I recently sat down with former ECW star, Bilvis Wesley (Bill Wiles). Bilvis also wrestles for Philadelphia based 3Pwrestling. Bilvis discusses his past, present, and future in the world of professional wrestling. Below is the interview in its entirety:

Steven: Bilvis, thank you for sitting down with me today. Tell the readers how long you have been in professional wrestling and how long you have been involved with 3Pwrestling.

  Bilvis:  I have been wrestling professionally for 7 years now. I have been with 3pw since the beginning of this year.

  Steven: What can the fans expect to see when they attend a 3Pwrestling show?

  Bilvis:  I think these guys put on a well-rounded show, a lot like ECW was. They have great matches from top to bottom. The locker room is full of talent. 3PW has well known ECW guys along with the lesser-known Indy guys. They are all worth the price of admission.

  Steven:  Who or what inspired you to become a professional wrestler?

  Bilvis:  I wrestled as an amateur for six years. I met Balls Mahoney my sophomore year in high school. We became good friends and he started to wrestle pro the next year. He introduced me to Chris Candido and I started to go to shows with them. I never got involved until '95 but it was Balls' insisting that finally got me into the ring. I was a huge wrestling fan. I grew up around it either watching on TV, or going to the shows with Balls.

  Steven:  Tell me a little bit about your character or gimmick.

  Bilvis:  Well Bilvis came about from Paul Heyman. He was the one that said that was going to be my new "Gimmick". It was a progression of the Beautiful Billy "gimmick" with the Dangerous Alliance. I couldn't look like Bobby Eaton much like CW Anderson was a duplicate of Arn Anderson or Lou was with Paul. I had to do something besides stand there and look dumb. So I started to use some of the Elvis influences I picked up over the years. Paul just used it to move on.

  Steven:  What style of wrestling do you present to the fans?

  Bilvis:  I like to keep it on the mat. I am too big to be a high flyer. I used to do all the moonsaults and dives back when I first started. That’s what I thought I needed to do to get "over".  But, if you can "work", you don’t need to do any crazy crap, especially all the hardcore BS. I know a lot of fans want to see that stuff but it isn’t for me. I call it "athletic camouflage". It hides the fact you can't work. Don’t get me wrong there are guys who work like that who are very entertaining. (Examples: Balls and New Jack) I am talking about the guys on the Indy’s that go out and bleed and use barbed wire just so they can go to work or school the next day and say to their buddies, " Hey man, ain’t I crazy, I’m a pro wrestler".  I’m just not like that.

  Steven:  Is there a particular wrestler you like to model your wrestling style after or do you like to stick to your own type of style?

  Bilvis:  I don't copy anyone really. I use a lot of what I learned from many wrestlers. I learned a lot from watching Ricky Steamboat. When I came to ECW, I came at a great time in its history. I learned a great deal from some of the greatest men in the business; Taz, Shane Douglas, Rick Rude, Tommy Rich, Tracy Smothers, the list just goes on.

  Steven:  What kind of training did you endure to become a professional wrestler?

  Bilvis:  My first day at Larry Sharpe’s Monster Factory was indeed interesting. Balls was there, as well as the Headbangers and a few other guys. When they were finished showing me how to fall without killing myself, they began to beat the living hell out of me. I mean after an hour or so I was bleeding from my eye, nose, mouth, ears, and everywhere else you could imagine. After that was done Larry said that if I made it back next week I could train there.

  I used to drive out to the school every Thursday with Balls. We would get there at around noon and the two of us would train till around 6 when the other students would get there. Then, we would stay after everyone left for a few more hours. The school was in a little mall type place. We would hide out until the people at the mall locked everything up. We would then train till all hours of the night.

  Steven:  Whom would you consider your favorite wrestler, past or present, and why?

  Bilvis:  Roddy Piper. He was the greatest heel ever. There was never a time when he was on camera that you didn't watch. There was never a dull moment in any Piper Match or interview.

  Steven:  What inspires you to put in all those hours of training and lay your body on the line night after night?

  Bilvis:  I have been performing since I was about 15. That’s when I started playing drums in a band. Wrestling is like being on stage but you are in a ring. I love being in front of people. I have learned how to make people react any way I want. There is no greater feeling in the world when I stand on the ropes and hold up my hands and hear the fans boo me out the back wall.  If that is the reaction I get then I know I have done my job well.

  Steven:  What do you consider the hardest part about being a pro wrestler?

  Bilvis:  Understanding the fact that you probably will not make it.

  Steven:  What is the biggest highlight of your wrestling career?

  Bilvis:  I think the time I spent in ECW was the greatest thing that has happened to me. I made some great friends there. I met my wife there. (She worked in the office) I will always think the Dangerous Alliance could have been one of the greatest tag teams in ECW if Paul would have just let us go a little longer.

  Steven:  What advise would you give to someone that may be reading this interview and considering entering the wrestling business?

  Bilvis:  Besides don’t? You have to give 100%. You can't go to a wrestling school once a week and think you are going to work for the WWF anytime soon. You also can’t be banging around the backyard with your buddies and think the same thing. Just because some local promoter puts you on his show doesn't make you a pro wrestler. You have to go to a GOOD wrestling school. If you want a job at NASA you don't go to Ocean County College.

  Steven:  Bilvis, thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Good luck and keep in touch.

Bilvis:  Thanks. Before I go, I would like to put over my band. We have an album coming out this month and for anyone interested you may check out our site.  http://www.superdose.com. Thanks again and I will see you at the shows.

  Be sure to check out the 3PW website at www.3pwrestling.com. There you will find all the latest news on the upcoming June 29^th show.