|
by
Les Honig
For years he has been a staple of UPW wrestling as well as one of the most respected and admired indy talents on the So-Cal and even national scene. Together, at times, with partner Rocky Romero and also as a standout solo performer, Ricky Reyes has continually lit up Ultimate Pro supershow rings with his blend of hard-edged and technically proficient mat moves.
And as is the case with the greatest in our sport, coming to wrestling wasn’t a casual happenstance but instead a lifelong passion which was ignited all the way back in late 1984 when the then 7 year-old witnessed his first match on TV; the historic encounter where Hulk Hogan first won the WWF title over the Iron Shiek and launched the modern pro mat era. “ I remember turning to my dad after that victory and saying, ‘Hey I wanna be a wrestler when I grow up,’” chuckles Romero, “and his response was, ‘You’re too small; be quiet!’”
Still, this Fontana, California native, kept his burning dream alive in his mind as he participated in a variety of sports; eventually ending up in high school with a three-year stint on the wrestling team “where I didn’t take my training quite as seriously as I should have. I’d often be goofing around doing pro wrestling stuff.”
As he turned 19, Reyes began his quest for a place to really learn the pro game; itching to finally gain his place in the sport as an active athlete. Finding a 1997 copy of “Pro Wrestling Illustrated” that listed a variety of the top training facilities in the country, he settled upon a home which continues to this day, The School of Hard Knocks in Pasadena, run by mat mentor Jesse Hernandez. “I had been considering going to Roland Alexander’s APW up in Hayward but found out that this place was a lot more affordable and closer. I went down there just one time; walked around the ring, liked it and started training immediately.”
In a class that featured other now-famous talents like Frankie Kazarian, Eric Matlock and soon-to-be partner, Rocky Romero, Reyes took to his new avocation with a natural skill that totally impressed Hernandez and before long he was featured in several solo encounters.
“At the time Rocky had a mask gimmick but after he lost it in a match he no longer had an active character. Well, we were both small and built in a similar way so they decided we should be a tag team.” Actually being Puerto Rican, Hernandez decided that Ricky’s rugged take-no-prisoner style already made him a convincing heel, and since Cubans were disliked intensely that the pair should be portrayed as the Little Cubans, or Cubanitos. “It was supposed to be just a humorous short term thing till we developed our own new unique ring personas but that was six years ago and this identity is still going strong.”
Not only becoming one of Hernandez’s stand-out performers but also helping to instruct many incoming new talents at the school and elsewhere, (including the likes of Ryan Sakoda, John Cena and Puma), Reyes soon was to find his way to SoCal’s premiere training facility in 1999 when he was turned on to our rapidly expanding fed by another dazzling pioneer Ultimate Pro superstar, Mikey Henderson.
“Mikey was training with me at Jessie’s, too, and he told me that it would be in my best interest to check out UPW before it really blew up big.” Heading off to a Hollywood show at the Roxy Theatre, the pair introduced themselves to promoter Rick Bassman, who wasn’t terribly impressed by them at first, due to their small physical stature; that is, until he saw them shortly thereafter at the very first L.A. Boxing Club Saturday night light show where they were being given a tryout.
Wrestling Funky Billy Kim and Prodigy in that first match, Ricky recalls how the crowd really popped for the duo. “One of the regular So Cal wrestling fans was there and I still remember him running to the ring and screaming, as we put the 1-2-3 on Prodigy, ‘Now that’s f---kin’ wrestling right there!’.”
While they grabbed the UPW tag team belts just one month into their long-term tenure in our federation, Reyes remembers one of the highlights for him coming as an unexpected elbow injury sidelined his partner for nine months; allowing him to debut as a solo talent; participating in a classic Galaxy Theatre Lightweight Battle Royal where he, as the winner, was allowed to meet famed Mexican grappler, Juventud Guerrera for the belt, a great moment and opportunity for him.
“Over my 8 years in the business I have wrestled some of the greatest talents on the scene, but for me it is the learning opportunity that really makes these encounters so fantastic.”
Being amazingly humble for one who so many local and national performers consider such an outstanding ring technician, Reyes feels the need to continually grow; and for that reason, while having been a standout teacher himself, he enjoys the role of student at least as much. “The top talent in our business,” he explains, “never stop training. If you don’t continuously work out in the ring, you never grow and reach your maximum potential.”
Having already debuted and performed repeatedly in Japan to extremely positive receptions as well as making a name for himself Stateside as he headlined shows with the major indy feds throughout the Midwest, South and East Coast; Ricky has now accumulated one additional super honor. He has been asked to move to Philadelphia and join popular indy wrestling star CM Punk as co-trainer for Ring of Honor.
This coastal shift will still allow the mega-talent to not only return here to wrestle at times but also expand into many leading territories from Maine to Florida. And of course, there is always that desire to reach the pinnacle of pro wrestling success, a spot in the WWE; a place that many objective observers feel this seasoned matman more than qualifies for.
For now, however, with such a dynamic future ahead as solo superstar and along with Rocky as part of the supremely hot Pitbulls tandem, Ricky Reyes is certain to expand his firm fan base to include ever more Ultimate Pro devotees who appreciate what great ring moves are all about.
We therefore salute this longtime UPW icon and proudly name him June’s
"Wrestler Spotlight"
|
