I can't speak for Nick but I personally feel that our nearly two year run as PWG Tag Team Champions was the best thing we've ever been involved in as professional wrestlers. I will forever look back with pride when I think of everything we accomplished in the course of that run. After thinking about it from the beginning, it's funny to think that none of this was ever planned - but sometimes the best things are unplanned... Like the birth of Malachi Buck.
For one way or another, the story of the Young Bucks defending their PWG tag team titles against everyone in the world was intriguing. Each show's main interest became, "who are the Bucks wrestling and can so and so be the ones to finally do it!?" This made the matches compelling and exciting.
Me and Nick came into PWG during a tough time for the company. They had lost or were in the process of losing almost all of their homegrown talent, and the tag team belts had taken a big hit because of a string of injuries and bad luck. So it comes with great pride when I think about how popular the company has gotten and how valuable those tag team titles now are. (One of the originals was stolen out of my bag last year and never returned). We don't take full credit for anything but like to think that we definitely lent a helping hand in the last few years of this companies success. We would like to thank PWG for letting us be our selves. No other company (to this day) has ever completely given us the green-light to wrestle with our hair down and sleeves pulled back. I think freedom is the reason the title run was so successful. But most importantly, the fans/viewers can see and feel when the entertainers are having fun. It just shows and comes through from the screen or from your seat... And that's exactly how I'd describe our run as the champs. It was a freaken blast.
I'll be honest when I say that thinking about the Young Bucks without the PWG tag team titles seems a little odd. Remember how weird Hogan looked when Savage took the belt? Naked, huh? (Check out the ego on me, comparing us to Hogan)! But yeah, it was bitter-sweet losing those things, but I think ultimately it's time for someone else's story.
The thing fans from all around the world mention to us the most (even more than us being on TV) is our crazy matches we've had in that little building in Reseda. A run down building that you’d look at from the outside and never picture as being anything other than a place that old people gather to drink beer and talk war stories. I’ve wrestled at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City and the Impact Zone in Orlando yet the only place to capture the moments I’ll remember the most when my career is over is that little dump in Reseda for a company called Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
house-show loop, J. Hardy, Chikara, Owen-like, here comes summer
We're running on two hours of sleep while seated uncomfortably in a jam packed airplane. As soon as Nick and I got to our seats, just like all flights we are on, we searched for crying babies and/or children that seem like they’ll misbehave. Unfortunately for us, one of these was heading right toward us. Nick gave me the look. Then, two more were spotted.... And then another! Our heads moved from left to right. We were surrounded! Before take-off, a "problem-child" kept kicking the back of Nick’s seat. Nick looked at me with a defeated, disgusted face. We were just getting in the air when two of the toddlers sitting together decided to have a screaming contest. I looked at Nick like I wanted to cry. He shared my pain.
So, since sleeping is not an option, I'm going to write this.
We just completed a couple of house shows for TNA Wrestling in Vicksburg and Greenwood, Mississippi which had crowds that were both large and enthusiastic. The weather was muggy and damp all weekend which was actually quite uncomfortable. It felt like I was locked in a bathroom, and the shower was on at its hottest temperature. Nonetheless, the shows were absolutely killer, especially the second night in which we tore the house down with the Machine Guns. On this loop, we got to spend some time chatting and making conversation with Jeff Hardy. He is easily the coolest dude we've met during our TNA run. He mentioned how watching us work reminds him so much of he and his brother when they were our age. We mentioned how High Risk Wrestling (our independent group we started) was influenced largely by OMEGA, and that we grew up watching them come up. He gave us some really good advice that we intend on using, and just came across as a truly humble person. We look forward to spending more time with him.
Last weekend we brought our youngest brother Malachi with us to Philadelphia for Chikara's King of Trios three day events at the old ECW Arena. It was fun traveling with both of my brothers - it's something I could get used too. If someone would have told me a few years ago that the Three "Jackson" boys would be headlining an ECW Arena show one day, I wouldn't have believed them. It was a very cool feeling being out there with them. That building is obviously special to Nick and me, as we've had many breakout performances there. How fitting, for Malachi to do the same. Night 2 was fun, watching from the crowd as my baby brother took the stage all alone. At 19 years old, it's got to be intimidating but he didn't even show it. Nick and I we're so proud of him. The third night we had a fantastic match against Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. The crowd really ate it up. While on the subject of Mike, he really is a great guy that runs a wonderful promotion. The guy just does it RIGHT. Everything about his show is air tight, professional and squeaky clean. I can't say enough how much I wish more independent wrestling companies were like Chikara.
When someone asked me earlier, why we'd rather fly all the way across the country back home (which we're doing right now), rather than just go straight to Orlando for TV like most of the roster is doing, I answered that I'd do absolutely anything in my power to spend any extra time I have with Dana. It may seem like a hassle, but 36 hours at home with my beautiful wife is worth it. I said, "I guess I'm Owen Hart about these types of things." I remember reading stories about Owen taking the latest flights out, and earliest flights back home and how he completely went out of his way for more family time. Man, I can totally relate to that. So anyhow, this means that tomorrow night we will be heading back to the airport for a red-eye flight across country to Orlando. I think we've spent equal time in the air with time we've spent on land this year.
After we film TNA iMPACT! we will fly home Wednesday morning, but catch another red-eye flight Friday night for a Pro Wrestling Syndicate show in New York on Saturday. Sunday morning, we will fly back home where we have the possibility of wrestling three times in one night for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's DDT4 tournament. Nick and I have our work cut out for us these next few days to say the least.
Dana and I are on the hunt for some patio furniture. We both agree that it'd be fun to have a nice table set up outside for us to enjoy. The thought of a nice lunch outside on a hot California Summer day with Dana seated across from me sounds awesome. We're both really excited about this time of year. Maybe it’s because we were formally introduced to each other this time of year nearly 7 years ago? Every time I get home from the road, we have a little simple tradition. I ALWAYS take her out to a nice dinner. This way, she doesn't have to cook, and we can get caught up on lost time. Leaving is never easy, but having little things like this to look forward to really makes a difference. She and I have been doing a lot of talking about our future. I'm so excited what the Lord may bring us in the next couple of years!
Anyhow, I'm about to ask for a coffee from one of the flight attendants - the equivalency of me tapping out. There really is no chance of getting any sleep on this flight under these circumstances. It's like Chuck E. Cheese's in here minus the smell of pizza and children's feet. Well, okay, it kind of does smell like feet.
-Matt
So, since sleeping is not an option, I'm going to write this.
We just completed a couple of house shows for TNA Wrestling in Vicksburg and Greenwood, Mississippi which had crowds that were both large and enthusiastic. The weather was muggy and damp all weekend which was actually quite uncomfortable. It felt like I was locked in a bathroom, and the shower was on at its hottest temperature. Nonetheless, the shows were absolutely killer, especially the second night in which we tore the house down with the Machine Guns. On this loop, we got to spend some time chatting and making conversation with Jeff Hardy. He is easily the coolest dude we've met during our TNA run. He mentioned how watching us work reminds him so much of he and his brother when they were our age. We mentioned how High Risk Wrestling (our independent group we started) was influenced largely by OMEGA, and that we grew up watching them come up. He gave us some really good advice that we intend on using, and just came across as a truly humble person. We look forward to spending more time with him.
Last weekend we brought our youngest brother Malachi with us to Philadelphia for Chikara's King of Trios three day events at the old ECW Arena. It was fun traveling with both of my brothers - it's something I could get used too. If someone would have told me a few years ago that the Three "Jackson" boys would be headlining an ECW Arena show one day, I wouldn't have believed them. It was a very cool feeling being out there with them. That building is obviously special to Nick and me, as we've had many breakout performances there. How fitting, for Malachi to do the same. Night 2 was fun, watching from the crowd as my baby brother took the stage all alone. At 19 years old, it's got to be intimidating but he didn't even show it. Nick and I we're so proud of him. The third night we had a fantastic match against Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. The crowd really ate it up. While on the subject of Mike, he really is a great guy that runs a wonderful promotion. The guy just does it RIGHT. Everything about his show is air tight, professional and squeaky clean. I can't say enough how much I wish more independent wrestling companies were like Chikara.
When someone asked me earlier, why we'd rather fly all the way across the country back home (which we're doing right now), rather than just go straight to Orlando for TV like most of the roster is doing, I answered that I'd do absolutely anything in my power to spend any extra time I have with Dana. It may seem like a hassle, but 36 hours at home with my beautiful wife is worth it. I said, "I guess I'm Owen Hart about these types of things." I remember reading stories about Owen taking the latest flights out, and earliest flights back home and how he completely went out of his way for more family time. Man, I can totally relate to that. So anyhow, this means that tomorrow night we will be heading back to the airport for a red-eye flight across country to Orlando. I think we've spent equal time in the air with time we've spent on land this year.
After we film TNA iMPACT! we will fly home Wednesday morning, but catch another red-eye flight Friday night for a Pro Wrestling Syndicate show in New York on Saturday. Sunday morning, we will fly back home where we have the possibility of wrestling three times in one night for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's DDT4 tournament. Nick and I have our work cut out for us these next few days to say the least.
Dana and I are on the hunt for some patio furniture. We both agree that it'd be fun to have a nice table set up outside for us to enjoy. The thought of a nice lunch outside on a hot California Summer day with Dana seated across from me sounds awesome. We're both really excited about this time of year. Maybe it’s because we were formally introduced to each other this time of year nearly 7 years ago? Every time I get home from the road, we have a little simple tradition. I ALWAYS take her out to a nice dinner. This way, she doesn't have to cook, and we can get caught up on lost time. Leaving is never easy, but having little things like this to look forward to really makes a difference. She and I have been doing a lot of talking about our future. I'm so excited what the Lord may bring us in the next couple of years!
Anyhow, I'm about to ask for a coffee from one of the flight attendants - the equivalency of me tapping out. There really is no chance of getting any sleep on this flight under these circumstances. It's like Chuck E. Cheese's in here minus the smell of pizza and children's feet. Well, okay, it kind of does smell like feet.
-Matt
Friday, April 9, 2010
Orlando w/wife, anxiety, finishing a chapter.
I'm currently on an airplane seated in the middle of the row. I've got a bitter old man to my left and my wonderful wife to my right. The old man keeps accidentally touching me and stealing my arm rest. C'mon bro, I thought it was common knowledge that the person seated in the middle gets both arm rests? It's only fair. Usually I'm so amp'd to get home because I know Dana is waiting for me but today is just the opposite. I brought 'home' with me. Originally I had Monday off and was going to spend the whole day home with Dana to celebrate her birthday. Then, TNA called and asked if I could make it out to Orlando after all, and said that they would fly Dana in and pay for our hotel room because of the last minute changes. I thought that was extremely courteous of them. So, Dana came in Wednesday morning and we drove out to Daytona Beach. Btw, I now have a new "happy place." What's a happy place? Well, anytime I am in a stressful situation where I just about feel an anxiety attack coming (this has been occurring frequently lately), I close my eyes and take myself to a pleasant memory. Driving to Daytona Beach, with my beautiful wife next to me, the hot Florida sun beaming down on my skin, convertible top down and wind blowing in my hair is just about the happiest of places I can take myself. I remember peaking over at Dana as she napped with her head awkwardly leaned up against the door. My jet-lagged wife was out cold, despite the loud noise of blasting music and wind. Poor Dana, not being used to long red-eye flights and middle of the night connections, has probably found a new respect for Nick and I after this trip. I looked out at the open road and thought, "Right now, I am my happiest."
Today we spent most of our time taking it easy. We shopped a little, lounged by the pool for a minute (literally) and got a bite at a famous "Steak & Shake." Cary Siliken from ROH introduced me to this place and I still thank him for that periodically. Delicious yet affordable food. Dana and I have agreed that we need to make time for simple little trips like this. It makes such a difference. I finally got to discover Florida after four months of visiting - and got to do it with my favorite person in the world.
Anyhow, my brother and I have been extremely busy, coming off of probably the busiest month of our careers. The highlight of March of course was our pay per view debut at Destination X. The morning of the show was a scary one for me. Nick and I were in New Jersey as we had just wrestled for an Indy company named JAPW the night before. The days prior, we were on the road doing TNA house-shows so we had already completed 3 shows in 3 different states. We were both exhausted and at that point had only slept one night of proper sleep. My alarm went off after about 2 hrs of rest (we had an early flight to Orlando to catch), and as soon as I sat up I started freaking out. I looked around the room and everything was moving in fast forward. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen. Then, I noticed all of my senses were enhanced. I could see and hear things more clear. I'd go to move my neck quick from left to right and could hear my muscles move and bones crack in my neck. The room started closing in. "What is happening to me?!" I thought. I looked at Nick and kayfabed him about what was going on - he didn't need to know his brother was going nuts. I hopped up from the bed to the sink and turned the water on. "WWWWHHHHOOOOOMMM!!" It sounded like a waterfall. I splashed my face repeatedly and started panicking. "I've got an Ultimate X Match tonight on live ppv, I'm not going to make it if I'm like this!" I then ripped open my backpack and found a few tablets of a natural vitamin called St John's Wart. My mom always told me that they helped calm your nerves. And like magic, I swallowed the pills and everything started slowing down. My senses were soon back to normal too. Maybe it was the "Placebo Effect?" We then raced to Newark airport, hopped on a plane to Orlando and went straight to the building. Why did this happen to me? Lack of sleep? Stress? I'm not sure exactly. My brain was cloudy all day but Nick really helped carry the work-load that night. I really don't know what we'd do without each other. There are days where Nick can't focus, so I'll work a little harder, or times when I'm so sore that I can hardly move, so he's there to take care of me. Sometimes he's nervous to talk so he'll have me do the promos. We're there for each other when it counts. This is why we are where we are. We're a team. The Ultimate X match turned out being even more than I expected. It was easily the biggest match of our careers. I'm also super psyched that they decided to use the four of us on the DVD cover. I'll look back years from now and remember that the morning of that day, I didn't even think I was going to make it to the show.
Ahh! This old man keeps bumping me. Really man? C'mon. And his wrist is owning this arm rest right now.
Also in March, Nick and I finished up with Dragon Gate. It was an emotional weekend for me personally for a few reasons. Obviously there was some controversy about this particular weekend (controversy that you aren't even aware of but it's now irrelevant) and we were wrapping up a 2 + year relationship with a company that I felt deeply about. Night 2 was especially fun as we wrestled two guys that I really respect: Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. We had a killer match with those dudes! I remember lying on my back and listening to the ref count to three for the last time in a Dragon Gate ring. 1......! This is it. All of those trips to Japan, we learned so much..... 2....! We really jelled as a team because of Dragon Gate.......3! And just like that, it was all over. Despite the sourness I felt because of everything that happened at the end of the run, I was proud. Proud of what we accomplished there, proud of what we learned and proud of the friendships we made because of Dragon Gate. It was an era in my career that I'll always cherish and look back on fondly.
While down in Phoenix we visited the ROH crew who drew a HUGE crowd. Adam Pearce, Dave Lagana, Jim Cornette and Cary Siliken were so excited to see us. They've got an awesome group of guys there. At one point, in his overly-excited, very animated way, El Generico screamed out, "It's a reunion!!!" The guys crowded around us and Bryan Danielson (who was also visiting). It was awesome to have the whole crew back together for a moment. It's hard to believe that a few months ago Nick and I were sharing a room with him and Jimmy Jacobs in Philadelphia after a set of ROH T.V tapings. I remember Jimmy getting on Bryan's case as we spoke about our futures in wrestling. All of us seemed uncertain but excited. "Bryan, if you don't call Shawn Michaels right now and tell him you'd like a job, I'm going to do it for you!" Bryan responded, "Jimmy, it's 3 am!" He yelled back, "So what! He won't mind!"
Okay, got about 2 hrs left on this plane. What's on the agenda? Pro Wrestling Guerrilla this weekend. The most fun place to work in the world. Period. I can't wait. And I've got a week off from any type of flying so that's something to be happy about!
The old man is now twitching in his sleep and elbowing me in the shoulder in the process. Is this guy for real?
Oh! Happy Easter! (sorry I'm late on that)!
Till next time.
Matt
Today we spent most of our time taking it easy. We shopped a little, lounged by the pool for a minute (literally) and got a bite at a famous "Steak & Shake." Cary Siliken from ROH introduced me to this place and I still thank him for that periodically. Delicious yet affordable food. Dana and I have agreed that we need to make time for simple little trips like this. It makes such a difference. I finally got to discover Florida after four months of visiting - and got to do it with my favorite person in the world.
Anyhow, my brother and I have been extremely busy, coming off of probably the busiest month of our careers. The highlight of March of course was our pay per view debut at Destination X. The morning of the show was a scary one for me. Nick and I were in New Jersey as we had just wrestled for an Indy company named JAPW the night before. The days prior, we were on the road doing TNA house-shows so we had already completed 3 shows in 3 different states. We were both exhausted and at that point had only slept one night of proper sleep. My alarm went off after about 2 hrs of rest (we had an early flight to Orlando to catch), and as soon as I sat up I started freaking out. I looked around the room and everything was moving in fast forward. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen. Then, I noticed all of my senses were enhanced. I could see and hear things more clear. I'd go to move my neck quick from left to right and could hear my muscles move and bones crack in my neck. The room started closing in. "What is happening to me?!" I thought. I looked at Nick and kayfabed him about what was going on - he didn't need to know his brother was going nuts. I hopped up from the bed to the sink and turned the water on. "WWWWHHHHOOOOOMMM!!" It sounded like a waterfall. I splashed my face repeatedly and started panicking. "I've got an Ultimate X Match tonight on live ppv, I'm not going to make it if I'm like this!" I then ripped open my backpack and found a few tablets of a natural vitamin called St John's Wart. My mom always told me that they helped calm your nerves. And like magic, I swallowed the pills and everything started slowing down. My senses were soon back to normal too. Maybe it was the "Placebo Effect?" We then raced to Newark airport, hopped on a plane to Orlando and went straight to the building. Why did this happen to me? Lack of sleep? Stress? I'm not sure exactly. My brain was cloudy all day but Nick really helped carry the work-load that night. I really don't know what we'd do without each other. There are days where Nick can't focus, so I'll work a little harder, or times when I'm so sore that I can hardly move, so he's there to take care of me. Sometimes he's nervous to talk so he'll have me do the promos. We're there for each other when it counts. This is why we are where we are. We're a team. The Ultimate X match turned out being even more than I expected. It was easily the biggest match of our careers. I'm also super psyched that they decided to use the four of us on the DVD cover. I'll look back years from now and remember that the morning of that day, I didn't even think I was going to make it to the show.
Ahh! This old man keeps bumping me. Really man? C'mon. And his wrist is owning this arm rest right now.
Also in March, Nick and I finished up with Dragon Gate. It was an emotional weekend for me personally for a few reasons. Obviously there was some controversy about this particular weekend (controversy that you aren't even aware of but it's now irrelevant) and we were wrapping up a 2 + year relationship with a company that I felt deeply about. Night 2 was especially fun as we wrestled two guys that I really respect: Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw. We had a killer match with those dudes! I remember lying on my back and listening to the ref count to three for the last time in a Dragon Gate ring. 1......! This is it. All of those trips to Japan, we learned so much..... 2....! We really jelled as a team because of Dragon Gate.......3! And just like that, it was all over. Despite the sourness I felt because of everything that happened at the end of the run, I was proud. Proud of what we accomplished there, proud of what we learned and proud of the friendships we made because of Dragon Gate. It was an era in my career that I'll always cherish and look back on fondly.
While down in Phoenix we visited the ROH crew who drew a HUGE crowd. Adam Pearce, Dave Lagana, Jim Cornette and Cary Siliken were so excited to see us. They've got an awesome group of guys there. At one point, in his overly-excited, very animated way, El Generico screamed out, "It's a reunion!!!" The guys crowded around us and Bryan Danielson (who was also visiting). It was awesome to have the whole crew back together for a moment. It's hard to believe that a few months ago Nick and I were sharing a room with him and Jimmy Jacobs in Philadelphia after a set of ROH T.V tapings. I remember Jimmy getting on Bryan's case as we spoke about our futures in wrestling. All of us seemed uncertain but excited. "Bryan, if you don't call Shawn Michaels right now and tell him you'd like a job, I'm going to do it for you!" Bryan responded, "Jimmy, it's 3 am!" He yelled back, "So what! He won't mind!"
Okay, got about 2 hrs left on this plane. What's on the agenda? Pro Wrestling Guerrilla this weekend. The most fun place to work in the world. Period. I can't wait. And I've got a week off from any type of flying so that's something to be happy about!
The old man is now twitching in his sleep and elbowing me in the shoulder in the process. Is this guy for real?
Oh! Happy Easter! (sorry I'm late on that)!
Till next time.
Matt
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Quite The Week
What a crazy week. Last Thursday, we flew into London from Los Angeles and then connected to Dusseldorf. We went right from the plane to the building we were wrestling at without any sleep. Unfortunately for us, we had a crying baby on board the 10 hour international flight. We wrestled three days straight in the worlds stiffest ring but in front of an enthusiastic crowd of fans who are so hardcore, they don’t even need chairs to sit in - they stand the whole time. They bang their hands on the ring all night which creates a loud, intense atmosphere that makes our job as wrestlers a lot easier. These fans sure are passionate about what they love, and what they love is good wrestling. On the third night, Nick and I had a one on one match. We were very excited about this, because very rarely do we ever get to work with each other on opposite ends, especially on a big show like such. We were very proud of the match and dubbed it our favorite singles match to date. I would of died if I knew 5 years ago, I’d be wrestling my brother one on one over seas in Germany one day.
We stayed in a hostel for the first few nights which at first seemed creepy to me. (I’m a big fan of those horror movies). The hostel actually ended up being very nice, and no one even tried to kill us or anything. How about that? During our stay in Germany it was absolutely bone chilling cold. I remember it was chilly last time we paid a 24 hr visit back on Halloween day for a Dragon Gate show, but this time it was even colder. We got to meet a lot of our German fans who were all so very kind. They were so interested in what it's like to be backstage with guys like Hogan, Bischoff, Scott Hall and others. When we took a minute to “make a photo” (that’s how they put it) and have a quick chat, they were so very appreciative.
Monday would eventually come and we’d make the same connection to London, where we’d eventually fly home to Los Angeles. Again, both of us had trouble trying to sleep, so we were up for the full duration of the flight. I don’t know what it is about flying, we just CAN’T get comfortable enough to sleep. I find it to be impossible. As I write this now, I am unable to sleep on a flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. Finally we would land in Los Angeles where we’d spend only a few hours before heading back to the airport. Unfortunately, Dana had work until 6pm, and I had to head back to the airport by 7pm, so we’d only get one hour together after being apart for four whole days. I tried to do some chores around the apartment before ordering Chinese take out that was waiting for her as soon as she walked through the door. It was only an hour together, but it was a wonderful hour. I always get emotional leaving her behind, as I hugged and kissed her good-bye, it seemed all to sudden. “I have to leave already!?” I thought. This business is tough. I get to do what I love, but have to be away from the person I love the most. It’s the price I pay. With a tear in my eye I kissed her cheek and was off to LAX once again. Nick and I flew into Orlando on yet another sleepless flight on the last red eye going out. We landed at 5:00 am and found our way to the hotel shortly after. Call time wasn’t until 11:00 am, so we figured we’d be able to grab some sleep instantly! We were wrong. They wouldn’t let us check in until 7am. So we waited around until finally getting access to the room where we crashed for a few hours before heading to the Impact Zone. We filmed Herbies Hotseat which is an internet talk show that will be up on TNAwrestling.com very soon. Nick and I were both on dream-street at this point while answering questions for the interview, trying to seem as upbeat as possible but feeling like zombies. Several hours later in the 11th segment of the taping we filmed our X-division angle which I thought turned out really good. Nick and I got to dive off of these really high metal trusts which hold up the Ultimate X cables onto the Motor City Machine Guns. I won’t give it all away because it airs Monday, but look for a Young Bucks pose somewhere in that segment. (You long time fans will know what I mean)!
This morning we were up at 4:00am for an early flight back home - the very flight that I sit restless on right now in fact. We’ll be home soon, where we’ll have one whole week to relax and recharge our batteries. I look forward to celebrating my 25th birthday this Saturday with my wonderful family, great friends and beautiful wife Dana.
Next Wednesday we leave for the road, where we’ll be gone for another week. We’ve got a couple of TNA house shows, our Jersey All Pro debut and probably the biggest match of our career - an Ultimate X Match against the Guns on Pay Per View. After that we’ll wrap up the week long tour with a couple of TNA Impact tapings. I can’t help but sit back and be proud of all that we have accomplished. We truly are blessed to be in the position that we are in.
Is it easy? Absolutely not. We’ve practically been living on the road for the past 2 years. And a lot of people don’t realize, we’ve been professional wrestlers for over 6 years now. I’ve been taking bumps one way or another since I was 16 years old. I miss my wife. I miss not being in pain all of the time. I miss sleeping. Everyone keeps reminding me that it will all pay off in the end. I sure hope so. Either way, I’ll never forget these days as a professional wrestler. Barely 25 years old and I’ve practically accomplished every single goal I’ve ever set as a wrestler. Pretty friggin good if I can say so myself!
God has truly blessed me with a wonderful life. I brag all of the time to the boys about my family. Maybe 25 years from now I’ll be able to look back and be happy about my days spent as a young wrassler? Well, happy may be a long shot but hopefully I’m at least not bitter. HA!
You know what else I plan on doing when I get home shortly? Catching up on my sleep! Until next time…
-Matt
We stayed in a hostel for the first few nights which at first seemed creepy to me. (I’m a big fan of those horror movies). The hostel actually ended up being very nice, and no one even tried to kill us or anything. How about that? During our stay in Germany it was absolutely bone chilling cold. I remember it was chilly last time we paid a 24 hr visit back on Halloween day for a Dragon Gate show, but this time it was even colder. We got to meet a lot of our German fans who were all so very kind. They were so interested in what it's like to be backstage with guys like Hogan, Bischoff, Scott Hall and others. When we took a minute to “make a photo” (that’s how they put it) and have a quick chat, they were so very appreciative.
Monday would eventually come and we’d make the same connection to London, where we’d eventually fly home to Los Angeles. Again, both of us had trouble trying to sleep, so we were up for the full duration of the flight. I don’t know what it is about flying, we just CAN’T get comfortable enough to sleep. I find it to be impossible. As I write this now, I am unable to sleep on a flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. Finally we would land in Los Angeles where we’d spend only a few hours before heading back to the airport. Unfortunately, Dana had work until 6pm, and I had to head back to the airport by 7pm, so we’d only get one hour together after being apart for four whole days. I tried to do some chores around the apartment before ordering Chinese take out that was waiting for her as soon as she walked through the door. It was only an hour together, but it was a wonderful hour. I always get emotional leaving her behind, as I hugged and kissed her good-bye, it seemed all to sudden. “I have to leave already!?” I thought. This business is tough. I get to do what I love, but have to be away from the person I love the most. It’s the price I pay. With a tear in my eye I kissed her cheek and was off to LAX once again. Nick and I flew into Orlando on yet another sleepless flight on the last red eye going out. We landed at 5:00 am and found our way to the hotel shortly after. Call time wasn’t until 11:00 am, so we figured we’d be able to grab some sleep instantly! We were wrong. They wouldn’t let us check in until 7am. So we waited around until finally getting access to the room where we crashed for a few hours before heading to the Impact Zone. We filmed Herbies Hotseat which is an internet talk show that will be up on TNAwrestling.com very soon. Nick and I were both on dream-street at this point while answering questions for the interview, trying to seem as upbeat as possible but feeling like zombies. Several hours later in the 11th segment of the taping we filmed our X-division angle which I thought turned out really good. Nick and I got to dive off of these really high metal trusts which hold up the Ultimate X cables onto the Motor City Machine Guns. I won’t give it all away because it airs Monday, but look for a Young Bucks pose somewhere in that segment. (You long time fans will know what I mean)!
This morning we were up at 4:00am for an early flight back home - the very flight that I sit restless on right now in fact. We’ll be home soon, where we’ll have one whole week to relax and recharge our batteries. I look forward to celebrating my 25th birthday this Saturday with my wonderful family, great friends and beautiful wife Dana.
Next Wednesday we leave for the road, where we’ll be gone for another week. We’ve got a couple of TNA house shows, our Jersey All Pro debut and probably the biggest match of our career - an Ultimate X Match against the Guns on Pay Per View. After that we’ll wrap up the week long tour with a couple of TNA Impact tapings. I can’t help but sit back and be proud of all that we have accomplished. We truly are blessed to be in the position that we are in.
Is it easy? Absolutely not. We’ve practically been living on the road for the past 2 years. And a lot of people don’t realize, we’ve been professional wrestlers for over 6 years now. I’ve been taking bumps one way or another since I was 16 years old. I miss my wife. I miss not being in pain all of the time. I miss sleeping. Everyone keeps reminding me that it will all pay off in the end. I sure hope so. Either way, I’ll never forget these days as a professional wrestler. Barely 25 years old and I’ve practically accomplished every single goal I’ve ever set as a wrestler. Pretty friggin good if I can say so myself!
God has truly blessed me with a wonderful life. I brag all of the time to the boys about my family. Maybe 25 years from now I’ll be able to look back and be happy about my days spent as a young wrassler? Well, happy may be a long shot but hopefully I’m at least not bitter. HA!
You know what else I plan on doing when I get home shortly? Catching up on my sleep! Until next time…
-Matt
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Your Twitter Questions Answered!
DamienPezzuti - You got any wrestling schools you'd recommend for an aspiring pro wrestler?
Unfortunately I don’t know much about many current wrestling schools. I do know of a school in Anaheim, CA where my good friend Joey Ryan is the head trainer along with Johnny Goodtime. Apparently they’re bringing in a lot of new wrestlers down here in SoCal.
Here’s the info
www.m1wrestling.com, www.myspace.com/m1wwrestling, or www.facebook.com/machonewrestling
Chris_CKJ - who is ur fav wrestler and why?
My favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels. It’s not exactly an original answer but it’s the absolute truth. Why? Because he is the full package. He earns the most sympathy, his moves means the most, and he talks people into literally and figuratively buying into what he’s selling. He re-invents himself every night and has proved for years now that nobody will ever be at his level.
FlashJan - Who are you looking forward to face in TNA (or anywhere else)?
In TNA, I am personally really anxious to work with Motor City Machine Guns in a long program. We’ve wrestled in multi-mans and regular tag team matches already, but I am looking forward to a meaningful feud with them. We’ve been put in dream matches for two years now but we haven’t had a chance to have a great program. Also, I’d love to work with Beer Money Inc. Those guys are SO over. You should hear the crowd for them at the house shows. Unbelievable.
TheKevinHBrand - who is your dream opponent(s)?
I’d have to say Matt and Jeff Hardy. They’ve obviously been huge influences in our careers, so it’d def be a “dream” to wrestle them in a straight up tag team match. There has also been so much comparison between us two teams, so I think it would make an interesting match.
PWPunk23 - of every current wrestler, who do you want to wrestle the most?
For obvious reasons, Shawn Michaels. I would treat it more like a learning session and just try to absorb as much information as possible. I pretend I’m Shawn sometimes when I’m selling. HA! Watch Young Bucks vs. Briscoes from last Monday on HDNet, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
TuukkaTime40 - Will you guys ever wrestle for ROH again while under contract with TNA?
Yes, there are plans to have us back. We’d love to go hang with Cary again!
man5devil6god7 - Who have you never wrestled that you would like to? Not anyone in TNA!
I REALLY want to team with Nick and wrestle Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega. There was talks about this match happening a few times now but it keeps falling through. Hopefully someone pulls the trigger on this as I think it could be something special. Nick and I were practicing the “Golden Shower” like 3 years ago but never performed it in a match! They did it first!
edk86 - if you could have had the career of any other wrestler who would you choose?
Rob Van Dam. He did it ALL and got out. I know, I know, he’s still wrestling part time. But, he doesn’t have to. The man created a wave and such hype for himself pretty much all on his own and made it to the big times where he continued to stay true to himself. Rob stuck by his beautiful wife and has a reputation for being one of the few in the entertainment business who has been loyal to her from day one. I want to be like him.
The_MOW - What is your ultimate dream match to participate in, and to see as a fan (legends in their prime from any era)?
Since I answered part one earlier, I’ll jump to the second part of your question. As a fan, I would of loved to see the Rockers (best tag team in history in my opinion) vs. The Hardy Boys. To my understanding, whenever your name was on the board opposite the Rockers, you basically had the night off - that’s how easy they were to work with. And in the process they’d make you look like a million bucks. The Hardy’s were much like the Rockers of their generation. They bumped better than anyone and put on the most exciting matches of the early 2000’s, not to mention they re-revolutionized tag team wrestling.
GunnarWuher - First thing you thought stepping into the Impact zone to face MGM?
(Answering this question in regards to our try-out match with the Guns) I remember walking down the ramp thinking, “Don’t mess this up.” HAHA. It’s the truth. As a wrestler, it’s very tough to step back and enjoy the moment. You’re in such a high stakes situation where succeeding is so very important so you don’t have a second to soak in the moment. However, after the match when we were offered deals on the spot, I felt so fulfilled as a human being. It happened just like I’d always imagined it would. I called my wife and we both shared tears of joy. It’s a special moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
Unfortunately I don’t know much about many current wrestling schools. I do know of a school in Anaheim, CA where my good friend Joey Ryan is the head trainer along with Johnny Goodtime. Apparently they’re bringing in a lot of new wrestlers down here in SoCal.
Here’s the info
www.m1wrestling.com, www.myspace.com/m1wwrestling, or www.facebook.com/machonewrestling
Chris_CKJ - who is ur fav wrestler and why?
My favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels. It’s not exactly an original answer but it’s the absolute truth. Why? Because he is the full package. He earns the most sympathy, his moves means the most, and he talks people into literally and figuratively buying into what he’s selling. He re-invents himself every night and has proved for years now that nobody will ever be at his level.
FlashJan - Who are you looking forward to face in TNA (or anywhere else)?
In TNA, I am personally really anxious to work with Motor City Machine Guns in a long program. We’ve wrestled in multi-mans and regular tag team matches already, but I am looking forward to a meaningful feud with them. We’ve been put in dream matches for two years now but we haven’t had a chance to have a great program. Also, I’d love to work with Beer Money Inc. Those guys are SO over. You should hear the crowd for them at the house shows. Unbelievable.
TheKevinHBrand - who is your dream opponent(s)?
I’d have to say Matt and Jeff Hardy. They’ve obviously been huge influences in our careers, so it’d def be a “dream” to wrestle them in a straight up tag team match. There has also been so much comparison between us two teams, so I think it would make an interesting match.
PWPunk23 - of every current wrestler, who do you want to wrestle the most?
For obvious reasons, Shawn Michaels. I would treat it more like a learning session and just try to absorb as much information as possible. I pretend I’m Shawn sometimes when I’m selling. HA! Watch Young Bucks vs. Briscoes from last Monday on HDNet, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
TuukkaTime40 - Will you guys ever wrestle for ROH again while under contract with TNA?
Yes, there are plans to have us back. We’d love to go hang with Cary again!
man5devil6god7 - Who have you never wrestled that you would like to? Not anyone in TNA!
I REALLY want to team with Nick and wrestle Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega. There was talks about this match happening a few times now but it keeps falling through. Hopefully someone pulls the trigger on this as I think it could be something special. Nick and I were practicing the “Golden Shower” like 3 years ago but never performed it in a match! They did it first!
edk86 - if you could have had the career of any other wrestler who would you choose?
Rob Van Dam. He did it ALL and got out. I know, I know, he’s still wrestling part time. But, he doesn’t have to. The man created a wave and such hype for himself pretty much all on his own and made it to the big times where he continued to stay true to himself. Rob stuck by his beautiful wife and has a reputation for being one of the few in the entertainment business who has been loyal to her from day one. I want to be like him.
The_MOW - What is your ultimate dream match to participate in, and to see as a fan (legends in their prime from any era)?
Since I answered part one earlier, I’ll jump to the second part of your question. As a fan, I would of loved to see the Rockers (best tag team in history in my opinion) vs. The Hardy Boys. To my understanding, whenever your name was on the board opposite the Rockers, you basically had the night off - that’s how easy they were to work with. And in the process they’d make you look like a million bucks. The Hardy’s were much like the Rockers of their generation. They bumped better than anyone and put on the most exciting matches of the early 2000’s, not to mention they re-revolutionized tag team wrestling.
GunnarWuher - First thing you thought stepping into the Impact zone to face MGM?
(Answering this question in regards to our try-out match with the Guns) I remember walking down the ramp thinking, “Don’t mess this up.” HAHA. It’s the truth. As a wrestler, it’s very tough to step back and enjoy the moment. You’re in such a high stakes situation where succeeding is so very important so you don’t have a second to soak in the moment. However, after the match when we were offered deals on the spot, I felt so fulfilled as a human being. It happened just like I’d always imagined it would. I called my wife and we both shared tears of joy. It’s a special moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
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