“Largest man in Pro Wrestling” Shooter Storm
Interview by Jamie Dobson aka Springfield
From Orlando Florida (Massena, NY home town)
Born July 31, 1982
7’12, 841 lbs (This morning)
Single and no children that I know of.
What made you decide on a wrestling career?
There was never any other choice for me, from the time that I can remember there was never anything else I wanted to do.
How many years have you been at it?
June 2011 will mark my 10th year in the wrestling business.
What’s the story of how your ring name came to be?
When I first was looking into wrestling schools, Shawn Michaels TWA was the place I was leaning towards, so I ordered a Texas travel guide and inside I saw the name Anthony Texas so I knew I wanted Anthony as my first name, Shooter I got because I am always running off at the mouth (not because I can wrestle like Dean Malenko that’s for sure) and Storm because I was a huge fan of Lance Storm, and also my favorite actress (well I kinda just wanted to nail her face) is Kirsten Storms so I went with the full ring name of “Shooter” Anthony Storm but when I came to Florida for the first time in 2007 I just took the name Shooter Storm, I went back to the Northeast for a couple years and went back to The full name but when I made my fulltime return to Florida it was Shooter Storm again and I haven’t looked back.
What is your finisher – how did you come up with it or who inspired it?
A finisher? Wait I would have to win in order to have one of those, right? The World’s Largest All Knighters finisher is a STO into a backcracker and my singles finisher (which I barely am ever able to use) is the short arm into the DDT.
What is and any story behind your entrance music?
My singles music for a long time was ‘Blood in my Eyes’ by Disturbed and then became ‘I Like your pants around your feet’ by Nickelback till I got back to Florida and then I heard Capone come out to it so that spoiled that so I had to change it. (Fu*k you Frankie! Scram :p). Now I use as singles music, ’Angels take a soul’ by Fuel. Joey and my tag music is Normally ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ by Rhianna or any other popular dance song such as the Night at the Roxbury theme.
Are there any colors of gear you refuse to wear?
Def not, I have wore everything from Black, to zebra print, to Green Speedos to hot pink, wait till this Saturday at Best of the Best to see The All Knighters new amazing gear.
Over the years is there any gear you wish you had left in the closet?
Maybe some of the dresses “my sister” Shooterella wore.
What is your most memorable in wrestling moment?
I would have to say when I had the tryout with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2006. I did some pretapes in the back and really got the feel for what it would be like to be able to do this on a big time stage and it’s something that I still want to this day.
Do you have a Funniest moment?
I remember one time in a locker room in Canada, my boy Myzery the Barbarian got hot at me because I first borrowed his wrist tape and never put it back in his bag and then I borrowed his towel without asking so he yells ” Fu*king Shooter Goddamn it put my shit back” and he was legit hot at me. I answered back ” Stop yelling at me in the locker room” He had no choice but to start laughing he still talks about that to this day.
Any interesting tattoo stories you would like to share?
I have a shit ton of tattoos maybe 27 or 28 of them. I used to work as an apprentice in a shop in NY. So whenever my boss would get bored on a slow day he would ask if I wanted more ink and of course I would always say yes.
Is there one thing on your personal side you want your fans to know?
My family and friends mean a lot to me. I’m going through a lot of stuff right now with my mom not having much longer left and I really realize how many people in and around the wrestling business care for me and honestly that means the world to me.
What has been your most memorable or worst fan interaction?
Back home in my home town I was always recognized for being one of the few pro wrestlers to come out of the area, so when I would go out in public people would always be saying my name and that was always a cool thing, The craziest fan interactions? There were a few. Always at ACW at Bourbon Street when I was running with Coop and the rest of the Clan we always had absurd heat which at times almost got physical. I also remember one time at a show for National Wrestling Alliance GM in Vermont I was teaming with my trainer Hybrid Rain and we were coming to the ring and I got in this guys face and he pushed me and me and Rain went after him it got pretty ugly. That night I had to wait two hours in the locker room before I went outside because there were a mob of people wanting to kick my ass.
Who has been your toughest opponent to date and would you face him again?
I would say the toughest and most brutal matches I had were the string of matches my old tag partner Mike Maniacal and I had in NY and Vermont when we were the World’s Largest Tag Team with the Hellraizers, Payne, Myzery (The Barbarian) and Damian Vachon. Those fu*kers were all guys I trained with and are my closest friends but when the bell rang I knew I was in for a fu*king ass whoopin and I would love to do it again.
What is something you have done or enjoy that is completely out of character?
I think that my character that you see in the ring is kinda just me amped up a little bit, You can ask anyone that knows me I really have no filter on my mouth. What you see is what you get you can either like me or hate me but I’m not gonna change. Something I enjoy outside of wrestling, probably anything in the adult industry. I’m not gonna lie I am a big fan of porn and I’m actually doing some stuff with adult industry on the side so someday when I can’t physically do this wrestling thing anymore I will have another passion to follow.
If you could go back in time – what message would you tell a younger version of you?
Settle the fu*k down, Just listen to people, listen to what they’re telling you, don’t think you know everything because you don’t, you are young just sit listen and shut up. I see so many new kids coming up in the business with attitudes and this is everywhere and I was one of those guys but trust me you will last longer in the business if you just listen and work hard.
Is there a ritual you do before matches or a lucky charm you bring to the ring?
Lucky Charm? Clever! Um yeah I always write mom on one side of my wrist tape, and I always do the sign of the cross before I go to the ring.
Are there certain Indy Feds you would like to work with but haven’t had the opportunity?
ROH, C4 in Canada, OCW in Canada, National Wrestling Alliance Anarchy (Went up there once and rolled around in ring before hand) but didn’t work the show. Good core group of guys and awesome promotion overall. I would like to do some out of country stuff, England sounds fun.
Do you accept fan mail? Where should they address it?
You can follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/shooterstorm and I will answer stuff on there.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?
My mom and my brother, My mom is the greatest woman to ever come into my life ( and trust me there have been many lol) and she was always a believer in me. When I see what she is going through now it tears at my heart and everything I do I dedicate to her such as This upcoming Best of The Best show. My brother was always like a dad to me as my parents split when I was 2 years old. He’s been the one person that always pushed and believed I could do this wrestling thing. As inspirations in the wrestling business I would say Tommy Dreamer who has done so much for me in the business, he is my mentor, basically my father in the business. Jesse Neal who even though has made it to television has never forgotten us guys on the indies and is always helping me out and giving me pointers as well. Bruce Santee and Francisco Ciatso who I really think the world of and love both of their work and still to this day don’t know why both of them aren’t signed. John Allen is another guy I really respect and always like to get his feedback, he’s been around a long time (Pretty sure he main evented at the last supper) and is a wealth of Knowledge… It’s funny because Simon Sez has been in the business half the time I have but yet I really idolize his character and his whole in ring deal. The guy is top notch with what he does , true story, as soon as I am done any of my matches he is the first person I go to for his feedback. Also people like Coop and Eddie ( who are just class acts in and out of the ring) of course my boys from back home the Hellraizers, former tag partner Magnum Mike Maniacal and my trainer Hybrid Rain, all these people are huge inspirations to me,
Who has your biggest feud been with?
I would say the biggest actual long running feud was when I was one half of the World’s Largest Tag team and fighting the Hellraizers everywhere from Highgate Vermont to Ellenburg NY to Cornwall Ont, Canada.
Do you have suggestions to promote Indy wrestling or the business in general?
It’s a pain in the ass, I have ran shows in 2 states and my 3rd this Saturday night. It’s a pain in the ass, so if you don’t have the heart, determination or overall love for the wrestling business don’t bother because if you do you will end up like any other shit show.
If you had to do it all over – would you change anything?
You know I probably wouldn’t because everything has been a learning experience. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I take pride in the fact that I have never cancelled on a show. If I give you my word I’ll be there to wrestle your show I’ll be there and I think promoters see that and see that I always do what’s best for the show and I think that’s why I continue to get work. So no I wouldn’t change anything.
What effect has wrestling had on you and your life?
Honestly, this may be a good or bad thing but Wrestling is my life, I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have wrestling. I love wrestling, I love the adrenaline rush I love going out and performing in front of people, I love everything about pro wrestling. Wrestling has given me another family. Without the people in this business that I associate with on a weekly basis I don’t know how I would get through all the hardships of everyday life.
Do you prefer Heel or Face – Have you been mainly one or the other?
For most of my career I was a heel, I love getting the fans riled up and wanting to kill me, I love the fact there like this little( Obv. they have problems with their eyes if they think I’m little) motherfu*ker is getting the better of me. But also I like being the fan favorite at ASW, For the first year I was there I along with Simon Sez and Coop were the most hated guys there so to see that over a year later I have earned their cheers is a good feeling too.
How often or how difficult is your training routine?
Most people know I was 45 lbs heavier about a year ago and have really worked hard on losing the fat. I do cardio 5 days a week, and now just starting a new lifting routine, I have lifted and worked out for years but now that I am in a lot better shape I have to change up my lifting to fit my new lifestyle.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Honestly Joey (I couldn’t ask for a better partner) and I hope to have a spot with Total Nonstop Wrestling. Obv there or World Wrestling Entertainment are our main goals. We work hard and really think our gimmick would catch on there. So we shall see. My main hope is that in 5 years that I’m happy and financially ok.
Do you have a message to your peers?
Thank each and every one of you for accepting me the way you have to the Florida wrestling scene for the last 2 years. I know it’s hard sometimes for people to accept people from other areas but for me (the second time down here) it was an easy fit.
Do you have a message to upcoming new wrestlers?
Like I said earlier, Listen and learn, don’t think you know it all because I assure you don’t. You will last longer in the business if you take advice and work hard.
Is there one thing you want everyone to know or remember you for?
I know that I may never have the most technically great match on any night but I want that when people leave a venue after an event, I want them to say ” That fu*king Shooter is entertaining.” And as for how I want to be remembered in the wrestling business… I want people to remember me as the guy that always gave 110 percent every night whether there were 500 people or 5 people I want people to remember me as the guy that would put anyone over and do whatever he could to make the show better.
~Special Thanks to Shooter for taking the time to do this interview!~
