Exclusive Interview With Ryan Taylor

By Ben Smith | May 9, 2012 | Columns and Editorials, Wrestler Interviews, Wrestling News | | Comments

Ben Smith sits down with Indy star Ryan Taylor, known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and the modern NWA banner.

1. You’re coming off the back of a hugely hyped cage match with Peter Avalon. What were your thoughts going into that match?

When I first saw the new studio and all the improvements in the production quality for our TV tappings, I knew right away that we were going to start making huge strides. If there ever was a time to start standing out, it was going to be now and this Cage Match was perfect timing. I felt it was going to be a definite make or break moment for myself and Avalon. If I didn’t go out there and make the most of the opportunity, of such a strong spotlight on one match, then it would be a huge loss, much bigger than just in the ring.

2. Your rivalry with Avalon lasted months, with you both losing hair and blood. What was the highlight of the build up to the cage match for you?

To me what stood out the most was the unique fact that every match I did in NWA Hollywood, from my debut up until the Cage Match was done, was all actually apart of the feud. What I mean by that is a lot of feuds will begin then fray away and pick back up later, but this was a non-stop build for over a year. If you look back and track all the twist and turns, you’ll see why I’m so proud of this feud as a whole..

3. You’re known for your technical wrestling and crisp strikes in the ring, but in your recent NWA matches, you have had to show a more brawling style. Do you think this series of matches has shown people a different side to your in ring ability?

When I first started wrestling, guys would always ask what my “moves” were and I’d never have an answer. It wasn’t because I was green and didn’t have any preference, it was because I never wanted to peg myself to one set of moves or style. My goal was to be able to be versatile and be able to do whatever needed in any situation. I don’t think your really a professional unless you can adapt to the ever changing surroundings of this Grappling Game, be it with the fans, promotion styles or wrestlers in the ring. So as the levels of this rivalry with Avalon changed, I opened the challenges with open arms. Win or lose, I always learn and grow.

4. It was a bloody and brutal grudge match with Peter Avalon. This might be a stupid question, but how do you feel coming out of a match of that intensity? Does the adrenaline keep you going after, or are you feeling it right away?

Oh the adrenaline flows for a bit after, especially after a match like that. Honestly I’ve never done drugs because I’ve always found a way to get a high from life in other ways. Wrestling in front of hot crowds, for a TV show like NWA Hollywood, in a high profile match like, gives me such a huge high and feeling of great accomplishment. Of course after the nerves die down and you get a chance to cool off, all those hits and sacrifices you took out there for the greater good, start kicking in. This is Pro Wrestling but a concussion, broken nose and bruised ribs for a year are something that even adrenaline cant hide.

5. As of writing this, you’re International TV title match against Scorpio Sky is this Sunday. You stated on Twitter that you thought differently about what Sky had said in our March interview with him. Care to let us know what your those thoughts were?

Scorpio Sky is a guy who always brings me to the top of my game, and I seriously look forward to each encounter we have. Each time we step into the ring, our natural competitiveness clashes so well. However I really feel like I have an uncanny ability to consistently grow in the ring, I never stop learning and while Sky may have the Championship, I’m not afraid of the challenge because I know his holes and where his weak spots are. I think Sky is too busy battling the Sun to be the center of the universe, and while hes doing that, I’m growing beyond where I am and beyond him even. There’s a couple of different factors as to why I got caught in the rear naked choke in our match and I’m not making excuses, but I still believe I’m the most well rounded wrestler in NWA Hollywood and in time I’ll make that a fact.

6. You also do a lot of work with PWG. You’re part of the Fightin’ Taylor Boys with Chuck Taylor (who we will be interviewing soon) and Brian Cage-Taylor. How different is it going from a singles wrestler in NWA to a tag wrestler in PWG?

As I stated before, I love challenging my wrestling ability to become all around better, in every aspect of the game so to say. PWG is a place w/ some tremendously talented guys and surrounding yourself with that is going to always make you a better man.

7. At 25 years old, you’re part of a young, new look NWA roster, but the NWA was home to some of the best wrestlers ever some years ago. Even this far past that time, do you ever get awe-struck about working in the NWA?

The history that surrounds the NWA name is something that everyone is aware of, but not everyone gets to be apart of one of its brightest products, and I truly feel that NWA Hollywood is the best version of the NWA today. Thinking that, raises the bar for everyone in the back because the lineage is so strong and with guys like Pearce and Cabana around, we definitely have some strong leadership to get us in the right direction.

8. How much of an impact has it made on your career to be part of not only NWA Hollywood, but to have access to the network of promotions under the NWA banner?

It has made a huge impact in my career. Truthfully I was not apart of the original NWA Hollywood roster, and I didn’t really sweat it, I try not to be envious of things that just aren’t in the cards for me. I finally saw an episode of it and I knew this was a pretty solid stage to showcase myself on and slowly started getting that itch. I was having great matches all over the West Coast, and people would say they heard I had a great match with so and so but never actually saw it. That gets to you after awhile, I try and really be an artist in the ring and want my work seen by everyone. So in January of 2011 I got a txt from Joey Ryan, who had just taken over as booker for NWA Hollywood, and one of his first moves was bringing me in. Since then every time I have a stellar match on TV it receives so much response that I know that my ART is truly being showcased.

9. When it comes to gold, you have held the NWA Heritage Championship once before, back in 2008. What does it mean to you and to others on the roster to hold an NWA title belt?

I wont lie, losing to Sky really hurt. Not just physically but mentally. You train hard and get your shot, sometimes you win, other times your just another victory for the champ and despite what happens from bell to bell, what matters is who goes home with the gold. When I did hold the NWA Heritage Championship in ’08-’09, that was a huge catapult for my career. I was 22 and a lot of guys didn’t think I was ready for it, but when I lost it in the CAC main event against Oliver John, Chris Hero and Steve Anthony, Trevor Murdock pulled me aside after and said I really proved I could hang and stand out with guys like that.

10. I interviewed Nick Madrid previously and he spoke a little about how well a lot of the NWA guys get on well with each other. Does it make wrestling in NWA better because you get to do it with your friends?

With a lot of us, there really is a brotherhood bonding in that locker room. We come from all over the west to get a chance to make strides in the amazing product that has become NWA Hollywood. We still work smaller shows outside of it and that just makes it even more amazing, because we bust our asses in bars, high school gyms and dingy wrestling schools to be professionals in the ring. All we need is a platform to showcase it on and now we have it. However at the end of the day we all want that spot at the top with the championship, there’s a lot of guys who think they’re somebody but only few get to be somebody.