Q + A: Cameron Matthews (Part 1 of 3)

Last month, Cameron Matthews of Wrestler4Hire suggested (for the second time) that we do an interview. Never having done such a thing before, I wrote out some questions and sent them to him. I intended them as a discussion point, but being the guy he is, Cameron actually just went ahead and answered them all.

Cam went above and beyond

I shouldn't be surprised. He seems like a good guy. The extent of our relationship is me following Wrestler4Hire on Twitter and sending Wrestler4Hire some notes about my customer experience. It's not like we’re buddies, but based on my limited interactions with him, Cameron comes across as approachable, authentic and down-to-earth. As a customer, I've found him to be very responsive to me when I've had issues. It might take a second, but I always feel like he cares and wants to do the right thing. As a blogger, I've found him to be very appreciative of the coverage, liking and re-tweeting my promotional tweets.

I've had nothing but positive
interactions with Cam

It's more like a survey than a traditional interview, but I thought it worked fine. I asked about four topics that interested me:

1. Starting out
2. Being a wrestler for hire
3. Wrestler4Hire
4. Talent/Recruiting

There's a ton here, so I'm posting these weekly over the next three weeks. As my first time asking questions and not knowing a ton about Cameron outside of watching videos, I feel like I did the logical thing and started with the basics. Let's jump in ...

(1) Starting Out

Q1. When did you start wrestling? What made you want to be a professional wrestler? Who were some of your favorites when you were a kid? Was there anyone you aspired to be?

I started wrestling amateur (folk style) at age 12 in Junior High. I was never trying to do anything with it at the time, except build on a potential career as a pro wrestler. I think that's common now-a-days, but back in the late 90's, the two were more separated.

The only person that'd teach me pro at age 14 was Lon DuMont, who had just opened up a wrestling school an hour north of where I lived in Maine. I can't place my finger on the exact thing that made me want to be a pro wrestler, but I knew from age 11 that I was definitely going to be a pro wrestler. No doubt about it. I was definitely attracted to the athleticism and theatrical aspect of it. That fit my personality well.

The first wrestlers I remember were Hulk Hogan & Macho Man Randy Savage. I joke that I've been watching wrestling since I came out of the womb. Flying off couches with elbow drops and ax handle smashes since I was a toddler. As I grew up, I was like every other wrestling fan, I liked Stone Cold Steve Austin. I must've had a dozen of his shirts. My absolute childhood favorite was the only famous guy from my home state: Scott Taylor aka Scotty 2 Hotty (except this was before he was more than a jobber). I actually wrestled him back in 2007 or so about 20 minutes from where I grew up. 

We share a love for the Macho Man ...

... and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Scott Taylor got
Cameron's attention.

Q2. It seems like pro wrestling would be an extremely challenging business at the start. How was your experience? What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Well, I am constantly giving advice to my friends who still wrestle and are attempting the climb to the top. I learned a lot of stuff that I spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars to know. I was lucky enough that some successful wrestlers would even share this knowledge with me for free, out of them wanting me to succeed. So, I always try to pass on what I've picked up to the people who seem to genuinely want to be successful...and I'm still always interested in learning new philosophy, new technique, new opinion, whatever it may be.

I think the biggest advice I'd give to someone looking to start out would be: if you aren't trying to be on top then save your body. Or at least learn to avoid taking back bumps as often as possible. I'm still young, but the years of abuse on my body from all the slams and falls have become a nuisance to my overall well-being. I'm hoping my body heals itself since I've stopped wrestling every weekend. As well, the recent developments regarding brain trauma have me worried about the long-term effects of these minor car accident-esque impacts that wrestlers take multiple times per match. 

The pain and punishment on a
wrestler's hot body is real.

So be in it to win it or don't play.

Q3. Who are some of your favorite wrestlers to wrestle? What makes a good opponent? I won't ask you to specifically name guys you haven't enjoyed wrestling (unless you want to), but I will ask, what makes a bad opponent?

Paul Hudson will always be one of my favorite opponents. I also have a few friends including Jonny Firestorm who I enjoy spending time wrestling. I think it comes down to our wanting the other person to look good and for us to want to put on a hell of a show. We are constantly looking for ways for the other person to beat us up. I think that makes the best opponent...as far as pro wrestling.

As for additional underground wrestling opponents, I'd say Ty Alexander, Alex Oliver, Austin Cooper, Ethan Andrews, Zach Reno, Coupe (Thunder's Arena), Big Sexy (from Thunder's Arena), STL (Thunder's Arena). Those guys make matches fun and action-packed. I'm not so much a fan of chit-chatting. I like to "whistle while you work." Let's get down to business and the trash talk will flow. Those guys are all good at that...then after the match we hug and laugh and high five each other. Those guys are genuinely fun.

I think the only person that I'd claim is a bad opponent would be Eli Black. That guy wouldn't stop talking about how in a real-fight he wouldn't lose. But this was in-between rounds of filming. Not just to me, but to other guys he was wrestling. I'm cool with things being said on camera, but if you are gonna talk like a tough guy in between takes then I find you annoying. I mean, c'mon - he's 130-pounds. 

Cameron's not exactly being nice to his "favorite". 

I'm not surprised that Ty Alexander is genuinely fun.

I enjoyed their chemistry, so I'm happy
Cam liked Big Sexy, too.

Q4. How did you transition from the indie wrestling scene to more 'underground' wrestling? Besides the obvious, like an audience, what are the biggest differences between working for a traditional pro wrestling group and a wrestling video producer? What's the big selling point of working for an 'underground' producer? What's the biggest drawback?

Doing videos fell into my lap. I started getting requests for custom videos once I turned 18. Indy wrestling is full of guys with huge egos. Worried about who wins and who loses. Who is the champion and blah blah blah. I think everyone knows by now that pro wrestling is fake. We don't have to cry and have ego trips about who wins a fake fight. With underground wrestling, there are far less egos. Everyone is there for the same reason. I try to make my shoots fun and highly productive. It's more like a frat house (minus most of the juvenile bullying) than a legitimate place of business. We spend most of the day hanging out watching loads of great matches be filmed. The wrestlers are open to ideas and (mostly) willing to do what is asked of them. Pro wrestling has an abundance of guys who believe their own hype. Most the guys on the indy level are doing it for "love of the game," so things are more personal than business. With the underground wrestling, we understand we are all equals and in it for the same reason. Win-loss records don't matter. Nor does it matter who gets to be champion.

The number one concern from most of the models/wrestlers that I speak with about doing underground wrestling is the uneasiness of being associated with an adult/gay product. It's not even often that I come across that concern though. Nearly everyone I speak to about working with me is polite and open to the idea...or at least polite in declining. However, you still have some people with that narrow mindset. The other issue is that it's hard to perform with no live audience. That immediate reaction and feedback drives a lot of wrestlers to be more intense. 

There's more camaraderie in underground.

So that's Day One. Here are my observations from this section.

(1) I found this chance to ask questions fascinating and illuminating, because Cameron is living the experiences I write for my characters. For example, Cody and Ryan started training in pro wrestling at age 14. Xaq is a wrestler for hire. Whether it's The Cave, Route 69, or CLAW, many of my characters are doing exactly what he's talking about.

(2) "... biggest advice I'd give to someone looking to start out would be: if you aren't trying to be on top then save your body."

This hit home. Wrestlers at all levels deserve our utmost respect, regardless of whether they're our favorites or not. Like a guy or don't like a guy, just think about what he's putting on the line and at least be respectful. I know that the risk > reward for me, so I appreciate that the math is different for them.

(3) "Paul Hudson, Jonny Firestorm, Ty Alexander, Alex Oliver, Austin Cooper, Ethan Andrews, Zach Reno, Coupe (Thunder's Arena), Big Sexy (from Thunder's Arena), STL (Thunder's Arena)."

An interesting list. Since I'm a fan of seven of these guys and the other three I'm simply not familiar with (Paul Hudson, Coupe, STL), I'm very happy to read that they're fun to work with. I like reading good things about people I like.

(4) "It's not even often that I come across that concern [being associated with adult/gay product] though."

This pleases me. I'm happy it's an infrequent issue.

(5) "The other issue is that it's hard to perform with no live audience. That immediate reaction and feedback drives a lot of wrestlers to be more intense."

Wow, extremely eye-opening. I never thought of this, but I suddenly get it. It makes me realize why some videos might seem flat or slow and why some wrestlers might seem disinterested. Of course performing without that instant feedback would be harder. Now, it doesn't change the product, but it makes me more empathetic.

That's it for part one. Next week, I'll share Cameron's thoughts on being a wrestler for hire and owning Wrestler4Hire.

Alex