Questions are asked over and over about the wrestling business. "How much do you get paid?" I hear that one a lot. Sometimes, I'm ashamed of even answering. The first thing that generally comes to mind is... LIE. But that's another topic in itself. Maybe this subject is something that people usually don't think about... but it's expensive to be a professional wrestler.
I usually get asked the same question over and over about my wrestling boots. They're a pair of solid white, leather boots that have no laces. They have straps and velcro instead of laces. They're a very nice pair of boots. When people see them, friends or fans, they always ask how much I paid for them. The boots that I wear would cost you $500 or more. Expensive, huh?
Think about it this way... everything wrestlers wear is custom made. Boots have to fit perfectly in order to protect the ankles. If you try to wrestle in a pair of loose boots, you could sprain your ankle or even break it very badly. I've known several wrestlers that have broken toes, ankles and even more just because of the gear they wear. Tights are the same way... custom made.
Here's a good way to think about it... what if you're wearing a pair of trunks (they look like underwear that wrestlers wear) and they don't fit properly? You're in the ring going all out... 100 mile per hour beating on your opponent and flopping all around the ring. Your trunks don't fit you... what happens? Something very embarrassing could happen very easily, if you know what I mean. All tights are custom made for wrestlers. The designs on them, putting your name on them and just the way they fit has to be custom. If they don't fit, you may have to be blurred out on television.
I once bought a pair of custom made knee pads for $100. That's right... KNEE PADS. You can buy knee pads at Wal-Mart for ten bucks. So, why would I buy the $100 pair? Well, they were custom for my build. They also had pads not only on the knee... but pads that surrounded the knee for better protection. It was an expensive investment for a pair of knee pads, but hey, I had to have them. You're talking about a guy that paid $500 plus for boots. It's expensive.
For one night of wrestling... the attire that I would wear might look a little like this, price-wise:
Trunks: $75
Matching knee pad covers: $25
Knee pads: $100
Boots: $500
Wrist tape: $5
Shades (Five Starr ALWAYS wears shades): $15
Ring Jacket (I go in style): $150
TOTAL: $870
Pretty expensive, huh? That's how I roll.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Blood : Real or Fake?
This question ranks very high on the list of commonly asked questions to wrestlers. It definitely is at the top of the list. Maybe number two on the list, to be exact. Of course, number one being : Is wrestling fake? So, is it real? Is the blood in wrestling real or is it fake? Let's take a look at this for a moment, shall we?
Have you ever seen a wrestler pour ketchup on his head? Ok, ok... maybe they're good at hiding it. I guess it could happen. But wouldn't the sweat wash it away after a few minutes? More ketchup is applied, right? Let me clarify this right quick... I mention ketchup because I've actually been asked if that's what it was. Do wrestlers pour ketchup on their heads to make it look like they're bleeding? How funny is that? I wish it was ketchup... I love ketchup!
I've seen matches where wrestlers actually have blood literally POURING from their heads. You tell me how that could possibly be ketchup. Forget ketchup... you tell me how that can be anything other than real-live BLOOD! You can't. Know why? Because it's real blood, that's why.
The picture to the right of the screen was taken after a match that I wrestled at the Nashville Fairgrounds. A big time wrestling town and territory, where the Nashville fans are very smart to the wrestling business. If you're acting phony... they know it. They will actually chant it at you, if you screw something up. Anyway, just as my match was ending, I had my opponent on the floor. I was in the ring. As I reached through the ropes to pull my opponent back into the ring to pin him... he had a steel chair in hand that I hadn't seen. Needless to say, he swung and his me in the side of the head with the edge of the chair. This is the aftermath.
It's just one of many scars that I have on my head and body. Thank goodness it was actually in my hair... I can easily cover it up. I hate to see guys who have been wrestling for years and years and have a scarred up forehead. It's disgusting... all that scar tissue on your forehead is insane. Back in the old-days they just didn't take care of each other like we do now.
I've seen guys hit their heads on concrete floors and get busted open... I've seen guys get busted open by running the ropes and a cable is sticking from them. That'll scar your back up, really quickly. Using weapons is very dangerous, as well.
So, I'm here to tell you all the honest truth : YES, the blood in wrestling is very real. Like they say... it happens.
Have you ever seen a wrestler pour ketchup on his head? Ok, ok... maybe they're good at hiding it. I guess it could happen. But wouldn't the sweat wash it away after a few minutes? More ketchup is applied, right? Let me clarify this right quick... I mention ketchup because I've actually been asked if that's what it was. Do wrestlers pour ketchup on their heads to make it look like they're bleeding? How funny is that? I wish it was ketchup... I love ketchup!
I've seen matches where wrestlers actually have blood literally POURING from their heads. You tell me how that could possibly be ketchup. Forget ketchup... you tell me how that can be anything other than real-live BLOOD! You can't. Know why? Because it's real blood, that's why.
The picture to the right of the screen was taken after a match that I wrestled at the Nashville Fairgrounds. A big time wrestling town and territory, where the Nashville fans are very smart to the wrestling business. If you're acting phony... they know it. They will actually chant it at you, if you screw something up. Anyway, just as my match was ending, I had my opponent on the floor. I was in the ring. As I reached through the ropes to pull my opponent back into the ring to pin him... he had a steel chair in hand that I hadn't seen. Needless to say, he swung and his me in the side of the head with the edge of the chair. This is the aftermath.
It's just one of many scars that I have on my head and body. Thank goodness it was actually in my hair... I can easily cover it up. I hate to see guys who have been wrestling for years and years and have a scarred up forehead. It's disgusting... all that scar tissue on your forehead is insane. Back in the old-days they just didn't take care of each other like we do now.
I've seen guys hit their heads on concrete floors and get busted open... I've seen guys get busted open by running the ropes and a cable is sticking from them. That'll scar your back up, really quickly. Using weapons is very dangerous, as well.
So, I'm here to tell you all the honest truth : YES, the blood in wrestling is very real. Like they say... it happens.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Live Television
This is where you get only one take. There is zero room for error. Mistakes are for the entire world to see. You don't have an edit button. You can't rewind. When you're on LIVE television, whatever happens... just happens. There's no turning back. Trust me when I tell you, anything can happen on LIVE television.
If you've never been on a live television broadcast before, you may not see the severity of what I'm talking about. So, imagine this: You put on your speedos, if you're a guy. If you're a girl, put on a very revealing bikini (have you watched wrestling lately?). Anyway, you're nearly in the nude for the entire world to see. Put on your boots and pads and head out to the ring. Lights are blinding you the second you walk through the curtain. You have a camera man shoving a huge lens in your face to capture your "close-up". A few hundred fans cheer you or boo you, but you finally realize that the entire world is also making an opinion of you, at that very moment.
Not so bad, yet? Well, when you're walking to the ring... what if you trip? The entire world sees this. I've seen it happen. What if you actually trip over the rope while climbing in the ring? I've seen this happen, as well. Even worse than that, what if your ring attire is ripped? Maybe you don't have anything on underneath your gear? Well, the entire world will see this, too. I've seen all this happen and more!
The best are the interviews. Many times, you'll have a company put a guy on the microphone and maybe he's just a little nervous about it. Well, you go out there and turn to the camera and try to speak... but nothing comes out. Imagine this happening to you. You forget everything you're supposed to say... you stutter... and then, they pull the plug on the interview after only a few seconds. Fans are laughing at you not only while they're watching at home on television, but the fans in attendance are the ones you can actually hear. It will ruin your entire match because you'll be thinking about it the entire time.
Here's a good one that happened to me personally. I was being crowned the Heavyweight Champion of a company in Rector, AR. I had won a tournament and the following week, I was to be crowned the Champion. I went to the ring (as the bad guy) and was going to snatch the belt out of the commissioner's hand like a tough guy, right? Well, if you've ever held one of those championship belts, than you know they weigh about ten pounds. So, anyway... I snatch the belt from the commissioner, but little did I know that he was going to let it go so softly. As I jerked the belt, it flung out of my hands... through the ropes and outside the ring... and yes, it hit a little girl right in the head! Now, you talk about embarrassing! What could I do? Well, I did the only thing that any of us would do. I hopped out of the ring, picked up my belt... and told the girl to stop trying to steal my belt! Luckily, she was not hurt and I was not sued.
One more before I go. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Well, I wrestled several shows for them a few years back. I was actually wrestling their secondary television show called Xplosion. I was trying to earn a contract with the company and get a full time gig with them. I was wrestling Sonni Siaki this night and I had a few very impressive things planned that would help me reach my goal of attaining a job with them. Siaki was very cool and was 100% behind what I wanted to do that night.
Everything went great... until the end of the match. I tried a springboard dive that I had done a hundred times before. For those of you who are not familiar with a springboard: it's when you leap from the mat to the top rope in one jump, then spring off that top rope and onto your opponent. Well, the ring ropes were made of cable with a hose around it. When my feet hit the top rope, the hose twisted. Yeah, I know. Not good for me. I went head-first into the mat. So much for impressing them. Siaki pinned me right after and won the match. Oh, and worst of all... the fans laughed and chanted "You Messed Up". (only without using the word "messed")
I know there are several wrestlers that read this blog every week. I would like to see if you would be brave enough to post your most embarrassing television moments that have happened to you. Or better yet, even if you're not a wrestler, post some comments and see if you can compete with mine. I'm not ashamed... I learned a lot from messing up.
Let's see what you got.
If you've never been on a live television broadcast before, you may not see the severity of what I'm talking about. So, imagine this: You put on your speedos, if you're a guy. If you're a girl, put on a very revealing bikini (have you watched wrestling lately?). Anyway, you're nearly in the nude for the entire world to see. Put on your boots and pads and head out to the ring. Lights are blinding you the second you walk through the curtain. You have a camera man shoving a huge lens in your face to capture your "close-up". A few hundred fans cheer you or boo you, but you finally realize that the entire world is also making an opinion of you, at that very moment.
Not so bad, yet? Well, when you're walking to the ring... what if you trip? The entire world sees this. I've seen it happen. What if you actually trip over the rope while climbing in the ring? I've seen this happen, as well. Even worse than that, what if your ring attire is ripped? Maybe you don't have anything on underneath your gear? Well, the entire world will see this, too. I've seen all this happen and more!
The best are the interviews. Many times, you'll have a company put a guy on the microphone and maybe he's just a little nervous about it. Well, you go out there and turn to the camera and try to speak... but nothing comes out. Imagine this happening to you. You forget everything you're supposed to say... you stutter... and then, they pull the plug on the interview after only a few seconds. Fans are laughing at you not only while they're watching at home on television, but the fans in attendance are the ones you can actually hear. It will ruin your entire match because you'll be thinking about it the entire time.
Here's a good one that happened to me personally. I was being crowned the Heavyweight Champion of a company in Rector, AR. I had won a tournament and the following week, I was to be crowned the Champion. I went to the ring (as the bad guy) and was going to snatch the belt out of the commissioner's hand like a tough guy, right? Well, if you've ever held one of those championship belts, than you know they weigh about ten pounds. So, anyway... I snatch the belt from the commissioner, but little did I know that he was going to let it go so softly. As I jerked the belt, it flung out of my hands... through the ropes and outside the ring... and yes, it hit a little girl right in the head! Now, you talk about embarrassing! What could I do? Well, I did the only thing that any of us would do. I hopped out of the ring, picked up my belt... and told the girl to stop trying to steal my belt! Luckily, she was not hurt and I was not sued.
One more before I go. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Well, I wrestled several shows for them a few years back. I was actually wrestling their secondary television show called Xplosion. I was trying to earn a contract with the company and get a full time gig with them. I was wrestling Sonni Siaki this night and I had a few very impressive things planned that would help me reach my goal of attaining a job with them. Siaki was very cool and was 100% behind what I wanted to do that night.
Everything went great... until the end of the match. I tried a springboard dive that I had done a hundred times before. For those of you who are not familiar with a springboard: it's when you leap from the mat to the top rope in one jump, then spring off that top rope and onto your opponent. Well, the ring ropes were made of cable with a hose around it. When my feet hit the top rope, the hose twisted. Yeah, I know. Not good for me. I went head-first into the mat. So much for impressing them. Siaki pinned me right after and won the match. Oh, and worst of all... the fans laughed and chanted "You Messed Up". (only without using the word "messed")
I know there are several wrestlers that read this blog every week. I would like to see if you would be brave enough to post your most embarrassing television moments that have happened to you. Or better yet, even if you're not a wrestler, post some comments and see if you can compete with mine. I'm not ashamed... I learned a lot from messing up.
Let's see what you got.
Monday, September 3, 2007
A Bad Week for Wrestling
The title of this blog is an understatement, to say the least. I'm sure the majority of you haven't even heard the news... but it's breaking day by day. The media is jumping all over the professional wrestling business because of it's Wellness Policy, or lack thereof. This week, there have been more than 10 WWE wrestlers suspended for either breaking the policy or being linked to the recent drug bust of an online pharmacy out of Orlando, Florida.
Now, I don't want to get into any names or even get into the WWE's Wellness Policy that they currently have. I just want to discuss what the wrestling business has been through so far with the drug abuse and I would definitely like to give my opinion on what's really going on in the world of sports entertainment.
This drug bust could possibly be the best thing that ever happened to the wrestling business. Now, with that said, I understand the following: a few wrestlers have already lost their jobs due to this bust; more wrestlers will lose their jobs because of this bust; the wrestling business will be under even more scrutiny than ever because of this. I know all this, but I still say that the wrestling business will be better off. Don't get me wrong... I don't want to see ANYONE lose their job. There are only a handful of companies you can wrestle for and actually MAKE money! So, a job in the wrestling business that actually pays... it's a tough job to lose.
Wrestling will be better off after being exposed as a steroid infested business for the mere fact that the guys won't have to literally kill themselves to earn or keep a position within a business they truly love. I have known guys to give everything that they possibly have for this business. Wives lost... cars repossessed... families torn apart... gone into bankruptcy to try and make it in a business they're damn good at. But guess what? They just weren't "big enough" for the "big time". So guess what happens next? Whatever it takes.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think steroids kill wrestlers. I think other drugs kill wrestlers. A mixture of steroids, cocaine, pain killers and alcohol kills most wrestlers. Just like a rock star's life... maybe minus the steroid use. But if you mix all those habits together and leave out the steroids, wouldn't you think that's a recipe for disaster, anyway? I do.
You know what really hits home about this recent bust of Signature Pharmacy out of Orlando, Florida? I know or have met many of the guys involved. I may not be best of friends with these guys... but I've been around them and have spent time with them in one way or another. These guys are all very nice gentlemen who are just trying to stay ahead of the curve. They're just trying to make a living in the wrestling business long enough to make a nest-egg and get out. Some of them, wrestling is ALL they know. What comes after wrestling? Who knows?
Some of them have no idea what comes next in their lives. Some wrestlers that were released in the past (several years ago) literally thought their lives were over after losing their jobs with a major company. They either drank themselves to death or just overdosed on drugs. This is serious, folks.
Here is my summary of the current state of the world of wrestling: The business will not only survive this mess, but it will be better and stronger because of it. Maybe wrestlers won't have to worry about how big they are or how strong they are. I know many wrestlers that deserve a shot at the "big time" but will never have a chance because they're too small. But maybe... just maybe they'll get that shot they deserve, now. I'm looking forward to another shot, too.
Now, I don't want to get into any names or even get into the WWE's Wellness Policy that they currently have. I just want to discuss what the wrestling business has been through so far with the drug abuse and I would definitely like to give my opinion on what's really going on in the world of sports entertainment.
This drug bust could possibly be the best thing that ever happened to the wrestling business. Now, with that said, I understand the following: a few wrestlers have already lost their jobs due to this bust; more wrestlers will lose their jobs because of this bust; the wrestling business will be under even more scrutiny than ever because of this. I know all this, but I still say that the wrestling business will be better off. Don't get me wrong... I don't want to see ANYONE lose their job. There are only a handful of companies you can wrestle for and actually MAKE money! So, a job in the wrestling business that actually pays... it's a tough job to lose.
Wrestling will be better off after being exposed as a steroid infested business for the mere fact that the guys won't have to literally kill themselves to earn or keep a position within a business they truly love. I have known guys to give everything that they possibly have for this business. Wives lost... cars repossessed... families torn apart... gone into bankruptcy to try and make it in a business they're damn good at. But guess what? They just weren't "big enough" for the "big time". So guess what happens next? Whatever it takes.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think steroids kill wrestlers. I think other drugs kill wrestlers. A mixture of steroids, cocaine, pain killers and alcohol kills most wrestlers. Just like a rock star's life... maybe minus the steroid use. But if you mix all those habits together and leave out the steroids, wouldn't you think that's a recipe for disaster, anyway? I do.
You know what really hits home about this recent bust of Signature Pharmacy out of Orlando, Florida? I know or have met many of the guys involved. I may not be best of friends with these guys... but I've been around them and have spent time with them in one way or another. These guys are all very nice gentlemen who are just trying to stay ahead of the curve. They're just trying to make a living in the wrestling business long enough to make a nest-egg and get out. Some of them, wrestling is ALL they know. What comes after wrestling? Who knows?
Some of them have no idea what comes next in their lives. Some wrestlers that were released in the past (several years ago) literally thought their lives were over after losing their jobs with a major company. They either drank themselves to death or just overdosed on drugs. This is serious, folks.
Here is my summary of the current state of the world of wrestling: The business will not only survive this mess, but it will be better and stronger because of it. Maybe wrestlers won't have to worry about how big they are or how strong they are. I know many wrestlers that deserve a shot at the "big time" but will never have a chance because they're too small. But maybe... just maybe they'll get that shot they deserve, now. I'm looking forward to another shot, too.
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