• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Part 3 - Interview with "The Butterscotch Stallion" Mark Wilson

Posted: Dec 19th 2013 By: CMBurnham

The third and final installment of my interview with ?The Butterscotch Stallion? Mark Wilson covers his career highlights, memorable IZW feuds, and IZW at large.

Very few individuals in the wrestling business have had the varied experiences inside the squared circle as a referee, manager and now a competitor like Wilson. Wilson has rubbed shoulders with tons of international stars and matched their professionalism and intensity every step of the way.

?I have had the opportunity to officiate matches involving some of the biggest stars in this business. Mickie James was a delight to work with and is an exceptional wrestler. Tommy Dreamer gives everything he?s got in every match. I once refereed a match between Lance Hoyt (Lance Archer in WWE) and Chris Masters. Both are talented performers who have worked on the biggest stage in our business, and it was an honor to work with both of them. Hacksaw Jim Duggan was always great to work with. At nearly sixty years old, Duggan still gives 100 percent every time he enters the ring. I once heard a crowd of 500 sound like thousands when Hacksaw came stomping to the squared circle. I also officiated a match which involved the most dynamic tag team in wrestling history, The Rock ?n Roll Express. What a treat to be in the ring with a tag team I watched as a teenaged Stallion.

?On the management side, I guided TCW owner Matt Riviera to victory over former WWF Superstar B. Brian Blair in Las Vegas in April 2013. However, my personal favorites have been ensuring that What Wrestling Should Be, Jermaine Johnson and Jordan Jacobs, have regained and retained both the IZW and MSWA Tag Team titles. Both of these men are tag team specialists and are blue chip prospects who, quite honestly, don?t get the recognition they deserve.

?And while I?ve only had a dozen or so matches, I would have to say that the pinnacle of my wrestling career and perhaps my entire career in the business was defeating Johnny Z in a No Disqualification match on October 5, 2013. Z had backed me into a corner and made certain I would have no help during the match. I was certain going into the match that I was going to lose, but I had determined that I wouldn?t go down without a fight. Fortunately for me, Damon Windsor was able to escape the trap that Impact Elite had set for him and help me get the win. I?m certain that Windsor regrets that now,? Wilson replied.

Hearing Wilson?s account of the biggest match of his whole career makes it that much more startling to know that only a few weeks later, Wilson did an about-face and joined Johnny Z. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense that Z would pick the one person no one would ever suspect as an Impact Elite collaborator and shock everyone when the time was right. And that?s just what Z did.

?In between the time of that match and ?Halloween Hangover?, Johnny Z approached me with a once-in-a-lifetime offer: to join Impact Elite and dispose of Damon Windsor. How could a pass up the chance to be with the most diabolical group in wrestling? This leads me to believe that, perhaps, the best days for The Stallion are ahead,? Wilson added.

There is no doubt that as a member of Impact Elite, Wilson finds himself front and center with all things IZW as his faction is embroiled in numerous feuds. But even before Wilson hooked up with IE, he was eyewitness to numerous feuds and rivalries throughout the storied history of IZW. But one stands out in particular for Wilson.

?I must say that the matches I enjoyed the most as an official were the numerous clashes between Double D and Johnny Z. Being front and center to a feud that was both professional and personal and, at times, vicious and emotional, was something I will never forget. And I know that the hatred between these two still simmers. Z has put that kid through hell and taken everything from him, including the IZW Title, and yet Double D keeps bouncing back. Of course, if D was smart, for the sake of his career and mental and physical safety, he would simply retire and ride off into the sunset with what little pride he has left.?

As ?Chaotic Christmas? is less than a week away, Wilson is unequivocal on what his duties are for the mega iPPV. ?My focus right now is seeing to it that the IZW title, the Impact Division title, and the IZW Tag Team Titles stay with Impact Elite forever. When you think about it, titles and trophies and money are the bottom line in this business. I couldn?t be in a better position than with the title holders of every major championship in our area, and I intend for it to stay that way.?

Wilson will have an even bigger role to play than normal in the IZW Tag Team Match as he will be joining ?Larger Than Life? Jermaine Johnson to defend the IZW Tag Titles against Team Bull (The Bronze Bull & ?The Brass Bull? Bobby Starr) as Johnson?s normal partner, ?Lights Out? Jordan Jacobs still recovers from shoulder surgery. Expect Wilson to have an impact up and down the card on December 21.

As ?Chaotic Christmas? closes out 2013, Wilson believes the future is bright not only for himself but for IZW as a whole.

?I?ve lost count of the number of wrestling companies for which I have worked that have put up a ?Closed for Business? sign. As I said earlier, running a promotion is a taxing undertaking. The time, the money, booking matches, bringing in talent, it?s all a non-stop job. And it?s not for everybody.

?And yet, IZW has continued to grow and improve each and every year. Name another promotion that is running weekly, with high definition television, in one location, in front of a live worldwide audience, with periodic PPV?s, for ten plus years? I?m still waiting for an answer.

?And the future is only getting brighter. International distribution, improvements to the Impact Arena, innovative matches, a roster that from top to bottom is second to none with a crowd that fills the venue. No other company can boast what IZW can,? Wilson said.

Wilson compares the synergy between IZW and GFL.tv to some of the biggest efforts in the wrestling industry. ?How big of a deal is it [broadcasting on GFL.tv]? How big of a deal is ?WrestleMania? or ?SummerSlam? to the WWE? Each and every pay-per-view is built carefully through the weekly shows. And then, when the big day comes, everyone on the IZW roster goes out and gives more than they ever thought they could. At ?Halloween Hangover? this year, the crowd was into each and every match from start to finish. And a worldwide audience had the opportunity to see it. And if you missed an IZW PPV, well then, it?s your loss. You missed something truly special and memorable. I think many of the IZW superstars even surprise themselves on these huge cards with their effort and performance.?

I decided to give the always outspoken ?Butterscotch Stallion? one more opportunity to give his opinion on a variety of topics so we had a rapid fire word association exchange near the end. Here?s what Wilson had to say.

DA: Johnny Z
MW: I?m going to break the rules here, because I can, and not limit myself to one word for each. Johnny Z, the most intelligent man in wrestling

DA: What Wrestling Should Be
MW: Best tag team in the country, perhaps of all time

DA: Erica
MW: Phenomenal and tougher than most men

DA: Kevin Morgan
MW: Untapped power

DA: Copycat
MW: Innovative in his approach to wrestling, foolish to think he can defeat Johnny Z

DA: Damon Windsor
MW: Tremendously powerful but not smart enough to capture the IZW Title

DA: Team Bull
MW: Peculiar

DA: Mark Wilson
MW: OBNOXIOUS, to the point that you?ll pay for a ticket to give me your phone number if you?re a woman, or watch me get my clock cleaned if you?re a man.

Of all the interviews I?ve done throughout the years, Mark Wilson stands out as the cream of the crop. He?s not everyone?s cup of tea, but he would be the first to admit that. I gave Wilson one final opportunity to self-promote and he did just that.

?I am very easy to find on Facebook under my name, Mark Wilson, and I?m currently working on a Facebook fan page under the name ?The Butterscotch Stallion?. I?m also on Twitter under the handle @bsstallion.

?Mr. Drew Archer, I can say with assurance that the pleasure has been all yours, the IZW World, and the wrestling world at large. ?The Butterscotch Stallion? has only begun to make waves in IZW, and Impact Elite will continue to dominate this sport because CHEATERS ALWAYS WIN, DADDY!!!?