Shark Boy is one of the most amazing Cruiserweights in the world today; as highlighted by the recognition of being brought into WCW and for his regular involvement with Ohio's and the WWF Developmental HWA.
NATE STEIN: For those who may not have seen you yet, how would you describe yourself?
SHARK BOY: I am a professional wrestler who wears a mask complete with teeth and a fin on the top and anything else you might want to know is available at http://www.SharkBoy.net.
-----
STEIN: How did you get into wrestling? What motivates you to stay?
SHARK BOY: I started liking wrestling when I was 12 years old and I saw "Rowdy" Roddy Piper hit Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka over the head with a cocanut. For some reason I was hooked on the business and decided it was what I wanted to do.
The fans are what keep me coming back for more to this day.
-----
STEIN: How did you find yourself at Les Thatcher's and HWA?
SHARK BOY: I called Les Thatcher's radio show in Cincinnati and won tickets to an indy how where Les was in attendence. I introduced myself to him and told him I'd wanted to be a wrestler since the age of 12. He told me he was opening up his own training facility and said if I gave him my number he'd call me.
He called a few weeks later and I wound up becoming a student at his school. Three months after that I became a referee for the HWA. A year and a half later I started wrestling on HWA shows.
-----
STEIN: How did the idea for "Shark Boy" come about?
SHARK BOY: The original idea was inspired by the song "I Come from the Water" by the Toadies. The song gave me the idea for the character which I originally dubbed "El Piranha" and debuted in 1997. When I went to work for Ian Rotten in Louisville a couple of months after my first booking, he decided I should go with the name "Shark Boy" down there and the rest is history. The gimmick just took off. I made improvements on the mask by adding a fin and some teeth and the gimmick took off again. Then I started biting guys on the@#%&@and demonstrating other shark-type behavior and it got even bigger still. It really has been fun being Shark Boy.
-----
STEIN: What was your WCW experience like?
SHARK BOY: It was really great being in one of the "big two" wrestling companies at the time. My only real regret is that it didn't last long enough.
-----
STEIN: You mention possibly attending the J-Cup on your message board. Any more word on attending this year's J-Cup?
SHARK BOY: The last word that I received from them was that they were not interested in booking me this year. I would encourage fans to contact them with any feedback regarding this matter.
-----
STEIN: In pro wrestling, what do you think makes you stand out?
SHARK BOY: Well, if a mask with teeth and a fin on it don't make you stand out, I'm not sure what will.
-----
STEIN: Next to yourself, who do you think are some of the best independent talent out there?
SHARK BOY: The six-way match I participated in at the WWA pay-per-view was a who's who of indy talent. Chris Daniels, Lo-Ki, A.J. Styles, Tony Mamaluke, and Nova (who has since signed with the WWF).
-----
STEIN: What have best some of your favorite or most memorable matches?
SHARK BOY: There have been so many, but it would be hard to top the Pillman '99 show for a personal career highlight. I won three matches in one night to become the Pillman '99 Cruiswerweight Champion and the celebration at the end of the tournament was one of the greatest moments of my life. Mick Foley, Al Snow, and D'lo Brown all ran to the ring and lifted me up in the air in celebration. There's a great picture of it at my website.
-----
STEIN: What are some of your immediate plans? Any long term goals?
SHARK BOY: My immediate plan is to earn a steady income in the wrestling business in order to help support my family. My long term goal is to become a WWF superstar and maybe one day participate in Wrestlemania.
-----
STEIN: If you could ask anyone in wrestling one question, who and what would it be?
SHARK BOY: I would ask Vince McMahon what more I need to do to get a shot with the WWF.
-----
STEIN: Anything else you'd like to add?
SHARK BOY: I'd just like to thank all of my fans for supporting me and I'd encourage them to stop by my website. It's the only place you can find cool merchandise like T-shirts (worn by the likes of Mick Foley and Molly Holly), masks, and autographed photos. It's also where you can email me directly or post something on my official message board!
