It’s LPW 25 week, so what a perfect opportunity to bring back the Get To Know series with my next guest…or guests! That’s right, friends, coming out of The House on Paper Street, he is the Man of Two Minds, Jack Pride! I’m super excited to get to chat with one of my favorite performers on the wrestling scene. Pride has a unique style and ability to adapt to any style his opponent brings to the ring.
There’s a lot to unpack here, especially when this is a 2 for 1 special, so to speak. Jack and Pride talk about getting started in this business, being the leader of a faction and their upcoming tag team match against Para Lira at LPW 25. So without further ado, let’s Get To Know the Man of Two Minds Jack Pride:
At what moment did you realize you wanted to be in the wrestling business?
P: Starting off hot I see… that’s a tough one. When I broke in initially was the time before the Internet, so I didn’t really know about indie shows or schools to train at or any of that. It wasn’t until running into a friend from high school and getting invited to a show he was on that I really even knew indie wrestling existed. I went to the show, someone got hurt before the show, for some odd reason they threw me in, and the rest is history.
How did you get started in wrestling?
P: See above.
Who would you say is your biggest influence in wrestling?
P: Jericho has ALWAYS been my guy. Edge and Christian too. Outside of them, I’ve always been drawn to creepy and/or manipulative gimmicks… Dungeon of Doom, Jake the Snake, Dan Spivey, OG Deadman Undertaker, Rosemary and Decay, Sean O’Haire (in WWE), Demon Balor, Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family.
It’s hard to just have one favorite wrestler. Who is on your Mount Rushmore of Wrestling?
P: My personal Rushmore: Jericho, Danielson, Edge, Christian
All-time Rushmore: Taker, Cena, The Rock, Shawn Michaels
Who is currently your favorite wrestler?
J: Always Jericho. Honourable mention to Christian (currently in a career renaissance) and Will Ospreay.
What one match of yours that you are most proud of?
J: Two come to mind.
One was vs Dylon Stone in the Canadian Wrestling Coalition for Pride’s Alberta title. We told a yearlong story that culminated in a match that had the crowd on their feet from start to finish.
The other was my first match with MRB in Radway. I had been calling him out for a while wanting to test myself against the best, and man, did that wake me up. I hung in there with him for nearly 30 minutes and proved to myself that I actually belonged with the best in Alberta, and in Canada.
Who would you want to face in your dream match?
P: Right now… Christian, or Rosemary.
Who’s that up and coming wrestler no one is talking about but should be?
P: Am I allowed to say myself? Outside of LPW, I figure I should be on everyone’s most wanted list 😘
As the man of Two Minds, how do you balance the two?
J: We don’t… not right now anyway…
P: Not at all. Jack is insufferable with his constant need for fan validation.
You are the leader of the faction Se7en. What kind of pressure comes from being the leader of a faction?
P: When everyone sticks to the plan, there’s no pressure. When people start to think for themselves is when the issues arise. The trick is finding people who will trust the plan.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about getting into wrestling?
P: Be ready for it to take over your life. If you’re truly passionate about wrestling, you are going to need to eat, sleep, and breathe it!
Favorite venue you have performed in?
J: Honourable mention to The Rec Room with LPW, as well as the PPW venue in Saskatchewan… but Festival Hall in Red Deer will always have my heart.
What’s your pre-match routine or superstitions?
J: I’m an asthmatic, so my pre-match ritual usually entails a thousand tricks to keep my breathing open and my lungs ready.
I’m sure the car rides are long so what’s on your play ist?
J: Lately, lots of Blink-182, 3 Inches of Blood, and 2010’s female pop.
What food spot are you hitting up while on the road? What are you ordering?
P: Doesn’t matter where we go, meat and eggs are what matter most… and post-show ice cream. Can’t miss that.
What flavor of ice cream is the go to?
J: Chocolate peanut butter!!
But the kind with the real peanut butter, not gross peanut butter ice cream.
What do you say to the people who say wrestling is fake?
P: So you don’t like wrestling because it’s “fake” or “scripted” or “predetermined”… cool, do you also dislike TV and movies? Cuz I hate to break it to you, they’re a lot more fake than wrestling.
What is the one thing you would change about the wrestling business?
P: I’m not a people person, which makes building connections not easy for me. So if people could be a little more open to people being direct and not always leading with their pleasantries, that would be nice.
If you weren’t in the wrestling business what would you be doing?
J: I couldn’t even begin to answer that question because I truly don’t have the faintest idea. Maybe something in psychology 🤔
What are your goals for 2024?
J: Would love to check another province off my list this year! BC, AB, Saskatchewan, and MB are all done, so it’s time to break into Ontario!
When it’s time to hang them up, what do you hope people will say about your wrestling career?
J/P: Jack Pride was one of the best, and knew how to tell a story, both in the ring and long-term storytelling.
P: And being a damn good promo guy!
Where can the fans see you perform next?
J: Anytime LPW is ready to go, so is Jack Pride.
You mentioned LPW. So I have to ask, what has life been like since dropping the LPW Scramble championship?
P: I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask that.
Are you looking to get back to that championship or are the sights set on another version of Gold in LPW?
P: Archer was kind enough to do what he does and get Marz and I on the path to tag team gold… but that doesn’t mean at a moment’s notice I won’t set my sights on singles glory… like Marz with that CWS toy… I mean title, he’s carrying.
What’s the mindset heading into battle with Para Lira? Do you think a win over the former Tag Team Champs puts you in the drivers seat to challenge for Tag Gold or is this simply about reasserting Se7en’s dominance and the accolades are just the cherry on top?
P: As stated above, Se7en has tag team gold in our sights. What better way to shake up a division than bumping off the former champs?!
What can the fans expect when they come out and see you live in person?
P: Chaos. Controlled chaos.
Where can fans go to follow you on social media?
@mindofjackpride on Instagram.
@jackpr7de on the Twitta
There you have it, friends! I can’t thank Jack Pride enough for his time. Be sure to follow him on all his social media and catch him live in person in a town near you. And as always keep it locked here for future Get To Know Spotlights featuring your favorite independent wrestlers from across the world!!
