Jimmo's Angle Special: Interview: The Trainee Wrestler - Jay Cobain

For wrestling to continue, grow and survive, there must be new blood. The next generation has got to be continuously learning and improving in order to carry on this great sport/entertainment product that has been around for over 100 years. The need to find the 'next big thing' is a never-ending journey.

At the beginning, if you want to get to the top you normally have to start at the bottom. With a dream. To make that dream become a reality you need to work hard and show dedication and if you show enough of this, along with perseverance, you should be on the right path towards succeeding in your chosen field.

In February of this year, I met a friend of a friend - Jay Cobain - at a wrestling show in Wolverhampton (AWW) who impressed me instantly. At first we talked about our shared love of wrestling and it's history. Jay would then go onto state his ambition to become a wrestler. I'm not sure what it was about his story that convinced me, but I completely believed Jay and in that brief meeting I couldn't doubt his determination to achieve his goal.

Jay Cobain; Musician, aspiring Wrestler

 I caught up with Jay to ask him about his aims, how he intends to achieve them, and how he's getting along since our meeting a few months ago. 

Jimmo's Angle: Hi Jay, let's start with a little background about yourself

Jay: My name is Jay Cobain, but I am also known under my stage name or pseudonym, Jay Taylor; mainly within my band/musical projects.

I was born in the UK in June 1985. At 17 I developed a rare condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) which causes me to speak with a Canadian/American accent. It is more common with individuals who have suffered from some form of trauma to the head that affects the part of the brain that controls speech/accents. My story is slightly different as mine is the psychological form of FAS. In short, my up-bringing was not very nice and as a result, in order to distance myself from a troubled and dark past, I essentially reinvented myself. I began speaking with a new accent and changed my surname to 'Cobain' in order to have nothing to do with my past or family any longer. I had no control over this (apart from the changing of my surname) and it wasn’t until I saw a professional that this was then explained to me. It’s easier for me, when I am meeting new people for the first time just to tell them that I come from Canada or America to save the long explanation.

I am a musician and first picked up the guitar at age 3. I started writing music and creating bands in my early teens. Music was very much my first love outside of wrestling. I am currently in a band known as Serotonin where I am the vocalist and lead guitarist, but I am also working on my solo project. Music is a big part of my life. You can find my music on iTunes and other places across the globe.

JA: What made you want to become a wrestler?

Jay: I first started watching wrestling when I was about three years old. I was all about the WWE (or WWF as it was known back then) and one of the first events I remember watching was SummerSlam 1989. As you can imagine, being so young and watching these giants competing in the ring, I was easily influenced and completely fell in love with it. I would sit for hours playing with my wrestling figures whilst staring at the TV. When WWE wasn’t showing, I would make the substitute and watch WCW; anything to curb my hunger for it.

As a young boy, I would say that one day I wanted to be like Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels, but it wasn’t until I was about 11 years old when I really started to think about doing it for real. I remember telling my family members about it, but they didn’t really take me seriously. I was always very skinny as a child. I had literally no muscle mass at all, so it was hard to take a kid like that seriously when they say they want to be a wrestler. I knew I had a long road ahead of me to gain weight and muscle, but it seemed like an impossible road at the time. I didn’t know of any wrestling schools and I didn’t have the resources to research it either. That combined with many people telling me it was nothing but a pipe dream quickly killed my eagerness to do it. I continued watching wrestling and continued to love it more and more. I just kept the wanting to do it to myself.

Referee Marc 'Paz' Parry

I befriended independent referee, Marc “Paz” Parry, over a year ago. We actually went to school together and kind of knew of each other, but somehow managed to be blind in the fact that we both loved professional wrestling.

I found out about a local wrestling promotion called BAWA [defunct Banbury based promotion] when I was about 26. I noticed that they had training facilities available for people wanting to try their hand at wrestling. This was really the first time I had ever had the opportunity to do anything about it, so I decided that I didn’t want to keep wondering “what if…” and I went for it. I messaged the guys at BAWA and no one got back to me. A couple weeks passed and I had a message from Paz informing me of some changes. From that point on we became really good friends. He basically brought me into the independent scene; taking me under his wing, if you will. He introduced me to fellow wrestlers, promoters and let me join him on the road to see what’s like from the other side. It just made me want to do it more, so I took the next step; I started training.

JA: Who are your influences? Why?
Jay: When it comes to wrestling, I have so many influences. It’s difficult to just name a few. I grew up loving Shawn Michaels at an early age. His in-ring ability was incredible to watch and he always told such amazing stories in every ring he entered. I loved Bret Hart, too, for his dedication to the business and his outstanding technical attributes. The Undertaker is another all-time favourite of mine too – I just love how he works.

As the years went on though, one guy always stood out to me since I saw his debut match. This guy is the reason I decided to go for it and start wrestling. That man is Adam Copeland (Edge). I read his book and this one thing he said really stood out to me and I believe it to be true; “If you’re afraid to go out on a limb, how can you get the fruit?” That was enough for me. I suppose when it comes to a real influence on my wrestling, he is really high up there.

Raven; one of Jay's influences

Other guys I love are Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Dolph Ziggler and Raven. Like I said, there are many.

JA: What training and preparation have you done/feel you need to do? 

Jay: My training has been a mixture of different things. I didn’t want to do “standard” gym training for my overall fitness, so I started the P90X program. I did this for a short while last year and loved it, but had to stop after about 34 days as I tore my scapula in an unrelated accident. I started this again once I was fully healed in February this year and completed 60 days. I wanted to go the full 90 days, but decided against it as I started to find it so demanding. I have since started DDPYoga, which I absolutely swear by, and still continue do my favourite P90X workouts to keep some weight training involved.
I was pretty nervous for my first training session. I didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for. I felt mentally prepared, but I was no way physically prepared. It’s been a learning curve for me thus far and I learn more and more with each session. Learning to fall, the moves, you name it.

JA: Where have you trained? How have you found it so far?

Jay: I started my training at Total Action Wrestling (TAW) in Milton Keynes. My first session was intense, but I loved every second of it. At first it was daunting, but this was the first time I had done it and I didn’t know what to expect, but once I got started it was great. I found myself learning so much; taking bumps, snap-suplexes and applying some submission holds. I try to absorb as much information as I can and simply enjoy it. I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of great guys in the business already and this includes TAW wrestler, Samson, who I’ve trained with. He is a great wrestler and learning from him was a great experience. I can’t wait to go back again.

I’ve also been attending a few NBWA events and I am planning to head up to their training facilities too. I want to gain as much experience as I can. When I first started talking to Paz about training, he mentioned 4FW as a good place to go and one day I would like to train there. I did plan on this being my first place to train, but at the time I couldn’t commute to Swindon every weekend.

JA: Has anyone helped you in particular?

Jay: I’ve had a lot of great support from Paz and Samson from TAW. It’s been awesome meeting so many great guys who I’ve been fortunate enough to speak to about wrestling and my training. Another guy who has given me tips and support is Rik Van Damage, he’s a great athlete and overall great guy to talk to. A few months ago, I was able to meet and talk to Brian Kendrick and he gave me great advice too.

Jay met Brian Kendrick back in February (AWW)

JA:What are your ambitions?

Jay: I have so many ambitions, but when it comes to wrestling, I just want to be as good as I possibly can be and have fun. I have so much respect for every man and woman that step between those ropes. Even the guys behind the curtains that help organise and run everything. In short, I just want to be able to do something that I love outside of my music and put on a performance that keeps everybody engaged and wanting more. I’ve seen and met so many great wrestlers on the independent scene and they all inspire me more and more. I want to work with these guys and tell a story. I’d love to work with Van Damage or T-Bone and so many other great guys. When I am ready, it’ll be a ride like no other.

JA: Brilliant Jay! Thank you very much for taking time out to talk to me and get your story across. I hope you continue to enjoy your wrestling, train hard and get to where you want to get!

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

WWE's Face/Heel Problem

I think we have a big problem with our 'faces' and 'heels' in the WWE.

Fundamentally, wrestling is about good versus evil, always has been and always will be; if not then what are we meant to get behind and cheer?

This basic factor is still the basis for every storyline and feud there is but it seems to be tested a lot more just lately and lines are very much blurrier than in the past. I'm not saying it's a new thing; this situation has been around for a long while now but I feel it's going to have a bigger impact in today's WWE scene than ever before. This is because stars, or more accurately 'mega'-stars are virtually impossible to produce these days. Instead, a new breed of almost-mega-stars are being produced; guys that are popular, no doubt, but will only be trusted after a very long apprenticeship and feeling out period. This waters down the good vs evil battle when the heroes and villains of today are only small fry in comparison to the Flairs and Hogans of yesteryear.

Mega-stars don't come much bigger than Ric Flair

I've got two problems at the moment;

• The faces that we're 'supposed' to get behind don't act like faces
• As a result of this, any turns are met with luke-warm responses

What doesn't help the first point is that a lot of the time a particular wrestler is rammed down our throats to the point where we already have a dislike for that person. The biggest culprits of 'not acting as they should do' are John Cena and Sheamus. I want to make it clear that this isn't a Cena-bashing article. I feel Cena has now gone past a point in his career and character where he can be saved. What I mean by this is that he gets such a mixed reaction from the fans that it is virtually impossible to turn him heel - ever. I don't ever expect WWE to turn him anyway, it just doesn't make sense from a business standpoint. From a wrestling standpoint it has killed his character forever.

What doesn't help his likeability is his attitude towards his opponents and the outcomes of his matches. It's only been recently that he's taken threats seriously - Ryback, Mark Henry - before this Cena would make jokes and completely mock the challenges he'd faced in the past. This has left a sour taste in the mouth of a lot of fans; don't let the 'mixed' reactions he receives from live audiences fool you, I seriously feel that a larger portion of WWE fans dislike him rather than like him - not just smart fans, either. The damage is done and is irreversible.

Sheamus deserved the beating he took from Sandow after bullying him for weeks

In the last couple of months, Sheamus is also falling into this trap. During his recent feud with Damien Sandow he continually mocked Sandow and needlessly made him look a loser. He did so in a very bully-like manner - this is a very bad message to be sending out to the young audience that WWE caters for in this era. It's also very unlike the huge babyface that the Irishman has become. I had no problem using words like 'dick' and 'jerk' to describe him as that's exactly the way he acted.

Something that both guys have in common is that they are unlike any other main event babyfaces I can remember - instead of being beaten to their lowest point AND THEN overcoming adversity in the pay-per-view decider, they continually look a million dollars, outwit their opponents on weekly television before defeating them convincingly at the pay-per-view. How is this something to get behind? I can't relate to this and neither can anyone else. A true hero gets destroyed and questions themselves, almost believing that giving up could be the best option THEN they dig deep to gain that hard-earned win, gaining the fans support and respect along the way - this is just completely untrue of a John Cena or Sheamus and this is why they get the reactions and bashing that they do.

My second point (if you can remember that far back?!) is regarding turns - either turning face or turning heel - in connection with the first point.

My fear is that if it is decided that someone is to turn heel against one of the two gentlemen I have outlined above - or anyone that is a face that doesn't act accordingly - then this turn won't be as greatly received as it was intended. As a result of this that person will still have a job to do in getting over as a (newly turned) heel. They will also be somewhat cheered as people will welcome the beating that a Cena or Sheamus would get in this situation as they are fed up with them being forced down their throat.

Suited, Corporate Cena

Something that is somewhat connected to these points is a third issue that I have. It relates to heel and face turns and who gets the nod to turn one way or the other. Although it's not up to the WWE fans to decide every turn that happens, surely they must be listened to to ensure that the lines of good and evil are drawn fairly accurately?

For example, in recent months Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan became so popular that it only made sense for them to be turned face (obviously Bryan's was over time and was a result of his and Kane's comedy). Ziggler's turn was long overdue and also paved the way for Alberto Del Rio to turn the other way in a 'double-turn' at Payback. This worked perfectly as the actions of Del Rio confirmed Ziggler's popularity and returned Del Rio to the role he plays best. This also reminded me of when Del Rio originally turned face at the end of last year. This was completely unexpected and didn't convince me for a long time. If he is meant to be a face then surely I should like him already, right?

The Miz is also rising to the same kiss-ass club as John Cena. He turned face around the same time as Del Rio at the end of last year. This turn did make sense as he was gaining cheers and popularity. Unfortunately, he hasn't really changed how he presents himself - still being rude and obnoxious - which hasn't really helped his momentum in recent months. Like Cena, the thing on his side is that he is a good frontman for the company; therefore a heel turn is probably out of the question for a very long time - meaning that even if his popularity really nosedives he will still be rammed down our throats.

Your microphone cover's upside down, douche!

So, my point here is that if a truly popular wrestler is a babyface (as should be the case) then later down the road if they were to turn heel then the shock and surprise to the fan would be greater than a guy who wasn't really popular as a face anyway. By having a regular (but not too regular) turn ratio, then we wouldn't have the popularity nosedive of guys such as Cena, Sheamus or Miz who are left in the same role due to outside factors and laziness. It would also mean that popular guys would become well cheered faces and less popular could then take the luke-warm responses and turn them into full blown boos and hatred. Good and Evil would be much clearer and staleness of character wouldn't be such a problem, either.

WWE's Unneeded Returns

We're now half way through the year and I feel that things are looking up in the WWE. There was great pessimism at the start of the year when CM Punk's 434 day WWE title reign came to an end at the hands of The Rock. This set in motion the predictable dropping of the title back to John Cena at Wrestlemania 29.

Since this took place, The Rock inevitably left (along with fellow part-timers; some staying and taking up a 'lesser' role) and the need for new challengers and new main eventers returned to being a priority in WWE.

In the WWE title picture, Ryback turned heel and had an 'ok' feud with John Cena which turned into a nice couple of wins for Cena and a 'back to the drawing board' position for Ryback. Great. After an Oscar winning performance from Mark Henry a couple of weeks ago, we now have a new dominant force to try and pry the WWE Championship from Cena's hands. I think we can all hope that Henry gets somewhere at this attempt but all roads seem to point towards Daniel Bryan having the best summer of everyone. He's red-hot at the moment so why not go with that direction?

Could this be the Summer of Daniel Bryan?

The World Heavyweight title picture has also changed. Jack Swagger had his opportunity at Wrestlemania before Dolph Ziggler finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on an injured Alberto Del Rio. The subsequent Ziggler-concussion brought about a new way forward - the pay off being the double-turn at the Payback pay-per-view which saw babyface Del Rio use brutal head shots and kicks to win the title however he needed to - drawing negative responses from the live audience as well as TV viewers around the world. It also caused a sympathetic reaction for Ziggler. A heel promo a little later in the show confirmed Del Rio's new underhanded ways and garnered even more sympathy for the new fallen hero Ziggler.

Just below the Cenas, Henrys, Del Rios and Zigglers are a fine cast of up-and-comers. Antonio Cesaro, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Fandango and The Shield members are all making strides towards the top just lately. So this brings me to the title of this piece - the somewhat unneeded returns:

Rob Van Dam is set to return to WWE at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view and has been thrust into an opportunity at the WWE Championship. Well, that's fair, right? I realise that RVD = excitement from some and possibly an influx of cash from older fans of his, but I don't get the long-term thinking here?

Rob Van Dam

I firmly believe that given a couple of months the nostalgia will disappear completely and he'll just be another face - an older, worn face - amongst younger guys that have done well without him. Will it really matter or help anyone to get wins against a lazy looking, 40-something, stoner-dude wannabe? I think that it would be a lot more helpful to let the up-and-comers get wins over the Sheamus' and Ortons of the world. They're the wins that make new stars.

I suppose that it doesn't help that I have never been an RVD fan. I've never understood the appeal. When he arrived on the scene (in WWE) in the Invasion angle of 2001 it was exciting for the old ECW fans and anyone that remembered his daredevil antics in the Land of the Extreme. For me, it only took a couple of years before I'd seen everything that he had to offer. I'd go as far to say that I class him in the same category as Jeff Hardy - both willing to risk paralysis to entertain; flying around the ring; but that's all they bring. RVD should thank WWE for the 'One Night Only' pay-per-view as this was his crowning glory in WWE; pinning John Cena to capture his only WWE Championship. He was suspended shortly after this thus proving that he may have been a popular choice for champion, but ultimately, he was a lazy one, too.

Anyway, enough RVD bashing.

The most recent return is that of Christian. Much like the Van Dam return, Christian is another old face amongst younger guys that have simply surpassed him. By no means am I knocking his talents, but he has ALWAYS been in the shadow of 'brother' Edge. That's a huge shame but the nature of successful tag teams; for every Shawn, Edge or Jeff there needs to be a Marty, Christian or Matt.

Christian with the ENORMOUS ECW title belt

Christian has been a very successful tag team specialist; winning the tag titles nine times (seven times with Edge). He was also a good mid-card wrestler throughout the 2000s. He even had a stint in TNA - becoming a "World" Champion in the process. This accomplishment was put into context when he returned to the WWE only to win the third-tier heavyweight title - the ECW Championship. Know your role, Christian. The World Heavyweight title runs in 2011 were a joke to me as WWE had lost Edge to retirement and it seemed to be a favour to him to allow Christian to hold the belt.

So onto the latest return of Captain Charisma. I'm not sure how true it is but apparently he's been cleared to wrestle for a few months now but has only just made his TV return; why? was it really that difficult to find something for him?

The 'Allstar' MITB match participants

It appears that he is in a similar role to Chris Jericho; enhancing the future. He's also in the WWE Money in the Bank match at the next pay-per-view. I just can't help but feel that within the next couple of months both he and Van Dam won't really be needed or cared about. The nostalgia of Van Dam will die off and Christian's return has already fallen flat with me in as little as a couple of weeks.

Sorry gentlemen, but I feel there's enough guys about to put younger talent over, so, I hate to paraphrase John Cena but 'your time has gone; their time is now'.

@jimmosangle