According to Cagematch, the go-to source for accurate listings of pro wrestlers’ matches, BD Smooth has wrestled in seventy-three bouts, including some for Billy Corgan’s non-defunct RESISTANCE Pro promotion.
While you may not have heard of Smooth on a national level, he is somewhat of a staple and beloved figure in the Midwest pro wrestling scene. Smooth works for Merle Ramsey’s RentAWrestlingRing.com, helping to make sure the ring is securely put together for some of the biggest matches in the country. Occasionally, he dawns tights and gets involved in the action himself.
In an exclusive Haus of Wrestling interview, I asked Smooth whether or not he has ever received formal pro wrestling training.
“I’ll be honest, no I have not,” he said. “I started off, I know this sounds bad, but I used to, I started off playing with action figures growing up, I didn’t play with Hot Wheels. That’s probably why I don’t f-cking drive a car, sorry about the language. I used to love playing with action figures, having them like, I had a younger sister, and she had a doll house.
“I had a dad that had cable I got to watch on the weekends. So, watching shows like The Real World, and then having the actual figures, or being in the actual house, it’s nice. It’s like playing Sims, I’ve always been into character and different characters, evolving. I love evolution.”
It is insane to think that someone that just stepped inside a WarGames cage this past weekend has never received any formal training. I pressed Smooth on who has helped him craft his unique in-ring style.
“I’ve taken many seminars from, let’s see,” he began. “Shelton Benjamin, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, Ethan Page, Kongo Kong, and so many others, Robbie E (aka WWE NXT’s Robert Stone).”
WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat is one of the greatest ever to lace up the boots. I was interested to hear what knowledge Steamboat bequeathed on the young, Taco Bell-loving, Juggalo.
“Well, it was good,” he recalled. “He talked about working the body parts, and, like, blippity blah, and then the next person, that next match, maybe work a different body part.”
My full interview with BD Smooth is now out on the Haus of Wrestling podcast feed, available on all podcast platforms. You can also find it courtesy of the embedded audio player below.
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