Post by Toom E. Guci on May 1, 2011 0:10:35 GMT -8
A recent trip to Las Vegas, Nevada brought a very unexpected, yet pleasant surprise. While walking the Strip, I ran into former Impact Zone Wrestling tag team champion Antonio Mestre. Mestre has been enjoying his life since retiring from professional wrestling, living it up in Sin City. But what many don’t know is that Mestre is barely at home. Mestre was more then happy though to sit down & travel down Memory Lane, speak of his history in professional wrestling, & share with his fans what he’s been up to since his last match.
Mestre’s earliest memory growing up was Wrestlemania IV, which featured the tournament to crown the Undisputed World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. “I remember watching Wrestlemania IV with some friends of mine. It was a rental and we kept rewinding matches and watching them again and again. Afterwards like most kids probably did we reenacted moves the wrestlers did,” explained Mestre.
From there, Mestre started training in 2002. And when making his debut, it would be against a future IZW Heavyweight Champion in the form of Lionheart. “I’m not sure when my first match was, but I remember it was in a park against Lionheart. We were told we had to wrestle for 30 minutes. We looked at each other with a confused look thinking ‘Oh my god! What are we going to do for 30 minutes?!’ We decided to do everything we knew and stuff we wanted to do. We wrestled like it was Spotfest 2010,” added Mestre.
Mestre first started working out at Ultimate Pro Wrestling in California, where he would eventually be trained by a number of trainers who had several years in the business. Mestre thought very highly of each trainer who took the time to work with him. 1 of his trainers was future Total Nonstop Action X-Division Champion Frankie Kazarian, as Mestre explains, “Frankie wasn’t an official trainer, he was a substitute trainer on Saturday mornings at UPW when Tom Howard couldn’t teach. It was a different type of teaching as he was sharing information from various indy promotions and what they looked for. “
But Kazarian was not the only one to work Mestre out in honing his craft. IZW fans have witnessed the Ballard Brothers work matches in Arizona & although they are Canadian, they are based out of California for their world travels. “The Ballards were my Tuesday & Thursday trainers at UPW. They gave me the building blocks and fundamentals of wrestling. They helped develop moves that my character would later use in the ring. They also helped get me to get booked for other shows outside of UPW, which allowed me to gain more wrestling experience,” added Mestre.
Another name familiar to wrestling fans was Hardcore Kidd aka Jesus from the World Wrestling Entertainment. Kidd helped Mestre on a weekly basis while training for his chosen path, “Hardcore Kidd was the Wednesday teacher at UPW. He was a Lucha based wrestler so he brought a new element to class. His focus was rolls and blow up drills. This class was always small whenever I went. I guess no one was a fan of throwing up.”
And when Mestre first showed up in UPW, Tom Howard was one of his original trainers. “Tom was the original Saturday teacher at UPW. He wasn’t there too often after I started as he wrestled in Japan a lot. When he was there he was able to share with us what the Japanese style of wrestling was like,” shared Mestre.
At the time, future TNA World Champion Samoa Joe would make appearances in the UPW region, as well. And Joe was always happy to share different styles with the students of UPW. “For a small period of time Joe helped teach class. He mainly helped focus on chain wrestling and working on spots. I remember being stretched numerous times and not knowing what was going on,” added Mestre.
Former Extreme Championship Wrestling talent would show up in UPW in the form of Simon Dean aka Super Nova. Though not a teacher, Nova was always happy to share his experience with the students, as Mestre explained, “Nova wasn’t really a teacher at UPW, but he would show up from time to time at UPW. When he would show up, I would be one of a few students that would pick his brain on what WWE wanted, recommendations on my character, and various other things. Nova was somebody that I referred back to along the road to WWE and even while I was in DSW (Deep South Wrestling).”
And finally in UPW, Keiji Sakoda would teach a class until he showed up on the WWE roster, as well. “Keiji wound up becoming the Saturday teacher at UPW right before he was called up to WWE. He focused on what WWE was looking for. This focus was how to make selling better, making things look crisp, and introducing chain wrestling. He even helped with how to act backstage at live and televised events, etiquette. Keiji was probably the biggest critique on wrestling matches we had in class/shows which was very helpful as it benefited us later down the road,” adds Mestre.
From UPW, Mestre was introduced to IZW from another one of the IZW superstars who had happen to be passing through UPW. Mestre decided to check out IZW & see if that’s what he wanted. But at the time of Mestre’s introduction, IZW was not working out of The Sets that everybody grew to love. IZW had a different home that was hard to work with, as Mestre explains, “My reaction was ‘A bar? I’m gonna wrestle in a bar?’. My first match for IZW was at the Petic. The ceiling was low so top rope moves and suplexes were out of the question when it came to wrestling moves that could be executed. The dressing room was in the bathroom of the bar where 16 guys all had their gear. First impression of IZW I was shell shocked. Then the fact that someone stole my entrance music, that was the final straw that sank my battleship. It was a bad taste in my mouth, until I learned that many promotions ran out of various types of locations. Wrestlers wrestled for the experience.”
So Mestre decided to stick it out in Arizona & travel the road back & forth between California & Arizona. In doing this, Mestre would eventually hook up with Peter Goodman & Lil Nate, where the three formed the Cali Connection. Mixing real life with ring life, the three men formed a bond as they traveled the roads together every other week. Mestre explains, “The Cali Connection was comprised of the same guys from California traveling back and forth to IZW. The choice to join the Cali Connection was simple. These guys were like my brothers. They had my back and I had theirs. We were the only family we had while on the road. We traveled to all the shows together even if we weren’t wrestling just to keep the group together for the angle.”
The Cali Connection was not the only folks to give Mestre the learning experience of wrestling though. IZW founder Navajo Warrior was always happy to lend a hand in the development of Mestre whenever Mestre was in town. “Navajo never trained me physically in the ring. Navajo was the bird in my ear of what to do with my character, matches, angles, and with my pursuit of WWE. He helped critique many of my matches so that I could help improve. Navajo was one of the biggest influences in my wrestling career,” added Mestre.
Then on March 15th, 2005, Mestre would get his big break in IZW. While teaming up with Peter Goodman, Mestre would defeat the original Team Elite, Derick Neikirk & Mike Knox, for the IZW Tag Team Championships. This was a big moment in Mestre’s life, as he explains, “It was my first title I had won in my career of wrestling at this time in my wrestling career so naturally I was excited in so many ways. Excited that I finally obtained gold, I did it with my one of my closest friends, and that it was against the top tag team in IZW as well as my friends. To me it felt like the torch was being passed to us.”
But what many fans did not know is that after winning the titles, Mestre would injure his shoulder in a match. This injury did not stop Mestre from teaming up with Goodman & defending their prestigious championship at all though. In fact, it barely slowed Mestre down in the ring, as he explains what it was like, “No bueno! Working with any injury in any sports sucks monkey balls! It was an obstacle that I had to work around from match to match until it healed. It happens all the time in wrestling and wrestlers work through it. I believe it makes the fans and even the boys in the back respect that individual that much more.”
So what made Mestre continue to do so with an injury? Mestre’s future, as he shared, “I figured that if I planned to wrestle for any major company there is a possibility that I could get hurt. In that case I would more than likely need to continue wrestle with the injury unless it was serious enough for surgery. I considered it my next lesson in the world of wrestling.”
Then on July 15th, 2005, luck would not be on Mestre, nor Goodman’s, side. In defending the tag team championships against Jay Garland & Payed Daily, Mestre & Goodman would fall victim to the tag team efforts & lose the titles to Garland & Daily. “Well I was upset that we lost to them since we just had beaten them a few months prior. I don’t think there is anyone out there that likes to lose especially to someone you have already beaten before. I replayed the match in my head over and over again the whole night. It was a bad taste in my mouth as it was my first title that I earned, so seeing it leave my hands and be around someone else’s waist was not a good feeling,” shared Mestre.
And during this period, the Cali Connection started to fall apart. Lil Nate & Peter Goodman were feuding, Mestre decided to take a short hiatus from IZW. But Mestre’s hiatus was to broaden his horizon, as he explained, “I was only gone from IZW for about a month after the loss of the titles. It had to do with a mixture of things though. I started to wrestle for more wrestling companies now so now my time was being spread. In addition I was reconnecting with my MMA roots, focusing on school, and taking a bit of a small break from the travel.”
But the love of Arizona & IZW would not keep Mestre away. Mestre returned to IZW & enjoyed his travels, though at times it was rough traveling, as he opens up some more, “Well alone it was tough. Driving 6 hours alone to and from IZW is no fun. I would try to drive without really stopping, so your legs get cramp and your butt falls asleep, well mine did anyways. With Nate & Pete with me, it was a blast. All the nonsense and debauchery we were known for derived from our trips. It was just the turnaround trips that were tough. I kept doing it because I wanted to improve my wrestling abilities. I wanted to create a character. In IZW, I was able to do that, where as in UPW I was not given much freedom to do things. IZW allowed me to grow and mature as a wrestler.”
And in this period, Mestre would do battle often with Lil Nate…whom he saw as his brother. Being two men of the similar style, the fans were truly into their battles. And it was, by far, a love/hate relationship between both men, as Mestre explained, “Nate and I are like brothers. Family members argue from time to time. It’s natural for there to be some issues with family members, it’s a part of life. Add in the factor of competition and then you gots yourself a bit of sibling rivalry. We always wanted to have match of the night whether it was against each other or someone else. We wanted to leave the fans cheering, booing, and of course wanting more. I have tons of love for him and an equal amount of respect. To say I ever hated him is false. I may not have agreed with some of his decisions and he may not have agreed with some of mine, but regardless the end result of those decisions we were still there for one another. Just like a family should be. Through thick and thin, even to this day.”
During this period though, luck would roll the way Mestre had hoped for. On October 25th, 2005, Mestre would wrestle in front of the largest crowd ever for him…not to mention a WWE dark match against the tag team of the Dicks. “It was certainly different from wrestling in front of a local indy crowd. The show was in Anaheim if I’m not mistaken, which I probably am. (Laughs) Nerves typically would build up for me prior to wrestling any show and seeing that this was a WWE show my nerves were tenfold. I’m sure I stretched at least 10 different times, and paced for about 5 miles before it was even time for me to go out to wrestle. I remember Pat Patterson saying to me right before going out to the ring ‘Pop the crowd and don’t kick either of the Dicks’. Walking through the curtain was an amazing feeling. As I got closer to the ring some people were calling my name. It sent chills up my spin. Once the match got under way, I got knocked out doing a baseball slide as I took a knee to the face. I was knocked out for the remainder of the match. If you look back at the match you can see my eyes are glazed over. I was helped to the back as I had no clue what was going on at the time. When I got backstage, William Regal and Eugene checked on me to see if I was okay,” shared Mestre.
From there, Mestre made several TV appearances for the WWE as Eric Bischoff’s security guard alongside Hawaiian Lion. Mestre shared what that was like, “I personally didn’t talk to Bischoff during that period of time. It was fun to be backstage at WWE events, especially seeing people I knew that got called up, had tryouts, and wrestlers I idolized. Oh and catering was always good! You just made sure that you didn’t take Benoit’s chicken or you were a dead man!”
One segment in particular was with former WWE Superstar Boogeyman. Mestre didn’t have much interaction with him, yet everybody on tv acted afraid of this character. “I never met the Boogeyman. I know sad day! So unfortunately I can’t answer that question. But I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” added Mestre.
After several tv appearances, Mestre realized something about himself. “Seeing myself on TV wrestling made me realize I needed to work out more and get a tan. Outside of that, I never saw myself on TV for anything I did with WWE because by the time I would get home the segment was already over. The only time I saw myself was when people would send me pictures of the segments. Seeing those made me realize how much I needed to improve my look,” Mestre added.
Meanwhile in IZW though, Mestre would continue to do battle with his former tag team partner. Neither man would get the upper hand on the other, which the crowd loved. And then the feud would grow to include Nate. The Cali Connection had imploded upon itself & the fans were crazy about the matches they witnessed. “It was bitter sweet. We all felt that we had something to offer any wrestling company and we wanted to show it. It wasn’t trying to outdo the other; it was trying to elevate all of us to new heights. I’m sure Nate would tell you kicking me in the face was probably his favorite thing to do. If Pete were alive he would probably say he loved a good forearm exchange with me. I knew, and I hope that Nate & Pete felt the same way, that going into the ring with either one of them, that the match would be great and that we were professionals entertaining the crowd not trying to hurt one another,” shared Mestre.
From the very start, it had all boiled down to January 17th, 2006...a Triple Threat Match where the Loser Leaves IZW as the stipulation. With all three men in the ring at once, the face of IZW, & the Cali Connection, would change as somebody was leaving. Mestre would be the one packing his bags at the end of the night, in which he was given time to thank his fans & say his good byes in the ring. “It sucked! I was leaving my home. UPW may have taught me the ways of wrestling when first starting out, but IZW was my home and made me a wrestler. I’m pretty sure I said that in my farewell speech. The only thing that made that match better was I got to do it with my best friends in the business. I thought it was a proper good-bye AND I finally got to say something on the mic in English,” shared Mestre.
But that wasn’t the end of Mestre’s career. Heading down to Georgia, Mestre hooked up with Deep South Wrestling, the then-WWE Developmental Territory. Mestre explained what brought him to DSW, “In 2005 I had done numerous things with WWE from being a security guard, Undertaker’s druid, being in the background, wrestling, etc. In November I left on tour to South Africa with an all-star cast of former WWE wrestlers. I had picked all their brains on everything about WWE while on the tour. When I returned to the states I was sent straight to Georgia for a weekend tryout with WWE. At the end of the tryout I was asked to report back to DSW at the end of January.”
Mestre would hook up with current WWE Tough Enough trainer Bill DeMott down in DSW. DeMott helped further Mestre’s path & teach him other aspects of wrestling. “Bill was all about cardio. To be a wrestler you had to be in shape. Running the ropes for 3 minutes was the typical thing to do at the end of class. That is after you have already been blown up for several hours prior. To say the least, Bill was the drill sergeant of blown up drills. This is something I am sure you will see on the new season of Tough Enough,” Mestre explained.
Another trainer Mestre worked with in DSW was Dave Taylor. “Dave focused on helping learn moves that could be applied in the wrestling ring that were not very common. He took the time to help perfect moves with each wrestler according to their character. He was the technical wrestler of the two,” Mestre added.
“Along the way there were other wrestlers that helped teach me new styles, think of new ideas for my character, and make me think of what else can be done. This would include wrestling seminars with Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, and several others. In addition while being in DSW, we got to experience workout sessions with Dr. Death Steve Williams, William Regal, Dean Malenko, and many others. Some of the workout sessions included working one on one with the trainer at particular times. To me that is what helped me learn the most from their teaching,” added Mestre.
Being in DWS was far different then working with IZW. Mestre had taken to living in Georgia, so he was closer to the training facility. No more long distance commutes, as it was a quick drive away. Mestre shared the other differences, “There was a huge difference. With IZW I only trained if I came out the night before. When I did train the structure of class was open. So really I only wrestled with IZW, not trained. Arriving at DSW we trained for 3 hours each day with a structure. One trainer was focused on mental and physical cardio and the other was focused on improving technique. The trainers (Dave Taylor & Bill DeMott) got involved on what moves were being done and what the finishers would be for each match. The same finish could not be used more than once and the only action that could happen on the outside was the main event unless otherwise approved. Everyone watched the monitors to make sure nothing was repeated. The major difference though was the fact you were working towards the hard cam and not the live crowd. That included your entrances, move set, and finisher.”
One of the wrestlers Mestre got to work with in DSW was the son of Terry Gordy, Ray Gordy. Gordy went on to the WWE to team up with Festus aka Luke Gallows for Jesse & Festus, as well as Slam Master J. Mestre shared what it was like working with a second generation wrestler, “Ray and I really didn’t talk too much at DSW outside of training and shows. I think we had one singles match that was hard on us both since we were both faces at the time. We both agreed it could have been better after reviewing the match, but we never wrestled singles against each other after that match. I believe that he was trying to find himself as a character, while still trying to live up to his father’s name. Bill was hard on him just because he was Terry Gordy’s son.”
DSW is also where Mestre changed up his gimmick by dropping the Brazilian portion & taking up PSP action not only on his way to the ring, but during his matches. The idea of the gimmick change came from one of Mestre’s trainers, as he explains, “Bill Demott had pulled me into the office and said ‘We need to find something else for you because no one gets your gimmick. Can we call you a Gracie or something?’ I told him let me think about this and I’ll come up with something. I got sick shortly after that and I was playing video games and all of a sudden the idea popped into my head. I talked to Bill the following day and told him what my idea was and he gave me a look like ‘Seriously?’ I said I’m going to come out of the curtain like I’m being pushed to go wrestle. My main focus is solely on playing the video game. I’m obsessed with it that I even use moves in the ring just like in the video games. That night I went out to the ring and got a pop bigger than I had the 3 months prior with the ‘Brazilian’ gimmick.”
This type of action may be challenging for some, but not for Mestre. “I’m a dual athlete! I know hold to hold like the back of my hand so I don’t need to see what’s going on, just feel. It was hard once I got away from my opponent that playing and wrestling became difficult. Too much eye contact on my opponent and I could lose the game. Too little eye contact with my opponent and it could be lights out,” shared Mestre.
And what was Mestre’s favorite game to play? “Street Fighter of course! And no just because Blanka was from Brazil I did not pick him. My character of choice was Ryu,” shared Mestre.
But Mestre decided he had enough in DSW. Mestre explains what made him leave, “It was a combination of things. In August 2006, I was in a tag match. I was supposed to be set up for a Samoan drop. Sonny Siaki caught my leg, but not my head. He came crashing down on me and dislodged my collarbone. That put me out of action for a few weeks. Sonny never apologized so there was some heat there. Prior to that there was a lot of hype being said that they wanted to make me like the Rey Mysterio of DSW. Naturally I figured that meant a push, however nothing ever happened. I wasn’t up for dealing with politics. After a talk with creative and Bill Demott I gave my notice that I was leaving.”
After packing up, Mestre took his PSP & heading back home…and that home did include IZW, where he made his return in the first ever Open Invitational Tournament. “The fact that I was asked to be a part of the IZW Invitational Tournament was an honor. There were plenty of guys on the roster that could have had the spot instead of me. I always had a warm feeling when I got to wrestle for IZW. It’s like the feeling you get when you come home after being gone for a while. So to wrestle in a tournament where the end result gets you a medal, championship belt, or in this case a trophy, it is truly an honor to be a part of it,” Mestre opened up.
And from there, Mestre made it into the Triple Threat Finals against Jay Garland & AJ Summers. Mestre prepared himself in mind, body, & soul for the finals…as well as not letting Johnny Roxx near his PSP. “I felt that although I had experience on my side, I was facing two up and coming, hungry wrestlers. On one hand I had a guy that beat me for my tag title and the other that was a midget wrestler. You should never underestimate midgets! Anytime you’re in a fight and it’s 2 on 1, or in this case 1.5 on 1, the odds are never good. I knew going in it was going to be a battle to the bitter end,” shared Mestre.
Mestre’s luck fell short…literally, as AJ Summers won the finals. But that didn’t stop Mestre from staying in IZW. Fans once again embraced him, with some even supporting his gaming habit by bringing PSP’s & playing as he entered. Although, some fans found the game playing disrespectful during the match, where Mestre seemed more focus on his game then his match. “I never even knew the fans thought it was disrespectful until right now. As an athlete and even a role model, people and fans will frown on just about anything to cause some tension. I can’t win over everyone, even if I am a charming mofo. However I can do the best I can possibly do and every time I wrestled that’s exactly what I attempted to do,” admits Mestre.
Then in January, 2008, Mestre would once again be gone from IZW. This time though, it was per Mestre’s own choice & not a stipulation, as he shares, “Upon leaving DSW I spent some time with my sister in Virginia. I thought about a few things like wrestling, what’s next, etc. On my drive back to the west coast I ended up in Las Vegas. I wanted to just forget about a few things and let loose. During the first month of being there, my friends coaxed me back into MMA. During that same month I got a phone call from a representative from Nintendo. Apparently a fan of mine in Georgia sent tapes to Microsoft, Playstation, and Nintendo of me wrestling doing my ‘gamer’ gimmick. Long story short, I got offered a contract to play Nintendo video games, but I had to continue to wrestle. So I was triple dipping. After a while, I started to get burnt out and I had to make a decision. So I began to think about what I wanted to really do now. When the contract with Nintendo came up, Playstation was in the background waiting to offer me a contract. They didn’t care if I wrestled or not, so to save my body I decided to limit my wrestling. I felt that it was time to take a step in the direction of leaving wrestling.”
Mestre became a changed man upon his arrival in Las Vegas, as Vegas has been known to change many people. Mestre shared how Las Vegas was much different then California, “In California I trained to be a wrestler and that was my main focus. I ate, slept, and breathed wrestling. In Las Vegas I’m much freer and I am much more active. As of late though, I haven’t been in Vegas much. In fact I’ve only been in Vegas this year about 12 days. I will go on record to say that since moving to Las Vegas, I have more personality than I did when I was wrestling. I think I was too wound up when I was in California and wrestling. Too much focus on wrestling and not enough fun in my life at that time.”
After leaving IZW, Mestre would make one more turn to the company for one final IZW match. Sadly, the match was to honor his fallen brother, Peter Goodman. Mestre was a surprise participant in a Tribute Triple Threat Match between himself, Navajo Warrior, & Hawaiian Lion that brought tears to the eyes of the fans. This match would be won by Mestre, but not for himself…but for Peter Goodman. “Nate & I had talked about the show and what was right and what should be done. I knew that my schedule would not permit me to be at all the tribute shows that were being offered for Pete. Nate wasn’t ready to wrestle or let go just yet. I knew however that if IZW would have one, I wanted to be there for it. We both wanted to be a part of a show that was being thrown for Pete, but due to various reasons it seemed as though it would not be able to happen. Arriving to the location of the wrestling event was bitter sweet. This was my way of saying goodbye to one of my best friends in the business the best way I could think of. The butterflies I get before shows were nothing compared to how they were that night. This was due to the fact that I wanted to pay homage to Pete by giving a solid wrestling match. Once the match was over, that’s when the hard part came. Trying to talk with all the emotion built up, seeing all the sad faces, and knowing I wouldn’t see him again had me in tears,” Mestre shared.
And as the fans chanted, “Thank you Peter,” Mestre stood center ring, honoring his brother. “Returning to the ring was not rough because I knew why I was returning to the ring, for Pete. Granted it was nice to see old faces, but I wasn’t there to say my hellos, but to pay my respects in the ring. Once the match started it was game time and it flowed. Like I said it was after the match that was the hard part,” added Mestre.
But Mestre did not know of Goodman’s passing when it happened. Instead, Mestre was protected of sorts by his brothers, as he shares, “I actually found out 3 days after his passing. Nate & Lionheart had found out and decided not to tell me due to the fact that I had an MMA fight two days after his passing. They wanted me to stay focused for this fight as it was a big deal to me. When I first heard the news I was speechless and it didn’t really hit me. I didn’t feel any emotion at the time. However when I landed back in Vegas all of a sudden I was a mess. It made me think that the last time I saw Pete was at my house in Vegas, so all those memories came flooding back and my eyes were like the faucet turned on. That week that I was home, I didn’t go anywhere or do anything because I couldn’t. I remember just watching tapes and DVDs of our matches and looking at pictures of us. It was a hard time for Nate, Lionheart, and I.”
Mestre was also more then happy to share his memories of Peter Goodman, as he opened up some more, “There are too many to list and can’t narrow it down to one. I can share this though. Pete and I would talk about various things about what he wanted to do. He always told me he wanted to wrestle in Japan and I said I always wanted to be a part of UFC. We told each other, no matter what we would make it happen somehow. Before his passing he was able to make it Japan to wrestle. At the fight that I was prepping for, I ran into UFC President Dana White. He complimented me on what he knew about me which was naturally flattering. After I heard the news about Pete’s passing and my mourning period had passed I attended a UFC fight with Forrest Griffin. At the fight they gave us these black sweat bands for our wrists that said UFC. I instantly thought of Pete and flipped the sweat band inside out so the UFC logo was hidden and it touched my skin. To this day I wear one of those black sweat bands with me where ever I go so that I can remember Pete. It’s my way of remembering Pete and letting him know I kept my word.”
After the Tribute Show, Mestre decided to travel some more & work the ropes again. Some folks were not aware of this, but Mestre kept them updated via Facebook & Myspace (when people actually used Myspace). “I wrestled for Extreme Thing with Adrenaline Unleashed. In addition I wrestled in Utah for UCW as well. I became the Ultra X Champion and retired with the belt. Working in Utah helped me to relive the days of traveling and enjoying it with good friends. However after time I realized I was prolonging the inevitable. I was still triple dipping and my time was being split between wrestling, MMA competition, video game competition, along with school, travel, etc. I realized I had only two hands, but they were in too many cookie jars. So to answer your question, yes I am retired from the sport of wrestling. Everything must come to an end and this chapter for Antonio Mestre has closed,” Mestre opened up.
And with Mestre’s IZW days behind him, his brothers are far from forgotten. “I do keep in touch with a few of the wrestlers from IZW. Whenever I am in LA I try to see if Nate is free to grab a bite and chill. Lionheart lives in Vegas so I see him quite often. I talk to Mike Knox every now and again. Payed and I shoot texts and FB posting back to each other here and there. Barnett shoots me a text now and again when they do shows in Vegas to come on out to check things out. Navajo and I shoot texts here and there, mainly about midgets and video games. I try to catch up with him along with many of my WWE friends when on the road whenever possible. Most of the guys are on my Facebook page so here and there we email, comment, and post to one another,” Mestre added.
Mestre may have been gone from the wrestling world, but all eyes were still on him in other capacities. “I have competed in MMA, done fight choreographing for movies, continued my pursuit of becoming a black belt in Ju-Jitsu, and as of recent I have become the assistant head coach of cardio for a major MMA company,” Mestre added.
Wrestling may still be in Mestre’s blood a little, but he has one certain thing that he misses the most. “The fans! The fans always interacted with me. My favorite memory was when they sung Happy Birthday to me while I was in the ring. There are so many moments that relive in my head from the shouts of RESPECTO to RESPECTO SECURITY! And of course how could I not love hearing everyone start to sing Ole Ole Ole? To this day whenever I hear that song I think of IZW,” admits Mestre.
But in looking back to his wrestling days, Mestre enjoyed his time in the ring. And with wrestling pretty much everybody on the IZW roster, who was Mestre’s favorite opponent? “Nate, hands down. He and I flowed together because we knew each other so well. I watch the DVD of just our matches in IZW and I smile every time because you hear the crowd divided. Plus all the things we thought up to do in the ring to make the crowd pop. Good times no doubt!” explained Mestre.
But would Mestre return to the ring for an IZW One Night Stand show? Mestre had to say, “I would show up, maybe do a run in just to do the Pele kick one last time. To actually wrestle a match though, no I wouldn’t. I’m retired like I said and I don’t want to retire, come back, retire again. It would be nice just to come back to see the boys, the fans, and be a part of it some way.”
So, with that said…could some kind of return for Mestre be in his cards? Only Mestre knows the answer & he was more then happy to share it. “As of late I feel an itch, but I’m not looking to scratch it. I was in Newark, NJ a couple weeks ago for the UFC fight. Two of my boys were fighting, both of which I helped train in cardio. That night was electric and it made me want to return to MMA. Seeing someone I trained become champ made me proud and at the same time a bit jealous. The next day WWE had a show in Newark. It worked out that breakfast was myself, a couple guys from UFC, and a few guys from WWE. One of those guys was someone I had trained with at UPW that was now champion. He was telling me how great things were now especially with the angles with him leading into Wrestlemania. So sitting at a table with a UFC champion, a UFC #1 contender, a WWE champion, and loads of wrestling talent, I was split of what I wanted to do, but felt that itch heavily.”
Mestre then added, “I enjoy the pop I get from the crowds and the competition, but the pain is something I can live without. In wrestling I have dislodged my collar bone, dislocated my shoulder, separated the scapula from the tendon, had 2 teeth knocked out, fractured ribs, sustained a concussion, and numerous other injuries. The pain is constant day in and day out. In MMA I’ve had only a blown knee and a mild concussion. It’s natural to get hurt in wrestling as there are more risks being taken. With MMA though it’s a lot safer, but injuries still happen. In the end you have to weigh out the pros and the cons, see where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and what your chances are. I’ve done all that already and realize that I’m being called elsewhere now and I’ve decided to answer that call and hang up on wrestling. The older I get the easier it becomes to stay away from getting back in the ring. Fortunately for me I got to see what it’s like in the big leagues for a moment in time. Not everyone can say that.”
Guess that makes a return to the Arizona scene out of the question, doesn’t it? “I’m sensing a theme here. I’m guessing that there is a need for some Antonio Mestre in Arizona wrestling is that just in general? I’ve been getting phone calls, texts, Facebook emails, and emails about when I’m coming back to Arizona to wrestle and when I’m coming back to Arizona period. I haven’t been to Arizona, layovers don’t count, since the Peter Goodman tribute show and feel it’s a long time coming for me to pay a visit to Arizona. That visit will come this year, but depending on how my schedule goes I cannot give a date. Just know ‘Everyone’s Favorite Brazilian’ comes home soon!” Mestre had to say.
As for the future though, Mestre has his eyes wide open. Continuing on his current path, Mestre is ready for what life has in store for him, as he explained, “The next 3 months will be focused on finishing college with my 2nd degree, this one in Information Technology. I am looking to obtain my black belt in Ju-Jitsu in May from the Gracie school in California. Help to train another one of my friends to become a UFC champion. I also plan to check off a lot more things on my bucket list (no I’m not dying, I just have a list). My return to MMA is on hold, but me being involved in it will continue with my new position. Eh and maybe I’ll get a dog, married, and have kids. MAYBE! Guess you gotta friend me on Facebook to keep up to date on that.”
And that is the best way to stay up to date with Antonio Mestre…find him on Facebook & become the traveling man’s friend!
Mestre’s earliest memory growing up was Wrestlemania IV, which featured the tournament to crown the Undisputed World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. “I remember watching Wrestlemania IV with some friends of mine. It was a rental and we kept rewinding matches and watching them again and again. Afterwards like most kids probably did we reenacted moves the wrestlers did,” explained Mestre.
From there, Mestre started training in 2002. And when making his debut, it would be against a future IZW Heavyweight Champion in the form of Lionheart. “I’m not sure when my first match was, but I remember it was in a park against Lionheart. We were told we had to wrestle for 30 minutes. We looked at each other with a confused look thinking ‘Oh my god! What are we going to do for 30 minutes?!’ We decided to do everything we knew and stuff we wanted to do. We wrestled like it was Spotfest 2010,” added Mestre.
Mestre first started working out at Ultimate Pro Wrestling in California, where he would eventually be trained by a number of trainers who had several years in the business. Mestre thought very highly of each trainer who took the time to work with him. 1 of his trainers was future Total Nonstop Action X-Division Champion Frankie Kazarian, as Mestre explains, “Frankie wasn’t an official trainer, he was a substitute trainer on Saturday mornings at UPW when Tom Howard couldn’t teach. It was a different type of teaching as he was sharing information from various indy promotions and what they looked for. “
But Kazarian was not the only one to work Mestre out in honing his craft. IZW fans have witnessed the Ballard Brothers work matches in Arizona & although they are Canadian, they are based out of California for their world travels. “The Ballards were my Tuesday & Thursday trainers at UPW. They gave me the building blocks and fundamentals of wrestling. They helped develop moves that my character would later use in the ring. They also helped get me to get booked for other shows outside of UPW, which allowed me to gain more wrestling experience,” added Mestre.
Another name familiar to wrestling fans was Hardcore Kidd aka Jesus from the World Wrestling Entertainment. Kidd helped Mestre on a weekly basis while training for his chosen path, “Hardcore Kidd was the Wednesday teacher at UPW. He was a Lucha based wrestler so he brought a new element to class. His focus was rolls and blow up drills. This class was always small whenever I went. I guess no one was a fan of throwing up.”
And when Mestre first showed up in UPW, Tom Howard was one of his original trainers. “Tom was the original Saturday teacher at UPW. He wasn’t there too often after I started as he wrestled in Japan a lot. When he was there he was able to share with us what the Japanese style of wrestling was like,” shared Mestre.
At the time, future TNA World Champion Samoa Joe would make appearances in the UPW region, as well. And Joe was always happy to share different styles with the students of UPW. “For a small period of time Joe helped teach class. He mainly helped focus on chain wrestling and working on spots. I remember being stretched numerous times and not knowing what was going on,” added Mestre.
Former Extreme Championship Wrestling talent would show up in UPW in the form of Simon Dean aka Super Nova. Though not a teacher, Nova was always happy to share his experience with the students, as Mestre explained, “Nova wasn’t really a teacher at UPW, but he would show up from time to time at UPW. When he would show up, I would be one of a few students that would pick his brain on what WWE wanted, recommendations on my character, and various other things. Nova was somebody that I referred back to along the road to WWE and even while I was in DSW (Deep South Wrestling).”
And finally in UPW, Keiji Sakoda would teach a class until he showed up on the WWE roster, as well. “Keiji wound up becoming the Saturday teacher at UPW right before he was called up to WWE. He focused on what WWE was looking for. This focus was how to make selling better, making things look crisp, and introducing chain wrestling. He even helped with how to act backstage at live and televised events, etiquette. Keiji was probably the biggest critique on wrestling matches we had in class/shows which was very helpful as it benefited us later down the road,” adds Mestre.
From UPW, Mestre was introduced to IZW from another one of the IZW superstars who had happen to be passing through UPW. Mestre decided to check out IZW & see if that’s what he wanted. But at the time of Mestre’s introduction, IZW was not working out of The Sets that everybody grew to love. IZW had a different home that was hard to work with, as Mestre explains, “My reaction was ‘A bar? I’m gonna wrestle in a bar?’. My first match for IZW was at the Petic. The ceiling was low so top rope moves and suplexes were out of the question when it came to wrestling moves that could be executed. The dressing room was in the bathroom of the bar where 16 guys all had their gear. First impression of IZW I was shell shocked. Then the fact that someone stole my entrance music, that was the final straw that sank my battleship. It was a bad taste in my mouth, until I learned that many promotions ran out of various types of locations. Wrestlers wrestled for the experience.”
So Mestre decided to stick it out in Arizona & travel the road back & forth between California & Arizona. In doing this, Mestre would eventually hook up with Peter Goodman & Lil Nate, where the three formed the Cali Connection. Mixing real life with ring life, the three men formed a bond as they traveled the roads together every other week. Mestre explains, “The Cali Connection was comprised of the same guys from California traveling back and forth to IZW. The choice to join the Cali Connection was simple. These guys were like my brothers. They had my back and I had theirs. We were the only family we had while on the road. We traveled to all the shows together even if we weren’t wrestling just to keep the group together for the angle.”
The Cali Connection was not the only folks to give Mestre the learning experience of wrestling though. IZW founder Navajo Warrior was always happy to lend a hand in the development of Mestre whenever Mestre was in town. “Navajo never trained me physically in the ring. Navajo was the bird in my ear of what to do with my character, matches, angles, and with my pursuit of WWE. He helped critique many of my matches so that I could help improve. Navajo was one of the biggest influences in my wrestling career,” added Mestre.
Then on March 15th, 2005, Mestre would get his big break in IZW. While teaming up with Peter Goodman, Mestre would defeat the original Team Elite, Derick Neikirk & Mike Knox, for the IZW Tag Team Championships. This was a big moment in Mestre’s life, as he explains, “It was my first title I had won in my career of wrestling at this time in my wrestling career so naturally I was excited in so many ways. Excited that I finally obtained gold, I did it with my one of my closest friends, and that it was against the top tag team in IZW as well as my friends. To me it felt like the torch was being passed to us.”
But what many fans did not know is that after winning the titles, Mestre would injure his shoulder in a match. This injury did not stop Mestre from teaming up with Goodman & defending their prestigious championship at all though. In fact, it barely slowed Mestre down in the ring, as he explains what it was like, “No bueno! Working with any injury in any sports sucks monkey balls! It was an obstacle that I had to work around from match to match until it healed. It happens all the time in wrestling and wrestlers work through it. I believe it makes the fans and even the boys in the back respect that individual that much more.”
So what made Mestre continue to do so with an injury? Mestre’s future, as he shared, “I figured that if I planned to wrestle for any major company there is a possibility that I could get hurt. In that case I would more than likely need to continue wrestle with the injury unless it was serious enough for surgery. I considered it my next lesson in the world of wrestling.”
Then on July 15th, 2005, luck would not be on Mestre, nor Goodman’s, side. In defending the tag team championships against Jay Garland & Payed Daily, Mestre & Goodman would fall victim to the tag team efforts & lose the titles to Garland & Daily. “Well I was upset that we lost to them since we just had beaten them a few months prior. I don’t think there is anyone out there that likes to lose especially to someone you have already beaten before. I replayed the match in my head over and over again the whole night. It was a bad taste in my mouth as it was my first title that I earned, so seeing it leave my hands and be around someone else’s waist was not a good feeling,” shared Mestre.
And during this period, the Cali Connection started to fall apart. Lil Nate & Peter Goodman were feuding, Mestre decided to take a short hiatus from IZW. But Mestre’s hiatus was to broaden his horizon, as he explained, “I was only gone from IZW for about a month after the loss of the titles. It had to do with a mixture of things though. I started to wrestle for more wrestling companies now so now my time was being spread. In addition I was reconnecting with my MMA roots, focusing on school, and taking a bit of a small break from the travel.”
But the love of Arizona & IZW would not keep Mestre away. Mestre returned to IZW & enjoyed his travels, though at times it was rough traveling, as he opens up some more, “Well alone it was tough. Driving 6 hours alone to and from IZW is no fun. I would try to drive without really stopping, so your legs get cramp and your butt falls asleep, well mine did anyways. With Nate & Pete with me, it was a blast. All the nonsense and debauchery we were known for derived from our trips. It was just the turnaround trips that were tough. I kept doing it because I wanted to improve my wrestling abilities. I wanted to create a character. In IZW, I was able to do that, where as in UPW I was not given much freedom to do things. IZW allowed me to grow and mature as a wrestler.”
And in this period, Mestre would do battle often with Lil Nate…whom he saw as his brother. Being two men of the similar style, the fans were truly into their battles. And it was, by far, a love/hate relationship between both men, as Mestre explained, “Nate and I are like brothers. Family members argue from time to time. It’s natural for there to be some issues with family members, it’s a part of life. Add in the factor of competition and then you gots yourself a bit of sibling rivalry. We always wanted to have match of the night whether it was against each other or someone else. We wanted to leave the fans cheering, booing, and of course wanting more. I have tons of love for him and an equal amount of respect. To say I ever hated him is false. I may not have agreed with some of his decisions and he may not have agreed with some of mine, but regardless the end result of those decisions we were still there for one another. Just like a family should be. Through thick and thin, even to this day.”
During this period though, luck would roll the way Mestre had hoped for. On October 25th, 2005, Mestre would wrestle in front of the largest crowd ever for him…not to mention a WWE dark match against the tag team of the Dicks. “It was certainly different from wrestling in front of a local indy crowd. The show was in Anaheim if I’m not mistaken, which I probably am. (Laughs) Nerves typically would build up for me prior to wrestling any show and seeing that this was a WWE show my nerves were tenfold. I’m sure I stretched at least 10 different times, and paced for about 5 miles before it was even time for me to go out to wrestle. I remember Pat Patterson saying to me right before going out to the ring ‘Pop the crowd and don’t kick either of the Dicks’. Walking through the curtain was an amazing feeling. As I got closer to the ring some people were calling my name. It sent chills up my spin. Once the match got under way, I got knocked out doing a baseball slide as I took a knee to the face. I was knocked out for the remainder of the match. If you look back at the match you can see my eyes are glazed over. I was helped to the back as I had no clue what was going on at the time. When I got backstage, William Regal and Eugene checked on me to see if I was okay,” shared Mestre.
From there, Mestre made several TV appearances for the WWE as Eric Bischoff’s security guard alongside Hawaiian Lion. Mestre shared what that was like, “I personally didn’t talk to Bischoff during that period of time. It was fun to be backstage at WWE events, especially seeing people I knew that got called up, had tryouts, and wrestlers I idolized. Oh and catering was always good! You just made sure that you didn’t take Benoit’s chicken or you were a dead man!”
One segment in particular was with former WWE Superstar Boogeyman. Mestre didn’t have much interaction with him, yet everybody on tv acted afraid of this character. “I never met the Boogeyman. I know sad day! So unfortunately I can’t answer that question. But I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” added Mestre.
After several tv appearances, Mestre realized something about himself. “Seeing myself on TV wrestling made me realize I needed to work out more and get a tan. Outside of that, I never saw myself on TV for anything I did with WWE because by the time I would get home the segment was already over. The only time I saw myself was when people would send me pictures of the segments. Seeing those made me realize how much I needed to improve my look,” Mestre added.
Meanwhile in IZW though, Mestre would continue to do battle with his former tag team partner. Neither man would get the upper hand on the other, which the crowd loved. And then the feud would grow to include Nate. The Cali Connection had imploded upon itself & the fans were crazy about the matches they witnessed. “It was bitter sweet. We all felt that we had something to offer any wrestling company and we wanted to show it. It wasn’t trying to outdo the other; it was trying to elevate all of us to new heights. I’m sure Nate would tell you kicking me in the face was probably his favorite thing to do. If Pete were alive he would probably say he loved a good forearm exchange with me. I knew, and I hope that Nate & Pete felt the same way, that going into the ring with either one of them, that the match would be great and that we were professionals entertaining the crowd not trying to hurt one another,” shared Mestre.
From the very start, it had all boiled down to January 17th, 2006...a Triple Threat Match where the Loser Leaves IZW as the stipulation. With all three men in the ring at once, the face of IZW, & the Cali Connection, would change as somebody was leaving. Mestre would be the one packing his bags at the end of the night, in which he was given time to thank his fans & say his good byes in the ring. “It sucked! I was leaving my home. UPW may have taught me the ways of wrestling when first starting out, but IZW was my home and made me a wrestler. I’m pretty sure I said that in my farewell speech. The only thing that made that match better was I got to do it with my best friends in the business. I thought it was a proper good-bye AND I finally got to say something on the mic in English,” shared Mestre.
But that wasn’t the end of Mestre’s career. Heading down to Georgia, Mestre hooked up with Deep South Wrestling, the then-WWE Developmental Territory. Mestre explained what brought him to DSW, “In 2005 I had done numerous things with WWE from being a security guard, Undertaker’s druid, being in the background, wrestling, etc. In November I left on tour to South Africa with an all-star cast of former WWE wrestlers. I had picked all their brains on everything about WWE while on the tour. When I returned to the states I was sent straight to Georgia for a weekend tryout with WWE. At the end of the tryout I was asked to report back to DSW at the end of January.”
Mestre would hook up with current WWE Tough Enough trainer Bill DeMott down in DSW. DeMott helped further Mestre’s path & teach him other aspects of wrestling. “Bill was all about cardio. To be a wrestler you had to be in shape. Running the ropes for 3 minutes was the typical thing to do at the end of class. That is after you have already been blown up for several hours prior. To say the least, Bill was the drill sergeant of blown up drills. This is something I am sure you will see on the new season of Tough Enough,” Mestre explained.
Another trainer Mestre worked with in DSW was Dave Taylor. “Dave focused on helping learn moves that could be applied in the wrestling ring that were not very common. He took the time to help perfect moves with each wrestler according to their character. He was the technical wrestler of the two,” Mestre added.
“Along the way there were other wrestlers that helped teach me new styles, think of new ideas for my character, and make me think of what else can be done. This would include wrestling seminars with Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, and several others. In addition while being in DSW, we got to experience workout sessions with Dr. Death Steve Williams, William Regal, Dean Malenko, and many others. Some of the workout sessions included working one on one with the trainer at particular times. To me that is what helped me learn the most from their teaching,” added Mestre.
Being in DWS was far different then working with IZW. Mestre had taken to living in Georgia, so he was closer to the training facility. No more long distance commutes, as it was a quick drive away. Mestre shared the other differences, “There was a huge difference. With IZW I only trained if I came out the night before. When I did train the structure of class was open. So really I only wrestled with IZW, not trained. Arriving at DSW we trained for 3 hours each day with a structure. One trainer was focused on mental and physical cardio and the other was focused on improving technique. The trainers (Dave Taylor & Bill DeMott) got involved on what moves were being done and what the finishers would be for each match. The same finish could not be used more than once and the only action that could happen on the outside was the main event unless otherwise approved. Everyone watched the monitors to make sure nothing was repeated. The major difference though was the fact you were working towards the hard cam and not the live crowd. That included your entrances, move set, and finisher.”
One of the wrestlers Mestre got to work with in DSW was the son of Terry Gordy, Ray Gordy. Gordy went on to the WWE to team up with Festus aka Luke Gallows for Jesse & Festus, as well as Slam Master J. Mestre shared what it was like working with a second generation wrestler, “Ray and I really didn’t talk too much at DSW outside of training and shows. I think we had one singles match that was hard on us both since we were both faces at the time. We both agreed it could have been better after reviewing the match, but we never wrestled singles against each other after that match. I believe that he was trying to find himself as a character, while still trying to live up to his father’s name. Bill was hard on him just because he was Terry Gordy’s son.”
DSW is also where Mestre changed up his gimmick by dropping the Brazilian portion & taking up PSP action not only on his way to the ring, but during his matches. The idea of the gimmick change came from one of Mestre’s trainers, as he explains, “Bill Demott had pulled me into the office and said ‘We need to find something else for you because no one gets your gimmick. Can we call you a Gracie or something?’ I told him let me think about this and I’ll come up with something. I got sick shortly after that and I was playing video games and all of a sudden the idea popped into my head. I talked to Bill the following day and told him what my idea was and he gave me a look like ‘Seriously?’ I said I’m going to come out of the curtain like I’m being pushed to go wrestle. My main focus is solely on playing the video game. I’m obsessed with it that I even use moves in the ring just like in the video games. That night I went out to the ring and got a pop bigger than I had the 3 months prior with the ‘Brazilian’ gimmick.”
This type of action may be challenging for some, but not for Mestre. “I’m a dual athlete! I know hold to hold like the back of my hand so I don’t need to see what’s going on, just feel. It was hard once I got away from my opponent that playing and wrestling became difficult. Too much eye contact on my opponent and I could lose the game. Too little eye contact with my opponent and it could be lights out,” shared Mestre.
And what was Mestre’s favorite game to play? “Street Fighter of course! And no just because Blanka was from Brazil I did not pick him. My character of choice was Ryu,” shared Mestre.
But Mestre decided he had enough in DSW. Mestre explains what made him leave, “It was a combination of things. In August 2006, I was in a tag match. I was supposed to be set up for a Samoan drop. Sonny Siaki caught my leg, but not my head. He came crashing down on me and dislodged my collarbone. That put me out of action for a few weeks. Sonny never apologized so there was some heat there. Prior to that there was a lot of hype being said that they wanted to make me like the Rey Mysterio of DSW. Naturally I figured that meant a push, however nothing ever happened. I wasn’t up for dealing with politics. After a talk with creative and Bill Demott I gave my notice that I was leaving.”
After packing up, Mestre took his PSP & heading back home…and that home did include IZW, where he made his return in the first ever Open Invitational Tournament. “The fact that I was asked to be a part of the IZW Invitational Tournament was an honor. There were plenty of guys on the roster that could have had the spot instead of me. I always had a warm feeling when I got to wrestle for IZW. It’s like the feeling you get when you come home after being gone for a while. So to wrestle in a tournament where the end result gets you a medal, championship belt, or in this case a trophy, it is truly an honor to be a part of it,” Mestre opened up.
And from there, Mestre made it into the Triple Threat Finals against Jay Garland & AJ Summers. Mestre prepared himself in mind, body, & soul for the finals…as well as not letting Johnny Roxx near his PSP. “I felt that although I had experience on my side, I was facing two up and coming, hungry wrestlers. On one hand I had a guy that beat me for my tag title and the other that was a midget wrestler. You should never underestimate midgets! Anytime you’re in a fight and it’s 2 on 1, or in this case 1.5 on 1, the odds are never good. I knew going in it was going to be a battle to the bitter end,” shared Mestre.
Mestre’s luck fell short…literally, as AJ Summers won the finals. But that didn’t stop Mestre from staying in IZW. Fans once again embraced him, with some even supporting his gaming habit by bringing PSP’s & playing as he entered. Although, some fans found the game playing disrespectful during the match, where Mestre seemed more focus on his game then his match. “I never even knew the fans thought it was disrespectful until right now. As an athlete and even a role model, people and fans will frown on just about anything to cause some tension. I can’t win over everyone, even if I am a charming mofo. However I can do the best I can possibly do and every time I wrestled that’s exactly what I attempted to do,” admits Mestre.
Then in January, 2008, Mestre would once again be gone from IZW. This time though, it was per Mestre’s own choice & not a stipulation, as he shares, “Upon leaving DSW I spent some time with my sister in Virginia. I thought about a few things like wrestling, what’s next, etc. On my drive back to the west coast I ended up in Las Vegas. I wanted to just forget about a few things and let loose. During the first month of being there, my friends coaxed me back into MMA. During that same month I got a phone call from a representative from Nintendo. Apparently a fan of mine in Georgia sent tapes to Microsoft, Playstation, and Nintendo of me wrestling doing my ‘gamer’ gimmick. Long story short, I got offered a contract to play Nintendo video games, but I had to continue to wrestle. So I was triple dipping. After a while, I started to get burnt out and I had to make a decision. So I began to think about what I wanted to really do now. When the contract with Nintendo came up, Playstation was in the background waiting to offer me a contract. They didn’t care if I wrestled or not, so to save my body I decided to limit my wrestling. I felt that it was time to take a step in the direction of leaving wrestling.”
Mestre became a changed man upon his arrival in Las Vegas, as Vegas has been known to change many people. Mestre shared how Las Vegas was much different then California, “In California I trained to be a wrestler and that was my main focus. I ate, slept, and breathed wrestling. In Las Vegas I’m much freer and I am much more active. As of late though, I haven’t been in Vegas much. In fact I’ve only been in Vegas this year about 12 days. I will go on record to say that since moving to Las Vegas, I have more personality than I did when I was wrestling. I think I was too wound up when I was in California and wrestling. Too much focus on wrestling and not enough fun in my life at that time.”
After leaving IZW, Mestre would make one more turn to the company for one final IZW match. Sadly, the match was to honor his fallen brother, Peter Goodman. Mestre was a surprise participant in a Tribute Triple Threat Match between himself, Navajo Warrior, & Hawaiian Lion that brought tears to the eyes of the fans. This match would be won by Mestre, but not for himself…but for Peter Goodman. “Nate & I had talked about the show and what was right and what should be done. I knew that my schedule would not permit me to be at all the tribute shows that were being offered for Pete. Nate wasn’t ready to wrestle or let go just yet. I knew however that if IZW would have one, I wanted to be there for it. We both wanted to be a part of a show that was being thrown for Pete, but due to various reasons it seemed as though it would not be able to happen. Arriving to the location of the wrestling event was bitter sweet. This was my way of saying goodbye to one of my best friends in the business the best way I could think of. The butterflies I get before shows were nothing compared to how they were that night. This was due to the fact that I wanted to pay homage to Pete by giving a solid wrestling match. Once the match was over, that’s when the hard part came. Trying to talk with all the emotion built up, seeing all the sad faces, and knowing I wouldn’t see him again had me in tears,” Mestre shared.
And as the fans chanted, “Thank you Peter,” Mestre stood center ring, honoring his brother. “Returning to the ring was not rough because I knew why I was returning to the ring, for Pete. Granted it was nice to see old faces, but I wasn’t there to say my hellos, but to pay my respects in the ring. Once the match started it was game time and it flowed. Like I said it was after the match that was the hard part,” added Mestre.
But Mestre did not know of Goodman’s passing when it happened. Instead, Mestre was protected of sorts by his brothers, as he shares, “I actually found out 3 days after his passing. Nate & Lionheart had found out and decided not to tell me due to the fact that I had an MMA fight two days after his passing. They wanted me to stay focused for this fight as it was a big deal to me. When I first heard the news I was speechless and it didn’t really hit me. I didn’t feel any emotion at the time. However when I landed back in Vegas all of a sudden I was a mess. It made me think that the last time I saw Pete was at my house in Vegas, so all those memories came flooding back and my eyes were like the faucet turned on. That week that I was home, I didn’t go anywhere or do anything because I couldn’t. I remember just watching tapes and DVDs of our matches and looking at pictures of us. It was a hard time for Nate, Lionheart, and I.”
Mestre was also more then happy to share his memories of Peter Goodman, as he opened up some more, “There are too many to list and can’t narrow it down to one. I can share this though. Pete and I would talk about various things about what he wanted to do. He always told me he wanted to wrestle in Japan and I said I always wanted to be a part of UFC. We told each other, no matter what we would make it happen somehow. Before his passing he was able to make it Japan to wrestle. At the fight that I was prepping for, I ran into UFC President Dana White. He complimented me on what he knew about me which was naturally flattering. After I heard the news about Pete’s passing and my mourning period had passed I attended a UFC fight with Forrest Griffin. At the fight they gave us these black sweat bands for our wrists that said UFC. I instantly thought of Pete and flipped the sweat band inside out so the UFC logo was hidden and it touched my skin. To this day I wear one of those black sweat bands with me where ever I go so that I can remember Pete. It’s my way of remembering Pete and letting him know I kept my word.”
After the Tribute Show, Mestre decided to travel some more & work the ropes again. Some folks were not aware of this, but Mestre kept them updated via Facebook & Myspace (when people actually used Myspace). “I wrestled for Extreme Thing with Adrenaline Unleashed. In addition I wrestled in Utah for UCW as well. I became the Ultra X Champion and retired with the belt. Working in Utah helped me to relive the days of traveling and enjoying it with good friends. However after time I realized I was prolonging the inevitable. I was still triple dipping and my time was being split between wrestling, MMA competition, video game competition, along with school, travel, etc. I realized I had only two hands, but they were in too many cookie jars. So to answer your question, yes I am retired from the sport of wrestling. Everything must come to an end and this chapter for Antonio Mestre has closed,” Mestre opened up.
And with Mestre’s IZW days behind him, his brothers are far from forgotten. “I do keep in touch with a few of the wrestlers from IZW. Whenever I am in LA I try to see if Nate is free to grab a bite and chill. Lionheart lives in Vegas so I see him quite often. I talk to Mike Knox every now and again. Payed and I shoot texts and FB posting back to each other here and there. Barnett shoots me a text now and again when they do shows in Vegas to come on out to check things out. Navajo and I shoot texts here and there, mainly about midgets and video games. I try to catch up with him along with many of my WWE friends when on the road whenever possible. Most of the guys are on my Facebook page so here and there we email, comment, and post to one another,” Mestre added.
Mestre may have been gone from the wrestling world, but all eyes were still on him in other capacities. “I have competed in MMA, done fight choreographing for movies, continued my pursuit of becoming a black belt in Ju-Jitsu, and as of recent I have become the assistant head coach of cardio for a major MMA company,” Mestre added.
Wrestling may still be in Mestre’s blood a little, but he has one certain thing that he misses the most. “The fans! The fans always interacted with me. My favorite memory was when they sung Happy Birthday to me while I was in the ring. There are so many moments that relive in my head from the shouts of RESPECTO to RESPECTO SECURITY! And of course how could I not love hearing everyone start to sing Ole Ole Ole? To this day whenever I hear that song I think of IZW,” admits Mestre.
But in looking back to his wrestling days, Mestre enjoyed his time in the ring. And with wrestling pretty much everybody on the IZW roster, who was Mestre’s favorite opponent? “Nate, hands down. He and I flowed together because we knew each other so well. I watch the DVD of just our matches in IZW and I smile every time because you hear the crowd divided. Plus all the things we thought up to do in the ring to make the crowd pop. Good times no doubt!” explained Mestre.
But would Mestre return to the ring for an IZW One Night Stand show? Mestre had to say, “I would show up, maybe do a run in just to do the Pele kick one last time. To actually wrestle a match though, no I wouldn’t. I’m retired like I said and I don’t want to retire, come back, retire again. It would be nice just to come back to see the boys, the fans, and be a part of it some way.”
So, with that said…could some kind of return for Mestre be in his cards? Only Mestre knows the answer & he was more then happy to share it. “As of late I feel an itch, but I’m not looking to scratch it. I was in Newark, NJ a couple weeks ago for the UFC fight. Two of my boys were fighting, both of which I helped train in cardio. That night was electric and it made me want to return to MMA. Seeing someone I trained become champ made me proud and at the same time a bit jealous. The next day WWE had a show in Newark. It worked out that breakfast was myself, a couple guys from UFC, and a few guys from WWE. One of those guys was someone I had trained with at UPW that was now champion. He was telling me how great things were now especially with the angles with him leading into Wrestlemania. So sitting at a table with a UFC champion, a UFC #1 contender, a WWE champion, and loads of wrestling talent, I was split of what I wanted to do, but felt that itch heavily.”
Mestre then added, “I enjoy the pop I get from the crowds and the competition, but the pain is something I can live without. In wrestling I have dislodged my collar bone, dislocated my shoulder, separated the scapula from the tendon, had 2 teeth knocked out, fractured ribs, sustained a concussion, and numerous other injuries. The pain is constant day in and day out. In MMA I’ve had only a blown knee and a mild concussion. It’s natural to get hurt in wrestling as there are more risks being taken. With MMA though it’s a lot safer, but injuries still happen. In the end you have to weigh out the pros and the cons, see where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and what your chances are. I’ve done all that already and realize that I’m being called elsewhere now and I’ve decided to answer that call and hang up on wrestling. The older I get the easier it becomes to stay away from getting back in the ring. Fortunately for me I got to see what it’s like in the big leagues for a moment in time. Not everyone can say that.”
Guess that makes a return to the Arizona scene out of the question, doesn’t it? “I’m sensing a theme here. I’m guessing that there is a need for some Antonio Mestre in Arizona wrestling is that just in general? I’ve been getting phone calls, texts, Facebook emails, and emails about when I’m coming back to Arizona to wrestle and when I’m coming back to Arizona period. I haven’t been to Arizona, layovers don’t count, since the Peter Goodman tribute show and feel it’s a long time coming for me to pay a visit to Arizona. That visit will come this year, but depending on how my schedule goes I cannot give a date. Just know ‘Everyone’s Favorite Brazilian’ comes home soon!” Mestre had to say.
As for the future though, Mestre has his eyes wide open. Continuing on his current path, Mestre is ready for what life has in store for him, as he explained, “The next 3 months will be focused on finishing college with my 2nd degree, this one in Information Technology. I am looking to obtain my black belt in Ju-Jitsu in May from the Gracie school in California. Help to train another one of my friends to become a UFC champion. I also plan to check off a lot more things on my bucket list (no I’m not dying, I just have a list). My return to MMA is on hold, but me being involved in it will continue with my new position. Eh and maybe I’ll get a dog, married, and have kids. MAYBE! Guess you gotta friend me on Facebook to keep up to date on that.”
And that is the best way to stay up to date with Antonio Mestre…find him on Facebook & become the traveling man’s friend!