September 15, 2025 • 20 mins
Our new conversation with the 3x OVW Heavyweight Champion, NWA athlete and most importantly, The last REAL professional wrestler, Jack Vaughn.
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Mark as Played
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 h m h.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And welcome, ladies and gentlemen in a new brand episode
of prog Wrestling Culture podcast. My name Aldo Fiadna. Here
with me my friend partner in crime, Matteo Paliarella, the Professor,
and ladies and gentlemen, our special guest of the evening.
He is a three time Ohio Valley Wrestling IVY Witch Champion.
(01:34):
Jack Vogue. Hi, Jack, are you doing.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I'm doing fantastic. Thank you guys for having me on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Thank you, thank you very much for being here.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
And let's start.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Let's talk about your beginnings in a professional wrestling of
you make that choice to be a progressor who was
your first inspiration for your career?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So I wan say the first thing that I ever
remem remember wanting to be was a professional baseball player,
Like baseball was my first love, but then like wrestling
was always that thing that was always there. Like I
kind of fell out of love in and out of
love with baseball growing up, and then I after high school,
I was kind of like, you know, at that point,
wrestling had kind of become so big in my life
(02:19):
that that's what I knew I wanted to do. So
wrestling has kind of been that one constant the entire
the entirety of my life.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And about your time in OVW, like I said before,
you are a three time champ there in a company
that years ago was a little brand over the console
of WW before and then TNA, what is your opinion
about you around there? And there is a chance to
(02:50):
see any improvement for this company to be the largest
two largest company in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, So as far as my room with the company,
you know, I've only I've only been with OBW since
about the summer they want to say, with the summer
of twenty twenty two, so it's been about three years
in terms of being just a full time roster member.
And it kind of just it hit the ground running,
you know. I showed up in the middle of the
summer in twenty twenty two and then within three weeks
(03:22):
I was the heavyweight champion for the first time. So
it happened quick, and I've kind of been a mainstay
there ever since, and I've I feel like I've had
some really good moments, some great memories. As far as
where the company is now, I think, you know, there's
a lot of people know that a sports management company
in the UK just recently purchased the company, and you know,
(03:46):
it's it's one of those like for me personally, just
being in wrestling as long as I have, there's a
lot of people that make promises, there's a lot of
people that let you down. And while I'm optimistic, it's
it's kind of, you know, it kind of has to
be a cautious optimism because you never know exactly what's
going to happen. But you know, there there have already
been some changes made to just some of the stuff
(04:08):
going on backstage and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
So you know, I'm optimistic, good and about optimistic. Like
you said, let's talk about the nw A National Wrestling
Alliance because during the regime of Billy Korgan, there is
a big difference between the past of n w A.
(04:36):
Now is a totally better company under the control of
mister Corgan and during the last year he established the
territory system and we saw you in the Jokazana adressing promotion.
The n w A JO Kazana promotion, the nw.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
A ex So.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
What do you think about this system? And in your opinion,
there is a chance to see you regularly on NWA
Power or any other NWA men.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, so I think the system is it's definitely a
different concept. You know. I know that you know from
everyone that I know that kind of knows the inner workings,
you know, But backstage it's that you know Billy and
you know the important people you know higher up an
nw A. They do watch all those shows. They watch Exodus,
they watch Joke, Exanta promotions, they watch n w A
(05:31):
Chicago and all the other territories that they've established, so
you know, they have a sort of a developmental system
to kind of keep an eye on people that they
might want to use. And I don't know if I
can say this yet because they haven't debuted yet, but
you know, I have had an opportunity to actually participate
in an actual n WA event, had a pretty good
(05:54):
showing out there that should be airing within a week,
so I believe. But but no, it's it's been great
and I know that, like it's really helped put me
on the radar of the NWA. And I've had contacts
with people there, in conversations with people there, and you know,
we're just gonna you know, sometimes it gets frustrating because
you feel like you should be there, you know, it's
you know, you feel like you've done everything right, and
(06:16):
you're just like, hey, like, what's taken so long? You know,
what am I gonna do? So? But no, I'm just
gonna keep going, man, and hopefully within the next little
bit here I'll have I have something, hopefully in paper
that I can sign my name on.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
And like we said, a few minutes before the TC interview,
I saw you on Sunday twenty July during DNA is
lam Meiversary. You were a part of the show as
a security member, and always important for you to be
a part of that show, in particular any historical show
(06:52):
for the TNA brand because they sell out the UBS Arena,
a new a new record Attendant's a very important show
for Total Noo Stop Action Wrestling.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, so, you know, I just got booked as an extra.
You know that I went in there not expecting to
have any sort of role on the show. And you know,
even though it was a security spot, it wasn't anything
that's you know, it's still cool to be a part
of the show, even if it was just as a
sort of an insignificant part. But you know, it was
interesting because I had a lot of people commenting about
(07:32):
it and a lot of people like tweeting at me
and sharing a lot of stuff and talking about how
they saw me there. So you know, I think even
doing something like that shows TNA that people are watching
and that they noticed me and that they wouldn't mind
seeing Jack Vaughan on TNA programming at some point. So
and that's another company where you know, that's obviously one
(07:56):
of my goals is to try to get the TNA.
So I've had again conversations, nothing significant, but you know,
I've had matches with guys that are high up at
TNA that really like my stuff. So you know, again
that's just just gonna kind of keep grinding. It gets
frustrating at times because, like I said, you kind of
feel like you should be there, but you know, there's
a time and place for everything, So I'm just kinda
(08:16):
be impatient and going to keep doing what to do?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We Matteo, You're true?
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Yeah, jacka why the last real pro wrestler.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
So obviously my big influences in wrestling are guys from
the seventies, the eighties, early nineties. You know, the big
ones for me were Stan Hansen, Randy Savage was a
big one for me, Bruiser Brody, sort of that old
school tough guy thing. And you know, when I think
(08:52):
of when I picture like what is real professional wrestling,
it's that era. It's eighties, and it's magnum Ta and
Rick Flair and Ricky Steamboat and guys like that, And
those were the guys that I wanted to emulate. And
I just started to realize that, like, nobody does that
kind of stuff anymore. You know, there's no one that
(09:12):
you know, works like a magnum Ta or a Bruis
of Brodie anymore. And that's what I wanted to do.
And you know, when I came up with the veteran
it was just a matter of, Hey, like, old school
wrestling is what I like. It's the style that I'm
good at, it's the style that I want to do.
So I'm just going to look at it like, you
know what, I'm the one who's continuing the legacy of
(09:34):
these real professional wrestlers that I watched growing up. And
if no one else is going to do it. I'll
take up the mantle and I'll be the last one.
I'll be the last of a dying breed, so to speak.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yeah, and you are the perfect example to how to
use the social media.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yes, I want.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
About this because for a lot of wrestlers, social media
is a very trouble so.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, yes, yeah, And you know, it's one of those
things where it's kind of like, you know, wrestling has
changed over the years in terms of like what it
takes to to get somewhere. You know, it used to
be it is the case of, you know, if you
were good, you could get booked and then you could
you know, people would put in a word for you,
they talk about you, and then you just get you know,
(10:26):
it would just grow. You know. It was kind of
like a word of mouth thing. And now we have
social media which you don't have to you know, be
grinding as hard as those guys did, which you know,
I respect anyone that does. And I'm on the road
all the time, so it's not like I'm not playing
my part in that regard. But yeah, social media is
such a useful tool for guys to get their stuff
(10:48):
out there, and the way that it kind of worked
for me was It's actually kind funny because when I
came up with the veteran gimmick, I was going to
go completely old school and I didn't want to have
any social media, and then I realized, well, I kind
of have to if I if I want to get
anywhere and want people to see my stuff, I kind
of have to. So at first it was just like
(11:11):
I had a Facebook account and everything that I did
was in character, but it would be just like pictures
and I would just make like write a little blurb
about what a real professional wrestler is and stuff like that.
And then in the summer of twenty twenty two, I
was doing a seminar with a journeyman wrestler who many
(11:32):
people are familiar with, Nam Brutal Bob Evans. He's had
runs with pretty much every major company in the States,
and he looked at me and he's like, Jack, I
really like the way that you do social media, but
I really think that you should start looking into video
content because that's what's big right now. I mean that
was like, I mean, I feel like TikTok at that
(11:53):
point was probably at its peak, and he said specifically,
I think you should do TikTok. And I was kind
of hesitant because I didn't want to start doing TikTok
because I kind of hate it. But I went ahead
and I filmed a couple of things just to kind
of try it out, and it hit immediately. Like the
first video that I posted on TikTok did one hundred
thousand views within twenty four hours, and then I was like, okay, well,
(12:18):
I have this second video. So the next day I
posted the second video and it did two hundred thousand views,
and then I started to panic because I didn't have
anything else left to post, so you know, and then
I was like, I just found like a random clip
of me hitting my big clothesline from hell Hey, but
it wasn't two hundred thousand views, but that's was kind
of like, oh my god, like I kind of have
(12:39):
something here. And I think just from those two videos alone,
I got like five thousand followers, and then I realized, okay,
well I can just start posting all these on everything
because everyone has video platforms. And it was just one
of those things that I just stayed consistent with it,
and I had all kinds of ideas and starting all
(13:00):
it was a lot more I guess controversial. I got
a lot more heat back then than I do now.
There's still a handful of people that really don't like
me and then what I'm doing, but that's fine. But
back then it was very much. It was kind of
like the people that didn't take it as seriously were like, oh,
this guy is just like it's a you know, it's
part of his character, but it's also just like it's
(13:22):
kind of stuff that I agree with in terms of
how wrestling should be done. So it just kind of
hit immediately and then it's just kind of consistently just
grown over the last few years.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
Okay, and did you have any trouble not with the people,
but with the other wrestlers on your use of social
bias on your social media use it?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Honestly, it's it's I haven't had a wrestler tell me
that they dislike what I'm doing for a really long time.
There was one video that I did early on that
I know ticked off a lot of wrestlers. It was
an indie versus pro video that I did, and it
was probably a couple months after I started doing the videos,
(14:10):
and I was kind of making fun of how guys
don't throw punches anymore, and how they all throw four arms,
and so of course a lot of the wrestlers that
throw fore arms did not like that one very much.
And I saw some comments that were made about me,
But honestly, outside of that, I know that there's a
there's a couple of guys that have said some stuff,
but it's not anyone significant, Like, it's no one relevant
(14:33):
that's you know, relevant enough to keep me from getting
a job somewhere. So I kind of just take it
as all right, just just tell me that you're jealous,
you know, just just just say that you're you're upset
that some guy figured out a way to get over
without you know, having to get dropped on his head.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Okay, And you are a very big entertainer in and
exploring in your opinion, especially for new wrestlers, which skill
or which point or of course may be balanced is
main important fear features or skills.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
The way that I kind of put it to people
is there have been a lot more people that have
been world champions who were great at entertaining. I guess
I'll put it this way. They were they were better
at getting over than they were as wrestlers, and then
there have been champions that were great wrestlers but couldn't
(15:36):
get over. Obviously, most of them are both, you know,
like guys like you know, you think about like the
John scene is obviously he's entertaining and great in the ring,
you know, but there are more examples of guys that
were just like, hey, they they won the title because
they had they they found their moment and they were
over and it hit. And so to me, like really,
(15:58):
to me, these characters are always going to be more
important than moves and spots and being able to do
certain things in the ring. That stuff is obviously helps,
you know, if you're good in the ring, that obviously helps.
But to me, I would rather be invested in a
character than invested in what spots they're going to do.
So I tell young guys all the time, figure out
a character that works for you. Figure out something that
(16:20):
you're comfortable with that you don't feel like, you know like,
And that was the problem that I had for a
long time, was that I I kind of had these
characters that I just wasn't comfortable with and never didn't
really fit my real personality. And then when I came
up with a veteran. It just hit because it's very
similar to how I really feel about wrestling, and so yeah,
(16:40):
I would tell them, you know, find something that works
for you, something that you're not timid about, something that
you can go you know, you know, turn it, you know,
turn the dial up to eleven, so to speak, and
just go for it. Okay, on the.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
In the twelve of the October, you will in Italy
for Prosble yeah mm, and I'll be the ring announcer.
So I'm going to wait so much. Yeah, and what
should we expect from you for that show?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Oh? Well you can you can expect to see some
thigh slams. I feel like that's a very common thing
that people want to see from me. Uh you know,
I'm actually you know, let me ask you this because
I'm kind of curious. Has the has there been a
good reception from fans about me coming?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Mm hmm yeah, oh wonderful.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So it's it's it's interesting to make you know. This
is the I think the fourth time I've make made
a trip over to Europe, and I've probably wrestled in
about ten or twelve different countries at this point. And
h it's it's always kind of hit or miss, because
you know, I'm obviously I'm well known because of social media,
so it kind of depends on whatever the fan bases
social media knowledge is. So you know, I went to
(17:57):
you know, Finland and Sweden, they didn't really know who
I was very much. And then I went to Romania
the next year and people were chanting for a thigh slab,
which just blew my mind. So yeah, when I go
to you know, with Italy, it's like, and I'm glad
to hear that, because I feel like there's been a
decent reception just on my end from seeing comments and stuff.
So now I'm really excited. I think, Uh, what you
can expect is you can see a guy who's going
(18:19):
to go out there and entertain to the best of
his abilities, and you know, at the same time, I'm
going to put on a hell of a wrestling match,
you know, because I don't. I'm not coming all the
way to uh to Italy to phone it in.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You You're gonna expect a lot of hot audience.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Very ot audience.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Yeah, yeah, very hot audience. You're going to if you're
going to to wrestle or to have a match, of course,
with the a wrestlant.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
From room Okay, yeah, you know, And I always tell
people all the time, it's like, you know, it doesn't
matter to me how big the crowd is as long
as the end of the show, that's what I want. Like, yeah,
there are certain spots here in the States where you know,
it might only be one hundred people, but it's like
in a packed room and everyone's into the show and
there's like a different kind of energy. So as long
(19:11):
as the crowd's hot, man, I'm in. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
They are at least the two hundred two hundred people
on the audience and very obtudience.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
That sounds great, Jack, thank you, thank you very much
for being with us, and I hope to meet you
in person in October. Because Matteo is the announcer, I
am a former part of a commentary team of Progressing Roma,
so I saw every show of the company, like Matteo,
(19:46):
and I think this is the right place for your
debut debut theory in Italy in Sroma. Definitely.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah, I'm excited. Man. There's a you know, when I
started making my trip to Europe, there was a handful
of countries that I really wanted to ta get off
the bucket list in Italy was one of them, so
I'm really excited to finally to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
And then in Rome and then the most one of them,
but one of the most beautiful city in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
So what that debut. I love the wrestling, I love
being able to fight see just as much so being
being in Rome just sounds incredible.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Yeah yeah, so Jack, really, thank you very much sincerely,
and so like I said, I hope to meet you
in person in October. Thank you very much once again.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
If you're being with us so much, thank you Jack. Yeah.
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 h m h.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And welcome, ladies and gentlemen in a new brand episode
of prog Wrestling Culture podcast. My name Aldo Fiadna. Here
with me my friend partner in crime, Matteo Paliarella, the Professor,
and ladies and gentlemen, our special guest of the evening.
He is a three time Ohio Valley Wrestling IVY Witch Champion.
(01:34):
Jack Vogue. Hi, Jack, are you doing.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I'm doing fantastic. Thank you guys for having me on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Thank you, thank you very much for being here.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
And let's start.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Let's talk about your beginnings in a professional wrestling of
you make that choice to be a progressor who was
your first inspiration for your career?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So I wan say the first thing that I ever
remem remember wanting to be was a professional baseball player,
Like baseball was my first love, but then like wrestling
was always that thing that was always there. Like I
kind of fell out of love in and out of
love with baseball growing up, and then I after high school,
I was kind of like, you know, at that point,
wrestling had kind of become so big in my life
(02:19):
that that's what I knew I wanted to do. So
wrestling has kind of been that one constant the entire
the entirety of my life.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And about your time in OVW, like I said before,
you are a three time champ there in a company
that years ago was a little brand over the console
of WW before and then TNA, what is your opinion
about you around there? And there is a chance to
(02:50):
see any improvement for this company to be the largest
two largest company in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, So as far as my room with the company,
you know, I've only I've only been with OBW since
about the summer they want to say, with the summer
of twenty twenty two, so it's been about three years
in terms of being just a full time roster member.
And it kind of just it hit the ground running,
you know. I showed up in the middle of the
summer in twenty twenty two and then within three weeks
(03:22):
I was the heavyweight champion for the first time. So
it happened quick, and I've kind of been a mainstay
there ever since, and I've I feel like I've had
some really good moments, some great memories. As far as
where the company is now, I think, you know, there's
a lot of people know that a sports management company
in the UK just recently purchased the company, and you know,
(03:46):
it's it's one of those like for me personally, just
being in wrestling as long as I have, there's a
lot of people that make promises, there's a lot of
people that let you down. And while I'm optimistic, it's
it's kind of, you know, it kind of has to
be a cautious optimism because you never know exactly what's
going to happen. But you know, there there have already
been some changes made to just some of the stuff
(04:08):
going on backstage and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
So you know, I'm optimistic, good and about optimistic. Like
you said, let's talk about the nw A National Wrestling
Alliance because during the regime of Billy Korgan, there is
a big difference between the past of n w A.
(04:36):
Now is a totally better company under the control of
mister Corgan and during the last year he established the
territory system and we saw you in the Jokazana adressing promotion.
The n w A JO Kazana promotion, the nw.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
A ex So.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
What do you think about this system? And in your opinion,
there is a chance to see you regularly on NWA
Power or any other NWA men.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, so I think the system is it's definitely a
different concept. You know. I know that you know from
everyone that I know that kind of knows the inner workings,
you know, But backstage it's that you know Billy and
you know the important people you know higher up an
nw A. They do watch all those shows. They watch Exodus,
they watch Joke, Exanta promotions, they watch n w A
(05:31):
Chicago and all the other territories that they've established, so
you know, they have a sort of a developmental system
to kind of keep an eye on people that they
might want to use. And I don't know if I
can say this yet because they haven't debuted yet, but
you know, I have had an opportunity to actually participate
in an actual n WA event, had a pretty good
(05:54):
showing out there that should be airing within a week,
so I believe. But but no, it's it's been great
and I know that, like it's really helped put me
on the radar of the NWA. And I've had contacts
with people there, in conversations with people there, and you know,
we're just gonna you know, sometimes it gets frustrating because
you feel like you should be there, you know, it's
you know, you feel like you've done everything right, and
(06:16):
you're just like, hey, like, what's taken so long? You know,
what am I gonna do? So? But no, I'm just
gonna keep going, man, and hopefully within the next little
bit here I'll have I have something, hopefully in paper
that I can sign my name on.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
And like we said, a few minutes before the TC interview,
I saw you on Sunday twenty July during DNA is
lam Meiversary. You were a part of the show as
a security member, and always important for you to be
a part of that show, in particular any historical show
(06:52):
for the TNA brand because they sell out the UBS Arena,
a new a new record Attendant's a very important show
for Total Noo Stop Action Wrestling.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, so, you know, I just got booked as an extra.
You know that I went in there not expecting to
have any sort of role on the show. And you know,
even though it was a security spot, it wasn't anything
that's you know, it's still cool to be a part
of the show, even if it was just as a
sort of an insignificant part. But you know, it was
interesting because I had a lot of people commenting about
(07:32):
it and a lot of people like tweeting at me
and sharing a lot of stuff and talking about how
they saw me there. So you know, I think even
doing something like that shows TNA that people are watching
and that they noticed me and that they wouldn't mind
seeing Jack Vaughan on TNA programming at some point. So
and that's another company where you know, that's obviously one
(07:56):
of my goals is to try to get the TNA.
So I've had again conversations, nothing significant, but you know,
I've had matches with guys that are high up at
TNA that really like my stuff. So you know, again
that's just just gonna kind of keep grinding. It gets
frustrating at times because, like I said, you kind of
feel like you should be there, but you know, there's
a time and place for everything, So I'm just kinda
(08:16):
be impatient and going to keep doing what to do?
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We Matteo, You're true?
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Yeah, jacka why the last real pro wrestler.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
So obviously my big influences in wrestling are guys from
the seventies, the eighties, early nineties. You know, the big
ones for me were Stan Hansen, Randy Savage was a
big one for me, Bruiser Brody, sort of that old
school tough guy thing. And you know, when I think
(08:52):
of when I picture like what is real professional wrestling,
it's that era. It's eighties, and it's magnum Ta and
Rick Flair and Ricky Steamboat and guys like that, And
those were the guys that I wanted to emulate. And
I just started to realize that, like, nobody does that
kind of stuff anymore. You know, there's no one that
(09:12):
you know, works like a magnum Ta or a Bruis
of Brodie anymore. And that's what I wanted to do.
And you know, when I came up with the veteran
it was just a matter of, Hey, like, old school
wrestling is what I like. It's the style that I'm
good at, it's the style that I want to do.
So I'm just going to look at it like, you
know what, I'm the one who's continuing the legacy of
(09:34):
these real professional wrestlers that I watched growing up. And
if no one else is going to do it. I'll
take up the mantle and I'll be the last one.
I'll be the last of a dying breed, so to speak.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yeah, and you are the perfect example to how to
use the social media.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yes, I want.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
About this because for a lot of wrestlers, social media
is a very trouble so.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, yes, yeah, And you know, it's one of those
things where it's kind of like, you know, wrestling has
changed over the years in terms of like what it
takes to to get somewhere. You know, it used to
be it is the case of, you know, if you
were good, you could get booked and then you could
you know, people would put in a word for you,
they talk about you, and then you just get you know,
(10:26):
it would just grow. You know. It was kind of
like a word of mouth thing. And now we have
social media which you don't have to you know, be
grinding as hard as those guys did, which you know,
I respect anyone that does. And I'm on the road
all the time, so it's not like I'm not playing
my part in that regard. But yeah, social media is
such a useful tool for guys to get their stuff
(10:48):
out there, and the way that it kind of worked
for me was It's actually kind funny because when I
came up with the veteran gimmick, I was going to
go completely old school and I didn't want to have
any social media, and then I realized, well, I kind
of have to if I if I want to get
anywhere and want people to see my stuff, I kind
of have to. So at first it was just like
(11:11):
I had a Facebook account and everything that I did
was in character, but it would be just like pictures
and I would just make like write a little blurb
about what a real professional wrestler is and stuff like that.
And then in the summer of twenty twenty two, I
was doing a seminar with a journeyman wrestler who many
(11:32):
people are familiar with, Nam Brutal Bob Evans. He's had
runs with pretty much every major company in the States,
and he looked at me and he's like, Jack, I
really like the way that you do social media, but
I really think that you should start looking into video
content because that's what's big right now. I mean that
was like, I mean, I feel like TikTok at that
(11:53):
point was probably at its peak, and he said specifically,
I think you should do TikTok. And I was kind
of hesitant because I didn't want to start doing TikTok
because I kind of hate it. But I went ahead
and I filmed a couple of things just to kind
of try it out, and it hit immediately. Like the
first video that I posted on TikTok did one hundred
thousand views within twenty four hours, and then I was like, okay, well,
(12:18):
I have this second video. So the next day I
posted the second video and it did two hundred thousand views,
and then I started to panic because I didn't have
anything else left to post, so you know, and then
I was like, I just found like a random clip
of me hitting my big clothesline from hell Hey, but
it wasn't two hundred thousand views, but that's was kind
of like, oh my god, like I kind of have
(12:39):
something here. And I think just from those two videos alone,
I got like five thousand followers, and then I realized, okay,
well I can just start posting all these on everything
because everyone has video platforms. And it was just one
of those things that I just stayed consistent with it,
and I had all kinds of ideas and starting all
(13:00):
it was a lot more I guess controversial. I got
a lot more heat back then than I do now.
There's still a handful of people that really don't like
me and then what I'm doing, but that's fine. But
back then it was very much. It was kind of
like the people that didn't take it as seriously were like, oh,
this guy is just like it's a you know, it's
part of his character, but it's also just like it's
(13:22):
kind of stuff that I agree with in terms of
how wrestling should be done. So it just kind of
hit immediately and then it's just kind of consistently just
grown over the last few years.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
Okay, and did you have any trouble not with the people,
but with the other wrestlers on your use of social
bias on your social media use it?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Honestly, it's it's I haven't had a wrestler tell me
that they dislike what I'm doing for a really long time.
There was one video that I did early on that
I know ticked off a lot of wrestlers. It was
an indie versus pro video that I did, and it
was probably a couple months after I started doing the videos,
(14:10):
and I was kind of making fun of how guys
don't throw punches anymore, and how they all throw four arms,
and so of course a lot of the wrestlers that
throw fore arms did not like that one very much.
And I saw some comments that were made about me,
But honestly, outside of that, I know that there's a
there's a couple of guys that have said some stuff,
but it's not anyone significant, Like, it's no one relevant
(14:33):
that's you know, relevant enough to keep me from getting
a job somewhere. So I kind of just take it
as all right, just just tell me that you're jealous,
you know, just just just say that you're you're upset
that some guy figured out a way to get over
without you know, having to get dropped on his head.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Okay, And you are a very big entertainer in and
exploring in your opinion, especially for new wrestlers, which skill
or which point or of course may be balanced is
main important fear features or skills.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
The way that I kind of put it to people
is there have been a lot more people that have
been world champions who were great at entertaining. I guess
I'll put it this way. They were they were better
at getting over than they were as wrestlers, and then
there have been champions that were great wrestlers but couldn't
(15:36):
get over. Obviously, most of them are both, you know,
like guys like you know, you think about like the
John scene is obviously he's entertaining and great in the ring,
you know, but there are more examples of guys that
were just like, hey, they they won the title because
they had they they found their moment and they were
over and it hit. And so to me, like really,
(15:58):
to me, these characters are always going to be more
important than moves and spots and being able to do
certain things in the ring. That stuff is obviously helps,
you know, if you're good in the ring, that obviously helps.
But to me, I would rather be invested in a
character than invested in what spots they're going to do.
So I tell young guys all the time, figure out
a character that works for you. Figure out something that
(16:20):
you're comfortable with that you don't feel like, you know like,
And that was the problem that I had for a
long time, was that I I kind of had these
characters that I just wasn't comfortable with and never didn't
really fit my real personality. And then when I came
up with a veteran. It just hit because it's very
similar to how I really feel about wrestling, and so yeah,
(16:40):
I would tell them, you know, find something that works
for you, something that you're not timid about, something that
you can go you know, you know, turn it, you know,
turn the dial up to eleven, so to speak, and
just go for it. Okay, on the.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
In the twelve of the October, you will in Italy
for Prosble yeah mm, and I'll be the ring announcer.
So I'm going to wait so much. Yeah, and what
should we expect from you for that show?
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Oh? Well you can you can expect to see some
thigh slams. I feel like that's a very common thing
that people want to see from me. Uh you know,
I'm actually you know, let me ask you this because
I'm kind of curious. Has the has there been a
good reception from fans about me coming?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Mm hmm yeah, oh wonderful.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
So it's it's it's interesting to make you know. This
is the I think the fourth time I've make made
a trip over to Europe, and I've probably wrestled in
about ten or twelve different countries at this point. And
h it's it's always kind of hit or miss, because
you know, I'm obviously I'm well known because of social media,
so it kind of depends on whatever the fan bases
social media knowledge is. So you know, I went to
(17:57):
you know, Finland and Sweden, they didn't really know who
I was very much. And then I went to Romania
the next year and people were chanting for a thigh slab,
which just blew my mind. So yeah, when I go
to you know, with Italy, it's like, and I'm glad
to hear that, because I feel like there's been a
decent reception just on my end from seeing comments and stuff.
So now I'm really excited. I think, Uh, what you
can expect is you can see a guy who's going
(18:19):
to go out there and entertain to the best of
his abilities, and you know, at the same time, I'm
going to put on a hell of a wrestling match,
you know, because I don't. I'm not coming all the
way to uh to Italy to phone it in.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You You're gonna expect a lot of hot audience.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Very ot audience.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Yeah, yeah, very hot audience. You're going to if you're
going to to wrestle or to have a match, of course,
with the a wrestlant.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
From room Okay, yeah, you know, And I always tell
people all the time, it's like, you know, it doesn't
matter to me how big the crowd is as long
as the end of the show, that's what I want. Like, yeah,
there are certain spots here in the States where you know,
it might only be one hundred people, but it's like
in a packed room and everyone's into the show and
there's like a different kind of energy. So as long
(19:11):
as the crowd's hot, man, I'm in. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
They are at least the two hundred two hundred people
on the audience and very obtudience.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
That sounds great, Jack, thank you, thank you very much
for being with us, and I hope to meet you
in person in October. Because Matteo is the announcer, I
am a former part of a commentary team of Progressing Roma,
so I saw every show of the company, like Matteo,
(19:46):
and I think this is the right place for your
debut debut theory in Italy in Sroma. Definitely.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah, I'm excited. Man. There's a you know, when I
started making my trip to Europe, there was a handful
of countries that I really wanted to ta get off
the bucket list in Italy was one of them, so
I'm really excited to finally to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
And then in Rome and then the most one of them,
but one of the most beautiful city in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
So what that debut. I love the wrestling, I love
being able to fight see just as much so being
being in Rome just sounds incredible.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Yeah yeah, so Jack, really, thank you very much sincerely,
and so like I said, I hope to meet you
in person in October. Thank you very much once again.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
If you're being with us so much, thank you Jack. Yeah.
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