FIVE QUESTIONS WITH... Marty Scurll

Following on from fellow British Bootcamp participant Rockstar Spud in last month's issue, Marty Scurll explains to FSM what it takes to be a professional wrestler in 2012. FSM: You were trained at the Dropkixx academy. Tell us about how you started out there. Marty Scurll: It was pretty much a lot of amateur wrestling training, and learning all your holds. We did take some bumps, too, but we didn't learn to run the ropes for a long time. I guess they figured that you had to learn how to work a good match with pure wrestling, first and foremost. It toughened you up, and the training stands out now because there are so many guys at shows who can't physically handle themselves.

Many young hopefuls likely envision wrestling training as being taught how to do the moves. It may not have seemed that way at the time, but you must be glad you were taught the way you were? To be honest, the moves part of wrestling is probably the easy bit. The hard part is learning how to apply holds, and sell them, which is a true art. Mastering that side to it is difficult, but once you do the rest, it can actually start coming to you much easier.
A lot of people coming into wrestling try to run before they can walk, so I feel it's important to have that solid foundation there first. Truly learning how to wrestle should come first, before you learn how to work with the pro moves.

Obviously it's important to have at least some athletic ability, but what other qualities do you think are necessary to become a pro wrestler? You have to make your skills attractive to promoters, and give them a reason to book you. You also have to find your unique selling point; as much as I have a problem with Rockstar Spud, would anyone remember Joe Bloggs doing a few moves, when compared to the entertaining, flamboyant character that Spud has? Probably not.
I really dislike it when some wrestlers appear to be performing for their own video camera, instead of for the crowd. You have to think of what you're trying to achieve, and what can sell tickets, because at the end of the day, that is the main objective. Everything you do in the ring should mean something, so make every small detail count.

How much of your match do you like to plan out? The thing is, you really don't know what will work and what won't until you try it out there. You might tie-up and find that the crowd is going crazy, and if that's happening, why would you run through as much as possible, when you're getting the reaction you want for something so simple? It's vital to be able to wrestle to the crowd, and what they want to see, letting them guide you. Working things out in the ring is almost like a lost art now, which is unfortunate.

Is there any piece of advice you've received that still rings true to you when you step into the ring? I'm still a young wrestler - I'm only 24 - so I can only speak for my eight years of experience, but it's important to see yourself as a star. If you don't, nobody else will. I'm not the tallest guy, so the only place I want the fans to see me is in the ring. For example, at a concert, the only place you can see the band is on the stage; if they were playing right next to you, they'd start blending in, and would eventually look just like everybody else.
That's not to say you shouldn't ask those with more experience for advice, because that could make or break your career. Just take your time, enjoy what you do, and learn from those who have been there and done it.