Jimmy Jacobs Interview!

We deeply appreciate Jimmy Jacobs for this interview. During our conversations he was a really good person and certainly is a pleasure to have you as a friend. I doubt we will find another person like him around. Jimmy really is a person who we respect and the ISBR will always keep you with us! Thanks for the great help and I hope to have you always on our side! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Jimmy!

I did this post separated to Jimmy and maybe other americans could read this interview. In the Main Blog you could see the comments, but all in portuguese and maybe with brazilian slangs. Once again, thank you Jimmy!

IndySpiritBR: You're a wrestler what had wrestle in some federations, like the WSX, IWA, ROH and others. How was your experience there?
Jimmy Jacobs: Every company I wrestle for is different with different experiences. Wrestling Society X was an amazing time and an incredible experience; unlike the other companies you named, these were much shorter matches, always extremely fast paced and highly produced because of the only half hour time slot on MTV. IWA MS is a great place to work, and Ian Rotten, the owner, gave me my first real break on a level where many people were seeing me; it is much grittier than the other companies, has different styles of wrestling including hardcore and death matches, and has more of a mix of young up-and-coming, who Ian always gives opportunities to, with more established independent wrestlers as well as veterans that have been around longer than I've been alive. Ring Of Honor is a company mostly based on in-ring competition; the wrestling can be fast-paced, but not always, with crisp work, some times longer matches, with a mix of well-established independent talent who have wrestled internationally, all over the United States, and some times former WWE stars who are made more for the Ring Of Honor style than the WWE's style. So every company I work/worked for is unique in their own way.

ISBR: You're a wrestler what don't like hardcore matches with barbed wire, thumbtacks and something of that kind. However you did an excellent match at IWA versus BJ Whitmer, one No Ropes Barbed Wire Match, even the fight was so good, do you still keeping your idea about hardcore matches?
Jimmy: I actually don't dislike the style at all; I just don't enjoy being in those kind of matches with barbed wire and thumbtacks and light tubes and such. That being said, I have had involvement with all those different weapons. I just try to keep those matches to a rare occasion. The no rope barbed wire match with BJ Whitmer was almost certainly a one time affair. My body is very badly scarred from it. It's actually a sore spot in my career and my life. I regret doing the match. BJ Whitmer is probably the only guy I would have done the match with because we had feuded in IWA MS and ROH for years at that point, and the hate was there, and I know him so well. He's an incredible worker and a very tough guy who, through wrestling and bleeding together, I've grown close to and have a lot of respect for. But at the end of the day, unless something drastically changes, I will never do a no rope barbed wire match ever again. I have nothing but love and respect for the guys that put their bodies on the line and do those kind of matches though.

ISBR: During your career you was partner of Tyler Black, Delirious and sometime after you fought against them. Out the ring, how is your relationship with them? Do you thing that know the guy could help, in the future, in matches against them?
Jimmy: Outside of the ring, I have a lot of respect for both of them. Delirious is a character I enjoy greatly. Some of favorite matches of all time are his matches with CM Punk in IWA MS in 2005 right towards the end of Punk's run before he got signed by WWE. I'd very much like to see Delirious wrestle for TNA or WWE. He's been with Ring Of Honor for over 5 years now and has had a great run. He's extremely creative and underrated. His character is complex. And in a day and age in the United States where it's so hard to really have a strong masked character and have the fans take to you despite not being able to see your face, I think Delirious has done such a tremendous job of using the mask and character that goes along with it to enhance his performances. I think the world of him. He's also a great trainer at the Ring of Honor Academy.

As for Tyler, he has nothing but potential and opportunity ahead of him, as long as he stays healthy. At the young age of 23, he's already done too much damage to his body. But barring that, he's got a huge future ahead of him. He's only been wrestling since late 2004/early 2005. He's starting to develop his skills bring his performance to the next level. He's extremely talented and deserves a lot of credit as well for his part in the Age of the Fall. Not only is he a great athlete and in-ring performer, he also is very intelligent and creative. Tyler Black is an asset to any wrestling company, and I believe will one day be a huge asset to the WWE. Tyler Black will be a star.

ISBR: Recently the WWE and TNA had hired some indy wrestlers, like Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Matt Sydal and Colt Cabana. Despite you had did a match in WWE against Eddie Guerrero, do you have any interest in wrestle in big federations, even knowing that you probably would have to leave some moves?
Jimmy: First of all, I do consider Ring of Honor a big federation. I have made a full time living there as do other wrestlers. I've been very fortunate to be there, especially for a six year run. Every independently employed wrestler wants to be there. However, yes, I would love to go work for TNA or WWE. I've been with Ring Of Honor for six years and currently am not working for them. Anybody that gets into wrestling generally gets into it because they want to be in WWE, wrestle at Wrestlemania, perform in front of millions of people at home, etc. It is also where the most money is, and wrestling careers aren't all that long, especially nowadays with the high risk of the work. It would be great to go to WWE, perform for all the millions of fans worldwide, and make enough money to save and retire on, buy a house, put kids through college, and all that nice stuff. It's essential to have that financial stability at some point in your life. TNA is also doing very well for themselves, and it'd be great to work for them too. I have a lot of friends there that have been able to travel the world, perform in front of millions of TV viewers and make enough money to save. They have a very strong roster there too. When the time is right, I would very much like to be employed by either company and would have no problems working their respective in-ring styles.

ISBR: At Age of the Fall we had the participation of some wrestler like Tyler Black, Delirious, Lacey, Necro Butcher e Allison Wonderland. Despite some wrestlers had gone, you go ahead with it and it seem that you won't drop it so soon. What are the plans for the AOTF in the future and who do you think would be a good wrestler to join to the group?
Jimmy: You're also forgetting my good buddies Zach Gowen and Joey Mercury as well as Rain, Mischief, Leva Bates, Milo Beasley and Brodie Lee as well as an army of followers dressed all in black. The fact unfortunately is that it appears as though the Age of the Fall is dead. At the last shows in June of 2009 in Detroit and Chicago, we saw Tyler Black defeat me in a steel cage then hang me the following night in Chicago, after which, all my followers walked out on me. This past week on ROH on HDNet, I gave a speech finally admitting defeat, disbanding the Age of the Fall, and leaving Ring Of Honor. Never say never, but it looks like there is no future for the AotF, sad to say.

ISBR: You use many awesome moves during your matches, in particular the Contra Code. That move is an variation of Naomichi Marufuji Move, the Shiranui. you always was fan of japan wrestling? The Japan wrestlers was an influence for your wrestling style?
Jimmy: I am not particularly a fan of Japanese wrestling. That is not to say I don't enjoy it. Every time the NOAH, Dragon Gate, and other Japanese wrestlers have come to ROH, they've put on top notch performances that are second to none. Japanese wrestling, however, has not been a large influence over me. The Contra Code was not a move I took from Maufuji, nor did I even know he did it. I don't know how long he's been doing it, honestly. I started using the Contra Code in 2001. I took it from a guy who used to wrestle for IWA MS named the Suicide Kid. As far as I know, I believe he was actually the guy who invented it, to my understanding. I may be wrong, as most people seem to give credit for it to Marufuji. That's no slight on Marufuji. I know Suicide Kid was doing it at least in early 1999. But I get off topic. Short answer, Japanese wrestling has not had the strongest influence on me, but I do enjoy it greatly when I see it and have so much respect for all the Japanese wrestlers that have worked with Ring of Honor and that I have met and worked with.

ISBR: You did your debut with just 15 years, how was for you had started so early in the wrestling world? How was your biggest influence to you have started so early?
Jimmy: It was difficult and a little strange starting so early. I had to find my place in the business. My first year, I wrestled as much as I could but also refereed a lot too. I just wanted to be a part of the show. My older brother was also a professional wrestler, though not any more. So with him being around, it made me want to wrestle too, and he took care of me as well. My biggest influence at that age for me was Mick Foley. He was surely my hero. I thought he was so great when I was young. I had so much admiration for him and his style. I was so emotionally invested into him and what he brought to the table. His characters created such a strong emotional connection with me as a kid, it made me want to be a professional wrestler. I still think the world of Mick. He's even more incredible to me now as I'm older. He's not only a great wrestler, but I grew to love and try to emulate his promo style. As a human being, he's one of the nicest, smartest and most generous wrestler I have ever met. I have not one bad word to say about him.

ISBR: In the internet we could see photos of you fighting with Mick Foley. How was wrestle with a legend like them? Have any other wrestling legend what you would like to have as your opponent?
Jimmy: I actually didn't wrestle Mick. I was just fortunate enough to work with him a few months ago when Mick actually managed Tyler Black in a match we had together. Mick and I did an interview together, then he managed Tyler, and I ended up eating Mr Socko. Wrestling tends to make people jaded, where some times, nothing feels special. Working with Mick was a dream come true and even better than I could have ever imagined. In this some times dark world of professional wrestling, Mick is truly a shining star in every sense of the word. I've actually been very fortunate to work in some way with three of my very favorite wrestlers of all time. I told you about what I did with Mick Foley. Ricky Steamboat managed me in a couple of matches in Ring Of Honor in 2004, which was incredible. And recently, I wrestled Ricky Morton, who was a large influence over me as well when first started wrestling. There are so many wrestlers I've admired and looked/look up to. I've honestly been fortunate. I've done stuff with Terry Funk, Raven, Sabu, Kevin Sullivan, the Road Warriors, Eddie Guerrero, the Barbarian, Bobby Heenan, Shane Douglas, Jim Cornette, Chris Candido, Marty Jannetty, Ultimo Dragon. The list goes on and on and on. Those are just some of the guys I've had the opportunity to work with. There are many more legends and future legends.

ISBR: We wold like to thank you had given us this interview, and to finish, do you could give a message for the brazilian fans or give any advice for who want to become a great wresther as you become?
Jimmy: Thank you for this interview. Before you contacted me, I did not even know I had fans in Brazil. It's always great to hear from fans from different parts of the world. My advice to someone who wants to be a professional wrestler is work hard, get trained properly, always keep learning, work as much as possible, watch as much wrestling as possible, and understand that you have to dedicate your life to this business. Some times you will love it; some times you will hate it. It's a tough life, but it's a beautiful life. I would not have it any other way. Thank you, and I hope to one day see all my fans in Brazil in person. For anybody that wants to contact me, you can do so on http://www.myspace.com/jimmyjacobs THANK YOU!