Thank you Steve, and you hit the nail on the head, it's very big exposure for an Indy talent. As far as pressure goes, I'd be lying if I said there was none. But there were several different types of pressures. The first being the pressure of impressing the office. Steve Kerin (my agent for the match) Johnny Ace and Vince McMahon were all watching the match at guerilla, so needless to say, that is nerve racking. The second pressure is to impress the boys. That locker room is like a family, and they know at anytime someone new could be added to the family so you want to make sure you leave a great first impression--going out there and working your ass off and showing that you are serious about what you and are a hard worker. The last type of pressure is obviously the pressure from within. I can't speak for everyone, but I know for myself, I have really high expectations...failure is not an option. Every match for me is like WrestleMania, throw in about 13,000 people and the fact that it was going to air on Velocity...my expectations of myself were even higher than usual. But you need pressure and expectations to grow and get better.
How has that experience helped your career so far?
Well obviously to have that on your resume will only help you with bookings. Has my phone rang off the hook? No. Has it sparked some interest in JD that wasn't there before? Yes. I take things one day at a time, so we'll see what happens.
When did you get your start in the business?
In late 2000. A promotion had started up (Canadian Championship Wrestling) and I went to their camp, showed them what I could do and they were impressed. Unfortunately, it took them almost a year to get their shit together to run shows, so I didn't actually debut till November, 2001.
Who trained you?
This always comes as a surprise when I tell anyone who has either worked me or seen me worked, but to be honest, I never actually went to a wrestling school. Basically, I saw a short tape on the WCW powerplant in early 2000. A friend of mine wanted to be a wrestler too, so we went to a boxing gym and practiced what we saw on the tape, over and over and over. It was all basics like bumping, running the ropes, slams, elbows etc. Some people need to be shown a move a hundred times before they figure it out, I usually only needed 2 or 3. Long story short, I started practicing other moves and already knew that timing and selling were going to be important skills, so I always included those, and when I went to CCW, they offered me a spot on their show. When I told Jimmy Cornette that's how I broke in, he just smiled and said "Jesus Christ, your aptitude must be off the chart, you have the tools to go far and if you ever make it big, you will have one hell of a unique story to tell." Might seem like a contradiction, but I still recommend anyone who wants to be a wrestler, seek out and go to a reputable school.