Hey, Kid

It's a name that you never miss hearing. I hated it. It took a long, long time to get away from it. It takes YEARS... literally. No matter how hard you work. No matter how good you get. It's really hard to get away from. I just took it in stride when I was first starting out. I had an influential person, a veteran of the wrestling business, who was there to help me along. He told me point-blank, "Keep your mouth shut." And I did. There's not one single person out there who likes to hear, "Hey, Kid."

That's your name when you first start out in the wrestling business. But it's more than just a name. It's your character. It's your demeanor. Heck, it's who you are! You're the kid! You do what they don't want to do. You carry the bags. You run the errands. You might even buy lunch (if you, the kid, have lunch money!) It's not the fact that you're being FORCED to do anything. But the wrestling business has an unwritten code of law and I'm sure that most other sports do, too. It's the law of respect.

For instance, your mentor tells you to carry his bag for him. You may not WANT to do it... but you better. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not the fact that he may beat you up in the parking lot or anything like that. But usually, your mentor (or trainer) is the reason you're even in the wrestling business anyway. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be there to begin with. You show respect by doing some of the things that just may make his life a little easier. That's the way the business works.

Some rookies hated to be the kid a lot more than me. Some guys even speak up and say no. Those guys don't last very long. They usually won't make the next trip because they don't respect the business enough. Or if it goes far enough, they may end up in the ring with a veteran that might take advantage of them. What I mean by that is plain and simple... the kid will get stretched.

Being stretched is a term used by the old-timers in the wrestling business who will literally put you in a wrestling hold and stretch your body apart. If they have a hold of your arm, you may think your arm is going to be pulled completely off by the time they're done. Same thing with your legs or ankles. You may think they're literally going to break them off and hand them back to you. These guys aren't joking around. I've seen some guys gets stretched pretty bad... to the point that they're CRYING... in the ring! It's a tactic they use to teach the kids a lesson. A lesson in respect.

It's almost a form of hazing. But usually, it's not nearly that bad. That term may be a little too rough for what I'm talking about. There's constant joking and ribbing on the kid. For instance, I was in Nashville with one of the most popular tag teams to ever come out of Memphis, TN. One of the guys made me sit in the floor instead of on the sofa with them. "Sit in the floor, kid. And don't be lookin' at my wife either!" They'd laugh about it and go on with their conversation. What did I do? I sat in the floor and looked away from his wife. I was maybe 17 at the time. I was the kid.

The kid is usually put through numerous tests to see if he's tough enough to be in the business. You can't be a crybaby if you're going to be a professional wrestlers. Trust me, if you are... you won't have a long-term career doing it, that's for sure. Usually the kid gets booked with a few guys that will be a little extra stiff with them. The punches come a lot harder. The kicks are a lot harder. And even the body slams are slammed a little harder, just to see if the kid will complain. I've been beaten to a pulp by guys who are 6' 4" and 300 plus pounds. What did I do when the match was over (quickly over, might I add)? I went back to the locker room and shook his hand and thanked him for the match. Not only did that add character, but it was the ultimate show of respect. Plus, it makes me look tough... even though I was hurting pretty bad.

I finally realized that being the kid would pass with time. And it did. Sometimes, I'll see a few of the guys from the past and they'll laugh and say, "The kid..." Just as a reminder that they remember when I WAS the kid. Now, I can look back on it and realize that every rib they pulled... every beating they gave me... just made me a better wrestler and it definitely made me respect the wrestling business that much more. I don't think I would love it as much if it didn't happen that way.