Jeff Cannonball: Pro Wrestler?

Security, get in there!

2009-06-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

So Saturday May 30 I finally came back to wrestling. I learned some things I really need to work on but also had a blast and even got to get in the ring in front of the crowd for a very very small part.
I got to the place in Flemington minutes after the ring truck must have shown up because they had just begun putting it up. I walked around and said my hellos to everyone there. A bunch of familiar faces, Kev, Shawn (or Sean?), Ref. Jimmy, Dapper, Karin (no idea how to spell this), Mikey, and one kid I never met named Chris. So I said my hellos and started helping with the ring. We finished the hard part seemingly fast considering it was only a handful of people working on it.
I started off in the ring to work out with Mikey while Kev and Shawn went to eat and Chris had to help Dapper with some other stuff. As far as I remember I never really worked out with Mikey so that was cool. He asked me what I remembered and I told him "I THINK pretty much everything." He gave me stuff to do and I did it all; bumps, rolls, armdrags, hip tosses, etc. After that he even said something along the lines of how its impressive I really do remember everything and pull it off pretty well. I was pretty psyched on myself.
Then Chris came in and Mikey went to sit and rest his injured knee. Chris and I went over some match opening spots. This is where I started to feel it. It was a simple arrangement; headlock, whip off the rops, shoulder block, run the ropes, hip toss if that makes any sense the way I typed it. But after doing it 4 or so times in a row I was winded. Took a second to get my breathe and went back to running through it. After a couple times it happened again. So after losing over 60 pounds it hit me that I need to be spending a lot more time on my conditioning. This time was real bad. I sat out for a little and even walked to the bathroom because I was real winded and have seen people throw up from such a thing. Luckily that didn't happen. I came back and did some of the small stuff again. But if I learned anything, I need to be doing a lot more intense cardio. Which I've already started since that point.
After everyone got out of the ring I talked to Kev for a while. He's the current NWS champion as Corey Havoc and the guy who helped me get into NWS so I'm always very thankful to him. He gave me some conditioning tips and he told me more about the business and places I could check out to train in general. I also sat around and third wheeled on a conversation between him and a guy named Corvis Fear, who always has some stand out matches on NWS cards.
When the show for the night actually started I worked security. Which basically means I make sure kids don't get too close to the ring, maybe help a guy who just lost back to the locker room, etc. Small things. Out of habit I tried counting how many people were at the show, I think I got to around 160, give or take. During one match Dapper called me over and gave me and Chris (who was also working security) some instructions.
A couple matches later was Corey Havoc vs former WWF star, The Patriot. After the match Havoc, Danny Demanto, and Bison all jumped The Patriot. This went on for a little while until Dapper got on the mic and yelled "Security, get in there!" At which point Chris ran in the ring and was quickly disposed of. After that I ran in the ring but had the same results as Chris as Bison quickly stopped me and threw me out of the ring. Like I said, it was a very very small part, I was in the ring for MAYBE 15 seconds. But it was a blast and got me so excited to know that sooner than later I will be in the ring for a better period of time and not just a security guard getting beat up and helped to the locker room.
After the show we took down the ring, said my goodbyes, and exhanged numbers with Chris. We talked for a little bit about possibly trying to do a tag team at some point since we have similar ideas on good tag wrestling and our body sizes/styles could work well together. Him being the small and fast guy while I'm the bigger power guy. We'll see how it goes, I'd really like to start off as a tag guy in general. Either way, I left Flemington sore, bruised (big ugly one too), and very excited that I've gotten back into the hang of things and didn't lose the little skill I had picked up before.

Yeah, I write a lot, sorry. This was longer because it was my first time, lots of excitement and things happened, you know? But thanks for reading.

It's me again

2009-05-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Long break in posting because honestly, I haven't done anything with wrestling. However, I have been working out and lost at least 60 pounds which will help A LOT when I get back to it. In other news, my knees been better for a while now, or at least as good as its going to get. And finally, college semester is over.
With that being said, May 29 I will begin training again. I probably have written it here before but honestly, words cannot explain how excited I am. Not many people end up following their childhood dreams, I mean, not many people grow up keeping the same dream from when they were a 4 year old either. Imagine how this feels. After you do just know that you're probably underestimating it by a lot.
I just hope that I remember enough of the stuff so that when I get back in there its not like starting all over again. Wrestling is one of the only things that I feel legitimately confident in so I really don't think that this will be a problem. But we'll see, could be a disaster. And hopefully starting so early in the summer and with the prior knowledge I do have I will be doing matches in no time. Gotta make up for breaking my knee last summer and being unable to wrestle in the battle royal I was booked for.
Expect more frequent updates as of May 29. Thanks for reading.

January...

2008-12-15T14:02:00.001-08:00

So a couple weeks ago I stopped by a new wrestling school that just opened up in New Brunswick to check it out. After making Janise drive me around unable to find it for way too long while we were on the street we finally stumbled upon it. Went upstairs and ran into some friends from training before; Corey Havoc, Nicky Oceans, Joey Janella, and a couple others. I've lost at least 55 pounds since they last saw me and they all had nice compliments for me which made me proud of myself. I need that once in a while.

So I hung out for a while, watched them train this new kid. I think the kid was afraid to go upside down, but he'll get it if he hasn't by now. Had a Rocky Balboa shirt on, backed. After a while got some information on the school from Nicky, said my goodbyes, and left.

In January I will officially start there. I'm very excited about this besides for the obvious reasons (reasons made obvious by my previous posts) I am also very excited because the school is in New Brunswick. Most of my friends live within a half an hour or so of that area so when I start working there anyone who wants to see me will have no problem doing so! As long as they can find that building.

This is all very good news coming to me at a time that I really need it. I had a panic attack the other day, the first one I've ever had and it was awful. I'd rather not discuss what it was over, but there is a lot of stress building up. There is a lot going on for me that makes it harder to look at any positive aspects of life. Just so much, I feel so overwhelmed. I hate this. But if I start wrestling it will be a great source of stress relief, just like last time. Last time it really made me feel a lot better and I was going through even more at that time.

To end on a high note, not everything is negative. There is definitely good going on right now. Black Kites' LP should finally be coming out within the next couple weeks, hopefully. www.myspace.com/weareblackkites. Our shows are going real well and pretty much every show ends with me thinking it was our best yet. I'm also very psyched to do our little 4 day tour to all states I've never played in before, and with the exception of PA, never even been to. I see Marisa (the "bff" as she puts it) more often now and we didn't see each other for a while. She slept over the other day, it was a lot of fun. We watched the end of Freddy Got Fingered and she thought I was retarded for laughing so much, she didn't get mad at me and make me sit in Applebees for 2 hours like last time we hung out, ate Taco Bell though, and had good talks. Also, quite the relief that this is my finals week for school. So while right now it is stressful it will all be done Thursday morning. Finally.

PS.

2008-11-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

The thing I'm watching right now that had Liger.Mysterio is "The Essential Starrcade" where they count down the top 25 matches of WCW's Starrcade. So far I'd say all good matches. Stunning Steve Austin (later Stone Cold) vs Dustin Rhodes (later Golddust), Road Warriors vs Blacnhard/Anderson, Hogan vs Piper, etc. The Rock N' Roll Express vs The Midnight Express in a scaffold match, etc.
However, number 16 is Ric Flair vs Lex Luger in 1988...Flair is one of the best of all time obviously. But LEX LUGER?!?!?! Him being in any "best of" compilation for wrestling is a joke. Dude is also definitely in my list of next wrestling star to die, right up there with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Scott Hall. My money is on Jake being next, unfortunately.
I'm fast forwarding.

Oh, hello...

2008-11-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated this in forever. The reason is simple, I want to keep it solely about wrestling and I haven't been doing that. I could write more personal, diary-esque stuff, but you don't want to read that. More times than not I really don't want to live it. I'm updating now just because I've got nothing better to do and I see friends Mike and Alan created blogs. And Jon started his up again. My knee surgery went fine. Then physical therapy was alright, but boring and I stopped before I should've so my knee still gets sore on occasion. I should go back.

I still haven't gone back to training. But I've changed my diet drastically and now I go to the gym 5 days a week. Because of this I have lost about 55 pounds...that brings me down to a slim trim 256...I've still got a ways to go, ha. I'm putting a lot of focus on my health and plan on getting back to wrestling training in January. I may even go to CZW's school in Philly, but I gotta take into account the gas and mileage that will hit me. We'll see how it goes. I'd like to train there though, or Chikara's school. Plus ACE school isn't far from where I go to college and Jay Lethal trains there, so that'd be cool to train with him.

My weekends are now either all working and than shows or I come home and watch old wrestling on WWE 24-7. Right now I'm watching Rey Mysterio Jr vs Jushin Liger at WCW's Starcade 96. Two guys who really know the art of wrestling through and through. It's insane to watch someone like Liger work, there aren't many like him. I can't imagine what Rey felt like to get to wrestle him. Liger was/is an idol to everyone who works the lucha/cruiserweight style, and I'm sure Rey is no different than the others. Which has me thinking, I'll never get to wrestle the guys I idolize and would love to work similar styles as. Here is why!
First, Bam Bam Bigelow is dead. But watching him work amazes me. 325 pounds, big dude and he can move better than most. If there is anybody I'd like to emulate completely in straight wrestling, it'd be him. I obviously can't move like him, but I can work at it and get as close as possible.
Mick Foley, his body is a wreck. And by the time I'm to the point where he might even know OF me I'm sure he'll be even worse off. Another big guy and he knew that he didn't have the body or agility that gets people so far in this business. So instead he put his body on the line and it paid off. I want to get into working death matches and like any other death match worker/someone who hopes to work those matches, Mick Foley is an idol. Obviously, that's not all he had and I don't mean to imply that. He could go and I will go on a limb and say that he is THE best to ever have a microphone in his hand. His promos give me chills, and I don't care how that makes me sound.

Of course there are current guys I look up to. Guys like Eddie Kingston (possibly best promos since Foley), Jun Kasai (even if I would probably end up dead), Drake Younger (amazing wrestler, amazing death match wrestler, pretty much what I'd like to be), and etc.

Ok, I wrote a lot. I'm going to stop now. Maybe I'll start another blog for other things in my life. If not I'll try to just update with things I think about regarding wrestling, as if anyone finds that interesting. By the way, Jushin Liger won.

The day before

2008-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I'm expected to arrive at the hospital between 1pm and 1:30pm. I'm expected to be put under and have the surgery done at around 3pm. I've never had anything like surgery done. I've never even had wisdom teeth or any of that pulled. And if I may be honest, I'm very very nervous. I know realistically I have nothing to worry about but in my head I've got all the worst possible situations floating around. I know it is really stupid of me to think like that but that is how my mind works and I know my mind will not be at rest until I wake up and am on my way home from the hospital. One thing I am looking forward to is the possibility that they will let me keep the tendon they pull out of my knee. How cool would that be?!?

Last Saturday NWS ran a show in Dunellen, NJ. This is about a 20 minute drive from my house so I decided to stop by and see some friends from the company that I haven't seen or talked to in a while. It was honestly a comforting experience for me. I talked to the owner, Gino Moore about knee surgery since he's been there before. He didn't really tell me much that the surgeon didn't tell me but it was still comforting to hear about it from someone who's been there and knows what is more or less going through my head. Dapper who is also an owner was very good to hear from as well reassuring me that I'm young and have plenty of time in the wrestling business and to just do what they tell me for now and I'll come back fine. Once again, this has all been in my head but it really set me at ease to hear it from him. It was also nice to see Dave and Sam who I've been training with and would make the car rides with. They both got a couple matches in front of the crowd down by now. It partly bummed me out because I'd be in those matches as well had I not been out with the injury. But more so I'm just proud of those guys and very happy for them. I stuck around to watch a little bit of the training. And again, I'm proud of Dave and Sam for the progression they've made the past couple months I've been out, it really shows. I can't wait to be back to working with them and seeing that same progression in myself.

I had to leave during training due to other commitments so I said my goodbye's, got wishes of good luck, and some last minute comforting words and advice from a bunch of the guys. I'll be visiting them again just to hang out and watch the training before I'm recovered. It's a great atmosphere for me.

Also, starting at midnight tonight I am not allowed to eat or drink anything until after surgery. This is not going to be fun. Expect an update shortly after tomorrow, or whenever I'm not too drugged up on painkillers summarizing how much of a baby I was at the hospital!

Marking Out

2008-05-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

"Marking out" is a term in wrestling meaning to act like a fanboy for a certain wrestler or move. Or to just give a huge reaction to a certain move or wrestler. A "mark" is someone who is just a fanboy to wrestling in general. I don't mark out much, I don't even get too excited to be around a larger scale celebrity. They're just people so a lot of times I don't get the big deal.

With that being said...I mark out for Ian Rotten...

Overdue Update

2008-05-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

First, multiple people who I would never expect to enjoy this blog, let alone read it have told me they really enjoyed reading it and have asked about my knee situation. It's cool to know people read this on occasion. I really appreciate it. I also, hopefully obviously, really appreciate the concern on my knee. Now...

Sorry about not updating "tomorrow" like I had said. I really didn't find much more else the next day and then just kinda got bummed on it when I did and didn't update for a while. Here is what has happened..
I found out that my patella, that's the knee cap, tore the cartilage or tendon or whatever off the back of it, popped out, and then turned side ways. In the process the bone broke pieces off of it. And the tendon left some debris as well. So I've got all that stuff floating in my leg. I was told I'll probably need surgery and we schedule a meeting with the surgeon to find out for sure. I wanted to wait on surgery till my school semester is up, plus the surgeon had a busy schedule. So I was on crutches for a while and just recently got off of them, but it still kind of hurts.

So I go to the surgeon yesterday, technically 2 days ago (May 20). He does some extra X rays. In these we find out my knee is still sort of out of place because of the ruined tendon. But its possible to live with this. The surgeon gave me 2 options at first. 1) He can go in and scope and clean out the debris and hope it doesn't cause anymore problems or 2) scope it, clean it, etc with a simple surgery that will have me back on my feet in no time. I then mention wrestling. He says that changes it. I NEED the surgery and it is highly suggested I get the tendon reattached because the high impact and work I do on my knee will make it worse without it. So now there is 2 procedures for that. 1) I get a cadaver (dead person) ligament put in and this will fix me up and put me back to new with a recovery time of FOUR MONTHS or 2) there is a way they can stitch the ligament and I will be better within weeks. However, because of wrestling the stitched ligament is not advised because it is not full proof.

So basically in a week or so, no set appointment yet, I am going to be getting surgery. I'm going to have a dead person's tendon put in my knee. I'll be back on crutches and be away from training for around four months. You can't imagine how much that bums me out. Sure, four months isn't forever. But when I JUST started doing what I've wanted to do since I was like four years old, this can't come at a worse time. I was supposed to be in a battle royal May 31, it'd be my first time in front of a crowd. No more. I know I'm not much of a writer to begin with, but there is no other way to put it. This feeling sucks a lot.

I hope this wasn't too long. Updates to be posted as they come. Once again, thanks to anyone reading.

There will be more tomorrow...

2008-04-01T19:56:00.001-07:00

Real quick. Training went real well the last time we had it which was two times two weekends ago. Got a lot of ring time and learned a good amount. Felt real good and real sore. But there is something much more important.

I wasn't going to update till tomorrow or the next day (I guess the title of this blog entry should be "There will be more tomorrow or the next day). But there is so much in my head I needed to put just a little bit out for now. Tomorrow at fucking 6:30 AM I wake up and go a town over the get an MRI done on my knee. What happened to my knee you ask? Absolutely nothing.

I was playing a show with my new band and during our first song my knee felt like it popped and I fell down hard. I wasn't doing anything dumb, not jumping, nothing, just standing. The rest of the night was spent with my knee getting worse and worse and more swollen. By 11 pm that night I was in the hospital in a wheel chair. I got out at 3am with nothing showing up on X-rays, crutches, a knee brace that didn't fit, and told to get an orthopedist appointment. Fast forward to the next day, I'm at the orthopedist. I get told the knee brace was only going to make walking harder when I'm healed. Cool, thanks Overlook Hospital. I get some tests done on my leg and the orthopedist is even a bit confused. He says it could be anything from my knee popped out of place and smashed into a different bone and popped back in to a fully torn ACL. I got 30 CCs of blood drained from my knee, at least that was cool looking. I left with an ace bandage and an appointment for a MRI.

Which leads us to tomorrow morning. I will get a MRI done and apparently by the end of the night know what is wrong with my knee. Being the optimist I am I'm really worried about a torn ACL. I'm told that a fully torn ACL will require knee surgery and keep me out of anything for a while. Not to mention my knee will "never be the same again." Even if it is not a torn ACL it could be something to leave my knee "never the same again." A full tear of any ligament/tendon/whatever isn't good. Now you know why I am updating. Why sleep doesn't come easy lately (mixed with the pain of my knee), why it's hard to write this without tearing up a little, why I feel like I'm meant to fuck up and not succeed. Is that pathetic enough?

Hopefully tomorrow I will have good news that makes writing this seem pointless. I doubt it though. Ugh.

Hi...we're in..Delaware..

2008-03-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday I woke up around 9:15am, which if you know me you know this is no easy task and doing this alone I think warrants me a title. Headed over to Sam's house, which is about 15 minutes away but thanks to mapquest took an extra 10 or so minutes. He met me outside and we drove to pick up Dave. By 10:30 we were on the turnpike heading to Delaware to train with FWF. We left so early because the show was a matine. The drive took about two hours, wasn't bad. I can't wait to be the driver of one of the car pool sessions, I can guarantee Sam and Dave will not be happy with my musical preferences. We listened to Nickelback, Korn, and other various nu metal bands that I don't know much on. When it's my turn I hope they like Alanis Morissette, Deadguy, and Lifetime.

Got to Delaware and drove around a bit unsure of where the place was. We thought we found it at a firehall but there was a church going on. We made some calls and found out it was after church and we were in the right place, just early. Got food to eat where I, once again, blew minds with my being vegetarian. Head back to the fire hall and Smoothie is there with the ring truck and is very happy to see the "north Jersey crew" made it out. Introduce ourselves to some of the wrestlers there and got to work on the ring.

The people we trained with were different than at NWS besides for Corey Havoc and Nicky Oceans who came out to be on the show. But the majority of the training was done by guys. I feel like it was a very progressive day. I got a routine down and some cool reversals as well as worked on a variation or style of the holds I know already. I felt real good about how I was working despite a little slip up at one point.

Spent some time talking to a guy named Frank who helped me a lot and he gave me some pointers on just how to act in the locker room and around guys who've been around much longer. Help in this aspect is very appreciated considering I can be very shy around new people and often don't know how to conduct myself.
The FWF show was also real entertaining. At first I was hoping we'd leave early because I was dead tired, but I'm happy we stayed. Took down the ring after, said our goodbyes and headed home. Sleep that night came quick and easy. Once again, if you know me, you know that is not how it usually is for me, so that was a big positive to waking up early.

Tomorrow I head up to Bergenfield and the day after to Neptune..wherever that is. I'll be back to driving alone which will give me time to let my mind wander. Oh well.

"It's Great To Be Alive"

2008-03-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

Not always, but right now I'm feeling pretty good besides for some allergies kicking the shit out of me the past couple days. I might be heading to Delaware Sunday with Sam and Dave to do some training at NWS' sibling promotion FWF. My car is running like crap so I'm hoping Sam is good to drive. Other then that I got a message from another wrestler this morning to call up Dapper (NWS owner) to get some news. I don't wanna post anything just now because I know so little about it as of now, but really good things coming up at the end of May. I'll post more information later.

I was going to try and write more but I'm having trouble figuring out the words plus I just got a call from a friend so I'm gonna go hang out with her for a little while. If I go to Delaware Sunday I'll post again either that night or Monday. Even if I don't maybe I'll figure out some words to put on here.

Listen to Drive By Truckers if you don't already.

Pictures

2008-03-02T20:03:00.001-08:00

Shadows (Dave), WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas, Jack Spades (Sam), and I.

Jack Spades, The Equalizer, Shadows, and I

3/1/08 (clever title, huh?)

2008-03-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while because last weekend there was no training, which is a pretty good thing considering I ended up in a hospital for most of Saturday (not worth writing about, I'm fine). I should probably update at other times with my feelings on wrestling and myself in it so that this stays a little more updated for weekends when there are no updates. I'll work on that. For now...

So today I made an hour and 10 minute or so drive to Point Pleasant for training. Got there and wasn't much to do while we waited for the ring to arrive. My nickname with most of the guys is catching on, not the best name to have but I've gotten used to it since I've heard it before I even started with training. It is, of course, Superbad. I still don't think I look like him. After a while Sam and Dave showed up, I think I mentioned them before, if not they're two good dudes I'm training with. Sam asked me who I came down with which was no one. We exchanged numbers and I'll now be car pooling with them, should be a nice change on driving every where alone. It was especially cool to get that because on the ride today my mind wandered a lot and I kept thinking it'd be better with people and not just The Drive-By Truckers and me getting mad at anyone driving in front of me.

Today's training wasn't a lot of bumping, which I was a little disappointed in, makes it feel like a little less of a work out I guess. There was some, but not much, I'm not as sore as I was after the last two times. But I did learn another couple basic holds as well as running the ropes. Running back and forth on the ropes turns out to be more complicated than I expected and I was real sloppy at it. I've got the idea of it down, I just need to practice it more. Others who've been there longer than me were also getting called on doing it poorly after me so I'm glad I'm not the only one. Then there was a big sort of practice match of tagging in and out to anyone. I was only in for a short second since I'm the newest and know the least, which is obviously being worked on.

I also got to meet half of WWF's first black tag team champions (the other half being Rocky Johnson, The Rock's dad), former champion for plenty of companys, WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas. Which was really cool, plus I got a picture with him. When Dave sends it to me I'll post it on here. Tony Atlas is still in amazing shape and is a giant made of nothing but muscle. You'll see what I mean when I post the picture. Also a very nice guy.

I'm driving down to Delaware with Dave and Sam in, I believe, two weeks to train with what seems to be the NWS's sibling company FWF. It's run by a guy who wrestles for NWS, brings the ring, as well as does a lot of training the newer guys like myself. I added a link to NWS's website in my links section, feel free to check it out and if you're into wrestling maybe come hang out at a show.

I wish I had more to write but there isn't much really. Only so many times I can write things like "I'm finally doing what I've always wanted" and so many ways to put how amazing it feels to actually go after a childhood dream. I will update again before the next time I train with more thoughts and less of a play by play on my day.

Do what you love.

"WHO WANTS A BODY SLAM?!?"

2008-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's about 3:20PM right now and my back is feeling the effects of my past two nights. My whole upper back is completely sore as is my lower neck. But really, I love it. I'm still so excited that I'm finally doing this and can't wait for next week to come so I can get right back to it.

Yesterday was a bit more tough on the back. After setting up the ring, which was much easier when we didn't have to maneuver around railings and stairs, we started with some drills. I didn't have any the first day but they weren't complicated and I picked up on them right away. One of them was even a lot of fun. It was a lot of jumping in front of other people on your stomach then they'd jump over you into a roll over their shoulder and jump in front of another guy and you wait till someone jumped in front of you and do it all over again. That as well as the 15 back bumps in a row got me a little winded, but I made it through and wasn't dying which was nice. After that Jim thought I was ready to learn how to take and perform a body slam as well as a hip toss. I got body slammed probably like six or seven times and hip tossed too many to count. I wasn't taking the hip toss so good at first but by the end I had it much better. If you don't know what a hip toss is, your opponent hooks his arm under yours and more or less flips you onto your back. It was a lot of falling on the back, but I had a blast.

After training it was just about time to let the fans in for the show. On my first day during the show I had nothing to do so I just got to sit and enjoy. This time I got to be a security guard. I didn't have to do much, helped a guy up after getting jumped and tossed out of the ring, walked with a group of security guys to force the guys interfering back, and carried one wrestlers ring attire back to the locker room. Plus just telling fans to watch out or back up if they got too close to wrestlers. It was a smaller crowd so there all I really had to do with the crowd was tell some girl to back up a little as well as stop this one little kid from hitting one of the wrestlers, which was pretty funny/cute but his dad got pissed at him. It was a lot of fun actually helping out with the show, as little a job as it was.

So that was it. My first weekend as a training pro wrestler. Like I said before, I'm completely happy doing what I'm doing. And it's not often I can say I'm 100% satisfied with what I'm doing, but it's true, I am. On top of wrestling I'm meeting some great people, I even had a pretty long conversation with this kid Dave who's been training just a couple months longer than me about future gimmicks, attire, entrance music we'd like to use, other schools we wanna go to, as well as other wrestlers and such we like and admire. I can also say for once my confidence is actually at a decent amount and not shit. Being told by Jim that I'm learning at a great speed and picking up things right away and being told by this guy who wrestles in the show but still likes to train with us that I'm "impressive" is a great feeling. Also, if I may be kinda lame for a second, Jim's wife who is at every show and does a lot for the company told me I'm now "part of the family." Definitely picks up the otherwise shitty feelings I started off with Thursday night and Friday morning due to other things.
Thanks for reading, now, I leave you with the video that the title of this entry comes from...Beef Wellington vs Giant Tiger. I'm gonna give away part of the ending...a BEAR interferes in the match...

Day one reviewed...

2008-02-15T22:01:00.000-08:00

So this was it. I showed up to the building around 2:15. Met with the owner of the company Dapper and one of the wrestlers named Mike. We did some small work and then waited for the ring. As we waited more guys showed up who were either wrestling or training. I was the only first day guy, the others have been doing it from about 7 months to 2 and a half years or so.

The ring truck got there and we started immediately. Rings are made out of a ton of really heavy steal bars/grid like things, and even heavier planks of wood. The majority of it gets carried on your shoulder and takes two guys to do, PLUS we had to carry it up stairs.. I worked up a sweat and at points would start breathing heavy, I felt like I was gonna be fucked when I actually started training.

When it was all finally done it was time to get in the ring. After standing in the corner of the ring and watching the other guys do some routines the head trainer, Jim, taught me how to take a back bump. Which is just a way to fall on your back and make it look good/not get injured. My first bump wasn't bad, but all the guys told me I put my arms back too much and that wasn't good. My second bump I heard a bunch of guys saying things like "thats perfect" and "great" and other very positive feedback. Jim then told me to do it, get up, face a different side of the ring and do it again four times. In my head I got real worried and figured this is when I get winded and look like an asshole. But I made it through all of them and felt alright. And every single one looked good. This is when my confidence finally went up and I was getting much more comfortable being there.

Watched more guys do their thing and learn some new things then it was my turn again. I learned another simple fall and then did it into a back bump. I was doing it well and was feeling good. Started getting sore, but thats expected. Most people I know who like to criticize wrestling think a ring is just a mattress or trampoline or something that just doesn't hurt at all. I can now say from experience, completely untrue. You feel it, every bump you take, it adds to being sore. It's nothing like a bed, trampoline, whatever you wanna say. After a while Jim took me outside the ring while the other guys did more advanced stuff. He taught me a bunch of basic holds and reversals, all of which I caught onto after one or two, three at most, tries. He also worked a couple punches into me. I didn't get to do any back though, hopefully tomorrow.

So that was it. Afterwards is when all the soreness in my back and a little bit of the neck really kicked in. It's manageable but not comfortable. The actual event was a good time and after I helped take down the ring. Once again, carrying all that shit on my shoulders hurt. My shoulder is more sore than anything right now.

After that was done said my goodbyes and "nice to meet yous" and headed home. The way I felt heading home (putting all the being sore aside) was amazing. It may be one of the first times I'm legitimately proud of myself. I feel like I'm doing something right.
And as I lay here with a sore back, neck, small headache, and a bruised and even more sore than anything shoulder, I cannot wait to wake up, drive about an hour on my most hated highway (NJ Turnpike) to Ridgefield Park, and do it all over again.

Let me introduce myself...

2008-02-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

My name is Jeff Guerriero, and this is my blog. The title and signature on here are "Jeff Cannonball" due to that being what many people have known me as ever since I was in a band for most of high school called Cannonball. I like the nick name and plan on using this name when I actually start my wrestling career.
I will use this to primarily document my feelings, thoughts, and progress while training and hopefully becoming a professional wrestler. I figure it'll be interesting for me to be able to look back and see how I've progressed and what I was thinking at points. And, hopefully, other people find it interesting to read about it. By the way, as I read this over I feel it necessary to inform you, I'm a pretty awful writer, so please excuse me if I come off as awkward or just plain stupid.

When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up? Police officer? Doctor? Baseball player? Rock star? Actor? Whatever it is your father/mother does for a living? Me, I wanted to be a professional wrestler. Ever since I was around the age of two that was what I wanted. I sort of lost that dream as I entered high school but regained it my sophomore year of college and that is when I started to put serious consideration into it. From that point on the only thing that has stopped me from entering training was money. I've never been one to have two to three thousand dollars laying around for anything.

However, I start training this Friday (Feb 15) in Union, NJ at a company run out of New Jersey called NWS. I don't even know how to express how excited I am. I haven't even accomplished anything yet, let alone started, yet I already feel accomplished. Just the fact that I know I am following through on something I've wanted longer than anything else in my life is a great feeling.

I also have my worries. My number one worry being the shape I am in. It's no secret that I am not in the best shape. I have been doing cardio work but I just started this a couple weeks ago and it obviously hasn't effected me enough to be prepared for the intense work out being in the ring will have me doing. I plan on working through it and not complaining (at least until I come home and post on here). I just hope it doesn't hold me back too much, even at the beginner stages.

I feel like I've already written too much. There isn't much more I can say though so thankfully I will end it here. I plan on updating Friday night or Saturday morning, depending on how sore and exhausted I am. Thanks for reading.