As a storyboard artist, as a wrestling promoter and owner, and most recently as a member of cinema, Gary Yap continues to leave his mark on the world. From Emmy-nominated work on The Simpsons and King of the Hill to the still-controversial subject that is EPIC Pro Wrestling, Gary Yap sat down for a personal interview that soon turned extremely candid…but extremely insightful and especially heart-felt. My name's Oliver Saenz, I go by the handle of PdW2kX, and I'm delighted to bring you the exclusive and hopefully long-awaited interview with Gary Yap, including a huge announcement that will likely bring some flare back to SoCal.

Section 1
EPIC Pro Wrestling: High Hopes, Rough Starts, Missed Chances, Abrupt Ends

Were you always a fan of professional wrestling, or was it an acquired habit?

I've been a wrestling fan my entire life...and I'm OLD. Shit, when I watched wrestling as a kid, there were three major promotions - the AWA, the NWA, and the WWWF. Do you know how much it kills me to talk to Markus Riot nowadays, drop the name Antonino Rocca, and have him just look at me with a blank stare? Horrible. But I digress.

When did you first envision yourself running a pro wrestling promotion?

Although I've been a wrestling fan my entire life, I never seriously considered running a promotion until around 2001/2002. I remember going to an XPW show back in 2001 called "Redemption". I went with a guy I worked with on "King of the Hill" named Chris and he was going on and on about how we should start a promotion blahblahblah. Yeah, it was fun to bullshit about, but it would always go in one ear and out the other with me.

Who was your earliest contact in the world of professional wrestling?

That would have to be Disco Machine. His wife-at-the-time was working as a stripper with a woman whom I was dating at the time. Small world, huh? My girlfriend-at-the-time had mentioned to Disco's wife that I went to see these wrestling shows at the Grand Olympic Auditorium every month and Disco's wife replied that her husband was scheduled to wrestle at the next event.

What happened then?

So at the next show - I think it was XPW's November 2001 show (I forget what it was called) - I go with my girlfriend-at-the-time and during the Super Dragon vs. Disco Machine match, she's drunk off her ass (because that's what you do at an XPW show - or ANY wrestling show - in my opinion), and she's completely shit-talking Dragon. And by shit-talking I mean she's yelling at the top of her lungs about how much he sucks and going on and on to the point where it's really fucking with him, especially because everyone else in the fucking building is pro-Dragon. So after the match, he rolls out of the ring and goes straight up to her and gets in her face. Excalibur runs over and is holding him back because Dragon is furious! The funny thing is that all of this was captured and aired on XPW-TV, as well. I think it's on the XPW DVD, too. So anyway, Dragon gets to the back and Disco tells him that the chick yelling at him was a friend of his wife's and at that point, it all clicks for Dragon, at which point he proceeds to laugh his ass off hysterically. Kind of. Okay, so I actually made up that last part but I'm gonna just tell myself that's how it went, anyway.

[Editor's Note: Super Dragon laughing is as rare as Chuck Norris crying. Sorry, it had to be said.]

When did you begin to really think about opening a pro wrestling promotion?

It wasn't until 2002 - at an XPW show called "New Year's Revolution" - where it became a little more real for me. We were at the show, drunk off our asses (do you see a pattern here?), and having fun. At intermission, New Jack comes out and goes on and on about how he needs to see some titties before he can leave the ring. So there's the crowd, pointing at my girlfriend in unison to fulfill that request, which she proudly offers to do, provided she be allowed to do it in the middle of the ring. I gotta admit, it was pretty funny seeing her get a bigger pop than anything else on the show at that point. Eventually, she was contacted by someone at XPW about being brought in for something. I really don't remember who it was or how many times contact was made. Back then, not only did I drink a lot, but I smoked a lot of pot, as well. We (and by we, I mean my girlfriend-at-the-time and I) both did. It's all kind of a blur. She was shown on XPW-TV a few times but after a while we both came to the realization that XPW's offers were nothing more than veiled inquires on how far she was willing to go for a 'shot' to be in XPW. That was the end of that.

All told, what really led to the formation of EPIC Pro Wrestling?

The bottom line was that I was pretty sprung for the woman I was with back then. Being a stripper, she was obviously the type of woman who craved the spotlight. Being whipped (along with having - at that time - a very unhealthy Superman complex), I wanted to give her that spotlight that she craved. It's the type of relationship that's doomed to fail from the start, and eventually did down the line. Man, Dude, you have no idea how this sounds to me after the fact. Reflecting on my life back then is such a surreal experience nowadays. I was such a mess. Anyway, between the friendships that I had made with Disco, Dragon, Excalibur, and others who really wanted to stretch their wings in the business and the fact that I wanted to give my woman-at-the-time an opportunity to be seen, as well, the seeds were firmly planted in my head. Maybe - just maybe - we COULD pull off something similar to what my friend, Chris, had made reference to back in early 2001.

Did you ever have any thoughts about becoming a wrestler yourself, or was it straight to management?

I had always wanted to wrestle and had planned on going to school for it before life kind of just...happened. I know what you're saying - "What the fuck does that mean?"

Well, what does that mean?

The fact of the matter is that I was a single dad, raising a daughter alone, working a full-time job on a network television show, and drawing freelance on the side, as well. Shit, it was hard enough for me to find free time to jerk it, much less train full-time. Don't get me wrong, I wound up finding the time, but let's be honest - training takes MUCH longer than playing with yourself. Unless you're doing it while stoned, which could take hours. Ahh, good times.

Do you feel as if you should have trained?

Looking back now, I find myself ALWAYS doing the whole hindsight is 20/20 thing. You may see that a lot in this interview. And yes, I should have trained. Even if I never made use of the training, the gesture alone would have made a difference in eliminating the money mark stigma that I naturally and justifiably came into the business with.

Would you be willing to go over the history of EPIC?

Y'know what? I'm not sure we have the time. Whenever you get involved with a subculture as interesting (at least in my opinion) as pro wrestling, there winds up being so much that's worth talking about that I could go on for hours. Besides, I'm simply dictating this interview. My assistant is actually typing it as I speak and if I went on and on like I could (and sometimes do), I think her fingers would start bleeding. I can give you some of the highlights, though.

In that case, how did you go about learning the SoCal scene?

Disco gave me a lot of videos to look at from various SoCal indies. He not only introduced me to smaller promotions like MPW, UPW, and RevPro, but to some of the best and brightest wrestlers that SoCal had to offer, as well - TARO, Mr. Excitement, Rising Son, Joey Ryan, the Havana Pitbulls (then known as Los Cubanitos), Shogun, etc. I did my best to soak up everything like a sponge. Yes, in retrospect, I should have soaked a little longer, but that's beside the point.

Was EPIC specifically started as a stand-alone promotion, or was something else originally in the works?

Originally, we wanted to run under the RevPro banner. The promotion hadn't run a show in a while and we thought it would be a good way to keep the fed alive. However, in attempting to do so, I learned my FIRST RULE in professional wrestling: Promoters are completely unable to work together. Period. Are there exceptions? Of course. Every rule has exceptions. However, we're not talking about the few exceptions here. We're talking about the norm. And the norm will ALWAYS be that promoters CANNOT work together. No matter how much lip service they pay to other promotions or what fronts they put up for the fans about solidarity - they will ALWAYS eventually butt heads over who to push, who not to push, who's a draw, who's not a draw, blahblah freakin' blah. Sad but true.

Was there anything besides the "first rule of wrestling" that helped cause tension?

The owner of RevPro, Ron Rivera, apparently had a lot of heat with Excalibur, which I didn't understand.

How so?

In my opinion, Excalibur is one of the smartest, funniest, most well-read and articulate persons I have ever had the privilege of knowing. If that wasn't enough, I give him full credit for introducing me to "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", which I will ALWAYS be grateful for! Did he and I butt heads in EPIC? OF COURSE! But it was irrelevant, because good ALWAYS came out of it. I loved the guy dearly, still do to this day, and probably should express that to him more often than I do. Can you believe that before EPIC, he was NEVER given the chance to really TALK on a mic?

[Editor's Note: Now that's a damn shame. Much love to Excalibur. (b'-')b]

Aside from Excalibur, did you have any other "pet projects" in mind? As in, anyone else you specifically wanted to focus your shows on?

We wanted to build a lot around Dragon. It's safe to say that I thought (and still do think) the world of Super Dragon. Aside from him, though, we wanted to use a lot of other wrestlers who - at the time - weren't being given the chance to really shine in SoCal. Guys like American Dragon, Joey Ryan, Disco, Excitement, Scott Lost, B-Boy, the Pitbulls, Lil' Cholo, and even the Messiah, who had disappeared from SoCal after being fired from XPW. Despite having a pretty strong local core, we knew that we would also need some marquee names to bring in the casual fans. That's where guys like Sabu, Jerry Lynn, and New Jack came in. In addition, we also wanted to bring in wrestlers who weren't necessarily draws, but had enough of an internet following to give the company a national feel and strong word-of-mouth. That's where guys like Mondo, Ruckus, Trent Acid, and Tony Kozina came in.

In regards to the early history of EPIC, why did you decide to name your federation "EPIC Pro Wrestling"?

The name EPIC originally started off as an acronym for Elite Pro International Collision, which was Paul T's idea, based on a title idea for what would become the first show on June 16th, 2002.

What is Paul T like?

My earliest Paul T memory is of meeting with him at a Japanese restaurant in Santa Monica and trying to convince him that I knew what I was doing not only when it came to wrestling, but - more importantly - when it came to eating with chopsticks. Plus, he introduced me to edamame, which I eat like candy nowadays. I don't know why I felt the need to say that, but it IS true.

So, what were some of the company's high points?

Creating the Friday night television show and having the entire crew over to watch the first episode on June 7th, 2002. I've since learned that I love the idea of creating a wrestling television show even more than running a live event. We were all new at this, yet still managed to put together something that was more entertaining and unique in 30 minutes than other SoCal feds were doing in an hour. Even my girlfriend-at-the-time did a decent job hosting the show, which surprised a lot of people. I also loved working with Sabu, whom I consider a Living Legend. Other people whom I should mention who were great to work with were Joey Ryan, Super Dragon, Disco Machine, and - as I kinda stated before - Excalibur. They made it fun for me.

What were the low points?

The politics. The bullshit feuding between companies. Dealing with venues can be a real headache, too. Especially when you THINK you've found a venue that really works for you, only to have them jack up the rent month after month. I guess that's their way of saying 'go away' without really coming out and saying it, right? Another low was sometimes dealing with the boys. God bless 'em all, but there was something said by Kevin Kleinrock a while back that went like this - "Tom Byron, who was Rob's partner with Extreme Associates, always said that adult fim girls were the biggest primadonnas in the world ... until he met professional wrestlers." A-fucking-men to that statement. The egos on some of the boys were unbelievable. I would see guys who didn't even work outside of SoCal act as though they headlined a Wrestlemania. Shit, I STILL see that to this day. Aside from all of that, the only other thing I can think of is how the last show went - or rather - how the last show DIDN'T go down.

For those that are unaware, there was a lot of controversy over the last EPIC show. It was a major show, with huge names and potentially fantastic matches, but it never came to pass. What happened?

November 17th, 2002 should have been our biggest show yet. However, the simple truth is that my lack of planning (or rather, my lack of having a solid back-up plan should anything fall through) caused the show to be cancelled at the last minute.

What was your initial reaction and reasoning after the show was cancelled?

This is from something that I wrote back in 2002 regarding the matter -

"A FRIEND of mine (not a business partner or company) agreed to absorb the costs of renting the Los Angeles Entertainment Center . We wanted a really nice venue to run in for this show because of its importance. All he asked for was at LEAST half of the costs BACK at the gate. The rest would be something that I would eventually pay off to him on the side. I've known this guy for over 24 years (since we were in the 7th grade together) and I would've trusted him with my life. When I didn't hear from him a few weeks before the event, I began to worry. It wasn't like him to leave me hanging. Then again, although he HAD done me favors before, he had never been asked to do something of this magnitude. Not being a wrestling fan/believer, I guess he never really took it that seriously, after all.

But on Wednesday the 13th he called me from Las Vegas and said he'd bring the payment, in full, to the Valley Ball/EPIC party on Friday night because he was going to be out of town until then. The venue was getting antsy and I couldn't blame them. I spoke to Susan at the LAEC and she said she would still hold the date.

Friday night at the Valley Ball, when my "friend" didn't show up at the Friday night Valley Ball/EPIC party, I knew I was in trouble. I hadn't spoke to him since Wednesday and the show was right around the corner. When I talked to Susan at the LAEC, she said that as long as I got there TONIGHT, it would be okay and the date would be taken care of. When that didn't happen, I went into full-blown panic mode. I left a message with an LAEC personnel member late Friday night, telling him to let Susan know that the money had fallen through BUT I was in the process of getting it from elsewhere and that IF it would NOT be good enough, to PLEASE call me back ASAP so I could MOVE the show, if needed.

On Saturday the 16th, I made as many calls as I could to come up with the entire venue payment, but ultimately, could only come up with almost HALF. To be safe, though, I found a few other venue options that we could switch to at the last minute, if needed. I even went so far as to put a $500 deposit down on another beautiful (albeit much smaller) venue IN CASE we needed to go that route (a deposit I subsequently lost). It was now late Saturday night and I must've been crazy because...

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I came to the decision that NOBODY was going to be willing to drive into another city to see a wrestling show, especially when they could just go back home and watch a WWE PPV. The second venue I had obtained last night (and placed a deposit on) was about 30 miles away from the LAEC. In addition, the person who agreed to lend me half of the venue costs last night decided that wrestling wasn't really a "smart" thing to invest in and pulled it away from me at around 10:00am as I was out the door to go pick it up. BUT the LAEC had NOT called me back yet so I figured that MAYBE I could get there, talk to them, and try to arrange some kind of deal. To all those who are now yelling at me for NOT just canceling the show THEN, I'm telling you - I honestly thought it was STILL salvageable! I mean, C'MON! Messiah's return! Ultimo Dragon! It HAD to happen! Worst case scenario, I would just relocate the show to another venue/park/parking lot a few blocks away. Yes, I now had NO money to bargain with but, to be honest, I've never let that kind of thing stop me before! We got to the LAEC and were informed that the show would NOT be happening there, NO MATTER WHAT! I offered everything I could, including my car, all in hopes of JUST DOING THE SHOW! When it was painfully obvious that the show would NOT happen there, David Getz (who met me there) and I began our search throughout the area, hitting up parks, lots, hotel conference rooms, the Los Angeles Convention Center, warehouses, etc. all the while making cell phone calls and, to my surprise, actually finding someone else who would pay for whatever we found, within reason.

So now we had venue money. All we needed was a venue. On a Sunday. At the last minute. Yeah, right. We TRIED, though. Dave and I were so driven and determined to find SOMETHING but, as you can see, were unsuccessful in doing so.

When we arrived back at the LAEC, I was given the option of going to either the Legion Hall or the Anaheim Marketplace. The Legion Hall was closed and getting a hold of Legion Hall Larry is sometimes a tough thing on a Sunday. I left a message anyway. It was around 3:30/4:00pm and I examined my options:

1) The Marketplace - ugh. No disrespect to the Marketplace but…it's the Marketplace. Everyone else was up for it, though, and I was DEFINITELY the minority of the bunch. Simply put, I did NOT want to go to the Marketplace. I would rather have cancelled the show. The ONLY people who agreed with me were Messiah and Hailey. Hell, the LAST place Messiah wanted to make his big "return" was at a Swap Meet! I felt like there would be NOBODY, outside of maybe 30 or so people, who would've made the transition/drive anyway. If it were a "normal" show, that would've been one thing, but it was supposed to be SPECIAL! The Marketplace wasn't/isn't SPECIAL! To those who don't understand what I mean by that, I'm sorry. I really don't mean it disrespectfully but I understand if it comes off that way.

2) Move the show to Monday the 18th - This was something that I actually wanted to do more than anyone else. I figured I could get the Legion Hall on Monday since nobody ever uses it then (although, granted, it wasn't guaranteed). I asked around and everyone seemed less than thrilled about it, stating that nobody would show up. I reiterated that practically nobody would show up to Anaheim tonight either! Besides, a number of workers wouldn't be leaving until Tuesday, so it was actually something doable if we really wanted it bad enough.

3) Cancel the show - This seemed like, unfortunately, the way it was going to go by 4:00pm. Sorry, but that's how I felt. Maybe it's because I was tired of looking around all day and just felt defeated. Maybe it's because I was just fed up. I don't know.

In the end, we chose to go to the Marketplace. I felt that, although it was something I did NOT want to do, the majority had spoken. We told everyone to head on down there and the show would start at 8:00pm! We also FOOLISHLY thought that Martin would be able to get the place without any problem. He had not arrived at the LAEC venue yet so we were not 100% sure of what the outcome would be but C'MON! It's MARTIN, right? Shit, he runs that place! If anyone can do it, he can! Alas, after he arrived and was briefed about the scenario, he couldn't. And it wasn't from lack of trying, either, 'cause he TRIED! It just wasn't going to happen. Not that night.

Night came. I apologized to the guys who remained there as best I could. It was REALLY hard looking at all of those faces. I felt like I wanted to die."

Looking back on it now, how do you feel about those words?

I look back at what I wrote and feel so many different emotions that it's hard to express. I feel embarrassed about how I handled everything. I feel ashamed at the way I said such disrespectful things about the Marketplace, especially because Martin Marin (who still runs his World Power Wrestling promotion out of there every single weekend) did what he could to HELP me. Yet there I am, talking about how shitty his venue is and how it doesn't 'deserve' EPIC. Man, what a prick.

What would you like to add to those words?

What I DIDN'T address back in 2002 was about how there was a lot going on in my personal life, as well, and how those situations played a vital part in my failure to race back out and repair EPIC. A lot of it has been speculated about. I'm not stupid. I also know that people LOVE dirt. However, I'm going to have to take the high road here and say that a lot of that really isn't important anymore. Ultimately, it's done and dwelling on it won't change anything. I have a really good life now and the last thing I wanna do is dredge up anything negative. Besides, I promised all of that stuff to Barber - HA!

[Editor's Note: Damn, that's the best part of an interview! Hateful shoot-comments that do nobody any good and only serve to open old wounds! Oh well.]

Was there any fallout between yourself and those that "helped" bring EPIC to an end?

Almost 8 months after the 11.17.02 debacle, I managed to finally get in touch with the 'friend' who was supposed to help me out with the 11.17.02 show. We talked about it. I vented and - ultimately - decided to forgive him, get over it, and move on with my life. However, we don't speak anymore.

Who's truly at fault for EPIC's demise?

The long and the short of it is that I fucked up. I can't blame anyone else BUT me. I made a series of bad decisions that resulted in my company closing up shop. The end.

What did you do after EPIC?

I'm not gonna lie. I sat around feeling sorry for myself for a while. I became bitter. Cynical. I felt very alone. I eventually gave my blessing to Joey Ryan when he called me one day and said that he, Dragon, Excalibur, Disco, Scott, and Top Gun were going to run a few shows of their own because it seemed like I wasn't going to come back any time soon. They even honored me by naming their fed after a phrase that I used in my interview for the "America's Most Wanted" piece on Billy's attack, when I said that the world of indy wrestling was about as "guerrilla" as it gets. That was pretty cool.

How did EPIC's closure change your personal life?

I stopped drinking. I stopped smoking pot. I eventually went back to King of the Hill. I did my best to slowly pay off the debts that I owed because of EPIC's demise.

Did you become friends with anyone pro wrestling related after the fall of EPIC?

I became close to Veronica Caine and Webb, which was an unexpected surprise, especially given the whole XPW/EPIC feud. They were two people who helped me through a pretty dark time in my life. Like Excalibur and Disco, I probably should've told them at the time how much their friendship meant. Little things like that have become SO important to me over time, y'know?

Have you kept in contact with them?

I was fortunate enough to see Webb recently at a BigPro show in Newhall , California , that was - sadly - a tribute show to the late Dynamite D. I took that opportunity to say everything that I wanted to say to him. In addition, Jonathan Barber was instrumental in getting me back in touch with Veronica, whom I also took the time to thank for everything that she did for me back then. I apologize for digressing again. It's starting to feel a little too Dr. Phil, huh? Next.

Did you ever have any doubts that you wouldn't be welcomed back?

Honestly, I wasn't even sure that I WANTED back in. I simply didn't feel as though I deserved it. We had an incredible thing going with EPIC, y'know? I mean, go back and read what people were saying about us BEFORE November 17th. It was staggering. We had the support of the fans, wrestlers from everywhere wanting to work for us, and a buzz that was spreading like wildfire. Then poof. Gone. Because of ME and my decisions.

What brought you back into the fold?

That nagging feeling. That feeling that I had unfinished business in the world of pro wrestling. I needed closure, y'know? But I had no idea HOW to go about getting that closure. My personal life had taken a significant turn to the point where I didn't feel as though I could really even run another show. Not with the same crew, at least. I hope people can read between the lines there because I'm not quite sure how else to politely phrase it.

Have the nay-sayers ever clouded your judgment?

Look, I'm always going to have my share of detractors. Anyone in the public eye always has them. Some of those detractors have very good reasons for not liking me. However, a lot of those detractors are just people who hate for the sake of hating. Mick Foley once said that his 1998 "Hell in the Cell" match against the Undertaker will forever be known as his Lake Chappaquiddick incident. November 17, 2002 - also known as "Wrestling Roots 2002" - will always be mine. By the way, if you don't know what the Lake Chappaquiddick incident is, go Google that shit. The fact of the matter is that I could put on a hundred free shows for the fans over the course of the next year using the greatest talent in this business, donate all of the DVD money to handicapped orphans, and still be considered an asshole. That's just the way it is. I guess that brings us to Pro Wrestling WAR and what would be - in my opinion - my redemption.

Section 2
Pro Wrestling WAR: Redemption. Sacrifice. Teddy Hart Going Insane?

Who first planted the seeds for Pro Wrestling WAR?

Well, once upon a time there was a young man named Anthony Maris and Anthony was a big EPIC fan. HA! Seriously, though, Anthony and I really hit it off initially because in addition to being one of the nicest and most honest people - if not THE most honest person - I've ever met, he was also a longtime fan who knew his professional wrestling history, which ALWAYS impresses me. Ironically, he was also a 'victim' of the whole EPIC: Wrestling Roots 2002 debacle. He would later tell me how he and his friend, Chuck, drove home that November 17th, 2002 night and talked about the EPIC show that never occurred. While a lot of people never forgave me for that night, Anthony always thought that ... well ... shit happened, and he got over it. Y'know, I think I even still owe him money.

What was Anthony's exact reaction?

Knowing that I was going to be doing this interview, I recently asked him about what it was like for him and Chuck that night and what was going through his/their mind. He told me that he had been to his fair share of concerts throughout his lifetime and that - as I said before - he knew that sometimes shit happens. I'm not exaggerating, either. He just kinda shrugged and said that he figured that something bad had gone down, but that I had put on a bunch of really good shows - including a free show in September - and deserved the benefit of the doubt. I thought that was really nice of him. Anthony is a pretty forgiving person. I think that aspect of him has rubbed off on me throughout the years that we've been friends. Seriously, the guy doesn't know how to hold a grudge, which I guess is a really good thing, right? I could go on and on about Anthony and what a positive force he is in my life but - eh - fuck 'em.

[Editor's Note: Now that's a friend.]

So, with a positive friendship already established, what happened next?

He hit me up on the IM one day and started asking me tons of questions, mainly about EPIC and if/when it was coming back. I told him that, while I would love to run again, the chances of me actually doing it were unlikely. But he stayed on me, the fucker. Seriously. HE WOULDN'T QUIT! He would be constantly talking about a whole new generation of wrestlers like Jack Evans and Austin Aries, going on and on about how they should be brought out to SoCal, especially because PWG didn't seem remotely interested in them at the time. He would go on and on about EPIC and continued to be very encouraging about me running again. He offered ideas, suggestions, and was overall - as I said above - pretty fucking relentless. Me? I was still in my cynical phase, constantly hopping on and off the fence when it came to running. I finally told him that if he wanted Evans, Aries, and the rest of the folks he was suggesting to come to SoCal, he should just run a show himself. Shit, I - in turn - encouraged HIM to learn from MY mistakes and create something all his own. At first, I'm 100% sure that he didn't take my suggestions seriously. However, time always has a way of changing things. Remember that.

When did things become serious, in regards from taking a few conversations and turning it into an actual pro wrestling federation?

It was during the Summer of 2004 when he REALLY approached me about running a show. I think everything I said over the course of almost two years had a chance to settle with him and after processing all of the pros and cons about running a fed, the boy just wasn't gonna quit. Therefore, I figured he was serious and we went from there. It's like a tattoo, dude. You tell someone not to rush into anything, but the truth is that they want that tattoo bad. Really bad. You tell 'em to wait and see if they STILL want the damn thing in a year. They wait. A year later, they're STILL talking about that damn thing and you KNOW that if you don't draw the damn tat, they're going to go to someone else who will probably just take their money and skullfuck it all to hell. Well, I wasn't about to let him get a shitty-ass half-finished tattoo. C'mon, man, have you SEEN those things? They're NOT finished! It's tacky as hell. The boy deserved a REAL tat!

[Editor's Note: Gary Yap- American Ink? Smell those ratings, America .]

What was your initial role in the entire WAR process?

I told him that I would help him, but that it was IMPORTANT that the burden of the fed did NOT fall on my shoulders, which I guess was a double-edged sword with me because 1) I did NOT wanna be THE MAN IN CHARGE but 2) I was ADAMANT about everything being done MY way. Man, I'm pretty difficult, now that I think about it.

Was the federation always planned as "Pro Wrestling WAR"?

Originally, the show was going to be run under the EPIC banner and Pro Wrestling WAR was going to be a faction within the company. However, I had to come to grips with the fact that putting the EPIC logo on it would mean that - by default - I would have to bear a lot of the responsibility that I was so adamant about NOT wanting in the first place. I had no problem helping out, or even appearing on the shows, but it was very important that Pro Wrestling WAR not be looked upon as EPIC II, y'know? So there it is.

Let's go through WAR's history.

Since WAR lasted much longer than EPIC, it would take even longer to go over all that I encountered in that company. Start plug. Besides, let's face it, a lot of the behind the scenes stuff that went on in WAR is available on the commentary tracks of the WAR DVDs. I GOTTA EAT, folks! Buy the DVDs (available exclusively at www.artoverlifestudios.com) if you want all the behind-the-scenes stories about each particular show. End plug.

[Editor's Note: Buy the DVD's, folks. Caviar and Cristal Wine ain't cheap. But I digress.]

Did WAR flounder when it became a reality, or were things altogether smooth throughout the federation's early life?

On November 12th, 2004, WAR had its' first show in Santa Ana , California . I was pretty adamant (do you realize that I've said that word a lot in this section so far? Man, I really AM a difficult person to work with. I'm just gonna say that I'm challenging and occasionally stubborn) that the first show be a FREE show to make up for the Wrestling Roots 2002 show that never happened. Anthony begrudgingly agreed. HA! Sucker. Seriously though, the show went really well and we were both pretty happy with it. It was a really big moment for Anthony and, I think, one of those moments in ones life that really defines a person. You could see the sparkle in his eyes when it was all said and done. He was hooked. Yeah, there were some rough spots, but all-in-all it was a pretty good show, in my opinion, ESPECIALLY for a fed's FIRST show.

11.12.04 FUN FACT - When it was my turn to show up unannounced during the Kozina/Sky match, I came to ringside with a woman I was dating at the time. Yes, she was hot. I gotta give her that. Anyways, I was so freaking nervous that when it came time to return backstage after the segment, I completely spaced out and left her at ringside. Needless to say, that relationship didn't wind up working out. Shocking, huh?

While obviously not a financial success due to being a free show, WAR's debut certainly seemed an emotional success. Did that trend continue?

On December 12th, 2004, we held our second show, which was an 18-man Gauntlet Match to determine the first Pro Wrestling WAR Champion. To the best of my knowledge, no SoCal promotion had ever attempted ONE long match that would last the duration of the entire event. It was a pretty chaotic show, made even more so by me accidentally starting the night by seeing Bo Cooper naked backstage.

[Editor's Note: I feel dirty and unclean just thinking about it.]

DUDE! Talk about surreal! As if that wasn't enough (and shouldn't seeing Bo Cooper naked really be enough?), SO MUCH more happened, as well. Charles Mercury really shined that night and - in my opinion - took a step up to the next level, even holding his own against El Generico. A youngster named Davey Richards made his SoCal debut, facing his trainer, Tony Kozina. I appeared as the last entrant in the Gauntlet, dressed up in full Messiah gear, gimmicked thumb and all.

[Editor's Note: Now that's class, America .]

To top off the night, the legendary Blitzkrieg even came out of retirement to present Jack Evans with his Blitzkrieg gear and officially anoint him Blitzkrieg II. A surreal night, indeed.

12.12.04 FUN FACT - If ALL of the above wasn't enough, none other than Ultimo Dragon himself was scheduled to make a surprise appearance at the show, but he arrived late, sick and backed out at the last minute. In what was supposed to be a nod to the 2002 Wrestling Roots non-show (which was originally scheduled to be headlined by Ultimo), Ultimo was supposed to run in on the final 'match' (and I use that term LOOSELY if I'm involved) in the gauntlet between Aries and I. He would come up behind me, I would do a slow turn, see him, shit myself, and proceed to get destroyed by the both of them, which would result in an easy win for Aries. Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men...

So, despite some hitches, WAR seemed off to a good start. Fans of Jack Evans are well aware of what went down at WAR's next show. Take us back to that night, Gary.

On January 15th, 2005, Jack Evans debuted as Blitzkrieg II and what was supposed to be a career-defining moment for Jack turned into a near-fatal nightmare. Not compensating for the new Blitzkrieg gear, he didn't get the proper rotation on the Corkscrew 630 and wound up landing right on his head/neck, instantly blacking out. It was a pretty scary moment. We emptied the venue, called the ambulance, and he was taken to the hospital, where Anthony waited it out with him all night. He wound up being out-of-action for almost two months, but thankfully made a full recovery.

01.15.05 FUN FACT - That show featured a match between Babi Slymm and the Human Tornado in what was essentially a squash match that was supposed to become our next show's main event. The original plan was for Tornado (who had been feuding for the past two months with Supa Bad) to pay tribute to Supa Bad, who had shoot retired from professional wrestling earlier that month. Slymm was to debut and, disgusted by Tornado's 'tribute', cut a promo about how Tornado would never be taken seriously as a wrestler. It's important to remember that at this time, Tornado had still NEVER won a match in SoCal, not only in WAR, but in ANY fed. That notwithstanding, he was still on the cusp of getting over huge, though. Anyway, the original plan was for Slymm to come off as militant - culminating in him calling Tornado a 'House ***ger' - and proceeding to beat the living shit outta him. Fast forward to the main event of Jack/Blitzkrieg II vs. Super Dragon. Jack was scheduled to go over and, upon celebrating with the crowd post-match, Slymm would hit the ring for a full scale attack on Jack and his 'Wigger' self. Tornado would then hit the ring to make the save, only to do a last-minute turn on Evans and join up with Slymm, where they would beat the piss outta Jack, unmask him, humiliate him, etc. Dragon would then rush the ring for the save, causing Tornado and Slymm to powder, and setting up Slymm/Tornado vs. Jack/Dragon for the next show. THAT WAS THE PLAN, AT LEAST!

But of course…

What ACTUALLY happened was something completely different. When Slymm showed up that day for the show, he had Vander Pyle with him, which kinda shocked me. I had told Slymm the booking plan a week before the show and he was all for it. However, now he was here at the show, deciding that he was 'uneasy' with the angle's racist undertones and that he wanted Vander Pyle to actually be the one to cut the promo. I told Slymm that a militant black hardly held much weight if he was being managed by what was essentially the whitest of white guys. I explained there was a world of difference between Slymm calling Tornado a 'House ***ger' and Vander Pyle calling him the same. He was having none of it, though, which annoyed me. After all, had I known that Slymm was going to pull this last minute, I just would have booked someone else for the role/angle. We decided to go through with it, though, using Vander Pyle as the foil. Of course the effect was ... different. Fast forward to the main, as Jack accidentally near-cripples himself and the angle is obviously called off at the last minute, with Slymm and Tornado waiting outside the building, anticipating the run-in. Again, the best laid plans ...

Ironically, the very next day at the SCCW SoCal Supershow event, Tornado captured the RevPro Light Heavyweight Championship in one of his first victories EVER as a wrestler. Not sure what that means. Just a cool little fact.

So, in the span of a few months, we get an upstart federation that brings in a bunch of new guys to SoCal…but not without its fair share of controversy and near-catastrophe. Did things get better, or worse?

On February 13th, we had to move the show from our original venue (the Elks Lodge in Santa Ana , where we ran our first three shows) to the last-minute Anaheim Marketplace for a number of reasons. 1) Bo and I wanted to do a flaming kendo stick gimmick that we knew wouldn't be feasible in the Elks Lodge and 2) the Lodge had been slowly raising our rental fee each month because of the language that Jason Sanders III and I would always use. Damn Elks. Dude, what can I say? I curse a lot. Yeah, I know that a lot of folks consider it 'uncreative' but I've found that it's just easier for me to be ... well ... me. And I curse.

02.13.05 FUN FACT - More Bo Cooper nudity! So we did an angle at this show that saw me and my team (which consisted of myself, Bo Cooper, Joey EPIC, Chris Bosh, and Jason Sanders III) quit the fed and walk out on the show. We were scheduled to return at the end of the show, during a post-event Jack Evans promo, and tear shit up - blahblahblah - ending with us leaving everyone for dead and absconding with WAR Commissioner Glenn 'Diablo' McNeil's wife. Of course in order to do this, we had to quit during our mid-show segment, then walk off and wait somewhere else in the Marketplace for our cue to return at the end of the show. We found a great spot where we could watch the show from afar while we waited. While we were waiting, Bo had to take a piss. Of course he didn't tell us this and we weren't paying much attention to him at the moment. Now lemme just say that Bo wears a lot of gear. So in order to take a piss, he has to strip off his shirt, his undershirt, pull down his tights, etc. Well, we all turn around and - in unison - see Bo stripped down from the back, peeing like a newborn in the woods. Bosh, without missing a beat, gets this incredulous look on his face and says, "Oh God, he doesn't even look real. It's like looking at a special effect." I swear I thought I was gonna die from laughter, all the while Bo just turns to look at us watching him, with this look on his face like, "What?"

Nudity, wife stealing, slightly racist undertones, men nearly and accidentally crippling themselves…sounds like fun. What happened next?

Our next two shows - April 10th and May 27th, 2005 - were held at the Inoki Dojo in Santa Monica . If I had to choose, I would say that these two shows were the strongest shows that WAR ever did. It seemed that we had really trimmed a lot of fat from the shows by then and every match really meant something. We also, in my opinion, really started to come into our own identity by this time. These two shows featured some crazy shit, as well. You had a Falls-Count-Anywhere match between Jack Evans and Trent Acid that literally went EVERYWHERE, including outside the Dojo and onto a moving truck. Austin Aries defended the WAR title against Adam Pearce, who - based upon this match with Aries - wound up getting a shot at ROH later that year. Aries also defended the title against Ricky Reyes in a match that Aries, himself, would consider - at that point - his best match in SoCal. Hook Bomberry surprised ALL of SoCal (including myself, I admit) with an INCREDIBLE match against a young Davey Richards that wound up receiving a standing ovation. Tony Kozina and Scorpio Sky had a GREAT Loser-Leaves-WAR Streetfight. Markus Riot really began to come into his own, too, as he faced Jack Evans in an impromptu match that we had to book on the fly because of a no-show. Shit, we even had BOOBIES at the 4/10 show! C'mon, how can you not love boobies? BOOBIES!

[Editor's Note: Indeed. Boobies.]

DOJO FUN FACTS - In addition to his amazing wrestling abilities, Jack Evans also has the uncanny ability to vomit on cue. No shit. So Evans comes into the Dojo with an immediate dislike for then-Dojo representative David Marquez, who - in Jack's opinion - had completely ruined the 4/2/05 ROH show, because of his booking interference. ROH fans know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Look it up yourself. No. Really. Go. So anyway, Evans is determined to 'make a statement' and proceeds to vomit in the ring not only after his 4/10 match against Trent, but after his 5/27 match against Markus, too, which causes Dave to lose it. Ahh, good times.

As those in the know…know, you left WAR soon after. When did this all go down, exactly, and what led to it?

After the May show, I left the company. Actually, I left more around June/July-ish. WAR had begun a weekly online program and - as I had feared would happen - the burden fell to me to not only oversee shooting it, but getting it edited and uploaded, as well, which I wasn't too thrilled with. After two weeks of working 20+ hour days with no time to dedicate towards myself, my real job, or my family, I politely tendered my resignation and went off to other projects.

How did this affect WAR?

On September 2nd, 2005, Pro Wrestling WAR went on without me and I couldn't have been happier for the company. It was great to see Anthony take the initiative and move on, as the company folding was the last thing that I wanted. My primary concern from the beginning was that I would be counted on TOO MUCH and that once I needed a break, no one would be there to take up the slack. Yet there they were - Anthony, along with our Announcer/Commentator Michael 'Millhouse' Zorilla now serving as Booker - moving forward. I wish I could say a few things about what it was like to be a part of WAR at that point, but since I wasn't ... I really can't.

09.02.05 FUN FACT - I wasn't there. I have no stories. What I can say is that if you're not watching Rescue Me on DVD, what the fuck is wrong with you? It's like the GREATEST SHOW EVER! I should also throw in props for Lost and Nip/Tuck, as well. I'm still two seasons behind in watching The Sopranos so I don't feel confident putting that show over just yet, as if it needs ME to get over.

After about five or six months, you ended up returning to Pro Wrestling WAR. Why?

I returned to WAR for the October 21st, 2005, show because of one reason and one reason only - New Jack. After what he felt was a decent but unmemorable September show (his thoughts, not mine), Anthony wanted to really push the envelope and do something controversial. I had pitched the idea of doing something with me and Jack. Jack and I had started talking again and it seemed as good a time as any to do something crazy and - to many - somewhat suicidal. The original plan was for me to return to WAR in notorious fashion, but have New Jack debut one step behind me from now on - always one step closer to getting his hands on me - but never fully being able to do so. Jack and I figured we could play it out for a good 6 - 8 months until he would finally get me alone. Once the 10.21.05 show was over, though, Anthony completely changed his mind about the entire angle and dropped it, fearing for my safety.

How real was Anthony's fear that New Jack would legit hurt you? To put it lightly, he does have some history in that field.

In my opinion, his concern - while appreciated - was completely unfounded. I'm gonna surprise a LOT of people with this statement, but I truly feel that New Jack is a LOT more professional than he's made out to be. I've seen it myself, firsthand. Don't believe everything you read because sometimes things aren't what they really seem.

10.21.05 FUN FACT - Markus Riot really stepped up his game that night by facing Super Dragon. The funny thing is that for weeks leading up to the show, Anthony, Biggie, and Zorilla made it a point to tell Markus that Dragon was gonna legit shoot on him during the match. Dragon has a pretty notorious reputation for - how should I put this - working a little 'snug' with some folks. Needless to say, this really did a job on Markus' fragile little psyche. Homeboy was scared! If that wasn't enough, Markus was receiving heat from other workers (who will remain nameless) for facing Dragon in the first place. There were boys (in other feds, to be fair - not WAR) who felt that Markus didn't deserve such a high-profile match, which is fucking retarded, if you ask me. The one thing we always tried to do (whether it was EPIC or WAR) was give talent the chance to step up their game and face wrestlers they normally wouldn't get a chance to face elsewhere. This night was no different. Anyway, Markus entered this match extremely nervous, to say the least. He was, in fact, SO nervous that before Dragon had a chance to throw one blow in the match, Markus came out fighting - throwing stiff blows, kicks, elbows, and the like. If you watch the match, you can see Dragon completely thrown in the beginning of the bout. It's actually pretty hilarious. Another local worker (again, who shall remain nameless) who is friends with Dragon wound up telling me that Dragon couldn't remember being hit so hard, as he was by Markus. Needless to say, when all was said and done, Dragon asked for a rematch down the line. I can only imagine what kinda receipts Dragon has in store for the kid now.

Despite all the ups and downs, WAR celebrated its one-year history two months after the December show. How did the event go?

We celebrated our 1-year anniversary on December 17th, 2005, with a show that many consider our best all-around event. It featured not only fly-in talent like Kevin Steen, El Generico, Austin Aries, Jack Evans, and the debuting Low Ki, but really strong local talent like Super Dragon, Joey Ryan, Alex Koslov, and Aaron Aguilera. What was really cool about the show, however, was how the opening match between Markus Riot and Charles Mercury really wound up stealing the entire show, and I say that with absolutely no disrespect towards the rest of the card, which was phenomenal, to say the least.

12.17.05 FUN FACT - This show featured a No DQ match between Biggie Biggz and the Human Tornado, with the stipulation being that the fans would be the ones who decided - via applause - Biggie's fate at the conclusion of the bout. This stipulation was actually a shoot, as Biggie was really looking to prove himself in WAR. I told him that if we set up this stip, I would have no choice but to do what the fans voted for, and if that meant that they thought his match was the drizzling shits, then he would truly be out of the fed. He knew that he had to pull out all the stops and - God bless him - he did just that. Keep in mind that he went into this match with the crowd SOLIDLY booing him, yet when it was all said and done, they cheered him enough to have him keep his spot in WAR. I was pretty proud of Biggie that night.

From the high of a one-year anniversary to the ultimate low: WAR's unexpected end came about less than one month later. What happened at the show that wound wind up being WAR's last?

On January 15th, 2006, we held what would wind up being our last show, although we didn't realize it at the time. In retrospect, it's too bad, because this show wound up getting WAR a lot of attention, mainly due to the always unpredictable Teddy Hart. Hart, along with Jack Evans, faced the team of Aaron Aguilera and former WWE Superstar, Keiji Sakoda. I've often thought of Aguilera as an untapped goldmine and this match was living proof of what Aguilera could become if he truly set his mind to it. What Super Dragon, Spanky, and Bryan Danielson did to put over Samoa Joe as a monster in the days of EPIC, Evans, Hart, and Sakoda did for Aaron in WAR. In addition, you had two standing ovation matches - Alex Koslov going one-on-one with (and holding his own against) Low Ki and Davey Richards taking on the vastly underrated Comic Book Nerd, Ryan Drago.

01.15.06 FUN FACT - Aguilera's original tag-team partner was scheduled to be 'Scrap Iron' Adam Pearce. However, I got a call from Pearce the morning of the show informing me that he had injured his throat at an ROH show the night before. He could hardly speak. Sakoda was a last-minute replacement who not only knew Aaron from their days at UPW, but lived down the street, as well. To his credit, Sakoda fit into the match seamlessly. His sequences with Jack Evans were poetry in motion.

Tell us about the fallout from the January show.

Shortly after that, Pro Wrestling WAR shut down. I had returned specifically to work the New Jack angle and with it no longer even an option, I wanted to back off on the responsibilities that had slowly started to creep back onto my shoulders. The sad thing is that the 01.15.06 show had garnered us SUCH attention that word had really started to take off about the company. I had hoped that - like before - someone would simply step back into my shoes and keep everything going. Of course, all of this (and MORE) is detailed on the Pro Wrestling WAR: The End! DVD (available NOW at www.artoverlifestudios.com) so if you wanna know the WHOLE story, buy buy buy buy...

[Editor's Note: Buy buy buy buy buy buy buy.]

Throughout it all, what were your best times in Pro Wrestling WAR?

Working with Jack Evans, including the chance to work with him on what would become - according to Jack - his personal favorite beatdown of his career thus far. I also loved being able to work with Team EPIC - Bo Cooper, Tony Kozina, and Markus Riot - a group of wrestlers who I proudly call my friends to this day. Discovering a young, shy, modest and naive kid named Davey Richards, who you KNEW from the get would go on to huge things. Being able to get Jack in the ring with his hero, Blitzkrieg. Being able to experience, first hand, the insanity that is Teddy Hart. I was also really excited to begin the program with New Jack.

Despite its relatively short existence, WAR was subject to its fair share of controversies. What did you really dislike in the entirety of your affiliation with the company?

Having my program with New Jack pulled by Anthony because he feared for my safety. Having to assume more responsibility than I intended to. Dealing with Altar Boy Luke. Quitting twice and watching nobody step up to assist Anthony the second time, which ultimately caused the collapse of WAR.

What followed after WAR?

What always follows a war? Peace. At least for me.

Section 3
Promoter, Entertainer, Jack-of-All-Trades: Gary Wraps Up His Feelings and Thoughts on the Wrestling Business

Did you ever see yourself getting involved "on-air" in wrestling shows?

It was actually Anthony's idea to bring me in as a Manager from the beginning.

Did you enjoy actually being part of the action?

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was physically nauseous at the first show. Go back and take a look at me in the ring. I was SO FUCKING QUIET. As time went on, I think I got better. At this point in time, I'm pretty comfortable on the mic and, quite frankly, SHUTTING ME UP is now a problem. I also curse too much, but I kinda said that before. I'm also fairly confident in my abilities to be an asshole - HA! Dude, I'm such a freaking attention whore.

Where are you at right now in your professional wrestling career?

For the past year, I've been honing my shooting and editing skills by working with various promotions around SoCal. I've done DVDs for Martin Marin's WPW, as well as for Battleground Pro Wrestling. I'm also currently working on best-of compilation sets for everyone from Joey Ryan to Lil' Cholo to Tony Kozina. I think there's a Human Tornado DVD in the works, too. I really enjoy the production aspect of things, especially editing. Editing the WAR 1-year anniversary music video and the trailers is REALLY FUN for me! Remember what I said earlier about paying dues before starting your own company? Working with other feds in this capacity has enabled me to see a side of the business that I've never seen before; that I probably should have seen/done a long time ago. I guess you can say that I'm just doing my best to get my sponge BACK into the sink and have been working hard at soaking up so much more this time around.

Is there anything you would like to say to the companies and/or professionals you're currently working with?

I look at guys like Lil' Cholo, Infernal, R2K, Silver Tyger, and the rest of the WPW crew and have so much respect for their dedication. Unlike a lot of promotions that run once a month, these guys are out there every single week doing it in front of 20 people, or 20,000.

Looking back, was it all worth it?

The expected answer to this question is, of course. After all, my life at this point is almost perfect. I have a great woman who I'm madly in love with. We're in our third year together and I honestly never knew that love could be this good. I have a wonderful family, a beautiful house, and a job that provides me with all the freedom and creativity that I could ever want. What else it there? Of course there are things that I regret and wish I could undo. Of course there are people that were hurt by decisions I made that I wish I could take back. I've made a lot of mistakes, and if there was a way to fix all of those mistakes without changing what my life has become, I would do it all in a heartbeat. At this point in time, all I can do is my best to make sure those mistakes don't repeat themselves, and that the people affected by my previous bad decisions know that I am truly sorry about them. Unfortunately, it's not in my power to enable others to recover and move on as I have.

Section 4
Setting the Agenda Straight Before Blowing It All Away: Gary Lets Loose and Announces EPIC Pro Wrestling WAR!

What was it like working with wrestlers as diverse as the SoCal scene itself?

So many of the boys were professional and a pleasure to be around, but a few stand out as either really making the experience great or truly being nothing but a pain in the ass.

In that case, who was fun to work with?

Super Dragon, Jack Evans, Trent Acid, El Generico, Davey Richards, Kevin Steen, Teddy Hart, Tony Kozina, Aries, Markus, Biggie ... I could go on.

Who was a chore to work with?

Altar Boy Luke, who I guess calls himself Luke Hawx nowadays. I stated before that he was one of the lows of WAR. Please allow me to elaborate. I've never seen someone whine so much and complain about "not looking strong" as much as I saw it from Luke, and I've worked with Bo Cooper, so that's saying something. HA! I kid, Bo. Kinda.

[Editor's Note: If Bo Cooper comes after Gary Yap for these remarks, somebody remind him that Gary typed that up by himself. I want no part in what will probably become a colossal beatdown. I love Bo Cooper, anyway. Big men represent.]

Anyway, he bitched about his match, not being able to get his spots in because of his opponent, his pay, and the fact that he felt he was made to look bad in front of his boss, who was in the crowd at the time.

Interesting. Care to elaborate further?

The match (at the 10.21.05 WAR show) was scheduled to be he and Lil' Cholo vs. Joey Ryan and Scott Lost. Anthony had booked him because he was told that Luke had lost everything in the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. I guess they had been going back and forth via MySpace and Anthony was trying to help him out, which was really nice of him to do. Let me just say ahead of time that, until that show, I had never met Luke. I had zero problem with him. In fact, who wouldn't feel bad for the guy, y'know?

Of course. Please go on, Gary.

The friction began on the day of the show when Luke was told that Joey and Scott would be going over. He didn't like that. He complained that the company he was working for at the time - FCW - was going to be pushing he and Cholo as a major tag team and that it would look bad if they lost a match prior to this push. Apparently Anthony had told him that they would originally be going over. However, when I found out about that on the day of the show, I reiterated to Anthony that since Luke was only going to be here once (again, since he was booked as a favor to help him out financially), it made no sense to put he and Cholo over a team that we would probably be using again and again. After making my case, Anthony agreed. As I said before, Luke wasn't happy about that. After the match, Luke stormed to the back and threw a 100% bonafide tantrum about Scott cutting off his offense and not giving him a chance to "look strong" out there. I stepped in to find out what had happened and got both sides of the story. Scott contended that Luke's hope spots were getting no reaction, so they simply moved into the next sequence. I agreed 100% with Scott's take on it and thought Luke was being nothing more than a big baby. Luke accused me of deliberately sabotaging him to make my friends (Joey and Scott) look good, at his expense. A few days after the show, I talked to him on the phone and told him that if he really believed that Scott was trying to sabotage him, I would be more than happy to give he and Scott a match at a future show and they could do whatever they saw fit to tear the house down. I never heard from him again, except for the few whispers and moans that would get back to me from others about how I deliberately sabotaged his career. By the way, I've not let my low opinion of Luke in any way effect my opinion of Cholo. In fact, I have more respect for Cholo nowadays than I ever have before.

So, was this event specific to WAR, or did Luke stir up any other problems elsewhere?

Interesting side note, Anthony was a huge Luke supporter until he got word from a particular wrestler about how much of a snitch Luke was at the WSX tapings. I'm not going to name names, but I guess the MTV execs were pretty adamant about the boys laying off the weed during the WSX tapings and good ol' Luke was only too happy to play Hall Monitor when that particular rule was broken by a handful of 420 supporters. Needless to say, he became the person to avoid at all costs after that.

I would say so. Any more feelings on Luke?

Oh, and I need to stress that he is NOT GAY! Luke is 100% all man and proudly declares it to the world! He HATES 'fags' and really wants EVERYONE to know that he is NOT GAY! Got it? Not only is he NOT GAY, but he has NEVER done ANYTHING gay to advance his career and would NEVER, EVER even CONSIDER such an act! So don't ask. I mean it. It won't work. He's 100% ALL MAN!

[Editor's Note: Warrior Warrior/Luke Hawx for '08? Make it happen, America .]

From booking world-known talent to booking people that probably aren't even known in SoCal, which do you prefer: the lesser-known talent or the attention-getters, and why?

I'll always prefer the lesser known talent slightly more than the fly-ins. The simple reason is because I'm the kind of person who always roots for the underdog. That being said, it's hard to get attention for your show on a national level without having names on the card. A really good example of this logic working successfully is the review you gave the WAR: Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary DVD, where on a card that featured Low Ki, Austin Aries, Super Dragon, Jack Evans, El Generico and Kevin Steen, the match that really stole the show was the OPENER, of all things, that featured Charles Mercury vs. Markus Riot. How cool is that? Ideally, though, you have to combine locals and fly-ins for maximum show effect. The only negative in all of this is when the name talent doesn't give 100%.

[Editor's Note: As Gary stated, I'm a wrestling reviewer. Hopefully I'm an effective interviewer. I won't plug myself or my website, though, because this interview really is all about Gary . And me leeching off his fame. But whatever.]

Low Ki is pretty notorious on the internet for refusing to job. Did you ever have any problems with that?

Low Ki is one of the most professional people I've met in this business. Not only did I never have a problem with him, we once spent 4 hours talking after a show. He was insightful, articulate and a true pleasure to be around.

What's it like to work with Jack Evans? Does he run around spouting gangsta lingo? Does he enter every room with a Phoenix 450 Somersault Double Splash?

Jack is the real Human Tornado, no disrespect to his ebony-skinned counterpart. He's simply a whirlwind to be around. The very first day Anthony and I picked him up for the first WAR show, he couldn't walk from the gate to the parking lot without doing cartwheels and flips. I'm NOT kidding. Even then, I wished we'd had a camera on him. My kids completely love him. Where most adults get worn out by kids and their high energy levels, he actually wears them out, which simply astounds me.

Is Super Dragon truly the baddest motherfucker on the planet?

Let me just say this. There is no other wrestler whom I admire more, professionally and personally. I could go on and on extolling the virtues of Super Dragon but every time I do, Anthony rolls his eyes and starts in with the gay jokes, as if HE'S one to talk with the way he fawns all over Jack.

[Editor's Note: Eh, I can't even touch this one. Despite all the comments this is just begging for, I too would worship the ground Super Dragon walked on if I ever met him.]

Would New Jack stab you if you pissed him off enough?

Although my kneejerk reaction is to say, "Not at all," I'm sure there are a few guys out there who would take umbrage with that statement. In my experience, however, New Jack - while DEFINITELY opinionated and somewhat difficult at times - was always professional WITH ME. The reason I think that it's important to say that is because I can think of a few situations where he should've - by all rights - hurt someone while working for me, BUT DIDN'T.

In that regard, does any "incident" specifically come to mind?

The one instance that comes to mind is at the 2002 EPIC: For the Messiah show. He was scheduled to face a local worker by the name of Black Metal. Black Metal is a pretty big Luchador in SoCal (and by big I mean tall, not well-known) and, like most Luchadors, he's masked. Now Jack is a big proponent of busting suckas' heads open and, when you're masked, that's kinda hard to do. Black Metal made it clear that he wasn't going to unmask at the show, nor would he allow New Jack to unmask him and - in his words - "disrespect his tradition." He said that if New Jack wanted blood for the match, he would be more than happy to let his arm get cut up, but that was it. So Black Metal goes out for the match and he and Aaron Aguilera are cutting a promo together. New Jack is waiting backstage with me, prepping to go out. Jack then looks at me and says, " Gary, you know I'm getting that mask off, right?" and before I can say anything, his music hits and he's gone.

Well, Jack proceeds to shoot on Black Metal and - despite Metal's numerous attempts to prevent him from doing so - winds up unmasking him. However, Jack also proceeds to give Black Metal every opportunity to look strong for the crowd, despite Metal legitimately fighting him tooth and nail with one hand (while using the other hand to desperately keep his mask on) during the entire match. If you get the chance to, go back, watch that match, and LISTEN for all of the audibles called during the bout. That match was a perfect example of - had Jack been in a foul mood - a situation that could have gotten very ugly very quickly. It didn't, though. As much as Metal cried after the match about me (and doesn't this sound familiar?) sabotaging his career and disrespecting his tradition, Jack went up to him after the match and explained why he did everything that he did. To the best of my knowledge, they squashed it. He's still mad at me, though. Go figure.

What the hell is up with Teddy Hart?

Teddy Hart? He crazy. That one's for you, Kevin. Seriously, Teddy is completely insane, but not in a bad way. He is unpredictable, unstable, and that's what I loved about working with him. You hire Teddy to be Teddy, and believe me...we got Teddy! I mean C'MON, MAN! Who else can go on for hours about how he's also working for the CIA training dragons? The sad thing is that you think I'm making that story up.

[Editor's Note: Shortly after reading this, I tried long and hard to make a joke about Teddy Hart training dragons for the C.I.A. I really, really did. But nothing is coming to mind. That's just too perfect a visual to even joke about.]

How cut-throat are the SoCal fans, and for that matter - SoCal in general?

In my opinion, when a worker comes to SoCal, he should be prepared to lace his boots up and work because SoCal crowds can be tough. If they even sense that you're mailing it in, forget about it. They'll crucify you. Don't get me wrong. It doesn't all have to be 5-star work-rate matches to get over. People here like to be entertained, too. But even the entertainment better be work-rate and, quite frankly, if you don't get what I mean by that ... well ... I'm tired.

Do you like or hate the Internet Wrestling Community?

I'm going to reprint something from a Super Dragon interview a while back that I feel perfectly captures what I feel about the Internet Wrestling Community. Again, these are Super Dragon's words -

"Well, I can’t say I hate Internet fans, although I kind of do hate some of them. There is one type of person I especially hate on message boards. The ones that really go out of there way for no reason to talk shit on someone, or make someone look bad for no reason. Those are the fans that make me hate wrestling. I try not to read message boards as much anymore. It’s frustrating to see people saying negatives things when you put so much effort into what you do. It used to bother me a lot more when I was coming up in wrestling and really wanted to impress people. I only read them now to see what people’s opinions are on certain stuff relating to PWG and the shows we do. It helps me see what works and what doesn't work, even if I disagree with it or not. I know a lot of young wrestlers really get emotional over what people say online. I used to as well. It’s only natural to get upset when you have such a passion for something, and to see someone trash you like it's nothing. These posters have no idea how they affect wrestlers. Like I said. I don’t really care what anyone has to say about me as a wrestler anymore, good or bad. I got an x-box 360 today, and it was sold out everywhere, so I consider myself to be in the top 17 people on the planet. Anyone that disagrees with that is obviously an idiot, and they should eat their own face. Even if someone doesn’t like something, they don't have to drive it into your head every time they put their ugly fat fingers on a keyboard. I understand that not everyone has the same taste, but sometimes people are just assholes. That’s my job. Stop trying to make me look bad. I am asshole of the year. Don't try to contend with that. I know, I really seem like I hate all the net fans. It's not true though. I love every internet fan that buys our DVD’s. No, seriously. Give me your address, I want to send a Christmas card. Any fan who supports PWG or indy wrestling is okay in my book."

C'mon, man. How does anyone NOT love that guy?

What would you add to those words?

If I can add one thing, though. You know what else is jacked? When people are nice and respectful to you at shows, but then turn around and talk a buncha shit behind your back. THAT really annoys the shit outta me. However, to be fair, it's not a wrestling thing as much as it's just a people thing. Let's face it, that happens EVERYWHERE in EVERY profession.

What would you like to say about your fellow SoCal wrestling promoters?

Pay your workers. Stop bootlegging everyone else's DVDs - mine included - all the while bitching about people bootlegging your shit. Stop putting wrestlers in the uncomfortable position of choosing which fed to work for. It's not like any of you pay anything worth a damn. Who are you to demand that anyone be exclusive to you? Yeah, yeah, I know. You're gonna make them a TV star. I get it. Puh-leeeeze. Unless you're Vince, TV as a medium to get the word out about pro wrestling is officially dead and ANYONE trying to pursue that venture may as well be searching for the Fountain of Youth.

Last year TIME magazine voted the YouTube/online revolution as the 'Person of the Year' and if anyone doesn't see where all of this is headed, they're going to get left - as the old saying goes - in the rear with the gear. Look at the leaps and bounds we've made in the last year ALONE when it comes to viewing ... well .. ANYTHING. Major networks are airing their shows online. Missed last week's episode of Lost? Go to CBS.com and you can view the entire season thus far. Miss an episode of Raw? Smackdown? ECW? TNA? Hell, wanna check out a $30-50 PPV without paying a dime? Go to DailyMotion.com the night after the show. I was able to watch the entire last season of House via DailyMotion and the Apprentice on NBC.com. It's ALL available NOW if you know where to look. Five years from now, our TVs and our computers will be one unit and anything worth checking out will be available online, if - as I said before - it isn't already.

And now the question that everyone must be waiting for - what's this about a comeback?

Last year, I was taping shows and putting out DVDs for a company called Battleground Pro Wrestling (aka Big Pro Wrestling). They ran in a small venue in Newhall, California . It's actually the same building that Henry Luna's old Golden State Championship Wrestling promotion ran in back in 2002/2003. Anyway, long story short, the owner(s) of Big Pro pulled the plug on the promotion earlier this year and, quite frankly, I'm still not 100% sure why (although I have my guesses, which I won't go into here). Though the venue IS small, it still attracted a pretty rabid crowd of GENUINE wrestling fans, and by wrestling fans I mean people who wanna get drunk and see people beat the crap outta each other. We're not talking about a smarky crowd here that rated every match using the star system.

[Editor's Note: As a reviewer, those words hurt. Negative eighteen stars for that comment, Mr. Yap]

We're talking about good ol' fashioned traditional crowds that boo the heel and cheer the face because ... well ... that's what they're supposed to do. It was actually pretty refreshing to see in this day and age of 30+ minute Japanese strong-style stiff-fests.

So, it all started (or re-started, to be exact) when Big Pro closed earlier this year. What next?

When Big Pro closed up shop and the venue became free, I casually tossed an offer to the venue that if they wanted to continue hosting pro wrestling there, to gimme a call. I don't think that I honestly expected a reply. Yes, I knew that Anthony wanted to run again and yes, even the WAR DVDs had actually started to sell once word started circulating about them (thank you, Oliver). But still. I think it was one of those things that you just kinda keep in the back of your thoughts, not really giving it any more attention than it needs.

Low and behold, about two months later I get a phone call from the venue, asking if I wanted to put on wrestling shows again by taking over the remaining dates that Big Pro had reserved for the rest of 2007. My initial reaction was, "Hell, NO!" I have a really good life right now, without having to worry about the day-to-day bullshit of running a wrestling promotion. There was no WAY I was jumping back into that sea of crap! Anthony worked on me, though, by pitching me a slew of alternative ideas. He agreed that it was a sucker's bet to attempt to recreate what we did with both EPIC and WAR. What if we tried something completely different, though? Something that was unique and unlike ANYTHING being done in SoCal?

Now that's a lofty goal. How did you plan to fulfill it?

Big Pro had repeatedly drawn sold-out shows using no fly-ins or names. While the product wasn't really my cup of tea, there was no denying that there WAS an audience there. In fact, the fed had been slowly losing its' fanbase over time because it was gradually turning into a family-friendly fed, which I thought was a mistake. The venue is a bar, ferchrissakes, and the people who showed up there wanted to yell, scream, and get rowdy! They wanna see blood, tits, and violence!

[Editor's Note: As asked before, who doesn't love titties?]

For the past year and a half, I was also learning about DVD production and - while doing so - I found myself doing something that I never thought I would do again: I started to develop and nurture friendships within the business. EPIC had numbed me when it came to feeling close to people, especially after all that had gone down between me and those whom I truly loved. With WAR, although I had my share of good times, I remained distant and unattached. After all, it wasn't MY fed. Yes, that's a cop out answer, but it still doesn't make it untrue. Remember how I said that working with feds like WPW changed how I saw the business? This was a perfect example of that. I became close to guys like Lil' Cholo, Infernal, and the rest of the WPW crew, along with folks from feds like UEW and even Big Pro. I saw who treated me politely and respectfully, even when I didn't have a fed to offer them; who genuinely talked to me and let me in to their lives. A lot of these guys were either wrestlers who weren't considered the most popular or coolest people in SoCal or wrestlers who were newer to the scene, had all the potential in the world, but didn't have a place to really show what they could do if REALLY given a chance to shine.

So I did my math. Venue + hot crowds + workers wanting to simply prove themselves to a wider audience = something that actually might work. Hmmm ...

And so we've got a rebirth on our hands. How's it all going down?

Anthony and I set up a series of rules, which I will NOT go into here - HA! What I can say, though, was that we would approach EVERYTHING differently than before. To ensure that we would BOTH take a complete and total 50/50 stance on everything, we decided to merge both of our feds, from EPIC Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling WAR to EPIC Pro Wrestling WAR. Tact was not one of our strongpoints, but y'know what? I still like it. Adding the EPIC name to his promotion gives me more of a vested interest in this venture succeeding. I can't just walk away now.

Our mission statement is very simple. EVERY Indy fed out there seems like it wants to take over the world, sometimes literally. Everyone's trying to be Pirates of the Caribbean or Spider-Man or the Transformers. Us? We don't want ANY of that. Let 'em have it. We simply wanna sit in our corner and shoot our little black and white Clerks film. You can have your $300,000,000 budgets and A-list actors. We're happy casting our friends, family members, and just having fun in our little corner of the world. Simple as that. We're gonna have fun and try to put together something that nobody else is offering this business at this point in time. I guess you'll just have to see what I'm talking about. No, it won't be for everyone. And that's fine, too. Let's face it. If it were just like everyone else, why do it?

Why indeed. Now, who's going to handle what in this newly-formed EPWW?

Look, those who say that I'm a shitty wrestling promoter are 100% correct! I am NOT a wrestling promoter. Let me repeat that. I am NOT a wrestling promoter. I am NOT a wrestling promoter, I am NOT a wrestling promoter, I am NOT a wrestling promoter, nor do I EVER aspire to be one! I'm just a goofy guy who draws stuff for a living, shoots cheap B-fims, and makes whacky wrestling DVDs that people seem to enjoy. The EPIC WAR shows are simply one more piece of the puzzle that is my own little slice of the world called Art Over Life Studios, where I get to write what I want, draw what I want, shoot what I want, and when all is said and done - hopefully entertain some people during this rollercoaster ride called life. If this is how the rest of my life plays out, I couldn't be happier.

Any last words, Gary?

I would like to thank EVERYONE whom I've ever met in the history of my life! Those who supported me, encouraged me to go far. Those who doubted me, encouraged me to go farther. More than anyone else, though, I need to thank my Ramee - a woman who is not only my soul mate, lover, and best friend in the entire universe, but my hero, as well. Words will NEVER be able to adequately describe my love for her.

I also wanna give a special thanks to the man who pushed me to do this interview - Oliver. When we started this thing, it was supposed to be something that spanned the course of three or four days. Now, almost three MONTHS later, I look back and can't believe I got alla that outta my system (not that there ISN'T more to get out - HA!). Your patience during this ENTIRE ordeal is SO APPRECIATED! Oh yeah, and go to www.artoverlifestudios.com and buy stuff! That's all.

Section 5
Closing Thoughts by the Interviewer

Well… months later, dozens of e-mails and IM's exchanged, and so many semi-pranks, silent pleadings, and all-around bitching that I felt I'd forever loose the friendship of this unique individual…and the interview with Gary Yap has now been completed. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said, folks. I could go on and on describing who I am, how I met Gary , and why he chose me to do the interview- but in the end, it's all about the man himself.

Who am I? Just a wrestling fan that was lucky enough to make contact with some of the most interesting people I've ever met. How did I meet Gary ? Who cares? All I know is that I consider him a friend and will be waiting with baited breath (and money in the wallet, of course) to do my best to support EPIC Pro Wrestling WAR in the only way I really can: snatching up their shows and giving my honest feedback on them. Why did Gary choose me to do this interview? The hell if I know. Before I met him, I was just another random fan that liked reviewing wrestling shows because it combined two of his favorite hobbies- writing about what he likes and watching wrestling. I don't know exactly where this leaves me in the grand scheme of things- is this going to make waves for myself as well as Gary? But, the truth is, I really don't care how this affects me.

In all honesty, I'm just a regular guy that has been honored and privileged enough to give the SoCal and Internet Wrestling Community a glimpse into the life and times of a truly special individual. For me, I've already gotten everything I want out of this interview. I never thought I'd ever make any contact with someone that's actually inside the wrestling business, much less a two-time owner/promoter/Jack-of-All-Trades with high hopes and a vision that I sincerely hope will take SoCal by storm. But the important thing, at least for me, is that Gary Yap isn't just a "contact" anymore, he's not just someone I can point at and say "Look, I know this guy, I'm an insider!!!". That's never been the case. The important thing is that Gary Yap isn't an "insider contact" that I can brag about…he's a friend that I'm glad to have, and I truly am honored that he would give me an exclusive interview detailing his unique history in this business and profession we all hold so dearly to our hearts.

So, that's my write up, SoCal faithful/IWC faithful. Hopefully all our readers have enjoyed this little interview as much as Gary and I enjoyed cranking it out. In regards to thanking people, there's a long list, but I'll keep it short and to the point. I'd just like to thank Gary and whoever chooses to read this little blurb of ours. I thank Gary for this opportunity, for this insight, for letting me be the vehicle that officially announces the debut of a federation… but most importantly, I thank Gary for being a friend…for being Gary .

As always, I thank the fans (and who am I to talk? I'm a fan myself!) for reading what I have to write. Feedback is always appreciated, and if by some chance you've read my works before, you'll no doubt remember that I say those four little words often. Any comments or questions, feel free to either send them over to Gary (you can find all his contact information at www.artoverlifestudios.com) or myself (pdw2kx@yahoo.com). We'll be happy to hear from you.

From Gary Yap, from Oliver Saenz / PdW2kX, and especially from all of those that wish to make a difference in the wide world we all know and love as SoCal, we wish you and yours the best. Thank you for reading.