Recently, Daniel Johnson of TheWrestlingVoice.com conducted an interview with Sterling James Keenan of Indy wrestling fame. In it, he gave his opinion on managers in today’s wrestling business as well as some thoughts and memories on his career so far. Below are the highlights of the interview:
Daniel Johnson: Growing up, what wrestlers most influenced your wrestling style and were there any managers that helped influence your mike skills?
Sterling James Keenan: I don’t think I intentionally took anything from anybody, but as I watch myself, I catch mannerisms from other wrestlers. I’ve seen myself emulate guys like Ric Flair, The Rock, and Randy Savage to a small extent.
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Daniel Johnson: What is the single most memorable moment that you have working with a manager (either with or against) personally?
Sterling James Keenan: I’ve been having a great time in England with Abyss. In 1PW, I manage/team with him. But nothing in particular stands out.
Daniel Johnson: How do you think professional wrestling would be best divided between its entertainment & athletic aspects?
Sterling James Keenan: I think people worry too much about the division. Wrestling is an art form and trying to divide all the things that make it such a wonderful thing just detracts from the overall enjoyment.
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Daniel Johnson: Do you think that different areas appreciate certain aspects of wrestling more than others? If so, what are these areas and aspects?
Sterling James Keenan: Definitely. The Northeast Indies are all about great technical wrestling, high spots, fast-pace et cetera. Down in the southern states, they seem to love old-school, storytelling matches more, without as much need for killer spots. Not to say that one area doesn’t appreciate the other, but those are the ones that stand out to me.
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Daniel Johnson: In what direction would you like to see the role of managers go in the next few years (fading away or going to greater heights)?
Sterling James Keenan: I think managers are invaluable in some cases. Sometimes guys have all the right tools to be great, but lack mike skills. I think, however, that the business is too easy to gain access to now and it’s become overrun with managers who don’t know what they’re doing. I truly hope those kind of people start to fade away.
