Ahead of tonight's AEW Dynamite in Independence, Missouri, The Columbia Daily Tribune spoke to Missouri's own Matt Sydal, who resides in St. Louis. AEW Rampage will takeover St. Louis on Friday, November 5. Check out the highlights.
On All Elite Wrestling setting up in St. Louis, Missouri:
“For me, it’s full circle kind of thing. I started out backyard wrestling in the suburbs of St. Louis and coming back to the Chaifetz Arena is great. When I was in college at Mizzou, I would come back and hang out with my friends who were at SLU and have a beer at Humphrey’s. And now I’ll be wrestling right there at the arena. So it’s pretty surreal.”
On being excited to wrestle in St. Louis:
“I really can have more fun in St. Louis because I know my friends that have been kind of making fun of me since I was a 17-year-old kid wrestling, they come to shows with signs that say ‘Don’t hurt my baby’ and the silly stuff like that. I’m able to have a lot of fun with it. I definitely feel more pressure and more nerves, but that like for me, is essential to the performance part. So if I don’t get all mentally wrecked, just a little bit, before I go out there, then something might be wrong. Performing in St. Louis is a thrill and I want to do it to inspire kids in St. Louis. I never expected to be on a grand stage. I was just chasing my passion. I was doing it for fun. And I ended up building a career out of it.”
On an upcoming training seminar with his brother, Mike Sydal:
“It’s just getting in the ring with some of these guys who much like me, were just looking for anywhere to get a ring and wrestle. We got to learn things the hard way, a lot of wrestlers find out, trial and error. It’s a lot of getting beat up and then getting yourself up and dusting yourself off. I really think I can help a lot of young wrestlers in Missouri and hopefully I’ve inspired them to go for it.”
