Age: 34
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 192 lbs.
Who trained you, and what was the experience like?
I started training with Jesse Hernandez in San Bernardino, California. I wrestled there for a couple years, training at his school everyday. From there I branched out to UPW in Huntington Beach and started training at their school. There I met Kevin Quinn. He trained Christopher Daniels as well as CM Punk, Colt Cabana, Ace Steel, and all of those Chicago guys. He had come to UPW to be a writer, and head trainer of the school. Then he broke off and had his own school in California, so I stayed and trained with him.
Then eventually the New Japan dojo opened up in late 2001 and I was invited to come down. Antonio Inoki was there all the time, as well as Ken Shamrock, Frank Trigg, Lyoto Machida, Wallid Ismail and all those UFC fighters.
Along with myself was Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, and Rocky Romero. We all just trained there together. I like training so I'll just go train wherever, like I moved to Puerto Rico for a year and I trained with Glamour Boy Shane, and other guys I wrestled with that had schools throughout Puerto Rico. And on my off days I would just go find a gym and work out. I really trained all over. When I lived in Mexico I trained with Negro Casas, Shocker, and Vampiro. Anywhere I could go and learn something from somebody, I just did. To this day I still train every week.
 |
| Reyes facing off with CM Punk in Ring of Honor |
You have worked for promotions all over the world, do you have a favorite company or promoter to work for?
I wouldn't say that I have one particular promoter or company. I just enjoy wrestling in general. Everywhere you go, you enjoy it for different reasons. Like in Puerto Rico, working for Carlos Colon was like a dream come true. I mean you live in San Juan rent free on the beach, and your schedule is wrestling on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You have interviews Thursday nights at the office, and the rest of the week you're just hanging out on the beach, going to the gym, and getting into trouble.
I love wrestling in Japan. That's my favorite place to wrestle just because of the atmosphere, and the work ethic that's there. With the Japanese wrestlers there's no easy night, and you elevate your game. Even when you come back from Japan you still have that fire in you for a long time.
Wrestling in Mexico was unbelievable, I mean it was wild. The fans there are insane. They're so hot everywhere you go, like in Mexico City and everywhere you go the crowds are unbelievable.
And now as far as the independents I do here, I wouldn't say that I like any particular one more than the other. I enjoy everywhere I work. It's not like I wake up and say, "God, I gotta go to work at this place" or "I hate that place". If I don't like where I wrestle, I just don't go there anymore.
You've had several tryouts with WWE, how stressful is it knowing that your performance could make or break you in the eyes of company officials?
It's not stressful in the sense that my performance could make or break me in the company. The fact of the matter is, I'm a good all around wrestler. There is more of that there now, but there's not too many guys there who can do what I do, like wrestle all different styles and have trained all over the world.
What's stressful there is, knowing what to do or not to do. You want to go there and express that you're interested in working for the company as everybody is. But you just never know with them. You don't know if they are interested, if they like you or don't like you. There are so many people you have to impress. But if they are interested in you they're going to keep inviting you back, which is what they're doing now.
All I know is, when I go there I take care of what I can control, which is my performance in the ring. And doing the best I can to voice the fact that I want to be there. In my eyes I feel that I deserve to be there. I've worked very hard for years and years, and I made it my goal this year to try to get into the WWE. At the beginning of the year I made it my goal because I had already toured Japan ten times, I've wrestled in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, and I've been all over the world. And I feel that I am more polished than I've ever been, and I have something I can contribute to the company. I didn't want to be one of those guys that people looked at and said, "This guy is all jacked up and looks good. Lets sign him", And then just sit there and rob money from the company, and be one of those guys that are there for a minute and then they're gone.
I feel I can contribute, and I can help. The past few times I've been there this year there's been a really good vibe from all the guys, and all the office personnel. Everybody who comes into contact with me, it's the same positive vibe. With them it's just a timing thing. It's one of those things that, with everything that's happened to me with them this past year, I still don't know. You're on their time. They'll come get you when they're ready. But like I said, when I go there all I can do is worry about myself, and whatever challenges they give me, I do it to the best of my ability and hope for the best.
Tell us, who is Ricky Reyes?
I would say that right now the best all around wrestler in the country. I say that knowing that everywhere that I've gone, and everywhere I've been I worked at learning that style from those wrestlers. No one can out wrestle me, in any particular fashion or style.
There is a lot more to me than a lot of people see, character wise. People only see me in one light because of how I've been highlighted, like in my Ring of Honor years. But there's a lot more to what it is I bring to the table. If you go as far as to look through You Tube and follow what I'm doing, you will see that there is a lot more to me. But at the end of the day, I just love wrestling. I love what I do.
There's a ton of good guys out there, but there are very few who actually get it. And a big thing for me is understanding what it is that you're going out there to do every night. And doing it to the fullest, weather you are the main event, the first match, or anywhere in between. It doesn't matter if it's a grudge match, or a heated feud or whatever. There is something that you have to develop when you go out there, and I get that. And I do that every night.
Now that I've done a few matches for WWE, I think all the important people that are there get what I'm doing. So it's good that I keep showing up there, and that I express that. All the people that I've talked to in the company are starting to grasp, "Hey, he's not just what we've seen him as, or what he's been known for. There is a lot more to him." I'm dedicated, and I'm committed to wrestling and every aspect of it.
As far as Ricky Reyes goes, I'm a hard worker and an intense wrestler who takes it very seriously, and I live it everyday.
Do you have any upcoming dates you would like to plug?
December 8th I'm in New Jersey wrestling for NWA On Fire for a TV Taping.
December 15th I'm in Connecticut for CTWE.
December 21st ICW in Long Island.
December 29th I will be wrestling for Maryland Championship Wrestling at their end of the year show.
How can people get in touch with you?
I don't Tweet, and I barely get on Facebook. But you can message me through Facebook with any questions, bookings or anything like that.
https://www.facebook.com/ricky.reyes.756
No comments:
Post a Comment