About three years ago, I attended the 17th Annual IWF Loud n’ Proud with intentions of beginning my wrestling career when the IWF training school opened in May 2014. I studied the spring spectacular and watched as these larger-than-life characters brought the crowd to their feet match after match. If I had any doubts of entering the wrestling world, they disappeared on that night, and I never looked back.
That is why this event is my favorite of the year. I have now had the privilege of being part of two of these amazing nights. First, I challenged my mentor, the man who taught me everything I know about this sport, the Master of Chaos Kevin Knight. One year later, I teamed with my former opponent to defend the Tag-Team Titles against Simply Ravishing Shawn Donavan & the International Icon Galindo. The opportunity I was given on each of those nights is something I will cherish forever. The electricity in the air and the endless rows of smiling faces are memories that will be engrained in my mind till the end of time.
And here we are, less than a month away from my third Loud n’ Proud Event. They say there is nothing like the first time, but every time I’ve walked back through that curtain after each of these events, all I could do was look forward to the following year. Year round, this is my motivation because it is that night that sparked the fire in me in the first place. The preparation, the training, and the focus have all been dialed up to one-thousand; I am locked in and ready to go.
There is nothing like Loud n’ Proud, and there is no one that has more fun on these nights than me, but there is also no one that takes it quite as seriously as I do. It’s the same old burning desire that’s been with me since I first walked through the doors of the IWF, and that is all I need. For almost three years, I have devoted my life to the great sport of wrestling, and I’ll be damned if someone is going to stop me from raising my hand in victory after the bell rings on April 8th.
