You know being back in Socal and looking around the locker room, makes me think about certain ideas on how things stay the same but also how things change. Southern California back in the day was THE place that produced stars.. guys like Frankie Kazarian, Mike Modest, Chris Daniels, Samoa Joe, John Cena, Super Dragon, The Havana Pitbulls even guys like myself who weren’t “stars” had a place and where staples of Southern California. We had places to wrestle, places like EWF, IWC, CCW, UIWA, UPW the list goes on and on…. A lot of us wrestled 8-10 times a month to gain experience and just work. It wasn’t about money.
When I was on the east coast and when I was traveling a lot, as much as I hate to say this I wrestled because I loved it and wrestled cause it was my main source of income. I am one of the few on the independent scene that made a living on professional wrestling… even though in a lot of eyes it might not seem that it’s great or even possible. I did. Like a lot of stars you see on tv nowadays, back in the day we would never have dreamed to live off of wrestling for a certain amount of time. Being in the mold of a professional wrestler which started in 1998 it was a dream that became a reality that became my job.
Granted I might not get the rep that others have or quite bluntly maybe people just don’t like me, I didn’t care. I was doing what I loved to do, trying not to get caught up in mixes within wrestling. Politics all aside, politics are apart of the game. Those who get the business understand that it comes with it and sometimes you have to swallow your pride of not wanting to be in it to secure your well being. Wrestling as a business is probably THE most cut throat business you can ever… EVER be apart of. I have made mistakes, I live with them everyday but bottom line is wrestling made me who I am today.
Coming from a system of living to where wrestling paid my way of living and earning a good amount of money on shows except pay cuts from promotions I was trying to help. I had a rate in which promoters knew and gave me. With that being said coming back into the scene out where it all started being molded into a business man, whether people agree or disagreed on my take on rates and everything, I came from nothing… Just like these guys out here in Socal, wrestling for free or nachos and wanting to gain experience, to a guy that made money and became just a fragment of something which I am very proud of.
So with that being said, coming back out here and getting back into the swing of things just picking up shows while doing my personal stuff I’ve come across the certain passion and drive that wanted me to become a wrestler when I first started. I see these kids in the locker room now, some with a big ego… some that are humble and respectful, some that shouldn’t be in a ring, some that just want that spotlight in their life cause they need the attention and I’ve observed, some get it… and some don’t. I’ve come across promoters now that use guys on their shows because they would work for free and guys that have been with a promotion from back in the day still getting jack shit but show their loyalty towards there respected feds. I’ve noticed in wrestling now that kids don’t come up to vets in a locker room and ask advice or don’t shake hands with them.
Respect in wrestling is never a given…. guys like , Tj Perkins, Scott Lost, Scorpio Sky, Joey Ryan… the revolution pro guys.. the kids from upw that are now “stars” in socal, will tell you.. respect is never a given, it’s earned. Guys that are vets in this sport and scene, like Tommy Wilson, Jason Redondo, Alkatrazz, Vanderpyle, ADAM FN PEARCE, who rightfully deserves a mention cause this guy is not only one of the smartest guys in wrestling but one of the best without a shadow of the doubt and I can’t believe that people overlook this guy.. well some do, Pearce has always been my elder but I would still to this day have him be the first person i shake hands with arriving at a venue and would rightfully so give him “shotgun” on a car ride and buy him beers. It’s something that’s missing man…. I’ve noticed that.
A random thing happened at the new wave after party… a guy by the name of Nick Madrid, who I finally got to see wrestle was THE only guy that offered to buy me a drink out of respect, not cause I bought a shot or something, but out of respect. Little things in wrestling, like relationships, go a very long way. I get not having money to actually do stuff for other guys but showing an initiative is something that gets noticed. When I was over in Japan I was expecting to be a young boy there and cater to the elder guys, like Cima and Fuji, but to my surprise I was treated with the utmost respect there and their young boys were told to treat the guys that went out there like they would treat the elders. And that goes with everywhere I have been overseas… Australia, and Jarek Matthews will tell you, it’s the same thing. Over in Japan it’s a different respect and I wished that mentality was out here nowadays.
Times change though and people see it as a morale thing now, not wanting to swallow their pride and think they are too good for certain things now.. Bottom line, here is a reality check… your not. Until you have worked a certain amount of places with years under your belt, to actually have the work and resume to back you up, you my friends are the people wishing and hating on guys that have success cause you want to be in their shoes. That’s not respect that is a fantasy that needs to hit you in the head with an anvil to get you back to reality.
Now a lot of people might see this rant or thoughts as something of a bitter, frustrated vet.. to be honest. I have a good life, I lived my wrestling life and benefited from it greatly. I have done a lot more then you think I have in wrestling and like to think that I’m giving back wrestling what it gave me. So by all means I’m not bitter. It’s more of a harsher thesis on how it SHOULD be.
With that said, out here in Southern California… you have I would say easily maybe about 15 feds now? maybe more… students with promotions are the backbone of the company don’t get me wrong. In a sense they should be the guys you have on shows, but a student isn’t ready then bring in guys. A lot of people now tend to think their students are ready, and not only ready but use them cause they are free. But a students job isn’t to be on shows, it’s a learning experience from being a street team to help promote your shows, to doing ring work… to bringing in people and to LEARN, not just in experience in the ring BUT learn their place to solidify a solid foundation in the business. Being a promoter brings a certain mentality of free equals better and that shouldn’t be the case. I would think as a promoter you need to have money to bring in guys or whatever to help build up your company to establish your crop of guys. Money seems to be the big factor with promoters these days, but the way I see things in order to be a promoter, don’t you need money?? just something to think about, cause if your not making money… if your heart is in it but your brain isn’t, why be a promoter?
So, coming back to Southern California I’ve noticed a lot of things and this is really what I have noticed. You could disagree with me or whatever, I could care less but it’s something that needed to be said. Promoters here is something I want you to understand cause there has been certain things that have been said about me. Money isn’t the object of booking me, cause the drive and passion I have is back. I have money.. but just realize gas still is up and it would be nice to get a bite and some drinks after wards. I just wanna work, I wanna help you out… cause it’s my way of giving back to socal. Things being said about a no show and if that’s the way you wanna think then go fuck yourselves…. bottom line is this, there are three reasons I would not show up to your show, family…. car…. and health. If you ask me, those reasons are more then righteous
A lot of people could see this as a ploy to get on shows, honestly I will be the first to tell you I wanna work, but this ain’t a ploy, it’s the truth. I wanna work the new guys in socal to see if they are ready and are hyped up. Cause if anything I think I can be the guy to see if they are on that level or … just a phase. Wrestling for me has been my life for 13 years, professionally I have gained more then I could probably never do in another life. A lot of people tend to see through tunnel vision towards a goal, but sometimes you got to look around for more details to get you towards it.
and as corny as this is to end this message……
I am “The New Age Punisher” B-Boy – The Osiris of Socal
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