Logan X- Interview
by Mr. Hill

To Paul Ventimiglia, there are two sides. One is Logan X, a young kid who loves to wrestle, and the other is Paul V., a wrestling fan who decided to take his passion a step further and put on his own shows. As far as promoting is concerned, any notions of "rookie mistakes" seem to be in the past. And while there is always the chance mistakes can happen, Paul is young enough to take them and make them into something. In this interview, both of his personalities come out in the best ways possible.

Mr Hill: How did you get your start in the wrestling business?

Logan X: I saw an SCCW show at Poly High in may '98. I followed the promotion to U.C.L.A. the next month, where I met Johnny Hemp. He hooked me up with directions to the Grapplers Den in Simi Valley and I started training with Cincinnati Red.

Mr Hill: What was training with Red like?

Logan X: He beat the shit out of me EVERYDAY!! While other students start off learning all the specifics of the holds and what not, I spent my first month I just learned how to suck up the pain. I think Red was trying to break me and see if I would quit.

Mr Hill: Why you?

Logan X: Because wrestling is usually a man's game and when I walked in the room, I was 17, 130 pounds. Red was like, "REALLY? HA!" I know he knew I'd turn out decent if I made it through the training though.

Mr Hill: What were some of the more painful things Red made you do?

Logan X: It wasn't what he made me do, it was what he did to me. I was always the guy who had to lay down for drills. One time, Red powerbombed me so hard that my right knee hit me in the face. That one left me with a concussion.

Mr Hill: So he gave you hell.

Logan X: Yea. One time, he made me climb on the roof of one of the offices to hang a sign and he didn't warn me that I could only step on one spot. I fell through the roof and broke the glass covering on his desk.. First thing he said was "dude you better not have landed on my fuckin Playstation. Funny side fact: Gary Key, XPW’s Tool, was there at the time and he seemed more concerned than Red. It was brutal, but I think Red was proud of me.

Mr Hill: When you finished training, what came next?

Logan X: I don't think you ever finish training, but I got my first match 6 weeks after I started. I drove to Tucson, AZ for free to wrestle for Combat Championship Wrestling. They don't have a wrestling ring, so they use a boxing ring instead. It’s a very stiff bump. I wrestled Red for two minutes, and he killed me worse than practice. Since it was an outside venue and had been raining Red threw me into a puddle of water outside the ring. It was at a greyhound racing track, and Red actually left the match to place a bet. I had no complaints, I was just learning.

Mr Hill: What kept you going after all the torture?

Logan X: Basically, if I left then all the pain was for nothing. By then I had really torn up my right knee from taking a bad bump. Wrestling hurts, ALOT

Mr Hill: So I’ve heard. What bump tore your knee up?

Logan X: It was just a cross body off the top. I didn't protect myself like I should have.

Mr Hill: Did that put a strain on your career?

Logan X: Not really, cause I would take a match hurt or not hurt. I just wanted to get into the ring. It just put a strain on laying down at night.

Mr Hill: After your first few matches, what changed?

Logan X: Red teaches you more than just how to wrestle. He also teaches you how to go get booked in other places. I started wrestling everywhere, all over California and Arizona. Sometimes with Red, and sometimes I'd get myself booked. I worked for WPW, CCW, PWA, IWF, CCW(AZ), and AWF all in the span of six weeks.

Mr Hill: Any matches stand out in your mind?

Logan X: My favorite matches I had were with "Primetime" Peterson.

Mr Hill: Great worker.

Logan X: Another match that was kind of fun was at this Chinese restaurant in Tucson, AZ. They didn't have a ring. They had a cage with tires on the ground with boards with padding on top of it. Then they had the fence around you. I wrestled once of Don Frye's students, that stiffed the hell outta me.

Mr Hill: That was fun?

Logan X: Yea, because that was the first guy I ever really stiffed back. That's another thing red teaches you: how to protect yourself and how to know when someone is taking liberties. This guy, named Ed Knight dropped me on my head three times in a row. I ended up getting Ed on the ground and punching him in the face like 6 or 7 times. He worked light the rest of the match. It's hard for me though cause I'm pretty small and alot of guys think they can mess with you cause of that You gotta show 'em they can't.

Mr Hill: So Red showed you how not to take shit?

Logan X: Yeah, that's why he kicked my ass everyday.

Mr Hill: UIWA had just started at the time, your thoughts on that fed.

Logan X: The roster was awesome then. I was in the first match of the first show vs. Johnny Hemp. UIWA is kinda like the melting pot of indy wrestling: everyone goes through there usually at 1 point or another. It was a good place for me to work and to learn. I actually still own 15.5% of the UIWA ring. Plus, that's where I had my first match with XTC which was one of my favorites.

Mr Hill: Lately, it seems Doc Marlee has been kind of a center of controversy politically. What are your thoughts of him and UIWAs current state?

Logan X: I think Doc has alot of energy for this business and he means well, but he's alienated a lot of people. A bunch of guys won't work for UIWA cause of him. As far as UIWA goes. They're still moving along like they always have.. The roster has changed A LOT in the last year. UIWA will basically give anybody a chance to work there. which is very cool for guys starting out and I hope that UIWA always stays open for that reason.

Mr Hill: Let’s move to late 1999/early 2000. What made the scene just explode?

Logan X: The promotion explosion. I think honestly ECW had a lot to do with that

Mr Hill: How?

Logan X: I think ECW got a lot of fans interested in wrestling again. I think every promoter out here said they were ECW of the west at that time. There were a lot more shows started going on. I think during Nov/ DEC. of '99 I worked like 13 times in a month. Twice for UIWA, Twice for C.C.W, 8 times for W.P.W, and twice for U.P.W. Man after a month of that your body is thrashed.

Mr Hill: Did you take any time off?

Logan X: Not a lot of time off, but I hooked up with a girl that took up a lot of my time, which is the way I wanted it. I wrestled like three times a month after December. I left UPW cause they wanted money from me to go to the school and I wasn't 240 pounds of muscle.

Mr Hill: What do you think of UPW and Rick Bassman, personally and professionally?

Logan X: Personally I don't think he's a bad guy, although I'm pissed right now cause he won't let some of his boys work for me. He was always nice and respectful to me when i was down at Ultimate University. Professionally Rick has done very well for himself. WWF feeder fed. A lot of guys signed. Good production on the shows.

Mr Hill: Hot chicks...

Logan X: Some of the back stage stuff dosn't sit to well with alot of people but I think the ends justify the means.

Mr Hill: So, now we're in 2000. The explosion is in full force, and Logan x is...

Logan X: Logan X is turning 19 and he's trying to figure out what to do with his life. Wrestling became much more of a hobby. I was tired of the politics, but enjoyed wrestling on spot shows on occasion.

Mr Hill: What political happenings have you experienced in your time?

Logan X: So much bullshit. The whole XPW talent raid of UIWA, which was done very underhanded by the way. Totally dishonest.

Mr Hill: For those who don’t know, explain the talent raid.

Logan X: At the time UIWA was where all the guys from the defunct IWF and the defunct SCCW were working. Dynamite D was the color announcer, and Homeless Jimmy, Supreme, Pancho Killa, Kid Kaos, "Phenomenal" Phil Lander, and Tech9 (Krisitian Blood in XPW) were all wrestling for UIWA. The XPW ring was being used by UIWA then as well (it wasn’t in such good shape). Basically, UIWA booked a show for July 3rd, of '99 and had a great card lined up. Well, a few members of the XPW brass went around pulling people from the show, making them exclusive to XPW. UIWA wasn't allowed to use the ring anymore, etc. etc. The reason that that was so much bullshit was because everyone lied to Doc and to Ryan.

Mr Hill: So they basically pulled the sheets out from under UIWA?

Logan X: Yeah, with no warning. UIWA was told everything was on the up and up right until they pulled the talent. Now that's in the past and everyone is over it (I think), but that's just an example of wrestling politics. Stuff like that is what makes wrestling not fun anymore.

Mr Hill: What do u think of XPW, then and now?

Logan X: I think XPW is a completely diffrent product from what you'll see anywhere else in the world. I liked the promotion a lot more when Rob Black wasn't involved in the shows. It was more wrestling oriented and the gimmicks weren't meant to be so offensive. Now XPW is a lot of cheap pops and cheap heat. Anyone can get the fans to boo by calling them "stupid mother fuckers."

Mr Hill: Yo You mentioned Fred Valentine. Whats it like working for him and ACW?

Logan X: Fred is a carny, meaning he'll come up with something weird that fans haven't seen yet to generate interest. ACW is kinda like a circus but in a good way. The ACW locker room was always a happy one, and I liked working for Fred. I think he's gonna end up killing himself in one of those gimmick matches. He does them for fun, which is great. The problem is where do you go from there. Lions? It can get crazy.

Mr Hill: Dory Funk once wrestled a bear...

Logan X: Well Dory is crazy too. I’m not sayin it can't be done. Hell I got powerbombed on thumb tacks down there and Red DDTed me on a barb wire bat.

Mr Hill: In late 2000, you worked a couple of matches for Ron Rivera and Revolution Pro.

Logan X: Ah yes, good old Rev. Pro.

Mr Hill: What are your thoughts on the whole bonanza including Hellkid’s warm reception?

Logan X: Rev. Pro is run kinda like a family. Their guys are THEIR GUYS. The problem is, coming in from the outside you can kind of get the feeling you’re an outsider. They basically have brought in a lot of guys from so-cal to put their workers over, then they don't call them anymore. I worked for them twice. The first time I wrestled Jason Allgood, the second time El Gallinero. I didn't particularly like working there, but that's just my opinion. As a promotion, I haven't given them enough credit. They're like UIWA in the sense that they'll stick around when times are tough and they have a dedicated following of like 30 hardcore fans.

Mr Hill: What do you think of Rev Pro’s fans?

Logan X: I think the fans help the promotion with the moral support but they hurt the promotion but trying to put them over too much. When you say the rev. pro belt is the most respected belt in so-cal, people will look down on it.

Mr Hill: What are your thoughts on the infamous Hellkid incident?

Logan X: I think that whole thing was fucked up. don't want to give to many details on what actually happened as afar as the match itself goes but to not pay someone or give them a shirt when he took the night off work to come get stiffed in the ring is messed up. Now, I understand Juvi was there.

Mr Hill: Did they offer Hellkid money up front?

Logan X: The agreement I had with them was 10 bucks and a shirt, so I assumed they meant the same for him. Hellkid was homeless at the time, and really needed a shirt. That’s no joke. So when Ron said "no shirt you messed up to much in the match," I took offense to it. Now I want everyone to know that there isn't any heat with Ron or Rev. Pro. It's all water under the bridge.

Mr Hill: What about when he put himself over on the boards and the fans jumped on him?

Logan X: I don't think you can win a posting match with the rev. pro fans. Everything he said was true though. He did main event in Texas for T.C.W. Wrestled in all kinds of weird gimmick matches.

Mr Hill: That’s not what the fans questioned though, cuz every match of his they've seen wasn't good, and the rev pro match was awful.

Logan X: Well, let me ask you this: did you like his match with Crayz at MPW?

Mr Hill: Not really. I thought he took sick table bumps.

Logan X: Now in your opinion, if he did that in XPW, would the crowd dig it and say he had a good match.

Mr Hill: Honestly, no. They would say "sick table shit," but that match was really over before it started. It’s nothing special to them cuz it wasn't that long. If he had a full blown hardcore 20 minute brawl with Crayz, yea, they might say that.

Logan X: OK, let me phrase it a different way. Hellkid is still a rookie in this business and what I don't get is rather than breakin someone down with insults, why not bring him up tellin him how to improve?

Mr Hill: At first, there were no insults. Hellkid made a list of all his accomplishments, as if that made the match better, then said how everyone was a stupid mark. That’s what got him the insults.

Logan X: Well let me also say that he didn't handle that the best way he could and it didn't help his cause. He just felt taken advantage of and I backed him up cause he's my friend. But he did bring a lot of that on himself.

Mr Hill: With that, we move on... Why did you want to start MPW?

Logan X: So that people could work somewhere without and drama and so I could finally book. I mean Daniels vs. Kazarian should've happened a year ago, anywhere. And it's always nice to have a fresh start.

Mr Hill: You think you’ve found your calling as a promoter?

Logan X: My calling is to live a happy life. I'm just having fun and hopefully the boys are too.

Mr Hill: What does the future hold for Logan X, Paul V and MPW?

Logan X: Logan X will continue to wrestle out here, getin cheers from all fans (except the rev. pro fans). MPW will hopefully have the ability to stay open for a long time. Paul V can hopefully get a new car.

Mr Hill: Finally, what would u say to a kid who wants to get in the biz?

Logan X: Make sure it's just for fun, unless you got good size to you. You have to love it, otherwise you’re in it for the wrong reasons. You’re gonna get hurt, no way around it.

Word association time! WHOO!

Mr Hill: Heres a word to associate

Mr Hill: Pac

(In the background, Pac can be heard calling himself "God" and the "savior of MPW")

Logan X: Pac= pain in my ass, but he has the balls to tell me what he thinks

Mr Hill: Mr Hill

Logan X: MR. Hill is the man that single handly took on the XPW street team in a stunning upset

Mr Hill: I thought I lost that one...

Logan X: Oh well no one remembers who wins or not...

Mr Hill: Samoa Joe

Logan X: Joe is awesome. Truly loves to learn. Tries very hard. Damn good worker. Has a bright future.

Mr Hill: The Ballard Brothers

Logan X: Everyone's favorite opponents. They go the extra mile to make you look good.

Mr Hill: Aaron Hasson

Logan X: Gonna die early form a heart attack, but a decent ref. He tries very hard.

Mr Hill: Message Boards

Logan X: They suck. If they made you post your e-mail they'd be alright, but you get all these guys talking anonymously. That's why I didn't want one on the MPW site: It makes the promotion look unprofessional when you see fuck this and suck that...

Mr Hill: Jason Peters

Logan X: Primetime is awesome, truly an unselfish guy. Fun to work with.

Mr Hill: Adrian Montes

Logan X: Adrian is dope. He's a big help to me with MPW. He puts as much into it as I do.

Mr Hill: Ric Drasin

Logan X: Drasin, very funny man. Always has a joke. He’s in very good shape for his age.

Mr Hill: Chris Daniels

Logan X: Chris Daniels is the man. He helped us out alot at MPW when Psychosis didn't show up. That whole opening angle was all him, and he came up with it in like 2 min.

Mr Hill: Backyard wrestlers

Logan X: They obviously love wrestling enough to imitate it in their backyard. I like 'em cause they always come to shows. But they better make sure it's worth it. No sense in getting hurt in for no reason. I think they'd all be better off getting into wrestling schools. Then they can see how bad they want to be wrestlers.

Mr Hill: Frankie Kazarian

Logan X: Vey cool guy, very cool worker. Another with a bright future.

Mr Hill: Adam Pearce

Logan X: Adam is hilarious. One of the guys left with the balls to stand up for himself. He don't take no shit from anyone and he works very hard.

Mr Hill: Finally, taking it back to the beginning, Cincinnati Red

Logan X: My favorite wrestler. I actually have a Cincinnati Red bumper sticker on the back of my car. Red is an awesome guy. Everyone thinks he's all mean and shit. but he has your back. I've seen Red beat fans up and it isn't pretty. Red is the guy who's a victim of his genetics. He's only like 6 feet tall, and he's built very stocky, so he's not exactly the mold for WWF, but he has the talent to be there. A lot of the fans today don't know that red can really work.. I’ve seen him with my own eyes do a shooting star press to the floor.

MPW’s May 19th show, "It’s Our Time" features Frankie Kazarian vs. Little Guido as the main event. Matches on the undercard include Super Dragon vs. Rising Son and Super Boy vs. Piloto Suicida. For more information, check out MPWwrestling.com.