A Russian Summer (Part 1)

The Summer is here and one mad Russian is performing in front of packed out fans at various holiday camps in England, Scotland and Wales for All Star Wrestling. For the time being JC Thunder is forgotten, as the ‘Russian Nightmare’ Radik Anenco dons his black hat and coat and waves the Russian flag around whilst shouting wildly at the booing crowds.

The Rookie-Veteran

I sometimes feel in a strange position where on one hand I have had quite a few years experience in wrestling and I am friendly with a lot of the more established wrestlers as we started out together. However, on the other hand I have been back wrestling less than a year after a very long absence from the business and this tour is about me starting out again and proving myself.

I do have the benefit of hindsight mind and I can safely say I should have done the camps years ago. The amount of ring time you get in such a short space of time is invaluable. By the end of the 6-week tour I will have had over 30 matches all against full time professional wrestlers from around the world, who have a vast amount of experience between them.

The Schedule

So you might have gathered the schedule can be tough. In week three of the tour for example I was on the South Coast of England for 5 days. Within this time, I wrestled on 7 different shows (there is often two in one day). Not only does one show mean one wrestling match, but also assembling and de-assembling the ring each time as well (and some of those ring posts can get heavy – even for a grizzled Russian such as myself!).

When we are not wrestling or carrying heavy bits of metal, we are driving.  In the wrestling world five or six hour drives are as normal as a short trip to Tesco. My family found it odd recently that I considered a trip from Leeds to Wales and back as a short drive, but the excessive travelling does just seem normal after a while. Within this time, we have to eat, train and sleep as much as possible as well in order to keep ourselves in top shape.

That said the last few weeks hasn’t really feel like work at all, as it is so much fun and to complain about this sort of lifestyle would mean this business really isn’t for you. Luckily I love it, I would have done 60 shows this Summer if I could have.

Being Russian

As far as the character goes, I am enjoying being Russian a lot more than I should do. I seem to be quite convincing at it too. I have being asked by many fans if I’m really Russian (to which I usually scowl and grunt something at them in my faux Russian accent) and have even been questioned by other wrestlers as to whether I am of Russian descent.

Like in other forms of entertainment, it is vital you really feel you are the character you are portraying and this might seem silly, but I do feel like I am a crazy Russian whilst I am out there performing in front of people and do actually feel for the mad bastard.

An All Star Crew

Thus far I have wrestled many UK top names such as James Mason, Dean Allmark and Nathan Cruz, as well as countless more battles of Russia vs. Mexico as my ongoing rivalry with El Ligero continues. I have also tagged alongside other talented British guys such as Doug Williams, CJ Banks and Zac Gibson (the language barrier was a problem if I’m honest). All-Star bring over some American wrestlers too and I have been lucky enough to face John Skyler and the Dragongate USA tag champs the Bravardo Brothers, as well as receiving fantastic advice from Sam Adonis and the American Avalanche (former WCW star P.N.News).

It is good to be rubbing shoulders with all of these guys and I am grateful to All Star’s management team and promoter Brian Dixon for putting me on alongside them. It’s such a shame the season finishes so soon.

Final Thoughts

Overall this has been a very positive experience so far. The first couple of weeks I did occasionally feel out of my depth. I’m still rusty when compared to these guys who have been wrestling straight for years on end. However, each match I continue to gather confidence and the last two weeks especially I have felt a forgotten feeling of contentness as the ring slowly becomes home again…….the ring and erm Moscow Russia! 

Tune in to part two for a more in depth look at some of the tours and matches I have been having.

Thanks for reading.

JCT

Ps a massive thank you must also go to Nathan Hanna for lending me his newly bought curtain rail last minute to turn into a make-shirt Russian flag pole. I am a lot more Russian because of it! Thanks Nash!