10-05-2018, 07:57 PM
Gavin Taylor: The Interview
Interview conducted by: Sadie Sierra
Gavin Taylor’s career has been something of a marvel to witness. Starting in the now-defunct Shootclub Wrestling Alliance as Rock Strongbow, it was the raw charisma of the young man that captured the fans’ attention. He would become an instant fan-favourite in the Wrestling Association of Mexico, and become legendary in the Outback Wrestling League – both under the SWA umbrella. As time wore on, he found himself in Lone Star Wrestling in Texas where, for the first time in his illustrious career, he would turn heel. He’d remain an adversary of the fans – and fan-favourites such as Ariel Phoenix and Superstar Scott Thompson – for the remainder of the SWA’s life, through into the New Era Wrestling Alliance. Starting in Memphis’ River City Wrestling, he wouldn’t embrace the fans again until heading to Florida Superstar Wrestling where his wife had been engaged in a blood feud with her former best friend, Trinity Street. Eventually, Gavin would go through Dominion of Canada Wrestling where he was positioned to become the NEWA Champion – something that would never come to fruition as that alliance would fold. Gavin then went through three other companies: The Universal Wrestling Alliance, where he reigned as that company’s only Universal Champion (before that Championship name was picked up by some other globally-recognized company), the International Wrestling Cartel, and finally the Uprising Wrestling Association, before finding himself in EMERGE, the feeder company to Supreme Championship Wrestling, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment.
Following his recent victory at Invasion Texas, where he reclaimed the EMERGE Rush Championship in a hotly contested match against now-former Champion Drake Hemingway, who previously taken the title from him at the SCW Rise to Greatness pre-show, I had an opportunity to sit down with the man known, for one, as “The All-Star”.
Gavin, thank you for joining us.
“You’re quite welcome, Sadie. It’s the responsibility of a Champion of my caliber and stature to do public interviews like this. Is this going to be broadcast anywhere?”
Well, we’re working on doing a podcast. Can I sign you up as a future guest?
“Absolutely. If there’s one thing that Gavin Taylor excels that above interviews to be written down, it’s interviews where the people can hear my voice.”
Good to know. First of all, congratulations on reclaiming the RUSH Championship.
“Thank you.”
What was it like to reclaim that Championship in a place you have had such a long, yet not always positive, history with like Texas?
“It was… different. You know, since I joined EMERGE, I’ve kind of been seen as the veteran trying for one last grasp at glory, but I don’t think of myself in that way at all. I’m 31 years old, Sadie. I still have many, many years in front of me, So the fact that, at 31, I’m “the veteran” kind of makes me laugh, you know? But by that same token, it puts me into a comfortable position, where the people in charge – my peers in many ways – know that they can count on me to tear the house down every night. They know that when they put Gavin Taylor on the card, they don’t have to worry about whether I’m going to be able to rise to the occasion.”
That doesn’t really answer my question.
“I know… I’m getting there. When I joined EMERGE after my tenure in Uprising, I was given a new lease on my career. I know many people think I shouldn’t have had this opportunity, but they don’t make the decisions. And when I came in, I changed my approach. I started simply competing, and the fans’ respect for me and my experience shows in those reactions. Now Texas was always going to be a different beast, but when it came down to it, they changed their perception of me just as I changed my approach, and ultimately, they embraced me. A Championship is a Championship, but being able to *fix* my image is something that’s going to pay dividends in the long run. So, I’m glad I was able to have that journey, and to have the match that I had with Drake Hemingway in Texas, in front of those fans who, a decade ago, wouldn’t hesitate to leave me for dead in the Alamo if they had the opportunity.”
And now you’re a two-time RUSH Champion. What does carrying that title, knowing that it’s still not the EMERGE Championship, mean to you at this stage of your career?
“First off, any time you can call yourself a CHAMPION is a good time. In EMERGE, there are only four – soon-to-be five – people who can call themselves “Champion”, so being one of those people puts me in an elite class. It means that the price of investing in me goes up. The flow into my bank account goes up. The responsibility goes up. But most of all, my status in the industry goes up. When you’re looking at companies, the first place you look is who is carrying the gold. Look at SCW right now: Sienna Swann, Bree Lancaster… these two are doing KILLER work as World and US Champions. Andrew Raynes is downright untouchable as Adrenaline Champion. You look at the gold, see who’s holding it and how they’re doing, and you immediately get a sense of how strong the company is. I like to think that, between Peyton Rice and Serotonin carrying the EMERGE and Tag Titles, and yours truly as RUSH Champion, that you could hold up EMERGE to any other company and we would compete.”
Would you be able to say that if Drake Hemingway was still Champion?
“Now that depends – are we talking Drake Hemingway solo? Or Drake Hemingway with a ringside area full of cult-virgins and Loretta Inglewood to tip the scales in his favour?”
You weren’t singing that tune after Rise to Greatness – why the change?
“After Rise to Greatness, I wanted to take the route that we were going to have a respectful match. Apparently for Drake, that meant using whomever would sacrifice themselves for the cause to steal the victory. Had he acknowledged that “Yeah, I did what I had to do to win”? Cool. I mean, it was still a shitty thing for him to do, but at least he would have owned up to it. Instead, he went on about this “purity” horseshit like what happened was perfectly on the level. I mean, come on. I get the concept of lying to keep your reputation intact, but this was just egregious. And the more he kept that tune up – the more he acted like his actions were perfectly reasonable and acceptable – the more it dug under my skin and, in the end, showed that something needed to be done about it. I realized that, as long as Loretta and the druids were allowed to hang around ringside, we would never really be playing on a level playing field. So, I asked Vee (Vanilla Skyy) what she was going to do about that playing field. She came through big time, levelled the playing field, and allowed the RUSH Championship to be determined by the two athletes in the ring. You can’t ask for anything more than that, can you?”
What are your thoughts on Drake’s statement that what happened at Invasion “Wasn’t supposed to happen”?
“I expected it. Hell, one year ago, I’d have said the same thing. But if you’re going to listen to that, you have to look at what the alternative is. Should the “druids” have been allowed to remain at ringside? Why? Because they were the way he was able to take the title in the first place. It should be obvious to anyone after that complaining, and after what happened after I BEAT HIM, shows that he didn’t want a level playing field. He wanted the advantage. He wanted to have someone there to bail him out once my natural talent kicks in before I take the W. I mean, that much should be PLAINLY obvious.”
Based on recent statements, it appears now that you’re going to be targeted by this Purity movement.
“And that’s nothing more than sour grapes, but I’m used to it. I’m an athlete. I perform at a high level every single time I step into the ring. It’s a natural thing to experience. I mean look at the New England Patriots or the Golden State Warriors through the lens of someone who isn’t a fan. Success breeds contempt, and I’m successful, so of course I’m going to be targeted by my peers.”
In your position, there’s always the potential of being called up to “The Show”: in this case, Supreme Championship Wrestling. What kind of compensation would it take to keep you happy there?
“Heh… you know, it’s funny. All the talk about contracts and compensations… obviously a wrestler of my talent would command a large salary, and being that this is a sport where individuals are measured by individual success, I don’t have the same concerns to worry about like a salary cap working against me.”
It has to be at least a little distracting wondering about what you’re worth beyond EMERGE?
“See, that’s the benefit of having an agent. My agent gets to worry about the dollars and cents and making sure I’m properly compensated. All I have to do is go out and wrestle, which - quite frankly - is my strength anyway. I’m not a dollars-and-cents kind of guy. But rest assured, my agent is empowered to make sure that, when that day comes… and it will come… I am well taken care of for my talents.”
Well, best of luck moving forward. We look forward to seeing you on the big stage.
“Of course you do.”
What can I really say about this interview. Is Gavin Taylor brash? Yes. Is he arrogant? Of course. Will this rub people the wrong way? It already has. But is he talented? Absolutely. Is he worthy of the buzz that follows him? In my opinion, yes. This is a man who has had opportunities before but, for whatever reason (if you listen to Gavin, it was political machinations working against him), hasn’t had that breakthrough moment yet. But you can see from his work in EMERGE, this is a man who hasn’t yet hit his prime. He’s still gaining momentum. And knowing what his reputation is and how much he’s done already, the fact that he may just be entering his prime has to be annoying to others. After all, for someone to be so brash, others take notice. And Gavin won’t shy away from the attention. He embraces it.
Just like an All-Star would. - SS
Interview conducted by: Sadie Sierra
Gavin Taylor’s career has been something of a marvel to witness. Starting in the now-defunct Shootclub Wrestling Alliance as Rock Strongbow, it was the raw charisma of the young man that captured the fans’ attention. He would become an instant fan-favourite in the Wrestling Association of Mexico, and become legendary in the Outback Wrestling League – both under the SWA umbrella. As time wore on, he found himself in Lone Star Wrestling in Texas where, for the first time in his illustrious career, he would turn heel. He’d remain an adversary of the fans – and fan-favourites such as Ariel Phoenix and Superstar Scott Thompson – for the remainder of the SWA’s life, through into the New Era Wrestling Alliance. Starting in Memphis’ River City Wrestling, he wouldn’t embrace the fans again until heading to Florida Superstar Wrestling where his wife had been engaged in a blood feud with her former best friend, Trinity Street. Eventually, Gavin would go through Dominion of Canada Wrestling where he was positioned to become the NEWA Champion – something that would never come to fruition as that alliance would fold. Gavin then went through three other companies: The Universal Wrestling Alliance, where he reigned as that company’s only Universal Champion (before that Championship name was picked up by some other globally-recognized company), the International Wrestling Cartel, and finally the Uprising Wrestling Association, before finding himself in EMERGE, the feeder company to Supreme Championship Wrestling, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment.
Following his recent victory at Invasion Texas, where he reclaimed the EMERGE Rush Championship in a hotly contested match against now-former Champion Drake Hemingway, who previously taken the title from him at the SCW Rise to Greatness pre-show, I had an opportunity to sit down with the man known, for one, as “The All-Star”.
Gavin, thank you for joining us.
“You’re quite welcome, Sadie. It’s the responsibility of a Champion of my caliber and stature to do public interviews like this. Is this going to be broadcast anywhere?”
Well, we’re working on doing a podcast. Can I sign you up as a future guest?
“Absolutely. If there’s one thing that Gavin Taylor excels that above interviews to be written down, it’s interviews where the people can hear my voice.”
Good to know. First of all, congratulations on reclaiming the RUSH Championship.
“Thank you.”
What was it like to reclaim that Championship in a place you have had such a long, yet not always positive, history with like Texas?
“It was… different. You know, since I joined EMERGE, I’ve kind of been seen as the veteran trying for one last grasp at glory, but I don’t think of myself in that way at all. I’m 31 years old, Sadie. I still have many, many years in front of me, So the fact that, at 31, I’m “the veteran” kind of makes me laugh, you know? But by that same token, it puts me into a comfortable position, where the people in charge – my peers in many ways – know that they can count on me to tear the house down every night. They know that when they put Gavin Taylor on the card, they don’t have to worry about whether I’m going to be able to rise to the occasion.”
That doesn’t really answer my question.
“I know… I’m getting there. When I joined EMERGE after my tenure in Uprising, I was given a new lease on my career. I know many people think I shouldn’t have had this opportunity, but they don’t make the decisions. And when I came in, I changed my approach. I started simply competing, and the fans’ respect for me and my experience shows in those reactions. Now Texas was always going to be a different beast, but when it came down to it, they changed their perception of me just as I changed my approach, and ultimately, they embraced me. A Championship is a Championship, but being able to *fix* my image is something that’s going to pay dividends in the long run. So, I’m glad I was able to have that journey, and to have the match that I had with Drake Hemingway in Texas, in front of those fans who, a decade ago, wouldn’t hesitate to leave me for dead in the Alamo if they had the opportunity.”
And now you’re a two-time RUSH Champion. What does carrying that title, knowing that it’s still not the EMERGE Championship, mean to you at this stage of your career?
“First off, any time you can call yourself a CHAMPION is a good time. In EMERGE, there are only four – soon-to-be five – people who can call themselves “Champion”, so being one of those people puts me in an elite class. It means that the price of investing in me goes up. The flow into my bank account goes up. The responsibility goes up. But most of all, my status in the industry goes up. When you’re looking at companies, the first place you look is who is carrying the gold. Look at SCW right now: Sienna Swann, Bree Lancaster… these two are doing KILLER work as World and US Champions. Andrew Raynes is downright untouchable as Adrenaline Champion. You look at the gold, see who’s holding it and how they’re doing, and you immediately get a sense of how strong the company is. I like to think that, between Peyton Rice and Serotonin carrying the EMERGE and Tag Titles, and yours truly as RUSH Champion, that you could hold up EMERGE to any other company and we would compete.”
Would you be able to say that if Drake Hemingway was still Champion?
“Now that depends – are we talking Drake Hemingway solo? Or Drake Hemingway with a ringside area full of cult-virgins and Loretta Inglewood to tip the scales in his favour?”
You weren’t singing that tune after Rise to Greatness – why the change?
“After Rise to Greatness, I wanted to take the route that we were going to have a respectful match. Apparently for Drake, that meant using whomever would sacrifice themselves for the cause to steal the victory. Had he acknowledged that “Yeah, I did what I had to do to win”? Cool. I mean, it was still a shitty thing for him to do, but at least he would have owned up to it. Instead, he went on about this “purity” horseshit like what happened was perfectly on the level. I mean, come on. I get the concept of lying to keep your reputation intact, but this was just egregious. And the more he kept that tune up – the more he acted like his actions were perfectly reasonable and acceptable – the more it dug under my skin and, in the end, showed that something needed to be done about it. I realized that, as long as Loretta and the druids were allowed to hang around ringside, we would never really be playing on a level playing field. So, I asked Vee (Vanilla Skyy) what she was going to do about that playing field. She came through big time, levelled the playing field, and allowed the RUSH Championship to be determined by the two athletes in the ring. You can’t ask for anything more than that, can you?”
What are your thoughts on Drake’s statement that what happened at Invasion “Wasn’t supposed to happen”?
“I expected it. Hell, one year ago, I’d have said the same thing. But if you’re going to listen to that, you have to look at what the alternative is. Should the “druids” have been allowed to remain at ringside? Why? Because they were the way he was able to take the title in the first place. It should be obvious to anyone after that complaining, and after what happened after I BEAT HIM, shows that he didn’t want a level playing field. He wanted the advantage. He wanted to have someone there to bail him out once my natural talent kicks in before I take the W. I mean, that much should be PLAINLY obvious.”
Based on recent statements, it appears now that you’re going to be targeted by this Purity movement.
“And that’s nothing more than sour grapes, but I’m used to it. I’m an athlete. I perform at a high level every single time I step into the ring. It’s a natural thing to experience. I mean look at the New England Patriots or the Golden State Warriors through the lens of someone who isn’t a fan. Success breeds contempt, and I’m successful, so of course I’m going to be targeted by my peers.”
In your position, there’s always the potential of being called up to “The Show”: in this case, Supreme Championship Wrestling. What kind of compensation would it take to keep you happy there?
“Heh… you know, it’s funny. All the talk about contracts and compensations… obviously a wrestler of my talent would command a large salary, and being that this is a sport where individuals are measured by individual success, I don’t have the same concerns to worry about like a salary cap working against me.”
It has to be at least a little distracting wondering about what you’re worth beyond EMERGE?
“See, that’s the benefit of having an agent. My agent gets to worry about the dollars and cents and making sure I’m properly compensated. All I have to do is go out and wrestle, which - quite frankly - is my strength anyway. I’m not a dollars-and-cents kind of guy. But rest assured, my agent is empowered to make sure that, when that day comes… and it will come… I am well taken care of for my talents.”
Well, best of luck moving forward. We look forward to seeing you on the big stage.
“Of course you do.”
What can I really say about this interview. Is Gavin Taylor brash? Yes. Is he arrogant? Of course. Will this rub people the wrong way? It already has. But is he talented? Absolutely. Is he worthy of the buzz that follows him? In my opinion, yes. This is a man who has had opportunities before but, for whatever reason (if you listen to Gavin, it was political machinations working against him), hasn’t had that breakthrough moment yet. But you can see from his work in EMERGE, this is a man who hasn’t yet hit his prime. He’s still gaining momentum. And knowing what his reputation is and how much he’s done already, the fact that he may just be entering his prime has to be annoying to others. After all, for someone to be so brash, others take notice. And Gavin won’t shy away from the attention. He embraces it.
Just like an All-Star would. - SS