Altitude Pro Wrestling Academy
Colorado's #1 Professional Wrestling School

Was so sorry to hear of the passing of Johnny Grunge. Did not know him well, but he seemed to be a very happy go lucky type of person. It is so sad that the biggest team in ECW history, “Public Enemy” are both gone in the prime of their lives.

Our training camp in North Carolina was fun, and productive. Not only did I get the chance to spend some time with old friends Ricky Steamboat, Terry Taylor, and Tracy Smothers, along with Dr. Tom; we had some talented youngsters on hand also.

In a surprise visit, TNA’s Chase Stevens who was wrestling on the NGW shows laced up the boots, and worked out with us. I’ve known Chase for about three years, and my respect level went up for this guy since he could have easily taken the stance that he was a big TV star, and didn’t need the extra ring time. But instead he worked just as hard as the athletes with less then a year under their belts.

Two wrestling school trainers showed up to add to their resumes, and pick up what they could to take back to their respective gyms. Russ Simpson, the beginning class trainer from OVW joined us for the camp along with APWA co-owner and head trainer Jeff Michaelis from Denver. You have heard me mention here that you must be careful of giving your money to young athletes claiming to be trainers. The reason is that they can only teach you what they themselves have learned, and experienced. I will tell you in a heartbeat that I would send an inexperienced person to either one of these guys. I have worked with both multiple times in our camps and they have traveled great distances to improve their talent, and teaching skills. It is too bad there aren’t more like them.

Some of the campers that jumped out at me were Thomas Penmenship, Handsome Johnny, and Jon Thornhill from up in New England. Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, yes that is his name with a Bob Marley accent from the same area has only been training 8 months and has had three matches. All of us were impressed with his natural timing and instincts for the business. What out for this guy. Among the ladies in attendance I had my first time to work with Crystal Carmichael from the Windy City. Not only is she a “looker”, but can handle herself well between the ropes. Venus and Serina from OVW also made the trip and they give one hundred percent to show us they belonged. Both would love to receive a contact offer, and that may well be in their future. The surprise of the camp was eighteen year old Dixie Doyle who is training with Michaelis in Denver, and has been involved less then one year. At 5’ 6” and one hundred thirty pounds she has size, but impressed all of our trainers with her solid in ring skills. She was shooting pretty Steamboat style arm drags for Ricky before he left the building on Friday evening. To a man, every one of the trainers said this little lady had “future” written all over her.

I don’t mean to keep blowing the horn of Altitude Pro Wrestling Academy, or its head honcho Jeff Michealis. However in this day and age on the independent scene it is exciting to see someone run their indie promotion/school like a business and professionally. Along with Jeff, and Dixie two more of the APWA gang made the trip Billy V. and Paul Diamond. All were dedicated, disciplined, and all presented the attending promoters and trainers with 8x10 color prints in wrestling gear with their resumes printed on the back (every indie worker should have these). All were solid in their wrestling fundamentals, and showed respect for the business in which they seek a career. For the trainers and promoters who had never seen them before they left a good impression, while opening doors for future bookings. Promoting a professional image of your promotion and school should be as important as trying to sell tickets to your shows.

We were lucky to have the “Highspots” gym as our training center for two of the three days. It was my first visit to the company’s offices and warehouse. Man! If you are into collecting then a trip through this place will make you think you have died and gone to heaven. Mike the owner made us welcome, and has a nice gym which is both heated and air conditioned with two rings set up at all times, and separate showers and rest rooms for the men and women. That along with the mild winters in Charlotte makes it a good place to lean you craft. I had the chance to work with Highspots students separately on the night before our camp began, and they all pushed the envelope for me, and I look forward to returning and spending more time with them.

The plan, if they can get the bugs worked out will be to do these camps in Charlotte four times per year, which would put us back there in May, August, and November. I think all the campers had a good time, as did we trainers, and hopefully the campers left with a better outlook on forwarding their careers.

Here is an observation about fans accepting the bar being lowered in terms of in ring performance. I read several reviews of Raw for Monday 2/21/06 on a few different sites, and for the most part the reviewers didn’t seem to mind that the only match on that show that was average or above was the 3-way with Show, Van Dam, and Triple H. This was a style clash, but they handled it very well, and made the match count. I personally was disappointed with the quality of the matches otherwise.

Sad about Ashley breaking her leg. Just watching it on the tube, it appeared she got the leg under her as she hit the floor, and then her weight came down on top of it. It was a tough bump to take even for a veteran as they put her in a headstand position to start with before dropping her, which make it hard for her to get turned and try to land properly. In a business that is dangerous for experienced people, these things are going to happen if athletes are pushed out of the nest before they are ready.
Train hard and master your craft…and don’t get hurt.

Till next time,
Les

Les along with Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, and Tom Prichard make up Elite Pro Wrestling Training. For more information on the company go to www.epwt.com . To book an EPWT seminar, camp or one of the trainers contact Les at les@epwt.com.

WRESTLER'S EYE VIEW
By Les Thatcher

Just returned from a fun trip to Denver. Harley Race and I ran a 3-day training camp there for APWA & Fusion Pro Wrestling with about a total of 25 athletes working out with us over the 3 days.

It was my first trip to the mile high city and I was pleasantly surprised to find the weather warmer then at home in Cincinnati.

As I have mentioned here in the past all the trainees I spend a great amount of time with become a part of my extended family. I was very proud of one of those family members in the form of Jeff Michaels who has wrestled under a couple of different names in recent years. Jeff first came to me during the fall of 2001 when we were involved in the WWE developmental system.

When Jeff contacted me about coming to our training center he informed me that he had a couple of years experience under his belt and after talking to one of my students who had a dark match in Denver, decided to take a week and come train with us.

As I always did then with experienced indie wrestlers, I put in with our WWE athletes to see where he was going to fit as far his talent. The first warm body he locked up with during our opening cardio drills was Jamie Noble. As Jamie began putting Michaels through his paces you could see by the look on his face that the intensity he was experiencing was about double what he was accustomed to working the indie scene in Colorado. To his credit he buckled down and by the end of our three- hour session he was more comfortable with the other wrestlers and our level of intensity. He stayed for one week, and headed back to Denver.

Now, as others had done, he could have very well went home told everyone how great he was and left it at that. Jeff called me a couple of weeks later and ask if we could work out a deal for him to return fulltime as he realized how much he had yet to learn, and was up for our style of workouts.

This young man returned and found a place to live and a part time job and buckled down to master the business of professional wrestling. He stayed with us for over eight months and during that time became a solid part of our shows and someone who didn't miss training sessions, or weight room workouts. "Sarge" was like a sponge taking in everything going on around him, and learn he did. Just this past April he came to Las Vegas for our two-day training camp there, and brought along two of his trainees. I was impressed with his students and all three made the cut to wrestle on the Saturday afternoon card.

While there we discussed having an EPWT Seminar at some point in time at their gym in the suburbs of Denver. In June of this year I received a call from Jeff to set up that seminar and also he told me he had plans to attend the 5-day camp we were doing in Missouri the first week of August.

Fast-forward to August and Michaels was involved in one of the two best matches on our event for that week as he wrestled a three-way with Matt Stryker and TJ Dalton. The other trainers were impressed with Jeff's work ethic as well. At one point during that week, we had a conversation about where he might end up in the pro wrestling biz. My comment was that even if
he never received a big break (size could be against him, as he is not a high flying type cruiserweight) he could turn out to be a
very capable trainer, as he had the mind set for that part of the industry.

After spending 3 days this past week working with his people, I am more impressed then ever with what Jeff has done in terms of helping others realize their dream of being part of our business. My co-trainer Harley Race was also impressed to the point that he has already decided to try and get Michaels a trip to Japan to wrestle for Noah. Where am I going with this? My point is that everyone is not going to be the next Ric Flair, but for those who are willing to work and give their all there are more jobs in our industry that need to be filled and are also very important. I will have no problem if ask about a capable trainer in the Rocky Mountain area to endorse Jeff Michaels as a man who is qualified to teach you the ropes. Does he know everything there is to know about the business? No he does not, but he is continuing to learn and has the mind set that he does not want to turn out people who can go through the motions.

Jeff wants to turn out good solid performers and be proud of his work in that area. Just as he wants to have the best match he can every time he steps into a wrestling ring. Harley and I both are looking forward to returning to Denver next year, not only to run another training camp, but also to see what Jeff has done in terms of advancing the talents of his trainees. I am proud to have been a part of this young man advancing in our industry, and hope that all who train with him understand what they have to help them on their way. He is a young man on the outside with an "Old School" heart.

In closing on this subject I also want to thank everyone involved with HVW and Fusion Pro Wrestling for their making
us feel at home and rolling out the welcome mat, and a big thanks to Diane and Bob our tour guides for our stay there.

I noticed that Mikey Whipwreck is now writing a column for this site. I have never met Mikey but in reading his column I think he will guide his future trainees in the right direction. He talks about being guided through early matches by the likes of Foley, Austin, Dreamer, Douglas, Raven and others. I am sure some of that rubbed off on this young man, and when he talks about
his laundry list of injuries, if you learn nothing else, you will read them and understand why WWE is going back to a more ground based style. It is not mucho to see who can be hurt the most, nor to see who can hit or kick the hardest. It is plain
stupid.

This is an art form and the only people you need to convince are the fans not one another. Sometimes in locking up with trainees at our seminars, the first words out of my mouth are "Loosen Up!" This coming from the mouth of an old guy who has locked up with the likes of Johnny Valentine, Harley Race, Lou Thesz, and Don Curtis to name a few who could legit kick your butt in a heart beat. They didn't waste their time being tough with athletes who knew how to work.

I wonder sometimes how long one of these stiffys of today would last with one of the people I just mentioned if they were to kick that old timer in the head. The honest answer is not as long as it takes me to write it here, and that old vet would be handing them their ass. Save the tough guy stuff for your adoring public, and if you want to develop a reputation, make it one that says you are a solid, but safe performer who others enjoy working with, and think of you as the old expression goes "A night off!"

Train hard and master your craft.

Till Next time,

Les Thatcher

Altitude pro wrestling academy is one of the finest wrestling schools around today. If a person wants to become a wrestler, if they can pass the tough training put
forth by Jeff and Billy, they will be prepared to wrestle anywhere in the country.

Many wrestlers try to pass themselves off as "trained" but it is only "high-spot" wrestling, not the basics needed in todays indy scene. As evidenced in Las Vegas this past April, several of our wrestlers attended a wrestling seminar for the Cauliflower Alley Club. I would say that at least half of the other "wrestlers" werent even able to make it past the initial warmup exercises and "blew up".

If you want a training regimen that involves every aspect of professional wrestling, then this is the place for you. Don't be fooled by imitations

Bob Verhey