A Metal Master History

Last week I made my long awaited debut in Ring of Honor. I have been training for this "return" since I put the mask back on. I always thought the Metal Master would be a perfect fit into this very intense, hard hitting pro wrestling company. Upon my arrival, I got asked loads of questions about the Metal Master. Where did it come from? When did I start doing it? Who makes my outfit? Why am I the Metal Master now?
With all these questions, I thought it would be a perfect topic for my next blog, so here it goes.
Back in the summer of 2000, I was living in Japan wrestling for the Michinoku Pro and Battlarts promotions. I was wrestling under my real name and was having great matches every night against the likes of the Great Sasuke, Tiger Mask, Jinsei Shinzaki (WWF's Hakushi), and the legendary Gran Hamada. When I wasn't on tour I was living in the Battlarts dojo, a barn on the outskirts of Tokyo. Every morning I would be woke up by chickens outside my window. During the day I would train in the ring, lift weights, and constantly watch wrestling videos of Japanese and American wrestling to learn my craft. This is where I first started to learn the style of Catch Wrestling from Battlarts President and wrestler Yuki Ishikawa. Before shows, I trained with lucha libre master, Apache who is lucha trainer Skyade's top student. Rarely did I go for a night out in Tokyo because I was constantly learning the pro wrestling business. I went out a few times to Roppongi, Tokyo's red light district, with Carl Malenko. Near the end of my 3 month tour, Michinoku Pro referee Ted Tanabe came up to me and said that the next time I came to Japan that I will have a new mask gimmick. I was quite suprised and interested in what this could be, especially after they gave Christopher Daniels the Curry Man gimmick the year before for the 1999 World Mask League Tournament. Ted explained that the gimmick was a present from Jinsei and it would be like "gladiator". At the time, the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe was a big hit in cinemas worldwide and I was very excited to see how this idea was going to turn out.
Two years had passed and I had completed 4 more tours with Michinoku without being given the Gladiator gimmick. I was still wrestling under my real name. I thought maybe they had forgotten about it.
In 2002, I signed a developmental contract with WWE where I was assigned to the HWA developmental territory in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I signed the contract I asked for permission from John Laurinaitus if I could still travel to Japan for wrestling tours and he didn't seem to have a problem with it. In June of that year, I recieved an email from Mr. Sasuke wanting to know if I could come to Japan in July to participate in the 6 week Tohoku Jr. Heavyweight Title tournament. I called John immediately and was granted permission to do the tour. A few weeks later, right before I was to leave for Japan, John called to inform me I was being released from my contract. I really didn't have a problem with it because I knew I was going to Japan the next week and would be paid severance pay from WWE AND earn Japanese wages. That week Sasuke emailed to inform me that this would be the tour I start the gladiator gimmick and be a mystery competitor in the tournament . I would become METAL MASTER!! I wish I still had that email!
I couldn't wait to get to Japan to see what this outfit would look like. When I got off the plane, I hopped on a bullet train to Morioka where I met Mister Cacao aka Macho Pump, who was not only a wrestler but a very skillful mask and costume maker. As we were going up the escalator he handed me a beautiful blue mask that resembled Boba Fett from Star Wars. The mask had no openings for my eyes or mouth and it would become very uncomfortable and hot during the hot Japanese Summer. The character really caught fire in Michinoku and was undefeated the first 4 weeks of tournament. In my first match as Metal Master, I defeated masked Japanese legend and Michinoku Pro President, The Great Sasuke in the opening match of the tournament. After 6 weeks of being the Metal Master, I really wanted to continue with it when I returned home from Japan. At the time I had been corresponding with Ring of Honor match maker Gabe Sapolsky about coming in for the company as soon as my WWE contract was finished in October. I asked Gabe about coming in as Metal Master but he seemed more interested in me wrestling under my real name since I had already established myself in the states on the Indies and on WWE TV under my real name. I didn't complain about it though. I was totally fine with wrestling as myself.
I did two more tours of Japan as the Metal Master in 2003 but did not wrestle under the mask again until 2004 in England for All Star Wrestling promotions when I was asked "to do the double". I gave no thought of a full-time return as the Metal Master at the time.
For the next two years, I traveled all over the world wrestling under my real name and trying to get a job with WWE.In 2006, I got in incredible shape and went to have a tryout match in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for WWE. I had a great match with MNM and came back to the back to have John Laurinaitus tell me that he would never hire me unless I came in with a character such as Eugene, or the Ultimate Warrior. I was devastated. It was time for a change.
In the summer of 2006, I was working the Butlins camps in England for All Star Wrestling. One night in Bognor Regis I woke up in the middle of the night from a dream that had me wrestling under a mask in a really cool looking outfit. I couldn't go back to sleep because I was really excited and was thinking of all the new possibilities of me reinventing myself. The next morning I hopped on a train with Cannonball Grizzly to go to the airport to fly out to Austria for a weekend of wrestling shows for Chris The Bambikiller. I told Griz of my new plan and he seemed surprised that I wanted to change up my act.
For the next several months, I was trying to come up with a design and name for this new masked character I wanted to become. One day I was brainstorming ideas about what kind of wrestling style I wanted to have, the look I wanted, interview style, etc. and it just hit me that I was describing exactly what the Metal Master was. I will just reinvent the Metal Master!
I first started to design a new mask since the first mask Michinoku made me was an exact copy of the Robin Mask character from the Kinnikumen: Ultimate Muscle cartoons. I decided to keep it similar, only to have holes for my eyes and mouth. I first sent the design to Japanese mask maker IMAI, and he sent me a horrible and embarrassing looking Metal Master mask. There was no way I was going to wrestle in this thing. To be fair, the design I sent IMAI was not very detailed. I then contacted the original Metal Master mask maker, Mister Cacao, and sent him a few very detailed drawings of the new mask I wanted. About a month later, he finished the mask and sent me a pictures....I was totally blown away with what he created for me!
A few weeks later, in Tokyo Japan I returned as the Metal Master in an 8 man tag that featured Jushin Thunder Lyger. The new costume that Mister Cacao made for me was very professional and beautiful looking, much like the dream I had a year earlier in Bognor Regis. I never looked back from this moment on and have been the Metal Master ever since. Since the return I have traveled and performed all over Europe, Japan, and America as the Metal Master. In 2009 I achieved a Metal Master goal by being invited to participate in the 2009 Super 8 tournament. Last weekend another goal was achieved when I stepped in the Ring of Honor ring to wrestle two very good matches that I was very proud of. I hope to return to ROH this summer for a big run. I have many big plans as the Metal Master so stay tuned right here for more big news!

The Metal Master vs The Great Sasuke from 2002

My first match as the Metal Master vs the Japanese legend, the Great Sasuke. This match took place in Japan, July 2002. I hope you appreciate the change in costume as much as I do!

The Metal Master vs The Great Sasuke (2002) by themetalmaster

Goals 2010

I have alot fo goals I want to accomplish in 2010 for myself and my pro wrestling career. I made alot for 2009 too and did accomplish some but not as many as I set out to do. I believe the reason for this is that I didn't set small goals throughout the year to help me reach what I wanted at the end of the year. This year I am going to set monthly and weekly goals to help ensure I arrive at my destination sometime before the end of 2010.
I have realized that wrestling goals are very hard to set because so much has to do with bookers and promoters that have to do with your success. I always try to better myself by learning more moves, becoming more physically fit,making more money, and just working harder in my matches. These can be difficult to measure. It is hard to make more money or set a certain amount you want to make when nobody books you! This has been a big problem especially recently when spots are very tight in the top wrestling companies. All the wrestlers are job scared and are worried about recommending somebody with talent because they don't want to lose their own spot. This is a loser mentality. Instead of thinking competitively, one needs to start thinking creatively. By eliminating competitive thinking and being creative opens more jobs and the fans win with a better product.
I will share some of my goals with you. I won't get too specific because many are private but I do want to mention a few because I want YOU to hold me to them!
I have chosen to learn a new foreign language. The past two years I have learned Japanese and Spanish and this year I have chosen a new one that I will keep to myself for now. I hope to reveal it in a month or so.
I am vowing to get in the best shape of my life by sticking with the P90X program that I started mid-November.
I vow to give the best performance on every show I work on. Usually I am a 'spot on the card', team player kind of wrester but I am considering being more selfish in 201o and aiming to be the best match and hardest working wrestler on each show I do in 2010.
My last vow I am going to share is to update my website and blog at least twice a week for the whole year. I have alot of exciting things I want to share this year and no better way than this blog and my awesome website that Freire Design created for me.
I hope you all have a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous 2010. Thanks for stopping by!

Best Matches of 2009

2009 is almost coming to a close so I thought I would reflect back and think about the best matches I had this year. I had an excellent opportunity to travel the world once again this year that I am very grateful for. I must say I had a really good year of quality matches but 5 really stick out as ones I am very proud of and will always remember. I really hope I have more to write about in 2010! Here are my favorite matches of 2009, in no particular order.

The Metal Master vs Alex Shelley part 1 in Omaha Nebraska
This match was at an outdoor Water park in Omaha, with probably about 500 in attendance. I hadn't wrestled Alex Shelly since 2003 when he first started and wow had he improved. This was the first match in years that my memory and conditioning was truly challenged. Alex has wrestled epic matches for TNA week after week for the past several years including matches in Japan at the Tokyo Dome and this one was no different. This night we went about 20 minutes with some classic technical British style wrestling at the beginning and some Japanese style nearfalls at the end. It had been years that I wrestled a more Japanese style match and I was quite proud of my performance and our result. Metal Master wins with the jackhammer!

The Metal Master vs Alex Shelley part 2 in Warrington, Iowa
This match was at Warrington High School and was a fundraiser for High School buses. Alex and I had a much different match tonight. The crowd was very hot and we had a very sound psychological match. More excellent mat wrestling at the beginning as you would expect out of me and Alex. What surprised me the most is how good I felt in these matches with Alex considering I hadn't been tested like this in a long time. This match was very psychologically sound with a slow build until a climactic finish and the fans were very appreciative and receptive for everything we did. We brought alot of emotion with back and forth chops, forearms, and kicks with many close nearfalls at the end but Alex won this one with the frog splash.

The Metal Master vs Bruiser Bradley (Aylesbury, England)
This match took place in Aylesbury, England and was the first time Bruiser and I had been in the ring since 1997 when he and Dean Malenko trained me in Tampa Florida. I hadn't even seen Bruiser since training let alone have a match together. We finally met up here and we picked up right where we left off. I felt totally comfortable in the ring with him and performed in a way in this match that I normally don't do in others due to trust issues. Crowd was "shit hot" for the entire match that included him whipping me with his bullrope, and me hitting a top rope moonsault onto him which I rarely do. No typical cheerleading in this match that you see in alot of British shows these days. Just good psychological hard fought back and forth pro wrestling. Finish saw Bradley hit me with the cowbell for the 1-2-3.

The Metal Master vs Mike Mondo (Louisville, KY, USA)
This match took place in the quarterfinals of the OVW TV title tournament. Mike and I had been looking forward to getting in the ring with each other for weeks and it really paid off. Danny Davis, the owner of OVW, told both of us after the match it was the best OVW match in the last 5 years. What a compliment considering all the great WWE talent that have been through the OVW territory!! We went 22 minutes in this match where I caught Mike in several Alloy Crossfaces but the final one made him tap out with only 30 seconds remaining in the TV match!!

The Metal Master vs Apoc (Frankfort, KY, USA)
It's too bad my matches with the talented Apoc were not in front of larger audiences because we really tore it up when we got in the ring together. Apoc is a very smart wrestler and is experienced in all forms of pro wrestling. This particular match took place at the Frankfort Civic Center in front of oh, about 65 people! We did alot of old school style wrestling at the beginning of the match that the fans in attendence really appreciated and probably hadn't seen in 20 years! I made a very hot comeback and pinned Apoc with the brainbuster.

Metal Master vs JT Starr

Here is a match between myself as Metal Master vs the talented JT Starr from this summer's HWA TV taping in Peoria, Illinois. The production quality of this match is outstanding and I have no idea if HWA is still doing TV. Enjoy the match and let me know what you think!

The Metal Master vs Mike Mondo

I had a great match a few weeks ago with Mike Mondo, formerly known as Mikey with the WWE's Spirit Squad. I was very proud of this match and I hope to report more Metal Master vs Mike Mondo matches in the future. You can check out the match in its entirety at the OVW Official Website or the edited version right here.

OVW TV Debut this Saturday!

Last Wednesday the Metal Master made his OVW TV debut at Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky against OVW TV Champion Jamon! This will also be the first time the Metal Master has appeared on American TV. Look forward to see the Metal Master every Saturday night on the following channels:
TV Stations carrying OVW:
Saturdays @ 9:00 PM on WOBZ-TV 9 in London, KY
Saturdays @ 11pm on the CW in Louisville, KY
Saturdays @ 11:00pm on WKYT-TV in Lexington, KY

The Metal Master also has a new look! The older gear was very delicate and easy to tear which restricted the Metal Master's movement in the ring. This newer gear makes it much easier to move around and perform more spectacular moves and holds.

The face cannot betray the years until the mind has given its consent. The mind is the sculptor.

We renew our bodies by renewing our thoughts; change our bodies, our habits, by changing our thoughts.

Dreamwave Wrestling

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to make a long 6 hour journey to La Salle, Illinois and back but it was well worth it!! This exciting new wrestling promotion is called Dreamwave and has some of the best wrestling fans I've ever been around. Unlike most "indy" feds these days, this promotion targets a family audience which is what pro wrestling has always been for anyways. There were no corny dueling chants or fans trying to "get themselves over." Nor was there any blood or swearing in the crowd or in the ring. I had a quick match against John E. Black which allowed me time to mingle with the fans and watch one of my childhood favorites, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake in action.

I am happy to say that I will be on the next several Dreamwave shows. The next one is July 18 in La Salle, IL at the Knights of Columbus. If you are a wrestling fan and live in this area I do recommend you checking this fed out especially if you have children to bring.

The Metal Master vs Ringo Ryan

The Metal Master vs Ringo Ryan
Uploaded by themetalmaster. - Discover the latest sports and extreme videos.

Here is a match from last summer at the Blackpool Tower Circus in Blackpool, England vs Ringo Ryan.

Fatty

What is the matter with the majority of people who are contented to drift through life in a state of flabby weakness, more or less tired all the time? Is it pure ignorance? I cannot think that. Do you suppose for one minute that most people don't know that exercise will build strength? Why, every child knows that exercise builds muscle and energy and endurance. Surely the poor physical condition of our people is not because they don't know how t hey can gain strength. Then what is the matter with them? If you are among these people who are physically below standard, just why is it in your own case? Do you know? Have you ever stopped to think about it? You would feel humiliated if you thought you were mentally below standard. Your pride would be hurt too much if any one thought you feeble-minded. Then why are you satisfied to be feeble-bodied?

You can put a period of exercise in your daily routine just as you include shaving. You cannon escape shaving, and so you do it and do not mind it. But you can just as easily put 15 minutes or more of exercise in your morning routine, and you will not mind it. Indeed, you will like it because you feel so much better.

You don't need a gymnasium. You don't need apparatus. All you need is conviction, deep in your heart, that you want to be the man that you should be, the feeling that you must be at your best, and nothing less than that. It is not will-power that you want. Will-power is supposed to be something that helps you to do something against your inclinations. What you need is to change your inclinations, if necessary, so that you want to be fine, superb, specimen that you should be.

Why Grow Old?

It is an insult to your Creator that your brain should begin to ossify, that your mental powers should begin to decline when you have only reached the half-century milestone. You ought then to be in your youth. What has the appearance of old age to do with youth? What have gray hair, wrinkles, and other evidences of age to do with youth? Mental power should constantly increase. There should be no decline in years. Increasing wisdom and power should be the only signs that you have lived long, that you have been many years on this planet. Strength, beauty, magnificence, superiority, not weakness, uselessness, decrepitude, should characterize a man who has lived long.

As long as you hold the conviction that you are sixty, you will look it. Your thought will out-picture itself in your face, in your whole appearance. If you hold the old-age ideal, the old-age conviction, your expression must correspond. The body is the bulletin board of the mind.

On the other hand, if you think of yourself as perpetually young, vigorous, robust, and buoyant, because every cell in the body is constantly being renewed, decrepitude will not get hold of you.

New Metal Master DVD available for FREE!!

I have finally decided to update my official site with the news of a new Metal Master DVD. I am giving the DVD away for FREE with the purchase of a Metal Master mask! Also included in this package is a free autograph picture. Included in this DVD are all matches from my recent European tour. They are:

The Metal Master vs Doug Williams

The Metal Master vs Robbie Dynamite

The Metal Master and Christian Eckstein vs Doug Williams and Kawabata

I am also running a special on T-shirts for $10. I have a limited number left. Mostly Smalls and Mediums. I am getting these cleared out for a new shirt to be presented later this summer. You can find these products all in the Metal Master merchandise section on the menu above. I accept PAYPAL payment ONLY! Items are shipped either same day or next.

I will, however, have this same special at the wrestling shows I am booked on. I have also updated my schedule with dates for June. Hope to see you at the matches!

The Wrestler

The European tour I am currently on has been an absolutely blast so far. I arrived two weeks ago in England but immediately had to leave that evening to Italy for a weekend wrestling show for the ICW promotion. I had a super match with Charlie Kidd and also enjoyed conducting two wrestling seminars for the Italian wrestlers. I returned to England for two days before having to leave for Paris, France to wrestle for 4 days for the Catch Wrestling Stars promotion. The tour went really well as we performed in front of over 1,000 wrestling fans every night in major French arenas.
This Saturday I fly to Ireland for 8 days of wrestling shows for long-time wrestlng promoter Orig Williams. When I return to England it looks like I'll be starting in the middle of a very busy All Star Wrestling tour. This will go on until the end of April. I hope to report more European bookings while I am here in the UK.
Last night, myself and one of my trainers, Jeff Bradley had the opportunity to go see The Wrestler. I really enjoyed the movie because its what I experience every day being in the wrestling business. However, I thought the movie presented the very ugly side of professional wrestling. I can happily say I've never had any problems with drugs shown in the movie. It was great to see some of my friends like Nigel McGuinness in the movie though. Feel free to send any comments to me via this website on your opinions of the film.
Make sure you also check out my new Metal Master Facebook and Metal Master Dailymotionwebsites!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everybody. One of my many New Year vows is to update this site more often than I did in 2008. I’d like to update once a week with news updates, blogs, and YouTube videos from my most recent matches. That is the plan! I am really looking forward to this year especially after having an incredible 2008 all over Europe. I am back in the United States right now but looking forward to return to Italy and France this month for some pro wrestling events. I am also in negotiations with some other wrestling promotions abroad and hope to have news on those very soon.
There is new merchandise available here at the website including Metal Master masks, keychains and 8x10 pictures. I am also running a sale on the Metal Master 2007 shirts for $10. I am hoping to have some new Metal Master shirts in April 2009.
For those of you that have Facebook, there is a new Metal Master fan page. Please go to
Metal Master Facebook

Tagging with Jonny Storm in FCW next month

Next month at the FCW show in Birmingham i finally get the chance to tag up with Jonny Storm. Yes, tag up, not wrestle him like we've done all over the UK since 2001. We'll be facing the team me Rigor mortis and saul adams. Should be great. Its been a while since i've last posted but there really hasn't been too exciting to write since i've been stuck wrestling the same guys at butlins day after day. The schedule for All Star really picks ur at the end of april and I'LL be performing on sometimes as many as 9 shows a week. I hope to report some very BIG news for this summer as i am currently in negotiations with a major american wrestling promotion. More on this later when i know its official. I have toe next two days off and plan on making the most of it by training at the gym, reading, and hopefully catch a movie for the first time since arriving here in december. Any suggestions from anybody?

Willy's Wonky Chocolate Factory

I have to write about my current favorite show on UK television tonight. It is Willy's Wonky Chocolate Factory. It is an inspring documentary about Willy Harcourt-Cooz's mission to be the first chocolate producer to grow and make 100 per cent cacao from bean to bar. Not only does he make the normal famous chocolate recipes but he uses his cacao in recipes like gazpacho and partridge. I find the show very inspring for Willy's determination and perseverance to get his cacao out into the market. If anybody is interested in this show I highly recommend it. I've been watching it the past couple Sunday's here in England, and it's the only show on UK TV that I take the time to watch. Here is a link to more info on the show as well as recipes. Willy's Wonky Chocolate Factory
Stay tuned for more blog entries. Hopefully have some more wrestling videos to post soon.

Boris Malenko's 10 Philosphies on Life

When I was training at the Malenko Pro Wrestling dojo in Tampa in 1997 there was a poster on the wall that mentioned Boris Malenko's (Dean and Joe's father) philosphies of life as a pro wrestler. These have always been some of my favorite quotes to live by while in the pro wrestling business so I thought I would mention them here in today's blog. The number one quote is my favorite and one that I mention regularly to those that aspire to become a successful pro wrestler. Here they are:
Boris Malenko's 10 Philosophies of Life

10. Your eyes are the windows to your soul

9. He is a Legend in his own Mind

8. Any injury: Overhead Pulley, Lots of Reps

7. The Ocean is nature's whirlpool

6. Don't make a Blizzard out of a Fart!

5. Don't go around the World to get across the street

4. There are two types of promoters: Bad and Worst

3. Believe none of what you hear; and half what you see

2. Everything is a work

1. In the Land of the Blind, One eye is King

The Metal Master vs Robbie Dynamite

Here are highlights of one of my favorite matches I've had since coming to England. I hope to have more matches with Robbie Dynamite soon. This match is from the sold out All Star Wrestling show in Southend's Cliff Pavilion on January 29, 2008.

The Metal Master vs James Mason

Here is a match from the All Star Wrestling event at Hayes Becks Theatre last Saturday night between myself and James Mason. I've always rated James as the best British pro wrestling performer for several years now. It is always a pleasure to go on with him. Hopefully I'll have more matches between us to put on my video blog while I'm here in the UK.

Metal Dragon vs The Liverpool Lads

Here is a video of my match I had last week in Aldershot. I've been looking forward to this match since The American Dragon had arrived in England to be my tag team partner. Let me know what you think of it. I hope you enjoy it! Sorry about the quality. WMV files are not the best quality but they are the quickest to upload. I should have more posts up this week since I have five days off. I plan on hitting the gym very hard. I hope to have some of my workouts posted here on my blog. I know the new poll is a little premature but am just curious where you all would like to see me wrestle at in the USA.

Butlins

The past two weeks I've been working the Butlins Holiday Camp shows. The atmosphere on these shows are incredible. I"d have to say we perform before an average audience of 1000 people every night. The drives can be downright awful though. We average 6-8 hours a day on the road, depending on the traffic. This really bothers my knees alot but I've been doing alot of knee circle exercises before my matches and this seems to work really well. I try to live on the cheap while I'm doing the camps so I can save up as much money as I can. My diet has consisted of Tuna/Oranges/Water, and I've been saving money by doing my combat conditioning either in my room or in the ring before the show. This saves me from spending money by going to a gym nearby.

I have two more camp shows this week and then I am wrestling in Salisbury on Saturday. Salisbury is one of my favorite halls to wrestle in here in the UK. The lighting in the hall, and the seating arrangment makes it for a great atmosphere to perform in front of. It doesn't hurt that every seat will be full as well! I'm adding a few pics today to this blog from my tag match earlier this month in Southampton that consisted of myself tagging with the American Dragon against Rene Dupree and Carl Oulette.

Liverpool Empire show

Just finished performing tonight at the famous Empire theatre in Liverpool. Sell out crowd of 2500 people attended the show that featured me tagging with American Dragon, Carl Oulette, and Rene Dupre against Team UK. Great match but not one me my best performances of my tour thus far. I'm crammed into a van now heading to do 11 straight days me camp shows. Many of our shows now start off with a local professional dance group performing so i'm putting this pic up that was taken tonight. Enjoy the youtube videos of my matches. Should have more up this week from my camp show run.

Tagging with American Dragon

Had a great time last week in Southampton teaming for the first time with the American Dragon. We took on the Canadian team of Carl Oulette and Rene Dupre. Hopefully we will find more time to team up while the Dragon is on tour here in the UK. Enjoy the video!!

Awesome show in Southend

Last night in Southend was one of the best shows I've been on in years. I also had one of the best matches I've had in a long time against Robbie Dynamite. The crowd of over 1,500 was electric all night long for the show which is how wrestling SHOWS are supposed to be. Unfortunately, many independent wrestling promotions forget that they're actually putting on a show to entertain people and instead put on these miserable 5 hour long events. I refuse to call them shows because they're obviously not entertaining the spectators after the first 2.5 hours. I hope word gets out soon on the style of shows that All Star Promotions puts on because alot can be learned from them and hopefully help the business over here and in the states.

I was very proud of the match I had with Robbie Dynamite. Robbie keeps getting better and is one of the best talents here in Europe. I did more high flying last night with Robbie which is what I'm trying to add more of to my performances. The Jackhammer proved once again to be a valuable specialty move as it got me the win and a huge reaction from the fans.

Next show is Friday in Telford. Hope to have more great news after that show as well.

Busy weekend

Only three shows this weekend but all were sell outs. I'm on my back now to Liverpool from Wolverhampton on a boss Virgin train which is where the pic is also taken. So far the move to england has been a great success. The wrestling business is hotter over here than it has been since 2001. I think this is the year the business is going begin going through another surge. WWE, Mexico, and here in Europe is noticing larger crowds and better business. Hopefully Japan can pick it up soon again as well. Another busy week of training and wrestling to look forward to. I hope to get in the best shape ever this year through a combination of combat conditioning, high rep weight training, and deep breathing exercises. Check out the new poll to vote for who you think is the best female pro wrestler today. This should be am interesting one. MM

Metal Master wins again in York

Had a great match tonight at the York opera house. It was a beautiful old fashion british theatre. Pictured is me sitting in one me the stalls before the beginning of the show. The sold out crowd witnessed me defeat johnny midnight with the jackhammer. Tomorrow night is a big match vs dean 2extreme in birkenhead. Hopefully i can keep the streak going. Stay tuned:-)

Back from La Reunion

Well I am back from La Reunion and have brought back a terrible sun burn. The crew and I decided last Friday we'd go and see this huge volcanic mountain that was on the island. However, we didn't know that we would be climbing it! Climbing the mountain was very exhausting which wore everybody out. Unfortunately, the next two days I had to wrestle with this horrible sun burn. It was not easy to do but I was able to get through both matches. The first match was a 20 minute draw against France-Catch European Champion Ares, and the second against talented German wrester Stevie Douglas.

I am looking forward to the All Star series here in England. Coming next week is the "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. I am hoping I get to face him on the town hall shows. I think this would be a great treat for the fans as well as myself because he really is one of the most talented performers in our business today. Also hoping for a Metal Master vs Gangrel matchup.

Please check out the links and the new poll I have added here to the blog. I hope I can make this blog very popular so everybody can visit to not only read but participate in as well.

Feel free to leave comments. I hope to have some New Years vows for 2008 coming up in my next blog. Stay tuned....

Christmas Day 2007

Merry Christmas to everybody! Today is my first Christmas abroad. It is also my first Christmas ALONE!!! I live by myself here in Liverpool and all my British friends are enjoying the Holiday with their families. I have kept myself busy today by doing laundry from the weeks worth of wrestling matches that I've had, dishes, and cooking. It's just a normal day for me it seems. I have called my family back home and told them that I miss them and that I hope they're enjoying their time together. My brother Shaun and his family are home, and I regret not seeing them.

I also managed to get a short workout in this morning that consisted of some deep breathing exercises that I learned from Matt Furey's Combat Abs, and I also did 200 Hindu Squats.
Early tomorrow morning I am back on the road again that consists of 6 straight days of Butlins Holiday Camps, then I'm off to France on January 2 for two weeks of wrestling work at La Reunion, an Island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.

I'm looking forward to posting some of my VOWS for 2008. Yes, Vows, not resolutions. Last year I made vows and I was able to keep all of them, unlike other years where I made corny resolutions and not keep any of them.

Hope everybody enjoys their Christmas, and I look forward to posting again soon. In the meantime check out my official website and official myspace .

First week in the UK 2007

I’ve arrived in England and have been very busy wrestling, training, and trying to settle into my apartment at the same time. I’ve changed my training regime around a bit. It’s been over 16 months since I’ve last lifted weights and have trained exclusively on bodyweight training alone. I’ve added some simple weight training exercises to my “combat conditioning” style of training. I’ve also added time working out in the sauna to conclude my workouts. Below have been my workouts this week:
Monday
50 Hindu Pushups with Portable Power Jumper
100 Regular Pushups with Power Pushup 2
25 Dive Bomber Pushups
Bench Press: 50 repetitions with 135 lbs.
Sauna 17 minutes: 100 Hindu Squats, 100 regular pushups

Tuesday
40 Pullups (4x10; different grips: pronated, supinated, close grip, mixed grip)
3x15 Rows (pronated grip bent row, supinated grip bent row, seated row)
3x15 Lat Pulldown
Sauna 25 minutes: 150 Hindu Squats

Wednesday
Hand Stand Pushups 3x 10
Chest Expander exercises
Wall Walking 3x10
Shoulder Press 50 reps at 135 lbs
Bridging 3 minutes
Abdominals

New Cape! New Mistresses!

My recent trip to Japan was great mostly because I got a new cape and some ladies to take to the ring with me. Unfortunately, I had to leave the ladies in Japan but purchased the new cape to take home and wear to the ring. I am thinking about purchasing the ladies' Metal Mistress gear so I can take to all my shows and maybe have some beautiful area ladies accompany me to the ring wearing the outfits.
My experience with the wrestling company I worked for, Zero One MAX, was not a good one. The company showed no respect towards me whatsoever. No plane ticket, no contract, no hotel, no schedule, no work visa. As unprofessional as their company may be, their wrestlers are top notch. I was very happy with the match that I had with a young Battlarts wrestler named SAWA. He is one to watch for, and I'm happy that the Battlarts promotion, that I worked for in 2000, is making a comeback. I do not plan on returning to Z-1 MAX, but hopefully will be returning to Japan shortly for another company, preferrably MUGA.
My 3 day trip to Germany was much more fun than my Japan trip. My friend, Fischi, took great care of me and I rewarded her with free tickets to all the shows. I was very proud of all my matches in Hannover, especially my match with Doug Williams. Doug is an outstanding performer and one of my favorites to get in the ring and mix it up with. Of the best 5 matches I've ever had, I'd have to say one of them is a match with Doug in Salisbury, England. Unfortunately, I do not have that one on video. The treatment by the EWP promotion was excellent as always and I will always love the opportunity to come back and work for them.
That is all for now. Hopefully be back soon with more!
Take care,
MM

Indy Wrestling; Benoit; Training

Hello everybody! Sorry it's been over a week since my last post. Haven't had much to write since I've mostly spent the past week starting up my own Personal Trainer business, and trying to get wrestling bookings. It is almost a waste of time to go out and work on getting independent bookings. Independent wrestling, really is only slight step higher than backyard wrestling. There are rarely professionally trained "wrestlers" and can be very dangerous getting in the ring with most of them because their top priority is not safetey, but showing off their cool moves that learned from watching lucha libre and japanese wrestling. Not to mention, the pay is rotten; however, right now I'm just trying to get exposure and work on some new moves so I'm not really that interested in pay as much as I am improving on my game, and "character."
I do have to put over the NWA Indiana promotion based out of Lafayette, Indiana. They are without a doubt my favorite independent organizatioin to work for. There top priority is drawing lots of people and entertaining them with a quality family entertainment show. While a vast majority of independent promotions are advertising their shows on myspace and their message boards, NWA Indiana actually advertise in papers, radio, put flyers in pizza place boxes, etc., and usually draw over 300 per show as compared to 50 like most others that I do. They do not have more than 6 matches on a show, and usually finish up a little over two hours so the fans aren't burned out. Seriously, I have actually worked many shows that last over 4 hours. I couldn't imagine going to watch a movie that lasts 4 hours. Pro Wrestling shows shouldn't be any different.

I have been talking to some major promotions in Japan and Mexico, and hope to have some big news soon concerning international tours.

I could probably write about the Chris Benoit tragedy, but really I can't say anything that hasn't been said already. He was a super person, and the most dedicated professional wrestler/athlete I have ever been around. Something set this man off weeks ago and the only ones that will ever know what truly caused all this are Chris and Nancy. I will never forget his friendliness and encouragement towards me, along with his dedication and work ethic to be the absolute best.

Been doing my workouts this week in the mornings as I've volunteered to open up the high school weight room in town here for the athletes. I do not lift weights anymore, as I quit doing weight training last summer while I was in Europe. I only do bodyweight calistenics now, and it is amazing how much better my body feels. I am pain-free now, as opposed to having back, knee, and shoulder problems when I was weight training.

I plan on giving some samples and pictures of my training routines soon.

Have a great day!

The Metal Master

Welcome!

Hello everybody and welcome to the new Metal Master website. I hope to update my blog regularly with wrestling news, diet/fitness advice, along with my thoughts of today's pro wrestling world.

I really hope to update my wrestling calendar soon. It is not that I have neglected to update it, I just do not have many wrestling bookings in the month of July. I have a few to add but it appears to be a very slow month so far. I do have other things going on that are keeping me busy though. I have been training everyday, along with training other people as well. I have also been reading several books a week along with learning my Japanese and Spanish languages on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, the HWA closed its doors last Tuesday. I started my career with the HWA and I hope it returns again soon in some shape or form. Hopefully we hear something from Cody Hawk soon about the return of the "HWA".

Well that is all for today. Hope to write more soon. Take a look around the new website and let me know what you think!
Thanks,

The Metal Master

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