'The Juggernaut' Dave Jackson

What made you ever decide to get involved in professional wrestling?

As a kid, like most, I was always fixated with WWF. I remember once I got bought a VHS of the Royal Rumble and saw characters like Million Dollar Man, Legion of Doom and of course Hulk Hogan and I was completely taken back by everything I saw. Over the years I watched more and more wrestling and by the time I was 18 I could watch, feel, see and more importantly understand the emotion and passion that these guys have for their sport. I was engrossed by the heart of professional wrestling and what these guys do and how they are perceived by the audience. I thought to myself, this is how I want to live my life.

What was your training regime like? Who trained you? How did you go about finding them?

I pride myself in my training. My non-wrestling training consists of 5 weight training sessions per week in the gym with a mix of cardio sessions throughout.
My wrestling training consists of a warm-up in which I go through intense stretching exercises, squats, bridges and rope running. I then will go through some sequential moves to loosen up before practising my shoot skills and amateur mat based techniques. I will then have about an hours ring time working on psychology and timing. All in all my wrestling training sessions last for around 4 to 5 hours.

I train at a gym called Dropkixx which is probably one of the best in the country for training in every aspect of wrestling. I am trained by John Ritchie, who was a shoot fight/amateur wrestling champion who turned pro at the age of 18. He was part of the legendary Dale Martins gym which housed most of the World of Sport stars that flourished in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s here in the UK. His father John Hall was also a shoot fight European champion and World of Sport professional. I have also had the opportunity to train with Buster Clayden who is part of the Great Britain Freestyle wrestling team and is a Commonwealth Gold Medallist in the 92KG+ category. What do you think of the current state of professional wrestling? Pro wrestling I think has hit a stale patch. More so over in the USA than over here as our circuit continues to grow and grow and feed off of the depression across the pond but it is nowhere near what it used to be like in the 60’s and 70’s. I think the lack of competition has really hit the business hard together with the lack of big name stars and also TV companies not willing to show the product. Wrestling is still very marketable and will always appeal to the youngsters thus will always be around in one shape or form, but presently it seems to have lost its momentum. The UK scene is a little different. Albeit on a much smaller scale, our circuit has been gaining a much needed boost in terms of promotion, solid workers, exposure and backing from media outlets, which is the same that can be said about the Japanese business. I think it’s about time we Brits showed the Americans just how it’s meant to be done.

Who have been your favourite people to step into the ring with or against? Why?

There’s a few I could mention here. I once had a match with Darren Burridge who is considered one of the top wrestlers in the UK at the moment. He is very charismatic and technically gifted and I enjoyed grappling with him. Stu Sanders is another guy over here who is getting some great press at the moment, its amazing what this guy can do for his size. We compliment each other well when in the ring. We have great chemistry and have fought countless times. I have also worked closely with Steve Grey, who is a World of Sport legend and former European Middleweight champion. Drew Galloway is another guy I’ve had the opportunity of locking horns with and he is a fantastic talent.

What is the best thing about being a pro wrestler? What is the worst?

For me the greatest thing about being a pro wrestler is the respect you get from the fans. It’s a great feeling when you have kids, teenagers, adults, mums and dads all showing you respect for what you have just given them in the form of entertainment. It’s very rewarding to know that they appreciated your efforts. The worst thing is probably the injuries or the risk of injury. Its always in your mind. That or people making fun of the sport.

What wrestlers do you enjoy watching?

It varies really. I like some of the guys who are the scene at the moment like, Mr. Kennedy as he can brawl with the best of them and guys like Bryan Danielson who shows us all how wrestling should be done. Triple H is great to watch and Finlay has been an inspiration since he laced up his boots again. But I also like kicking it old school with Ric Flair, Stone Cold, Hogan etc. I always enjoyed Kurt Angle as he personified intensity and passion for the business. Colt Cabana is another guy I’ve seen a few times and liked his stuff.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not wrestling?

I’m a sociable guy so I like to share my spare time with friends and do all the normal stuff like eat out, go to movies etc. When I’m not wrestling though I’m always training for wrestling, reading about wrestling, watching wrestling or doing something to help my career as a wrestler. I am fascinated by the business and its history so I figured the more I know about it the more doors it could possibly open. I also work a full time job so spare time doesn’t really happen too often so I make the most of it when I get it.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Being honoured at the British Wrestlers Reunion along with others my age as the new generation of the business. To stand in front of so many past stars and to be applauded by them and acknowledged for carrying on their legacy for me was an honour. I was also very proud of my silver medal in a Freestyle wrestling competition for the 92Kg+ category that I entered as part of my training to broaden my knowledge of wrestling.

If you had to do it all over again is there anything you would change?

Well to be honest at the moment I wouldn’t change anything. I’m training hard all the time and continue to build what I hope to be a good, solid foundation. I would urge anyone who is thinking about trying professional wrestling though to make sure you have the right mindset. I have seen too many people walk through the gym doors and not be ready physically or mentally. I have seen too many kids walk through the door who don’t want to learn anything other than flips off the top rope. I think if people want to start learning how to become a professional wrestler they first have to understand what professional wrestling is, just like I did.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I hope to have secured regular work on the UK circuit and hopefully tour abroad in Europe and the United States so I don’t have to rely on full time employment to fuel my wrestling career.

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