Photo Credit: TexasAnarchy.com |
This week at
The Wrestling Blog, we figuratively sit down with the mighty young Jojo Bravo.
After making his name around various promotions in Texas, Jojo recently stepped
up as the Anarchy Championship Wrestling representative for National Pro
Wrestling Day’s Rey de Voladores tournament. Find out what he thought of the event, how he makes a convincing positive argument for Triple H, and how he attacks The Same Ten Questions after the jump.
I think it
went great! I’m hoping that I made some new fans because I definitely made some
new friends.
What was your
strategy going into it, given that you only had a small amount of time to show
the world what you do?
My strategy
was the same as always. To be as big as humanly possible, and thereby more
memorable. As far as iPPV goes, I’d say the amount of time I got was standard/generous!
Speaking of
big men, one of the things we immediately could bond over is a shared love of
Yokozuna. What is it about him that makes you such a fan?
Well, aside
from the fact that I am a legit fan of Sumo wrestling. I am a very big fan of
the title reigns of short lived villains in the fed. Guys who enjoyed the
center stage for just a short time, but weren’t a part of the main roster long, ie: I really enjoyed JBL’s title reign, as well as Backlund’s second reign. I
wish they'd have put the strap on Ludvig Borga or Giant Gonzales!
Who in your
mind has been the most effective heel?
I’d have to
say, early to mid-2000s Triple H was an incredibly affective heel. Perhaps the
best ever, hateable and compelling. Absolutely no redeeming qualities,
perfectly able to get anyone behind the baby, INCLUDING SCOTT STEINER. He had a
half a year I call "Triple H vs WCW" where he faced, Y2J, Hogan,
Booker T, Goldberg, Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner. If only he'd had a main event
feud with Buff Bagwell...
He is the
stuff, after all! To revisit NPWD, I know you got some great feedback some of
the other wrestlers. Is there anyone you were looking forward to seeing that
you hadn't before, or anyone you saw for the first time who really impressed
you?
Honestly, I
was so excited to see the Kaiju Big Battel guys at NPWD! I’m a huge fan of
Godzilla, Ultraman and Gamera! Someone I was very impressed with? I did enjoy
the intrepid spirit of that Heidi Lovelace!
Die hard!
NPWD was
such a great way to introduce fans to wrestlers they may not get a chance to
see otherwise. Now that you've made new fans, do you have anything coming up
that we should know about? Where can we see more of your work in the future?
Absolutely!
In Austin, Texas, my home turf, I’ll be teaming up with my partner Angel Blue to take on Pierre Abernathy and Colt Cabana! February 24th, my birthday no
less!
Before we
move on to the big Ten, is there anything else we should know about Jojo Bravo?
I finallygot a twitter! You can also find me on Facebook. Most of all I'd
like to say I'm grateful. Grateful for all that life has afforded me, and all
of the opportunities I've been given. I cultivate gratitude in everything I do.
The Same Ten Questions
What is your
earliest wrestling-related memory?
If I
remember correctly, the first show I saw was a random Nitro in 1995 (yes, I was
a WCW guy) The main event was Randy Savage vs The Giant. In the end Hulk Hogan
runs in with a chair and starts nailing the referees that try to stop him.
What was the
first wrestling show you attended?
I attended a
less-than-memorable indie show held on a military base when I was 9. I wouldn’t
see another until I witnessed Gene Snitsky kick a baby into the crowd on RAW. I
tried my damndest to catch that baby too!
It should
also be noted that I went to a live action play version of Mortal Kombat and it
RULED.
When was the
moment you realized you wanted to step up from wrestling fan to actual
wrestler?
There was
never a doubt in my mind from the time I began getting into it that this is
what I wanted to do.
Is there one
wrestler in particular that you’ve always looked up to? Why?
Once my
tastes had refined a bit, I really started to get into Japanese wrestling,
where I think my influences began to skew towards. I became a huge fan of
Antonio Inoki. I loved his pure grappling style, it greatly influenced my own
style. It’s an unpopular view point, but I loved the way that he attempted to
legitimize Pro Wrestling by implementing shoot elements. It was very peculiar
to me as a young man. And so, at 15 I bought an entire 6 cassette collection,
spanning his entire career. THAT’S RIGHT CASSETTES!! I spent hours studying
these tapes before I ever set foot into a ring and I liken them to ancient
scrolls from which I derive secret techniques.
The Big
Show/Giant deserves an honorable mention.
What is your
favourite match you’ve wrestled thus far?
This is a
great question. I had to think hard, but the answer would have to be a match I
had with Jack Jameson, in some no-name company in San Antonio. For once I was
sure that I could take the crowd, and Jack and I had become very comfortable
with one another’s style at that point. It’s a fun one, you can check it out here.
Now that
you’re involved in wrestling, who within the industry inspires you?
AKEBONO.
Took me one second to come up with. In the 90s, besides Pro Wrestling, I also
became a big fan of Sumo. I used to order tapes of the most recent sumo
tournaments from Japan. I loved to see the 64th Yokozuna Akebono, an American
wrestler who would become the first foreign grand champion. After his
retirement, he went on to have a pretty embarrassing MMA career, I don’t know
that he ever won! But when he finally settled on Pro Wrestling, I gained a new
respect for the big man. He’s competed in all types of matches, including a barbed
wire death match!
I’m sure
there are people who think I’m trying to be funny here, but Bono is a hero of
mine because he has never stopped challenging himself. Never stopped fighting,
and even after a heart attack he still hasn’t quit. That’s fighting spirit.
If you could
wrestle for any promotion in the world, which would you choose, and why?
As my taste
has evolved, I’ve really fallen in love with a company called Osaka Pro
Wrestling. They’ve got a great blend of Lucha, Strong-style, and heaps of
comedy. With special appearances by big names, and colourful characters, it
keeps me coming back constantly. Mark my words, Jojo Bravo will compete in this
company one day.
Besides
yourself, is there an independent wrestler out there you think should get more
love?
I’m going to
just list a couple of my running mates with whom I really appreciate and
deserve all the credit for anything that makes me great: Jessica James, Jack
Jameson, Bolt Brady, Portia Perez, Evan Gelistico, Barrett Brown, Ricky Starks,
Barbi Hayden, Carson, Lil' Tony and Ultimo Zebra.…jeez, too many to name!
Was there a
moment, either in your training or your first match, that made you reconsider
being a wrestler?
HELL NO. I
used to come home dog tired, collapse the minute I walked in the door, only to
do it again the next day.
What is the
most fulfilling part of pursuing a career in wrestling?
Friendship,
no question. Some people say that wrestling is not about making friends, and
that might be true. But I have been so fortunate to make some of the best
friends anyone could have on this journey of mine. I have never been wealthy,
but I have always been rich in friendship! I make a friend out of every
opponent, every partner, every roster, EVERY TIME. It’s helped me to have some
of the best matches, to be booked in the best promotions and to have the
greatest experiences. There have been times where I step back and I have to
fight the tears of joy because I think about all of these great shows I’ve been
a part of, the great fans who support our industry, and the performers who have
inspired me along this great path we are all taking together. I’m awestruck,
totally dumbfounded and absolutely in love with what we do and all of the
people who have taken a chance and believed in a little guy from Round Rock,
Texas. Thank you every one, EVER! I love you all.