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Pro Wrestler Loves Playing Villain

Pro Wrestler Loves Playing Villain

Posted: Sep 19th 2009 By: CMBurnham

Jack Swagger's nickname, The All-American American, ticks his competitors off before he even climbs into the ring. But the WWE star couldn't care less.

"If you don't like it, I really don't care," Swagger said from Oklahoma where he was visiting his parents.

Swagger will be at Harbour Station Friday when WWE Presents Raw Live at 7:30 p.m.

The Undertaker was never an undertaker and the wrestler Festus never appeared in a TV episode of Gunsmoke, but Swagger has more right than most to claim his ring name. In 2006, he was named All-American for wrestling.

"I worked very hard for that," Swagger said about being named All-American. It's something that I strived for and I was very fortunate enough to have the opportunity to achieve it."

Friday night's card features a championship match with John Cena taking on The Legend Killer Randy Orton. Others on the card include Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Carlito, Swagger, Mickie James, Primo, Santino Marella, Chavo Guerrero, Kelly Kelly and tag team matches between Mark Henry, who's billed as the world's strongest man, and Ted Di Biase and Cody Rhodes.

Swagger will face Primo on Friday.

Being the bad guy, or heel, is no problem for Swagger.

"I have a lot of fun with the character," said Swagger. "I think there's still miles, and miles more I can go with it."

Being a heel and taking the boos and cat calls from the crowd is easier, he said, than making the crowd love you.

"There's different aspects to both, but to get 15,000 people to like you at once, that's a healthy job."

For 104 days, Swagger went undefeated in the Extreme Championship Wrestling, a brand of WWE.

"Definitely, without a doubt," Swagger said when asked if he can top the streak.

The title shot will likely come against the current champion, Cena.

"That's what we're training for. That's what we're trying to get to, that's where everybody wants to be at."

Swagger said, though, he'll only wait for so long for Cena to face him.

"If he's smart, he would be avoiding me."

The next edition of Wrestlemania might be the venue for the showdown, he said. The biggest show on Earth, he calls it.

Sitting in the locker room with the legends of the sport, Swagger still finds himself in awe of those around him. A wrestler since he was five years old, It's a feeling he doesn't think will ever go away.

"I have such a great respect for wrestling and the people that do it, but when more time has passed I would like to think I'm an equal in the locker room," he said.

To prove his respect for the legends of wrestling he works with, Swagger further qualifies his answer.

"Not an equal, but a definite co-worker and I'm definitely a lot closer with everybody in there. You spend more time with these guys than you do your own family."

For local professional wrestling hopefuls, Swagger said unceasing desire will take them to the ring.

"See the finish and don't lose sight of what you're after. The road is long and very hard, especially trying to get into this business. Sometimes you're a lot closer to making it than you think and you just have to stay focused."

 

Tags: Jack Swagger, WWE, ECW

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Spotlight in History

  • 1957 Don Leo Jonathan def. Pepper Gomez for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 1987 Bubba Rogers def. One Man Gang for the UWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 2008 New Canada (The Canadian Luchadore & The Canadian Red Devil) def. La M (El Choppo & Jesus Rodriguez) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
  • 2008 The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) def. Nathan Sensation for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 2013 Bree Ann def. Barbi Hayden for the NWA-TXO Rose Champion
  • 2014 Aaron Anders def. Michael Wolf for the OWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 2014 Jake O'Brien def. Brian Breaker for the OWA Heavyweight Champion
  • 2014 Tim Rockwell def. Jon Cross for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 2014 Randy Price def. Drake Gallows for the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 2014 Miss Diss Lexia def. Paige Turner for the IZW Queens Champion
  • 2014 Erica def. Miss Diss Lexia for the IZW Queens Champion
  • 2014 Brandon Groom def. Warhammer for the BPPW Heavyweight Champion

Week of Sun 04-14 to Sat: 04-20

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  • 04-14 1980 Toru Tanaka def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 04-14 1989 Jerry Lawler def. Kerry Von Erich for the WCCW World Champion
  • 04-14 2006 Al Farat became the AACW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-14 2006 Trailer Park Trash (J. C. & K. C.) became the AACW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-14 2007 Slam Shady became the NWA-U Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-14 2007 Justin Lee def. Shane Morbid for the NWA-U X Division Champion
  • 04-14 2018 Spyder def. Ray Martinez for the BPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-14 2018 Blue Thunder & The Unknown def. Big Smooth & Zakk Sinizter for the NAW Tag Team Champions
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  • 04-14 2023 Roll Modelz (Malik Mayfield & Olivier Vegos) def. Urban Dominance (Drake Gallows & Skylar Slice) for the CPW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-15 1955 Mike Clancy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-15 1958 Fritz Von Erich def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 04-15 1977 Bruiser Brody & Mike York def. Jose Lothario & Cien Caras for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 04-15 2005 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. Luc Lapointe for the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-15 2012 Jerry Bostic def. Javi Hernandez for the UWF06 Heavyweight Champion
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  • 04-16 1983 Junkyard Dog became the MSW North American Heavyweight Champion
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  • 04-16 2005 John O'Malley became the NWA-U Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
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  • 04-16 2005 Kevin Northcutt def. Tejas for the NWA Texas Champion
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  • 04-17 2009 Seth Allen def. Carnage for the GPCW Heavyweight Champion
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  • 04-17 2021 Space Age Cowboys (Jason Jones & Paul Puertorico) def. The Real Dirty Brawlers (Brawler Morrison & Thrash) for the WFC Tag Team Champions
  • 04-17 2021 Tommy Dean became the WFC Prime Champion
  • 04-18 1974 Fritz Von Erich def. The Texan for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-18 1981 The Grappler & The Super Destroyer became the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-18 1998 The Texas Outlaws (Bobby Burns & Dan Wilder) def. Generation X (Ian St. James & Zane Morris) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 04-18 2004 Ty Magnus def. Bernie Donderwitz for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-18 2004 Li'l Joe def. Ty Magnus for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-18 2009 Sage became the OECW Cruiserweight Champion
  • 04-18 2021 Blade [2nd] def. Drake Gallows for the AIWF National Champion
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  • 04-18 2021 Kevin James Sanchez def. Double D for the EPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-19 1957 Don Leo Jonathan def. Pepper Gomez for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 04-19 1987 Bubba Rogers def. One Man Gang for the UWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-19 2008 New Canada (The Canadian Luchadore & The Canadian Red Devil) def. La M (El Choppo & Jesus Rodriguez) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
  • 04-19 2008 The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) def. Nathan Sensation for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-19 2013 Bree Ann def. Barbi Hayden for the NWA-TXO Rose Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Aaron Anders def. Michael Wolf for the OWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Jake O'Brien def. Brian Breaker for the OWA Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Tim Rockwell def. Jon Cross for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Randy Price def. Drake Gallows for the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Miss Diss Lexia def. Paige Turner for the IZW Queens Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Erica def. Miss Diss Lexia for the IZW Queens Champion
  • 04-19 2014 Brandon Groom def. Warhammer for the BPPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-20 1980 Toru Tanaka def. Kevin Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-20 2013 The Canadian Red Devil became the OWA Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-20 2013 Daemon Storm def. Justin Dynamic for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-20 2018 Jack Swagger def. MVP for the IWR Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-20 2019 B. M. F. (Kareem Sadat & Maniac Mike) became the EmpCW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-20 2019 Double D became the EmpCW Heavyweight Champion
04-19
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