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- [00:00]
A
The following Program is a podcast ONE.com production from Hollywood, California, by way of the Broken Skull Ranch. This is the Steve Austin Show.
- [00:09]
B
Give me a Hell, yeah.
- [00:10]
A
Hell, yeah. Now here's Steve Austin.
- [00:14]
B
All right, everybody. Welcome to Steve Austin Show. I am coming to you from the mean streets of Los Angeles, California. Today, I'm sitting here at 317 Gimmick street, doing the opening of this podcast. I'm sitting in my podcast chair from Clutch chairs. It says Austin316 on it. I'm about to stomp a mud hole in this podcast and walk it dry. My guest on the show today is AJ Kirsch. We used to call him Tumbleweed during the filming of Tough enough during season four, way back in 2011. Well, it turns out AJ and I have been keeping in touch with each other for a long time. We don't talk every single day, but every now and then, he'll call or I'll call or whatever and just shoot the shit and talk about what's up. AJ Just blew out his knee the other day, had some surgery, had everything fixed, and he called me out of the blue, and we were shooting a breeze, and I thought to myself, man, A.J. he'd be great for the podcast. Articulate, eloquent, always has something to say and is very, well, very good at saying it. So I said, hey, dude, I said, let's do a podcast. So I called him up, and we start shooting the breeze, and we talk about the tough enough experience, his background, what he's doing, what he's doing now, what he wants to do. Just a great conversation. The dude has the gift of Gabriel. He was a communications major at Chico State University, so that doesn't hurt anything. The guy knows how to talk. And so we fire up a conversation, and it's going to last about an hour, 10 hour, 15 minutes, and I'm shooting the breeze and catching up with a guy that I really, really think highly of. Good head on his shoulders, good kid, hard worker, and great work ethic. He's my guest today. And I could sit here and piss and moan and complain about all kinds of stuff, but I ain't going to. I got A.J. kirsch waiting to get on the podcast.
- [02:03]
A
This is the Steve Austin Show.
- [02:06]
B
All right, official, check 1, 2, check 1, 2. This is Steve Austin coming from 317 gimmick street. I got A.J. kirsch, one of my former contestants from Tough Enough. I don't even remember what season was, but it was 2011. That's been Jesus, as I do the math at least seven or eight years ago. AJ Kersh, still in the Bay Area, affectionately known as Tumbleweed, for a part of the Tough Enough Show. Hey, man, how are you?
- [02:32]
A
I'm doing great, Steve. Always a pleasure to talk with you. And, yeah, it's hard to believe that that was seven years ago. I think it'd be airing right now if it were 2011. So hard to believe that it's been seven years, but, you know, it's been a hell of a ride since, and I'm still just having a great time.
- [02:50]
B
Hey, man, you and I have been talking on the phone for the past couple weeks. You just had a knee surgery, and you. What, you blew out your acl? What did you do, that knee?
- [03:00]
A
Yeah, so I blew out my ACL and my meniscus, and I also had a sprained MCL at the time. And so, you know, when it happened, I immediately tried to put some weight on it. Couldn't try to walk it off, couldn't. You know, it got better in the following couple of days. I could eventually walk on it and get around without any pain, but after that mri, it was just a complete fuster cluck in there. So I was like, you know what? Surgery is the way to go. And. And that's why I hit you up. I was looking for advice on how to deal with surgeries, because God knows you've seen your fair share when you were running hot, man.
- [03:35]
B
It's just. It's a whole mindset. I'm used to go, go, go and everything like that. And I'm used to being 100%. When I'm anything less than 100%, I just don't feel right. But as you know, you. Because I called you just a few weeks after we had that initial conversation, and you were able to, you know, get your mind right and not be too bored.
- [03:55]
A
Yeah, that's. That's what I was worried about more than anything. Like, my knee was in good hands with the doctors. I was very fortunate in that it happened at a shoot, and so I became an employee of the production company that was putting on that shoot. So workers comp. Covered everything, so I didn't have the weight of a financial burden on my mind. I was most worried about having to slow down because anybody who knows me knows that I thrive in a rather relentless schedule, and I pride myself on being able to make that work. So when this happened and I realized I was going to have to be forced to slow down, that's what was kind of plaguing my mind more than anything else. And so, you know, since though I've come to appreciate it, I think slowing down has been good for me. And it's kind of allowed me to not just recharge mentally and physically, but kind of, you know, start thinking about things that I might not have given the attention to when I was going 100% non stop.
- [04:55]
B
Hey man, everybody knows you from Tough Enough. And that was a while back, so a lot of people never saw that show. Were you a wrestling fan your entire life?
- [05:02]
A
You know, it was around 1996, I was 12 years old when I really became a die hard wrestling fan. Like I'd been aware of wrestling in the 80s and as a kid, hard not to be with the likes of Hogan and Warrior and Andre and all these just iconic names. But it wasn't until I was flipping through channels in March of 1996 when I was just kind of like, to this day, I don't even know how to describe it, but I was just immediately captivated by what I was seeing. And it was just a few weeks leading up to WrestleMania 12 with Sean and Brett in the main event with that spectacular Ironman match. And I feel bad for people who became wrestling fans more recently because In March of 96 it was just on the verge of one of the most exciting times to become a wrestling fan, because just two months later, Scott hall pops up on WCW Nitro the following month. You know, not to blow smoke, but Austin316 was born in June of 96 and man after that. And then all of a sudden ECW starts making noise. So it was just an extremely exciting time to first become a wrestling fan. And I like to tell people it was a phase I never grew out of. And it's a phase I'm still in to this very day. And I hope I never grow out of it.
- [06:17]
B
Hey, you went to Chico State University, right?
- [06:20]
A
Yes, sir, class of 2005.
- [06:22]
B
2005. So with a degree in communications.
- [06:25]
A
Communications, yep. And actually at the time I graduated, I got my four year degree in three years because I wanted to get a jumpstart in pro wrestling. I knew my body had an expiration date and I was like, I want to get in in school, to get out of school and get started wrestling.
- [06:40]
B
So what we going to do with the communications degree?
- [06:43]
A
Well, the reason I chose that degree was because at the time when I first got into college, I was actually a really shy kid. Like I had not opened up. My personality was nondescript at best and I was just super shy. And so I Was like, you know, what if I'm going to get into wrestling? And I already decided that I was going to pursue pro wrestling, I was like, I need to get really good at talking in front of people. And so I took public speaking classes, argumentation and debate classes, critical thinking, mass media and propaganda. And all these obviously play a huge role in the ability to not only talk in front of, but captivate an audience. And so I went from being like, I did a rookie speech tournament my first year and it was about why people should respect pro wrestling. And this was, you know, 2002 or three. So it was back, you know, even then, before it was still as, you know, easily accessible as it is today. So I went from being a super shy kid my first year in college to being nominated to speak at my commencement ceremony when I graduated in 2005. And to this day I maintain that they didn't pick me because I told them my speech was going to be about professional wrestling. So they wanted to pick, they picked a kid who, you know, came from nothing and is first in his family to graduate. Now don't get me wrong, super inspiring story, but I was like, I'm glad I got to college, but now that I got my degree, peace out, I'm going to become a professional wrestler.
- [08:10]
B
Hey, what kind of high school student were you? Because obviously you were highly driven in college. But how were you in high school? Were you valedictorian or are you a really book smart kid?
- [08:20]
A
Book smart, yeah, straight A's. You know, I took a couple AP classes, so I already came into college with a couple units, which is what ultimately helped me graduate a year early. And none of it was exciting for me, but I was just like, if this is the game I have to play right now, then, you know, then I'm just going to do the best I can with, with what they're asking me to do. So, yeah, pretty much straight A student, you know, 3, 8 or 4.0 GPA, pretty much all the way through. But as good as I was academically, I was a total dork socially. Like me and my friends, our idea of a good time was just like staying up late playing video games. Like, I didn't get drunk until after my, you know, senior year of high school. And I didn't, you know, I was just kind of a, just kind of a dorky kid. But me and my friends, we were, we had a lot of fun. And you know, it wasn't until, God, even I graduated college that I really opened up as a performer.
- [09:14]
B
Well, when you were in Tough Enough, I mean, good, good physique, you put a lot of time in the gym. You still do. Did you play high school athletics? Were you involved in sports at all?
- [09:22]
A
So there was a point in high school when I was really fed up with how I looked and how I felt because I was a doughy kid and I just didn't really feel good about myself. And, you know, I actually remember reading an interview with Mick Foley who said, if you are too young to join a wrestling school, join your high school wrestling team. Because a lot of the fundamentals that you learn in high school in amateur wrestling translate really well to professional wrestling. So I had a friend talk me into joining the water polo team the prior semester just to kind of get me in shape and to get me moving. Lost a little bit of weight there and then lost a. And I joined the wrestling team because, man, that is going to get your ass in shape real quick. Real, real quick. And so between my junior year and senior year of high school, I went from wrestling on the, in the 189 pound weight class to the 154 pound weight class. And to this day, like, if anybody out there is listening and wondering, how can I get a jump start on pro wrestling training, the drive and the discipline with your workouts, your diet and training, all those things to this day I credit to joining the wrestling team in high school. So if you're wondering how to get a jump start, how to get in shape, join your high school wrestling team.
- [10:35]
B
What are you doing? With respect, I know you're injured right now, but how are you doing your training and how are you doing your diet and your macros and stuff like that?
- [10:43]
A
Yeah, well, so nowadays since I got this bum wheel still, it's basically an upper body field day. So I'm just getting my pump on as much as I can at the gym. I haven't missed a day. Literally the morning of my surgery, I woke up early and worked out leg day, of course, because I knew it was going to be the last one for a while. And then the next day I was back in the gym hitting upper body. But, you know, a wise man told me to not overdo it, to not push myself. I'm not trying to pack on any muscle, I'm just trying to keep the blood flowing, stay loose and stay sane.
- [11:15]
B
I wonder who that was that told you that.
- [11:17]
A
Yeah, he's. I don't know, he had a little other bullshit around it at the time, but he was on it with that one.
- [11:22]
B
Hey, man, let's go back. Talk about your Tough Enough days. What prompted you to join up and come on out there and be a part of that show?
- [11:29]
A
I think anybody listening to the show at one point has dreamed about being a WWE Superstar or a professional wrestler. I know that there's this, you know, whatever you want to call it, Everybody's dreamed about stepping foot in that ring. And I decided somewhere in high school that I was going to give it an honest to God go. And so when I heard that they were bringing Tough Enough back, and I think, to answer the question at the top of the show, technically it was season four, and I think it's on the network, too. So if you want to check it out, it's Tough Enough, Season four on the WWE Network. And I saw that it was coming back, and I was just like, you know, somebody has to be on that show. Why not me? I think that's the attitude you have to have if you're pursuing anything. Like, it's like, somebody's got to be in that spot. Somebody's got to get that award. Somebody's got to be on that show or whatever it is. Fill in the blank. It's got to be somebody. Why not me? And, you know, I was pretty. I got pretty good in high school with editing and shooting footage and putting together a little, you know, put together a. An application video. And I remember actually the moment I dropped it in the mailbox, I was just like, then here goes nothing. Like, I had fun making it. If this is where it ends, then cool. But you know what? At least I gave it a shot. Because there's nothing worse than coming across an opportunity and then wondering, what if? You have to act on it. And acting and failing is infinitely better than never acting at all. So, dropped it in the mailbox, got a call from a casting director, and then after a series of extensive phone interviews, I was told to pack some bags, enough to last me six to eight weeks. Flew me down to LA and ended up, you know, of the, I think 34 or 35 people that they flew to LA, half of them flew back and the other half were the cast of Tough Enough. And, man, we didn't get a day to prepare or nothing. We went straight from the hotel in LA to that unbelievable palatial estate in Simi Valley, I think it was. And you and Bill, Trish and Booker proceeded to beat the hell out of us for as long as we can take it.
- [13:29]
B
Yeah, for everybody wondering name of that ranch, it's called the Hummingbird Ranch. And they tried to sell it a couple of years ago. They might still be trying to sell it. And it was like $100 million property. It was spectacular. I actually had. They had the big house where you guys were standing. I had my own little crib. And then, you know, Booker, Trish, and Bill had, like, they're kind of sharing living quarters, but, man, I was out there. It was like golf course grass. I had my Hershey. The water dog was still alive, and I. The tennis ball for out there. It was like, you know, it's always fun to people. Always. People always ask me, they said, steve, you ever going to open up a wrestling school? I was like, no, I don't want to open up a wrestling school, because I don't really have time. And, you know, tough enough was the closest thing, you know, I wanted to do to still be a part of the business and the business help guys and gals coming up in the business and actually help them learn. So that was like the greatest gig in the world. So I had so much fun doing that.
- [14:25]
A
They converted the. I think it was like an equestrian, like, estate or something. Like, they had horses, and the main place where we trained was the stable, and they converted these stables into our training ground, which I just thought was the coolest thing. And you mentioned throwing the ball for Hershey, by the way. Rest in peace, Hershey. I wasn't aware that she passed, so my condolences. But I remember waking up early one day and just stepping out on the balcony of this room, and I think I saw I had to have been you. It had to have been you just kind of. Kind of jogging up and down. You had Hershey right next to you. And it was just one of those moments where I was just like, I can't. I can't believe this is real life right now. I can't believe this is real. Like, as a fan of wrestling and as somebody who has aspired to be a WWE Superstar, I just felt like I won the life lottery. And I had to. I say in interviews, I had to literally remind myself out loud that I wasn't dreaming. It was pretty surreal.
- [15:19]
B
One of the biggest things I loved about that show was, you know, Eric Van Wagenen was the showrunner.
- [15:23]
A
Yeah.
- [15:23]
B
And we all showed up. And, you know, I knew Booker. You know, me and Booker, man, we had some great matches together and always liked working with a whole lot. Me and Trish have hit it off like gangbusters ever since I met her and Bill Demott. That was my first chance to really be around Bill and we clicked really good. And for some reason the four of us just had this instant chemistry and I'll never forget it. And one of the things that was so great about that show, as you know, because you've done shows, you do acting, you do commercials, there's always an angle or there's always an agenda, There's.
- [15:52]
A
A story to tell.
- [15:53]
B
Well, there's a story to tell. But the genius of Eric Vanwagon and during that was he'd come up to me and say, hey man, Steve, here's kind of what we're doing. And there were no notes, there was no paper, there were no scripts. It was really a total shoot as far as what we were doing. Bill would do his thing, Trish and Booker were wonderful and they just told me, here's what we'd like to do. And then I would go out there and do it and we would all do it together. So it really was about as close you could get to a shoot as it could be. And that's why I enjoyed it so much because I was completely at ease and at comfort being Steve Austin. A stone cold Steve Austin, whatever. But from a contestant side, how was that for you? I mean, was it nerve wracking going in? What were your expectations and how did for shoot, how did you jive with the other contestants and as far as your day to day existence?
- [16:44]
A
Well, this was the first time I'd ever done anything like this. Like I've done a couple reality shows since. But this was my first taste of any kind of environment where you are not, it's not. You show up on set early in the morning and you go home that night like you are in this as long as you can possibly survive. So to be in that kind of environment, first answer was nerve wracking as hell. Because I knew the pressure was on. I knew millions of people were going to be watching and I am trying to impress guys that I grew up watching one in particular that revolutionized the business. And so I realized that, you know, was on and even I, I remember this moment specifically as well. Like when Bill, Booker and Trish, they start putting us through the paces and then I hear this rumbling from behind me as we're all doing crunches and I'm like, what the hell is that? And you ride in on this big ass Harley or whatever it was and then you just start marching around like a damn drill sergeant. And you had that stare, man. And I remember standing in line those couple times where I was on the chopping block to be eliminated. And you would just stand there and stare at us for what felt like an hour or something. And there was no music playing in the background, like that's added in for effect. It's just silence and this ring creaking as you're walking back and forth. And that stare, that stone cold stair man, like on TV is one thing, but when you're looking into it and it's looking back at you, you're a scary cat.
- [18:09]
B
Thank you. What kind of training did you put in before you got there? Just as far as your lungs. And had you had any professional wrestling training?
- [18:17]
A
Yeah, so I started training in 2003 at a school called Pro Championship Wrestling, which is currently based out of Oroville, California, about an hour away from Chico. So as I was earning my communications degree, I was also doing wrestling training three times a week. So I'd make the, you know, one hour drive to the one hour drive back, and I would do that three times a week as I was going to school. So, you know, I trained for six weeks, broke my ankle doing something stupid that I should not have been doing. So I had to learn that lesson the hard way. And then as I was healing up, they brought me back first as a referee to just kind of get acquainted with being in front of a crowd. And more than anything else, though, to learn how to the guys communicate with each other and how to be a tool for the guys as the match is happening. And then they eventually put me in an angle where I was, you know, on somebody's payroll and part of a faction and everything. And then I ended up getting my. My comeuppance, of course, but that's how I was kind of integrated into professional wrestling. And so I had my first debut match in 2005, and it seems like a long time when you say it, 2003 to 2005, but I was way more worried about not stinking the joint out the first time I went out there than just putting on tights and boots. And yeah, I'm a wrestler now. Like, I took it about as seriously as I possibly could, and I wanted that to show in my first match. Like, of course, everybody, you know, they think about, they fantasize about what their first match might be like, but for me, the match went great. I wrestled my trainer, Mr. Prime Time, so I was in really good hands. And he's actually still training guys at Pro Championship Wrestling, so I was in good hands. My mom and dad came out, my friends from high school came out and they had to deal with me for years just talking about how all I wanted to be was a pro wrestler. So as far as the first match goes, I was thrilled and grateful to this day how it actually went down.
- [20:08]
C
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- [21:04]
B
Now. I was pacing around kind of being scary or whatever. You said Bill was the guy. Bill was barking pretty loud back then. We actually had to rein him in a little bit. I think he's walking around stepping on people's heads and, and stuff like that. Like it was a little much. What were your thoughts about Bill? I mean, because he rode you pretty hard. But I think he meant it in a good way. But he was pretty rough on you.
- [21:25]
A
I agree with that. Like, and I agree with the fact that he wrote us in a good way. Like here you got guys that have, you know, like mdog, Matt Cross comes in with years of international experience and could probably blow anybody away as far as in ring work. And then you've got guys like, oh God, what was her name? Michelle, I think 10 years, right? 10 or 12 year veteran and you know, didn't know a wrist lock from a wristwatch. So you know, you have all these different breadths of experience and you guys are coming from this generation where it's like, well, where did, when did these guys ever pay their dues? What right do they have to be here? And so, you know, coming from a wrestling background with I think five years under my belt at that time, I understood that. So of course we would expect you guys to run us into the ground and see who wants to be here and just who's looking for their 15 minutes of fame. So Bill, I always tell everybody because I know there's been some controversy around him, but I always tell everybody in my experience with Bill, he was tough but every bit as fair.
- [22:27]
B
What did you think about Miss usa? I always mess her name up.
- [22:33]
A
Remember we were doing the Drill remake, the Key?
- [22:35]
B
Yes. I thought she was wonderful. I really like that chick. And she. I mean, she wasn't made to be a pro wrestler. And watching her try to take some of those beginning bumps, I mean, just. Just a forward roll, it was. It was just. And she didn't. You could see someone's face because you'd been training for quite some time and it had matches, so you came in there ready, but all of a sudden, when you see someone try to take their first bump, you really get. You get a chance to look in her eyes and say, some people are allergic to that canvas, that mat.
- [23:05]
A
Right.
- [23:05]
B
And bumping will automatically signal those people. And so she was kind of allergic to bumping. But I just really enjoyed her. She was spunky. She had a little bit of attitude to her. She was beautiful.
- [23:16]
A
Right.
- [23:16]
B
What were your thoughts about her? She was quite a character.
- [23:19]
A
She was. She was. I think that's one of the reasons why she stuck a lot. Stuck around as long as she did because, like you said, not a lick of wrestling talent never trained a day in her life, but she had some attitude, and so she was a captivating character. But, like, I have a couple feelings about when I saw her, you know, try to do a forward roll first. Like, in my mind, I'm like, it's a competition. So I'm like, oh, I'm good. Like, from here, as far as the physicality go, like, they called me tumbleweed because I can roll like a son of a bitch, so I'm not worried about that. And then at the same time, though, where when she tries to do a forward roll and it's like she just sticks and then just kind of falls over.
- [23:56]
B
Pile drive herself.
- [23:57]
A
She. Exactly. She ended up looking like an exclamation point. I felt good. From a competition standp. I'm just kind of like, oh, man. Like, I remember my first day and, like, I was able to get through forward rolls pretty good. But you're right, some people, you know, they. They look back at the canvas before they bump, like, it's not going to be there when they throw themselves back. And so it's not easy to get that, for lack of a better term, that trust with the canvas and just knowing that you breathe out, you tuck your chin, you protect yourself, you'll be okay as soon as you start second guessing yourself. And I think that's what messed her up with the forward rolls. She was going, and then she's like, oh, no. And then started thinking about it too much and then just ended up keeling over, which is a problem. I Think a lot of people have when they first start out, you know, since tough enough.
- [24:41]
B
And I told you guys, I said, you know, that we're tough enough, but you're going to find out what tough enough is when you actually try to get into the wrestling business, because the wrestling business is way tougher than what we're trying to do here. But it's a footnote door. So have you kept up with any of your people that were on the show with you? I mean, because, you know, like you said, mdog Matt Cross as, like, Son of Havoc or whatever it is with Lucha Underground. Martin Casaus as Marty the Moth Ivelisse has done really well. And Lucha Underground. Yeah.
- [25:10]
A
Eric Watts is. He's killing it right now. Is he SoCal?
- [25:13]
B
Yeah.
- [25:14]
A
Like, he's doing championship wrestling from Hollywood. In fact, he just got back recently from a tour of China. Championship Wrestling from Hollywood just did an event in China with this unbelievable production, and it just looked like a million bucks. And so I know. I know Eric Watts is still getting after it, and he looks better than ever.
- [25:32]
B
Well, see, Eric Watts was a guy who I thought had a ton of potential, and he just didn't show it within the time parameters of that show. And, you know, all of a sudden, he's out of there. But when you looked at the guy, I mean, you thought, hey, man, this guy's a monster. He could really, really be good. And then all of a sudden, it's nice to hear that he's still doing well. Do you keep up with any of the guys?
- [25:50]
A
The guys you mentioned are actually the ones that I'm closest to. I see Matt Cross, you know, every couple months when he comes to Northern California. Me, Martin and Eric are probably the closest. The little, you know, the little group of friends that came out of that. As far as the other ones, I don't really keep up with them too much, you know, Jeremiah, Luke, you know, how funny is it that Ariane, the first one eliminated, and she ends up getting signed for, you know, however many years. Oh, wrestling. But, yeah, you know, Eric and Martin, the three of us have become friends, and it's really cool still to see, like you said, Matt Cross is just, you know, every time I look him up on Twitter, he's, like, tweeting from Switzerland or England or Lucha Underground. And so to see him still doing so well, considering how long he's been at it, not. Not just before tough enough, but since, like, good for him, man. He's making it work. And it's really cool to see what.
- [26:44]
B
Were Your thoughts that night where I.
- [26:46]
A
Had to take your belt from you, I understood why. I had. I had some rough days going into the day when I got eliminated. And, you know, something to this day that I remember Bill saying when he was. You guys were in the office, right? That was adjacent to the training ground. I think he said, one good. One good day does not a career make or something like that. And, you know, I got. I got why. I knew why I was eliminated. You know, that whole. Christina ended up getting hurt with me in the ring, and, you know, that was largely my fault. You know, had Martin not broken his ankle, I think I would have been out of there a little earlier than I would have been, because, you know, he wasn't eliminated. He had to withdraw. And in my opinion, had he not gotten hurt, he probably would have ended up winning the whole thing because he's talented in the ring and he's super charismatic as well. So a combination of, you know, me being able to buy some time with that injury, and I was just fortunate enough to last long enough to have my shining moment on the show during that promo challenge. And I totally understand that it wasn't enough to save me, because, as Bill said, all those rough days, I had a good showing on a skills challenge, but, you know, disappointed, of course, but I completely understood why.
- [28:01]
B
How was it going out there and working with the Rock. And, of course, he put you over very strong on your promo, but you got a chance to spend some time in the ring with him.
- [28:08]
A
Yeah, going back and just putting myself in that is still pretty. Pretty amazing. I mean, I got to. I got to roll around with the Rock. I think you even beat the crap out of me a little earlier on in the show that didn't make air. So, again, just another. Another one of those moments where I'm just, like, trying not to. One, trying not to mark out, like, trying to be a professional and, you know, feel like I belong there. And two, just trying to relax, like. And that's something that I think he ended up saying to everybody after he locked up with the remaining contestants. He's like, everybody's so stiff. Like, you guys gotta relax when you're in there and just make it look like you're working, but don't actually work that hard. And so just to be able to say things like that, and it's. It's. Again, I'm eternally grateful for every second on that show, both the highs, the lows, and to be able to have that moment, to just be able to look back and Just be like, I've enjoyed. I've enjoyed a hell of a journey. And so just nothing but gratitude.
- [29:07]
B
What was your preparation process going into promo day? You knew it was coming and you knocked it out of the park. What was your motivation or what was your focus? And as far as your performance went, because it was awesome.
- [29:19]
A
Thank you. Thank you. But, you know, not to correct you, but you said I hit a triple. You said I didn't knock it out of the park. But. But you were right, though. Like. Like I was. I knew where I was in the contest. I knew I wasn't doing well, and I knew I had to come out swinging. Not to overuse the baseball metaphor, but I knew I had to come out swing. And so I think what made that promo effective in my mind was that I meant every single word that I said. Nothing about it was for the sake of the performance or it wasn't about. It was less about the match that Bill and I are supposed to have at SummerSlam, which was the premise of the promo, and more about why we're having the match. Giving the audience that I pretended was there a reason to care. And that reason was 100% legit. It was, you know, I'd had some rough days, and you guys were up my ass about it, and I had to come out and make a point. And I feel like I made that point. You know, hearing that from you guys is what mattered. So to hear that feedback from you guys and to see your comments once the show aired just made me feel really good about it. But I had to mean it. People. People can see, especially nowadays. Like, I think if people come out there and they're trying to just rehash something that they read in the back or something that somebody told them, the fans nowadays are smart enough to just be like, I didn't buy that. And if you don't, if you can't attach your own emotion or your own visceral feeling to something, it's gonna fall flat. And I didn't want it to fall flat, and I don't think it did.
- [30:52]
B
Hey, since Tough Enough is over, you've moved on and we've been talking. We basically kept in touch ever since. I mean, it's just. Is very sporadic. But I've got your number. You got involved with Hood Slam, and you were basically the emcee or the host of that show. And I was watching one of the matches with Brian Cage and a guy that was the Predator, and you're basically calling the match, you know, on a live rf Mic to the house, correct?
- [31:19]
A
Yeah.
- [31:20]
B
And you're dropping F bomb after F bomb. Tell me about the origination of Hood Slam and how you're able to get. You guys were able to get away with the language and in how you go about your process. I mean, it was very entertaining to me, but I'm a guy that cusses a lot.
- [31:34]
A
Right, right. Well, might have to have your finger on the sensor for this one because there's spoiler alert. There's going to be a few F bombs. And how I describe Hood Slam so well to kind of back up a little bit and bridge the gap here. It was that promo that helped me realize that perhaps my contributions to professional wrestling would be more valuable behind a microphone than in the ring. Like, I always felt like I could have a good match with just about anybody. I feel like I've been super safe, but I don't think I hurt anybody unless they didn't tell me about it. But I was like, you know what, as far as my longevity of my career, I think I could start transitioning to hosting ring announcing and commentary. And so some of the advice that Bill gave me shortly after Tough Enough was just work as many different places as you can. Just get out there and work, work, work, work. And at the time, I had not had any experience with Hood Islam. This is 20 early 2012. So I asked the promoter if I could drop by and check out a show. He said yes. He was just like, you want to do some commentary? And I was like, sure, why not? Nobody there cared that I was A.J. kirsch from tough Enough. Because Hood Slam is not your typical wrestling crowd. They're not your, you're, you're just. Whenever you think of your typical wrestling fan, that's not who's at Hood Slam. The crowd at Hood Slam is a crowd who's just out for a good time on a Friday night who wants to drink a little rock out to some live music and some smash mouth over the top pro wrestling. And so I quickly realized that if I'm going to stand next to characters like Drugs Bunny, like the Mexican Werewolf, El Chupacabra, who is, who was the Predator, by the way? Dark Chic, you know, WWE and wcw, they had the Steiner brothers. Hood Slam has the Stoner brothers, Rick Scott and Scott Rick. If I'm gonna stand next to all these crazy characters, I gotta come up with a character of my own. And so I wanted to be a heel because I was so sick of being a face. I have so much fun being a heel. I was so sick of being like, A.J. kirsch from WWE. Tough enough. You saw me on TV. Yay. Got that. I wanted to get the fans riled up. And so I was thinking, who would this crowd hate? This crowd would hate a bro. And therefore, Bros of Joe Brody was born. And I just put myself out there as an arrogant douchebag frat boy, bro. I come out to Nickelback, I spray Axe body spray on myself. And immediately it's just F you, bro. As soon as I'm out, the curtain. And it's the most fun I've ever had in wrestling. And like, we do like you said. So I do the. The hosting, the ring announcing, and the commentary is live. It's over. The PA. The fans can hear it. But it's a 21 and over show. In fact, one of our slogans is don't bring your fucking kids to know so you know that this is not your wrestling. So I'm out there and, yeah, I'm dropping F bombs and sh bombs. And, you know, we're very clear that Hood Slam is for a 21 and over audience, so we can get away with drinking and other things that are not necessarily allowed everywhere. And we have a live band. But before anything else, Hood Slam is a party with pro wrestling. It's literally the most fun I've ever had in my entire wrestling career. All due respect to Tough enough, those were some stressful days. And learning under you guys was the thrill of a lifetime. But as a performer, nothing has come close to Hood Slam.
- [35:00]
B
How long did it take you to.
- [35:01]
A
Come up with the name of Broseph Joseph Joe Brody? So it didn't take long, actually. The character comes from. So like you said, I went to school at Chico State, which is a notorious party school. So I was around frat culture. Never in a frat myself, but I was around frat culture all the time, as a lot of wrestlers do at one point in their life. I was a bouncer in a club, so I was constantly around just these douchebags that are puffing out their chest and, you know, starting fights and. And, you know, parts of my own personality make up the gimmick. Like I'm a total gym rat. And also people don't believe me when I say it, but I fucking love Nickelback. Nobody believes me when I say it because they're the world's easiest band to shit on, but I love Nickelback. And so when I put all these characters, all these parts of these. This character together, I'm just like, what's a name. Like, I'm a firm believer that if you can't describe somebody's gimmick in 10 to 15 seconds, then it's not gonna. You're not gonna get anybody's attention. Stone cold Steve Austin's a beer swelling, finger flipping redneck that has a particular affinity for beating the crap out of his boss. I'm sold. I'll watch that all day. So Brosic Joe Brody is an arrogant, ultra masculine douchebag bro who sprays Axe body spray on himself and tags bro at the end of a sentence like it's a period. Like I have a very extensive vocabulary. Don't even get me started.
- [36:26]
B
This October, fear is free on Pluto tv with horror movie collections from Paranormal Activity, the Ring, you will die in seven Days, Scream, and From Dusk Till Dawn.
- [36:38]
A
This is my kind of place.
- [36:39]
B
And don't miss the man made nightmares in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the world ending chaos in 28 days later. There's something in the blood. All the scares, all for free. Pluto TV stream now pay Never.
- [36:58]
A
This is the Steve Austin Show.
- [37:01]
B
Very articulate, eloquent young man with a good head on his shoulders. So explain to me about Nickelback because I'm a fan as well. I think they're a great damn band, but they're. They are a polarizing band. People either love them or they hate them. And a pile of people hate them. I don't get it. Because I think they make good, solid, straightforward rock and roll music. Where's all the heat coming from? Can you explain that to me? Because I don't know.
- [37:26]
A
I honestly don't know either. I don't know when Nickelback became the cool band to hate, but at one point they became the punchline for every bad music joke they did. Like, I don't know how it happened. Like. And I think they're a victim of their own success in that respect because they've sold like 50 million records worldwide. Some of their songs are some of the most instantly recognizable. And you know what's funny though is that people are quick to bash Nickelback publicly, but as soon as I get somebody one on one, they're very quick to be like, okay, you know that one song, how youw Remind Me? Or Rockstar or Photograph? I actually really like that song. And maybe after a few drinks, I'll sing it at the top of my lungs. We'll see what happens. So the hate. I just think they're the trendy band to hate, but that kind of makes me love them just a little bit. More and shout it from the rooftops and be like, oh, you don't like them? Well, f you. I love them.
- [38:16]
B
Well, who else would you listen to?
- [38:18]
A
Big rock fan. So Aerosmith, Metallica, AC dc, Them and Nickelback. AC DC and Nickelback are like right up there for my all time favorite bands.
- [38:27]
B
Well, see, it's interesting to hear a guy your age because you're a lot younger than me and you're naming bands that, you know, that I still love that were hitting their prime, you know, when I was a kid. So where are the newer bands other than Nickelback? Because I'm just. I'm a big believer that I don't know, the music has changed so much and there's some. Greta Van Wise. There's a couple of bands out there that are kind of scra. Scratching the surface. But for some reason, I just don't get into anything new. I'm still digging the old stuff. And you, being a young cat, just named a bunch of old stuff other than Nickelback.
- [38:58]
A
Yeah, well, I think good music is timeless. You know, if you go back, I mean, even earlier today I was at the gym, I was listening to like Zeppelin and Hendrix and guys that to this day just. There's. There's nothing like them. They just. Nobody sounds like them. And I don't know if that's the casualty of the music industry nowadays, but I agree with you. There are not a whole lot of new bands that I just gravitate towards the way I did to the ones I just named.
- [39:23]
B
You said you were a dorky, shy kid coming up.
- [39:27]
A
Yep.
- [39:28]
B
I was watching a video before you and I talked and you were on what you call dating and naked or dating naked. Dating naked. Okay, to go from this shy kid. Yeah, shy doughy kid. And all of a sudden you're on this show. Tell me what was up with that experience and how that was after wwe.
- [39:49]
A
Tough enough, the goal was still to get signed by wwe. So I started pursuing other avenues of entertainment because I know they want to be able to send their guys and do TV shows and talk shows and all this stuff. So I wanted to expand my repertoire. So I got a casting notice for a reality show called Dating Naked. And I was just like, you know what? Somebody has to be on that show. I think it should be me. Why not me? That sounds like a blast. Like a dating show where you're naked. And by the way, a shot in Panama in June over a week. So I was looking at this like a vacation where I get set up on dates and I get to be naked. And, like, at the time, like, I. As I like to say, I had gotten my fit together. I'd gotten in shape. I was training on the regular. I was eating super clean. So I had gotten in the kind of shape where I'm like, you know what? I. I don't mind being naked. I don't think. I don't think it'd be that big of a deal. And as I was taking my clothes off for the first time because there's, like, camera people around me, and they got a boom mic, and, you know, this poor crew has been on this island for, like, a month. As soon as I saw the other. The girl I was going to date, as soon as I saw her naked, I'm like, oh, this doesn't even matter anymore. Like, what's the big deal? Here's mine, there's yours. Who cares? We're here right now. Let's have some fun with this. And so I actually came back from that show way more comfortable in my own skin than when I went. And so it's, you know, another one of those surreal experiences where I'm waking up in this little villa in Panama, and the sunrise is coming up over the ocean. I'm just kind of like, look where I am right now. This is insane. But it was a great time.
- [41:30]
B
Okay. Like, I was telling you about Tough Enough while ago, you know, Eric Van Wagenen would say, hey, man, here's what we're trying to do. You know, just go do it. What were your instructions on that reality show?
- [41:40]
A
Right? So.
- [41:41]
B
Or what you can talk about, let's.
- [41:43]
A
Say it that way right there. The producers were clear about the story that they saw unfolding as the show went on, as they started getting more and more footage, because they didn't know what they were going to, you know, keep in and edit out. But they were, you know, they would pull us aside every now and then and be like, here's where we see this going, but you do whatever you want. So it was a little bit. You know, they gave their. Their insight, and they said, here's how. We think this would make for an interesting story. But ultimately, they let us, you know, do what we wanted to do, because I think. And that's one of the big things about reality tv. They're like, oh, well, how real is this? Going back to your point on Tough Enough, like you said, that was about as close to a shoot as you can get for reality tv. Dating Naked, about as close to a shoot on reality TV as you can get. So I think, you know, just because it's, like, right there in front of your face, reality TV people immediately write it off like, oh, bullshit. But as far from my experience, tough enough and dating naked, those were pretty, like, 98% reality.
- [42:51]
B
Okay. I didn't get a chance to see the finish of the show. Were there any sparks there? Anything happened? I'm not talking about stuff. Sexual activity. I mean, were there any sparks there? Was there? Like, okay, after the show, you guys were gonna see each other. What happened?
- [43:04]
A
No, no, there were not. Me and the girl, we did end up, like, choosing each other, so we ended up matching at the end. But to be quite honest, for me, it wasn't a choice. It was a lack of options. So, no. No sparks there. We didn't continue to see each other after the show or anything, but, you know, I didn't take it too seriously. I kept asking myself, if I were watching this show, what would I want to see me do? And then I was just like, I'm already naked. Like, how many more risks can I possibly take? Like, let's take all the risks. Why not? Let's have some fun with this.
- [43:40]
B
What other risk can you take?
- [43:42]
A
Yeah, exactly. Like, I mean, I don't know. It's. It's. If you. I don't know if it's available online or on demand or anything, but it was the first season. It was episode seven. So if you want to go out and look it up, you know, it's out there somewhere. But all my bits and pieces were blurred out, so it's still. You know, you don't. It's not, like, rated M for mature or anything like that.
- [44:02]
B
I got a good friend of mine. He's my stunt double in Vancouver, British Columbia. Paul Lazenby.
- [44:08]
A
Oh, my God. Yeah, he and I are friends on Twitter. We DM like weekly.
- [44:13]
B
Okay. Jesus Christ. Paul is a super sharp guy, very smart. Been in pro wrestling business, Us, you know, stunts. He's doing acting now, as you are. He's been really successful. He's getting busy, and so we're very good friends. As I look at you, you're still a white meat. Clean cut, baby face. You know, you could be a heel at Hood Slam, but to me, you're this all American kid. And I don't picture you bouncing. Tell me how you got. I know you're on a high school wrestling team, so I gave you some tricks, but. And like Paul says in his book, everybody's got a bouncing story. You got a. You got a favorite bouncing story for me. And, well, first of all, and tell me how you got involved. This shy kid who was kind of a geek with no self confidence or maybe some self esteem issues which you don't seem to have anymore. And now you're bouncing, playing a tough guy at the club.
- [45:01]
A
Right. So I mean I was just looking for a job. Like at the time I was just looking for work and I had, let's see how this goes back a little bit. So first I got set up on. I got talked into doing this gig to raise money for a San Francisco based wrestling promotion that's no longer around, called Fog City Wrestling. And they did a fundraiser at a bar where they had a raffle. And one of the prizes was win a date with a wrestler. And I was the wrestler. So the woman who won, we ended up talking and she ended up putting me in touch with somebody who was looking for a bouncer, looking to hire a bouncer at the place where they looked. And you know, I'm six feet tall, I'm 200 pounds, I'm not particularly imposing. They just needed, they weren't looking for like a bouncer per se, they were looking for more of a host, like what do they call it, A brand ambassador, like somebody to feel welcome at the club and just a presence inside just to make sure that nobody does anything stupid. And in my, you know, I bounced for probably four or five years and rarely had to ever break up fight. Rarely had anyone swing on me. But my favorite bouncing story is when I noticed that a fight had broken out on the dance floor. You know, I quick as I walked over to break it up, I quickly sized up the situation. And breaking up a fight is pretty easy because the people in a fight are focused on each other. They're not even thinking about the bouncers who are about to break it up. So I come from behind and actually of all things, I put my left arm around his throat, come underneath his right arm with my right arm. So I pretty much locked him into Taz Mission. Because I saw Taz use at one point, I'm just like, if I could sink that in in real life, nobody could do dick. So I sank into Taz Mission, dragged him outside and just held him there until the cops showed up. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it because he was, I noticed he was swinging with his right hand. So with his right with I had that half nelson on and every time he would struggle, I would just squeeze a little bit tighter until the cops showed up. So my favorite bouncing story is sinking into tas mission to break up, to break up a fight.
- [47:09]
B
What are you doing right now? I see all this list of things that you're doing as far as hosting or MCing with the bad will. What are you doing right now other than your rehab process? Are you able to work? Are you able to emcee? What are you doing to support yourself financially?
- [47:23]
A
Yeah, I'm, you know, I'm lucky that this injury has not impacted my ability to talk as the last 40 minutes, you know, has been crystal clear. So I'm still hosting shows, I'm still hosting ring announcing, doing commentary and you know, I'm just, I'm having a blast doing it. Between what I'm doing with wrestling right now and acting. Not only, you know, I'm making money, I'm saving money, I'm able to put money away into my retirement every week and I'm in no debt of any kind. So again, I'm just, I hate to sound like, you know, a broken record, but super grateful to be where I'm at right now because I'm doing exactly what I want to do right now to make a living. And even, even with this, this injury right now, it slowed down my productivity a little bit. But as you said at the top of the episode, we're so used to go, go, go just non stop that I think mentally getting used to the idea of being okay with slowing down is ultimately going to be really good for me. And I'm like glad that I don't. Like I said, workers comp as far as treatment for the injury is covering everything. So to not have that financial burden is just, you know, absolutely amazing.
- [48:34]
B
When you go out and you auditions for these commercials or parts and whatever has your communications degree background in experience helped you with this process and what is your mindset going into these things? Because for me, when I roll into an audition, I would be out in my car in my Bronco and I'd be going over my lines and I think, all right dude, you got no business being here. There's no way they're going to want a bald headed guy with a goatee with a right arm. It doesn't straighten out all the way. So eff it, don't be nervous, just go in there and just be you. Well, it sounds good until you walk out there and you get in there and it's that the one person running lines with you, it's the person who's going to say yes or no and it's the person running the camera. It's either two or three people, all of a sudden you get in there, it's kind of nerve wracking. Matter of fact, for me, it was nerve wracking, quite frankly, because I'm just not that comfortable in that world. So did your degree help you and what was your thought process going into the interview process?
- [49:28]
A
My degree did help me just getting used to talking in front of an audience. And when I say audience, I mean it could be an audience of one, which is oftentimes way more intimidating. Yeah, it's the worst. The fewer people in the room, the more pressure because you are under a microscope. Like, I can, you know, Hood Slam draws almost a thousand people every month. I can walk out there and own that entire crowd. But if it's just one person reading lines and one person running the camera and knowing that they're making the decision, it's like, oh, man, shit's on right now. So the degree helped to a certain degree. I really wanted to come up with a different word, but I couldn't think of one. But more than anything, it gets easier every time. Like, I think that if you're, you know, pursuing acting or if you're ever in an audition process or even any kind of interview process, which is essentially the same thing, just doing it more makes it easier every time. And I think, I think you hit the nail on the head. Because when I walk into an audition, it's like, let's just see what happens. Go out there, give them the best, whatever I think that is because oftentimes you have no idea what they're looking for. It could just be, you know, they like your face, they like your smile. You know, in your head, Steve, you could be like, oh, man, they're gonna hate my fucking Texas accent. But they. You read the lines and you walk out the door and they could be like, man, I want that Texas accent. Like that. That's. I didn't. I didn't know I even wanted that, but now I want that. So I've even heard stories of guys that walk in and completely botch inter or botch auditions. And they end up getting the role because, you know, they just. They had something that whoever's making the decisions wanted. And so I'm just kind of like, you know, whatever happens, happens. Know your lines, walk in as prepared as possible, but just. Just do the best that you can do. And when you walk out, and this is the hardest part, don't give it another thought after you walk out, because I'm hypercritical afterwards, I'm like, Oh, I should have said this. I should have done this. I could have said it this way. When it's over, worry about it. On to the next one. If they get back to you, great. If they don't, who cares? There will be more. And something else. You know, I. I realize I can just talk forever, but. So, apologies for the rant, but something else to keep in mind is they're not there to work against you. They want to see you. Like they called you into that audition because not to waste your time, they don't want to waste their time. They want to see somebody bring something to the table that gives them the performance they want. And they think enough of your picture or your interview on the phone or whatever it is that they think you have that. So they want to work with you. They're not there to chew your ass out and kick you out the door.
- [52:06]
B
It sounds like to me you're the same as I am. To me, I would rather be in an arena like hood slam 1000. Any arena that I've ever played, give me a live RF mic, have a camera rolling, red lights on, go. You got to cut a promo, you got to sell tickets, you got to get yourself over or get your opponent over. Sell a match. That's easy to me going into that room or even still photography going into a room with just two or three people trying to audition. And a lot of times when you get those sides, they might kayfabe you on the rest of the whole script. Just give you two or three pages of sides. You learn that you don't know anything about the character. So you're trying to be whatever it is you're trying to be. And I find going into an RF mic trying to be Steve Austin or Stone Cold Steve Austin, that was the easiest thing in the world to me because I turned the switch on and it's sink or swim. Because I'm live, I know the shit's on, and I know it's going to be sink or swim. When I got up WWF and then it turned into wwe, there were a couple times I went out there and I sank. You know, you sink or swim. Most of the time I swim. And once you get a chance to go out there and you do that and it's either, hey, man, I'm either going to do this successfully or I am not, right to me, that and being unscripted, just go out there with a couple of bullet points that that was what I really thrived on.
- [53:26]
A
And me too. And I think that's because there is. And I do promo seminars now, so I coach young guys on how to cut a promo. And one of the things that I put over is there's comfort in a character that, you know inside and out. And I think one of the reasons that, you know, you can go out there and be Steve Austin and having probably close to no idea what you're going to do, if that's what the situation call it, like, you may have bullet points, but even. Even if it's just after a show and you're dicking around for the live audience, you have no idea what you're going to say. You know how Stone Cold Steve Austin would interact with that crowd, and that's enough for you to do something that's going to pop. And so for me, there's so much comfort in becoming this Bros of Joe Brody character. I don't even need to know what I'm going to say. I just need to know that there's my music, there's my cue to walk out. Let's pop a crowd. And the more you can, the more layers you can give a character, and the more familiar you can get with whatever character you're playing, whether it's in a ring, on a stage, or in front of a camera, there is comfort in familiarity with the character, which means somebody can just say, go. And you can be like, all right, for how long?
- [54:37]
B
Right, dude, what are your future plans once you. Once you get the wheel back? How old are you? 34.
- [54:43]
A
34. 34 right now? Yeah. As far as future plans, like, I'm still. I was working a construction job for most of last year, and when I got laid off in October, that's when I was like, all right, well, I'm just gonna do what I want to do as long as I can. And because I've been able to turn that into the way I make my living, then it's still. It's still kind of fresh for me that I'm able to do what I want to do to make the money that I need to make in order to be a responsible adult. So I just want to keep ring announcing, hosting, doing commentary. You know, bigger crowds, bigger gigs. You know, WWE knows that I'm interested. I've reached out to the appropriate parties and let them know that, you know, if there's an opportunity for me with wwe, then I'd be all over it. But I'm not holding my breath. I'm having a great time doing what I'm doing right now. And so, you know, if they. If they want Me, they know where to find me. And it used to be when I was an aspiring WWE Superstar, that that was the end all be all for me. And as an adult now, I've realized that's not how it has to be. If you're truly passionate, you truly enjoy something, you can find a way to make it if you are driven and talented enough. And I think with this all in event that's happening in Chicago that Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks are putting together, they sold out a 10,000 seat arena in under an hour. Like that's just mind blowing to me. And a sign that pro wrestling, sports entertainment, whatever you want to call it, is stronger than ever right now. It is a really exciting time for pro wrestling and for me to be able to make my living doing that again. I'm just super grateful to be in the position that I'm in right now. Man.
- [56:33]
B
When you have a degree in communications, you've been involved in the professional wrestling business for quite some time. You're working construction and you were working construction years ago.
- [56:43]
A
Yeah.
- [56:43]
B
What kind of jobs on a construction site? Because I mean, dude, I've driven forklifts, I've done manual labor all day. I mean, but I'm not a real construction guy. Although I did help build the marina there in Edna, Texas. I don't know how it's still together. I didn't know what I was doing. I just did what they told me to do. But what do you specialize in as far as construction?
- [57:03]
A
I don't know anything about construction. I was just a basic laborer. They would tell me to, you know, tear this down and clean this up. And, you know, I got somewhat acquainted with, you know, putting up doorways and I didn't, I didn't know what I like. Like you said, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm amazed that I could even destroy stuff correctly. So a friend of mine hooked me up with a job when I needed one. It was exactly what I needed at the time. The pay was nice, but I think the people that ran it knew that I wasn't gonna be there for long. It was just something to pay the bills until the next thing came along. So, you know, but it was fun. I had fun destroying stuff. There were those days where I would just walk around with a broom all day. So those days weren't particularly fun. But, you know, working is better than not working. You're either busy or you're broke.
- [57:51]
B
What do you enjoy hosting the most?
- [57:52]
A
Oh, hood slam. Not even a. Not even A contest. And like, I do. I don't just do wrestling stuff. I do burlesque shows and I've hosted music festivals and I've hosted stages at expo, like fit Expos. And, you know, if there's a stage in a mic, I want to be able to own it. But it's hard to even describe how I feel at Hood Slam. I describe it as a jubilant madness because it really is just an asylum of fun. And as somebody who grew up a wrestling fan, who's in pro wrestling, who is a performer in as many different avenues as I can be, nothing makes me feel more alive than Hood Slam.
- [58:37]
B
And so that still goes on still once a month.
- [58:42]
A
Every first Friday of the month at the Oakland Metro Opera House. And depending on when this airs, that actually means our next show is Friday, June 1st. And, you know, if you're interested in checking it out, you can get tickets on eventbrite.com just by searching hood slam. But remember, it's 21 and over. Don't bring your fucking kids.
- [59:05]
B
Describe the crowd that comes up to Hood Slam.
- [59:07]
A
Mostly a young crowd, but you're gonna see some people there who are in their 40s, 50s, and even my mom, God bless her, she's in her 70s, and she comes out to every Hood Slam that she can. And they're just. Like I said, they're not your typical wrestling fan. We do have a lot of hardcore wrestling fans that are there. And it makes having. It makes putting out these different wrestling references that only they get a lot of fun because me and everybody in the locker room, we're all just a bunch of wrestling dorks. Like, we're all trained pro wrestlers, but we all grew up wrestling fans. That's fun to know that they'll get those inside jokes. But most of that crowd is just out to party on a Friday night. And we do not take it and it. By it, I mean some of the old, more archaic rules about wrestling, we don't take it seriously. Like, we are all aware that professional wrestling is a show, and so we take that to the most absurd degree we possibly can. If we try to present it as legitimate athletic competition, we're not fooling anybody at this point. Like, let's be honest about what professional wrestling really is. It's performance art. And if the only genre of performance art that we had was. If it was just one single genre, it would get boring real quick. You know, like, if movies were only. Were only Disney movies, we would get sick of it real quick. There's no reason that we can't bust open professional wrestling to make it as accessible to as many different people as possible. And I think it start, you know, you've got strong style and British style, Lucha libre and American style, but beyond that you can. There's no story you can't tell in pro wrestling. And Hood Slam tells some of the most insane stories that you've ever heard in your life. There's nothing we can't do in Hood Slam.
- [60:49]
B
When I told my mother I was getting pro wrestling, she goes, okay, Steve, that's fine, just change your last name. She was kidding because, you know, she didn't want the embarrassment. She knew there was no way I was going to make it. You have a degree in communications. When you started getting into this world, what did your mother think? And now that she goes to the shows every now and then, what does she think about your career choice and how much you love this business?
- [61:15]
A
At the time, you know, I was just a 13, 14 year old kid, so it may have just been like, oh, that's nice, like whatever you want to do, I'll be proud of you whatever you do. So she was, you know, she was supporting from day one and my dad was too. They were both great about just being like, hey, if that's what you want to do, then go do it, for the love of God, finish college, but if that's what you want to do, go do it. They've been supporting me since day one and my mom, when she comes to Hood Slam, she has such a good time. Like, I was worried about it at first because like you said, I'm dropping F bombs and I'm crude and vulgar and like, I don't give a shit when I'm out there. Like I just let it fly. And so I was worried about doing that in front of my mom, just thinking she'd be, I don't know, embarrassed or not approved or something. When she's out there, she is beaming ear to ear like she could not be more proud. And you know, it's. I couldn't be more thankful to have her and my dad's support just throughout my entire career. They've both been absolutely amazing. But it's pretty special that my mom's there at ringside and I can, you know, pour a little Jack for her when I'm making the rounds with my Jack Daniels bottle.
- [62:29]
B
Dude, do you have brothers and sisters or are you the only one?
- [62:31]
A
I got a sister who's two years younger than me and we didn't get along, particularly in our High school days. But now that we're full grown adults, we get along great. And she's awesome. She actually. She's kind of amazing. She co founded a solar company in Oakland called Powerhouse. And she's just. She's killing it, man. She's doing a hell of a job. And Emily, I'm super proud of you. Keep up the great work.
- [62:55]
B
Hey, you got the will. You're healing up. What's the rehab process on this? I know, but give me a timeline of when you think you'd be back. 100%.
- [63:03]
A
So they told me I was going to be in a brace and crutches for about six weeks, so that means another month or so. You know, PT has already started and I'm pretty much doing that as much as I possibly can until they tell me, you know, too much. But they probably told me I'm not going to be 100% for five or six months, so that's kind of rough. But like I said, I've transitioned my contributions in wrestling to behind a microphone. So I don't need to be physically 100% to be able to contribute the way I contribute nowadays.
- [63:34]
B
You mentioned that bottle of Jack Daniels. Do you drink?
- [63:37]
A
No, not really.
- [63:39]
B
That's what I figured. I knew your bodyguard.
- [63:43]
A
Yeah, it's not for me.
- [63:44]
B
That's good.
- [63:45]
A
Yeah, like, you know, like I said, Hood slam, it's a party. And so one of the things I do to kind of like to throw in some nostalgia, you know, I'll go out with my. As the band starts playing, I'll go out with my bottle of Jack and I'll give each side the Hulk Hogan ear and whichever side's loudest, I'll go to that side of the ring and treat them with a couple of shots straight out the bottle. It's a great time. It's a great time.
- [64:10]
B
What's next for you?
- [64:11]
A
PT is my priority right now. But as I'm healing up, I'm not sure what's next, to be honest. Like, I'm serious.
- [64:19]
B
Are you about the acting?
- [64:20]
A
It's a good question. I'm busy enough right now as it is. It's not gonna make or break my life if I win an Oscar or not. I don't know that I love it as much as I love wrestling. And so I don't know how much, because you and I were talking about, like, looking into acting classes and, you know, I looked around in the Bay Area and just to see what's out there, and I'm like, I don't know. That it's enough of a priority that I want to devote that time to getting that much better in acting. You know, I'm still having a great time doing all the things I'm doing at the level I'm doing it. I don't know if I want to make that my primary focus, because I get bored easily. I think if I were to just do one thing day in, day out, I don't know that that would be good enough for me. I don't know. That would keep me super interested. So I like having my fingers in a lot of pies right now.
- [65:04]
B
Man. When someone asks me what I, you know, what I see myself doing in 10 or 20 years, I never know because I don't even plan tomorrow. You know, I just kind of wake up. I got a brother that's two years older than me. He has everything planned out. He has everything mapped out, and that's just. That's how he rolls. And I respect that, but it's not for me. Ten, 20 years down the road, where do you see A.J.
- [65:23]
A
Kirsch with a house somewhere in the Bay Area? You know, a wife, a kid, a dog, a driveway, a porch, maybe a little yard. I can see myself doing the exact same things that I'm doing now. I don't think maybe the brosif thing at 54 might be a little bit weird. I don't know if I could get away with that. But I think I'm gonna love pro wrestling till the day I die. I think I'm gonna love performing in general, and I think I'm gonna keep finding ways to keep it interesting for myself. But, you know, I'm kind of the same way. Like, I don't specifically. I couldn't tell you what I'm doing. I just. If I'm happy when I go to bed at night and I'm happy when I wake up in the morning, then, you know, I think I'm doing okay.
- [66:03]
B
Did you're in a Bay area. Are you in between San Fran and Oakland? Where kind of specifically are you? Don't give me your actual address, but.
- [66:11]
A
Right. I'm at 318 gimmick street.
- [66:14]
B
Yeah. Are you closer to Frisco?
- [66:17]
A
Yeah, I'm in Berkeley, which is right next door to Oakland.
- [66:20]
B
Before we wrap up, social media. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Where can people find your website or and talk to about this hood slam event coming up?
- [66:29]
A
Yeah, Twitter, Instagram. They're both at AJKirsch. That's K I R S C H. You can like me on Facebook. It's facebook.com I am AJKIRSH and I've also got separate social media for Broseph because I like keeping some separation between the two. Instagram and Twitter is @brojbroady facebook.com Broseph Joe Brody and if you just Google Hood Slam, you'll find everything you need to know about Hood Slam. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch. It's alludslam if you want to check it out. First Friday of the month Oakland Metro Opera House tickets by searching hoodslam on eventbrite.com or you can go straight to the website at birdswillfall.com awesome.
- [67:17]
B
AJ was good catching back up with you and best of luck to that wheel. And obviously you and me are going to stay in touch over the phone, but it was good talking to you and seeing you on Video Scope. As Randy Macho Man Savage would say, the Video scope.
- [67:28]
A
Well, I appreciate it, sir. You know, just the fact that I'm able to pick your brain about advice about anything, whether it's surgery or, you know, working out or life or whatever it may be like. I'm. I'm very grateful that we've been able to stay in touch. Yeah, man, this was fun. This was a lot of fun. It was good catching up.
- [67:46]
B
Awesome talking with you. I appreciate it.
- [67:48]
A
Appreciate you, Steve. Thank you.
- [67:50]
B
All right, everybody, give me the Go home. Q. It's time to wrap up his podcast and ride off in the sunset. But before I do that, I want to thank my guest AJ Kirsch for joining me on the show today. It's been a long time since 2011 when tough enough rolled around. I've stayed in touch with AJ and a couple other those cats, and it was great talking to AJ and catching up with him. He's a very bright young man with a very high work ethic. I'm looking forward to him rehabbing his knee, getting back on track, and pursuing the things that he wants in his life. He's a very determined guy. He knows what he wants, and I suspect that he'll be highly successful from here on out. Thanks for joining me on the podcast, AJ. It's a pleasure to talk to you. Hey man. Prosnts.com SteveAustin has all the Broken Skull Ranch shirts that I've been wearing on Broken Skull Check Challenge. That show is over. It was not renewed, but the shirts are still available and they're@prowrestlingtease.com steveaustin and the best damn IPA on the planet and I can vouch for it because I know beer. And I know IPAs is Broken Skull IPA from El Segundo Brewing Company. You can get Broken Skull IPA at Whole Foods and Total Wines if you live in California. If you don't live in Cali, check inside the cellar.com and see if they ship to your state. And if you're looking to get a badass pocket knife, I got two of them. The cold steel Broken Skull knife and the cold steel Working Man's knife. And you can get them at my new Amazon store. Amazon has the best priced on both knives. Just go to Amazon.com shop steveaustin Folks, I am on social media, Twitter and Instagram teveaustinbsr and until next time, my name is Steve Austin and I'll catch your ass down the road.
- [69:33]
A
This has been a podcast one production. Download new episodes of the Steve Austin show every Tuesday at podcastone.
- [69:39]
B
Com.
- [69:39]
A
That's Podcastone.