In PART TWO of my interview with “The Butterscotch Stallion” Mark Wilson, we dive right into his thoughts on Impact Elite, injuries, IZW and more.

 

 Earlier this year, Wilson shocked the IZW World with his double cross on “Big Business” Damon Windsor at “Halloween Hangover” in Windsor’s IZW Title Casket Match against Champion “The Natural Born Leader” Johnny Z. Wilson crippled Windsor with a low blow, just as Windsor was seconds away from defeating Z and becoming the new IZW Champion. Since Wilson’s “shot heard around the world”, he has had a front row seat on the fastest rollercoaster on the planet as a card carrying member of Impact Elite. Wilson has zero regrets on his decision to join, and in fact, couldn’t stop heaping praise after praise on the influential stable.

 

“Every star in the sky has aligned. You have ‘What Wrestling Should Be,’ Jermaine Johnson and Jordan Jacobs, who are the best tag team in our area and the reigning IZW Tag Team Champions. Jermaine has also had opportunities to try out for WWE, and I am convinced that he will make it, and it will be well deserved.

 

“Next up is ‘The Image of Fear’ Kevin Morgan. This titanic monster is the current IZW Impact Division Champion, and I foresee he will reign for as long as he wants. Kevin doesn’t know his own strength and power, and anyone who dares to cross his path will be in for one Herculean effort to take that title.

 

“Madame Commissioner Erica will soon be the holder of The Queen’s Crown. Miss Diss Lexia is just renting Erica’s crown, and if she knew what was good for her, she’d just hand the crown back to Erica and scurry away. Erica is legitimately tough and can and has out maneuvered every female wrestler in this area. She has actually been ranked twice in the men’s Oklahoma top 50. No other woman grappler can say that.

 

“Then you have the centerpiece: “The Natural Born Leader, The Savior of Professional Wrestling”, the IZW Champion, Johnny Z. Name one thing this man hasn’t done in this business. Owner of a hugely successful wrestling company, doing it his way for 10 plus years, wrestler, promoter, title holder, and The Smartest Man in Wrestling. And here’s the catch: he’s just hitting his peak now! Owner of the greatest wrestling promotion, and reigning champion of said promotion, who has assembled not only the best faction in the business, but the best roster, period. I would put IZW up against any other promotion in the country and would sleep soundly knowing what I know: that IZW is the upper echelon, period. And that is attributed to Johnny Z and his ability to recognize talent and give them the environment in which to grow and flourish,” Wilson said.

 

 How Wilson actually fits into Impact Elite and what role he serves is a lot more intricate and complicated then what you commonly see with other organizations.

 

“I honestly resist the term ‘manager’. I prefer the term ‘technical advisor’ or ‘executive consultant’ and here is why: serving as an official has given me a front row seat to observe these superstars, perhaps better than anyone else. I spent a lot of my time during the week, after a show, compiling detailed files on each and every wrestler I worked with. I know what they do in the ring, and I can use that knowledge to give Impact Elite the advantage every time they have a match. Believe me, no one has gathered more information on IZW Stars than I have. This gives us an immense edge over our competition,” Wilson added.

 

 Wilson has also recently helped “Larger Than Life” Jermaine Johnson defend the IZW Tag Team Titles in the ring against Team Bull while “Lights Out” Jordan Jacobs has been on the shelf recovering from shoulder surgery and out of action until 2014. Wilson has become the de facto third member of What Wrestling Should Be and along with his technical advisor and executive consultant duties, Wilson has proved that he can get physical if need be, even at 5’9” and 170 pounds. It’s because like he said, no one knows the roster of IZW better than himself and having that intellectual and cerebral edge against his foes offsets any physical disadvantage he might have to overcome inside the squared circle.

 

 Chances are good that if Wilson continues to tag alongside Johnson we will see him end a few matches with his trademark move. “My finisher is the 1-2-3, daddy!!! I have used the figure four leglock in a few of my matches, even using the ropes for leverage whilst the referee isn’t looking. But I’ll take a win any way I can because if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’!!!”

 

It’s no secret that professional wrestling is a contact sport and the roads and highways across America are littered with the broken bodies of those who suffered serious injury inside the ring. But pro wrestling isn’t only dangerous for the athletes. The officials also take their fair share of bumps and bruises as well and Wilson is no different.

 

“While there will never be a book called ‘Injuries of a Professional Wrestling Referee,’ I have had a few in the last few years. I tore my left calf during the main event match one night between Shane Morbid and Michael Barry. And all I did was take a short step to the left. It scared the daylights out of me because it felt like I had been stabbed. It caused me to jump and so I looked around for some rabid fan with a knife, knowing that it was my responsibility to stop him before he got to the wrestlers. But there was no one around me. I attempted to walk on it, but I couldn’t put any weight on it. I finished the match by just staying out of the way. I just knew my career was over because I didn’t know what I’d done. I researched it and discovered that I had a calf tear. I carefully rehabilitated myself using swimming for cardio until I could run again,” Wilson remembered.

 

“Lance Hoyt accidentally dislocated my left thumb during a tag match. Fortunately, it slipped right back into socket but it swelled up twice its normal size. Just before it was completely healed, I dislocated it again admonishing Al Farat during a match. I’ve had various other injuries, and my right shoulder, the side I count with, was usually sore after a weekend of wrestling shows.”

 

While traveling up and down the roads and wearing a variety of different hats in the process, there is one aspect of the business that Mark Wilson has not tried yet. “At one time, I was interested in an ownership interest in a wrestling company. But I’ve realized what a mammoth undertaking that would be. I’ve observed several owners but learned the most by watching Johnny Z build IZW. Z is both bold and yet not reckless. He’s not afraid to try new things, but he won’t put the integrity of his company at risk in the process.

 

“But, in all reality, he assumes a huge risk with every PPV, every show. Every success must be followed by yet another success. And crafting matches and stories and putting people in the right places and scouting new talent…what an exhausting job! I’m often exhausted just standing by and watching it all.

 

“Perhaps one day, when I get a better understanding of matchmaking and storytelling I might revisit wanting to be an owner. And there are a few lessons I have learned just in the five years I’ve been involved in the business. One of the biggest ones is that the whole point of our business is drawing the crowd. If people enjoy what they are seeing, they will come back and bring their family and friends. And every wrestler on the card should be working toward the goal of drawing the crowd. Whether the crowd loves or hates you, you have to do or be something that will make them pay to see you,” Wilson added.

 

 This concludes this portion of the interview with PART THREE still to come where Wilson talks about personal highlights in wrestling, best feuds in IZW, GFL.tv, and participates in a game of word association.

 

 Stay tuned!

 

 

 

"The Butterscotch Stallion" Mark Wilson Runs Wild Part 1

 

"The Butterscotch Stallion" Mark Wilson Runs Wild Part 3