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#Post#: 9750--------------------------------------------------
Inverview with the Rockstar
By: ChrissiCalvert Date: February 25, 2013, 3:59 pm
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Earlier this year, Rockstar Spud, along with Marty Scurll and
Hannah and Holly, The Blossom Twins, took part in TNA’s search
for a new star, TNA British Boot Camp. As we all know by now,
Spud that came out victorious, earning a spot on the TNA roster
in the process.
During the series, the grappler from Birmingham, England was
praised by the likes of Rollerball Rocco, Hulk Hogan and Kurt
Angle. Spud also featured on the TNA Road to Lockdown tour in
the UK, where he made his in-ring television debut against
Robbie E.
How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?
I always loved it as a kid and was a big fan of Hulk Hogan and
the old WWF with all the larger than life characters. There was
a bit when I stopped watching wrestling but then, when I was
around sixteen years old, I looked about ten and all my mates
would be going to bars. I wasn’t able to get in, so I would stay
at home and watch Monday Night Raw.
It was around the time of WrestleMania 13 and the peak of Stone
Cold Steve Austin vs Bret Hart, and that was a great match, like
nothing I had ever seen before with the storytelling during the
match. It just sucked me straight back in, and I was watching it
every week.
Who were the wrestlers that influenced you when you were
younger?
Well I loved Hulk Hogan and all the big guys but then I saw
Spike Dudley in ECW and he didn’t look like he had been to the
gym; he looked quite scrawny and just looked like your average
man off the street and that made me think if he could do it then
maybe I can.
You were on Snog, Marry, Avoid, and numerous British wrestlers
have been on various reality and game shows – do you think that
helps the British wrestling scene?
I don’t think that there were very many performers that actually
did anything in an entertainment format with national television
before I did Snog, Marry, Avoid. As soon as I did that show
people from all walks of life realised how much of a versatile
performer I was and I still get stopped in the street with
people remembering me from that episode.
Another show people will now recognise you from is, of course,
TNA British Boot Camp. Looking back what was that journey and
experience like?
It was amazing; looking back I didn’t really get a chance to
watch the last two episodes until I got back from the UK tour.
The words I would to describe it would be an emotional
roller-coaster, I wasn’t hiding my personality at all and I
refuse to whenever I do anything like this, so everything you
saw on TV were the real reactions.
There were times that I didn’t know how the girls [The Blossom
Twins] and Marty [Scurll] were feeling. You kind of feel for all
of us towards the end of British Boot Camp, especially in
episodes five and six because we didn’t know we would be going
to OVW let alone going to the Impact Zone.
We were kind of nervous the whole time; those final three days
from Louisville to Nashville to Orlando were really tense,
especially at the Impact Zone. They only told us on the morning
that they were going to reveal the winner after the matches, so
we just did not know and you saw my reaction – it was just a
combination of happiness, relief and a mass weight lifted off my
shoulders. When I watched it back when I got back home I cried,
I knew the ending and was sobbing my heart out on television,
but when watching it back I cried like I was watching a
character on television – it really did hit home.
When watching TNA British Boot Camp back what was it like
hearing the comments from guys like Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan?
I was honoured; it was really nice to have that professional
respect from greats in the business, especially from your own
boss [Dixie Carter], Hulk Hogan, Kurt [Angle] and Jeff Hardy.
All these people have a proven track record in the industry and
I don’t have a proven track record yet, I’m going to have one
and I’m going to be just as good as them and I’m going to give
everybody just as much as them as well.
It was just great to get that feedback from them and the things
they said were very complimentary and I can’t thank them enough
but it’s up to me now to take that ball and run with it and
prove to them that everything they were saying was right.
You were involved in the recent TNA UK Tour and the Impact UK TV
tapings – what was it like being on tour with the guys for the
first time?
It was a learning experience, finding out what life on the road
will be like. The only things that I took away from it were
things like planning your workout times and rest times because a
lot of the time it is very difficult to get rest.
The schedule we had there was no partying all night, we did the
Glasgow show, then from Glasgow we drove down to Manchester that
night and that was a long drive we didn’t arrive in Manchester
until 5am. We then had breakfast at 10am, then you have a
workout, then we drove form Manchester to Nottingham and back to
Manchester in one day, we then had the Manchester show and after
that we drove from Manchester straight down to London and that
was another long drive and didn’t arrive until 5am. So that is
the main thing I learnt from it, making sure you get the right
rest, the right food, the right time to fit your workout in.
Then of course performing in front of such amazing crowds, you
don’t understand the fans in the United Kingdom and how crazy
about TNA they are, they love TNA and TNA loves coming to the UK
because they bring that atmosphere and that energy, which
strives everybody to work ten times harder. I had the best
experiences of my life on that tour and it was whole beautiful
learning curve for me, I was just really pleased to be a part of
it.
You’ve made your official TNA debut in a match against Robbie E
– what was that experience like?
Robbie E called me out in Manchester and it culminated at
Wembley … it was just brilliant to walk out at Wembley and the
whole crowd just accepted me as a TNA superstar and that’s what
I take most out of that match.
You have wrestled in the Impact Zone, but when you head over to
America TNA are taking Impact on the road. Is that something
you’re looking forward to?
Yeah I’m very much looking forward to Impact going on the road,
and the added bonus for me is that I will get to see a lot more
of America; when I’ve been to the United States in the past I
haven’t really seen many places so it will just be nice to
travel across the country and see different things and meet
different people, experience different crowds and different
venues.
It is going to be different but I’m jumping in with two feet;
I’m moving out to the States on 27th February and I’m really
looking forward to it, it’s a new chapter in my life.
Who are some of the wrestlers that you’re looking forward to
getting in the ring with?
I’m willing to step in the ring with anybody, I would love to be
in the ring with generals like Bully Ray, Bobby Roode, James
Storm and RVD. People like that really, I think they can bring
the best out of me and I want to bring the best out of them,
especially someone like Bully Ray would just be a good story so
hopefully that will come about.
I’m also looking forward to getting involved with the X Division
as well, just to add a bit of a new flavour to the division.
There has never really been a real British X Division type of
wrestler and I’m hoping that will be me, I’m not even hoping I’m
guaranteeing it will be me.
If there is a second series of TNA British Boot Camp, which four
wrestlers would you pick to take part?
My choices would be Grado from Scotland, I would pick Mad Man
Manson because to me those two are the most entertaining guys in
the whole country, they really are and it would just make for
good television. And if I were to pick to females I would
probably go with the Alpha Female and Nikki Storm, because I
think Alpha Female just has an incredible look and presence and
Nikki Storm is a great Scottish female wrestler.
It’s been a great year for yourself already – what else can we
expect from Rockstar Spud for the rest of 2013?
I will tell you this I’m not returning home until I’ve become a
champion at Impact Wrestling, this is what I see. I see Rockstar
Spud coming back on the UK tour next year and we’re in
Birmingham, so I’m going to come out in my home town as
champion, I want to walk out in my home town at the Birmingham
NIA as the X Division champion.
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