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In my continued effort to help wrestling fans see the
other side of wrestling besides the WWF, I had the opportunity to sit down
with Rick Vyper and Rocco Valentino of Oklahoma Championship Wrestling (OCW).
There is more to the world of professional wrestling than just the WWF.
The Superstars you see today started out their careers in the Independent
ranks as well. Rick and Rocco discuss things such as how they got their
start in wrestling, what is involved with being in the wrestling business,
and where they hope to go in the future. Below is the interview in its
entirety:
Steven: Wrestling fans, I’m here with Rick Vyper and Rocco Valentino of
Oklahoma Championship Wrestling (OCW). How are you guys doing today?
Rocco Valentino: Never better!
Rick Vyper: Not bad!
Steven: Great! Rick I'm going to start with you first. What is your
involvement with OCW?
Rick Vyper: I am the OCW Ring Announcer and a part of the OCW Management
Team.
Steven: How and when did you get your start in the wrestling business?
Rick Vyper: I was with my cousin when I came to my first Indy Show in
Tulsa Oklahoma. It was OPW,
Oklahoma Professional Wrestling, at the time. I then went to one of the owners and asked how I could get
involved. Three weeks later I
was running a video camera and taping the shows for them.
Steven: What made you want to enter into the world of professional
wrestling?
Rick Vyper: I went to their Training School and have been with the group
ever since. I would say that it had to be the excitement as a kid. I loved
watching Pro Wrestling as a child.
Steven: What style of wrestling can the fans expect to see at an OCW show?
Rick Vyper: Everything from old school wrestling to the high flying, hard
hitting pro wrestling action that you see on television today!
Steven: What is involved with putting on an OCW show for the fans?
Rick Vyper: Actually, A TON OF WORK!
Our day starts around 11:00am.
We get to the venue, setup the ring, check lights, sound, cameras,
security, and meet at the gimmick table. We are usually done around 5:45pm
and then open the doors at 6:00pm! It is tough work, but we do it every week!
Steven: Sounds like a lot of work! Who do you consider as an inspiration
to your involvement with pro wrestling and why?
Rick Vyper: My pro wrestling hero as a child was Ricky "The
Dragon" Steamboat. I think I liked him at the time because my Dad's
name was Rick. That was one of the considering factors of my character
name, taking my childhood wrestling hero's first name.
Steven: What goals do you have for your wrestling career and what steps
are you going to take to obtain those goals?
Rick Vyper: I've actually accomplished half of my goal. The highlight of
my career thus far has been getting the chance to ring announce Mick
Foley. Do I want to be the next Howard Finkle? Probably not, but I'd take Michael Cole's job!
I have sent in a tape to the WWF Talent Development area.
I am hoping to hear back from them.
Steven: That sounds like a good plan. Now, let me move on to you Rocco.
Can you tell us a little bit about your character?
Rocco Valentino: Such as? I am a very complex guy.
Steven: Well, what is your character about? What's your gimmick?
Rocco Valentino: No gimmick. I am just a smaller heavyweight that has a
lot of ability and who has to overcome guys that are over 300 pounds.
Steven: How and when did you get involved in pro wrestling?
Rocco Valentino: In 1995, I was bouncing at a nightclub here in town. The
local heavyweight champion happened to be in there watching me throw out
guys twice my size. I didn't have to fight them. I had control over them.
He then asked me to come down to the training facility and try out. I have
an extensive amateur background and a few of the guys were impressed and
took me under their wing.
Steven: What kind of training did you endure to become a pro wrestler?
Rocco Valentino: This company didn't have a training class. I would show
up and get thrown around for a while. The workers there weren't into
teaching new guys. Especially guys that were better built and better
looking. Luckily, Bolo, Zane Morris, and Ian St. James noticed the
potential and started me from scratch.
Steven: Is there a wrestler or wrestlers you like to model your style
after?
Rocco Valentino: Not so much a wrestler. I watch for moves that I like and
then put my own twist on them. I was a big " Sheik" mark growing
up. The original, not the Sheik rip off.
Steven: What would you say is the biggest highlight of your young career
thus far?
Rocco Valentino: I have performed with the WWF in my hometown in front of
9,000 people and had them chanting my name. That was cool. But the coolest
was ending my five-year feud with “The Badman” Jimmy Kane, in a steel
cage.
Steven: Now, I want to ask you the same question I asked Rick. What goals
do you have for your wrestling career and what steps are you going to take
to obtain those goals?
Rocco Valentino: I have reached my goals. I am not one of those guys that
sit at home thinking the WWF will call. I have been in front of more than
1000 fans more than 20 times and 2000 or more fans six times and even
performed in front of 13,000 once. I just want to excel at my level. I am
not going to trot off across the country pretending to be a pro wrestler.
Those days are gone. We have built up one of the best Independent
federations in the country and I want to excel here and make people take
notice of OCW.
Steven: Now, I would like to ask both of you this, what advice would you
like to give to someone that may be reading this column and considering
pro wrestling as a career?
Rick Vyper: Don't get screwed by some cheap Promoter that promises you the
world and gives you nothing! There
are many out there! Check out the OCW Training Academy. Compare pricing
for training schools. Everything
we are saying, we can be back up. We love this business and watch out for our future
Superstars.
Rocco Valentino: Career? The odds are against you. Go to college, get a
degree, and wrestle for fun. If you are big enough and talented enough,
then MAYBE you will make it.
Steven: Guys, I want to thank you for taking time to sit down with me
today. Good luck to both of you and please keep in touch so I can see how
the two of you progress.
Rocco: See you again sometime.
Rick Vyper: Thanks for your time!
Check out the Website at www.oklapro.com. |
