The following interview is part of an exclusive interview series courtesy of CWN Contributor Steven O’Neil. Steven has been a fan of Pro-Wrestling for the past 30+ years and on top of his love for the business, he has also lent his voice to several podcasts over the past year.
What do you do in your spare time when you aren’t wrestling, or training?
I run my own Videography business so it involves speaking with clients & working together to create content to meet their needs. Beyond that, I enjoy playing acoustic guitar & playing Xbox/Pc games. Since the pandemic started I’ve also enjoyed going on daily walks just to clear my mind.
What is your favourite wrestling themed podcast or YouTube channel?
I don’t watch much wrestling on Youtube because channels like WhatCulture really annoy me. Podcasts I listen to, several. My absolute favourite was the Edge & Christian podcast but since they’ve ended, it has to be The New Day Podcast.
What was the moment that made you decide to pursue wrestling as a career?
I started watching wrestling in late 2006 when I was 10 years old. The first PPV my parents ordered for me was Royal Rumble 2007. That ending between Shawn Michaels & Undertaker is what hooked me and made me want to do this.
How do your friends/family feel about your wrestling?
I think my friends get it more so than my family. My family does not have too much of an artistic background, they’re all working in business, government, etc. but they’ve always been supportive of my endeavours. My parents especially since they allowed me to start training at 14 years old.
How do you balance family/relationships while pursuing your wrestling career?
I think it’s been a matter of just keeping in touch & checking in, especially during the pandemic. I’d say it was easy to balance until I started going overseas for weeks on end, the time difference can be difficult.
What does a typical training day look like for you?
I like to train around 12-2pm so I’ll have breakfast then a quick pre-workout snack. Then depends on the day but right now I’m doing a push/pull/legs split.
What does the diet of a pro-wrestler look like?
Normally I’d be more consistent of about 2800 calories, chicken/rice etc. But since the pandemic started, I’ve been trying to gain weight so I’ve been a little more flexible with my diet as long as I can fit my macros into 3300 calories.
What do you think is a common misconception about wrestling that people have?
I dislike when people call it “low-brow entertainment”. People are too quick to judge something they don’t understand unfortunately. I get that TV wrestling can be boring & repetitive at times but I try to stress to people that the experience of seeing an event live is like no other. I’ve had so many friends come to an indie show and tell me they really enjoyed it & didn’t expect it to be so fun. It’s our job to change that stigma about wrestling.
If you had to wear a WARNING label, what would it say?
Danger/Danger High Voltage. Fight or Flight duh.
In an alternate universe where wrestling doesn’t exist – what are you doing instead?
I think with Backyard Pro, people saw a bit more of my creative side. I’d been leaning into production and trying to create something. I thrive on creativity so I’d need to be making some sort of content.
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The mastermind behind Sluggin’ with Steven O’Neil