Jessie Brooks is an independent wrestler whose nickname still doesn’t do her justice. In a sport that is built upon hard work and persistence, Jessie has done more than her fair share to earn the respect of her peers. She has been gracing her fans all over with her bone crushing style (no pun intended), which has helped her take her place as “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” within the highly populated Independent circle.
Jessie is well known for her signature style suplexes and is not afraid of friendly competition against the other genders. Her signature moves include the Fisherman’s Suplex, Bonesaw Clutch, and the Powerslam. In a little under 8 years, she has built up quite a resume all while being one of the most underrated wrestlers on the Independent Circuit. She has dazzled us inside the ring and now she is ready to take us inside her journey.
By following the Independent Circuit and reading about the wrestlers and their storied careers, I am able to catch up with some of them and conduct an interview from time to time, which allows them to share with us their story. Recently I was able to catch up with Jessie and she was gracious enough to put a halt to her busy schedule to discuss her career, future, and accomplishments. This is what she had to say.
* When did your pro wrestling career begin? How did you get started?
After extensive research, I signed up to the Ring of Honor/SHIMMER Dojo on June 30th, 2009. I trained under Daizee Haze and Delirious for nearly a year before I had my first match at Pro Wrestling Respect on June 6th, 2010.
* What federations have you worked for along the way?
My main base of operations is at Warriors of Wrestling in Staten Island, where I was the first woman to hold the No Limits Championship. Recently I have worked for Old Time Wrestling, DAWG, Tier-1, and Battle Club Pro. In the past I have worked for Ring of Honor television, VALKYRIE Women’s Professional Wrestling, SHIMMER, Pro Wrestling Respect, Beyond Wrestling, WSU, and Paragon Pro Wrestling’s television in Las Vegas.
* How could you explain the life on an independent wrestler?
Unpredictable and fun. I’ve had the best times of my life because of pro wrestling. I couldn’t fathom leading an existence without that type of wildness in my life.
* Are there any funny/crazy road stories you would like to share?
It was my first time at SHIMMER and I was green. I had less than a dozen matches before I was brought in. I was hanging with some of the girls the night after the first show of that weekend. A certain unnamed Japanese superstar was having a good time and, of course alcohol was involved. This unnamed talent decided to do a tour of the hotel, visiting the other girls’ rooms and doing dives on them while they slept.
* When did you decide to go full speed ahead to becoming a professional athlete?
I decided to start training during my junior year of college. I looked into as many schools as I could find information on and sent out several emails, but Ring of Honor stood out to me for several reasons. I greatly respected Daizee Haze’s work and at the time was one of the trainers, coupled with how professional and organized they presented themselves as. When I finally went there on the first day, I was not disappointed.
* How did you decide on your name/gimmick?
My trainer, Delirious, came up with my name. Contrary to popular belief, he got the “Bonesaw” moniker, from a metal song, not Randy Savage’s name from Spider-Man. My character has developed over the years into what it is now, it is very much an extension of my real life personality. It’s a constant process of seeing what works and what doesn’t, growing as a person to be comfortable enough and confident in myself to be me.
* Were there any obstacles on your journey to the ring? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?
As a female in a male dominated sport, there are always going to be obstacles; it is how you choose to let it affect you. You can either let it define you or let it motivate you. I choose the later. One huge obstacle I encountered was getting to training. There were several training schools in proximity of Brooklyn, where I lived, but I did not want to take a shortcut for what I felt would be an inferior school. I was also going to school for my Bachelor’s degree at time in Purchase, NY. Round-trips to ROH’s school in Bristol, Pennsylvania from either Brooklyn or Purchase could last up to eight hours. I would make those trips two to three times a week.
* What are your thoughts on the current status of Women’s Wrestling and how it has been growing?
Women’s wrestling is finally getting the recognition it deserves. When WWE had Molly Holly, Victoria, Lita, Trish Stratus, Jacqueline, Gail Kim, Jazz, and Ivory the division was the best I believe it has ever been, but the recognition wasn’t there. Now with Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Naomi, and Charlotte among others, not only is the division full of talented females, it is also getting the attention and respect it deserves to go along with it. It has a domino effect on the independent scene and makes those companies want the best as well. Right now it’s the best it has ever been for women in wrestling, but we still have ways to go.
* What would be your dream match?
Some of my dream opponents include Sara Del Rey, Asuka, Yuzuki Aikawa, Mercedes Martinez, Io Shirai, LuFisto, Saraya Knight, Molly Holly, Sasha Banks, William Regal, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Savage, Taz, and Bryan Danielson. Working alongside Homicide and a mentor I’ve had in this business, “The Devil’s Son-in-Law” Julius Smokes, would also be a real honor.
* What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in the sport of professional wrestling?
Being part of New York City’s first ever all-women’s wrestling event with VALKYRIE in 2014 was a big deal for me. I would also say the recent event that occurred at the Warriors of Wrestling’s and Tier 1’s joint event in Brooklyn. The NYSAC tried to stop my match, stating that a female cannot wrestle a male in the state of New York. Joe Bellini, Dennis Long, Kris Levin, my opponent Marc Hauss, and others stood up alongside me and wouldn’t allow that to happen without a fight.
Eventually, the match was allowed to happen. The biggest moment for me came from that. After the match was moved to the main event, the entire locker room came out and surrounded the ring once I won to show their support. It meant a lot to me, because my entire career has been driven by gaining the respect of my fellow male workers. That night, I felt I gained it.
* What is your most memorable match?
Definitely my match earlier this year with Marc Hauss. It was a match I had been looking forward to for months. Marc Hauss is a great talent and a consummate professional. It is one of my most favorite matches of my career. Unfortunately, it was my most memorable match mainly due to a huge error by the NYSAC, but great things came out of it. It brought attention to gender discrimination occurring not only in the wrestling industry, but elsewhere. My matches with Sumie Sakai, Kacee Carlisle, Mia Yim, and Darius Carter at VALKYRIE and WOW are also important to me.
* Who would you say has been your toughest opponent to date?
My toughest opponent to date I would say is Darius Carter. I’ve been in a multi-year feud with him and every time we are in the ring together it’s an all-out brawl. Kacee Carlisle also shares the distinct honor of being one of the toughest professionals going today. We competed in the main event of VALKYRIE V: Valhalla, and it was a war.
* Who are/were some your favorite wrestlers and why?
Some of my favorite wrestlers are Eddie Guerrero, William Regal, Molly Holly, Victoria, Taz, Bryan Danielson, and Randy Savage. Eddie for me was the whole package, he was great at everything and he made you want to keep watching. William Regal, Taz, and Bryan Danielson are some of the best technicians this business has ever seen.
Victoria and Molly Holly came a time where WWE had multiple females who looked the same and were doing similar things; when they came in she changed the mold for what a female wrestler can look like and what they were capable of. Macho Man was always entertaining, no matter what he did and had charisma and in-ring ability that made you want to watch him.
* Who is Jessie Brooks off script?
Not so different from the Bonesaw in the ring. I am currently attending school for massage therapy, and afterwards plan to pursue a master’s and maybe even a doctorate in public health.
* What needs to be accomplished in your eyes to be able to look back and call your career a success when it’s all over?
I want to be known as a great wrestler. I don’t want people to look back at my career and say, “she was good for a female wrestler.” I want to be great, period.
***Hopefully you enjoyed this interview and learned some new and interesting things about Jessie Brooks. The world of wrestling is a demanding business and the time set aside to do this interview should not be underestimated. I would like to personally thank Jessie for taking the time to share with me her stories so I could share them with all of you. Her time is greatly appreciated…..
***Upcoming shows include OTW on November 5 in Williamstown, NJ and November 19th with Warriors of Wrestling in Staten Island.***
***For more information you can follow Jessie Brooks on the following outlets:
Twitter: @BonesawJessieB
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JessieBonesawBrooks
For Bookings visit: [email protected]
Go give her a follow and show some eWN love!
***Come follow my sports site fantasysportsaddiction.com and all my editorial articles along with many interesting minds at the eWrestlingnews FB Fan Page…Come join in and let your presence be felt!
