Once in a Blue Moon

Greetings to all the citizens of the Groove Nation! It's the Long-Haired Livewire, Ray Rosas bringing you another Rosas Report. I know it's been long time since I've last updated and I apologize, but life has been moving at a pace I can barely keep up with. Training, wrestling and my "shoot job" have really picked up. I've been putting this off long enough.

Hectic. If I had to chose a word it would be...Hectic. Since my last update, I have added 11 more matches to my credit, I was on a TV show for Telemundo, I competed in a World Record breaking battle royal which had 158 other wrestlers, I have defended my EWF Cruiserweight Championship 3 times, I wrestled matches that were taped for TV and Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy moved into a new building.

The new building is awesome and I find myself there almost everyday. Whether it's pro wrestling training, boxing training or weight training. If you haven't come by to come see it, you need to. Make sure to go to http://www.santinobros.net/ to see pictures and videos of the new dojo.

EWF has been my main source of bookings this past month and a lot has gone on since I captured the crusierweight title. Loucha Machine and I finally got to tag together, but we had to traveled all the way to Indio for EWF. When we got there, we had to get in our gear and walk around the mall and try to get more people to come to the show, we didn't stay in the mall long because we then found ourselves on the streets acting like complete Momos. I heard the show drew about 300 fans. I wonder if the two dancing mexicans on the sidewalk helped out at all.

A few weeks ago, I got to wrestle in my first main event for EWF. It was a six man tag match, Chris Kadillak, Jarek Matthews and myself vs. The A-List and Liger Rivera. It was a fun match. The week before the match, I did an interview on Empire Wrestling Radio, to hype the match and since I'm relatively new to EWF I also gave the fans some insight on the man known as Ray Rosas.

Since the Empire Wrestling Federarions is a NWA affiliate I was on the NWA Showcase tapings. I successfully defended my EWF Cruiserweight championship in a 4 corners match against 3 other top young talent. Brandon Parker, Chris Kadillak and Peter Avalon. It was very tough match but definitely one of my favorites.

The 4 corners match eventually led to match I've wanted for a long time. The very first one on one encounter between Ray Rosas and Peter Avalon. I don't know how I knew, but I knew we would have a good match. And we did, actually we had an awesome match. It went just the way I thought it would. Peter Avalon is a great worker and one of the top guys out here in So Cal and I know this match will be a favorite for a long time. Hopefully you can catch that match on TV. EWF is suppose to start airing matches on TV starting on July 29th, Charter Cable ch. 31 at 9pm.

 

I got a chance to meet Sean "X-Pac" Waltman at the NWA Showcase. Its weird when you meet someone who you watch as a kid and find out what they're really like. He's cool though, we had a pretty good converation about Lucha Libre and how we both felt the same way about it.

Speaking of Lucha, I was on a Lucha edition of 12 Corazones. Its a dating show on Telemundo. So everyone knows I can't speak spanish, so I basically had to learn in 30 minutes. So there I was, all oiled up and looking sexy sitting next to other typical luchadores, body suits and beer guts...world class athletes. It was definitely a unique experience.

And since we're on the topic of unique experiences, I wrestled at a bar called the Fautline. For those of you who don't know the Faultline is a gay bar. At times it was a bit awkward and uncomfortable but it was pretty ok. We have to fit the 4 of us in a broom closet to change into our gear. Then we had to wrestle a tag match in a ring that was 9 ft by 9 ft. I did end up getting a dollar shoved in my tights. It was good crowd though and it was pretty fun.

This weekend if you don't know by now, Battleground Pro Wrestling's Red, White and Bruised show in Los Alamitos. The show is featuring some Santino talent for championships and contracts.

BPW Maximum Championship Semi-Main Event:
Anthony “Tank” Alvarado w/Rufio Vega v. Robbie Phoenix in a No Ropes/ Weapon-on-a-Pole Match

5X5 Contract Combat:
LOUcha Machine v. Damien Arsenick v. Dragon Mask v. Seville Alvarez v. Famous B. The stipulation is Over-the-Top-Rope Elimination, the prize is a one-year contract with BPW.

It's too bad I won't be in the 5X5 Contract match. Just in case you missed it I was eliminated from contention a few weeks ago. Not once but twice. The original match was a fatal 4 way which Loucha Machine won, but the fun didn't end there. Jeremy Jaeger, Dragon Mask and Myself then fought in a triple threat match to get that last spot. Again, I came up short. I really like working Battleground shows, they have a great bunch of guys with great positive, hard-working attitudes.
 
I'd like to congratulate Famous B for becoming the new Lucha Libre Internet Champion. If anyone deserved a belt it was Famous B.
 

 
That's going to do it for today. Hopefully, the next update won't be so late. I see some big things in the near future. Possibly some traveling, but I'm definitely thinking about taking some time off. My knee, ankle and hip are really hurting. Its just so hard to take time off when I have so much momentum going for me. I'm thinking about taking less bookings to lessen the load. I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

Dedication

Hey Groove Nation, sorry I haven’t updated in a while. I had a really long and epic report for you, which recounted the last month of highs and lows….but I got lazy and uninspired. At times a little depressed. A lot has happened since the last report. Here’s a quick recap: So Cal Syndicate was cancelled, so Famous B and I wrestled at FMLL. Which also helped get some of us booked on I.M.W. (International Mexican Wrestling) which is the local alternative to MWF. We’ll see how that pans out. They work with Lucha Lords so that could be a good thing.

The biggest thing that had happened was the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy taking a “short” hiatus. It didn’t look to good for us. There was a good chance the school wouldn’t come back and we would have to find new places to train. It was a little discouraged; I moved my life so I could train at Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy and I put so much of myself into the school and the product. I didn’t want to see something I sacrificed for and dedicated so much of my time for just simply die out.

Around this time, I was seriously doubting my place in the world. I was growing increasingly unhappy with the place where I lived and worked. Since the whole reason why I moved down here was closing down, I was questioning whether or not I wanted to stay here or move back to Lancaster. I was willing and ready to quit my job, because I was very unhappy. Plus my body was feeling really run down lately, my knee especially.

I don’t remember when or what caused me to bounce back, so I guess the important thing is that I did. Good news is that the school was able to get a building with and expected move in date of July 1st. So things are looking up for the school and for me as well.

I believe this past weekend was a culmination of the past month. A weekend filled with struggle and conquest. It was the first time I wrestled matches 3 days in a row. I was worried my body wouldn’t be able to handle it. I’m fragile ya know. All three matches were for EWF.

Friday night, I wrestled for EWF in Covina against Ric Ellis. We battled one time before and had a good match, but our second match blew the first one out of the water. It was the first match I’ve had where I had the wind knocked out of me. I was worried it was going to affect the rest of my performance in the match because it happened to me early in the match. All in all, I enjoyed working with Ric and I enjoyed our mixture of styles. That’s one of the things I love about EWF, that they give me a variety of opponents with varying styles to work with.

I was lucky enough to have some fans from Lancaster come out and watch the match. They enjoyed the match very much. They’ve only really seen me wrestle on Lucha shows wrestling on tag matches. After the show, we hung out until about 3 in the morning. It may not have been the smartest thing considering I had to wake up early the next morning.

The next morning, I woke up hating life at 8 in the morning. Lucha Machine and I (now known as The Silver Heart Radicals.) made a trip out to San Bernardino to attend EWF’s School of Hard Knocks. We trained with a few of their students, learned so new drills, went over some simple spots, worked on promos and even wrestled some matches. They were taping some matches for TV. I don’t why or what for exactly but The Machine and I were both involved. Lou and I wrestled singles matches against their students Mike Mountain and Eddie Matson respectively.

They were really impressed with Lou that they booked him for their Riverside show the next day. I was glad he came with me to the training. I figured if they saw Lucha Machine in action it would help his chance of getting booked in the future. Later that day, we went to Denny’s and discussed our futures. We tried to make out a plan to ensure our success as team as well as individuals. We felt pretty optimistic about the future but my body was wrecked. And I still had one more match the next day.

So for some reason I could not sleep. I tossed and turned for hours. So when Lou picked me up so we could head to Riverside I was exhausted and in pain. I remember sitting in the passenger seat fighting to keep my eyes open and thinking to myself that I had no idea how much I had left in the tank. I was a little worried, because I feel a lot of pressure when I wrestled for EWF. I don’t really know why, but I felt like a lot of my matches were under the microscope. It’s hard to explain.

I know Lucha Machine knows what I’m talking about. He wrestled one of EWF’s top guys, Mondo Vega. I think they had a pretty good match, I know Lou did his best and he gave that crowd something different. My opponent for the evening was the EWF Cruiserweight Champion Brandon Parker. I had wrestled Parker before but this time the championship was on the line.

This match is probably going one of my favorites for a long time. The crowd responded to us well and the match was intense, hard-hitting, emotional and involving. It was very back and forth, but in the end I was the new EWF Cruiserweight Champion. It was a great match (in my opinion) and much better than our first (and our first match was really good). I have to thank Brandon Parker for bringing his “A” game and really pushing me to another level.

When I came through the Lou was waiting there for me. He hugged me and was the first one to congratulate me. It felt amazing to win my first championship and that the company believed in me enough to have me represent them as their Cruiserweight Champion. It was everything I expected and more. It made that long weekend and that difficult month and the year of hard work all worth it. A feeling I wouldn’t trade for anything. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Sunday, June 14th, 2009. Ray Rosas debuted at Mexican Wrestling Federation. On Sunday, June 13th, 2010, Ray Rosas won his first singles championship.

I want to dedicate this championship win and thank everyone who has supported me. I want to thank my parents for being extra supportive of me. I don’t think it’s easy when your son says he’s moving away to become a pro wrestler. I’m sure it’s kind of like saying you want to run away and join the circus. I also want to thank my friends who came to watch me wrestle especially Amy, Dez and Anthony. Thank you Amy most of all, for keeping me together when I thought I was going to crumble. I want to thank Jesse Hernandez and all the guys at EWF for giving me the opportunity to work for them.

Last but not least I have to thank my trainers Kaos, Mongol, Angel, Supreme, Rico, Robbie Phoenix, BC Killer at the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy; for training and mentoring me and molding me into a professional wrestler. Thanks to Jezabel and Johnny and the rest of Santino Students who have become “brothers” to me.

I really couldn’t have done it without any of these people and I want them to know that I appreciated all the help, love and support they’ve given me. Thank you.

Sorry if this blog is little off, it’s kind of choppy and has an inconsistent flow. I kind of rushed it and there are a lot of distractions going on around me. But now is no time to be slowing down. There is lot coming up leading into July. I have IMW this Friday, and on Saturday is the world record, 3 ring, 120 man, over the top rope battle royal. This will be my first and only time on an AWS event. Just check out the Upcoming Events Page for more info. See you there.

How Will it All End?

What it up, Groove Nation! It’s your Hunk of Funk bringing to you another Rosas Report. After a week of voting, it looks like Lucha Machine and I will be calling ourselves The Raging Machines as our new tag team name. That name blew the others out of the water. So get ready wrestling world, The Raging Machines are here!

Last week, I asked people to send me topics for the Rosas Reports, and I got some good ones. Son over the next few weeks I’ll be using ideas in my reports. Today’s topic is Finishing Moves.

Finisher: a wrestler's signature move that leads to the end of the match. Any wrestler you see on TV has one.I’ve been racking my brain theses past couple of weeks, to come up with an effective finishing maneuver for myself. Lately I’ve been using a Sit-Out Fisherman Driver. It looks devastating but it’s not something I can execute on everyone. I don’t think I could flip Pinky Santino.

Another move I used to put opponents away was the Frakensteiner. I like the move, its simple and old school but it just doesn’t scream finish to me. The DDT, the move accidentally innovated by Jake “The Snake” Roberts was a move I used to finish matches once or twice. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s, the DDT was the end. These days it’s lost its zest and has become merely a transition move. Even Edge’s Lifting Implant DDT doesn’t keep anybody down.

One of my frequent match enders was the Superkick, made popular The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. It was also used by Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Rob Van Dam, Lance Storm and Booker T and countless others. To me the superkick has become as common as a forearm strikes or a knife edge chop. I was a watching a match with Naomichi Marufuji and he must of thrown 3 or 4 superkick back to back in the spam of 1 minute. I ended up doing the same thing in a match against Famous B.

So needless to say it has been difficult to come up with a convincing, realistic, and creative finisher. Especially, a move that can be executed on anyone regardless of their size. Should I just recycle an old finisher from wrestling past? I mean Randy Orton did a good job of reviving the Diamond Cutter. Though, the RKO will never be as awesome as the Diamond Cutter. Ezekiel Jackson and David Otunga have been using versions of the Rock Bottom and Sheamus uses the Razor’s Edge from time to time.

However, I don’t want to start using a move and have people say, “Oh he’s using (insert name)’s move...” Thus is the dilemma for professional wrestling, originality. Some people are successful and are able to make magic. Take for instance one of my favorites, Chris Jericho. Back in the day, he wanted to come up with a new finisher for a big match he had in Mexico, he called his friend and they brainstormed ideas until they came up with the Lionsault. Marufuji, who I mentioned earlier has innovated many amazing moves. YouTube Tiger Flowsion, I still can’t figure it out. As a matter of fact, Chris Jericho began using the Codebreaker after watching Marufuji do it on Ring of Honor.

One idea I toyed around with was having a submission was a finisher. I think a submission would be perfect in the sense that I could apply a submission on anyone. These days, wrestlers are incorporating mixed martial arts into the repertoire. Davey Ricards uses keylocks and kimuras and even the Undertaker used a variation of the gogoplata at one point.

Besides, John Cena’s STF I don’t see much emphasis on submission finishers. CM Punk doesn’t use the anaconda vice anymore and William Regal hasn’t used the Regal Stretch since his King of the Ring win. Even when Jericho pops out his Walls of Jericho a rare occasions it still doesn’t put his opponents away. The Sharpshooter seems to be making a comeback as submission finisher after years of misuse by The Rock and Steve Austin.

I wish I was a little more agile and graceful to pull off a high flying maneuver. I’m 5’8”, 165 lbs and I can’t moonsault to save my life. My top rope arsenal is very limited at best. I’m comfortable on the top rope; I just can’t flip, twist, twirl or spin. So, I’m just going to stay away from top rope finishers.

I’m sure I’ll come up with something eventually. In other news, this Friday I’ll be in Covina wrestling for EWF again on their 14th Anniversary Extravaganza. I will be participating in the 5th Annual Great Goliath 20 Man Over the Top Rumble. Then on Saturday, I will be on the most controversial show that hasn’t even happened yet. SoCal Syndicate: Trial by Fire. Fire being the key word because of all the heat it has. I will be taking on one of my biggest rivals; Famous B. Famous B is already claiming that Saturday’s match will be the best match of his career to date. Thanks adding extra pressure. He scares me sometimes when says stuff like that, because he believes what he says. He means it. So Famous B, I hope your ready because on Saturday I’m going to give you everything I have. Good Luck.

Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun!

Recently, Lucha Machine and I have decided to join forces and take on the wrestling world as regular tag team. What is a tag team? According to wikipedia, a tag team consists of two wrestlers who are working together as a team. Often, they are close partners and backstage friends who team with each other almost exclusively.

Now the past few months, Lucha Machine and I have spent many hours together training at the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy. Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pretty much any day there was training you were sure to see one or both of us. Either fine tuning or tweaking our game a little bit or helping the trainers with the new students or helping out in other odd jobs, we're there...well, most of the time.

So we're going to start pitching our tag team to the promotions we work with like BattleGround, NTW/NTLL, and MWF as well as some new ones like SoCal Syndicate and maybe EWF. I don't really see a lot of actual tag teams going around and I think we'd be successful due to the fact that we can work American and Lucha style matches.

So last Thursday, we went over to see the gear maker extraordinaire, Juan Guererro. We agreed that in order to be consider a serious tag team we needed get some new matching gear. According to wikipedia, we would be a "bookend" tag team. What is a "bookend" tag team? A "bookend" tag team is a (usually derogatory) term for a tag team where the members look and/or dress alike....That's what wikipedia says.

The entire drive over to Juan Guerrero's, the entire drive back and then the whole day the next day, we brainstormed team names. We must have came up with a hundred different names. Since we couldn't decided on a team name, I asked him if it would be okay to let the people decide. He agreed, so I put up a poll on http://www.rayrosas.com/.

The choices are:

• The Silver Heart Radicals
• Machine and Roses
• The Chicano Bulls
• The Raging Machines
• The Heart Society

We tried names that combine our names and gimmicks, names that played to our heritage and names that just sounded cool. He would name something I'd shoot it down and vice versa. I would name something and he would add something to it, then I'd add something to it. That's pretty much how we came up with The Silver Heart Radicals. Machine and Roses was originally Machine Guns and Roses but then later simplified to Machine and Roses.

The Chicano Bulls was meant to emulate the British Bulldogs or the American Wolves...and it sounded like the Chicago Bulls. The Raging Machines came from a random team name generator. Yeah, Google random team name generator. Sounds similar to the band Rage against the Machine. And it has Ra(y)ge and Machine. The last one was all Lucha Machine. I asked him to give me one he really liked and he gave me Heart Society.

So those are the names so vote for which one you like best and which name wins will become our official Tag Team name. Vote early and vote often because the poll closes Friday, 5/14/2010. Also I'll be in San Bernardino this Friday wrestling Ric Ellis for EWF. So that makes 3 EWF shows, Bakersfield Music Festival, SoCal Syndicate and NTW/NTLL coming up in then next few weeks. This summer is barely starting to heat up and so is Ray Rosas!

Hair today, gone tomorrow?

Ok. I’m sorry but I’ve been very, very, very, very, very lazy. Well…not too bad. If you noticed I made some changes to www.rayrosas.com. My website now has pictures for you to look at, videos for you to watch, podcasts for you to listen to, flyers of my upcoming shows and all the different ways to get a hold of me. It even has the complete list of every single match I’ve ever wrestled in. I hope that makes up for the month log absence of fresh, new Rosas Reports. Slowly but surely I’m getting my head back in the game. I’ve taken some time to refocus and reprioritize. I’m hoping to form a tag team and step up the game a little bit.

Lately I’ve lost a bit of focus. I’ve been working on the weekends so I haven’t been to training on Saturdays. I haven’t been going to the gym, I haven’t been eating well and I seem to be in the wrong place. Normally I move heaven and earth to make sure I can do whatever I can for the school and my wrestling career. I’ve become complacent and my body is suffering for it. I’m barely keeping my weight above 150, my muscle mass (the little that I had) shrank and I feel I’m not as active as I was a month ago. I think it all started at the Dynamite D Memorial show. It was such a physically, mentally and emotionally draining day that it just started a domino effect that carried through to Lucha Va Voom.

The Dynamite D show was a great show. I was under a lot stress leading up to the show and the day of the show I really felt the weight of the world crushing me. I couldn’t have done alone and I didn’t do it alone. We all banded together and got the job done. I wished I had written about it sooner when it was still fresh in my mind. Regardless, of the little details I might forget I’ll never forget the moments we all shared that night. We made magic. If you were there I know you felt it. Me? I felt it, I cried. I’m not afraid to admit it. It was a beautiful and rare moment, full of raw emotion. A moment that was there in instant and gone in a flash.

On April 18th, I went back to Palmdale to challenge yet again for the NTW/NTLL Cruiserweight Championship. This time in a triple threat match I wrestled X-Torm and the reigning champion, Zarco. Though I was narrowly defeated and then double-teamed by the duo from T.J after the match, I was granted one final championship match against Zarcos one on one. We are set to do battle on June 20th however this match has a special stipulation. If I beat Zarcos I obviously win the championship but if I lose, my locks of beautiful hair will be shaved off. Zarcos is looking to embarrass me in my hometown in front of my family and friends…oh it’s on. Time to officially start my luchas de apuestas record.

The hair stipulation kind of came out nowhere. Zarcos and I were cutting post-match promos in the ring. He would do his promo in Spanish and mine were in English. So the promoter would have to translate not only for the both of us but for some of the crowd as well. A unique moment in my career. Though I am always wary about wagering my hair, I was simply too caught up in the moment to deny the hair stipulations. So make sure to make the drive to Palmdale to if I come home with gold…or bald.

It’s no secret that I have been really trying to do less Lucha shows and get more on American style shows. I’m excited that I got more bookings at EWF and I can’t wait to get back on Battleground. But when I agreed to wrestle for the SoCal Syndicate I thought it was going to be an American style show. Well, I was wrong, Lucha. Well, at least I get to wrestle Famous B.

K-Ross…now I never really had a problem with the guy. Even when he may have over-stepped some boundaries, I never really acted on my impulse to talk to him about it. He always seemed like he meant well and that he was really trying to help out. But the guy is a massive mark. The guy continuingly makes a fool of himself on the internet and is avoided like the plague. Now with me being booked on the SoCal Syndicate, I’m a little worried about my reputation. And now that I find out that his business partner has a very sketchy and questionable past with money and workers I’m worried a little more. I’m told I need to ask to get my money up front and I think I will. Oh I don’t think it’s very wise to upsetting Kaos and Jezabel.

Power, Pleasure and Pain

I want to wish everyone a belated Happy Easter. I hope the citizens of the Groove Nation had a glorious weekend regardless of religious views. Mine was enjoyable; I colored eggs with my godson, laid around, watch movies and ate a home cooked meal with loved ones. While I was standing around in the kitchen, watching everyone else dye their eggs. I couldn’t remember the last time I colored eggs, let alone celebrated Easter. I had fun.

Easter Sunday was also significant for me in a different way. On April 4th 2009, one year ago I made my professional wrestling debut. In Norwalk as the Santino Kid. Since my debut I wrestled 45 matches on over 10 different companies all over So Cal. I’ve main evented, I’ve battled my mentor Kaos numerous times, I’ve been engaged in a bitter feud with my wrestling big brother Joey “Rico” Dynamite, I’ve stolen the show a couple of times, and I’ve been given opportunities at numerous championships.

That’s just the first year, Groove Nation. Imagine what will happen after some more development and maturity. The sky is the limit! The only thing standing in my way is my self doubt. I still think I’m light-years away from other talent here on the So Cal scene. I think after a decent amount polishing, I’ll feel confident enough to take on the world.

Also in the span of that year, I’ve had plenty of sprains, strains and bruises. I’ve also learned how to handle injuries. In our business, sacrifices are made and we put our bodies through a lot of punishment. As I’m progressing, I’m learning to pick my spots. Work smarter, not harder because longevity is key.

Now I’ve always known the difference from being hurt and being injured. If you’re injured, you might have to take yourself out to prevent further injury. In some cases, someone else may have to tell you to sit it out. I’ve experienced and seen people who injured and have the heart to keep going but need to rest for their own good.

It’s also important to take care of these injuries too. When I’m in a lot of pain, I try my best to tough it out and avoid pain killers all costs. Not that pain killers are bad, but they’re susceptible to abuse and addiction. What the body needs is R.I.C.E. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation. However, pro wrestlers hate being hurt and way from the ring, so some might depend on those pain killers to help them get back into the ring.

As I’m writing this report, the following body parts are in considerable pain. Right elbow, left wrist, left pectoral muscle, both knees, left ankle, and the ball of my left foot. For some reason the left side of my body is more prone to injury. And these past few weeks I haven’t been taking good care of them, I haven’t been able to get much rest. Hopefully in then next two weeks I can get some rest.

So were only a few days away from the Mr. 80’s Dynamite D Memorial Show. We’ve been filming a lot of videos for the Dynamite D Week. All of D’s friends and former students at Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy said some really wonderful stuff. I’ve learned a lot about D through the stories of my trainers. It’s amazing how many lives he’s touched. It’s heartbreaking to hear about someone who had some much life in them and to hear their life ended too early.

I hope we make him proud this Friday. We’ve all been working harder, training harder, and banding together to make sure this show is a success. I’m already counting on a lot of stress and headaches on the day of the show, but I feel in my heart that it’s going to a success. I wasn’t expecting it to be this hard to try and imitate another wrestler. I want to due The Nature Boy justice. But come on, it’s Ric Flair

Oh and one more thing before I go. Are any of you familiar with my Heartbreak Hotel blogs? They were pre-Rosas Report material and focused on more personal entries. Kaos suggested to me last week to revive the series. I have no problem with it; it’s just that I don’t know if I could write two blogs a week. I have a hard enough time just writing this one. Maybe I’ll make some sort of schedule. What do you think?

So that about does it for this week’s Rosas Report. Tune in next week to find out how the show went just in case you aren’t able to make it. Check out www.santinobros.net to see all kinds of videos for Dynamite D. Also on the website are plenty of pictures and podcasts as well as all of our wrestler bios, including all contact information.

This Rosas Report has been brought to you by:
Back to the Eighties! Dynamite D Memorial Show.
Friday April 9, 2010 in Newhall, CA. at:
The American Legion Hall
24527 Spruce St.
Newhall, CA. 91321

BATTLE!!!

Greetings Groove Nation, welcome to another soul-glowing installment of the Rosas Report. The only place where you can find the jive-talkin’, boogie walkin’, beacon of soul, the Count of Monte Disco. He’s the weapon of mass seduction, a man who needs no introduction. Ladies and gentleman the Epitome of Enlightenment, the Hunk of Funk, Ray Rosas!

Now that we got that out of the way, welcome to the Rosas Report. I’m scrapping the bottom of the barrel in terms of creativity today so please bear with me. Usually when that happens I just tell you about my weekend.

Saturday night, Famous B, Robbie Phoenix (Uncle Robbie) and I were booked on Battleground Pro Wrestling. Uncle Robbie had a shot at the BPW’s Maximum Championship, while Famous B and I participated in a BPW 4 Corner Open Invitational match.

BPW is utilizing an interesting concept. They’re bringing talent from all over California, talent that has never been seen in BPW and have them compete for a spot on the roster. The first round consists of four 4 corners, elimination matches. With the winners of those matches going on to the next round, while they wrestler who was eliminated last gets a spot in a Wildcard Match. Like I said before, an interesting concept that gives exposure to a lot of young talent like me and Famous B.

So in the span of one week, Famous B and I wrestled in two different 4 corners matches. One was at a Lucha Libre show and another at a more traditional American show. At the Lucha show we were the first two eliminated and at the American show we were the last two. We tore down the house at both shows, but to me it was the American show (BPW just in case you got lost.) that was the better of the two.

I’ve always said it and I’ll say it again, “If you give us the opportunity, we will deliver.” The match told a good story, the two heels form an alliance and single out and double team one of the babyfaces. The face in peril tries to mount a comeback but the numbers game is too much for him. The hot tag is made and the other babyface comes in like a house of fire. It’s short-lived as he gets cheated and eliminated by the two dastardly heels. The two heels turn their attention to the weakened babyface who has been on the receiving end of their beatdown all match. When suddenly a double cross, as one heel cunningly eliminates the other. Solidifying the fact that in this match, it is every man for himself. Then we were down to two. Famous B and Ray Rosas…

It’s funny the things you notice while in a match. Those little things you hear someone in the crowd say that almost break your concentration. When it came down to just Famous B and me, I was laying on the mat trying to catch my breath when I heard someone in the crowd (I think it was K-Ross) say “OH MY GOD.” At that point, it was on!

We went for a few more minutes; I attempted an over the top rope dive shades of the Undertaker. My feet clipped the top rope as I sailed over and killed my momentum. I still connected, but I didn’t get all of it. My knee connected though…with the floor. We went back into the ring and traded superkicks. The crowd responded to each teeth-shattering kick. However they erupted with applause once we took each other out with a double crossbody.

Then something happened, something I won’t forget. Another of one of my goals had been reached. And Famous B and I lay in the ring struggling to our feet, the crowd began to chant, “THIS IS AWESOME!” It indeed was awesome, an awesome feeling. A rewarding feeling. A feeling of appreciation. But I digress….

Famous B ended up getting the win and moving on the next round and I qualified for the Wild Card Match. So we both will be returning to Battleground Pro Wrestling this summer. After the match, while Famous B and I were still riding our high, dealing with the feeling of not being able to sit still due to all of the adrenaline still in our bodies. He looked at me with a huge smile and told me something I’ll probably remember for a long time, “We just (beep) that crowd in the (beep)!” (Use your imagination.) We simply burst into laughter, satisfied with our work that night.

Big ups to the other two guys in that match, Tap Out Kid from Fresno and Omar “Slam” Duncan from EWF. I think that match really captured what it set out to do. Passion. Passion for wrestling. It put four young guys out there, eager to show what they can do and it paid off in spades. To quote myself for second, “the people may not have known who we were when we went out there, but they’re not going to forget us when we leave.”

Coming up in less than 2 weeks is the Dynamite D Back to the 80’s Tribute Show. I’m sure you’ve seen advertisements all over Facebook and Myspace. Just in case you didn’t see any of them:

Friday April 9, 2010 in Newhall, CA. at:
The American Legion Hall
24527 Spruce St.
Newhall, CA. 91321

I’m going to be “The Nature Boy” Ray Rosas, taking on “The American Dream” Oso Loco. I know I can have a good match with him, but wrestling as somebody else does put an interesting and unique challenge to it. Hopefully my knee feels better though. Ever since that dive on Saturday it’s been really hard to move around. Anyway, make sure to check it out, it’s in honor of Mr. 80’s Dynamite D. We’ve been working really hard at putting this show together, so please come and show some support.

Well, that about does it for today. I’m sure later on when I see Kaos we’ll have a conversation that goes something like this.

Kaos – “Hey Razor, I read you blog today.”
Ray – “Oh yeah?”
Kaos – “Yeah, it’s pretty good.”
Ray – “You think so?”
Kaos – “Yeah, but (insert question about the blog.)”

That’s pretty much how it goes every time. The question is either a good one that makes me wish I brought it up in said blog or it’s a set up to my balls busted. But I think no matter what I get my balls busted. If you happen to catch last week’s podcast, you can listen for yourself. Speaking of which, it was me, Kaos and Rico on the Kaos-cast last week. At first I think I didn’t do that good, but after listening to it later I found it very enjoyable.

Remember to check out http://www.santinobros.net/ to get all the latest news, updates and videos from Santino Bros Wrestling Academy. http://www.luchalibre.podomatic.com/ for all the Kaos-casts. http://www.jo-jo-bear.com/ on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for the topics of the day. Also send your fan mail for the Holy Grail of Wrestling to rayrosas@santinobros.net. You can also become a citizen of the Groove Nation, follow me at www.twitter.com/rayrosas.

(Insert Clever Title Here)

I better hurry up and write this before I get lazy again. I’ve been a real slug lately (and not the cool Slugie Fresh kind either.) and I’m really coming down the wire on my Rosas Report deadline. If this seems like it’s rushed I apologize in advance, I haven’t been in a mood to write any compelling literary work. So I’ll I just tell you about my week. (Because I know you really care about my daily activities.) Oh please excuse me as I drift back and forth between past and present tense.

First off this week really dragged! It was long week; I can’t remember what I did on Monday. On Tuesday, I don’t think I went to work. (Man I missed too much work this month.) Tuesday, a big majority of the Santino Crew went to the Staple Center to pass out flyers for the school. I was glad to see more than just the usual suspects there to help out. Nothing like some team unity, in the trying times.

Wednesday, we had training. I have the feeling (and it may be just Me.) that Wednesday are becoming just as difficult as Saturdays. I’ve noticed we’ve increased our cardio workouts and put less emphasis on our calisthenics. This is good and at the same time very bad. Good because I felt lately in my matches that my cardio has been suffering. I get blown up really fast, which isn’t cool for guy my size. Which brings me to my size, I told you earlier that I’ve been kind of lazy this past week (and this week) so I haven’t been hitting the gym that frequently. Combined that with the meals I’ve been missing and tah dah! I lost 5 pounds. Do you know how long it took me to gain those 5 pounds?

Friday, I had a half day at work. So after work I hit the gym then grabbed some grub, went home to do some “Manscaping” and left for San Bernardino. I was booked on another EWF show and I’m always filled with a decent amount of nervousness when I go there. Not so much about the locker room atmosphere, but I feel like my matches are under a microscope.

It’s kind of hard to explain. I feel pressure to deliver more than what’s expected. I feel like if I do one bad match then I won’t get booked there anymore. The feeling like I have to prove myself every time I work. Is that normal feeling? Shouldn’t I be feeling that way with every match?

So I got to San Bernardino (an hour earlier than I needed to be.) One guy will walk up to me and tell me about his match from last week another guy will ask me if I want to jump in the ring and practice some moves. I get included on the inside jokes. That’s when I realized I was accepted.

Pro wrestling locker rooms are a lot like high school. You got popular people, the cliques and the nerds that people avoid like the plague and everything else in between. I don’t really know where I stand. All I know is that I remember I hated high school. (Oh and if we went to high school together, chances are I hated you.)

Anyway on Friday, a little bit of Rosas History happened, I got my first singles championship shot. I was set to take on Tim Lovato for the EWF Cruiserweight Championship. We opened the show and got some good chemistry and flow together. After the match we were both pleased with the match. I love it when people like working with me.

Saturday, we had training as usual. More cardio. We had a new student, so we’ll see how long he lasts. I wonder if it’s because we’re too tough or the people that come in don’t have the heart to cut it. It’s still tough for me, I train 2 to 3 times a week, and I make it to my shows. I firmly believe that the more you go to training the faster you progress. And I have the feeling that some people can’t grasp that concept.

Sunday was a very special day for me. I finally got a chance to wrestle in my hometown. (technically) I’m from Lancaster but the show was in Palmdale. It really matter though, Palmdale, Lancaster, Quartz Hill, Littlerock…it’s all the same, you live in the Antelope Valley. (And nobody cares.)

Well, I filled my car with Santinos and made the long trek to Palmdale. It’s actually not that long but I hate the drive. The venue was nice and the ring was different from what I’m used to. The ropes were actual ropes wrapped with tape. It was a nice ring to take bumps in.

Famous B and I got ready early and started preparing for our match, which was booked in the semi-main event slot. The other two participates in our four-way match were on the way up from Tijuana and hadn’t arrived yet. Famous B and I were hoping they wouldn’t make it so that the 2 of us could tear the house down.

Well as it turns out, they made it. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was they didn’t speak English. Suddenly I became more nervous about the match; I was worried that it wouldn’t be that good because of the language barrier between us. My entire family was there and my grandparents were there. They’ve never seen me wrestle live and now I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to deliver what I normally could. At least I had Famous B in there.

(Allow me to go off subject here for a second and let the Groove Nation know that Famous B is one of the best workers out there. He is the man. Famous B is my greatest foil, as an opponent and a partner. Sometimes I feel he may be a bit underrated. He has charisma; he’s athletically gifted, and has the mind, heart and soul to be very successful in this business. We told ourselves that 2010 would be our year to breakout. Stand Back!)

The match turned out way better than I expected. (Rosas charm!) I was excited about working in Palmdale, but I didn’t get the pizzazz I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great experience, but it didn’t reach epic levels. (By my standards.) I don’t know what it was, but it was missing something. I’m seriously grateful that my family and some of my friends were there to support me. Without them behind me, we probably wouldn’t have no Ray Rosas.

After the match, I took pictures signed autographs and gave both my grandma a great big kiss. (Quite possibly the highlight of the entire day.) I should be returning to Palmdale, April 18th for a rematch for the Cruiserweight Championship. So if you missed me this time. You can see me again.

So just in case anyone is keeping score, I got two different championship matches in one weekend. Famous B got 2 in the last week or so and kAos got one as well at MWF. Sooner or later, one of us is going to bring home some gold.

As far as MWF goes I should be making my return over there within the next week or two. I miss the fans. I’ve been doing really good filling my time with other companies besides MWF so it’s not like I need the work. I’ll go back so some of the other guys can take some time off. This Saturday though, I’ll be booked at Battleground Pro Wrestling, so check that out if you want to see another house get torn down.

We are just a few weeks away from the Dynamite D Back to the Eighties Tribute Show. I’ve been studying up on all my Ric Flair DVD’s, I still need to get my gear too. As far as the production side, things are coming along nicely and falling in to place. Make sure to go to www.santinobros.net to purchase your tickets for the show at presale price.

Friday, April 9th
24527 Spruce St.
Newhall, CA. 91321

The doors open at 7pm. It’ll be a blast from the past. Making new memories while celebrating old ones. If you need any info on the show check out www.santinobros.net or email me rayrosas@santinobros.net.

Wow, I thought this report was going to way shorter. I started this Rosas Report about 6 hours ago. See what happens when you just let it flow. I mean at first it was forced but now it seems like I just filling space. Now time for the usual plugs, check them out and enjoy. http://www.santinobros.net/, www.twitter.com/rayrosas, www.myspace.com/violentactsofrandom.

Back to the Yard

Okay Groove Nation, I have a confession to make. I like many wrestlers, used to be a backyard wrestler. After my 15 months in the professional ranks I’ve seen and met a lot of people who have completely different views on backyard wrestling. I’ve a seen few workers distance themselves from their backyard wrestling days like it was a bad sexual experience. I’ve also seen people close to their 30’s still backyard wrestling. Backyard wrestling in your teens I can somewhat understand, but when you’re close to your 30’s I think it’s time to shit or get off the pot.

Let’s go into a little background, I started backyard wrestling when I was 16 years old and I kept going until I was 22 years old. 6 years. Looking back on those 6 years, I have mixed feelings. I had lots of fun despite what others thought at the time; however I was continually hurting myself. I think I was the one who got hurt the most, but I didn’t get hurt the worst, thankfully.

I used to be so serious about backyard wrestling. I actually used to think that wrestling at my grandparent’s house in front of a few friends was as close as I was going to get. It was as real as we wanted to be. Or should I say, as real as I wanted it to be. I had the feeling that I was the only one who really wanted to be a pro wrestler. It was real to me.

We weren’t the type of backyard fed that used barb-wire, weed whackers and staple guns. We had storylines, feuds, gimmicks and annual events. I wanted us to be as professional as possible. As I type this, I’m switching over to watch some of our old videos. Some of it’s alright, other stuff is pretty bad. It was fun though.


When I entered into my 20’s, most of my friends had given it up. We were definitely getting to old to keep backyard wrestling. When I found Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy, I was really skeptical that any of my friends would follow. Only one friend came with me, but he dropped out some time later. Cementing the fact that I was the only one that would chase the dream. Now all of my friends are back home, married and having children. If I had to choose that or wrestling….Ha! That’s a no-brainer.


Anyway, that’s beside the point. At this level backyard wrestling is frowned upon and ridiculed. It has a bad reputation in the sense that they’re not careful. They tend not to watch out for each other while working together, which leads to more injuries.

Not being a trained professional has serious risks. I’m trained, I know how to protect myself and protect the guy I’m working with, but sometimes I still get hurt. Now imagine someone who isn’t trained. I shudder to think.

I was able to bring some things from backyard days with me to the pros. I already knew how to cut promos and I could sell moves a little bit. So I think that helped me progress so much. I shed my backyard tendencies. I got rid of my old knee pads, wristbands, and elbow pads. I used them in my first pro match, but as time went on I fazed them out.


Even the moves I used while backyard wrestling I don’t use now. Some of them just don’t make sense for me to use. Now that I’m pro, psychology comes into play. So I don’t use the moves that I think are cool, but moves that make sense for me.


The Back to the Eighties: Dynamite D Tribute Show is getting closer. They have the tickets for the show already on sale on www.santinobros.net. It’s going to be a new, innovative and unique show. It’s going to be a lot of fun. April 9th, in Newhall. Be there!

This Friday, I will be at EWF again. I having fun with those shows, it’s great working with different kinds of talent. But, the big story for me is NTW in Palmdale. I found out earlier last week that Famous B has been added to my match. So, it’s going to be a good match. I can feel it. Apparently, it’s for a cruiserweight championship or something so now that element has been added. As of right now, I have at least 20 family members and friends showing up to see me.


So, this has the making of a truly epic experience. Wrestling…in my hometown…for a championship…in a fatal four way…that has Famous B in it…in front all my family and friends. Woo! I get pumped just typing that.

So, ends another Rosas Report, I really had a hard time writing this one. I really need all of you to give me some topic ideas. Send me ideas: rayrosas@santinobros.net, www.twitter.com/rayrosas, www.myspace.com/violentactsofrandom.

Family Ties and the 80's

 

I’ve always had a feeling that pro wrestling was in my blood. I live, breathe, eat, think, sleep, and dream pro wrestling. My uncles were fans of pro wrestling, my cousins and I loved it back in the WWE’s Attitude Era. I loved wrestling so much; I even became involved in backyard wrestling. (Backyard Wrestling will be a topic I will discuss at a later time.)

It’s been well over 15 months since I got into this crazy business and I’ve seen and experience things I’ve never thought I would. Every time I’m working out, whether I’m at the gym, running the ropes or doing ring work and I feel like I have nothing left, I remind myself that a few short years ago I would have given anything to be inside of a wrestling ring.

Here’s an interesting story. Last Sunday, I was at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Covina. I was there because I was booked for another EWF show. (More on the actual show later.) I arrive for call time and I make my rounds (shake everyone's hand). As I’m going around shaking everyone’s hand, I’m noticing they are becoming more aware of who I am and are a whole lot friendlier to me.

I was hanging around the ring about an hour before the show when a kid who looks like he was 16 or 17 years old walks up to me. I’ve seen this kid the last time I was at an EWF show, I remember being confused because I knew I shook his hand already. He walks up and asks me my name. I told him my name was Ray and he told me I looked familiar. “Well, I’ve been on a few shows.” I replied. He nodded and walked away.

Later on, as I sat in one of many empty chairs around the ring, gathering my thoughts for my match that evening the kid walked up to me again. He asked me if I used to have an Aunt Cristal. I gave him a “What the hell are you talking about?" look. I have an Aunt Corinna, Aunt Valerie, Aunt Viv, Aunt Martha, Aunt Nikki, Aunt Jennifer, Aunt Ester, and a cousin named Krystal, but I didn’t know if I Aunt Cristal. I know I have a huge family so I very well may have.

He told me that he was Aunt Cristal’s son and after a few minutes of us going through a process of elimination we came to the conclusion that the two of us were in fact cousins. It turns out that my grandpa Raymond is the brother of his mother. What a shocking twist!

He sat down and we exchanged stories. He’s a student for EWF’s wrestling school and helps out with the show’s they put on. Like I said before, he looked around 16 or 17 and was a small kid, which is saying a lot if I’m saying something like that. Our conversation was cut short, because work needed to be done. We arranged to continue our conversation after the show.

The wrestling god’s gave me a gift in the form of cousin I didn’t even know I had. But there was one thing I forgot to ask him….his name. I didn’t see him after the show so I didn’t get a chance to ask him. I’m sure I’ll run into him again.

So, wrestling is our family’s blood. I think that proves it. Not to mention, my sister and my mother are very popular on the various social networking websites among other workers and other fans. I’m not really sure how I feel about that yet.

Anyway, let’s talk about some actual wrestling, shall we? On Feb 28th, I wrestled Lucha Machine for EWA in Pomona. The show drew about 10 people, but our sense of pride forced us to go out there and give those 10 people a hell of a match. I hadn’t been a heel (a bad guy) in a while and I had a lot of fun doing it again. We stiffed the shit out of each other and had really good match. (Just don’t ask Mongol want he thought of it.)

The following week, I wrestled at EWF (the above mentioned show.) against the ”King of Strikes” Brandon Parker. I feel (and others did too) that we a good match (Thank the Rosas Charm!) It was his strong-style against my lucha-style which meshed really well considering we never worked together before. I’m beginning to feel that EWF is really getting behind me because they put me against one of their top young guys.

NTW is quickly approaching. I can’t wait to wrestle in the Antelope Valley, I hope a lot of my friends and family that tell me they want to go, make it that day. I got a text the other day asking if I was interested in doing a radio interview for one of the local radio stations since I was the hometown boy. Too bad the radio station and the interview would be in Spanish.

The big news for Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy is the Back to the 80’s – Dynamite D tribute show. We will be returning to Newhall on April 9th to pay tribute to the man who inspired the very idea of the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy, Mr. 80’s Dynamite D. It will be a show presented by SBWA (not under EvoLucha Banner.) and to add a little spice to the night all of us will be impersonating some of our favorite wrestlers (and yours) from the 1980’s. I’m sure it’s going to be a show filled with laughter and tears. (The good kind.)

We’ve also been given job duties for this particular show. Some people got promotions others got booking duties, but I got production manager. So I have to find people to work the door, work merchandise, provide us with sound, and someone to video record and photograph. And the day of the show, the production manager has to make sure everything runs smoothly. That’s a lot of responsibility and I know I’m not a leader, so this is going to be tough.

Wow, I didn’t expect to write too much but I think I did pretty well. I’m going to try and get back on a schedule for this blog, but sometimes writer’s block or laziness strikes. Time for the plugs! Visit http://www.santinobros.net/  to get all the latest news and updates. Check me out at www.mypsace.com/violentactsofrandom or www.twitter.com/rayrosas
You can send an email to me directly to rayrosas@santinobros.net for any questions, comments and concerns.

Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy goes Back to the 80"s

03.07.2010 Los Angeles, CA. -“Keep the Dream Alive”…………those were the last words that Darren “The World’s Greatest Wrestler Mr 80’s Dynamite D” McMillan (Local SoCal great from Slammers, XPW etc.) said to Joey Kaos before he passed. With those thoughts in his head along with the grieving of a fallen comrade, Joey Kaos set out to do just that, keep D’s dream and memory alive in pro wrestling. That was back in 2007 when Santino Bros Wrestling Academy first became a reality.

Now on April 9, 2010 in Newhall Ca, to celebrate and pay tribute to the memory of Mr 80’s Darren “Dynamite D” McMillan, Santino Bros Wrestling presents, Back to the 80’s: The Dynamite D Memorial Show! A Tribute to 80’s wrestling. You will see wrestlers like Macho Man Joey Kaos, Ravishing Rico Dynamite, Damien “the Hulk” Arsenick, One Supreme Man Gang and Mr Famous B Perfect, just to name a few. Don’t miss this show - as Santino Bros along with their Guardian Angel Dynamite D looking down from heaven, takes you Back to the 80’s!!!

Friday April 9, 2010
Doors Open 7pm - Belltime 8pm
Adults $10 Kids $4 (presale) $12 $6 kids (at the door)
Buy your tickets NOW! SAVE $2! Click HERE

American Legion Hall
24527 Spruce St, Newhall CA 91321
Info line: 323.960.5012
www.SantinoBros.com

PRO WRESTLING SCHOOL - Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy

Better Late Than Never

What’s up Groove Nation! It’s the Holy Grail of Pro Wrestling here, Ray Rosas! Sorry, I haven’t updated in a while. I wish I could say I was busy, but in reality I was just lazy. Today’s Rosas Report is going to be a bit longer than most due to the fact I haven’t updated in about a week. You don’t have to read it all right now. You can read a little and come back. I do guarantee you will find at least one thing you like. I have a lot to cover so let’s get started

Feb. 13th, most of us at the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy attended a free seminar at Knox Pro Wrestling. Knox is a promotion/school that’s run by Black Pearl and former WWE Superstars Rikishi and Gangrel. I was having a major head-trip and a minor mark out moment. I used to watch these two guys when I was a kid, now I was putting on a match for them.

Famous B and I worked a quick 4 minute match. One of the recurring critiques was psychology and timing. Besides that they enjoyed us, they even booked Famous B for their show later that night. They said we had good charisma and fire. And we were the only ones to work the hard cam.

Gangrel gave a piece of advice that stuck out to me, he said, “Your body will get you signed to the WWE, your skills will keep you there, but your face will make you money.” That’s why you have to learn to work a hard cam. So the people at home become familiar with your face.

After the matches, we stayed for training and practiced some drills. All in all, it was great experience and I hope that more people take advantages of those kinds of opportunities. To be evaluated by another trainer especially trainers who have been to the top, and have them help you become better at your craft.

Since UEW was cancelled, I took the opportunity to go on a date that evening at the Griffith Observatory. Speaking of Date, I took the winner of the Date with Ray Rosas Contest out last week. It had its awkward moments, but it was enjoyable adventure. But seriously who eats before someone takes them out to dinner?!?! I’m planning another contest for this coming spring.

Last Friday, I got work another EWF show in San Bernardino at the American Sports University. I teamed up with Jarek Mathews against respective opponents from last time, the team of Orion and Sindarin. We were surprised when we were told we would be working semi-main event. The reason being because we did a good job last time. Good way to boost one’s morale.

It was Louie Spicoli Tribute Show and a portion of the money earned was donated to Haitian Earthquakes victims. The cool thing about that day was that Rob Van Dam came to EWF to take pictures and sign autographs. I didn’t get a chance to see him, but WWE superstar Chris Masters came into the locker room to say hello.

Anyway, the four of us put together a nice little match. I turned up my happy-go-lucky to a new level. I played the face in peril and got some nice spots. We all worked very hard and very well together. After the match, we were all very proud of what we did and rightfully so. I’ve got some very nice compliments from it.

Our next Adventure was attending Battleground Pro Wrestling: Open Season. Loucha Machine and Pinky were booked in a 4 Corners Elimination Match. Famous B and I went to support our boys and make some contacts and get booked on some different shows. The show had its good and bad moments, but it was still fun. The way it looks I might be wrestling for BPW pretty soon.

So the month of March is shaping up to be a big money month. First off, if I work everyday and take no days off on day job, I should make a lot of money. Secondly, I have a lot of wrestling going on. I’ve already accepted 2 more bookings for EWF, March 7th and March 19th, on the 21st I have NTW in Palmdale and hopefully I can get on the New Wave and Battleground. Plus KingPin is coming up and that’s pretty fun too.

So you might have noticed I didn’t mention MWF. That’s because I will be taking a month off. I was getting a little burnt out with MWF and I had another booking on the 28th so I decided to work an injury angle at MWF. Rico couldn’t wrestle one week but still came out after my match and had a stare down with me to keep the feud fresh in the fan’s minds.

Rico and I worked a great angle using MySpace and Facebook. We utilized the social networking websites to continue our feud. We used the fact that I split his head open as a catalyst for the feud and exchanged insults and threats in our status updates. We cut promos and really dug in each other. Fans responded to it well, and ultimately chose sides and began to get involved. We really just took the ball and ran with it. And it paid off with spades.

The day of the match, you could really feel the electricity. The house was packed and I like to think that we played a part in that. My parents and sister were there and Amy, Dez and Melissa were there too. So that was at least $60 we drew for that company.

I was really nervous about the match. We had built it so people would want to see it. I was sick, I didn’t train that day and I was super tired. I didn’t want anything to go wrong in this match. I didn’t just want me and Rico to look good but I wanted everyone involved in the match to look good.

This time around we got fog, strobe lights and colorful flashing lights with our entrances. Those also help solidify the importance of our match. I got chills standing at the top of the stairs listening to the pop of the crowd. I remember thinking to myself, “This is big”

We were all experiencing a moment, it may have been a small, independent Lucha Libre show on 69th and Broadway, but it was our moment.

It was a really good match, and told a great story. We went from the fans knowing we were friends to them believing we were going to kill each other. Oh it was on, it was a fight. The match ended with me taking 2 devastating piledrivers from Rico. The second one was a spike piledriver on a chair with some assistance from Famous B. I dead-sold and had to be carried out by all the techincos. On a funny side note, while I’m being carried out and Robbie is stabilizing my neck, my family is taking pictures with Rico.

So to sum it up, we stole the show. And the guys who went after us knew it. Hell, the fans knew it. In a world where kayfabe is disappearing we used the internet against itself. It was Facebook and Myspace that really got this feud over.

Speaking of Kayfabe, last Saturday at training the class had a roundtable discussion about kayfabe and many other things. It was nice to find out how others felt about certain subjects. I thought it was a good exercise and I think we should do more often.

On more Santino News, we will be returning to Newhall on April 9th. It will be a Dynamite D Memorial Show and early reports indicate it will be an 80’s themed show. So, all of the Santino Students and trainers will be impersonating a wrestler from the 80’s. It sounds like a fun and intriguing concept.

I’m actually excited just to go back to Newhall. I never got a chance to do a show in Newhall, but since I’m going to wrestling a show in Palmdale it lost some of its zest. We did Love Hurts around this same time last year. One year ago, I was just a camera operator. Just have to stick with it.

Well, that about wraps up today’s Rosas Report. Next Sunday, I will be at EWA in Pomona wrestling Loucha Machine.

Make sure to check it out, should be a good match. Also visit www.jo-jo-bear.com and his various topics on relationship and sex. Visit http://www.santinobros.net/ for all the latest news and updates at the Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy.

Remember you can email me at rayrosas@santinobros.net , you can check out some of my videos and photos at www.myspace.com/violentactsofrandom . You can follow me at www.twitter.com/rayrosas . So if you have any questions, comments and concerns now you know how to get a hold of me. So until next time.

EWF and MWF

It's a pretty big weekend for me. On Friday, I return to the Empire Wrestling Federation for tag team action. On Sunday, I'm set to do battle with Joey "Rico" Dynamite. Make sure to check them out!

Pay Back!

Check out this form of symbolism as I superkick Rico Dynamite's action figure Bret Hart! I get double satisfaction out of this. First, for it being an action figure of the man who snubbed me at WrestleReunion. Secondly, the Bret Hart figure belongs to Rico Dynamite, the man I will be facing at MWF this Sunday. I'm hoping my mind games work out.

Click the link!
PRO WRESTLING SCHOOL - Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy

Gear, Beer, and Blood

Greetings to all the citizens of the Groove Nation. Well, I experienced another long and thrilling weekend filled with laughter, joy, danger, love, excitement and blood. Really, it’s just your typical weekend for Ray Rosas. This weekend, I was on 11 different freeways: 60, 605, 10, 105, 101, 170, 14, 5, 55, 73, 110 and drove over 400 miles.

It all started on Friday, when I picked up Rico Dynamite and travel to Van Nuys to meet up with Kaos and Jezabel. The four of us made a visit to Juan Guerrero, to get some new wrestling gear made. This would be the first time I actually got some custom gear made for me so I was a little excited. Juan made it really clear that he could make whatever you wanted, if you can imagine it (and it helps to draw it out.) he can make it. I’m expecting to receive my new gear this Friday.

Saturday training was cancelled due the storm, which was kind of weird because now I had nothing to do. I started it off by sleeping in until 10:00 am. It felt amazing; I haven’t slept in for a while. Later that day, Rico, Lou and I headed to the gym to work on legs and back.

I wouldn’t have anything to do for long, because my cousin Kristal’s wedding was later that evening in Newport Beach. On my way, I got lost of course. How knew there would be two places on Pacific Coast Highway with the same address. Very annoying. I was planning to go to ceremony and leave early during the reception, but I couldn’t.

The reason being the wedding was on a yacht that circled the bay. So I had to stay the entire time. But the wedding was lovely and I had fun. It just sometimes I feel like an acquaintance at my own family functions. That goes to show you how much time I spend with that side of the family.

While I was enjoying my boat ride, Kaos sent me a text message saying that training was cancelled again on Sunday. Now my plan would go perfectly. You see my friends back in Lancaster were having a small get-together for our friend’s birthday. The kind we used to have back in the day. My plan was to go and surprise everyone by making an appearance.

So as soon as the yacht docked at 9pm, I jetted back to Lancaster. 2 hours and over 100 miles later and I’m busting through the front door like I own the place. The look on everyone’s face was worth it. We caught up, had a few beers, shared some laughs, had an awkward moment or two but all in all it was good night. My friend put a fresh coat of vomit all over the walls and floor of bathroom. That right there was worth the drive alone. It ended like most weekends do, with a late-night run to Denny’s.

The next day I took my ladies to brunch. I had a hell of time trying to get them out of bed that morning. After brunch, I dropped them off and headed to L.A. to wrestle at M.W.F. I got there super early and I tried to take a nap backstage. All the driving and the late night partying really did a number on me.

That night M.W.F. was competing with the Super Bowl, so the attendance was at risk. But I was pleasantly surprised, to see my friends whom I surprised the night before surprise me right back by showing up to M.W.F.

I was booked for the semi-main event, teaming with Loucha Machine and Karisma against Angel, Rico and other lucha guy whose name escapes me at the moment. People say the match was good, but I know it could have been way better. I found out in that match that I’m terrible on the fly. I completely blew a very simple spot and to top it off I injured Rico.

I attempted a springboard 450 dive to the outside onto Angel and Rico. Mine and Rico’s head collided; well actually my right front tooth collided with his forehead. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I knew immediately that something was wrong. When Rico got up his head was gushing blood.

I was shocked and lost myself. I sat on the floor and watched Rico walk around with the blood dripping everywhere in the middle of the match. The fans went quiet and I don’t even remember how the match ended. Afterward I made my way backstage in a hurry. Everyone was crowded around Rico trying to stop the bleeding.

I felt terrible for what I had done. I was on the verge of tears a couple of times. I prided myself at being safe to work with. Several different people pulled me aside and explained to me that in wrestling people get hurt, that it was an accident and that it wasn’t my fault. I was really shook up, this was my first experience injuring someone especially someone who was my friend. But they were right, that is the nature of the business. I still feel horrible about it though.

 

On a different note, The Win a Date with Ray Rosas contest is still going on and the deadline to enter is 10 am, Feb. 12th. I’ve had a variety of people enter the contest in hopes of winning a date with the Weapon of Mass Seduction…or they jus want a free movie and meal. Here is email I got from one contestant….

Re: Date with Ray Rosas

Since you don't have a Rules and Regulations for your win a date with Ray Rosas contest that would state: THIS CONTEST IS ONLY FOR WOMEN!!! I have decided that it’s only fair to add my name to this contest for the equality that I know you believe in. And when I win (and I know I'll win since we both know that there are no other desperate females out there that have singed up to this stupid contest) I want you to take me out to the finest restaurant (which means no place with a drive thru, no place with mascot that's names are Ronald, Jack, or King and no Place were I have to get up when I'm eating to refill my beverage) As far as the movie goes, since were both adults I fell we should go see an adult movie at the Tomkat theater on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA. I've always had a good time there. Just know this I'M KNOW HO!!! Don't think because you spent money on me that you’re going to get a piece of ass. I'm a lady and you better treat me like one.

XOXOXO Angel

That’s right even Santino Bros. own Exotic one, Angel has entered to try and win a date with Ray Rosas. And because of the random drawing he has good a chance as anybody else who has entered. If you want to enter send an email rayrosas@santinobros.net. Or you can message me on MySpace or Facebook.

Also don’t forget to check out www.santinobros.net, for all the latest news and updates. Oh yeah, you should also check out www.jo-jo-bear.com. It’s kind of hard to explain what it is exactly but it is interesting.

Win a Date with Ray Rosas!

Are you going to be all alone on Valentine’s Day? Ever wanted to hang out with a professional wrestler? Do you want a go movie and get a meal for free? Well then, enter today to win a date with Ray Rosas! The hottest up and coming star in So Cal!

It’s easy to enter! Just send email via MySpace or Facebook or send an email directly to rayrosas@santinobros.net. In the subject line put “Date with Ray Rosas” and you will be automatically entered into the contest. It’s that easy! No requirements, no restrictions.

The date will be all expenses paid which includes a movie and dinner. All contestants will be entered into a drawing and on Friday, Feb. 12th a winner will be chosen at random. Don’t Delay. Enter Today. Win a Date with Ray! Many will enter only one will win!
Contact Ray Rosas:
rayrosas@santinobros.net
www.twitter.com/rayrosas
www.myspace.com/violentactsofrandom

The Groove of the Move

So it’s been a few months since my move from Lancaster to Rowland Heights. For the most part the move has been very beneficial. At first, it seemed like I had too much change at once. Moving into a new area, working in a new office and making new friends is very hard on someone who was very comfortable where he previously was in life.

There were a lot of reasons why I felt I had to move. Wrestling is the main reason. Now, I’m now able to go to training 3 times a week, I can help out more with the school, I can take more bookings and gain more experience. It’s been a great couple of months for me wrestling-wise.

I really feel like I’m getting my name out there. I think more people are starting to recognize who I am. (Even though I might not know who they are.) I had the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of different talent here in So Cal, which pushes me to have different types of matches with different people. One of my fears early on was having to work a match with someone outside of the school. I used to feel comfortable working with someone I know and someone who knows me. Now I feel I’m capable with working with anyone…to a certain degree.

Work also factored into my move. If I wasn’t able to transfer my work location, I wouldn’t have moved. It would have been way harder having to find a new job out here. Luckily for me I was able to keep my job title and my pay. I’ve learn to be very frugal with my money since the move. Trust me; you learn the big difference between “want” and “need” real fast.

Also, being a single 23 year old makes it real easy to just pick up and move. I maintained very few close friends and had no romantic obligations. So there really wasn’t much to keep me there, especially if my dream of professional wrestling waited on the other side of the mountain. I had been living in Lancaster for over 18 years, and I had become comfortable with life there. Essentially people who live there get stuck there and never leave. And I had just begun to scratch the surface of a much larger world and had to break out of my comfort zone.

The thing that sucks the most is being away from my loved ones. I feel considerable guilt when I realize that I don’t spend enough time with people who have supported me. One thing that kills me is that a few days after I announced I was moving, my friends ask me to be the godfather of their child. If they had asked me that a few days early, I’d still be in Lancaster. It sucks when I visit Lancaster once or twice a month and have to try and squeeze a visit with everyone in a matter of hours. Apparently for what I’m told, that’s the sacrifice of pro wrestler.

I guess that’s why some people say things happen for a reason. A lot of people have helped and pushed me to reach my goals. Some helped because I’ve asked others because they wanted to. There are even people that don’t even know they helped and/or pushed me because of the actions they did or in some cases the actions they didn’t do. Just so you know I didn’t forget the people who helped me and I will repay them one way or another.

So if you’re still reading this, I challenge you. I challenge you to make that change in your life. Even if it’s the smallest thing, you will still be moving forward towards your goal. Break out of your comfort zone. Also, try to help someone. We’re all just trying make it through the day and I’ve been on both sides that fence. You never know how your actions (or lack of action) affect another person’s life.

Tomorrow, I will announce the official rules for the WIN A DATE RAY ROSAS contest. I don’t know if anyone will enter, but we’ll find out. Make sure to tune in tomorrow. Make sure to check out http://www.santinobros.net/ for the latest news, updates, videos, moves of the week, spot of the week, SBWA superstar spotlights and so much more. If you to send some fan mail with questions, comments, concerns or maybe there is a move you want to see, email me at rayrosas@santinobros.net.

Greetings Groove Nation! What a long weekend. Late nights, early mornings, training, shows and passing out flyers. Sorry again for the delay, welcome back to the Rosas Report. This past weekend has just been filled with wrestling as I attended the Wrestle Reunion at LAX Hilton. I didn’t go to see the stars or watch the shows but to flyer for the school.

We met plenty of legends and tons of top indy talent. It was kind of weird seeing the people you watched on T.V. growing up. It was hard for me to hide my inner-mark. However, when I saw some of the legends of the business and how banged up they were, really put the sacrifices we need to make in this business in perspective.

Now that I look back on it I was very fortunate to be there. I’m still having a head trip because of all the people I met. Over the course of 2 days I met Rob Van Dam, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Keiji Mutoh better known as The Great Muta, Ron Simmons, Scotty Too Hotty, Jimmy Hart, Super Crazy, Terri Runnels, Tammy Sytch, Bruno Sammartino, Koko B. Ware, Larry Zybysko, Axe and Smash, Road Warrior Animal, The Iron Sheik, and last but not least Bret Hart.

Larry Zybysko is pretty funny and a down-to-earth kind of guy. The Iron Sheik is just hilarious. In a world where anybody can have a reality show, the Iron Sheik is someone who should definitely have one. Terri Runnels is still smoking hot but I didn’t know how short she was. Even with her heels, I could have rested my chin on the top of her head.

The Great Muta was a sight to behold. The innovator of the Shining Wizard, which I believe is credible finisher if you were taking from someone as big as Muta. I was frozen in a state of awe as he walked past me. I’ve never felt such an intimidating aura in my life.

The highlight of my mingling with legends was shaking the hand of Bret “the Hitman” Hart…even though he kind of blew me off. Never in my life did I ever think I’d ever meet Bret Hart let alone get snubbed by him. It was a real head trip, to see him on RAW the following Monday.

We also happen to catch the ROH and PWG shows last weekend too. The cream of the crop for independent wrestling. I remember thinking to myself that I have a lot of work if I want to compete on that level. Both shows had their high and low points but for the most part they were a lot of fun.

There was a lot of talent on the shows I was really looking forward to seeing The Great Muta and Jushin Liger wrestle. It was awesome to see them wrestle because I never thought I ever would. I was watching the Chris Benoit DVD last week and watched the match where Benoit beat Liger for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship back in 1990. Here we are 20 years later, and now I got to see Liger live…twice!

There were a few wrestlers I saw for the first time that became some of my new favorites. Some wrestlers that I’ve heard but really didn’t know much about. One was Delirious, he was very entertaining and I enjoyed his gimmick very much. Another was Claudio Castagnoli. He was a monster of man. And finally the guy that stuck out to me the most was Davey Richards.

Davey has the size, style and build that I want. He reminds me of the Dynamite Kid which in turn reminds me of Chris Benoit. Davey and I are pretty much the same height but he has about 50 pounds more muscle than me. Standing next to him really made me feel self-conscious about my body. After his match with Kevin Steen, I got a chance to walk up to him and shake his hand.

So I had a good time. I felt we did a great job flyering and did some good networking and promotion. Training on Saturday we pretty much beat each other up and Sunday we had more MMA training. I’m looking to get myself into some MMA tournaments this year just to see how I do.

Sunday night, another MWF show. I was asked to make a very important career question that needed an immediate answer. I was originally going to agree out of loyalty to the company that has given me so much but I still was a little uneasy about my decision. Even after some deliberation, negotiation, and an Owen Hart analogy I still wasn’t sure.

It wasn’t until I got a text message from someone whose opinion matters the most to me that I made up my mind. I apologized and declined. I expressed that I wanted to be loyal to the company that gave Ray Rosas a platform to reach a new level but I didn’t feel it was in my best interests. We’ll see how my decision affects me as the weeks go by.

So, no fan mail this week, but I’ve been pondering a new idea. Since it’s February and Valentine’s Day is coming up and not everybody has a special someone to spend it with. So, I’m proposing a contest to win a date with Ray Rosas! I’m not too sure how to go about it or if anyone will even want to enter, but check back for more details.

Also, make sure to check out www.santinobros.net to get all your latest news and updates all your favorite SBWA wrestlers and events. Also check out some other blogs from fellow SBWA alumni. “The Iron Warrior” Damien Arsenick with his Spirit Crusher Series, http://www.damienarsenick.blogspot.com/ and Famous B at http://www.famousb23.blogspot.com/ . Don’t forget to join the Groove Nation at www.twitter.com/rayrosas