Post by Goldash on Sept 27, 2008 12:25:00 GMT -5
1. How did you start out in the wrestling business?
JAIME EMO: I broke into the wrestling business in 2000 after training for about two years around the Phoenix area. After I graduated from High School, I was flat broke and wanted to work a few jobs to earn enough money to attend college. I had just been promoted to assistant manager at the local Best Buy I worked at, but it didn't pay quite enough to land me in college. At that time, I decided it was best to pursue a second job. I ended up befriending some local professional wrestlers at a gym I went to and became interested in the concept of pro wrestling once again. I hadn't watched wrestling since I was a kid, and was pretty apprehensive at first, but these guys had confidence in me and got me signed up to a wrestling school in early '99. My trainer was Art Black, a pretty popular Arizona wrestler in the 1950's. He was this old school, take-no-prisoners, former World War II vet who didn't take bullshit from anyone. That first week of training had to be the worst week of my life. I must've ran the equivalent of two whole laps around the City of Phoenix, in 100 degree weather, with limited water intake. I pulled nearly every muscle in my body on weightlifting alone. Hell, Art expected me to quit after Day 3. He always told me, "People shit themselves when they find out what it takes to make it in a business people think is fake. Well, kid, this ain't fake." To this day, I thank Art for showing me my own potential. It was taxing, sure, but I was able to survive. Fast forward, now, to December 2000. I was working some indy shows in Tucson when I was approached by Matt Verge, owner of the NOW (National Organization of Wrestling). He shook my hand, praised my effort in the ring and eagerly awaited the next time I was in action. I had no idea who this guy was, I thought he was a fan. Little did I know we'd develop a friendship that exists to this day. He showed up at some shows I worked for a few months after that initial talk. It wasn't until after I worked a steel cage match with this luchador named "Ocean King" that Matt approached me with a contract. He said, "Man, that was excellent. Great work. By the way, did you know I was scouting you for a new national wrestling promotion?" I was shocked at first but I accepted. That's when I realized wrestling was my true goal. The next day, I quit Best Buy and told my parents that "college wasn't for me"...I remember the look on their faces. At that moment, professional wrestling became my life.
2. How did your time in NOW help your wrestling career?
JAIME EMO: It was a blast while it lasted. The company folded before our first major pay-per-view, which was a shame, since it was like having fun every day. I was NOW Universal Champion, which was the highest honor that company had to offer. It was my first title belt, which demonstrated how much faith Matt and the rest of the NOW had in me. I was still pretty green, though. My original gimmick was a "skater" gimmick, sort of this kid who's all into punk music and saying "dude" at the beginning of every sentence. I didn't like it that much, but it fit me pretty well, considering I was some 21-year-old rook at the time that had a lot to prove. They paired me up with Jesse Slash as "boyfriend and girlfriend", a relationship that almost made the transition to real life. She was far from the "Cyberpunk" back then or even the bitchy valet she portrayed as Seth Stern's girlfriend...she, instead, was basically created to cash in on the popularity of Avril Lavigne...same clothes, same attitude, same persona. Also, I didn't look anything like I look now either. I bleached my hair blond and let it grow shaggy, something I regret doing, and weighed about 193. I was like a mini CM Punk, only with more moonsaults and less technicality. My earlier NOW matches weren't much to write home about but I give credit to the rest of the workers on that roster, guys like Anybody Killah, Jesse, Nuke and Shotman. They were able to teach me a lot about the business and how things go in the ring. We had this great crux of youthful competitors that had only wrestling to fall back on, and, even today, we still correspond. It's sad it had to end so fast.
3. After the NOW sank into bankruptcy, the URWL and the NOW became the UNW, and you decided to join the new league as soon as the merger became official. How did you feel your career went after the merger?
JAIME EMO: Well, that was a weird time in my career. A lot of NOW members refused to join UNW, despite the fact that Matt was appointed Co-Owner along with Goldash007. At the end of the day, it was only Nuke, Matt, Jesse, ABK, Shotman and I as the lone NOW representatives in this new league, and I felt kind of overwhelmed by this new atmosphere. It was like winning the World Series and missing the playoffs by ten games the next season. I was "the man to beat" in NOW and after the merger, I became a URWL HighFlyer. My early career in the UNW was pretty spotty, especially since the former URWL staff regarded their homegrown talent higher than the NOW imports. My greatest accomplishment was winning the HighFlyer Title in mid-2002, a decision that made me one of the league's "up-and-comers". Despite my low position on the card, URWL management had a lot of faith in me. They just needed a big angle to put me in and "boom", you know? After a few months with the strap, I ended up losing it to CobrA at The Barrster's Revenge 2003 pay-per-view, which ended the whole "skate punk" gimmick, the on-screen "relationship" with Jesse Slash and, well, my title run, in one night. The following morning, before our taping of URWL Rush, creative told me about this "controversial angle" designed to push me over the top. My character, distraught over losing Jesse and the belt in one night, would drink himself into a coma. I initially thought the angle wouldn't work, but I went through with it and it became a huge success. We worked it to perfection. Goldash and the URWL staff were so dedicated to preserving the illusion of this "coma" that they literally rented out a hospital room in every town we'd stop in, had me sleep in a hospital bed during the duration of the show, then literally transport me, in a stretcher, to the URWL tour bus. They spent a lot of time and money trying to make this work, and by the time I came out of the coma during the Love & Hate 2003 pay-per-view, the crowd just loved it. I then adopted the more "enigmatic" gimmick I use now and left the "skate punk" world behind. In one month, without ever wrestling a match, I became one of the company's top draws. The UNW capitalized on this and put me in Digital Mayhem 2003's main event, a three-way match with then-UNW Champion Dynamite Newton and NOW alum Anybody Killah. ABK eventually won the match, and deservedly so, leaving me in the upper midcard until the UNW shut its doors and the text-based era ended.
4. What makes a good champion?
JAIME EMO: I've always been told that a champion is the best representative of his or her employer. !nterogative's reign, for example, was the best possible way the URWL could have started its CAW era up. He embodied the spirit of the reborn league. When creative decided to put the URWL Internet Title on me in a last-second spot at Asphyxiation, I knew I had to perform at my best. That's what defines a champion. It's a reward for all the hard work and effort you put into your matches. It's the greatest honor a company can give you. I'm really honored to represent the URWL as its major champion, but with that comes a greater responsibility. If the fans see a crack in your armor, they'll want you out of the spotlight. They'll want someone else to take your place. It's disheartening, but, hey, it's wrestling. If you're a champion, I feel that you should make the most of your opportunities and make the fans remember your reign. Because there's no better feeling to be held in high regard by the people who chant your name every night.
5. What are your plans for the future? Who on the roster would you like to face one-on-one in a future contest?
JAIME EMO: Man...this question's tough to gauge...well, as Champion, I'd certainly like to get a few more matches in with Stern...he's one of the greatest talents we have on our roster right now. Amazing potential. I'm good friends with Akina outside the ring, so it'd be cool if we could meet down the road in a big gimmick match. CobrA also possesses some amazing talent as well, and he deserves his undefeated streak and current push, despite what his smarkier critics think. Also, this could be the nostalgic side of me talking, but I've never faced Barry White one-on-one in my entire career. A match with him would be a dream match for me at this point in my career. He had this aura around him that was unmatched in the URWL locker room...it'd be an honor to face him.
JAIME EMO: I broke into the wrestling business in 2000 after training for about two years around the Phoenix area. After I graduated from High School, I was flat broke and wanted to work a few jobs to earn enough money to attend college. I had just been promoted to assistant manager at the local Best Buy I worked at, but it didn't pay quite enough to land me in college. At that time, I decided it was best to pursue a second job. I ended up befriending some local professional wrestlers at a gym I went to and became interested in the concept of pro wrestling once again. I hadn't watched wrestling since I was a kid, and was pretty apprehensive at first, but these guys had confidence in me and got me signed up to a wrestling school in early '99. My trainer was Art Black, a pretty popular Arizona wrestler in the 1950's. He was this old school, take-no-prisoners, former World War II vet who didn't take bullshit from anyone. That first week of training had to be the worst week of my life. I must've ran the equivalent of two whole laps around the City of Phoenix, in 100 degree weather, with limited water intake. I pulled nearly every muscle in my body on weightlifting alone. Hell, Art expected me to quit after Day 3. He always told me, "People shit themselves when they find out what it takes to make it in a business people think is fake. Well, kid, this ain't fake." To this day, I thank Art for showing me my own potential. It was taxing, sure, but I was able to survive. Fast forward, now, to December 2000. I was working some indy shows in Tucson when I was approached by Matt Verge, owner of the NOW (National Organization of Wrestling). He shook my hand, praised my effort in the ring and eagerly awaited the next time I was in action. I had no idea who this guy was, I thought he was a fan. Little did I know we'd develop a friendship that exists to this day. He showed up at some shows I worked for a few months after that initial talk. It wasn't until after I worked a steel cage match with this luchador named "Ocean King" that Matt approached me with a contract. He said, "Man, that was excellent. Great work. By the way, did you know I was scouting you for a new national wrestling promotion?" I was shocked at first but I accepted. That's when I realized wrestling was my true goal. The next day, I quit Best Buy and told my parents that "college wasn't for me"...I remember the look on their faces. At that moment, professional wrestling became my life.
2. How did your time in NOW help your wrestling career?
JAIME EMO: It was a blast while it lasted. The company folded before our first major pay-per-view, which was a shame, since it was like having fun every day. I was NOW Universal Champion, which was the highest honor that company had to offer. It was my first title belt, which demonstrated how much faith Matt and the rest of the NOW had in me. I was still pretty green, though. My original gimmick was a "skater" gimmick, sort of this kid who's all into punk music and saying "dude" at the beginning of every sentence. I didn't like it that much, but it fit me pretty well, considering I was some 21-year-old rook at the time that had a lot to prove. They paired me up with Jesse Slash as "boyfriend and girlfriend", a relationship that almost made the transition to real life. She was far from the "Cyberpunk" back then or even the bitchy valet she portrayed as Seth Stern's girlfriend...she, instead, was basically created to cash in on the popularity of Avril Lavigne...same clothes, same attitude, same persona. Also, I didn't look anything like I look now either. I bleached my hair blond and let it grow shaggy, something I regret doing, and weighed about 193. I was like a mini CM Punk, only with more moonsaults and less technicality. My earlier NOW matches weren't much to write home about but I give credit to the rest of the workers on that roster, guys like Anybody Killah, Jesse, Nuke and Shotman. They were able to teach me a lot about the business and how things go in the ring. We had this great crux of youthful competitors that had only wrestling to fall back on, and, even today, we still correspond. It's sad it had to end so fast.
3. After the NOW sank into bankruptcy, the URWL and the NOW became the UNW, and you decided to join the new league as soon as the merger became official. How did you feel your career went after the merger?
JAIME EMO: Well, that was a weird time in my career. A lot of NOW members refused to join UNW, despite the fact that Matt was appointed Co-Owner along with Goldash007. At the end of the day, it was only Nuke, Matt, Jesse, ABK, Shotman and I as the lone NOW representatives in this new league, and I felt kind of overwhelmed by this new atmosphere. It was like winning the World Series and missing the playoffs by ten games the next season. I was "the man to beat" in NOW and after the merger, I became a URWL HighFlyer. My early career in the UNW was pretty spotty, especially since the former URWL staff regarded their homegrown talent higher than the NOW imports. My greatest accomplishment was winning the HighFlyer Title in mid-2002, a decision that made me one of the league's "up-and-comers". Despite my low position on the card, URWL management had a lot of faith in me. They just needed a big angle to put me in and "boom", you know? After a few months with the strap, I ended up losing it to CobrA at The Barrster's Revenge 2003 pay-per-view, which ended the whole "skate punk" gimmick, the on-screen "relationship" with Jesse Slash and, well, my title run, in one night. The following morning, before our taping of URWL Rush, creative told me about this "controversial angle" designed to push me over the top. My character, distraught over losing Jesse and the belt in one night, would drink himself into a coma. I initially thought the angle wouldn't work, but I went through with it and it became a huge success. We worked it to perfection. Goldash and the URWL staff were so dedicated to preserving the illusion of this "coma" that they literally rented out a hospital room in every town we'd stop in, had me sleep in a hospital bed during the duration of the show, then literally transport me, in a stretcher, to the URWL tour bus. They spent a lot of time and money trying to make this work, and by the time I came out of the coma during the Love & Hate 2003 pay-per-view, the crowd just loved it. I then adopted the more "enigmatic" gimmick I use now and left the "skate punk" world behind. In one month, without ever wrestling a match, I became one of the company's top draws. The UNW capitalized on this and put me in Digital Mayhem 2003's main event, a three-way match with then-UNW Champion Dynamite Newton and NOW alum Anybody Killah. ABK eventually won the match, and deservedly so, leaving me in the upper midcard until the UNW shut its doors and the text-based era ended.
4. What makes a good champion?
JAIME EMO: I've always been told that a champion is the best representative of his or her employer. !nterogative's reign, for example, was the best possible way the URWL could have started its CAW era up. He embodied the spirit of the reborn league. When creative decided to put the URWL Internet Title on me in a last-second spot at Asphyxiation, I knew I had to perform at my best. That's what defines a champion. It's a reward for all the hard work and effort you put into your matches. It's the greatest honor a company can give you. I'm really honored to represent the URWL as its major champion, but with that comes a greater responsibility. If the fans see a crack in your armor, they'll want you out of the spotlight. They'll want someone else to take your place. It's disheartening, but, hey, it's wrestling. If you're a champion, I feel that you should make the most of your opportunities and make the fans remember your reign. Because there's no better feeling to be held in high regard by the people who chant your name every night.
5. What are your plans for the future? Who on the roster would you like to face one-on-one in a future contest?
JAIME EMO: Man...this question's tough to gauge...well, as Champion, I'd certainly like to get a few more matches in with Stern...he's one of the greatest talents we have on our roster right now. Amazing potential. I'm good friends with Akina outside the ring, so it'd be cool if we could meet down the road in a big gimmick match. CobrA also possesses some amazing talent as well, and he deserves his undefeated streak and current push, despite what his smarkier critics think. Also, this could be the nostalgic side of me talking, but I've never faced Barry White one-on-one in my entire career. A match with him would be a dream match for me at this point in my career. He had this aura around him that was unmatched in the URWL locker room...it'd be an honor to face him.
