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are things going in ECCW? ECCW has undergone somewhat of a massive transformation over the past twelve months with a number of positive roster changes. Looking around the locker room, you see guys like Scotty Mac, Ja Jacobe, Cole Bishop, Vid Vain, Matt Classic, who are all real good looking fan favorites. Myself, Disco Fury, Major Hardway, and others who are pure mat technicians, plus a number of charismatic characters and a number of colorful guys. It is truly an awesome environment to work in. When you first heard about the Maritime Cup what were your original thoughts? I am a huge fan of tournaments in general. I think that they bring legitimacy to what we do. It allows people who don't really follow our sport a format to really "get" what we do and measure the level of ability displayed by each participant. Looking at the Maritime Cup roster, it was one of the best collections of talent that I had seen assembled. I was very pleased to hear that it did so well. What are your feelings on Johnny Wise guy being sent to prison? I am not really sure that I have an opinion for the record. I have travelled with Johnny and he is truly a larger than life character. I really didn't have any involvement with him outside of a professional environment. The one thing that I did focus on was that Real Action Wrestling's final payroll was used as part of his defense. I was also a victim of the financial disaster that was the end of Real Action Wrestling and I was not "forced" into the same course of action. I am sure that the judge looked at that statement in the same way. As of November 14th 2003 how many matches have you taken part in? 947. What are your thoughts on the recent passing of Stu Hart? Stu's passing was truly a great loss to not only wrestling, but Canadian culture as well. As a wrestling figure, Stu's name has been mentioned a lot, but only in passing, or as a footnote when discussing other wrestlers who benefited from his work. I truly believe that if people understood that Stampede ran more than 4,000 events over a 41 year period under his control, that they would start to get a greater appreication for his status as a wrestling icon. Consider the world champions he trained, the stars who developed in the Stampede system, the number of top names that have worked for him... I had one chance to meet Stu Hart and I took advantage of it, speaking to him for about an hour about any topic that he chose to discuss. It was great. He will truly be missed. In what ways would you like to see wrestling changed? I would like to see avenues start to be re-built where independent wrestlers with talent could make a solid living at the business. There are so many talented wrestlers that are undiscovered/under promoted/or politically black balled from the major promotions that could make money in the right circumstances. How has wrestling changed for you over the past year? Re-locating to the west coast in a market where I was essentially unknown, it was an opportunity for me to make a fresh start. In Winnipeg, I had pretty much done it all, so it was to the point where promoters would book me and let me write my own programs, etc. In ECCW, I came in and specifically requested to start out in the opening match and earn my spot. It was great to see that I could still rise to the top based on talent, not reputation. What did it mean to MSW to have the 18 year veteran Chi Chi Cruz in their ring? Main Stream Wrestling has been looked at as a backyard operation by and large. Securing Chi Chi Cruz to their roster, and Gary Williams as well for some shows, I understand, was a huge acquisition for their circuit. If they were to use more talents that have the respect of promoters across the country and established reputations, it would help to bolster their credibility. Mike Hughes recently stated that MSW doesn't pay its workers, do you have any comments on that? Any appearances that I made for Main Stream Wrestling were financially lucrative. I can not speak to their dealings with any other current or former stars. How do you feel you are treated in MSW? I always had a good time in Main Stream Wrestling. One of my favorite matches in the Maritimes ever was a tag team match that I did with Jerry Martell against Kyle Kruze and Legion Cage. Great match that was seen by eight people. Another one that I thought was really good was with Matt Lindsay. I think that I was treated well IN MSW, but since I have been away from the territory, at times I don't think that I have been regarded well BY MSW. What was your low point wrestling wise in 2003? In 2002 I appeared for 142 dates across Canada and the U.S. In 2003, I was able to schedule less than half of that. Career-wise, I guess the low point was the realization that there just isn't any viable avenues to pursue wrestling as a primary income any more. What was your high point wrestling wise in 2003? ECCW booking. This year, I have been booked with Honky Tonk Man, Jim Neidhart, Black Dragon, the Ballard Brothers, American Dragon, Chance Beckett, and in one of the bloodiest cage matches in wrestling history with Scotty Mac. What was the most successful year for Vance Nevada? Any year that I wasn't under the employ of the NWA Canadian Wrestling Federation was a banner year for me. Each year had its own highs and lows. 2002, despite all the setbacks and challenges, was probably one of the best years and really created a nation-wide awareness for myself. Out of everybody you have been around, who has been the biggest influence on your career? Professionally, one of the biggest influences has always been Eddie Watts. Eddie was one of the first guys that I ever stepped in a ring with and through the years, he has always maintained a professional interest in my exploits and development. It was Eddie's referral that saw me appear in the Maritimes both years, and through his endorsement, I had the opportunity to really show my stuff on some other indy shows where I would have been stagnant in a dead end undercard role otherwise. Is there anybody in ECCW that you think could make a perfect fit wrestling in the Maritimes? I am not exactly clear about the question. However, if you are asking if I see anyone in ECCW who could appeal to those life long fans on the east coast who really like to get behind their favorites and aggravate the villains, there are a number of guys who would fit the bill. Probably too many to list. Of the current roster, I would say that 90% have the look, ability, talent, charisma to light the Maritimes up. You haven’t working in the Maritimes since the last R.A.W. tour in 2002, Do you miss it? Or did what happen that year ruin working in the Maritimes for you? The Maritimes has never been financially lucrative for me. Having said that, I do miss the east coast. The people, the atmosphere, and above all the wrestling fans there. I still get e-mails from fans on the east coast wondering when my travels will bring me back. I would welcome any opportunity to come back again. What does the future hold for Vance Nevada? Wow! What DOESN'T the future hold. At present, I am campaigning as the ECCW champion and it looks like the schedule is going to pick up with dates all around B.C. and the northwest U.S. over the coming year, hopefully I'll hit the 1,000 match mark by Spring. I am working on a book "Vance Nevada's Can-West Wrestling Sourcebook" which is a follow up to my 1999 book. As of now, it profiles a complete history of wrestling in western Canada from 1902 to the present with promotion features, title histories, rankings for each major promotion, and a directory of more than 1,400 Canadian wrestlers that have appeared in this half of the country. Once that is published, I plan to take a break before diving into a similar project for the eastern half of the country -- eventually merging both to publish a national history of the business in Canada. I hope to continue to develop the Inside Cradle newsletter which has just recently started to be e-mailed to wrestling insiders directly (and is also posted on SLAM!) to help promote Canadian wrestling from coast to coast. In reality, it's probable that 2004 may well be my last year in the ring. I've been at it for ten years and have accomplished a great deal. A career opportunity outside of the ring which has come up (and may be confirmed by the time this interview reaches the web) will see my family reach a level of financial security that makes it very hard to entertain a continued in-ring involvement with the sport at the level that I would like. But hey, who knows... Name Association Shawn Morgan - Young, big, ambitious. Scotty Mac - Too good to be still in the indies. Ryan Wood - One of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Tremendous talent. Michelle Star - Controversial. I consider him a friend. Chance Beckett - Ultra-talented, but perhaps unfocused. Ladies Choice - The Jesse Ventura of Canadian wrestling. An amusing character for fans, and for myself, I wouldn't have anyone else in the middle of a riot at my back. Ah, good times ... Moondog Manson - Has created a niche for himself in wrestling, internet forums, and the porn industry. I believe that he fits those niches well, respectively. Madison - Beautiful, ambitious, focused. Over the past year, she has pursued her goals aggressively and it may prove to pay off with her upcoming WWE appearances scheduled for December. Sweet Sarah - WOW!! Once someone in a position of influence gets a chance to see what she can do, there is no doubt that she would be worthy of a contract. She has paid more dues than any independent wrestler in western Canada over the past year. New Scott - New Scott the website -- a tremendous resource for unintentional pro-Vance Nevada propaganda New Scott the man -- perhaps well on his way to becoming one of the most influential media figures in Canadian wrestling. |