On February 28th I posted a message on the message board asking if you fans had any questions that you wanted to ask and have me answer in a commentary. This spawned from questions I've been asked by fans via e-mail. So, this commentary will address all the questions I received in the message board and maybe a few other ones that I will try and remember that I've been asked by various fans.
1) Are all your matches planned?
Yes.
2) Do you ever watch that show TOUGH ENOUGH?
No.
3) Are you gonna try out for TOUGH ENOUGH?
No.
4) Is wrestling as hard as it is on TOUGH ENOUGH?
Yes. Way harder.
Anyway, that takes care of the most annoying wrestling questions known to man. I'll now move onto the real ones.
5) What is the best locker room in Ontario?
This is a hard and easy question to answer. It's easy because basically all the locker rooms in Ontario consist of the same group of guys. It's hard because there are many different promotions that consist of various locker room atmospheres. But for sure the best locker room in my books is NEO SPIRIT PRO's locker room. A lot of the guys that work there are guys that I trained with when I attended the FSPW dojo. And a large group of the guys are guys that I travel to shows with (mainly the Cambridge Crew). Plus, you have the experienced guys working there like Tornado and Tyson that are always willing to help the young guys like me before a show and to go over our match with them to give us pointers on our match. This came in handy during my feud with LAZZ back in FSPW. Lazz and I work great together, but we are both still green. Tyson always tries to watch the other matches and he used to give me and Lazz pointers about our match. (ie. We are going to fast or too slow, poor psychology, things like that) He really helped us out and he continues to help guys like me, and others, in the NEO locker room.
6) Ever thought of accepting US Indy bookings in the near future?
Yes. I would accept a US indy booking now if I was offered. I haven't even tried to get booked over the border. I haven't sent out tapes or anything. Basically, going over to the US isn't any different than over here. I have the same chance of making a tape here in Ontario, sending it to Vince, and getting signed, than I do over in the US. That's the way it goes. There's no point in working a lot of shows in the US because it's just cash out of my pocket. I have talked with "Showtime" who gets booked in various feds in the US, and I might go down with him sometime as try and get on a show, just for the experience. There's no point in going all the way to the US if you are gonna work some junk worker in a US indy. If you get to work someone decent, than that's great. But, there's lots of junk out there, and on the other hand, lots of great workers (especially in Ontario). Therefore, the chances of me getting a good match on tape with a good worker to send to Vinnie Mac is just as good in Ontario as it is in the US.
7) What was your favourite match growing up? (Top 5 I guess... real hard to pick just one)
You're right. It is hard to pick just one. I'll have to give you the list of my favourite matches when I was YOUNG, because a list from my current perspective would be WAY too hard.
v) King Kong Bundy vs. Hogan (Steel Cage) - Hogan was the MAN, and Bundy was an amazingly believable bad guy. I legit thought that Hogan's ribs were busted. And I legit hated Bundy. Amazing stuff.
iv) Dynamite Kid vs. Nikolai Volkoff (during that sweet tournament they had - I forget what it was called) - This match was about 1.3 seconds long. Volkoff was singing the anthem and Dynamite Kid attacked him from behind with a dropkick and got the 1,2,3. Not much of a match, but a sweet gimmick. I loved the whole tournament and had it on BETA! I watched it every other day.
iii) Clark Kent vs. Evil Superman (Superman 3) - Between watching tapes of Saturday Night main Event and Wrestlemania 3, I watch Superman 3 ("the fighting part"- that's what I called it as a 5 year old Hulkamaniac/Superman Super fan). Superman 3 was by far the best Superman. It was the one when Richard Pryor does the sweet "cent shaving" gimmick in the computer, then he makes kryptonite that is missing a vital ingredient, therefore, Superman just turns into the "heel" Superman instead of dying. The climax of the movie cultivates in the fight scene between Clark Kent and Dirty Superman in the junk yard at the end of the movie. It had everything. Hope spots, high spots, a sweet finish, ahhh�. Just pure awesomeness. Well�. I guess this isn't technically a wrestling match, but growing up, it was a match I emulated many times on my living room floor with my oversized blue fighting bear.
ii) Jimmy Snuka vs. Don Muraco (Steel Cage)- The match itself wasn't the best thing in the world. But the finish was the best. Snuka ascended the steel cage, flashed the "I love you" and�.. well�.. you know the rest. I also emulated this move off my couch onto the living room floor. My mother wasn't too impressed.
i) Hogan vs. Andre (Wrestlemania 3)- What can you say about this match. Basically the reason I'm a wrestler today. HULKAMANIA will live forever!!!!!!!!
8) Do you like working spot matches or chain wrestling?
Actually, neither. Both styles are ones that couldn't put a whole match together. Spot matches tend to have no psychology and just look like the wrestlers are going through the motions. Chain wrestling usually consists of not going through what you are gonna do before you walk through the curtain� not a good idea. Basically I like to plan a few spots and just go with it for the rest. That's the way wrestling should be. You can't go out there not knowing the finish of not know at all what you are gonna do. "Old-schoolers" might like this way of doing things but it's almost impossible to do today with the fans demands and still put on a good match. You have to feed off the crowd's reaction, but you still have to have stuff planned in order to manipulate that reaction. This is hard to master, and something I am ALWAYS working on. Some of my favourite matches are with The Hacker, when we just plan a few spots, chain at the beginning, and work the crowd in the middle. We're both new to this business, so doing this helps you really learn to master your trade. And when the fans react the way you want them to, based on the things you just improvise�. There's no better feeling in the world.
9) Anyone in Ontario you would like to work, but never worked with yet?
Hmmm�. tough one. There's lots of guys in BCW I haven't worked and would like to. I dunno. I saw Bobby Rude when he worked for the FED in a dark match in London. I think me and him could put on a sweet match with him as evil heel and me as pretty boy babyface. It'd especially be fun if we were working in front of kids, cause kids are oblivious to the "smart" workings of wrestling, therefore always react the way you are supposed to react to wrestling.
10) Who do you honestly think has the best chance of hooking up with the Fed?
Right now? Tyson Dux. If he just keeps doing the jig, he'll dance his way into the hearts of the talent relation dudes. Showtime would have a good chance too if he'd just send in a frickin' tape.
11) If you had a dark match, and you picked one person in Ontario to work with who would it be?
This is kinda like asking me who I work best with in the ring. My best matches by far are my matches with TJ Harley. I don't know what it is, but when we get in the ring (especially at a show where the crowd has never seen a wrestling show) we tear down the house. My best match so far was against TJ Harley in Woodstock. We weren't even booked for the show, but we showed up, got on the show, and put on what most of the workers called match of the night. Most of the people in the crowd were new to indy wrestling and didn't know what to expect. So we gave them what they didn't expect and they ate it up. As far as working a dark match. I dunno if TJ would be the best guy to work a dark match with. Our matches work best when he beats on me using various innovative moves and I come out of nowhere and surprise him with a cool finish. BUT, I don't think a WWF crowd would believe a match like that considering TJ's look and size. As far as the Ontario indys, TJ can get away with his look and style. But when it comes to working in the fed, well�. I love TJ to death, but there's only room for one Spike Dudley. If TJ gained 20 pounds of muscle, got a tan, and had the ability to remember his girlfriends birthday J I think we'd put on a sweet dark match. Listen to me� heeling on TJ! I love you TJ!!!!!
12) In your opinion, what is the best crowd you ever worked in front of based on crowd reaction and who did you work?
Like I said, my best match so far was that one match with TJ (and I don't even have it on tape� DAMMIT!). But the best reaction, or loudest reaction, I've ever got was in my 4-way NEO match with Showtime, Danger Boy, and Sinn. People really praised that match, and I think it sticks in people's minds not only because of the crazy stuff we did, but because of the people's reaction. The crowd went insane for all our spots and overall, the match turned out better than we expected. You heard the odd "WE WANT TABLES!" chant. But besides that garbage, the crowd reaction was phenomenal.
13) Do you think a wrestling company from Ontario can take it to the next level? Like touring around with several shows a week. I'm not sure how the territories worked back in the day but I think I'm asking if that would work today? Or maybe if an Ontario fed could get a TV deal (one that could be seen by all Ontario or even around Canada).
I don't think that Ontario is hot enough for wrestling to allow an indy fed to go on tour and be successful. It's just not gonna happen. People don't want to spend the money a couple times a week just to support their local heroes. We're not on TV, therefore, we're not that important in the public eye. As far as a TV deal is concerned, I don't know of a station that would showcase wrestling that JUST broadcast over Ontario, or just Canada. TSN is the only one I can think of, but they have WWF, so why would they want an Ontario indy show with basically no namers. The thought is a good one, but it's just a thought� the ideal wrestling utopia. It's just not gonna happen.
14) Neo Spirit has a very loyal fan base in Niagara Falls. Do you think if you added another show to each month in a different city you can have the same success? I ask because I would like to see Neo in different cities in Ontario.
I don't think adding another show to the NEO schedule would be a good idea. We get amazing turn outs as it is. We only have so many workers, and the fans only like wrestling so much. You have your hardcore marks, and loyal followers, but other than that, you just have the casual fan that comes to the show because it's like the circus coming to town once a month. If the circus comes to town once every couple weeks, people just get bored of the elephants standing on their hind legs. My philosophy is, don't mess with a good thing, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. As far as going to other cities, I don't think that's such a good idea. The wrestlers in Niagara are like local icons. I mean, I go to Niagara and people recognize me as Cody Steele from Neo. I don't even live in the Falls. It's pretty crazy. But I don't think going to different cities is a good idea. All the other major cities in Ontario have had indy shows, but few are as packed or as successful as a NEO show. I think we should just stick to Niagara. If we are gonna expand, we should expand internally. For example, try getting a bigger and better venue. We're running out of room in the Polish Hall. The bigger the better. I think NEO could be bigger and better and much more successful than it is, but only in Niagara. The brains behind NEO works very hard and as far as I know, is working on expanding it's product within Niagara Falls. With the success of Neo so far, I think it's gonna get much bigger and better. Hell, I autographed a frickin' Cody Steele ACTION FIGURE at the last show. You have no idea how weird that was. I love NEO and it's workers, and it's promoters. If it wasn't for NEO I probably wouldn't be a worker right now, and I sure as hell wouldn't be as over as I am right now with the loyal fans in Niagara Falls.
Well� that was way too long. But you deserved it because I haven't written a commentary since January. That's cool, 'cause it's probably gonna take you about 2 months to get through this one. Anyway, thanks for the questions. And post your reactions and comments on the message board. I love hearing from you.
Completely yours,
Cody