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| » Interview mit Doug Williams [English] |
Please tell us how you got into wrestling and why you wanted to become a pro wrestler.
I have been a big fan for a long time. When I was 7 my father used to take me to the live shows in the town where I lived. When I got a bit older I guess it was the mixture of drama and athleticism that really hooked me and I knew I wanted to have a go. At the age of 11 I started Judo and I think in the back of my mind it was because I wanted to be a Wrestler and I knew I had to have some background in a Martial Art before training to be a wrestler. Also of course because I knew at that age, no promoter would consider letting me train! I went to the Hammerlock gym initially to get some basic training.
Could you tell us something about your training. Who trained you and what were your first impression when you started training?
Well I had done 8 years of Judo prior to me starting training, so I already knew how to breakfall or 'take a bump'. However all the other basics I learnt from various pro's who would visit the gym every week. I didn't expect however to be so sore from the training. Of course during the course of a match, and especially in training you take many, many bumps. In Judo the idea is to avoid taking any bumps. :) However the next few days after I started training I could hardly move!
How long did you train until your first match, who was your opponent in that match, did it turn out well and what was the crowd like?
I was training for 3 months before my first match. It was against a guy called Nick Colossus and was at a show held at the gym. The crowd was probably about 50 and was made up of friends and families of the trainees. It turned out pretty well and I have it on video - of course I cringe when I watch it now. :)
Which promotions did you work for at the beginning of your career and how did you get finally involved with FWA?
I worked for Hammerlock and also for a company called Four Star Promotions who ran Holiday Resort and Carnival shows in the south of England. I got involved with FWA, I can't remember the year, but I substituted for Reckless Youth when he couldn't come over for them. They literally called me the day before.
What's you opinion about the developement of british wrestling, the current status and its future?
When I started British Wrestling was in a pretty poor state, you were lucky if you got 1 show a week. Over the past 5 years the volume of work has increased tremendously thanks mainly to the influx of well known ex-WWF wrestlers coming to this country. Now you can work every night if you want. The future of British Wrestling will be determined by one thing, TV, and that will be the difference between staying as it is now and moving to the next level where people become legitimate stars and earn reasonable sums of money.
Besides the differences between USA, Japan and Europe, what's the difference between the various countries in europe you've wrestled for, concerning fans and wrestling?
Its funny, but I actually find differences between fans in the same country depending on which promotion you work for. For example, in Germany the fans in EWP are very old school and respond to typical cheating tactics whereas fans for say, ACW, are more interested in seeing 'highspots' or dangerous moves. The same can be said in Britain between say, All Star fans and FWA fans. Of course, I try and keep my style the same no matter what :-)
How did you get your first bookings in the United States? Who contacted and asked you to wrestle there?
My first bookings in the US came from a company called NECW based in Boston. I know a lady called Georgiann Makropolous who runs a fanzine called The Wrestling Chatterbox. She had forwarded my name to some promoters and NECW were the first to contact me. They asked for a video which I duly sent them, and shortly after they asked me to come over and work for them. Separately to that I had become good friends with Mike Modest when we toured together in Ireland. He put my name forward to APW for the King of Indies tournament in 2001.
What were your impressions from your first trip to the states and for which promotions did you work?
As I said previously NECW was the first company I worked for. My first impression were that really the shows as they were set up and the type of venue the show was at, they were not much different from your average British show. However the crowd were different in that they too were more into 'highspots' although since many were unfamiliar with the British style they applauded the matwork I used and some of my counters.
Then you wrestled mainly for RoH in the states, whats your opinion of RoH, the product, its fans and the organisation?
Well I wasn't that aware of the product ROH were trying to develop when I first wrestled for them. I just decided to go in there and do my thing and if the fans liked it so much the better. Thankfully the ROH fans are pretty educated and my British style was very popular with them, especially as it was a different style to the other guys on the roster. I think what ROH has achieved and how they are trying to develop is the right way as an alternative to WWE and that has been reflected in their success when moving and expanding into different territories in the US. The organisation as it is behind the scenes, is run pretty much like any other independent promotion and because of that the wrestlers are still given a lot of freedom and creativity.
At your second Ring of Honor show, you wrestled in an ironman match. What was the feeling like to work 60 minutes together with Spanky, Christopher Daniels and Low Ki?
Well to be honest I was a little bit nervous, I was in the ring with 3 great wrestlers who I knew would put on a fantastic showing and I had to live up to that! Also the heat (as in temperature) in the building that night was very very high and everybody knew that going 60 minutes was going to be a monumental task. However the match turned out great, despite me not winning or even scoring a pinfall, and I think everybody was pleased with their performances. Me, I was just glad I got through 60 minutes without fainting :-)
Some people said, that you've been like glue in this match and held it together, what's your opinion about this?
Well thats very nice, but I do think that takes it a little bit away from the other guys! Although it is flattering. I know I was just doing what I do best and that happened to suit the match for at least the first 20 minutes. Of course when they other guys started flying about I couldn't match them :-)
You wrestled Mitsuharu Misawa at a PWI show in a Tag Team match. Was that one of the reasons you were booked for Pro Wrestling NOAH?
Yes that was THE reason. Certainly also because NOAH were looking for people that wrestled a different style to the Japanese guys.
What was it like to arrive at a totally different country like Japan? What were your first impressions?
Well it was quite strange, everything about Japan and it's culture is different to the West. Luckily NOAH are such a professional organisation that they have people nominated to help and assist you when you are there. I will go into more details about my impressions, and any problems I encountered and how I overcame them in the column I am writing about my first trip to Japan for www.euro-wrestling.net .
What are the biggest differences between working for FWA or RoH and Pro Wrestling NOAH? What do you think of the Japanese fans?
The main difference is that you have to prepare yourself for wrestling on a Tour, 15 or 20 shows in a row. Also the rings in Japan are much bigger so you have to adjust your timing and positioning in the ring until you are familiar with it. Japanese fans are great, they are very educated and are very appreciative of matwork and the style of Wrestling that I employ.
Who is your favourite NOAH worker and why?
Tricky one that, for watching it would probably be Marufuji because he is so quick and smooth in everything he does.
What is your opinion on the wrestling business in general at the moment? Is there a chance to increase interest of the media?
I'm not sure it's that wise to encourage increased scrutiny by the mainstream media! At the moment Wrestling needs something, whether it be a new way of presenting shows or even a new mainstream star, to be able to take it forward and reach the levels of popularity it enjoyed in the late 90's.
What are your future goals in wrestling?
To win a major championship in Japan and to continue to help build Wrestling in the UK and Europe, hopefully with the help of TV.
Ok, thanks for giving us the chance to take this interview with you and doog luck for your future.
No problem, any time. I just want to say thank you for all the European fans for their continued support over the last few years and I promise to keep on entertaining you with good matches for as long as I can! |
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