The world is filled with many talented wrestlers just waiting to be seen. WWE, TNA and ROH aren’t the only home to talent. There are dozens upon dozens of independent promotions with the next big, breakout stars competing in the squared circle. Over the past few months, I interviewed some of these men, including Jake Diamond and Headcase. Matt Cage can now be added to this list.
1: How long have you been wrestling?
I’ve been working now for about five years. I originally trained in Atlanta, Georgia with Mr. Hughes and Elix Skipper at the WMA4 Wrestling Academy. Some of the top wrestling stars on the independent scene and internationally have been trained there, before and after me. Currently, Jonathan Gresham is tearing it up in Europe and has worked in Japan this past summer. AR Fox is tearing it up Dragon Gate USA and recently made a tour of Japan for Dragon Gate. Recently, myself and two other WMA4 alumni, Uhaa Nation and Stitch Cypher, recently made DGUSA appearances, as well. So, it’s definitely a good training school.
2: Did you always want to be a wrestler?
Absolutely! A bunch of my friends claimed they wanted to wrestle as well. But, when it came down to crunch time, I was all alone. So, rather than get discouraged, I pretty much stuck with my goals and did it by myself. Through the help of many people I’ve met over the years, I’ve remained a part of the business and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
3: Explain your character.
My character is racist. It’s kind of funny, actually. When I broke in, I didn’t have anything to set me apart from others. A friend of mine suggested doing a king of high class, arrogant asshole gimmick. So, I adopted sweater vests, dress shirts, khaki shorts and argyle socks and carried a golf club to the ring. But, over time, various things caused me to begin to hate the character. I dropped it without any worries and just decided to be me. So, I kept a few of the characteristics of the previous character and just moved forward. My character used to be a huge racist, despite the color of my skin, to blacks and other “minorities”. Surprisingly, it got over. I used to carry a confederate flag to the ring with me. It always set me apart.
4: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?
You ask me this tomorrow and my answer would probably change. But, when asked this question, I always cite Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage from Wrestlemania VIII as my favorite match and state them to be the two reasons I wanted to be a part of the business to begin with. I watched that match so many times, I could probably go have it with my eyes closed with a broomstick. So, I’ll just say Flair and Savage were, despite the fact that I always loved Jericho, Eddie and Benoit. And, of course, Austin, Rock and others.
5: If you could wrestle one wrestler, past or present, who would it be?
Hard question! Much like the previous question, this may change on a day to day basis. Today, I’ll answer with Bryan Danielson. Currently, there are few in his class in the entire world. He can make every match feel important, even if it’s only five minutes long. He’s not necessarily my dream match, but I feel like I’d (obviously) be pushed and I like the feeling of pressure.
6: What was your best match?
My best match and my favorite match are two completely different things and I don’t know if I could tell you what my best match was. I’ve had a bunch that I could state, but then I’d rewatch them and change my mind. I’ll give you my favorite match instead.
My favorite match I’ve ever had was easily the 60 Minute Iron Team Match from February of this year. It was myself & my tag team partner, Alex Castle (The Kentucky Buffet) vs. The Top Guns (Danny Cannon & Christian Rose) at IWA Unlimited: WAR on February 12, 2011. My three best friends and I got to have a 60 minute match and prove the doubters wrong. Everyone thought we’d fail. Everyone thought we couldn’t do it. Everyone thought that the crowd wouldn’t remain interested or that we couldn’t structure the match well. But, we proved them all wrong! We made believers out of everyone and that was the only match I’ve had thus far in my career where I legitimately got emotional at the end of it.
Was it the best match that I’ve had? I don’t know. But, I was proud of that match and I will always sing it’s praises, flaws and all. If you’re curious to see it, it’s available on Smart Mark Video DVD. The entire show is probably the most quality top to bottom show IWAU has had. Well worth the purchase!
7: What was your worst match?
A bunch. I’ve had some embarrassing moments. I think everyone does. The two most embarrassing moments were ages ago. A tag match of myself & Neil Diamond Cutter vs. The Hooligans at a show that, thankfully, never saw a DVD release. Also, a match on my birthday last year, in a bar, against my good friend, Gunner Franks. I was a bit tipsy before the match went on, which is highly unprofessional and I felt terrible about it when it was all over. Thankfully, I was in the ring with a friend and not someone who would have really beaten the hell out of me. But, you learn from your mistakes, no matter how stupid they are and move on and grow from the experiences.
8: What is the worst injury you’ve had?
I herniated a disc in my back in 2008 which sucked! Strangely enough, the little nagging injuries I’ve suffered are way worse than that. Because I use my hands everyday, a broken finger is way worse. Same with my bad wrist. I’ve got bone chips in both elbows. My left knee is screwed up from a suicide dive earlier this year. I’ve definitely got some injuries that surely need tending to, but I keep on truckin’.
9: You recently won the IWAU Heavyweight Championship. How did this accomplishment make you feel?
It’s always a nice feeling to be recognized as “the” guy by any promotion you work for, all things considered. I want to deliver. Period. I always want to be the best match on the show. Whether or not that happens, I don’t know. But, as champion, I feel I now have an obligation to deliver “main event caliber” matches at IWAU. So, to me, it’s a challenge to further step up my game. As I stated earlier, I love having the pressure on me. So, I’m completely ready. I’ve been Tag Team Champion at IWAU and many times, our title defenses were held in higher regard than the Heavyweight Title. I took that as a sign of respect to our work. So, I plan on bringing the same type of attitude to my Heavyweight Title reign, which is my first in IWAU.
10: Any advice for aspiring wrestler?
DON’T GET INTO THE BUSINESS! You’ll disregard this, I’m sure.
But, the best advice I can give is to remain a fan. Unless you are ready to give beyond 100%, pay for a reputable trainer, make sacrifices, lose money, lose friends, lose your health, make more sacrifices, lose more money, lose more health and work your ass off at this expensive hobby until it becomes a low paying job, then don’t do it. You need to have a legitimate PASSION for the business to succeed. Heart can only take you so far. Drive and passion. There are far too many people who enjoy wrestling that just want to do it, but it isn’t their dream. We call them “fans in the locker room”.
But, if you disregard all of what I just said, you are a lifelong fan who really want to be a wrestler, then get ready to make a ton of sacrifices. Be in shape. Don’t train at a local facility by the hometown wrestling “legend”. Go to a LEGIT school. Even if you have to go across the country. I am originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. I drove myself all the way to Atlanta, Georgia to train. It was a necessary sacrifice. Be ready to work. There’s so much you have to be ready to do and that’s the downfall of many of the up and comers I’ve seen. They don’t realize the necessary sacrifices and aren’t ready to make them. Then they fail. If you recognize the hell you’re going to have to go through to succeed, then you can tackle all goals with tenacity and passion and hopefully succeed.
Above all else, do NOT try and be a wrestler if it’s something you just want to do for fun once a month. It’s not worth it.
I’d like to thank Matt Cage for taking time out of his schedule to conduct this interview! You can find the IWAU Heavyweight Champion on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter.
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Twitter: @proudcaucasian
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