Credit: Wrestling 365
Rhyno recently spoke about how he got his name and more. Here are
the highlights…
On how the name “Rhyno” came about:
“It was back in, I want to say 1996, I was on a show in Detroit and the power
was out, but they got a generator to put lights up by the ring, so the show went
on and the locker room was pitch black. There was some rumbling and D’Lo Brown
actually came over and told me and Wreckless Youth, Edge & Christian, they
were all talking about it, Joe E Legend too, but D’Lo was the one that
approached me with it. I think it was a team effort, but D’Lo was the first one
to come up and say “hey, did you think about using the name
Rhyno?”
On some favorite feuds/matches in his career:
“I was just on a show with Sandman and the feud Sandman and I had in 1999-2000
was really the feud that put me on the map and that was my first like, real
feud. It lasted a good 6-8 months and I was very proud of that. The kendo stick
in the head hurt, he’s broken several of them over my head, but I was very
appreciative of what he’s done for me. I’ve been blessed with a lot of angles
and feuds and matches and it’s cool because you don’t necessarily have to be in
an angle or a feud to go out there and have a great match. Booker T and I had a
really, really good match, it was on a live event for TNA and it was over in
London, everything just aligned and you couldn’t do no wrong. It was definitely
one of my top 5 best matches. Booker came to me and said that too, it was one of
his best matches and for him to say that, it means a lot, because he’s been
around for a long time and has been on top of his game for 20-plus
years.”
On if times are becoming difficult for a wrestler on the
independent scene: “It’s definitely tough, it’s always been tough, but
it all lies down to the individual, we’re all individuals and we all have
choices whether we can work for a promotion or not. It’s a little easier for me,
because I’ve got a name and reputation and I’ve built a small little brand with
my name and wrestling ability and being on TV for over 13-14 years, so it’s a
little easier for me. It is very difficult for independent wrestlers, but some
aspects of it, it’s easier now to get your face out there for independent
wrestlers because of social media. Back in the day, when you’re poor and living
in your car, you don’t have $10 to print up an 8×10 and put together a 15 minute
clip on a VHS tape and then pay $5 to mail it out. Now it’s just click click on
your smartphone and then send the link to a promoter and it’s easier for a
promoter to look you up. Back when I started, if you were sending a package out,
it cost you $20 and it was tough to get your name out there back then. It’s
easier now for a guy to just click a couple of links, put the match together and
send it to a promoter and that costs you nothing, just time.”
