| Profile on World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce | |
 By Michael SimmonsBetween his duties writing for a nationally televised wrestling promotion, raising a two-year old son, serving as a husband, and flying to numerous cities on a seemingly endless itinerary defending the most historic title in the industry, NWA World Champion “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce says it’s just another week in the life of the champ. “(Everyday), I’m up at 6 a.m. with my son, work the day through to fulfill my ROH obligations, usually in bed by 10 p.m., usually leaving town on a red-eye flight of some sort on Thursday night, and usually home on Sunday afternoon to start it all over again,” Pearce said. “Add my duties as a father and husband to my professional “to do list” and you can see I’m usually moving non-stop.” Currently in his third NWA world title reign, the champion was actually on a different career path before breaking into professional wrestling. Pearce was a standout athlete at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois, where he played football until a doctor’s diagnosis cut his football career short. “I played high school football at a fairly high level and was prepared to play Division 1 college ball when I was stricken with Compartment Syndrome in both of my lower legs,” Pearce recalls. “Between the surgery and recovery, I lost near 50 pounds and playing football as I knew it was no longer an option. I was a big wrestling fan and knew of a local cable show devoted to it so I attended regularly and was able to meet local independent wrestlers.” Good thing he did, because Pearce took a burden that ended one career and has now parlayed it into another, more successful calling as NWA Champion. Pearce began training in the latter part of 1995 with Sonny Rogers and Randy Ricci in Chicago, and made his initial mark in Wisconsin’s Mid American Wrestling for the first couple of years of his career. Pearce said he believes the independent scene is crucial for the survival and continual growth of the stars of tomorrow, and thus, the business in general. “The independent scene is vital to the survival of the industry. Future stars have to come from somewhere, and I’m happy to feel like I play a small part in helping guys get the skills necessary to get there. Whether through my NWA dealings or ROH, I’ve been able to give back to the business by putting people in a position to take that next step and work with people that can help in ways that I can’t. “Our indy system is nothing like the territories were, mostly because there are no boundaries, and everything is so accessible now. Guys can’t leave an area to cool off and go somewhere else, because that somewhere else already knows everything about them. It’s a different beast. I joke with Cornette and say that I’d have actually made some money if I were born in ’58 instead of ’78, but I really feel like there is a little truth to that.”  His travels on the independent scene allowed him to wrestle in cities all over the United States and abroad. He relocated to San Diego in 2000 and settled into wrestling for many top independent groups in Southern California, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and former NWA affiliate Alternative Wrestling Show, where he claimed both companies’ top titles. He encountered NWA kingpin David Marquez in the late-nineties, and in addition to a working relationship, a genuine friendship was established as well.“I consider Adam to be a member of my family, we’re that close,” Marquez said. “But there’s also the business side of it where I have to make business decisions and so does Adam. We see eye-to-eye on about 80 percent of what goes on in business, and then there’s the other 20 percent where he’s a businessman and so am I. It’s a great relationship. “I’ve seen him grow from just a regular talent, to a damn good talent, to a star in the last ten years. Adam is one of the few guys out there who can say that he did it all on his own merit and he’s extremely successful and that should be enough (to command) influence and respect from others. He contributes a lot, he’s a bigwig, a cog! Being the NWA World Champion is one thing, but within the wrestling community, Adam is very high on that totem pole as a very influential and important person.” In addition to wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance, he works for Ring of Honor as their lead writer, a position he’s held since October 2008. He finds himself working alongside legendary manager Jim Cornette once more (after Cornette had an earlier ROH stint in 2005) and occasionally picking his brain about how his past experiences can apply to the industry today. “  Jimmy Cornette is not only a mentor, but a friend. I was honored to have him manage me in ROH (with Steve Corino), and I’m happy he’s with us again. Having his vast experience to draw from makes my job easier in a lot of ways, and I’m glad we almost always seem to find ourselves on the same page. As a sounding board, he’s been invaluable, and as an on-air talent he still is one-of-a-kind. “I’ve learned from Jim that all of those “old” lessons I learned when I broke in back in late 1995 were right, which is a credit to my initial trainers, and having his veteran presence makes everyday dealing with wrestling folks easier. If you or I say something, it’s one thing. But if Jimmy says it, people listen. 35 years of passion and paying your dues will do that. I love Jim Cornette and you can tell him I said it!” While he soaks in all of the advice he gets from Cornette, Pearce isn’t shy when it comes to passing on knowledge he’s gained over the years to younger wrestlers in order to help shape and mold wrestling’s future stars. “I’m happy to pass along the things I see to people that want things passed along. Some people want an outside opinion, and some don’t. I don’t force it unless I see something so egregious that I can’t let it go (it happens). I’m opinionated but I’ve learned how and when to offer them. Thanks to my wife for that.” Pearce notes the differences in multiple facets of the business with passing time, especially with the advent of the Internet: Times change. When I started touring, there wasn’t a YouTube; there wasn’t this huge Internet. You still had to mail VHS-there was no DVD!- tapes to promoters and call them a bunch and hope for work. There weren’t Blackberries, e-mail, Twitter and the like. It was very much a “send a tape/make a phone call” era. It seemed like there was a much bigger emphasis on traveling to “get your name and face out there.” Now, you just need to upload the file to YouTube. We live in a “microwave” society now. People want things and they want them NOW. “I really think guys from the time I broke in (1995-1996) are really the last of that “old” era. I was talking to Chris Daniels about this not too long ago. Booking has changed. Match structure has changed. Attention spans have changed. The way the guys do business has changed. It’s staggering, in the last 10 years or so, this industry really has changed so much and the guys just breaking in now have no idea how it used to be. That said, I’m sure the guys from the generation before mine said the exact same things, so go figure. “I’m not, in any way, saying the guys today don’t respect the business. That again is a very individual thing. There are still the people that are lifers and love it and make it a career; those that are lifers and love it and waste their lives; those that want to make a quick buck and get out, and those that want to be able to tell their friends that they are a wrestler. (It’s) all up to the individual and no different than when I started.” So in between title defenses, writing television for ROH, traveling the independent circuit and family life, what does the champion do during his “down time?” “I have a 2-year-old little boy that keeps me on my toes. I watch my Cubbies when I can, and enjoy the activities that Southern California affords me. I love the beach and I love camping with my family,” he says. Marquez thinks highly of Pearce’s ability to handle all of his responsibilities. “I admire it. I have the same work ethic, although I don’t have children (laughs). But the relationships, personal relationships, running a business … I appreciate what he does. He really knows how to manage his time. “Just like any dance, it takes two people, and Adam has certainly been a damn good partner over at least the last seven or eight years of us working together,” Marquez said. “I think I first met Adam in ‘97 or ‘98, but he’s come a long way and he’s represented everything that we’ve put out there in trying to reestablish the public perception of what the NWA is; I think he’s done a damn good job and he’ll continue to do a good job. “He’s an asset to any locker room and the only thing I can do is encourage our own NWA members to give the champion a chance and let him show what he brings when he comes to an area. Matchmakers should really consider promoting a world championship match in their area, because he can really deliver.” Pearce and the NWA World Title return to Southern California this weekend as he’s scheduled to take on longtime area mainstay Joey Ryan for SoCal Pro Wrestling on Friday, June 25, then against Scorpio Sky this Sunday for Empire Wrestling Federation as part of the NWA Showcase Tour. Those two events bookend Saturday’s Showcase event in Yuma, Arizona, where he’s set to take on Sean “Syxx-Pac” Waltman. These three men, Ryan, Waltman and Sky, are among the ever-growing list of challengers gunning for Pearce’s title. Phill Shatter, Charlie Haas, Lance Cade and many others are going after the champion. It was announced last week that even Bryan Danielson is returning to the NWA this August to get his hands on Pearce one-on-one for the first time since 2007. The champ gives his thoughts on the recent situation regarding Danielson and previews the match against the American Dragon. “Bryan is a supremely talented performer and a quality person outside the ring, and I’ve had the pleasure of being around him quite a bit over the years. I’m confident he’ll find himself successful in whatever wrestling environment he finds himself in, and I’m happy to be able to work with him again,” he said. “I think that match will open some eyes for sure; Bryan and I had a good one in Vancouver in 2007, and an excellent tag match in Hollywood that probably no one except those in attendance even heard about. I’m looking forward to it.” Even though Pearce respects all of the contenders to his crown, specifically the three he is scheduled to face this weekend, he doesn’t want people to think he’s letting go of the title any time soon. “I expect, as champion, to beat any and all challengers set before me. I’ve wrestled all three, respect all three, and can beat all three.” “I’m just happy that business has picked up around the NWA belt … I just aim to put on the best matches possible with each of those opponents, who all from top-to-bottom can go, and in the end I know that it will leave the title in a positive light. I’m excited, and there are more on the horizon. Wait and see!” When asked about whether or not feels pressure to live up to past NWA champions and to be the standard-bearer of the Alliance, Pearce said, “I don’t put added pressure onto myself knowing that I am the NWA champion, because that would imply that I work ‘less hard’ in non-title situations. I approach all of my matches the same way. I aim to make sure that my bookers/employers get what they paid for, my opponents are left in a better situation than before our match, and the fans feel like their ticket price was well-spent. If I accomplish those things, I know I’ve done a good job.” |