Article information
CAGEMATCH: Thank you for giving us from www.cagematch.de the chance to ask some questions.
SHARK BOY: No problem. It's my pleasure.
CAGEMATCH: What first made you want to get into pro wrestling? Were you a wrestling fan growing up? When did you say, "That is what I want to do"? And what did your family/friends say about that?
SHARK BOY: For some reason, I got hooked on wrestling when I was 12 years old and I saw "Rowdy" Roddy Piper hit Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka over the head with a coconut. I wasn't a fan before age 12, but right from that moment I said "This is what I want to do for a living." I was just a short, skinny kid from a small town in the midwest and everybody reacted the way you would expect them to... like I was crazy.
CAGEMATCH: What was it like to be in the ring as a wrestler, for the first time? Was it exciting or was it hard for you to wrestle in front of a live crowd?
SHARK BOY: It was exciting and difficult all at the same time. More than anything, it was a dream come true.
CAGEMATCH: Let’s talk about something you might have talked about a thousand times. Your gimmick as “Shark Boy”. How did you come up with that? What does it mean for you?
SHARK BOY: The original gimmick was inspired by the Toadies song "I Come from the Water." It made me think of a comic book-type character who rises from the water to fight wrestling bad guys on land. What began as a piranah evolved into a shark when I went to work for Ian Rotten in Louisville, KY. What the gimmick means to me more than anything is a chance to live out my dream and entertain fans all over the world.
CAGEMATCH: What do you think, why this Shark Boy gimmick is so over? I mean, it doesn’t matter which show, when the Shark Boy comes out, the fans go crazy.
SHARK BOY: I can't really explain it. I just consider myself lucky to be in the position I'm in right now.
CAGEMATCH: You worked some matches as Dean Baldwin. This is a heel character. Which one do you like more, the heel character Dean oder the fan favourite “Shark Boy”?
SHARK BOY: I have a pretty special place in my heart for the Shark Boy persona, but sometimes it's just more fun to be the bad guy.
CAGEMATCH: Let’s go through some promotions you worked for. First let’s talk about “the big one” WCW. You had some matches in 1999 and 2000. Tell us something about your time there. What do you think about the end of WCW?
SHARK BOY: I learned a lot during my time in WCW. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. The end of WCW was a really unfortunate thing for a lot of people. It was not only unfortunate for the fans and the people who worked for the company, but I think it was unfortunate for the wrestling business as a whole.
CAGEMATCH: Let’s move on to HWA, the promotion you made your pro debut for. You wrestled there from your debut until 2002. Is the HWA what you would call your “home”?
SHARK BOY: Yeah, even though I haven't had a match for the HWA in six months, it was still the place where I started and I suppose it will always feel a little bit like home.
CAGEMATCH: On to what may in some time be a major promotion in the USA. NWA TNA. You had some matches for Jarrett’s promotion. What are your thoughts about it? Are you pleased with your matches there? Do you think that TNA could be “the next big thing”?
SHARK BOY: It's been a real pleasure working for NWA-TNA. They've given me a national stage on which to perform, and I'm really pleased with the matches that I've had on those shows. It's very possible that TNA could be "the next big thing".
CAGEMATCH: We’ll leave some promotions unmentioned and go on to WWA. Just a few weeks ago you’ve been in Europe with the WWA and had some good matches. What do you think about your time over here and what are your thoughts on World Wrestling Allstars?
SHARK BOY: European fans really seemed to like my character and that made my time there very pleasant. In addition, the WWA treated the wrestlers extremely well and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get to work for the company again in the near future.
CAGEMATCH: Just a few days ago you won IWA Mid South’s Light Heavyweight Title. What does it mean for you to wear “championship gold”? Is it something special for you to be a champion?
SHARK BOY: Being the champion is always nice. To me, it means somebody recognizes you as "the best", even if it's only for a little while. It doesn't mean everything to be the champion, but it does mean quite a bit.
CAGEMATCH: Let’s talk about XPW. You made your debut for XPW just a few months ago. You may know that neither XPW nor Rob Black are having a good reputation on the internet. What do you think about XPW and Rob Black?
SHARK BOY: XPW and Rob Black have been nothing but professional in their dealings with me, and that's really all I can say. I don't feel comfortable commenting on issues that I don't have some personal knowledge about.
CAGEMATCH: XPW started to promote in Philadelphia, what caused some rumours, actions and shoots against Rob Black and XPW. Now XPW has an exclusive lease contract for the Viking Hall. What do you think about this "hostile takeover"?
SHARK BOY: I think I'm lucky to have gotten on board with the winning team.
CAGEMATCH: Now some general questions. What was your favourite match with Shark Boy and what was your favourite match without Shark Boy? Maybe you can give us some reasons why you like these matches.
SHARK BOY: One match that I'm really proud of was the one I had recently with the Amazing Red on the NWA-TNA pay-per-view. It was just a really fun match to watch later on and, while I've never had a "perfect" match, I'm pretty happy with the way that one turned out. My favorite match of all-time is probably Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat from Wrestlemania III. If you've seen the match, I don't need to tell you why it's special. If you haven't seen the match, I recommend you get your hands on a copy because no description I could give it would do it justice.
CAGEMATCH: If you had the chance to book one match for the Shark Boy, what kind of match would it be and who would be the opponent?
SHARK BOY: Shark Boy and Andre the Giant vs. Ric Flair and Trish Stratus
CAGEMATCH: What are the future plans for Shark Boy? Is he going to Japan? Trying to get into WWE? Stay with XPW?
SHARK BOY: Nothing going on in Japan just yet. Always trying to impress the WWE. Happy with XPW right now and planning to return there as often as possible. Keep an eye on www.SharkBoy.net for news as it happens. :-)
CAGEMATCH: What do you think about the fans? Do you feel fans today are too demanding? Is it to much “we want more high spots and bumps”?
SHARK BOY: No, I think the fans are great. They just want to be entertained. It's our job to educate the fans and, in that way, we're the ones who have to take the blame when the fans become too demanding. Overall, wrestling fans have been really supportive of my career from day one and how can you say something bad about people like that?
CAGEMATCH: What was the funniest story you’ve experienced inside a wrestling ring/locker room?
SHARK BOY: I'm not sure, but it must have involved Buddy Landell.
CAGEMATCH: Wrestling is a hard business. Are there any wrestlers/promoters you call true fans? Are there some guys that you don’t like (to work with)?
SHARK BOY: I've made a lot of true friends in the wrestling business. That's not always the case for a lot of people, because wrestling can be a real cutthroat business, but I've been really lucky to have run across some really terrific people.
CAGEMATCH: Is there anything you want to say to your German fans?
SHARK BOY: Think it's safe? Think again... because someday Shark Boy just might strike in Germany!
CAGEMATCH: Thanks a lot for answering our questions! We wish you all the best for your future!
SHARK BOY: You bet! I just want to close by saying thanks to all my fans, getting in one more plug for www.SharkBoy.net, and wishing everyone all the best in 2003!
WORD ASSOCIATIONS
Sports Entertainment: Whatever you want to call it, it's still just wrestling to me.
"Wrestling is fake!": So were the "Rocky" movies, but they were still really entertaining.
US Independent Wrestling: My home for the past 5 1/2 years.
Vince McMahon: A promotional genius and the ruler of the wrestling universe.
Les Thatcher: A respected trainer who gave me my start in the wrestling business.
Kevin Nash: A funny guy and a popular performer who always likes to stir up the controversy when he can.
Mick Foley: A true legend in the business and somebody to whom I will always be eternally grateful for his kindness over the years.
