“#1” Brett Young
A Sit Down Interview by Brian “Flair” Kelley
Brett Young is hard to forget. Just before his music starts and he comes through the curtain, a voice booms over the loudspeakers:
“The shiznitty of the city and the M.V.P. of this company. I’m the most charismatic guy on the show, because I’m Numero Uno Brett: You-Know!!”
That may very well be an understatement, as Brett Young is a multi dimensional wrestler. Many in this era want to be hardcore, a high flyer, or just simply like the next wrestler, but Brett Young is one of a kind.
Brett Young’s year has been full of ups and downs in 2008. While wrestling with NWA Central States Wrestling (CSW), he was able to win the NWA Kansas Championship in March only to see the organization fall on hard times and cease operations. Though it may have been rough to see a dream come true only to have it fizzle out, Brett went to work for Pro Wrestling Phoenix and quickly set his sights on the PWP Heavyweight Title. He was close to that goal, too, just coming up short in PWP’s August show “Raising the Bar” against the mighty Abu Colossus.
I am happy to have had the opportunity to sit down with “#1” Brett Young.
Brett, when did you decide to become a pro wrestler and who in fact trained you?
In the fall of 1998 was when I started wrestling. Psycho Sandman out of St. Joseph trained me with the help of Michael Strider. As I progressed a few years later in the southern territory of Memphis I actually learned a lot more about the psychology aspect (of wrestling).
[Brett Young had no time for fun and games in this classic match with the monster Abyss for Central States Wrestling.]
In March at a CSW show you were scheduled to wrestle Mark Sterling for the vacant NWA Kansas Championship, but when you arrived you were told by CSW management that you would have to qualify for the opportunity to wrestle Mark for the title later on that night. The twist was this: your qualifying match would not be a one on one contest, but rather an elimination match that would include the likes of Tony Cortez, Hype Gotti, Jeremy Wyatt, Jaysin Strife and Darrien Sanders. What was going on in your mind when you found out that some of the best pro wrestlers in the Midwest were in your way as you attempted to make history?
For one it really pissed me off, because I was already billed as the number one contender, to be prepared for Sterling that evening just to be put into another match with so many obstacles was disappointing, but the cards were dealt. I went into the match with one objective and that was to get the opportunity to become the NWA Kansas Champion.
You were able to overcome the odds of the elimination match, though. The crowd was thrilled and you were in the zone, but such a match surely must have taken a lot out of you. Add on to that the fact that the match with Mark Sterling was that very night. Sterling looked to have underestimated you and seemed to think that with the energy rush of your win and the hard work you had put into it, you would tire and give up. It was a strategy that he would regret. He attempted many sleeper holds and leaned on you throughout the match. In the end, he allowed you to use a little magic in the match when you puled a handkerchief from your ring jacket and, while the ref wasn’t looking, turned it into a three-foot magicians wand which you used to strike Mark Sterling. You followed it up with a “One and Done” for the win. With the crowd chanting “Number One! Number One” you were the NWA Kansas Champion. That match led to you being named the MWR Wrestler of the Month for March. What was that moment in your life like?
Through out the match Sterling really brought his A game and pardon my French, he truly was beating the shit out of me. I just continued to tough it out and in the back of my mind I thought something will happen to give me an opening and I would have something to work with. Eventually he started to get distracted and frustrated. He started to lose his cool and with that opening I felt the energy which allowed me to get the upper hand and bring a little magic to the match. With a little assistance of the wand, I hit him in the throat and like you said, that led to the “one and done” for the win.
That moment in my life was very special. Not only did Central States Wrestling think I deserved a shot, but the NWA believed it as well. I was overwhelmed, joyful, and excited to have such a prestigious belt and it was very rewarding.
In other matches you been known to use magic to your advantage as you did to win the Kansas Championship. Is there any chance that you could change careers on us and be the next David Copperfield?
Though I am very capable to do a small magic show, I do magic for fun and feel as if that is a talent that sets me apart from the many wrestlers who are out there today. Many times I hear the fans call for magic, so it truly has its place in a Brett Young match. It always keeps the fans eyes on the match, as they never know what they might miss.
Brett, it has to be asked, so I’ll just come out and say it. A sad day in the Midwest wrestling community was when CSW announced that they were closing their doors. What did CSW mean to you and do you have any comments for what former promoter Martin T called the “Death of CSW”?
That is very personal to me, because I started in Central States Wrestling. I worked every show that they have ever run in ten years minus three shows. Central States Wrestling is me. It is everything I stand for. It is everything that I have put my whole wrestling career into. I don’t spend my time on the independent circuit looking to get rich. That’s not important to me. CSW was my home and my heart. I felt it was inappropriate whenever Martin T put it in the words of “The Death of CSW”. I felt as if it was also incorrect.
Fine, it was over. They are closing doors. But to be claiming the death of CSW and that you are almighty and destroyed it was disappointing. I put a lot into that company and into Martin T as well as the other people that helped promote, book and put time and effort in Central States Wrestling. I always appreciated and treated everybody good and that was almost a slap in the face. As for the company, I care very deeply about CSW and it is sad. But like all good things, it must come to and end. I must move on and that is what I will do.
On a brighter note, while wrestling with CSW has come to a close, you have been very active with Pro Wrestling Phoenix. Once again when the opportunity knocked, you knocked the door down as you won the PWP 2008 Phoenix Challenge to become the new number one contender to Abu Colossus’ Heavyweight Title. This was after defeating one of hottest stars in the Midwest Arik Cannon earlier in the night. Explain to readers out there, what is a Phoenix Challenge match and what was your strategy going into it?
A Phoenix challenge is an over the top Royal Rumble type match where two men start the match and every thirty seconds or a minute a new wrestler enters the ring until all twenty-five men have been a part of the match. I was the twelfth man and, not to be cocky, but I am smarter than most of these guys who have wrestled for one or two years. When you have been in the business and you have been around for a long time you start to figure things out, so I work smarter not harder. I let them beat themselves up.
It came down to me, Payday Patterson and Arik Cannon. This in itself was a problem, as you stated I had defeated Cannon in a very tough match earlier in the night, but I also was able to get the win on Patterson the month before. These two guys double teamed up on me and attempted twice to eliminate me with the thought that I was over and done but I just never quit and their underestimating me was the one mistake that I would capitalize on. I was the last man standing and looked forward to taking on Abu.
[Brett Young will not let you forget who #1 truly is. From the wardrobe to the smirk on his face, he feels as if he should be the standard that wrestlers are judged by.]
With the victory at the 2008 Phoenix Challenge, you were granted a shot at the PWP Heavyweight title owned by the powerful Abu Colossus in August. Before the match started you claimed that PWP management would have to give you the belt due the fact that Abu would have to forfeit the belt. You even took the time to brag about having some friends “get the job done” yet it was not meant to be as Abu appeared much to your dismay. Throughout the match you did everything you could to get the upper hand without having any luck. You were holding your own on the big man, yet you still had your friends, PWP bad boys Simply the Best (Hype Gotti and “Babyface” Tony Cortez) assisting you with your dirty deeds. Abu would land the Colossal Slam for the win, though. What problems did Abu present and how close did you feel you were to the PWP title?
The night before me and my boys roughed him up when we jumped him outside a supermarket. We took a shot at it and I thought for sure that he would not be able to come and defend his title.
Abu is tough as nails and to be honest even I underestimated how strong he is. When he lifted me with surprising ease, he proceeded to literally drop me on my head and I felt it for days after. I fought and I fought and at one time I thought I would have him prepared for a little magic, but he was not having any of it as he did his homework. On that night he was able to attain the title, but I hope to get another shot and next time it may not be as sweet for him.
That match set up a six man tag team match at Malicious Mayhem in September with you and Simply the Best taking on Abu, Vic Victory and Jaysin Strife.
Abu really wanted to take on myself and Simply the Best, 3 on 1. He really has some balls. Victory and Strife came out and said “let’s make it a six man tag”. I felt very confidant as I have defeated both Victory and Strife. I felt as if I should have beaten Abu. I thought as if we had the match won hands down. The match was wild and had bodies flying everywhere; at one time we had Strife in a world of trouble as we continued to beat him on our side of the ring. As with any time you have so many men in a match anything can happen, before we knew it the match was over and we ended up losing that night.
This year you have had the chance to show All American Pro Wrestling fans the talent that you possess, where else should a wrestling fan hope to see you at and what are your goals as 2008 comes to a close?
I am going to try to pick up bookings in the next coming months. I look forward to wrestling with All American Pro Wrestling in October so definitely check me out there. I plan on working with Tony Scarpone and Underground wrestling in Chicago, possibly in Denver for Rocky Mountain Championship Wrestling. You know you can always see me here in Pro Wrestling Phoenix and I look to take over 3XW, too.
Last but not least, you were the last NWA Kansas Champion. Is there any chance that the NWA will give you the opportunity to face NWA Missouri Champion Dingo? It’s a match that I feel you rightfully deserve?
I would like to do that. I don’t have bad blood with Dingo as he has been a friend in the past, so it would be a match built on respect. He is a great wrestler. Dingo is very talented and agile and has an arsenal of moves that he brings to a match, which makes it hard to prepare for. It would be a challenge but one that I am prepared for, and if I am ever asked, I will bring my all for that match.
I would like to thank Brett Young for taking the time for the interview. Brett is a talented wrestler who has a love and respect for the business and always gives a 100 percent whenever he wrestles. Next month you can see “#1” Brett Young at All American Pro Wrestling in Royalton, IL on October 18th, as well as on October 25th for Pro Wrestling Phoenix where he will battle Chris Havius.
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