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#Post#: 33292--------------------------------------------------
Chat With Grado. Talks ICW, TNA & More
By: ChrissiCalvert Date: October 14, 2015, 2:57 pm
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The Road To Fear & Loathing Tour includes forthcoming dates in
Liverpool, Norwich, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and
Nottingham. What's it like touring the UK with ICW?
I love going to different venues, different cities and different
towns, performing in front of different crowds. A lot of the
boys when they're on tour are crazy, and I mean like crazy.
Because they've got the tour bus they think they're rock stars.
But rock stars have got nothing on these guys, especially folk
from Glasgow. Folk from Glasgow are just off their head, they're
nutters. They really party hard, they're wild, they're animals,
but I'm not really as mental as them. I just like to relax after
a show, have a nice rose wine and a Nandos. That's what I like
to do. But I know some of the guys they like to party until all
hours of the morning and the next day they're rotten but they
still go out and put on a great show. But I like to sit back and
relax. I'm a wee bit boring compared to the other guys. But
being on the road with some of your best pals is special. When I
was young I dreamed of being a wrestler and travelling all over
the place and this is my dream coming true.
For those who aren't aware of ICW, what is the promotion all
about and what makes their shows so special?
It's kind of like a soap opera for adults. I like to think of it
like a day out, it's something really different. If you've never
seen anything like this before it's physical drama, physical
sports entertainment, and like TV shows we interpret storylines
into our shows. Every wrestling match is different, you can have
a fast-paced or a high-flying or mat-based match, and if you're
a wrestling fan, with ICW there is definitely a hybrid of
styles. But even if you don't like wrestling, ICW is like
something you've never seen before and if you go to it, it takes
your breath away. My big brother has seen WWE on the TV, he
thinks it's a lot of s****. But when he goes to ICW he's like
'wow, it's like a stunt show'. There's stunts, there's drama
involved, there's blood, sweat and tears, all different emotions
rolled into one. A lot of people who come to the shows go to the
boozer before the show, have something to eat and then just come
to enjoy themselves. There's a football crowd atmosphere, with
chanting and you can get away with just letting yourself go.
You first rose to fame when you starred in the VICE documentary
The British Wrestler and then the BBC documentary Insane Fight
Club. How big a part do you think they played in helping to
establish ICW, and your character personally?
The VICE documentary was probably exposed to a part of the
internet that likes online documentaries, the cultured following
that likes VICE. Insane Fight Club, because it was a BBC
documentary, opened it up to the mainstream public of the UK,
and it's now available on Netflix as well, so step by step we're
gradually getting exposure worldwide. So more people are aware
of ICW and of us as wrestlers, all over the world. I go to
America and wrestlers are like 'oh my God you've got to get me
in ICW, you've got to get me on those shows man' because they
see the passion of the crowd and there is no other wrestling
crowd like it in the world. All of a sudden we're one of the top
promotions in the world if you think about it, because of course
there's WWE, TNA and the Japanese promotions, but after them
we're one the best in Europe. We're now putting on a lot more
shows, the tickets are selling out, people can watch them
online, and wrestlers are fighting to be on the shows. There's a
lot of competition and people busting their ass to put on a good
show for the fans.
The main storyline in ICW building up to the company's Fear &
Loathing VIII event at the SECC in Glasgow on November 15th is
your feud with ICW Heavyweight Champion Drew Galloway. You are
arguably the two biggest stars in Scotland today and your title
bout will be one of the biggest matches in the company's
history. Are you nervous yet?
Aye, I've got a personal trainer who I've not been to see for
two weeks! But I've wrestled Drew before, I wrestled him in
Nottingham, and it was probably the best match of my life. He
really, really tested me and he brings it out of you definitely.
So I'm more excited to wrestle him again, rather than nervous. I
just really want to put on a good match. It's a big event for
ICW and because its the main event I want it to be the best
match on the show. I'm just focusing on putting on a good show
and hopefully I'll win the title.
It's interesting because this year began with Drew Galloway
making a surprise appearance in TNA Wrestling, when he came to
your aid to save you from the Beat Down Clan at the SSE Hydro in
Glasgow during the company's UK tour. Nine months later you're
getting ready to go to war in ICW.
I know man! We've been about together. A couple of months ago
when I was over with TNA I wrestled him in the Impact Zone. It
should be on TV soon. It's cool, as you say we're both Scottish,
a lot of people in Scotland if they were asked to name two
wrestlers here might say Drew Galloway and Grado, because he's
been in WWE, and the recognition I've had from the two
documentaries and I've been on a few TV shows up here, so a lot
of people are probably aware of us. I'm not saying they're not
aware of other ICW wrestlers but we're probably the two
household names.
That must have been a special moment - the two of you stood in
the ring celebrating after you beat your TNA British Boot Camp 2
judge Al Snow.
The reason why that was so cool we because I didn't know that
was going to happen until about five minutes before that Al Snow
match. I didn't know Drew was in the building until two or three
minutes before and then I was told something might happen. That
was a pretty cool moment.
How was the TNA British Boot Camp 2 experience for you? Although
it was part of a major storyline, were you happy with supposedly
being thrown out of the competition and being portrayed as a
lazy performer who didn't respect the business, knowing that
some people might think that was the real you? Did that concern
you?
100 per cent. You're so right. When I did the show I spoke to
the guys and they came up with this angle, because I wanted to
mix it up a little bit, rather than just be a contestant on the
show. But I didn't realise how much of a lazy a***hole I would
come across as. I still did the drills, I still did everything
else, but we recorded this extra segment where I would turn up
late, or annoy Al Snow. Looking back I don't think I came across
as a very cool character, I was dislikeable. But at the end of
the day I managed to get my Al Snow match out of it and at the
end of the day I got a TNA contract out of it as well, which was
cool. But aye you're definitely right, in hindsight I should
have maybe shut my mouth. With the documentaries nothing was
every really set up apart from the bit where I'm getting a
gastric band. In hindsight I was thinking with TNA I should have
just let it be natural because that's what people like me for,
being real.
On the previous two documentaries you certainly came across as a
loveable, down-to-earth person. While many wrestling fans were
aware the segments with TNA were an angle being played out as
part of a storyline, with the competition loosely being classed
as 'reality TV', some viewers may not have been so sure.
Aye. You know it's funny when I've wrestled down south, there's
been a few times when I've been sat at the merchandise table
after a show and fans have come up to me and said 'we didn't
really like you on British Boot Camp, but we've seen you live
and now we love you'. They've seen me at the Hydro against Al
Snow, seen the documentaries and seen my true character.
You made national headlines in February with your campaign to
get the pop star Madonna's permission to use her famous hit Like
A Prayer as your entrance music on the TNA television tapings.
It was mental. I had Channel 5 news, the only thing was I was
flying out to Toronto that morning for a wrestling show, but I
had them and Loose Women wanted me to come on the show, Time
Magazine interviewed me, I was on Radio 1, it was trending on
Twitter in the UK and in America for a bit, it was mental man.
It was brilliant publicity for me.
How close were you and TNA to securing the rights to play the
song?
I know that they offered a price to a certain wrestling company,
and it was a wee bit out of their depth, shall we say. It was a
bit gutting for me.
Longtime Grado fans will know that song is a big part of your
act – it's one of those iconic tracks that people always love
singing along to.
Apparently TNA had got the rights to the song, the Impact was on
the Friday, and they got the email on the Thursday to pull it.
So it was f***ing horrible man. Because obviously I wanted
American fans to see the full experience, everybody out their
seats dancing to Madonna. But it was remixed and overdubbed and
nowhere near as good. It was gutting. So I can understand why
some American fans were looking at me and going 'what the hell
is this?'
For fans who haven't seen it, there is a great rendition of your
entrance on YouTube, when you mimic the classic Goldberg
entrance in WCW before hitting the ring.
Aye, Gradoberg! That's got nearly 300,000 hits, it's probably a
bigger video for me than anything else of me. So many people
have seen it, it's just so cool, and even when I watch it I get
goosebumps thinking 'that's cool as hell'. I love my entrance,
even now after three years doing it, I love when the fans clap
their hands and sing and just go mad and sing along. It's mad to
see a big group of adults going for it.
What was it like appearing at Destination X on June 10? Fans saw
you in a number of amusing backstage segments, attempting to do
parkour and lose weight to be able to compete in the X Division.
You defeated Kenny King and Cruz and fought for the TNA X
Division Championship in a losing effort against Low Ki and
Tigre Uno.
That was very nerve-racking because it was a live show.
Obviously me competing for the X Division Championship was a bit
outrageous when you think about it! But I enjoyed it, I don't
care what anybody says I love going to Florida and getting the
chance to be backstage with the people in TNA. It's so cool. I
enjoyed all my TNA stuff, but I had to come back for ICW during
the time they were filming for the Global Force Wrestling
episodes. But I wrestled at ICW against Bram, did a dive from
the balcony and cut a great promo, so it takes a lot to beat
that.
You're in a fortunate position to be able to juggle appearing
for the two promotions. What are your plans going forward with
TNA and ICW?
I have no idea what's happening with TNA, I don't know when I
will be back over again, but hopefully I will be on the UK tour.
ICW have got so many more dates, I don't know if they have
announced it yet but hopefully in January we will be touring the
UK again and doing shows starting weekly, so I'm going to be
kept really busy with them. You can get ICW on-demand and on TV,
and it's great that it's so accessible for people to see.
In a short space of time you seem to have reached a high level
in the British wrestling scene and you are clearly knocking on
the door in America. What do you think it will require for you
to take the next step in your career? Is it working at a
particular aspect of your performance, or your physique as you
have alluded to previously?
Well it's funny. I don't know. Obviously I wanted to get fitter,
so I got a personal trainer, I turned up to a show and Vince
Russo was at the show. Vince Russo is always giving me advice
and the first thing he said was 'Bro, what are you doing? You
look like a freaking male model! What are you doing losing all
that weight?' He goes 'there's a hundred guys in shape, but
there's only one Grado man, come on, stop losing weight!' So you
know what I mean, it's kind of like I don't know do I keep
trying to get fit, do I work on my body... because I'm a lazy
c*** anyway. It's hard to decide. I'm just going to keep going,
try and ride the waves and enjoy myself.
I have to say I agree with Russo – you are distinctive and an
individual and that's what matters in wrestling, that you stand
out from the crowd. There are plenty of very talented, very
effective larger wrestlers in WWE and TNA.
Yeah, similarly I saw Tommy Dreamer and as soon as he saw me
losing weight he was going 'you're killing your gimmick, you're
killing your gimmick'.
It's obvious talking to you how much you love wrestling.
I'm like a total freak. I love wrestling. The first thing I do
when I wake up is go on Wrestlezone.com and check the dirtsheets
and it's funny I'm saying this because I gave Russo and RKO or
as I say an R Grado and I woke up the next day and one of the
headlines on Wrestlezone.com which I've been going on since I
was like 10-years-old was 'Grado bumps Vince Russo' and I'm like
I can't believe that's a headline! I just popped for it, it's so
cool. It's like I say, when I go over to TNA, I'm in my element,
when I'm getting advice from Kurt Angle, getting advice from the
Hardy Boyz, mate, it's amazing. I just love everything about
wrestling. I'm lucky as hell.
#Post#: 33307--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chat With Grado. Talks ICW, TNA & More
By: tnafan Date: October 18, 2015, 3:07 pm
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Love him or hate him he is always trying to make the fans happy
.. I think he is a shit wrestler and I think he will not be in
TNS that long but let's see what he will offer TNA a.. His match
with Spud was funny but would I want to see him weekly ? No way
he is not worth the money and I am not a fan of him ...
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