[TWF]
Interview with The Assassin
It's been almost 2 years since The Assassin made his debut, in a blaze of glory as Mr. BIG's new protégé, at which time he was a part of the growing war of TECW [NCW] vs. TWF. He was a part of NCW as it died and many thought The Assassin sank with them. However, he resurfaced in the RWF and managed to re-define himself as a real bad-ass who was motivated by one thing, and one thing only: championship gold. Since joining the TWF shortly after xWa Xtreme Overdose 2003, The Assassin has made one of the biggest impacts of any wrestler who was not a part of the TWF 2000-era. And it's well deserved. Standing at 6"10 and weighing in at just a shade under 320lbs, he's not the kind of person you'd want to meet in a dark alley. We spoke with the enigma known as The Assassin just a few weeks ago to hear his opinions on a number of topics.xWa: Assassin, when you began your career, you were trained by perhaps two of the greatest trainers you could have wanted, High Voltage and Mr. BIG down at the growing Asylum. What did other talent down there think of the shine that the two big names took to you.
Assassin: Some guys didn't like it, most guys took it okay. The guys who took it okay were people who we, among us, knew would be in the TWF some day soon, and ended up being in the TWF shortly. Biggie was an excellent trainer. His knowledge of the business is second-to-none. When he says something, he means it. HV was trying to latch on to Biggie. Although he was never the wrestler Biggie was/is, he was a good trainer in-the-ring. Out of the ring, he was the same old HV that was throwing strops and being a pussy.
xWa: You began your career as NCW, then TECW began to flounder, and you were "awarded" their World Championship by Mr. BIG. Did you feel you were put under pressure too soon with such a prestigious title as the World Title of a promotion?
Assassin: NCW was a JOKE. I have to get that off my chest. When I was in NCW, we didn't know what was going to happen until about 30 seconds until we were on the air. Marz was head honcho and he often couldn't be arsed, so he let Shott book the shows, and he wasn't a good communicator so the matches sucked. Being given the World Title was a tremendous honour and it went very well for me. The most fun I had was definitely dumping the title in the trash. It's amazing how many people still ask me about that and say that it was the end of the NCW.
xWa: After NCW, you were offered a great opportunity at the up-start RWF with High Voltage. How did you feel working with your trainer once more and what was your view on the whole experience in the RWF?
Assassin: The RWF was a much better place to be than NCW. I had a great time and I learned a lot of things there, particularly off the TWF guys. It made me closer to realising my dream of one-day being in the Total Wrestling Federation. The Shott did a much better job with the shows, mainly because he wasn't being "assessed" by Marz at every show. He was free to do as he pleased and he pushed the page a little more and it was a really enjoyable time there.
xWa: You entered the TWF, eventually, on June 4th 2003 on an episode of Grit BasH, readying yourself for the xWa Xtreme Overdose event later on in the month. How did it feel to, finally, achieve your goal of being in the TWF?
Assassin: I had a mixture of emotions that night. I was nervous because this was something I had been wanting to do for years. It was my ultimate goal to become a TWF wrestler. I was ecstatic to finally be here. I had waited so long since first training that it was also a relief to have my long and winding journey over.
xWa: As you began in the TWF, the crowd seemed not sure whether to like you or hate you. In the RWF, your cocky persona was the subject of some big boos, but yet, when you befriended Big Sexy Badass and Silver, the boos disappeared. Do you have any idea why?
Assassin: Ha, no. It was all very strange being booed in one part of Bridgend and cheered in another. It was difficult to cut promos around that time because I was almost guaranteed to upset someone.
xWa: As a reward for your patience and hard work, you became TWF Intercontinental Champion after defeating AJ Jeffers. How did you feel on winning such a prestigious title?
Assassin: When Biggie came up and tapped me on the shoulder and introduced me to some BCW guys as "the TWF Intercontinental Champion" I was bemused. No-one had told me. I was amazed that they had developed such confidence in me in the little time I had there that I could become champion, but I wasn't exactly going to turn the opportunity down!
xWa: More recently, you have become an ally of the monster Hades. Together you make up one of the most frightening duos in professional wrestling history. How do you and Hades get along, because both your wrestling styles contrast in stages and so do your lifestyles?
Assassin: Hades is an interesting character. He's a great dude and we get along great. We came together in much the same way other great teams have come together. We have common ground on a problem. Both of us are sick and tired of the Jocks and their stupid games. They are just a bunch of creatine-busting, dumb-ass jerks who deserve to get their asses kicked week in-week out until they learn the error of their ways.
xWa: Finally, what do you aim to do in the next few months both in and out of the ring?
Assassin: In the ring, I have a few statements to make before I make another impression on a title. I want another shot at the Intercontinental Championship since I feel I still have a lot to prove before I am ready to step-up to the big leagues. Out of the ring, I'll just kick back and enjoy a summer on the beach with some of my friends and a lot of drink.
Phrase Association...
Big Sexy Badass - Ma Buddy
High Voltage - Donkey
JT Money - Legend
Marz - Manipulative
Mr. BIG - A Dude
Mr. Edwards - The Boss
NJS - A Dude
Silver - Ma Buddy
Summer - Amazing
The Bandit - A great athlete
The Shott - Respected
Yourself - A Champion
Favourite...
Opponent - Mr. BIG
Match - vs. The Bandit @ TWF Deadly MindGames 04
Film - 'American Pie'
Film Genre - Comedy
Actor - Samuel L. Jackson
Actress - Anna Faris
TV Show - Match of the Day
Band - Megadeth
Album - 'Peace Sells' - Megadeth
Food - Italian
Car - My Mazda MX-5
'Babe' - Anna Faris