Call it on the fly

I will remember 2015’s BOSJ XXII as my first venutre into the prestigious tournament. I remember having injured ribs that I hurt midway through the tour during a tag. I will remember an Earthquake shaking Korakuen Hall during my match with Taguchi. I will forever remember the immense pressure of wrestling in the finals. The sickening feeling of nervousness, followed by disappointment, followed by complete relief. Relief that it was over.
I will remember 2016’s BOSJ XXIII for different reasons.
The 23rd annual Best of the Super Juniors is now in the history books. I have returned after 20 days in Japan with nothing but fond memories and a sore body. And some Balance-Up bars, I love those things.

I’ll sum up the last 3 weeks with a quote from Gedo: “This was the best Super Juniors ever.”

And it was. The overall match quality was incredible. 16 guys working their asses off every night for 8 minutes, 10 minutes, 20+ minutes, opening match to main event. Every athlete had their role to play in the developing story arc that was this year’s tournament.

Whether you had a single’s match or a 10-man tag ‘off-day’ the grind was very real. 14 shows with an average bus ride of 4 hours on the way to each venue. Extra time was spent strictly on finding a gym and training; finding a conveeny and eating; catching up on ‘Game of Thrones’ and crying. I have a new appreciation for a full-time wrestling schedule. The tour kicked off with 5 shows in a row. That may be the most I’ve done in a row at such a high level and expectation.

On my ‘off days’ I would typically be in an 8 or 10 man tag match. A couple juniors here with a couple of heavies there. A mish-mash of guys mainly created for getting over the current storyline of Nagata VS Shibata. The 3rd generation VS the new generation. And get over they did. In every town we had this match a full scale brawl and fight would erupt. Nagata and Shibata wowed the crowd and myself creating such a sense of realism that one couldnt help but be suckered into thinking “Okay these guys actually hate each other and are really fighting.”
I learned so much from these series of matches specifically in Nagata’s use of facial expressions and when to turn up the intensity. That guy is on another level, man. Juice Robinson’s chemistry with Manabu Nakanishi is truly something to behold as well. It is truly a testament to Juice’s competence as a wrestler when Nakanishi as old and broken down as he is requests taking back suplexes and hitting top-rope cross body blocks. Tenzan in typical madman fashion would be hitting top-rope Moonsaults with precision on these farm-town shows that left me with my jaw hanging open.

“Why Tenzan-San?! Only house show!”
To which he would just reply with a maniacal laugh. These tags were some of the most fun and stress-free matches I’ve had in my career.

The comroderie of the ‘good brothers’ is what kept us all sane, or perhaps it was our shared insanity that kept us all insane. Of course a pre-requisite for a successful wrestling career is to be 95% out of your mind. Just a solid group of guys making each other laugh, while motivating each other to continually become a better performer and set the bar higher and higher.

Speaking of setting the bar, Ricochet and Will Ospreay absolutely blew the roof off Korakuen Hall. In the aftermath a blend of controversy and admiration amongst wrestlers and fans alike, took to the mean streets of Twitter. I found it to be an incredible display of athleticism and innovation. I truly feel that 15-20 years from now the BOSJ XXXVIII champion will site that match as what inspired him to pursue Pro-Wrestling.

As most people would agree, wrestling is a subjective form of art. Although I have a different philosophy on how I represent my own matches and style of pro-wrestling, that doesn’t mean one way is correct and another way is wrong. Who am I to say what is right or what is wrong? It’s okay to feel negatively about art. That makes it a topic for conversation and discussion. If people are talking about it that means they were moved by it in one way or another. Picasso and DaVinci, although from different eras, both had different styles and philosophies on art. Both will be remembered forever and left behind priceless pieces of work. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart both had very different philosophies on wrestling but they both made a lot of money. They both inspired, created and did amazing things for the wrestling business. They were both artists. I am an artist. I hope you will observe the interpretation of my art as something unique, beautiful and powerful. That is all I hope to accomplish, to have someone be moved for better or for worse. To be in the conversation.

Perhaps that is what made this year’s BOSJ so excellent. The diversity and beauty that was created in the ‘cerulean blue ring’. Many stories were told and it seems like every night the matches just got better and better.

From Ricochet and Ospreay setting the new standard in high flying wrestling to KUSHIDA’s establishment as the company’s top junior Ace and native star.
From Taguchi’s resurgence in proving just how damn good he is to BUSHI’s commitment to his role as a heel in spoiling KUSHI’s chances in the finals.
From Bobby Fish’s sublime storytelling and consistency to Volador Jr’s ‘caution to wind’ classical Lucha Libre style.
From Liger and Gedo killing it nightly after Christ-knows-how-long in the business to Tiger mask IV and Trent Beretta having my favorite match of the tournament (to watch as a fan) in a Japanese hockey arena.

From David Finlay perfectly playing his role as young Lion underdog with a fighting spirit to Chase Owen’s coming in on a couple days notice and playing the role of a true heel, while having good, unique matches.

From Matt Sydal’s beautiful blend of strikes, high-flying, babyface charm and having a classic with KUSHIDA at Korakuen.

To Rocky Romero’s blend of comedic timing with shoot-style Puroresu and giving me my favorite match of the tour.

This tournament truly had everything any wrestling fan could ever want.

This tournament also had everything I could personally want after a career defining moment I had in Korakuen Hall.

When I work with KUSHIDA, it feels special. We both have a similar mindset in how we want to view and display pro-wrestling. The ultimate form of chemistry. It’s very cool to have 2 guys whom don’t share a native tongue yet we can communicate perfectly when it comes to showcasing our violent form of art. We’ve wrestled each other in 4 diffferent countries thus far and one can only assume that number will grow.

Most of all I was able to enjoy the moment. Much more than last year’s final because there was much less pressure and because nobody got seriously hurt. To top it all off, I was able to thank the fans in their native language telling them I love them and that I’ll do my very best. Is this real life?! The Nihongo lessons and extra studying have certainly paid off. Otearai wa doko desu ka

I will look back on this year’s tournament as something I was able to simply enjoy. Sure it was taxing and tiring but it was supposed to be. I’m proud of myself and of everyone involved for the overall body of work and for representing the Junior-Heavweight divison in a positive light.

1 day until check-in.

I return to Osaka Jo-Hall this weekend for NJPW Dominion. After 2 days on the road with ROH and 6 total days at home it’s back into the belly of the beast. No rest for the weary and I wouldn’t want it any other way. The best way to keep up the momentum of this division is for us all to keep killing it.

4 Corner Elimination IWGP Jr. Tag title match. Sky Crank VS RPG Vice VS Bucks VS reDRagon.

IWGP Jr. title match KUSHIDA vs Will Ospreay.

Not to mention Nagata/Shibata, Elgin/Omega ladder match and Okada/Naito. Wrestling is alive and well.

Thank-you for reading. OSS!

I’m often asked what the most difficult part of this profession I’ve chosen is. Is it the bumps, the pressure, the immense expectation to deliver? Performing under stress while dealing with sickness and injury? These are all viable answers. My answer, more often than not, is the travel. The constant grind of waking up, checking in, getting to the airport, parking, sitting for hours on end. Driving, staying awake, knowing one’s location, avoiding getting lost, actually getting lost, making it to a show on time or making it home with enough time to pretend you live a normal, balanced life plays its toll.

If you’ve ever traveled or gone on vacation or visited somewhere for a friend’s wedding, likely you’ve dealt with these stresses and inconvieniences. It’s simply the price one pays to live in the modern age. As humans in the 21st century we can cross continents within a matter of hours and it’s truly a testament to human ingenuity and progress. This fact doesn’t necessarily imply that this type of travel is good for the human body, mind or soul. As I tell those who ask, “the travel is what kills ya” I say it with sincerity.

Traveling to Japan and back for Destruction in Kobe I logged in a total of about 28 hours of air travel, 8 hours on the bullet train, 7 hours of waiting in the airport, 4 hours of bus/taxi and 1 glorious hour in the car with my wife, to and from the airport which I can say with all confidence is my favorite hour that I get to enjoy of the bunch.

48 hours of travel for roughly 36 minutes of Wrestling. However, those are the minutes that make it all worthwhile, the glorious minutes spent within the ropes of a New Japan Pro-Wrestling ring. As one of the few lucky human beings on this planet that gets to make a living off the beautiful sport that is Pro-Wrestling, I can never take this for granted. Appreciate every moment you get to spend doing what you love and be proud of your work. !0 year old me would be so pissed at his future self if he or I were ever complaining about the travel!

ReDRagon wrestled the teams of Mascara Dorada & Jushin Liger, Alex Shelley & Jay White and The TimeSplitters. I loved every match, having great chemistry with the Splitters and it was especially rad getting to wrestle Liger which is always a pleasure.

This past weekend I returned to Europe for RevPro: UK in London for a Best of the Super Juniors Finals rematch Vs KUSHIDA. It was an absolute treat performing in York Hall for those great fans and an even bigger treat getting my revenge on KUSHIDA! The match was sweet and it’s available to watch online at http://www.rpwondemand.com. It also marked the third continent that I’ve wrestled KUSHIDA on, which I think is pretty cool. I hope to return to RevPro sooner than later, perhaps next time in a tag-team match…

On to Germany where I would rendezvous with Bobby Fish and compete in the 2 day WxW World Tag Team Tournament. 4 matches in total vs Ciampa & ACH, Sumerian Death Squad, Hot & Spicy and Zach & Walter. These shows were fun and the finals on the last day were really good vs Sabre Jr. and Walter.

The only real downside to my quick jaunt across the pond would be the complete lack of decent sleep from Wednesday night until Monday. For some reason in Europe getting to the building 6-7 hours before the show on zero sleep is a requirement and necessity. By the time I got home on Monday my immune system was shot and I had became violently ill for exactly 24 hours. I still got 2 full days on the mats however before getting back on a plane. The next 4 weeks are going to suck for my BJJ training. It’s good I brought my Gi and will be cross training while in Japan!

I write to you now on Delta Flight 585 with nonstop service to Tokyo Narita. 2 weeks removed from when I first began this blog in the Sky lounge at Narita. My blogs are a work in progress just like my life, slowly but surely. I am now returning for the weekend with a show in the famous Ryogoku Sumo Palace. An absolutely stunning venue that carries with it such a rich historical significance. Truly humbled by getting to work this building, and work it we will! It’s ReDRagon vs Roppongi Vice for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team titles in what’s sure to be a great match. Hoping to carry on the legacy of the Jr. Tag division which in New Japan is extremely competitive, constantly producing good and diverse matches.

Returning on St. Louis on Tuesday and then it’s off to Cancun, Mexico with my wife for a much needed vacation! I’ve never been to Mexico or anywhere really tropical or nice for that matter. What should I do? Hoping there’s some good surfing!

I’ll return to Japan the following Wednesday, October 21 for the Super Junior Tag League in which reDRagon are defending champions. Road to Power Struggle a 19 day tour ending with Power Struggle in Osaka. This tour will mark a year since my first full length tour with New Japan and 10 or so trips to Japan later I am equally as excited. Alas, that is when you may hear from me again. At some point during or after that tour I’ll have processed another blog and perhaps even uploaded it too. So the 3 or 4 people that read this thing will just have to be patient!

Currently rocking out to the new CHVRCHES album “Every open eye” right now on a loop for this entire flight and if you’re in a synth pop phase like me then check it out. If you order a special meal on your flight make sure you do it 24 hours in advance, not 23 hours and 45 minutes in advance because then you won’t get it. As if being diabetic wasn’t shitty enough already, now plane food just makes me mad. Nothing can get me down right now though, this album is THAT good! “I’ll have another Heineken and a red wine please”. Just some pro tips that may or may not be of service.

Thanks for reading. Make sure you check out King of Pro-Wrestling this Monday available with English Commentary on NJPWworld.com.

It seems that after a prolonged absence I’m back to writing a blog. I don’t know what kept me away for so long and I don’t know why I’m suddenly compelled to continue. Perhaps certain events regarding my professional wrestling career as of late have relit a fire under my ass.

I was unsuccessful in capturing the ROH World title at the PPV this weekend against Jay Lethal. However, I was successful in kicking Jay’s all over the great state of Texas! Adam Cole (is a dickhead) BayBay and the only reason I’m not ROH Champion right now is because of him. Oh well, there’s always next time!

See my instant reaction here: http://youtu.be/tpuqUpGyyeU

We filmed some great episodes of TV so keep tuning into your local Sinclair stations and/or Destination America on Wednesday nights!

After one day at home to relax, pack and eat Seoul Taco with my wife, I am once again in an airport. Although sore and tired from a 3 match weekend, I am reaping the benefits of the Delta Sky-Lounge. Complimentary oatmeal, hard boiled eggs *coughBEERcough* and a delicious house blend coffee compile a nutrient dense breakfast for my travels. Being a wrestler is stressful.

I am returning to Japan for 1 week with Bobby Fish. I’m at the bus depot boarding the reDRagon wagon which is the original Lex Express that we purchased and refurbished to travel in, what I said about the airport before was a lie.

NJPW Destruction in Kobe available of course at NJPWworld.com! ReDRagon defending the IWGP Jr. Tag team titles against the TimeSplitters. One of my favorite tag-teams to face are definitely the Splitters so this one should be a blast.

Thanks for reading, its up to you guys to keep me accountable so that I’ll actually keep writing these. The next 8 weeks carry a pretty hefty travel schedule with tons of international dates, so there could be some pretty cool stories. Or there might not be anything noteworthy at all, I don’t know. Life as a pro-wrestler can be extremely boring sometimes. Time to go board a Jumbo Jet, bye.

UPDATE: Since it took me a while to get this uploaded, I have now already been in Japan for two nights. Destruction in Okayama took place tonight and Bobby Fish and myself were victorious over Jushin Liger and Mascara Dorada. It was a top notch show overall, main evented by Kota Ibushi and Togi Makabe. After a post game meal at Bob’s BigBoy (which is much different from its US counterpart but delicious nonetheless) I have now returned to my room which by Japanese standards is quite large. Okay, time for bed. Another show tomorrow and the bus leaves at noon. Japan time is ALWAYS early so noon means 11:45, which means 11:30, which means 11:15…

The era of Honor began when I was 15 years old. Pro-wrestling was still a distant dream waiting to be conquered. I had no idea that one cold February night something special had just been created and witnessed, inspiring a new generation of wrestlers to change the dynamics and perceptions of an industry.  It would be a couple years later when I would stumble upon a DVD that I still own to this day. “ROH: The Era of Honor Begins.” A DVD that would change me and inspire me, opening my mind to what was possible in professional wrestling. I truly believe pro-wrestling to be a sport, an athletic struggle between passionate and gifted athletes. Ring of Honor emphasized this and would continue to grow with this ideal and objective of providing their fans with “an entertaining sport, not sports entertainment.” I believed in the product, that is to say, I still believe. I had always known I wanted to become a professional wrestler. It’s what I was born to do. Now I knew where I wanted to be when this dream would become reality. The seed had been planted and now it had a source of sustenance to maintain its steady growth to become the fruit of my labor.

The lactic acid is overwhelming and my lungs burn for more oxygen than they can possibly ingest.  The smell of leathery heavy bags and sanitized mats fills the air, it’s humid and my shirt and shorts are soaked with sweat. I fade into a momentary daydream, a reflection of where I came from. It had been 5 years since I laced up my boots for my first match. I trained and wrestled at every possible opportunity with the sole purpose of improving and advancing. I had outgrown my comfort zone, no longer would I be a big fish in a small pond. I remember getting in my car and beginning the solo trek from the Pacific west coast to St. Louis, Missouri. 33 hours to reflect and remind myself that I was in this for the long haul. If I truly wanted this, I had to go out and grab it.

“C’mon Kyle!” Davey Richards’ persistent, demanding voice brings me back to reality.   “10 more!”

I unleash another devastating Thai kick to the unforgiving solid leather. My shins are screaming, I know it’s the nerve endings dying.  Nine more thunderous cracks echo throughout the gym at 6:37 am.

I am gaining self-satisfaction though this never-ending labyrinth of a training regimen. I know every black eye, bloody nose and aching joint is just another exclamation point in my quest. I must truly believe I’m earning my spot to call myself a member of the Ring of Honor roster. I owe everything I’ve gained in the last 2 years since moving my life to St. Louis to Davey Richards.

“You’re an athlete Kyle, this sport needs more guys like you.”

Davey’s words are embedded in my mind as I tap out to another one of his devastating arm bars in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class.

“I still have a ways to go” I reply.

Flash forward to Glory by Honor X in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. My back is searing with pain and my chest resembles a slab of mutilated ground beef.  I had just been at war with Eddie Edwards. It’s no secret that Eddie and I haven’t been on the same page since day one of my ROH tenure. It’s also no secret that I respect the hell out of Eddie Edwards. Here I am sitting in a pool of sweat, wasted in bitter defeat. Eddie took me to the absolute limit, as I did to him. There shouldn’t be any shame in tapping out,. “Live to fight another day, avoid permanent damage.” Is one of the familiar phrases commentators and fighters alike often quote.  I can’t help but feel a sense of shame and disappointment despite the fact that Eddie just gave me the best match of my career. Here I am a week away from what now is the biggest match of my career, with another crack at Eddie Edwards. I feel a sense of intervening destiny. I must beat him, alongside my friend and mentor Davey Richards. I have to beat Eddie Edwards and Adam Cole.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how I’m going to look at Adam Cole differently this Sunday. Adam Cole has always had my back, and stood next to me proudly in victory and defeat. I have to accept the fact that this Sunday he will not have my back, I have to accept that things have forever been changed. I must walk into the ring with the full intention of destroying him. That will be me showing him every ounce of respect that he deserves. I know how dangerous Adam Cole is and what he’s capable of. If I don’t exhaust every last bit of my energy into pounding his face into the mat, then I am doing him an injustice. I’d be disrespecting the warrior and athlete I know him to be, setting myself up for him to do the same thing to me. Code of Honor before and after the match, but in between those two bells, Adam Cole will be the worst enemy I’ve ever had. Here we are Adam, we both stand, backs against the wall, facing each other in a narrow corridor. Nose to nose, eye to eye, fist to jaw, foot to chest, elbow to neck, back to mat, 1 to 3.

What this Sunday represents goes above and beyond “my quest”. What this Sunday is about is bigger than Kyle O’Reilly. It’s bigger than Adam Cole, Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards. This Sunday is about Ring of Honor’s tenth anniversary. For ten years a wrestling company has strived to bring the absolute best wrestling into the limelight. This Sunday is about the fans after ten years, have continued an undying support for a company and a product they believed in. This Sunday is for all of the legends and future legends that have ever stepped foot inside that beautiful red and black ring. For the last ten years anyone that ever sweat, bled and fought tooth and nail for the sport they loved and cared about, and the company that let them do it. The ROH tenth anniversary event in New York City Sunday, March 4^th, 2012, represents wrestling freedom. I plan on paying tribute to a company that made such a great impression on me that I strived to pursue my dream at all costs. Davey Richards, Adam Cole, Eddie Edwards and myself will all pay homage to Ring of Honor this Sunday, and we will all do it by completely destroying and dismantling each other, proudly and with honor.

Bruise cruise

I had slightly bruised my arm at the WxW/CZW best of the best weekend. Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Skrull once again proved to be among the best teams that Adam and I have wrestled. Stiff kicks and arm bars left my right bicep in shambles.

I participated in NAGA the North American Grappling Association’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Upping my MMA and Jitz training to such frequency I felt confident going in. Keith advised me to make the 179 lb. weight class and walking around at 186 I felt it would be pretty easy to cut weight within the week. I weighed in on the Saturday at 175 lbs. So I had cut an extra 4 lbs than needed. Upped Cardio, Sauna sessions, MMA classes and low carb intake had me make the weight easily. Unfortunately I lost in the First round via points losing 6-5. It was so much fun! A good first attempt and motivational factor for moving forward with my training. Next time I don’t think I’ll cut that much weight that fast though, it left me feeling weak and after working a match, an all night drive and lack of sleep I got gassed quick. Excuses are like assholes though, or so I’m told. Gained 12 lbs back again the next day via whole wheat pancakes and cereal attacks.

Lucha VaVoom

Matt Classic Jr. debuted for Lucha VaVoom in Chicago on Cinco de Mayo 2011, alongside his dad Matt Classic Sr. VaVoom was wicked, we arrived to the building in pimped out 1920’s gangster cars with flames shooting out the rear. Speaking of rear, MC Jr. would fall fatal to the Dirty Sanchez (Chocolate cake) shitty underwear in the face slam.

The following evening in Detroit ROH: Revolution USA, Adam Cole and I continued to grow and unite as a tag team in an all out war with Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass. A great learning experience of a match, although Cole and I lost we have become wiser and more confident going into future battles.

On Saturday May 7th I returned to Toronto for ROH: Revolution Canada to face Claudio Castagnoli. I really enjoyed this match despite getting my ass choke-slammed and powerbombed. The Toronto crowd treated me well and I feel I’m improving leaps and bounds as a performer with every match.

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Circuit du soleil.

This is a hardcore gasser of a circuit that involves 10 compound exercise movements that will be done consistently for a 30 second burst. The rest period is walking to the next station, everything needs to be prepared and set up beforehand. This simulates an all out burst of exertion of every muscle group with a short recovery period to prepare for another sprint. Each “round” will take 5 minutes to mimic a full round of an MMA fight. The circuit is done 4 times with 1-2 minutes rest max between sets.

1. Bosu Ball jump lunges.
2. Barbell bench press (bands/plates).
3. Renegade rows.
4. Bicep curl to shoulder press.
5. Dips with leg raise.
6. Barbell lateral twisters.
7. Laying down swiss ball hamstring curls.
8. Squat to shoulder shrug.
9. Drop down to jumping pull up.

10. Upright row.

30 seconds each exercise.

Okay so to clarify..

1. Bosu Ball jump lunges, set up 2 bosu balls with a decent enough split to stand in lunging position on both of them and lunge jumping into alternating legs.
2. For the bench, set up resistance bands with a 35 lb plate on a barbell, incline bench. Hammer out reps for the time period.
3. Renegade rows with 35 lb dumbells, in pushup position alternate a single armed row keeping back strait.
4. Curl to press, 25-35 lbs dumbells.
5. On a dip rack, do a tricep/pec dip with a knees to chest leg raise at the top position.
6. 10 lb plate on a barbell wedged into a corner. Hold one end strait in front of you and alternate twisting side to side.
7. Laying on your back with a swiss ball under your heals, explode of your ass and curl the ball into your butt.
8. 40 lb dumbells, deep squat and shrug at top position.
9. Sprawl at the base of a chin-up bar and jump to a wide gripped pullup.
10. 10.  45 lb curl bar, wide grip upright row.

Getting through the first 2 sets is the initial blowup. Usually you reach a steady state by the third set, but don’t use it to slow down. Try and keep track of how many reps you’re hitting at each station and either match it every time or try and hit 1 or 2 more.

Sexy Tilapia

Whole wheat Tilapia veggie pasta. Pan sautéed Tilapie with garlic roasted veggies and basil tomato pasta sauce.

Flax Pea-pro-cooksters

Sexual low carb flax protein peanut butter cookies.

These are a must for everyone and anyone. Such a sexual delight of flavor and protein/fat goodness.

2 scoops vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder.

¼ cup of ground flax meal.

¼ cup of skim milk.

1 teaspoon vanilla.

1 18oz. jar of peanut butter.

1 teaspoon baking powder.

1 egg white.

Mix ingredients together and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

This is the first blog I’ve written in a long time. The first time that I’ve written anything really, since Movembs. So this is more of just me finally sitting down at a Starbucks in St. Louis reflecting on the year of our lord, sweet Christ 2010 and what 2011 brings. I will write for as long as 2 venti green teas last me, this is like “Speed 4”.

Statistics and various facts of 2010.

I traveled over 80, 000 km as the crow flies, that’s about twice around the Earth. Unfortunately my odometer clicked away most of them. 2010 was a year about proving myself and making necessary sacrifices to properly advance in the pro-wrestling world. It seems that more wrestlers get signed walking out of a gym these days than after years of hard work on the indies, earning their right to make the main stage. I knew and know what I want to accomplish through wrestling, and the 20 hour solo drives for a ten minute match solidify the fact that I’m earning my place in this sport.

On September 10^th 2010 I signed a contract with Ring of Honor, my dream had been realized. ROH is a place where the sport and fire of pro-wrestling is still alive and well. Everything that I believe about in wrestling and the reason I’m proud to say I’m a pro-wrestler is backed by what ROH represents.

I made my United Kingdom debut in 2010 for Fight Club: Pro, in Wolverhampton, England. A true class group of people run FCP and I’d like to thank Martin, Ben, Adam and Laura for treating me like family while I nervously ventured into my first overseas wrestling tour.

What else happened in 2010? Looking back on a year when 2011 is almost a quarter past will surely cause me to neglect some facts and stories. OH! Canada once again proved hockey dominance in the 2010 Winter Olympic games from my hometown of Vancouver, BC! Just had to throw that out there.

Top 5 matches of 2010:

5. Kyle O’Reilly vs Adam Cole (Chikara Young Lions cup. Reading, PA August 25 2010)

Working with Adam again was a true pleasure and we again had instant chemistry. Little did I know how close we would actually become..

4. Kyle O’Reilly vs Ricochet (IPW Super Junior Heavyweight tournament. Indianapolis, IN November ????)

A step above our “Evolve 5” match, the finals of the IPW SJHT, sooo much fun!

3. Kyle O’Reilly vs TJP (ROH Tag title classic II. Plymouth, MA December 18, 2010)

I feel I grow as a wrestler so much every time I wrestle TJ, the guy is an absolute workhorse. Not sure if it was as good as our “Evolve 3” match, but I give it the edge because I felt like I had improved since our previous bout.

2. Kyle O’Reilly vs Bobby Fish (Evolve 6. Union City, NJ November 20, 2010)

What a war. Can’t wait to see this one on tape, a true fight in every sense of the word. Our first match meant so much because it was the first match on the first evolve show, but this was a battle at a whole new level. I was bruised, beat, broken and scarred after this.

1. Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole vs The All Night Express of Kenny King and Rhett Titus. (ROH Final Battle 2010. New York City, NY December 19, 2010)

This such an important moment in my career. My New York City debut. Across the street from Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan. Live on Pay-per-view I was ungodly nervous for weeks building up to this match. Once it was go time, the butterflies had fled. I reflected on what I had done to get to this point and realized I was just going to do what I had always done up to this point. Needless to say, the four of us tore it up and opened the show with a bang. Very proud of this match, and a huge moment for Adam and myself.

My Venti green teas are long since finished and I once again put this blog to the side for far too long. I sit now on a plane to St. Louis from Atlanta. I came to Atlanta via Paris, France. Paris, via Dusseldorf, Germany. Dusseldorf via London, England. Wrestling is starting to take me all over the world and I am extremely thankful for that opportunity.

My second wrestling related tour of England was an eventful one. Adam Cole had been there for several weeks already working all over the country. Martin Zaki from Fight club: Pro and Adam picked me up from Manchester, International and 11 days in Europe began. Our first match was for FCP at “The Planet” nightclub in Wolverhampton. Adam and myself teamed up to fight Lee and Jim Hunter in what fans who attended are calling the UK match of the year. In all honesty it was a glorified “spot fest” in every sense of the term, but the Hunters worked extremely hard, we all did, and I’m proud of the match. Sami Callihan would later face Trent Seven on the show. Sami is a wicked dude with an extremely explosive and hard-hitting offense. The three of us would join El Generico and venture south to Kent for IPW:UK. Adam and myself took on Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Scurll in a battle for tag-team supremacy. Zack and Marty are both phenomenal workers and I think we were all really proud of the match.

With a couple days off aside from a bar show on Tuesday, the four of us would venture into London for some sightseeing. The British Bulldog’s theme music constantly humming from my mouth. The complete chronicles of Bagpuss. A cursed British children’s show character would cause us more harm than good. Visiting Abbey Road was an experience in it’s own right. The ordeal of getting a successful recreation of the famous Abbey Road Beatle’s album cover would prove exhausting. After several failed attempts from various locals and other tourists it would be the Ghost of John Lennon who would finally show up to provide our photographic needs. We didn’t even ask him is the weird thing. He just kind of showed up and told us he would take the picture. It was only after he vanished that we realized that his resemblance to John Lennon was uncanny. Bizarre.

RyanAir is shite. What a shitty airline is all I can say. Just gash. Ghastly service and quality. But I guess you get what you pay for, which in this case was nothing. The seats don’t even recline!

Germany is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. For it’s historical significance alone was worth the trip, but to wrestle in this country was truly something special. Getting off the plane I had a strange realization that this was once the most hostile country on the planet. It’s funny how things change over time, because everyone in Germany was extremely nice and helpful despite the language barrier. I had always seen the WXW videos of the crazy fans in huge numbers crowded against the ring pounding the mat. No chairs, just hundreds of rowdy, drunk German wrestling fans singing and shouting and loving every moment of us loving every moment of what we do. Wrestling in Germany reminded me of why I became a wrestler.

I would wrestle in a random 4 way on night 1 that was nothing special. A botched tornado DDT was probably the highlight of the match, “I meant to do that!” I exclaimed. Night 2 would see me and Adam wrestle Eli Sitochi and El Generico in a tag. I was nervous and excited to wrestle El Generico, he is a guy I have huge amounts of respect for. A true ROH legend in my eyes, and wrestling him ended up being so much fun! Night 3 would pit a rematch of the Leaders (Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr.) versus Adam Cole and myself in the semi main event. I gotta give credit to the German fans for this one, they made it a truly special atmosphere. Every stiff strike, body twisting submission and devastating bump was greeted with an “OOHHH HEEEYYYY YAAAAA” from the 500 plus faithful. Fans pounding the ring in excitement helped provide that big fight aura that reminded me how capturing people’s emotions is what the sport of pro-wrestling is all about. The match was wicked and getting to tangle with Marty and Zack one more time in Europe before the trips end was the perfect way to cap off an amazing 11 days.

Almost back to St. Louis, three days of hard training await and then I’ll return to Boston and New York for ROH. No rest for the weary. Looking forward to keeping the blog updated more often now. Back by popular demand. Training tips and meals will be my next update.