When I turned 18 I told my parents I was leaving town and moving to Tuscaloosa to become a pro wrestler.
They both laughed uproariously at me, and then wished me luck.
I have been obsessed with pro wrestling all my life, and for good reason – Alabama is traditionally a hotbed for wrestling shows, and classic performers. I grew up watching guys like Bobby Eaton, John Tatum, Moondog Rex, and Dennis Condry tear down the house in places like the Tuscaloosa colosseum. Now that I was old enough, I wanted to try my hand at it, so Tuscaloosa seemed like the best place to go. First I found a wrestling school, run by Bob Owens, then I found a job in an HVAC warehouse lifting heavy equipment all day. This was actually the best of both worlds, because spending a day in a hot, humid Tuscaloosa warehouse is better than hitting the gym. Between the HVAC warehouse and the wrestling ring, I cut a lot of weight and really got into great physical condition. At the end of the day, it came down to money. It turns out the HVAC contractor who owned the warehouse liked my work ethic, and offered me a full time position in his Tuskaloosa offices. Taking that job would mean no more extra time for training to be a wrestler, but if I want to live in Tuscaloosa for good, then I need to find a legit job. I think I will take the job in the Tuscaloosa offices, and keep training in the ring on weekends.