Training over and over....

Let me set the record straight----PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING IS NOT FAKE!

Training twice a week at the WCWO training facility was the toughest thing that I have ever attempted to do in my life. The aches and pains I experienced were a lot because of not a lot of physical workouts in years, but the bruises and scrapes and burns that covered my body meant that I was nuts.

Many people today watch wrestling and make reference to the flips and tosses as gymnastics and those in the ring don't feel a thing. THINK AGAIN! In training, you practice moves over and over and over again until it's done properly.

My first training session was in a little room off of where the ring was located with one of the guys that wrestled for WCWO, Ronnie Owens that wrestled under the name of Indiana Kidd Jr. His first question to me was--What I knew about wrestling? LOL ok, I am a fan. My wrestling experience was a little in high school gym class plus watching it on TV. That meant I couldn't tell you the difference between a wrist watch and a wrist lock.

The first day was extreme basics....collar and elbow tie up, side headlock, hammerlock, overhand wristlock, plus the reversals. It went over and over and over until I was able to do it with no problems. Head up and lighten up. I just pictured me pissing this pro wrestler off since I was invading his profession and just absolutely going ape crap on me. Thankfully Ronnie Joe is one of my closest friends in the business today.

I wasn't allowed to get into the ring for the first couple of training sessions. All of my work was done outside of the ring. Don Basher was the head trainer but several of the regular wrestlers from WCWO would stop by to help out including Billy Bart, T.J.Powers, Johnnie Walker and The Notorious Convict.

One thing I did learn about the December show that week was the fact that I was going to be in the main event tag team match teaming with Indiana Kidd Jr to take on "Dangerous Bull" Don Basher and The Convict. Suddenly reality is setting in that this was really going to happen.

All that meant was getting serious about training and learning as much as I can because I have less than 90 days before the show was to take place.

A new training class for Basher meant I had guys to work with that were on my level--green. It also meant the first opportunity to get inside a wrestling ring.

Let me give you a description of the ring for those of you that don't know. The training ring is 16 foot by 16 foot. The ring ropes are airplane wire inside of foam with usually duct tape covering the foam. The corner turnbuckles are covered with padding-not enough to be considered a pillow. The ring floor is made up of steel cross bars, covered by plywood, covered by two layers of quarter inch carpet padding with a canvas top. Every ring is built differently and comes in a variety of sizes. The WWE uses a 24 x 24 ring for instance.

So if you ever have a thought that a wrestling ring is a big soft trampoline think again. This thing hurts your back, your legs, your head, your arms......everything attached to your body.

And we have yet to make any real contact with another person!!!!!

In the beginning......

I thought the best way to start this blog was right at the very beginning and explain how I was given the opportunity to live out a dream and become a professional wrestler. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I, a fan of wrestling since I was probably 5 or 6 years old and watching Dick the Bruiser, Cowboy Bob Ellis, Prince Pullens, Baron Von Rasche, Wilbur Snyder, Pepper Gomez and other great stars, would get a chance of a lifetime. I can honestly say many dream of doing things, but I actually got to live one of mine.

July, 1998, a wrestling promoter by the name of Don Basher came to a meeting of the Son's of the American Legion, of which I was the Commander at that time. He told our group he was wanting to bring a wrestling show to town and was looking for a group to sponsor the event and split the profits. Being all guys and many wrestling fans, the son's decided they would use the event as a fundraiser. The show was to occur in the next few months and we as a group secured the building and set the date. The son's were excited and felt we could sell some tickets for the event.

Before leaving, Basher said that in order to create more interest, he wanted someone from the son's to volunteer to participate in the main event. Some how, eyes turned to me as the biggest one of the group and it was known I was a wrestling fan. I agreed figuring it would be nothing to do it and the others in the match would do all the real wrestling. Basher later called me and gave me the address of their training facility in Indianapolis. He said if I was going to be in the main event, I needed some wrestling training. At that point, I realized this 375 pound tub of goo may have bitten off a little more than he expected.

Charles and Kellis Allen were able to secure the use of the high school gym for the show and a date was set in December, 1998. That gave me some time to figure out what I was doing in the ring.

My training started in August in Indianapolis twice a week in the basement of a church on the eastside of Indianapolis. The training ring was a ring once owned by the legendary Dick the Bruiser. My trainers were several of the wrestlers that worked for Basher in Wild Championship Wrestling Outlaws (WCWO) and me, just a green horn about to get his butt kicked.