Spencer Love

As one of professional wrestling’s most prominent commentators, there are few with the insight into the position that Veda Scott has. Since their introduction to commentary with Ring of Honor, Scott has taken part in hundreds of broadcasts and pro wrestling presentations with some of the industry’s top talents.

However, since their inaugural days behind the mic, not only has their perspective on the role changed, but so has the role itself. I asked Veda about the differences in commentary when they first started versus now, as well as about a few commentators that they believe are continuing to make a positive impact on both commentary and wrestling as a whole.

“Working for so many independent promotions over the last little bit, you’ve worked with some of the best of the best, I’d have to assume and not that I’ve been lucky enough to listen to some of the worst of the worst, potentially, but who are some of those great individuals, or who are some of those people pushing it forward?”

“Oh, gosh,” they began. “I have not had the opportunity to work with Alyssa Marino yet on commentary. But, she is someone who I know feels very strongly the same way I do about sort of progressing broadcasting and just highlighting people versus, again, I keep saying fighting against them. She’s someone who I haven’t had the opportunity to work with yet, and a lot of times, she’ll be doing commentary while I’m wrestling, or I’ll be doing commentary in the show so, therefore, she didn’t come in for the show. So, the paths have not – we’ve not been able to sit at a table together, but I’m really looking forward to that.”

“Someone I worked with just two weeks ago, three weeks ago, for the first time was Sam Leterna, who I know you’re familiar with her,” they continued. “She’s someone who, she’s focused really hard on ring announcing and hosting, but is starting to do a bit more commentary. She’s someone else who just sort of shares that vision of just presenting a respectful and fun product that doesn’t have that mean edge to it if that makes sense.”

“You can poke fun without being crass,” I interjected.

“Right,” Scott confirmed. “You don’t have to make fun of what’s happening in front of you.

Pro wrestling makes fun of itself. Like, pro wrestling is ridiculous. As an art form, it kind of makes fun of itself. I think that there’s a line between taking everything you’re seeing seriously, but also not being so serious about it that you sort of disparage the work in front of you.”

Scott continued to highlight a number of other personal favourite commentators and compatriots.

“I know that you guys have been promoting it, I’ve been doing the commentary for the past season of Enjoy Wrestling with Rich Bocchini. He is someone who I had, again, never had the opportunity to work with before, but really admired his work. He’s someone [whose] method of announcing is very – well, his background is in sports broadcasting, so it’s very hyper-realistic.”

“Kevin Kelly and Ian Riccaboni have very similar styles of [that] its very legit and sports announcing style. Being around that, I’ve learned so much. But, he’s still very funny, he still has an awesome personality. He’s sort of weaving in between the line of like, he calls wrestling like it’s very serious like this is real. But, also, he injects a lot of personality into it.

I think someone like him, or like a Lenny Leonard, who oftentimes does [commentary] solo. He’s back with Ring of Honor right now for the women’s tournament but does a lot of solo commentary, where he kind of has to play both sides, his personality along with the play-by-play.”

The Changing Role of Commentators

As they continued, Scott gave some insight into the changing role of pro wrestling commentators.

“These are people who I think are just – they take what they do really seriously, and that’s something that I really admire because I think I take everything really seriously in a fun way. I want the wrestlers who are watching the footage later to be happy with it, and I want fans to be comfortable watching the shows. I think that’s a big thing. Especially in the past year, year and a half we’ve come up upon is that there’s a lot of fans who have been alienated from pro wrestling because they’re just not comfortable with maybe the announcing, they’re not comfortable with even the online antics of some of the people involved. They’re just not comfortable with the performers and the product.

“

“I think that it’s up to us to provide not just a welcoming environment but to know that you know that when you’re listening, you’re not going to hear anything that’s going to be triggering or overly offensive to you,” Scott concluded. “We can be offensive in terms of like edginess. I don’t want to say that. But like, there’s a big difference between – I don’t personally use a lot of profanity, but there’s a big difference between that and then just like some sort of sexist joke that just turns someone off forever. They never come back. I think that’s important, too, is sort of understanding that you’re performing for an audience, and we need to keep the audience around.”

Don’t forget, set a reminder for the launch of our full conversation with Veda Scott this Friday! Please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling with any of the above transcriptions. Thank you!

Whether you’re speaking of his work inside the ring or his exploits outside of it, Ring of Honor star Sledge certainly has his fair share of stories to tell. Now, as he described in our recent conversation for Love Wrestling, the Metalhead Maniac is attempting to get on the road and share those stories with those around him as part of his goal of getting into motivational speaking.

“Reading the issue of PWI, I really enjoyed or appreciated that you said you wanted to get into motivational speaking and start to get to inspire wrestlers and the next generation,” I began. “Is that something that you’re consciously starting to chase now that people are starting to be able to interact with people on a person-on-person basis?”

“Absolutely, man,” the Metalhead Maniac replied emphatically. “It’s gonna start with [that] I was actually talking to one of my old teachers when I was high school and one of my old wrestling coaches. He sees what I’ve been doing, and he reached out to me. Right before the pandemic happened he reached out to me and was like, ‘hey, will you come talk at my class?’ And I said, ‘absolutely. I’d love to do it.’ Now with everything, as you know, obviously, the world shut down, and now with pandemic opening back up, he’s going to see what the COVID restrictions are going into next year, and then we’re going to set it up where I come in and speak in school.”

“That’s one of my biggest goals, man, is I battled depression,” Sledge continued. “I started battling depression at 12 years old [when] my dad passed, and I still battle it to this day. Depression led to my addiction, you know, and let the kids know that it’s okay to talk to people. You don’t have to feel like you’re alone in this world, because you’re not alone in this world. It takes one person to lend an ear that could save a life.

One person and I need to let them know, I need to let everybody know, from high school to middle school, if you’re dealing with shit at home, understand that it’s better to talk it out than hold it in. Because, if you hold it in, a lot of bad things can happen. You could explode at any moment. You need to talk to somebody, whether it’s your counselor, your teacher, your next-door neighbor, even your friend, you need to let it out. Especially with COVID, man, this whole COVID thing, the suicide rate has skyrocketed due to COVID because everybody’s in a dark place. And, it’s really hard sometimes to get out of that dark place.”

“But man, you get out of a dark place, man, I’m telling you right now, man, there is light,” stated the Metal Head Maniac. “You can do anything you want in this world. I am a true believer in that, and I am a true believer in that the hard times don’t last. And, all the hard times do is make the good time even better. Trust me.”

J.D. Horror

“I love it, man,” I responded. “I’m certain that there are more people that you can count than just this one, but to close it out, I just wanted to ask you about J.D. Horror. You brought up just one person potentially helping you out and one person having any error or being that ear. I like closing things out with talking about positive people and people that have influenced us in life. So I think that gives a pretty good spot for him.”

Sledge tapped his chest emphatically before beginning his answer.

“JD, man, we have – that’s why I tapped my chest, man. We have the same tattoo on our chest. He literally picked me up from the ground and helped save my life and put me on the right path that I’m on now. That guy will always be my brother. He will always be family to me. Whether he’s blood or not, we’ve been through it all.

We both went through the same stuff at the same time. And it’s my fault, I don’t spend enough time with him because I’m so busy.

But, he has a great podcast. Fantastic podcast, man. This is – if you like spooky shit, listen to his podcast! His podcast is [called] True Crime Horror Story. They’re amazing. I would listen to them while I’m on the road. He would send me the first cut and just listen to it on the road. Some of the stuff and the way he narrates it, I’m like, ‘dude, that’s some sick shit, bro! I don’t know if I would be able to say that!’ It’s crazy. Man, he does some dives into some shit. Like, call your doctor afterward. I’m telling you, man. It’s some crazy shit. But, he’s fantastic. I just love him so much. I would not be in the position that I’m in right now without him.”

Please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling with any of the above transcriptions. Thank you!

Given her status as the longest-reigning SHIMMER Champion of all time, it’s hard to imagine that there are still many dream matches left on the table for Nicole Savoy. The Sacramento Suplex Machine has run through a veritable who’s-who of the SHIMMER roster in her time with the promotion, and unfortunately, the pandemic hasn’t provided much opportunity (obviously) for new opponents.

However, given her many legendary opponents and her status as a bonafide star inside of the squared circle, Savoy has a veritable pick of the litter when it comes to matches to show first-time fans. Of course, I had to ask her about not only her favourite matches but which she would consider the first match she would show a first-time wrestling fan.

While her initial answer came quickly, it also came with a few stories courtesy of the Queen of Suplexes.

“My match with Madison Eagles!” Savoy replied enthusiastically when I asked about her personal match recommendations. “I was going to say, either her or my matches with LuFisto.”

“You’re hitting me right in the heart with just the Canadian icon,” I laughed to Savoy. “Come on. You’ve done your research on my favorites!”

Savoy smiled. “Funny story,” she began. “When I found out that I was wrestling LuFisto – her and Heidi Lovelace were my first two matches in the Shimmer. I was so excited to wrestle Heidi, but I was very scared and intimidated to wrestle LuFisto. I legit was throwing up before my match.

Like they were like ‘Savoy, are you okay,’ and I’m like, ‘yeah, I’m, I’m fine. Excuse me,’ and I would run straight to the bathroom and throw up!

“

“Oh, man. Not even a little bit nervous!” I commented. “That’s zero to sixty real quick.”

“Yes!” replied the former SHIMMER Champion. “And then, I remember before I went out there, Allison Danger looked at me and she’s like, ‘so, you get to wrestle LuFisto? Don’t fuck up!'”

“I’m like, ‘what? How do you say that to somebody before they go out there?!'”

It was far from the final story Savoy shared about Danger.

“I love Allison Danger. Mama Danger, fine like wine! That’s what I was gonna say.” Savoy chuckled before continuing. “She is an interesting time but in a good way. Like, I love her so much.”

“I feel obligated to ask for a story if that’s the way you’re gonna put it!” I pressed.

Savoy obliged. “So when I first wrestled for Shimmer – it’s another first time for Shimmer – and I stepped off the plane, the first two people that I met that I was riding to the hotel with was Allison Danger and Jessicka Havok. They didn’t know who I was. Allison Danger’s never seen me wrestle before.

“

“I remember us going to think I was like Denny’s, and [Danger] looks at me, and I look at her, and she goes, ‘you know? So you’re from California, huh?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ she goes, ‘well, Sarah came from California, and she’s an amazing wrestler. Then there’s Cheerleader Melissa, and then there’s,’ then, she starts naming off with Candice LeRae, and Davina – she’s Bailey now – and she’s like, ‘I’ve never seen you wrestle before. Good luck!’ I was just kind of like, ‘Oh, God!’ Thank you for basically saying I’ve got a lot of big shoes to fill!”

Please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling with any of the above quotes. Thank you!