. As soon as the planets were perfectly aligned, I centered on my chi. Once I achieved the perfect harmonic balance with the universe necessary for astral projection, I ate a vegetarian meal consisting mostly of cabbage. I focused eastward, and once I felt completely in tune with everything, I faced west and had some kid pull my finger. At that point, I released a sonic boom that was reflective of my stinky karma. It was received by loving arms, and the rest is history.

Benjamin Tomas: OK…

Hardkore Kidd: Yeah it sounds right to me, but Bassman might see it differently.

BT: How would he see it?

HKK: I’m just saying he might not remember things the way I do.

BT: I guess it doesn’t matter how it happened, as long as it happened.

HKK: The bottom line is that I’m in Kentucky. Bassman, or as I like to call him, Rick spelled with a silent “B” at the front, hooked it up. I have been doing dark matches for years, so WWE knew who I was, but haven’t been interested in the past. They always have told me to put on weight and focus more on the entertainment aspect of the business. Rick told me WWE was recently getting serious about signing solid developmental prospects and thought the time was right to put a package together and start a serious campaign to get me noticed.

BT: Out of curiosity, may I ask what that package contained?

HKK: I think it was the same shit you’d see in a band’s press package they send to a record label. You know, a bio, pics, video, and all that stuff.

BT: Videos?

HKK: I know there were a few promos and pre tapes we have done over the past year. Maybe there was some older stuff? I never saw it, but something must have caught their eye. It was nice to se that the “campaign” Rick has talked about forever finally paid off.

BT: Congratulations. What do you think was the “X-Factor” that finally got you the deal?

HKK: Thanks, man. I’m not sure, and I really don’t care. Rick called me and said I had a dark match in San Diego, as well as a meeting with Johnny Ace. I went to the meeting, it was cool, and of course he told me to bulk up more. From there it was all blah blah blah, and a few days later I got the news that I was being offered a deal and the contract was in the mail.

BT: Do you think the WWE has seen anything you have done outside of UPW?

HKK: I don’t know, and I don’t care. Whatever Rick sent must have worked.

BT: So perhaps Rick Bassman was the “X Factor?”

HKK: Whatever. I think of Rick as my broker. Without his campaigning I’m not sure where I’d be.

BT: Where does El Jefe fit into the picture, if at all?

HKK: How the hell would El Jefe fit into the picture in Kentucky? El Jefe needs real Mexican food to survive. If I were going to New Mexico or Texas, he’d be fine. It’s Kentucky. He’s so militant about his food that if he walks into a Taqueria and hears the cooks speaking English, he walks out and eats somewhere else. Aside from all that, Jefe has far too much on his plate to bail out of the OC. He has to keep up with his connections to maintain his lifestyle. Jefe is way high maintenance.

BT: Does it irritate you that UPW plans on using the Hardkore Inc. gimmick without having Hardkore Kidd as part of the team?

HKK: What the hell do you think? Look at it this way, I started it in ’96 with Justin [Sane], and it ended when he left to pursue a career in shoot fighting. Since then Hardkore Inc. has included El Jefe and myself despite who else was involved. Why should someone else get to make his or her name off all our hard work?

BT: It is known that you were the guy who secured the venue which PWG ran it’s shows in Santa Ana. You cut a promo at one time denouncing the profanity a lot of wrestlers use when they are in the PWG ring. Did that really piss you off that much?

HKK: I’m not too sure very many people know I got PWG the venue in Santa Ana, including their wrestlers, but who cares? The only thing that matters to them is that they didn’t have to run to the Anaheim Marketplace, which was where they would have run the tag tournament if they didn’t find anywhere else to run.

As far as my promo about the use of profanity, it really bugs me when a guy cuts a promo and it consists of, “Fuck this, fuck that, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, and fuck you.” It shows a serious lack of creativity. It also shows the Elk’s Lodge a ton of disrespect. I knew what kind of reaction I’d get from fans on that promo, but I wanted to talk to the guys in the locker room. I felt they should be more respectful to the building they were running in. I’m not sure the higher-up’s at the place were hearing what was being said, but I’m sure they would disapprove. I wanted to clear my conscience, so I spoke from my heart. I didn’t want the people who trusted me to think I supported the tomfoolery of the guys on the show. I also thought the promo might be entertaining.

BT: I’ll name a past promotion you have wrestled for, and please give me your thoughts.

HKK: Shoot

BT: UIWA

HKK: Good old UIWA, one of the coolest names for a fed I’ve ever heard. For the most part I had a good time. Actually, I could tell you some ridiculous stories about that place but I wouldn’t want to embarrass anyone.

Actually, I’d love to embarrass a bunch of those fools but some of them call me their friend and I’m not about to hurt anyone’s fragile feelings, except for those Ballard bitches. Hey guys, Sy Sperling called and he wants you to join the hair club for men. Remember, he’s not just the president; he’s also a client.

Anyway, back to UIWA. It was cool enough to stay even when the XPW crew split. It was the first place I got to call my own shots. That itself makes me give those guys a thumbs up.

BT: AWS/Frank & Sons/Bart:

HKK: It has been the best place to see a show if you like all kinds of wrestling. It is the only promotion that does it all. Most feds cater to a certain demographic. They limit the variety to the point it seems you see the same line up show after show. AWS mixes it up to the point it doesn’t get stale. I’ve had some of my favorite matches at Frank & Sons. I can’t believe some of the dork shit that goes on at that place. For months I tripped out on all the dudes playing cards next to the “arena.” I wanted to know what the hell that was all about. I asked around the locker room, and wouldn’t you know it, “King Nerd” Vanderpyle knew all the ins and outs about it. Needless to say he plays Magic: The Gathering with all the transvestites at the VD/ methadone clinic. If you get him started you can get him to talk the game like SoCal Franchize can talk about the latest improvements in colon cleansing products.

I was just kidding. Kidding about Vanderpyle. The brown noser still owes me $15. Did you think that when you sold my merch and took a shirt I wouldn’t notice? I caught that. Actually, you owe me $20 at this point. It’s the interest on the cash you loaned yourself out of my pocket.

Back to AWS, here is for Bart. I’m gonna say this in a way nothing can be twisted in editing. Bart is la familia.

Editor’s Note: That was just a small preview of the interview Benjamin Tomas had conducted with the Hardkore Kidd, Aaron Aguilera. Benjamin tells me that HKK wanted this part up of the interview up so he can clear the air on who got him his contract.