Interview with...SHARK BOY!

[Styles 0]

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHARKBOY!

 

Finally - Sharkboy speaks! After the positive response we got with Amazing Red's first-ever interview, we decided to talk to another popular TNA superstar whom we know little about, Sharkboy! In his first-ever TNA interview, Sharkboy discussed a number of topics with TNAwrestling.com contributor and TNA referee Andrew Thomas, including Sharkie's start in wrestling, his thoughts on New Jack, Mad Mikey and D-Ray 3000, WCW, his success in TNA and so much more!

 

AT: So, how are you doing today?

 

SHARKBOY: Good, glad to be here.

 

AT: Tell us where you’re from originally

 

SHARKBOY: I’m from southern Ohio, the Cincinnati-Dayton area of the state.

 

AT: Did you go to school there?

 

SHARKBOY: I went to high school in a little town called Lebanon around the Cincinnati area. Then I went to college at the University of Cincinnati and graduated from there.

 

AT: What was your degree in?

 

SHARKBOY: Communication – and now I wrestle as a character who doesn’t speak (laughs)

 

AT: Did you do any sports in high school or college?

 

SHARKBOY: I wrestled a little bit and some track and tennis here and there, but mostly I wrestled.

 

AT: Did you excel at any of those sports?

 

SHARKBOY: You know, not really. I kind of fell in love with journalism towards the end of high school – my junior year I believe.

 

AT: Did you get involved with the high school newspaper or yearbook at all?

 

SHARKBOY: The newspaper, yes.

 

AT: Any radio or television journalism in college?

 

SHARKBOY: Actually, no. The degree was more along the lines of public speaking. It’s was one of those degrees that’s good for everything but not really specific to a certain job.

 

AT: Let’s get into your wrestling career. How many years have you been in the sport now?

 

SHARKBOY: I started training in October of 1995 and most people may not know this but I started out as a referee. I didn’t actually have a wrestling match in front of a live crowd until May of 1997.

 

AT: Where did you train?

 

SHARKBOY: I trained originally in Cincinnati at LesThatcher’s Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp. In 1999 when I was signed by WCW I attended the Power Plant for four months.

 

AT: Where did your learn more – with Les Thatcher or from the Power Plant?

 

SHARKBOY: I got a lot out of both, but I would say more came from Les. That’s where I built the foundation for my wrestling knowledge and style. When I went to the Power Plant, it was more focused on getting you polished for television.

 

AT: Let’s talk about the Sharkboy character. Did you always wrestle as Sharkboy?

 

SHARKBOY: No, I actually started my career as “El Piranha”. The name was inspired by a song from a band called The Toadies. The song is called “I Come From The Water”. It’s off of their “Rubberneck” CD and I really recommend it if you’ve never listened to The Toadies. That song inspired El Piranha and the idea of the comic book character that rises from the water to fight the wrestling villains. When I went to wrestle in Louisville, Kentucky for Ian Rotten’s IWA Hardcore Midsouth group, he suggested that I change my name from El Piranha to The Shark, and that slowly grew into Sharkboy.

 

AT: Would you say Sharkboy has a “cult following” on the internet?

 

SHARKBOY: It’s overwhelming sometimes when I go into a new place to wrestle and I get such a good response from fans. Sometimes I think the promoter is more surprised than I am. I’m just happy that so many people are entertained by the character and they enjoy watching me do what I love.

 

AT: In your TNA career, you’ve had some odd TNA tag team partners. The first was of course New Jack. I would describe you as extreme polar opposites. What was it liked to be paired with New Jack?

 

SHARKBOY: It was a lot of fun. That was the first time in my career I ever had non-wrestling camera time. I was excited to get the opportunity to do things in the business I had never done before, such as the New Jack skits with the board games.

 

AT: Then there was the late Mike Lockwood, aka Mad Mikey. Some people say outside the TNA spotlight, you became pretty close with him.

 

SHARKBOY: We became close really fast. Mike was someone who I know would have been a great friend, if we had more time. I really miss him. He was a good person who just made everyone laugh all the time. We had a lot of good times together and I actually became friends with a lot of people that were close to him after his death when we all met for his services. I wish his family and daughter all the best in the world.

 

AT: Now, you’re teaming with D-Ray 3000. Are you feelin’ the fro or fearin’ the fro?

 

SHARKBOY: I’m definitely feelin’ the fro. As a matter of fact, I have a t-shirt that says “Fear The Fin” so I think it’s a good fit. I’m having a lot of fun with D-Ray. He’s a class act, a good kid and has a great future ahead of him in wrestling. I think his character with mine just looks and feels right and the fans have warmed to it quickly.

 

AT: You could certainly describe Sharkboy as a comic book character. It seems like more of a throwback to the 1980s when wrestling was more cartoonish. It’s a lot different today, but you’ve been able to succeed. Talk about that a little.

 

SHARKBOY: Honestly, I’m glad it’s different today because I’m able to stand out more. A lot of people asked me how I felt when Kane lost his mask, and I told them it was great. It was one less masked wrestler in the business and it made me stand out even more. Maybe the day will come when Sharkboy loses his mask – but maybe not. It’s a very original character and concept that allows me to be different.

 

AT: Let’s talk a little about Impact in Orlando, Florida at Universal Orlando Resort. The buzz around Orlando is that you’re the most popular wrestler every week. How does that make you feel after you’ve invested so much in the Sharkboy character?

 

SHARKBOY: It feels great…just incredible. I remember reading about the Impact announcement – and I had been off the Pay-Per-Views for a while at the time – and I really hoped I could get a new opportunity with TNA with Impact. It was being filmed at the theme park and it seemed like Sharkboy fit right in with that mix. You look around at the theme park and you’ll see Spiderman, Shrek, Popeye and all the other characters and it just seemed like Sharkboy was a natural fit. I’ve been really happy to go down there and do all the skits and wrestle The crowd has been tremendous as well and they've cheered me on every time I'm out there.

 

AT: What’s been your favorite memory of your career thus far?

 

SHARKBOY: It was probably my first opportunity with WCW, just because of how exciting it was at the time. I’d only been wrestling in front of an audience for two years and this was my first shot at television. It was an amazing thing that came out of nowhere.

 

AT: You didn’t know it was going to happen?

 

SHARKBOY: At the time I was involved with the Brian Pillman Memorial shows in Ohio. The first year, the main event was Benoit vs. Jericho and Steve Austin was there – it couldn’t have been a bigger independent show. All three major companies at the time – WWF, WCW and ECW – were all represented. Our match stood out as one of the better matches on the card. The year after that at the 1999 Pillman Memorial, there was a cruiserweight tournament that I won where I got to wrestle three times on the show. Again, the crowd was so into the show and I got a great response. Then out of nowhere Mick Foley, BG James, Konnan, Al Snow and D’Lo Brown all ran out to the ring to surprise me. They carried me around the ring with the tournament trophy and it was just a great experience. There’s a picture of it at sharkboy.net, if I can slip a cheap plug in here. Obviously, word spreads around the business when something like that happens at an independent show and shortly thereafter WCW got in touch with me. I was invited to a tryout in Cleveland, so I drove up there and I was invited back to the show the next day in Pennsylvania so I went there. Probably about a month later I was offered a contract, so it was time to move to Atlanta and train at the Power Plant.

 

AT: How long were you with WCW?

 

SHARKBOY: I was under contract for six months. It was actually a three year contract but I was only there six months. I was released right around the time a lot of other people were, so it wasn’t any big surprise to me. I was released the same time as guys like Jamie Knoble and Jimmy Yang. We were all signed to an outside project of Eric Bischoff’s that never actually materialized, but we all got other opportunities soon thereafter. After I got released, I would still wrestle at the WCW Saturday night shows, but I was getting paid on a nightly deal. It was very bizarre to me. About a year later WCW was sold to Vince McMahon.

 

AT: What about your least favorite memory in your career?

 

SHARKBOY: Definitely my release from WCW. I wasn’t shocked, but I wondered what I would do next. There were only two games in town at that point and I just found out I had a little Sharkboy on the way. So it was the worst possible time for me to lose my job with WCW. I moved back to Ohio and got heavily involved with the Heartland Wrestling Association where I originally got my start. They soon after got a developmental deal with WWE, so I was heavily involved with that. When one door closes, another opens. That’s just the way it is in the wrestling business.

 

AT: At any point did you feel like you were done with wrestling and it was time to find another job?

 

SHARKBOY: Probably isolated moments, but I never went more than a day without getting a call from someone or read about a show online. An opportunity would show up everyday. When you’re stuck at an airport and your flight has been canceled or you’ve been cheated out of your pay by a promoter at an independent show – that’s when you think about quitting. But wrestling is in my blood and it’s what I was meant to do.

 

AT: You mentioned there’s a little Sharkboy. You’re married, correct?

 

SHARKBOY: Yes

 

AT: How many kids?

 

SHARKBOY: I have a 10 year old stepson and a four year old son. They both just had birthdays a few weeks ago.

 

AT: How do they react to daddy as Sharkboy the wrestler?

 

SHARKBOY: It’s fantastic. For the four year old, daddy IS Spiderman (laughs). That’s a neat feeling. Maybe a little later in life he’ll be embarrassed about it, but for now it’s the coolest thing in the world to him. I’m his favorite wrestler behind Abyss (laughs).

 

AT: What about the 10 year old?

 

SHARKBOY: He’s good with it. It’s definitely generated a lot of conversations at school. If he has any problems with bullies I just tell him that I’ll come down and dropkick the kid and that cheers him up.

 

AT: Well Sharkboy, thanks for your time for this interview!

 

SHARKBOY: No problem. I also wanted to thank the fans for following my career and supporting the ‘Fin! You can always check me out at sharkboy.net!

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

That was certainly (un)informative. Why won't TNA have more of these great (shitty and stupid and time waisting) interviews?

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

::insert witty remark here::

 

yea, this sucked. NEXT.

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

Touching, the stuff he said about his sons.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

Does that make SharkBoy a fluffer?

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

Does that make SharkBoy a fluffer?

Oh where, oh where, has our Swiggy gone?

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

Does that make SharkBoy a fluffer?

Oh where, oh where, has our Swiggy gone?

It was a joke for WMD. Not you DK.

 

Go give LFV a diving headbutt.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

Does that make SharkBoy a fluffer?

Oh where, oh where, has our Swiggy gone?

It was a joke for WMD. Not you DK.

 

Go give LFV a diving headbutt.

Jokes are funny Swiggy.........and that wasn't so.....................

 

 

[Guest The Ultimate Fantasy]

SHARKBOY DOES NOT TALK! Still it's better than Red's.

[Astro101 0]

Just curious. What would you guys like to hear so it wouldn't be a fluff piece?

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Smells like a fluff piece......ahhhhh.......just what I expected.

Does that make SharkBoy a fluffer?

Oh where, oh where, has our Swiggy gone?

It was a joke for WMD. Not you DK.

 

Go give LFV a diving headbutt.

Jokes are funny Swiggy.........and that wasn't so.....................

 

 

It was funny........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wasn't it?

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

Just curious. What would you guys like to hear so it wouldn't be a fluff piece?

 

Surely you're not giving us crap for bagging on this little interview. I mean, he could have talked about how New Jack tried to kill him, Hurricane stole his gimmick, how he wears the mask because Ric Flair is his father...anything. It's not that it was horrible or offensive, it was just there.

[Astro101 0]

lol, nah, I'm not giving shit. Like I said, just curious.