Magnus: Learning The Business

2012 has been an eventful year for me and my passport; India, Europe, Japan, Mexico and the U.S have all stamped my weathered and beaten maroon friend as I’ve racked up the miles and gained more memorable experiences in one year than I ever thought possible. My most recent new discovery was Belfast, Northern Ireland - the site of my debut as a TV presenter, hosting UK Strongest Man. The idea to bring me in and try me as a presenter was a joint one between the producers, Challenge TV, and TNA, so when Dixie called me with the opportunity to host the show, I jumped at the chance. And why wouldn’t I? I’ve always wanted to go to Belfast (TNA has never run a show there), and since I’ve made a living for the last four years terrorising presenters for both Gladiators and Impact Wrestling, I have always wanted to try my hand at the other side of the microphone.

As seems to be the case for a lot of my career, I was really thrown in at the deep end; the first morning we had a production meeting, and the producers basically told me and my co-presenter Matt Bell that we could come up with our own links (segments with the presenters that lead-in or wrap-up the show), and that they were going to leave it to us. I am not entirely sure if they knew I had never done this before! Thankfully, Matt is not a rookie, so by being able to observe him take notes, write examples, and practise links, I picked it up. I have always learnt things most effectively through osmosis; by being around people with great ability so that I have the chance to inherit some knowledge from them. That’s a huge part of the entertainment business; talent will get you so far, but knowledge and understanding will take you even further. Look out for UK Strongest Man around November or December on Challenge, and you can decide for yourself if I made the grade.

I’ve touched on one of two main talking points of this month’s column, the first being the importance and effectiveness of learning from others. Like I mentioned before, I have always been thrown in at the deep end, whether it be Gladiators (I started filming the day after I was asked about the project), TV presenting, or my career in TNA. When I arrived in TNA, it was coming off the back of a whirlwind year from Gladiators, coming straight from finishing up a six-week run in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at Norwich Theatre Royal. Even if I had been wrestling as much as I had prior to Gladiators (on average three times per week with my All Star Wrestling work), I still would have been greener than grass. So the fact that in 2008 I probably wrestled a total of 25 times because of TV commitments meant that I was incredibly inexperienced coming in, but was immediately put on TV, immediately given promos, and immediately pushed. Knowing how green I was, and being well aware of how inauspicious my first few weeks were, I knew it was sink or swim - that’s just what the business is.

Thankfully for me, the opportunity to work with Beer Money, Team 3D, AJ Styles, Doug Williams, Eric Young, and countless others so early in my TNA career gave me plenty of chances to absorb their methods. When I say this, I’m not just talking about watching their matches; all too often veterans will tell young guys to watch so-and-so wrestle so-and-so, but that’s only giving you half the picture. To me, I learnt a hell of a lot more listening to the way guys communicated backstage, the way they constructed their matches, and their reasoning for placing certain things in certain points. We have an incredibly tolerant locker-room, full of talents who have made serious money and made even more history, but will always take the time to articulate their thoughts on how someone can improve, as well as bouncing ideas back and forth.

OUTSIDE TALENTS
Samoa Joe is one of the best in-ring performers ever. His style is believable, athletic, and unique, which has made him one of the most consistently popular performers in the business, but it’s his knowledge that is probably his most impressive attribute. Joe is able to articulate and define pro wrestling techniques in a way that I’ve never really heard before, identifying attributes like poise, footwork, and cadence that many old-school trainers will simply put down to clichés like “you either got it or you don’t.” Maybe if those old-timers had been able to explain the things that Joe can, the guy they were helping might have suddenly “got it” themselves.

I recently got to realise a big milestone in my career, and wrestle Kurt Angle one-on-one in Ohio. Two days beforehand, Kurt came to me and said, “I’ve got the whole thing in my head. I’ve wanted to work with you for ages.” He proceeded to lay out all of my best stuff and all of his best stuff in a match that in my mind took me to another level. I had tons of ideas for a bout with Kurt, because I’ve been thinking about it for 10 years, but I never expected Kurt to be that enthusiastic. For him to know all of my stuff and want to use it, despite the fact that he’s a multiple-time World champion and one of the biggest stars of all-time, shows just how professional and dedicated to quality he is.

By being around AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Kurt Angle in particular, I have absorbed so much without even realising it, and have developed as a worker as a result. I didn’t get any special treatment, although I realise how fortunate I am to be around such good people at a young age. One thing I can say to all young aspiring wrestlers is to take everything in, good or bad, and use it to mould your own techniques. There is no right or wrong in pro wrestling - it either works or it doesn’t.

Joe recently gave an interview in which he commented on his enthusiasm for MMA, and how he has incorporated elements of that into his repertoire, citing it as one of the reasons for his success. Kurt Angle won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling, and incorporated those elements into his game. AJ Styles was a gymnast, who was so athletically sound and well-rounded that he won state championships in amateur wrestling, despite not training all-year-round. This leads me to my second point: these men gained expertise in other fields, but dedicated themselves to professional wrestling, as have I. My experience came as a screen and stage actor, and I’ve even worked in production, all of which gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation of entertainment, which ultimately benefits and legitimises pro wrestling, the business I love. As the business evolves, more and more is going to be expected of all of us, both in and out of the ring.

Budding wrestlers: get out there, gain experience in all forms of sports, entertainment, and media. It will better prepare you and qualify you for a place in pro wrestling’s future.