December 4, 2024 • 52 mins
Nathaniel Graysin joins the show and chats with Rick about his professional wrestling career, training with Rodney Mack and Jazz at Dogg Pound, transitioning into the new NWA Texas territory, Texas wrestling history, learning about "Golden Boy" Greg Anthony and his career and so much more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rick252/support
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
What's going on, everybody? This is Rick Del Santo. Of
course you're listening to Pro Wrestling Wire Radio. You're in
Pro Wrestling Wio dot Net. Of course you can also
hear us on Helix Rock Radio every Wednesday night nine
to eleven, the ai w F Network, and of course
each and every week on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and of
course Pro Wrestling Wire dot Net. I've got a very
(00:33):
special guest today, someone I've been looking forward to to
talk with and about for the last week. Nathaniel Grayson.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing very well. How are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I am awesome. I am awesome. Thank you for being
for joining me today and look forward to this conversation.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is my pleasure to join you, and I'm sure
that you are getting just as much pleasure speaking with
the King of Darkness Nathaniel Grayson himself.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I like it. I like it. I like it so
I mean a little. We had a little bit of
a conversation off air of cars, a little bit of
punk rock because of our but some of the records
that I have hanging up in the background, we can
get to that a little bit. If it trails off.
The show never stays on track. I'll tell you that much. So,
but we're here to talk about some professional wrestling. Let's
(01:21):
talk about your beginnings in the world of professional wrestling.
You were sent to me by a gentleman, but from
the AIWF Matt Classic, and you know, he hooks me
up and you've got something big that we're going to
be talking about as well, So we'll talk about that
in a little bit. Yeah, let's go all the way
to the beginning in your the beginnings of your career.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah. Absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I was originally trained, I am trained currently and by
Rodney Mack and Jazz in San Antonio at the Dog
Pound Dojo. I've been training with them now for about
three years.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Okay, well, uh yeah, three years. Yeah, that sounds about right.
Three years. It's been along three years.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Uh, And it has been along three years learning being
taught by two of the absolute best with Rodney Mack
and Jazz has been a life change and experience.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
And I encourage.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Anybody, anybody that is within earshot to come to the
Dog Pound Dojo, and even if it's just for a night,
to learn from these two great, great minds and great people,
even better people.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, next time I'm in the area. I'm gonna have
to come down and visit. Of course, if you're talking
about some of the you know, dog Pound Championship Wrestling
and such other such things, I'm gonna have to come
down and hang out there one night.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Of course dog Pound dog Pound Dojo also has the
promotion dog Pound Championship Wrestling, which is now in the
u A. Texas presented by Dog Pound Championship Wrestling.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And so I've been.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I've been a part of the Dog Pound Dojo and
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling almost since the very beginning. I
was a part of the very first Dog Pound Championship
Wrestling show as a as.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
A rookie in my very first match in a Battle Royal.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I'm a former pound for pound champion, I'm a former
junior heavyweight champion here at Dog Pound Championship Wrestling, and
uh I feel like I have been an integral part
of the growth of this amazing promotion and it's been
an amazing ride to be a part of and to
see firsthand. And uh it's it's it's extremely incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And now that it's growing even more.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Uh it's it's it's it's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah. Well, I mean, now, as you said that, because
this is the big news that came out of the
National Now you're good. You're good, because this is where
we were going. So it's now it's part of the NWA,
the National Wrestling Alliance. Of course, earlier in this year,
Billy Corgan and the NWA started reinstating against the territory system.
(04:14):
They added about what five or six groups now and
NWA Texas Texas has always been a strong area for
professional wrestling, and so you know, I think it's great
that they're going to be bringing it to an NWA
territory back to Texas, and I'm really looking forward to it.
I myself am a huge nw A fan. I've always
been a gigantic NWA fan. I don't always agree with
(04:36):
what they're doing on their television. Sometimes I walk away
confused and shaking my head, but I'm going to tell
you I'm I'm still very much a full time supporter
of the National Wrestling Alliance.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, so, I mean there's a lot to unpack there, right.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Texas has always been, has always been and is still
an amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
For professional wrestling.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
We could sit here and talk about all the greats
that you know, the van Erics, the free Birds, you know,
the King Iceman Parsons.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
You know, there have been so the Gino Hernandez is right.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
We can keep going on with just the amazing Texas
lineage and history.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
But you know that has never stopped. You know, there
have always been amazing talents coming out of Texas.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And even today, the not just the n w A
Texas Dog Pound Championship Wrestling, but the entire Texas seen
as a whole, should really be commended because I feel
like it is completely on fire from the northern parts
of the state, you know, the Texas, the Texahoma area,
(05:49):
to the Texas to the Texas Kansas area, you know,
all the way down to the Bayou area, to the
Valley to El Paso, you know, every part of Texas.
There is wrestling to be found and great phenomenal talent
out there. And so now that the n w A
has is coming in and establishing a territory with Dog
(06:11):
Pound Championship Wrestling with n w A Texas, it just
puts even more of a spotlight on what is already
a booming scene down here.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
And so I think.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That I think that ever since Billy Corgan has taken
over the n w A.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
What a what a complete and total like turnaround.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
In the in the best way possible, you know, growing up,
I'll age myself a little bit, right Like growing up
it was for me.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
For me, n w A was n w A t
n A.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Right, So, you know, you're you're looking at uh, at
Jeff Jarrett, You're looking at aj Styles, You're looking at Abyss.
And then once once that partnership h ended, I guess right, yeah,
you stop hearing about the NWA as much. And it
really wasn't until Billy Corgan bought the NWA and revitalized
(07:09):
it and revamped it that now I feel like the
NWA as a whole is one of the most exciting
and fun things to watch and to keep your eye on,
you know, for those that like more than just the
TV product, you know, for those that like to keep
you know, their finger on the pulse of wrestling. I
think that right now NWA is very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
There's a lot of great talent there. There's a lot
of great talent there right now. I got I got
some friends from up here that work there, and you know,
I'm happy to see them on TV on a regular basis.
You know, it's just a lot of fun and they
give opportunities to a lot of people you wouldn't normally
see on CWWTV, U T and A TV or or elsewhere,
(07:53):
you know what I mean, aew TV so or and
then they're kind of have guys that maybe they're kind
of been off w W TV or wherever for a
couple of years as well, you know what I mean.
So there, it's definitely a very unique brand these days
as far as professional wrestling goes.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
So what I think is great about the nw A
right now specifically is that it is in terms of
like being a worker, it is every man's opportunity because
you see you see men and women of all shapes,
all sizes, all creeds, all colors, all backgrounds, all thriving.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
At the nw A.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You know, the the WWE has a look, let's just call.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It what it's.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
You know, it's McDonald's, you know what I mean, it's
it's the mainstream brand and to.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Uh and yes, yeah, yeah, you know, it's it's Abercomie
and Fitch. It's American Eagle and that's what they Hey,
look man, that's that's what they do. But when I'm
sure that when we were growing up watching wrestling, and
it seems like we've got from what we were talking
about with our sons earlier.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
It seems we're on two different age paths.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
But you know, I remember wrestlers of all sizes, you know,
I just mentioned Abyss, Abyss of Mick Foley, you know,
and there's more, you know, there's more guys that were
of different shapes and sizes, creeds, colors and backgrounds that
were all thriving and wrestling. And to me, the NWA
is the spot where it doesn't matter what it doesn't
(09:29):
matter what you look like or where you come from.
If you can deliver the goods, you're given a chance
and an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Right, Yeah, Yeah, I grew up in the nineteen eighties,
so it's a few years older than you. So it
was the land of the giants, really in w W Land.
They grew up in w W territory, really living in Connecticut.
And however, k Yeah, the funny part about it is
once I discovered the NWA, that was that's what became
my favorite wrestling product was the NWA. Jim Crockett Promotion
(10:00):
mid Atlantic Wrestling because it just seemed more legit and
realistic as opposed to you know, guys walking out with
a pet dog or or nothing against nothing against the
British bulldogs, but you know, or right, you know, watching
two guys come out as hill Billy Beckwoods Hillbilly's with
you know, that kind of a thing. And you know,
I love the characters, but you know, I just also
(10:24):
love the realistic presentation of say, the National Wrestling Alliance
and the AWA and World Class and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
No, absolutely, And I think that everything comes in cycles
in terms of the entertainment industry, and so what's old
is always new again, right, And so you'll see, you know,
with more mainstream wrestling that those those stories, those rich,
deep stories with characters that people care about, that's really
(10:55):
coming back. You know, we saw that last night. You know,
we saw that with with Monday Night Raw.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
You know, it seems like every every Friday, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
They're telling these long term stories with characters that you
care about. And so that is and that is what
wrestling should be. That is what wrestling is meant to be.
And so again, what's old is new again, right. So
now people are gravitating, gravitating more towards that, and at
the end of UA, that's something that Billy Corgan has
(11:29):
really really harkened back to, is building characters that people
care about and then putting them, putting them in stories
and situations that, you know, need a reaction, that needs
something to happen, and that keep people entertained and tuning
in every week.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Yeah. Yeah, Is there a plan for television for NWA
Texas that's coming out or that you're aware of?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Well, so we actually are.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
We have been shooting and releasing television already. You can
find Dog Pound Championship Wrestling on Anthem TV. You can
download that on I believe your smartphone and your smart TVs.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Uh a uh.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
We air Paradox every Thursday at seven pm Central Standard
Time on Anthem TV, and then you can also catch
everything uploaded the next week on our YouTube page.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Okay cool, I'm gonna have to check that out. Is
it also available for say roku as well?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I believe, I believe Anthem TV.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Is okay, all right, I know YouTube is I know
you everywhere?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Yeah, I do have that, but sometimes you know, when
I'm discovering stuff I don't want to wait, you.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Know, yeah, now I completely understand.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And then I do know that the NWA experimented with
one of their territories, Exodus Pro, which is EC three promotion.
They just did a live stream on YouTube of the
the Exodus Pro event. I believe it was two Saturdays ago,
not last Saturday, but the Saturday before, And so I
(13:10):
do know that that is something that the n w
A is definitely looking into and hoping to utilize again
in the future. And so we are we down here
are hoping to very much be a part of that
and to be forefront and uh and center right right.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Do you have any other role there at dog Pound
besides what you mentioned and just being a talent there?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I do? I do you picked up on that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Oh well, you know, I'm talking to you throughout the week.
I kind of got that idea in the you know,
uh so yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
So we are a very di y family, because that's
really what it is.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
You hear stories about ECW originals back in the day.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
You know, Taz was making the.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
T shirts, Bully Bubba Ray was booking the book in
the Buildings. We are very much in the same vein
and heart. I'm I don't have like a direct role.
I feel like I manage a lot. I feel like
I managed. I feel like that would be the role.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It is just like manager.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
My wife and I own a production company called Chili
Dust Productions. We shoot all of the the TV for
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling. We also shoot some of the
backstage content as well. N W a talent and homegrown talent,
Soda Pop.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
He is the he's the.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Video editor for our TV product we have. We have
guys that make graphics, so everything is done in house.
You know, we even have we even have our own treasurer.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
There you go, there, you go, yeah, yeah. I mean
that's independent wrestling in a way as well. You know
what I mean, Like you work for a company. You're
coming out of a school that's running companies, et cetera.
There's the guy that makes the flyers, there's the guy
that does this. There's a guy that does that. I
edit the television for one of the organizations that I
don't run it. I you know, I'm television commentator for them,
(15:19):
and I'm the one that edits the television. After all
the videos are edited, I you know, put the TV together,
which Arizon TV out of New York, on each and
every Saturday. Then we uploaded to our YouTube or not YouTube.
We also do upload it to your YouTube, but it
streams Facebook Tuesday nights at seven pm as well. So
you know, so it's I understand that it's it's it
(15:40):
keeps you busy, but it's something that I love to do,
you know, at the same time, so I think that,
you know, I was like, professional wrestling is very important
part of my life and I'm sure as it is yours.
And I found that that I realized I hadn't been
to a show about two weeks, and I'm just like
kind of getting cranky. I was like, geez, I'm usually
at a I'm usually at a show Wednesday. That's my therapy.
(16:02):
So that's why I'm getting a little cranky.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, no, no, no, absolutely, I get it. I I completely
get it. You know, wrestling. Wrestling has been something in
my life since I can remember. Yeah, my son is
literally in his room right now playing with my original Undertaker.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's one of those the snap bone figures, you know,
like it's like a plushy but the arm snap you remember, Yeah,
I remember, So you know it's been we had we
had WrestleMania parties, not super Bowl parties. Yeah, you know,
so being being a part of any bit of the
wrestling industry is to me a dream come true. The
(16:47):
fact that I am gifted enough to be uh physically
healthy and athletic and coordinated and of a student mindset
enough to actually perform in the ring is you.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Know, it's it's it's it's a bonus obviously.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
But whether I was in the ring or not, I
would have found my way into the industry one way
or the other.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
And I'm sure that long after.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
I am physically capable of doing this in the ring,
I will probably still be in this industry one way
or the other, uh, in some shape or form.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
See, I got into it a little bit late. I
was kind of just a radio guy. I had a
radio program, as I said, you know, a DJ and
stuff like that, and I kind of got out of
radio for a number of years and I started just
kind of I went to my first indie show and
it just kind of I said, ah, I'm gonna start
a wrestling podcast. After wanting to get back into radio,
you know what I mean, and then just hanging around
(17:44):
with certain people. Got to know a lot of people
after doing uh wrestling podcast and this and that, and
then it's just like, hey, would you be interested in commentary?
I was like me, uh, sure, why not? And it's
you know, and it's four years later, I've been doing
commentary for about five days about ten different companies, you
know what I mean. I don't and off, but I'm
a regular at I think three. And It's just I'm
(18:08):
having the time of my life. I'm living a dream
at fifty years old, you know what I mean that
I thought that, Yeah, you know, I thought, I, like
thirteen years old, I'd never do this. I would never
do that. I was just happy watching them down TV
and collecting magazines and all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
That was that this I feel like, I feel like
that story is so familiar, at least to myself, because
you know, uh, there was a point in time, probably
in my early twenties, right, because I for an athlete,
I got into this game late, because I didn't start
training until I was in my late twenties, almost thirty,
(18:45):
and so in my early twenties, I I was more
interested in partying, right we are, Yeah, right, you know,
I didn't have the discipline that I needed to actually
pursue this for real. And so I just I was content, right,
I was with getting drunk with my buddies and watching
the pay per views and just you know, shit talk.
(19:06):
I don't know if I can curse, but you know, yeah,
you know, shit talking a little bit, and that was it.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I was cool with that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And then a couple of years had gone by and
I had realized I hadn't been to a show, and
my dad also pointed out, like, hey man, we haven't
been to a show. And uh, I think TNA TNA
was coming to uh to San Antonio, and me and
my buddies and my dad went and we got you.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Know, we got hammered.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
We had a blast, and we're sweating our ass off
in this brewery and I'll just I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I was just so drunk and I was so hot,
and when you're hot, you're even more drunk. Yeah yeah,
And I just looked up and I just.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Slouched over to my buddy and I was like, dude,
we should we could do this, Like let's do this,
like let's let's talk to these guys, let's figure out
who's here in San Antonio and like, let's do this,
and so, as most stories go with two drunk guys,
(20:04):
I went ahead and did it.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
And he did not put last.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
He didn't do something like a lot of drunk guys do,
just attempt to jump in the ring and getting getting
the craft kicked at you. I've seen that a number
of times over the years as well, so you know.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yes, yes, and then uh, I think it's I think
it's even more humbling, and it's also just like amazing
to me that, like I'll never forget. The next year,
we went to a show because our birthday is around
the same time, me and this friend and we go
to a show and I believe Carrie and Cross was
on it, Lance Archer is on it. Fred Rosner from
(20:42):
New Japan is on there, and I just I just
told my buddy. I was like, you know what, dude,
I'm doing it. And in January, I'm gonna go I'm
calling Rodney Mack and Jazz and I'm gonna go train
with them.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
And then here it is two three years later.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I've been on shows with Lance Archer, I've had conversations
with Fred Cross got signed fairly quickly, ye, right right
after that show, So that hasn't happened yet. But a
lot of those guys that were on that show I'm
either friends with, I know I'm acquaintances with, or I've
(21:24):
been on shows with.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
And so to me, for.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Myself, that is something that I can look back and
be proud of and just know that, Like, Hey, one
one afternoon drunk with my buddy, I said that I
could do this and and and now I'm doing it.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Yeah, who do you see in your area? Maybe out
of dog Pound or slash n W A Texas. Who
do you uh, Who's out there that you thinks can
get to that next next level and that you appreciate
working with, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Oh Man, there's a there's a lot of people. Yeah,
there's there's there's a lot. I feel like if I
start naming names, I'm gonna I'm gonna end up leaving
somebody off and and getting them upset. I think that
I think that if you're look if if you're looking
for somebody that's you know, really not not anybody like
(22:15):
directly associated with dog Pound or from this camp, You're
gonna want to look at Texas Style Wrestling up in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
He has w You're gonna want to look at a
three sixty Pro wrestling that's in Central Texas.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
There's a there's so many phenomenal talents. Bam Bam Malone
is standing out like first in my head, Bam Bam
Malone is a phenomenal, a phenomenal talent out there. Damo
McCullough is somebody that not enough people are talking about.
And if anybody ever tells him that I said something
(22:52):
nice about him in public on a podcast, I'm gonna
deny it until I'm blue in the face.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I don't care if you have the video.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
There are so many guys like, there's way too many
to name, But yeah, I think that if you're looking
at those two, those two other particular promotions Texas Style
Wrestling up in Dallas three sixty Pro Wrestling in the
Central Texas area, you're gonna find topknot topnotch talent, top
to bottom nice nice.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Uh So, I see that you did some work for
Pro Wrestling Mid South here in Greg Anthony's Pro Wrestling
Mid South out of Dyersburg, Tennessee. Correct. Yes, Yeah, do
you know do you know Cody Bauers the I do
not know he's the I guess he does the sound
and tech guy and stuff like that. I just spoke
with him. He was on the podcast a little bit earlier.
(23:45):
Nice kid, very nice kid. I guess he's starting a
history of Memphis podcast, which I guess is starting in
the beginning of the year. So that should be and
that is.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You know, that's a hell of a podcast. That's a
hell of a journey to take. Yeah, I think that it.
So I did.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I did work for Greg so okay, So there's a
story behind all of this, right. So, on the week
after my very first match, Rodney Mack asks if I
would like to go with him to Memphis, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
And so that began a probably.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Six seven month stretch of at least once a month,
a crew of us, no matter how big or small,
a crew of us, was jumping in the car with
Rodney Mack to go to Memphis, Tennessee to wrestle.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
And then.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
One of Rodney's very first students, Professor P is a
manager in the mid well, he's a manager everywhere. He's
a professional wrestling manager. Professor P the og of philosophy.
He hooked us up with a couple of different bookings,
a couple of different places in that area, one of
them being Greg Anthony's, and so we we went in there.
(25:02):
It was me and Soda and UH and Rodney Mac and.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Professor p that was the car.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
And this was our first time, this was our first
time being somewhere completely completely new yea. And this was
also our first time that we were booked without Rodney. So,
you know, normally, normally they book Rodney and then he's
you know, I got these green guys with me, dog,
(25:28):
you know, throw them let open.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
You know, you get a van, you pack in a
bunch of your students and you take a ride or whatever. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yes, So this was the first one that he wasn't
on the card. You know, this was this was for us,
and both Soda.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
And I loved the building, loved the experience, loved the
program that they had put together because we were there
all day, right, so we watched these guys train with
Greg Anthony's we saw him, you know, set up the
show the whole nine and it's, uh, it's so top notch,
it's so well.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Done that we we finished that night.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I believe that Soda wrestled Greg Anthony actually, and then
when we got in the car, that is where the
genesis for what became everything that we have today.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
That's like that car ride, like us being green young boys.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
You know, we didn't even know who who Greg Anthony's
really was. So on the car ride, we're sitting here
googling him, right, And that's where that's where we were, like,
we wanted, we want a junior heavyweight championship because he's
an n w A junior heavyweight champion. He has a
he has a show like they have a show, right,
(26:54):
we want to put on shows like that.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
They have a building. You know.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Everything that we really wanted and started to strive for
came from visiting the Golden Boy out there in Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
He's a great dude. He's returning to the show and
next week, I believe, or the week after one of those,
I don't remember. It's in my calendar. So I want
everybody to look out for it. I want you to
look out for it because I had him on about
a year ago, maybe year and a half ago. I
gotta tell you, Uh, doing research for him, I found
out with a lot of really good stuff. I got
him on it. Yeah, I mean I got Well. The
(27:33):
weird part about it was I got television I got
him on my television up here for a few short months.
But this is going back. It has to be twenty
years ago, okay, a company called Traditional Championship Wrestling, which
was seemed like a very promising wrestling organization. It was
an old school style television program. I believe it was.
(27:53):
Chris Cruz did commentary. Ken Resnick was there, Tim Storm
was there. You know, jeez, I mean if I name names,
I can't really it's hard to think about. But I
just remember I had just had my first child, my daughter.
She's a few months old, and you know, when you
have children, you got to wake up several times throughout
(28:14):
the evening to feed that child. So when we were
in our child it kind of happened a little bit
longer because she was a little sick when she was born.
So for probably about a good year and a half,
we were up every few months and stuff like that.
And at like four or five in the morning was
this wrestling program, Traditional Pro Wrestling or Traditional Championship Wrestling
(28:34):
at like I don't know whatever day of the week
it was. And that's the first time I had ever
seen Greg Anthony. But you know then I didn't hear
his name for a number of years until he became
the AIWF world champion. And you know, he was sent
over to me to interview and and and doing that
research some of the stuff that I found him tagging
with Bobby Eaton doing this yeh. Being part of all
(28:57):
these like organizations in this history was just I mean, gesu,
it was amazing, seriously.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
No, absolutely, And there are so many there are so
many other people out there that have a similar story
of just living this amazing career that maybe maybe not
everybody heard about because you know, for X Y or
Z reason. But I mean, next week when you have
(29:26):
him on the show, you can very much tell him
that the dog Pound guys in San Antonio have never
forgotten that trip out to Dyersburg, Tennessee, and that we
owe him, we owe him a massive thanks because it
it may not have been a direct sentence, it may
not have been you know, anything that he said to us,
(29:46):
but leaving that building was the genesis of how do
you know, literally with our coach in the back seat,
me driving and so soda on his iPad, you know,
how can we become some thing even close to that?
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (30:03):
And you know now that now that we are officially
an NWA territory. You know, you can definitely let him
know next week that the dog Pound Boys owe him
at least one beer.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
They're also like, he has this really interesting setup for shows. Okay,
I've never been there, but I do watch them. He has,
He streams them on Facebook. He does like a Friday
Saturday shows each and every single week, which is to me, like,
what independent is really running weekly shows?
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Right?
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Not that often? Right, very rarely. And the fact that
he's only charging five dollars for a seat, to me,
that's just amazing. You can take your whole family out
to go watch one of his shows for what twenty
thirty dollars before the snacks. Yeah, nothing wrong.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
With that, No, not at all, No, not that's that's
that is.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
That is bringing wrestling back to what it's meant to be,
and that is, you know, entertainment.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Family. And I maybe this part comes a little bit.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
You know, questionable, because at certain times, you know, wrestling
was very much a gentleman's sport. But you know, since
I feel like since since the television era, okay, going
all the way back to Gorgeous George, right, this has
really been entertainment and this has been family entertainment, and
(31:31):
you know, sometimes in the history and annals of wrestling,
we've maybe steered a little too much into that family.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Side, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
But at the end of the day, there's nothing wrong
with old school professional wrestling, good guy, bad guy, telling
a story, you know, and entertaining the people and giving them,
you know, giving them somebody to love and somebody to hate.
And so I feel like, again, you know, I've said
it a couple of times, what's old is new again,
and it's cool again, you know, telling stories, good guys
(32:04):
and bad guys, having somebody that people can really really
get behind or not get behind, and sometimes sometimes as
a heel, as the king of darkness.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
You know, I find it hard to.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Do podcasts or you know, interviews or things like that,
you know, because it does kind of blur that line.
But with everything that we've got going on right now,
you know, I did feel like we've got to get
out here. I've got to get out here and tell
people what we've got going on down here in South Texas,
south central Texas, what we've got going on with NWA Texas,
(32:39):
because rich here's the truth, right, Yeah, I'm trying to
be the space. I'm trying to be the forefront and
center of not just NWA Texas, but the NWA as
a whole. Right, And so if if somebody needs to
get out here and sing the good graces of Billy
(32:59):
Kor and the NWA and NWA Texas, you can count
Nathaniel Grayson in on that because this is because this
is one of the most this is one of the
most exciting platforms in all of professional wrestling with the NWA.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
You know, they've announced I believe five six now it's
either five or six in total territories, but that's nationwide.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
That's nationwide.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
And what if you're really paying attention, all these territories
have a school established with them, and all of these
schools that they have established with them all have established
reputable head trainers that have been to the top of
the mountain and back right.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
And so these the NWA is breed. The NWA is
breeding the next generation of top tier television ready talent.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Yeah, that makes sense, that makes sense, absolutely. So tell
me about how you came up with the with the
character that you are, Nathaniel Grayson.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
So okay, so this might this might end up veering
back into our off camera conversation.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Okay, So, so growing up, growing up, I was not
a very liked person.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
I was not liked by.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
My schoolmates, my siblings, my family too much, even myself
at some times. And so I've always found myself to
be a little bit of a darker, more reserved person,
somebody that has enjoyed being on that fine line of
(34:50):
of of morality really, And so growing up I was
a I was very much a goth punk rock kid,
two broke, two broke to look the part, but to
pissed off to not be.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
And so growing up you learn how to control all that,
you learn how to keep all that you know.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
You have to function, you have to function in society
as somewhat of a tolerable human being, and suppressing all
of that has led to needing a release, to needing
an avenue of some sorts to express.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
All of this. Well.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Rich, this darkness, Yeah, this darkness that the entire world
has shunned onto me and they've made the entire world
has made this my burden. And so, as with most burdens,
rich you can lead into it or you can steer
(35:58):
away from it. And why not if the world needs
somebody to place their burdens on. Why not Nathaniel Grayson?
Why not become the king of all darkness? And it
won't just stop their rich because as the king of darkness,
(36:21):
there is always fractions of light seeping through, invading what.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I consider my safe space.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
And so it begins with dog Pound and it will
rise through the nw A, one territory at a time
until no man on this planet can deny Nathaniel Grayson.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Wow. And so that's just a little bit, Rich.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I've gotta I've gotta got to take a moment and
just gotta take a moment and come back to societal reality.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
And so now and so now, I hope that you
you understand it. Yes, I get it.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
It's it's it's dark, it's and that's a good character,
you know what I mean. I like it.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Well, No, Rich, I guess I guess you don't understand that.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
It's not a there's there's no character, there's no character
behind this. This is this is what I have been
forced to shove within myself to not end up a
minute to society. You know, I have a I have
I have a wife, I have a son, I have
a well paid job. But the reality of it is
(37:39):
that none of these things are enough. There's nothing quite
like feeling a man's blood pulsing within your hands.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Have you ever felt that? Rich? No? Have you ever?
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Have you ever looked into a man's eyes as you're
squeezing the air out of him?
Speaker 1 (38:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (38:01):
No, Rich, Rich, let me tell you, it's almost it's
almost a little orgasmic.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Because there's this little flicker. There's this little flicker.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Normally right as the referee counts to five, and that's
why they count to five. There's this little flicker where
you can see all of their.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Hope just disappear.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
And it's that type of satisfaction and adrenaline rush that
I crave in my life, and that the only way
to get satisfaction is through the means of professional wrestling.
Because if I did this to a normal man, Rich,
they'd call me, they'd call me Charles Hanson.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
You got a point, it's got relations and yes, yes, yes,
you'd be considered a psycho. You do it in a
legal in a legal manner. Yes, you got me flabbergasted.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Here.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I don't know what to say. Tell me about warning
the Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Ah so.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
As I as I previously mentioned, right, Soda, Rodney Mack
and and myself all were on this car ride and
that is where the inception. When we found out that
the man that Soda had just wrestled was the NWA
Junior heavy was a former NWA World's Junior Heavyweight champion,
We've started brainstorming, you know, and when you're brain storming
(39:36):
with the owner of the company, you know, if you
if you play your.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Cards right, you can make certain things happen.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
And so Soda designed the belt and you know it
took us. I mean that car ride happened in twenty
twenty one, okay, and then the championship was introduced maybe
the next year like l like in twenty twenty two,
later on in the year.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
And so.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
Just to be a part of something that from the
inception that has now become something so prestigious in the state,
something that other people, other companies are you know, vne vye,
to duplicate, to be able to to win that championship,
(40:26):
to be trusted with that championship, Uh, it meant the
world to me, and then to so hopefully right to
win it back at now an even bigger stage on
the NWA Texas presents a dog pound stage. To win
it back on Paradox on Anthem TV. That is definitely
a goal of mine for the next upcoming year to
(40:49):
rewear that championship that looks just oh so damn good
around my waist.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Uh, what do you is there any other titles you
have in your sight that you want to that you're
going after?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Well, so I did hear of the creation of a
Texas style wrestling heavyweight Championship, Okay, and if that is
something that is indeed a real thing, that is definitely something.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
That I would have my eye on.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And then, of course Rich the ultimate prize that is
always on my mind, and not just because of the
NWA Texas affiliation, but just in general because of how
I was raised and what I was raised on.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
The NWA Championship.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
That is by far the most prestigious and important championship
in my opinion, on the face of.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
The professional wrestling planet.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
It predates other champions including you know, the one that
everybody is thinking about right now.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
It has been held.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
By uh a litany of Mount Rushmore's.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Yes, of I mean, it's the most it is the
most important championship in the history of professional wrestling. I mean,
you had guys like Harley Race, Jack Briscoe, Luthez, and
of course Rick Flair. But then, of course, you know
in the semi modern era, you know, you had guys
like Nick all This. I had Nick all This on
the show when he was NWA World Champion, you know
(42:35):
what I mean. Now he's all over WWE TV. So
I mean that title has just been an important championship,
the most important championship in professional wrestling history. Uh yeah,
and I'm happy.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
My other question is this, do you know if I'm
sure that the NWA is gonna put a little bit
of a branding on the uh uh the with the
NWA Texas and create a NWA Texas title, which you
know is a historic championship in itself. I'm guessing that
they're thinking about reinstating that title or bringing it back.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
I have not heard anything in particular in terms of
the Texas Heavyweight Championship. However, However, I know that that
is something that is talked about in every locker room
that I have been in, whether it is whether it's
(43:37):
a dog pound locker room or you know, a different
a different companies locker room.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
I hear about the.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Texas Heavyweight Championship every weekend, and if, if the if
the NWA does decide to fully sanction a revitalized and
new n W a Texas Heavyweight Championship, there is absolutely
(44:04):
no way, no way that I will let that opportunity
slip by.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
That is that is.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
The championship that my father grew up watching, you know, Yeah,
that is that is the championship that you know. Yeah,
if the Texas Heavyweight Championship is something that Billy Corgan
is planning on bringing back or thinking about bringing back,
(44:35):
that is definitely something that Nathaniel Grayson should be a
part of the conversation. And one way or the other, Rich,
I will make myself a part of that conversation.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Wow. Wow, I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I really am.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
I'm looking forward to I was a bit excited when
it came to hearing the NWA had announced the the
Texas territory. I had a brain feart right there. Sorry,
it's been a long it's been a long day. Let's
be serious.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Yeah, yes, what else do.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
You got going on that you want to bring up
before we get out of here? We still got a
few minutes left.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Well, you know, Rich, if.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
I'm being honest with you, this is this is the
this is the home stretch for this.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Year, right, Yeah, we are.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
We are busy at work this this month of December,
preparing for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
My wife and I.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I own a
production company and we just got into a new space.
So we are, we're we're organizing, we are we are
labeling and my wife loves labeling.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Okay, so we're we are gearing up, we are getting ready.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
I do believe that Dog Pound Championship Wrestling is about
to announce they're twenty twenty five dates.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
I believe that I'm.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
Not sure when this is exactly gonna air, but December seventh,
Texas Style Wrestling TSW in forty, Texas is happening and
going down. But yeah, no, honestly, Rich, the end of
this year is planning and prepping, staying in the gym,
trying to watch what I eat. Uh And yeah, right now, thankfully,
(46:29):
think I've been blessed, Rich, I have been blessed with
a very busy and productive year, and so I just
this this December has been earmarked.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
For r and R and prepping, just getting prepped for
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
I know that I know that some guys really like
pushing it hard in December that no breaks life. And
to those independent guys out there, meant by all means
please go out there, get it, give.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
The people what they want to see. Uh, go get
your bag, go get your miles, all of it.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
For me, I have a very very young son. We
just moved and.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
We are we are super busy with you know, behind
the scenes stuff with NWA Texas and so we are
just we.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Are on R and R right now.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah, that's awesome. I've had the busiest year that I've
had since getting involved in wrestling in twenty twenty four.
I've already placed a number of bookings for twenty twenty
five in my calendar. I have nothing for December for
this year so far. So unless somebody, unless somebody calls
me last minute, Hey guys, I am available. You know
where to reach me.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
There it is, yeah, there it is right.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
So what a what a what a.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
Great problem to have, like in terms of being like
an independent wrestler, an independent commentator, Yeah, you know, an
independent entertainer in the in the entertainment industry. What a
great problem that we've been so busy all year long
that it's like.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Maybe I can take a break.
Speaker 3 (48:06):
But also like, hey, I did just say I've got
some weekends free.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
I do have weekends free for now. Just because I
say that I have weekends free, my wife will make
sure that those weekends are not necessarily me laying around
the house.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
So my wife just bagged on the window when she
heard me say free weekend. She literally just heard the bag,
and I was like, I wasn't a part of the conversation.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
I wanted you to hear.
Speaker 1 (48:33):
Honey, we gotta, I gotta. I still this weekend, I
gotta clean up parts of my you know house, I
gotta we're still recovering from Thanksgiving. I gotta dig out
the Christmas tree. This for me, this is late for
putting up the Christmas tree. I tell you that much,
because it's usually up the day after Thanksgiving every year.
But I don't feel like going into that garage and
digging it out behind because we've amassed so much stuff
(48:58):
over the last year that it ended up even more
buried than it was in previous years.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
So with my wife, I inherited her cat, Okay, and
that's and that's fine because she's you know, yeah, you're right. Well,
you know what, it turned out not to be a
problem because the cat hates Christmas trees. Oh so there's
a so there is a chore right off my list
(49:23):
that never is getting done because the cat won't let it.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
Well, I had a cat one year that was, you know,
relatively young, just a few months old, and you know,
we didn't we didn't really have it didn't really have
a name at the time until it dove into my
Christmas tree. It broke the base bringing it down, and
then I just named the cat Ruckus because he was
(49:48):
constantly causing a ruckus.
Speaker 2 (49:50):
So that sounds right, that sounds accurate.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
So why don't you tell everybody where they can reach
out to you, where they can find you on social media? Uh,
they know that they could find you on YouTube part
of the Dog Pound Championship wrestling. And would you say
with was that Anthem TV? Was that correct?
Speaker 2 (50:13):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Yeah, that the app is called Anthem TV. You can
also catch it on YouTube. You can catch me everywhere.
Nathaniel Grayson g R E Y s I N Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
x whatever, the hell you want to call it the
tiki taki as the kids call it, But yeah, I am.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
I may be socially slow, but I am socially everywhere.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Well, you're good to responding to my messages, I tell
you that much. So sometimes I don't get that when
organizing a podcast.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
You know, No, I work in sales, okay, so communication,
communication is.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Is key to me.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
So cool man, cool, But I really appreciate you giving
me the opportunity to come on here, talk jab a
little bit about myself and definitely talk about NWA Texas
and everything cool that we have going on down here
in South central Texas.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
It's definitely something that not only.
Speaker 3 (51:19):
You yourself, but everybody that is listening watching wrestling should
keep their eye on, keep their finger on the pulse,
because big things are happening coming out of the NWA camp.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
Yeah, I want everybody to go check it out. I'm
about to go watch Power actually from this week because
I didn't get to it as of yet, so I
gotta check that out, which I watch each and every week.
It's you know, everybody that's listening. If you can't find it,
it's on X now, Twitter, whatever you want to call it. Yes,
go ahead to the NWA page, click the play button.
You can cast it to your TV if you've got
one of those gizmos, you know, check it out.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
It's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
I want to thank you for dropping by today and
we're gonna have to have you on if you've got
any big news, anything that you want to talk about,
but you can always get in touch with me and
come back.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Man, you have definitely been added to the King's rolodex.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
All right, that's a dated reference. Eugen Alphas may not
know what the hell we're talking about. I'm old. I
know what you're talking about. Thank you so much, Rich
What's going on, everybody? This is Rick Del Santo. Of
course you're listening to Pro Wrestling Wire Radio. You're in
Pro Wrestling Wio dot Net. Of course you can also
hear us on Helix Rock Radio every Wednesday night nine
to eleven, the ai w F Network, and of course
each and every week on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and of
course Pro Wrestling Wire dot Net. I've got a very
(00:33):
special guest today, someone I've been looking forward to to
talk with and about for the last week. Nathaniel Grayson.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing very well. How are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I am awesome. I am awesome. Thank you for being
for joining me today and look forward to this conversation.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is my pleasure to join you, and I'm sure
that you are getting just as much pleasure speaking with
the King of Darkness Nathaniel Grayson himself.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I like it. I like it. I like it so
I mean a little. We had a little bit of
a conversation off air of cars, a little bit of
punk rock because of our but some of the records
that I have hanging up in the background, we can
get to that a little bit. If it trails off.
The show never stays on track. I'll tell you that much. So,
but we're here to talk about some professional wrestling. Let's
(01:21):
talk about your beginnings in the world of professional wrestling.
You were sent to me by a gentleman, but from
the AIWF Matt Classic, and you know, he hooks me
up and you've got something big that we're going to
be talking about as well, So we'll talk about that
in a little bit. Yeah, let's go all the way
to the beginning in your the beginnings of your career.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah. Absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I was originally trained, I am trained currently and by
Rodney Mack and Jazz in San Antonio at the Dog
Pound Dojo. I've been training with them now for about
three years.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Okay, well, uh yeah, three years. Yeah, that sounds about right.
Three years. It's been along three years.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Uh, And it has been along three years learning being
taught by two of the absolute best with Rodney Mack
and Jazz has been a life change and experience.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
And I encourage.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Anybody, anybody that is within earshot to come to the
Dog Pound Dojo, and even if it's just for a night,
to learn from these two great, great minds and great people,
even better people.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, next time I'm in the area. I'm gonna have
to come down and visit. Of course, if you're talking
about some of the you know, dog Pound Championship Wrestling
and such other such things, I'm gonna have to come
down and hang out there one night.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Of course dog Pound dog Pound Dojo also has the
promotion dog Pound Championship Wrestling, which is now in the
u A. Texas presented by Dog Pound Championship Wrestling.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And so I've been.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I've been a part of the Dog Pound Dojo and
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling almost since the very beginning. I
was a part of the very first Dog Pound Championship
Wrestling show as a as.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
A rookie in my very first match in a Battle Royal.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I'm a former pound for pound champion, I'm a former
junior heavyweight champion here at Dog Pound Championship Wrestling, and
uh I feel like I have been an integral part
of the growth of this amazing promotion and it's been
an amazing ride to be a part of and to
see firsthand. And uh it's it's it's extremely incredible.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And now that it's growing even more.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Uh it's it's it's it's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yeah. Well, I mean, now, as you said that, because
this is the big news that came out of the
National Now you're good. You're good, because this is where
we were going. So it's now it's part of the NWA,
the National Wrestling Alliance. Of course, earlier in this year,
Billy Corgan and the NWA started reinstating against the territory system.
(04:14):
They added about what five or six groups now and
NWA Texas Texas has always been a strong area for
professional wrestling, and so you know, I think it's great
that they're going to be bringing it to an NWA
territory back to Texas, and I'm really looking forward to it.
I myself am a huge nw A fan. I've always
been a gigantic NWA fan. I don't always agree with
(04:36):
what they're doing on their television. Sometimes I walk away
confused and shaking my head, but I'm going to tell
you I'm I'm still very much a full time supporter
of the National Wrestling Alliance.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, so, I mean there's a lot to unpack there, right.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Texas has always been, has always been and is still
an amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
For professional wrestling.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
We could sit here and talk about all the greats
that you know, the van Erics, the free Birds, you know,
the King Iceman Parsons.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
You know, there have been so the Gino Hernandez is right.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
We can keep going on with just the amazing Texas
lineage and history.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
But you know that has never stopped. You know, there
have always been amazing talents coming out of Texas.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And even today, the not just the n w A
Texas Dog Pound Championship Wrestling, but the entire Texas seen
as a whole, should really be commended because I feel
like it is completely on fire from the northern parts
of the state, you know, the Texas, the Texahoma area,
(05:49):
to the Texas to the Texas Kansas area, you know,
all the way down to the Bayou area, to the
Valley to El Paso, you know, every part of Texas.
There is wrestling to be found and great phenomenal talent
out there. And so now that the n w A
has is coming in and establishing a territory with Dog
(06:11):
Pound Championship Wrestling with n w A Texas, it just
puts even more of a spotlight on what is already
a booming scene down here.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
And so I think.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That I think that ever since Billy Corgan has taken
over the n w A.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
What a what a complete and total like turnaround.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
In the in the best way possible, you know, growing up,
I'll age myself a little bit, right Like growing up
it was for me.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
For me, n w A was n w A t
n A.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Right, So, you know, you're you're looking at uh, at
Jeff Jarrett, You're looking at aj Styles, You're looking at Abyss.
And then once once that partnership h ended, I guess right, yeah,
you stop hearing about the NWA as much. And it
really wasn't until Billy Corgan bought the NWA and revitalized
(07:09):
it and revamped it that now I feel like the
NWA as a whole is one of the most exciting
and fun things to watch and to keep your eye on,
you know, for those that like more than just the
TV product, you know, for those that like to keep
you know, their finger on the pulse of wrestling. I
think that right now NWA is very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
There's a lot of great talent there. There's a lot
of great talent there right now. I got I got
some friends from up here that work there, and you know,
I'm happy to see them on TV on a regular basis.
You know, it's just a lot of fun and they
give opportunities to a lot of people you wouldn't normally
see on CWWTV, U T and A TV or or elsewhere,
(07:53):
you know what I mean, aew TV so or and
then they're kind of have guys that maybe they're kind
of been off w W TV or wherever for a
couple of years as well, you know what I mean.
So there, it's definitely a very unique brand these days
as far as professional wrestling goes.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
So what I think is great about the nw A
right now specifically is that it is in terms of
like being a worker, it is every man's opportunity because
you see you see men and women of all shapes,
all sizes, all creeds, all colors, all backgrounds, all thriving.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
At the nw A.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You know, the the WWE has a look, let's just call.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It what it's.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
You know, it's McDonald's, you know what I mean, it's
it's the mainstream brand and to.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Uh and yes, yeah, yeah, you know, it's it's Abercomie
and Fitch. It's American Eagle and that's what they Hey,
look man, that's that's what they do. But when I'm
sure that when we were growing up watching wrestling, and
it seems like we've got from what we were talking
about with our sons earlier.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
It seems we're on two different age paths.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
But you know, I remember wrestlers of all sizes, you know,
I just mentioned Abyss, Abyss of Mick Foley, you know,
and there's more, you know, there's more guys that were
of different shapes and sizes, creeds, colors and backgrounds that
were all thriving and wrestling. And to me, the NWA
is the spot where it doesn't matter what it doesn't
(09:29):
matter what you look like or where you come from.
If you can deliver the goods, you're given a chance
and an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Right, Yeah, Yeah, I grew up in the nineteen eighties,
so it's a few years older than you. So it
was the land of the giants, really in w W Land.
They grew up in w W territory, really living in Connecticut.
And however, k Yeah, the funny part about it is
once I discovered the NWA, that was that's what became
my favorite wrestling product was the NWA. Jim Crockett Promotion
(10:00):
mid Atlantic Wrestling because it just seemed more legit and
realistic as opposed to you know, guys walking out with
a pet dog or or nothing against nothing against the
British bulldogs, but you know, or right, you know, watching
two guys come out as hill Billy Beckwoods Hillbilly's with
you know, that kind of a thing. And you know,
I love the characters, but you know, I just also
(10:24):
love the realistic presentation of say, the National Wrestling Alliance
and the AWA and World Class and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
No, absolutely, And I think that everything comes in cycles
in terms of the entertainment industry, and so what's old
is always new again, right, And so you'll see, you know,
with more mainstream wrestling that those those stories, those rich,
deep stories with characters that people care about, that's really
(10:55):
coming back. You know, we saw that last night. You know,
we saw that with with Monday Night Raw.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
You know, it seems like every every Friday, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
They're telling these long term stories with characters that you
care about. And so that is and that is what
wrestling should be. That is what wrestling is meant to be.
And so again, what's old is new again, right. So
now people are gravitating, gravitating more towards that, and at
the end of UA, that's something that Billy Corgan has
(11:29):
really really harkened back to, is building characters that people
care about and then putting them, putting them in stories
and situations that, you know, need a reaction, that needs
something to happen, and that keep people entertained and tuning
in every week.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Yeah. Yeah, Is there a plan for television for NWA
Texas that's coming out or that you're aware of?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Well, so we actually are.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
We have been shooting and releasing television already. You can
find Dog Pound Championship Wrestling on Anthem TV. You can
download that on I believe your smartphone and your smart TVs.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Uh a uh.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
We air Paradox every Thursday at seven pm Central Standard
Time on Anthem TV, and then you can also catch
everything uploaded the next week on our YouTube page.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Okay cool, I'm gonna have to check that out. Is
it also available for say roku as well?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I believe, I believe Anthem TV.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Is okay, all right, I know YouTube is I know
you everywhere?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Yeah, I do have that, but sometimes you know, when
I'm discovering stuff I don't want to wait, you.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Know, yeah, now I completely understand.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And then I do know that the NWA experimented with
one of their territories, Exodus Pro, which is EC three promotion.
They just did a live stream on YouTube of the
the Exodus Pro event. I believe it was two Saturdays ago,
not last Saturday, but the Saturday before, And so I
(13:10):
do know that that is something that the n w
A is definitely looking into and hoping to utilize again
in the future. And so we are we down here
are hoping to very much be a part of that
and to be forefront and uh and center right right.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Do you have any other role there at dog Pound
besides what you mentioned and just being a talent there?
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I do? I do you picked up on that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Oh well, you know, I'm talking to you throughout the week.
I kind of got that idea in the you know,
uh so yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
So we are a very di y family, because that's
really what it is.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
You hear stories about ECW originals back in the day.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
You know, Taz was making the.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
T shirts, Bully Bubba Ray was booking the book in
the Buildings. We are very much in the same vein
and heart. I'm I don't have like a direct role.
I feel like I manage a lot. I feel like
I managed. I feel like that would be the role.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It is just like manager.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
My wife and I own a production company called Chili
Dust Productions. We shoot all of the the TV for
Dog Pound Championship Wrestling. We also shoot some of the
backstage content as well. N W a talent and homegrown talent,
Soda Pop.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
He is the he's the.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Video editor for our TV product we have. We have
guys that make graphics, so everything is done in house.
You know, we even have we even have our own treasurer.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
There you go, there, you go, yeah, yeah. I mean
that's independent wrestling in a way as well. You know
what I mean, Like you work for a company. You're
coming out of a school that's running companies, et cetera.
There's the guy that makes the flyers, there's the guy
that does this. There's a guy that does that. I
edit the television for one of the organizations that I
don't run it. I you know, I'm television commentator for them,
(15:19):
and I'm the one that edits the television. After all
the videos are edited, I you know, put the TV together,
which Arizon TV out of New York, on each and
every Saturday. Then we uploaded to our YouTube or not YouTube.
We also do upload it to your YouTube, but it
streams Facebook Tuesday nights at seven pm as well. So
you know, so it's I understand that it's it's it
(15:40):
keeps you busy, but it's something that I love to do,
you know, at the same time, so I think that,
you know, I was like, professional wrestling is very important
part of my life and I'm sure as it is yours.
And I found that that I realized I hadn't been
to a show about two weeks, and I'm just like
kind of getting cranky. I was like, geez, I'm usually
at a I'm usually at a show Wednesday. That's my therapy.
(16:02):
So that's why I'm getting a little cranky.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, no, no, no, absolutely, I get it. I I completely
get it. You know, wrestling. Wrestling has been something in
my life since I can remember. Yeah, my son is
literally in his room right now playing with my original Undertaker.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's one of those the snap bone figures, you know,
like it's like a plushy but the arm snap you remember, Yeah,
I remember, So you know it's been we had we
had WrestleMania parties, not super Bowl parties. Yeah, you know,
so being being a part of any bit of the
wrestling industry is to me a dream come true. The
(16:47):
fact that I am gifted enough to be uh physically
healthy and athletic and coordinated and of a student mindset
enough to actually perform in the ring is you.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Know, it's it's it's it's a bonus obviously.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
But whether I was in the ring or not, I
would have found my way into the industry one way
or the other.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
And I'm sure that long after.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
I am physically capable of doing this in the ring,
I will probably still be in this industry one way
or the other, uh, in some shape or form.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
See, I got into it a little bit late. I
was kind of just a radio guy. I had a
radio program, as I said, you know, a DJ and
stuff like that, and I kind of got out of
radio for a number of years and I started just
kind of I went to my first indie show and
it just kind of I said, ah, I'm gonna start
a wrestling podcast. After wanting to get back into radio,
you know what I mean, and then just hanging around
(17:44):
with certain people. Got to know a lot of people
after doing uh wrestling podcast and this and that, and
then it's just like, hey, would you be interested in commentary?
I was like me, uh, sure, why not? And it's
you know, and it's four years later, I've been doing
commentary for about five days about ten different companies, you
know what I mean. I don't and off, but I'm
a regular at I think three. And It's just I'm
(18:08):
having the time of my life. I'm living a dream
at fifty years old, you know what I mean that
I thought that, Yeah, you know, I thought, I, like
thirteen years old, I'd never do this. I would never
do that. I was just happy watching them down TV
and collecting magazines and all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
That was that this I feel like, I feel like
that story is so familiar, at least to myself, because
you know, uh, there was a point in time, probably
in my early twenties, right, because I for an athlete,
I got into this game late, because I didn't start
training until I was in my late twenties, almost thirty,
(18:45):
and so in my early twenties, I I was more
interested in partying, right we are, Yeah, right, you know,
I didn't have the discipline that I needed to actually
pursue this for real. And so I just I was content, right,
I was with getting drunk with my buddies and watching
the pay per views and just you know, shit talk.
(19:06):
I don't know if I can curse, but you know, yeah,
you know, shit talking a little bit, and that was it.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I was cool with that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And then a couple of years had gone by and
I had realized I hadn't been to a show, and
my dad also pointed out, like, hey man, we haven't
been to a show. And uh, I think TNA TNA
was coming to uh to San Antonio, and me and
my buddies and my dad went and we got you.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Know, we got hammered.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
We had a blast, and we're sweating our ass off
in this brewery and I'll just I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I was just so drunk and I was so hot,
and when you're hot, you're even more drunk. Yeah yeah,
And I just looked up and I just.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Slouched over to my buddy and I was like, dude,
we should we could do this, Like let's do this,
like let's let's talk to these guys, let's figure out
who's here in San Antonio and like, let's do this,
and so, as most stories go with two drunk guys,
(20:04):
I went ahead and did it.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
And he did not put last.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
He didn't do something like a lot of drunk guys do,
just attempt to jump in the ring and getting getting
the craft kicked at you. I've seen that a number
of times over the years as well, so you know.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yes, yes, and then uh, I think it's I think
it's even more humbling, and it's also just like amazing
to me that, like I'll never forget. The next year,
we went to a show because our birthday is around
the same time, me and this friend and we go
to a show and I believe Carrie and Cross was
on it, Lance Archer is on it. Fred Rosner from
(20:42):
New Japan is on there, and I just I just
told my buddy. I was like, you know what, dude,
I'm doing it. And in January, I'm gonna go I'm
calling Rodney Mack and Jazz and I'm gonna go train
with them.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
And then here it is two three years later.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I've been on shows with Lance Archer, I've had conversations
with Fred Cross got signed fairly quickly, ye, right right
after that show, So that hasn't happened yet. But a
lot of those guys that were on that show I'm
either friends with, I know I'm acquaintances with, or I've
(21:24):
been on shows with.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
And so to me, for.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Myself, that is something that I can look back and
be proud of and just know that, Like, Hey, one
one afternoon drunk with my buddy, I said that I
could do this and and and now I'm doing it.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Yeah, who do you see in your area? Maybe out
of dog Pound or slash n W A Texas. Who
do you uh, Who's out there that you thinks can
get to that next next level and that you appreciate
working with, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Oh Man, there's a there's a lot of people. Yeah,
there's there's there's a lot. I feel like if I
start naming names, I'm gonna I'm gonna end up leaving
somebody off and and getting them upset. I think that
I think that if you're look if if you're looking
for somebody that's you know, really not not anybody like
(22:15):
directly associated with dog Pound or from this camp, You're
gonna want to look at Texas Style Wrestling up in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
He has w You're gonna want to look at a
three sixty Pro wrestling that's in Central Texas.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
There's a there's so many phenomenal talents. Bam Bam Malone
is standing out like first in my head, Bam Bam
Malone is a phenomenal, a phenomenal talent out there. Damo
McCullough is somebody that not enough people are talking about.
And if anybody ever tells him that I said something
(22:52):
nice about him in public on a podcast, I'm gonna
deny it until I'm blue in the face.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I don't care if you have the video.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
There are so many guys like, there's way too many
to name, But yeah, I think that if you're looking
at those two, those two other particular promotions Texas Style
Wrestling up in Dallas three sixty Pro Wrestling in the
Central Texas area, you're gonna find topknot topnotch talent, top
to bottom nice nice.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Uh So, I see that you did some work for
Pro Wrestling Mid South here in Greg Anthony's Pro Wrestling
Mid South out of Dyersburg, Tennessee. Correct. Yes, Yeah, do
you know do you know Cody Bauers the I do
not know he's the I guess he does the sound
and tech guy and stuff like that. I just spoke
with him. He was on the podcast a little bit earlier.
(23:45):
Nice kid, very nice kid. I guess he's starting a
history of Memphis podcast, which I guess is starting in
the beginning of the year. So that should be and
that is.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
You know, that's a hell of a podcast. That's a
hell of a journey to take. Yeah, I think that it.
So I did.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I did work for Greg so okay, So there's a
story behind all of this, right. So, on the week
after my very first match, Rodney Mack asks if I
would like to go with him to Memphis, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
And so that began a probably.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Six seven month stretch of at least once a month,
a crew of us, no matter how big or small,
a crew of us, was jumping in the car with
Rodney Mack to go to Memphis, Tennessee to wrestle.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
And then.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
One of Rodney's very first students, Professor P is a
manager in the mid well, he's a manager everywhere. He's
a professional wrestling manager. Professor P the og of philosophy.
He hooked us up with a couple of different bookings,
a couple of different places in that area, one of
them being Greg Anthony's, and so we we went in there.
(25:02):
It was me and Soda and UH and Rodney Mac and.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Professor p that was the car.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
And this was our first time, this was our first
time being somewhere completely completely new yea. And this was
also our first time that we were booked without Rodney. So,
you know, normally, normally they book Rodney and then he's
you know, I got these green guys with me, dog,
(25:28):
you know, throw them let open.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
You know, you get a van, you pack in a
bunch of your students and you take a ride or whatever. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yes, So this was the first one that he wasn't
on the card. You know, this was this was for us,
and both Soda.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
And I loved the building, loved the experience, loved the
program that they had put together because we were there
all day, right, so we watched these guys train with
Greg Anthony's we saw him, you know, set up the
show the whole nine and it's, uh, it's so top notch,
it's so well.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Done that we we finished that night.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I believe that Soda wrestled Greg Anthony actually, and then
when we got in the car, that is where the
genesis for what became everything that we have today.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
That's like that car ride, like us being green young boys.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
You know, we didn't even know who who Greg Anthony's
really was. So on the car ride, we're sitting here
googling him, right, And that's where that's where we were, like,
we wanted, we want a junior heavyweight championship because he's
an n w A junior heavyweight champion. He has a
he has a show like they have a show, right,
(26:54):
we want to put on shows like that.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
They have a building. You know.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Everything that we really wanted and started to strive for
came from visiting the Golden Boy out there in Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
He's a great dude. He's returning to the show and
next week, I believe, or the week after one of those,
I don't remember. It's in my calendar. So I want
everybody to look out for it. I want you to
look out for it because I had him on about
a year ago, maybe year and a half ago. I
gotta tell you, Uh, doing research for him, I found
out with a lot of really good stuff. I got
him on it. Yeah, I mean I got Well. The
(27:33):
weird part about it was I got television I got
him on my television up here for a few short months.
But this is going back. It has to be twenty
years ago, okay, a company called Traditional Championship Wrestling, which
was seemed like a very promising wrestling organization. It was
an old school style television program. I believe it was.
(27:53):
Chris Cruz did commentary. Ken Resnick was there, Tim Storm
was there. You know, jeez, I mean if I name names,
I can't really it's hard to think about. But I
just remember I had just had my first child, my daughter.
She's a few months old, and you know, when you
have children, you got to wake up several times throughout
(28:14):
the evening to feed that child. So when we were
in our child it kind of happened a little bit
longer because she was a little sick when she was born.
So for probably about a good year and a half,
we were up every few months and stuff like that.
And at like four or five in the morning was
this wrestling program, Traditional Pro Wrestling or Traditional Championship Wrestling
(28:34):
at like I don't know whatever day of the week
it was. And that's the first time I had ever
seen Greg Anthony. But you know then I didn't hear
his name for a number of years until he became
the AIWF world champion. And you know, he was sent
over to me to interview and and and doing that
research some of the stuff that I found him tagging
with Bobby Eaton doing this yeh. Being part of all
(28:57):
these like organizations in this history was just I mean, gesu,
it was amazing, seriously.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
No, absolutely, And there are so many there are so
many other people out there that have a similar story
of just living this amazing career that maybe maybe not
everybody heard about because you know, for X Y or
Z reason. But I mean, next week when you have
(29:26):
him on the show, you can very much tell him
that the dog Pound guys in San Antonio have never
forgotten that trip out to Dyersburg, Tennessee, and that we
owe him, we owe him a massive thanks because it
it may not have been a direct sentence, it may
not have been you know, anything that he said to us,
(29:46):
but leaving that building was the genesis of how do
you know, literally with our coach in the back seat,
me driving and so soda on his iPad, you know,
how can we become some thing even close to that?
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (30:03):
And you know now that now that we are officially
an NWA territory. You know, you can definitely let him
know next week that the dog Pound Boys owe him
at least one beer.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
They're also like, he has this really interesting setup for shows. Okay,
I've never been there, but I do watch them. He has,
He streams them on Facebook. He does like a Friday
Saturday shows each and every single week, which is to me, like,
what independent is really running weekly shows?
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Right?
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Not that often? Right, very rarely. And the fact that
he's only charging five dollars for a seat, to me,
that's just amazing. You can take your whole family out
to go watch one of his shows for what twenty
thirty dollars before the snacks. Yeah, nothing wrong.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
With that, No, not at all, No, not that's that's
that is.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
That is bringing wrestling back to what it's meant to be,
and that is, you know, entertainment.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Family. And I maybe this part comes a little bit.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
You know, questionable, because at certain times, you know, wrestling
was very much a gentleman's sport. But you know, since
I feel like since since the television era, okay, going
all the way back to Gorgeous George, right, this has
really been entertainment and this has been family entertainment, and
(31:31):
you know, sometimes in the history and annals of wrestling,
we've maybe steered a little too much into that family.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Side, you know.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
But at the end of the day, there's nothing wrong
with old school professional wrestling, good guy, bad guy, telling
a story, you know, and entertaining the people and giving them,
you know, giving them somebody to love and somebody to hate.
And so I feel like, again, you know, I've said
it a couple of times, what's old is new again,
and it's cool again, you know, telling stories, good guys
(32:04):
and bad guys, having somebody that people can really really
get behind or not get behind, and sometimes sometimes as
a heel, as the king of darkness.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
You know, I find it hard to.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Do podcasts or you know, interviews or things like that,
you know, because it does kind of blur that line.
But with everything that we've got going on right now,
you know, I did feel like we've got to get
out here. I've got to get out here and tell
people what we've got going on down here in South Texas,
south central Texas, what we've got going on with NWA Texas,
(32:39):
because rich here's the truth, right, Yeah, I'm trying to
be the space. I'm trying to be the forefront and
center of not just NWA Texas, but the NWA as
a whole. Right, And so if if somebody needs to
get out here and sing the good graces of Billy
(32:59):
Kor and the NWA and NWA Texas, you can count
Nathaniel Grayson in on that because this is because this
is one of the most this is one of the
most exciting platforms in all of professional wrestling with the NWA.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
You know, they've announced I believe five six now it's
either five or six in total territories, but that's nationwide.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
That's nationwide.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
And what if you're really paying attention, all these territories
have a school established with them, and all of these
schools that they have established with them all have established
reputable head trainers that have been to the top of
the mountain and back right.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
And so these the NWA is breed. The NWA is
breeding the next generation of top tier television ready talent.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Yeah, that makes sense, that makes sense, absolutely. So tell
me about how you came up with the with the
character that you are, Nathaniel Grayson.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
So okay, so this might this might end up veering
back into our off camera conversation.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
Okay, So, so growing up, growing up, I was not
a very liked person.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
I was not liked by.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
My schoolmates, my siblings, my family too much, even myself
at some times. And so I've always found myself to
be a little bit of a darker, more reserved person,
somebody that has enjoyed being on that fine line of
(34:50):
of of morality really, And so growing up I was
a I was very much a goth punk rock kid,
two broke, two broke to look the part, but to
pissed off to not be.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
And so growing up you learn how to control all that,
you learn how to keep all that you know.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
You have to function, you have to function in society
as somewhat of a tolerable human being, and suppressing all
of that has led to needing a release, to needing
an avenue of some sorts to express.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
All of this. Well.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Rich, this darkness, Yeah, this darkness that the entire world
has shunned onto me and they've made the entire world
has made this my burden. And so, as with most burdens,
rich you can lead into it or you can steer
(35:58):
away from it. And why not if the world needs
somebody to place their burdens on. Why not Nathaniel Grayson?
Why not become the king of all darkness? And it
won't just stop their rich because as the king of darkness,
(36:21):
there is always fractions of light seeping through, invading what.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
I consider my safe space.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
And so it begins with dog Pound and it will
rise through the nw A, one territory at a time
until no man on this planet can deny Nathaniel Grayson.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Wow. And so that's just a little bit, Rich.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
I've gotta I've gotta got to take a moment and
just gotta take a moment and come back to societal reality.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
And so now and so now, I hope that you
you understand it. Yes, I get it.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
It's it's it's dark, it's and that's a good character,
you know what I mean. I like it.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Well, No, Rich, I guess I guess you don't understand that.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
It's not a there's there's no character, there's no character
behind this. This is this is what I have been
forced to shove within myself to not end up a
minute to society. You know, I have a I have
I have a wife, I have a son, I have
a well paid job. But the reality of it is
(37:39):
that none of these things are enough. There's nothing quite
like feeling a man's blood pulsing within your hands.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Have you ever felt that? Rich? No? Have you ever?
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Have you ever looked into a man's eyes as you're
squeezing the air out of him?
Speaker 1 (38:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (38:01):
No, Rich, Rich, let me tell you, it's almost it's
almost a little orgasmic.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Because there's this little flicker. There's this little flicker.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Normally right as the referee counts to five, and that's
why they count to five. There's this little flicker where
you can see all of their.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Hope just disappear.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
And it's that type of satisfaction and adrenaline rush that
I crave in my life, and that the only way
to get satisfaction is through the means of professional wrestling.
Because if I did this to a normal man, Rich,
they'd call me, they'd call me Charles Hanson.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
You got a point, it's got relations and yes, yes, yes,
you'd be considered a psycho. You do it in a
legal in a legal manner. Yes, you got me flabbergasted.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Here.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I don't know what to say. Tell me about warning
the Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Ah so.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
As I as I previously mentioned, right, Soda, Rodney Mack
and and myself all were on this car ride and
that is where the inception. When we found out that
the man that Soda had just wrestled was the NWA
Junior heavy was a former NWA World's Junior Heavyweight champion,
We've started brainstorming, you know, and when you're brain storming
(39:36):
with the owner of the company, you know, if you
if you play your.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Cards right, you can make certain things happen.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
And so Soda designed the belt and you know it
took us. I mean that car ride happened in twenty
twenty one, okay, and then the championship was introduced maybe
the next year like l like in twenty twenty two,
later on in the year.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
And so.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
Just to be a part of something that from the
inception that has now become something so prestigious in the state,
something that other people, other companies are you know, vne vye,
to duplicate, to be able to to win that championship,
(40:26):
to be trusted with that championship, Uh, it meant the
world to me, and then to so hopefully right to
win it back at now an even bigger stage on
the NWA Texas presents a dog pound stage. To win
it back on Paradox on Anthem TV. That is definitely
a goal of mine for the next upcoming year to
(40:49):
rewear that championship that looks just oh so damn good
around my waist.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Uh, what do you is there any other titles you
have in your sight that you want to that you're
going after?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Well, so I did hear of the creation of a
Texas style wrestling heavyweight Championship, Okay, and if that is
something that is indeed a real thing, that is definitely something.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
That I would have my eye on.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And then, of course Rich the ultimate prize that is
always on my mind, and not just because of the
NWA Texas affiliation, but just in general because of how
I was raised and what I was raised on.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
The NWA Championship.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
That is by far the most prestigious and important championship
in my opinion, on the face of.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
The professional wrestling planet.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
It predates other champions including you know, the one that
everybody is thinking about right now.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
It has been held.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
By uh a litany of Mount Rushmore's.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Yes, of I mean, it's the most it is the
most important championship in the history of professional wrestling. I mean,
you had guys like Harley Race, Jack Briscoe, Luthez, and
of course Rick Flair. But then, of course, you know
in the semi modern era, you know, you had guys
like Nick all This. I had Nick all This on
the show when he was NWA World Champion, you know
(42:35):
what I mean. Now he's all over WWE TV. So
I mean that title has just been an important championship,
the most important championship in professional wrestling history. Uh yeah,
and I'm happy.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
My other question is this, do you know if I'm
sure that the NWA is gonna put a little bit
of a branding on the uh uh the with the
NWA Texas and create a NWA Texas title, which you
know is a historic championship in itself. I'm guessing that
they're thinking about reinstating that title or bringing it back.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
I have not heard anything in particular in terms of
the Texas Heavyweight Championship. However, However, I know that that
is something that is talked about in every locker room
that I have been in, whether it is whether it's
(43:37):
a dog pound locker room or you know, a different
a different companies locker room.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
I hear about the.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Texas Heavyweight Championship every weekend, and if, if the if
the NWA does decide to fully sanction a revitalized and
new n W a Texas Heavyweight Championship, there is absolutely
(44:04):
no way, no way that I will let that opportunity
slip by.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
That is that is.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
The championship that my father grew up watching, you know, Yeah,
that is that is the championship that you know. Yeah,
if the Texas Heavyweight Championship is something that Billy Corgan
is planning on bringing back or thinking about bringing back,
(44:35):
that is definitely something that Nathaniel Grayson should be a
part of the conversation. And one way or the other, Rich,
I will make myself a part of that conversation.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Wow. Wow, I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I really am.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
I'm looking forward to I was a bit excited when
it came to hearing the NWA had announced the the
Texas territory. I had a brain feart right there. Sorry,
it's been a long it's been a long day. Let's
be serious.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Yeah, yes, what else do.
Speaker 1 (45:08):
You got going on that you want to bring up
before we get out of here? We still got a
few minutes left.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Well, you know, Rich, if.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
I'm being honest with you, this is this is the
this is the home stretch for this.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Year, right, Yeah, we are.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
We are busy at work this this month of December,
preparing for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
My wife and I.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I own a
production company and we just got into a new space.
So we are, we're we're organizing, we are we are
labeling and my wife loves labeling.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Okay, so we're we are gearing up, we are getting ready.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
I do believe that Dog Pound Championship Wrestling is about
to announce they're twenty twenty five dates.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
I believe that I'm.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
Not sure when this is exactly gonna air, but December seventh,
Texas Style Wrestling TSW in forty, Texas is happening and
going down. But yeah, no, honestly, Rich, the end of
this year is planning and prepping, staying in the gym,
trying to watch what I eat. Uh And yeah, right now, thankfully,
(46:29):
think I've been blessed, Rich, I have been blessed with
a very busy and productive year, and so I just
this this December has been earmarked.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
For r and R and prepping, just getting prepped for
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
I know that I know that some guys really like
pushing it hard in December that no breaks life. And
to those independent guys out there, meant by all means
please go out there, get it, give.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
The people what they want to see. Uh, go get
your bag, go get your miles, all of it.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
For me, I have a very very young son. We
just moved and.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
We are we are super busy with you know, behind
the scenes stuff with NWA Texas and so we are
just we.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Are on R and R right now.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah, that's awesome. I've had the busiest year that I've
had since getting involved in wrestling in twenty twenty four.
I've already placed a number of bookings for twenty twenty
five in my calendar. I have nothing for December for
this year so far. So unless somebody, unless somebody calls
me last minute, Hey guys, I am available. You know
where to reach me.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
There it is, yeah, there it is right.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
So what a what a what a.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
Great problem to have, like in terms of being like
an independent wrestler, an independent commentator, Yeah, you know, an
independent entertainer in the in the entertainment industry. What a
great problem that we've been so busy all year long
that it's like.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Maybe I can take a break.
Speaker 3 (48:06):
But also like, hey, I did just say I've got
some weekends free.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
I do have weekends free for now. Just because I
say that I have weekends free, my wife will make
sure that those weekends are not necessarily me laying around
the house.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
So my wife just bagged on the window when she
heard me say free weekend. She literally just heard the bag,
and I was like, I wasn't a part of the conversation.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
I wanted you to hear.
Speaker 1 (48:33):
Honey, we gotta, I gotta. I still this weekend, I
gotta clean up parts of my you know house, I
gotta we're still recovering from Thanksgiving. I gotta dig out
the Christmas tree. This for me, this is late for
putting up the Christmas tree. I tell you that much,
because it's usually up the day after Thanksgiving every year.
But I don't feel like going into that garage and
digging it out behind because we've amassed so much stuff
(48:58):
over the last year that it ended up even more
buried than it was in previous years.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
So with my wife, I inherited her cat, Okay, and
that's and that's fine because she's you know, yeah, you're right. Well,
you know what, it turned out not to be a
problem because the cat hates Christmas trees. Oh so there's
a so there is a chore right off my list
(49:23):
that never is getting done because the cat won't let it.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
Well, I had a cat one year that was, you know,
relatively young, just a few months old, and you know,
we didn't we didn't really have it didn't really have
a name at the time until it dove into my
Christmas tree. It broke the base bringing it down, and
then I just named the cat Ruckus because he was
(49:48):
constantly causing a ruckus.
Speaker 2 (49:50):
So that sounds right, that sounds accurate.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
So why don't you tell everybody where they can reach
out to you, where they can find you on social media? Uh,
they know that they could find you on YouTube part
of the Dog Pound Championship wrestling. And would you say
with was that Anthem TV? Was that correct?
Speaker 2 (50:13):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Yeah, that the app is called Anthem TV. You can
also catch it on YouTube. You can catch me everywhere.
Nathaniel Grayson g R E Y s I N Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
x whatever, the hell you want to call it the
tiki taki as the kids call it, But yeah, I am.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
I may be socially slow, but I am socially everywhere.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Well, you're good to responding to my messages, I tell
you that much. So sometimes I don't get that when
organizing a podcast.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
You know, No, I work in sales, okay, so communication,
communication is.
Speaker 2 (50:56):
Is key to me.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
So cool man, cool, But I really appreciate you giving
me the opportunity to come on here, talk jab a
little bit about myself and definitely talk about NWA Texas
and everything cool that we have going on down here
in South central Texas.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
It's definitely something that not only.
Speaker 3 (51:19):
You yourself, but everybody that is listening watching wrestling should
keep their eye on, keep their finger on the pulse,
because big things are happening coming out of the NWA camp.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
Yeah, I want everybody to go check it out. I'm
about to go watch Power actually from this week because
I didn't get to it as of yet, so I
gotta check that out, which I watch each and every week.
It's you know, everybody that's listening. If you can't find it,
it's on X now, Twitter, whatever you want to call it. Yes,
go ahead to the NWA page, click the play button.
You can cast it to your TV if you've got
one of those gizmos, you know, check it out.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
It's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
I want to thank you for dropping by today and
we're gonna have to have you on if you've got
any big news, anything that you want to talk about,
but you can always get in touch with me and
come back.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Man, you have definitely been added to the King's rolodex.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
All right, that's a dated reference. Eugen Alphas may not
know what the hell we're talking about. I'm old. I
know what you're talking about. Thank you so much, Rich
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