Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship: Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum (c) vs Doug Williams
This Saturday sees the latest show to be put on by Pro Evolution Wrestling. It will take place in the Wotton Hall Club in Gloucester and is looking to be a top show already. The main event of the night will be young Pro EVW Champion Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum being challenged by the more travelled and experienced, former TNA star Doug Williams. This will undoubtedly be Justin's biggest match to date.
In the last few shows Justin has had to prove his metal against one of the toughest competitors in the UK - JD Knight. These matches have shown Justin's fight, determination and will to improve, and have also shown that he has learnt and gained confidence with every match he has had. Last Saturday night, Justin overcame Knight once again to earn the right to face Williams this Saturday.
I was fortunate to catch up with Justin for a few comments on how he is getting along AND I was able to get a few comments from Doug Williams about British Wrestling and what he thinks of Justin going into their bout on the weekend:
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| Pro EVW Champion: Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum |
Justin: Since day one, turning up at Pro EVW and getting to Dropkick someone in the head: the whole journey has been amazing! I learned very quickly that the basics were far more important than kicking people in the head (but from time to time a good Dropkick is called for!).
I have been fortunate enough to be taken on as a trainee by several experienced veterans who have made sure that none of my time has been wasted and I continue to progress. Each one of them excel in different aspects of wrestling and I take everything I can from them. I have to thank Gilligan Gordon and T-Bone for all the help they gave me early on and their continuing support. These guys also introduced me to Dave Mastiff, Iestyn Rees & Ash Steel who all continue to play a part in my training and will make me do squats if I don’t mention them. Yes I’m definitely having fun! (I like squats!).
What do you make of the British Wrestling scene so far?
The British wrestling scene is huge! I had no idea how many companies and wrestlers there were out there. It doesn’t take long to realise which companies and wrestlers are worth their salt though. There are probably 10 companies putting on poor shows to every good one, I just hope it doesn’t put fans off and they seek out the shows worth going to.
Are there any UK wrestlers that stick out as being stars in the making to you? Who inspires you?
I’ll try and pick a few here but there are so many guys and girls who have the potential to make it to the top;
T-Bone is first to spring to mind, I get to work with him at training a lot and the guy is a beast; some guys lose as soon as they see him walk out of the curtain; Charlie Garrett is the next guy I think who has star potential. He can do everything I can do but he’s two inches taller and a little heavier, it makes me sick. He’s young too, it’s a good job I’m prettier than he is; Chris Andrews… Just look at the guy, he’s amazing too.
From all of the girls I have seen at shows and trained with I’d have to say Katy Lees: you won’t know her from shows as she’s just breaking onto them but if you see her train you’ll see what I see.
There are plenty more top quality wrestlers around and I have only met a small portion of them which is why I have stuck close to home on these choices. A guy who is already a star in this country is Dave Mastiff, his knowledge and skill set is second-to-none and he would be the guy in this country who inspires me simply because I want to be that good. The other people who inspire me are the guys and girls earning a great living from our sport. The ones that transcend wrestling and have become global superstars.
What are your ambitions? Would an ultimate goal be to get to the big leagues of America?
To be successful. I want to take it all the way, make as much money as I can doing something I love. I'd then like to look back and be proud of my achievements. One of my favourite phrases for when someone is egging me onto do a big or dangerous move is “Save it for WrestleMania” - That should tell you everything you need to know about my ambition.
What UK promotions have you worked for?
I got my break at Pro Evolution Wrestling (Pro EVW) - it’s where I spend most of my training time and I’m the current Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion. The guys who run the shows are the reason I will always be part of the Pro EVW roster - I have so much respect for them. I have also worked for All Star, DWA, Devon Championship Wrestling, Kamikaze Pro, Pro Wrestling Pride & New Breed Wrestling Alliance.
Even though it's still early for you, what advice would you give youngsters who want to get into the business? What invaluable advice have you received?
It really is still early but I have managed to progress relatively quickly because I attend a good wrestling school. Find a good school with a good reputation. I’ve mentioned Pro EVW if you live in Gloucestershire. If you live in Wiltshire 4FW is the place to be and people travel from all parts of the country, myself included, to train at Brookside’s School in Leicester. The head trainer is Robbie Brookside who is currently NXT Staff!
The best advice I have been given is to listen to everything everyone has to say, then pick the bits that are right for you - Gilligan Gordon is a wise man.
My best advice? Be better than everyone around you. You need to look better than them & wrestle better. A fan is someone who admires and looks up to you, if they think they can beat you then they aren’t fans and they won’t pay their money to see you fight. Your audience can’t grow unless you do. Why is Brock Lesnar wrestling in front of millions on TV? Because he’s stronger and scarier than everybody. John Cena? Because he looks better than everybody. Punk? Apparently because he’s The Best in the World…
Heading into Saturday's match; what is your opinion of Doug Williams?
Doug and I have met a couple of times backstage at other shows, He keeps himself to himself and is a genuinely nice guy. That being said, he’ll take you apart in the ring and there’s a reason he has been to the top of this sport. I respect Doug, not because I’m a greenhorn and I should but because I want to go the places he has been and have the same success and I’m beginning to realise just how hard it is to achieve that.
He has a wealth of experience behind him and I imagine a lot of people think he is going to take me to school. However, I have the advantage of being able to watch footage of his fights and scout him whereas he has no idea what I am capable of. I can tell you this, one of us is going to come out champ, the other a broken man.
Thank you for you time Justin. Good luck for this Saturday!
I then caught up with Doug Williams briefly for a few words:
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| Challenger: Doug Williams |
Doug: To be honest, I spent a lot of time in UK last year so coming back I haven't seen any great changes or needed to make any dramatic adjustments. It's just really good to be wrestling in front of British fans again, they are the best in the world.
Do you see any similarities between the US and UK or are things very similar?
In terms of styles of Wrestling things are getting very similar. As for fans, I find the UK fans are a lot less jaded and just come to have a good time, which I really appreciate when I perform for them.
Are there any UK wrestlers that stick out as being rising stars to you?
Plenty - Noam Dar, Marty Scurll, Johnny Moss are three of my favourites. In reality the UK scene is rammed with talent at the moment.
Is it easy for a UK star to get noticed by the big leagues of America? How would this process work?
It's easy to get a tryout and the opportunity to show them what you've got. Securing a job, now that is much more difficult.
What UK promotions have you worked for? How have you found the organisation of these promotions?
Pretty much all of them! The organisation ranges from incredibly professional to barely passable as you might expect!
What advice would you give youngsters who want to get into the business? Are there any common mistakes made by youngsters that lead them down the wrong path? What would you advise to iron these out?
Make sure you are in shape and at least look like an athlete. The most common mistake I see is young guys who do not have a clear grasp of the fundamentals. Walk before you can run! Training, practice and working as many shows as possible is the best way to improve on these.
Finally, I'd just like to get your thoughts on your opponent for this Saturday - Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum?
I've only met Justin a couple of times and he seems very eager to learn and improve. He's a very polite and respectful guy, too. Admittedly, I haven't seen him in the ring and this is to his advantage, but I have experience on my side and this will mean that I will have the upper hand. It'll be very interesting to see how our match goes, but I fully expect Justin to show me what he's got; as I will, too. Unfortunately for Justin, I will be looking to pick up his Pro EVW Championship by the end of the night!
Jimmo's Angle: Thank you to Doug and Justin for their comments going into their championship match this Saturday. I urge you to make the trip to see this show - another match that will be must see, will be the Pro Evolution Wrestling Tag Team Championship match between The Magnums and the newest tag team in Gloucester; The Alpha Males. This will all happen, along with other top matches, this Saturday (12th October) at the Wotton Hall Club in Gloucester!
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| Pro EVW Tag Team Champions: The Magnums |
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