An Interview with Big Money Bobby Vegas (The Six Step Process)

The Six-Step Process is a regular interview will run on this website on a regular basis. Basically we ask the same 6 questions in a kind of “quick-fire” interview with a random top independent talent. This week’s 6-Step is with one of the UK indie scene’s top up-and-comers, "Big Money" Bobby Vegas.

1. What got you into wrestling?

I've been working out since I was 24, and someone asked WHY I was doing it, and I didn't have an answer. I started really thinking about it, then I suddenly thought about wrestling. I don't know why I did, I hadn't watched WWE or anything similar in years. Then I really started thinking about it and how I could use not only what I'd done in the gym, but also my experiences doing stand-up comedy and theatre. I decided to find a wrestling school and the nearest to me was 4FW, or Forefront Wrestling, they were in Swindon. I was really lucky in that they were a really good school with good trainers in The Saint and Dave Sharp- there are a lot of BAD schools out there and the fact I happened to pick a good one as a naive beginner was a miracle. I went to a class, and I sucked, as I expected. But I loved it. I loved bumping, I loved the drills even though they destroyed me, and I've been training at different schools ever since.

2. What’s been your favourite experience so far?

Learning directly from Al Snow while training at the Al Snow Wrestling Academy was just an amazing experience. He not only has a wealth of knowledge about wrestling but he truly knows what it means to be a teacher. He can identify not only what you're lacking but WHY you're lacking it and then explain to you, at length, why it's important that you get better and how it will help you in the business. That's what I think sets him apart from a lot of other people. Plenty of people can tell you HOW to wrestle but Al Snow has taught me more than anyone else, the WHY.

3. Where has been your favourite place to work so far?

This is where I can't choose because I love both of these for different reasons:

Working with SLAM wrestling at Birmingham MCM comic-con was a fantastic experience, not only for the joy of being there but also learning how to work with a non-wrestling crowd. In terms of my character it was great too as I got to film some great skits with other people at teh event, all of which you can watch on my Bobby Vegas Facebook page. I also won my first championship during a ladder match too, which was both unexpected and a great honour. I can't talk highly enough of SLAM wrestling. They always put on great shows and they sell out theatres purely on the strength of their own brand and without bringing in ex-WWE guys. I don't know of many other UK promotions that can do that. I owe a lot to Luke Douton at SLAM for giving me my spots there.

The other place I love to work is KWE down in Fareham. They booked me on my first singles match (which was a dreadful match, as I think most people's first matches probably are but the crowd liked it!) and whenever I go back there it feels like going home. It's a great bunch of hard workers, everyone is professional and everyone has fun. I've had some great matches there with guys like Karl Atlas and I'll always be greatful to Joe Ward at KWE for giving me my first opportunity in a singles match and continuing to make me feel part of the family.

4. What would be your dream scenario?

The dream scenario right now is simply to make a living from wrestling. If I can live comfortably and provide for my girlfriend as a result of what I do in the ring, then that's perfect. Where I work ultimately wouldn't really matter as long as I could make a living from it, that's the only real dream.

5. Who have been your favourite people to work with?

Again, I have a couple on this list. I really enjoy working with Rob Holte, Max Alexander and The Saint down at 4FW. They form a stable called "The Full House" which I manage as Bobby Vegas and we're usually on in a little town called Thatcham. It's a really small venue but the crowd is just nuts, and we always get some really good heat whenever we go out there. 4FW in general is a really easy company to work with; everyone knows what they're doing and there's no drama, but those three guys in particualr give me so much to work with in terms of cutting promos and working as a heel manager on the outside during their matches. We were working with the Hunter Brothers last time we were there (incredible workers and nice lads) and we tore the roof off the place.

In terms of singles matches, the guy that I've had the greatest chemistry with is a guy called Khan Emin, who wrestles as Carnage (Or Khanage, I'm not sure how he spells it). Khan's a great little dude who puts up with more shit than he should because of his size- he's probably about 5ft2 or something. But he's a beast. He's built like Tazz with a big chest. I remember the first thing he said to me when we met was "hey, can I pick you up?" and I'm kind of like "erm...ok..person I've just met, crack on" and he hoists me up on his shoulders in a fireman's carry like I'm nothing. I liked him immediately, the little weirdo. So we have a match scheduled, I knew he was relatively new, I was as well, and we were working in a TINY ring, like 11ft or something stupid. So we weren't going to be having a Wrestlemania match. But everything just WORKED. We didn't rush, we bumped and sold for each other, the pace of the match was really good, we had our moves in the right places even though we probably didn't know to do that at the time and the crowd were really into it. The only thing we messed up was the finish; I had Khan in a samoan drop but he slipped off by back a little (I sweat buckets in the ring) and I ended up landing square on his ribs before pinning him, which hurt him and me (him more). But it was a great match and I'd love to wrestle him again.

6. What does the future hold for you?

I assume nothing. I don't like to imagine what could be, or what I think will happen, as that's a one-way road to disappointment. All I can do is work my ass off in the gym, in training and on shows and continue trying to hustle and build a good reputation around the UK and increase my bookings. I want this for a living, and I'm doing everything possible to get there. But nobody is going to do it for me and nobody is going to hand me anything, so it's on me to work. The one thing I know the future will hold is more opportunities to learn and get better, and I'm grabbing those opportunities with both hands.