I dabbled in the wrestling business going as far back as 1997 when I launched the now-defunct wrestling news and information website called JimmyVan.com; through my years working with independent promotions in the U.S. and Canada; and now coming full circle with Fightful. I’ve amassed a bit of a photo collection through the years and decided to start sharing them via a weekly Flashback Photo feature.
I met this man in 2000 through a mutual friend and independent wrestler known as “Tyrant” Eric Dawson. They knew each other through their trainer, “Glamor Boy” Shane Sewell who was from the same town of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; Sewell was also formerly one half of a top tag team in Puerto Rico called The Glamor Boys alongside Sean Morley, aka Val Venis. Even back then as a 23-year-old, this guy stood out compared to other wrestlers I worked with on the independent scene. He had the look, he had the in-ring polish, and whenever I had TV cameras at an event I promoted, he was always aware of them and would make sure he was in view whereas other wrestlers didn’t have that level of awareness. He went on to a long and successful career with TNA/Impact Wrestling before finally making the jump to WWE where he is currently the NXT Champion, Bobby Roode.
