After an unexpected hiatus, it’s time for the latest SWE Spotlight here on SLTD Wrestling, which this week focuses on the tag-team partner of one of our recent interviewees (“All Night” Ian Ambrose”): Sam Ross. Sam has been wrestling for just over a year, yet he’s already been involved in a four-team steel cage match at SWE’s showpiece event, Hell for Lycra. He was introduced to SWE fans after aligning himself with “The Syndicate”, but he’s since turned on them and formed a tag-team with Ian Ambrose called “The Weekend Warriors”. It was great to sit down with Sam and chat about his career so far. Here’s what the man himself had to say!
Tell us a little bit about how you got started in wrestling and who your influences were when you were growing up?
Well, I started training for wrestling after a drunken conversation with one of my mates whilst watching a repeat of Monday Night Raw, which then progressed to researching whether they actually had professional wrestling schools across here. We were clearly very ignorant at the time to the extent of pro wrestling around the UK. The Hartland Training School in Blairgowrie was the closest to us and we decided we would head along for the next training session. On the day, my mate decided he wasn’t going to go, but I went along anyway and got right into it. From then on, I was training religiously and I don’t think I missed a session for the first couple of months. When I was growing up watching wrestling, I used to enjoy watching older footage of the Ultimate Warrior. I’d probably say he was my biggest inspiration. At the time, it never really occurred to me that he wasn’t the most skilled wrestler to ever step into the ring because I admired his energy and intensity. I loved watching him charging down to the ring, tassels and all.
When did you decide that you wanted to be a wrestler?
I can always remember wanting to be a wrestler when I was younger, but I never really did anything about it until recently. Despite the various warnings during wrestling broadcasts encouraging me not to try what I saw, the earliest attempt I made to be a wrestler was when I was about 6. My cousin and I were wrestling in my living room and I got in trouble because I gave him a bleeding nose, courtesy of a super kick. I seem to recall my wrestling persona back then was that of a Hawaiian King who wore a bed sheet as ring gear. Happy days!
Is there anything that frustrates you about the wrestling business?
There is too much duplicity in wrestling, especially in Scotland. If you have something to say about someone, say it to their face.
There are lots of good, strong wrestling companies in the UK right now. What do you put that down to?
I don’t think there’s any one thing you could put it down to. There are a lot of talented guys and gals working the UK scene at the moment, which stems from better training being available and the promoters dedicating their time and effort in to putting together a solid and entertaining product.
For anyone that hasn’t seen you wrestle, how would you describe your style?
A bit like a Mullet; business up front, party in the back! No, coming from an American Football background, I like to get in there and throw my weight around. Tough and intense would probably be a good way to describe it. I like to keep it fast paced where I can and throw in a few high impact moves here and there.
Fairly early on in your career, you were aligned with Steven Magners and Chaz Phoenix. I suppose this might be a bit of a daft question, but how much more did you learn just by being at ringside with them?
Quite simply, I wouldn’t have learned anywhere near as much as I have done, had I not been given the chance to work so closely with them. Having guys with experience like Steven Magners and Chaz Phoenix there to guide and help you along was such a great help for me when I first started out. From watching them at ringside or being in their corner during a match, it really drilled in the fact that less really is more. I’m sure they won’t mind me saying that they’re offense is not particularly flashy or fancy, but the moves they perform are executed well and look tidy. Not only that but it gave me first-hand experience about the importance of ring psychology and telling a story during a match. Otherwise, it’s just two guys beating each other up for no reason.
We’re coming up on the first anniversary of your debut as a singles wrestler. The first singles match you wrestled was against “All Night” Ian Ambrose. What are your memories of that match?
Being very nervous. It was my first match without Chaz Phoenix or Steven Magners there to keep me right and I kept thinking I was going to mess up. I had worked with ‘Brose a lot whilst training and he was always full of ideas and we talked through a lot of stuff before hand, which helped me out a lot. I remember making a few mistakes here and there, but we both came out alive at the end of it so I must have done something right!
Someone that nearly always gets mentioned when I speak to the boys from SWE is Mr Euan G Mackie. What does he do that makes him stand out from everyone else?
Mr Euan G. Mackie is a very…unique individual. I don’t think there’s a character quite like him anywhere, certainly not in the UK wrestling scene. If you imagine Goldust and Lady Gaga were to have a child, then the child was adopted by Mankind. By the time the child had matured into an adult, you’d have someone with a personality similar to “The Very Good” Mr Euan G. Mackie. He is very charismatic and debonair, and at the same time very mysterious in his ways. From the eerie way he makes his way to the ring, to pulling down his wrestling tights whilst he performs a seated senton that he affectionately calls “The Arse of Glory”, everything about Mr Euan G. Mackie is absorbingly obscure.
Since turning on “The Syndicate”, you’ve been kind of embroiled in a tag-team war with them. Why did you choose “All Night” as your tag-team partner and explain where “The Weekend Warriors” name comes from?
I think on a personal level, Ian and myself are very similar, I’d say anyway. We both strive to be the best that we can be and always give our all, whether that be training or wrestling in front of a crowd. When I’ve worked with him before, we just seemed to gel. Then when you combine our mental attitudes with our physical attributes, Ian’s speed and agility with my power and size, you’ve got one tasty tag team milkshake. As for “The Weekend Warriors”, we just really like alliteration. In reality, it came about due to the fact that it is very difficult to make a full time living out of wrestling in the UK. Most workers over here have to survive by doing more conventional jobs through the week, so one of the WWE legends referred to us as “weekend warriors” and we just kind of ran with it.
Another guy who gets mentioned a lot when I talk to Scottish wrestlers is Damian O’Connor. For anyone that hasn’t seen him work, just how good is Damo?
Damo is superb, a very skilled and meticulous worker. I have only had the pleasure of working with him once, but he made it incredibly easy to put on a good show and I really enjoyed our match. He worked the crowd so well and got so much heat that I hardly had to do anything to look like the “good guy”. Not only that, but after the match he took the time to go over what I did well and what I could improve on, which was fantastic for me as a relative newbie and it was much appreciated as not a lot of guys will give you that extra feedback.
I think I’m right in saying that this year’s Hell for Lycra show was the first time you’d been backstage at an SWE show with WWE legends. How much interaction did you have with the likes of Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase and Chavo Guerrero Jr. and what advice, if any, did they give you after your 4-way tag-team steel cage match?
This year’s Hell for Lycra was amazing, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the aforementioned legends. I was lucky enough to be heavily involved in a lot of the autograph sessions that went on through the week leading up to Hell for Lycra (and also a trip to Edinburgh Castle) which meant I got to interact a lot with all the legends that were over here. Just to be able to sit back and listen to guys such as Ted DiBiase, Roddy Piper, Tatanka and Chavo Guerrero Jr talk about their time in the business was a surreal experience. It was more from just taking the time to listen to what they were saying that I gained more advice and guidance from them about improving and progressing in pro-wrestling than from my match itself.
Of all the matches you’ve had in your career so far, which one stands out to you most and which one are you most proud of?
I would have to say that my favourite match to date has to be the 4 way team steel cage match at Hell for Lycra 9 this year. To have the opportunity to wrestle in front of 1000 screaming fans so early on in my wrestling career was phenomenal, not to mention in a steel cage. In that match I had the chance to work with a lot of guys that I respect and who have a lot of experience in wrestling and it was a privilege to be in there with them.
Who’s been your favourite opponent to get in the ring with and why?
Tough question. In my short time in wrestling, there have been so many guys I’ve enjoyed working with. If I had to choose one, I would probably say Chaz Phoenix. He is well known as the resident bad guy of the SWE and the crowd love to hate him. He generates so much reaction from the fans and it’s great to work when you have a crowd that are so into the match.
Is there anyone you haven’t had the chance to wrestle yet that you’d love to work with?
One person I would really like to wrestle against but haven’t had the chance yet would be Martyn Stallyon. Both being part of the Hartland Wrestling School, we have worked together at training and I would love to get in the ring at a show against him. I have always been impressed when I’ve watched him perform and I think we could put on a good match for a crowd.
Let’s pretend for a second that Vince McMahon offers you a Wrestlemania match against any wrestler from the recent past or present. Who would you choose to wrestle and why?
Probably the Ultimate Warrior, although I’d need to invest in a great number of tassels before I’d be ready for that battle.
Your first year in wrestling has been a huge success. What’s the goal for you going forward?
Keep on training hard and trying to improve as much as I can. I still have a lot to learn and there is a long journey ahead of me to get where I want to go. The road to success is always under construction. This year has been fantastic though, and it has given me a great foothold in the crazy world of pro wrestling and I hope I can keep building on that.
And finally, have you got a message for all your fans?
Cheers. You stay classy, San Diego.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone who finishes off an interview with an Anchorman reference is top-drawer! In all seriousness, it was great to sit down and have a chat with Sam. He’s done incredibly well so far and I reckon that, much like his tag-partner, he’s one for all SWE fans to watch now and in the future. Big things are coming Sam’s way, I’m sure of it!
If you’d like to keep up-to-date with the latest news and show information from SWE, why not follow them on Twitter @SWE_online, or visit their website at www.sweonline.co.uk. If there’s any other SWE stars you’d like me to interview in the future, just send me a tweet @george_sltd and I’ll bring it to you as quickly as I can. Next week’s SWE spotlight is gonna shine on someone who virtually every other interviewee has mentioned. Who is it? You’ll need to come back next week and find out!
Thanks for reading.
George
SLTD Wrestling's resident Scottish Nightmare. Some of my content may not be suitable for younger readers or those who are easily offended!
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