Superstar Interviews

This Edition: Calypso!

BBAWrestling.tk: Welcome Calypso! It's been quite some time that we have talked or even seen you in action.

Calypso: Thanks, yes it's been a long ass time since anyone has heard from the Man, the Myth, the Legend.

BBAWrestling.tk: Well, all the fans of BBA certainly miss your presence in the square circle and the promotion that you have put on the map back in 2000. First off, what have you been doing in your life since BBA ended in 2003?

Calypso: 2003 turned out to be a great year for myself, as I met the girl of my dreams, Jennifer. Still going strong today, Jen and I are looking forward to spending as much time as possible together. It's been a long tough road without backyard wrestling the last couple of years. I started college last year at C.W. Post of Long Island University and will continue to do so until at least 2008.

BBAWrestling.tk: That's great as love and education are two of the most special gifts in life. In 2000, Calypso among others, such as The Meteor, Crazy Joe, Bucktooth Willy, and others started BBA. What were your goals in the beginning of the promotion and your thoughts of the promotion as compared to 3 years later?

Calypso: I suppose BBA in 2000 could have been considered a trial period. Craig Dixon and I never really expected it to grow as quickly as it did. The first season was really essential to establishing "the Brawlers". We really wanted to put C-X (Meteor, Crazy Joe, and myself) up top the promotion and establish ourselves as the true superstars. The only people who were otherwise rewarded that year were The Arch Angel and Bucktooth Willy. I think we did a great job of establishing Arch Angel as a World Title contender, and Bucktooth Willy as the underdog who got under everyone's skin.

Three years later, we were still concentrated on establishing the new names of the company (like Jason Christopher and Backlash Brady for instance). I know that every week, I would just go out there and try to put out the best match despite what opponent I was facing.

BBAWrestling.tk: How can anyone forget the path of destruction of C-X. One with one of the greatest with a "go all out" attitude as well. Now many believe that two of your greatest rivals in BBA were Johnny Shotgun/Arch Angel and Real Deal Rob. What are your thoughts of these individuals in and out of the ring?

Calypso: Shotgun was always a great opponent. I have no doubt that most of the matches I competed in were against him, and I wouldn't change it. We always had chemistry, from the early days to Realm of Champions in 2002. He was always helpful with the behind-the-scenes booking. If anyone was of equal (or more) dedicated that myself in regards to BBA; it would be Johnny Shotgun. Real Deal Rob was kind of a hard transition for the BBA that worked out to become a great feud. I remember reading his website when he first joined, and he basically trashed BBA's format compared to the OWF. It developed into some creative differences between the both of us. Eventually, we put the past behind us and put on a great series of matches, which culminated at Realm of Champions 2. I found RDR a huge help in the booking aspect in the later days, and will always respect any help that he gave me.

BBAWrestling.tk: It's great to see that such fierce and competitive athletes can put aside their differences outside of the ring to help each other out. Johnny Shotgun, Calypso, and RDR were three of the top main eventers. But with main eventers, there are undercard and mid card wrestlers. There were lots in the course of three years but some important figures include Bucktooth Willy (who you mentioned a little), M80, Firestarter, Chuck Fury, and AAA. If you could, can you give some slight personal thoughts on them?

Calypso: A lot of people didn't really like the fact that I never put over Bucktooth Willy in a World Title match. I stand by what I did creatively. Bucktooth was dedicated to the bone 2000-2001, but I just could never see much improvement in his game. He was a great character, and I liked working with him...but I just could never see him as a World Title threat, and I suppose that's what lead to his departure. If you had told me that M80 would have been a future World Champion of the BBA, I would have thought you were crazy. I guess I really took notice to M80's skills back when we were feuding for the Hardcore Title. I guess you could compare M80's meteoric rise to that of ECW's Mikey Whipwreck. He would take a beating every week, and somehow he eventually became IC Champion, then TV Champion, and finally World Champion. I really think he lost dedication towards the end, which really hurt his Main Event role. Firestarter is fairly simple to explain, he was dedicated and lost it. He didn't have the best matches, and we tried to establish him by putting him in various storylines or stables. Nothing really worked, and he basically became a fill-in (as evident in Hotter Than Hell). I wanted to put Chuck Fury over so many times. Chuck had the look, the gimmick, and the skills to become the next Main Event threat. If anyone was going to get a push in late 2002...it was he. I suppose he sealed his fate as a BBA Mid-carder when he no-showed our PPV match at Hotter Than Hell. AAA was perhaps one of the better talkers we had. He would cut the funniest promos, from singing "Welcome Back", to doing aerobics before matches, to entertaining us after the shows. It goes to show that you could get over in BBA despite not having the skills in the ring. He has something more that Bucktooth didn't, and allowed him to climb the ladder higher than Bucktooth.

BBAWrestling.tk: That is a great insight to these BBA superstars! Now in the history of BBA, we've had Forsaken, SOS, The Network, but no tag team or stable has had such a tremendous impact as C-X did. There were two eras on CX's history with you, Meteor, and Crazy Joe and then 2003 with you along with Crazy Joe, Mike Savage, and M80. What are your thoughts on both eras of this stable and can you make a comparison?

Calypso: The first C-X was important to BBA because it turned into our first significant storyline (beside the debut of The Impostor). I thought we told a good story, we were these three main-event players that just went out there and kicked everyone’s ass. It became more complex at Please Forgive Me when Meteor and I turned on Crazy Joe and became heels. Crazy Joe beat the odds at PFM and beat both Meteor and me for the Hardcore Title, and then later tagged up with Arch Angel to take those Tag-Titles. It was the end of the dominant C-X days, and moved on to just being a simple tag-team. We brought back the newer version of C-X (which will be referred to cX) in the summer of 2002 after I turned heel. What a great story that was. I was the special guest Ref, and helped M80 beat RDR for the World Heavyweight Title. Next week, Commissioner Savage brought Crazy Joe back from retirement, and stared down with M80 and me at the end of the show. Mike ripped M80's shirt off to reveal a cX shirt, and all 4 of us proceeded to attack Angelove at the end of the show. Crazy Joe was in it for the simple reason that he was in the original C-X, and it was unfortunate when he stopped showing again. We played it up as cX has released him of his contract. We eventually turned face when RDR turned back heel, and we were going to build a match between M80 and myself for the World Title. M80 lost his dedication, and the title was put on Shotgun. That signified the real end of the new cX, as evident we went to the nWo route. I believe that both Firestarter and Impostor had brief stints as cX members. I suppose both instances of C-X put their members as true players (as evident in Meteor, Crazy Joe in original C-X, M80, and of course myself). I loved both C-X's in their own ways, and wished they both could have played out longer than they did.

BBAWrestling.tk: Well both versions of C-X were great in their own ways. Of course the shows are important to building up storylines but the PPV's was where the magic happened. What were your thoughts and opinions on your PPV matches with Arch Angel at PFM, Impostor at BA, RDR at NYN, Johnny Shotgun at ROC, Franchise at TC, and your last match of BBA against RDR at ROC2?

Calypso: My PFM match with Arch Angel was important because it was the main event of our first Pay-Per-View, and we really wanted to put a stamp on our PPV performances. We went out there, put on a solid match...threw in some controversy (with The Impostor/BTOF angle) and told a good story. Fighting Impostor at BA was maybe the one of the best AND worst Pay-Per-View moments in my BBA career. Bad because there was little build-up for our match, and it was Calypso's first step backwards from being the Main-Event player of the BBA. Good because we went out there and put on a good match, and remember seeing RDR putting it up as a choice on Match of the Year candidates for 2001. NYN was unbelievable, I loved every second of that 2 out of 3 Falls Match...and even ending the PPV early because we went "Out of Bounds" if you know what I mean. Facing Johnny Shotgun at ROC put me back as the Ultra Babyface, going out and defying the odds against the very man who injured me. Perhaps the match with Johnny went a little too long, but it told a good story...mirroring the Ironman Match between HBK/Hitman. Facing Franchise at TC was tainted only for the fact that Franchise cracked open Jason Christopher earlier in the show and set him off into a bad mood. We put some good spots in, and closed off one our best PPV’s. My last match against RDR really was what BBA was all about, it was about intensity. We went out there, didn't main event the show...but really brought importance to the other matches after us. I think we went on third, and we set the bar for everyone else. We played up the angle well saying nobody has had the clear advantage in our long lasting feud. If I had to put my PPV matches in order from favorite to least favorite, here's how it would look: ROC2, TC, ROC, NYN, BA, PFM, and HTH

BBAWrestling.tk: So what would be your top to bottom favorite BBA PPV?

Calypso: Emotionally I would have to say Realm of Champions 2. It was a great show, everyone went out there for one last time and had fun. From the Fury/Davis match, to the tag match with Impostor/Flawless vs. M80/AAA, to Franchise becoming only the third Multiple time World Champ against Shotgun. It was a great PPV and I wouldn't have wanted BBA to end any other way.

BBAWrestling.tk: It definitely was an emotional day for us all. But when you mention BBA as an Oceanside/RVC backyard federation, you must not forget the Oceanside Wrestling Federation. It was arguably the best federation in the surrounding areas during its time. What are your thoughts of the promotion and did you ever think BBA would ever last longer than OWF and go as far as gaining their top elite talent?

Calypso: Honest to God, people don't believe me when I tell them this but it is the truth. Craig Dixon created BBA before his knowledge of the OWF. He wasn't "copying" OWF, he wasn't "afraid" to join, he simply did not know of its existence until April/May of 2000. Craig Dixon and myself have considered OWF as our rivals from 2000-2001. We would talk trash about them, but not even really know what kind of product they put out there. It was wrong of us to judge, but we were simply trying to put ourselves on the map. If you would have told me in Early 2001 that by the next PPV, we would have the likes of The Franchise, RDR, Biohazard, Viper, Chuck Fury, and Firestarter...I WOULD HAVE LAUGHED IN YOUR FUCKING FACE. Slowly, 1-by-1 they (all but some) came and helped BBA to grow into one of the best Backyard Feds in Long Island. While OWF's "Last Dance" turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to the Backyard Brawlers Association

BBAWrestling.tk: The OWF Superstars definitely added the kind of action that made BBA amazing during its time. Throughout the years, much talent came into the BBA from RDR to Jason Christopher. If you can, could you name some BBA dream matches , and just matches that never happened for whatever reason with whatever wrestlers?

Calypso: Dream Matches: Viper vs. Calypso...Viper was always a tough person to set up any matches with because we simply never knew when he would show up. Definitely could have been BBA World Champion if his mind was in a better place, and it just never seemed to work out to put him vs. me. We wrestled in a Triple Threat (which included Franchise), but John and Me basically doubled teamed him the whole match until he was eliminated. I really wanted to always have that match. Other dream matches would include M80 vs. Jason Christopher, Don Davis vs. The Franchise, Flawless vs. The Impostor, Firestarter vs. Bucktooth Willy, and basically anyone vs. Jason Christopher (because he basically only wrestled Franchise).

BBAWrestling.tk: Viper vs. Calypso would have been a MOTY candidate for sure and would be included in any dream show. A lot of good memories and a lot of great stuff came out of the BBA. Is there anything you regret during the 3 years of BBA and what would you change about BBA if you had the power?

Calypso: My ego in the early days surely could have used some fine tuning. I was bossy, and easily angered. As I began to let other people take the stage later on, I really allowed people to do what they want. Perhaps I was reluctant to push M80 as World Champ, but I'm glad I let it happen because it worked out pretty well. I regret wrestling Firestarter in a 2 out of 3 falls match, but I cannot blame anyone other than myself for that. I just wish people had maintained their dedication the last couple of weeks of 2002 when people no-showed events. I remember when we average about 7-10 superstars per show, and then only four people showed. I guess they made up for it for attending ROC2, but I wish we could have just kept going. BBA could have still been going strong until last year if it wasn't for location problems. Who knows who would have been World Champ by then? Chuck Fury? Angelo? Jason Christopher? Me?

BBAWrestling.tk: Well with regrets you become a better person by admitting to them and learning from them as well. What would your favorite time period of BBA and why?

Calypso: Regarding my own personal career I would have to say Post-Hotter than Hell until ROC2. I really enjoyed putting matches with anyone out there. I remember taking all those sick bumps, and hearing people saying "holy shit". I really learned to adapt to wrestling in the BBA ring, and was fully confident of anything I was doing. Regarding storylines, I loved the Icons of OWF feuding with Myself, Viper, M80, etc. The Network always brings a smile to my face, and of course seeing Firestarter call out Bucktooth Willy every week to no avail.

BBAWrestling.tk: Rumors have been running rampant over the past couple of months and I'm sure you knew this question would be coming at some point in the interview. Are there plans to have a BBA reunion show and if so, have you created a lineup or some matches thus far?

Calypso: Ah, the question that has plagued many former BBA Superstars for the last couple of months. Yes, there has been speculation about a BBA Reunion Show, but as of right now it remains to be seen. Craig Dixon is obviously intrigued by the speculation, and is glad that people are still talking about BBA in 2005. There is a speculated lineup that has been posted here and there, and there no point in denying that. This card has had several variations, but this is the main focus: Calypso/Fury, Shotgun/M80, RDR/Davis, Franchise/Viper among others. I don't think some of these would work out anyway, considering the fact that Craig Dixon had a falling-out with M80, Backlash, and Mike Savage. As of right now, there is no definite answer to "Will there be a Reunion Show?" Some suggestions have been thrown out there to only have 1 or 2 matches, but that wouldn't happen. It would be a full lineup, or nothing at all. I assume that if there is a strong demand for a Reunion Show, I suppose there would have to be one. I know of a few people who really want it to happen...but I just cannot firmly give a straight yes or no. It will be discussed in a future Commentary by yours truly.

BBAWrestling.tk: So we conclude our BBA interview with the Man, the Myth, and the Legend...We'd like to do a word association to the following....

John Hanley

Calypso: Brutal.

BBAWrestling.tk: Flawless

Calypso: Risk taker

BBAWrestling.tk: Jason Christopher

Calypso: Franchise + Chair

BBAWrestling.tk: Albania

Calypso: Charismatic, but needed dedication

BBAWrestling.tk: Tommy Hawk

Calypso: Lack of balls, no willingness to compete

BBAWrestling.tk: Realm of Champions

Calypso: "The Franchise" announces his retirement to the shock of many BBA Superstars.

BBAWrestling.tk: Viper

Calypso: Underestimated. He really put out some great matches with Franchise, Biohazard, M80, etc. He could have been World Champ some day.

BBAWrestling.tk: Khaos Kid

Calypso: Untapped potential. After watching him participate in the Hardcore Title Invitational at ROC2, I really realized that he could have been a legit threat.

BBAWrestling.tk: The Meteor

Calypso: Vintage. I will always remember the battles we had as C-X, and I'm glad to know that I faced him in his Farewell match.

BBAWrestling.tk: BTOF

Calypso: Eugene. I could never understand this kid, he had the attention span of a three year old. He turned out to be a great Commissioner in the end.

BBAWrestling.tk: Perry the Pecker

Calypso: Ruptured Anus

BBAWrestling.tk: EBW

Calypso: The only thing they had going for them was that they were on Public Access, and Karnage. Other than that, EBW always has and always will suck balls. Jon E = Vince Russo

BBAWrestling.tk: Kid Irish

Calypso: Nathan Jones. He made himself out to sound great, meanwhile he sucked. Thankfully I have never had the pleasure of seeing his workrate.

BBAWrestling.tk: last one....Calypso

Calypso: Jobber, haha just kidding of course. I guess I could be referred to Mr. BBA, there was no one who enjoyed working for the Backyard Brawlers Association more than myself.

BBAWrestling.tk: Well Calypso, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule for this interview and to address the BBA fans. Is there one last message you'd like to say to everyone out there?

Calypso: Yes, I would like to thank all of the BBA supporters, fans, and former Superstars for still being intrigued by what is known as the Backyard Brawlers Association. All I can ask for is that BBA is remembered. I can recall dozens and dozens of matches in which I will always remember: from the bad; from the good. I know only Johnny Shotgun and Chuck Fury have taken me up on this offer, but I want the former BBA Superstars to know that they are welcome to come relive the BBA experience right here at the Dixon House Of Pain. Even if this rumored Reunion Show doesn't take place, I would enjoy it someday if several BBA members came and watched a so-called "BBA Marathon". From The Man, The Myth, The Legend himself...Thank you for making the Backyard Brawlers Association a memory that I will NEVER forget.

Older Interviews
Firestarter
The Arch Angel