New Regular Feature: Wednesday Conversation with Maxx Corbin

----RRO sit down via e-mail with Maxx Corbin to talk about recent events.

-What are your thoughts on the new Memphis Wrestling product?

 

Maxx Corbin

I think anytime you can get Wrestling, TV and Jerry Lawler in Memphis, it’s great. One day maybe I can be a part of it in some capacity. I do wish it was in the studio still and that I could pick it up on TV here in Jackson. But everything I have seen (hold ring announcing) has been great. The wrestling seems to be stepped up and the commentary of Brandon Baxter is a huge upgrade over what Corey Maclin was doing. Brandon knows his stuff and makes matches that much better. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Memphis Wrestling, with the talent they have and everyone behind the scenes, they can really be where they were in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s….HUGE!

-Wasn't that you doing the voiceover on the Memphis Wrestling commercial?? IF so, how did get that gig??   

 

Yep…that was me…I’m surprised you caught my voice. I have family members that hear commercials I make and never know it was me till I tell them. Sometimes they still don’t believe it is me. Apparently, I can’t get over with relatives either lol. No, I have been doing commercials for about 3 years now. Most of them are locally run on Jackson cable. It started as a way to promote the shows I run at a school here in Jackson and snowballed into a few different events like bodybuilding shows too. The Memphis Wrestling Academy commercial was brought up by Kevin White and Brian Christopher. They asked if I could shoot some video clips and do a 30 second commercial for the wrestling school. They were trying to get it done for the next set of tapings. We shot the stuff on a Sunday and the tapings were on the next Wednesday. So, I edited it all together in about 4 hours and rushed it to them the next day. Everyone seemed to like it. Brian and Kevin said it was awesome for the time frame they gave me to produce it. I even heard word that King liked it (pause for a slight mark out moment) which was really cool. Kind of like when I heard (pause for mark out moment #2) Jimmy Hart liked my Wrestlicous spoof a year back. It’s really cool to see those guys (like Brian, Kevin, King, and Hart), who you look up to, compliment your work.

 

-Tell us about your weight loss??  

 

The weight loss has over run my life or that’s what my wife will tell you. This is the longest I have ever been on a workout routine (which is kinda sad) but I’m really addicted to it. I’ve dropped down from 320 lbs in February to 245 lbs now. So, 75 lbs of weight loss in about 6 ½ months all together. I feel like a different person. The knees feel new, the back hurts less, new clothes were needed - it’s great. I want to drop another 15 lbs and start toning up more. I have always been the fat kid in life. It feel nice to have someone notice that I’m not that anymore. Flash Flanagan jokingly asked me if I had AIDS last week. Only in wrestling would that be acceptable and complimentary. Lol But in all seriousness this is the longest I’ve been doing this and it’s because of motivation and compliments I have been getting; as well as help from my buddy Del Rios [Spellbinder]. He’s practically my unofficial trainer. He has told me to step it up a few times when it looked like I was cheating myself and given me a boatload of advice along the way. It has helped more than he probably knows.

-What would be your ultimate goal in the business?

 

I think it’s what everyone wants that’s to be known. I read Bruno’s last article and he said that you needed to be trained by someone who has made a living in wrestling. I guess if I had a goal that would be it. I would love to be able to make a living off wrestling. Whether that be wrestling, managing, announcing, or mopping the floors at the office in Connecticut. Anyone who says they wouldn’t do any of that to be a part of the business must not love it.

-What are you going to do to improve your wrestling ability?

 

I think I have already taken a huge step in that direction with the weight loss. I have already noticed that I can do more with out getting blown up. I can focus better because I’m not having to worry about trying to breathe…lol. I have been going down to the school when I can, as well. Anytime you can pick the brains’ of guys like Brian and Kevin, it’s a good thing. I also started asking more questions from guys in the back like TGB, Jon Michael, CJ, and Flash. Guys that I know can go. They help a lot!

 

-What your thoughts on the Jeremy Wood tragedy?

 

It’s sad and senseless. Hearing some of the stuff that went down is crazy. Why no one is being charged with murder is beyond me. I made a comment on the kayfabe board about how these places that train kids like that and out of books need to be ran out of town. I was only half joking though when I said I wouldn’t mind running shows in “their towns”. Someone has to step up and do it. It would be really cool if Memphis started the circuit back and took back over their territory. Can you imagine that? That would clean things up. Who would want to come see a card with 120 lbs wrestlers that didn’t know what they were doing when Memphis Wrestling was right down the road?

-How much of this business is based on skills vs kissing ass??  WOW! Why do I get the feeling that I’m getting enough rope to hang myself here?..lol. I think this could be asked in any business not just wrestling. But wrestling is very political so yea there is a fair amount of ass kissing that goes on. I’m sure I have been guilty of sucking up to a boss every now and then. It happens with some more than others. I would like to think that the talent wins out in the end though. Talent is harder to obtain than a compliment.

 

-You had an incident recently with Randy Byrd aka Ravishing Randy where he tripped you in the crowd??  What happened??   

 

I’m sure he thought I’d go right to the boards or something and give him and his company some publicity, but the fact that this happened about a month ago and only a few people know about it put that to rest…lol. To be honest I don’t know what his motivation was for it, but it happened.

 

I was in Ripley and going over some stuff with my opponent when I walked back to the main area of the locker room. That’s when I saw him shaking hands with people in the back. It was like in the movies when you see a bunch of people dancing and the camera splits them all slowly until you see the main focus.  He noticed me about 5 seconds after I did and he looked right at me kinda nervously and quickly went back to his guys at the other side of the room. I thought it was weird. I mean I have been very vocal how he was a nobody in our business and that “running” a company for 25, 30 years (whatever the number is) that is neither well known nor respected by anyone, means nothing. I also said that they worked their attendance numbers because 1: I saw them do it when we were in the company. And 2: I witnessed it when they were coming on our local access (and no I did not watch your shows, but when you post that you had 300 people there I checked to see. Most of the time, I could only count 50 at the max.).

 

But in all of that I never made any violent threats toward the guy. In fact it had been a LONG, LONG time since I had mentioned him. So, I went to Jon Michael to see why he was even here. Had he been invited? The 2 guys he came with (Kilo, who I don’t have a problem with, and Devon Day, who I don’t know and also don’t have a problem with) had been invited but apparently not him.

 

Anyways, they go sit in the crowd to watch the show. I had a great match against TGB btw..lol. After my match Jon Michael told me that he needed me to go out and celebrate with Seth Knihgt after he won the tournament for the ultimate title. At the end of the show you always have people starting to file out of the building. So, I walk to the ring, holding a bottle of sparkling grape juice, and I have to pass right in front of Randy (who is in the middle of the aisle walking out of the building) as I pass him he kicks the back of my heel. The kick was heavy enough that I knew it wasn’t considered an accident. I stopped and turned around to see him almost out of the building…it wasn’t my moment it was Seth’s. I did send Caleb (the ref) to the back to tell JM that (in my exact words) “IF THAT FAT CLETUS T JUDD FUCK TOUCHES ME AGAIN, HE’S GOT PROBLEMS.”

 

So, we finished the deal and I got to the back. JM asks me what happen and I told him, there was also about 2 others who saw it happen and they said the same thing I did…he tried to trip me…Was this high school? Someone then mentioned that he was in the back. I walked over and yell “RANDY! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” He started stuttering out some excuse and walking towards me. At that point I told him that it was best he stay out of my face. I went to get dressed and he stayed on the opposite side of the room. He was trying to politic anyone he could to come work for him in Trenton …which made me laugh. As I’m putting on my clothes Randy comes up to me and asks if I had a problem with him. I noticed that most of the boys had left the room except for his Kilo and Seth. I told him that he needed to get out of my face. He then told me that he thought this had something to do with the beef we had in the past.

 

My reply was “THIS IS ABOUT YOU TRYING TO FUCKING TRIP ME OUT THERE!..NOW GET OUT OF MY FACE!”

 

This drew a bit of attention and some of the boys were coming back into the locker room. Randy bends down almost whispering in my ear and says “ I don’t respect you.” It was said so low and with a lack of confidence usually reserved for 13 year old dorky that’s trying to ask out the head cheerleader. So, I replied with the natural response of “ WHAT!??!” I was thinking that is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said to me. Not that it made me mad, or that I couldn’t hear it,  it was just so random and stupid. Was he gonna tell me his dad could beat up my dad next? So, he thinks I didn’t hear so he repeats himself, “I don’t respect you.” with the same delivery as before. My response was, “Then why the fuck are you even talking to me then Randy?” I was waiting on him to be stupid and slap me or something, but after he stuttered around talking I realized he was just wasting my time. I finally just looked at him and told him to just get the fuck out. I guess he caught on that I meant business because he walked out the door. I explained to those around that I was actually surprised that he even came up to me and said anything. Randy was good at pussying out when it came to that stuff. That was when one of his guys chimed in with “You know why he did that right?” “It’s cause ya’ll were here,” I said and he thought you’d jump in if I did anything.” He said I was right and that “Randy was a pussy.” I swear to god I laughed when I heard that. So it’s not only me that thinks it huh?. Anyways, I’m not sure what it was over or what the objective was. All I know is that it was the most pathetic attempt at picking a fight I have ever seen. I was commended later for holding my cool, but in all seriousness it was more sad than threatening.

 

-What’s next for Maxx Corbin?  

I am currently working on a project that will take some time to complete. But hopefully it will be good when finished. For those of you that liked CineMaxx you’ll love this. I also am thinking of filming more CineMaxx Comedy videos. Sometimes those things were the highlight of my weekend….Now if I get the time to do them is the other thing….lol