October 2, 2025 • 36 mins
Today on Brewsers, we talk to Ricky Stardust. We talk about his journey in pro wrestling, Top Tier Wrestling, and so much more. Follow us on instagram and twitter at Brewserspod. Like, share, review, enjoy and cheers. #brewsers #brewserspod #Enjoylife #DrinkLocal #Cheers
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Welcome to Bruisers podcast about be Your Coffee, Booze and Bruisers.
I'm your host, Rody John and today we talked to
Ricky Stardust. We talked about his journey in pro wrestling,
top tier wrestling, and so much more. This is such
a fun conversation and I feel like I barely scratched
the service of everything that Ricky Stardust has been doing.
But he will definitely tell his story of what he's
been doing and with top tier wrestling right after this. So,
(00:41):
without further ado, here is Ricky Stardust. I would like
to welcome a show he starred us. How are you
doing today, sir brother?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
How you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You're doing well? So for those listening kind of paintings
the word picture, where are you at?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
What's going on around you right now? Just finished a
barbecuing misteak for the family. I back a little gazebo
here and enjoying what's left of this. It's nice all yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Down here in Texas. We were just I'd say we're
just getting ball weather, but not really because it's still
roughly in the nineties.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So so I hate you already. Okay, I think we're
sitting around for twenty right now, that's fun. Yeah, so
good times. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
My brother is in Branford and so he will send
us pictures and I'm just like, nope, you can have it.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Bradford's about a half hour from here, so oh not
bad then, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, Well, let's go all the way back in time.
What is your earliest memory of progressing.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
My earliest memory for wrestling would probably be Randy the
Macho Man Savage putting a bell across Ricky Steamboat's throat
free WrestleMania three. That's that's that's I as a kid
on a Saturday morning, flipping through cartoons and everything else,
I stumbled onto this weird thing on television where guys
(02:23):
were beating the craft out of each other, and it
was literally like within five minutes, Randy Savage just dropped
that bell across Steamboat and I was like, I was
maybe six. I don't have to go back in time
to figure out the age, but I was in like
grade three, so yeah, it was a long time ago,
and cried like, oh my god, this guy's dying and
(02:44):
just I was tucked ever since then.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So yeah, I remember when I was a kid, like
superstars would come on at night, so it was the
Undertaker had locked Ultimate Warrior in a casket, and of
course they got him out eventually, but like that end
and then I have to go to sleep, like how
is it?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What are we doing? So you didn't even get to
the earlier like Papa sho times where like Warriors had
like black stuff oozing off his head and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I think one of the best like storylines that involved
the Ultimate Warrior was like, yeah, the whole Undertaker, Papa Shango,
like uh, Jake's Roberts like that whole like trying to
put an edge in a dark side to him, and
it was like looking back, you're like, this is not
what the Ultimate Warrior really was. But it actually worked
for him.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It worked to go on to that next plateau in him.
But you know, I mean, if nothing else had actually solidified,
like Jake Roberts to me is one of the all
time great braids in this business. That's solidified that he
can do anything and put anybody over. Was that whole
segment right, yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Because you always heard, i mean, especially now you so
many people complaining about working with Warrior, but I've never heard,
you know, Jake say anything bad about it.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Jake was one of those guys, and it was still
one of those guys, like he's going to be actually
up this way next month in some horror thing up
here in in the Falls. But he's one of those
guys that he's old school, was his rule. He knows
what he's good at, and he will never talk I
don't know if I want to smart on your podcast. Sorry,
I won't say a bad word about another worker because
(04:23):
he knows the business and he's not going to tank
the business. Like there were times obviously where he did
because he was, you know, with his demons and everything else.
But for the most part, he will never sit there
and talk poorly about something. He will always find that
back door to shine the light somewhere else's post of
the bad stuff. So I have to commend him for
his his his integrity and k faving as strong as
(04:44):
he does.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I love that. I never thought about that until you
mentioned it. Yeah, he does. He doesn't yet, like you said,
he'sn't shot on anybody. Obviously he did during his demon time,
but you know that was probably the demons talking to
anything else. When did you find out there was that?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Was when like like the amount of times he was
with story.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Oh no, go for it, go for it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh it was shortly thereafter, Like so WrestleMania three happened
shortly thereafter and back then again, I don't know the
age group of the people listening back was close captain stuff.
So my father took me to an arena where we
watched them this giant screen in the arena live as
(05:26):
it was like broadcast the world. And then from then
on it was like you'd go into the grocery store
or whatever and you'd pick up p W I or
you know, the nw A stuff or you know, w
W started having a magazine and you're just buying the
stuff and you read like chatting like New Japan sil
you'd find stuff that you could This is all before
the internet. This is all before really motives were out right,
(05:46):
so you literature was your your way of finding out
stuff Like I didn't find out about uh Leads of
Doom until I opened up a New Japan book and
saw them in some New Japan stuff like oh these guys.
Then you start seeing them and like the territories didn't wait,
and then you start seeing them coming into ww's like,
oh my god, these guys are awesome. So yeah, there's
(06:06):
evolution that way. Because again I'm old, right, So yeah,
that's the question that fifty really close. So you know,
and I grew up with reading books and trading trading
tapes and that was how we found out stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm I'm forty two, so I'm there with you.
I feel like we're that weird bridge between, like you said,
the analog time of trading the tape finding out what's
going on, but you had to wait months after because
you had to wait for the magazine to come out.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
And then of course obviously now I've said this so
many times now, if I was growing up now, I
probably wouldn't have any friends that weren't online because I
would just be watching wrestling. Well, you could literally watch
almost everything that's ever been done, and it during the weekends. Shit,
there are so many indie shows you can go to
while also wrestling on your phone if you wanted to.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Like it's it's insane. So I was seventy. I skipped
school for Samuel Jackson and Geena Davis and all the
people that were there. They said, hey, you guys can
be extra sting. Just sign this paper and mean actually
were all cool, and the guy says, what you're gonna hear?
You're gonna hear his clap three times this these two
pieces of wood like a bang bang bang, just lay
down because it's like, I guess it simulates an explosion
(07:18):
or something like that, like timing us. Well, it was
a dumb Mark. I was like, okay, I'm guys, so
I did a somersault bump on the concrete and there
happened to be a wrestling promoter. That be a wrestling
promoter who's there and he goes, hey, you a kid,
come here, you're like wrestling. Yeah, the wrestling was I
got Jim come come train on my gym. I'm like okay,
so and like from then I was talked like the
(07:39):
guy was a shady you know, Carnie prick. But that
got me in the business, and that got me, you know,
meeting the people that met and furthered me along and
I know I don't regret any of it, but it's yeah,
that's that's how I got in. I was I was
Mark kid who did a stupid stunt today as a
as an extra in a movie and just happened to
promoter roussad would.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
You looking back, have gone more into the movie side
or obviously, like you said, you wouldn't give back and
change what you've done in pro wrestling. But obviously looking back,
there's a bit of a difference between being a stuntman
and being.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
A pro wrestler. Again, we got to go back to,
you know, the nineties where we didn't have information like
we have now. Like if it was today's air ship,
I'd be all over that, you know. I mean I've
done some some you know, dark side of the Ring
and Tales of the Territory and stuff like that, and
that's great, but I you know, obviously a little bit
(08:35):
more it's gonna be taking a ship and Tales of
the Territory. That just made everybody laugh. So like to me,
that was great. So my kids can go on IMDb
and there I am so like, oh there's dad. Like see,
I'm famous for taking a ship on TV. Kids, So
this is what it is. Take your markoff. Just this
(08:57):
is what it is exactly. But yes, I would love
to do TV, love to do movies. But the path
I I carved for myself over the walk I took
led me down this road, and I wouldn't change anything
it's it's led me to some great people and like
I wouldn't change any of those memories.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So right, well, when you were coming up, like who
were some of the veterans that were kind of helping.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You alone, yay and may as far as helping me along,
but running in the same locker rooms, like there was
Rhino Edge Christian where they were in those locker rooms
right there was that I'm gonna kill myself or not
remember his name, Joey Legend before them were Key in Toronto,
which is just outside where I'm from, and Ron Hutchinson
(09:40):
those are his boys, and Ron Hudginson was one of
the guys who would train me back in the day.
So I would be around those guys and I would
listen and observe and I would just absorb what they're saying.
And then like you turn around, like, oh my god,
that guy's on TV. Like I just you know, you know,
eat chicken with him at the at the at the restaurant,
and like wow, because Jeremar, you don't know what the
(10:05):
that you see all this stuff, but back then, like
cafe was huge, you didn't know that stuff. Even Oh
my god, your sex and Hardcastle I just I just
saw you. It's a it was a weird flex. But
then after you guys like that, you had like Gaza
Killman Jr. And Uh, I'm trying to think some of
the big ones that were Tyson Duke's was a big
guy that I that I ran with back in the
day who had had a couple of sins. Uh, Cody Deaner,
(10:29):
Show Time, Eric Young, Crazy Steve. These are all guys
that I've either worked with or have them worked for
me in past company that these are all guys that
are like tremendous names, Danger Boy, Derek Wilde, she goes
by Ali now Uh, Courtney Rush who's now Hallid at
Hall Rosemary you know. I mean these are all people
(10:52):
that Josh Alexander was one of my students. Like, these
are all things that are you know. I mean again,
these are the evolution and like I learned from these
people so I could be able to give that information
to others. It's just it's amazing the connection that this
business has.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
No, it's very true. Now for those who haven't seen
your wrestled before, you know, obviously you've had a twenty
plus year career. Now what are three matches that people
should go out of their way to try to find.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Oh jeez, I see, we're respectful. I'm not all that's
all that over in the global world. But my last
match was actually making a movie up right now, which
is I'm really happy about with a kid who I
definitely believe people should be having their eyes open for
is with John de Luca. It was a cage match
(11:46):
for my final match, John DeLuca versus Dust at the
time because I was and I was probably one of
my most proud moments because I was able to leave
a lot of stuff there. Wow, if you can find
in the stuff with Winston Valentino, those are all good
things stuff. I'm proud of everything every time I've been
(12:09):
in the ring, like it's it's there's a done ship.
Don't get me wrong, but yeah, you know there's the
Johnny de Lucas stuff. I'm very proud of my if
you can catch it, that's probably out there where my
leg got snapped in half the arning. That was pretty cool,
you know. I mean, I've done I've done some stuff
and I've been with some people, so I don't know,
(12:30):
but the most proud thing was probably the last match
I had as sad as that probably is.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, No, I mean, like you said, you left everything
out there, and you know you were telling a story,
and I mean, you know we're talking about you're they're
making a movie about it, so walk us through. I mean,
when you finally do make that decision, because like you said,
we've seen you know, Edge comeback multiple times. We've seen
Christian come back a couple of times. Like these guys
are having second acts to their actually telling what they're
(12:59):
tire want to BMB see the same thing with Brian Danielson.
But when you're finally making that decision of like, you
know what, this this part of my career is done,
how does that decision happen? And how do you then decide?
All right, well, how's that, how's that last chapter gonna
be written?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Well, it was in my situation. It was kind of
weird because I had gone through it a really horrible
divorce and I was it's all during COVID and everything else.
And then, by the grace of God or whoever Allah,
whoever you pray to, I met my wife, my wife
now April Jones, who's wrestler as well, and we decided
(13:39):
towards the end of the my wrestling time that we
were going to start a company because we wanted to
do for the workers what a lot of promoters don't
do and take care of the boys in the back.
And as I was doing that, it's like, well, I
can't do both. I can't be a worker and I
can't be a boss, you know, I mean, there's too
much conflict of interests. I never worked for my own
company because I don't think it's I think that's the
worst thing anybody he can do. So I decided I
(14:05):
was going to retire, and then ironically the company I
was going to do my retirement match and was doing
a benefit show for the gentleman who trained me, which
was earnither earning the execution or more who died a
year prior due to Alzheimer's. And then compounding that with
I lost my parents. I lost my mother a couple
of months before that, I lost my father my year
(14:27):
before that, it was my son's birthday. Everything was sort
of falling on the same day, like, look, there cannot
be more stars aligned that. This is what I'm supposed
to do, you know, this is the time that I
can just proudly give a one hundred percent of this match.
Put everything into this match because I just came off
like a broken leg. I too knee surgeries to hipster
like I needed to go. My time was up, and
(14:52):
I did want to take time away from anybody else,
especial Johny Becuse. Johnny is a great kid. I've known
the kid for almost fifteen years now, and I would
was honored to have him in my final match in
a cage in my hometown for benefit for for Alzheimer's,
which my mother passed away from, as well for Ornymore
and I like, I had that moment in the ring
(15:12):
to you know, I didn't do what most guys do
and like say my goodbyes or anything like that. I
just sort of, you know, kneeled in the middle of
the ring, said a little walked up in the sunset.
And just so happens, this guy was filming this movie
and he'd been doing a little in my final chapter
(15:33):
like I want this, and I'm like, yeah, let's go
for it. So I'm a very to be part of
that and just send that message out and yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Where do we have an idea as to when people can.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
See that he was about to slip to some films
and stuff of that. I said, listen, I want one more,
a little one new because he found out that I
am part of a riding club, like a club, and
he wanted to do a little bit more of my
mom and uh, he said, I want to do a
little bit more filming and we'll you know, fifteen twenty minutes.
(16:07):
He uh, he's doing some stuff and he's gonna get
it out there. We have our Patreon in our channel
as well, where we said we'll happily put it on
for him. But I think it's too Uh. This is
a six part documentary series, so it's like six seven
(16:28):
hours long. So yeah, so it's like six chapters or
something like that, or five chapter when it goes guys
that are just breaking in the business, like it's fine,
like breaking business, loutit door stuff my ext right, pretty
much every chapter up so like you see the evolution
of startup. This he started in like twenty nineteen. Damn mhmm.
(16:56):
Something that's anyway, like that's that it's it's gonna be
my opus, right. It tells my story.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So I mean that's amazing because I know there's so
many guys and girls out there that do go a
whole career, and I mean I imagine you've also shared some
locker rooms with people that you know their story didn't
get told either, And it's you know, if you lived
in the area and you went to the shows and
you were a fan of the local wrestling, you knew
who these people were. But like you said, people maybe
(17:27):
on a national stage or even for you guys just
to province stage, they may not know you know who
you were, you or some of these other people were.
So it's awesome that your story is actually getting told.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, I know it was good, and it's it's sort
of on the heels of the OBW show those on
Netflix where you're going to see a lot of the
guys that, like, again, people wouldn't necessarily know of you
know what I mean, a lot of these guys, respectfully,
do need to have a story told. Like there's a
lot of tales from a territory and dark side of
the ring or stories that need to be told because
(17:58):
they're they're factual back in the day. But there's guys
out there today. There's a poor kid here who I
love to death, but decide you want to do some
some fucking hardcore shit and literally is at the hospital
now with like a collapse lung and some broken ribs.
I'm like, dude, why I just love this business man.
I'm like, dude, but like pay food. Yeah, but I've
(18:19):
got food and my tummy and my gas is will
my great But dude, yeah, you're like twenty five thirty,
Like what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
What's his names so people can look him up and
try to help him as they can.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh, he does have a was it a go fund
go fund me or whatever? Yeah, but his name's Tyler.
He's a good kid. I've used him on my shows.
I just feel bad that, you know, he got hurt
as bad as he did for you know, small crowd,
small money, you know what I mean. It's it's but
(18:50):
when you have that passion, I get it. I've done
it myself. It's it's it's a hard it's a hard
path to walk when you're obsessed with being a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
I mean that's why a lot of us are broken down.
That's why you see guys like Alex Luger with all
the all the stuff gone and now he can't even walk.
He's walking now, thank god. But buff bagwell losing his leg.
You know, Razormone dying recently, like the guys are dying
because the guys led a life, you know, I mean
they did stuff to their bodies to try and entertain us.
(19:20):
And you know, I mean that's at the point where
when the body stops, but the pain doesn't. Yeah, you know,
we sit und their other other devices and other other
ways to deal with that. And unfortunately, that's a path
that a lot of guys take, even now. As sad
as that is, and you know that's it ends careers quickly,
so sad.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I mean Kurt Angle didn't have a sip of alcohol
or doing any drugs before he got into the pro
wrestling business.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So yeah, exactly. Yeah, a lot of straight edge guys
they say, listen, I can't be as straight my more.
And I didn't mean that as anyhow your body gets
beat the hell.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
I mean if they find out they're gay through pro wrestling.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Like, hey, you know what, I've had a lot of
people riding in the club and guys asking about that ship.
You want if I rolled around around half naked with
with dudes for half my life, you want to talk ship,
we can talk ship, you know what I mean? Like
I've done it and I'm I'm here like you want
to you know what I mean. Some people don't have
(20:23):
a problem, but we have such an open door policy
in her locker room, Like we have some of the
greatest people, uh, all genders, all sexual preferences, all a
lot of Sunny Kiss is one of the most beautiful
people I've met my entire life, you know what I mean.
And the fact that they go out there and they're
just so like, I don't give a fuck, you know
I mean, I'm like, good for you, you know, and
(20:44):
you're killing it. Go go kill it, you know what
I mean. Like Giselle Shaw, Yeah, you know what I mean,
she's done a couple of our shows. You cannot ask
for a better person than as far as personality, right,
you know what I mean. Like she walk into that
locker room and she's like, I'm happy to be here.
Let's go. I give a ship, gaining my things, and
she shouldn't. She's done everything, she earned her respect right
(21:05):
exactly what I mean. But people still will throw shine
and it's like, dude, we'll kick you out. We've done
it good, you know what I mean. You sit there
and you want to talk ship, talk shit with talking
up in the parking lot. Don't do them, don't do
it my venue.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yeah, I do love it when I'm at a show
and somebody tries to do some stupid comment and a
crowd turns on them immediately, and I'm like, yep, that
ship don't fly here, buddy.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
No, not much. So yeah, you know what I mean.
We're we have a varios. You walk into a top
tier show and I'm not trying to put over top
tier anything like that, although I should.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Go right to go for it.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
But you walk, you walk in, you get like respect.
My wife and I we run a charity Swayful Johns
and I run a charity on top of Top of
your Rest, And we run a charity called Heart's Headlocks,
and we donate food to every food bank you can
think that. We donate uh, diapers and milk to women
in shelters, abuse shelters, make sure they have clothes and makeup,
(22:00):
and and we just continue to do this. But we
also give out twe and fifty tickets to the children's
camps in the city so that our Triviledge kids can
come to the show. That's awesome. So on top of that,
we have doctors, lawyers that come to our show. We
have bikers that come to our show. Gay, straight, black, white,
(22:22):
It doesn't matter. You walk through the doors and every
person in there knows we're all one here because this
is a cre nation where we're family. There's never been
one incident of a fight. There's never been one incident
of hate shave except for the one time, and that
was our second show, and it was watched like I
do that quick, everybody saw it. It's never happened again because, respectfully, Marian,
(22:46):
you all paying your fucking money to watch a show.
You're all treated the same here. Our staff are all
paid be here entertaining respect them and we have not
had a problem. And that that's the one thing I
love about this business. With the right people, you can
have a business where you were proud to be like, yeah,
that's mine. These are my people. And like you ask
(23:07):
any person that's walked into my lot, I treat every
person call them my family. Because while you're there my family,
who like family. We'll talk to you like family, respect
you like family. And that's it's why we started our
company because so many times, as you know, yeah, it
was just like promoters for the most part. And I
(23:29):
say this respectfully to promoters, not all, but there are
a lot of you that don't treat your staff well. Right,
you're not wrong, and when you come to our show,
we want to make sure, like again, your brothers, your sisters,
you're paid, you're fed, You're in a room where you're safe.
You've got security watching you, you know. I mean, you've
got plenty of room to you know, work out your
(23:49):
stuff and feel clean and protected. But at the same time,
you have zero point zero issue walking out to those
people because those people love you. They came and spend
their money and they show you that admiration, that love,
and that's what it's. There's no place other than Ontario
I've ever been to, and I've been all of the
you know, the territories and stuff. I've never ever found
(24:11):
a city like Toronto that treats wrestlers as good as
Hamilton does. It's like we're Hamilton is home. Like it's
we are wrestling as Hamilton. It's the weirdest thing. We've
got so many guys that come out of here, like
Billy red Lyons and the Toast Brothers and Earning the
Executioner more, you know, what I mean like thisis is long,
(24:31):
Like I can name off thirty but they're all old
school guys. But you know what I mean that we're
rich here and and the city knows it and they
respect it and they love it, and they're feeding into
their children and their grandchildren and it's like it's it's
an amazing, heartwarming thing to see. I'm like, shit, we're
part of this, we were building this, you know what
I mean. It makes me like happy, Like I don't
(24:53):
have to make millions of dollars doing this. I've got
three other businesses. This business is my passion. This is
what we're doing to provide for the community, for the
for the talent. Yeah, I'll keep doing it until I
can't afford to do it anymore.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
So hell yeah, Now I love that because you guys are,
like you said, you're giving something to the community. You're
also have the charity, you're helping everybody around you, and
you're also giving a platform to these performers that come
through here who you know want to be on that
next level or sometimes just want to do it because
you know, they just want to do it through the
weekends and they enjoy it. And then if they be
(25:27):
locally as good as they can get.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
I I respectfully, I love them for doing that, but
I try not to book weekend Warriors, gotcha? You know?
I mean? Yes, we all need to we all need
to make money and work. But you need to take
pride in who you are as a worker. You need
to take pride in your body. Come to the show
in shape, good gear, good attitude, you know what I mean.
(25:53):
Like there's a define line between backyard and indie top
tier and you know pun intended and the show. You
know what I mean. That's and that's the talent and
the talent need to learn at a very young age.
Looks like you want to do this, You've got to invest.
You gotta you gotta sleep in your car sometimes, you
(26:13):
gotta eat Ramen, you know what I mean. Like you
got to invest in yourself. Like Johnny Luca, who I
mentioned you before, his parents made him a deal. He
went to College's got his degree. Sorry, I went to university,
got a degree. They gave him one year to go
out and chase his dream. He's out there, he's sleeping
in cars so you know, people's couches, doing everything he
can to get as many bookings. Across North America as
(26:35):
he can. The kid's been on WWE television more times
than I can count, just doing like the background noise
where he's working security or whatever. But he's doing everything
and he's doing it right, you know what I mean.
And that's fantastic. But that's what a lot of kids
don't do. They show up on Saturday. They take twenty
bucks in a handshake if they're lucky to work in
front of twenty or thirty people for a shady promoter
(26:57):
who does not a book, does not a promote, and
where's it get them? Yes, they have a match, but
where does it get you? Yeah? Who saw you? What
did you do? How does that help your career? We
all got to start somewhere. But when you get comfortable,
when you sit in that mire, how does that help
you as the rest? How's that help the business? Right?
So you know what I mean, there's there's there's plus
and minuses to everything. But yeah, we try to make
(27:18):
sure that our talents, Like if you look at anybody
on our Ross Guarantee, they're pretty much booked every weekend,
like all weekend. There's nobody that's just working here there
or whatever. Like our talent is hard to place because
they're always books somewhere. I love that.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Well, when how long has the company been around?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Now we're just going into our third year.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
That's amazing. Yeah, So what would you tell yourself if
you go back in time before your first year?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Uh, don't let the down days. Body there on truck
in because there there is that let at you know,
I tell you there there is Keep doing what you're
doing because people will come. Then, people will appreciate that.
People will send you the most beautiful emails and text
messages that people will like. I have more loves as
(28:14):
a promoter owner of this company now than I ever
did as a wrestler. Amout of fans that I interact
with now, I am, I feel I'm more personal. People
tell me about their histories, their lives, et cetera. We
have fans from all walks of life that you know.
I'm on position. One father comes with his two young
boys that were born like I think they're born three
(28:35):
pounds each is twins and one is deaf and one
has severe health issues. And like he comes to show
he's like I need this, you know, I mean, I
love wrestling. I love love is my kids and to
the point now where his kids will send me messages,
one will send me stuff in and maybe have to
figure it out. I've got the Starlights that come to
(28:58):
we have a Christmas show every yar they come to
Oorchristmas shows. We get them toys every year. And the
love and the respect and and the admiration that these
kids get for the battles that they it's just it's
don't let the downtimes fuck with you, because there is
a light at the end. That is what I would
tell myself.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I love that so much. Well, I mean, twenty twenty
six is right around the corner. What do you guys
have planned for twenty twenty six?
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah, well I got a k fabe some stuff. But
obviously our big one now is Yeah, November twenty ninth,
we have our big Christmas show. So any person that comes,
they can either buy a ticket like normal, or if
you donate a brand new, unwrapped or unopen toy, you
(29:47):
give free admittance into the show. All toys go to
the Starlet Children's Foundation to help these families give their
kids a good Christmas. That's our big thing. But on
with that show, I'm happy to nd out that's a
crazy Steve will be back, Cody Diner will be back,
Gringle Local will be back. T J Perkins will be back.
(30:10):
We've got a massive Another guy you got to keep
your eyes open for, legitimately is Jesse Bieber. This kid
is If you don't see him in TNA in the
next six months, I would I would fall off my chair.
This kid is untapped talent that just getting a look.
Now he's got to try up, coming up. So I'm
gonna get my my my eyes on it because he's
a great kid and he's done a lot of a
lot of good things. Taylor Rising, who's in TNA or
(30:33):
not t A sorry n w A. She's on the card.
So he kisses coming back like it's a stacked card.
And the best part is for the fans. It's free
for toy if you do something for you for there's
some wrong stuff with my phone. I'm telling you, I'll
hear me.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, you'll be good.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Jesus Christ, I'll all uh yeah, okay, well I won't okay,
you won't have it nothing. Everything's perfect. We we just
had a phone call last night that uh streaming for
this next show. A gentleman wants or a company wants
(31:17):
to start streaming our show. So no matter if you're
in Hamilton, if you're in timbuckto Texas, Asia, wherever, you'll
be able to stream our show live. So that is
something massively huge for us. Yeah, I'm not gonna say,
but maybe maybe a kick in the pants a little
you're a little kick there, just saying I mean, you're
(31:39):
picking up with the kick I'm putting down, but I'm
picking up with. I'm not dropping any names or nothing.
Don't make me kick the ship out of you. You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
I won't make you come down here just to do that.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
I've been to the ALBUMA. I'm good. We're good, you guys.
You guys actually taught me what a breakfast brito was
like twenty years ago. Yeah, yeah, Texas.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Get yourself at breakfast brito when you're down here. Obviously,
the barbecue is fantastic as well, our Texas it is.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, there's a lot of great food options here in
the state of Texas.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Oh yeah, no, I got fat there. That's it's all good.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
That's why I go to the gym every day.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Same but it doesn't help. Man, the calories, don't. I
can't put that much time in. I went to the
river Walk. All those stuff out on the Riverwalk there.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
We used to go down there every year. My group
of friends and I shout out to the Banana Bunch
and we would we every year. It was always caeso
and margaritas and Sodasa is a real thing and we
love it.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Dude again, I was in my twenties there for work,
and dude, I got the guy tolenty. Have you ever
had Britos? I'm like, you know, what the fuck is
a burrito? You gotta have it. I've had Brits, you
mean beans and Jesus, but no, no, no, no, breakfast, my breakfast.
And you go there. It's like thirty different kinds of
Britles you can have there. It's like a little chip
wagon on a side of the room, Like what the fuck?
And I got two of them. I couldn't even finish them. Yeah,
(33:03):
these were huge, like five bucks. I couldn't finish them,
Like what the hell? Yeah that's there you go, Texas.
I'll give you that all day long breakfast burritos. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I love it. I love Pootine, so I love that
I'll tell you that I'm trying to figure out how
to make Southern poutine, which basically is gonna be sausage,
white gravy on top of the fry. And I'm thinking
waffle fry because that's to hold everything. And then you know,
we'll probably do the cheeseau.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Yeah, you need the curd. That's that's what holds it together. Right.
This is well, obviously the place that we ride to
go ahead, No.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
I was gonna say that nice little cheese on top.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We do. But there's a place so we go riding.
Uh So, if everybody's in Brandford, there's a place short
close to him called Turkey Point and it's along the
Erie Erie Lake, like Lake Erie Great Lake. And these
they invented pickle fried poutine. Pickle fried poutine pickle So
(34:00):
picture poutine with a pickle mail oh fresh, like shredded
pickle on it, and like this thing's massively I can't.
I'm a big boy, you know what I mean. I
don't know like grocer anything like, I mean, like I
can eat and I can't finish it.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Wow, Okay, and.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
It's it's and it's a good prices. It's like they
they claim that they invented the pickle poutine, and whether
they did or they didn't, I don't give a shit.
It's delicious. And then if you're anywhere near the area,
go get it. I will be getting fat.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Yeah you go the end of April next year, I'm
gonna be up there, so.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
We'll make sure you coordinate with us and maybe we'll
get together. Don't care to show or something, oh.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Without it out? Yeah, I will definitely make sure to
hit you guys up before I had.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah, my Bradford's sold Soppa grounds for me. It's parts jump.
My parents are actually buried Brafford, so the nice Well,
there you go.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
If people want to find out more about you, follow
you online obviously come to the top two wrestling shows.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
How can they do all the things well? Instagram, top Tier,
Underscore Wrestling, Facebook is Top Tier Wrestling. You are ELA's
Top Tier Wrestling dot Com. You can find us on
our YouTube channel a top Tier Wrestling, and you can
find us on Patreon for the elite the elites of
the matches that you don't see on YouTube at Patreon
(35:23):
Forward slash top Tier Wrestling.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Perfect, Ricky, thank you so much. I feel like we
just scratched the service, and we will definitely do this again,
but we're gonna do it in person, and we're gonna
do it next year.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
So my pleasure serve my pleasures.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Thank you for having me, no problem, Thank you so
much to Ricky for being on the show again. Definitely
make sure to go check out Top Tier Wrestling whenever
you can. Obviously check them out on social media and
(35:55):
on YouTube and find out what Ricky is doing as
well on social media. Are doing that, make sure to
follow us on social media. It is bruisers Pod. That
is b R e W S c R S b
O D on the instagram of the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to send us an email, it is
bruiserspot dot gmail dot com. If you want to follow
me directly, it is Roady John. That is r O
d I E j O N or Roddy John is
(36:16):
the name on the Twitter and an untapped case you
want to find out what I'm drinking, maybe're gonna have
a beer together. If you want to follow me on
the threads or the instagram, it is a fisher Ardy John.
So until next time, make sure to enjoy life, drink local,
and cheers,
Welcome to Bruisers podcast about be Your Coffee, Booze and Bruisers.
I'm your host, Rody John and today we talked to
Ricky Stardust. We talked about his journey in pro wrestling,
top tier wrestling, and so much more. This is such
a fun conversation and I feel like I barely scratched
the service of everything that Ricky Stardust has been doing.
But he will definitely tell his story of what he's
been doing and with top tier wrestling right after this. So,
(00:41):
without further ado, here is Ricky Stardust. I would like
to welcome a show he starred us. How are you
doing today, sir brother?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
How you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You're doing well? So for those listening kind of paintings
the word picture, where are you at?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
What's going on around you right now? Just finished a
barbecuing misteak for the family. I back a little gazebo
here and enjoying what's left of this. It's nice all yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Down here in Texas. We were just I'd say we're
just getting ball weather, but not really because it's still
roughly in the nineties.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So so I hate you already. Okay, I think we're
sitting around for twenty right now, that's fun. Yeah, so
good times. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
My brother is in Branford and so he will send
us pictures and I'm just like, nope, you can have it.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Bradford's about a half hour from here, so oh not
bad then, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, Well, let's go all the way back in time.
What is your earliest memory of progressing.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
My earliest memory for wrestling would probably be Randy the
Macho Man Savage putting a bell across Ricky Steamboat's throat
free WrestleMania three. That's that's that's I as a kid
on a Saturday morning, flipping through cartoons and everything else,
I stumbled onto this weird thing on television where guys
(02:23):
were beating the craft out of each other, and it
was literally like within five minutes, Randy Savage just dropped
that bell across Steamboat and I was like, I was
maybe six. I don't have to go back in time
to figure out the age, but I was in like
grade three, so yeah, it was a long time ago,
and cried like, oh my god, this guy's dying and
(02:44):
just I was tucked ever since then.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So yeah, I remember when I was a kid, like
superstars would come on at night, so it was the
Undertaker had locked Ultimate Warrior in a casket, and of
course they got him out eventually, but like that end
and then I have to go to sleep, like how
is it?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What are we doing? So you didn't even get to
the earlier like Papa sho times where like Warriors had
like black stuff oozing off his head and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I think one of the best like storylines that involved
the Ultimate Warrior was like, yeah, the whole Undertaker, Papa Shango,
like uh, Jake's Roberts like that whole like trying to
put an edge in a dark side to him, and
it was like looking back, you're like, this is not
what the Ultimate Warrior really was. But it actually worked
for him.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It worked to go on to that next plateau in him.
But you know, I mean, if nothing else had actually solidified,
like Jake Roberts to me is one of the all
time great braids in this business. That's solidified that he
can do anything and put anybody over. Was that whole
segment right, yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Because you always heard, i mean, especially now you so
many people complaining about working with Warrior, but I've never heard,
you know, Jake say anything bad about it.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Jake was one of those guys, and it was still
one of those guys, like he's going to be actually
up this way next month in some horror thing up
here in in the Falls. But he's one of those
guys that he's old school, was his rule. He knows
what he's good at, and he will never talk I
don't know if I want to smart on your podcast. Sorry,
I won't say a bad word about another worker because
(04:23):
he knows the business and he's not going to tank
the business. Like there were times obviously where he did
because he was, you know, with his demons and everything else.
But for the most part, he will never sit there
and talk poorly about something. He will always find that
back door to shine the light somewhere else's post of
the bad stuff. So I have to commend him for
his his his integrity and k faving as strong as
(04:44):
he does.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I love that. I never thought about that until you
mentioned it. Yeah, he does. He doesn't yet, like you said,
he'sn't shot on anybody. Obviously he did during his demon time,
but you know that was probably the demons talking to
anything else. When did you find out there was that?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Was when like like the amount of times he was
with story.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Oh no, go for it, go for it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh it was shortly thereafter, Like so WrestleMania three happened
shortly thereafter and back then again, I don't know the
age group of the people listening back was close captain stuff.
So my father took me to an arena where we
watched them this giant screen in the arena live as
(05:26):
it was like broadcast the world. And then from then
on it was like you'd go into the grocery store
or whatever and you'd pick up p W I or
you know, the nw A stuff or you know, w
W started having a magazine and you're just buying the
stuff and you read like chatting like New Japan sil
you'd find stuff that you could This is all before
the internet. This is all before really motives were out right,
(05:46):
so you literature was your your way of finding out
stuff Like I didn't find out about uh Leads of
Doom until I opened up a New Japan book and
saw them in some New Japan stuff like oh these guys.
Then you start seeing them and like the territories didn't wait,
and then you start seeing them coming into ww's like,
oh my god, these guys are awesome. So yeah, there's
(06:06):
evolution that way. Because again I'm old, right, So yeah,
that's the question that fifty really close. So you know,
and I grew up with reading books and trading trading
tapes and that was how we found out stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'm I'm forty two, so I'm there with you.
I feel like we're that weird bridge between, like you said,
the analog time of trading the tape finding out what's
going on, but you had to wait months after because
you had to wait for the magazine to come out.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
And then of course obviously now I've said this so
many times now, if I was growing up now, I
probably wouldn't have any friends that weren't online because I
would just be watching wrestling. Well, you could literally watch
almost everything that's ever been done, and it during the weekends. Shit,
there are so many indie shows you can go to
while also wrestling on your phone if you wanted to.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Like it's it's insane. So I was seventy. I skipped
school for Samuel Jackson and Geena Davis and all the
people that were there. They said, hey, you guys can
be extra sting. Just sign this paper and mean actually
were all cool, and the guy says, what you're gonna hear?
You're gonna hear his clap three times this these two
pieces of wood like a bang bang bang, just lay
down because it's like, I guess it simulates an explosion
(07:18):
or something like that, like timing us. Well, it was
a dumb Mark. I was like, okay, I'm guys, so
I did a somersault bump on the concrete and there
happened to be a wrestling promoter. That be a wrestling
promoter who's there and he goes, hey, you a kid,
come here, you're like wrestling. Yeah, the wrestling was I
got Jim come come train on my gym. I'm like okay,
so and like from then I was talked like the
(07:39):
guy was a shady you know, Carnie prick. But that
got me in the business, and that got me, you know,
meeting the people that met and furthered me along and
I know I don't regret any of it, but it's yeah,
that's that's how I got in. I was I was
Mark kid who did a stupid stunt today as a
as an extra in a movie and just happened to
promoter roussad would.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
You looking back, have gone more into the movie side
or obviously, like you said, you wouldn't give back and
change what you've done in pro wrestling. But obviously looking back,
there's a bit of a difference between being a stuntman
and being.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
A pro wrestler. Again, we got to go back to,
you know, the nineties where we didn't have information like
we have now. Like if it was today's air ship,
I'd be all over that, you know. I mean I've
done some some you know, dark side of the Ring
and Tales of the Territory and stuff like that, and
that's great, but I you know, obviously a little bit
(08:35):
more it's gonna be taking a ship and Tales of
the Territory. That just made everybody laugh. So like to me,
that was great. So my kids can go on IMDb
and there I am so like, oh there's dad. Like see,
I'm famous for taking a ship on TV. Kids, So
this is what it is. Take your markoff. Just this
(08:57):
is what it is exactly. But yes, I would love
to do TV, love to do movies. But the path
I I carved for myself over the walk I took
led me down this road, and I wouldn't change anything
it's it's led me to some great people and like
I wouldn't change any of those memories.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So right, well, when you were coming up, like who
were some of the veterans that were kind of helping.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You alone, yay and may as far as helping me along,
but running in the same locker rooms, like there was
Rhino Edge Christian where they were in those locker rooms
right there was that I'm gonna kill myself or not
remember his name, Joey Legend before them were Key in Toronto,
which is just outside where I'm from, and Ron Hutchinson
(09:40):
those are his boys, and Ron Hudginson was one of
the guys who would train me back in the day.
So I would be around those guys and I would
listen and observe and I would just absorb what they're saying.
And then like you turn around, like, oh my god,
that guy's on TV. Like I just you know, you know,
eat chicken with him at the at the at the restaurant,
and like wow, because Jeremar, you don't know what the
(10:05):
that you see all this stuff, but back then, like
cafe was huge, you didn't know that stuff. Even Oh
my god, your sex and Hardcastle I just I just
saw you. It's a it was a weird flex. But
then after you guys like that, you had like Gaza
Killman Jr. And Uh, I'm trying to think some of
the big ones that were Tyson Duke's was a big
guy that I that I ran with back in the
day who had had a couple of sins. Uh, Cody Deaner,
(10:29):
Show Time, Eric Young, Crazy Steve. These are all guys
that I've either worked with or have them worked for
me in past company that these are all guys that
are like tremendous names, Danger Boy, Derek Wilde, she goes
by Ali now Uh, Courtney Rush who's now Hallid at
Hall Rosemary you know. I mean these are all people
(10:52):
that Josh Alexander was one of my students. Like, these
are all things that are you know. I mean again,
these are the evolution and like I learned from these
people so I could be able to give that information
to others. It's just it's amazing the connection that this
business has.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
No, it's very true. Now for those who haven't seen
your wrestled before, you know, obviously you've had a twenty
plus year career. Now what are three matches that people
should go out of their way to try to find.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Oh jeez, I see, we're respectful. I'm not all that's
all that over in the global world. But my last
match was actually making a movie up right now, which
is I'm really happy about with a kid who I
definitely believe people should be having their eyes open for
is with John de Luca. It was a cage match
(11:46):
for my final match, John DeLuca versus Dust at the
time because I was and I was probably one of
my most proud moments because I was able to leave
a lot of stuff there. Wow, if you can find
in the stuff with Winston Valentino, those are all good
things stuff. I'm proud of everything every time I've been
(12:09):
in the ring, like it's it's there's a done ship.
Don't get me wrong, but yeah, you know there's the
Johnny de Lucas stuff. I'm very proud of my if
you can catch it, that's probably out there where my
leg got snapped in half the arning. That was pretty cool,
you know. I mean, I've done I've done some stuff
and I've been with some people, so I don't know,
(12:30):
but the most proud thing was probably the last match
I had as sad as that probably is.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, No, I mean, like you said, you left everything
out there, and you know you were telling a story,
and I mean, you know we're talking about you're they're
making a movie about it, so walk us through. I mean,
when you finally do make that decision, because like you said,
we've seen you know, Edge comeback multiple times. We've seen
Christian come back a couple of times. Like these guys
are having second acts to their actually telling what they're
(12:59):
tire want to BMB see the same thing with Brian Danielson.
But when you're finally making that decision of like, you
know what, this this part of my career is done,
how does that decision happen? And how do you then decide?
All right, well, how's that, how's that last chapter gonna
be written?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Well, it was in my situation. It was kind of
weird because I had gone through it a really horrible
divorce and I was it's all during COVID and everything else.
And then, by the grace of God or whoever Allah,
whoever you pray to, I met my wife, my wife
now April Jones, who's wrestler as well, and we decided
(13:39):
towards the end of the my wrestling time that we
were going to start a company because we wanted to
do for the workers what a lot of promoters don't
do and take care of the boys in the back.
And as I was doing that, it's like, well, I
can't do both. I can't be a worker and I
can't be a boss, you know, I mean, there's too
much conflict of interests. I never worked for my own
company because I don't think it's I think that's the
worst thing anybody he can do. So I decided I
(14:05):
was going to retire, and then ironically the company I
was going to do my retirement match and was doing
a benefit show for the gentleman who trained me, which
was earnither earning the execution or more who died a
year prior due to Alzheimer's. And then compounding that with
I lost my parents. I lost my mother a couple
of months before that, I lost my father my year
(14:27):
before that, it was my son's birthday. Everything was sort
of falling on the same day, like, look, there cannot
be more stars aligned that. This is what I'm supposed
to do, you know, this is the time that I
can just proudly give a one hundred percent of this match.
Put everything into this match because I just came off
like a broken leg. I too knee surgeries to hipster
like I needed to go. My time was up, and
(14:52):
I did want to take time away from anybody else,
especial Johny Becuse. Johnny is a great kid. I've known
the kid for almost fifteen years now, and I would
was honored to have him in my final match in
a cage in my hometown for benefit for for Alzheimer's,
which my mother passed away from, as well for Ornymore
and I like, I had that moment in the ring
(15:12):
to you know, I didn't do what most guys do
and like say my goodbyes or anything like that. I
just sort of, you know, kneeled in the middle of
the ring, said a little walked up in the sunset.
And just so happens, this guy was filming this movie
and he'd been doing a little in my final chapter
(15:33):
like I want this, and I'm like, yeah, let's go
for it. So I'm a very to be part of
that and just send that message out and yeah, that's.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Where do we have an idea as to when people can.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
See that he was about to slip to some films
and stuff of that. I said, listen, I want one more,
a little one new because he found out that I
am part of a riding club, like a club, and
he wanted to do a little bit more of my
mom and uh, he said, I want to do a
little bit more filming and we'll you know, fifteen twenty minutes.
(16:07):
He uh, he's doing some stuff and he's gonna get
it out there. We have our Patreon in our channel
as well, where we said we'll happily put it on
for him. But I think it's too Uh. This is
a six part documentary series, so it's like six seven
(16:28):
hours long. So yeah, so it's like six chapters or
something like that, or five chapter when it goes guys
that are just breaking in the business, like it's fine,
like breaking business, loutit door stuff my ext right, pretty
much every chapter up so like you see the evolution
of startup. This he started in like twenty nineteen. Damn mhmm.
(16:56):
Something that's anyway, like that's that it's it's gonna be
my opus, right. It tells my story.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So I mean that's amazing because I know there's so
many guys and girls out there that do go a
whole career, and I mean I imagine you've also shared some
locker rooms with people that you know their story didn't
get told either, And it's you know, if you lived
in the area and you went to the shows and
you were a fan of the local wrestling, you knew
who these people were. But like you said, people maybe
(17:27):
on a national stage or even for you guys just
to province stage, they may not know you know who
you were, you or some of these other people were.
So it's awesome that your story is actually getting told.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, I know it was good, and it's it's sort
of on the heels of the OBW show those on
Netflix where you're going to see a lot of the
guys that, like, again, people wouldn't necessarily know of you
know what I mean, a lot of these guys, respectfully,
do need to have a story told. Like there's a
lot of tales from a territory and dark side of
the ring or stories that need to be told because
(17:58):
they're they're factual back in the day. But there's guys
out there today. There's a poor kid here who I
love to death, but decide you want to do some
some fucking hardcore shit and literally is at the hospital
now with like a collapse lung and some broken ribs.
I'm like, dude, why I just love this business man.
I'm like, dude, but like pay food. Yeah, but I've
(18:19):
got food and my tummy and my gas is will
my great But dude, yeah, you're like twenty five thirty,
Like what are you doing?
Speaker 1 (18:25):
What's his names so people can look him up and
try to help him as they can.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh, he does have a was it a go fund
go fund me or whatever? Yeah, but his name's Tyler.
He's a good kid. I've used him on my shows.
I just feel bad that, you know, he got hurt
as bad as he did for you know, small crowd,
small money, you know what I mean. It's it's but
(18:50):
when you have that passion, I get it. I've done
it myself. It's it's it's a hard it's a hard
path to walk when you're obsessed with being a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
I mean that's why a lot of us are broken down.
That's why you see guys like Alex Luger with all
the all the stuff gone and now he can't even walk.
He's walking now, thank god. But buff bagwell losing his leg.
You know, Razormone dying recently, like the guys are dying
because the guys led a life, you know, I mean
they did stuff to their bodies to try and entertain us.
(19:20):
And you know, I mean that's at the point where
when the body stops, but the pain doesn't. Yeah, you know,
we sit und their other other devices and other other
ways to deal with that. And unfortunately, that's a path
that a lot of guys take, even now. As sad
as that is, and you know that's it ends careers quickly,
so sad.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I mean Kurt Angle didn't have a sip of alcohol
or doing any drugs before he got into the pro
wrestling business.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So yeah, exactly. Yeah, a lot of straight edge guys
they say, listen, I can't be as straight my more.
And I didn't mean that as anyhow your body gets
beat the hell.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
I mean if they find out they're gay through pro wrestling.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Like, hey, you know what, I've had a lot of
people riding in the club and guys asking about that ship.
You want if I rolled around around half naked with
with dudes for half my life, you want to talk ship,
we can talk ship, you know what I mean? Like
I've done it and I'm I'm here like you want
to you know what I mean. Some people don't have
(20:23):
a problem, but we have such an open door policy
in her locker room, Like we have some of the
greatest people, uh, all genders, all sexual preferences, all a
lot of Sunny Kiss is one of the most beautiful
people I've met my entire life, you know what I mean.
And the fact that they go out there and they're
just so like, I don't give a fuck, you know
I mean, I'm like, good for you, you know, and
(20:44):
you're killing it. Go go kill it, you know what
I mean. Like Giselle Shaw, Yeah, you know what I mean,
she's done a couple of our shows. You cannot ask
for a better person than as far as personality, right,
you know what I mean. Like she walk into that
locker room and she's like, I'm happy to be here.
Let's go. I give a ship, gaining my things, and
she shouldn't. She's done everything, she earned her respect right
(21:05):
exactly what I mean. But people still will throw shine
and it's like, dude, we'll kick you out. We've done
it good, you know what I mean. You sit there
and you want to talk ship, talk shit with talking
up in the parking lot. Don't do them, don't do
it my venue.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yeah, I do love it when I'm at a show
and somebody tries to do some stupid comment and a
crowd turns on them immediately, and I'm like, yep, that
ship don't fly here, buddy.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
No, not much. So yeah, you know what I mean.
We're we have a varios. You walk into a top
tier show and I'm not trying to put over top
tier anything like that, although I should.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Go right to go for it.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
But you walk, you walk in, you get like respect.
My wife and I we run a charity Swayful Johns
and I run a charity on top of Top of
your Rest, And we run a charity called Heart's Headlocks,
and we donate food to every food bank you can
think that. We donate uh, diapers and milk to women
in shelters, abuse shelters, make sure they have clothes and makeup,
(22:00):
and and we just continue to do this. But we
also give out twe and fifty tickets to the children's
camps in the city so that our Triviledge kids can
come to the show. That's awesome. So on top of that,
we have doctors, lawyers that come to our show. We
have bikers that come to our show. Gay, straight, black, white,
(22:22):
It doesn't matter. You walk through the doors and every
person in there knows we're all one here because this
is a cre nation where we're family. There's never been
one incident of a fight. There's never been one incident
of hate shave except for the one time, and that
was our second show, and it was watched like I
do that quick, everybody saw it. It's never happened again because, respectfully, Marian,
(22:46):
you all paying your fucking money to watch a show.
You're all treated the same here. Our staff are all
paid be here entertaining respect them and we have not
had a problem. And that that's the one thing I
love about this business. With the right people, you can
have a business where you were proud to be like, yeah,
that's mine. These are my people. And like you ask
(23:07):
any person that's walked into my lot, I treat every
person call them my family. Because while you're there my family,
who like family. We'll talk to you like family, respect
you like family. And that's it's why we started our
company because so many times, as you know, yeah, it
was just like promoters for the most part. And I
(23:29):
say this respectfully to promoters, not all, but there are
a lot of you that don't treat your staff well. Right,
you're not wrong, and when you come to our show,
we want to make sure, like again, your brothers, your sisters,
you're paid, you're fed, You're in a room where you're safe.
You've got security watching you, you know. I mean, you've
got plenty of room to you know, work out your
(23:49):
stuff and feel clean and protected. But at the same time,
you have zero point zero issue walking out to those
people because those people love you. They came and spend
their money and they show you that admiration, that love,
and that's what it's. There's no place other than Ontario
I've ever been to, and I've been all of the
you know, the territories and stuff. I've never ever found
(24:11):
a city like Toronto that treats wrestlers as good as
Hamilton does. It's like we're Hamilton is home. Like it's
we are wrestling as Hamilton. It's the weirdest thing. We've
got so many guys that come out of here, like
Billy red Lyons and the Toast Brothers and Earning the
Executioner more, you know, what I mean like thisis is long,
(24:31):
Like I can name off thirty but they're all old
school guys. But you know what I mean that we're
rich here and and the city knows it and they
respect it and they love it, and they're feeding into
their children and their grandchildren and it's like it's it's
an amazing, heartwarming thing to see. I'm like, shit, we're
part of this, we were building this, you know what
I mean. It makes me like happy, Like I don't
(24:53):
have to make millions of dollars doing this. I've got
three other businesses. This business is my passion. This is
what we're doing to provide for the community, for the
for the talent. Yeah, I'll keep doing it until I
can't afford to do it anymore.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
So hell yeah, Now I love that because you guys are,
like you said, you're giving something to the community. You're
also have the charity, you're helping everybody around you, and
you're also giving a platform to these performers that come
through here who you know want to be on that
next level or sometimes just want to do it because
you know, they just want to do it through the
weekends and they enjoy it. And then if they be
(25:27):
locally as good as they can get.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
I I respectfully, I love them for doing that, but
I try not to book weekend Warriors, gotcha? You know?
I mean? Yes, we all need to we all need
to make money and work. But you need to take
pride in who you are as a worker. You need
to take pride in your body. Come to the show
in shape, good gear, good attitude, you know what I mean.
(25:53):
Like there's a define line between backyard and indie top
tier and you know pun intended and the show. You
know what I mean. That's and that's the talent and
the talent need to learn at a very young age.
Looks like you want to do this, You've got to invest.
You gotta you gotta sleep in your car sometimes, you
(26:13):
gotta eat Ramen, you know what I mean. Like you
got to invest in yourself. Like Johnny Luca, who I
mentioned you before, his parents made him a deal. He
went to College's got his degree. Sorry, I went to university,
got a degree. They gave him one year to go
out and chase his dream. He's out there, he's sleeping
in cars so you know, people's couches, doing everything he
can to get as many bookings. Across North America as
(26:35):
he can. The kid's been on WWE television more times
than I can count, just doing like the background noise
where he's working security or whatever. But he's doing everything
and he's doing it right, you know what I mean.
And that's fantastic. But that's what a lot of kids
don't do. They show up on Saturday. They take twenty
bucks in a handshake if they're lucky to work in
front of twenty or thirty people for a shady promoter
(26:57):
who does not a book, does not a promote, and
where's it get them? Yes, they have a match, but
where does it get you? Yeah? Who saw you? What
did you do? How does that help your career? We
all got to start somewhere. But when you get comfortable,
when you sit in that mire, how does that help
you as the rest? How's that help the business? Right?
So you know what I mean, there's there's there's plus
and minuses to everything. But yeah, we try to make
(27:18):
sure that our talents, Like if you look at anybody
on our Ross Guarantee, they're pretty much booked every weekend,
like all weekend. There's nobody that's just working here there
or whatever. Like our talent is hard to place because
they're always books somewhere. I love that.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Well, when how long has the company been around?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Now we're just going into our third year.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
That's amazing. Yeah, So what would you tell yourself if
you go back in time before your first year?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Uh, don't let the down days. Body there on truck
in because there there is that let at you know,
I tell you there there is Keep doing what you're
doing because people will come. Then, people will appreciate that.
People will send you the most beautiful emails and text
messages that people will like. I have more loves as
(28:14):
a promoter owner of this company now than I ever
did as a wrestler. Amout of fans that I interact
with now, I am, I feel I'm more personal. People
tell me about their histories, their lives, et cetera. We
have fans from all walks of life that you know.
I'm on position. One father comes with his two young
boys that were born like I think they're born three
(28:35):
pounds each is twins and one is deaf and one
has severe health issues. And like he comes to show
he's like I need this, you know, I mean, I
love wrestling. I love love is my kids and to
the point now where his kids will send me messages,
one will send me stuff in and maybe have to
figure it out. I've got the Starlights that come to
(28:58):
we have a Christmas show every yar they come to
Oorchristmas shows. We get them toys every year. And the
love and the respect and and the admiration that these
kids get for the battles that they it's just it's
don't let the downtimes fuck with you, because there is
a light at the end. That is what I would
tell myself.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I love that so much. Well, I mean, twenty twenty
six is right around the corner. What do you guys
have planned for twenty twenty six?
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah, well I got a k fabe some stuff. But
obviously our big one now is Yeah, November twenty ninth,
we have our big Christmas show. So any person that comes,
they can either buy a ticket like normal, or if
you donate a brand new, unwrapped or unopen toy, you
(29:47):
give free admittance into the show. All toys go to
the Starlet Children's Foundation to help these families give their
kids a good Christmas. That's our big thing. But on
with that show, I'm happy to nd out that's a
crazy Steve will be back, Cody Diner will be back,
Gringle Local will be back. T J Perkins will be back.
(30:10):
We've got a massive Another guy you got to keep
your eyes open for, legitimately is Jesse Bieber. This kid
is If you don't see him in TNA in the
next six months, I would I would fall off my chair.
This kid is untapped talent that just getting a look.
Now he's got to try up, coming up. So I'm
gonna get my my my eyes on it because he's
a great kid and he's done a lot of a
lot of good things. Taylor Rising, who's in TNA or
(30:33):
not t A sorry n w A. She's on the card.
So he kisses coming back like it's a stacked card.
And the best part is for the fans. It's free
for toy if you do something for you for there's
some wrong stuff with my phone. I'm telling you, I'll
hear me.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Yeah, you'll be good.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Jesus Christ, I'll all uh yeah, okay, well I won't okay,
you won't have it nothing. Everything's perfect. We we just
had a phone call last night that uh streaming for
this next show. A gentleman wants or a company wants
(31:17):
to start streaming our show. So no matter if you're
in Hamilton, if you're in timbuckto Texas, Asia, wherever, you'll
be able to stream our show live. So that is
something massively huge for us. Yeah, I'm not gonna say,
but maybe maybe a kick in the pants a little
you're a little kick there, just saying I mean, you're
(31:39):
picking up with the kick I'm putting down, but I'm
picking up with. I'm not dropping any names or nothing.
Don't make me kick the ship out of you. You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
I won't make you come down here just to do that.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
I've been to the ALBUMA. I'm good. We're good, you guys.
You guys actually taught me what a breakfast brito was
like twenty years ago. Yeah, yeah, Texas.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Get yourself at breakfast brito when you're down here. Obviously,
the barbecue is fantastic as well, our Texas it is.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, there's a lot of great food options here in
the state of Texas.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Oh yeah, no, I got fat there. That's it's all good.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
That's why I go to the gym every day.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Same but it doesn't help. Man, the calories, don't. I
can't put that much time in. I went to the
river Walk. All those stuff out on the Riverwalk there.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
We used to go down there every year. My group
of friends and I shout out to the Banana Bunch
and we would we every year. It was always caeso
and margaritas and Sodasa is a real thing and we
love it.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Dude again, I was in my twenties there for work,
and dude, I got the guy tolenty. Have you ever
had Britos? I'm like, you know, what the fuck is
a burrito? You gotta have it. I've had Brits, you
mean beans and Jesus, but no, no, no, no, breakfast, my breakfast.
And you go there. It's like thirty different kinds of
Britles you can have there. It's like a little chip
wagon on a side of the room, Like what the fuck?
And I got two of them. I couldn't even finish them. Yeah,
(33:03):
these were huge, like five bucks. I couldn't finish them,
Like what the hell? Yeah that's there you go, Texas.
I'll give you that all day long breakfast burritos. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I love it. I love Pootine, so I love that
I'll tell you that I'm trying to figure out how
to make Southern poutine, which basically is gonna be sausage,
white gravy on top of the fry. And I'm thinking
waffle fry because that's to hold everything. And then you know,
we'll probably do the cheeseau.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Yeah, you need the curd. That's that's what holds it together. Right.
This is well, obviously the place that we ride to
go ahead, No.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
I was gonna say that nice little cheese on top.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
We do. But there's a place so we go riding.
Uh So, if everybody's in Brandford, there's a place short
close to him called Turkey Point and it's along the
Erie Erie Lake, like Lake Erie Great Lake. And these
they invented pickle fried poutine. Pickle fried poutine pickle So
(34:00):
picture poutine with a pickle mail oh fresh, like shredded
pickle on it, and like this thing's massively I can't.
I'm a big boy, you know what I mean. I
don't know like grocer anything like, I mean, like I
can eat and I can't finish it.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Wow, Okay, and.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
It's it's and it's a good prices. It's like they
they claim that they invented the pickle poutine, and whether
they did or they didn't, I don't give a shit.
It's delicious. And then if you're anywhere near the area,
go get it. I will be getting fat.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Yeah you go the end of April next year, I'm
gonna be up there, so.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
We'll make sure you coordinate with us and maybe we'll
get together. Don't care to show or something, oh.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Without it out? Yeah, I will definitely make sure to
hit you guys up before I had.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah, my Bradford's sold Soppa grounds for me. It's parts jump.
My parents are actually buried Brafford, so the nice Well,
there you go.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
If people want to find out more about you, follow
you online obviously come to the top two wrestling shows.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
How can they do all the things well? Instagram, top Tier,
Underscore Wrestling, Facebook is Top Tier Wrestling. You are ELA's
Top Tier Wrestling dot Com. You can find us on
our YouTube channel a top Tier Wrestling, and you can
find us on Patreon for the elite the elites of
the matches that you don't see on YouTube at Patreon
(35:23):
Forward slash top Tier Wrestling.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Perfect, Ricky, thank you so much. I feel like we
just scratched the service, and we will definitely do this again,
but we're gonna do it in person, and we're gonna
do it next year.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
So my pleasure serve my pleasures.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Thank you for having me, no problem, Thank you so
much to Ricky for being on the show again. Definitely
make sure to go check out Top Tier Wrestling whenever
you can. Obviously check them out on social media and
(35:55):
on YouTube and find out what Ricky is doing as
well on social media. Are doing that, make sure to
follow us on social media. It is bruisers Pod. That
is b R e W S c R S b
O D on the instagram of the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to send us an email, it is
bruiserspot dot gmail dot com. If you want to follow
me directly, it is Roady John. That is r O
d I E j O N or Roddy John is
(36:16):
the name on the Twitter and an untapped case you
want to find out what I'm drinking, maybe're gonna have
a beer together. If you want to follow me on
the threads or the instagram, it is a fisher Ardy John.
So until next time, make sure to enjoy life, drink local,
and cheers,
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