In a short matter of time, Sedrick Strong has become one of the more recognizable names on the Florida indy scene. He is currently the NWA FL X Division champion, and he will be participating in the Peterson Cup this weekend. In this interview, Sedrick discusses the Peterson Cup, last year’s ECWA Super 8 appearance and his favorite Roderick Strong vs. Sedrick Strong match. He also discusses his view on Florida wrestling fans in a brutally honest way. I’d like to thank Sedrick Strong for doing this interview.

Will Rivera: Let’s start off with some background. How did you get into professional wrestling?

Sedrick Strong: In like 3rd grade, when I moved to Florida, I thought it was awesome. I was hooked ever since, but then I moved and we didn’t have cable, so I couldn’t watch until 9th grade. I started watching it again, and I knew, right away, that’s what I wanted to do. And by luck, I knew a guy that knew a guy who did ring setup, and I started setting up the ring and training a little bit. And then, by accident, what happened is the promoter called me thinking I was somebody else and asked me to come out and wrestle for him and I did. The whole time they thought I was somebody else, and that’s it. From there I just met people, and they introduced me to new people.

WR: What wrestlers have influenced you the most, whether it be helping with ring work, words of wisdom, anything like that? Who would you say influenced you?

SS: Mick Foley. That guy is just amazing, and has more heart than anybody. He’s just willing to go no matter how hurt he is. He always keeps going. When I snapped my fingers I didn’t wanna go out of the ring because I thought it would be a bitch thing to do. Or when I split my head and had to get 28 stitches I stayed in because I thought that’s what you do. Wrestling wise, it would be Kurt Angle, Roderick Strong, for the obvious. A hell of a lot of people. There’s too many wrestlers to name. Kurt Angle, Roderick Strong…A lot, a lot of people. Just a whole lot.

WR: What was your first professional wrestling match like?

SS: (Laughing) The absolute shits! I didn’t know how to do a backdrop, so these guys called for a double backdrop. I landed on my ass and thought I broke my tailbone. So again, stayed in the match. It was just absolutely horrible. I was just some kid who didn’t really know what the hell I was doing. I was barely trained at all, trying to wrestle in front of 200 people. All my friends and family were there, it was just horrible. I wrestled the Top Dogs, Big Dog and Bad Dog.

WR: Well, now you’re pretty much a household name in the state of Florida. What is your view on the Florida scene?

SS: Wow, there’s a lot of views. I think NWA FL is underrated. We have a hell of a lot of talent that doesn’t get noticed, and that just sucks. I mean it’s great to see Roderick Strong going places, and Steve Madison and Scoot Andrews. And everyone’s going places, but it’s not going places like in the Northeast where a guy, who I don’t think is as good as Roderick Strong, gets pushed like Roderick Strong doesn’t. (Ed. Note- This interview was conducted before Roderick Strong’s recent Ring of Honor push.) I don’t know. There is a lot of things that bother me about the Florida scene. I think, honestly, the fans suck. There attention spans are horrible because they are so hot for the first 3 matches, whether they’re good or bad, but then when it comes after intermission all the fans are asleep, no matter how damn good the match is. Scoot and Sullivan can put on the best match I’ve ever seen, but if it’s after intermission the fans are gonna yawn and be assholes.

WR: What are your views on other promotions in Florida?

SS: None of them are as good as NWA FL. Not by far. There are some that try to be good, and there’s a lot that just know their place. I don’t know if I’m burying myself by talking shit about other promotions, so I won’t name names, but a lot of promotions are the shits and they take who are willing to wrestle for them instead of trying to book talent and get people to their shows. They just wanna try to make money, but they can’t do it when they only draw 30 people without having any talent at their shows.

WR: Well, you’ve competed with promotions up and down the East Coast. What do you think is the difference between Florida promotions and the promotions up North?

SS: I don’t know. A lot of it has to do with the rings and people’s willingness to work. Florida wrestlers are willing to work. I think the Northeast, generally, has steel rings. I’ve never wrestled in the Northeast and not been in a steel ring. In Florida, it’s hard to come by one of those. It adds so much to the show because every move looks that much more explosive, that much more high impact with the steel ring. It sounds better. It looks better. And I think the Northeast people take it more seriously. Here, it’s more of a hobby, up there it’s more of a job.

WR: One promotion up in the Northeast is ECWA. You competed in their prestigious Super 8 tournament last year wrestling Chance Beckett. Where you nervous because, essentially, you were making a debut (in the Northeast) on such a high profile stage?

SS: I was and I wasn’t. There were parts where I was nervous, and then there were parts where I was like ‘This is just another wrestling match.’ Everyone I met up there was awesome. I got treated with such great respect. I mean, Spanky is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the business. Paul London is absolutely amazing, really just down to Earth. They’re good people, and that’s why they made it where they did. I don’t know, nerves didn’t really hit too bad. I just went out there and wrestled, pretty much. It was good.

WR: The internet has played a pivotal role in professional wrestling. Some say it’s absolutely bad for the business. Others say it’s good because they know what the fans want. What is your view on that?

SS: I wish I got on the internet more. I really don’t pay attention to it too much. A lot of fans in Florida don’t take notice like they do in the Northeast, and I don’t look at Northeast boards because I’m not up there. It’s just a huge difference. I don’t think it hurts it, at all. I think there’s stupid people that’ll make stupid posts, but everyone’s entitled to their opinion.

WR: Let’s shift gears to the Peterson Cup. What can you tell us about Jeff Peterson?

SS: Jeff Peterson is actually one of the guys that inspired me to get into this business. I used to be 120 lbs. and 6 ft. tall. I was the skinniest kid you will ever see in your entire life. I saw Jeff Peterson out there, and he was my size. So, it was insane watching this guy just be the man, stealing the show, when I was just in the crowd watching. This guy was the best on the show and made me want to be a wrestler more. He is more inspiring to me. Every year at the Peterson, it’s such an honor to be a part of it. I remember the first match (seeing him wrestle in person), he hit this frog splash, dressed in all his USA stuff, and I was like ‘Who the hell is that guy? He was damn good.’ And then they just explained who he was. I wrestled with him a few times. It was some good times.

WR: Last year you advanced to the finals before losing to Reckless Youth. What was that entire experience like, being in the first Peterson Cup?

SS: Very shocking. I honestly thought I would go out first, maybe second round. Then when I heard I was in the finals I was like ‘Damn!’ It was just something that was not expected. It’s definitely the highlight of my entire wrestling career. Super 8 is very close, but when you have guys like Tony Mamaluke, and B-Boy, and CM Punk, and everyone just pounding on the ring, screaming your name, while Reckless is beating the hell out of you and snapping your knee in a million different ways. That’s invigorating. That’s uplifting. You hear all these high profile names cheering for you, it’s awesome.

WR: In this year’s Peterson Cup you face Roderick Strong in the opening round. Is it still awkward for you to wrestle him?

SS: Not at all. He’s one of my favorite opponents to wrestle. He can do anything and take anything. Watching him wrestle is just amazing, and you can learn so much just by watching him. When I get to wrestle him, hell it hurts. He trained me. He hits me hard, but it’s nice, man. It’s really a positive experience every time I get into the ring with him. It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s very positive.

WR: Could you describe your favorite Sedrick/Roderick match?

SS: In a heartbeat. I don’t remember the date. I know it went about 10 minutes. It was right around our split, a few months after that. Of course, he was doing his backbreakers and breaking my back the whole time. I remember the match ended in a count out on the ramp at IPW with a Diamond Dust when we knocked each other out. We about broke the ramp, but everybody was chanting “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!’ I remember everyone coming up to me in the back. (They were saying) ‘Oh my God, that match was awesome! That match was awesome!’ It was a good feeling.

WR: Let’s play some word association.

SS: Ok.

WR: Joe Price (Owner of NWA FL)?

SS: Extremely nice man. Very, very talented.

WR: Reckless Youth?

SS: Genius in the ring. He can do anything.

WR: Chance Beckett?

SS: Consummate professional.

WR: Roderick Strong?

SS: Gonna go places. Superstar.

WR: NWA FL?

SS: Best promotion in the World.

WR: Jeff Peterson?

SS: Inspiring to everyone he talked to.

WR: Sedrick Strong?

SS: (Laughing) I used to be somebody! Needs a lot of work.

WR: Any final words you’d like to pass on to fans reading this interview?

SS: Move to Florida and turn our fans to non-shitty, especially that kid, the AOD Shirt, who I’m gonna break his neck and kick him every five seconds! (Ed. Note- The AOD Shirt is a fan standing within 5 feet of where the interview was taking place. He is the kid behind the controversy surrounding a Florida promoter threatening a 15-year-old. The situation has since been dropped.)

WR: Alright Sedrick, thanks for your time.

SS: Thank you.

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