By Trey Cobb
Saturday March 4th marks the return of Big Time Wrestling to the Good Samaritan Community Center in Huntington and posters are popping up everywhere in town, advertising a stacked card full of exciting in-ring action. Freddie Cornell, promoter of BTW and 26 year veteran of the wrestling industry, was kind enough to sit down with Huntington News Network and give us all a rundown of what to expect from the upcoming event.
This is a transcript of our discussion with promoter Freddie Cornell:
Trey: How does one decide whom to book for a wrestling show?
Freddie: There’s a lot of great talent…if they move in the right direction, and move away; pack their bags, travel, bust their tail end.
Everybody always asks me “how can I get into professional wrestling?”
It’s not easy; you’ve got to be passionate and dedicated. It takes a lot of your time. Nowadays anyone can buy a wrestling ring online and buy gear, and call themselves a professional wrestler. It’s not that easy. You have to get trained the right way.
In my company I only use a handful of locals; that’s what branches me out from other promotions in the tri-state area…why use the same talent when I’m putting on a show and trying to promote an event, when the same people can go up the road and see the same guys? I cut that out. I branched out about ten years ago and started bringing in a lot of talent from New York, New Jersey, the eastern Kentucky area, Illinois, Philadelphia, Florida, everywhere. I started realizing if I want to expand my company and make my company, Big Time Pro Wrestling, a success in this area, I have to do something different. I only used a handful, maybe five or six of the locals that have dedicated themselves to me over the years – something I cherish a lot in my heart.
Then the other talent that I bring in from outside…they’ve been around and had a name for themselves, and made a successful name already in the market.
T: Anyone you’d like to mention in particular?
F: We’ve had Rhyno! He’s been on national TV, been in all major companies all over the world.
We have Larry D, who’s been on Impact; he’s been really successful in the wrestling business also.
Then we have other marketable names like J-Sin, Madman Pondo…I don’t know if you know who Madman Pondo is, but he’s a hardcore wrestler, been in movies with Robert Englund, wrestled in Japan. He’s been in the most hardcore deathmatches a person could be in!
He’s more than just a hardcore wrestler though, he’s very smart to the business. Years ago and still up and running, IWA East Coast Wrestling has operated out of Charleston…the original founder of that company was Madman Pondo. It was one of the top promotions…they had Jon Moxley, Roderick Strong, Johnny Gargano, Jerry Lynn, Chris Hero. When Pondo got out of IWA East Coast, it was still a good company, but was never the same. Pondo and I are great friends; we’ve had great talks.
Pondo’s the one who told me, “Freddie, you’ve got to make your company different from others, and you will expand like you want to.”
So I give the fans a taste of everything: the hardcore style, the lightweights, high flyers, old school, and a women’s division…we have some of the best independent women wrestlers on our shows the past year: Riley Matthews, Rachel Armstrong, Mickie Knuckles, and the list goes on!
T: How would you describe Big Time Wrestling?
F: It’s a clean, family show where somebody can bring their kids for a reasonable ticket price, enjoy themselves and see a good show.
If it wasn’t for the fans, wrestling wouldn’t exist today. That’s where some wrestlers with ego don’t get it; without the fans paying ticket prices from AEW to WWE, independents all the way to the pros, you wouldn’t be a star.
T: Would you say that gratitude is important to your industry?
F: I do think a lot of people forget where they come from, where their roots are, but I personally never forgot the life I had before professional wrestling.
T: What can our readers expect from Big Time Wrestling on March 4th?
F: Doors open at 7pm; we’ve got Jay Sin, Madman Pondo, Mickie Knuckles, the women’s champion Rachel Armstrong – in the next six months to a year, Rachel will have gone pro, guaranteed.
Then some of the locals, Jimmy Ray, Chris Miles, George New from out Wayne, Rufus, Riley Matthews, tons of stars from top to bottom.
We’re very much looking forward to being back in Huntington…it’s been over a year and a half I think. We’ve had a lot of fundraiser events going on.
T: Could you tell us more about BTW’s fundraising efforts?
F: March 17th we’re going back to Fort Gay, haven’t been there in nine months to a year; we do a lot of fundraising for them at the community center for youth sports leagues – part of the proceeds go towards maintaining the community center. Then March 18th we’re back at Wayne High School.
T: Any idea of what to expect from those events?
F: On the 17th you’ll see Rhyno, and on the 18th we’ll have Al Snow!
We’re very excited for what’s coming in March.
T: Can we expect a deathmatch from Madman Pondo on the 4th?
F: (Smiling) You just never know what to expect from that guy. A stop sign, a brick, a sledgehammer; not too long ago he was in a dog collar match with George New, and then a Wayne county street fight…the fans love it! Pondo’s just one of a kind. He and Mickie Knuckles are two peas in a pod. Mickie Knuckles is one of the most hardcore women wrestlers you’ll ever see in your life. She’s just as wild as Pondo. Team No Respect is what their team is called.
T: What’s something you’d like non-wrestling fans to know?
F: We are entertainment. A lot of people don’t like to call it that, even though we’re out there putting on a show for fans, just like any other entertainment. It’s like rock and roll! We get the fame, sell the tickets, greet the fans, and put on the most exciting show possible.
As for me, I’m a down to earth family guy with a big support system, happily married with two kids and six grandkids.
Just a small-town boy from Guyandotte, West Virginia, living out his dream.
Huntington News Network will be in attendance March 4th covering Big Time Wrestling’s return to the Jewel City.
Doors open at 7 o’clock; the Good Samaritan Community center is located at 1610 Florence Avenue next to Harvey Town Park.
Tickets are $15, students pay $5.