August 15, 2025 • 30 mins
From the first steps into a Florida Championship Wrestling ring to TNA Wrestling with the Aces and Eights.
Ladies and Gentlemen, here with us in a new brand episode of Pro Wrestling Culture podcast, Wes Brisco.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, here with us in a new brand episode of Pro Wrestling Culture podcast, Wes Brisco.
➖➖➖
LINK DONAZIONI: https://ko-fi.com/prowrestlingculture
LINK SHOP: https://italian-wrestling-association.myspreadshop.it/all
➖➖➖
Follow ⬇️
@prowrestlingculture su Instagram
@PWC4Life su X
➖➖➖
#wrestling #prowrestling #wrestlingnews #wrestlingitalia #wweitalia #wweitaly #wrestlingwwe #wwe
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pro-wrestling-culture--5514574/support.
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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 from the Stinger.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
H m H.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome in a new brand episode of
Pro Wrestling Culture podcast. My name Aldo, and here with
me the special guest of the evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
West Brisco, Hi West. Have we doing?
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Oh man, I'm doing bovely, doing lovely. It's a beautiful
day down here in Florida. I'm just doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Thank you, Thank you very much for being here, for
being here with the for this conversation on Progrestling Culture.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Sinceily No, I've been looking forward to it.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
We've been kind of missing each other and now we
finally to link up and do it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So I'm pretty happy about that.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And about the start of your career. I think you're
starting in the Florida Championship Wrestling, right, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
I started in Florida Championship Wrestling and w w's developments.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
And during that time you've wrestled many other stars of
the roster that become main stars in w W. For example,
Bigie boudalas, the actual uncle Claudi Alberto de Rio and
many more.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Drew Yeah, yeah, yeah, roll and many many of them. Absolutely,
pretty much everybody that is top dogs were in my class.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
And you you won't there the third team titles with
the Excebert Woods.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Yeah, main Xavier Woods were tag team champions, and.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
We were getting called up to go do a pay
per view in Miami and start debuting on Monday Night
Raw after we did the paper viewer industraight to row
and do backdown after that, and I ended up blowing
my knee, tearing my Aco pc L MCL the night
before We're supposed to debut on a pay per view,
(03:11):
but luck of the draw.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
But in your opinion, how much important was this experience
in Florida Championship Wrestling.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Oh man, it was an experience no other. I mean,
it's way different than NXT. It was more of a
doggyat dog World, like everybody was fighting for their spots.
I was blessed to have Xavier Woods as a tag
team partner, and he really helped me out a lot
(03:46):
because he already had previous experience in TNA, so when
he came to the developmental he already kind of knew,
you know, how to work TV, but then he really
helped boost my confidence. And then also having great coaches
like Justy Rhoades, doctor Tom Pritchard, Norman Smiley, Steve Kern,
(04:07):
you know the legends, they are just unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So man, I have an enforcer for this interview, my
partner in crime, Andrea de Simon.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Mustage.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Suddenly I thought I was in time.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yeah, yeah, I don't worry.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
We were just chatting it up, so we were like,
we might as well start the interview, no problem.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
My next question was is about your time after at
c W because you've wrestled for nw A and Ring
of On or how did your other experiences helped you
for the arrival in the TNA in twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Well, that was really good because not only that I.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Did the Ring Rollers and then I also did the
NWA where I won the Florida n w A Heavyweight Championship,
and then I went to Puerto Rico and then I
learned a lot more in Puerto Rico.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I learned a different style of wrestling.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
So when I lived in Puerto Rico wrestling for Carlos Cologne,
I picked up a whole other style of wrestling. So
when I was able to go back to TNA, I
had a different variety of different moves and it worked
out really well.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
And about obviously your debut in DNA. Infact, I have
you had this shirt right now because I don't know
how son so fann Archy inspired Aces and Eights, but
the ass and Eights was one of the most incredible
chapters in the TNA, in the entire TNA history. So
(06:03):
your debut there was in twenty twelve, and during the
gut check against the gard Bischoff, you made an alliance
with Gort Angle before the year is in Eights, and
in the January of twenty thirteen you betrayed him and
join the stable with the Garret himself.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yeah, And kind of how that came about was Kurt
Angle was actually helped me out with amateur wrestling back. Yeah,
so I've not hurt my whole life, well not my
whole life. But when he when he was doing the
Olympics in ninety five, I knew who he was. And
of course my dad was the one that signed him
(06:44):
to WWE, so of course as a favor, he would
come down to our school do wrestling clinics, and of
course I always has beat up to me all the time,
so finally I got a little bit of revenge.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I remember one of them most historical moment when you
join the stable during a steel cage match with Cortangle
and another still cage match was a very important for
Aces and Eights at the lockdown to twenty thirteen with
(07:20):
Balle Ray as a president of the AS and ADS,
do you still have positive vibes about the entire faction.
I think once again that was the first group in
a major company that showed up veterans and new talents
at the same time.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, it was absolutely an incredible experience, and not only
in that is that we've all became very close. Like
Divon took me under his wing, and everywhere Divon would go,
like I would stay with Devon, like I was attached
to Divon. I was blessed to have that because he
(08:02):
taught me a lot of knowledge, a lot of like
backstage stuff and.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Just all that.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
In course, Luke Gallows and Mike Knock and Bully Ray
and Garrett and just pretty much everybody was just awesome.
And then we've we had some experiences that I think
we made some wrestling history, like when in Chicago when
(08:31):
Bully Ray turned on Brook. If you watch the very
end of that match, the whole ring is littered to trash.
It reminded me of the nWo days when everybody and
you can see it, and I wish the producer would
have just kept it running because you at the end
(08:52):
it was bad.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
We had to get security to get.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Us out of there, like and then after that we
couldn't really start going through the crowd because people with
would fight us. But another crazy thing about it is
that we were like halfway babyfaces because it was like
split down the middle. I remember when I was wrestling
Kurt in the still cage match, a fight broke out
(09:17):
in the crowd aces Nates fan and a Kurt Angle fan.
They started fighting during our match, and I remember Brian
heaven Are coming up to me and going, hey, you
guys got a chill because there's a fight and everyone's
watching that they you know, put a rest hold on it,
you know, do something, because you know, we want to
(09:37):
bring it back to you guys and not have that
in the background.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So unfortunately, unfortunately a few weeks ago, Hardkogan passed away.
One of the greatest legends in entire wrestling history. But
how much did the Organ's departure from TNA impact company
at the time, in particularly the last part of hisses
(10:06):
in age history.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Well, the whole Hogan thing that goes really far back.
I mean, I've known Hogan since I was born. My
dad and my uncle were the people that found Hogan
and gave him his first pair of wrestling boots and
his first one hundred dollars bill.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Like, so, I've been in the Hogan's house.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I can't even count how many times I came in
the count how many times he's been to my dad's house. So,
you know, we've always been family. I don't really know
how that impacted TNA when he left. I know what
really happened. What I saw happened was a change of leadership,
a change of direction, a new person coming in and
(10:52):
wanting to fire everybody that has been there for a
while and to start fresh.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And I really think that's and went down hell, And there.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Was any truth about Eric Bischoff was still a part
of a booking team in TNA after the departure of Alkogan.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
After as yeah, now he was special.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Was gone, Okay, okay, okay, And then about your return
in TNA in for one night only in twenty twenty
two during before a few weeks before Slamiversar. I think
that was with you Garrett and the vice president of
his Lil Brown against or No More. What do you
(11:44):
think about that match? And have you ever had a
chance to be back in TNA as a full time
wrestler and if there was a chance to to be
there again with the ana s a rebrand of the stables.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Well see, they still wanted to sign me, but I
also knew Japan hit me up and they didn't want
me going to New Japan and they weren't going to
guarantee me a certain amount of dates and stuff like that.
So I was like, you know what, I want the experience.
So I went to New Japan and then I went
(12:24):
to England and wrestled over in the UK, over in
Europe and all throughout Europe. So you know, I gained
a lot more knowledge and a lot more experience. I'd
be willing to come back to t NA or wwe
you know, if the price is right, Andrea.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
I wes.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I want to ask you you you mentioned the family
the important selling of your father in this business, so
I wanted to ask you was to deal with the
pressure of having this sur name, of being the son
of a brisko.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
It was a ton of pressure. I mean when I
got to f c W. Before that, I was a
pro way quarter surfer, so I was kind of, you know,
like the oddball, and everybody you know, was hard on me,
which was a good thing. It was a lot of
pressure because of my dad and my uncle, you know,
(13:29):
but I enjoyed the pressure.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
That was something that I knew I could do my best.
And as long as I did my best, that's all
that matters.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Right for mixed diamonds.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
Talking about pressure a big stage like Lockdown with Curtangle singles,
Mesh you were you were talking about this before, and
it was to go one on one with one of
the greatest techniquians of all time about pace, about reading,
about physical demands.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, And the craziest thing about that match is that,
you know, normally, you know, I can break KF because
WW shows everything now, But normally, when you're backstage before
your match, you're talking to your opponent, you're making sure
you're on the right page.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
You go back over it a.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Couple of times we came through the crowd and it
was like a thirty minute like behind the building, like
to get to the spot, my ghost spot. So I
had to leave like an hour and a half before
my match. So like I had to like try to
like remember a couple of the big spots because I'm
not going to seek her again. Like after I get
(14:47):
done talking to him, I'm going to the other side
of the stadium behind some bleachers where I'm me and
Di Loo or behind bleachers, and then that's when we
walk through when my music plays.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
I'm sure it was tough. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
And one more thing, Yeah, you were in the link
during one of my favorite moments in DNA story, the
ages side Twitter, and I think it was in Virginia
something like that. How does it feel to be there?
I think that the same was like crumbling in television.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
It looked like that. How it was in real person
to feel that moment, to be in there thing.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
But to be honest with you, a lot of our
aces and eighth moments were huge, like when I went
I got checked. But if you listen to the crowd,
they were all screaming like it was a good time
for TNA at the time they I mean when Samoa
Joe would come out, when Austin Airis would come out,
(15:52):
James Storm, I mean, they were our TNA fans were awesome,
they were loyal, and at that time period we were hot,
We were doing really well.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Do you think ATNA is hot again right now during
this partnership with ww.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
We'll see.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
I think it will take a lot of some of
the older TNA wrestlers to come back and then maybe
send I mean you can see that they're sending some
WWE wrestlers back there, but I think it's going to
be they kind of have to let TENA. They give
you a lot of freedom to in your matches. WWE
(16:40):
not so much unless you're a top guy. But if
they allow the guys freedom to do what they want
to do, they could bring it back to because that's
a lot of the appeal that TNA had was that
we didn't have WWE agents. I mean, we had agents,
but we didn't have was saying no, don't go do
(17:01):
that move, or you know, don't go through that table,
or don't.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Slam the metal guard rail on Pope's hands, like just
you know, stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
And yeah, West one of the things, what was the
difference between the the SCW days and the TNA days,
because you were talking.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
About what WW production is telling you what to do
and not what not to do.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
But in developmental was the same as maybe the main
roster of the TNA, or it was different.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
It was way harder, way harder in f c W
and FW ten times hard. So many things to think about,
so much great talent, that's for sure, so much great
talent that I mean, I could just list and keep
(18:02):
going on on names that are on the roster, done
big things that I've had twenty or forty matches with,
maybe even more, you know, so it's like it. And
then two, I would do matches where Undertaker Sean Michaels
are sitting there and it's an empty, empty arena and
(18:23):
they're just sitting there and you have a match in
front of them, you know, like that's.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
Crowd.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Yeah, man, that's way yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
So like and then too like when we do promos
with Dusty, it would be on a Wednesday, and it
would be just promos and everyone had a certain amount
of time, and everybody's trying to one up each other.
Everyone's trying to win. Dusty's hard. Everyone's trying to do
the best promo because you know, if you do the
(18:58):
best promo, you're going to get on TV.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
So it was tough. It was.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I mean every week we had to come up with
a brand new promo, brand, you know, just different stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It couldn't be stale. Can you know? Dusty would yell
at you. He would tell you that was the ship.
What what are you doing? Like? So it was it
was tough, but it made me who I am.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
One thing about promo. Although some.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
Doing these tromo classes with Ducie h bray White because
I think you were there in the same time frame.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Probably I've known him ever since I was a kid
because my dad and him were best friends and we
both amateur wrestled together.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Oh yeah, so.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
How different he was from all the other guys? Did
he really was that tromo magician that we saw in
the main bos selling in the documentary?
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Oh man? There he had some legends promos. I mean some.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Promos that were just unbelievable. One I wish I could
remember something about. It doesn't matter if you have a
six pack, because even with my stomach, I'll stir hang
you up with the ropes or he had something.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I mean, he was so like he was so clever
on the mic, and it was funny because.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
He was a magician of getting away from conditioning drills.
Like and none of us and like none of us
would rat each other out, like you know what I mean,
we're all boys, but we'd be like, hey, where did
well we all call them window, but we'd be like,
where did wind of go?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
We'd be looking.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Around and you'd see him like kind of scatter on
the back and then go to Dusty's office and go
sit with Dusty during all the conditioning drills.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So they cut back out. It just it was hilarious.
That was one of my best friends, one of my
truly truly best friends.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Wes. Before you mentioned your time in New Japan, and
in New Japan you've wrestled Satoshi Kojima for the NWA
Worldwight Championship and all was important for you to be
a part of a New Japan ring against a wrestler
like Kujima.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It was so awesome.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
The experience was no other any wrestling in such a
big stage and in front of the Japanese crowd, which
was amazing. It was wild I was nervous because it
was a whole other atmosphere. It was totally different than
(21:46):
any other experience that I've been because I've wrestled in
South Africa, I've wrestled pretty much all around the world,
and that was the most intense and I had fun.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I had a blast.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Hm.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But were there are opportunities to stay longer in a
New Japan progrestling.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I came back and then I flew back.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
I went to I believe I forgot what Island, and
I did a big six man tag and then I
did another show and then I broke my ankle.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah. I shattered my ankle until like sixteen pieces. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
And during that time, Yes, there was a real buom
for a New Japan pro wrestling for the Indies in general,
the indie style, probably most in particular for the Bullet Club,
(22:57):
another one great stable. They started in the twenty thirteen,
the same time of ass In eight. But in your opinion,
why that movement in particular day In this the New
(23:18):
Japan prevailed over TNA Wrestling in between twenty twelve and
twenty fourteen.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Because everyone left, Okay, I mean Joe left, Austin Aris left, AJFT,
the Hardy's left, Kurt left, I left, Luke Gallo's left
to go join the Bullet Club. I mean, I mean
aj Styles left to.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Go join the Bullet Club. I mean they didn't have the.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Wrestlers of the hardcore TEENA fans always wanted to see.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
They weren't there no more.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
In fact, also today, we we don't have a real
TNA original after the Year of Ages, Sties, James Storm,
Bobby Rude, we don't have any original yeah, a Bisse
yeah wow, Yeah, Chris the more machine Guns, yeah, absolutely,
(24:25):
But we don't have any any other original. Yes, we
have TNA made like Mike Santana, Joe Hendry Easy three
at the time. But in fact, this is why I
tell you that question before if TNA will be out again,
(24:46):
because I can see any other original TNA member of
the roster that can be a new agesties for for
the for the future.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
For example, well, Chris Bay was on his way, one
of my best friends until he had hurt. He was
on his way, I mean, he was one of the
hottest baby faces they had so and he was a
lot of eyes were starting to watch TNA because of him.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
But after he's injury, I think I don't know if
there is a chance to see him again in the ring.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I've talked to him a couple of times. He's not
going to give up, I'll tell you that. Yeah, I've
talked to him about six or seven times.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Okay, right after that happened, because he's really good front
of mine.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
He you know, I told him not do anything for him.
I said, I'd fly out there, help you train whatever
you mean.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Man. He you know, I said, appreciate it. But yeah,
he ain't going to get up.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, he's a very nice team in person in New
York in yes, tween nineteen, the year that he signed
it with DNA. Yeah, very very nice guy. Absolutely. So, man,
do you still believe in another opportunity for your career
in or outside the ring in any other wrestling company.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Yeah, I mean I I start wrestle here and there
for certain companies, but I mean I would like to
go back to TNA or WW the opportunity, as you know,
either as a talent or as an agent help coming
up with finishes, because that was something that.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I was really good at and something that I really
enjoyed doing, was coming up with finishes. And then when
I was on the independent scene. I would help all the.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Guys out with their finishes just because I enjoyed doing
it and it was something that I really like look
forward to.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Before Andrea, I have one last question. Do you prefer
to call it yourself a w W guy or a
t N A original?
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I consider me a progressler.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Okay, nice answer, yea.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
And yes, if there is one thing looking back at
all over your career where whatever you whatever you you've been,
what is.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
The things that you cared about the most that you're
the proudest.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Me and exavior That and me and Karta angle still
came to.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Two great answers and and one thing I saw.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
During the before this interview, I watched some of your
matches back and that's a way difference doing the first thing,
the first thing in DNA and the second stint in DNA.
I working gym as a personal trainer and with this
kind of stuff was a choice to get leaner and
(28:16):
less bulky. Or it was an effect of.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
I don't know, maybe getting tired of traveling and not
training that much.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
It was effected at the time I was doing I
started chasing big surfing waves and doing a lot of
spear fishing and working on breath techniques to be able
to hold my breath and dive down with no oxygen,
takes around like thirty forty feet and stay down there
for two minutes with a spear gun. To be able
to shoot a fist. Why there's sharks you know, coming
(28:49):
by and all that crazy stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
So to be able to do that, I had to
lose some weight. I had to lean down a little bit,
and plus it was a lot more healthy. You're on
my knees and my back.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
Okay, it's the first thing I saw as soon as
you open, as I opened the camera, it looks absolutely.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Still a total package.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
And yeah, absolutely no doubt about it. It's just saying
lean not.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Just for surfing and spear fishing and a lot of
the hobbies. And plus getting a little bit older and
not getting paid to go to the gym, you know,
like now it's like.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yell, Before I was paid to go to the gym,
that's you know.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
If I wasn't doing a show my time office, all
I had to do was work out, like that's what
I got paid to do.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
So of course, when you get paid to like work out,
you're going to.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Be massive month.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yeah, absolutely well, thank you since thank you very much
for your time for this conversation that that was very
huge for us because we are real fans of Aces
and AIDS and during that time in the Indienna you
run there, so that was a privilege for us. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Those DNA days are probably my favorite time a lot
of wrestling history, so thank you for that and thank
you for everything.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
No problem, Thank you for having me on. I truly
appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And looking forward to hopefully maybe doing some big stuff
and coming back around Michelle, you never.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Know, why not?
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Thank you very much, No problem,
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 from the Stinger.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
H m H.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome in a new brand episode of
Pro Wrestling Culture podcast. My name Aldo, and here with
me the special guest of the evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
West Brisco, Hi West. Have we doing?
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Oh man, I'm doing bovely, doing lovely. It's a beautiful
day down here in Florida. I'm just doing good.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Thank you, Thank you very much for being here, for
being here with the for this conversation on Progrestling Culture.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Sinceily No, I've been looking forward to it.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
We've been kind of missing each other and now we
finally to link up and do it.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So I'm pretty happy about that.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And about the start of your career. I think you're
starting in the Florida Championship Wrestling, right, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
I started in Florida Championship Wrestling and w w's developments.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
And during that time you've wrestled many other stars of
the roster that become main stars in w W. For example,
Bigie boudalas, the actual uncle Claudi Alberto de Rio and
many more.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Drew Yeah, yeah, yeah, roll and many many of them. Absolutely,
pretty much everybody that is top dogs were in my class.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
And you you won't there the third team titles with
the Excebert Woods.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Yeah, main Xavier Woods were tag team champions, and.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
We were getting called up to go do a pay
per view in Miami and start debuting on Monday Night
Raw after we did the paper viewer industraight to row
and do backdown after that, and I ended up blowing
my knee, tearing my Aco pc L MCL the night
before We're supposed to debut on a pay per view,
(03:11):
but luck of the draw.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
But in your opinion, how much important was this experience
in Florida Championship Wrestling.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Oh man, it was an experience no other. I mean,
it's way different than NXT. It was more of a
doggyat dog World, like everybody was fighting for their spots.
I was blessed to have Xavier Woods as a tag
team partner, and he really helped me out a lot
(03:46):
because he already had previous experience in TNA, so when
he came to the developmental he already kind of knew,
you know, how to work TV, but then he really
helped boost my confidence. And then also having great coaches
like Justy Rhoades, doctor Tom Pritchard, Norman Smiley, Steve Kern,
(04:07):
you know the legends, they are just unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So man, I have an enforcer for this interview, my
partner in crime, Andrea de Simon.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Mustage.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Suddenly I thought I was in time.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yeah, yeah, I don't worry.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
We were just chatting it up, so we were like,
we might as well start the interview, no problem.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
My next question was is about your time after at
c W because you've wrestled for nw A and Ring
of On or how did your other experiences helped you
for the arrival in the TNA in twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Well, that was really good because not only that I.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Did the Ring Rollers and then I also did the
NWA where I won the Florida n w A Heavyweight Championship,
and then I went to Puerto Rico and then I
learned a lot more in Puerto Rico.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I learned a different style of wrestling.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
So when I lived in Puerto Rico wrestling for Carlos Cologne,
I picked up a whole other style of wrestling. So
when I was able to go back to TNA, I
had a different variety of different moves and it worked
out really well.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
And about obviously your debut in DNA. Infact, I have
you had this shirt right now because I don't know
how son so fann Archy inspired Aces and Eights, but
the ass and Eights was one of the most incredible
chapters in the TNA, in the entire TNA history. So
(06:03):
your debut there was in twenty twelve, and during the
gut check against the gard Bischoff, you made an alliance
with Gort Angle before the year is in Eights, and
in the January of twenty thirteen you betrayed him and
join the stable with the Garret himself.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yeah, And kind of how that came about was Kurt
Angle was actually helped me out with amateur wrestling back. Yeah,
so I've not hurt my whole life, well not my
whole life. But when he when he was doing the
Olympics in ninety five, I knew who he was. And
of course my dad was the one that signed him
(06:44):
to WWE, so of course as a favor, he would
come down to our school do wrestling clinics, and of
course I always has beat up to me all the time,
so finally I got a little bit of revenge.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I remember one of them most historical moment when you
join the stable during a steel cage match with Cortangle
and another still cage match was a very important for
Aces and Eights at the lockdown to twenty thirteen with
(07:20):
Balle Ray as a president of the AS and ADS,
do you still have positive vibes about the entire faction.
I think once again that was the first group in
a major company that showed up veterans and new talents
at the same time.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, it was absolutely an incredible experience, and not only
in that is that we've all became very close. Like
Divon took me under his wing, and everywhere Divon would go,
like I would stay with Devon, like I was attached
to Divon. I was blessed to have that because he
(08:02):
taught me a lot of knowledge, a lot of like
backstage stuff and.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Just all that.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
In course, Luke Gallows and Mike Knock and Bully Ray
and Garrett and just pretty much everybody was just awesome.
And then we've we had some experiences that I think
we made some wrestling history, like when in Chicago when
(08:31):
Bully Ray turned on Brook. If you watch the very
end of that match, the whole ring is littered to trash.
It reminded me of the nWo days when everybody and
you can see it, and I wish the producer would
have just kept it running because you at the end
(08:52):
it was bad.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
We had to get security to get.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Us out of there, like and then after that we
couldn't really start going through the crowd because people with
would fight us. But another crazy thing about it is
that we were like halfway babyfaces because it was like
split down the middle. I remember when I was wrestling
Kurt in the still cage match, a fight broke out
(09:17):
in the crowd aces Nates fan and a Kurt Angle fan.
They started fighting during our match, and I remember Brian
heaven Are coming up to me and going, hey, you
guys got a chill because there's a fight and everyone's
watching that they you know, put a rest hold on it,
you know, do something, because you know, we want to
(09:37):
bring it back to you guys and not have that
in the background.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
So unfortunately, unfortunately a few weeks ago, Hardkogan passed away.
One of the greatest legends in entire wrestling history. But
how much did the Organ's departure from TNA impact company
at the time, in particularly the last part of hisses
(10:06):
in age history.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Well, the whole Hogan thing that goes really far back.
I mean, I've known Hogan since I was born. My
dad and my uncle were the people that found Hogan
and gave him his first pair of wrestling boots and
his first one hundred dollars bill.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Like, so, I've been in the Hogan's house.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I can't even count how many times I came in
the count how many times he's been to my dad's house. So,
you know, we've always been family. I don't really know
how that impacted TNA when he left. I know what
really happened. What I saw happened was a change of leadership,
a change of direction, a new person coming in and
(10:52):
wanting to fire everybody that has been there for a
while and to start fresh.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And I really think that's and went down hell, And there.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Was any truth about Eric Bischoff was still a part
of a booking team in TNA after the departure of Alkogan.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
After as yeah, now he was special.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Was gone, Okay, okay, okay, And then about your return
in TNA in for one night only in twenty twenty
two during before a few weeks before Slamiversar. I think
that was with you Garrett and the vice president of
his Lil Brown against or No More. What do you
(11:44):
think about that match? And have you ever had a
chance to be back in TNA as a full time
wrestler and if there was a chance to to be
there again with the ana s a rebrand of the stables.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Well see, they still wanted to sign me, but I
also knew Japan hit me up and they didn't want
me going to New Japan and they weren't going to
guarantee me a certain amount of dates and stuff like that.
So I was like, you know what, I want the experience.
So I went to New Japan and then I went
(12:24):
to England and wrestled over in the UK, over in
Europe and all throughout Europe. So you know, I gained
a lot more knowledge and a lot more experience. I'd
be willing to come back to t NA or wwe
you know, if the price is right, Andrea.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
I wes.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I want to ask you you you mentioned the family
the important selling of your father in this business, so
I wanted to ask you was to deal with the
pressure of having this sur name, of being the son
of a brisko.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
It was a ton of pressure. I mean when I
got to f c W. Before that, I was a
pro way quarter surfer, so I was kind of, you know,
like the oddball, and everybody you know, was hard on me,
which was a good thing. It was a lot of
pressure because of my dad and my uncle, you know,
(13:29):
but I enjoyed the pressure.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
That was something that I knew I could do my best.
And as long as I did my best, that's all
that matters.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Right for mixed diamonds.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
Talking about pressure a big stage like Lockdown with Curtangle singles,
Mesh you were you were talking about this before, and
it was to go one on one with one of
the greatest techniquians of all time about pace, about reading,
about physical demands.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, And the craziest thing about that match is that,
you know, normally, you know, I can break KF because
WW shows everything now, But normally, when you're backstage before
your match, you're talking to your opponent, you're making sure
you're on the right page.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
You go back over it a.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Couple of times we came through the crowd and it
was like a thirty minute like behind the building, like
to get to the spot, my ghost spot. So I
had to leave like an hour and a half before
my match. So like I had to like try to
like remember a couple of the big spots because I'm
not going to seek her again. Like after I get
(14:47):
done talking to him, I'm going to the other side
of the stadium behind some bleachers where I'm me and
Di Loo or behind bleachers, and then that's when we
walk through when my music plays.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
I'm sure it was tough. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
And one more thing, Yeah, you were in the link
during one of my favorite moments in DNA story, the
ages side Twitter, and I think it was in Virginia
something like that. How does it feel to be there?
I think that the same was like crumbling in television.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
It looked like that. How it was in real person
to feel that moment, to be in there thing.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It was awesome.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
But to be honest with you, a lot of our
aces and eighth moments were huge, like when I went
I got checked. But if you listen to the crowd,
they were all screaming like it was a good time
for TNA at the time they I mean when Samoa
Joe would come out, when Austin Airis would come out,
(15:52):
James Storm, I mean, they were our TNA fans were awesome,
they were loyal, and at that time period we were hot,
We were doing really well.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Do you think ATNA is hot again right now during
this partnership with ww.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
We'll see.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
I think it will take a lot of some of
the older TNA wrestlers to come back and then maybe
send I mean you can see that they're sending some
WWE wrestlers back there, but I think it's going to
be they kind of have to let TENA. They give
you a lot of freedom to in your matches. WWE
(16:40):
not so much unless you're a top guy. But if
they allow the guys freedom to do what they want
to do, they could bring it back to because that's
a lot of the appeal that TNA had was that
we didn't have WWE agents. I mean, we had agents,
but we didn't have was saying no, don't go do
(17:01):
that move, or you know, don't go through that table,
or don't.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Slam the metal guard rail on Pope's hands, like just
you know, stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
And yeah, West one of the things, what was the
difference between the the SCW days and the TNA days,
because you were talking.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
About what WW production is telling you what to do
and not what not to do.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
But in developmental was the same as maybe the main
roster of the TNA, or it was different.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
It was way harder, way harder in f c W
and FW ten times hard. So many things to think about,
so much great talent, that's for sure, so much great
talent that I mean, I could just list and keep
(18:02):
going on on names that are on the roster, done
big things that I've had twenty or forty matches with,
maybe even more, you know, so it's like it. And
then two, I would do matches where Undertaker Sean Michaels
are sitting there and it's an empty, empty arena and
(18:23):
they're just sitting there and you have a match in
front of them, you know, like that's.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
Crowd.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Yeah, man, that's way yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
So like and then too like when we do promos
with Dusty, it would be on a Wednesday, and it
would be just promos and everyone had a certain amount
of time, and everybody's trying to one up each other.
Everyone's trying to win. Dusty's hard. Everyone's trying to do
the best promo because you know, if you do the
(18:58):
best promo, you're going to get on TV.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
So it was tough. It was.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I mean every week we had to come up with
a brand new promo, brand, you know, just different stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It couldn't be stale. Can you know? Dusty would yell
at you. He would tell you that was the ship.
What what are you doing? Like? So it was it
was tough, but it made me who I am.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
One thing about promo. Although some.
Speaker 6 (19:26):
Doing these tromo classes with Ducie h bray White because
I think you were there in the same time frame.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Probably I've known him ever since I was a kid
because my dad and him were best friends and we
both amateur wrestled together.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Oh yeah, so.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
How different he was from all the other guys? Did
he really was that tromo magician that we saw in
the main bos selling in the documentary?
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Oh man? There he had some legends promos. I mean some.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Promos that were just unbelievable. One I wish I could
remember something about. It doesn't matter if you have a
six pack, because even with my stomach, I'll stir hang
you up with the ropes or he had something.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I mean, he was so like he was so clever
on the mic, and it was funny because.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
He was a magician of getting away from conditioning drills.
Like and none of us and like none of us
would rat each other out, like you know what I mean,
we're all boys, but we'd be like, hey, where did
well we all call them window, but we'd be like,
where did wind of go?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
We'd be looking.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Around and you'd see him like kind of scatter on
the back and then go to Dusty's office and go
sit with Dusty during all the conditioning drills.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So they cut back out. It just it was hilarious.
That was one of my best friends, one of my
truly truly best friends.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Wes. Before you mentioned your time in New Japan, and
in New Japan you've wrestled Satoshi Kojima for the NWA
Worldwight Championship and all was important for you to be
a part of a New Japan ring against a wrestler
like Kujima.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It was so awesome.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
The experience was no other any wrestling in such a
big stage and in front of the Japanese crowd, which
was amazing. It was wild I was nervous because it
was a whole other atmosphere. It was totally different than
(21:46):
any other experience that I've been because I've wrestled in
South Africa, I've wrestled pretty much all around the world,
and that was the most intense and I had fun.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I had a blast.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Hm.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But were there are opportunities to stay longer in a
New Japan progrestling.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I came back and then I flew back.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
I went to I believe I forgot what Island, and
I did a big six man tag and then I
did another show and then I broke my ankle.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah. I shattered my ankle until like sixteen pieces. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
And during that time, Yes, there was a real buom
for a New Japan pro wrestling for the Indies in general,
the indie style, probably most in particular for the Bullet Club,
(22:57):
another one great stable. They started in the twenty thirteen,
the same time of ass In eight. But in your opinion,
why that movement in particular day In this the New
(23:18):
Japan prevailed over TNA Wrestling in between twenty twelve and
twenty fourteen.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Because everyone left, Okay, I mean Joe left, Austin Aris left, AJFT,
the Hardy's left, Kurt left, I left, Luke Gallo's left
to go join the Bullet Club. I mean, I mean
aj Styles left to.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Go join the Bullet Club. I mean they didn't have the.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Wrestlers of the hardcore TEENA fans always wanted to see.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
They weren't there no more.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
In fact, also today, we we don't have a real
TNA original after the Year of Ages, Sties, James Storm,
Bobby Rude, we don't have any original yeah, a Bisse
yeah wow, Yeah, Chris the more machine Guns, yeah, absolutely,
(24:25):
But we don't have any any other original. Yes, we
have TNA made like Mike Santana, Joe Hendry Easy three
at the time. But in fact, this is why I
tell you that question before if TNA will be out again,
(24:46):
because I can see any other original TNA member of
the roster that can be a new agesties for for
the for the future.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
For example, well, Chris Bay was on his way, one
of my best friends until he had hurt. He was
on his way, I mean, he was one of the
hottest baby faces they had so and he was a
lot of eyes were starting to watch TNA because of him.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
But after he's injury, I think I don't know if
there is a chance to see him again in the ring.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
I've talked to him a couple of times. He's not
going to give up, I'll tell you that. Yeah, I've
talked to him about six or seven times.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Okay, right after that happened, because he's really good front
of mine.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
He you know, I told him not do anything for him.
I said, I'd fly out there, help you train whatever
you mean.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Man. He you know, I said, appreciate it. But yeah,
he ain't going to get up.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, he's a very nice team in person in New
York in yes, tween nineteen, the year that he signed
it with DNA. Yeah, very very nice guy. Absolutely. So, man,
do you still believe in another opportunity for your career
in or outside the ring in any other wrestling company.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Yeah, I mean I I start wrestle here and there
for certain companies, but I mean I would like to
go back to TNA or WW the opportunity, as you know,
either as a talent or as an agent help coming
up with finishes, because that was something that.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I was really good at and something that I really
enjoyed doing, was coming up with finishes. And then when
I was on the independent scene. I would help all the.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Guys out with their finishes just because I enjoyed doing
it and it was something that I really like look
forward to.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Before Andrea, I have one last question. Do you prefer
to call it yourself a w W guy or a
t N A original?
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I consider me a progressler.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Okay, nice answer, yea.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
And yes, if there is one thing looking back at
all over your career where whatever you whatever you you've been,
what is.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
The things that you cared about the most that you're
the proudest.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Me and exavior That and me and Karta angle still
came to.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Two great answers and and one thing I saw.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
During the before this interview, I watched some of your
matches back and that's a way difference doing the first thing,
the first thing in DNA and the second stint in DNA.
I working gym as a personal trainer and with this
kind of stuff was a choice to get leaner and
(28:16):
less bulky. Or it was an effect of.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
I don't know, maybe getting tired of traveling and not
training that much.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
It was effected at the time I was doing I
started chasing big surfing waves and doing a lot of
spear fishing and working on breath techniques to be able
to hold my breath and dive down with no oxygen,
takes around like thirty forty feet and stay down there
for two minutes with a spear gun. To be able
to shoot a fist. Why there's sharks you know, coming
(28:49):
by and all that crazy stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
So to be able to do that, I had to
lose some weight. I had to lean down a little bit,
and plus it was a lot more healthy. You're on
my knees and my back.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
Okay, it's the first thing I saw as soon as
you open, as I opened the camera, it looks absolutely.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Still a total package.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
And yeah, absolutely no doubt about it. It's just saying
lean not.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Just for surfing and spear fishing and a lot of
the hobbies. And plus getting a little bit older and
not getting paid to go to the gym, you know,
like now it's like.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yell, Before I was paid to go to the gym,
that's you know.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
If I wasn't doing a show my time office, all
I had to do was work out, like that's what
I got paid to do.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
So of course, when you get paid to like work out,
you're going to.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Be massive month.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yeah, absolutely well, thank you since thank you very much
for your time for this conversation that that was very
huge for us because we are real fans of Aces
and AIDS and during that time in the Indienna you
run there, so that was a privilege for us. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Those DNA days are probably my favorite time a lot
of wrestling history, so thank you for that and thank
you for everything.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
No problem, Thank you for having me on. I truly
appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And looking forward to hopefully maybe doing some big stuff
and coming back around Michelle, you never.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Know, why not?
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Thank you very much, No problem,
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