All American Pro Wrestling Champion Shawn Shultz

Years Wrestling: 9
Trained by: Scott Bishop originally
First match: Vs. Brian Nelson
Finishing maneuver:DDT

Date, place and who you beat to become AAPW Champ: Shane Rich May 9, 2009 at Powerhouse Athletics in Mt. Vernon IL.

In this installment I am joined with one of the best kept secrets in the MWR Coverage area. The All American Pro Wrestling Champion: Shawn Shultz.

(Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)

Brian Kelley:
Shawn I know that you are one of the most booked wrestlers in wrestling, so thank you for taking the time to answer 10 Questions with the Champ.

Brian Kelley:
1) We just asked the fans who they felt were the most exciting Champion in the MWR coverage area. Unfortunately with you being so active down in the south and with Ring of Honor your exposure has been limited since you defeated Shane Rich for the AAPW title. You are one of the most hated but talented wrestlers today but very few in our area know this. What do you have to say to the fans who are unaware of the name Shawn Shultz ?

Shawn Shultz:
If you haven’t been able to come out and see me action come out and see any of the AAPW shows I’m on or any show I’m on,i love feed back from people and i love hearing the feed back from fans that have just seen me for the first time, that is always exciting for me!

Brian Kelley:
2) You are nicknamed “ The Modern Day Viking” where does that come from?

Shawn Shultz:
Lol actually Tony Lucassio has been a good friend of mine even before he started managing me and he loves the Nat Geo Channel and he was watching a special on vikings and the show said vikings trained everyday to be the best fighters and they went from town to town taking over… so he called me and said “hey man you are like a modern day viking” lol

Brian Kelley:
3) You have been fortunate to have been surrounded by talented people in your career. People like Bert Prentice, Chris Michaels, Chase Stevens and none other than Tracy Smothers. What advice from any of these individuals comes to mind that have helped you come as far as you have?

Shawn Shultz:
Wow what a question!!!! Man the advice i have gotten from these guys would take me forever to tell all of it, but what comes to mind is once when i started getting a bit of an ego tracy told me “you see all the same people on your way up that you see on your way down so careful how you treat people!” Tracy is a gift given to wrestling that I wish more guys in the business had the honor of being around! Chris Michaels showed me how to make a match beautiful and look effortless.Chase showed me how to party. Bert, wow talk about a guy that knows every aspect of the business, if you can sit back and just listen to Bert talk sometimes you can learn so much and you can understand how he has lasted so long in this business!

Brian Kelley:
4) Many a time wrestlers are asked who their favorite wrestle growing up was. Often the answer will be the Icon Sting; you had the opportunity to be in a movie on the life of Sting. What was that experience like and who were the people you look up too before you got into the sport?

Shawn Shultz:
Man, i have to be honest i was never a huge sting fan growing up, but i became one after being in the movie because the guy was so kind and respectful to everyone in it and he is one of the guys that makes you feel like you around a star just because he seems larger than life. My favorites growing up were Curt Hennig, Brian Pillman, Dean Malenko, and Jerry Lynn.

Brian Kelley:
5) On April 25th in Nashville Illinois you went toe for toe with then AAPW Champion Shane Rich and lost in a controversial finish where you claimed to have grabbed the bottom ropes before the three count. On May 9th in a rematch in Mt Vernon Illinois you defeated Shane Rich for the title and have since beat him in a second time. Rich is one of the most talented wrestlers in the Midwest how were you able to get the edge on the Serial Thriller?

Shawn Shultz:
One word, experience! You are right though Shane Rich is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met in wrestling and he is a great example of the talent that is in the Midwest area.

He's that good.(Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)

Brian Kelley:
6) Belts are in jeopardy when you enter a promotion. Shortly after claiming the AAPW title you went to NWA Dynamo Wrestling in Kansas on May 23rd to defend your NWA Mid America TV title against Shorty Biggs and Jeremy Wyatt (A man who also has a mean streak) Wyatt earlier in the year had a classic match at AAPW against the then Champ Shane Rich and came up very close to holding the title that you now own. Wyatt is known as “The Belt Collector” and felt that he had added another one to his record when he pinned Shorty Biggs to win the match. The problem was he had to pin you for the title. A match between you two could be a surefire classic. Who have been some of your favorite battles in your career?

Shawn Shultz:
Real fast NWA Dynamo is great show and they treated me great there and i would love to take one of “The Belt Collector”‘s Belts. My favorite matches were in the NWA Rocky Top(Knoxville, TN) days against one of Ricky Morton‘s trainees name Brad Thomas! Brad is one of the most talented guys I’ve ever been in the ring with and it seems like we were really doing something every time we were in the ring together. Also I had one of my favorite matches with Joey Mathews(Mercury from the WWE) at the fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. Joey is on a level all is own and he brought me to my next level in that one match! Jerry Lynn and I tear it up every time we are in the ring together!

Shultz headlocks Brad Thomas (Photo courtesy of Shawn Shultz Myspace page)

Brian Kelley:
7) Your hard work and perseverance has allowed you to be blessed with training at former WWE developmental company Deep South Wrestling under the tutelages of Bill Demont for your first two stints and old friend DR Tom Pritchard in your final visit. What were the differences in the philosophy of these two wrestling minds?

Shawn Shultz:
Oh man, honestly I think Dr. Tom maybe one of the best teachers in the world and he helped me a lot before he went to deep south because we were together a lot in the Indy’s but he has a great way of teaching and he is the man who taught me that if i feel it is correct and i make it look correct, everyone else with think it is correct as well! Tom helped me more than I think he realized because I actually listened. When it comes to Bill you are talking about a guy that loves this business soooo much and it shines through every time you talk to him! Bill was big on being in great ring shape and even though I wasn’t there for the weekly training days I heard everyone talk about the killer cardio! I want to thank Bill and Tom for all the help!

Brian Kelley:
8) Former Ring of Honor Champion Jerry Lynn, Bobby Eaton and Ricky Morton have also had a hand in your training. With your education of so many greats in the sport I noticed on your website Shawnshultzweebly.com you stated that you will be starting training serious, passionate, and hard working wrestlers. On the site I was impressed of this statement “training consist of learning the basics until you believe that they are ready to have a match. You will also take the responsibility of getting you your first 5 bookings so he can make sure everything is handled correctly” Shawn, In the ring you are hated but no one can deny the hard work that you put in the squared circle and training regimen. I am asked many times at shows and via e-mail from young men and women asking where to get training?. Why is it important to get proper training from the start?

Shawn Shultz:
Unfortunately, it is really easy to get into wrestling right now and a lot of guys don’t care if they train people well or get trained well. My thing is every time I’m in the ring with someone that has done it in this business or just talking to a legend I am still training and learning. The object of pro wrestling is to make money and if you aren’t trained correctly and really don’t know the what and how and when and where or wrestling you will never be taken seriously enough to make money!

Brian Kelley:
9) You are managed by Tony Lucassio who brags on having a 500lb attitude to go along with his 90lb big mouth! The two of you have traveled around the United States and now bring to the net a very interesting Internet TV Show staring the two of you called the SHULTZ AND LUCASSIO SHOW. What can fans come to expect on the site?

Shawn Shultz:
To be entertained and laugh! Tony and I love being on the road and we love all the crazy characters that are in the Indy’s so we just wanted to share that with the world!

Brian Kelley:
10) This past October in Nashville Illinois you defended your AAPW Championship against the ultra popular and red hot Curly. Curly and you are like night and day in style which seemed to cause you problems at first but in the end you would deliver a vicious DDT for the win. MWR Fans will not have to wait long to get to see you in action when you return December 5th at All American Pro Wrestling. To take Edmund “LIVEWIRE McGuire who won 3 matches in a tournament in West Frankfort, IL. On Saturday October 24th. He defeated Carnage, “Playboy” Paul Rose, and Mike Masters to wina shot for your title. The ever popular McGuire is on a roll. Any thing you want to say to the #1 contender for your title?

Shawn Shultz:
Wait, what? Its McGuire?? I didn’t hear of this! That can’t be right!!! I gotta call AAPW!!

To find out more about AAPW click here.

To book Shawn Shultz and Tony Lucassio click here.

Want more of Shawn Shultz check out his website here.