4w Forums interviews El Magnifico of NSA Wrestling!

So this time around I got to interview the champ of NSA Wrestling. A masked man named El Magnifico.

4w Forums here and today we got the NSA United States Champion El Magnifico, thanks for joining us. First things first, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

I started doing this about 2 years ago. I am the current NSA United States Champion which is the only active championship in the entire state of Alaska. So technically I am the champion of the largest state in the entire U.S.

Did you train at the same place with Jack Windsor and Burt Ringo?

Yes I was actually in the same training class as Burt and Jack. We all started on the same day and have been chasing this crazy dream together ever since. We all grew up as wrestling fans so it has always  been our dream to become trained professional wrestlers and preform in front of alaskan crowds. Until a few years ago, there hasn't been a consistent  local  wrestling scene for people to enjoy. It's is our dream to bring that to the Alaskan fans.

How was it at first when you started training?

The first day of wrestling training was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. I couldn't lift my head up under my own power, I had to literally grab ahold of my hair and pull forward haha. I just kept reminding myself that this is what I've always wanted since I was little and that helped push me through the hard times.

Was it a shock how psychically demanding it can be?

I had no disillusions about how hard it would be. I somewhat knew what I was in for having grown up watching the early seasons of tough enough and things like that. It was more of a shock at how in shape you need to be in order to accomplish some of the things we do in the ring.

Its good you knew it would be hard. I wish more people knew how challenging it is. So explain your gimmick and style of wrestling to us.

El Magnifico is a bona-fide gloryhound. He craves the spotlight and will stop at nothing to bask in its loving glow. I am a masked wrestler, so I am often mistaken for a luchador. While I do  fly around, I tend to favor a more grounded attack. I use various submission, suplexes and strikes to the head and neck area in order to soften up my opponent for my finishing holds. I use a sunset flip powerbomb and more recently I have been using a cravate neckbreaker called "heads will roll"

Sounds like you put alot of thought into your moveset and character. What do you think is your best match to date so far?

I certainly have, thank you for noticing. Shout out to my good friend Tony Craven for giving me the inspiration. As far as my best match to date goes, I wrestled "cannonball" Burt Ringo in December 2014 I believe in the first round of a tournament and we got match of the night. I have also had a couple title defenses that I was proud of versus Adan Reyes and another against Alaskan veteran Calvin James. Those 3 are the matches that stand out for me

What are your short term and long term goals in the business at the moment?

I got into wrestling pretty late. I was 28 when I started and I'll be 30 in October so I know there isn't alot of time that I am going to be able to do this. So I really want to use the time I have to get a scene going in the state of Alaska that will continue on after I'm done. So that a young person that lives up here can get top flight training and be able to compete without having to move away to the lower 48. Alaska has never had that before, so my goal is to help us get there and I feel like we are well on our way. We have a good thing going and we are just getting started.

So far I like what I see from NSA! Like Burt Ringo said, you focus more on stories and don't just do spotfests. Have you ever traveled outside of Alaska to wrestle?

Alot of us were trained in the mid southern style which emphasizes storytelling, so we believe that is a very important part of the show that gets lost now-a-days. We still value athleticism, but only if something is pertinent to the story we are telling. We aren't doing suicide dives 12 seconds into our matches.  I have had a couple opportunities to wrestle outside. Once with SCW in the Seattle area and once in Utah for IWR Utah. I am always open to working outside Alaska, it's just not my focus right now.

So, who would be some of the wrestlers growing up that inspired you to want to lace up the boots?

Oh man! I could go on all day about the guys who have inspired me to do this but the guy that made me feel like being a wrestler was an achievable goal was Mick Foley. He is my favorite wrestler of all time. Many people don't give him the credit he deserves. He is known mostly for taking truckloads of punishment. But what he should be known for is amazing Mic skills and the ability to convey a story to the audience. My second favorite is Chris Hero, who for my money is one of the most special talents to ever step between the ropes. I patterned alot of my style after him. Also get alot of inspiration from masked men like Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Delirious, and El Generico/ Sami Zayn

All some really great names, I'm quite impressed myself! So Jushin Liger, Delirious, and El Generico and even Mankind all wore masks, is that where you got the mask idea from? Also whats it like wrestling in a mask?

Wrestling in a mask is a whole different animal because it takes away at least some of your vision depending on what style you wear. Also, it can become twisted and any moment and completely obscure your vision. That's why it is very important to get a mask that is good quality and fits correctly. I have always had a special place for masked wrestlers as you can probably see. So to be able to join their ranks is a dream come true. I'll tell you a short story about how my whole character came about which will also answer the question about what drew me to a masked character. I had been training and I was about to make my debut. They wanted me to get squashed so they were gonna put me under a mask and do a one off throw away gimmick. My buddy had done a quasi-luchador gimmick when we used to do backyard stuff as kids and he called himself El Magnifico. So I got the mask for him and used the character. The fans liked me so much that I got stuck with it and the rest is history hahaha

A few more questions here before we let you on your way! What do you think sets NSA Wrestling apart from the other small promotions around the US?

What sets us apart is that we have a promotion that is run by the boys  and is geared toward building a scene and showcasing local homegrown talent as opposed to putting on shows and making a quick buck every now and then. We don't have a promoter or a booker. The wrestlers do everything including setting up and tearing down for shows and booking talent. We also have what I estimate to be the largest female wrestling crowd I have ever seen! We draw around 75-100 people per show and at least half are women. So don't let anyone tell you that only dudes go to shows!

I really wish I was closer to you guys or vice versa, I'd love to come to some shows! Maybe in the future there will be ways to watch NSA on youtube! So last question here, what is your favorite wrestling match of all time?

If you Follow NSA Wrestling on  Facebook, we often upload matches as our #Throwback Thursday but to adress your question it has to be the main event of my favorite wrestlemania of all time. Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs HBK Shawn Michaels for the WWE championship. That is one of the best main event performances I have ever seen by both men. Then adding the fact that HBK did it all with a broken back just takes it to a completely different level. So that's my answer

Yes, I've actually recently watched that Wrestlemania, the torch was officially passed that night. Is there anything else you would like to add that I might not have covered?

First off thank you for having me, I hope I wasn't too long winded. I would also like to say thank you to our incredible fans, some who drive hundreds of miles round trip just to watch our little show. You guys are the reason that we continue to grow and will continue to grow for a long time. In closing, if you are somebody who is thinking about getting trained and being a wrestler, don't wait until you are 28 like I did. There are alot of like minded people that will help you in your journey. Oh yeah I almost forgot...... SUPPORT INDEPENDENT WRESTLING!!!!!! Thank you for your time

We really enjoy you guys, you are a great group of people who are very hungry and motivated. We encourage you to join our boards 4wforums.com, it would be cool to talk to the champ! Everyone reading this, make sure to like NSA Wrestling on Facebook and check them out! Thanks for your time El Magnifico

Check out NSA Wrestling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSA-Wrestling- … 3/?fref=ts

Check out our other interviews also:
"Gentleman" Jack Windsor: http://www.4wforums.com/thread.php?id=1192
"Cannonbal" Burt Ringo: http://www.4wforums.com/thread.php?id=1203

Last edited by Sery (Tue-31-May-2016 01:55:50)