Some folk have got struggles that are
bigger than others
I pray for better days
every single day
I know there's a greater purpose
for my life than that
Half man
Half Amazing
The Underdog
M. J.
Oooww!
Yyyyyeaaah!!
Wooooo!
Arrrghh!
Facial expressions
plays into professional wrestling
big time!
You want to be larger than life
It's about coming up with a larger than life character
and bringing that character to life
Selling is a really important part because...
You're selling something from the minute you come
through that curtain
to the minute you go back through that curtain
You're selling a character
You're selling a gimmick to a match
You're selling a story
My name is Michael and I am the founder
and owner of Underdog Pro Wrestling
I fell in love with wrestling when i was a wee boy
the first time seeing it
but the main thing that got me hooked was
Eddie Guerrero
I thought he embodied everything that was an underdog
cause he was a smaller guy
He went through setbacks
and then you saw the "Underdog" win
Watching that as a wee boy
thats what made me go, I want to do this
The main drive behind starting it is
I wanted to be able to
give back, motivate and inspire people
through what I was experienced in and
what I was good at
and it happens to be professional wrestling so..
I want to give guys that have been put down
Guys that have been bullied
Guys that have went through similar stuff as myself
I want them to be able to come along
and for it to be a safe
and fun environment
where they can learn something new and it's
something that's outside of their comfort zone
because that's where i believe true growth takes place
You've got to do something outside your comfort zone
if you want to grow as a person
It's not just about wrestling
I feel like its about telling my story
and making a difference
and giving back, motivating and inspiring people
I had a really bad start to life
Luckily I was adopted at 4 months old
I was given a really good family
and they gave me everything I ever wanted and more
Through life I've run into challenges
I went through my entire life getting bullied
That was hard for me
because I was always the smaller guy
folk thought "He's an easy target"
"Let's pick on him"
I've dealt with abandonment issues
I'd probably say the biggest struggle...
I think, It's important
This is a message I want to give to
anybody out there, because we all struggle
everybody goes through struggles
some are bigger than others
I feel like you shouldn't let
your struggle define you as a person
My biggest struggle that I've went through
is with mental health issues
Crippling anxiety on a daily basis and
I do have times when I get down on life
and I do get depresses but
4 years ago
I was going through that much mental
and emotional torture
that 4 years ago at new years eve
I actually tried to commit suicide
I tried to take my own life
Thank god I'm still here to tell the tale
I was around the wrong people at the time
I had a bad circle of influence
I was around people that didn't really love me for me
but they love me for the benefits that came with me
It's taken time and I has been a process but
I managed to get out of that dark place
and I feel like the way I see it now
I look back on that time
and I look back on everything I've been through
and the way I see it is
I see myself as a beacon of hope
A beacon of hope
for people that are going through the struggle
A beacon of hope
for the people that are in the storm
A beacon of hope
for people in a dark place mentally and emotionally
I believe that transparency
will not only lead to your transformation
but it can also lead to the transformation
of the people around you.
3... 2... 1...
Sprint!
You meet 3 types of people
You get ones that will support you
during difficult times
You get ones that will put you in difficult times
and you get those that will leave you
in difficult times
What I believe is just because certain people
quit on you
doesn't mean you should ever quit on yourself
No matter how you feel
Get up
Dress up
Show up
and never ever quit on yourself