Interstate Invader - Interview with the Warship

The Warship is a well travelled wrestler on the Australian scene, pretty nmuch having wrestled in every state. The big man recently moved to our fair shores and Tez had a chat with the Ship about his career to help introduce him to the WA fans.

Photo: Jennifer North Photography

WPW: When did you make your debut?
WARSHIP: I worked a lot of smaller shows (mainly festival type deals, and a couple of shows in the dark matches), but probably my first official match would have been at Tornado Wrestling in Victoria. I teamed with Ricky Diamond against Voodoo and El Screamo. I remember it being alot of fun, and getting the win doesnt really hurt either. Most prominently though, I think it would be the first BPW show that really sticks out in peoples minds. Although I didn't wrestle on it, I sure made an impact.

WPW: How did you get the name of the Warship?
WARSHIP: I had been playing around with alot of different ideas on what i really felt personified me. I had a couple of legit trainwreck ideas, but nothing really seemed to pan out. I had always been really interested in the wars (my grandfather had fought in one, and had been taken captive for a lengthy period of time) and it really just became something I realised one day. It always felt like a personification of the violent nature that I exhuded in the ring, and once my name started getting out there, I knew that I had made the right choice.

WPW: Tell us about some of the feds you have worked for and what titles you have won? WARSHIP: Well I've never actually held a title. I've worked pretty much everywhere though. I've wrestled for BPW, Riot City Wrestling, Slam Factory, Snakepit, PROWL, AWF, Nightmare, ACW (Now MCW), Tornado, PWS, and theres probably one or two more that have since become defunct. I've been number one contender a fair few times, but never seemed to be able to capture that gold strap.

WPW: You have recently started training with EPW at the Dynamite Factory. Are the training methods here much different to other states?
WARSHIP: It IS intense. It's probably the hardest training in the country. These guys expect the best, and they expect you to be able to train as hard as possible, for as long as possible. Its really an honor to be training here, as some of the best in the country have been through the Dynamite Factory. As far as training methods in other states go, they are good... but there is a cool, hard determination that you get training here. I love it!

WPW: What have been some of your favourite matches, opponents and feuds throughout your career? WARSHIP: Probably still to this day, my favourite match has been against Mikey Lord. We had an absolute blinder at a Nightmare show a year or so ago. I'm yet to see it back, but his best of DVD is coming to my house shortly, and it's on that! I also had a really awesome match against Mimic from RCW at a Mount Gambier show, which stands out in my mind as another really solid outing. Both of these guys have the ability to push anyone to their absolute limit though, and I respect both as wrestlers greatly.

Photo: Nathan Greco/Riot City Wrestling

WPW: You recently wrestled Jarrad Slate for the SHWA Championship. Who are some of the WA based wrestlers you would like to face?
WARSHIP: Yeah, I suffered the fate of "Das Boot". I'd love to get back in the ring with him again one day, as I think we had a really good energetic matchup, and in front of a wrestling crowd, i think we could deliver a really solid match. I'd love to obviously wrestle with anyone from the EPW roster, most notably would be Tyler Jacobs. I think our style is so similar, that it would be a real test, and a really enjoyable affair. Obviously I'd love to wrestle Davis Storm, or Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls, as I personally believe there isn't any wrestler in the country better than these three. There's a stack more, but I think thats enough name dropping!

WPW: Next month you will be challenging Mason Childs in a match to crown the first ever PROWL Champion. What are your thoughts leading into this match?
WARSHIP: Well I've not looked forward to facing an opponent quite as much as im looking forward to wrestling Mason Childs, not in a very long time. Mason Childs to me is probably the most well rounded wrestler in Queensland, somewhat of an institution there. And with PROWL just really starting to make headway as far as a promotion goes... man, I'm looking forward to it. I'm really excited at the prospect of putting on a match that will live up to that Main Event status, and I think that Mason and i can do that. I've been hitting the gym really hard lately, in preperation for this match. I'm focused.

WPW: This past weekend you had a couple of matches at the Perth Supanova. Was this your first Supanova and if so what did you think of the experience?
WARSHIP: This was the first Supanova branded show ive done of this nature, but I've done stacks of festival style shows in the past, mainly for PWA Melbourne. It was a lot of fun, way too many nerds for my liking.

WPW: Do you have any desire to wrestle and train overseas, or are you happy to stay in Australia?
WARSHIP: My long term goals are definantely to head to the UK, and Canada, for further training. I enjoy wrestling in Australia, a lot of people look down on it, but not me. I'd love to travel around for a while, but I'd really like to come back here, and continue putting on great shows for the Australian audience.

WPW: After having recently moving here, how are you settling into WA?
WARSHIP: Well it's alot warmer than Victoria, that's for sure. I do like it though. It allows me to train and hit the gym a lot, and there are so many people here to learn from as far as wrestling goes. right now. I wouldnt have it any other way.