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Get to Know: Jack Pride

by Pluggo April 23, 2024

written by Pluggo

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!!

April 23, 2024 0 comments

Professional wrestling rules. Here’s why.

by Omar MA April 19, 2024

written by Omar MA

Think about the greatest arcs in the history of fiction.

Jesse Pinkman being freed from the Jack Welker’s gang thanks to Walter White at the end of Breaking Bad, Zuko’s series long redemption arc in Avatar Last Airbender and of course, a great science fiction movie that explores freedom, resilience and overcoming great odds.

I’m of course talking about the 2000 classic, Battlefield: Earth.

Fortunately, professional wrestling has some of that freedom, resilience and overcoming great odds. It’s basically the entire arc of a racist man named Terry.

Lucky for me, I don’t have to do that but I will describe two of the best wrestling arcs that had a profound impact on where I was in life.

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker. Wrestlemania 26. Streak vs Career.

You’re probably asking yourself, “why not the original match aka Royal Rumble 1998 in a casket match?”

Well, it’s definitely because you thought that I was going to talk about a match that led to a retirement for Shawn Michaels only to wrestle again several years later which involves Triple H. Just saying.

Their encounter at Wrestlemania 25 ruled harder than the Achaemenid empire but what made the next match even better was Shawn Michaels’ relentless pursue into thinking that he can defeat The Undertaker because Mr Hickenbottom

was this close in putting an end to Taker’s streak.

That relentless purse is what I relate to. Several months ago I auditioned to be a host in a competition I’ve alway wanted to host in and risked everything to get to where I was. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it and to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t happy for a while.

Watching this match in hindsight taught me that sometimes the risks you’ll take will not pay off but that doesn’t mean your life is over.

I mean look, 14 years later, Shawn is out here being head booker of the year by embracing black excellence and making sure that the NXT parking lot is the most dangerous place on Earth.

Anything is possible when you realize yourself, “I am him”.

Daniel Bryan against The Authority. Summerslam 2013 Till Wrestlemania 30.

Look, I know that “authority” and Bryan Danielson is no longer an oxymoron and yes, Bryan winning the titles at Wrestlemania 30 was a response to the constant loud crowd reactions of him despite what some people would tell you that it was “designed all along” by WWE (yes, I’m supposed to believe that the same people that told Roman Reigns to say, “sniveling little suck-up sellout full of sufferin’ succotash” came up with a 8 month long compelling story).

But, it was a great happy accident though.

Wrestling works well when you improvise in the moment no matter how they’ve tried to make a match between a current world champion and a Hollywood actor work, screwing their biggest babyface in the process only to blow it in their faces and make the right decision in the end.

Surely, that would never happen again in 2024, right?

Wit aside, this entire storyline is great mainly because it’s a good old fashioned underdog story. Seeing someone who isn’t the typical WWE mole succeed on that level is always a great feeling whether it’s Mick Foley’s in 1999 or 15 years later, Daniel Bryan.

The main reason why it’s a great feeling is because it tells me that with determination and the belief in ourselves, we can achieve our goals. To quote the man himself, “fight for your dreams and if you fight for your dream, your dreams will fight for you”.

On and all, I will never forget how this medium has transformed the power of storytelling inside the squared circle, where every twist and turns shapes not only the characters but as well as the hearts and minds of those who bear witness.

Within these stories, I find echoes in my own trials and tribulations so much so that it connects with me as a fan in a deep level.

In other words, I love pro wrestling and there’s no shame in that.

April 19, 2024 0 comments

LPW 24: Twenty Twenty 24 Hours To Go Preview

by Pluggo March 28, 2024

written by Pluggo

Happy Anniversary LPW! Here we are: two years of shows. That’s one heck of an accomplishment! I can’t believe I get the chance every single month to talk about all the cool things LPW is doing. From Changing The Game to 24 Hours to Go, LPW continues to set the bar, not only for themselves, but for Canadian Independent Wrestling.

Every single month, LPW finds a way to bring the fans something bigger and better while sticking true to their values and dedication to making Edmonton the talk of Canada. And for that, LPW, I thank everyone who has made it possible to allow me to talk about a killer program every single month! Cheers to 24 and many many more! Now let’s break down another banger of a card!!!!

Se7en vs Wolfboy & Canadian Goose

Wolfboy and Goose are LPW fan favorites, even if their record isn’t what they would hope. They are still searching for that first Friday night win as a tag team.

I hate to be that guy, as I love a huge underdog story, but Jack Pride and Marz The Specialist have a bad taste in their mouths after loses at 22 & 23 that have resulted in Jack Pride no longer being your LPW Scramble champion. Marz has made it clear the focus is back for Se7en and this is just the first step in the right direction for the group.

You’ve got to feel for Wolfboy and Goose. Even with the tutelage of Eli Surge this is simply a group I’d hate to see pissed off and looking to regroup as I search for my first win.

Ride Or Die vs Nicole Matthews & Artemis Spencer

Tag Team Championship Match

Be Careful What You Wish For Part Two Electric Boogaloo: The Ride or Die Story. Ride or Die asked for more competition and better tag teams, and boy did they get it. Nicole Matthews and Artemis Spencer are two of the best to lace ’em up. It’s so cool to have Artimes and Matthews back in LPW. Sure, they aren’t a traditional tag team, but putting two of the best together isn’t a bad strategy when gold hunting. One has to wonder what kind of shape Matthews will be in after fighting SpeedBall Mike Bailey the night before at CWS in a first-ever match between two of Canada’s best.

Can Taryn From Accounting and Steven Crowe continue to skirt the line? It seems LPW management has decided to throw everything they have at the duo. It’s only a matter of time before it catches up with them, right? I don’t think Friday night will be that night. That’s even factoring in the absolute war Crowe will have been in the night before against Marz The Specialist in a championship ladder match. That’s what makes Ride or Die so dangerous; they know each other, so that if one’s not at 100% they will pick up the slack for their partner and hit another gear.

Zoe Sager vs Speedball Mike Bailey

LPW Challenge Championship

Holy smokes, talk about a banger matchup! Last year, Zoe had the run of her career, spending most of it as LPW Grand Champion. Well, new year, different championship, but all the makings of the same outcome. Sager is poised to have another big year, and what better way to prove that than with a win over one of the best wrestlers on the planet! Speedball is back in LPW for the first time since LPW 19, where he came up short against Michael Richard Blais in what was voted the match of the year by the fans.

Can Speedball avoid going 0-2 and take home some gold in the process? To do that, he will have to be at the top of his game. Every single time you think this is the match that trips Zoe up, she figures out a way to dig deep and pull it off. A win over Speedball could put Zoe Sager in the early running for Wrestler of the Year in LPW and really swing the momentum in her favor for a massive 2024.

TY Jackson vs Rich King vs Jesse V vs Elliott Tyler vs Berat Goroni vs Sheik Shabazz

LPW Scramble Championship

Month after month, show after show, the LPW Scramble Championship Match is loaded with talent and intrigue. TY Jackson has his work cut out in defense number two. Once again he’s up against a fellow member of the RADz in Rich King. Sure, they say all the right things about facing each other, but after a certain point, one has to wonder if Rich King is blinded by wanting gold, especially after coming up short at LPW 23 against MRB. Will he take it to the next level to dethrone his stablemate? We also have another tag team in the mix that have plenty of history with the RADz, so you know Para Lira will be looking to knock them off the mountaintop. I also have to wonder how many more losses Para Lira can take before things just blow up for the duo. They need some wins in a bad way. Elliot Tyler is back and always a threat in any type of match you put him in. Then you throw into the mix Big Jesse V, who is built for this car-crash style match. The Debuting V get to wreck everyone in sight and throw some people around. He’s going to be a massive hit to the LPW faithful and show out. That all said, I think the LPW People’s Champion TY continues his winning ways.

Side note – how crazy is it that this will be the first Scramble Championship match that doesn’t include Jack Pride? One has to wonder if that is in the back of one of those minds.

Alan Angels vs Reid Matthews

The undefeated Matthews has his toughest test to date. The Frontman and Impact Star Angels called him out at LPW 23 and said he’s looking to make a splash in his debut, and what better way to do that then taking out the undefeated Reid Matthews? Even though Alan is on a tear right now through the indies and Impact, that’s still easier said than done. Matthews is on the best run of his career thus far in 2024 and shows no signs of slowing down. I keep saying, and hopefully this is the last month I have to, but get Reid a title shot ASAP! It will be hard to argue against it if Reid wins Friday night.

Lumberjack Larry vs Mark Wheeler

Larry, Larry, Larry, my friend, I know you will do anything to get back to MRB and get the Grand Championship back, but be careful. You’re already down one arm and you let MRB pick your opponent for Friday night? Mark Wheeler is as mean as they come and looking for a fight. I have to imagine winning this matchup doesn’t even matter to him at this point. Wheeler is here to hurt you, Larry.

Don’t get me wrong, Lumberjack Larry has all the heart in the world and has no quit in him, but this is a huge uphill battle as MRB continues to stack the deck. Does Larry have another unforgettable performance in him, or will Wheeler do what MRB needs him to do and take down the Lumberjack? Buckle up, this is sure to get chaotic.

Michael Richard Blais vs Rose

LPW Grand Championship

As voted on by us, the fans, the hometown girl Rose is getting her shot against MRB for the Grand Championship! Rose is a huge fan favorite, and MRB even speaks very highly of Rose. Then of course, he blames us the fans for what’s about to happen to her. See, it was Lumberjack Larry’s Lotto, a fan vote, that put her in this position. So in MRB’s minds it’s on us.

I think MRB fails to see what we the fans see, which is that Rose is a badass through and through. Every single time Rose steps into an LPW ring, she steals the show. Sure, we voted her in, but she absolutely deserves to be here. So is MRB taking this challenge lightly? I believe so. He of course feels differently about that; check out my full interview with him for the LPW Show.

So has MRB bitten off more than he can chew by trying to save LPW and keep his Grand Championship in the process? Well, Rose shared her thoughts on just that and more for the LPW Show.

You may have noticed I haven’t said too much on the MRB side of this matchup. What can I say about God’s Gift to Wrestling that he already hasn’t said about himself? (Hint, hint, check out the interview.) Plus, I don’t think he wants me speaking on his behalf. See, MRB? I’m learning. That said, I will say this is going to be one hell of a match!

There you have it, friends! What match are you most looking forward to? Drop it in the comments! As a reminder, we are now live on IWTV, so make sure you get subscribed now! Make sure you keep it here every month for my breakdown of everything LPW and much more. See ya all at 25!!

March 28, 2024 0 comments

Kofi Kingston. Greatest of all time.

by Omar MA March 7, 2024

written by Omar MA

“S.O.S. I hear them shoutin’
S.O.S. I hear them cryin’
S.O.S. I hear them callin”

The reason why I’m quoting the lyrics to Kofi’s old but gold theme song is that people either don’t know the lyrics or are still butchering the lyrics by saying something like “sos I hear them Shelton, sos I hear them Bryan” instead.

Like most people, I discovered Kofi Kingston through a series of vignettes which ends with the line in his Jamaican accent “there’s always trouble in paradise”. My man basically described the plot of Far Cry 3.

Usually, WWE would see a character outside of America and say, “Turn them heel right now” but throughout the pre-accent drop, Kofi was a babyface which is quite rare. It’s almost as rare as hearing “here’s your winner, Solo Sikoa”.

You gotta give him credit, he made me as a wee little lad convinced that he was as Jamaican as Adele.

He was exciting, defining, amazing and most importantly, unique that separates from the pack.

That last part is important as Kofi debuted in an era where you saw a lot of debuts that were forgettable.

So forgettable in fact that Wrestling With Wregret did a 3 part video documenting forgotten wrestlers (and you know it’s bad when your lasting legacy as a WWE wrestler from 2002 till 2008 is appearing on a YouTube video).

You know what wasn’t forgettable? The way he dropped his Jamaican accent on an episode of RAW leading to Bragging Rights. One of the rare moments where unpredictability in wrestling actually worked.

Unfortunately, what didn’t work was his big push in late 2009 (thanks Randall Keith) as he was stuck in midcard purgatory for years.

He did pop off again thanks to him being one of three members of the greatest faction of all time, The New Day (yea, I said it. The. Greatest. Faction. Of. All. Time).

February 12, 2019. Remember this date because it was the “lighting caught in a bottle” moment. That date was on an episode of Smackdown where Kingston participated in a gauntlet match to determine the last entrant in the Elimination Chamber match.

For context, due to an injury, Mustafa Ali was out of the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title and was replaced by Mr 24/7 himself (Poor Ali. That dude was also going to grab the Money In The Bank briefcase until brook laser showed up and took it).

After eliminating the man formerly known as Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe (aka 3 AEW guys), AJ Styles (the second last person in the gauntlet match) saw a beat up, exhausted Kofi and said to him, “You don’t have to do this, just stop, just stop, it’s all right.”

Kofi with a bit of fire and passion left in his body responded, “I’ve waited so long. Fight me!”

That line is what every single professional wrestler fights for. An opportunity. An opportunity where they can showcase themselves even if they’re a bit banged up because that chance ain’t never coming back and Kofi waited a decade to finally be in a WWE title picture.

I know the words “Corey Graves” and “best” don’t usually go well but he said it best, “There is no shame whatsoever in what Kofi Kingston just did.”

Kingston did eventually tap out to the Calf crusher but that entire performance was just the beginning for the Ghanaian native. The beginning of a movement where his name is inserted after the word mania aka Kofi-mania (no shit, Benoit Blanc).

That entire arc led to him winning the WWE championship at Wrestlemania 35 (in a very good match) in the best moment of the year and the way he lost the championship to Brock Lesnar several months later was the worst moment. Who would’ve thought the worst and best moment of 2019 both involved Kofi Kingston because creative, am I right?

I wish Kofi would go back to being a main event level act soon but a man can only dream.

Overall, Kofi Kingston is in the conversation of the greatest to ever do it mainly due to his 15 year long success in the world of professional wrestling showcasing his high-flying athleticism, exciting matches, charisma and most importantly, mastery in Tekken.

Let’s finish his old theme song lyrics shall we? “You woke up with a Batman, Rhea and Cena.

pharmacy

You run for day, cog nina way, I bring bullies that are so bad at English, shove a mega punch into my face, Little boy. It’s a Shane, what the Shane, you lose ya life. You want more more time. Tasneem is mine. Yerp bawling.”

March 7, 2024 0 comments

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