A View From a DKM: Talking with Biggie Biggs

If an independent wrestler is lucky enough to still be around after 19 years it is normally safe to say he is on the down side of his career. That is not the case with Biggie Biggs, “It’s taken me 19 years to finally understand professional wrestling [laughing]. I feel I have a good run coming up and I’m in a great place on the independents network and very fortunate to work with great people.”

As with most people in the wrestling business Biggie became a fan as a kid. “I saw a match for the NWA TV title with Champion Arn Anderson facing Don Kernoodle. As a kid, I really thought Don was doing to beat Arn. It was that match that got me hooked on professional wrestling. I met Don during an NWA Anniversary show in Charlotte North Carolina in 1999 and I thanked him for what he did for the business and that he inspired me to chase a dream.” With that Jim Crockett promotions got him hooked, “I was a huge fan of The Jim Crockett product, growing up Dusty Rhodes stood out, larger than life. Magnum TA, Sam Houston, and Nikita Koloff all these men made you believe in the story and the Rock & Roll Expresses were the best at making you believe. Man, what great days those most have been to work with such talent.”

It wouldn’t be until college that he would get his first experience of the real world of professional wrestling. “I was attending college and during break I saw a kid with an “Iron” Mike Sharpe’s School Of Professional Wrestling jacket on so I asked where is there a school? It was down the road from the college and the first workout is free the kid told me.”

It wouldn’t be his best incident in the industry, “I went, sat in the parking lot for an hour and eventually went inside. There were about 25 guys working out and there sat Mike Sharpe. I signed the waiver and had my ‘workout’. I got my ass kicked like nobody’s business. I left that night and swore never again. Then six months later I ran into someone at Gold’s Gym in Howell, NJ who talked me in to trying it again. I went back and fell in with a group of guys that looked out for me and made sure no one took liberties on me. Oh, and that kid with the jacket? He eventually became Super Nova/Simon Dean.”

Another person would also impact his career. “I am very lucky to have Dr. Tom Prichard as a mentor to me since 2003. I was part of CAMP IWF in West Paterson NJ and we were one of the best wrestling schools in NJ. At the time I was assistant coach at the school and Dr. Tom would come to evaluate the student and let them know what they needed to do to get better and possibly get a look with WWE. Dr. Tom and I would bullshit about everything but wrestling and we have a great friendship because of that. I think if I hadn’t met him in 2003, I would have quit in 2004.”

As a true professional wrestler Biggie has hit the road several times and traveled and held multiple titles. “I’ve worked all over my home state of New Jersey [laughing] and I have wrestled in the following states New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.”

Many of those travels have been the result of working for various NWA promotions which has lead to two of his biggest matches in the sport. “I had a chance to face Naoya Ogawa for the NWA World Title in 1999 at St. John’s University in Staten Island. I had Brian Anthony in my corner and it was a week before NWA 51st Anniversary show in North Carolina. It was such a a humbling moment. I got the pin on Ogawa with help from Brian Anthony and for that split second held the 10 pounds of gold. Unfortunately, the match was restarted because of the interference and Ogawa would go on to the 51st and defend against Gary Steele and Brian Anthony. Of course I was there for Brian in North Carolina.

“Then I got a second chance in November of 2012 in an 8 [9] man elimination for the NWA World Title and in my opinion is should be 2012 Independent Match of The Year. Eight guys who have never worked each other, actually a lot of us met each other for the first time that day, had a phenomenal match!”

When reflecting on the NWA of today Biggie notes, “I would love to see the World Title, National Title, North American Title, World Tag Team Title, Junior Title, & Womans Titles be defended in all the territories not just Texas. I have no problem hopping in my 4Runner and driving to Texas and get some of them belts back to the East Coast. I love wrestling, so I’m up for some road trips. I feel there are great territories that can shine and showcase the top tier belts of the NWA and I love the fact that the World Title was defended in Japan. I love the fact that The NWA World Tag Team belts are held by KES along with the IWGP tag team titles. I see big things happening with the NWA.”

Still he doesn’t just follow what is happening in the NWA he follows all the independents. “I try to follow all the NWA groups because it’s the closest thing we have to a territory system but I’m a big fan of CZW and their product. My home state of New Jersey has the fantastic groups like DAWG, Coastal Pro, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Alliance, United Wrestling Coalition, G1, Wrestling on Fire, and Liberty States. I think New Jersey is becoming a hot bed of Independent Wrestling and I love it. Internationally I follow New Japan, Pro Wrestling and NOAH. I was born on the independents and I will end on the Independents. I have never worked for any national companies and I’m happy with that. I can truly call myself The King Of The Indies because I’ve never left.”

Biggie, the current World Wrestling GrandPrix champion, has collected a lot of titles and wrestled a lot of talent in his days but he is looking for more. “I’d like a shot at Damien Wayne’s DAWG Championship. I’ve known DW since 1998 and would like a chance to work with him again and I’d like an opportunity to challenge for the NWA North American Championship and run with it. I want people to believe in professional wrestling again. Little by little I see that happening. I want a chance to be a part of it by doing. So we’ll see, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. It’s why I want to work with guys like the Mempho Mofo, Preston Quinn, Lance Erikson, Chance Profit, Adam Pearce, and Jason Kincaid… These are guys who love the business and want to see it succeed. Nothing is impossible; just have to believe in yourself. We all have only so many bumps on our bump cards but as long as people believe in me, I will do what I can to perform and make people believe.”

Well Biggie Biggs, I know that we believe.