Super 8 Post-Show Press Conference
Credit: ecwaprowrestling.com
ECWAprowrestling.com proudly presents:
SUPER 8 2004 POST-SHOW PRESS CONFERENCE -
It has been a few years since we have presented a Super 8 Post-show Press
Conference here on ECWAprowrestling.com. But alas, it returns this year.
All eight participants were gracious enough to speak to our site about their
participation in the tournament. We spoke to each wrestler individually after
his last match in the Super 8, and what follows are comments featuring the raw
emotion of each battle tested, emotionally drained wrestler in the tournament.
One thing to remember: the Super 8 is not just about the actual tournament that
you see presented in the ring. It is and always has been so much more than that.
It begins with the countless hours of video tape that promoter Jim Kettner sifts
through to find the very best of the best in independent wrestling, not just here
in the States but all of North America.
It continues with "the call," as we like to refer to it; the call that these
selected few wrestlers receive requesting their participation in the tournament.
Some of the wrestlers think it's a joke at first, that they cannot possibly be one
of the chosen; many others are simply left speechless. And that's because the
Super 8 tournament holds that much symbolism to these warriors.
The preparation & rolls on the night before the tournament when pre-show meetings
see all eight wrestlers gathered in a room together, many of whom are only meeting
for the first time. It is at this moment that they realize the special bond that
they will forever share with each other; they ARE the 2004 Super 8!
This all sets the table for what you see on the night of the show. So many people
within the organization pour every ounce of their hearts and souls to make this,
and every ECWA show for that matter, the best it can possibly be. I will say it
right now, and you can disagree if you wish: but I started my tenure here in the
ECWA on the night of the '98 Super 8 and have been around for every one since.
It is, bar none, the pinnacle of independent wrestling. Stars are made, legends
are born, memories are created that will last for a lifetime.
I love this organization, and Super 8 night always reminds me why. Professionalism,
dedication, determination ... those are just a few of the words that describe what
this tournament is all about. Legendary manager Jim Cornette once described the
ECWA as "a together type of thing." In the better part of the seven years that
I've had the privilege to be apart of this promotion, no single quote has ever
summed it up better. And the Super 8 is the epitome of a unified, total group effort.
In ribute to the eight men who left their hearts on the mat Saturday night,
ECWAprowrestling.com exclusively and proudly presents the 2004 Super 8 Post-show
Press Conference. Congratulations to all eight competitors on tremendous
individual performances, and especially to Chris Daniels for becoming the first
two-time winner of the tournament. And as you'll see below, even though it was
his third time in the tournament, this year's Super 8 meant more to Daniels than
any of us could ever imagine. Enjoy!
(Introduction by Chuck Ristano)
SHAWN DAIVARI:
This year I got really lucky to be apart of the Super 8 tournament. A guy by
the name of Tyson Dux originally had my spot in the tournament, but unfortunately,
he blew his knee out, and so he couldn't participate. That's when I got the phone
call from Jim Kettner, asking me to come out and participate in the Super 8.
And even though I lost in the first round, Aries, Austin Aries is a hell of a
competitor. So I'm glad he got to advance. Someone I trained with... we both
started together, and I trained with him, so I'm glad to see him advance. Being
apart of the tournament is more than I could ask for. I wasn't originally supposed
to be apart of it, and even though I lost in the first round, it's one step closer
than I was three days ago. So now that I'm here, I did it. I can really look
forward to 2005 and hopefully being asked back to participate in the Super 8.
NICHO
[formerly known as PSICOSIS]:
First of all, I want to say thanks to everybody in the Super 8. Thank you for
bringing me in there. I've never seen people like this. These people... very,
very interested in wrestling. I feel good. I feel so good, because I lose to
the one guy that is the best. The best, the best guy in this area. Sorry for my
people in Mexico. ...I do the best I can. I got twelve years in this job, but
I need some more time to think about this guy. This guy [John Walters] have like
five years [experience], something like that. He's one of my favorite wrestlers
right now.
"MASSACRE" RICKY REYES
[1/2 of the HAVANA PITBULLS]:
I really appreciate the opportunity that was presented to me as far as entering
in the Super 8. I thought that I had a very tough opponent in the first round
who got the better of me, but I really enjoyed the whole weekend. Everything
was done extremely professional, and a lot of tough competitors always compete
every year in the Super 8. I was just proud to be apart of it this year.
"MR. AZUCAR" ROCKY ROMERO
[1/2 of the HAVANA PITBULLS]:
Well, first round, I had Christopher Daniels, and everybody knows he's probably
the best wrestler out there right now. I don't need to put him over anymore than
what he probably gets. It's been a long time that I've wanted to wrestle Chris,
so that was probably a huge deal for me. He was in my first training session ever,
back in California. He had just moved to L.A. He trained me, and I hated his
guts ever since so it was cool to finally get to kick him in the head as hard as
I could today. But, besides that, I mean the Super 8... what can you say besides
it's the most prestigious tournament in the U.S. and probably one of the most
prestigious around the world. Legends, superstars now, current superstars, past
superstars. Everybody comes and works hard. I mean we had Psicosis in here.
THAT's cool. I'm just glad to be here. Surprised, and glad to be here.
MIKE "THE SHOOTER" KRUEL:
discusses the Super 8, his semifinal defeat to Chris Daniels and his decision to
present Daniels with the ECWA Heavyweight title...
From what happened tonight, I would say that tonight Christopher Daniels was
the better man. And he beat me; he beat me clean. I just felt that the right
thing to do was to give him that title. I think that he deserved it, and hopefully
down the road I'll have a rematch. But otherwise, in the Super 8, I think it was
a great and excellent performance by all eight participants. I think it was one
of the best Super 8's, and I think everybody enjoyed it.
"HURRICANE" JOHN WALTERS:
discusses being a favorite coming into the Super 8 and what competing in the
tournament meant to his career, despite a semifinal loss...
First I found out that I had to wrestle five other guys to get my shot in the
Super 8 tournament. When I found that out, I knew I was gonna pick my game up a
little bit, so that's what I did. And last month I came in here and beat five
other guys in the six way elimination match to earn my spot in the Super 8
tournament. And yeah, I was the favorite but couldn't get the job done tonight.
I lost in the second round to Austin Aries, who's a hell of a talent. I
have no problem saying that I lost to him because he definitely got the better of
me tonight. But John Walters' success in the ECWA hasn't ended tonight. I will
be back. I will wrestle in another Super 8 tournament, and one day I will be a
Super 8 champion.
AUSTIN ARIES:
on making it to the finals and the overall Super 8 experience...
It's been fantastic, man. I feel real lucky to be involved in this, to get
to work guys as talented as talented as Shawn Daivari, John Walters, Christopher
Daniels. It's just a real privilege. Christopher Daniels set that bar real high,
and I was this close. I was this close, but he definitely pushed me to levels
that I'm not even sure I knew I was capable of reaching. So I think that hopefully
I can use this as a springboard and just catapult my career and get out there and
wrestle as much as I can, as many places as I can. I'm just real thankful for the
opportunity, and I just had a blast. I had a great time.
"FALLEN ANGEL" CHRISTOPHER DANIELS:
on the feeling of becoming the first two-time Super 8 winner...
It's an incredible feeling. I know for a fact I'm one of the luckiest men on
the planet. I want to say thank you to Jim Kettner for inviting me to participate
in the tournament for the third time. I want to thank all of the guys that made
the tournament so special. The Pitbulls; Psicosis; Austin Aries; Shawn
Daivari; Mike Kruel; John Walters. I mean, the tournament is only as good as the
people that are in it. And to be considered in that field of wrestlers means so
much to me. I want to thank Austin for putting on such a hell of a
performance in his three matches, and he really brought it to me in the final match.
And I think he's really made a name for himself tonight. I expect nothing but great
things from him. He's a hell of a wrestler, a hell of a talent. Last, I want to
say thank you to all of the fans. The reaction that I got tonight after I won,
I would've cried if I hadn't spent all the liquid in my body sweating it out.
But it really was emotional for me, to be in that ring, to hear those fans, and to
win this trophy for a second time. So thanks to everybody involved. I hope I
bring prestige to this tournament like guys before me, Paul London and Low-Ki and
Donovan [Morgan] and those guys. All of them. Ace [Darling], Lance Diamond,
Steve Bradley. I hope I meet that level, that standard of excellence that they
have met. I'm just happy to be apart of the ECWA and happy to be here tonight.
DANIELS on what made the 2004 tournament different from 1999 and 2000...
Well, I think a lot of people, when they first announced that I was part of the
tournament, they thought that it might have been just a wasted spot, like I didn't
need it. I didn't need the tournament again. I didn't need to be apart of this.
But the truth of the matter is I felt like I had something to prove to myself,
that I could still go out there and perform. I feel like the Super 8 was where
I made my name. Tonight, I hope that I proved that I still belong at the top
echelon of independent wrestling. Like I said, it's just an honor to even be
mentioned in the same breath with some of these athletes. Some of the guys that
have come before and that were here tonight. I respect this tournament. It's one
of the most prestigious honors I've ever had a pleasure of being apart of, and it
just means the world to me tonight.