WEBVTT

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Welcome to a brand new deep dive. I am incredibly

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eager to get into today's material because we

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are unpacking a story that completely defies

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almost every conventional rule of career progression.

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It really does. Yeah. And if you're joining us

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today, you probably know the mission by now.

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We take a stack of information biographies, historical

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timelines, career retrospectives, and we extract

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the absolute most compelling insights. We look

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at the mechanics of how things actually happen

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and what it all means for you. Exactly. And today,

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we are tracing the life of Patrick Joseph Michael

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Kenny. Now, depending entirely on which lens

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you view the world through, you might know him

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as an executive in the corporate marketing sphere,

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or a highly recruited baseball prospect. Or,

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as is most likely the case, the man who navigated

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the incredibly volatile, often blood -stained

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canvas of professional wrestling. Right, to become

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the legendary Simon Diamond. It is a truly remarkable

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narrative. We are working primarily from a comprehensive

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biographical overview detailing his life, spanning

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from his birth in 1968 in Wilmington, Delaware,

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all the way to his current executive roles in

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the modern wrestling industry. Yeah. But what

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makes this material so rich isn't just the sequence

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of events. It's the connective tissue between

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these wildly different phases of his life. OK,

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let's unpack this, because the sheer improbability

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of his trajectory is what makes this so compelling.

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We are talking about a man who essentially lived

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three or four completely distinct professional

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lifetimes within a single span. You have the

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structured world of elite athletics, the polished

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environment of corporate America, the chaotic

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independent wrestling hustle, and finally the

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executive boardroom of a major wrestling promotion.

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It reads less like a biography and more like

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a series of completely different novels featuring

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the exact same protagonist. What's fascinating

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here is how specialized skills from one domain

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can unexpectedly fuel success in an entirely

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different, seemingly unrelated industry. Yeah,

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totally. When you analyze him, you really shouldn't

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look at him purely as a sports entertainer. You

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have to look at him as a master of reinvention.

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Right. The discipline and strategic thinking

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required for high level baseball, the psychological

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understanding of consumer behavior derived from

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corporate marketing, the narrative structure

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learned from an English degree. None of these

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were random detours. No, not at all. They became

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the exact tools he weaponized to survive and

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ultimately thrive in in the notoriously unpredictable

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cutthroat business of professional wrestling.

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That concept of weaponizing past experiences

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is going to be the central thread here. So let's

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go back to the very beginning and look at his

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early life, specifically his time on the baseball

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diamond. OK. So he was born in Wilmington, Delaware,

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and attended the Selizianum School for Boys.

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Which is an important starting point, actually.

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How so? Well, a private all -boys Catholic preparatory

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school like Selizianum is traditionally a very

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structured, rigorous environment. instills a

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specific type of discipline, both academically

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and athletically. Right. The expectations are

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very high. Exactly. And the culture is generally

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focused on producing highly competent, driven

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individuals. That foundational discipline is

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critical to keep in mind as we watch him navigate

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the chaos of his later career. And that discipline

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clearly manifested on the baseball field. He

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graduates high school in 1986, and right out

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of the gate, he is presented with an immediate

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life -altering proposition. This wasn't a minor

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league development deal. No, it was the real

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deal. It was. The San Diego Padres, a major league

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baseball franchise, approached him with an offer

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to play professionally as a catcher. That's huge.

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I want you to really put yourself in those shoes.

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Imagine being 18 years old, you've just finished

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high school, and a Major League Baseball team

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hands you a contract. For millions of kids, that

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is the ultimate unattainable fantasy. It is the

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absolute pinnacle of childhood sports dreams.

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But this is where we see the first major pivot

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in his life, and frankly, it speaks volumes about

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his psychological makeup and his foresight. You

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turned it down. He made the conscious decision

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to turn the San Diego Padres down. He rejected

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the major league contract because he wanted to

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pursue a college education first. It's crazy

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to think about. I think we need to pause and

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really analyze the extraordinary level of maturity

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or perhaps calculated pragmatism required for

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an 18 year old to walk away from professional

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sports money and prestige. It's almost unfathomable.

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If you hand the average 18 year old athlete a

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pro contract, they're assigning it before you

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even finish explaining the terms. The allure

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of major leagues is blinding. Precisely. But

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consider the position he played. Catcher. Playing

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catcher is arguably the most highly strategic

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position on a baseball field. The catcher is

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the field general. They call the pitches. Right.

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They have to understand the psychology of the

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batter. They have to manage the emotional and

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physical state of their own pitcher. And they

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have to maintain a constant real time awareness

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of the overall state of the game. A catcher doesn't

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just react. A catcher anticipates. Yes. He clearly

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possessed that strategic, anticipatory mind even

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at that young age. He seemed to recognize that

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an athletic career is inherently fragile and

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fleeting. Because injuries happen. Exactly. Whereas

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a formal education provides a permanent, immutable

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foundation. He was playing the long game before

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the long game even started. That is a brilliant

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way to frame it. He was looking past the immediate

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gratification. So, he takes the road less traveled.

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He does. He takes a job bartending at a sports

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bar called Out of Bounds to presumably make ends

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meet. And meanwhile, he attends Virginia Commonwealth

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University VCU on a baseball scholarship. So

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he has an abandoned baseball. Right. He's just

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leveraging it to secure his education. He continues

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to play at a high collegiate level, but he is

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concurrently earning a bachelor's degree in English.

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Which adds another fascinating layer to his intellectual

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development. An English degree is not just about

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reading classic literature. What is it about?

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It is essentially the intensive study of narrative

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structure, communication, human emotion, and

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persuasion. You are learning how stories are

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built, how characters are developed, and how

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audiences are manipulated through language. And

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if there is any industry that relies entirely

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on narrative structure, character development,

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and manipulating an audience, it's professional

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wrestling. Oh, without a doubt. We will definitely

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see how that pays off later. But at the time,

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his original plan His plan A was still focused

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on the baseball diamond. Right. The goal was

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to get his degree, secure his backup plan, and

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then finally go play professional baseball. He

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had the talent, he had the pedigree, and he was

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ready. But then tragedy strikes. The injury.

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He suffers a severe shoulder injury. For a baseball

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player, and specifically for a catcher, a severe

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shoulder injury is often a permanent death sentence

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for a professional career. It's devastating.

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The sheer mechanics of catching the constant,

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rapid, high velocity throwing to second base

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to catch base stealers, the physical toll of

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framing pitches, the collisions at the plate.

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Yeah, it all relies entirely on shoulder stability

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and strength. When that goes, your utility to

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a major league franchise drops to zero. And just

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like that, the dream he had meticulously planned

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out, the dream he had delayed in 1986 to get

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his degree, was completely over. It vanished.

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He was forced to reconsider everything about

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his future. And this is where I want to connect

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this directly to you, the listener. Think about

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your own life and career. Have you ever had a

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meticulously crafted Plan A completely derailed

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by forces outside of your control? Most people

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have at some point. Right. We all face moments

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where the path we've plotted out is suddenly

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blocked by a macroeconomic shift. a layoff, or

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in this case, a physical injury. The psychological

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resilience needed to pivot after a dream ending

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physical trauma is immense. He could have easily

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spiraled into bitterness. He had the elite talent.

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He literally had the MLB offer previously, and

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it was taken away by a physical limitation. But

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instead of letting that closure define him, he

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adapted. He looked at the assets he still had,

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his degree, his intellect, his communication

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skills, and he shifted his entire trajectory.

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Which brings us right into the corporate world

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of the early 19... By 1991, he is no longer a

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baseball prospect. He is working as a marketing

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executive for PepsiCo. It is a logical, albeit

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drastic transition. Very drastic. From the baseball

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diamond to the corporate boardroom of one of

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the largest food and beverage conglomerates in

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the world. But it makes sense when you consider

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his background. How so? He has a degree in English,

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so he understands communication and messaging.

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He has the rigorous discipline of an elite athlete,

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which translates very well to the competitive

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environment of climbing a corporate ladder. He

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understands how to position a brand. Exactly.

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Here's where it gets really interesting. because

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while he is working this comfortable corporate

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job for a massive global brand, wearing a suit,

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enjoying a stable income and benefits, he is

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introduced to a local professional wrestling

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trainer named Jim Kettner. And something just

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clicks. A spark is ignited and he decides he

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wants to become a professional wrestler. It is

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on the surface a baffling leap. It really is.

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I mean, think about the contrast. You are an

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executive at PepsiCo. You are dealing with marketing

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campaigns, corporate synergy, and board meetings.

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Right. And you look at the grueling, physically

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demanding, frequently dangerous, and often chaotic

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world of 1990s independent professional wrestling.

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And you say to yourself, yes. That is the career

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path for me. But if we look closely beneath the

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surface, the dots do actually connect in a profound

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way. Okay, let's connect them. He begins training

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under Jim Kettner in Salem, New Jersey. Now,

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Jim Kettner was the driving force behind the

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East Coast Wrestling Association, or the ECWA.

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For context, the independent wrestling circuit,

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often just called the Indies, is essentially

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the minor leagues of professional wrestling.

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It consists of smaller regional promotions. Yes,

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where wrestlers learn their craft, perform in

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front of smaller crowds in high school gymnasiums

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or armories, and try to build a name for themselves

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in hopes of getting noticed by the major national

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television companies. a gritty, unglamorous proving

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ground. Exactly. And once his training is complete,

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he makes his debut in the ECWA. He adopts the

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ring named Lance Diamond, and he starts teaming

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up with another young, hungry wrestler named

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Steve Carino. And here is where we have to address

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why a PepsiCo marketing executive would excel

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in this bizarre world. To understand this, we

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have to define what professional wrestling actually

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is at its core. It is not just simulated combat.

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No, it is athletic performance art seamlessly

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combined with high level real time marketing.

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That's a great way to put it. Every single time

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a wrestler steps through the curtain, they are

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essentially a living, breathing brand attempting

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to elicit a specific emotional and financial

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response from a live consumer base. That is a

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fascinating synthesis. So his background at PepsiCo

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wasn't a departure. It was directly applicable

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training. Absolutely. His corporate marketing

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background combined with his bachelor's degree

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in English gave him a massive, almost unfair

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advantage over the typical indie wrestler. Because

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wrestling is fundamentally about selling tickets.

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Selling tickets, building a compelling personal

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brand, and manipulating the emotions of an audience.

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It relies heavily on promos. Which are the spoken

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interviews and monologues wrestlers use to advance

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storylines. Right. And it relies on deep psychological

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manipulation during the matches to get the crowd

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invested. So a performer who deeply understands

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corporate marketing strategy. And who understands

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narrative arcs and character motivations from

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an English degree. They are going to grasp wrestling

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psychology. infinitely faster than an athlete

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who only knows how to execute a suplex or a drop

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kick. Exactly. He understood the why behind the

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moves, not just the how. He knew that a wrestling

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match is just a story told through physical action,

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and he knew how to tell a story. He wasn't walking

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into the ECWA locker room. Just as a fan of the

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sport, he was walking in as a seasoned marketer

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who knew exactly how to package and sell a product.

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And in this case, the product he was selling

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was himself Lance Diamond. And that strategic

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analytical mindset quickly pays dividends. He

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doesn't languish at the bottom of the card. He

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begins to rapidly ascend the ranks of the independent

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circuit. Because he stands out. His character

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work and his understanding of audience manipulation

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are far more refined than his peers, which perfectly

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positions him for the massive shift that happens

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next. We move into the late 1990s, specifically

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May of 1998. OK, the independent grind pays off

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and he is officially hired by Extreme Championship

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Wrestling, universally known as ECW. That's a

00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:58.820
huge milestone. Now, for those who might not

00:12:58.820 --> 00:13:01.190
be wrestling historians. We have to provide some

00:13:01.190 --> 00:13:04.950
context on what ECW was in 1998. It was not a

00:13:04.950 --> 00:13:07.330
polished corporate product. Not at all. It was

00:13:07.330 --> 00:13:11.029
the gritty, rebellious, hyperviolent alternative

00:13:11.029 --> 00:13:13.750
to the mainstream wrestling giants of the era.

00:13:13.850 --> 00:13:16.070
It was characterized by broken tables, barbed

00:13:16.070 --> 00:13:18.730
wire, incredibly passionate and demanding fans,

00:13:19.129 --> 00:13:21.669
and a counterculture ethos that completely revolutionized

00:13:21.669 --> 00:13:24.909
the industry. Getting hired by ECW in 1998 meant

00:13:24.909 --> 00:13:26.809
you were stepping onto the bleeding edge of the

00:13:26.809 --> 00:13:29.029
industry. It was the most creatively influential

00:13:29.029 --> 00:13:31.029
promotion in North America at the time. It was

00:13:31.029 --> 00:13:32.850
a pressure cooker environment where only the

00:13:32.850 --> 00:13:35.269
most adaptable and compelling characters survived.

00:13:35.570 --> 00:13:37.990
His very first match for ECW takes place in York,

00:13:38.009 --> 00:13:40.710
Pennsylvania against a highly athletic wrestler

00:13:40.710 --> 00:13:44.690
named Nova. Right. But the truly pivotal moment

00:13:44.690 --> 00:13:47.350
for his career identity comes a few months later

00:13:47.350 --> 00:13:50.279
in August 1998. This is when the Lance Diamond

00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:52.779
persona, the character he had built from scratch

00:13:52.779 --> 00:13:55.779
on the indies, is permanently retired. He officially

00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:58.840
changes his ring name to Simon Diamond. And the

00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.220
origin of that specific name is incredibly telling

00:14:01.220 --> 00:14:03.159
regarding his integration into the culture of

00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.820
the business. It really is. He chose the name

00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:09.480
Simon as a direct homage to the real legal surname

00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.759
of his mentor. The legendary wrestler Dean Malenko.

00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:15.940
Yes. Dean Malenko's actual birth name is Dean

00:14:15.940 --> 00:14:19.470
Simon. I find that detail so striking. Professional

00:14:19.470 --> 00:14:21.809
wrestling is a business literally built on deception,

00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:24.409
on hiding behind larger -than -life characters

00:14:24.409 --> 00:14:27.029
in fictitious aliases. Exactly. For him to take

00:14:27.029 --> 00:14:29.669
his mentor's actual legal family name as his

00:14:29.669 --> 00:14:33.230
own stage name is a massive statement. It signifies

00:14:33.230 --> 00:14:35.769
a profound level of respect and highlights the

00:14:35.769 --> 00:14:37.769
crucial importance of mentorship in the wrestling

00:14:37.769 --> 00:14:40.009
business. Because wrestling operates heavily

00:14:40.009 --> 00:14:42.330
on an oral tradition. Passing down knowledge,

00:14:42.610 --> 00:14:44.750
psychology, and technique from one generation

00:14:44.750 --> 00:14:47.169
to the next in the locker room and on the road.

00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.799
For him to publicly adopt his mentor's real name

00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:53.360
shows a deep understanding of the heritage of

00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:55.639
the sport. It's a signal. It tells the locker

00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.279
room, the promoters and the deeply knowledgeable

00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:01.919
ECW fan base that he is a serious student of

00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:05.100
the game. It says, I am endorsed by and I am

00:15:05.100 --> 00:15:08.080
honoring Dean Milenko. Who was widely regarded

00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.899
as one of the greatest, most technically proficient

00:15:10.899 --> 00:15:12.740
wrestlers on the planet. It immediately grants

00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:15.240
him a level of inherent credibility. And once

00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:17.669
he becomes Simon Diamond. he really starts to

00:15:17.669 --> 00:15:20.350
lock into his persona. Fast forward a bit to

00:15:20.350 --> 00:15:23.210
May 2000. Okay. During a tournament to crown

00:15:23.210 --> 00:15:26.509
new ECW World Tag Team Champions, he is paired

00:15:26.509 --> 00:15:29.110
with a wrestler named Swinger. Now, in modern

00:15:29.110 --> 00:15:31.090
wrestling, tag teams are often thrown together

00:15:31.090 --> 00:15:32.950
for a few weeks and then forgotten. Right, they

00:15:32.950 --> 00:15:35.049
break up constantly. But this alliance with Swinger

00:15:35.049 --> 00:15:38.389
was not a fleeting storyline. This tag team partnership

00:15:38.389 --> 00:15:41.620
would endure for five consecutive years. In the

00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:44.519
transient chaotic landscape of professional wrestling,

00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:48.659
a five -year contiguous partnership is practically

00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:52.240
an eternity. It is incredibly rare. It indicates

00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:55.460
two things. First, that they had an undeniable

00:15:55.460 --> 00:15:57.879
organic chemistry both in the ring and in their

00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:00.019
promotional interviews. And second, it shows

00:16:00.019 --> 00:16:02.200
that the fans consistently bought into their

00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.440
dynamic. A promoter isn't going to keep a team

00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.279
together for half a decade if it isn't generating

00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:09.799
a reaction and selling tickets. They were a well

00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.529
-oiled machine. and they even expanded their

00:16:12.529 --> 00:16:16.070
ranks. By mid -2000, Diamond and Swinger joined

00:16:16.070 --> 00:16:19.169
forces with another ECW standout, CW Anderson.

00:16:19.230 --> 00:16:21.370
Right! And together they became a formidable

00:16:21.370 --> 00:16:24.269
faction, really ascending the ranks of the ECW

00:16:24.269 --> 00:16:26.629
promotion. Diamond was firing on all cylinders,

00:16:27.049 --> 00:16:29.330
utilizing his marketing brain to generate massive

00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:32.250
reactions from the notoriously tough ECW crowds.

00:16:32.470 --> 00:16:34.210
He knew exactly how to push their buttons. But

00:16:34.210 --> 00:16:36.110
as anyone familiar with the economics of late

00:16:36.110 --> 00:16:39.070
90s wrestling knows, the good times in ECW were

00:16:39.070 --> 00:16:41.909
built on a crumbling financial foundation. Yes.

00:16:42.549 --> 00:16:45.110
Despite its massive cultural influence and rabid

00:16:45.110 --> 00:16:47.549
fan base, Extreme Championship Wrestling was

00:16:47.549 --> 00:16:50.570
hemorrhaging money. By early 2001, the company

00:16:50.570 --> 00:16:53.009
was staring down the barrel of total bankruptcy.

00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.639
It is the complete collapse of an era. The company

00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.340
he worked so hard to reach is physically falling

00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:02.580
apart around him. Paychecks are bouncing, the

00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:05.720
television deal is lost, and suddenly he is forced

00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:08.380
to urgently seek employment elsewhere. He needs

00:17:08.380 --> 00:17:11.339
a lifeline. And he almost lands the biggest life

00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:14.099
raft possible. He begins direct negotiations

00:17:14.099 --> 00:17:17.079
with world championship wrestling WCW, which

00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:19.579
is backed by Time Warner and was one of the two

00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:22.319
massive national giants. He was dealing directly

00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:25.859
with a key WCW executive named John Laurinaitis.

00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:27.900
It looked like he was going to successfully make

00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:30.599
the jump from the sinking ship of ECW straight

00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.200
into the corporate stability of WCW. But then

00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:35.460
the rug is violently pulled out from under him

00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:38.380
and the entire industry once again. The negotiations

00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:41.410
abruptly fall through. Why? because in March

00:17:41.410 --> 00:17:44.269
2001, the World Wrestling Federation completely

00:17:44.269 --> 00:17:46.950
purchases WCW. If we connect this to the bigger

00:17:46.950 --> 00:17:50.150
picture, you have to fully grasp the sheer terrifying

00:17:50.150 --> 00:17:52.250
volatility of the professional wrestling industry

00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:55.109
during this exact winter of time. It was unprecedented.

00:17:55.349 --> 00:17:58.130
The Monday Night Wars, the massive boom period

00:17:58.130 --> 00:18:01.750
where WWF and WCW battled for supremacy was over.

00:18:02.269 --> 00:18:04.589
In the span of just a few months, the two biggest

00:18:04.589 --> 00:18:06.650
alternatives to the World Wrestling Federation,

00:18:06.890 --> 00:18:10.970
ECW due to bankruptcy and WCW due to a corporate

00:18:10.970 --> 00:18:14.710
buyout, both ceased to exist as independent entities.

00:18:15.029 --> 00:18:17.529
The industry went from a thriving, competitive,

00:18:17.670 --> 00:18:20.670
lucrative marketplace with three major national

00:18:20.670 --> 00:18:23.970
companies employing hundreds of wrestlers to

00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:27.039
an absolute unassailable monopoly. literally

00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:29.440
overnight. It was an extinction level event for

00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.119
wrestling jobs. Hundreds of incredibly talented

00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:34.200
performers were suddenly scrambling for work

00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:36.480
in a landscape where the primary employer no

00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.460
longer had any competitors. Exactly. When a monopoly

00:18:39.460 --> 00:18:41.740
forms in a highly specialized field like this,

00:18:42.099 --> 00:18:43.900
the leverage completely shifts away from the

00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:46.559
workers, the independent contractors and consolidates

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:48.500
entirely with the corporation. If you weren't

00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:51.119
one of the lucky few absorbed into the WWF buyout,

00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:53.380
your options evaporated. You went from making

00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:55.660
a comfortable six figure living performing on

00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:58.670
cable television to suddenly fighting for scraps.

00:18:58.809 --> 00:19:01.930
Wrestling for 50 bucks in drafty armories and

00:19:01.930 --> 00:19:04.509
high school gymnasiums just to keep your skills

00:19:04.509 --> 00:19:07.990
sharp. It is yet another profound moment where

00:19:07.990 --> 00:19:11.529
his resilience is put to the ultimate test. Think

00:19:11.529 --> 00:19:14.950
about it, his primary employer goes completely

00:19:14.950 --> 00:19:18.329
bankrupt. His backup plan is bought out by the

00:19:18.329 --> 00:19:20.329
competition before he can sign the contract.

00:19:20.609 --> 00:19:23.289
He is left entirely in the wilderness effectively

00:19:23.289 --> 00:19:25.750
starting over. But true to the central theme

00:19:25.750 --> 00:19:29.210
of his life, he doesn't quit. He adapts. Which

00:19:29.210 --> 00:19:31.710
brings us to his survival tactics between 2001

00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:34.549
and 2003. He proves that he can navigate the

00:19:34.549 --> 00:19:37.369
fallout of the monopoly. He embraces the independent

00:19:37.369 --> 00:19:39.329
hustle. He doesn't sit by the phone waiting for

00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:41.670
the WWF to call. No, he goes out and creates

00:19:41.670 --> 00:19:44.190
his own market value. He travels extensively,

00:19:44.410 --> 00:19:46.369
working for promotions like USA Professional

00:19:46.369 --> 00:19:48.650
Wrestling, Border City Wrestling up in Canada,

00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:50.950
and the World Wrestling All -Stars, which did

00:19:50.950 --> 00:19:52.890
tours internationally. He was everywhere. He

00:19:52.890 --> 00:19:54.910
essentially became a highly sought after freelance

00:19:54.910 --> 00:19:57.329
consultant, but in the context of professional

00:19:57.329 --> 00:19:59.880
wrestling. He used the equity he had built as

00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:02.819
Simon Diamond in ECW and monetized it across

00:20:02.819 --> 00:20:05.660
a factored landscape of smaller companies desperately

00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:08.660
needing recognizable stars. And his most notable

00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:11.380
and strategic stint during this wilderness period

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:13.920
was in a promotion called Major League Wrestling

00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.920
or MLW. This is where he spearheads the formation

00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:19.359
of a faction called the Extreme Horsemen. He

00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:22.619
reunites with his former ECW allies Steve Carino

00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:26.319
and CW Anderson. They also add another major

00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:29.759
ECW name, Justin Credible, to the mix. And to

00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:32.740
add a layer of absolute legitimacy, for a brief

00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:35.039
period they were even managed by the legendary

00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:38.400
wrestling figure, J .J. Dillon. Which is an incredibly

00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:40.759
brilliant strategic and marketing move on his

00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:44.039
part. Let's break down why. Well, the Four Horsemen

00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:47.039
is arguably the greatest, most respected faction

00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:49.319
in wrestling history, originally featuring Ric

00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:51.740
Flair and managed by J .J. Dillon. Right. By

00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:54.079
creating the Extreme Horsemen, aligning with

00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:56.640
established television -tested names like Carino,

00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:59.140
Anderson, and Credible, and actually securing

00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:01.319
the authentic legendary manager J .J. Dillon,

00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:04.319
he immediately elevated his own status. From

00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:07.119
former ECW guy to main event premium attraction.

00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:10.500
Exactly. It proves his ability to consistently

00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:13.339
conceptualize high -profile packages and align

00:21:13.339 --> 00:21:15.619
himself with top -tier talent. He knew exactly

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:17.700
how to package himself to look like a massive

00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:20.200
star, even when the industry was in a downturn.

00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:23.740
Precisely. It showcases his undeniable value

00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:26.279
as a stable, reliable, and highly intelligent

00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:29.400
performer in a very turbulent indie scene. If

00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:32.470
you were a promoter, running a show in 2002.

00:21:32.890 --> 00:21:34.670
You knew that if you booked Simon Diamond, you

00:21:34.670 --> 00:21:36.470
weren't just getting a wrestler. You were getting

00:21:36.470 --> 00:21:38.950
a professional who understood high level marketing,

00:21:39.009 --> 00:21:41.269
who could anchor a main event faction, who could

00:21:41.269 --> 00:21:43.509
deliver a compelling promo to sell your local

00:21:43.509 --> 00:21:46.430
tickets and who could deliver a safe, psychologically

00:21:46.430 --> 00:21:49.250
sound match in the ring. He was an anchor in

00:21:49.250 --> 00:21:52.529
a very stormy sea. And that level of professionalism

00:21:52.529 --> 00:21:54.950
eventually caught the attention of the next major

00:21:54.950 --> 00:21:57.869
player to enter the industry. But 2003, a brand

00:21:57.869 --> 00:21:59.970
new national promotion was attempting to fill

00:21:59.970 --> 00:22:02.859
the massive void left by the deaths of WCW and

00:22:02.859 --> 00:22:07.579
ECW. This company was TNA or total nonstop action

00:22:07.579 --> 00:22:10.460
wrestling. And this kicks off a massive new chapter

00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:13.779
for him. On July 9th, 2003, he and his longtime

00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:16.640
partner Swinger make their TNA pay -per -view

00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:19.200
debut. TNA was a crucial development for the

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:22.299
industry. It offered a viable, televised alternative

00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:25.099
to the WWE monopoly. And for him, it represented

00:22:25.099 --> 00:22:27.859
a return to national prominence. And he and Swinger

00:22:27.859 --> 00:22:30.000
hit the ground running immediately. They wasted

00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.240
absolutely no time. They immediately began a

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.759
heated feud with one of TNA's foundational tag

00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.460
teams, America's Most Wanted. Which consisted

00:22:38.460 --> 00:22:40.910
of Chris Harris and James Storm. Right. To gain

00:22:40.910 --> 00:22:43.430
an edge, Diamond and Swinger actually enlist

00:22:43.430 --> 00:22:46.170
the services of a manager, Glenn Gilberti, to

00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:49.289
act as their strategist. And the plan works flawlessly.

00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.279
On August 27, 2003, Simon Diamond and Swinger,

00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:55.799
defeat America's most champion, wanted to win

00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:58.839
the prestigious NWA World Tag Team Championships.

00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:01.740
Winning those recognized championships so quickly

00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:03.839
solidifies his position in this new national

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:06.039
landscape. It signaled to the audience and the

00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:08.220
locker room that he wasn't just an ECW nostalgia

00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:11.140
act. He was a foundational pillar and a champion

00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:13.740
in this new alternative brand. He was a top guy.

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:18.039
They held those titles until November 19th. The

00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:20.579
championship reign ended in controversy when

00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:23.539
the titles were held up, meaning vacated, following

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:26.279
a highly disputed ending to a match with a faction

00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:29.220
known as the Three Live Crew. But despite losing

00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:31.759
the belts, his value was established. However,

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:34.480
the wrestling business demands constant evolution.

00:23:34.940 --> 00:23:37.440
If a character stays stagnant, the audience gets

00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:39.900
bored. So he goes through some major identity

00:23:39.900 --> 00:23:43.539
shifts. In 2004, the historic five -year tag

00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:46.410
team partnership with Swinger finally fractures.

00:23:46.589 --> 00:23:48.609
They separate, and it actually devolves into

00:23:48.609 --> 00:23:51.349
a bitter feud against each other. During this

00:23:51.349 --> 00:23:53.369
storyline, he undergoes what is known in wrestling

00:23:53.369 --> 00:23:55.750
jargon as a face turn. And for those unfamiliar

00:23:55.750 --> 00:23:58.410
with the terminology, a heel is the antagonist,

00:23:58.430 --> 00:24:00.910
the villain, whose job is to cheat, antagonize

00:24:00.910 --> 00:24:03.650
the crowd, and generate hatred or heat. And a

00:24:03.650 --> 00:24:06.670
face. A face, short for baby face, is the protagonist

00:24:06.670 --> 00:24:08.569
the hero the crowd is supposed to cheer for.

00:24:08.990 --> 00:24:11.390
Up until this point, Simon Diamond had been a

00:24:11.390 --> 00:24:13.950
masterful, arrogant heel. But now he flips the

00:24:13.950 --> 00:24:16.640
script. To facilitate this face turn and connect

00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:18.640
with the audience on a more genuine level, he

00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:21.079
temporarily strips away the arrogant Simon Diamond

00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:24.259
persona. He embraces his real -life heritage

00:24:24.259 --> 00:24:28.079
and starts wrestling under his actual name, stylized

00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.720
as Irish Pat Kenny. It's a classic, highly effective

00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:34.269
psychological tactic in wrestling. By dropping

00:24:34.269 --> 00:24:36.609
the stage name and highlighting his legitimate

00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:39.970
Irish roots, he removes the barrier of the character.

00:24:40.369 --> 00:24:43.470
He is presenting a more authentic, relatable

00:24:43.470 --> 00:24:46.410
version of himself. Which naturally invites the

00:24:46.410 --> 00:24:48.289
audience to empathize with him and support him

00:24:48.289 --> 00:24:51.210
in his feud against his former treacherous partner.

00:24:51.430 --> 00:24:54.029
It shows his versatility as a performer. He doesn't

00:24:54.029 --> 00:24:56.970
just know how to make people hate him, he knows

00:24:56.970 --> 00:24:59.269
how to make them root for him. He experiments

00:24:59.269 --> 00:25:02.259
a bit during this period too. He briefly wrestles

00:25:02.259 --> 00:25:05.460
under a masked persona renamed The Empire Saint.

00:25:05.660 --> 00:25:08.019
But shortly after, he isn't booked for TNA television

00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:10.980
for several months. But here is where that relentless

00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:13.440
work ethic shines again. During that downtime,

00:25:13.619 --> 00:25:15.500
he doesn't just sit at home in Delaware collecting

00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:18.059
a downside guarantee. It gets on a plane. The

00:25:18.059 --> 00:25:20.079
records show he spent three weeks competing in

00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.140
Japan with the Zero One Wrestling promotion.

00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:24.519
Which highlights an incredible dedication to

00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:27.299
his craft. The Japanese style of professional

00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:29.720
wrestling, often referred to as strong style,

00:25:30.140 --> 00:25:32.339
is vastly different from the American television

00:25:32.339 --> 00:25:35.440
style. It is far more physically punishing, martial

00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:38.380
arts based, and presented as a legitimate athletic

00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:41.509
contest. If the American television product didn't

00:25:41.509 --> 00:25:43.529
have a creative storyline for him that month,

00:25:43.809 --> 00:25:46.890
he didn't view it as a vacation. He flew across

00:25:46.890 --> 00:25:49.190
the world to immerse himself in a completely

00:25:49.190 --> 00:25:51.470
different wrestling culture. Continuing to hone

00:25:51.470 --> 00:25:53.849
his skills and expand his international value.

00:25:54.069 --> 00:25:56.410
And when he finally returns to TNA Television,

00:25:56.589 --> 00:25:59.210
he returns with a renewed focus. At the Slam

00:25:59.210 --> 00:26:02.690
Adversary Pay -Per -View event on June 19, 2005,

00:26:03.230 --> 00:26:06.180
he comes back. But he abandons the Irish pack

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:09.140
Kenny Hiro persona. He reverts to the villainous,

00:26:09.299 --> 00:26:11.839
arrogant, highly effective heel version of Simon

00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:14.240
Diamond. He steps out from the curtain at Slammiversary,

00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:16.839
teaming up with a massive, imposing wrestler

00:26:16.839 --> 00:26:19.680
named Triton, whom Diamond brilliantly refers

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.480
to as his insurance policy. They defeat the team

00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:25.000
of Sonny Siaki and Apollo, but the wrestling

00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:27.940
business is unpredictable, and Triton completely

00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:29.920
disappears from the company the very next month.

00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:33.160
So, left without his heavy, Diamond has to pivot

00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:36.269
again. At the No Surrender event later in 2005,

00:26:36.910 --> 00:26:39.069
Diamond walks out to the ring, takes a microphone,

00:26:39.670 --> 00:26:42.269
and introduces a struggling wrestler named David

00:26:42.269 --> 00:26:45.450
Young. Diamond cuts a masterful promo, a spoken

00:26:45.450 --> 00:26:47.809
monologue suggesting that in David Young he had

00:26:47.809 --> 00:26:50.279
found a diamond in the rough. It is excellent

00:26:50.279 --> 00:26:52.599
wordplay, perfectly leaning back into his marketing

00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:54.779
and English degree roots. She isn't just presenting

00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:58.099
a new partner. He is branding him. Exactly. And

00:26:58.099 --> 00:27:00.440
this branding exercise grows into a full -fledged

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:03.259
faction. It becomes officially known as the Diamonds

00:27:03.259 --> 00:27:05.740
in the Rough, when a highly athletic wrestler

00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:08.220
named Elick Skipper joins them a month later

00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:10.900
at the sacrifice event on August 14th. He is

00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:13.140
right back in his comfort zone, acting as the

00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:15.480
mouthpiece, managing the strategy, wrestling

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:18.200
in six -man tags, and using his credibility to

00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:20.799
elevate younger talent within a faction. But

00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:23.680
just as things are stabilizing creatively, the

00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:27.059
story takes a wildly unexpected, genuinely terrifying

00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:29.799
and very real turn the very next month. You are

00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:32.039
referring to the geopolitical realities of international

00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:34.559
touring, specifically the incident in Bhopal.

00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:38.779
Yes. This is one of the most intense storytelling

00:27:38.779 --> 00:27:41.920
set pieces in his entire career. In September

00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:45.740
2005, DNA is attempting to expand its global

00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:48.119
footprint. He has sent on a two -week promotional

00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:51.319
tour of India. He, along with fellow TNA wrestlers

00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:54.339
Sanjay Dutt and Sharkboy, are traveling to several

00:27:54.339 --> 00:27:57.420
Indian cities. Their goal is to promote the debut

00:27:57.420 --> 00:28:01.119
of TNA's flagship television show, Impact, which

00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:03.819
was launching on the ESPN Star Sports Network

00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:07.160
across Asia. Which was a massive, highly lucrative

00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:10.900
television deal for TNA. India represents a colossal

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:12.819
media market, and professional wrestling has

00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:15.539
historically been wildly popular there. The goal

00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:18.059
of sending talent over was to generate localized

00:28:18.059 --> 00:28:20.240
media buzz and drive viewership for the network

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.339
premiere. But on September 28th, in the city

00:28:22.339 --> 00:28:24.720
of Bhopal, the situation spirals completely out

00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:26.579
of control. They are scheduled to appear at a

00:28:26.579 --> 00:28:29.279
promotional event. However, the local organizers

00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:31.839
vastly underestimated the popularity of the product.

00:28:32.140 --> 00:28:34.480
The attendance exponentially exceeded the venue's

00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:36.900
capacity. The records explain that roughly 1

00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:39.599
,000 passionate fans were physically excluded

00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.160
from the event because there simply wasn't any

00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:45.579
room left. and those 1 ,000 fans did not just

00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:49.140
go home quietly. A massive terrifying riot breaks

00:28:49.140 --> 00:28:52.400
out outside the venue. It is a stark visceral

00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:56.000
reminder of the immense global reach of professional

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.279
wrestling and the very real unexpected dangers

00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:01.680
that come with it. You are performers sent halfway

00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:04.099
across the world to do PR interviews and sign

00:29:04.099 --> 00:29:06.440
autographs and suddenly you are trapped inside

00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:09.279
a building with a literal riot raging outside.

00:29:09.609 --> 00:29:11.890
The infrastructure simply couldn't handle the

00:29:11.890 --> 00:29:13.930
cultural phenomenon that wrestling represents

00:29:13.930 --> 00:29:16.009
in that region. The emotional investment of the

00:29:16.009 --> 00:29:18.490
fans turned into a dangerous mob mentality when

00:29:18.490 --> 00:29:21.410
they were denied access. Thankfully, the historical

00:29:21.410 --> 00:29:23.990
records confirm that none of the three TNA wrestlers,

00:29:24.210 --> 00:29:26.230
Kenny, Dutt or Sharkboy, were physically injured

00:29:26.230 --> 00:29:28.789
in the chaos. But it perfectly encapsulates the

00:29:28.789 --> 00:29:31.250
chaotic, unpredictable reality of the wrestling

00:29:31.250 --> 00:29:33.849
business. You can go from cutting a promo in

00:29:33.849 --> 00:29:36.869
Orlando, Florida, to surviving a riot in Bhopal,

00:29:36.869 --> 00:29:39.339
India, in the span of a week. It really puts

00:29:39.339 --> 00:29:41.720
the travel schedule into perspective. From the

00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:44.400
very real danger in India, he returns safely

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:48.359
to America in October 2005. And shortly after,

00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:51.000
we get what is arguably my favorite conceptual

00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:53.539
crossover in this entire deep dive. Oh, the baseball

00:29:53.539 --> 00:29:55.220
angle. Think all the way back to the beginning

00:29:55.220 --> 00:29:57.700
of our discussion. Yeah. Remember his deep baseball

00:29:57.700 --> 00:30:00.779
roots? Remember the 1986 Major League Baseball

00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:02.960
contract offer from the San Diego Padres that

00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:05.480
he turned down? Yeah. Well, in December 2005,

00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:09.119
TNA Creative brilliantly decides to mine his

00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:12.099
actual life story for an on -screen storyline.

00:30:12.349 --> 00:30:15.329
It is the perfect example of art imitating life,

00:30:15.630 --> 00:30:17.650
bringing his narrative full circle. It's genius.

00:30:18.089 --> 00:30:20.829
TNA initiates a major angle, a storyline involving

00:30:20.829 --> 00:30:23.509
Simon Diamond and the actual real life catcher

00:30:23.509 --> 00:30:25.470
for the Chicago White Sox, A .J. Piersinski.

00:30:25.670 --> 00:30:27.890
Now context is key here. The Chicago White Sox

00:30:27.890 --> 00:30:30.789
had just won the 2005 World Series. Piersinski

00:30:30.789 --> 00:30:33.329
was a massive mainstream sports star at that

00:30:33.329 --> 00:30:36.329
exact moment. TNA brings Piersinski in and they

00:30:36.329 --> 00:30:38.329
build a feud between the World Series catcher

00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:40.609
and the wrestler who used to be a highly recruited

00:30:40.609 --> 00:30:43.440
catcher. This culminates in a massive six -man

00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:45.579
tag team match at the Turning Point pay -per

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:47.880
-view event. The Diamonds and the Rough Diamond,

00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:51.099
David Young, and Elick Skipper face off against

00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:53.960
the team of Chris Sabin, Sanjay Dutt, and Dale

00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:57.019
Torborg. And standing proudly in the corner of

00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:59.940
Sabin, Dutt, and Torborg, acting as their manager,

00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:03.220
is AJ Pierczynski. It is a phenomenal collision

00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:05.779
of his two distinct worlds. You have Patrick

00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:08.019
Kenny, the young man who possessed the talent

00:31:08.019 --> 00:31:10.400
but consciously gave up a life behind home plate,

00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:12.740
now stepping into a wrestling ring on national

00:31:12.740 --> 00:31:15.220
television to face off against the reigning World

00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:17.940
Series champion catcher. It blends mainstream

00:31:17.940 --> 00:31:20.839
sports credibility with wrestling theatrics seamlessly.

00:31:21.420 --> 00:31:23.339
The diamonds in the rough actually lost that

00:31:23.339 --> 00:31:25.720
specific match at turning point, but the crossover

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:27.940
angle was so successful that they continued it.

00:31:28.109 --> 00:31:31.730
In March 2006, Piersinski returns to TNA television,

00:31:32.349 --> 00:31:34.390
and he is once again confronted in the ring by

00:31:34.390 --> 00:31:37.190
Simon Diamond. But this time, Piersinski didn't

00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:39.549
come alone. During the physical altercation,

00:31:39.809 --> 00:31:41.589
Diamond ends up getting struck in the head with

00:31:41.589 --> 00:31:44.450
a steel chair by none other than the legendary,

00:31:44.890 --> 00:31:46.809
highly volatile manager of the Chicago White

00:31:46.809 --> 00:31:49.910
Sox, Oz Gillen. You truly could not script a

00:31:49.910 --> 00:31:53.920
more poetic, surreal moment. The highly disciplined

00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:56.319
young man who turned down a Major League Baseball

00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.759
contract in 1986 ends up getting walloped with

00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:02.579
a steel folding chair by a Major League Baseball

00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:06.220
manager on a national wrestling broadcast exactly

00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:09.880
20 years later. It is the absolute epitome of

00:32:09.880 --> 00:32:12.460
sports entertainment. It perfectly encapsulates

00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:14.779
how unpredictable his choices made his life.

00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:17.619
It's an incredible visual, but this specific

00:32:17.619 --> 00:32:20.299
era Right around the time he's taking chair shots

00:32:20.299 --> 00:32:23.440
from Ozzy Gillen marks another highly significant

00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:25.900
professional transition for him. He begins to

00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:28.119
transition away from being a full -time in -ring

00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:30.720
performer. He moves behind the curtain and officially

00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:33.650
becomes a road agent for TNA. This is a critical

00:32:33.650 --> 00:32:35.970
pivot. We need to clearly define what a road

00:32:35.970 --> 00:32:37.970
agent sometimes called a producer actually does

00:32:37.970 --> 00:32:40.089
because it is arguably the most difficult job

00:32:40.089 --> 00:32:42.970
in the company. The road agent is the essential

00:32:42.970 --> 00:32:45.069
bridge between the creative writers and the physical

00:32:45.069 --> 00:32:47.849
wrestlers. When the writer says we need wrestler

00:32:47.849 --> 00:32:50.930
A to beat wrestler B in 10 minutes to build to

00:32:50.930 --> 00:32:53.039
next month's pay -per -view. The road agent is

00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:55.180
the one who sits down with wrestler A and wrestler

00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:57.839
B and helps them construct the physical match.

00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:00.359
Exactly. They dictate the pacing. They plan the

00:33:00.359 --> 00:33:02.440
psychological beats. They ensure the safety of

00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:05.240
the performers and they communicate the promoters

00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:07.700
ultimate vision. They manage the egos of the

00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:10.480
talent. They manage the timing of the live television

00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.920
broadcast and they are responsible if a match

00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:16.829
falls apart in the ring. It is a role that requires

00:33:16.829 --> 00:33:19.970
an encyclopedic understanding of wrestling psychology,

00:33:20.690 --> 00:33:23.750
extreme diplomacy, and flawless time management.

00:33:24.170 --> 00:33:26.529
And who better to manage the psychology of a

00:33:26.529 --> 00:33:29.710
match and the egos of the talent than a former

00:33:29.710 --> 00:33:31.730
corporate marketing executive with an English

00:33:31.730 --> 00:33:35.089
degree who also survived ECW. He was tailor -made

00:33:35.089 --> 00:33:38.470
for the role. However, the realities of the television

00:33:38.470 --> 00:33:41.210
business eventually caught up to him. On November

00:33:41.210 --> 00:33:44.210
3, 2008, he is officially released from his contract

00:33:44.210 --> 00:33:47.680
with TNA. The company explicitly cited mandatory

00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:50.240
budgetary cuts as the reason for his dismissal.

00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:53.000
Which introduces us to the cold, hard financial

00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:55.339
realities of the corporate side of the wrestling

00:33:55.339 --> 00:33:58.240
industry. You can be incredibly valuable behind

00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:00.680
the scenes. You can be the glue holding a television

00:34:00.680 --> 00:34:03.140
broadcast together. But at the end of the day,

00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:05.880
you are still an employee subject to the financial

00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:08.400
calculus of a television production company facing

00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:10.599
budget constraints. If the spreadsheet dictates

00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:13.199
a reduction in overhead, even the most competent

00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:15.599
producers can be let go. But as we've learned

00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:18.340
with him, closed doors rarely stay closed for

00:34:18.340 --> 00:34:20.539
long. That brings us to the next phase of his

00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:24.440
career, firings, rehirings, and the ECW invasion.

00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:27.659
The turnaround following his release is surprisingly

00:34:27.659 --> 00:34:30.940
fast. Less than a year later, on September 18,

00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:34.539
2009, TNA Wrestling publicly announces that he

00:34:34.539 --> 00:34:37.400
has been rehired. He is brought back to his exact

00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:40.440
role as a road agent. But the context is fascinating.

00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:42.920
He was brought back specifically to replace two

00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:44.860
of very prominent men who had just been fired

00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:48.000
by the company Jim Cornette and BG James. This

00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.099
raises an important question about the cyclical

00:34:50.099 --> 00:34:52.500
nature of wrestling employment and the true value

00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:55.340
of indispensable backstage knowledge. Clearly,

00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:58.239
after executing those initial budget cuts and

00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:00.679
subsequently letting go of veterans like Cornette

00:35:00.679 --> 00:35:04.000
and James, TNA management realized very quickly

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:07.030
that they had created a massive unmanageable

00:35:07.030 --> 00:35:09.849
hole in their live production team. Producing

00:35:09.849 --> 00:35:12.130
live wrestling is a highly specialized still.

00:35:12.289 --> 00:35:14.309
You can't just hire a producer from a local news

00:35:14.309 --> 00:35:16.730
station to do it. They desperately needed someone

00:35:16.730 --> 00:35:19.389
who already commanded the absolute respect of

00:35:19.389 --> 00:35:21.769
the locker room. Who inherently understood the

00:35:21.769 --> 00:35:24.469
chaotic mechanics of television production. And

00:35:24.469 --> 00:35:27.150
who knew the specific nuances of the T &A product

00:35:27.150 --> 00:35:30.260
inside and out. He wasn't just a convenient choice.

00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:33.599
He was the logical, reliable, necessary choice

00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:35.840
to stabilize their backstage environment. He

00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.840
was the steady hand on the wheel. But even though

00:35:38.840 --> 00:35:41.380
he was thriving in his producer role behind the

00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:44.869
curtain, the allure of the ring is strong. very

00:35:44.869 --> 00:35:48.250
strong. On July 15, 2010, he makes a massive,

00:35:48.309 --> 00:35:50.809
highly publicized return to television during

00:35:50.809 --> 00:35:52.769
an episode of Impact. And he doesn't come alone.

00:35:53.010 --> 00:35:55.530
He aligns himself with a massive group of fellow

00:35:55.530 --> 00:35:59.230
ECW alumni who suddenly appear in TNA. We're

00:35:59.230 --> 00:36:02.050
talking about absolute legends of the hardcore

00:36:02.050 --> 00:36:05.980
era. Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Stevie Richards, Rhino,

00:36:06.260 --> 00:36:09.000
brother Devin, Al Snow, and the hardcore icon

00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:11.820
Mick Foley. Together, this group launches a full

00:36:11.820 --> 00:36:15.840
-scale on -screen invasion of TNA. It was a massive

00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:19.210
highly successful nostalgia angle. It capitalized

00:36:19.210 --> 00:36:21.570
entirely on the deep lingering affection and

00:36:21.570 --> 00:36:23.949
loyalty that the wrestling audience still harbored

00:36:23.949 --> 00:36:26.309
for the defunct extreme championship wrestling

00:36:26.309 --> 00:36:28.730
brand, even a decade after it went bankrupt.

00:36:28.949 --> 00:36:30.489
It was a brilliant way to pop the television

00:36:30.489 --> 00:36:33.389
ratings. The invasion storyline escalates week

00:36:33.389 --> 00:36:35.849
after week, culminating in a major corporate

00:36:35.849 --> 00:36:38.489
concession on television. TNA president Dixie

00:36:38.489 --> 00:36:41.030
Carter agrees to give the ECW alumni complete

00:36:41.030 --> 00:36:43.309
control over their own reunion pay -per -view

00:36:43.309 --> 00:36:46.019
event. The event was titled Hardcore justice,

00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:48.880
the last stand. It was heavily marketed as a

00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:51.280
celebration of the hardcore wrestling style and

00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:54.219
a final definitive farewell to the legacy of

00:36:54.219 --> 00:36:57.039
the ECW brand. And for an event of that historical

00:36:57.039 --> 00:36:59.559
magnitude, he naturally steps away from the producer's

00:36:59.559 --> 00:37:02.320
desk and dusts off his wrestling boots. He absolutely

00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:05.840
does. He fully returns to the classic, arrogant

00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:08.860
Simon Diamond persona that made him famous. During

00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:11.099
the pay -per -view, he teams up with his old

00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:13.840
reliable partner, Johnny Swinger, and they add

00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:17.059
Kid Cash to form a six -man tag team. They faced

00:37:17.059 --> 00:37:20.719
off against another legendary ECW faction, the

00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:23.869
full -blooded Italians, specifically... Little

00:37:23.869 --> 00:37:27.070
Guido, Tony Luke and Tracy Smothers. Now, Diamond

00:37:27.070 --> 00:37:30.050
Swinger and Cash ended up losing the match, but

00:37:30.050 --> 00:37:32.969
the outcome was secondary. It was a phenomenal,

00:37:33.190 --> 00:37:35.389
deeply emotional moment for the longtime fans

00:37:35.389 --> 00:37:38.750
to see Simon Diamond back in his element, orchestrating

00:37:38.750 --> 00:37:40.730
the crowd and honoring the legacy of the company

00:37:40.730 --> 00:37:42.789
that put him on the map. It perfectly highlights

00:37:42.789 --> 00:37:45.599
his unique versatility within the industry. There

00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:47.800
are very few people who can meticulously produce

00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:49.840
the logistical run sheet for a television show

00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:52.599
on Tuesday and then seamlessly transition into

00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:55.599
a highly compelling in -ring performer on a global

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:58.400
pay -per -view on Sunday. He bridged the gap

00:37:58.400 --> 00:38:01.000
between management and talent effortlessly. He

00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:03.340
was truly a multi -tool player for that company.

00:38:03.780 --> 00:38:06.360
He even stepped into yet another completely different,

00:38:06.460 --> 00:38:10.619
highly specialized on -camera role. On May 8th,

00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:13.840
2012, he actually substituted for the legendary

00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:17.239
wrestler Taz as a color commentator on the TNA

00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:20.440
Explosion broadcast, joining the veteran broadcaster

00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:22.960
Jeremy Borash in the booth. And we should clarify

00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:25.440
what a color commentator does. The play -by -play

00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:28.159
announcer calls the physical moves The color

00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:30.340
commentator's job is to fill the spaces between

00:38:30.340 --> 00:38:33.179
the moves with insight, psychological analysis

00:38:33.179 --> 00:38:35.440
of why a wrestler is targeting a specific body

00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:38.460
part, and narrative context that advances the

00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:41.639
storyline. Live broadcast commentary is incredibly

00:38:41.639 --> 00:38:43.900
difficult. It requires lightning -fast quick

00:38:43.900 --> 00:38:46.360
thinking, an encyclopedic knowledge of the product,

00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:49.119
and the verbal dexterity to enhance the narrative

00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:51.760
for the viewing audience without ever overshadowing

00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:53.780
the physical in -ring action. Once again, you

00:38:53.780 --> 00:38:55.739
see his English degree and his marketing background

00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:58.320
paying massive dividends and a specialized role.

00:38:58.480 --> 00:39:00.719
He truly wore every single hat available in that

00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:03.039
company. But, as is the nature of the wrestling

00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:05.679
business, all chapters eventually conclude. The

00:39:05.679 --> 00:39:08.539
historical records note that on June 19th, 2017,

00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:10.860
after dedicating nearly a decade and a half to

00:39:10.860 --> 00:39:13.320
the company in various roles, he finally left

00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:15.860
Impact Wrestling. He departed alongside other

00:39:15.860 --> 00:39:18.639
backstage veterans like Shane Helms and Al Snow.

00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:22.440
It marked the definitive end of a massive, transformative

00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:25.739
chapter in his life. But as anyone who has followed

00:39:25.739 --> 00:39:28.079
his career trajectory up to this point could

00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:31.380
guess... Leaving TNA was certainly not the end

00:39:31.380 --> 00:39:33.719
of his professional journey. Not at all. And

00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:36.820
that brings us to the modern era, the final phase

00:39:36.820 --> 00:39:39.760
of our timeline, the executive resurgence and

00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:42.280
personal trials. Bringing the story up to the

00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:45.059
present day, he has taken on a massive executive

00:39:45.059 --> 00:39:47.480
role with one of the oldest, most historic brands

00:39:47.480 --> 00:39:49.940
in all of professional wrestling, the National

00:39:49.940 --> 00:39:52.980
Wrestling Alliance or the NWA. He is currently

00:39:52.980 --> 00:39:55.579
utilizing all of his accumulated knowledge as

00:39:55.579 --> 00:39:58.380
their Director of Talent Relations. The Director

00:39:58.380 --> 00:40:01.000
of Talent Relations is arguably the most complex

00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:03.460
and emotionally demanding executive position

00:40:03.460 --> 00:40:06.219
within any wrestling promotion. You are the literal

00:40:06.219 --> 00:40:08.219
liaison between the corporate management and

00:40:08.219 --> 00:40:10.340
the roster of wrestlers. You are responsible

00:40:10.340 --> 00:40:12.920
for negotiating contracts, handling sensitive

00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:15.639
internal grievances, managing the hiring process,

00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:18.179
and executing the firings. To succeed in that

00:40:18.179 --> 00:40:20.710
role, you need a paradoxical skill set. You need

00:40:20.710 --> 00:40:22.949
the deep empathy and understanding of a former

00:40:22.949 --> 00:40:25.289
wrestler who knows the physical and emotional

00:40:25.289 --> 00:40:28.570
toll of the road, but you simultaneously need

00:40:28.570 --> 00:40:32.170
the cold, objective calculus of a corporate executive

00:40:32.170 --> 00:40:34.590
protecting the company's bottom line. When you

00:40:34.590 --> 00:40:37.110
look at him, a man who has been a PepsiCo marketing

00:40:37.110 --> 00:40:40.090
executive, a grueling independent wrestler, a

00:40:40.090 --> 00:40:42.949
main event television star and a meticulously

00:40:42.949 --> 00:40:46.210
organized road agent. He is perhaps uniquely

00:40:46.210 --> 00:40:49.190
perfectly qualified for this exact executive

00:40:49.190 --> 00:40:51.789
role. And even with all those executive responsibilities,

00:40:52.230 --> 00:40:54.789
he still occasionally pops up on screen to assert

00:40:54.789 --> 00:40:57.409
his authority. The records mentioned a great

00:40:57.409 --> 00:41:00.570
moment at the NWA 73rd Anniversary Show pay -per

00:41:00.570 --> 00:41:03.699
-view where he had to physically intervene. breaking

00:41:03.699 --> 00:41:07.420
up a chaotic ringside brawl between the NWA world

00:41:07.420 --> 00:41:09.699
champion Nick Aldis and his challenger Trevor

00:41:09.699 --> 00:41:12.320
Murdoch. He clearly still possesses that commanding

00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:14.519
authoritative presence. But as we analyze this

00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:16.739
incredible professional journey, we also have

00:41:16.739 --> 00:41:19.079
to acknowledge the man behind the persona. The

00:41:19.079 --> 00:41:21.159
biographical sources shed light on his personal

00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:23.940
life, which has contained its own deeply complex

00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:27.500
human chapters. Yes, the biography provides necessary

00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:29.579
details regarding his long term relationships

00:41:29.579 --> 00:41:32.300
and the personal trials he navigated alongside

00:41:32.300 --> 00:41:35.480
his career. The records show that he had a very

00:41:35.480 --> 00:41:39.239
high profile seven year relationship and engagement

00:41:39.239 --> 00:41:42.000
with wrestling personality Don Marie. They started

00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:45.000
dating in October 1998 after having been friends

00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:47.739
for almost two years. They planned to marry,

00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:50.099
but the relationship ultimately ended and they

00:41:50.099 --> 00:41:52.480
separated after seven years together. Later in

00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:55.260
his life, he married Candace Kenny and they built

00:41:55.260 --> 00:41:57.909
a family together. having two children with their

00:41:57.909 --> 00:42:00.429
first child being born in 2010. It is worth noting

00:42:00.429 --> 00:42:03.289
that navigating a long term, committed, romantic

00:42:03.289 --> 00:42:05.469
relationship while both parties are working within

00:42:05.469 --> 00:42:08.090
the relentless, exhausting travel schedule of

00:42:08.090 --> 00:42:10.989
professional wrestling is notoriously difficult.

00:42:11.150 --> 00:42:13.150
The divorce and separation rates in the industry

00:42:13.150 --> 00:42:16.030
are incredibly high. But building a family later

00:42:16.030 --> 00:42:18.929
in life often brings a necessary profound level

00:42:18.929 --> 00:42:21.329
of grounding and perspective, particularly for

00:42:21.329 --> 00:42:23.550
an individual who spent decades living out of

00:42:23.550 --> 00:42:26.280
a suitcase on the road. And speaking of profound,

00:42:26.500 --> 00:42:29.199
deeply personal matters, the sources also document

00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:33.300
a very serious legal and personal event. In 2009,

00:42:33.380 --> 00:42:35.760
he filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against a former

00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:38.780
priest at the Salesianum School, the very high

00:42:38.780 --> 00:42:42.300
school he graduated from back in 1986. Dealing

00:42:42.300 --> 00:42:44.599
strictly with the historical facts provided in

00:42:44.599 --> 00:42:47.139
the source material, this legal filing highlights

00:42:47.139 --> 00:42:50.860
an immensely heavy, deeply personal trial occurring

00:42:50.860 --> 00:42:53.460
entirely outside the view of the cheering wrestling

00:42:53.460 --> 00:42:56.460
public. Throughout this deep dive, we have analyzed

00:42:56.460 --> 00:42:58.940
his career as a fascinating series of professional

00:42:58.940 --> 00:43:02.019
pivots, strategic marketing decisions, and athletic

00:43:02.019 --> 00:43:04.500
successes. However, this event serves as a stark,

00:43:04.739 --> 00:43:07.079
sobering reminder of the deeply human elements

00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:09.119
and the immense gravity of real -life events

00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:11.599
that individuals carry with them, often in silence.

00:43:12.199 --> 00:43:13.900
The immense courage required to step forward

00:43:13.900 --> 00:43:16.139
publicly and file a lawsuit of that specific

00:43:16.139 --> 00:43:18.760
nature, confronting a deeply painful history

00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:21.340
stemming from one's childhood, requires a profound,

00:43:21.380 --> 00:43:23.900
almost incalculable level of personal resilience.

00:43:24.099 --> 00:43:26.699
It underscores that behind the arrogant, larger

00:43:26.699 --> 00:43:29.360
-than -life Simon Diamond persona that entertained

00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:33.079
millions is a man navigating the severe complexities,

00:43:33.739 --> 00:43:36.260
traumas, and realities of the real world. It

00:43:36.260 --> 00:43:39.199
absolutely frames his entire journey with a profound

00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:42.219
sense of strength. To have carried that weight,

00:43:42.489 --> 00:43:45.369
while simultaneously building, losing, and rebuilding

00:43:45.369 --> 00:43:49.050
this massive multifaceted career across different

00:43:49.050 --> 00:43:52.170
industries is staggering. It gives a completely

00:43:52.170 --> 00:43:53.789
different weight to the concept of resilience

00:43:53.789 --> 00:43:56.130
we've been discussing. Okay, so what does this

00:43:56.130 --> 00:43:58.869
all mean? We've covered decades of incredibly

00:43:58.869 --> 00:44:00.929
dense history. We've gone from the high school

00:44:00.929 --> 00:44:03.110
baseball diamond in Delaware, to the corporate

00:44:03.110 --> 00:44:05.610
boardrooms of PepsiCo, to the blood -soaked rings

00:44:05.610 --> 00:44:09.590
of ECW, to the production truck of TNA, and finally

00:44:09.590 --> 00:44:12.980
to the executive suite of the NWA. How do we

00:44:12.980 --> 00:44:15.579
ultimately distill the essence of his life? Based

00:44:15.579 --> 00:44:17.539
on everything we've unpacked, I look at his life

00:44:17.539 --> 00:44:20.480
as an absolute master class in extreme adaptability.

00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:23.360
That is the perfect synthesis, extreme adaptability.

00:44:23.659 --> 00:44:25.780
He went from being a highly recruited Major League

00:44:25.780 --> 00:44:28.519
Baseball catching prospect, to a corporate marketing

00:44:28.519 --> 00:44:31.079
executive, to a gritty independent wrestler,

00:44:31.579 --> 00:44:34.559
to a national television star, to a backstage

00:44:34.559 --> 00:44:37.380
producer, and finally to an executive director.

00:44:37.579 --> 00:44:41.260
He never once let the closing of one door dictate

00:44:41.260 --> 00:44:43.920
the definitive end of his story. When the shoulder

00:44:43.920 --> 00:44:47.440
gave out, he pivoted to marketing. When the corporate

00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:49.920
world wasn't fulfilling, he pivoted to wrestling.

00:44:50.980 --> 00:44:54.079
When ECW died, he pivoted to the Indies. When

00:44:54.079 --> 00:44:57.079
his in -ring career wound down, he pivoted to

00:44:57.079 --> 00:44:59.519
production. And that is the core takeaway, the

00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:01.599
vital lesson I want to leave with you, the listener.

00:45:02.179 --> 00:45:04.780
Think deeply about the trajectory we just mapped

00:45:04.780 --> 00:45:07.659
out. when the door to your original dream forcefully

00:45:07.659 --> 00:45:09.980
closes. Whether it's a blown out shoulder in

00:45:09.980 --> 00:45:12.300
college ending your athletic career or the sudden

00:45:12.300 --> 00:45:14.420
bankruptcy of the company you dedicated years

00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:16.599
to. How do you respond to that adversity? Do

00:45:16.599 --> 00:45:19.679
you fold and accept defeat? Or do you quickly,

00:45:19.900 --> 00:45:22.059
strategically reinvent yourself to become a diamond

00:45:22.059 --> 00:45:24.559
in the rough in a completely new uncharted field?

00:45:24.940 --> 00:45:28.599
His life definitively proves that your specialized

00:45:28.599 --> 00:45:32.539
skills Your ingrained discipline, your deep understanding

00:45:32.539 --> 00:45:35.760
of human psychology, your communication and marketing

00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:39.199
abilities are not locked to one specific job

00:45:39.199 --> 00:45:42.039
title. They are entirely transferable. They can

00:45:42.039 --> 00:45:44.780
be repurposed, repackaged, and weaponized to

00:45:44.780 --> 00:45:47.599
conquer entirely new worlds, provided you have

00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:49.559
the courage to make the leap into the unknown.

00:45:49.960 --> 00:45:52.059
The skills are always transferable. You just

00:45:52.059 --> 00:45:54.119
have to be willing to apply them in a place you

00:45:54.119 --> 00:45:56.849
never expected. To wrap up this deep dive, I

00:45:56.849 --> 00:45:59.309
want to leave you with one final provocative

00:45:59.309 --> 00:46:02.210
thought experiment to mull over on your own time.

00:46:02.590 --> 00:46:04.610
We've talked extensively about his incredible

00:46:04.610 --> 00:46:07.409
ability to pivot and adapt to circumstances.

00:46:08.050 --> 00:46:10.050
But I want you to think about how drastically

00:46:10.050 --> 00:46:11.849
differently professional wrestling history might

00:46:11.849 --> 00:46:14.570
have played out if a young 18 -year -old Pat

00:46:14.570 --> 00:46:17.190
Kenny had simply signed that initial contract

00:46:17.190 --> 00:46:20.730
with the San Diego Padres back in 1986. If he

00:46:20.730 --> 00:46:23.530
goes straight to the MLB, he never attends VCU.

00:46:23.730 --> 00:46:26.150
He never gets the English degree. He never works

00:46:26.150 --> 00:46:28.730
for PepsiCo. He never meets Jim Kettner in New

00:46:28.730 --> 00:46:31.369
Jersey. He never becomes Simon Diamond. If Simon

00:46:31.369 --> 00:46:34.329
Diamond doesn't exist, does the iconic extreme

00:46:34.329 --> 00:46:38.329
horsemen faction ever form in MLW? Does the ECW

00:46:38.329 --> 00:46:40.469
tag team division look completely different in

00:46:40.469 --> 00:46:44.309
its final years? It is a massive industry altering

00:46:44.309 --> 00:46:46.929
butterfly effect that potentially changes the

00:46:46.929 --> 00:46:50.349
entire creative landscape of 90s and 2000s professional

00:46:50.349 --> 00:46:53.110
wrestling. And it all hinges entirely on a teenager

00:46:53.110 --> 00:46:55.389
in Delaware deciding he wanted to go to college

00:46:55.389 --> 00:46:57.170
instead of playing professional baseball. It

00:46:57.170 --> 00:46:59.690
is a truly fascinating alternate timeline to

00:46:59.690 --> 00:47:02.630
consider. It shows how one practical decision

00:47:02.630 --> 00:47:04.829
can alter the entertainment landscape for millions

00:47:04.829 --> 00:47:07.349
of people decades later. It really is. Thank

00:47:07.349 --> 00:47:09.150
you so much for joining us on this extensive

00:47:09.150 --> 00:47:11.849
deep dive into the incredible multifaceted life

00:47:11.849 --> 00:47:14.670
of Simon Diamond. Keep adapting, keep reinventing,

00:47:15.070 --> 00:47:16.010
and we will see you next time.