Interview with former WWE/TNA star Brian Kendrick

This is Mike Draven with a special Draven UnScripted Brian Kendrick interview photo 4-27-14interview with former WWE/TNA star Brian Kendrick after the debut of I AM PRO WRESTLING in Van Nuys, CA.

1. How are you doing tonight?

BK: I’m doing great Mike, Thank you for having me.

2. This evening you came up on the losing end in your championship match against “The Real Deal” JJ Steele, how are you feeling after your match?

BK: As long as I’ve been doing this, I’ve gotten use to losing so it doesn’t hurt my feelings. But what I did get is an opportunity to wrestle JJ Steele, he’s a like minded wrestler as far as we pictured wrestling that is in the same light & enjoyed my time with him.

3. Do you have any upcoming events you would like to plug?

BK: I do indeed, I’m starting up my Wrestling Pro Wrestling again which is centered around my students but I’m been lucky enough to have whole bunch of talented local wrestlers will to take part in it. So we’re starting up again May 1st at the Santino Bros.

4. How is it working with Santino Bros since moving your school to their facility since the Pappy Dome isn’t around anymore?

BK: I’m loving it, I’d enjoy my time at Pappy’s but working with Joey Kaos & Jezabel is been a real treat with me, unbelievably nice to me. The Facility to me is like stepping into an old school boxing gym so its got a “real” wrestler’s feel to it & I’m delighted on how its working out.

5. How are your students progressing & do you see Kendricks Training Photoanyone with a lot of promise?

BK: Truth is I love all my students, I had some working the event tonight; Mr. Tanaka & Ryan Morals both who I adore, I’ve had three Brits come out of my school with one of them is back in town, Magnificent Matthew. I’ve got high hopes for all of them just because the class isn’t easy but these guys have gutted it out & showed a genuine passion for it.

6. You mentioned May 1st is the show & originally your show was bi-weekly then became monthly before the Pappy dome closed, are you looking to restart a bi-weekly or monthly show again?

BK: Hopefully, Joey will allow me the facility & I can run Bi-monthly if I could but the dream would be every other week.

7. I’ve watched you grow in the business back in the day with UPW with you as Spanky, can you talk about your time in UPW?

BK: I was really fortunate, I was just released from my developmental contract & I need somewhere to hang my hat. My dear friend Jordan was living here at the time & introduced me to Rick Bassman who welcomed me with open arms along with Tom Howard..I would never be able to repay the debt they gave me, they were really kind to a pimple faced kid.

8. You had a couple of introductions into WWE, once as Spanky but everyone remembers your re-debut dressed as a bell hop delivering a singing telegram to The Undertaker, what was going through your mind when you found out about this?

BK: It was surreal..Bruce Pritchard actually grabbed me while I was stretching out, pulled me into the office & asked for me to sing. So I interrupted Vince’s meeting with a song & dance which took off from there. I guess if I can sit & dwell on it, its still a dream.

9. You had a great run with Paul London winning TagKendrick & London WWE Pic Team gold, talk about your time with Paul?

BK: I love teaming with him cause we’re very similar in the ring & outside but polar opposites in the respects that he’s happy go lucky, very jovial & I’m happy for the most parts but I’m very blunt which can strike people the wrong way but I understand why.

10. Any favorite matches teaming with London?

BK: I’ve enjoyed a lot of them but the one that sticks out is wrestling “The Teacher’s Pets” K.C. James & Idol Stevens because the expectations were very low & the end result is something I like to toot my own horn for.

11. Eventually a person is repackaged & we saw The Brian Kendrick with Ezekiel Jackson, any fond memories with him & your run at that time?

BK: Yeah, it was great except the “THE” part, that was Vince but everything else was my idea. I had fun with it, I ran with it & I even got to hand pick Ezekiel who just today got to run into for the first time in years. He’s a lovely person with a wonderful family but the truth is I screwed it up with attitude problems, my ego thinking I’m larger than the company in some respects or tow the line when it needed to. So in a sense I pissed it away & in actuality in sense pissed it away with drug tests but the time I did there I enjoyed it, I got to show a different side of me.

12. I remember watching you getting an opportunity at the WWE Championship at the Unforgiven Pay-per-view in the Scramble match, how did you feel finally getting that chance at the title?

BK: That was a great time in my life co-in-sided with when I got married. I worked into that angle then took a week off to get married, have a honeymoon & came back to do the PPV & really felt the world was my oyster in the little stretch of time…so it was a high light in my life.

13. You were let go by WWE & made your way to TNA where you wrestled as yourself & eventually we saw “The Wizard of Odd” emerge, can you talk about your time there?

BK: Sure, they threw me into matches as Brian Kendrick Kendrick TNA picbecause I was a fresh face as a way to get in & I enjoyed my matches but the character I created myself was  diluted into thinking I was controlling reality around me.

I focused on the X Division title & if I can win it then I can prove to myself I can control the universe but then the name “The Wizard of Odd” was cast upon me, wasn’t my idea even though it was a catchy nickname but it turn the character into a joke & thus the character become more funny than derange. So I really liked the opportunities I got but it didn’t exactly flow the way I wanted to.

14. Since you were a part of WWE & TNA, do you still follow them & if so what do you think of the current product?

BK: I have the opportunity to but I don’t, not that they’re great shows but one I got fired from. So either I can be bitter or depressed about it, all these sets of feelings can arise but truth be told even when I was there I wasn’t watching much of the product because I love wrestling but I don’t get hooked with the storylines & angles as I did when I was a fan.

I became more of a fan of the art of it but if I was to sit down & watch in ring wrestling, I’ll watch New Japan or even the odd PPV or like Wrestlemania cause they’re 20 minute matches & can tell a story. But the day to day storylines, I know Bryan Danielson is the champion because I’m in wrestling & I know these things but that’s what I know. I wish everyone the best in TNA but I rather read a book at this point.

15. Anyone you wish you could’ve faced in WWE or TNA?

BK: Oh..Oh Hundreds, well not hundreds cause they’re not that many guys but loads. If I had to pick…definetly Shawn Michaels because he’s the best storyteller in American Wrestling & the best seller by the way he can draw so much emotions out of you. And Hulk Hogan just because he’s Hulk Hogan, him & Ric Flair would be a dream come true because they’re icons.

16. Anything you want to plug like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram so you’re fans can follow you?

BK: Sure, My wife runs my Twitter @bkschoolofpw & my Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BKSchoolofPW & my website is http://briankendrick.net/ for info about the school & stuff. Any random bit of info that’s updated is through my wife on twitter but any funny bits & stuff, it won’t be there because I’m weird of the whole social media which is like 1984 double speak as in its anything but social.

17. Lastly, do you have anything to say to all your fans in So Cal & all around?

BK: Thank you for supporting wrestling.. if it wasn’t for fans of wrestling & down here with the local SO CAL Indy fans, all of us we wouldn’t have a place to perform. Without fans, they’ll be no wrestlers we would be guys playing in the backyard, so thank you for supporting indy wrestling.

Once again I want to thank Brian Kendrick for the chance to have this interview for Socaluncensored.com. Be sure to catch Brian Kendrick’s Wrestling Pro Wrestling this Thursday night, May 1st at the Santino Bros Dojo in Bell Gardens, ca to see some great action. For info, visit our event page:
http://socaluncensored.com/event/brian-kendricks-wrestling-pro-wrestling-in-bell-gardens-ca/ and be sure to look out on Socaluncensored.com for future Brian Kendrick Wrestling Pro Wrestling events.

Until next time, this is Mike Draven…signing off.

1 Comment on "Interview with former WWE/TNA star Brian Kendrick"

  1. Great job Mike!

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