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Brandon Bishop Interview

Posted: Jul 31st 2009 By: mikeiles

LN: Before we get into any of the happenings within ACW, how does it feel to see the company you created head into it's 7th year still going strongly?
BB: Honestly it's pretty amazing to see it happen... Every year that passes amazes me that we pulled it off... I remember cutting a promo in the ring during our first anniversary show back in Texas, thinking "Man, we did it..." Now it's like "Man, this is awesome..." I don't usually use words like "Blessing" but I truly look at ACW like a blessing, it's given me something to keep focused on for all these years, it's given me a giant extended family, it's given my an identity and outside of the broken everything I walk around with every day, it's given me a reason a life. There have been times when I thought to myself, "There's no way I can run another show" but they just keep happening like some kind of weird magic. I have a loyalty to the fans and to the boys and girls in the locker room, and as many times as I've tried to quit, I just can't, and truly don't want to...

LN: How does it feel to watch Jeremy Quinn reside as owner of ACW?
BB: Jeremy Quinn and I are like both sides of the coin. What he lacks in mental prowess and people skills, he makes up for in dollars and cents... I've never been that guy with a pocketful of money or a checkbook with a lot of writing inside of it...actually... I'm not positive I've ever written inside of a checkbook... Either way, I did something stupid back in December of 2008, and I lost ACW. At this point i'm just glad i'm a part of it every time the show is going on. To be honest, I never cared much about power and wealth, and I enjoy showing up to the events every month without the burdens and stress of running the entire show. If Quinn needs to be in charge, he can have it... for now... to be honest, he's still primarily honoring a lot of the contract and obligations I put into ink months before he took over, so I'm still in charge kind of, sort of... As for right now I block out the misery of knowing he's running my baby, with the fun fact of remaining a thorn in his ass cheek... I may not be the boss man anymore, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon...

LN: After your match with ACW Champion Franco D'Angelo in June, Quinn Industries tried to take you out, and may have done so if it weren't for Danger Dean, Buddha and others, Did you sustain any major injuries?
BB: Yeah that pretty much sucked... I made a mistake in that match by paying attention to Joshua Michael and Epic when they ran into the mix, turned around and BAM! Franco took advantage of the distraction and knocked me stupid... I woke up about 6 seconds later, feeling blurry put fine, of course it only takes three seconds to lose a wrestling match... The next thing I saw was Quinn standing over me, yet again, calling me a loser and blah blah blah! I vaguely remember him saying something about "Putting me out of my misery" and then I felt that familiar neck breaker by Joshua Michael which sucks a lot. Then I saw later Epic driving my skull into the canvas via DDT, then that Johnny Cochran wanna be Jonathan Blaze knocked me completely out with his briefcase, which I promise you holds more than paperwork and ink pens... So yeah... sucked... Thanks to Buddha, Dean, Mike and the gang for getting me out of there, who knows what they would have done after that? I woke up in the back of one of our staff guys SUV, and then staggered into Memorial Hospital for a brief check up which took forever. Later I felt fine and actually performed with my band at The Thirsty Parrot downtown Colorado Springs. The next day things stiffened up and I was in a bad way... I still have a little pain on that little ball that connects your neck and spine, but I'll be fine by August 15th. I wouldn't miss this for the world...

LN: How do you rate your May 23rd "Asylum Rules" Match against Franco D' Angelo? I caught it on DVD and it looked extremely dangerous.
BB: It was one of those defining moments for me as a wrestler winding down in his career. I'm 36 years old, chubby, and I can still hang with the very best in the Indy circuit. I don't mind bleeding, I don't mind breaking bones, I really don't mine being knocked out, after all of the crap I've put my mind, body and soul through over the past decade, these ordinarily brutal things, just don't bother me. I was all geared up to face SE7EN that night, but due to Quinn's wit and humor, that was just a joke, and the next thing you know my head is busted open by the ACW Championship belt... So I recovered from that, got beat down with ladders, chairs, street signs, slammed on thumbtacks, and even the hard wood underneath the canvas and padding of the ring... After awhile none of it hurt... I started enjoying everything Franco was inflicting upon me and at that point I knew that could beat him. Once again, just a simple mistake cost me the match, and Franco, to his credit, along with the rest of Quinn Industries, know how to work the system and are masters at the short cut. I lost, yes it happens, they beat me at the very game I created in ACW. It was extremely dangerous, and painful, and brutal, but I enjoyed every minute of it. To be honest I thought Franco would be out of his element, but he proved me wrong and brought it just as hard as I did... I respect him for his level of brutality, as I'm sure he respects me for mine...

LN: Outside of that match with Franco, What are some of your other defining moment in the ring as an active wrestler?
BB: I've had a few moments in the ring I've been very proud of... The 100th show, April 4th 2009, standing in the ring with Dr. Death Steve Williams, and three guys that made me and ACW what we are today, speaking of Angel Williams, Chris Matthews and John O'Malley, teaming with them and wrestling Quinn, Joshua Michael, Zane Morris, Epic and Michael Barry, that was certainly one of my all time favorite moments in life. Sure there are the kids, making it in the Army, writing my book, the TV shows, bands, etc. But that was one of the few times I've ever got teary eyed in the ring. It was very surreal and REAL at the same time. Sometimes in our business things are what they seems, and placing them into The ACW Hall of Respect and telling those great people how I truly felt about them was 100% real and meant the world to me, and them... I've had some fun matches with guys like Honky Tonk, Vader, Raven, and many others that i'm proud to have been a part of... I'm just lucky to have such a great group of friends, such great people to work around, and all the support and acknowledgement I've ever needed. Wrestling has killed my ego... when you have several hundred people screaming your name in unison, or just as many booing you out of a business, you don't need an ego in day to day life...

LN: When I was growing up, my dad and I would watch wrestling every time it was TV, I loved The Hulk of course, and Piper, Beefcake, Warrior and Hacksaw, Who were some of your inspirations growing up as a fan before you got into the ring?
BB: I got into wrestling because of my mom's wrestling scrapbook featuring legends like The Sheik, Bobo Brazil, Haystacks Calhoun etc. I loved that scrapbook and this past January she gave it to me...Growing up I would catch Global Wrestling on the Canadian Broadcast Channel in Detroit. It was on between Three stooges and Soft Core Canadian porn at about 1am. I would pull the knob on the old TV quietly to where my parents wouldn't wake up the folks in the next room. The first match I remember watching was Superstar Billie Graham losing the WWWF belt to Bob Backlund. When Vince took over the world, I got it in on my TV every Saturday morning, Sunday morning, sometimes Saturday night, then NWA on TBS at 6:05pm... My heroes were the WWF monsters like Hogan, Warrior and just about anyone Vince brainwashed me into loving. I loved just about everyone... Not much of a NWA fan, I looked at them like the enemy of my beloved WWF... These days my favorites are the ones that can actually work their asses off in the ring... HBK, William Regal is by far my favorite, I enjoy the legit looking guys and strive to one of them myself...

LN: Speaking of legends, How do you feel about the retirement of Dr. Death Steve Williams?
BB: Well I know he's going through something I'll keep on the down low until he's ready to speak on it, and it's not a terrible idea to at least take a break. I'm thrilled that one of his last matches will be in our ring, he's got a couple obligations in Japan as well. I don't like the fact that he won't be wrestling anymore, but I respect his decisions, and if I have anything to say about it August 15th will be the coolest retirement party any legend has ever received from an Indy promotion. I love Doc, and he's become a pretty decent friend of mine personally. I wish him the very best in everything he does, and will be a phone call away if the legendary DOC needs anything of Brandon Bishop...

LN: You mentioned that Angel Williams will also be taking a hiatus from pro wrestling, wasn't he an important part of ACW in it's beginning?
BB: Angel Williams taught me how to pace myself at a quick pace in the ring... He always brought out the very best in me and made me better each time we shared a ring. His personal work life is more important than wrestling at the moment, and his beautiful family needs him around more. Angel had been making several Japan trips and starting to climb the ladder, but it's his decision and much like Doc, I respect it. I hope we can interact somehow, or at least hang out a bit on August 15th, I do my The Widowmaker, certainly an element that made me who I am pertaining to wrestling...

LN: Who are some of the wrestlers both on the ACW roster, and abroad that you would like to wrestle?
BB: Hell, I'd love to wrestle Angel Williams again... Of course for personal reasons, another shot at Jeremy Quinn would have to be listed... Joshua Michael and I have had some great matches. He's one of my favorite opponents and another match against The Unreal One is always welcome... Tristan Gallo is someone I've never shared a ring with, that might be fun, as well as Dallas Murdoch... I'd love to beat the oily dog farts out of Zane Morris... Kincaide and I are cut out of the same mold, we killed each other in Denver a couple years ago, i'm game for a rematch... On the national circuit, my only fantasy match is again William Regal... I know I can hang with the man, but I'd strive to impress him. I want to see him in ACW before it's all over, and me in the opposite corner...

LN: How many more matches do you think you have in you before you yourself hang up the boots?
BB: Man... am I that old? Making me think about quitting... geeesh... Actually I'm not sure... I'd rather not be that 55 year old guy in the locker room, but I might be... I will always have a role in ACW if I have something to say about it... every time that ring is together i'll be there for sure... but as far as in ring competition.. it's going to take an injury or a wake up call for me to quit anytime soon... My body has been telling me to quit for years, but it only hurts when I'm not in the ring...

LN: Through everything ACW is and has been, do you have any regrets about anything?
BB: We all wish we had done a few things differently, but we can't change the past so I won't bitch about much. regrets are a waste of time in wrestling, because we all create our own paths and make our own choices... I have better things to regret in life than wrestling... I do wish I would have started an eyeball collection 7 years ago in ACW... I'd yank the eyeball of every douche bag I've had the luxury of hating... John Zorthos, Payton Scott, JK Machina, SE7EN, Jeremy Quinn, Michael Barry, and Franco D' Angelo... All there eyeballs in a jar... yeah I'm a sick prick...

LN: Any predictions for Saturday August 15th, 2009?
BB: We have some things in store for certain people.. Some good, some great, some pretty damn ugly... I predict the best show ACW has ever produced, and I am honored to be a part of it...

Tags: Brandon Bishop, ACW, Se7en, Steve Williams, Angel Williams, Chris Matthews, John O'Malley, Zane Morris, Michael Barry, Honky Tonk Man, Vader, Roddy Piper, Jim Duggan, Haystacks Calhoun, NWA, WWF, Ultimate Warrior, John Zorthos, Payton Scott, J. K. Machina