Interview With Rufio Rush
Wrestling Interview With Christian Wrestling Alliance (CWA) Pro Wrestler Rufio Rush. Rufio Rush is 20 years old from Charleston, South Carolina and has a wealth of experance on the the independant circuit.
Interview Conducted by E L Farrell
Q1:Hi, Rufio Rush. To start, how about giving the fans your statistics?
Well with all my gear on, lol, I'm 5'8", 190 lbs. I'm originally from Camden, New Jersey and I now live in Charleston, South Carolina. I've been wrestling for a little more than four years.
Q2:Why did you get involved in pro wrestling?
I got into wrestling because I'm an entertainer at heart. Growing up I was into doing theatre and I directed some independant films (which were more or less just to amuse some friends and myself), but I never really wanted to make a career out of it. I never knew what I wanted to do with life. I was always a wrestling fan, but it was seeing the Mick Foley retirement angle that made me want to get into it myself. I can actually pinpoint the moment; when he did the bit where he said Mankind wasn't man enough to face Triple H in a Street fight and left, coming right back as Cactus jack; I knew right at that moment, this was what I wanted to do with my life. I started training shortly thereafter. I was lucky enough to work a show with Mick Foley a year or so ago and when I thanked him for inspiring me to get into the business, his reply was "Oh don't blame that on me!"
Q3:Who were your favorite wrestlers growing up?
I was just a casual fan when I was younger, but I was really into Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Dibiase. Later on I was a big mark for Kane, and was really into the Essa Rios, The Hardy Boys, RVD and Rhyno.
Q4:You were trained by Former WWWF Women's Champion Susan "Tex" Green. What was that like and how hard was training?
Haha. Well.....outside the ring, Susan is the kindest, most big hearted and generous lady you could ever meet. For training....she was the most knowledeble, talented trainer you could ask for....but she handed me some of the worst beatings I've ever had in my life. I've worked some seriously stiff dudes, but this woman is by leaps and bounds the stiffest, toughest worker I've ever met. I've literally seen her make grown men cry. I trained for a full year, and aside from Susan I was taught by former WWF women's tag champ Judy Martin and Blake Cannon, and Titan helped me hone me skills. I'd say Malachai trained me as much as Susan, and really, I owe who am as a wrestler to him. He helps me tremendously to this day, in and out of the ring. But as far as how hard it was; whether it was taking literally over 100 high back body drops on Susan's rock hard boxing ring in sub-zero temperatures or having her and Malachai work me so stiff I actually couldn't get out of bed for days...it was rough, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Q5:You wrestle for the Christian Wrestling Alliance (CWA), you have also wrestled for Carolina Pro Wrestling Association. What is the difference between the two promotions?
Hahaha. Well, CPWA had an amazingly talented roster. I had some of my favorite matches there and I'll never forget that Titan (the promoter) took a chance on me...he gave me my first match, my first strap....I'll never forget that. CWA, on the other hand is by the far the best promotion I've worked for. We've certaintly had our differences...but I love working there; the crowd is always huge and red-hot, the work that their production guys do is absolutely unparalled on ANY indendant and I get along very well with their locker room. They have some guys with insane talent They're going to rival any NWA or ROH within a year, mark my words.
Q6:Have you wrestled for any other promotions?
Yes, I've also wrestled/still wrestle for Inferno Pro Wrestling, IWA Flashfire, Thunder Wrestling, Universal Pro Wrestling Alliance, King Championship Wrestling, Turning Up the Heat TV, AFE Championship Wrestling, Old School Championship Wrestling, ICW (I forget what the letters are for, Marc Ash was the promter), Explosive Wrestling, Wrestling for Jesus and probably about half a dozen others whose names I can't recall.
Q7:What titles have you held?
I've held the CPWA Rush Division Title, The Inferno Pro Wrestling Cruiserweight Title and am currently the IPW Tag Team Champion (with Italian Ice).
Q8:What Wrestlers have been good to work with?
I've worked with some great guys over the years, as far as cruiserwights I love working 2-D Extreme, Minion and Ricky Silver. In heavywieghts I enjoy working Titan, Asylum, and Mack Truck. I always like working Solitude and the Amazing Velvet for how brutal those matches get, but easily, my three favorite people in the business to work are Josh Magnum, Xavier Knight and Malachai. They bring out the best in me and I can't say enough about them. Those three will rule the indies in no time.
Q9:What holds and moves are you best known for?
I try to be like Chris Kanyon and invent new moves, use them once and then get rid of them, just to keep myself and the fans interested, but I usually do a pumphandle half-nelson slam I call "Happy Thoughts", a Tortue Rack Face buster called "Dreaming", a spring-board twisting senton and a back-to-back bomb invented by the now retired Rick Dreamer. I like to try to find new ways to do the sunset flip and....I suppose I've been known to throw a stiff kick or two.
Q10:What's the worst you've been hurt in the ring?
Either landing upside-down on my head trying to backflip over a guy, or attempting to spinebuster someone over the ropes (with my back to the ropes and the guy gutted on the top rope, facing the crowd) and getting kicked backwards, through the second rope and landing on the concrete far below on the back of my head. The backflip got me a compressed vertebrae and the fall on my head gave me a pretty serious concussion.
Q11:What other sports or hobbies do you have an interest in?
Well, I played football for 6 years in school and got a Green belt in Kempo Karate, but other than football I don't really have the attention span to watch any sport besides wrestling and UFC. I'm gigantically into punk rock (check out Scary Kids Scaring Kids, HE IS LEGEND and Horse the Band for some fine listening) and travel to a bunch of shows each month.
Q12:What is your most memorable professional moment?
I've had some great moments that really made me feel like I've accomplished something with my career; getting to go on AFTER Gangrel and Luna in Florida, Working the AFECW show in front of 2000 people with Foley, Snuka, Steiner etc...Getting THE EVERLOVING CRAP knocked out of me by Tony Atlas...but I'd say the most memorable was working for CPWA at The Music Farm in my now hometown of Charleston...The place was packed (with a lot of people I knew) and I was backstage waiting to come out for a fatal 4-way ladder match with Josh Magnum, Minion and 2-D extreme. I was a face for once, lol, and the crowd had been chanting my name all night (again, it was kinda stacked with my friends) and they were screaming, chanting my name and they absolutely exploded when I came out. That feeling was indescribable and incomparable to any other moment of my life.
Q13:What do you think about the current state of indy wrestling?
I think wrestling in general is in a boom right now, with more than just WWE companies getting exposure, so it's an exciting time to be a wrestler or even just a fan. My only concern is that too many guys on the indies are doing moves that are too dangerous, too often. Wrestlers are dying younger and younger these days and recently when Rahn Jordan (R.I.P buddy) died, it hit too close to home.
Q14:What is Your Opinion on the WWE and TNA Promotions?
I'm not one of those guys who'll trash WWE just to sound cool. I still enjoy their product. Some of the wrestling is pretty lackluster, but guys like Michaels, Foley, Benoit, Finlay and Van Dam are still delivering 5 star matches. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a Carlito Mark. TNA is incredibly exciting and it would be a real thrill to work some of their guys. Chris Daniels and Samoa Joe are truly phenomenal.
Q15:If you were offered as deal by either promotion, would you sign?
In a heartbeat.
Q16:What would be your dream match?
There are still a lot of guys on the indies I'm hoping to work. I'd love to get in there with Human Tornado, El Generico, Matt Sydal, Chris Bosh, Scott Lost, Legion Freakin Cage...maybe Necro Butcher. I'd love to work guys like Kanyon, Essa Rios, Chris Daniels or Samoa Joe. But as far as a dream match, it would either be to work Chris Benoit in a no DQ ironman match or to get a third ladder match with Josh Magnum, one on one. Josh and I probably wouldn't be mobile for about a month afterwards, but I'm dying to do it.
Q17:Word Association
Joey Nuggs -"tough as nails"
Johnny Flex - flexercise
Josh Magnum - Un-freakin-believable
Hallow wicked -Grandma (his grandma was in the crowd one night and I told her to act her age and die)
Rodger Gleaton-"Come on Brother Come on...It's gettin Hot and Heavy"
Timber- barbed wire
The Natural "Chris Chance"- A-Team
Malachai-C-Team
WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas - Nicest guy in the world
Susan "Tex" Green- STIFF!!
Q18:What sort of reaction do you get from people when they learn you are a wrestler?
Looking at me...most people assume I'm in a band. Their fairly supprised. Then it's on to answering to same stupid question. In answer to the everyone's first question...."NO IT"S NOT FAKE!!!!".
Q19:Any last comments you'd like to make?
For the record, even though I rambled on these questions (I'm worse than Johnny Flex) and I dropped names left and right, I want to make sure people don't think I have an ego. Ask ANYONE I've ever worked with and they'll tell you I have the least ego of any person on the planet. The way I was brought up and brought into the business I just couldn't have one.
Also, I love this business with all my heart and soul, I feel it's why I was put on earth and if I'm not entertaining in the the ring, I don't even know what my purpose of being alive would be. Wrestling is the blood in my veins.
Thanks for choosing me for this interview. Anyone can check out www.rufiorush.tk or myspace.com/rufiorush for for more info.
Posted on June 15, 2006