Larry D comments on helping out the next generation of professional wrestling.
The 20+ year veteran is set to retire from professional wrestling on November 4, 2023, as he will have his retirement match against Moose at a Generation Next Pro Wrestling Show.
Throughout his career, Larry D has worked for IMPACT Wrestling, the NWA, and various independent promotions.
In a new interview with Fightful, Larry D explained why preparing the next generation of wrestlers is very important for him.
"I feel like it's very important because it was such a long road for me to learn. I didn't choose the path of others. I was out many nights. I chose the hard way. It's just the way that my dad had raised me, but hard work, dedication pays off. That's just the way that I've been raised and how I always feel and that's kind of what we have there. I feel that it's time to take everything that I have gotten the opportunity to learn over the last 22 years and pass along and hopefully it doesn't take 12 to 15 years to reach the next level like it did for me and I can get them there in three to five with the help of Max Sledd. We have a great thing over there, man, I'm really impressed with it."
Larry D went on to comment on Generation Next Pro Wrestling and how he'd like to see it grow more and more.
"I would like to see it continue to grow. I would like to see more students come through the Legends Pro Wrestling Academy. We have our eyes on a new school, hopefully, November goes well, and we get to upgrade and grow a little bit more. The more students the merrier it is, and the happier that we are to produce the best talent that can come out of this area. We have Alexis Littlefoot. We also have a very, very, very good Jackie Thad, who is a young, young talent who is going to be extremely well and I feel that in the years to come you might you could very well see him at IMPACT and NWA, he is such a dedicated kid. He was coming five, six times a week there for a while. He's got it. He's gonna get there. He's really working hard.
Larry D went on to talk about 'Nasty' Nate Gnarly, a independent wrestler Sean Ross Sapp went to high school with.
"He's another one of those guys that have become a really good friend, not just as a friend, he's grown into a really good friend, I have the utmost respect for him as a father. If you know anything about Nate, personally, you would know every obstacle that he's went through and at the end of the day, it's all about [Addie]. It just such raises my heart just to see the father that he is."
Larry D finished by explaining why teaching the art of wrestling is important for him.
"Absolutely. I mean, teaching wrestling is just so, so to heart for us, because we put so much into it. Again, we don't we don't take two or three weeks to train wrestlers like the norm around in the area. But I mean, we take time and dedication. I'm not saying it because he's here watching, but, you know what, when my father developed cancer, man, I had to be away for a long time. I'm starting now to get back into the swing of things, as you can imagine, it's been tough, but Max has been there through and through and on record, a thank you, I appreciate you for that, man. That's, I don't think I could trust anyone else to take care of things while I was away. We got a really good thing that we collectively worked on together. I'm just happy to share it with everyone on November the 4th.We’re working on psychology and understanding what to do and what not to do. But most importantly, you have to make money at professional wrestling. We teach our kids to understand business side of it, we teach them how to sell merchandise, we teach them how not to be taken advantage of. Some people might get mad at it, but some of the promoters will reach out to us in hopes that they're going to get a free hand for experience. Our students are well trained enough that they can talk to their own business now. That's leaps and bounds ahead of some of the people that unfortunately been in about a decade or so."
Larry D's retirement match against Moose will go down at Generation Next Pro Wrestling's 'Last Stand' show on Saturday, November 4. Fans can learn more by clicking here.
Elsewhere in the interview, Larry D went in depth about his retirement from in-ring action. Fans can learn more here.
Fans can see Fightful's full interview with Larry D in the video linked above.
