Nick Berk
What's up boys and girls and welcome to another DOI interview. This time, I sat down with Nick Berk. Nick Berk had alot to say in this interview as he commented on quitting CZW, slapping the Backseat Boyz in the face and alot more. Nick has recently branched out on the indies working in JAPW, CSWF, USA PW, SSCW and other promotions. Nick gave me a great interview, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey: Nick, it's been over a year since we last did an interview here on the DOI site and alot has got down in that time. The first question is how the hell have you been?
Nick Berk: I’ve been fine, of course I’ve been better at times, but over all, I’ve been just fine.
Nick Berk: I ask myself this question a lot. Some people say that I don’t have the “IT” that CZW fans are looking for. I say I haven’t been given a tourch to run with. I haven’t been given a chance to show I can hold a main spot, therefore I haven’t proven to CZW bookers that I’m worthy of that spot. I guess I can only be as good as they’ll let me. I do a different style of wrestling than many in CZW, so that my be a reason why... my style is methodical and the “WOW” moves only come out on special occations, not every show. Maybe I should try to “WOW” the crowd every time with crazy moves, you know I have enough moves to do that!
Nick Berk: I still praise the product of that time, it was great. CZW has changed, the wrestlers changed, the bookers changed, the “family” changed. I love working with all the wrestlers, and crew of CZW, I think the direction may start to be going in a good direction, but over the past year, it has slumped down. I know I’m more valuable to the company than they are making use of me. Who knows who else is in the same boat I am. I think some angles should change, there should be more focus on certain different areas. I do believe that CZW is having a hard time dealing with the media end of things… such as show tapes being distributed too early, too many people find out info and pass it along the internet (the internet has ruined the wrestling buisiness), the booking team looks too far into trying to amaze the “smart” fans when it’s the little easy things that would be surprising these “smart”people. Sometimes these fans look for the impossible,when the most logical will fool them all.
Nick Berk: Well, it was only Nick Gage that “smashed” me up at BOTB 4, and I can’t give a valid reason why. I’m not happy at all about it, and it may change my future status with CZW. I was supposed to be involved in the match with Gage and Maff. I was against the chair part, I don’t do hardcore, and I told John that. He still insisted that at the end I get laid out with a chair. I tried to reason the fact that it wouldn’t make sense because there’s almost nowhere to afterthat with the story. If Gage gets his revenge on me with a chair, that ends the feud, because I can’t do much more crazier than that. Still, Zandig insisted that’s how he wanted to go with the angle. The time came, I got leveled with the chair, KNOCKED OUT COLD! That was supposed to be it… but it wasn’t. I was woken up by chair shots to my back, when I realized what was going on, I rolled to the outside. Gage came out and hit me with the chair to the front of my body, all I could do was put my legs up to try to protect myself. I said something to Gage, he said he had to get his revenge. I said something to John Zandig, he said that’s what we do in CZW. I’ve tried to talk to John ablut it over the phone, but it takes a while to get ahold of him. I saw him at the gym, but he left before I could talk to him. So I guess I’ll say it here first… I MAY LEAVE CZW, BECAUSE THIS STYLE OF WRESLTING JUST ISN’T MY “THING”. Nothing is written in stone, but I will be making my decision soon.
Nick Berk: Johnny Kashmere said how he feels. Everyone in CZW is dealt with differently, so he may not have been happy with his dealings. It is true that CZW has changed, not necessarily for the worse, but it’s a different company than it was 3 years ago. I can see how he seems rational and I see how he seems irrational, but it’s his feelings and he has a right to his own feelings. Trying to ban people together to take your side to bring down a company is not something I agree with, simply because CZW will not die, everyone is replaceable. I think the Backseat Boyz relationship with CZW is done! But I think they were pushed to the sky, no matter what Johnny, Trent or anyone else says. I will say this… I only wish I got held down in CZW as much as Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid did, they didn’t realize how good they had it.
Nick Berk: I have no clue why that would be. But My thinking is that there are too many similar wrestlers, too many similar matches, and too amny “supermen” in the company. In the matches, there are too many super-insane bumps, that would be normal finshes in my matches. You can see a lot of our roster a couple hours away in other towns or cities. The majority of the main-stay fan base like to see a certain style of match that CZW delivers, but there are only 3 different styles of matches on a regular show. Also, I’ll say it time and time again… the internet and quick tape distribution lowers our show crowd.
Nick Berk: We don’t talk all the time, but we speak with each other. He doesn’t seem to hate me, yet, but I know he doesn’t think I’m his companies star. I respect him,and I’m sure he respects me.
Nick Berk: Well, a time I didn’t foresee coming has come. I am thinking of quitting CZW, not for just one reason but a few. I know I haven’t been a big star in the company, and I couldn’t find a reason why, but I just can’t get over that “hump.” I’m thinking that I need a change to further my career, because I’ve been stuck in the same level for the past 5 years or so. I don’t swing chairs too often, I don’t wrestle 30 minute matches that incorporate many finishing moves, I’m not a regular flyer, I’m not what CZW is looking for anymore. I’m looking to go to WWE or TNA, and keeping all my eggs in CZW’s basket will prevent me from doing so. I speak with Bill Behrens of NWA-TNA and Tom Pritchard of WWE, and they givs me pointers to help me along my way. I have changed my body in the past year to be in the best shape I’ve ever been in, I modified my style to the WWE style. Wrestling for CZW is a great experience, but it’s not where my dream ends.
Nick Berk: I don’t approve of it, however, I’m sure we all have done some sick, twisted crazy things that society wouldn’t approve of. What he was doing in not my cup of tea, but to each his own. It’s a funny thing to make fun of him about, but as the wrestling business is famous for, I’m sure that some of the details have been fabricated, or left out to make the end result a little more shocking than it really is. One key part is that Rob spoke to the guy on the phone, he was a 30+ year old man pretending to be a 14 year old boy. I think the voice of a 14 year old is a little bit different than a 30+ year old, and Rob is saying that it was revieled before he went to the house that it wasn’t a 14 year old kid. So some things were with-held against Rob. All In all, Rob is still the same guy, now there is just something more to make fun of him about.
Nick Berk: Steroids and supplements are good to use in moderation and under doctor supervision. It is when these products are over used or improperly used that they are harmfull. I do not recommend anyone use illegal steroids, but I do think that some of the outlawed steroids and supplements, if used correctly, are not too bad for you. It is not only supplements that I use, but I eat a strict diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest. My life has changed because of my new dedication to a better body, but it will pay off.
Nick Berk: I’d like to work for Chaotic, JCW, ROH, OVW, NWA-TNA, WWE and anyone else who is willing to pay me.
Nick Berk: When I returned to JAPW, I was very impressed with the wrestling skill, bookers, as well as the fans. Those fans were outgoing from the top to bottom of the show. That’s how fans should react. Wrestling in Philly, you have “smart” fans who chant ‘boring’ durring a slower part of your match, not because they are bored, but because they are trying to be cool. That is something that I hate about the Philly fans, they are spoiled, and don’t appreciate what you give them. I suggest philly fans buy a JAPW tape to study the arts of their fans, copy them and show what they have learned at the next CZW show. Then I think the CZW wrestlers will feel appreciated.
Nick Berk: HAHAHAAAAHAAAA! Carmine is a good guy. I like his company, and the guys that work for him.
Nick Berk: Well, I’d like to accomplish them re-hiring me,as they say I cost too much to use at the time, because they don’t have a valuable wrestler for me.
Nick Berk: I haven’t worked there in months, stay on top of things!
Nick Berk: I think the internet and quick tape distrubution cause that, as well as over-saturation. Too many people give away too much on the internet, the tapes being available within days causes lazy fans to order the tapes rather than attend the shows, and too many companies in an area with the same guys cause fans to split what company they go to see. If companies would use different wrestlers, the fans would have to go to certain shows to see them perform only there.
Nick Berk: I don’t hate working for any one promotion, they all pay me, so Ilike them all. I like working for just about all of the companies I work for.
Nick Berk: There’s a few, and all not because I hate them, but because I want to slpa some sense into them. Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid because they let good opportunities slip out of their hands. Barr because he gets motivated to do better then gives up too easily. These are all good wrestlers, but let some stupid things get in their way to success.
Nick Berk: I figured it’s time to “focus on wrestling” and be more serious. I still take pride in my Texanism, but it isn’t showcased as much.
Nick Berk: I think it’s great. He does the gimmick well. And being champion just shows how tough Texans are… DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS!
Nick Berk: I still feel the same way about the representation of XPW. I feel that their “leader” represented them in a way that I do not approve of. Now that they don’t work for that company, maybe their true colors will shine, but I have seen some of the XPW wrestlers and interacted fine with them.
Nick Berk: I just want to thank the fans for supporting me and I hope everyone visits www.nickberk.com
Thanks to everyone for reading this.