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Student of the Month, September 2003 Tony Stradlin |
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by
Les Honig Among the mix of
outstanding students now seen working out regularly at Ultimate
University is a group of young, hot indy talents who have come to
perfect their already learned skills to an even higher level of
accomplishment. One such dynamic
over-achiever is 23-year old Tony Stradlin who has tasted the best in
ring tutelage as a member of the famed Shawn Michael’s San Antonio
training center and has now come farther west to experience the best
in the So-Cal area here at UU. “I was appearing
on a TNA show against the Ballards and they told me that UPW could use
my talents, and knowing of its well-known WWE connections I decided to
give it a try.” As he works towards
his eventual goal of finding a niche in that fed sometime in the
future, Tony can look back, as few can, to the highest of highs and
several of the lowest of lows as he cut himself a successful path as
an independent wrestler. Growing up in Santa
Monica, he early on was introduced to martial arts by his dad who is
an instructor as well as a 5th degree black belt in kempo.
While he played active sports through high school and began an
academic college career, his mind was already focused on one goal: to
become a pro mat talent. Being a big fan of
WWF in general and Ultimate Warrior in particular at first, he was
later attracted to the unique talents of the Heartbreak Kid, who he
saw as a role model with his dynamic personality and amazing wrestling
talents. “My friends
discouraged me because I wasn’t that big a kid. They all thought you
had to be the size of Triple-H to make it.
I said no. Shawn was able to be champ and he wasn’t even 250
pounds.” Turned on to
Michael’s wrestling school by a high school friend, he sought
information but didn’t make the big leap till his obsession with
making it as a pro could not be resisted any longer.
“Once I got accepted I packed everything I owned and left for
Texas”, he remembers now. Rooming with fellow
classmate Todd Sexton, who was to later become a professional tag
partner and mat colleague of Tony’s, the young recruit soaked in all
the knowledge he could from the ring master teaching him; remaining
there for six months until the training facility closed down. “Shawn was
definitely hands on and great as an instructor,” recalls Stradlin
now. “He was there
every day for us; in the ring as we practiced, showing us. He and his
assistant had a game plan every day. And afterwards we would be
critiqued by him which was amazing.” Finding himself
without a firm direction as the school closed its doors, however, Tony
was still super-determined to excel, so he followed a few friends to
Indiana to compete and soon to Georgia where he reunited with Sexton
to wrestle for NWA Wildside for two successful years. “Life was
definitely a challenge, though,” explains Tony, as he remembers
living in ten different places in as many months.
“I was in a house for 2 weeks with no electricity. The only
light was my high beams shining in. I was staying with these guys and
they ended up abandoning me, so I didn’t know where I was gonna end
up the next week. There was definitely a lot of homelessness.
At the end I was living in my car and I had so much stuff in
there I couldn’t even lean my seat back all the way.
I knew someone in the gym though and he let me sleep in the
tanning beds finally until I found a real place to stay.” Things did
definitely perk up for him however as he finally did settle into a
place with Todd’s brother and another wrestling friend and as a
result could better concentrate on developing his craft. After getting the
break with Sexton and making his TNA appearance, it was off to
California where he entered Ultimate University last February and has
been training and been featured in shows ever since. “In wrestling,
you’re never done learning,” he states and adds, “It’s been
really good to work on the basics. You have teachers like Keiji Sakoda
who emphasize important little things like Shawn did, like making sure
to look at the crowd when you are reacting to moves. And then there
are the outstanding students like Lil' Nate and Mike the Miz. It’s truly amazing wrestling people like them. You teach
them; they teach you.” As he works diligently in the gym to fill out his already good-looking frame and perfect the in-ring subtleties that will further distinguish him as a name to be looked at very seriously by major league promoters in days to come, it is obvious to all that watch him perform that Tony Stradlin has only a super bright future and that he fully deserves UPW’s naming of him as this September’s Student of the Month. |
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Previous Ultimate University Students of the Month: February 2003 - Nate Nickerson |
