Ed Kody's (Formerly of Pod Van Dam) 5 Favorite Matches of 2022

(Editor’s Note - NEPAwrestling.com would like to thank Ed Kody formerly of podcast Pod Van Dam for choosing us to host his year-end top matches list. Ed has been a great friend to NEPAwrestling.com since our launch; in both encouragement and promotion of our content to his much larger circle on social media. Any photos used are used under fair-use and sole copyright remains with the respective owners.)

 

2022 was a really weird year for me when it comes to professional play fights. It seemed like the first year that there wasn’t a company I fully supported and got behind all year. 

 For the first part of the year it seemed like AIW was (rightfully so) re-building and giving chances to unproven stars. NOAH started hot but was quickly cooled off by the broken down husks of Mutoh and Fujita. I don’t think I’ve ever been less interested in NJPW. 

 So, coming up with a top five matches list seemed daunting. How can you critique matches in a year you weren’t wholly invested in? So instead of a top five matches list, I’m going to go with my five favorite matches. 

 Maybe not all five star classics, but for sure five matches that reminded me that I do love professional wrestling. So in no particular order, here’s me doing a journalism about my favorite five matches from 2022.

 

Dominic Garrini vs Casey Carrington 

Dog Collar Match

AIW Absolution XV

 

This was part of AIW’s amazing effort at making new stars in 2022. Find some dudes with upside and put them in there with respected AIW vets, and this is the best example of that. 

Casey fucking sucks; the most punchable face, the most irritating delivery on promos. Surrounding himself with goons. This kid gave you so many reasons to want to see him get murked, and Dom for sure did a murking. It was a bloodbath.

 It was almost therapeutic watching Dom batter this kid. Just beautiful. Too bad Casey had to mess all this work up by being a dope, but that shouldn’t get in the way of remembering how great of a job AIW and Dom did at getting this kid over as a heel that can be billed on a top match at the biggest show of the year.

 

 

Max the Impaler vs Dan Champion 

LVAC Let’s Hang Out Spooky Edition ‘22

 

Big Dan Champion staring across the ring at Max The Impaler

Maybe this is rose colored glasses, but I adored this match. Maybe it was the several White Claws. Maybe it was being surrounded by friends I don’t get to see often. Maybe it was illegally streaming this match on Instagram standing right next to Jerry of Jerry’s Internet Wrestling Emporium fame. Maybe it was watching Max batter Dan with a glass bottle-filled trash can.

 I don’t know what it was but I couldn’t quit smiling during this. Just the cherry on top of one of the best nights of wrestling I got to enjoy this year.

 (DVD available here!)

Go Shiozaki vs Katsuhiko Nakajima 

GHC Heavyweight Championship 

NOAH 1/1/22

 

Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima as AXIZ collides.

Much like NJPW, NOAH peaks very early in the year. The new year is kind of Japan’s Mania weekend. With every company running and putting on their biggest matches. That’s what this match is; former tag partners battling it out for the biggest prize in Pro Wrestling NOAH. 

These two beat the absolute shit out of each other and put on a classic. All this momentum got derailed fairly quickly with NOAH leaning into broken down old men who they assumed were still stars, but this match shows you what NOAH could be when they do things right.

 

Kaplan vs Matt Justice vs Derek Dillinger 

AIW Hell on Earth

 

This match is disgusting. I love it. Justice bashing his eyebrow open hardway… Kaplan being just the dumbest (it’s a compliment), and Derek doing a blade job that would make Muta blush. I’m a monster and I love this shit. The best hardcore style match to happen this year.

 

Cody Rhodes vs Sammy Guevara 

TNT Title Ladder Match 

AEW Dynamite Beach Break

 

Cody Rhodes in his Last AEW match before Returning to WWE. Also Sammy Guevara.

I was in the house live for this one and boy oh boy easily the best match of Cody’s career. I’m not at all anything close to a Cody fan but even I have to admit that dude worked harder than he needed to knowing he had one foot out the door. Made Sammy look like a million bucks. 

Now Sammy sure did destroy all that goodwill in record time, sure  but enough can’t be said for the work they both put into this match. Being there live might have skewed this higher for me, but the entire environment of the match with everyone losing their minds, I guess you had to be there.

 

(Editor’s Note - Make sure to check out the final episode of Ed and company’s critically acclaimed wrestling-adjacent podcast Pod Van Dam! Listen here! A well beloved podcast that will be missed by many within the internet wrestling community.)

The Fall of Hydra and The Rise of Leslie Butterscotch and (The Flames of Love) Part 2

(Editor’s Note: If you haven’t already make sure you check out part one of this piece here. Which covers the debut of Hydra and the background of “The Flames of Love” tag team, up until Hydra’s abrupt disappearance from the independent wrestling community. Special thanks to Billy Avery who’s assistance has been invaluable in assembling this piece. All photos are credited to Zia Hiltey of Zia Shoots Wrestling unless otherwise noted. All photos are used with permission and sole copyrights rest with the Zia Hiltey.).

The Order of The Neo Solar Temple w/Cheeseburger and Clara Carreras 

It would be nearly a decade before Hydra would make his return to the world of professional wrestling at LVAC’s Real Rumble Redux in an 8-person (quatros?) match, teaming with Green Ant, Mach 10, and his old Order Of The Neo Solar Temple leader UltraMantis Black.

A return spurred in part by the “speaking out” movement which while we all acknowledge has a long way to go has led to a somewhat different and more diverse landscape within at least the Pennsylvania independent wrestling community.

“It’s a different landscape now then from when I Left. [Wrestling] became something I’d be proud to be a part of [again]. Seeing UltraMantis at my first show back, and seeing Hallowicked- and Delirious. I saw him for the first time in a decade, as well as Shane Storm, Akuma, Crossbones, “Diamond” Joe Leonard, Avery Good, Smart Mark Gary, Dan Yost and many more - even Dan Champion! It’s been very uplifting for me…

Billy Avery stares across the ring at Hydra with his career on the line.

While Hydra had now returned to the world of wrestling,his old home school summer camp friend Billy Avery was in a struggle of his own after having run afoul of LVAC Commissioner Chris Reject. Their issues started way back at LVAC Holiday Hang out ‘18 when Billy scored an upset victory in the “Scramble match” upsetting Commissioner Chris Reject by defeating in his opinion the other “worthy” competitors.

Incensed at being humiliated Chris Reject wielded corrupt power from his role as Commissioner and placed Billy into a singles match with the towering Rex Lawless. The fallout of that match saw Billy assaulting Chris Reject in defense of his good friend LVAC and now AEW Superstar Willow Nightingale.

It all came to a head in a “loser leaves Lehigh Valley” match which pitted Billy against the vicious deathmatch wrestler Jeff Cannonball. Not only did he have to contend with the fact that he had never beaten Jeff Cannonball, Commissioner Reject also made the match no disqualification which gave a significant advantage to the deathmatch luminary.

Hydra and Billy Avery square off with a strange sense of Deja Vu

Unfortunately, that match spelled the end of Billy Avery in LVAC, or did it? Shortly after, a comic book character created by John F. Malta named Haunted Francis seemingly came to life and started competing in The LVAC. Of course a comic character didn’t actually become corporeal; it was all a clever ruse by Billy Avery to continue to chase his dream, no matter what Chris Reject was willing to throw at him. 

Once the ruse was discovered Chris Reject paid a lackey to have Billy unmasked mid-match to further his humiliation! If you aren’t familiar with wrestling lore in particular lucha-libre, (which is Mexican professional wrestling, one of the foundational styles of wrestling) , unmasking a wrestler during a match is the most disrespectful act you can do, and can result in an immediate disqualification depending on the jurisdiction.

WIth Billy Avery completely at his mercy, Commissioner Reject gave him a terrible choice, if he wanted to continue to be a part of The LVAC he would have to do whatever The Commissioner said, in essence, agreeing to indentured servitude to the despotic Reject.

Hydra uses his massive muscles to get the better of Billy Avery.

All the while that Billy Avery thought his struggles against Chris Reject were going unnoticed, they weren’t. Unknown to everyone (Including Billy himself) his old summer camp friend “The Rising Flame” Leslie Butterscotch was under the Hydra mask the whole time! Billy remarked to me in an email interview.

“I had always sensed that something about Hydra was very familiar to me. As a teen, I had loved watching Hydra on Smart Mark Video DVDs, but it didn't strike me that he might be someone that I knew until facing off with him eye to eye.”

At LVAC’S Record breaking Steelstacks Smackdown event (read our review here), Hydra confronted Chris Reject over his corrupt display of power and his attempts to ruin his best friend’s wrestling career. Much like Jeff in “Denton” this is where Hydra helped devise a plan to get even.

Chris Reject goaded Hydra into putting his mask on the line for a “mask vs career” multi-person tag match that featured the reunion of  fabled Chikara stable The Order of the Neo Solar Temple of UltraMantis Black, Crossbones, and of course Hydra. 

As a lifelong fan of pro wrestling I can easily say this match was one of the most special moments I’ve been able to witness as a fan.  Seeing old chikara standouts and stars like Gran Akuma facing off against Crossbones and UltraMantis Black makes me emotional even as I think about it now.

Hydra chokes Billy to prepare him for a massive chokeslam attempt.

I touched on the topic of the mask earlier but it’s worth revisiting its symbolic importance. For wrestlers a mask is more than just a hood they put on to safeguard their identity from fans and from other wrestlers who would seek to do them harm outside of the ring to get an advantage for a future match.

No the mask itself is an actual extension of the character the wrestler is portraying. It can be seen as sacred and important as their literal face. The ceremony and circumstances of mask  matches, while not significant within American wrestling, are a cornerstone of Lucha LIbre. Mask vs Mask, and their alternatives Mask vs Hair, and Mask vs Career are used to sell out the biggest yearly shows and put an end to the most vicious feuds.  Indeed the humiliation of losing one’s mask is akin to losing a piece of your very soul.

I asked Hydra to tell me what the mask meant to him, and I was not surprised by the passionate depth of his response.

Ref Yost prepares to call for the bell as Hydra submits to Billy Avery 

“Wearing a mask, it was great, especially [when] starting out. Because it’s hard to wrestle with facial expressions, especially when you are learning how to do things. Trying to do things smoothly and not look like you are thinking ahead five steps, or not that you [look] worried. It helped me find the character.” 

“I wasn’t sure when I started grunted, and I decided that Hydra would not speak, that was my decision. A lot of the character stuff did come from me and some people I trusted, which was really cool. So the mask worked on those two levels, covering me up and letting me keep my fear to myself, and also letting me develop a character too. In Chikara there were a lot of masked people, but for instance in IWA there wasn’t so [I] could stand out more, and that helped with that.”

Hydra sheds his mask and a part of his wrestling identity

So  while it initially appeared that Commissioner Reject had just completed his masterstroke in his years-long plan to humiliate Billy Avery and then Hydra it all blew up in his face. Though Billy Avery and his team were able to secure the victory against Hydra and his team which cost Hydra his mask, The National Sokols was shaken to its very foundation when Hydra took off that mask and revealed himself to the world to be “The Rising Flame” Leslie Butterscotch!

Leslie speaks from the heart as he explains his absence and actions

What transpired in the aftermath was one of the most genuine displays of emotion and vulnerability that I’ve ever witnessed as a wrestling fan (DVD available here from LVAC). Hydra now Leslie apologized to his estranged friend for abandoning him and their tag team team nearly a decade ago. I asked Billy what the match and the ensuing fallout meant to him. 

 “When I defeated Hydra to take his mask and to be reinstated, it was bittersweet. I was happy to be a free man again, but it immediately became clear to me how much that Hydra mask meant to Leslie. It's all Reject's fault that everything had to go down that way.”

Billy Avery and the newly won "Trophy" of Hydra's mask

I could tell the bond of friendship still remained deep between them when Billy seemed more concerned about Leslie losing his mask as his Hydra persona, than he was for being abandoned, but eventually Billy did tell me what the apology and reconciliation meant to him.

“It was everything to me. I wanted to be mad at Leslie because he had completely cut off contact from me after he left the wrestling business 10 years ago. There were many times over those 10 years when I could have used my best friend. But as he spoke to me and the audience back in October after being forced to remove his mask, I could tell that his words were genuine. He had been through a lot. I had also been through a lot, so I understood where he was coming from. He put his Hydra mask and the entire history that it has on the line for me. That was a very emotional moment. There were a lot of tears. Having the OG Order of the Neo-Solar Temple, UltraMantis and Crossbones, there at ringside made that moment even more special, too.”

Billy and Hydra embrace, leading to their rechristening as Dapper Donnie and The Rising Flame "The Flames of Love"

Like the mythological creature adorning an imagined album cover of “Satan’s Fingers” or “The Hospital Bombers”, from the ashes of Hydra and Haunted Francis arise the Phoenix of “The Flames of Love”! 

Chris Reject is going to learn a harsh lesson on December 23rd at National Sokols; no matter how many thugs he brings with him (including Rex Lawless and Blaxstrom) to try and stop Dapper Donnie and “The Rising Flame”, he’s going to find out “that “The Best Ever [Tag Team] outta [Bethlehem] will in time both outpace and outlive you! Hail Satan!”

Check out below for the World Premiere of the Flames of Love Recap Movie from 2018 to 2022! Edited by Danny Sgrizzi Featuring music by The Mountain Goats, Waste Man, Screaming Females, and Archers of Loaf!

(DVD’s of past LVAC events, show merchandise, and limited tickets for Friday’s huge year-end show are available here. In addition you can order the limited edition “Flames of Love” T-Shirt designed by Eisner award winning artist Box Brown! All proceeds go directly to the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Youth Center of Lehigh Valley! To donate directly to the Bradbury-Sullivan Center click here!

LVAC Returns to National Sokols Bethlehem PA for Holiday Hang Out 2022

It's that time of year, time for one last Let's Hang Out of 2022! This time let's make it a Holiday Hang Out!

Pro-Wrestling! LIVE bands! Vegan food and donuts! Merchandise! Community! Booze! Holiday Cheer! Vaccination or negative COVID test requirements!

They've got a huge tag match between Blackwood and Puf (Bethlum Brothers) taking on Obarion and Kodama The Batiri! Which team will reign supreme!

This is a match that I'm very invested in! I have been watching Lucky wrestle for nearly 20 years and I look forward to more people seeing what he is capable of doing inside a ring.

Myung Jae Lee really impressed me with his showing at Steel Stacks Smackdown, can the Buffalo Native bring it to the Hardcore Kid from Jersey?

This match has the potential to steal the entire show! La Chica Clara Carreras and B3CCA have both been building up quite a name with impressive showings. Will this showdown lead to a standout match??

It simply wouldnt be a Let's Hang Out without a multi-person match! This one is super-sized as we've got Little Mean Kathleen, Delirious, The Boat, and UltraMantis Black taking on the dastardly Dan Champion, Merlok, Veda Scott, and Channing Thomas with the conniving two time WWF Hall of Famer Sidney Bakabella!

Can Dan Champion finally snap his LVAC losing streak???

This is a match nearly ten years in the making (You can read about The Flames of Love in our feature ) as Dapper Donnie and The Rising Flame finally make their tag-team debut as The Flames of Love!

Commissioner Chris Reject has put a lot of obstacles in front of Billy Avery and the (former) Hydra culminating in a huge 2 vs 3 handicap match! Pitting The Flames against the massive Rex Lawless, the viciously technical Blaxstrom and of course the despotic Chris Reject himself.  The Flames Of Love are going to need everyone there cheering to give them a shot!

A highly anticipated match that could easily main event any wrestling show in the country. Two World Class athletes step into the ring as Impact Wrestling and international and Independent Superstar SpeedBall Mike Bailey comes to the LVAC to take on  ROH and international star in his own right  Cheeseburger!

I've long said that I feel Cheeseburger is consistently underrated and of course no accolades are needed for Mr. Bailey.

It's not just great wrestling action, LVAC also has live music! Including Lehigh Valley's own OK Buddy

Plus a musical performance from UltraMantis Black that you won't want to miss! When will you ever get to see someone wrestle and the perform music in the same evening!

It wouldn't be an LVAC hang-out without the Vegan Food! First they will have an assortment of savory offerings from No More 108!

When you are finished with your entree make sure to pick up a vegan donut (or 6) from Circle Donuts! Seriously I ate 3 last time and then bought 6 to take home and eat later! Absolutely delicious!

When - December 23rd 2022

Time- Doors 7, Show 7:30

Where - National Sokols at 613 Hillside Ave Bethlehem PA 18015

Tickets - Can be purchased here

Vaccination Required or negative test required for entry!

Support Indie Wrestling!

The Fall of Hydra & The Rise of Leslie Butterscotch (& The Flames of Love) Part 1

(Editor’s Note, I sat down with Hydra after the October LVAC show in which he lost his mask and was revealed to be Leslie Butterscotch, reconciling with former best friend and "Flames of Love" tag team partner Billy Avery. The quotes in this piece came from that interview.)

“When you punish a person for dreaming their dream don’t expect them to thank or forgive you” is the searing line from the Mountain Goats song “The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton”. (referred to going forward in this piece as “Denton”) The story of two childhood friends, Jeff and Cyrus, determined to set the world on fire by becoming the best death metal band to ever come out of their hometown of Denton Texas. Their journey is full of obstacles, adversity, and authority figures that don’t understand them or their dreams, but it’s also a story of determination and persistence. 

If you took the names and specifics away from their story though, you’d find people like “Jeff and Cyrus” all over the world. In every sport and artistic discipline. Underdogs fighting against a system that says there is no place for them. 

In the world of professional wrestling those underdogs are Billy Avery and Leslie Butterscotch, collectively known as “The Flames of Love”. 

To properly tell the story of the Flames of Love and their struggles against Lehigh Valley Athletic Council Commissioner Chris Reject, we must first look at the story of Hydra and his struggles for acceptance as a serious competitor within the community of independent professional wrestling.

Early Promo photo of Billy Avery and Leslie Butterscotch - "The Flames of Love"

This is a story of setbacks and some adversity, but it’s also a story of triumph and accomplishment; of the dividends that can be paid when one bets on themselves and never gives up.

Leslie Butterscotch made his debut as Hydra on November 13th 2005 for Chikara Pro; an unfortunate and tragic day in the world of professional wrestling, one that few fans alive that day will forget. 

That was the day when beloved WWE Superstar and pro wrestling legend, Eddie Guerrero passed away. But Chikara still had a show booked that day at the former ECW Arena, and as the saying goes “The Show Must Go On”.

In another example of “The Show Must Go On” Leslie wasn’t even originally slated for the Hydra character.  The first portrayer of the Hydra character originally was in fact current AEW Mid Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy.  Another wrestler was then slated to take over the role but no-showed the November event, which opened the door for Leslie to make his unexpected debut.

“The next month November is when [The original intended Hydra] was supposed to take over the role, and he didn’t show up for the show. They were looking for someone for an eight man tag. I remember [them looking my way] and then (Chikara Head Trainer at the time)[Chris] Hero called me over and said "we think you are ready". They threw me a trash bag with the Hydra gear in it, and I found out about 3 hours before the show, this was also the same day that Eddie Guerrero died, so I was kind of in a weird headspace.”

Leslie growling menacingly into the camera after making his in-ring debut as Hydra.

The world of professional wrestling rarely makes allowances for anyone’s feelings or comfort. Not only did Leslie have to prepare for his debut with as little as three hours notice, the Hydra costume or “gimmick” as it’s known, was intended for another wrestler entirely so the mask and gear sizes were not measured for Leslie’s body type.  

In fact it would be a full year before Leslie would be able to have properly fitting gear made, the whole time still being expected to make payments on the ill-fitting mask and gear. Unfortunately this is standard behavior in the world of professional wrestling, hand waived away under the guise of “paying your dues”. A nebulous concept that seems to usually end up with the rookie or novice wrestler exploited in some way.

I was in the audience that day when Hydra made his debut for Chikara. I was there to support Shane Storm as he defended his mask against (current LVAC wrestler) Gran Akuma in a mask versus mask match. 

Hydra's match also featured IWTV boss and NEPAwrestling.com co-founder Gerry in an  early professional match. I have been familiar and acquainted with Hydra’s career from the very beginning.

Chikara at the time was the vanguard of American independent professional wrestling. The list of top wrestling talent that made their home in Chikara at that time is truly staggering. Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero,(a future) Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, Mexican Lucha Libre legend Skayde, as well as legends no longer with us: Mr. Brodie Lee, and Larry Sweeney just to name a few. That kind of talent pool was an incredible resource but was also very challenging to Hydra.

Hydra waiting to be tagged in during his debut at the "New Alhambra" also known as the legendary ECW Arena.

“It was wild, but it was really intimidating. I definitely learned a lot from being in the ring with them, and going from feeling like there's no way I can hang in the ring with them to wow that actually went really well, it was a big boost of confidence from that. My second day of training was with Skayde. He was doing just wild shit. I don’t know how his brain works, he would come up with pinning combinations and different arm drags, it was so fluid and in the moment.”

Even though Leslie was training at Chakira which was known to have athletes of all sizes, his slight stature still kept some doors closed for him.

“I was told by some people there were moves that I couldn’t do because of my size. I feel like that held me back for the first couple of years. But then I had a match with Tyler Black [WWE Superstar Seth Rollins] in 2009. Traveling outside of where I was [normally wrestling] really helped. I was able to bring the character out a little more, try different things, and develop more confidence in the ring to try things.”

Hydra attempts to suplex Dragon-Dragon as former Chikara and future AEW referee Bryce Remsburg looks on.

While Leslie was trying to live his dream as the masked Hydra, his childhood friend Billy Avery (best friends since meeting at home school summer camp and bonding over a love of Pro Wrestling) had since entered wrestling training to pursue their shared dream, opening the door to the formation of “The Flames of Love”.

“We went to The Great American Bash 2000, In Baltimore Maryland, and we saw Sting get set on fire [By Vampiro] It was a really good show! It was a great feud [Sting vs Vampiro]. We decided we wanted to be wrestlers at that moment.” 

“We started a backyard promotion called ‘Cream of The Crop Wrestling’ or “CCW”. It was us and a bunch of kids in the neighborhood. Our biggest show of the year, our “Wrestlemania” if you will , was called ”Extreme Measures”. The most extreme we got was a [single] lighttube.”

Promo shot advertising Cream Of The Crop Wrestling "Extreme Measures".

With Billy Avery ready, and Leslie having been wrestling as Hydra the stage was set for “The Flames of Love”, the only problem is that no promoter wanted to take a chance on an untested tag team, which led to Billy and Leslie having to get “creative” to get noticed. 

This is where the comparisons to Jeff and Cyrus are the strongest; like the titular protagonists of “Denton” Billy and Leslie believed they could overcome any shortcomings in their physique or ability with sheer determination and will.

Billy and Leslie receive bad news while trying to pawn the CCW title belt to earn money to hire a manager.

“The Flames of Love are the energy of [Denton]. The drive we had was similar, we tried to advocate for ourselves to get on the “Wrestling is Fun” shows. We went into the bathroom and projected our backyard match on the back of the wall. We were giving away tee shirts with our faces on them, and security kicked us out.”

“The next month we did a guerilla show. We set up a ring; it was just a mat with some poles. We started to wrestle, the fans came out and were like “what's going on”. Right as we locked up our manager ran out and said hey I’ve got you guys a match on the next “Wrestling is Fun” show . We were earning money to pay for a manager to get on these shows. We needed representation to be noticed.. “

Billy and Leslie about to lock up outside of "Wrestling is Fun" in an attempt to get booked.

The hard work paid off as they built towards an impending tag team match against Sidney Bakabella’s “Devastation Corporation: of Blaster McMassive and Max Smashmaster set for a future “Wrestling is Fun” show. 

Unfortunately real life would intrude on the world and the match never came to be as Leslie suddenly and unexpectedly stepped away from professional wrestling completely. Leaving his best friend Billy Avery without a tag team partner to challenge The Devastation Corporation, and thus “The Flames of Love” were extinguished before they even had a chance to burn bright.

“In 2008 I had just gone through a bad breakup, I was living on my own, trying to make ends meet. My job was on weekends, so to take off for a wrestling show, I lost money. I was thinking about how I am going to make [it] and wrestling just wasn’t paying the bills. I just wanted to go to school. I went to community college the same time I left wrestling which was in 2009. One of the people that convinced me to go back to school was [Indie Wrestling Legend The Late] Larry Sweeney. He was a dear friend. [He] looms large [in me]. He gave me a book recommendation, this book “The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen. It was my first time with a postmodern novel and I loved it. He opened me up to the possibilities of writing. I decided to go to school and study English. He helped me get there.”

An photo of young Billy and Leslie and their wrestling "Shrine"; their own version of Jeff's bedroom from "Denton"; where their pro wrestling dreams were born.

“When I went to community college I wanted to do a full stop on wrestling and put both feet in. Also I didn’t have [health] insurance.[I thought] I have to do this to look out for my future.”

So the book was closed on the “Flames of Love” and wouldn’t be opened for another ten years...

You can Pre-order the new "Flames of Love" T-shirt designed by Eisner awarding winning artist Box Brown ! Available for shipping or pick up "Holiday Hang Out" on Dec 23rd! Only 20 dollars + shipping and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit The Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center!

(You can read part 2 of our piece here on Hydra and The Flames of Love here, covering Hydra’s return to the Ring for The Lehigh Valley Athletics Council, Chris Reject’s issues with Billy Avery, the shocking reveal of Hydra as Leslie Butterscotch, and the monumental handicap tag match booked for December 23rd Holiday Hang Out (limited tickets still available!) at National Sokols in Bethlehem PA, that will see Blaxstrom, Rex Lawless AND Commissioner Chris Reject take on Billy Avery and Leslie Butterscotch in the long awaited debut of The Flames of Love!)

 

Spotlight Wrestler December 2022 CPA

(All photos are used with the express permission of the photographer. All copyrights belong to the respective photographer. Photo credits included with each photo. Thanks to Zia Shoots Wrestling , Rich Wexler Photography, Neil Kohl, and Genna Joy.)

If you’ve checked out an independent wrestling show in the Northeast region recently then you might already be acquainted with our spotlight wrestler for the month of December: CPA! 

I first got a chance to see CPA for myself this past October at LVAC's October Let's Hang Out event. On a show filled with colorful characters and top notch wrestling CPA still managed to stand out.

I had a chance to sit down with CPA recently. It was one of the most rewarding interviews that I have ever conducted and I hope you enjoy getting an insight into the mind of CPA the wrestler and the man.

Growing up, professional wrestling was inextricably linked to action movies and Saturday morning cartoons, I felt kinship with CPA as he explained how his love of wrestling began.

CPA "Hulks up" tearing off his shirt to reveal another shirt and tie. Photo Credit Kyle Giarratano 

“I grew up watching Terminator 2, and weird crazy over the top action movies, …my first exposure to wrestling that I can remember . . .I saw a Papa Shango Vignette. I started watching it and I had family members who watched it. A few older male family members of mine loaned me tapes . . .  I was very into Kamala, Undertaker, and Giant Gonzalez, all the weird creepy characters, and of course Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior.”

We discussed Summerslam 92 being a seminal event in both his fandom as well as his choice to pursue professional wrestling.

CPA manically choking out Cheeseburger while Gran Akuma looks on approvingly. Credit Zia Hiltey Photography.

“The combination of Undertaker against Kamala and Bret Hart against British Bulldog made me want to be a wrestler one day. I didn’t know the process for becoming a wrestler, I thought I guess I could just show up to WWE headquarters and then I'll become a wrestler.” 

CPA joked, playing on his naivety in underestimating what it entailed to train to become a professional wrestler. When we got serious though I asked him who he considered his biggest wrestling influences.

CPA smarting after a stiff shot during the six-way match at Labor of Love Philly. Credit Neil Kohl Photography.

“In Wrestling, I have levels, obviously Undertaker and Hulk Hogan . . .then I started liking Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, then later on it was Ahmed Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Goldberg. The Bruisers, [and] tough guys who just had a lot of personality around them. Later on, on the indies it was Larry Sweeney and Bryan Danielson”.

Professional wrestlers draw inspiration from different art forms, not just other professional wrestlers. I wanted to know what performers outside of wrestling CPA admired or followed.

“I’m very big into music. If I do anything weird while I'm in the ring its [because} i’m a big Faith No More [fan] and anything Mike Patton. I’ve always watched Mike Patton on stage and been like “I don't know what he’s doing or why he’s doing it but there’s a reason”."

"Also Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys, such an awkward, socially inept human being as far as being able to move on stage. If you watch any Brian Wilson performance from the early stages of Beach Boys from when they're playing in front of a hundred . . .few thousand girls who want to ravage all of them, and he looks like he would rather be anywhere else on earth than on that stage in front of thousands of people who fawn over him!"

"There are others, Rob Halford from Judas Priest, the way he can command an audience, Freddie Mercury as well. I like to think that In some form or fashion I am taking their influences into my performances”.

While doing my research I stumbled upon the fact that CPA's twitter account revealed a large  "The Simpsons" fan, I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to ask him his favorite episode.

CPA revving up to deliver a huge shot. Credit Rich Wexlar Photography.

“My actual favorite one is “The Springfield Files” I genuinely believe I’ve watched that episode at least 50 times. It was one of the first episodes I remember watching  . . .where I understood a little more humor than when I was watching it when I was younger. Destination viewing for me at the time was King of The Hill, anything wrestling related, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, but occasionally I would catch a Simpsons episode, and that one completely destroyed me . . .its become one of my favorite things of all time”.

One question I brought up was about white collar and suit wearing based characters in general. An area that's a bit of a bone of contention for CPA. Mostly owing to the sometimes constant comparisons by some fans to the wrestler Irwin R. Schyster or IRS (wrestling legend Mike Rotunda). 

CPA dropping the huge double ax-handle at ISW! Photo credit "ISW Super-fan" Genna Joy.

“When I started wrestling I was kind of doing (accounting) work on the side, and I dunno CPA is me. I don’t really view it as a character cause it is very much me. There’s not a lot of gray area in there . . .chances are anything you see me doing in a wrestling ring I have done or would do . . .It’s just the way I am.”

"What you are seeing is me for the most part its not too much smoke and mirrors there, it's very accurate to the person that you are seeing in front of you who just happens to be wearing a pink shirt and a tie."

CPA gets a passionate as he explains how there are nothing but surface level comparisons between his character and IRS.

"That being said I’ve had people say “oh you’re like IRS” and I'm like ABSOLUTELY NOT! There’s nothing wrestling style related between me and IRS except we both wear ties basically. I had a woman come up to me at a show a few weeks ago and go “oh you like IRS!” Nope nothing like him. The “you wrestle like IRS'' thing is like the second or third most triggering to me.”

CPA feeling the effects of a reverse chinlock from Ethan Wilde. Photo credit Rich Wexlar Photography.

As someone who has seen more MIke Rotunda matches than even the average wrestling fan I can say CPA’s in-ring style is not in any way reminiscent of IRS. Mike Rotunda’s greco roman and collegiate wrestling style is not in any way similar to CPA’s more modern and technically expressive style, and high flying style.  

“There’s literally people who are like “you’re just like IRS” and I’m like “you’re just about to lose me I gotta go”.

One area where CPA has beaten IRS to the punch is in the realm of barbed-wire death match wrestling. CPA competed in his first one recently against Shawn Donovan for WrestlePro.

“I had a few hardcore matches, but that was the most aesthetically violent match I’ve had so far. I don’t know what came over me . . . it was weird, it was wildly out of my comfort zone. I do alot of wildly crazy stuff in my matches, a lot of stuff that I do is not on brand for most wrestlers of my ilk (if there are any)"

" I think I did okay, I had to climb up a ladder that was 100 percent broken and not meant to carry human weight. I walked up to it and [thought] “you know what I’m either gonna die or make this happen” I am seeing this to the end. This ladder is my ride or die right now, I’m either gonna ride it or die. I was determined to make that work and I guess to some extent I did."

I really enjoyed sharing my love of classic WCW with CPA by discussing the 3 on 1 handicap matches that are the specialty of Paul Wight, a match-style that CPA experienced first hand, in his hometown of Queens, NY  alongside partners RSP, and VSK.

The befuddled look on Big Show's face. Photo Credit Scott Lesh Photography.

“It was such a surreal, out of body experience. I’m from Queens originally too. Out of everyone who I grew up with that were wrestling fans, I’d say about 85 percent of them were there in attendance. I only know that because my phone nearly exploded after the match with people I haven’t spoken to in years messaging me “Oh my God I just saw you wrestle [Paul Wight]!"

"I can’t really quantify what it was like. The only way I could summarize it was when I finally posted the perfect picture of [Paul Wight] standing there with a befuddled look on his face holding a clip on tie, and the caption I chose was “I’ve done a lot of weird things in Queens over the years, but there’s usually not 20,000 people there’’.

The last stop on my discussion with CPA was focused on what would make a “successful” career upon retiring. His honest and thoughtful answer evoked the spirit of my latest essay.

“I mean obviously I  want to wrestle around the world and be a big television star, but as long as I can [wrestle] for a long time and create memories for people; to be an all-time wrestler. I’m aware that I'm not a Zach Sabre Jr, or a Lee Moriarty or someone who’s like “oh my god this is the best wrestler I’ve seen in my life” stature.” 

“I just want to create memories and bring people back to what wrestling is supposed to be; and that’s a thing to take you away from real life. If I can do that for hundreds of thousands if not millions of people that would be superb”.“

CPA looking like Agnes took the last Keurig pod without refilling the basket. Photo Credit "ISW Super-Fan" Genna Joy.

I feel like people [who watch] wrestling are very angry, grumpy and frustrated and I want to bring them out of that. I want to make them happy, and make them realize that wrestling is supposed to be fun to watch. It’s supposed to bring different emotions out of you, but none of them are supposed to be “I’m angry because this guy only wrestles once a year, or I’m angry that this guy allegedly isn’t allowed to win this match or that match”. Wrestling is real guys come on, lets just have fun, let’s just watch it, and lets just enjoy it for what it is, and I’m trying to bring people back to that.”

"Of course I want to go out there and have a cool match and get people on twitter freaking out about it. But ultimately what I want people to say is “I really don’t like wrestling but I think I'm going to watch it now because of this CPA cat”. If I can do that for many, many people for many, many years to come I will be very happy.”

I really enjoyed the time I had talking with CPA and I have a feeling his future in wrestling is going to be very bright indeed. If you would like to see CPA wrestle live in action you can follow him on Twitter @CPAWrestles or on Instagram to see where he will be next!