The Al Snow Wrestling Academy (ASWA) is the hottest wrestling innovation in town. Pairings announced by the ASWA include MuchMedia, Impact Wrestling, Slam Wrestling and in addition the school is already teasing a TV deal. With an enormous warehouse as its base in Croydon, new recruits can look forward to multiple rings, big screens and of course some of the top teaching talent in the world! We sat down with Academy head honcho Simon Van Der Wolf and top trainers John ‘Bad Bones‘ Klinger and the Alpha Female. In the first of our two-part interview we are schooled about the academy and what it takes to make it in the industry. Your education starts here….
How did the ASWA come to be?
SVDW: It was an idea of mine that I put into Al’s head whilst we were drunk on homemade Hungarian booze. I asked why he didn’t have his own school and he explained that he’s always on the road and it’s about trust, understanding and that he wanted to teach people his way. I told him the time was right for Europe to have a high-end, academy style school. I’d do it differently, I said, semester based because we want people to sign up and actually go through a proper course. Not pay your ten pounds a week, turn up once a week and forget about if for six days and have to re-do it. He said nothing for two days and then randomly said “let’s do it!”.
So people have to sign full time?
SVDW: We’ll give people options but they have to complete their hours. Originally we were going to run it as a 12 week course but it’s moved to hourly so people can complete it in their own time. We expect for students to come at least twice a week. We’re not going to chuck people out if they can’t make it but it will take them longer to grade up. There are three grading systems, novice, intermediate and advanced. Students won’t be going anywhere or doing anything until Al puts his name on them because they’re representing us and him. The industry is very fickle and when you’ve got your name on someone and they can’t perform, people will ring you up and say “they’re one of yours? What are you doing?”
Is there a bar to entry?
SVDW: No, you can be a complete novice. At our last try-outs a lot of people were novices but we wanted to see passion, desire, heart, discipline. We need you to tell us why you want to be in it because we can only judge on physical appearance and what our instincts tell us. We have to delve deep because we’re giving them our time and knowledge, accrued over years. The wrestling industry is tight and people won’t give away their knowledge for free. You give the effort and the time, we’re offering you a voice in the crowd. If you have one trainer, you’ll be their technical clone. In our academy you’re getting over 200 years of knowledge – different styles and abilities, high-fliers, psychology experts and it’s that last facet that can be key. It’s not about doing a move but at the right time for the right reason
BB: Some guys have it, some guys need a long time to learn it. We’re going to help you to succeed. If you really have the heart and passion for it, you will succeed in the end. We want to make sure it’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Meanwhile, the variety of the trainers is amazing. You train five days with one and five another – so you switch around and add your own voice.
SVDW: Al is a stickler for that – you must have your own voice. You have to know how and why to do things – don’t be a spot monkey. He’ll see wrestlers doing spots for spots sake and demand to know why. They should know not to show their hand every time you come out. People get pulled in by the crowd because they’re not thinking about the match or the show but themselves. The ego has taken over in wrestling. It’s not you that needs to get over, it’s the show.
BB: From the first to the last – if you throw everything out there in the first match what do you need the rest for because they’ve seen it all. You can start hot but then you slow and go up again.
SVDW: That’s it and we’re going to teach you all about it. We have turned people down. One wanted to quit his job, one to quite college but you need an education. Of course there’s monetary value in this which is reflected in what we’re doing but it’s not the be all and end all. You need a backup plan. You can be in the ring. Five and ten matches in you break your neck or smash your elbow and you can’t do it anymore. It has happened to so many people and you’re only as relevant as what you’re doing now.
With Bad Bones and the Alpha Female you’ve got to of the best trainers in the world! How did you choose them and why did they agree to be involved?
SVDW: I’ve got a career going back 18 years but my background is business. I think we’ve all seen wrestlers go into business and it doesn’t work. You need to have a bit of separation, so Al deals with the talent. Basically, we tried to pick a combination of wrestlers who will do a specific job and have the skill sets required and the respect around the business. Each one of our wrestlers has a hit factor. We also want the students to get a shock so it could be Al Snow, Bob Holly or Kurt Angle standing there. These guys will feel humbled..
AF: I can’t speak for John but I know I can’t be a wrestler forever but I love wrestling and want to be a part of it. Wrestling gave us so much, we met so many great fans and great people we have to give something back. We also want to build a legacy. Hopefully one day there’ll be a Diva’s champion who can say “I was trained by the Alpha Female”. That would make us so proud.
BB: I met Al eight years ago and he followed me since then. He messaged me and asked if I wanted to be a trainer. I thought it was going to be for a one-off training session and was like “yeah, cool, we can do it” and he said “no, you’re going to be a full-time trainer in my academy!” I was totally overwhelmed. I seriously had a tear in my eye because I didn’t expect it. I have to do something after I quit wrestling and like Jazzy, I have to give something back. Anything they ask, I’ll give them an answer because when I started out, I asked some guys and they just gave me nothing. I always believed you have to have good people to keep the business up. Wrestling is a team effort.
SVDW: We have 6.4 million people reached since December. You’ve seen Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle and endless others supporting us and the reason is because we’re doing it properly and people respect we’re not cutting corners. We’re doing it longer term with the right training facility, equipment and staff. There are good training schools in the UK for sure but there are also bad ones. An ex-student opens a school, people get to his level then set up on their own and the level drops on and on. You need the right trainers and you won’t get the ones we have anywhere else in the world. Not this quality. This is a first in the industry.
It’s not only wrestlers that can be trained at the school – valets, referees, managers and more?
SVDW: That’s right but the referee, the valet or anyone else must go through our novice level training at least, to be able to bump and understand how things work in the ring. From my secretary to the cleaner through to the trainers, they all go in the ring. The age-old story about wrestling being fake can easily be dealt with by people that have taken a bump! The bigger the company, the further you get from wrestling and the less information filters through. I think people need to learn and it keeps a better sense of cohesion. We’re a business and I run it like a business with a corporate identity.
BB: You have to understand it and feel it. As soon as you take a bump, you’ll know.
AF: You’ll see it a different way and you’ll respect it. You’ll respect your co-workers if you feel the pain they do.
Are you looking for investors?
Sponsors, yes. We’d like to tie-in with the right kind of sponsors who are future-thinking, grounded and understand what we do. There is money out there, there’s new things – a subscription channel and some radio. We have a 6000 square feet facility. There’ll be a studio there. I’m partnered with a company called Three Wise Monkey’s Productions and we do a lot of film work together – the fight scenes and parts. It means there’s extra things on offer for people that make it through the system. We’re in a movie for Universal at the moment. It’s another facet to what we offer down the line and the companies that we align with are professional. Three Wise Monkeys have done many films. Look them up, the list of what they’ve done is endless and they’ve done our media work for us. We’re proud to have also announced a partnership with TNA Impact Wrestling. Bringing the Impact brand to the UK and Europe and further establishing together a commitment to finding, nurturing and showcasing the best talent in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
What’s next?
It will progress organically. It will go into affiliations and partnerships. We have affiliations in 14 countries which will evolve into tours, events and parties. Lots of PR work, marketing and promotion for the business. There’s a company in Hungary, put our machine into gear and we could perhaps double their attendance. We have a great vehicle for sponsors and promoters. I think our first graduate is eight months away but we’ll see. We are being watched by a lot of people in the industry because we’re doing it the right way.
All eyes are on the Al Snow Wrestling Academy, a new and exciting business model. Top trainers and the energy, passion and drive to succeed. Keep an eye on the ASWA Facebook page and if you’re a budding wrestling talent, make sure to get yourself down to the academy and get schooled.
