PWP’s Tim Bell interviews Beyond Wrestling’s Rich Palladino
Coming up on December 27th, Beyond Wrestling holds the last event they’ll have inside Fete Music in Providence, RI, with a stacked card including Tommaso Ciampa, Donovan Dijak, Low Ki, Homicide, Sami Callihan and many more. I’ve been lucky enough to interview some great competitors from Beyond Wrestling in the last couple of months, and now I had the chance to pick the brain of one of the greatest ring announcers in the game today, Rich Palladino. Rich has been working in Professional Wrestling for over twenty years, working in ECW, ROH, CZW, Chaotic Wrestling, and many more, including Beyond Wrestling.
As Beyond closes the door on its era at Fete and moves towards a new home, Rich has an interesting perspective on some of the greatest moments to take place at Fete, being that he’s brings legitimate experience from being involved in the industry for so many years, yet is still able to observe and enjoy the product from the standpoint of a fan, a quality that often comes through in his performances during a show, as well as in our conversation below.
Tim: In my admittedly limited Indy wrestling experiences, I haven’t found another show or company that brings the type of atmosphere seen at Beyond Wrestling on a monthly basis. The energy and passion I’ve felt at many Beyond shows has been lacking from other companies shows that I’ve personally attended, even when much of the crowd is filled with the same people. Now, with you having over twenty years of experience in the Wrestling business, including over 2 years in ECW, you’ve seen just about every type of Wrestling audience there is, how does Beyond’s atmosphere at Fete compare to others you’ve experienced?
Rich: You hit the nail right on the head about the familiarity of many of the fans each time at Fete Music. It’s at the point now where I pretty much know where each person can be found on the arena floor, balcony or VIP seating on the stage.
ECW would be the closest in atmosphere that I have personally witnessed or been a part of. The atmosphere at the Beyond Wrestling shows…especially at Fete, is unparalleled. As an announcer, it’s that vibe and energy that makes these shows so enjoyable for me. The “Beyond Faithful” are a rare breed that much like the diehard fans at the ECW Arena, make themselves an integral part of each show. Whether it’s a “He’s Our Hero” chant for J.T. Dunn or a “Hit Squad! <clap, clap> Hit Squad! <clap, clap>” chant for Monsta Mack and Mafia or even an “F-You, Urkel” chant for Darius Carter, these folks make no bones about who they like and who they don’t. My favorite chant was whenever Biff Busick was getting pounded on by his opponent and the fans would scream in unison, “Please don’t hurt my Biff! Please don’t hurt my Biff! ”. You just don’t see that kind of passion in other promotions these days.
Tim: On Colt Cabana’s podcast from Fete a few months back, you talk about how passionate you still are for the Wrestling business. In a setting like Fete Music, unless you escape to the backstage area, you’re immersed in the audience throughout the entire show. Do you find yourself reacting as a fan, even after being involved so heavily in the business?
Rich: Oh, absolutely. The funny thing is that more often than not, you will see the same reactions from the wrestlers when they are out on the floor watching the matches, as well.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for every competitor that steps inside that ring and I truly appreciate their athleticism in each match. Some of the greatest matches that I have seen live in my 20-plus years are those that I have seen at Beyond Wrestling. I’ve often said that I am a wrestling fan that doesn’t have to buy a ticket for the best seat in the house to witness these events. Sometimes, you’ll actually see me watching a match from the balcony so that I can watch without anyone obstructing my view.
Tim: You’ve mentioned before that you’ve known Tommy Dreamer since very early in your career, and Tommy is getting another run in WWE currently, arguably one of his more successful runs in WWE in terms of importance and focus/placement on the show. How is it for you to watch Dreamer get a rather big spot in WWE over the past few weeks, and do you have any good Tommy Dreamer stories/moments you can share?
Rich: Tommy’s current spot in WWE is well-deserved, makes total sense and the fans have reacted accordingly so. He’s contributed so much to this business for so long that it is only fitting that he would be such a vital part of a high-profile program alongside the Dudley’s against the Wyatt Family.
Tommy Dreamer was on the very first show that I ever announced for my mentor, the late, “Boston Bad Boy” Tony Rumble back on October 23, 1993. He was also instrumental in getting me hired as ECW’s New England region ring announcer in 1996. I certainly have plenty of memories of Tommy Dreamer. When I first started in ECW, I remember his epic battles with the likes of Shane Douglas, Raven, Brian Lee, Louie Spicolli and Justin Credible. The “Heart and Soul of ECW” moniker is no gimmick…he is exactly that.
One of my favorite memories of Tommy (outside of the ring…sorry) was when he met my twins for the first time a few years ago. He told them that he had known me for a very long time, that I was a great guy and that they should always listen to me and my wife. They were both awe-struck and it gave me a little bit of credibility that someone of his stature would put me over like that! He has twins, too, so we have a common bond, I guess. Well, that, and our passion for professional wrestling.
Tim: Last month at Beyond Wrestling’s Tournament For Tomorrow 4, the victors of both tournaments were won by men who have done some truly amazing things in the Wrestling world, Brian Fury in the singles tournament, and Da Hit Squad in the tag team tournament. With the contributions all three of those men have made to the industry, it seemed everyone was very excited for them to have that moment. How well do you know those guys, and how satisfying was that night from your perspective?
Rich: I actually never had the pleasure of working with Da Hit Squad until the debuted for Beyond in 2014, but I certainly knew of them and their impressive careers. Steve “Monsta” Mack and Dan “Mafia” Maff are two of the hardest-hitting men in this business and their legend speaks for itself. They have battled with some of the best Beyond Wrestling has to offer, from The Kingdom to the Doom Patrol to E.Y.F.B.O and everyone in between and shown a new audience what exactly they are all about and the real winners in this are the Beyond Wrestling fans. They were so deserving of winning the tag team division of TFT4 and I was happy that they, as the most established team in the field of 16, won the whole thing.
Of the three, I know Brian Fury the best and I am proud to call him one of my closest friends in wrestling. Nobody works harder at his craft than Brian does. When he broke his ankle a couple years ago, he came back with an entirely new look, reinventing himself after his time off. His abilities in the ring are unparalleled and he truly is one of, if not THE, best unsigned talents in New England. He is not only a respected wrestler, but one of the top trainers in the business today. And just like Da Hit Squad, he was the most experienced of the sixteen singles competitors in TFT4, and I was so please to see him win the singles division.
Tim: You’ve been working with Beyond Wrestling for over 2 years at this point, have there been any matches or moments that have surprised or shocked you, either in a positive or negative way?
Rich: The biggest thing that has shocked me is when Fete isn’t completely packed with the incredible line-ups that Denver Colorado (the man, not the place) has put together.
But seriously, as for matches and moments, a few that come to mind are…
The Chris Dickinson vs. Kimber Lee incident from earlier this year certainly created a lot of controversy in the wrestling world. I know that the “Dirty Daddy” and Beyond Wrestling got some negative press about the incident, but hey…any press is good press in this business. Their upcoming rematch at “Fete Finale” surely won’t disappoint, mark my words.
- Having Chris Hero as a “regular” in Beyond Wrestling.
- When Jimmy Jacobs appeared at ringside under a mask and attacked Michael Elgin and then bloodied Eric Corvis.
- When Dany Only returned to Beyond Wrestling to join the Crusade for Change and spiked Eric Corvis in the neck and then in the face. Gross.
- The sheer brutality of the matches between Matt Tremont and Stockade.
- The artwork of Dave Cole and the love and support the fans show him.
- Any time Dan Barry takes flight.
- Watching Donovan Dijak evolve into “the” man to beat in Beyond Wrestling.
- Danny Cannon climbing the support beam and then jumping off of it.
- David Starr defeating Johnny Gargano…BY SUBMISSION (not sure if you were aware of that!)
- Colt Cabana, Joey Ryan, Johnny Cockstrong and that damn lollipop. Again, gross.
We have also witnessed some horrific injuries at Fete, including Nicholas Kaye receiving multiple stitches TWICE, once as a result of a trashcan shot to the head from Matt Tremont and another time from a chair to the face from Anthony Stone and then there was the time Davey Vega split his head open performing a dive outside of the ring and most recently, Shynron suffering a back injury after a balcony dive.
I say it at every show, but these wrestlers are literally putting their life on the line every time that they step into that ring. PLEASE support their efforts with the purchase of a t-shirt, picture, DVD…basically, whatever they are selling. THANK YOU!
Tim: Do you have one moment or a couple of moments at Fete Music that stand out as your favorite?
Rich: Personally, Biff Busick is the guy that brought me into Beyond Wrestling and another of my best friends in this business. I think that his 60-minute Iron Man Match against Eddie Edwards is perhaps the single greatest match that I have announced, let alone, ever seen live. Pulling off a 30-minute Iron Man is a task in itself, but these two made their match an instant classic and left the fans wanting more.
Therefore, I think it was only fitting that these two would close out the “Greatest Rivals Round Robin” show back in September. This was Biff’s last indy appearance before going fulltime with NXT. In fact, he had already started training with NXT earlier in the month and they were gracious enough to let him have one last match on the indies and he chose this one because he was able to face three of his favorite opponents – Eddie Edwards, Timothy Thatcher and Drew Gulak.
I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes when Biff came over and shook my hand after the match.
Tim: I must say, I didn’t have nearly the amount of time following Biff as most of the crowd there on his final night on Beyond, but I certainly loved all three of those matches, and the emotion in the building at the end of the night was amazing. When you’re working closely with so many talented wrestlers, I’d imagine it’d difficult to choose favorites, and that you may even try to avoid choosing favorites. That being said, do you have any favorite performers who you’ve worked with, whether it’s based on their skill, or your interactions with them?
Rich: I am very happy to be a part of Beyond Wrestling. In my two and a half years here, I have never felt such genuine appreciation for what I do to add to the product. I am sincerely grateful for this. When a performer that I had never worked with before tells me that I am very good at what I do or that they liked the way I announced them, it means the world to me. After my first show with Beyond (Americanrana ’13) one of the Beyond originals told me that I add a lot of legitimacy to what they do. I will never forget that.
They say that in this business, you can consider yourself lucky if you can count your real friends that you have made on one hand. In my 20-plus years in wrestling, I have been very fortunate to forge many solid friendships with some of the best talent the East Coast has to offer.
I don’t want to pick favorites, but the evolution of J.T. Dunn has definitely been something that I have been honored to witness first hand. It is no secret that he had some “demons” back in the day and because of that, some promoters wouldn’t want to have them on their shows. I know this, because I have always been an advocate for J.T. and did try to get him booked elsewhere in the past. To see his success, not only in Beyond, but throughout the country, makes me very happy. He truly deserves it.
He always tells me that when I announce him, he feels like a “star”, which is pretty cool.
I am very fortunate to say that in addition to J.T., everyone has made me feel so welcome here, including AR Fox, Eric Corvis, Sugar D., Drew Gulak, Anthony Stone, Dave Cole, Matt Tremont, Nick Gage, Da Hoodz, David Starr, The Kingdom and Chris Hero. Literally, everyone on this roster has been a pleasure to work with on a regular basis. I truly am blessed to work with so many professionals.
Tim: Looking forward to Fete Finale later this month, Drew Cordeiro’s putting together one of the most stacked cards that I’ve seen from Beyond since I began attending shows back in May, which is no small feat. Are there any particular matches from the card so far that jump out at you or that you’re particularly looking forward to being there for?
Rich: Dijak vs. Ciampa for sure, especially since I have literally known each competitor since they began training. Two guys I consider friends.
Da Hit Squad vs. Low Ki and Homicide. Truth be told, I was told that Low Ki and Homicide would be the opponents for Hit Squad before the announcement was made and was asked “Do you think people will care?” and my immediate response was “Are you kidding me? It’ll be like 2002 all over again!” This is going to be one for the ages.
Brian Fury vs. David Starr will be epic and the logical next match for both after the finals of Tournament for Tomorrow 4.
I am very much looking forward to Dickinson vs. Kim and am so excited about the debut of Sami Callahan…another amazing talent that I have never had the pleasure to introduce.
Tim: Are there any other thoughts or comments you’d like to send to the audience coming to Fete Music for the final Beyond show at that building on December 27th?
Rich: Yes – Stay the hell out of Tanya’s way at ringside!
Make sure you’re at Fete Music in Providence, RI on Sunday, December 27th to see the final Beyond Wrestling show at the building! Get your tickets HERE, and see the card (so far) below!
– Tommaso Ciampa vs. Donovan Dijak
– Strong Style Thugs (Low Ki & Homicide) vs. Da Hit Squad
– Chris Dickinson vs. Kimber Lee
– Matt Tremont vs. Suge D (Fans Bring The Weapons!)
– David Starr vs. Brian Fury
– Matthew Riddle & ??? vs. “Cold Steel” Chuck O’Neil and “Dream Catcher” Eric Spicely
Plus Chris Hero, JT Dunn, Sami Callihan, Joey Janela, and more!