SHELLEY: Thank you very much for taking an interest in me.
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?
SHELLEY: Well, most of the guys you interview probably say "I've been a wrestling fan since I was a fetus, yadda, yadda.". Not me. I watched wrestling when I was really young, but I became really involved in sports until I was about 11 or 12. The thing that reeled me back into wrestling? Finishing moves. See, when I got back into wrestling from a fan standpoint, Mortal Kombat had just come out, and damned if those finishers didn't rock the casbah. So I watched wrestling then to see cool moves, basically. Also, I was really captivated by Shawn Michaels. They had just turned him face, and he was doing all these athletic babyface moves. Really great stuff, and that's what first got me hooked. At about 13, I knew I wanted to be a wrestler. My family was always very supportive. I almost went to Al Snows Bodyslammers school in Lima when I was 14, actually. My friends never really cared about wrestling anymore than a casual fan standpoint, save a couple, who did end up going to wrestling school with me and even wrestled a few matches against me. They went under the names Paul Chance and Richard Cross, but quit about 6 months after we started doing matches. It was definitely a good thing having friends and family support me early on, even if they could care less now.
CAGEMATCH: You started training in September of 2001. Where did you get started and what did you feel after your first week? Was it hard to start wrestling?
SHELLEY: There was a guy around here who I won't dignify with a name. Let's just say he was very unqualified, very smelly, and had possibly the worst hygene I've ever come across. It's funny, because both Chris "Hail" Sabin and I started out under this guy, and I'm confident in saying we're both a thousand times better than this slag could ever hope to be. He was training at a remote place in the middle of nowhere about an hour outside Detroit. I didn't learn anything except the very, very basic of basics there. There were two nice rings to use though, a 16 foot ring and a 20 foot ring. The first week of training was pretty brutal. I got bumps down quick, but I still cracked my head a couple times and bruised my heels on front bumps. I remember about 4 hours into training, I had the worst headache imaginable. We ran the ropes too, and I had this gigantic bruise above my ass for two weeks, not to mention bruises across my lats. Right after training, I realized that as much as I loved wrestling already, this was going to be a lot harder than I thought.
CAGEMATCH: You had a lot of different trainers in your career. Who had the most influence on your style and attitude?
SHELLEY: Tough question. I still carry things from each trainer I've had, but as far as who has had the most influence? Probably Joe E. Legend. He's been working with me the longest and still does to this day. Truth Martini also really helped me out tons. Breyer Wellington was the first guy who really took me under his wing and showed me how to work correctly, as well as the finer points of wrestling. Scott D'amore has worked with me the least in the ring of the four, but gives me really important lessons in the everyday aspects of the business. Scott really looks out for me, as did Breyer before he moved down to Florida. Joe has the most influence on the way I wrestle though. The way I worked prior to meeting him is pretty different than how I work now. He made me focus on a body part, and keep going back to it, as well as teaching me new submissions, strikes, and a suplex or two here and there. He also taught me the importance of being able to make someone else look good by having them do as little as possible. He's very European in the way he works in the ring. Truth taught me less is more. The guy gets hurt more than anyone I know, so he's very good at changing up the way he works according to how his body's feeling. He does a lot of old school stuff and mixes it in with neo flying stuff too. Kinda like Tully Blanchard meets Dragon Kid, you know?
CAGEMATCH: What was it like to be in the ring as a wrestler, for the first time (after just a couple months of training)? Was it exciting or was it hard for you to wrestle in front of a live crowd?
SHELLEY: Both. It wasn't necessarily hard, but I was nervous, even if it was some low grade show that didn't matter in the long run. Still, that's where everyone starts, and that's where experience is earned. I never felt especially shy in front of large crowds. Sometimes I'm more quiet, I suppose, but maybe that's because the crowd is a big boatload of suck and I hate them. Or maybe I'm hungover. Who knows? But I feel comfortable wrestling in front of crowds. I mean, they paid to see me, they're on my time.
CAGEMATCH: The casual wrestling fan (in Germany) doesn´t know much about wrestling in the Michigan area. The names of Jimmy Jacobs, Truth Martini, Chris Sabin and of course Alex Shelley come to mind. Can you give us a brief overview about the wrestling scene in the state of Michigan?
SHELLEY: Basically, the Michigan wrestling scene is the blind leading the blind. Although there's about half a dozen talents who have gone out and made names for themselves, don't think much of this state. Once you get past the Sabins, Gowens, Martinis, and Husses, there's not a whole lot left. Breyer Wellington's a good hand, but he just moved to Florida. We've got a guy here called Conrad Kennedy III who's basically the best indy promo in the business right now, qoute Scott D'amore, nevermore. Nate Mattson's a good worker too, but again, he doesn't get out, nor seems to want to. Basically, you can't get good staying in Michigan. As far as promotions go, Border City Wrestling is right over the bridge in Canada, and they have a good product. Former ECW ref AT Huck has a good company that's a lot like IWA Mid-South, seeing as he uses most of the same guys. Past that though, there's nothing. Also, there's no qualified trainers now that Truth and Breyer lost their schools. Why do you think I'm traveling every weekend? Because despite me thinking it was impossible, Michigan sucks and blows at the same time. Right now, the only guy people have to look forward from Michigan is Truth Martini, but his neck's hurt, so be patient. Believe me, he's the best guy to come out of here. Either him or Sabin. Especially when they work each other.
CAGEMATCH: You wrestled several times for a Michigan based promotion called Independent Wrestling Revolution. How did you get involved in them and what is your impression of this rising promotion?
SHELLEY: Well, truth be told, they had no interest in using me until several of their wrestlers started saying "Hey, this kid's good, take a look." Me being good is debateable, but the fact is, the promotion gave me some good experience despite never really using me in an important roll. The promotion itself could have been really good. Could being the key word. However, they loaded up their roster with far too many guys, lots of whom didn't seem to care and only wrestled once a month. If you look at who was on the roster, there was myself, Jacobs, Wellington, Martini, Sabin, Gowen, and Mattson all there at once. The way they booked was ridiculous though and it really seemed like they went out of their way to put out subpar matches when they could be putting out some great stuff. Besides, they went with a deal with Highspots instead of Smart Mark Video. Smart Mark rules, cheap plug. Lately, the company's been running into financial troubles, and no longer can they use a lot of the better guys in this state, as they went onto bigger things, or in my case, travel to different promotions. Like I said, the company itself could've been really cool, as the promoters Josh Movado and Bubba Mackenzie were really open to ideas and using fresh talent. They used Hero, Punk, Ace, Cabana, Gowen, and Sabin before any of those guys became super huge. Plus, the promoters are in a pretty good punk band. Alex Shelley loves him some punk rock 'n roll.
CAGEMATCH: Before you came to IWA Mid-South you had shows with many promotions, like BCW, IWR & MPW and more. Which one was your favourite promotion at that point of time?
SHELLEY: You know, it's interesting, I never really had a favorite. They were all pretty much the same to me, just chances to work. I dunno what I'd do without IWA, really, as it's opened so many doors for me, and given me a home promotion. But all in all, Border City Wrestling is a tremendous place to work. I'm not especially a fan of short TV style matches, but that's something you need to know, and the promotion itself is probably the most organized company I've worked for. It's given me a chance to work some guys who really know what they're doing, like Bobby Rude and Tyson Dux that I wouldn't be able to work anywhere else. Knowing how to work the cameras is oh so important. Besides, the shows are catered. Can't beat that.
CAGEMATCH: Speaking of "The One Leg Sensation" Zach Gowen, what do you think about him, both as a person and as a wrestler?
SHELLEY: I love Zach. We trained together right before we both started doing matches. I had my first match two weeks before he had his. He's one of my best friends in the world and he takes care of me when I get drunk. I'd take a bullet for him though, as I would all my friends. As a wrestler, he's limited in what he can do both because he's a small guy and because of the whole one leg gimmick. Regardless, he can do all the flying stuff pretty easily, which is more than I can say. He takes some pretty hellacious bumps too. Hopefully, the WWE will keep him around for awhile and keep him fresh somehow, but it really seems like as of now, they've run out of stuff for him to do. There's the inevitable heel turn, I guess, but other than that, there's not a lot left. Still, he's saving money and getting his press while he can, and he's realistic about his future there. Zach rules the school.
CAGEMATCH: Now let's talk about the IWA Mid-South. How did you get involved with them and what do you think about the promotion after wrestling there for several months?
SHELLEY: Well, there was a whole crew of Michigan guys who started going down there. Late in 2002, Danny Daniels began wrestling in IWA Mid-South, and he worked lots of shows in Michigan as well. He ended up getting Chris Sabin to come down with him, and Sabin tore the house down against Hero. After that, Daniels got Truth Martini to come down, and again, Sabin and Truth just tore it up. At the same time, Jimmy Jacobs had went down to do a show for Ian as it was on the way to the Dave Taylor camp, and Ian liked him enough to bring him back. Basically, I had Danny vouching for me, and Ian threw me on the show in a tryout against Steve Stone. The match itself was okay, but Truth and Danny put pressure on Ian to bring me back. I remember riding down with Sabin and Zach to the IWA 300th show and sitting in the crowd, and as I went to say goodbye to Ian, he told me "Listen kiddo, I talked to some people, and you're in." So from there on out, I had a spot on whatever show I could make. I worked Steve Stone once more on the When Hero Met Punk show, and after that, I worked Jimmy Jacobs, and it just rolled from there. As far as my opinion of the promotion? It's basically my favorite place to work. I was actually sad when we moved from the building in Clarkesville, which was odd. But I love working for Ian. He has enough faith in me to give me really good opponents and let me cut loose with whatever I want. It's really one of the best companies to learn from.
CAGEMATCH: You've had some great matches with Jimmy Jacobs in the IWA Mid-South. What is your favourite match against him and what do you think of him, both as a wrestler and as a person?
SHELLEY: My favorite? We had a really good one for International Wrestling Cartel in August. I like the infamous Hair vs. Boot Hair match the best, I think. That, or the 30 Minute Iron Man Match. As a person, he's like my brother. We get pretty annoyed at each other sometimes, and I disagree with him a lot of the time, but eh. I still love him regardless. As a wrestler, he's really come a long way and gotten much better within the past year. He's a really entertaining worker overall, I think. If I wasn't a wrestler, I'd probably be a Jimmy Jacobs mark.
CAGEMATCH: You got the opportunity to wrestle in IWA's Ted Petty Invitational 2003. What are your thoughts on the tournament itself and your performance and especially winning the wXw World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Hero?
SHELLEY: I was pretty happy with my performance overall. I wish Sabin and I had not been late, because I think we could have done a bit more than we did almost. But still, I really liked that match, and I absolutely loved working Jonny Storm. I know how to do a good deal of British wrestling thanks to my training with Joe E. Legend, and I know how to do the flying stuff pretty good, so I think we clicked alright. Working Ian was a lot of fun. I love me some mat wrestling, and so does he, so that worked out pretty well. Who knew he could do a Tarantula? I really enjoyed the finals too, as Danny and Hero are great workers. All in all, I was happy with what I did. Especially turning on Jacobs, the little jerk. As far as the WXW Title goes, I was really happy to win it. This could very well open the doors for me coming to Germany soon, especially seeing as a lot of my friends like Hero, Jacobs, Punk, and Legend have worked there or are going to work there. I'm really excited to come over to Germany, so hopefully, something will come from it in the long run.
CAGEMATCH: Speaking of the wXw World Heavyweight Title. You've held several titles in your career. Is "wearing a championship belt" or "being a champion" something special for you?
SHELLEY: Oh, definately. When a company puts a title on you, it shows they have confidence in your working ability. It's a sign of appreciation. I mean, you generally don't put titles on horrible wrestlers named Lance Uppercut or Hurrcanronald or anything.
CAGEMATCH: Let's move to the east coast and to Ring of Honor. You've wrestled some matches there and the crowd was really into these matches. What do you think about their concept in showing more pure wrestling and less "sports entertainment"?
SHELLEY: I enjoy it. Don't be too fooled, they have creative gimmicks there, including The Ring Crew Express, Dunn & Marcos, who are two of my personal favorite workers there. But the way the matches are formatted allow everyone to cut loose with some good stuff. I'd much rather watch a ROH tape than some watered down punch kick that usually seems to be on whenever I turn on the WWE.
CAGEMATCH: What are your future plans? WWE? Japan? NWA TNA?
SHELLEY: Funny you should ask. Believe it or not, I was actually scheduled to work Spanky in a dark match back in August for the WWE. However, about two weeks after I was told about it, they did an angle with Brock Lesnar that took Spanky out. I did go to the tapings and had a blast though. Truth Martini was there, and he actually got his dark match, as he worked Mortis in a really good short match. As far as Japan goes, I really would love to go over there, but it seems there's nowhere for me to go. Zero One uses some pretty good guys, and I'm really not at that level yet, and there aren't any other places that seem to interested in bringing over indy guys from America. All Japan uses a few gaijin, but again, I've got no connection really, and that's a necessity. NWA:TNA is most likely where I'll end up if I go to any of the major companies. It's no secret that Scott D'Amore is one of the agents down there, and I'm friends with lots of people in the company, like Sabin, Legend, Punk, Sonjay, etc., etc. There have been 3 different times where I was really quite close to appearing on PPV, but they all fell through. However, I've been assured my name gets brought up at booking meetings and pushed to people who matter. We'll have to see what happens in the new year.
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"?
SHELLEY: Honestly, I don't think they are that demanding. Now granted, you have your action junkies, but hell, everyone loves cool moves, don't they? However, at ROH, IWA, and CZW, pretty prestigous indy places, they pop just as hard for tripped out submissions and elaborate counters, not to mention creative spots. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I think the fans are great. Without them, what'd we have? Besides, they've always been receptive to me, and the ones that are more critical keep me sharp. And that's the end of that chapter.
CAGEMATCH: If you have the chance to wrestle any wrestler in the world at the top of their career, who would you like to wrestle with the most and why?
SHELLEY: Tough one. I'd have to say Eddie Guerrero, who's not really past his prime. Just a tremendous worker and artist on a whole. I'd love to have a face versus face match with Brian Pillman. Billy Robinson was another guy who could really go, especially on the mat, and I think that'd be fun. Johnny Saint for novelty purposes, and there's always Dynamite Kid too.
CAGEMATCH: The wrestling business is a hard way to get a living. Are there some guys in this business you consider as close friends? Do you have some "enemies" you don't like to work with?
SHELLEY: There's lots of guys I consider close friends. Sabin, Jacobs, Truth, Zach, Hero, Prazak, Nate Webb, the list goes on and on. But I've made a lot of really good friends through wrestling, and I think that's one of the positive points about getting into this business, meeting new people and all. Enemies? I don't think I do, but I suppose I could. If I do, they really haven't made themselves too apparent, so I'm not going to sweat it.
CAGEMATCH: What was the funniest story you've experienced inside a wrestling ring/locker room? SHELLEY: There was an IWA Mid-South show a few weeks ago where Chris Hamrick stole Colt Cabanas boot. Just one boot. Anyways, Cabana goes nuts looking for it, and Hamrick finally puts it back in his bag, where Colt had already checked. He didn't check it a second time and assumed the boot was still lost, so he declares "Alright, I'm going to for a walk one more time, and maybe my boot will show up." Hamrick says "This will teach that sonuvabitch to take a walk!" and made me hide the boot in my bag. Cabana comes back and as soon as he walks in, Hamrick says "Alex Shelley has your boot in his bag, Colt!" Totally ratted me out. Cabana later tried getting back at Hamrick by putting Icey Hot inside his shirt, and Hamrick countered that by stealing the laces out of Cabanas boots.
CAGEMATCH: Is there anything you want to say to your German fans?
SHELLEY: Thanks for your support. I'm honored to be the wXw World Heavyweight Champion, and hopefully, I'll see you all very soon.
CAGEMATCH: Thanks a lot for answering our questions! We wish you all the best for your future!
SHELLEY: Thank you much. Stay horny.
Word Association Game
HUSS
Puke.
"Wrestling is fake!"
It's so fake I've got two metal plates in my face because of it! Oh, laugh that one up, chuckles. It's all fun and games and doesn't hurt, right? It really didn't hurt when my jaw was hanging off my skull. Man, that was hilarious. And if you sense some sarcasm, it's because I'm laying it on pretty thick.
Ian Rotten
The man's given me lots of opportunities this year, and plans to give me more, and I'm very thankful.
“Sports Entertainment”
Wrestling Lite. I know the WWE has some of the best wrestlers in the world, but they're so much more capable of what they can do than the punch kick stuff.
"The Next/Technical Messiah" Nicknames.
Not very good ones at that, but I did get "The Next" from Breyer Wellington, so it's not so bad. I like that one. Technical Messiah? Technically crap.
Vince McMahon
Very nice man. I've said hello to him, and he has an aura that just screams business. Zachs boss.
IWA Mid-South
Home. This is the place that put me on the map.
CAGEMATCH.de
A groin grabbingly good website!
