“Foreign Object”
By P.Staniforth
“Just how low some wrestlers will sink for money and attention”
Warning : The following column is based on real life issues, and breaks kayfabe into pieces – and for that, and for the angry tone of this column; I apologise.
Now sadly, this link I’m about to give you, will, as such; promote the ‘shoot interview’ of someone who doesn’t deserve anything at all; but I have to show this link for you all to see it.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=106840689&blogID=333135692
For those of you wondering what this is, it’s the link to the ‘100 percent truthful shoot interview’ (his words) of UK wrestler (and we use that term loosely), Jonny The Body/Jonny Costello.
Now, let’s take you back in time….
The very first show I worked, back in 2005 in Milton Keynes, as a manager; I had my limited edition WCW Nitro denim jacket (a present from my very yong daughter, who had been through three near death operations) and mobile phone stolen backstage as I worked in the main event that evening of the show. It was no coincidence that the people who the finger was pointed out, with the already bad reputation backstage; had already mysteriously left without a goodbye to anyone before the end of the show.
I don’t like to speak of personal events too much, but a heavy argument ensued between myself and my fiancee’ when I arrived home and the story of what happened was told, and I ended up moving out of home temporarily due to it. Within three days, my mother in law (who had been fighting very hard against severe health issues), was rushed into hospital and passed away. My fiancee’ never got to be there properly, or to say goodbye to her mother; because of this above incident and the actions of Jonny Costello. I had a decent church and Sunday School upbringing, but I cannot forgive, and I cannot forget this; despite the battle I have with myself feeling that somehow I should.
After not seeing him since that incident, I had the utter misfortune of going to see a show of a promoter friend of mine’s in February 06; where he was booked and I had not been told. Having the audacity to say hello to me, like there had never been any issue; I ‘suggested’ (admittedly unprofessional on my part, but I’m hotheaded and this is personal) that we took it into the carpark.
I proceeded to give him the chance ‘to tell me the truth or I’d knock him out there and then in front of whoever’s out here’, much to the shock of around five or six wrestlers working the show that night who know me as a silly, happy go lucky father of two; who whilst hotheaded, doesn’t have a nasty streak at all. He backed down, (imagine that – wrestler backs down from manager!), and apologised, and proceeded then as I had found out from friends who work other promotions with him the actual truth of the matter; to lie to me completely – whilst admitting he took said jacket and phone, he lied about what he did with them; and still keeps my jacket to this day.
And now, come December just gone, on this MySpace page of his, with the situation still simmering but relatively calm by standards so far; he sees it fit and suitable to release a ‘shoot interview’ about his time in wrestling; and to talk about me and mention my name on his very LONG list of people he’s fallen out with and had problems with. The length of the list of people he has these ‘issues’ with, should a lot of what needs to be said about him.
It astounds me that promoters in the UK still book ‘Mr #1’ Jonny Costello. His reputation is a joke, he milks an appearance on the BBC’s “Ready, Steady, Cook” for all that he can; and he made a complete mockery of himself and the wrestling business itself when he appeared on that too. A liar, a thief, and a past and backstage reputation that preceeds itself as proof that seemingly any idiot can get booked in the UK Wrestling scene nowadays.
Anyone who’s ever watched him wrestle, will see a fat, out of shape, throwback to a wrestling time best forgotten; who’s punches and kicks miss opponents by around four inches each time, who’s lack of ability breaks kayfabe to audiences who want to believe in the product but can’t when they see his routine blatantly exposing the wrestling business as a whole.
But hey, I guess if you’re willing to play taxi driver to any wrestler that a promoter REALLY wants on his show, on the condition you get booked too, and that’s the only way you can get booked regular; then that’s what you do, right Jonny?
It’s sickening that someone would use such real and upsetting issues to hopefully make an extra few pounds in money from the sale of a DVD. It sums him up as a person, completely. My two young children miss their ‘Nanny’ dearly, to this day; but in the eyes of ‘Mr #1’ Jonny Costello, lying, thieving, and the domino effect of his actions are all okay things to try and get money from and to self promote himself with.
I don’t know how to finish this column. I’m not quite sure why I wrote it, possibly I guess just to expose this “man” for what he is; and to show that sadly, there’s still people in professional wrestling who quite simply do not deserve to be with their actions and behaviour.
And Jonny Costello? I pity him. Nothing more, or less. And I only hope that he either one day realises just how pathetic his behaviour is and has been, and tries to rectify it; or that karma/God/whatever your personal beliefs are, takes action of it’s own.
I know I said my columns this year would shoot more straight than ever before, and possibly border on controversial; but this is a bit lively even for me! I thank you for your patience reading this, and hope that it’s understood why I’ve wrote it.
Peter Staniforth
Power Trip Wrestling Promoter
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