Ray: Hello, my good friend. Thank you for being the next guest in my written interview series. I’m always appreciative of your time. Just be prepared to honestly think about what your journey was because now I’m ready to ask you some hard-hitting questions, alright? You are the son of Tom Cruise.
Cruise: Not really, haha. It's just my gimmick that gets me through the door. And as far as I am concerned, there is no one else in pro wrestling who looks enough like him to pull it off. So I have to use what I've got and what I was born with. It makes me rare in a sea of wrestlers that look the same.
Q: Alright, let’s go. When you started on this journey, how long did it take you to realize you wanted to be a wrestler, and how much time passed until you finally initiated the process to become one?
A: I wanted to be one since I was 7 or 8 years old. I was just taken over by the perfect combination of athletics and entertainment . These guys and gals were warriors in the ring, in and outside of it. They had the ability to capture the audience's attention in just a few seconds. Made my lil mind go crazy back then. It wasn’t until I lost a lot of weight in my junior year in high school that I could really see myself doing this in the future.
I was moving better and working out. I felt lighter and more athletic. My charisma and self-confidence went through the roof. But it wasn’t until I was 27 that I had the means and the funds saved up to put my plan into action. I had finally accomplished my goal of living on my own, taking care of myself, and being self-reliant at 25. Once I had 2 years of that, that’s when I decided to put my plans into action.
Q: Who were the wrestlers that inspired you growing up, and who would you love to wrestle someday?
A: Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and Chris Jericho.
I'd love to wrestle Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart. Our styles would match amazingly, and we would have a great match that tells a story. Plus, I'm roughly their size, so I won't need to take any giant supersized bumps, haha.
Q: How was the training in Tennessee with wrestling legend Dr. Tom Prichard? What are the things you missed and learned that you have kept from your time in that area?
A: It was amazing. He helped turn this poor, chubby kid from Cali into a bona fide athlete. He gave me the tools to build a house, and I've been building and adding onto it ever since. He got on my ass a lot because I'm a very slow learner and have ADHD. So I felt bad asking him to repeat himself sometimes because I couldn’t hear him the first time. He had a lot of patience with me.
Tom is the be-all and end-all when it comes to coaches. If you can’t learn from him, then maybe you need to find another job. But that's just my opinion. I miss having Doc watch my matches and give us critiques. His advice is worth its weight in diamonds. I also miss his training drills and just his overall presence. He was an amazing and hard-working human being. And absolutely hilarious as well. One thing I try to keep from him is that I have to slow down. That is always in my head when I'm working.
Q: Going to give you a throwback, my guy lol. You have old YouTube videos of you playing a wrestler, lol. Do you wish you had wrestled earlier, thinking back on it now, or is it better that you’re doing it currently as the person you are presently?
A: Aw man, I forgot those exist hahaha. Wish my knees and back were that age again, hahaha. I do and I don’t. On one hand, getting an early start would mean that I would have a lot of experience at a young age, and I would heal better from my matches.
On the other hand, there are a lot of shady people in this business who will try to trick you, and if you are not old enough to know better and have your wits about you, it can be very bad. I started training at 27. My life experience helped me navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of pro wrestling. If I could, I’d probably start at 24 or 25.
Q: Total Wrestling Federation is an excellent independent wrestling company. As someone who went to the show in January and saw the way it’s run, it’s easy to say you picked a good company to work for. Great wrestling staff, fun dudes, and hard workers. What made you like them over other promotions around?
A: They were the first ones to give me an opportunity when I moved back to Cali in late August of 2023. They have a tight ship and a long history. I’m very proud and thrilled to work for TWF. Our company is filled with hard workers and people who like to have fun and get the job done. Our bosses expect a lot out of us. And we bust our asses for them and our fans.
Q: Why do you believe you are meant to be a pro wrestler, and who inspires you to keep being better?
A: I was meant to be a pro wrestler because it checks all of my boxes personally.
I've always wanted to be an athlete in combat sports, but I never really liked intentionally hurting someone. Don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate MMA, boxing, etc. I’m technically a white belt in jujitsu after doing it for 4 months at Modesto Power. Shout out to Chewy. But, I don’t think I ever had the heart to really hurt someone the way you would need to in some of these sports. Pro wrestling is physical and hurts like hell. You need to be tougher than the average Joe for sure. But it's work.
I'm giving you my body for a move or a strike to simulate the violence. At the end of the day, my opponent needs to go to work tomorrow and feed his family. That is where the “Pro” in pro wrestling comes in. How well can we craft a match that hides the fact that we are not intentionally trying to hurt each other?
Look at guys like Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels. They were masters of their craft. Wrestling lets me create a story that is live and in front of the audience. It allows me to be creative and not actually hurt anyone while being physical and athletic in the ring.
I’ve always wanted to entertain and make people laugh, cry, be sad, and be mad. Whatever I can do to make you forget about the crazy world we live in for a few hours, I want to be able to do that. Wrestling checks that box as well. Especially if I'm a heel, people love it when I get my ass handed to me.
What keeps me going is my family and close friends rooting for me. I’ve been telling everyone and their mom that I was going to be a pro wrestler since before my balls dropped. So, being a man of my word and doing it, learning, and getting better helps me keep moving forward, as well as being thankful that I get to do something I love as a job to begin with.
Q: Just curious by the way, who’s the next wrestler you believe in the INDYs that’ll break out?
A: I have several imo that’ll break out.
My brothers over in TN: Michael Gabriel, Von Milla, Tyler Shoop, the big Grizz Chase Bryant, Andy Optimal, and Kid Yasuke.
All were in my class at JPWA and have more than excelled since I left, and are striking charismatic workers, and I hope to fly back to TN one day so we can all share stories and work and make the towns again like old times.
My brothers in CA: Paras Sing, “The Samoan Reaper,” Big Zeke, Razzle and dazzle, David “Asesino” Martine, we’ve all been training and working together close to 2 years now, and every single one of them deserves credit for how hard working and talented they all are. Very proud of them. And would go to war for them any day of the week.
My coaches are Michael Hayashi, Michael Sean, Big MF, and Mat Freeman. They put a lot of trust in me and have given me the chance to prove myself in TWF. I'm very appreciative of their patience and their teachings. Shout out to the 209 Dragons Den School in Lodi, CA. If you want to learn to work and put in the work, these guys will train you and build you. One of the best around. Period.
Some other CA vets that helped me get started are “The best at looking at everything,” Jason Hastings and Tripp Rodgers. They helped me get established with their stable when I came back to CA in 2023. Jason and I have worked a lot in big shows, and he is very giving and smart with his work. One of the best heels around. Tripp as well, but I won't say too much about Tripp because he likes pineapple on pizza and doesn't appreciate Mr. T’s doughnuts like I do.
Christina Von Eerie is a legend in this business, and from the moment I shook her hand and told her I was a fellow pro wrestler, she has been nothing but kind and truthful with me from the beginning. She has helped me secure bookings in other promotions and advised me on which ones are worthwhile and which ones aren’t. Please give me advice on what to change and work on. She’s an amazing person and I’m very grateful for her guidance.
The dark Fox Olumide. Dude is damn near the total package. I honestly don’t know why he isn’t on AEW or WWE yet. When he gets there, he is going to dominate and hit the ground running, making people regret not hiring him sooner. Man is too talented not to be on TV right now.
Daniel Torch is another amazing person who has helped me since I've been down in Cali. Very giving and has always been happy to teach me and answer my questions about the business or just life in general. He's been busting his ass for almost 20 years doing something he loves, and you can see it on his face. He loves people, and he loves pro wrestling. He is beyond kind, and his friends and family will all tell you the same thing.
The All-day crew in SPW are my wrestling little brothers, and they make me proud with how they have improved so much over a short amount of time. From us training in the ring before SPW would start, to doing security for months, to finally being on the show. Can't wait to see how they evolve and grow over the next few years.
I'm missing a few, but those are the ones I think of at the top of my head.
Q: What are your goals in the next few years that you are aiming for in your current career? You’re ambitious, and that drives you, but do you believe it’s attainable?
A: My next goals are to travel even more and eventually win more titles and get on TV. I feel that if I continue to train and improve my body, my character work as well as my improvement in my day-to-day life, I will eventually get to where I need to go. Every few months, I get closer and closer to the end goal of getting a contract. Whether that be with WWE, AEW, TNA, or whoever, I know I'll get there.
I believe it is obtainable because I am putting in the work to do it. I'm very aware of the ups and downs of this business, and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. But I decide when to quit and move on. And so far, I've been moving forward. I'm excited to see what the future holds.
Q: If you don’t reach your goals, do you think you failed, and if so, how would you think you could overcome that? Would it be a journey that you can say at least you did it, or that it was all for nothing?
A: If I don't reach them, I wouldn't consider it failing. I consider it a failure if I never tried in the first place. To keep it a dream and never put it into action to make it a reality. That I would consider failing, if I break my neck in wrestling tomorrow and my doc says I can never wrestle again, I'd be torn up for sure.
But I can at least say I put in 100% effort and can tell my future kids that their dad had a dream and lived it until he couldn’t do it anymore. And when I get old and gray and it's my time to go, I will die with a memory and not a dream.
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Q: Last question. What do you want people to take away from this interview regarding your work habits, beliefs, and the mentality required to travel and achieve your current dreams?
A: If they get anything from this, I hope it's that sometimes dreams take time to make into a reality. I didn't have the luxury of starting wrestling at an early age like some of my peers. I don't fault them for that, though.
My journey has sometimes had baby steps and big steps into my dream of being a pro wrestler. And even a few steps backwards as well. Some people will have it hard, and some people will have it easy. As long as you stay focused on yourself and your progress, no matter how long it may take, you will get to where you want to go. Even if they are baby steps, keep going.
I wouldn’t be here without my family and my close friends supporting me. Having people who love and support you but also call you out on your BS, I believe, is also very important. To keep your head and ego from over-inflating.
Saving your money and having your own means of transportation is a must in this business. It can be even more difficult otherwise, but it is still doable.
I also do this for my older brother Nick and my aunt Silvia, who passed away years ago. They were integral to me, not as a wrestler but as a human being. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without them. And every time I step out of my home to work, school, or to wrestle, I picture them watching in heaven, making sure I do the right things and being proud when I do.
I hope I make you proud.
I do it all for them.