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Ring Radar: Bryan Castle
A Castle of Hugs
Ohio Based Wrestler Climbs Wrestling’s Ladder
By Stephen Cravak
The classic big man only with a playful demeanour.
Three hundred and thirty pounds of furry flesh stalks its prey. Men gaze while little children scream at the emerging behemoth. The beast lifts up its colossal arm and bellows… “Hi!”
The crowd is stunned. “What the?”
It’s just your friendly neighborhood goofball, Bryan Castle, better known as “The World’s Most Huggable Wrestler.” Smiling, he enters the ring wrapped in black and red spandex armor topped off with a sprawling beard, bandana, and gelled faux hawk.
What makes a mammoth man adopt such a jovial demeanor? “For four years, I got nowhere as a serious wrestler,” says Castle who felt the wrestling universe needed more characters. He decided to give it a massive teddy bear. The original idea began as a Chris Farley type gimmick, as suggested by fellow wrestler Benjamin Boone at a Pro Wrestling Ohio show in Cleveland.
A serious Castle, before he became huggable.
In 1991, Castle was in attendance at an untelevised WWE event at the Sports Arena in Toledo, Ohio, . All it took was Ted Dibiase and the Ultimate Warrior in the main event for him to realize that one day he too would enter the squared circle. “I knew right then and there that’s what I wanted to do.” Growing up, Castle idolized the “big guy characters” from Bam Bam Bigelow to Dr. Death Steve Williams and Vader, who were not only huge but also light-footed. Recent inspiration comes from former ECW, WWE, and TNA superstar Rhyno. Castle feels it’s a travesty how Rhyno doesn’t currently have a position with one of the top federations.
Financially speaking, Castle can’t call wrestling a career, though he clearly understands the wrestling business. “My name is Bryan Castle because it looks better on a T-shirt than my real name.” It’s funny to think how the name originated just four minutes before his debut match against Dick Nasty, and six years later it still serves him well. “It’s a rough business, and if you’re not ready for it, it’ll tear you up. It’s all about whoring yourself out,” says Castle who admittingly if called up by the WWE would be willing to do anything or become any character. However, if he had veto power would not be in favor of following in the masked Ding Dongs’ footsteps.
If Castle could give advice to anyone just before their debut match it’s to “relax, the main thing is that you’re having fun. If you’re not, it shows.” Though, fun for Castle comes at a price. Over the years he’s had to pass up better paying jobs and has seen relationships deteriorate due to his commitment to sports entertainment. While he desires to build it into a career, he’s happy playing the part of a on-the-road warrior. Castle knows his job, despite winning or losing, is to entertain the crowd. “I always fear the fans are not enjoying it.” Not only do audiences enjoy his wrestling prowess and silly hijinks, but also the organizations he works for.
On Saturday, April 7th at his debut for Buffalo Championship Wrestling in western New York, Castle dazzled the crowd with his goofball antics in a three-way dance against Jeremiah Bradley and Evan McCloud. Castle playfully hi-fived not only his opponents, but also the referee and the fans into an uproarious state of laughter. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response, BCW officials decided to bring him back just one month later. “Bryan has the total package; a great and agile wrestler for his size plus his personality and character is unique and speaks to the fans,” says BCW Announcer Chris Gullo.
Castle has also worked hard to impress his fellow wrestlers and coaches. “The wrestling school I met him at there were probably 9 or 10 guys there and he was the only one who seemed like he wanted it,” says trainer “The Homeless Avenger” Dick Nasty, who has wrestled Castle an estimated 100 times and regards him as one of his favorite opponents. “As long as he sticks with it and keeps working hard there will be no limit to what he does and where he goes.”
While Monday through Friday, Castle finds himself in the back of a restaurant cooking for others, on the weekends he serves up a delightful dish of sports entertainment. If he happens to be in your neck of the woods, be sure to check him out in action, and while you’re there give him a hug.
THE DEETS:
Name: “The World’s Most Huggable Wrestler” Bryan Castle
AGE: 25
WEIGHT: 330 pounds
EXPERIENCE: 6 years
LOCATION: Toledo, Ohio
FAVORITE MOVES: his versions of the Vader Bomb and the Perfect-Plex
FINISHER: a running crossbody
COMPARISON: Bam Bam Bigelow meets Colt Cabana
WRESTLED FOR: PWO in Cleveland; CIW in Adrian, Michigan; XICW; Big Time Wrestling; Metro Pro Wrestling in Detroit; Buffalo Championship Wrestling; and others
TRAINING/TRAINERS: In Toledo by ”The Homeless Avenger” Dick Nasty. Additional training by Mr. Main Event, CK3, “Amazing” N8 Mattson, and Rhyno.
Special thanks to Ivy Imagery, Dick Nasty (@DickNasty2000), Chris Gullo (@ChrisGullo), and especially Bryan Castle (@Bryan_Castle) for committing his time for an extensive interview session.
Gimmick Garage: Ron “Home Run” Derby
Welcome to the Gimmick Garage, where Crave Cravak stores his original wrestler gimmick ideas. If you happen to like any of them, comment below.
Picture a bulging baseball player entering the ring. The bell sounds and instead of putting his bat aside he winds up and hits a home-run on his opponent.
Encore
TYPE: Heel (possible face)
LEVEL: Lower card
COMPATIBILITY: Has a baseball manager as a pseudo manager. Could be placed in a tag-team or stable.
Theme: Baseball / Roid Rage
BODY TYPE: Chris Masters / Rob Terry –> Bulky/Bulging but not overpowering or too tall (Batista/Matt Morgan).
RING STYLE: Brawler / Classic wrestling
Gimmick Garage: Encore
Welcome to the Gimmick Garage, where Crave Cravak stores his original wrestler gimmick ideas. If you happen to like any of them, comment below.
What do you get when you take a wrestler like Drew McIntyre, mix him with a scary looking Superman 2 villain and place him in an arrogant thespian’s shoes as a modern theatre themed incarnation of Goldust? You get…
Encore
TYPE: Heel
LEVEL: Midcard, possible one-time shot at a face heavyweight champion
COMPATIBILITY: Could have a theatre themed manager, could also be useful in a bizarre-esque stable, or to form a freakish tag team.
Theme: Theatre/Drama/Acting
BODY TYPE: Drew McIntyre / Golddust –> Tall, lengthy, athletic
RING STYLE: Technical / Matt Wrestler / Submission Specialist
WRESTLEMANIA XXVII CARD
Before you think you’ve stumbled upon the spoiler card for Wrestlemania, please understand this is merely a realistic fantasy card for the 28th installment of WWE’s superbowl of sports entertainment. Back in May, I pictured myself in Mr. McMahon’s seat as I penciled in possible matchups. First let’s put all those wet dreams of Sting signing a WWE contract to job to the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar leaving a lucrative deal with the UFC for a one time shot at Wrestlemania. Sure we can all have our dream matches, but let’s try to be realistic here. More importantly, to save my creative skin, please consider how this was thought up back in May.
DISCLAIMER: RingWriters is not affiliated with WWE and by no means is promoting or representing their products.
In all, there are eleven matches, not counting the dark match, and would ideally fit into a 4 hour PPV broadcast. Though given how some of the matches are not likely to occur, I think it would be safe to cut one or two of them and fit it all in a 3 hour format. Even if some of the matches are short, the WWE can always give the fans a prolonged rematch on the house show circuit. It pains me to leave out a traditional tag match for the title, but given the current state of tag teams in the WWE, it’s doubtful there would even be teams worthy to compete on the card. Overall I’m excited at the prospects and would definitely trek to Miami and buy myself a seat in Miami. The matches appear in reverse order from the main events to the opening matches.
PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR THOUGHTS, CONCERNS, AND OTHER IDEAS FOR MATCHES.
Champion of Champions Match
WWE Champ Alberto Del Rio VS World Heavyweight Champ Randy Orton VS US Champ Miz VS IC Champ Christian
Championships need to be important again. This match would in fact close the show and would feature the four current champions in an elimination match with every title on the line. Therefore, titles could change hands throughout the match with the idea being that the winner will hold all four titles, which in fact would happen. Then following wrestlemania, the champ can parade around and possibly have a feud with Chris Jericho (first ever undisputed champion) before three of the titles are put up for grabs in meaningful tournaments. You may also be wondering how the winner of the rumble factors in here. Well, they don’t. I would have had the winner of the rumble becoming either the WWE or World Heavyweight champ, thus no longer using the Rumble as a mere stepping stone towards Wrestlemania. I want the Rumble to stand alone on its own. The wrestlers chosen can easily be switched with others, but the match itself should stand. In this version I’ve got two heels (Del Rio & Miz) going against two faces (Orton and Christian). Among them there is enough presence, fan buy in, and talent to put on an epic match. I would have Orton win it all.
Candid Crave: Squared Circle Dreaming
When your body turns off the lights what does your subconscious cinema play? Do your childhood fears manifest themselves into a nightmarish broccoli stalking you down the street in your underwear? Or do you get the nerve to ask out that beauty behind the bar? For me, it’s different. My real life dreams manage to work themselves out in this unrealistic but believable context. A solid 25% of all dreams involve professional wrestling; the majority featuring me being hired to work for WWE Creative. This occurs usually by a chance meeting with Vince McMahon. When these dreams started a few years ago I was hailed as a genius, though lately I’m treated more like a peon. The realization that someone as imaginative as me will never get the chance to create freely under a one-man show operation (WWE) has seeped its way in. It took a heart felt talk with one of the sport’s top stars to break it to me that as long as Vince McMahon holds all the cards, it’s just not worth my time.
Though, somewhere in my veins there must be an optimistic sap. The dreams just won’t go away. For instance, last week one had me watching TNA’s Impact Wrestling attempt to boost ratings with the questionable opening bout of Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper. Then today for the first time I made an appearance as not a writer, but as a…wrestler. I was on tour with WWE, but what must have been a “minor league” operation for none of the talents were from real-life and were unrecognizable to me. Plus, we were performing in an arena with barely enough seats for a girl scout meeting. But what’s stranger is that I was walking around in tights. You may not know, but I’m a 6 foot 1 man in the body of a 160 pound boy. If I have muscles, I’ve never seen them. Maybe they’re on loan at the Smithsonian, or my parents pawned them before I was born. Though I’m proud of my dream director for not casting me in some far fetched gimmick. You can’t exactly see me “Goldberging” my opponents, in fact I wouldn’t even fit the bill for Gillberg. I was named “Steve Slimmer,” and I paraded around as a body builder yet I obviously had never lifted a weight in my life let alone any past lives. The intentional contrast of my persona was certainly fuel for a comedic heel role to the tune of a heel Zack Ryder or Mike Bucci’s Simon Dean gimmick.
I’m not sure what my future dreams hold, but whatever they are, I’m going to take notes. And you never know… maybe one day they’ll be playing in your reality.
What If? – Picture Book Mania
While ‘outside the box’ thinking is essential in all imaginative creations, wrestling writers must learn to cope with ‘thinking inside the box.’ Specifically, they need to utilize the roster presented to them as opposed to breaking the organizations bank by bringing in hoards of outside talent.
For those interested in honing their ‘booking’ skills, I suggest creating a wrestling card for a fictional universe. For example, choose any TV or movie cast.
This installment looks to the world of children’s picture book characters. What if famous picture book characters were to square off inside the ring?
