July 21, 2025 • 31 mins
A new conversation is set. This time with our friends of The Shield of Wrestling we're proud to announce our interview with former WWE, TNA and ROH star, James Ellsworth.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Paid for cure gouty.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, be watching there, it's going to be showtime and
tune in to the podcast Pro Wrestling Culture because it's
always showtime there.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
From the Stinger.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
H M.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen in a new brand episode of
Pro Wrestling Culture podcast. In this episode, we have a
partnership with the Shield of Wrestling, a website here in
Italy that have the only wrestling magazine here.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
In Italy, the Shield of Wrestling Magazine.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
So it's time for introduction myself Aldona and my friends
Paulo Scholice and Matteo Paliarella.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Hi guys, Hi Aldo, and.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Most importantly our special guest of the evening, Ladies and Gentlemen,
former w w E Ring of Honor t NA and
many more, James Helsport.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Hi. James will do it.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
I'm doing great, you guys, You guys doing okay.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Everything is okay.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Once again, thank you, thank you very much for being
here on the Progressing Culture podcast.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Yeah, thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And so.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
We saw you for the very first time in WW
in twenty sixteen during your match from Monday Night to
Row against Brown Stroman. How does it feel that moment
for you and all was important for you your run
in in ww in particular after your three and O
against the ag Styles.
Speaker 6 (02:31):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
Well, in that particular moment against Bronze Troman, it felt
very painful, but it was the best match I ever
had because they hired me right.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
After the match. Fitsic Man signed me right after the match.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Was over, So it was the greatest match I ever
had in hindsight, fantastic.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
And another one of the most funnished moments in direction
in history of w W was the list of and
the segment in the role before Survivor Series with you
Chris Jericho, and we all remember that moment and it
was a really fun and one of a kind moment.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
What do you think about that?
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Well, like you touched one after the strumming match, I
wounded up beating AJ Styles three times while he was
WWE Champions, So I'm.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Rocking and rolling.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Then we had to roll week before Survivor Series and
I'm standing on the apron watching Chris Jericho put AJ
Styles on the last time, laughing. He put his soccer
mom's hair on the list. I'm laughing, and then he
decided to put me on the list, which I had
no idea he was gonna do. I think that's what
made the moment so special. It was it was live
on TV on roll there. We didn't know what was
(03:45):
gonna happen. He just kind of did it, and I
reacted to it, and like you said, it's a memorable moment,
and that's what it's all about. That's the key in
the wrestling businesses having memorable moments, and Chris Jericho put
me on the list. People send me that video every
day Still to this day, I get sent that video
on social media every single day, so I'm glad everybody
enployed it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
And during that time, you are the number one seller
on w W shop. I don't know, check that moment
was one of the most important for your career, for
your time hunting this moment, I think.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
Yeah, I think they kind of made the T shirt
as a joke, but it wasn't funny anymore when it
was the number one seller on WWE shop, Like you said,
very good for me, and I think they were like,
wait a minute, this guy's help selling everybody.
Speaker 6 (04:41):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (04:42):
But yeah, I appreciate everybody that bought that T shirt.
It definitely changed my life, and I'll never forget having
that shirt and when it came out and getting the
shirt for the first time myself and wearing on TV.
Definitely a very special moment in my career and my life,
and I will always appreciate everyone that purchase that shirt
for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
And another special moment for us was your time on
SmackDown with Carmela and during that time you had a
one on one match against the Becky Lynch. So probably
the last time before that, the last time WW had
(05:23):
an intergender match was during the China time, probably probably,
So what that means for you that that match and
the new your opinion, did Becky Lynch already have the
qualities to become a top of the game.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Oh yeah, like I saw it back then.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
We would do heal shows and Becky would come out
her door on her entrance for any hell show all
over the world and people would react loudly to her.
So before she ever became the man, like I saw
that in her. I was like, this girl is something different,
like this this is gonna be a top start, And
when I wrestled her there in London on SmackDown, I
felt that two when I'm wrestling her. I'm like that
(06:06):
this girl has she has it, she has the it factor.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
She gets it. That was the first intergender match, and
over a decade the last one they had was I
believe it.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I mean it was like over a decade ago, and
it was it might have been Heath Slater and leda
on a roll when he was wrestling the Legends, so
that that had been like ten years because they didn't
want to do him anymore. But with my particular character,
I'm not like a big threat to the girls. I'm goofy,
little James Elsworth. So I go in there with a
woman and it's just fun and games. It's they're not
(06:38):
in serious danger or anything. The match with Becky was
one of my favorites. I had a w w wee
because I got the wrestle in that match a little
bit show off some skill because you know, essentially we're
the same size. So yeah, then after that, she man,
I'm glad her career sky rocketed.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
She became the man.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
She became the top person in the company there for
a while, and I I saw a back tend that
she had that in her for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Paolo your third.
Speaker 7 (07:07):
Hi, James, I want to go back to your match
against Brown Strowman, that specific, specific moment, because I think
that your best quality was to get an instant reaction,
genuine reaction with the crowd, and also you were able
to create a connection, a strong and real connection because
(07:30):
they believed in you. You were one of them. And
so we often say professional wrestling that TIBU time is sacred.
Every minute on TV is important, and you did the best,
probably because you made out a w W career from
that match with Brown Stroman. So I want to ask you,
what is your advice to superstars of the modern era
(07:54):
who maybe think that are underestimated, under you, under used
in TV programs, and how can they become over and
over with that short amount of TV time?
Speaker 6 (08:10):
That's a great question.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
So yeah, the Braunze Trumman match was a minute and
twenty nine seconds, So you figured, what what is that
like eighty nine seconds altogether? Like not less than ninety seconds,
and that ninety seconds. When I got to the back,
they said Vince wants to see you, and I had
never met vinsick Man.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
I was scared I did something wrong.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
So I go meet him and he said, hey, hol
He said, your facial expressions were great, your selling was
great and your promo was great. I have no choice
but to hire you. And all he saw was ninety
seconds of my work and he picked up on it.
Like you were saying, every minute on TV counts, Every
second on TV counts.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
So even if you get thirty.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
Seconds on television, rawl or SmackDown, you make the most
of it. You know, whether it's telling the story through
your facial or the way you're talking or the way
you're selling, make the most of it. I mean, I
think Chelsea Green does a great job at that. She
may like if she has thirty seconds at a backstage
will SmackDown. She's entertaining, she's fun, she's witty, she's telling
(09:14):
a story with her face.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
So she's the biggest example these days is her, I believe.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
But yeah, like every second counts, and you have to
make the most of it. You can't just phone it in.
You can't just throw it away like, Okay, I got
thirty seconds or whatever, I'm just gonna get through it. No,
you gotta take those thirty seconds seriously. Every second you
get on TV you have to take seriously because that
TV time costs the company money, so you have to
(09:41):
show them initiative. You have to show them that it
matters to you, and you have to put on your
best performance, no matter if it's thirty seconds or thirty minutes.
You have to do your absolute best at all times,
and a company will notice that, the fans will notice that,
and you'll wind up getting more time off of them.
Speaker 7 (09:59):
Now, I want to talk about comedy wrestling because at
that time you were one of the best comedy acts,
not only in the w W, but in the professional
addressing world. And I think that comedy wrestling is very
underrated because it's a form of art that deserves respect
and more credit by defense. For example, one of the
(10:20):
greatest example is Our Truth that for me has a
Hall of Fame resume in his category, in his specific
category as comedy wrestler. And so do you agree with
me about comedy wrestling and the respect, the respect for
comedy wrestlers such as you, such as Our Truth, Santino
Marella and others.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
So obviously yeah, we're I'm different from those guys. Is like,
Our Truth is in real good shape. He's tall, it
looks like a wrestler, right. Santina Morale too is bulky,
looks like a wrestler. Me, Like, my my thing was,
I didn't look much like a wrestler, but you know,
I gave it.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
I gave it my all basically. But now comedy is
very important. It's just like wrestlings. Going to a wrestling
show is like going to a circus.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You got your big guys, your elephants, you got your tigers,
you guys that are aggressive. You got your acrobats, guys
that flip around, and you also have your clowns. That's
where the comedy wrestler comes in. You got people that
make you laugh, you know, and there's guys that have
all those qualities mixed into one. The Rock being the
number one guy of all time, he had comedy, he
(11:26):
had the look, he had the toughness, he had everything.
But as long as you're the best at one of
those things, and comedy being one of it, you're gonna
stick out. Like and I was the best at the
comedy at the time, and I stood out because of it.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
Our truth. He's been the best at the comedy for
years now.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
But he, like I said, he also you could believe
that he can wrestle John Cena because he's big enough
and everything. But yeah, yeah, comedy is a very important
part of the show because you need a little bit
of everything, and that there's definitely room for it. There's
always gonna be room for it. I'm glad I got
to be a part of it for as long as
I did, just you know, from doing comedy and being
(12:05):
in those positions where I'm trying to make people laugh.
Speaker 7 (12:08):
One last question. You were in the middle of a
field between Aj Styles and the Den Ambros Ak Joe Maxley,
and you had the privilege to work with both, and
what did you learn from the phenomenal phenomenon one and
then Ambres that at the time was number one contender
for the w W Championship held by Styles.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Well, yeah, they both were great guys, great to work with,
and I learned no matter how good someone is, you know,
their personality in real life matters a lot. Those guys
were so great to me and so grateful and gracious,
and I like especially Aj who really taught me a lot.
Taught me to calm down while in there. Let like
(12:50):
he said, you know, I was a little nervous at
first because I'm wrestling the best wrestler at the world
at the time, and he said, look, man, just calm down, relax.
You've been doing this for you. You know what you're doing,
or you wouldn't be here. Just let this come to you.
You know, if you think you're going too fast, slow down,
let it, let it come to you.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
You know what to do. So he relaxed me.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
That's what I learned from aj Styles is how to
be relaxed now John Moxley Dean Ambrose at the time,
he taught me how to have fun. He said, look,
when you go out there, man, you're you're you're here
to make people live.
Speaker 6 (13:25):
Go out there and do your thing and have fun.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Just have a good time, like you know, don't worry
about what people are saying or what people are thinking.
You go out there and you do you because that's
what got you here. So you just continue to do
exactly what you've been doing because that's why you're here.
So you know, he just taught me to be myself
a Dean Ambrose. And I missed Dean Ambrose. I know
John Moxley's on aw but I personally missed the Dean Ambrose,
(13:48):
lunatic fringe character who he had some comedy in him
and he's all He also had some toughness in him
and I missed that character and I love working with
them both. I was very grateful to work with on
both and that would be remember to me as my
best and favorite time in my career was working with
aj Styles and Dan Ambrose.
Speaker 7 (14:08):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Yes, you guys, Before before the questions of Matteo, I
want to ask you one more thing.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
In twenty eighteen.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
You were gone from w W, but you have had
your debut match in DNA during Bom for Glory against
Ellen and I at that time, Eli Drake. That moment
was really special because Bom for Glory was in New
York City and a very odd fence and you are
(14:43):
you were in your your top.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Probably the fens were with you. The moment was with you.
But why only one match.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
In in TENNA wrestle good in your opinion?
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Well, so I had a couple more matches in TNA,
like they were house shows though.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
So I did some house shows.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Well, yes, we the BCW and TNABC, right, okay, yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
So, but I think that the one match thing is
because it was a very odd time for me. It
was very fun time, but I was still working with WWE.
They had to clear me going to NA pay per view.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
So initially, WWE let me go in November twenty seventeen,
but before my ninety days were off, they called me
and said, hey, hold the phone. We're going to continue
your contract and we're going to bring you back. And
I said, well, I have all these independent dates and
I got dates with TNA, and they said, look, do
your dates, but don't don't sign with anybody. We're going
(15:46):
to continue your contract. We get that we kind of
let you go, but we're bringing you back, so do
your dates. Even with TNA, They're like, but don't sign
with anybody else. So I was in this awkward position
where like I would tell TNA that they were they
were very fun to work with. It had a great
time the Eli Drake thing, and I loved him and
I knew he was gonna be a megastar, but they
had been teasing Chris Jericho for weeks on their TV.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, yeah, I remember. I didn't you know.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
I didn't like being in that position because I was like, well,
this is fun. I'm gonna get to work with Eli.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Drake, why JA said, And I'm like.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
But these people are expecting Chris Jericho to come out.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
So I said to them, I said, what if I
came out? And I said, you guys wanted why too,
J You got y two J. Why to James? I
wanted to say that, and they told me no.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
I'm like, man, that's a missed opportunity. If I would
have said that day, that booed me out of the
building even louder. But you know, when you're expecting christ Jericho,
who's icon and a legend and a future Hall of Famer,
and you get little old James Elsworth who people like,
but I'm not Chris Jericho, you know, And so that
was awkward. But I would have loved to done more
with TNA, but I was in a very awkward situation
(16:54):
where I was still working with w WE, so I
didn't know what was going on. I was still under
contract with w W, just doing ND's doing TNA, doing
the Ring of Honora, and the Chris Jericho group doing MWA.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
I was doing everything.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I'm like, I can't sign with anybody because I'm already signed,
but they're let me honor these dates. And as soon
as my contract was up, it was weird, like my
contract was.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Up with w W, and that was it.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
I had worked all those companies that I told all
of them I couldn't sign with them. So my it
was a weird time. It was a special time because
I had to do all that. It was a fun time.
But man, I look back and I'm like, man, I
had an opportunity to probably stay with TNA. I'm you know,
but w W was my dream and that's what I
always wanted to do. When they're the number one priority
(17:38):
no matter what in my life, my career for wrestling,
WWE for forever will be my number one thing I'm
gonna always want to do. But man Like, at that time,
I'm like, it's a cove of heated job, Like, yeah,
it's cool, I'm doing all these indies and I'm you know.
But luckily for me, I I'm a hustler and I
know how to just if I can, Like I do
(17:58):
independent wrestling for a lit I run my own independent
wrestling shows. It's called a drillinge Championship Wrestling ACW. T
i x dot com is the website. So I run
shows and I also wrestle independence all over the country
and the world.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
So I stay busy because I know how to hustle
and do that.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
But man, it's so much easier, like when you're working
for a company and you have a contract, there's just
money coming in, Like it's easier. But that's why there
wasn't more with TNA because I was still in the
contract with w W at the time.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
That's that's the reason.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
So it's mature, James. And who is Jimmy Dream And
how many differences are there between Jimmy Dream and now
Jim's El's.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
Work, Man, that's great question. So Jimmy Dream was my
independent wrestling character. I was actually pretty Jimmy Dreaming. I'm
not the prettiest guy. So that's the funny part. That
was like the heat where I was calling myself pretty
and people like, he ain't pretty?
Speaker 6 (18:53):
Who's he think he is?
Speaker 5 (18:54):
So that's and I had to put a tag partner
named Adam Ugly and our tag team name was pretty Ugly.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
It was funny. So Jimmy Dream was just.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
A cocky little guy that really I don't know if
you guy have ever seen married with children. But when
Bud Bundy would act like he was tough like the
you know, well, I forget what he called himself like,
but I'm a big marry with children fan and escape
in my mind, but uh b rad or whatever whatever
he is or like the Malibu's Most Wanted character. That
that was a lot of Jimmy Dream. And then when
(19:25):
I got w E, I was a little underdog, the
the little uh and chin that could and uh. And
then once I went with Carmela, that was a lot
of Jimmy Dream in that just hat backwards cocky thinks
he's more than he is because he's walking out with
the hot girl, you know, just so that that would
(19:46):
That's who Jimmy Dream was. He he was over confident,
he was over narcissistic.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
He was he was he thought he was great, but
he wasn't even good, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
So that was that character. But in a lot of
similarity when I when I.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Was with Carmelons and the Jimmy dreamk character for sure.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Okay, and uh, you've been Jimmy Dream in NWA. In
two thousand and eight, after ten years, you wrestled in
the seventy anniversary of NWE against our Kaarim Brigante Italian
(20:27):
Karim Brigante uh former arleras trained wrestler. So did you
remember something about that match?
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Yeah, man.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I remember the crowd was going nuts. I was a
surprise on that show, so I came out. They were nuts,
and I remember him being so easy and fun to
work with, and he had a girl of ringside with him,
and he had.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
The whole rose. I believe I liked him a lot.
I did.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
I don't know what I happened to him after that,
because I really thought he was good. Man had a
great time working with crowd loved it. Jeff Jarrett was
there and after the match he came to me, goes,
you guys did a great job, like people loved that.
I was like, I was such a compliment to me
coming from Jeff Jared, and I was like, oh, thank you.
I wasn't the guy you guys are talking about us
that he was so easy to work with. He was.
He was very respectful and nice and the girl walked
(21:18):
out with him and they both had good looks and
the gimmick was cool. I really had a great topic
with the guy. If he's over there and Hill, you
told him to get me?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Yeah again.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah. Now is very famous wrestler, and the wrestled a
lot of them in a lot of different nations here
in Europe, and sometimes he came back in in USA
and the State, like in the early last academy a
lot of Yeah, awesome.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I really liked him.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
I really enjoyed working with him.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
You've been in a w W in for two years.
Did you remember how much difficult did you find in
that time for traveling in a different states, different cities,
different shows. Do you think there is a big difficult
(22:24):
to have during tour or live event or something like that.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
Well, for me, man, like I'm always on time with
any job, so like I was always on time, I
always made every show. I never missed anything. I really
I loved it, man. I loved being there. I loved
to travel, and I loved to see in the world.
It was a lot harder back then than it is now.
They're not doing as much. Yeah, I will go to
Solider Arabia, We'll go to the UK. But they don't
do as many house shows, so they're not doing what
(22:54):
what working way less states.
Speaker 6 (22:55):
But I'm very happy.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I came from the era where we were travel a
lot and working a lot. I got to see the
world and I got to see all the states here
in the US, and I loved it. It wasn't hard
for me because I was enjoying myself. If you enjoy
what you're doing, you don't work a day in your life,
they say. I didn't feel like I was working. I
felt like I was getting paid to live my dream
and have fun. That's what I felt like. I loved it.
(23:18):
I loved every minute of it. I really loved it
over there in Italy. I need to come back there, I.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
Really, really really Yeah, my god, it was a beautiful.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
My wife's Italian, so you know, I like, I'm big
on Italy and the food over there was great.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
So yeah, man, I really enjoyed it. It wasn't hard
for me at all. Honestly.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, if you love the job, you'll never you'll never work.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
So another question, it's about the mental issues or mental
problem that a lot of wrestler had for I don't know,
like some strange situation for the stress to travel. As
(24:06):
you said before, do you think that we need or
you need a figure for support that kind of part, like,
of course mental issues and did you have in the
WW time.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Well, for me personally, I'm very lucky and fortunate and
blessed to have thick skin. So Okay, I'm kind of chill,
like nothing really bothers me. Like I'm very lucky.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
But what I would advise I would give the people
that aren't like because it is tough man Like, you
know a lot of times you're away from your family
and all that you hear those stories. I always tell people,
find a hobby that while you're on the road, find
like whether it's playing cards or playing video games or
I don't know, watching sports or whatever it is, find
something that draws your attention away for a little bit
(25:02):
that you can enjoy just to get your mind off
of things. But other than that, for me, like I said,
I'm I'm just a very laid bad guy. I have
thick skin. I don't let anybody bother me. I have
this saying. It's f what people say. Enjoy every day.
That's what I live by me personally. No no mental
(25:22):
problems here. I'm very lucky, very fortunate to be like that.
And there's a lot of people that aren't.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
I get that.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
I understand that, and my advice to them would be fine,
something something that you can do every day, a hobby
that gets your mind off of things, and that that's
my advice to them.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Okay, and w W give you the support of like
a psychologist or something like that.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Oh yeah, there's like therapists available if you if you
go to the office you say, hey, like my head's
a little messed up, can I talk to somebody.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
They'll help you out for sure.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
They're very honestly man, you know, great company to work for,
like I.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
Yeah, no, I have nothing bad to say about him.
I had a great time.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
They they didn't have their eye on me. I was
something that happened out of nowhere. Vince just saw something
in me from that braunz Stroman match and he picked me.
I didn't go through n XT who They have time
and money invested in people who did.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
It's their system. So I was always on the chopping box. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
So I can see myself coming back and you know,
like the stuff I did with Carmela, the managerial role,
I can do that forever. I could do that twenty
years from now, because you know, I know to talk,
I have the sleazy little manager look for it. Like,
so I feel like at some point I'll come back
and do a manager role. And but yeah, like they're
(26:40):
a great company to work for, the best job I've
ever had, you know, and I, like I said, I
enjoyed every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Okay, So there is the time of my last question,
the last question of the podcast. I don't know if
I'll do something else.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Only only one other things. Do you believe in in
every tour the.
Speaker 6 (27:02):
Do I believe it will happen? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Like I don't know if it'll be something where I
get signed for a few years, but I do see them, like,
like you know, maybe doing a one offer two.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
Maybe I make it a Royal Rumble appearance one year
or maybe.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
You know, like a one off they call it where
I just show up out of nowhere and it's something goofy,
like you know, where I show up and say hi
to aj Styles again before he retired or whatever. Like yeah,
like I I never say never, and I do believe
in my heart at hearts like that you haven't seen
the last of James. I was worth it a WWE
on a WWE program.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It's okay, okay, So do you have any funny stories
or funny stuff that happened to you in or extra
ring of course that you could share to.
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Us, Oh, that I could share with you? Let me
think so you know, there was two people.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I really loved what I was working in there and
got along with great. I think they were the funniest guys.
And it's they're no longer with us. Was Bray Whye
and lou Carper, Right, these guys were the funniest guys.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
Like I loved them. I did like love them and.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Man like like we would get on like an airplane
or a train or something, and Louke we would see
Charlotte and Luke Harper would start going whoa, whoa, and
then everybody else would start doing it like embarrassing her,
like you know, just stuff like that goofy stuff. One time,
I'll tell you a funny story. One time Luke Harper
was wrestling Randy Orton on a house show and the
(28:39):
match is about to happen, and Luke Harper hadn't seen
Randy Orton all day, None of us had seen them
all day, or like, where's Randy.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
They're about to go out for their match. Where's Randy?
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Randy was joking around, hiding from him on his bus,
so right before he went out, and he's like, what.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
Do I do? I don't know what we're doing.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Randy came off the bus all oiled up and then
it tights ready to go.
Speaker 6 (28:57):
He's like, hey, but same thing as yesterday. That's like,
it's so funny, man, I'm all worried, just you know,
fun stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I'll never forget. I love those guys and may they
rest in peace. And I really wish I could talk
to them and see them again. They were great guys.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
So so did you did you miss bray and and Luke?
Speaker 5 (29:18):
Yeah, Briy and Luke, Harper, Brody you know, Brodie Lee
whatever they were calling them, but which is his real name?
But yeah, when Don Martundo, which is Bray White's real name,
was a great human being, so was Brody, Luke Harper.
Great guys, fun guys to be around. I loved being
around them and working with them. They they made it
so fun for me during my time there, and I'll
never forget that.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
And I don't know if you are still in touch
with the w W Locker Room during these days, But
in your opinion, what what are the main difference between
the during your time there ten years ago or and
(30:06):
the nowadays?
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Is w W.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
The biggest notable noticeable difference to me is all the
advertisements all over the ring and the chairs and the
tables of that. I get that's a clever way to
get your sponsor board. It's a business and that's a
clever way to get your sponsors on board.
Speaker 6 (30:28):
I understand that. But man, it's an eye sort of me.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I'm like, man, I like it when the mat was clean,
there was nothing on it, you know, I'm.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Old school like that.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
To me, that's the biggest honestly, the biggest noticeable difference
is that like not a fan of it.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Okay, okay, okay, James, thank you very much for your
time for being here once again.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Thank you sincerely.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
I wish you the best and the why note if
one day there is a chance to see you here
in Italy with your rematch against Carrying regand tell them.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
I'm challenging him right now, get a promoter to bring
me over there to Italy and we'll do the rematch.
Like I want to know against him doesn't even want
his rematch to try to get some cubumpins.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Come on now, Thank you, guys.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Yeah, remember guys, any man with two hands has a
fighting chance.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
Paid for cure gouty.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, be watching there, it's going to be showtime and
tune in to the podcast Pro Wrestling Culture because it's
always showtime there.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
From the Stinger.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
H M.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen in a new brand episode of
Pro Wrestling Culture podcast. In this episode, we have a
partnership with the Shield of Wrestling, a website here in
Italy that have the only wrestling magazine here.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
In Italy, the Shield of Wrestling Magazine.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
So it's time for introduction myself Aldona and my friends
Paulo Scholice and Matteo Paliarella.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Hi guys, Hi Aldo, and.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Most importantly our special guest of the evening, Ladies and Gentlemen,
former w w E Ring of Honor t NA and
many more, James Helsport.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Hi. James will do it.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
I'm doing great, you guys, You guys doing okay.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Everything is okay.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Once again, thank you, thank you very much for being
here on the Progressing Culture podcast.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Yeah, thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And so.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
We saw you for the very first time in WW
in twenty sixteen during your match from Monday Night to
Row against Brown Stroman. How does it feel that moment
for you and all was important for you your run
in in ww in particular after your three and O
against the ag Styles.
Speaker 6 (02:31):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
Well, in that particular moment against Bronze Troman, it felt
very painful, but it was the best match I ever
had because they hired me right.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
After the match. Fitsic Man signed me right after the match.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Was over, So it was the greatest match I ever
had in hindsight, fantastic.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
And another one of the most funnished moments in direction
in history of w W was the list of and
the segment in the role before Survivor Series with you
Chris Jericho, and we all remember that moment and it
was a really fun and one of a kind moment.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
What do you think about that?
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Well, like you touched one after the strumming match, I
wounded up beating AJ Styles three times while he was
WWE Champions, So I'm.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Rocking and rolling.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Then we had to roll week before Survivor Series and
I'm standing on the apron watching Chris Jericho put AJ
Styles on the last time, laughing. He put his soccer
mom's hair on the list. I'm laughing, and then he
decided to put me on the list, which I had
no idea he was gonna do. I think that's what
made the moment so special. It was it was live
on TV on roll there. We didn't know what was
(03:45):
gonna happen. He just kind of did it, and I
reacted to it, and like you said, it's a memorable moment,
and that's what it's all about. That's the key in
the wrestling businesses having memorable moments, and Chris Jericho put
me on the list. People send me that video every
day Still to this day, I get sent that video
on social media every single day, so I'm glad everybody
enployed it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
And during that time, you are the number one seller
on w W shop. I don't know, check that moment
was one of the most important for your career, for
your time hunting this moment, I think.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
Yeah, I think they kind of made the T shirt
as a joke, but it wasn't funny anymore when it
was the number one seller on WWE shop, Like you said,
very good for me, and I think they were like,
wait a minute, this guy's help selling everybody.
Speaker 6 (04:41):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (04:42):
But yeah, I appreciate everybody that bought that T shirt.
It definitely changed my life, and I'll never forget having
that shirt and when it came out and getting the
shirt for the first time myself and wearing on TV.
Definitely a very special moment in my career and my life,
and I will always appreciate everyone that purchase that shirt
for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
And another special moment for us was your time on
SmackDown with Carmela and during that time you had a
one on one match against the Becky Lynch. So probably
the last time before that, the last time WW had
(05:23):
an intergender match was during the China time, probably probably,
So what that means for you that that match and
the new your opinion, did Becky Lynch already have the
qualities to become a top of the game.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Oh yeah, like I saw it back then.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
We would do heal shows and Becky would come out
her door on her entrance for any hell show all
over the world and people would react loudly to her.
So before she ever became the man, like I saw
that in her. I was like, this girl is something different,
like this this is gonna be a top start, And
when I wrestled her there in London on SmackDown, I
felt that two when I'm wrestling her. I'm like that
(06:06):
this girl has she has it, she has the it factor.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
She gets it. That was the first intergender match, and
over a decade the last one they had was I
believe it.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I mean it was like over a decade ago, and
it was it might have been Heath Slater and leda
on a roll when he was wrestling the Legends, so
that that had been like ten years because they didn't
want to do him anymore. But with my particular character,
I'm not like a big threat to the girls. I'm goofy,
little James Elsworth. So I go in there with a
woman and it's just fun and games. It's they're not
(06:38):
in serious danger or anything. The match with Becky was
one of my favorites. I had a w w wee
because I got the wrestle in that match a little
bit show off some skill because you know, essentially we're
the same size. So yeah, then after that, she man,
I'm glad her career sky rocketed.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
She became the man.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
She became the top person in the company there for
a while, and I I saw a back tend that
she had that in her for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Paolo your third.
Speaker 7 (07:07):
Hi, James, I want to go back to your match
against Brown Strowman, that specific, specific moment, because I think
that your best quality was to get an instant reaction,
genuine reaction with the crowd, and also you were able
to create a connection, a strong and real connection because
(07:30):
they believed in you. You were one of them. And
so we often say professional wrestling that TIBU time is sacred.
Every minute on TV is important, and you did the best,
probably because you made out a w W career from
that match with Brown Stroman. So I want to ask you,
what is your advice to superstars of the modern era
(07:54):
who maybe think that are underestimated, under you, under used
in TV programs, and how can they become over and
over with that short amount of TV time?
Speaker 6 (08:10):
That's a great question.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
So yeah, the Braunze Trumman match was a minute and
twenty nine seconds, So you figured, what what is that
like eighty nine seconds altogether? Like not less than ninety seconds,
and that ninety seconds. When I got to the back,
they said Vince wants to see you, and I had
never met vinsick Man.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
I was scared I did something wrong.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
So I go meet him and he said, hey, hol
He said, your facial expressions were great, your selling was
great and your promo was great. I have no choice
but to hire you. And all he saw was ninety
seconds of my work and he picked up on it.
Like you were saying, every minute on TV counts, Every
second on TV counts.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
So even if you get thirty.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
Seconds on television, rawl or SmackDown, you make the most
of it. You know, whether it's telling the story through
your facial or the way you're talking or the way
you're selling, make the most of it. I mean, I
think Chelsea Green does a great job at that. She
may like if she has thirty seconds at a backstage
will SmackDown. She's entertaining, she's fun, she's witty, she's telling
(09:14):
a story with her face.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
So she's the biggest example these days is her, I believe.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
But yeah, like every second counts, and you have to
make the most of it. You can't just phone it in.
You can't just throw it away like, Okay, I got
thirty seconds or whatever, I'm just gonna get through it. No,
you gotta take those thirty seconds seriously. Every second you
get on TV you have to take seriously because that
TV time costs the company money, so you have to
(09:41):
show them initiative. You have to show them that it
matters to you, and you have to put on your
best performance, no matter if it's thirty seconds or thirty minutes.
You have to do your absolute best at all times,
and a company will notice that, the fans will notice that,
and you'll wind up getting more time off of them.
Speaker 7 (09:59):
Now, I want to talk about comedy wrestling because at
that time you were one of the best comedy acts,
not only in the w W, but in the professional
addressing world. And I think that comedy wrestling is very
underrated because it's a form of art that deserves respect
and more credit by defense. For example, one of the
(10:20):
greatest example is Our Truth that for me has a
Hall of Fame resume in his category, in his specific
category as comedy wrestler. And so do you agree with
me about comedy wrestling and the respect, the respect for
comedy wrestlers such as you, such as Our Truth, Santino
Marella and others.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
So obviously yeah, we're I'm different from those guys. Is like,
Our Truth is in real good shape. He's tall, it
looks like a wrestler, right. Santina Morale too is bulky,
looks like a wrestler. Me, Like, my my thing was,
I didn't look much like a wrestler, but you know,
I gave it.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
I gave it my all basically. But now comedy is
very important. It's just like wrestlings. Going to a wrestling
show is like going to a circus.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You got your big guys, your elephants, you got your tigers,
you guys that are aggressive. You got your acrobats, guys
that flip around, and you also have your clowns. That's
where the comedy wrestler comes in. You got people that
make you laugh, you know, and there's guys that have
all those qualities mixed into one. The Rock being the
number one guy of all time, he had comedy, he
(11:26):
had the look, he had the toughness, he had everything.
But as long as you're the best at one of
those things, and comedy being one of it, you're gonna
stick out. Like and I was the best at the
comedy at the time, and I stood out because of it.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
Our truth. He's been the best at the comedy for
years now.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
But he, like I said, he also you could believe
that he can wrestle John Cena because he's big enough
and everything. But yeah, yeah, comedy is a very important
part of the show because you need a little bit
of everything, and that there's definitely room for it. There's
always gonna be room for it. I'm glad I got
to be a part of it for as long as
I did, just you know, from doing comedy and being
(12:05):
in those positions where I'm trying to make people laugh.
Speaker 7 (12:08):
One last question. You were in the middle of a
field between Aj Styles and the Den Ambros Ak Joe Maxley,
and you had the privilege to work with both, and
what did you learn from the phenomenal phenomenon one and
then Ambres that at the time was number one contender
for the w W Championship held by Styles.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Well, yeah, they both were great guys, great to work with,
and I learned no matter how good someone is, you know,
their personality in real life matters a lot. Those guys
were so great to me and so grateful and gracious,
and I like especially Aj who really taught me a lot.
Taught me to calm down while in there. Let like
(12:50):
he said, you know, I was a little nervous at
first because I'm wrestling the best wrestler at the world
at the time, and he said, look, man, just calm down, relax.
You've been doing this for you. You know what you're doing,
or you wouldn't be here. Just let this come to you.
You know, if you think you're going too fast, slow down,
let it, let it come to you.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
You know what to do. So he relaxed me.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
That's what I learned from aj Styles is how to
be relaxed now John Moxley Dean Ambrose at the time,
he taught me how to have fun. He said, look,
when you go out there, man, you're you're you're here
to make people live.
Speaker 6 (13:25):
Go out there and do your thing and have fun.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Just have a good time, like you know, don't worry
about what people are saying or what people are thinking.
You go out there and you do you because that's
what got you here. So you just continue to do
exactly what you've been doing because that's why you're here.
So you know, he just taught me to be myself
a Dean Ambrose. And I missed Dean Ambrose. I know
John Moxley's on aw but I personally missed the Dean Ambrose,
(13:48):
lunatic fringe character who he had some comedy in him
and he's all He also had some toughness in him
and I missed that character and I love working with
them both. I was very grateful to work with on
both and that would be remember to me as my
best and favorite time in my career was working with
aj Styles and Dan Ambrose.
Speaker 7 (14:08):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Yes, you guys, Before before the questions of Matteo, I
want to ask you one more thing.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
In twenty eighteen.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
You were gone from w W, but you have had
your debut match in DNA during Bom for Glory against
Ellen and I at that time, Eli Drake. That moment
was really special because Bom for Glory was in New
York City and a very odd fence and you are
(14:43):
you were in your your top.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Probably the fens were with you. The moment was with you.
But why only one match.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
In in TENNA wrestle good in your opinion?
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Well, so I had a couple more matches in TNA,
like they were house shows though.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
So I did some house shows.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Well, yes, we the BCW and TNABC, right, okay, yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
So, but I think that the one match thing is
because it was a very odd time for me. It
was very fun time, but I was still working with WWE.
They had to clear me going to NA pay per view.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
So initially, WWE let me go in November twenty seventeen,
but before my ninety days were off, they called me
and said, hey, hold the phone. We're going to continue
your contract and we're going to bring you back. And
I said, well, I have all these independent dates and
I got dates with TNA, and they said, look, do
your dates, but don't don't sign with anybody. We're going
(15:46):
to continue your contract. We get that we kind of
let you go, but we're bringing you back, so do
your dates. Even with TNA, They're like, but don't sign
with anybody else. So I was in this awkward position
where like I would tell TNA that they were they
were very fun to work with. It had a great
time the Eli Drake thing, and I loved him and
I knew he was gonna be a megastar, but they
had been teasing Chris Jericho for weeks on their TV.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, yeah, I remember. I didn't you know.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
I didn't like being in that position because I was like, well,
this is fun. I'm gonna get to work with Eli.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Drake, why JA said, And I'm like.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
But these people are expecting Chris Jericho to come out.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
So I said to them, I said, what if I
came out? And I said, you guys wanted why too,
J You got y two J. Why to James? I
wanted to say that, and they told me no.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
I'm like, man, that's a missed opportunity. If I would
have said that day, that booed me out of the
building even louder. But you know, when you're expecting christ Jericho,
who's icon and a legend and a future Hall of Famer,
and you get little old James Elsworth who people like,
but I'm not Chris Jericho, you know, And so that
was awkward. But I would have loved to done more
with TNA, but I was in a very awkward situation
(16:54):
where I was still working with w WE, so I
didn't know what was going on. I was still under
contract with w W, just doing ND's doing TNA, doing
the Ring of Honora, and the Chris Jericho group doing MWA.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
I was doing everything.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
I'm like, I can't sign with anybody because I'm already signed,
but they're let me honor these dates. And as soon
as my contract was up, it was weird, like my
contract was.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Up with w W, and that was it.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
I had worked all those companies that I told all
of them I couldn't sign with them. So my it
was a weird time. It was a special time because
I had to do all that. It was a fun time.
But man, I look back and I'm like, man, I
had an opportunity to probably stay with TNA. I'm you know,
but w W was my dream and that's what I
always wanted to do. When they're the number one priority
(17:38):
no matter what in my life, my career for wrestling,
WWE for forever will be my number one thing I'm
gonna always want to do. But man Like, at that time,
I'm like, it's a cove of heated job, Like, yeah,
it's cool, I'm doing all these indies and I'm you know.
But luckily for me, I I'm a hustler and I
know how to just if I can, Like I do
(17:58):
independent wrestling for a lit I run my own independent
wrestling shows. It's called a drillinge Championship Wrestling ACW. T
i x dot com is the website. So I run
shows and I also wrestle independence all over the country
and the world.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
So I stay busy because I know how to hustle
and do that.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
But man, it's so much easier, like when you're working
for a company and you have a contract, there's just
money coming in, Like it's easier. But that's why there
wasn't more with TNA because I was still in the
contract with w W at the time.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
That's that's the reason.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
So it's mature, James. And who is Jimmy Dream And
how many differences are there between Jimmy Dream and now
Jim's El's.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
Work, Man, that's great question. So Jimmy Dream was my
independent wrestling character. I was actually pretty Jimmy Dreaming. I'm
not the prettiest guy. So that's the funny part. That
was like the heat where I was calling myself pretty
and people like, he ain't pretty?
Speaker 6 (18:53):
Who's he think he is?
Speaker 5 (18:54):
So that's and I had to put a tag partner
named Adam Ugly and our tag team name was pretty Ugly.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
It was funny. So Jimmy Dream was just.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
A cocky little guy that really I don't know if
you guy have ever seen married with children. But when
Bud Bundy would act like he was tough like the
you know, well, I forget what he called himself like,
but I'm a big marry with children fan and escape
in my mind, but uh b rad or whatever whatever
he is or like the Malibu's Most Wanted character. That
that was a lot of Jimmy Dream. And then when
(19:25):
I got w E, I was a little underdog, the
the little uh and chin that could and uh. And
then once I went with Carmela, that was a lot
of Jimmy Dream in that just hat backwards cocky thinks
he's more than he is because he's walking out with
the hot girl, you know, just so that that would
(19:46):
That's who Jimmy Dream was. He he was over confident,
he was over narcissistic.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
He was he was he thought he was great, but
he wasn't even good, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
So that was that character. But in a lot of
similarity when I when I.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Was with Carmelons and the Jimmy dreamk character for sure.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Okay, and uh, you've been Jimmy Dream in NWA. In
two thousand and eight, after ten years, you wrestled in
the seventy anniversary of NWE against our Kaarim Brigante Italian
(20:27):
Karim Brigante uh former arleras trained wrestler. So did you
remember something about that match?
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Yeah, man.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
I remember the crowd was going nuts. I was a
surprise on that show, so I came out. They were nuts,
and I remember him being so easy and fun to
work with, and he had a girl of ringside with him,
and he had.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
The whole rose. I believe I liked him a lot.
I did.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
I don't know what I happened to him after that,
because I really thought he was good. Man had a
great time working with crowd loved it. Jeff Jarrett was
there and after the match he came to me, goes,
you guys did a great job, like people loved that.
I was like, I was such a compliment to me
coming from Jeff Jared, and I was like, oh, thank you.
I wasn't the guy you guys are talking about us
that he was so easy to work with. He was.
He was very respectful and nice and the girl walked
(21:18):
out with him and they both had good looks and
the gimmick was cool. I really had a great topic
with the guy. If he's over there and Hill, you
told him to get me?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Yeah again.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Yeah. Now is very famous wrestler, and the wrestled a
lot of them in a lot of different nations here
in Europe, and sometimes he came back in in USA
and the State, like in the early last academy a
lot of Yeah, awesome.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I really liked him.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
I really enjoyed working with him.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
You've been in a w W in for two years.
Did you remember how much difficult did you find in
that time for traveling in a different states, different cities,
different shows. Do you think there is a big difficult
(22:24):
to have during tour or live event or something like that.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
Well, for me, man, like I'm always on time with
any job, so like I was always on time, I
always made every show. I never missed anything. I really
I loved it, man. I loved being there. I loved
to travel, and I loved to see in the world.
It was a lot harder back then than it is now.
They're not doing as much. Yeah, I will go to
Solider Arabia, We'll go to the UK. But they don't
do as many house shows, so they're not doing what
(22:54):
what working way less states.
Speaker 6 (22:55):
But I'm very happy.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I came from the era where we were travel a
lot and working a lot. I got to see the
world and I got to see all the states here
in the US, and I loved it. It wasn't hard
for me because I was enjoying myself. If you enjoy
what you're doing, you don't work a day in your life,
they say. I didn't feel like I was working. I
felt like I was getting paid to live my dream
and have fun. That's what I felt like. I loved it.
(23:18):
I loved every minute of it. I really loved it
over there in Italy. I need to come back there, I.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
Really, really really Yeah, my god, it was a beautiful.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
My wife's Italian, so you know, I like, I'm big
on Italy and the food over there was great.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
So yeah, man, I really enjoyed it. It wasn't hard
for me at all. Honestly.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah, if you love the job, you'll never you'll never work.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
So another question, it's about the mental issues or mental
problem that a lot of wrestler had for I don't know,
like some strange situation for the stress to travel. As
(24:06):
you said before, do you think that we need or
you need a figure for support that kind of part, like,
of course mental issues and did you have in the
WW time.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Well, for me personally, I'm very lucky and fortunate and
blessed to have thick skin. So Okay, I'm kind of chill,
like nothing really bothers me. Like I'm very lucky.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
But what I would advise I would give the people
that aren't like because it is tough man Like, you
know a lot of times you're away from your family
and all that you hear those stories. I always tell people,
find a hobby that while you're on the road, find
like whether it's playing cards or playing video games or
I don't know, watching sports or whatever it is, find
something that draws your attention away for a little bit
(25:02):
that you can enjoy just to get your mind off
of things. But other than that, for me, like I said,
I'm I'm just a very laid bad guy. I have
thick skin. I don't let anybody bother me. I have
this saying. It's f what people say. Enjoy every day.
That's what I live by me personally. No no mental
(25:22):
problems here. I'm very lucky, very fortunate to be like that.
And there's a lot of people that aren't.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
I get that.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
I understand that, and my advice to them would be fine,
something something that you can do every day, a hobby
that gets your mind off of things, and that that's
my advice to them.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Okay, and w W give you the support of like
a psychologist or something like that.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Oh yeah, there's like therapists available if you if you
go to the office you say, hey, like my head's
a little messed up, can I talk to somebody.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
They'll help you out for sure.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
They're very honestly man, you know, great company to work for,
like I.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
Yeah, no, I have nothing bad to say about him.
I had a great time.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
They they didn't have their eye on me. I was
something that happened out of nowhere. Vince just saw something
in me from that braunz Stroman match and he picked me.
I didn't go through n XT who They have time
and money invested in people who did.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
It's their system. So I was always on the chopping box. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
So I can see myself coming back and you know,
like the stuff I did with Carmela, the managerial role,
I can do that forever. I could do that twenty
years from now, because you know, I know to talk,
I have the sleazy little manager look for it. Like,
so I feel like at some point I'll come back
and do a manager role. And but yeah, like they're
(26:40):
a great company to work for, the best job I've
ever had, you know, and I, like I said, I
enjoyed every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Okay, So there is the time of my last question,
the last question of the podcast. I don't know if
I'll do something else.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Only only one other things. Do you believe in in
every tour the.
Speaker 6 (27:02):
Do I believe it will happen? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Like I don't know if it'll be something where I
get signed for a few years, but I do see them, like,
like you know, maybe doing a one offer two.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
Maybe I make it a Royal Rumble appearance one year
or maybe.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
You know, like a one off they call it where
I just show up out of nowhere and it's something goofy,
like you know, where I show up and say hi
to aj Styles again before he retired or whatever. Like yeah,
like I I never say never, and I do believe
in my heart at hearts like that you haven't seen
the last of James. I was worth it a WWE
on a WWE program.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It's okay, okay, So do you have any funny stories
or funny stuff that happened to you in or extra
ring of course that you could share to.
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Us, Oh, that I could share with you? Let me
think so you know, there was two people.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I really loved what I was working in there and
got along with great. I think they were the funniest guys.
And it's they're no longer with us. Was Bray Whye
and lou Carper, Right, these guys were the funniest guys.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
Like I loved them. I did like love them and.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Man like like we would get on like an airplane
or a train or something, and Louke we would see
Charlotte and Luke Harper would start going whoa, whoa, and
then everybody else would start doing it like embarrassing her,
like you know, just stuff like that goofy stuff. One time,
I'll tell you a funny story. One time Luke Harper
was wrestling Randy Orton on a house show and the
(28:39):
match is about to happen, and Luke Harper hadn't seen
Randy Orton all day, None of us had seen them
all day, or like, where's Randy.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
They're about to go out for their match. Where's Randy?
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Randy was joking around, hiding from him on his bus,
so right before he went out, and he's like, what.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
Do I do? I don't know what we're doing.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Randy came off the bus all oiled up and then
it tights ready to go.
Speaker 6 (28:57):
He's like, hey, but same thing as yesterday. That's like,
it's so funny, man, I'm all worried, just you know,
fun stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I'll never forget. I love those guys and may they
rest in peace. And I really wish I could talk
to them and see them again. They were great guys.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
So so did you did you miss bray and and Luke?
Speaker 5 (29:18):
Yeah, Briy and Luke, Harper, Brody you know, Brodie Lee
whatever they were calling them, but which is his real name?
But yeah, when Don Martundo, which is Bray White's real name,
was a great human being, so was Brody, Luke Harper.
Great guys, fun guys to be around. I loved being
around them and working with them. They they made it
so fun for me during my time there, and I'll
never forget that.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
And I don't know if you are still in touch
with the w W Locker Room during these days, But
in your opinion, what what are the main difference between
the during your time there ten years ago or and
(30:06):
the nowadays?
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Is w W.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
The biggest notable noticeable difference to me is all the
advertisements all over the ring and the chairs and the
tables of that. I get that's a clever way to
get your sponsor board. It's a business and that's a
clever way to get your sponsors on board.
Speaker 6 (30:28):
I understand that. But man, it's an eye sort of me.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I'm like, man, I like it when the mat was clean,
there was nothing on it, you know, I'm.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
Old school like that.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
To me, that's the biggest honestly, the biggest noticeable difference
is that like not a fan of it.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Okay, okay, okay, James, thank you very much for your
time for being here once again.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Thank you sincerely.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
I wish you the best and the why note if
one day there is a chance to see you here
in Italy with your rematch against Carrying regand tell them.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
I'm challenging him right now, get a promoter to bring
me over there to Italy and we'll do the rematch.
Like I want to know against him doesn't even want
his rematch to try to get some cubumpins.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Come on now, Thank you, guys.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Yeah, remember guys, any man with two hands has a
fighting chance.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
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