Feature Interview: The Amazing Interview with
Amazing N8!
"Amazing" N8 Mattson Interview November 2002
MIWP: How did you get into professional wrestling and how
long have you been wrestling for?
N8: When I was in High School I use to go to the indy
shows around Detroit. Midwest Territorial Wrestling and Mid-West Championship
Wrestling were the top two promotions running at that time. I was a big fan of
Al Snow back then, he was the MTW Champion. The more I watched, the more I
wanted to be part of the show. I kept hearing about the Can-Am Wrestling School
in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where a lot of the local workers trained at. I got
a hold of "Irish" Mickey Doyle and signed up in April 1996 at the age
of 19. I turned pro on November 24th, 1996 where I did a couple of TV tapings
for Border City Wrestling. I've been in the business almost 7 years now.
MIWP: What federations have you wrestled for in Michigan
and outside of Michigan, and what belts have you won?
N8: I have held 15 championships at this point in my
career. I am a former 3-time NWA Great Lakes Junior Heavyweight Champion &
NWA Michigan Tag-Team Champion. I am a former 2-time Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling
North American Junior Heavyweight Champion and CAPW Tag-Team Champion. I held
the TCW Tri-State Cruiserweight belt, before that group folded. I have been XICW
Tag-Team Champion twice, Light-Heavyweight Tag-Team Champion, and I was the very
first XICW Light-Heavyweight Champion. I was also the first Great Lakes All-Pro
Heavyweight Champion, as well as the first IWR Tag-Team Champion. Speaking of
the Independent Wrestling Revolution, I am the current King Of The Indy's
Champion. Besides Michigan, I have wrestled in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and of course Canada. I also recently debuted in
Maximum Pro Wrestling.
MIWP: Who do you look up to in pro wrestling ?
N8: I look up to the guys who take a stand for what they
believe in. Guys like Sting, Shawn Michaels, & Ted DiBiase get ribbed
because of their personal beliefs, but it takes guts to do what they do. There's
nothing wrong with having faith and hope in God and I admire that.
MIWP: How many injuries have you had and how bad were
they?
N8: I've had a couple serious ones. 2001 was rough because
I seperated my left shoulder in March, and then I broke my right ankle and
fibula in August that same year. I still have a screw holding my ankle together.
Earlier this year I tore the PCL in my left knee. I'm still not 100% from that.
Then there's the pulled muscles, and everyday aches and pains from all the bumps
I take week in and week out.
MIWP: What is your opinion on MI Indy Wrestling, and the
promoters running the shows?
N8: Right now, Michigan is where it's at. If you look at
the talent pool here, we can compete with any market or territory. We've got
guys like Chris Sabin, Truth Martini, Gutter, Yukon Braxton, Breyer Wellington,
Monty Brown, Sabu, and a host of others. We are a family in the Great Lakes
area, from Grand Rapids to Detroit to Windsor, we are a brotherhood of sorts.
Every promoter uses each one of us differently, and that is refreshing. I think
there needs to be more marketing of certain workers, better advertising, and
more exposure to our region. If a few promoters could come to terms and unite
under the right circumstances, maybe we could get a television deal and blow the
roof off the sucka!
MIWP: Who is your favorite wrestler to work with?
N8: I would have to say the greatest pure athlete,
"The Future" Chris Sabin. After his training, he exploded onto the
scene. I was his first singles match. We've worked a dozen times or more. He's
fun to tag up with too. We worked the Road Warriors Hawk & Animal, and Julio
Dinero & Chris Hamrick as a tag team. He's like my little brother, I trust
him, and that's important when you're working with someone.
MIWP: How did you get the nickname "Amazing"?
N8: I wanted a flashy nickname that wasn't already used. I
looked through all the PWI Almanacs and couldn't find anyone with that nickname
so I started using it. "The Canadian Destroyer" Doug Chevalier, my
mentor in this business, suggested I use the name "Mr. Amazing". I
wanted to be more like "The Amazing" Spider-Man, so voila, you get
"Amazing" N8 Mattson! some people are calling Red, (formerly of the
S.A.T's), the "Amazing" Red, but I've been using it for most of my
career, while he's only been around a couple of years. That's Okay, though,
because there was more than one "Nature Boy"! On a side note, some
people don't get my "N8" gimmick. It's my skater way of spelling my
first name pronounced "Nate". Kinda like a license plate, know what I
mean?
MIWP: If you were a promoter for a federation, who would
you have on your roster and what kind of shows would have?
N8: If I had the funds and the energy to run a show, I
would put on a top-notch, classy, totally professional card. I would have
commercials and radio spots, well-dressed and well-spoken ring announcers,
excellent sound equipment, a venue with the right amount of character and
atmosphere, and a show the whole family could enjoy. I would book matches that I
would want to watch myself, and I would put emphasis on the in-ring product of
storytelling and psychology. The roster is extremely important, but just off the
top of my head I would have Gutter, Sabin, Yukon, Jimmy Jacobs, DBA, 8-Pac, Mr.
Insanity, The Bump-N-Uglies, Alex Shelley, Truth, Breyer, Maynard R. Nek, Big
Chuck, Dyson Pryce, Larry Destiny, Rocky Reynolds, and Logan Caine. Sprinkle
some big names in there and there ya go!
MIWP: What is the future of Amazing N8?
N8: Stay healthy and see where this crazy business takes
me. Opportunities come and go so fast, I just want to hang on and enjoy the
ride. Who knows, I might someday open my own wrestling school. I just take each
match one at a time, and perform to the best of my ability. I like to have fun
with it, and hopefully I can go with it full-time and make some moolah here and
there. I don't really care about being famous, just taking care of the Mrs.
MIWP: Would you rather be a porn star, a Lawyer, or a
clown?
N8: I'd rather be a clown because I like making people
laugh, even at stupid stuff. I was pretty much the class clown growing up, so if
the big red shoe fits...
MIWP: What is the Threat and what is their goal?
N8: The THREAT is the most dangerous group ever assembled
on the indy circuit. We have already taken over the IWR (Independent Wrestling
Revolution) by winning all of the championships there. Breyer Wellington is the
IWR Heavyweight champion, Truth Martini & Anthony Rivera are the 2-time IWR
tag-team champs, and I am the King Of The Indy's! with "Playboy" Bubba
McKenzie as our ring leader, we will have control for a long time to come. The
THREAT is real and there's nowhere to hide!
MIWP: Any last comments?
N8: Yes, thank you Chris for all the good work you do at
ringside, taking pictures and helping us get a little more exposure. On behalf
of all the boys in the locker room, thank you and God bless! To all the fanz,
thanx for going to the shows, buying the merchandise, the tickets and such, we
couldn't do it without you!
Stay true to the indy scene! Please continue to support indy wrestling.
Thank you,
"Amazing" N8 Mattson
This interview is thanks to the Michigan Indy Wrestling Photography