NINE QUESTIONS WITH...FORMER NWA WORLD CHAMPION ADAM PEARCE

FSM: You began your in-ring career back in 1996. Can you tell us a little about your training?
Adam Pearce: I started training in November 1995 under Sonny Rogers and Randy Ricci in Chicago. It was very basic and disciplined, with a tight focus on amateur techniques and footwork before we were even allowed into the ring for more advanced instruction. I also distinctly remember a "no boots, no ring-time" rule.

You are known for being a relatively young guy who upholds traditional wrestling values. Would you say your training was old-school?
That's hard to say, because I think people define "traditional wrestling values" in different ways.
I definitely broke in under guys who were considered "old-school" (having worked primarily in the AWA and in Memphis). They focused on teaching a combination of those styles, but like anything, perceptions and opinions vary. To me, it was old-school, but in reality, I had no frame of reference from which to draw that conclusion, and I still don't.
I also don't generally consider myself old-school; I just seem to enjoy and stick to doing those things that work for me, and a lot of that stuff was taught to me by guys that came before me.

How long did it take for you to feel comfortable in the ring?
Not long - maybe a couple of months. My trainers always referred to me as somewhat of a natural, and just being a lifelong athlete made those physical aspects of what we do much easier to grasp. I had a natural knack for developing the repetition and muscle-memory necessary to kind of "get" things much quicker than a lot of other trainees, so I was eager to push forward doing more and more. Again, I attribute that to my history as an athlete.

Was there any aspect of pro wrestling that you found particularly difficult?
Like any rookie, learning the "whens" and "whys" was always more frustrating than the "hows". I was able to perform a lot of the more advanced physical things in the ring very quickly, and like an overzealous student I was quick to want to show off the things I could do, without having any clue why I should or shouldn't be doing them. The art of professional wrestling is not in the actual physical moves performed, and it took a while to understand that.

Tell us a little about the life of an independent wrestler, and the sacrifices it requires.
Well, my life is different than most independent wrestlers I know. Professional wrestling is my vocation - I do not maintain another day job to exist. I think I am both lucky and cursed in that sense; I am focused on my business every day, not just in terms of actual bookings, but media appearances, speaking engagements, and the vastly important merchandise side of things. My world is not just about packing my gear into a bag and showing up to a building - there are so many more facets to what I do.
In terms of sacrifice, I am on the road more than the usual freelance wrestler, usually losing four days a week to my profession. That means four days away from home, family, and everything that goes along with that. In other words, my sacrifice is huge.

How much of your matches do you like to plan out?
As little as possible. Picasso never "painted by numbers". I was trained not to plan everything in advance; any chance of being organic is erased by doing that. Any chance of being spontaneous is gone as well.
I've noticed that a lot of today's "great wrestlers" plan a lot, and without getting on my soapbox, I'll just say that I believe that there is a huge difference between being a good wrestler and being a good worker.

Should a young wrestler be doing anything in particular to be sure to learn from his veteran opponent?
On my first road trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota (late-1996, I think) I was lucky enough to share a locker-room with the great Nick Bockwinkel. I was in awe of him, not just because of his track record as a Hall of Famer, but also by how he carried himself, and in particular the things he would say. I remember him addressing a group of us young wrestlers and saying, "The best thing you can do is find a corner of the locker-room, near the guys that have been around, and close your mouth, open your eyes and ears, and learn something."
It was the best advice I ever received, and I pass it on every chance I get.

Is there one area in which you see that rookies often need work?
I don't think this is limited to rookies necessarily, but I think there is an alarming general lack of selling in professional wrestling today.

It's important for a wrestler to work in as many different places as he can. With promoters often keen to use local talent to cut back on expenses, what can a young wrestler do to improve in this manner?
Develop a rapport with people by doing good business. I get asked this often, because I work a pretty full schedule with a large chunk of that being international bookings. I attribute that to my dedication to doing whatever I can to make the job of that promoter easy. Make yourself available, whether it be for media appearances to push the event, filming promotional videos ahead of time, or anything else. And always do what's best for that promoter's business; remember, the promoter is who you answer to first. He is the one paying you. If he is happy with you and your performance, he'll be happy to book you again, and tell other promoters.