My four-week trial at the Cleveland Dungeon for pro wrestling training is over. This Thursday I start my real training. This has been a blast so far, and I am excited for what’s ahead.
Two weeks ago things were turned up a notch. The head trainer, Lamont, called me out in front of the other trainees. He told me I was doing exactly what was asked of me, but he wanted to see more. He wanted me to do the exercises quicker, stronger, and more intense instead of just going through the motions. I was smiling inside, thinking he is confident in my form a rhythm doing the drills. On the outside I was out of breath and just nodded my head, saying “ok.”
At the end of the third training session, some other students stayed over to help take apart the ring. They were putting on a live show the next day, so they needed to move the ring to the venue. While I couldn’t stay and help tear the ring down, I went to the show the next day to offer whatever help was needed. One other trainee was there. What surprised me the most about the show was how many other wrestlers came up to shake my hand and make me feel welcome. A few of them remembered me from when they helped Lamont with the training sessions. As me and the other trainee sat towards the back, talking about the training we were going through, we were asked to help videotape the event, since they were a little shorthanded. We would take turns operating the camera at ringside during the match. So we walked around the ring with the camera, stopping and filming the action. When the wrestlers would change position we would move to another corner of the ring to get a better angle. I’m not overly confident in my video camera operation, but they needed help, and that is what I was there for. It was a good time.
On the drive home from the show, which I had to leave at intermission to get more work done on the new house, I started to doubt my ability to commit time to wrestling. Honestly, those doubt haven’t totally gone away. My family and work have to be my first priority. But I really want to pursue this dream. I spent most of that week wondering if I would be able to fit it in to my schedule.
This past weekend, the final training session of the trial period was very cool. We just continued working on bumps (throwing ourselves down to the mat like we just took a hit). Lamont was actually throwing moves at us while we did our bumps. He wasn’t going full speed of full contact, but it was cool to have him deliver a super kick as we would throw ourselves to the mat to take the bump. We also worked on front bumps (flipping over forward, landing on our back to take a bump), which I guess I did pretty well. The trainers and other students kept saying how good I was doing, and asked if I had done anything like this before. Nope, just play soccer. They then joked about giving me a gimmick revolving around being a soccer player with kicks and head butts. All kidding aside, it was cool to hear them talk to me like I will be around for a while and joke about possible gimmicks I could use.
Training ended, and then we got the bad news. Lamont is leaving the gym to take a job in Texas. He is leaving the gym in the hands of the guys he has worked with and help him train others for years. He is confident in them, but I just hope they continue to train and teach the same way Lamont did. He was strict, patient, and had a very simple way of breaking down the movements so they were easy to understand.
After more deliberation, I came to a decision. Since I am 26 years old, and my body will not hold up to this kind of training forever, I need to give this a shot while I can. The schedule will be difficult to maintain, and a lot hinges on me being able to come in to work early one day per week, so I can make it to training on time. This is a time commitment, and with working a minimum of 40 hours a week and raising my family, I have my work cut out for me. But I want to try. I just need to stay focused and be very intentional with how I spend my time.
The trial period is over. The real training starts this week. I just want to ride this thing as long as I can, have some fun, and tell a story along the way. I have already made some friends that have made this whole endeavor worth it. This is the next step towards me becoming a professional luchador.
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