Post by Joe Snack Road on Feb 9, 2006 16:24:36 GMT -5
...this interview with Eddie Swan originally appeared in Pro (e)Wrestling Illustrated, reprinted with permission...
[Happy Sam:] What's a typical day for you?
[Eddie Swan:] Wake up about 2 AM, shower - okay, that's optional some days - read until seven or eight in the morning while drinking somewhere between six and twelve cups of coffee... training with Phil Buster fills the morning, break for a shower - this one's mandatory - train with Nicholas Ryder into the afternoon, and then from there it varies.
[H.S.:] Why do you train with two different coaches?
[E.S.:] It's a matter of perspectives. I don't think Phil's had any amateur wrestling experience, but he's good at what he does. Nicholas Ryder - father of Team Ryder head Jo Ryder - brings the amateur wrestling experience, which he's REALLY f***in' good at, because he won Olympic Gold, dude. They're helping me be what I am - a hybrid of amateur and pro wrestling. I work as well as I do in ring because I've been able to train with the best. Anything that goes wrong in the match - like, me losing - is nine times out of ten my fault.
[H.S.:] What's the big difference between amateur and pro wrestling?
[E.S.:] Well, there are a LOT of big differences, but the BIG shock to me is that a lot of pros don't have the same aggression that amateurs do - In high school and college, I didn't subscribe to that "play defensive" philosophy. A lot of pros do; better, a lot of pros have had success with it. I don't think I could have done that in amateur wrestling and been so successful; I HAVE TO be the aggressor, I have to be on the attack, and only now am I feeling like I CAN be the aggressor - like I CAN be on the attack and win in a pro wrestling ring.
[H.S.:] Your big rival is Orochi Geese, from PW-Wild... what's causin' all this?
[E.S.:] Geese is the guy I've had to chase for a long time - and he knew it. Until I beat him, I couldn't really feel like I'd stepped up a level to compete with the bigger names in pro wrestling. Now? Well, I might not be equal to him, but I've beaten him before. I think I could do it again.
[H.S.:] In PW-Wild soon, you face MJB for the Grandmaster's Championship - thoughts?
[E.S.:] It'll be a good match. Looking at it simply, MJB had my number last time, and I want to prove it was a fluke. The title belt he beat me for is around his waist. Or wrist. Or, ponytails? I dunno, man. But I'd like to have it back, but to do that, I have to beat MJB. No hard feelin's, y'know, I just want to be the champion again.
No, that's a lie: I need this win.
If I lose again, then it's like the 6IM Dojo heads - MJB and WESley - both have my number every time we face. It'd be like, "Well, yeah, kiddo, you got good, but you're still a rookie." No. No I'm not. I'm not a f***in' rookie, I'm Eddie Swan. I'm not running to the ring in black trunks and black boots throwing a bunch of sloppy ass dropkicks, I'm EDDIE FREAKIN' SWAN. My rookie days are years behind me, and when I beat MJB, he's going to see that. People need to watch me - they need to watch me because I'm getting better every match, and it's time for me to start showing some dominance in that wrestling ring.
[H.S.:] In McLanahan Pro, you face Jason Wesley later this month - what's your thoughts on that match?
[E.S.:] I like Jason Wesley - I've seen him in NDP, and he's not bad. He's definitely gotten better since then, but I think we've got the same kind of work ethic, training to improve, to be the best, and then raise the bar better so that the next jackass to call himself the best has to work SO MUCH HARDER to match what you've done.
...really, though, I see this as a kind of Exploder War - my "Courtesy Flush" Exploder against his "Champification Effect" Wrist Clutch Exploder... does he still call it the "Champification Effect?" I'm not sure on that one. But, the two most prominent wrestlers with the Exploder in their arsenal will face off, and I'm thinking, maybe the loser ought to give up his Exploder. His is supposed to be better because he grabs a hold of the wrist - well, mine's better because of the sheer force I use to throw the other guy.
But, yeah. Should be a GREAT match - that doesn't say much. If we have a bad match, it'll still be the best one of the night. Simply because I'm in it.
[H.S.:] Oh? A little confident, are we?
[E.S.:] If I were anybody else, yeah. Me? Nah. It ain't ego when you're this good, dude. For serious.
End Interview - thanks to P(e)WI for the article.
[Happy Sam:] What's a typical day for you?
[Eddie Swan:] Wake up about 2 AM, shower - okay, that's optional some days - read until seven or eight in the morning while drinking somewhere between six and twelve cups of coffee... training with Phil Buster fills the morning, break for a shower - this one's mandatory - train with Nicholas Ryder into the afternoon, and then from there it varies.
[H.S.:] Why do you train with two different coaches?
[E.S.:] It's a matter of perspectives. I don't think Phil's had any amateur wrestling experience, but he's good at what he does. Nicholas Ryder - father of Team Ryder head Jo Ryder - brings the amateur wrestling experience, which he's REALLY f***in' good at, because he won Olympic Gold, dude. They're helping me be what I am - a hybrid of amateur and pro wrestling. I work as well as I do in ring because I've been able to train with the best. Anything that goes wrong in the match - like, me losing - is nine times out of ten my fault.
[H.S.:] What's the big difference between amateur and pro wrestling?
[E.S.:] Well, there are a LOT of big differences, but the BIG shock to me is that a lot of pros don't have the same aggression that amateurs do - In high school and college, I didn't subscribe to that "play defensive" philosophy. A lot of pros do; better, a lot of pros have had success with it. I don't think I could have done that in amateur wrestling and been so successful; I HAVE TO be the aggressor, I have to be on the attack, and only now am I feeling like I CAN be the aggressor - like I CAN be on the attack and win in a pro wrestling ring.
[H.S.:] Your big rival is Orochi Geese, from PW-Wild... what's causin' all this?
[E.S.:] Geese is the guy I've had to chase for a long time - and he knew it. Until I beat him, I couldn't really feel like I'd stepped up a level to compete with the bigger names in pro wrestling. Now? Well, I might not be equal to him, but I've beaten him before. I think I could do it again.
[H.S.:] In PW-Wild soon, you face MJB for the Grandmaster's Championship - thoughts?
[E.S.:] It'll be a good match. Looking at it simply, MJB had my number last time, and I want to prove it was a fluke. The title belt he beat me for is around his waist. Or wrist. Or, ponytails? I dunno, man. But I'd like to have it back, but to do that, I have to beat MJB. No hard feelin's, y'know, I just want to be the champion again.
No, that's a lie: I need this win.
If I lose again, then it's like the 6IM Dojo heads - MJB and WESley - both have my number every time we face. It'd be like, "Well, yeah, kiddo, you got good, but you're still a rookie." No. No I'm not. I'm not a f***in' rookie, I'm Eddie Swan. I'm not running to the ring in black trunks and black boots throwing a bunch of sloppy ass dropkicks, I'm EDDIE FREAKIN' SWAN. My rookie days are years behind me, and when I beat MJB, he's going to see that. People need to watch me - they need to watch me because I'm getting better every match, and it's time for me to start showing some dominance in that wrestling ring.
[H.S.:] In McLanahan Pro, you face Jason Wesley later this month - what's your thoughts on that match?
[E.S.:] I like Jason Wesley - I've seen him in NDP, and he's not bad. He's definitely gotten better since then, but I think we've got the same kind of work ethic, training to improve, to be the best, and then raise the bar better so that the next jackass to call himself the best has to work SO MUCH HARDER to match what you've done.
...really, though, I see this as a kind of Exploder War - my "Courtesy Flush" Exploder against his "Champification Effect" Wrist Clutch Exploder... does he still call it the "Champification Effect?" I'm not sure on that one. But, the two most prominent wrestlers with the Exploder in their arsenal will face off, and I'm thinking, maybe the loser ought to give up his Exploder. His is supposed to be better because he grabs a hold of the wrist - well, mine's better because of the sheer force I use to throw the other guy.
But, yeah. Should be a GREAT match - that doesn't say much. If we have a bad match, it'll still be the best one of the night. Simply because I'm in it.
[H.S.:] Oh? A little confident, are we?
[E.S.:] If I were anybody else, yeah. Me? Nah. It ain't ego when you're this good, dude. For serious.
End Interview - thanks to P(e)WI for the article.