Did you ever wanna be/think you could join the rasslin' business like Uncle Ted? Any actual plans or dreams of being a wrestler? I documented some of this in fan fic but it was just a kid's dream that had no basis on reality. I was short and unathletic... maybe a ref? But nobody gets in the business to be a ref do they? Story of my life honestly... I want this thing, but I don't wanna actually put in the work LOL. I know we've had a few wrestlers and some awful color commentators for indies and such... but the rest of ya, did you ever put any thought into becoming a wrestler?

Apr 26, 2023 21:54:13 GMT @ness said:

Did you ever wanna be/think you could join the rasslin' business like Uncle Ted? Any actual plans or dreams of being a wrestler? I documented some of this in fan fic but it was just a kid's dream that had no basis on reality. I was short and unathletic... maybe a ref? But nobody gets in the business to be a ref do they? Story of my life honestly... I want this thing, but I don't wanna actually put in the work LOL. I know we've had a few wrestlers and some awful color commentators for indies and such... but the rest of ya, did you ever put any thought into becoming a wrestler?

@ness

Refs are always in high demand and in my experience always on the higher end of the paydays (two hotdogs, with condiments!). You just have to learn how to do a basic back bump and that’s it as far as physicality goes in my experience.

Especially if you are a shorter dude, makes wrestlers look better.

Id recommend looking around for local schools if you would still like to be involved in some way.

It was all I lived for as a kid, like from the time I was about 7 until probably 13 the only future I could see for myself involved winged eagle championship belts around my waist. It wasn't until years later after it was all over that I truly realized all of my MMA run was me subconsciously living that out, even though at the time I hadn't watched or even thought about pro wrestling in so long. Even though it was maybe 300 people there in a national guard armory in Hope Arkansas, the fact that I got to live that moment out of having a belt strapped around my waist is just solid gold moment that nobody could ever take away from me. Amazing experience that I am so grateful for. 

The most beautiful thing now through old eyes looking back on all of that was how oblivious I was at the time of how connected it all was, like the guy I was going to seminars to learn leg locks from in Little Rock that I knew trained Sakuraba well he was Billy Robinson; like one of the all time GOAT technical wrestlers ever(had no idea at the time). Also had no idea back then really the direct connection of the lineage of MMA how it came right out of pro wrestling's vagina the way it did. I'm actually watching a Japanese UWF show from 1990 right now and it's really fascinating how connected it all is, I've written books on PW about how MMA is pro wrestling one only needs to see this show I'm watching now to see what I'm talking about. Look at Tiger Mask and then watch Sakuraba fights in Pride, it's all right there. 

Also Just recently found out that one of my favorite fights of mine(even though I lost) was in the same venue Lou Thesz, Andre The Giant, Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr, Boris Malenko, Danny Hodge all wrestled there for Midsouth(I always knew Elvis and all of the country music HOF'ers played there but just only recently learned of the wrestling history of the building). It's all beautiful man everything is connected everything is everything.

A lot of people get into the business to ref. Basically get to be involved, but do not have to get beat up. I reffed a few times but mostly stuck to just helping around shows doing ring crew, setting up venues or working the door for the feds I knew the people at. Did commentary a bit too in the backyard days but real hard to get into that if you are not also the one editing stuff.

Drake Younger fucked up.

He is back wrestling now.

Probably doesn't matter now since Endeavor will make decisions that might not've existed before... but it felt like he was being set up as the new face of reffing who could also enter an angle if needed and he gave it all up for political reasons.

He is pretty much stuck in XPW now. Not sure anyone else wants to work with him. So he back doing the deathmatches.

He can work with MAGA Butcher though.

Apr 26, 2023 21:54:13 GMT @ness said:

Did you ever wanna be/think you could join the rasslin' business like Uncle Ted? Any actual plans or dreams of being a wrestler? did you ever put any thought into becoming a wrestler?

Yeah. Thought about it regularly from Survivor Series 95 until some time in 2003 and not going through with it is my greatest/only real regret. Even if I only went to two classes before Axl Rotten intentionally broke my leg at least I could say I gave it a try. It's the only thing I ever REALLY wanted to do. Everything else I just sort of fell into. Yet I ultimately chickened out and sometimes, in moments of weakness, it still bothers me. There was always an excuse. Neo Zeed and System are the real heroes for living the dream. Started writing what promises to be one of my longest storytimes ever on my non-career (lol). Maybe I'll continue on with it and post a novella tomorrow.