November 25, 2025 • 45 mins
Matt Classic Creed discusses his journey with AIWF, its international reach, and recent title changes. He covers upcoming events, collaborations with wrestling stars, expansion plans, and the organization's evolution. Current champions and notable appearances are highlighted, along with AIWF's partnerships with international promotions. Creed reflects on his favorite shows, memorable matches, and the African hall of fame. The episode explores AIWF's anniversary, global expansion, and ventures in the Middle East and South Africa. Creed also touches on policies regarding marijuana and drugs in wrestling, AEW collaborations, and shares his wrestling Mount Rushmore.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
What's up, everyone?
Welcome to another exciting episode of Beyondthe Bell.
Today, we have a very awesome guest here.
He is a key leader in AIWF, which is an awesomewrestling federation that is known
internationally.
This here is Matt Classic Creed.
(00:22):
Hey.
Good good to be on, brother.
Good to see you.
It's great to have you on here.
How are you doing today?
Pretty good.
It's it's nice.
I'm I'm in the South, so it still feels likeit's summer in the wintertime.
So how did you get started with AIWF, man?
(00:43):
Well, funny story.
I got started with AIWF.
I was working, actually, as a ring announcer atthe time for for a guy I still know, Henry
Dean, who ran in Lexington, North Carolina, andthey ended up joining the AIWF.
And then from there, it just, spiraled andcontinued, and I kept growing and moving up the
ranks until my current today as executivedirector.
(01:07):
That is awesome.
That is a real story of getting in at thebottom and working your way all the way up to
the top.
I love it.
Oh, yeah.
And it's been, like, almost twenty years now,so it's been quite a while.
That is awesome.
I mean, heck, that's as long as I've been here,and you're already all the way up there that
(01:29):
quick you did that.
Oh.
Oh, yeah.
It's about took about twenty years, but, yeah,I've been in my current position quite a few
years, but around the globe.
Like, when we say we have world titles, we meanit.
(01:49):
Like, our belts have been to England.
They've been to Australia.
They've been to to China.
They've been to Jamaica, Canada, you know,everywhere.
Austra yeah.
Everywhere.
Yeah.
I've seen that, and I saw that you even justcrowned Mexican national champion, an inaugural
one.
Yeah.
We just crowned our first Mexican nationalheavyweight champion and Vito for Farrelli.
(02:15):
He's this happened in Santa Barbara,California, and he was in there against
Chandler Hopkins.
He's a pretty well known wrestler in theSouthwestern Region.
You've seen him on, like, reality wrestlingstuff.
And, also, it was funny.
The and if we have Latin American champion,Elijio Dos Caros was in the match.
And Dos Caros, obviously, he's the son of DosCaros.
(02:35):
He's the brother of Alberto Del Rio.
Yeah.
I've heard about him a little bit.
I've been trying to get in contact with himtoo.
Yeah.
He's very talented.
He like I said, he he's had a pretty goodcareer in Mexico.
He was in the WWE for about a year, but he'sbeen our Latin American champion for about six
months now.
(02:56):
He beat funny, another second, third generationguy and a silver king.
So
So you are just you are getting everybody.
Oh, yeah.
We got tons of great talent, tons of greatchampions.
Got great partners in our organization, sowe're very we're very blessed.
(03:16):
If I remember it, correct me if I'm wrong, yourworld heavyweight title just switched hands.
Correct?
They just switched hands last night in PortBarry, Louisiana at the high school down there
for golf states wrestling.
A Mustang Mike who had held the belt basicallyalmost a year.
He lost in a triple threat match to the LouGotti won, who is the current America's
champion.
(03:36):
He's a Dallas based talent.
And, also, Gil Grace, who was in there, who'salso from Louisiana, he's our North American
champion.
And, like, yes.
And Gil and Mike have been feuding for abouttwenty years down there.
It's like Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler, if Ican make an analogy.
Yeah.
I mean, that's definitely something that'sawesome to have is a good rivalry going on like
(03:57):
that.
Especially now you just had a wrestler makehistory last night being the first Americas and
have world heavyweight champion at the sametime.
Yeah.
We definitely gonna have to decide what to do.
We'll probably have a special board meeting.
I'm assuming tomorrow is a Sunday, so we'llprobably wait till Monday.
But we gotta sign.
Are we gonna let Luke guy to keep that title,or are we gonna vacate?
(04:19):
Are we gonna have a tournament, a battleroyale, a decision match?
We we don't know yet.
We won't know till we have this board meeting.
Yeah.
You got you know, there's a lot of the creativeavenues with something like that happening for
sure.
And then I saw you have Gallows and Andersoncoming to I can't remember the name of the
(04:40):
event now off the top of
my head.
Honor Honorary Wrestle Federation.
They're up in Pennsylvania up toward, like,right above Pittsburgh area.
And, yeah, they're coming to take on some guys.
That is awesome.
I that is something I will definitely beexcited to see.
(05:07):
So what was your vision when you got up toexecutive director with AIWF?
I mean, I think my my vision has been alwayshas been.
It's like, leave wrestling better than it was.
Like, leave it better than I found it.
And, like, I just wanna foster cooperation.
I wanna do some some big things.
And we've done some big things.
(05:28):
We have our television show, ADBF, across theglobe.
You can see it on multiple platforms, o t TTand OTA.
And I just want to have fighting champions thatactually I don't wanna see these world
champions that are just in one town being aworld champion.
I mean, like I said, my champions, they'rethey're going coast to coast and around the
globe.
And that's that's what I really, you know,wanna foster and have created.
(05:51):
Yeah.
And that's definitely something that, like,you've done very well.
Along with it seems like getting a lot of, youknow, independent wrestling federations, like,
meeting with each other and a lot of theindependent promotions starting to work
together after working with you, they've kindamet each other through you.
So Yeah.
(06:11):
It's it's very helpful to put a faith on thisone.
Yeah.
I mean, it's good to put like I said, put aface to somebody.
I think people work better once they've metthem in person.
But I yeah.
I facilitate a lot of deals every day.
But, you know, thankfully, people trust me, andwe've we've been able to be successful.
(06:31):
Yeah.
I mean, with what you've done, I can see whypeople trust you.
You have done a lot of great things, and youare doing a lot of great things.
So are there any new belts that you guys areplanning to bring in at all or anything you can
tell me?
Or
Yeah.
We're definitely planning to, yeah, we'redefinitely planning to expand on our AWF
(06:53):
Mexican national division.
We want multiple weight class and all that.
We're expanding up in Canada.
I know I know the head of head of Kennedy hasbeen talking about adding a women's belt and
potentially tag team belts up there.
We have a great Canadian heavyweight championin Wesley Pipes, and he's been all over the
world.
He's been to The USA, Canada, Mexico.
I mean, he's he's an international star in hisown.
(07:15):
Right?
But, yeah, we got a lot of great things.
You know what?
What's the history of the belts there?
You know, do you like, can you break that downa bit?
Oh, yeah.
You can go to wrestling oh, if you wanna lookat the main titles, like the world title, the
world tags, world cruiserweight, all that's onwrestletitles.com, and you can just type in a n
(07:36):
w f.
And it'll show you the whole whole entirehistory, and you can see, like, it again, this
is just gonna tell you wins and losses, not thewhole story, but you can see, like, it's
changed hands in multiple states, multiplecountries.
And it it goes back from '9 oh, the oldesttitle, like, world title goes back from 1992 to
now, and the other titles have been createdalong the way.
(07:57):
So it was a lot like, you know, how a lot ofthem started with just the one title and then
bringing them in as you go?
Yeah.
Pretty much.
Like, we start out with, like, you know, worldtag titles and, like, world our single world
title.
But then we've added, like, the cruiserweighttitle.
We've added our deathmatch title.
We've added, you know, our women's title, whichour women's champion, Ava Brooks, she's about
(08:19):
to be in California next weekend.
So, I mean, she's she's been, I think,defending in eight states already since winning
it last March this March, this past March.
That is awesome.
So have you worked with any bigger names in thethe wrestling scene and the independent scene
at all?
Oh, a ton ton I've worked with tons of them.
(08:39):
I mean, anybody you can think of from Boogie,William, and Jimmy Valiant to Ricky and Robert
to, god, to Sean Hernandez to, like, everyprobably a lot.
Andre Chase on WWE, he's he started with us inNorth Carolina.
Cedric Alexander.
I've known, yeah, I've known Cedric Alexandersince his third match.
That's crazy.
(09:00):
I I did not know much about him, honestly.
See, I I didn't have a lot of time to do muchresearch for this one, so I'm learning as we go
really too, I guess.
Yeah.
Andre Chase, he he started as the Bravado's inRing of Honor, and the Bravado brothers
actually started here in North Carolina.
(09:23):
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
They're from Draper, North Carolina.
Yeah.
So there's a history with NIWF and buildinglegends and champions.
Yeah.
Or or a a IWF AEW world champion, Adam Page.
He started in the NIWF when he was, like, 17years old.
Wow.
(09:43):
Yeah.
So we have WWE and AW.
Who do we have in TNA?
TNA right now, I mean, we've worked with a lotof guys there.
Like, we've worked with the Hardy Boy.
We've had them on our events.
We've worked with, like like I said, my buddy,Sean Hernandez.
He he actually runs for us at in Texas inAustin, San Antonio.
(10:07):
I mean, he's he's a seven time TNA tag teamchampion.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
A lot of very successful people.
And, I mean, you've worked with my favorite tagteam in all of wrestling history, so there's
that.
(10:27):
So what's
the Yeah.
We've had everybody.
But, yeah, our our plans, we just wannacontinue to grow.
We wanna we're the fastest brand fastestgrowing brand in professional wrestling right
now.
Like I said, we got a lot of followers on Ijust checked our Facebook yesterday.
We're at right at 23,000 followers.
We just wanna keep keep growing growing thefollowers, growing the engagement, growing the
(10:49):
brands we work with, growing, you know, ourperception and our reality.
Yeah.
And that's a great thing that, like, you know,that you're trying to do.
You are trying to make wrestling back to, like,the greats here.
Like, you have a death match title.
You do the hardcore stuff that a lot of guysdon't anymore.
(11:11):
Yeah.
The hardcore the and we've got some legendsbeing those champions, like legends like Madman
Ponda, like Chuck Stein.
A lot a lot of great deathmatch wrestlers haveheld that belt.
It's currently held by Dean Mercer out in calor in Colorado.
Excuse me.
Oh, wow.
That is awesome.
I mean, you are just so it's been held by a lotof different people, and it just goes to show
(11:33):
that people want to be part of AIWF, and thatis great.
Oh, yeah.
We got like I said, our cruiserweightchampionship just changed hands down in right
outside of of Austin and in Maxwell, Texas,actually, recently.
And we're in negotiations to bring that belt toMexico to be defended.
And that belt, when Brett Brown had it, hedefended it in London, England.
(11:57):
Oh, wow.
So all the belts have already kind of met madetheir way around the globe.
Oh, yeah.
Like, yeah, the shoot fighting champion,Mustafa Jordan, he's had a couple trials for
AEW.
He's he's defending his belt in Australia.
He's based in Canada in Canada and in TheUnited States.
(12:17):
That is awesome.
So my next question is, do you wanna tell them,like, about your current champions at all and
what's going on there?
Yeah.
Like I said, Lou Gotti, he he he's had been theAmerican champion for a while.
He just won the world belt last night inLouisiana.
Alou, he he's he travels all over.
He's primarily based in Texas, but he travelsto, like, Cleveland.
(12:41):
He travels to, like, you know, Tennessee.
Everywhere, he he travels everywhere.
But like I said, Gil Gracie, he's a Louisianatalent.
He's been North American champion for for awhile now, and he's been like I said, he's been
around twenty years.
Hell and Mustang, Mike, they feuded for, like,twenty years, and they're they're gonna keep
going at it.
Orlando Christopher is our cruiserweightchampion.
He's based out of Texas.
(13:02):
He's a very solid talent.
He wrestled basically from Texas to the Midwestto the South, and he he he wrestled every
weekend multiple times.
We got our our our newest internationalchampion, El Abagato, six foot nine, five
hundred pounds, gigantic guy.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
(13:23):
Yeah.
That's a giant even compared to me, and I'm apretty big guy.
Yeah.
He's six nine, almost five hundred pounds.
And he just like to spoil people.
Yeah.
And he lost to he well, he beat Paulo Thurasiwho who's who's a he's kind of a jerk, but he I
like the guy.
(13:44):
Apollo Tirasse, he defended the belt inIreland.
He defended the belt in Spain.
He defended in Canada, The United States.
He defended all over the country and all overEurope.
So
That is awesome.
So with, like, everything you do, are you justthe executive producer?
Or what what are what are all your roles hereat a I dot w
(14:08):
I mean, I'm I'm the executive director.
I mean, it pretty much means the buck stopshere if I wanna put it in layman's terms.
And, I mean, I'm doing a lot.
I'm I'm making sure everybody's you know,they're they're they're trying their best.
They're trying to work with each other.
They're trying to work within the system we'vecreated, and I'm just trying to make sure we
keep chugging along those train tracks.
(14:28):
And do you still do any on screen stuff at all?
A little bit.
Not as much as I used to.
I I've I'll I'll I'll call a couple matches ayear.
Yeah.
I'm I'm trying to stay out the ring.
It's been a little while since I've been in thering, so I'm I'm I'm trying to stay out of that
as I'm I'm getting a little older.
But, you know, but we're
(14:48):
for then?
Oh, yeah.
I I was trained by chief Jay Eagle.
Chief Jay Eagle ran events
in Wow.
Yeah.
Jay Eagle ran events in South Carolina for,like, thirty five, forty years.
Amazing guy.
Funny funny as crap.
But his claim to fame, he trained the one mangang, Akim, back in the day.
(15:14):
That is awesome.
Yeah.
I mean, I heard him.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, he's he's he's a legend down here inThe Carolinas.
Like I said, great guy.
He taught a young kid like me.
He put me doing all the little grunt work andand all that, and I worked my way up, and he
said, okay.
Wanna start when I turned 18, I just wannastart training with him.
(15:36):
And, you know, I learned a lot.
And like I said, he used to run events everySaturday night, so for for many, many years.
Yeah.
And, I mean, obviously, those events helpedyou, you know, turn into what you've done now,
which is nicked the AIWF an absoluteeverything.
Oh, yeah.
100%.
And you're you're always learning, and and younever stop.
(15:58):
And somebody can always teach you something.
That's what you have to know in any industry.
Like, you can always gain valuable knowledgeand and just talk.
Just be honest and, like you know, just be coolabout things.
If you're just cool about things, you're gonnago a lot farther in any industry.
Yeah.
You're absolutely right with that.
So with the Galas and Anderson on an event youguys are on, are there any other big names that
(16:23):
you're working with here coming up?
Oh,
that's and housing, obviously.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's up in Michigan, up at Pure Pro,Michigan.
He's taking on the continental champion DannyAstro.
I know we got Lody coming in here in NorthCarolina where I live because Lody lives here
as well.
I know in North Carolina too who he he he oh,we got Enzo.
(16:48):
We got, like, PCO.
All of them were working up in Clayton, NorthCarolina, which is near Raleigh.
Enzo.
NCWA.
Enzo?
Yeah.
W e, Enzo?
Yeah.
Oh, well, now that is awesome.
That is wow.
I haven't heard that name in years.
Yeah.
He's coming to North Carolina, like, know inthe upcoming show for NCWA.
(17:11):
Oh, we also got, like, CW Anderson from ECWFame, which I just saw CW a couple weeks ago,
actually, at The Gathering.
At The Gathering?
Yeah.
The gatherings in in Charlotte.
It's a not not the Jugalogue gathering, but thegathering
I was like, that that was longer than a coupleweeks ago.
And I could see you going there too for thewrestling.
(17:34):
Oh, yeah.
I mean, those guys I know a lot of guys overthere that it's it's a fun time from what
everybody tells you.
I've never been personally, but they they havean event in Charlotte called the same thing,
and they had, like, Arn Anderson.
They had I met the great Muda for the firsttime.
Oh, wow.
Person.
Yeah.
So, like yeah.
Like I said, I was hanging out with my friendSean Hernandez from TNA.
(17:55):
I was there with him.
And mother friend, Jevadiah, who who has aemotional support chicken called Betsy.
Emotional support chicken.
This is a live chicken.
Yeah.
She she has paperwork.
So, like, you can't turn her down.
She fly on the plane.
She get she's about to go to to Japan when hewrestled in Japan coming up.
(18:17):
That's awesome.
Yeah.
He's a he's a he's a former from Amish country.
So
So you're going to Japan.
What what
I'm not going to Japan.
My buddy invested the chicken oil.
Oh, they're going there.
I thought it was another AIWF thing.
(18:38):
No.
They're going there, and then we we know theguys, and we work we primarily work with heat
up in Japan, which is a pretty good promotion.
And as funny at the gathering too, I got tohang out with the great Sasuke.
So I mean and it was funny.
Nobody was hardly talking to the man and, like,dude, he was awesome.
Oh, wow.
That's I don't understand not talking topeople.
(19:02):
Well, I just think they didn't know who he was.
They thought that this is yeah.
But I just don't think they're familiar withJapanese wrestling.
I don't even know.
I I've heard the name once or twice.
I don't really know who they are.
You know, I'd walk up and talk to them.
Probably wouldn't
Yeah.
But, well, yeah, he had his mask on, his fullgear.
(19:23):
But, yeah, he, like Sasuke, he found aMishinaku pro, and I he was supposed to be the
WWF lightweight champion before they put onTaka instead.
And, like but he's he's also held the held thej crown, which is, you know, the guys like
Liger, Dragon, all those guys held back in thenineties.
So
have you partnered with any bigger promotionson shows at all?
(19:46):
Anything like triple a or anything like that?
I I would say the biggest promotion part of ourorganization is probably IWRG.
They run-in Nacapon, Mexico, which is, likeit's about an hour north of Mexico.
They're they're on TV every week.
They have a 3,000 seat arena they run two timesa week.
(20:07):
Oh, wow.
They're probably, like, they're probably, like,right under that triple a CML level.
If I
have anything to compare them to, I'd comparethem to, like, Crash at Tijuana.
I I haven't heard of that, actually.
Oh, okay.
Crash at Tijuana was Conan's promotion andbefore rejoined triple a and all that.
(20:27):
But they run-in Tijuana, and they run, like,you know, a couple thousand people a week.
But, yeah, we got a great time.
That's why we've been focused on, like, we'recrowning that new NAFN national Mexican
heavyweight championship, and we're gonna do alot more of the World Lucha Libre coming up in
the next year.
Because we think Lucha Libre is a great brand,is a great style, And we just think, like, you
(20:51):
know
Lucha Libre is really like, it's a very like,it's its own style of wrestling.
And I've even seen a a few promotions nowimplementing, like, a Lucha Libre championship
to, you know, separate.
Yeah.
For sure.
For sure on that.
And there's lot of great promotions here in TheUnited States that that focus on that as well.
(21:14):
But, yeah, we just we're trying to, like, crownmore championships than that and expand in that
world.
And, like, you know, it's been it's been goingalright.
Like I said, IWRG is our main partner in theLucha Libre scene.
Like I said, they run, you know, 3,000 seatsthere.
I mean, what what promotions do you know thathave a 3,000 seat arena they run twice a week?
Their own arena?
(21:34):
Yeah.
I mean, very few, if any.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They have their very own arena down there in,like Ross said, like, North Mexico City.
But yeah.
And then they have TV every week, the SierraNolan TV.
So they're doing a great job down there, andit's been around a while.
And that's that's where, Rio Del Car DelSicaros is actually based out of.
(21:56):
And and like I said, we had
So you're partnered with just a lot ofpromotions.
I get a lot of great names in, and you get todo a lot of awesome shows, which leads which
actually leads into my next question.
What's your favorite show you've gotten to helpput together?
(22:16):
My my favorite show is always we have ananniversary weekend here in North Carolina, and
I'm a big part of that.
And I so, like, to celebrate our being aroundfor so long, and that's when we try to bring
in, like, peeps from all over.
And it's just it's just a big party thatweekend, and we have a good time.
And you're gonna see some of the best matches,and we just try to put together some creative,
(22:37):
interesting matches and some title matches.
And, like, hey.
Like, let's say some guys are shooting down inTexas.
We might say, hey.
Order book you for this day in North Carolina,and we'll book them against each other here so
they can take that feed to a new area.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
I really an anniversary week like that isreally awesome to do.
(22:58):
So what would you say is, like you know, evenif you have to pick a few with, like, your
favorite match out of, like, those, you know,the one that I really remember, I guess,
seeing.
Yeah.
One of the ones that we that we did reallywell, we had Ricky Morton.
He won the world title and won one year for us.
You know?
Like I said, we love Ricky.
(23:18):
We love his son, Carrie.
We love all the Mortons, but he did a great jobof that.
We also had like I said, it was great.
My buddy, Uli Waskin, came last year.
He come all the way from Nigeria to The UnitedStates.
Oh, wow.
All the way from Nigeria?
Yeah.
He flew into Florida, and he took a bus toNorth Carolina.
(23:38):
I picked him up here, and then we had to puthim back on a bus, he flew back out from
Florida.
He flew from from from Miami to Lagos.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
So you really are just getting worldwide talentfrom all over coming in and working with you.
(23:59):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ole Olaf, he's the head of our Africanoperations.
Yeah.
And they run yep.
They run-in Nigeria and, like, Cameroon and allthat stuff.
Yeah.
I noticed you even have an African hall offame.
I read something about that earlier.
I forgot about your
What about oh, yeah.
We're we're putting yeah.
Yeah.
(24:19):
We're putting some of the guys from down therethat's really helped our organization, and
we're putting them in our hall of fame, the AWFhall of fame.
It's what it is.
But AWF hall of fame, we got everybody, anybodyyou can think of, and all of them have worked
for us.
We got, like, China in there.
We had some of China's very first matches backin the day.
Wow.
China definitely still one that broke my heartwhen I was younger and definitely, like, I
(24:47):
loved seeing matches and being able to go backand watch old ones too is still awesome.
Yeah.
We got guys like Wahoo McDaniel in there whowho's a legend.
He he was part of our early beginnings.
Buddy Landell, who I mean, Buddy Landell couldhave been the NBA world champion if he showed
up.
You said the NWA?
(25:08):
Yeah.
He was supposed to beat Ric Flair for the NWAworld title.
Wow.
Back in the eighties.
And now Yeah.
You guys are the next NWA.
You're the new NWA when you think Good.
Doing what they did, but at a bet like, itfeels like it's, I don't know, more solid
operation where the gears are turning betterand things are more stable already.
(25:31):
I mean, the like, that's our thought processwas why can't you unite?
Why can't you work together?
Why can't you share your resources?
And, like, a lot of guys having problems, but,like, a lot of guys on our board actually used
to be on the NBA board.
Like, Blachard, who's the head of the inCanada, he's been on the NBA board.
I'm a friend Jim Miller.
He's the NBA president.
(25:52):
So
Wow.
So, yeah, I mean, you I guess you definitelyhave some good people around you.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
We're doing doing good things.
I mean, the industry is just it's crazy torealize how many people have, like, you know,
met this person or worked with that person orare friends with this person.
(26:15):
Like, my last interview, this guy is in theTexas death match, and he's fought New Jack.
Okay.
I New Jack used to live here in Greensboro.
I knew New Jack very well before he passed.
Wow.
See, like, that's things, like, you don'texpect.
You know?
But, like
Yeah.
Like, DJ, he was he was one of a kind in that,a very great guy.
(26:37):
But he was real.
That's I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it at that,but he was a he was a real guy.
That's what I hear from everybody.
I'm like, that's you know, it's great.
Look.
So do you have any like, I guess, have I askedabout any big events coming up or anything yet?
Well, we we we always have great events comingup.
(27:00):
Like I said, my my focus right now is gettingto our anniversary weekend, which is March 20
through March 22 in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
That's where we started, and that's that's theMay if you watch Andy Griffin show, that's
where Mayberry came from because Andy Griffin'sfrom there.
And they yeah.
They have a big Andy Griffin museum andeverything, but we got not one, not two, but
three days of pro wrestling action, Fridaythrough Sunday.
(27:24):
And that is just awesome.
I wish I could make it down there.
I might even have to try to make it down there.
So can you reveal anything that you plan to dothere yet, or is it still kind of under wraps?
Well, it's it's not under wraps, under wraps,but we're gonna have several title bouts that
have been signed already.
We also have been doing the ANBF Sensationalsixteen tournament, which has been, like,
(27:48):
different promotions have hosted it.
Like, it got hosted in Cameroon, Canada,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Madison, Indiana,
Matt here in Mount Air, North Carolina, butwe're West Virginia, but we're getting down to
the final four.
And the final four will be that weekendstarting on Friday, and and then finals will be
Saturday night.
(28:08):
And whoever wins that tournament, they winmoney, they win a future world title shot, and
god knows what other prizes.
That is awesome.
I'm Yeah. Glad
Glad appreciate it.
Get down
there to get some live coverage of it.
Yeah.
I we've been posting some of the matches.
And if you follow our TV program, it'll beacross the globe.
(28:32):
They've been putting updates every week onthere as they get them.
And like I said, you can get that on YouTube.
You can get it on like, there's a couplestations, like, Pittsburgh, in Chicago, in New
York City, and all that.
But, like, it's basically just look it up onYouTube or look it up on yeah.
Just look it up on YouTube, n o b f across theglobe every week.
And we're 35 episodes in right now.
(28:55):
So are there any countries that you guyshaven't expanded into yet that you want to or
plan to?
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's there's a couple, I think.
I've always wanted to get in New Zealand.
I haven't found anybody New Zealand doesn'thave as vibrant wrestling scene as you would
like.
And that's because we're doing great inAustralia.
Australia, they just had the former well, he'sTrevor Lee.
(29:19):
I forgot what they caught him in WWE.
But
That's gonna EME because I know it.
Oh, Cameron Brown just like caught him in WWE.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He we just he just fought for the the theAustralian championship recently, like, about
two months ago.
And so, like, they're doing really vibrant downthere.
(29:41):
We definitely wanna do more in Japan.
Japan is going okay, but we wanna expand overthere.
We got some big stuff going on in China.
We got several groups running events allthroughout China.
And so, like, it might be time to to crown achampionship out there.
They're doing, like, in multiple cities, youknow, from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
So
(30:02):
And then have you guys thought about doing whata lot of those sports and most are doing with
The Middle East expansion at all, or is thatkinda something that you don't wanna be a part
of?
I mean
We we we'd be open to it.
In The Middle East, we do work with a promotionin Dubai, and they they do pretty decent.
(30:22):
But that that's that's about as as far as wewent in The Middle East is like Dubai.
And mean, guys are great.
They're they're great guys, and, you know,they're they're doing what they do.
But they're not, like, they're not, like, richlike the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia.
You know what I'm saying?
No.
But and then, like, you know, we did greatIndia and Pakistan over the years because we
(30:43):
have a Pakistani group, and they run, like,like, a resort festival type circuit.
And then India god.
India, they had a free show that over 50,000people come to it out on the street.
Insanity.
Oh, that is just crazy.
But you gotta love it.
It just shows that wrestling is love no matterwhere you go.
(31:05):
People want to see wrestling.
Yeah.
They they did they did a great job, but theydon't run very often.
They run, like, couple shows a year.
Like I said, most of their shows are are free.
And, like, in Africa, their shows are, like alot of them are government are ran by the
government.
And it's they they do big stadiums, but, like,it's just kinda it's when you see it sometimes,
(31:26):
it's like, well, you know, thousand people, butit's a 5,000 person stadium.
You're like, damn.
But, like, yeah, they've ran, like, 5,000 seatstadiums over there in Africa.
Oh, wow.
That's Yeah.
They're just
I don't know.
Now.
And what what yeah.
Well, South Africa does great too.
They have something called the Coca Cola Rumbleevery year sponsored by Coca Cola.
(31:49):
And they sold out, like, about a 4,000 seatvenue down there.
Wow.
Sponsored by Coke, and we haven't heard of it.
That's crazy.
In South Africa.
Yeah.
And and the AWA, the African WrestlingAlliance.
Yeah.
Sean Koons runs it.
He's a German, actually, but he's lived inSouth Africa most of his life.
But he he's he wrestled kinda wrestled fortyyears now.
(32:13):
His claim to fame is he was tag team championsfor Otto Wance's CWA out in Germany and Austria
back in the day.
Oh, wow.
A promotion you definitely hear about when youlook anywhere at the history of wrestling or,
like, you know, worldwide wrestling and things.
Yeah.
I mean, CWA was fun.
That's where guys like Chris Benoit, WilliamRegal, Fit Finley, David Taylor.
(32:37):
Like, everybody went over there, and they theywould had torn seasons where they would tour
for several weeks.
And they talk about living in the caravans.
If you've heard Bradshaw talk about it, you'veheard William Regal talk about it his book,
they would live in the caravans for severalweeks and then go back home.
Yeah.
That's just I mean, that was how it was.
(32:58):
So
Yeah.
That's just
your opinion on the and this one, it's kindawrestling.
It's what's your opinion on the, like, theallowance of marijuana in the wrestling scene
now as it's become more widely accepted bywrestlers to smoke?
I I mean, I would just hope people knew when todo it on their own time and, like, not before
(33:20):
the matches.
I would hope people would know that.
Like, what you do in your own time is on you,and that's that's how I feel about it related
to any business, any wrestling, all that.
Just don't don't be high.
Don't be drunk before a match.
Yeah.
And I kinda share the same sentiment there.
I don't understand the point of, like, a lot ofpeople, you can see them backstage slamming
(33:42):
beers and not just that doesn't make sense tome.
That's dangerous.
Yeah.
You know, like, definitely after your match,it's cool.
Or it's it's cool to go to the bar.
It's cool to go wherever.
But, like, you know, respect who you're workingfor, respect who you're working with, and, you
know, try to do the best you can.
(34:03):
Exactly.
And then so you work in Texas.
What's your opinion on the lack of drug testingin Texas with wrestling?
Well, I mean, wrestling sports entertainment,brother.
Like, I don't I don't think anybody needs drugtested.
I just wonder with, like, the dangers andthings of with drugs possibly.
You know?
(34:24):
Well, man, you just have to, you know, makesure everybody's on up and up and they're
capable to perform.
Like, I have seen guys before that they werenot capable of performing.
You gotta set them out.
You gotta be like and sometimes you will haveto fire them and not bring them back.
But, like, you know, like, like, what you do onyour own time, again, that's on you.
But just be able to perform in in a in a safemanner.
(34:45):
Alright.
Yeah.
I get it.
Yeah.
I mean, that makes sense to me.
So did you guys start with a ring, or were youguys backyard back in when you started in 1992?
Oh, no.
My partner, mister Dean Puckett, he he wastrained by Wahoo McDaniel in 1988.
And he had the ring, and he he actually starteda funny story.
(35:08):
He started with a charity show.
He did a a show for some a kid that was sick,it just went from there, and it's kept
continuing because we've ran continuously inthat market since 1992, at least once a month.
Oh, wow.
That is awesome.
Yeah.
We even got a ticket for it during COVID.
So
(35:29):
That's great.
I mean, you guys Yeah.
We got We had a we got a fine from it because,you know, they shut down everything.
I hate to say it, like, it's great that youstill did it.
You know?
That's what I meant, but not great that you gotfine, but it's great that you still did it.
You know?
Yeah.
And, I mean yeah.
And, I mean, you just had to be safe, and wetried to be as safe as we could.
(35:51):
But, you know, it was a tough time foreverybody.
But like I said, we ran consistently up therein North Carolina since 1992.
And like me, personally, I promote events inseven states.
I promoted in Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia,Virginia, North Carolina.
I promoted in Tennessee, and I promoted inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(36:11):
So you just you go everywhere and you doeverything, it feels like.
You
Yeah.
I used to go everywhere and everywhere.
Yeah.
It didn't matter.
I was like, yep.
Cool.
Yeah.
I'll come around there.
Yep.
You want me to run?
Cool.
Yeah.
I'm coming.
And, like, yeah, like I said, I've I've had funwith it, and it's been good.
And, I mean, we've got a good, very strongorganization.
(36:34):
And, you know, the sky's the limit, man, andyou just gotta keep it that way.
Yeah.
Exactly.
And so I've noticed that it seems like AEWallows, you know, some of their, like, lower
talent to go in and do matches on theindependent scenes.
Have you tried working with any of them yet?
We've had a few of their guys over over theyears, but a lot of those guys, they're not I
(36:59):
would say they're they're not under contract,if you know what I'm saying.
They're on, a pay per deal with AEW.
They're match by match
kind of deal?
Yeah.
For the most part.
And they do let some of their guys like, Iknow, like, Billy Gunn has a deal, they were
letting him work for, like, QT Marshall, and hewas working for Scott Damore up up in Canada
(37:19):
from Maple Leaf.
You can't tell Billy Gunn no.
Yeah.
That's that's true.
And but, like, they are allowing you know,they're they're making them upset.
They're, you know, they're letting people workplaces if you if you just talk to them.
But another guy need to do.
Another guy speaking of a, David, another guythere that started with us.
(37:39):
Willie Yuta started with us.
Really?
Yeah.
He trained in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina atthe Academy down there.
So another question because I've noticed he'sbecome a real popular name and a driving force
in the independent scene.
Have you worked with Zillow Fatu?
I haven't worked with Zillow Fatu.
No.
(38:00):
But I I can see why he's become popular and andsuch, and he's got a certain aura about him,
which is marketable.
I mean, they all everyone in that family seemsto have their own aura and, like, their own,
like, personality and character, and it'scrazy.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, I mean, we grow up in it.
I mean and there's a lot of that out there.
(38:22):
Guys grow up in the industry, and and theycontinue to thrive.
I mean, Piper's daughter, Nevin, she's she'sdoing great.
I know her.
Yeah.
Yeah.
She's she's doing great, and I've I've seenlike I said, like, Carrie Moore, he's third
generation wrestling.
I think I think Carrie's amazing.
Absolutely.
(38:43):
I can see why you do.
But, I mean, yeah, there there's like yeah.
You gotta and, I mean, our whole goal on thelevel we're at is, like, finding the next big
thing.
And, like, you wanna find that next big thing,but then inevitably, they're gonna get signed.
But, again, another story from Ricky Morton.
(39:03):
Morton's he's told me too much in twenty years.
But he's like, you know, you're gonna see thesame people going up the ladder that you see
coming back down that ladder.
So try to be the best you can to everybody.
Don't be a dick.
You know?
Exactly.
And, like like, I've I've seen that so manytimes.
The guys get signed, and they come back down.
(39:26):
And, you know, they're on they're made moremoney by the than the regular guys on the show,
but they're in the same building that you'rein.
And you have to you have to think like that asa wrestler.
Like, and these guys are in the same buildingI'm in.
We're on equal footing.
You know, how much money you're making?
Like, I don't know.
I've heard a lot about, like, you know, a lotof, like, old guy old a lot of older legends.
(39:47):
You know?
Like, when they were on the Internet and they'dbe in a show, like, 20 people, I feel like
they're better than everyone because they madea thousand dollars for the show.
Mhmm.
But you're performing for 20 people for athousand dollars.
Yeah.
I mean and it's it's it's it's what it is.
Like, I mean, it's
in front of 20,000 or the guy who has.
But, I mean, they're also just trying to makeas much money as they can to survive.
(40:10):
Yeah.
And, like, you know, it's kinda sad in a way,but it's it's it's good that they can still
perform.
They can still make a living at it.
But, like, to the farther off television, theless draw power you have.
Exactly.
I mean, especially with a lot of them, youknow, not using social media.
(40:33):
But I guess we're getting a little, long here.
I've got one more question, and then I thinkI'm gonna let you go.
I just wanted to
ask,
who is your Mount Rushmore?
You know, like, your your top four.
Any any promotion, any wrestlers, all time,anywhere.
Yeah.
(40:53):
Ric Flair is obviously my number one.
I'm I'm a Carolina boy.
I mean, I I thought Ric Flair was the best boy.
Was from Carolina, it's always the nature boy.
It's always the way.
And I've I've I've met Rick several times, andwe actually had a son, Reed Flair, work for us
here in the NABF.
We had David too.
David's about to go in our hall of fame comingup in March.
But but Reed, yeah, Reed's in our hall of fame,and he he was working with us.
(41:17):
Right before he went to all Japan, then he cameback to America.
But, yeah, Ric Flair is number one for sure.
Number two, Rich Steamboat, man.
Another I know I'm I'm a southern guy, RichSteamboat and Flair, but also if you look at
Steamboat from his WWF run when he, like,fought savage and all that, Like, Rick
Steamboat was just a fabulous talent, and,like, he was he was a lot better show than he
(41:38):
was given credit for as well.
Well, yeah.
Absolutely.
Definitely.
I mean, that like, I try to, like, talk like,you make all the great points, you know, with
things.
It seems like you just you hit the points.
(41:59):
I I get I've been I've been in the game a longtime.
Third, I'm gonna I'm gonna go with SteveAustin.
I mean, Steve Austin is just iconic.
I mean, Stone Cold, that was the attitude era.
That was but even even before that, when he wasin WCW, Steve Austin, he was amazing talent.
Like, amazing with his his facials, with hiswith his moves, his technical moves.
(42:19):
He could brawl.
He he really do it all.
Yeah.
And
then it just Stone Cold just caught one.
I still strongly believe that Stone Cold is thereason we got the attitude era.
I believe that he kicked
Yeah.
1100%.
And then, like, my number four and it's justfor a lot of different reasons.
(42:41):
I'm a I'm a go with Mick Foley.
You what you can call him, catch Jack, mankind,whatever.
Foley just he put on a show, and he just he hadthat versatility.
And, I mean, he he was a world champion severaltimes, but he could do so many different
characters.
Like, he was different as Dude Love than he wasas Mankind.
He was different as Cactus Jack.
He could he could do the hardcore stuff.
He could do you know?
(43:02):
You just wanna see what the heck is this guygonna do next?
I mean, you never knew.
I mean, he could be hardcore, insane, a hippie,or himself.
Yeah.
And I just feel like he's a he's a humble guytoo, and he's, you know, he's done a lot of
(43:22):
good.
And you know?
But, like, I mean, he's he's very, I think,underrated when it comes to, you know, his time
at WCW, his time at WWF, etcetera.
I mean, he's a he's a true legend.
Yeah.
I mean and even his early career, it feels likepeople really don't give that the credit it
deserves.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's that's what talking about.
(43:42):
The running elbow drop off the apron that hewas famous for in WCW and in, like, Texas and
stuff.
Like, nobody else is doing stuff like that.
No.
He he kicked off a whole different, like, styleof moves that people started doing different
crazier things trying to come up with the nextcrazy move that would grab attention.
(44:03):
And even, like, at the only UWF pay per viewfor Herb Abrams, Mick Foley is the only guy
that went out in the crowd and brawled in frontof, you know, 500 fans in a 2,000, 3,000 seat
building.
Yeah.
Exactly.
But I think it's I think I'm gonna have to letyou go here.
(44:24):
It was great having you on, Matt.
Oh, yeah.
We can talk again.
I appreciate
all the stuff we have going on here.
I definitely wanna hear from you after thatgals in the Anderson show and all that.
But thank you
so brother.
You thank you.
(44:46):
You have a great day, and check us out onsocial media at a w f russling.
Thanks so much.
No problem.
Thank you for coming on here.
What's up, everyone?
Welcome to another exciting episode of Beyondthe Bell.
Today, we have a very awesome guest here.
He is a key leader in AIWF, which is an awesomewrestling federation that is known
internationally.
This here is Matt Classic Creed.
(00:22):
Hey.
Good good to be on, brother.
Good to see you.
It's great to have you on here.
How are you doing today?
Pretty good.
It's it's nice.
I'm I'm in the South, so it still feels likeit's summer in the wintertime.
So how did you get started with AIWF, man?
(00:43):
Well, funny story.
I got started with AIWF.
I was working, actually, as a ring announcer atthe time for for a guy I still know, Henry
Dean, who ran in Lexington, North Carolina, andthey ended up joining the AIWF.
And then from there, it just, spiraled andcontinued, and I kept growing and moving up the
ranks until my current today as executivedirector.
(01:07):
That is awesome.
That is a real story of getting in at thebottom and working your way all the way up to
the top.
I love it.
Oh, yeah.
And it's been, like, almost twenty years now,so it's been quite a while.
That is awesome.
I mean, heck, that's as long as I've been here,and you're already all the way up there that
(01:29):
quick you did that.
Oh.
Oh, yeah.
It's about took about twenty years, but, yeah,I've been in my current position quite a few
years, but around the globe.
Like, when we say we have world titles, we meanit.
(01:49):
Like, our belts have been to England.
They've been to Australia.
They've been to to China.
They've been to Jamaica, Canada, you know,everywhere.
Austra yeah.
Everywhere.
Yeah.
I've seen that, and I saw that you even justcrowned Mexican national champion, an inaugural
one.
Yeah.
We just crowned our first Mexican nationalheavyweight champion and Vito for Farrelli.
(02:15):
He's this happened in Santa Barbara,California, and he was in there against
Chandler Hopkins.
He's a pretty well known wrestler in theSouthwestern Region.
You've seen him on, like, reality wrestlingstuff.
And, also, it was funny.
The and if we have Latin American champion,Elijio Dos Caros was in the match.
And Dos Caros, obviously, he's the son of DosCaros.
(02:35):
He's the brother of Alberto Del Rio.
Yeah.
I've heard about him a little bit.
I've been trying to get in contact with himtoo.
Yeah.
He's very talented.
He like I said, he he's had a pretty goodcareer in Mexico.
He was in the WWE for about a year, but he'sbeen our Latin American champion for about six
months now.
(02:56):
He beat funny, another second, third generationguy and a silver king.
So
So you are just you are getting everybody.
Oh, yeah.
We got tons of great talent, tons of greatchampions.
Got great partners in our organization, sowe're very we're very blessed.
(03:16):
If I remember it, correct me if I'm wrong, yourworld heavyweight title just switched hands.
Correct?
They just switched hands last night in PortBarry, Louisiana at the high school down there
for golf states wrestling.
A Mustang Mike who had held the belt basicallyalmost a year.
He lost in a triple threat match to the LouGotti won, who is the current America's
champion.
(03:36):
He's a Dallas based talent.
And, also, Gil Grace, who was in there, who'salso from Louisiana, he's our North American
champion.
And, like, yes.
And Gil and Mike have been feuding for abouttwenty years down there.
It's like Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler, if Ican make an analogy.
Yeah.
I mean, that's definitely something that'sawesome to have is a good rivalry going on like
(03:57):
that.
Especially now you just had a wrestler makehistory last night being the first Americas and
have world heavyweight champion at the sametime.
Yeah.
We definitely gonna have to decide what to do.
We'll probably have a special board meeting.
I'm assuming tomorrow is a Sunday, so we'llprobably wait till Monday.
But we gotta sign.
Are we gonna let Luke guy to keep that title,or are we gonna vacate?
(04:19):
Are we gonna have a tournament, a battleroyale, a decision match?
We we don't know yet.
We won't know till we have this board meeting.
Yeah.
You got you know, there's a lot of the creativeavenues with something like that happening for
sure.
And then I saw you have Gallows and Andersoncoming to I can't remember the name of the
(04:40):
event now off the top of
my head.
Honor Honorary Wrestle Federation.
They're up in Pennsylvania up toward, like,right above Pittsburgh area.
And, yeah, they're coming to take on some guys.
That is awesome.
I that is something I will definitely beexcited to see.
(05:07):
So what was your vision when you got up toexecutive director with AIWF?
I mean, I think my my vision has been alwayshas been.
It's like, leave wrestling better than it was.
Like, leave it better than I found it.
And, like, I just wanna foster cooperation.
I wanna do some some big things.
And we've done some big things.
(05:28):
We have our television show, ADBF, across theglobe.
You can see it on multiple platforms, o t TTand OTA.
And I just want to have fighting champions thatactually I don't wanna see these world
champions that are just in one town being aworld champion.
I mean, like I said, my champions, they'rethey're going coast to coast and around the
globe.
And that's that's what I really, you know,wanna foster and have created.
(05:51):
Yeah.
And that's definitely something that, like,you've done very well.
Along with it seems like getting a lot of, youknow, independent wrestling federations, like,
meeting with each other and a lot of theindependent promotions starting to work
together after working with you, they've kindamet each other through you.
So Yeah.
(06:11):
It's it's very helpful to put a faith on thisone.
Yeah.
I mean, it's good to put like I said, put aface to somebody.
I think people work better once they've metthem in person.
But I yeah.
I facilitate a lot of deals every day.
But, you know, thankfully, people trust me, andwe've we've been able to be successful.
(06:31):
Yeah.
I mean, with what you've done, I can see whypeople trust you.
You have done a lot of great things, and youare doing a lot of great things.
So are there any new belts that you guys areplanning to bring in at all or anything you can
tell me?
Or
Yeah.
We're definitely planning to, yeah, we'redefinitely planning to expand on our AWF
(06:53):
Mexican national division.
We want multiple weight class and all that.
We're expanding up in Canada.
I know I know the head of head of Kennedy hasbeen talking about adding a women's belt and
potentially tag team belts up there.
We have a great Canadian heavyweight championin Wesley Pipes, and he's been all over the
world.
He's been to The USA, Canada, Mexico.
I mean, he's he's an international star in hisown.
(07:15):
Right?
But, yeah, we got a lot of great things.
You know what?
What's the history of the belts there?
You know, do you like, can you break that downa bit?
Oh, yeah.
You can go to wrestling oh, if you wanna lookat the main titles, like the world title, the
world tags, world cruiserweight, all that's onwrestletitles.com, and you can just type in a n
(07:36):
w f.
And it'll show you the whole whole entirehistory, and you can see, like, it again, this
is just gonna tell you wins and losses, not thewhole story, but you can see, like, it's
changed hands in multiple states, multiplecountries.
And it it goes back from '9 oh, the oldesttitle, like, world title goes back from 1992 to
now, and the other titles have been createdalong the way.
(07:57):
So it was a lot like, you know, how a lot ofthem started with just the one title and then
bringing them in as you go?
Yeah.
Pretty much.
Like, we start out with, like, you know, worldtag titles and, like, world our single world
title.
But then we've added, like, the cruiserweighttitle.
We've added our deathmatch title.
We've added, you know, our women's title, whichour women's champion, Ava Brooks, she's about
(08:19):
to be in California next weekend.
So, I mean, she's she's been, I think,defending in eight states already since winning
it last March this March, this past March.
That is awesome.
So have you worked with any bigger names in thethe wrestling scene and the independent scene
at all?
Oh, a ton ton I've worked with tons of them.
(08:39):
I mean, anybody you can think of from Boogie,William, and Jimmy Valiant to Ricky and Robert
to, god, to Sean Hernandez to, like, everyprobably a lot.
Andre Chase on WWE, he's he started with us inNorth Carolina.
Cedric Alexander.
I've known, yeah, I've known Cedric Alexandersince his third match.
That's crazy.
(09:00):
I I did not know much about him, honestly.
See, I I didn't have a lot of time to do muchresearch for this one, so I'm learning as we go
really too, I guess.
Yeah.
Andre Chase, he he started as the Bravado's inRing of Honor, and the Bravado brothers
actually started here in North Carolina.
(09:23):
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
They're from Draper, North Carolina.
Yeah.
So there's a history with NIWF and buildinglegends and champions.
Yeah.
Or or a a IWF AEW world champion, Adam Page.
He started in the NIWF when he was, like, 17years old.
Wow.
(09:43):
Yeah.
So we have WWE and AW.
Who do we have in TNA?
TNA right now, I mean, we've worked with a lotof guys there.
Like, we've worked with the Hardy Boy.
We've had them on our events.
We've worked with, like like I said, my buddy,Sean Hernandez.
He he actually runs for us at in Texas inAustin, San Antonio.
(10:07):
I mean, he's he's a seven time TNA tag teamchampion.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
A lot of very successful people.
And, I mean, you've worked with my favorite tagteam in all of wrestling history, so there's
that.
(10:27):
So what's
the Yeah.
We've had everybody.
But, yeah, our our plans, we just wannacontinue to grow.
We wanna we're the fastest brand fastestgrowing brand in professional wrestling right
now.
Like I said, we got a lot of followers on Ijust checked our Facebook yesterday.
We're at right at 23,000 followers.
We just wanna keep keep growing growing thefollowers, growing the engagement, growing the
(10:49):
brands we work with, growing, you know, ourperception and our reality.
Yeah.
And that's a great thing that, like, you know,that you're trying to do.
You are trying to make wrestling back to, like,the greats here.
Like, you have a death match title.
You do the hardcore stuff that a lot of guysdon't anymore.
(11:11):
Yeah.
The hardcore the and we've got some legendsbeing those champions, like legends like Madman
Ponda, like Chuck Stein.
A lot a lot of great deathmatch wrestlers haveheld that belt.
It's currently held by Dean Mercer out in calor in Colorado.
Excuse me.
Oh, wow.
That is awesome.
I mean, you are just so it's been held by a lotof different people, and it just goes to show
(11:33):
that people want to be part of AIWF, and thatis great.
Oh, yeah.
We got like I said, our cruiserweightchampionship just changed hands down in right
outside of of Austin and in Maxwell, Texas,actually, recently.
And we're in negotiations to bring that belt toMexico to be defended.
And that belt, when Brett Brown had it, hedefended it in London, England.
(11:57):
Oh, wow.
So all the belts have already kind of met madetheir way around the globe.
Oh, yeah.
Like, yeah, the shoot fighting champion,Mustafa Jordan, he's had a couple trials for
AEW.
He's he's defending his belt in Australia.
He's based in Canada in Canada and in TheUnited States.
(12:17):
That is awesome.
So my next question is, do you wanna tell them,like, about your current champions at all and
what's going on there?
Yeah.
Like I said, Lou Gotti, he he he's had been theAmerican champion for a while.
He just won the world belt last night inLouisiana.
Alou, he he's he travels all over.
He's primarily based in Texas, but he travelsto, like, Cleveland.
(12:41):
He travels to, like, you know, Tennessee.
Everywhere, he he travels everywhere.
But like I said, Gil Gracie, he's a Louisianatalent.
He's been North American champion for for awhile now, and he's been like I said, he's been
around twenty years.
Hell and Mustang, Mike, they feuded for, like,twenty years, and they're they're gonna keep
going at it.
Orlando Christopher is our cruiserweightchampion.
He's based out of Texas.
(13:02):
He's a very solid talent.
He wrestled basically from Texas to the Midwestto the South, and he he he wrestled every
weekend multiple times.
We got our our our newest internationalchampion, El Abagato, six foot nine, five
hundred pounds, gigantic guy.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
(13:23):
Yeah.
That's a giant even compared to me, and I'm apretty big guy.
Yeah.
He's six nine, almost five hundred pounds.
And he just like to spoil people.
Yeah.
And he lost to he well, he beat Paulo Thurasiwho who's who's a he's kind of a jerk, but he I
like the guy.
(13:44):
Apollo Tirasse, he defended the belt inIreland.
He defended the belt in Spain.
He defended in Canada, The United States.
He defended all over the country and all overEurope.
So
That is awesome.
So with, like, everything you do, are you justthe executive producer?
Or what what are what are all your roles hereat a I dot w
(14:08):
I mean, I'm I'm the executive director.
I mean, it pretty much means the buck stopshere if I wanna put it in layman's terms.
And, I mean, I'm doing a lot.
I'm I'm making sure everybody's you know,they're they're they're trying their best.
They're trying to work with each other.
They're trying to work within the system we'vecreated, and I'm just trying to make sure we
keep chugging along those train tracks.
(14:28):
And do you still do any on screen stuff at all?
A little bit.
Not as much as I used to.
I I've I'll I'll I'll call a couple matches ayear.
Yeah.
I'm I'm trying to stay out the ring.
It's been a little while since I've been in thering, so I'm I'm I'm trying to stay out of that
as I'm I'm getting a little older.
But, you know, but we're
(14:48):
for then?
Oh, yeah.
I I was trained by chief Jay Eagle.
Chief Jay Eagle ran events
in Wow.
Yeah.
Jay Eagle ran events in South Carolina for,like, thirty five, forty years.
Amazing guy.
Funny funny as crap.
But his claim to fame, he trained the one mangang, Akim, back in the day.
(15:14):
That is awesome.
Yeah.
I mean, I heard him.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, he's he's he's a legend down here inThe Carolinas.
Like I said, great guy.
He taught a young kid like me.
He put me doing all the little grunt work andand all that, and I worked my way up, and he
said, okay.
Wanna start when I turned 18, I just wannastart training with him.
(15:36):
And, you know, I learned a lot.
And like I said, he used to run events everySaturday night, so for for many, many years.
Yeah.
And, I mean, obviously, those events helpedyou, you know, turn into what you've done now,
which is nicked the AIWF an absoluteeverything.
Oh, yeah.
100%.
And you're you're always learning, and and younever stop.
(15:58):
And somebody can always teach you something.
That's what you have to know in any industry.
Like, you can always gain valuable knowledgeand and just talk.
Just be honest and, like you know, just be coolabout things.
If you're just cool about things, you're gonnago a lot farther in any industry.
Yeah.
You're absolutely right with that.
So with the Galas and Anderson on an event youguys are on, are there any other big names that
(16:23):
you're working with here coming up?
Oh,
that's and housing, obviously.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's up in Michigan, up at Pure Pro,Michigan.
He's taking on the continental champion DannyAstro.
I know we got Lody coming in here in NorthCarolina where I live because Lody lives here
as well.
I know in North Carolina too who he he he oh,we got Enzo.
(16:48):
We got, like, PCO.
All of them were working up in Clayton, NorthCarolina, which is near Raleigh.
Enzo.
NCWA.
Enzo?
Yeah.
W e, Enzo?
Yeah.
Oh, well, now that is awesome.
That is wow.
I haven't heard that name in years.
Yeah.
He's coming to North Carolina, like, know inthe upcoming show for NCWA.
(17:11):
Oh, we also got, like, CW Anderson from ECWFame, which I just saw CW a couple weeks ago,
actually, at The Gathering.
At The Gathering?
Yeah.
The gatherings in in Charlotte.
It's a not not the Jugalogue gathering, but thegathering
I was like, that that was longer than a coupleweeks ago.
And I could see you going there too for thewrestling.
(17:34):
Oh, yeah.
I mean, those guys I know a lot of guys overthere that it's it's a fun time from what
everybody tells you.
I've never been personally, but they they havean event in Charlotte called the same thing,
and they had, like, Arn Anderson.
They had I met the great Muda for the firsttime.
Oh, wow.
Person.
Yeah.
So, like yeah.
Like I said, I was hanging out with my friendSean Hernandez from TNA.
(17:55):
I was there with him.
And mother friend, Jevadiah, who who has aemotional support chicken called Betsy.
Emotional support chicken.
This is a live chicken.
Yeah.
She she has paperwork.
So, like, you can't turn her down.
She fly on the plane.
She get she's about to go to to Japan when hewrestled in Japan coming up.
(18:17):
That's awesome.
Yeah.
He's a he's a he's a former from Amish country.
So
So you're going to Japan.
What what
I'm not going to Japan.
My buddy invested the chicken oil.
Oh, they're going there.
I thought it was another AIWF thing.
(18:38):
No.
They're going there, and then we we know theguys, and we work we primarily work with heat
up in Japan, which is a pretty good promotion.
And as funny at the gathering too, I got tohang out with the great Sasuke.
So I mean and it was funny.
Nobody was hardly talking to the man and, like,dude, he was awesome.
Oh, wow.
That's I don't understand not talking topeople.
(19:02):
Well, I just think they didn't know who he was.
They thought that this is yeah.
But I just don't think they're familiar withJapanese wrestling.
I don't even know.
I I've heard the name once or twice.
I don't really know who they are.
You know, I'd walk up and talk to them.
Probably wouldn't
Yeah.
But, well, yeah, he had his mask on, his fullgear.
(19:23):
But, yeah, he, like Sasuke, he found aMishinaku pro, and I he was supposed to be the
WWF lightweight champion before they put onTaka instead.
And, like but he's he's also held the held thej crown, which is, you know, the guys like
Liger, Dragon, all those guys held back in thenineties.
So
have you partnered with any bigger promotionson shows at all?
(19:46):
Anything like triple a or anything like that?
I I would say the biggest promotion part of ourorganization is probably IWRG.
They run-in Nacapon, Mexico, which is, likeit's about an hour north of Mexico.
They're they're on TV every week.
They have a 3,000 seat arena they run two timesa week.
(20:07):
Oh, wow.
They're probably, like, they're probably, like,right under that triple a CML level.
If I
have anything to compare them to, I'd comparethem to, like, Crash at Tijuana.
I I haven't heard of that, actually.
Oh, okay.
Crash at Tijuana was Conan's promotion andbefore rejoined triple a and all that.
(20:27):
But they run-in Tijuana, and they run, like,you know, a couple thousand people a week.
But, yeah, we got a great time.
That's why we've been focused on, like, we'recrowning that new NAFN national Mexican
heavyweight championship, and we're gonna do alot more of the World Lucha Libre coming up in
the next year.
Because we think Lucha Libre is a great brand,is a great style, And we just think, like, you
(20:51):
know
Lucha Libre is really like, it's a very like,it's its own style of wrestling.
And I've even seen a a few promotions nowimplementing, like, a Lucha Libre championship
to, you know, separate.
Yeah.
For sure.
For sure on that.
And there's lot of great promotions here in TheUnited States that that focus on that as well.
(21:14):
But, yeah, we just we're trying to, like, crownmore championships than that and expand in that
world.
And, like, you know, it's been it's been goingalright.
Like I said, IWRG is our main partner in theLucha Libre scene.
Like I said, they run, you know, 3,000 seatsthere.
I mean, what what promotions do you know thathave a 3,000 seat arena they run twice a week?
Their own arena?
(21:34):
Yeah.
I mean, very few, if any.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They have their very own arena down there in,like Ross said, like, North Mexico City.
But yeah.
And then they have TV every week, the SierraNolan TV.
So they're doing a great job down there, andit's been around a while.
And that's that's where, Rio Del Car DelSicaros is actually based out of.
(21:56):
And and like I said, we had
So you're partnered with just a lot ofpromotions.
I get a lot of great names in, and you get todo a lot of awesome shows, which leads which
actually leads into my next question.
What's your favorite show you've gotten to helpput together?
(22:16):
My my favorite show is always we have ananniversary weekend here in North Carolina, and
I'm a big part of that.
And I so, like, to celebrate our being aroundfor so long, and that's when we try to bring
in, like, peeps from all over.
And it's just it's just a big party thatweekend, and we have a good time.
And you're gonna see some of the best matches,and we just try to put together some creative,
(22:37):
interesting matches and some title matches.
And, like, hey.
Like, let's say some guys are shooting down inTexas.
We might say, hey.
Order book you for this day in North Carolina,and we'll book them against each other here so
they can take that feed to a new area.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
I really an anniversary week like that isreally awesome to do.
(22:58):
So what would you say is, like you know, evenif you have to pick a few with, like, your
favorite match out of, like, those, you know,the one that I really remember, I guess,
seeing.
Yeah.
One of the ones that we that we did reallywell, we had Ricky Morton.
He won the world title and won one year for us.
You know?
Like I said, we love Ricky.
(23:18):
We love his son, Carrie.
We love all the Mortons, but he did a great jobof that.
We also had like I said, it was great.
My buddy, Uli Waskin, came last year.
He come all the way from Nigeria to The UnitedStates.
Oh, wow.
All the way from Nigeria?
Yeah.
He flew into Florida, and he took a bus toNorth Carolina.
(23:38):
I picked him up here, and then we had to puthim back on a bus, he flew back out from
Florida.
He flew from from from Miami to Lagos.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
So you really are just getting worldwide talentfrom all over coming in and working with you.
(23:59):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ole Olaf, he's the head of our Africanoperations.
Yeah.
And they run yep.
They run-in Nigeria and, like, Cameroon and allthat stuff.
Yeah.
I noticed you even have an African hall offame.
I read something about that earlier.
I forgot about your
What about oh, yeah.
We're we're putting yeah.
Yeah.
(24:19):
We're putting some of the guys from down therethat's really helped our organization, and
we're putting them in our hall of fame, the AWFhall of fame.
It's what it is.
But AWF hall of fame, we got everybody, anybodyyou can think of, and all of them have worked
for us.
We got, like, China in there.
We had some of China's very first matches backin the day.
Wow.
China definitely still one that broke my heartwhen I was younger and definitely, like, I
(24:47):
loved seeing matches and being able to go backand watch old ones too is still awesome.
Yeah.
We got guys like Wahoo McDaniel in there whowho's a legend.
He he was part of our early beginnings.
Buddy Landell, who I mean, Buddy Landell couldhave been the NBA world champion if he showed
up.
You said the NWA?
(25:08):
Yeah.
He was supposed to beat Ric Flair for the NWAworld title.
Wow.
Back in the eighties.
And now Yeah.
You guys are the next NWA.
You're the new NWA when you think Good.
Doing what they did, but at a bet like, itfeels like it's, I don't know, more solid
operation where the gears are turning betterand things are more stable already.
(25:31):
I mean, the like, that's our thought processwas why can't you unite?
Why can't you work together?
Why can't you share your resources?
And, like, a lot of guys having problems, but,like, a lot of guys on our board actually used
to be on the NBA board.
Like, Blachard, who's the head of the inCanada, he's been on the NBA board.
I'm a friend Jim Miller.
He's the NBA president.
(25:52):
So
Wow.
So, yeah, I mean, you I guess you definitelyhave some good people around you.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
We're doing doing good things.
I mean, the industry is just it's crazy torealize how many people have, like, you know,
met this person or worked with that person orare friends with this person.
(26:15):
Like, my last interview, this guy is in theTexas death match, and he's fought New Jack.
Okay.
I New Jack used to live here in Greensboro.
I knew New Jack very well before he passed.
Wow.
See, like, that's things, like, you don'texpect.
You know?
But, like
Yeah.
Like, DJ, he was he was one of a kind in that,a very great guy.
(26:37):
But he was real.
That's I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it at that,but he was a he was a real guy.
That's what I hear from everybody.
I'm like, that's you know, it's great.
Look.
So do you have any like, I guess, have I askedabout any big events coming up or anything yet?
Well, we we we always have great events comingup.
(27:00):
Like I said, my my focus right now is gettingto our anniversary weekend, which is March 20
through March 22 in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
That's where we started, and that's that's theMay if you watch Andy Griffin show, that's
where Mayberry came from because Andy Griffin'sfrom there.
And they yeah.
They have a big Andy Griffin museum andeverything, but we got not one, not two, but
three days of pro wrestling action, Fridaythrough Sunday.
(27:24):
And that is just awesome.
I wish I could make it down there.
I might even have to try to make it down there.
So can you reveal anything that you plan to dothere yet, or is it still kind of under wraps?
Well, it's it's not under wraps, under wraps,but we're gonna have several title bouts that
have been signed already.
We also have been doing the ANBF Sensationalsixteen tournament, which has been, like,
(27:48):
different promotions have hosted it.
Like, it got hosted in Cameroon, Canada,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Madison, Indiana,
Matt here in Mount Air, North Carolina, butwe're West Virginia, but we're getting down to
the final four.
And the final four will be that weekendstarting on Friday, and and then finals will be
Saturday night.
(28:08):
And whoever wins that tournament, they winmoney, they win a future world title shot, and
god knows what other prizes.
That is awesome.
I'm Yeah. Glad
Glad appreciate it.
Get down
there to get some live coverage of it.
Yeah.
I we've been posting some of the matches.
And if you follow our TV program, it'll beacross the globe.
(28:32):
They've been putting updates every week onthere as they get them.
And like I said, you can get that on YouTube.
You can get it on like, there's a couplestations, like, Pittsburgh, in Chicago, in New
York City, and all that.
But, like, it's basically just look it up onYouTube or look it up on yeah.
Just look it up on YouTube, n o b f across theglobe every week.
And we're 35 episodes in right now.
(28:55):
So are there any countries that you guyshaven't expanded into yet that you want to or
plan to?
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's there's a couple, I think.
I've always wanted to get in New Zealand.
I haven't found anybody New Zealand doesn'thave as vibrant wrestling scene as you would
like.
And that's because we're doing great inAustralia.
Australia, they just had the former well, he'sTrevor Lee.
(29:19):
I forgot what they caught him in WWE.
But
That's gonna EME because I know it.
Oh, Cameron Brown just like caught him in WWE.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He we just he just fought for the the theAustralian championship recently, like, about
two months ago.
And so, like, they're doing really vibrant downthere.
(29:41):
We definitely wanna do more in Japan.
Japan is going okay, but we wanna expand overthere.
We got some big stuff going on in China.
We got several groups running events allthroughout China.
And so, like, it might be time to to crown achampionship out there.
They're doing, like, in multiple cities, youknow, from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
So
(30:02):
And then have you guys thought about doing whata lot of those sports and most are doing with
The Middle East expansion at all, or is thatkinda something that you don't wanna be a part
of?
I mean
We we we'd be open to it.
In The Middle East, we do work with a promotionin Dubai, and they they do pretty decent.
(30:22):
But that that's that's about as as far as wewent in The Middle East is like Dubai.
And mean, guys are great.
They're they're great guys, and, you know,they're they're doing what they do.
But they're not, like, they're not, like, richlike the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia.
You know what I'm saying?
No.
But and then, like, you know, we did greatIndia and Pakistan over the years because we
(30:43):
have a Pakistani group, and they run, like,like, a resort festival type circuit.
And then India god.
India, they had a free show that over 50,000people come to it out on the street.
Insanity.
Oh, that is just crazy.
But you gotta love it.
It just shows that wrestling is love no matterwhere you go.
(31:05):
People want to see wrestling.
Yeah.
They they did they did a great job, but theydon't run very often.
They run, like, couple shows a year.
Like I said, most of their shows are are free.
And, like, in Africa, their shows are, like alot of them are government are ran by the
government.
And it's they they do big stadiums, but, like,it's just kinda it's when you see it sometimes,
(31:26):
it's like, well, you know, thousand people, butit's a 5,000 person stadium.
You're like, damn.
But, like, yeah, they've ran, like, 5,000 seatstadiums over there in Africa.
Oh, wow.
That's Yeah.
They're just
I don't know.
Now.
And what what yeah.
Well, South Africa does great too.
They have something called the Coca Cola Rumbleevery year sponsored by Coca Cola.
(31:49):
And they sold out, like, about a 4,000 seatvenue down there.
Wow.
Sponsored by Coke, and we haven't heard of it.
That's crazy.
In South Africa.
Yeah.
And and the AWA, the African WrestlingAlliance.
Yeah.
Sean Koons runs it.
He's a German, actually, but he's lived inSouth Africa most of his life.
But he he's he wrestled kinda wrestled fortyyears now.
(32:13):
His claim to fame is he was tag team championsfor Otto Wance's CWA out in Germany and Austria
back in the day.
Oh, wow.
A promotion you definitely hear about when youlook anywhere at the history of wrestling or,
like, you know, worldwide wrestling and things.
Yeah.
I mean, CWA was fun.
That's where guys like Chris Benoit, WilliamRegal, Fit Finley, David Taylor.
(32:37):
Like, everybody went over there, and they theywould had torn seasons where they would tour
for several weeks.
And they talk about living in the caravans.
If you've heard Bradshaw talk about it, you'veheard William Regal talk about it his book,
they would live in the caravans for severalweeks and then go back home.
Yeah.
That's just I mean, that was how it was.
(32:58):
So
Yeah.
That's just
your opinion on the and this one, it's kindawrestling.
It's what's your opinion on the, like, theallowance of marijuana in the wrestling scene
now as it's become more widely accepted bywrestlers to smoke?
I I mean, I would just hope people knew when todo it on their own time and, like, not before
(33:20):
the matches.
I would hope people would know that.
Like, what you do in your own time is on you,and that's that's how I feel about it related
to any business, any wrestling, all that.
Just don't don't be high.
Don't be drunk before a match.
Yeah.
And I kinda share the same sentiment there.
I don't understand the point of, like, a lot ofpeople, you can see them backstage slamming
(33:42):
beers and not just that doesn't make sense tome.
That's dangerous.
Yeah.
You know, like, definitely after your match,it's cool.
Or it's it's cool to go to the bar.
It's cool to go wherever.
But, like, you know, respect who you're workingfor, respect who you're working with, and, you
know, try to do the best you can.
(34:03):
Exactly.
And then so you work in Texas.
What's your opinion on the lack of drug testingin Texas with wrestling?
Well, I mean, wrestling sports entertainment,brother.
Like, I don't I don't think anybody needs drugtested.
I just wonder with, like, the dangers andthings of with drugs possibly.
You know?
(34:24):
Well, man, you just have to, you know, makesure everybody's on up and up and they're
capable to perform.
Like, I have seen guys before that they werenot capable of performing.
You gotta set them out.
You gotta be like and sometimes you will haveto fire them and not bring them back.
But, like, you know, like, like, what you do onyour own time, again, that's on you.
But just be able to perform in in a in a safemanner.
(34:45):
Alright.
Yeah.
I get it.
Yeah.
I mean, that makes sense to me.
So did you guys start with a ring, or were youguys backyard back in when you started in 1992?
Oh, no.
My partner, mister Dean Puckett, he he wastrained by Wahoo McDaniel in 1988.
And he had the ring, and he he actually starteda funny story.
(35:08):
He started with a charity show.
He did a a show for some a kid that was sick,it just went from there, and it's kept
continuing because we've ran continuously inthat market since 1992, at least once a month.
Oh, wow.
That is awesome.
Yeah.
We even got a ticket for it during COVID.
So
(35:29):
That's great.
I mean, you guys Yeah.
We got We had a we got a fine from it because,you know, they shut down everything.
I hate to say it, like, it's great that youstill did it.
You know?
That's what I meant, but not great that you gotfine, but it's great that you still did it.
You know?
Yeah.
And, I mean yeah.
And, I mean, you just had to be safe, and wetried to be as safe as we could.
(35:51):
But, you know, it was a tough time foreverybody.
But like I said, we ran consistently up therein North Carolina since 1992.
And like me, personally, I promote events inseven states.
I promoted in Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia,Virginia, North Carolina.
I promoted in Tennessee, and I promoted inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(36:11):
So you just you go everywhere and you doeverything, it feels like.
You
Yeah.
I used to go everywhere and everywhere.
Yeah.
It didn't matter.
I was like, yep.
Cool.
Yeah.
I'll come around there.
Yep.
You want me to run?
Cool.
Yeah.
I'm coming.
And, like, yeah, like I said, I've I've had funwith it, and it's been good.
And, I mean, we've got a good, very strongorganization.
(36:34):
And, you know, the sky's the limit, man, andyou just gotta keep it that way.
Yeah.
Exactly.
And so I've noticed that it seems like AEWallows, you know, some of their, like, lower
talent to go in and do matches on theindependent scenes.
Have you tried working with any of them yet?
We've had a few of their guys over over theyears, but a lot of those guys, they're not I
(36:59):
would say they're they're not under contract,if you know what I'm saying.
They're on, a pay per deal with AEW.
They're match by match
kind of deal?
Yeah.
For the most part.
And they do let some of their guys like, Iknow, like, Billy Gunn has a deal, they were
letting him work for, like, QT Marshall, and hewas working for Scott Damore up up in Canada
(37:19):
from Maple Leaf.
You can't tell Billy Gunn no.
Yeah.
That's that's true.
And but, like, they are allowing you know,they're they're making them upset.
They're, you know, they're letting people workplaces if you if you just talk to them.
But another guy need to do.
Another guy speaking of a, David, another guythere that started with us.
(37:39):
Willie Yuta started with us.
Really?
Yeah.
He trained in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina atthe Academy down there.
So another question because I've noticed he'sbecome a real popular name and a driving force
in the independent scene.
Have you worked with Zillow Fatu?
I haven't worked with Zillow Fatu.
No.
(38:00):
But I I can see why he's become popular and andsuch, and he's got a certain aura about him,
which is marketable.
I mean, they all everyone in that family seemsto have their own aura and, like, their own,
like, personality and character, and it'scrazy.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, I mean, we grow up in it.
I mean and there's a lot of that out there.
(38:22):
Guys grow up in the industry, and and theycontinue to thrive.
I mean, Piper's daughter, Nevin, she's she'sdoing great.
I know her.
Yeah.
Yeah.
She's she's doing great, and I've I've seenlike I said, like, Carrie Moore, he's third
generation wrestling.
I think I think Carrie's amazing.
Absolutely.
(38:43):
I can see why you do.
But, I mean, yeah, there there's like yeah.
You gotta and, I mean, our whole goal on thelevel we're at is, like, finding the next big
thing.
And, like, you wanna find that next big thing,but then inevitably, they're gonna get signed.
But, again, another story from Ricky Morton.
(39:03):
Morton's he's told me too much in twenty years.
But he's like, you know, you're gonna see thesame people going up the ladder that you see
coming back down that ladder.
So try to be the best you can to everybody.
Don't be a dick.
You know?
Exactly.
And, like like, I've I've seen that so manytimes.
The guys get signed, and they come back down.
(39:26):
And, you know, they're on they're made moremoney by the than the regular guys on the show,
but they're in the same building that you'rein.
And you have to you have to think like that asa wrestler.
Like, and these guys are in the same buildingI'm in.
We're on equal footing.
You know, how much money you're making?
Like, I don't know.
I've heard a lot about, like, you know, a lotof, like, old guy old a lot of older legends.
(39:47):
You know?
Like, when they were on the Internet and they'dbe in a show, like, 20 people, I feel like
they're better than everyone because they madea thousand dollars for the show.
Mhmm.
But you're performing for 20 people for athousand dollars.
Yeah.
I mean and it's it's it's it's what it is.
Like, I mean, it's
in front of 20,000 or the guy who has.
But, I mean, they're also just trying to makeas much money as they can to survive.
(40:10):
Yeah.
And, like, you know, it's kinda sad in a way,but it's it's it's good that they can still
perform.
They can still make a living at it.
But, like, to the farther off television, theless draw power you have.
Exactly.
I mean, especially with a lot of them, youknow, not using social media.
(40:33):
But I guess we're getting a little, long here.
I've got one more question, and then I thinkI'm gonna let you go.
I just wanted to
ask,
who is your Mount Rushmore?
You know, like, your your top four.
Any any promotion, any wrestlers, all time,anywhere.
Yeah.
(40:53):
Ric Flair is obviously my number one.
I'm I'm a Carolina boy.
I mean, I I thought Ric Flair was the best boy.
Was from Carolina, it's always the nature boy.
It's always the way.
And I've I've I've met Rick several times, andwe actually had a son, Reed Flair, work for us
here in the NABF.
We had David too.
David's about to go in our hall of fame comingup in March.
But but Reed, yeah, Reed's in our hall of fame,and he he was working with us.
(41:17):
Right before he went to all Japan, then he cameback to America.
But, yeah, Ric Flair is number one for sure.
Number two, Rich Steamboat, man.
Another I know I'm I'm a southern guy, RichSteamboat and Flair, but also if you look at
Steamboat from his WWF run when he, like,fought savage and all that, Like, Rick
Steamboat was just a fabulous talent, and,like, he was he was a lot better show than he
(41:38):
was given credit for as well.
Well, yeah.
Absolutely.
Definitely.
I mean, that like, I try to, like, talk like,you make all the great points, you know, with
things.
It seems like you just you hit the points.
(41:59):
I I get I've been I've been in the game a longtime.
Third, I'm gonna I'm gonna go with SteveAustin.
I mean, Steve Austin is just iconic.
I mean, Stone Cold, that was the attitude era.
That was but even even before that, when he wasin WCW, Steve Austin, he was amazing talent.
Like, amazing with his his facials, with hiswith his moves, his technical moves.
(42:19):
He could brawl.
He he really do it all.
Yeah.
And
then it just Stone Cold just caught one.
I still strongly believe that Stone Cold is thereason we got the attitude era.
I believe that he kicked
Yeah.
1100%.
And then, like, my number four and it's justfor a lot of different reasons.
(42:41):
I'm a I'm a go with Mick Foley.
You what you can call him, catch Jack, mankind,whatever.
Foley just he put on a show, and he just he hadthat versatility.
And, I mean, he he was a world champion severaltimes, but he could do so many different
characters.
Like, he was different as Dude Love than he wasas Mankind.
He was different as Cactus Jack.
He could he could do the hardcore stuff.
He could do you know?
(43:02):
You just wanna see what the heck is this guygonna do next?
I mean, you never knew.
I mean, he could be hardcore, insane, a hippie,or himself.
Yeah.
And I just feel like he's a he's a humble guytoo, and he's, you know, he's done a lot of
(43:22):
good.
And you know?
But, like, I mean, he's he's very, I think,underrated when it comes to, you know, his time
at WCW, his time at WWF, etcetera.
I mean, he's a he's a true legend.
Yeah.
I mean and even his early career, it feels likepeople really don't give that the credit it
deserves.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's that's what talking about.
(43:42):
The running elbow drop off the apron that hewas famous for in WCW and in, like, Texas and
stuff.
Like, nobody else is doing stuff like that.
No.
He he kicked off a whole different, like, styleof moves that people started doing different
crazier things trying to come up with the nextcrazy move that would grab attention.
(44:03):
And even, like, at the only UWF pay per viewfor Herb Abrams, Mick Foley is the only guy
that went out in the crowd and brawled in frontof, you know, 500 fans in a 2,000, 3,000 seat
building.
Yeah.
Exactly.
But I think it's I think I'm gonna have to letyou go here.
(44:24):
It was great having you on, Matt.
Oh, yeah.
We can talk again.
I appreciate
all the stuff we have going on here.
I definitely wanna hear from you after thatgals in the Anderson show and all that.
But thank you
so brother.
You thank you.
(44:46):
You have a great day, and check us out onsocial media at a w f russling.
Thanks so much.
No problem.
Thank you for coming on here.
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