A Harold interview:

Harold: Well finally we get to sit down with the one and only Switchblade.  Thank you for making time for this interview.

Switchblade: It's a pleasure to be here. It's also about time I got to speak my mind for a change.

Harold: Well finally we get the chance, first question is, why after all the time away did you decide to return to SFT and wrestling?

Switchblade: Well as you can imagine it was a difficult decision to make on my part. When I left the business years back, I noticed that over time SFT had started to stumble off its peak. The competition was weak, and the people running the show were, to put it mildly, half assing it. I grew as a wrestler during the golden age of SFT, and seeing the company in the state it's in fills me with both disappointment and anger, both of which I’ve directed at Shadow. I came back because I wanted to bring back the SFT of old, the SFT that made me who I am, so that we can mold and craft the greatest talent of any federation out there.

Harold: Well interesting answer, but since you brought it up, what’s the biggest difference you seen between SFT when you started and SFT today? And if you could give us some history on where you got started and basically some Switchblade history 101.

Switchblade: Well when I was reaching my prime in SFT, back around 2001 to 2002, there were more wrestlers who had the "it" factor. They were more charismatic, they had a certain pomp and circumstance when they would cut a promo, or even make an entrance. And during those times the titles used to actually mean something. The people who held those belts, with exception to a few useless individuals, were truly the best of the best. Mad Dogg, Tony Barrera, Dave Steel, Icon, Triple X, even guys like Glenn Owen and Legion...they were men who you could point at and say "He earned his spot. He is the best not only in SFT, but in all of wrestling". Now...now I hardly recognize anyone save for Kyle Murphy. It's like the life was sucked out of the company and now there are mindless drones run by Shadow.

Harold: Well Shadow has kept SFT going while others have left; do you feel SFT would be truly better without him?  

Switchblade: Don't get me wrong, I respect Shadow for what he did for SFT over the years. It's true that he kept the company going when nobody else believed him, and nobody's faulting him for his loyalties. Thing is, everything comes to an end, even Shadow. The problem with most of the roster is that they envision Shadow as a God, a man amongst men who surpasses even the laws of nature. Look at Twilight, or Saint Jude. They treat him like he is their world, their life. It's ridiculous, and they are so blinded by their beliefs that they don't see the current state of SFT like I do. If...WHEN Shadow goes, SFT will still move on. Because it's not just bout the captain. It's about the entire team. There needs to be new blood, new ideas made to keep SFT alive. Shadow will only keep the company comatose.

Harold: Well let’s talk about him later, lets talk here and now, what are you current short term goals and your long term goals here in SFT?

Switchblade: It's hard for me to answer that entirely because I don't think in short term. Really, the only thing that keeps me going is the long term. I will have matches in the future, but they mean nothing to me. I've already proven myself in the past, and there is only one match that I really want to have. I of course do have a side project going with Emerson Embry. He is a pure talent that I wish to groom into a future SFT star. Hopefully he will take my advice seriously and become a future SFT World Heavyweight Champion. Other than that, and Shadow, I have no other goals at this time.

Harold: Well Emerson certainly has the ego, but we'll see about his talent, do you think it’s wise to bring him into your war with The Wall and Shadow?  That’s quite an enemy list if I do say so.

Switchblade: Heh...well I will admit that he's not going to make many friends out of all this. But he is going to learn about the hardships of becoming a wrestler. It's not supposed to be easy, and I never intended on it being that way. When I started I found myself placed in a war between the Immortal Outlawz and The Dead Pac. And you know the old saying "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger?" I took those words to heart much like Emerson will as he continues to face members of The Wall.

Harold: Earlier I asked a question about SFT then and now, and you dropped some big names from the past, during your entire career in SFT then and now, whose work did you like besides your own, which wrestlers made an impact on you personally or professionally and why?  

Switchblade: Boy, that's quite a question. To be honest, a lot of the guys back in those days left a big impression on me. Before SFT I was just a kid living off the street alone. Nobody would bother to give me the time of day. When I became a wrestler, and my talent and skills developed over time, I became part of a family. I had never really had a family to call my own, and these guys took me in and called me brother. If I had to mention certain people, Glenn Owens, aka The British Bad Ass, would have to be right at the top. He showed me the ropes, and even when we were fighting, we had respect for one another. I always looked up to him like an older brother. Professionally, Kyle Murphy was the one who first took me to my limits and helped me surpassed them. Legion showed me how to speak without words and to always leave an impression on the fans. He helped bring out my creative side. Mad Dogg was the one that got away. I had always wanted to face him, and I motivated myself to get better just so I could, but he soon left and I never got my chance. Even Shadow left an impression on me in our first fight. It showed me that old age doesn't have to be a handicap, and it gave me hope at a time when I thought everything was about to end for me. All these people, and many more that I don't have the time to mention, helped create Switchblade, and I thank them all for it.

Harold: Well thank you for that, I think that’s one of the better answers I've heard you showed real respect for the past and its people.  But lets talk what if's, if you could face any three people/wrestlers from the past or the present in any federation who would they be and why?   

Switchblade: Number one of course has to be Mad Dogg. Like I said, he motivated me, and all my hard work went towards having a one on one match with him that unfortunately won't ever happen. Another guy I would love to get into the ring with again would be Dave Steel. He's a wonderful wrestler, and I never did get a rematch against him for the world title. And finally, I would have loved to face Reginald Royce. When I arrived I had only heard stories about the man, but I never got to see or face him in the ring. If the stories I heard were true, our match would have been one of the ages, you can trust me on that.

Harold: All worthy choices.  So in your opinion what do you think SFT needs to do now to get back to true Glory like the old days?

Switchblade: Well for one thing, new ownership. The company needs a new set of eyes, and needs to be taken in a direction it hasn't seen before. I also believe that the title belts have been used more as props rather than actual titles defended by valiant champions. I propose that there should be a valid ranking system much like in the old days. That way we can see who deserves a title shot more, and not have to deal with Shadow just throwing people into random title matches whenever he sees fit. Maybe then the talent will actually put more effort into their work and make the company looks better in comparison to the rest.  

Harold: We have had over the years a slew of half owners, ranging from Big T, Connor, Dean, Mad Dogg, Tony Barrera but none are ever able to stick around for the long haul, Shadow fears and rightly so if he just gives up full ownership that whoever takes over will fail and SFT will die, what do you think he should do if SFT does acquire "new" ownership?  

Switchblade: Well I’ve always believed in a chain of command and ownership for a company as big as SFT should not just fall on one individual. The reason those guys all failed to keep going is because they took way too much responsibility and burned themselves out. Of course there needs to be one owner to make all final decisions, but most of the authority should spread out to branching departments within the company. If I were Shadow, I would hire more than one person to take charge of SFT. Most businesses have dozens of high level bosses who are in charge of one area of the company. That's economics 101. But what do I know; I’m just some guy from the streets.

Harold: Well at least you have some ideas, but you know what they say about opinions right.  Anyway lets move on and talk World Title, you made it clear the world title was not your main focus, at the ppv you had a golden chance and you missed it but you still got your match with Shadow at this coming ppv, why did you do that ultimatum of you get him or you walk, was it for real were you really going to quit if Shadow again eluded you and avoided a match with you?

Switchblade: The only reason I lost that match was because I was distracted by Shadow. I had Kyle beat. He knows it, and I know it. In my eyes, I got the moral win. All Murphy did was get the sneaky pin. But I digress...its true; all I really want is a match with Shadow. I've done everything I ever wanted to do in SFT, and beating Shadow is the one trophy I desire the most. I need to make a statement, I need to show everyone in SFT just how flawed Shadow's beliefs and practices are, and in order to do that, I need to take him out of the picture. Then, and only then, will the SFT roster be free from their strings, their brainwashed minds, and see the bigger picture that I have seen since day one of my return.

Harold: A man on a mission but be honest with our readers and fans, without Shadow then now and possibly the future there would have been no SFT for you to return to, most people who challenge him and request him for a match do so because that is the ultimate test.  Shadow takes 2-3 matches a year so anyone getting a match with him is a big deal, beating him would be icing on the cake but most agree that Shadow is like the whale in Moby Dick, what would it mean to you being one of the few to beat him?  The last to do that was Glenn Owen several years ago and he pinned Redd in a triple threat, not Shadow.  

Switchblade: A win against Shadow. That is why I go to such extremes every week, right? That is why I come out and speak to the fans and my brothers about the greater good, isn't it? Of course a match with Shadow is a big deal. But then...there's the rub. Why? Why is it such a big deal? The man, and yes he IS a man, is well past his prime. He gets older with each passing year. So would it be such a big deal if I defeated him? If he and I had fought years ago, when he was young and full of energy, maybe there would be something worthwhile about it. But now...it feels hollow. My match against Shadow isn't for personal glory. I don't want to be remembered for it. My true intentions are to remove him from SFT. I don't want to be known as the guy who beat Shadow. I want to be known as the guy who changed SFT for the better.

Harold: You know they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but lets talk for a moment about the world title, ever since forever, its been hard for anyone to hold the world title for an extended period of time, why do you think that is? Why is it so much easier to win it than to keep it?

Switchblade: Well to me title belts have always been easier to claim than to keep. Anyone can beat a wrestler one time, but to keep getting consecutive wins over a long period of time? That's the most difficult part. Being at the top for so long can wear out even the most well endured wrestler. I never had the best title reigns, I’ll admit. But at least I was a fighting champion. And at the end of the day, that's what most wrestlers will be well known for. It's about the quality of your time at the top, not the number of times you hold onto a shiny belt.

Harold: Ok now during your tenures here in SFT who did you get along well with backstage and who did you not get along with? Dish dish enquiring minds want to hear the dirt.  

Switchblade: Oh joy, gossip talk. Classy stuff. Well let's see...I always found Aj Nin Red Rum to be a tad weird, but we worked well together in the ring, and that's all that really matters. Dave Van Dam was a cool guy to talk to, and Radiant always had the best jokes to tell. I can't say I enjoyed being around the more arrogant guys in the back. I'd rather not say anything negative about them, but let's just say that they're the guys you don't see backstage anymore...and Erik Dean was a bit of a douche.  

Harold: Well when you started you were in your early 30s now youre in your 40s, what do you feel is your place in SFT now? As a mentor to people like Emerson? A leader in and out with Blades of WAR? Or as a force of change as you say is your whole feud with Shadow?  What is your place now as you see it?  

Switchblade: Well if you want me to say it like Shadow would, I am a symbol of what was and what could have been. But in truth, I’m all those things and more. I am whatever SFT needs me to be because SFT is my life. Without it, I have nothing. I am nothing. The same goes for many other brothers in the back. They would be lost souls without having SFT as their sanctuary. It's ironic, but for whatever reason, a world of violence has lead many to finding inner peace with themselves. It gives us purpose; it gives those without hope a reason to continue on. All the shit out there, all the real world issues that plague us every day, they mean nothing when we step through that curtain. For a brief moment in time we become warriors, modern day gladiators of the ring. And I think all of us, including myself, have a fear of losing that which makes us complete. What is my place? To endure, and keep fighting until I can do it no longer. I do it for my brothers, I do it for the fans...I do it to keep the hope alive.  

Harold: Sir if I may say so this is perhaps one of if not the best interview I've ever had the pleasure of conducting.  But moving on, if you could talk to yourself, to a young Switchblade barely starting out in this business, what advice would you give him/yourself?  What would you tell yourself to maybe do differently or to change?  

Switchblade: Flattery will get you everywhere. But as for your question, if I could talk to myself...I wouldn't. The truth, as depressing as it may sound, is that life is never going to be perfect for any of us. But it is the mistakes we made in the past that help shape who we become in the future. Without having done A, I would have gone to B which would have never brought me to C and so on and so forth. The choices I made, both good and bad, made me who I am, and I wouldn't change anything about it. But I’ll humor you and give you a proper answer. If I had to tell myself one thing, I would have told him to keep a closer eye on Shadow.

Harold: So without those choices and decisions you wouldn’t be who you are today? So there is nothing in your past you wish you could go back and do again or differently is a better saying.

Switchblade: Correct. Everything happens for a reason. It would be wrong of me to try and change what fate offered me.

Harold: If your career ended today, what would you miss the most? Of if you had one last day what would that be like for you?  

Switchblade: Getting rather deep there. If I finished things today, the thing I would miss the most, as cheesy as it may sound, would be the fans. Whether they cheer me or boo me, just hearing a response from them gives me goosebumps every single time. With every slam, every chop, and every win and loss, the fans would always be there for me. The chants, the signs, even running into a fan on the street. I would miss all that, no doubt. As for a last day, I assume you mean on earth...I don't know. I guess I would just do what I normally do and try not to think about it. But I’ll tell you one thing...I won't ever go down without a fight. You can bet on that.

Harold: Well if ever there was a way to end such an interview that was it, Switchblade really its been a pleasure and an honor, thank you.   

Switchblade: Thank you for the chance to speak out. I only hope that the next time we speak, big changes will come to SFT.