This interview was conducted in October 2015 and originally featured in the November issue of Total Wrestling Magazine. You can check out the magazine's other great content and subscribe here.
Sean
Only is a Liverpool-born up and coming UK wrestler who works mostly for
promotions around the Northwest of England, including Tidal
Championship Wrestling, RDW and UKWE. He is building a reputation as a
consistent, strong performer and his punk-rock/MMA fighter gimmick
combines two of his real-life passions in a blend of heavy music and
even heavier striking. Currently out of action with an injury, Only is
counting down the days until he can return to the ring and is getting
his fix for the business he loves with appearances such as a recent gig
as ring announcer for Monkey Madness Wrestling.
What are your earliest memories of being a fan of pro wrestling, and what made you want to be part of the business? (Early favourites etc)
My
earliest memories of watching pro wrestling would be WCW around 1990.
Not too long after World Of Sport had been pulled from ITV. Looking
back, it was an ideal time to start watching as there were so many great
performers in their prime around this period. Guys like Ric Flair,
Barry Windham, Sting and Cactus Jack really caught my attention and
captivated me straight away. It wasn't long after that I discovered WWF
and then I started becoming a little obsessed!
How did you find a training school and what are your memories of training to become a wrestler? How gruelling was the training and what were the most important things you learned?
I
found a training school just by searching online for local ones. I
actually ended up moving to Leeds specifically so I could be trained by
Jeff Kaye and the late Drew McDonald. Training was incredibly gruelling in those days. I mean, it's not like training isn't still gruelling
today, but it was a slightly different era back then. Learning to bump
on paper thin mats didn't help either, but it was all part of the
process of 'toughening us up' (and probably weeding out the ones who
weren't dedicated). I definitely look back on my early training days
fondly and I'm still real close with all the guys from that original
group that broke into the business.
What
is the hardest part about training to become a professional wrestler
and breaking into the business? Did you have to go through any hazing
rituals or were you given a hard time as a rookie?
The
toughest part of breaking in is probably just getting your first shot.
By virtue of the fact that most people pack it in before they've even
had their first match. As far as hazing and rituals and whatnot I didn't
really see too much of that. I think everyone is given a hard time as a
rookie at some point though!
How
did it feel to walk out in front of a crowd for the first time, and how
long before your confidence grew to a point of feeling comfortable in
front of an audience?
If
memory serves me, my first time in front of a crowd (like most people)
was as an entrant in a 'rumble'. If I'm totally honest, I never felt
particularly uncomfortable in front of a crowd because I'd been playing
in a band for so long. It's obviously a completely different animal when
you're in a ring though. Having said that, the performance side of
things always came relatively naturally to me.
When did you debut and how hard was it to start building a name for yourself and get bookings early on?
I
wouldn't really count a rumble entry as a debut, so that would've been a
few months later against Tommy Taylor. My first bookings were all done
exclusively through Jeff and Drew and it wasn't until quite a while
later that I started making contacts for myself. Building up a
reputation enough that you can start properly managing your own bookings
takes a great deal of time and patience.
Did you start using the name 'Sean Only' from the start or did you have any previous names/gimmicks?
I debuted as Sean 'The Sniper' Only and have been known by that name (or a variant of that name) ever since!
What are your favourite places to work (locations or promotions) and who have been some of your favourite opponents?
I absolutely love working in front of a hometown crowd, so Liverpool is always a favourite. Leeds has always treated me super well too and trips to Wales are usually pretty boss. In terms of my favourite
opponents, I'd have to say Rampage Brown, Liam Lazarus and Dan James of
recent times, but if it wasn't for all my matches with Chris Gray and Tommy Taylor, I wouldn't be who I am today.
Do you prefer working as a heel or babyface?
That's
such a tough question. I spent so many years working exclusively as a
heel that I honestly never thought I would work face! All that's turned
round now and I'm probably more known as a good guy (although that has
been evening up recently). Maybe it's something of a cop-out but I'd say
I prefer playing a heel character, but I prefer working a match as a
face.
What is your favourite style of matches to work?
My favourite type of match to work is any where I get to kick whichever unfortunate bredder on the other side of the ring to me in the face multiple times!
Which British wrestlers do you feel have made the biggest impact on the sport worldwide?
There's a tonne
of amazing British talent that have had a huge impact and been a
massive influence on the sport worldwide. Guys like Billy Robinson,
Chris Adams and Dynamite Kid that brought their style across the
Atlantic and beyond, permanently altering the wrestling landscape
globally. Davey Boy Smith really brought British wrestling to the
attention of a more mainstream audience and is probably still considered
the poster boy to this day. You definitely can't talk about British
wrestling without mentioning William Regal and more recently we've had
the likes of Magnus, Rockstar Spud, Wade Barrett and Paige making
British wrestling even more of an international force to be reckoned
with.
Who are some of the most outrageous characters (inside or outside the ring) that you have met in the business?
Interesting
question! Wrestling certainly attracts it's fair share of characters
(and I'm not talking about gimmicks here), be it fans, promoters, ring
crew or workers, you really do meet all sorts of people. I'd love to
digress further, but I think it would be really difficult to talk about
anybody specific without (a) upsetting someone, (b) offending someone or
(c) getting into trouble myself! Suffice it to say that there's never a
dull moment!
Do
you think that British wrestling could ever be a strong territory in
it’s own right again (like how Japan and Mexico operate), and maybe even
get back to the level of popularity that it had in the World Of Sport
era?
In
all honesty, I think that's pretty much the case now. Or at least we're
getting very close to it. Wrestlers from all over the world are clamouring
to work over here right now. Companies are growing, venues are selling
out and word is spreading. It's all thanks to the incredibly rich and
deep talent pool we have now and of course the amazing fans. It might be
slightly unrealistic to expect mainstream national TV coverage with
tens of millions of viewers like in the World Of Sport heyday, but it's
no exaggeration to say that British wrestling is the strongest it's been
for a long, long time.
Which current British workers do you feel have potential to become big stars in the business?
There's
some incredible upcoming talent on the rise at the moment. I feel like
there's probably dozens of people I could bring up here, but I'm just going to stick to 3 - Liam Lazarus, Chris Ridgeway and Dan James. Expect to hear those 3 names a lot more in future.
Have you had any strange or particularly boring day jobs while wrestling?
Nothing
particularly strange, but I was a bouncer for about 10 years. Dealing
with angry drunk people was ok, but it's not something I'm in any
great hurry to go back to. I've also done quite a but of guitar teaching/tutoring. That's still something I do now, schedule permitting.
What are your aims for your career, both short and long term? What are the main goals you want to achieve?
Mainly
I just want to keep learning and improving my craft. I always want to
make my next match better than my last and I want to gain as much
experience from as many opponents, venues and locations as possible.
You
are out with an injury at the moment, what is the nature of the injury
and how long do you think before you can return? How frustrating is it
to be out of action?
I
am indeed. Basically I'd been working through a shoulder injury for
quite some time and it's got to the stage where the only way I can
continue my career is to get surgery to repair it. It's been an
incredibly frustrating experience and I've missed my job more than I
ever thought I would. Having said that, it's important to remain
positive and I know that this is all for the best in the long run. In
terms of expected return dates, I'm looking at about 4-6 months or so.
It is feasible that I could be back sooner with some good fortune though.
How do you balance work, training and home life?
I'm
quite fortunate in that I have a gym at home that I've been building up
over the years. It means the majority of my training can be done
without even leaving my house. I do still tend to be on the road quite a
bit of course. I wouldn't have it any other way though!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to break into the wrestling business?
Stay
humble, work hard, always listen and be patient. It certainly isn't for
everyone, but the best bit of advice I was ever given was "If you
really want something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an
excuse".
Follow Sean Only on Twitter @realseanonly for updates, info and news.
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