TEN QUESTIONS WITH...RING OF HONOR STAR MICHAEL ELGIN

FSM: You've been a pro wrestler since 2004. How did you get started in the business?
Michael Elgin: Growing up, I was always a wrestling big fan. There was a kid who had moved to our area, who told me that he'd seen had a flyer for a wrestling school in Burlington, Ontario at one of the WWE events in Toronto. They had a summer camp, taking kids of all ages and teaching them the basics. I got the number from him, called, and got set up for the two-week camp. It was amazing to me, because I was only 14 or 15 years old.

What was your latter-day training like?
Looking back, my first training school wasn't really very good - it was more of a quick money-grab. Don't get me wrong, they did teach you the basics, but nobody training you was really notable, or knew a lot about the business.
When I was 16, a few of the other guys from that school in Burlington found out about Squared Circle Training, run by a guy named Rob Fuego. He had broken into the business with names like Rhino and Edge. Tyson Dux also trained there, and he was a big influence on me. During my training at Squared Circle, Tyson was injured, but still helped out with the young guys. He was the first person who looked at Fuego and said, "Hey, this kid is gonna be good!"

Did you take to pro wrestling quite quickly, or were there things you needed a little bit of time to work on?
To be honest, and without wanting to sound full of myself, it all came fairly easy to me. I think the reason for that is because I've always been such a big fan, and wrestling was all I really ever wanted to do. Growing up, I was very obese - over 300lbs at age 13 - but my love of pro wrestling made me find a gym, and try to get myself in shape. Being athletic when I was so heavy made me feel very agile when I dropped a lot of weight.

With what you've just said about your weight as a child, how important is the diet aspect to you now?
Your diet is very important, but I'm a big believer that if you're a pro wrestler, you should be in the gym no matter what shape you are. You don't necessarily have to have gigantic muscles, but it helps you in the long run, preparing for the punishment of being a wrestler. I know guys who don't really work out, and they get injured pretty quickly, or are sore after matches.
I've been fortunate enough to make a living solely from wrestling since 2010, so I don't have a job that takes time away from my meals, or being in the gym. Saying that, for anybody, there's always time for the gym. If you don't have enough money for a personal trainer, there's always online resources like Google and YouTube, where you can find great workout plans. A lot of wrestlers, such as myself, also don't mind if we get messages on Facebook or Twitter asking for advice.
I train like a bodybuilder, so I delegate days to working certain bodyparts, and keep my diet fairly strict. I try to get my body bigger because that's the training and look I enjoy.

How much of your matches do you like to plan beforehand?
It really depends, because no matter what you plan, you can always change it. It depends on the crowd, and what they're in the mood for. If they want chicken and you're trying to feed them steak, they're not gonna care.
To me, you want to know where you want to go, but there are different ways of planning; you don't always need to have everything strictly planned out, but instead know what's coming and picking the right time to do it. That's the best way for me; going off the cuff and giving the fans what they're aching for.

You've wrestled veterans such as Fit Finlay. How much knowledge can you soak up from just one match against somebody with his experience?
You learn a lot from veterans like that, but the beauty of pro wrestling is that you learn from any opponent you're in the ring with, regardless of their skill level or experience. I've been wrestling for almost 10 years now - I'm 26 years old - and every time I'm in the ring, I'm picking up something new. Definitely, veterans have a different perspective on things, and it can be tough to comprehend all the knowledge they have to offer, but it's all good to have in your back pocket.

What do you do to psychologically prepare for a match? Do you have to get into a certain frame of mind?
I find I'm always in the right frame of mind - I think that's just the athlete and the competitor in me. I stretch a little pre-match, but not too much, as I find that the looser I am, the more it hurts to take bumps in the ring. I like to sit and think, and I chew tobacco, just visualising what I want to do that night. But you have to find whatever works for you.

Wrestlers from the territory days often speak about having to work different styles in different places. Are there major style changes between, say, ROH and PWG?
Not really, because I think once you find a style that works for you, it gives you that special feel. The only time my style really changes is if the crowd demands it; I don't mean that we get lazy or anything like that, but there are certain things I would do in PWG and Ring of Honor that I wouldn't do at a fair show, in front of a bunch of kids. There's no difference in how hard you work, but you gotta know your crowd.

Is there one area in which you often see rookies having problems?
The big thing is getting out there and knowing your worth. Until I got with ROH, I looked at wrestling as though it was like college - I was getting paid to go there and learn something, so that I could get a better job later on. Wrestling is the same way as that; maybe you lose $20 on the road, but what's the alternative on the weekend, to go and spend $100 at a bar? You have to be willing to make those sacrifices, losing a little bit of money, spending a lot of time in a car, and being away from home.
I hate when I hear guys complaining about nine-hour drives, for example. Man, I still make nine-hour drives! (laughs) Sure, my transport is covered, and I'm getting paid, but that drive is nothing. I've made some horrific trips before getting paid properly for it. In 2007, I drove 16 hours from Toronto to Minnesota, and then back again for $25. I wasn't making any money, but I had a passion and a desire to do it in order to become the wrestler I am.

Is there a piece of advice you received as a rookie which still means a lot to you today?
Ring gear is very important - it's important you have something that looks professional. Anybody starting out, make sure you spend money on that, because it's an investment in yourself. For me personally, if I see somebody wrestling in shorts and a t-shirt, I don't give them a chance, no matter how good they are.
Also, keep your eyes and ears open, but your mouth shut. You want to see and hear everything, but not put yourself in a position where people don't want you around.

For more information on Michael Elgin, follow him on Twitter @ROHMichaelElgin.