“In IZW there will never be a bigger
feud that the one between myself and Johnny Z.”
In Part 2 of my interview with IZW
Commissioner Brandon Bishop, he dishes on his feeling towards Johnny Z and IZW and
gives some insight into his plans for “Evolution” on July 21 live at the Impact
Arena in Lawton, Oklahoma and only on GFL.tv.
Brandon Bishop has a one track mind
these days. With three weeks until IZW’s
next iPPV, “Evolution”, Bishop reminisces about the good times and bad with his
nemesis, Johnny Z.
“If IZW wants to release a DVD, it
should be the “BISHOP/JOHNNY Z Rivalry” DVD.
Nothing can be bigger or more personal or more real. From brothers
sharing a vision, to heated enemies, to regrouping and counting on each other
and elevating each other’s game, to bitter competitors, to being close like
brothers again, to parting ways on the worst possible terms and spending years
in silent dislike, to what we have now... Brandon Bishop as IZW Commissioner,
stomping around in John's green yard and writing yet another chapter in this
ten year feud,” Bishop said.
“When I think of the letters ‘I-Z-W’ I
think of the many, many times Johnny Z and I were in the ring together. I think about all the bad blood. IZW to me was only about John and me tearing
each other apart. Today it's only about
two things, IZW is one hell of a promotion, and John and I tearing each other
apart. I owe it to IZW, myself and the
legacy of our feud to get my ass in top shape and make it count. Will this run
be the last chapter in the Bishop/Johnny Z story? Maybe. Maybe not,” Bishop
continued.
Because of Bishop’s past history with
Johnny Z and IZW, he has always kept an eye on the flourishing promotion. Even when he was up in Colorado running his
own federation, as Bishop tells it, his role as IZW Commissioner was a
no-brainer and something he was ready for.
“I see myself as an important part of IZW. I watched IZW ever since it
debuted on GFL, and watched what I could even before that. These days I look up to IZW and I’m impressed
by just about everything I see. But IZW needed a spark, they needed a mouth and
presence to shake it up, I knew I was that guy, long before I was contacted.
They didn't have what I could offer, they didn't have that instant true built
in heat that Johnny Z and I can create and showcase and they didn't have that
element of chaos that I bring with me wherever I go. I am here to make IZW as
good as it's ever been, and at this point I feel as though I've already
succeeded... But I've only just begun!”
Never one to shy away from patting
himself on the back, on the flip side of the coin, Bishop is also his harshest
critic. He realizes his performance at
“Coronation”, a tag team match, which saw him and his partner IZW Heavyweight
Champion Aaron “The Bronze Bull” Neil
lose against the returning and rejuvenated team of Johnny Z and Jermaine Johnson, isn’t going to
cut it later this month in the most crucial and important match of Bishop’s
career inside an IZW ring.
“Right now I just overcame a pretty
wicked illness that destroyed my body from the inside out, and took away
whatever muscle I had, weakened the bones a bit and fattened me up nicely. So, my training routine is starting over from
scratch and will be more than I've ever done previously. I wasn't happy at all with the way I looked
or felt in that main event at ‘Coronation’, it was pretty embarrassing to be
honest, I wasn't ready or completely recovered, but I did my best,” Bishop
recalled.
“Our next iPPV, ‘Evolution’ is going
to not only sell out the Impact Arena in Lawton, Oklahoma, it's going to garner
more PPV buys than anything we've done previously. Where I failed at ‘Coronation’, I will more
than make up for. All I can say is that
before I was Commissioner in IZW, I made a decade long name for myself being
one of the sickest, most demented, brutal in ring competitors to grace any ring
anywhere... and on July 21, 2012 at The Impact Arena, I will give myself a
playground to once again trigger those demons inside of me... I love those
demons...they're my friends...”
Bishop will get that opportunity when
he and his version of Impact Inc. compete against the Johnny Z Approved Impact
Inc., in the most unforgiving and diabolical match in IZW history, the Impact Chamber. The winner of the match gets to continue to
use the name “Impact Inc.”, while the loser cannot ever use the name
again.
With so much riding on the line at
“Evolution”, Bishop has a one track mind for his huge opportunity with IZW. Since Bishop’s return, quite a bit has
changed, including the accessibility of the Southwest’s promotion in large part
because of the strategic partnership IZW mastermind Johnny Z has made with
Internet sports streaming giant GFL.
It’s a fact not lost on Bishop.
“I don't think about other promotions
outside of IZW and my own. I don't watch their product; I don't care about
their house draws, their production, their stories, or even their talent unless
they contact me. My slice of the
wrestling pie is in two locations, Colorado Springs with ACW and Lawton with
IZW. Right now IZW is the best thing
going, even surpassing ACW in production and in many other ways. I think once
IZW tightens up its talent roster, once it finds that one big break out star
that people can't imagine missing for even a week, once the word continues to
reach more and more people, I truly believe IZW can be on that ROH level, and
ACW will be right behind it. As far as other promotions, I wish them all the
luck in the word. A time where every worthwhile
promotion in the world was drawing thousands and making millions would be a
great time, I love wrestling, all GOOD wrestling, and I wish the best for
everyone, but my goals and standards are met where I’m at,” Bishop said.
Bishop continued, “IZW found a diamond
in GFL, I just hope GFL is able to get the word out on exactly how awesome their
product and service is. If GFL could lead the way for companies like ours, and
if there were a million wrestling fans on it, watching 20 wrestling promotions
on a weekly schedule, the wrestlers would become famous, the promotions would
make money and gain popularity, and life would be great! I just wish GFL was
more about wrestling than MMA or boxing.
But I totally understand the need for having everything. I'm just
greedy. But it's cool that some kid in
Korea, Saudi Arabia, London or Moscow can all be watching IZW or ACW or any
other promotion on GFL.tv. I truly
believe that in the next ten years, television networks will basically be
obsolete and stations like GFL will be the next wave in entertainment... You
heard it here first people!”
Some in the wrestling world might not
care for Brandon Bishop or agree with everything he’s done, but nobody can deny
that Bishop has given the majority of his life to the business and the sport is
better because of it. “At this stage in
the game I just want to teach others what I know and improve the overall show
in whatever manner I can. Like I said,
I've already succeeded as far as what my goals were, and it's funny hearing the
new, younger generation of Indy wrestlers approach me in IZW or wherever and
say, ‘Dude, I've always wanted to work you!’ or ‘I remember when you did this
or that...’ or ‘I've heard about what you did back when!’ It's funny as hell to
me to be in that boat with guys like Gary Tool or Angel Williams, or O'Malley,
etc. I still have a lot of years left in me, I still have another solid
highlight reel in me, and my last match will be against my son who's now just
turning five. I'm sure I won't allow myself to be the old fat guy struggling to
fit in his singlet and expecting a spot every show, but I’ll be a part of it in
some way or another. I'm pushing forty
right now, but even in my sixties I’ll be able to talk asses into seats better
than any of these punters I see around,” Bishop explained.
Now a well-traveled veteran, Bishop finished
the conversation with some insight into a man that has very few regrets in life
because he had a dream, chased a dream and accomplished a dream that not many
people on the planet can do or understand.
Being a professional wrestler for all of its trappings and pitfalls has
still given the man who used to thumb through his mother’s scrapbook as a child
one hell of a ride.
“Just let me finish by saying, no
matter what positives and negatives I’ve had in wrestling over the past decade
plus, no matter how many friends I’ve made or lost, no matter how much success
or how much wrestling has cost me, it's been worth it. It's been the one thing I’ve
loved since being a clueless child, it's been the one thing I’ve done and loved
longer than anything else I have in my life. It's the one thing I’m mainly
known for. I've been a musician, a TV
host, an author, a father, a soldier, a standup comic, a loving cat owner, but
when you Google the name Brandon Bishop, you'll see me in stretchy pants, in a
ring, surrounded by awesome fans with a grimacing look on my face. I'm still as
thankful as I was when I started, every time I'm allowed to step through a
curtain and head to a ring. It's still cool no matter what the spot or who I’m
working. Whether I’m cheered or booed out of the building, it's still an
honor. I’m still grateful and I’ll never
take it for granted. How many people get to actually do what they've always
wanted to do? And be good at it and respected for doing it? Not many...”
