Neal Jones passed along these recaps.
Recap of Tatevik The Gamer on In Your Head Wrestling Radio, 03/05/2014
by Vic Schiavone
Hosts Jack E. Jones and One Inch Biceps welcomed Tatevik The Gamer to IYH Wrestling Radio. Tatevik is the protégé of legendary ladies wrestler Leilani Kai.
Highlights included the following:
* What drew you to want to pursue wrestling in the first place?
“I didn’t want to pursue wrestling in the first place. It took me about a year to decide whether or not I wanted to do this. The reason I say that is because I had other things going on for me. I have a career in acting… and then obviously training in martial arts with Sensei Benny (Urquidez), I already had a lot going on and I didn’t know if I would be able to take that up. The reason why is I didn’t want it to be too much for me at that time; I was taking one career at a time. I don’t know; I just made the decision to go to the auditions and just try it out and see if it was something that I would enjoy. It came very naturally to me obviously when I first did it, so I was like ‘Man, this is up my alley! This is what I want to do.’ ”
* How did you get involved in Women of Wrestling (WOW)?
“I saw them online, and they posted a notice for casting; they were looking for females 18-30, and they said they were looking for WOW Superheroes. When I first saw WOW, I thought “World of Warcraft”, and I’m like ‘Wow, why are they casting for WOW?’. It took a few minutes to find out it was for wrestling. I went to their auditions and that was it. They just called me up and said to come in for training on this date and at this time, and I took it all from there.”
* There was an incident at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest last August in Charlotte where you were wrestling a training match and the guy you were wrestling ended up busting your head open. What were the details of what happened?
“The guy was given specific instructions to do a three-minute training match for the fans, and he went against all the instructions that he was given. He roughed me up. I didn’t complain, because I needed to stay professional, but if we were somewhere else, if that was a different kind of ring and all those people weren’t there, he would have gotten his. I was ready to give it, but Tom Pritchard stopped it because I started bleeding. Everything he did was wrong, and he knew it, and in a weird way I felt like some people were in on it; I don’t know why…I might be wrong, but the whole thing didn’t make sense to me. I’m not one to point my finger, but it just didn’t feel right; it felt like there was something more to it than I can really prove.”
* What do you think is the most important characteristic to have to really make it as a female wrestler?
“I think it’s the total package, if you ask me. It’s a very cosmetic business at the same time, so you definitely need to look the part…but generally you have to have it all. You have to look good, you have to be hard working, you have to be smart, you have to be athletic; but I don’t know. That’s what I feel; I’m just telling you how I would do it…I think that for the most part they look for the total package, and if you’re it, then you’re it.”
Other topics discussed included:
* How did she meet Leilani Kai?
* How different is the training from MMA and professional wrestling?
* Where did her nickname “The Gamer” come from?
* Once she got into wrestling, were there certain female wrestlers that she would watch tapes of and would inspire her?
* Are there any women on TV or in the Independents that she would like to work with?
* What is her finishing move?
Tatevik can be found on social media at http://www.facebook.com/wowtatevik
This interview is available for listening at http://www.iyhwrestling.com/viewnews.php?autoid=23962 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJXjZ1xGLDM
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Recap of One Man Kru on In Your Head Wrestling Radio, 03/12/2014
by Vic Schiavone
Hosts Jack E. Jones and One Inch Biceps welcomed independent wrestler One Man Kru to the 9th Anniversary Edition of IYH Wrestling Radio.
Highlights included the following:
* JEJ: What is your opinion of the state of independent wrestling today?
OMK: “I’m just going to be real. 99% of the guys on the independents today, they’re pussies. They make it look too fake, and that’s why people don’t buy tickets anymore. They’re too funny, they joke around too much, and they don’t take it seriously…You have diehard fans who appreciate it for what it is, like the Japanese fans. They do exist, but there are so many of the real wrestling fans today that don’t really support independent wrestling anymore because of how hokey it’s become. Usually the only people that show up are the ones that think it’s real, or the ones that just want to go there and make fun of it. I think there are still some diehard fans that go see independent wrestling and support it, but for the most part if you ask me it doesn’t really draw like it used to.”
* OIB: You’ve been involved in many death matches over in Japan. What is your mentality like going into a death match?
OMK: “I’ve never been so nervous in my life…Have you ever been in a car accident? You know the feeling right before impact…that anxiety? That’s how it felt the whole day before the match…I set myself up for some crazy spots, too. In that barbed wire board death match I did with Takashi Sasaki, I let him slam me off the top rope onto the barbed wire board. When I was on the top rope, I was looking down and thinking ‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea; oops, too late’…You got to be a special kind of crazy to do death matches.”
* JEJ: What is the worst weapon or spot you’ve taken or used in a match?
OMK: “A light tube is very unpredictable because accidents can happen with those…anything involving glass is really dangerous. The barbed wire, it looks bad and it hurts…really bad, but as far as the risk associated with it versus something really terrible happening it’s very low risk. Anything involving glass is very dangerous; that’s the most dangerous thing they use in any death match.”
* JEJ: Do you think some guys only worry about doing a bunch of flips and they don’t really think about the promo side?
OMK: “Well yeah, they don’t. They don’t think about psychology, they don’t think about cutting a promo, they don’t think about actually selling what they’re doing. This is a business. If you can’t get people to buy this, then what are you doing even trying to do it? Promos are what sells it. If you can’t convince somebody to come and buy a ticket then get out.”
Other topics discussed included:
* What is the big difference between U.S. and Japanese wrestling fans?
* Why does he think Brock Lesnar didn’t make it in Japan?
* What former ECW wrestler taught him how to cut a promo?
* What is his opinion of DDP Yoga?
* What famous historical event does he believe never happened?
The official website for One Man Kru is http://www.onemankru.com/.
This interview is available for listening at http://www.iyhwrestling.com/viewnews.php?autoid=24015