Over the last week I was able to secure a very exclusive interview with the man behind the controversy that is the documentary “101 Reasons not to be a Pro Wrestler” Michael Moody’s documentary is a full expose of the wrestling business and the people that work within it. We have all heard stories of what happens in the industry but now we are getting the stories direct from the horses mouth and this is what Michael had to say about the documentary which is soon to hit our shores.
So let’s start from the beginning how did this documentary come about?
When I started the filming of this documentary, I had no intentions other than to conduct really strong interviews with some big name wrestlers. When I started conducting the interviews I noticed that at times when I would ask a wrestler a really simple question, they would occasionally reply with a really negative answer that could get them some serious heat with WWE or TNA. Luckily, there are still a few wrestlers in the industry that are willing to speak their mind, even when it could get them in trouble. I personally respect a wrestler that will speak his mind because even though they are in the wrestling industry, they still have the right to freedom of speech. While filming 101 Reasons not to be a Pro Wrestler, I realized that this documentary was something bigger than I expected. The wrestlers had many things to say and what they were saying on camera was really important. During the production I decided to go a certain route and cover topics that I felt were important such as the drug abuse in the pro wrestling industry, Vince McMahon, the monopoly of pro wrestling, being held down in the industry and the need for pro wrestlers to form a union. To an extent, I feel and I hope that the trailers that I’m releasing online and the DVD release will act as a wake up call of sorts for the pro wrestling industry and I hope somehow it makes a difference.
Would you say you were inspired by Beyond the Mat? Was there anything in that documentary that you were trying to avoid doing in yours or maybe something you think Beyond the Mat didn’t touch on?
Beyond the Mat was a great documentary in my opinion. 101 Reasons not to be a Pro Wrestler is totally different. Beyond the Mat had some influence from Vince McMahon and I feel that lack of influence in 101 Reasons not to be a Pro Wrestler will make the documentary much more controversial and honest than Beyond the Mat. I wasn’t inspired by Beyond the Mat and both of the documentaries are totally different.
How hard was it to get in touch with the wrestlers you feature in the documentary and then to get them to speak as candidly as they do?
It wasn’t hard for me to arrange the interviews. Most pro wrestlers will speak their mind if they’re talking about a subject that interests them. It isn’t really hard to get a wrestler to open up and talk to you on camera if they feel a connection with what you’re doing.
Current TNA star Konnan spoke to you in the documentary, how hard was it to get him to speak to you as in the past wrestlers have got in trouble for being involved in projects like these?
Konnan was totally cool with speaking to me on camera but he did say some things that really shocked me. Like when he bashed TNA, the company that he currently works for. Go watch the trailer at www.HollymoodEntertainment.com and you’ll see Konnan talking about TNA and the political problems within the company. What he says will really surprise you.
Who was the easiest and who was the hardest wrestler to get to talk?
New Jack was the easiest to get to talk. You can ask New Jack anything and he’ll answer honestly. He speaks his mind and you have to respect him for that. DDP was probably the hardest to get to talk and he only wanted to answer so many questions, but he was a really nice guy and a true professional.
Are there any wrestlers that you wanted to interview that you couldn’t get involved?
The only wrestler that really ever turned me down for an interview was Rey Mysterio Jr. and that was several years ago before he signed with the WWE. If a wrestler thinks that the WWE might sign them in the coming months, it’s really hard to get them to talk. I have an established relationship with a few of the wrestlers and they’ll always be willing to introduce me to another wrestler. I did try to get an interview with Bobbi Billard after she left OVW due to a serious injury and we were going to do an interview until her lawyer advised her not to do the interview due to a lawsuit they are planning to file against the WWE. Bobbi Billard’s story was really interesting, really sad and it revealed to me a level of corruption in the WWE/OVW that isn’t really known by anybody other than a few people in the know. I remember talking to her on the phone one day and while telling me her story she broke down in tears. Hopefully I’ll get to interview her in my next pro wrestling documentary.
How long did the documentary take to make and how hard was it to put together?
I’ve been working on and off on this project for about 3 years or so. Most of the footage was shot in the past year though. Creating a DVD from scratch, shooting the footage, editing and then selling it is not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort.
Has making this documentary changed the opinions you had on wrestling before you made it?
No, I knew wrestling was a dirty game.
What are your aims for this project?
My goal for this project is to somehow positively influence wrestling fans, potential wresters and current wrestlers to make the wrestling business a better work environment. It’s possible for wrestlers to start a union and that is covered in the DVD. Other than that, I want this DVD to sell really well, that’s the goal when you invest 3 years of your life into producing a huge documentary.
Can we expect a sequel or another wrestling based documentary?
Yes, there will be a sequel. It will be something special but it will be hard to make a documentary that is better than 101 Reasons not to be a Pro Wrestler.
And finally for someone who hasn’t heard anything about the documentary how would you sum it up and what were your favourite parts?
The documentary is insane and very controversial. The entire documentary is my favourite part. The DVD is full of interesting backstage moments. I think people should really check out the 6 minute trailer of the documentary at www.HollymoodEntertainment.com and get a feel for the production. There’s insane moments in the DVD including Joanie Laurer drinking backstage at a wrestling show and New Jack also has a very interesting moment with Vampiro on the set of a commercial shoot. Seriously, this DVD is full of so many other interesting moments, I don’t even know what to tell you other than that you have to watch this DVD. The documentary also includes an extremely violent match where New Jack fights a 72 year old man and beats the crap out of him so bad that it nearly starts a riot at the wrestling show. It’s all caught on film and everybody needs to see this wrestling match, it’s insane.
You can check out the NEW 6 minute trailer of never before released footage here.
Order the DVD online or by sending check or money order. Ordering information is located here.
The DVD will be playable in the U.K. on region 2 DVD players and European DVD players.
Adam Sibley