Hazed & Confused #9: Tim Donst Interview

Good Evening and welcome to another edition of Hazed & Confused.

Unfortunately this shall only be a short edition this week, due to PC problems (losing all files to some evil Virus) and general time constraints.

But first, some quick news:

CHIKARA have two events coming up next weekend, with all matches now announced for the shows.

- CHIKARA ?Behind the 8 Ball″
April 25, 2009 ~ Palmer Community Center, Easton, PA

1. Nevaeh vs. Shark Girl
2. Shadow Phoenix vs. Gran Akuma
3. Fire Ant & Soldier Ant [The Colony] vs. Chuck Taylor & Icarus [F.I.S.T.]
4. Hallowicked & Frightmare [Incoherence] vs. Jagged & Shane Matthews [2.0]
5. Atomico Incredibles: Player Dos, Mitch Ryder, STIGMA & Tim Donst vs. Player Uno, Buck Hawke, Vin Gerard & Hydra
6. Helios vs. Escorpion Egipcio
7. CHIKARA Young Lions Cup Title Match: Jimmy ?Equinox? Olsen [c] vs. Colin Delaney
8. CHIKARA Campeones de Parejas ~ Best of 3 Falls: Amasis & Ophidian [c] [The Osirian Portal] vs. Jigsaw & Mike Quackenbush

- CHIKARA ?The Bobliographon″

April 26, 2009 ~ The Arena, Philadelphia, PA
1. Shark Girl vs. Sara Del Rey
2. Create-A-Wrestler vs. UltraMantis Black
3. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mitch Ryder
4. Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston & Grizzly Redwood [The Roughnecks] vs. Hallowicked, Delirious & Frightmare [Incoherence]
5. 4 Corners Elimination Match: Player Uno & Player Dos [Super Smash Bros.] vs. Jagged & Shane Matthews [2.0] vs. Colin Delaney & STIGMA [The UnStable] vs. KC ?Cloudy? Day & Cheech Hernandez
6. Vin Gerard vs. Glacier
7. Jimmy ?Equinox? Olsen, Helios & Lince Dorado [The Future Is Now] vs. Amasis, Ophidian & Escorpion Egipcio [The Osirian Portal]
8. Fire Ant & Soldier Ant [The Colony] & Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw vs. Gran Akuma, Icarus & Chuck Taylor [F.I.S.T.] & Buck Hawke

As I stated last time, the Atomico Incredibles match is basically four tag teams competing, split up into two four-man teams, with members of each tag team on an opposing side.

Anyways, on with the show.... next up is.......

The Indy Interview!!

Welcome to another Indy Interview here at Hazed & Confused, this week joining us is CHIKARA's Tim Donst.
Tim, thank you for joining us this week.
Thank you for having me.

We've got a few questions for you about wrestling and your career and we shall finish up with a few random ones. Some of these have also been sent in by our readers.

1) Firstly, for those who may be unfamiliar with you, could you give us some background information about yourself?
I was born in Saint Louis, MO but was raised in Stroudsburg, PA. I began training with the Chikara Wrestle Factory under Mike Quackenbush and Chris Hero my junior year of high school (2004) and would train for the better part of 3 years, in between my amateur wrestling seasons until debuting April 22, 2007.
Since then I've gone on to have memorable bouts with the likes of Mike Quackenbush, Eddie Kingston, Jimmy Rave and have even been kicked in the face by Brodie Lee.

2) What do you consider to be "UNIQUE" about yourself that differentiates you from other wrestlers?
What I lack in speed and technique, I make up for with heart.
Within the past few years, it's my love and dedication for wrestling that's allowed me to blow off film scholarships and lose girlfriends; and even more importantly keep getting up after taking some nasty beatings.
I think I've also barely touched my ability with promos and think it will continue to grow as a unique trait of mine.

3) Who do you consider to be the most influential people on your wrestling career?
Besides my trainers, including Claudio Castangoli and Skayda, I'd have to Gary Yap and Silent Anthony for giving me a chance to perform in CA.

Likewise, I've learned a great deal from Kingston, Mitch Ryder, Vito Thomeseli and Eric Young.

4) Which wrestlers do you see as being an inspiration to the wrestling business?
I'd have to say Mike Quackenbush. I think Ian Rotten summed up a lot of true emotions concerning Mike after his Ted Petty Invitational win. Besides, putting on fantastic matches, creating a multi-verse with Chikara, he's given back breaths to the wrestling business in advice to his peers and his training of his students.
I feel as though because of Quack and Hero and the CHIKARA banner, it's easy to get booked nearly everywhere because of how respected they are.

5) What do you consider to be the greatest advice you have received in the wrestling business and from whom?
Vito Thomesli recently told me 'not to wait for any promotion to make my career.? I just have to do it myself. And I will.

6) What would you see as being highlights in your career to date?

I think my bout with Eddie Kingston and Mike Quackenbush allowed me to stand out while winning the ?EPIC WAR? championship was fun.

I recently wrestled on TV for the first time in Nashville, TN for ?SAW? and I'm really looking forward to continuing working with Elite Pro. Likewise, it was fun to cut Aaron Williams hair off.

7) Five years from now, where would you like to see you're wrestling career?

Hopefully my body will still be able to function and I'll be still be competing. I'd like to have wrestled in nearly all states (I'm up to 14 now), and wrestle in several other countries.

8) What type of training/conditioning do you do for wrestling?

I like to get in the gym and get out. I do mostly power lifting techniques I learned in high school.
Whenever possible I try to get a run in or some mat time before shows to practice.
Likewise, I try to watch as much wrestling as possible to learn from.

9) What do you consider to be the best thing about being a wrestler?

I love new experiences and pro wrestling provides many of them. From wrestling different people, to working in different states to meeting people who are a fan of your work.
I love those moments of waking up and asking myself, ?How did I get here?? I've experienced that feeling when I woke up in Tupelo, Mississippi and LA.

10) What are your thoughts on the movie "The Wrestler" and its portrayal of the Indy circuit?

Personally, as a guy that loves movies and nearly went to film school, I enjoyed it. Wrestling isn't nearly as dismal as it may have portrayed, or at least the locker rooms I frequent but hopefully it allowed wrestling to earn some respect from the haters of the sport.

11) Are there any companies that you haven't yet worked for that you would like to?

There's a bout a million. I'm finally making my IWA Mid South and IPW debuts this weekend. The IWA Mid South TPI was the first Indy wrestling tape I ever watched, so I'm really looking forward to that.

But in the near future I'd really like a chance at PWG, ROH, WXW (Germany) and perhaps somewhere in Japan.

12) Who have you had the most fun working with or teaming with?

I've recently being teaming with the Hybrids for HWA. Not only are they two guys that share a similar mentality when it comes to matches but more times than not we can make light of any situations.

13) And who, that you haven't worked or teamed with yet would you like to?

I'd like to work or team with, Bryan Danielson, Alex Shelley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gran Akuma and Jimmy Olsen.

14) How did you come up with your gimmick?

I'm not sure it is a gimmick. I've spent over 7 year's amateur wrestling and would continually put myself in situations to go against the biggest obstacle. Whether it was trying to nab a lead in our senior production or call out the nearly 7 foot, over 300 lb football player (currently on a scholarship to Syracuse University) to do drills with.

15) You picked up wrestling whilst in High School and have quite an amateur background. Did you ever think back then you'd do wrestling on the Pro-circuit?

The first time I ever consider to do pro wrestling came during an 8th grade Jr. High presentation for amateur wrestling. Myself and a teammate had to wrestle on stage in front of the entire school to try to promote and hopefully get kids to join the team.

About 2 minutes into our match, kids began to yell 'boring.? Not any independent wrestlers? favorite words by any means. So we began hitting F-5's, Stunner's and Rockbottoms.

Our coach didn't mind that we made a mockery of the sport as we attracted nearly a dozen kids to join the team, but they all quit after they realized there'd be no dropkicks taught.

16) And did your amateur background help you more with your training when you started in the CHIKARA School?
It did at first. I think it helped me pick up the perfectly unorthodox style of chain that the CHIKARA school teaches, but it's entirely something else to go from working with someone to going against.

17) Any random backstage gossip from CHIKARA you can tell us?

Jimmy Olsen does an amazing Joe Peschi imitation from Home Alone.

18) Finally, what advice would you give to anyone looking to start in the business?

Get trained properly. Ask yourself if you've heard of the trainers? Is there any good talent that has come out of the school? It can be a little tough to find out, but are they respected enough in the business to help get you bookings?

And now for some less serious questions.

Favorite TV Show?
Curb Your Enthusiasm

Favorite Band and/or Song?
Bob Dylan and Matchbox 20.

Favorite sandwich filling?
Chicken and honey mustard.

Favorite Video Game?

I don't own any of the new systems. So I'm going to have to go with a classic like No Mercy, Final Fantasy 8, and Zelda: a link to the past.
Currently though, I just beat World of Goo for the PC and continually play Risk. Which is as fun as the board game without having to do math.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Taylor

Who is cooler, Chuck Norris or Mr T?

I'm going to go with Mr. T. I think Chuck Norris is overly hyped. He's not the better worker, he's just booked to look better.

And finally, any message for the readers of Hazed & Confused?
You should head to www.donst.com or myspace.com/houseofhopes

Thank you very much for joining us here, we appreciate you finding some time for us in your schedule and we all would like to wish you the best for the future.

Was a delight talking to Tim and contacting him, a very helpful guy and one to definitely watch out for in the future.
Next article will feature an interview with The Order Of The Neo Solar Temple's Crossbones, so keep an eye out for that one.

So a very short one from me this week, but better than nothing at all I guess.
Hopefully normal service will be resumed next time I'm here.

Thank you all for reading and goodnight

http://www.thewrestlinggame.com/wrestling/articles/hazed_confused_9_tim_donst_interview.asp