Post by Toom E. Guci on May 3, 2011 20:23:39 GMT -8
Brandon Hill…a name only familiar to his friends. But IZW fans know Hill best as former IZW Heavyweight Champion Lionheart, the Mocha Fudge Phenom. Whenever Hill entered the IZW, the fans were on their feet, dancing to the beat of his music…giving fans another form of interacting with their favorite independent wrestlers besides cheering & booing.
Hill started training to enter the world of professional wrestling a year after graduating high school at the Ultimate University in El Segundo, California. Run by the folks who brought Ultimate Professional Wrestling to the California fans, Hill got the wrestling bug on March 31st, 1996...which happened to be the same day as Wrestlemania 12. Hill explains, “ Bret “The Hitman” Hart Vs. “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. After watching their phenomenal display of charisma, athletic ability & cardiovascular condition, I decided from that point on that I wanted to pursue a career in Sports-Entertainment.”
First things first, Hill decided to not use his real name in the ring like most wrestlers. Some may think the name came from Chris Jericho’s nickname of Lionheart since it sounds good, but that is not the case. Hill was more then happy to share how he got the name, “In one of the high schools that I attended, my grappling instructor Mr. Ebright gave me that name. He would always have a grappling class after school that students were allowed to attend free of charge. With me being a fan of professional wrestling I decided to start taking classes. Unfortunately for me, the classes were nothing like the wrestling that I saw on Monday Night Raw. Every class I’d get “stretched out”. He’d put me in submission hold after submission hold, but even though I tapped out I was willing to try again & get back on the mat. I was the first one to class & the last one to leave the gym. One day in the middle of a training session, he looked at me & said, ‘Kid…no matter how badly you get beaten up, you always get back up. You never stay down. You’ve got the heart of a lion‘.”
And from there, Hill made his wrestling debut against one of his closest friends…Antonio Mestre. Mestre shared his thoughts of the first match, ““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.”
Hill added, “I was terrified! We were at a Latin Carnival & we were performing in front of about 400 people. To make things even more nerve racking for me the promoter told us if our match didn’t go 30 minutes then we wouldn’t be paid.”
From there, Hill continued to perfect his craft in the ring. Hill’s wrestling path was changed by the introduction of IZW through his closest friends in the business. “The Cali Connection, which consisted of myself, Lil’ Nate, Peter Goodman (RIP) & Antonio Mestre, were an extremely tight nit group. One day I was in class at Ultimate University when I was approached by my brothers. With big grins on their faces, they reached into their gym bags & pulled out IZW Tag Team Championship Titles. After inquiring were they got them from, they told me they had been working for a promotion in Tempe, AZ. I told them that I wanted to work at that promotion as well & asked if they could get me a spot. The rest is history,” explained Hill.
Then on May 10th, 2005...Hill piled into the same vehicle as the Cali Connection & they all headed east to Tempe, Arizona. Hill was ready for his IZW debut & who better then Lucha Reigns to face in his first match. “Wow! I’m very impressed. You know the exact date & everything! I don’t even remember the date! I have a saying that I live by which is, ‘If you stay ready, you’ll never have to get ready‘. I always come into a match physically & mentally prepared. I found out I was wrestling Lucha Reigns about a hour before the show started. I’d seen him work once before, so I was aware of his high-flying, Lucha Libre style. I just went out there & adapted to his style,” Hill opened up.
Unfortunately though, reality set in for Hill & he disappeared from IZW for over half a year. It wasn’t until December 20th, 2005 that IZW fans were in for an early Christmas gift, as Hill made his return to face GQ Gallo. Hill explains why he was gone so long, “I had a lot of personal issues going on back home in Cali. I had a few big decisions to make. One of them was rolling out to Arizona every 2 weeks. These weren’t big paydays. I would actually end up losing money every time I would come out to Arizona to perform. Around December, I decided to cut my loses & just continue to pursue my dream.”
As stated earlier though, it was the Cali Connection that helped bring Hill to IZW. Yet, inside the ring, the Cali Connection was hated by the fans while Hill was loved by the fans. But if you ask Hill, he was indeed a member of the Connection, “As I mention earlier, we were The Cali Connection. I wasn’t a secret member. I was an unknown member. They came out & made their mark in IZW before I had gotten there. When I finally arrived they already had their own thing going on, so I just carved out my own niche in IZW.”
So with Hill back in IZW, the fans were back on their feet, dancing along to his music. And at times, Hill would skip the entry way to be with the fans & dance alongside them. “I loved it; some of the greatest moments of my life. It had gotten over well in Cali, but it was a HUGE hit in Tempe. It was something that I planned on happening ahead of time. I just had to find the perfect dance track that aligned with my in-ring character & it worked to perfection,” Hill states.
But on April 26th, 2006, Hill’s IZW world would be shattered. After being in a Triple Threat Match against Jay Garland & Mike James, Justin Roberts would berate Hill in the ring for all his fans to see & hear. And on top of that, Roberts would go on to fire Hill. Still not 100% sure of the firing, Hill has his beliefs, “I still really don’t know why. Obviously it was because Justin Roberts was upset with the negative comments I had made about him during an on-line interview that was posted on the IZW website. If he had an issue with me, it could’ve been done behind closed doors, but ‘an eye for an eye’ I guess. I publicly humiliated him, so he publicly humiliated me.”
The interview in question was actually an earlier interview Hill conducted between myself & Hill. In the interview, Hill was asked whom he would like to face in an IZW ring. Hill’s answer to that question back in 2006 was simple then, as he stated, “Justin Roberts. That -nanny-nanny-pooh-pooh piece of trash parades around IZW like he knows so much about the business, & he’s always trying to put himself over on the microphone when he should just know his role, & just do his announcing job. If he wants to act like he’s one of the boys & be a worker, let’s have IZW put me in the ring with him so I can treat him like one.”
Hill also referred to Roberts as an anus in the interview. So Roberts chose to let his presence be known right before intermission & fired Hill on the spot. Jay Garland was the first wrestler whom approached a protesting Hill in the ring & try to talk some sense into him, but the true voice of reason, love, & 100% support from a brother made Hill leave. Hill explained, “Jay didn’t say anything that made me want to leave. It was Goodman’s statements that made me want to leave the ring. He told me that if they’re going to fire you over this BS then I’ll walk out with you. I told him not to do that. I didn’t want him to mess up his career opportunities with this promotion because of something I did, so I got out of the ring. If I would have stayed in the ring he would’ve stayed with me & consequently gotten fired as well. That’s just the type of guy he was. I really miss him.”
Hill & Roberts problems pretty much stemmed from backstage happenings that Hill did not really make public. In the interview, Hill did not open up why he felt that way about Roberts. But now, 5 years later, Hill is more then happy to open up on the past, “In a nutshell, I didn’t agree with his viewpoints on the way IZW was being ran. Many of the other workers thought the same thing as well. I just decided to stand up & say something about it.”
Hill decided to strike back at Roberts the best way possible…sitting with the fans! On April 25th, 2006, Hill rode back to Tempe with the Cali Connection. Instead of hanging out backstage like usual, Hill threw down $7 & entered The Sets as a fan. Hill explains why he did it, “To ruffle Justin’s feathers & create a buzz filled with controversy. It worked like a charm. You can’t just fire me & expect to get away with it. I’m a winner & I’ll always come out on top no matter what.”
Hill was not done there though. May 9th, 2010’s show, Hill had his brothers in the Cali Connection help him in the ultimate payback to Roberts. Lucha Reigns was scheduled to face IZW Heavyweight Champion Lawrence Tyler, but the Connection had a better idea, as Hill shared, “Goodman & his crew ambushed Lucha, tied him up, went into his gym bag & pulled out one of his spare costumes then proceeded to give it to me before his match.”
Hill then shared how he felt after winning the belt, “Euphoria; I was 135 pounds & I’d just been crowned the IZW Heavyweight Champion of the world. I get goose bumps thinking about it now.”
Hill unmasked after winning the IZW Heavyweight Championship to the disgust of the fans. After all the dancing, all the long road trips for them, & all the bumps & bruises in the ring, the fans turned their back on Hill because he had beaten the number one loved man in IZW…Tyler. This brought a whole new attitude to Hill, as he explains, “I listened to the crowd when Justin Roberts was ripping into me on the microphone. When he would make jokes about my wrestling career, the crowd would laugh at what he was saying. After I was fired, I vowed to myself that if I was ever given the chance to work under this promotion again I’d make the fans pay for not sticking up for me like they should have.”
One of Hill’s first steps in changing his ways to the fans was by changing his music. No more was the up beat dance tempo everybody loved & got out of their seats for. Instead, fans stayed in their seats with a confused look on their face the first time Hill’s new music hit. Hill explains why he changed the music, “Obvious reasons I’d say. The fans danced to my music before. What better way to tick them off then by entering to music that is the exact opposite of what they were accustomed to; not only that, I made sure to my sweet time getting into the ring to ensure that they heard the full track of the ‘dreadful’ music.”
While champion, Hill faced some tough challenges from IZW bests. After all, when you are champion, they all line up! Lucha Reigns was out for revenge for the costume heist & Lawrence Tyler wanted his belt back. On top of that, Lil Nate & Mikes James also received cracks at the belt. But Hill surprises us all when he talks of who his toughest challenge was as champion, “Lil’ Nate was undoubtedly the toughest. Lil’ Nate was one of my mentors & training partners at the beginning of my career. He knew me inside & out. He was always in great physical condition, had wind for days & he was always studying tapes on wrestlers past & present, so if anyone posed a threat to me it would’ve been him. We went tit for tat in the match, but of course, he came up short. Winning!”
But almost three months later, the only championship run in IZW for Hill would come to an end. Hill would be facing the popular Jack Durango for the IZW Heavyweight Championship & would come up short in their encounter on August 1st, 2006. Hill didn’t look at it as a bad vision though, as he explains, “It was a bittersweet moment for me. I’d lost the title, but I went out in a blaze of glory. I performed on a sprained ankle & Cowboy Jack was a good buddy of mine at the time, so I was very proud to see him have his time in the spotlight. Afterwards, my main thought after losing was to get backstage & get some ice on my ankle. I was in a lot of pain.”
And after that, without even a rematch, Hill was gone from the eyes of IZW fans. Hill explains why, “Money. Plain & simple. The paydays weren’t going to increase & I could no longer afford to come out there on my own dime anymore, so in essence it was perfect timing.”
Hill’s career in IZW appeared short if compared to other wrestlers who were proud to call IZW home. But if you ask Hill, it was far from short for him, “Not at all. I went into that promotion, took it by the throat & did something that no IZW Star had done before. I’d rather have had a short & dominate run than a long & mediocre one.”
Leaving IZW even brought a sort of closure between Roberts & Hill. Looking bad, Hill’s thoughts of Roberts are different then in 2006. “Thankful would be the best word. He was a GOD send & I’m happy that he’s currently living his dream in the WWE. What many people don’t know that if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been gotten the spot to fight The Big Show on Monday Night Raw,” adds Hill.
And that spot Hill talks about fell in the weeks prior to Wrestlemania 24. At the time, the Big Show was preparing for his fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as part of Wrestlemania. And with the vision of Wrestlemania 12 in his head, Hill was now technically helping the WWE with the Road to Wrestlemania…courtesy of one Justin Roberts. “I was sitting at home with my lady when I got a call from Lil’ Nate. He said that Justin Roberts wanted to speak to me & it was urgent. He gave me Justin’s number, so I gave him a call. He asked me if I would like to go on tour with the WWE for a week & fight The Big Show in Indianapolis. I eventually agreed & was put into direct contact with the WWE & the rest is history,” explains Hill.
Hill & his entourage made their way to the ring on Monday Night Raw with fans in attendance & all around the world watching what would be the first Mixed Martial Arts Match in WWE history. Hill shared his thoughts going in, “I was overjoyed & ready. I was finally going to live my dream in front of 17,000+ fans on national television.”
But as the match came to an end, a press slam over the top rope to the concrete would have the fans seeing this newcomer on TV in a whole different light. New thoughts ran through Hill’s head, including proud thoughts. “Get me to a hospital! I was so honored that many of the workers & legends of the sport were giving me encouragement & praise after the match & even before the match began; great people such as Dusty Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Shawn Michaels, & Vince McMahon. They really made sure that I was taken care of & that I was mentally ready before going into that match. It was truly a blessing. Afterward finally getting back to my hotel room after getting past a sea of fans that wanted my autograph & to have their picture taken with me, I was finally able to soak in a hot tub. I was in extreme pain. I couldn’t stand up straight for over 12 hours. My back still hurts a bit to this very day,” Hill shared of that night.
Hill would eventually make his way back to IZW though for one night. But not to compete within the ring. Instead, Hill would sit in the VIP section of The Sets to support his brothers in the ring. And it was during a match involving Lehi David Smith that Hill would be invited to show the fans he still has it by chopping Smith. Hill had mixed reactions to that moment as he looks back, “I was angry & sad. I chopped him so hard that my shades flew off of the top of my head & shattered on the floor. I really miss those shades. I wish I wouldn’t have done that.”
Hill currently is not active in the sport of professional wrestling. In fact, Hill officially went out the exact same way he went in…facing Antonio Mestre. “ Ironically I was retired after the match with Show, but I got a call from my boy Mestre. He was doing a retirement match & wanted me to be his last match. So in essence, we retired at the same time,” shared Hill.
Hill admits that he only keeps in touch with 2 friends from his days in IZW, 1 being Mestre & the other being…well, me. Hill decided to pick up his life & move out of California, where he now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hill’s focus is not the world of professional wrestling, but in another sport involving a ring. “I’ve focused my time on partying, my Promotional Modeling career & currently trainer to pursue a career as a MMA fighter,” adds Hill.
Hill’s favorite IZW memory is that faithful night he stood center ring, unmasking himself as Lucha Reigns, & holding the IZW Heavyweight Championship while the fans boo him for his victory. Hill even spoke up about what he misses most about IZW, “Partying with The Cali Connection after the shows, those wonderful massages that Destiny would give me after my matches & most of all: the fans. IZW fans are the most die-fans that I’ve ever had the privilege to perform in front of on the independent scene & I cherished every minute of it.”
And on top of that, Lil Nate may have been his favorite opponent as champion, but Hill sees his toughest & favorite opponent over all being not only the man he first faced in IZW, but the man who’s costume he stole, “That would have to go to Lucha Reigns; hands down. That guy was amazing to wrestle & we always tore the house down.”
Hill would definitely come back to visit with his old friends, but an in-ring return is out of the question for the former champion. Not even an IZW: One Night Stand would entice him to return, “I’m down with that portion of my career in Sports-Entertainment. I lived my dream, I had a great run & I’m on to the next.”
But Hill’s life & dreams are far from over. Having gone down that road of every wrestler’s dreams, being the World Champion, wrestling on Monday Night Raw, spending time with his brothers, & making new friends wherever Hill goes, one chapter may have ended for him. But the next chapter….well, Hill says it best, “I can show you better than I can tell you. Stay tuned!”
Hill started training to enter the world of professional wrestling a year after graduating high school at the Ultimate University in El Segundo, California. Run by the folks who brought Ultimate Professional Wrestling to the California fans, Hill got the wrestling bug on March 31st, 1996...which happened to be the same day as Wrestlemania 12. Hill explains, “ Bret “The Hitman” Hart Vs. “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. After watching their phenomenal display of charisma, athletic ability & cardiovascular condition, I decided from that point on that I wanted to pursue a career in Sports-Entertainment.”
First things first, Hill decided to not use his real name in the ring like most wrestlers. Some may think the name came from Chris Jericho’s nickname of Lionheart since it sounds good, but that is not the case. Hill was more then happy to share how he got the name, “In one of the high schools that I attended, my grappling instructor Mr. Ebright gave me that name. He would always have a grappling class after school that students were allowed to attend free of charge. With me being a fan of professional wrestling I decided to start taking classes. Unfortunately for me, the classes were nothing like the wrestling that I saw on Monday Night Raw. Every class I’d get “stretched out”. He’d put me in submission hold after submission hold, but even though I tapped out I was willing to try again & get back on the mat. I was the first one to class & the last one to leave the gym. One day in the middle of a training session, he looked at me & said, ‘Kid…no matter how badly you get beaten up, you always get back up. You never stay down. You’ve got the heart of a lion‘.”
And from there, Hill made his wrestling debut against one of his closest friends…Antonio Mestre. Mestre shared his thoughts of the first match, ““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.”
Hill added, “I was terrified! We were at a Latin Carnival & we were performing in front of about 400 people. To make things even more nerve racking for me the promoter told us if our match didn’t go 30 minutes then we wouldn’t be paid.”
From there, Hill continued to perfect his craft in the ring. Hill’s wrestling path was changed by the introduction of IZW through his closest friends in the business. “The Cali Connection, which consisted of myself, Lil’ Nate, Peter Goodman (RIP) & Antonio Mestre, were an extremely tight nit group. One day I was in class at Ultimate University when I was approached by my brothers. With big grins on their faces, they reached into their gym bags & pulled out IZW Tag Team Championship Titles. After inquiring were they got them from, they told me they had been working for a promotion in Tempe, AZ. I told them that I wanted to work at that promotion as well & asked if they could get me a spot. The rest is history,” explained Hill.
Then on May 10th, 2005...Hill piled into the same vehicle as the Cali Connection & they all headed east to Tempe, Arizona. Hill was ready for his IZW debut & who better then Lucha Reigns to face in his first match. “Wow! I’m very impressed. You know the exact date & everything! I don’t even remember the date! I have a saying that I live by which is, ‘If you stay ready, you’ll never have to get ready‘. I always come into a match physically & mentally prepared. I found out I was wrestling Lucha Reigns about a hour before the show started. I’d seen him work once before, so I was aware of his high-flying, Lucha Libre style. I just went out there & adapted to his style,” Hill opened up.
Unfortunately though, reality set in for Hill & he disappeared from IZW for over half a year. It wasn’t until December 20th, 2005 that IZW fans were in for an early Christmas gift, as Hill made his return to face GQ Gallo. Hill explains why he was gone so long, “I had a lot of personal issues going on back home in Cali. I had a few big decisions to make. One of them was rolling out to Arizona every 2 weeks. These weren’t big paydays. I would actually end up losing money every time I would come out to Arizona to perform. Around December, I decided to cut my loses & just continue to pursue my dream.”
As stated earlier though, it was the Cali Connection that helped bring Hill to IZW. Yet, inside the ring, the Cali Connection was hated by the fans while Hill was loved by the fans. But if you ask Hill, he was indeed a member of the Connection, “As I mention earlier, we were The Cali Connection. I wasn’t a secret member. I was an unknown member. They came out & made their mark in IZW before I had gotten there. When I finally arrived they already had their own thing going on, so I just carved out my own niche in IZW.”
So with Hill back in IZW, the fans were back on their feet, dancing along to his music. And at times, Hill would skip the entry way to be with the fans & dance alongside them. “I loved it; some of the greatest moments of my life. It had gotten over well in Cali, but it was a HUGE hit in Tempe. It was something that I planned on happening ahead of time. I just had to find the perfect dance track that aligned with my in-ring character & it worked to perfection,” Hill states.
But on April 26th, 2006, Hill’s IZW world would be shattered. After being in a Triple Threat Match against Jay Garland & Mike James, Justin Roberts would berate Hill in the ring for all his fans to see & hear. And on top of that, Roberts would go on to fire Hill. Still not 100% sure of the firing, Hill has his beliefs, “I still really don’t know why. Obviously it was because Justin Roberts was upset with the negative comments I had made about him during an on-line interview that was posted on the IZW website. If he had an issue with me, it could’ve been done behind closed doors, but ‘an eye for an eye’ I guess. I publicly humiliated him, so he publicly humiliated me.”
The interview in question was actually an earlier interview Hill conducted between myself & Hill. In the interview, Hill was asked whom he would like to face in an IZW ring. Hill’s answer to that question back in 2006 was simple then, as he stated, “Justin Roberts. That -nanny-nanny-pooh-pooh piece of trash parades around IZW like he knows so much about the business, & he’s always trying to put himself over on the microphone when he should just know his role, & just do his announcing job. If he wants to act like he’s one of the boys & be a worker, let’s have IZW put me in the ring with him so I can treat him like one.”
Hill also referred to Roberts as an anus in the interview. So Roberts chose to let his presence be known right before intermission & fired Hill on the spot. Jay Garland was the first wrestler whom approached a protesting Hill in the ring & try to talk some sense into him, but the true voice of reason, love, & 100% support from a brother made Hill leave. Hill explained, “Jay didn’t say anything that made me want to leave. It was Goodman’s statements that made me want to leave the ring. He told me that if they’re going to fire you over this BS then I’ll walk out with you. I told him not to do that. I didn’t want him to mess up his career opportunities with this promotion because of something I did, so I got out of the ring. If I would have stayed in the ring he would’ve stayed with me & consequently gotten fired as well. That’s just the type of guy he was. I really miss him.”
Hill & Roberts problems pretty much stemmed from backstage happenings that Hill did not really make public. In the interview, Hill did not open up why he felt that way about Roberts. But now, 5 years later, Hill is more then happy to open up on the past, “In a nutshell, I didn’t agree with his viewpoints on the way IZW was being ran. Many of the other workers thought the same thing as well. I just decided to stand up & say something about it.”
Hill decided to strike back at Roberts the best way possible…sitting with the fans! On April 25th, 2006, Hill rode back to Tempe with the Cali Connection. Instead of hanging out backstage like usual, Hill threw down $7 & entered The Sets as a fan. Hill explains why he did it, “To ruffle Justin’s feathers & create a buzz filled with controversy. It worked like a charm. You can’t just fire me & expect to get away with it. I’m a winner & I’ll always come out on top no matter what.”
Hill was not done there though. May 9th, 2010’s show, Hill had his brothers in the Cali Connection help him in the ultimate payback to Roberts. Lucha Reigns was scheduled to face IZW Heavyweight Champion Lawrence Tyler, but the Connection had a better idea, as Hill shared, “Goodman & his crew ambushed Lucha, tied him up, went into his gym bag & pulled out one of his spare costumes then proceeded to give it to me before his match.”
Hill then shared how he felt after winning the belt, “Euphoria; I was 135 pounds & I’d just been crowned the IZW Heavyweight Champion of the world. I get goose bumps thinking about it now.”
Hill unmasked after winning the IZW Heavyweight Championship to the disgust of the fans. After all the dancing, all the long road trips for them, & all the bumps & bruises in the ring, the fans turned their back on Hill because he had beaten the number one loved man in IZW…Tyler. This brought a whole new attitude to Hill, as he explains, “I listened to the crowd when Justin Roberts was ripping into me on the microphone. When he would make jokes about my wrestling career, the crowd would laugh at what he was saying. After I was fired, I vowed to myself that if I was ever given the chance to work under this promotion again I’d make the fans pay for not sticking up for me like they should have.”
One of Hill’s first steps in changing his ways to the fans was by changing his music. No more was the up beat dance tempo everybody loved & got out of their seats for. Instead, fans stayed in their seats with a confused look on their face the first time Hill’s new music hit. Hill explains why he changed the music, “Obvious reasons I’d say. The fans danced to my music before. What better way to tick them off then by entering to music that is the exact opposite of what they were accustomed to; not only that, I made sure to my sweet time getting into the ring to ensure that they heard the full track of the ‘dreadful’ music.”
While champion, Hill faced some tough challenges from IZW bests. After all, when you are champion, they all line up! Lucha Reigns was out for revenge for the costume heist & Lawrence Tyler wanted his belt back. On top of that, Lil Nate & Mikes James also received cracks at the belt. But Hill surprises us all when he talks of who his toughest challenge was as champion, “Lil’ Nate was undoubtedly the toughest. Lil’ Nate was one of my mentors & training partners at the beginning of my career. He knew me inside & out. He was always in great physical condition, had wind for days & he was always studying tapes on wrestlers past & present, so if anyone posed a threat to me it would’ve been him. We went tit for tat in the match, but of course, he came up short. Winning!”
But almost three months later, the only championship run in IZW for Hill would come to an end. Hill would be facing the popular Jack Durango for the IZW Heavyweight Championship & would come up short in their encounter on August 1st, 2006. Hill didn’t look at it as a bad vision though, as he explains, “It was a bittersweet moment for me. I’d lost the title, but I went out in a blaze of glory. I performed on a sprained ankle & Cowboy Jack was a good buddy of mine at the time, so I was very proud to see him have his time in the spotlight. Afterwards, my main thought after losing was to get backstage & get some ice on my ankle. I was in a lot of pain.”
And after that, without even a rematch, Hill was gone from the eyes of IZW fans. Hill explains why, “Money. Plain & simple. The paydays weren’t going to increase & I could no longer afford to come out there on my own dime anymore, so in essence it was perfect timing.”
Hill’s career in IZW appeared short if compared to other wrestlers who were proud to call IZW home. But if you ask Hill, it was far from short for him, “Not at all. I went into that promotion, took it by the throat & did something that no IZW Star had done before. I’d rather have had a short & dominate run than a long & mediocre one.”
Leaving IZW even brought a sort of closure between Roberts & Hill. Looking bad, Hill’s thoughts of Roberts are different then in 2006. “Thankful would be the best word. He was a GOD send & I’m happy that he’s currently living his dream in the WWE. What many people don’t know that if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been gotten the spot to fight The Big Show on Monday Night Raw,” adds Hill.
And that spot Hill talks about fell in the weeks prior to Wrestlemania 24. At the time, the Big Show was preparing for his fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as part of Wrestlemania. And with the vision of Wrestlemania 12 in his head, Hill was now technically helping the WWE with the Road to Wrestlemania…courtesy of one Justin Roberts. “I was sitting at home with my lady when I got a call from Lil’ Nate. He said that Justin Roberts wanted to speak to me & it was urgent. He gave me Justin’s number, so I gave him a call. He asked me if I would like to go on tour with the WWE for a week & fight The Big Show in Indianapolis. I eventually agreed & was put into direct contact with the WWE & the rest is history,” explains Hill.
Hill & his entourage made their way to the ring on Monday Night Raw with fans in attendance & all around the world watching what would be the first Mixed Martial Arts Match in WWE history. Hill shared his thoughts going in, “I was overjoyed & ready. I was finally going to live my dream in front of 17,000+ fans on national television.”
But as the match came to an end, a press slam over the top rope to the concrete would have the fans seeing this newcomer on TV in a whole different light. New thoughts ran through Hill’s head, including proud thoughts. “Get me to a hospital! I was so honored that many of the workers & legends of the sport were giving me encouragement & praise after the match & even before the match began; great people such as Dusty Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Shawn Michaels, & Vince McMahon. They really made sure that I was taken care of & that I was mentally ready before going into that match. It was truly a blessing. Afterward finally getting back to my hotel room after getting past a sea of fans that wanted my autograph & to have their picture taken with me, I was finally able to soak in a hot tub. I was in extreme pain. I couldn’t stand up straight for over 12 hours. My back still hurts a bit to this very day,” Hill shared of that night.
Hill would eventually make his way back to IZW though for one night. But not to compete within the ring. Instead, Hill would sit in the VIP section of The Sets to support his brothers in the ring. And it was during a match involving Lehi David Smith that Hill would be invited to show the fans he still has it by chopping Smith. Hill had mixed reactions to that moment as he looks back, “I was angry & sad. I chopped him so hard that my shades flew off of the top of my head & shattered on the floor. I really miss those shades. I wish I wouldn’t have done that.”
Hill currently is not active in the sport of professional wrestling. In fact, Hill officially went out the exact same way he went in…facing Antonio Mestre. “ Ironically I was retired after the match with Show, but I got a call from my boy Mestre. He was doing a retirement match & wanted me to be his last match. So in essence, we retired at the same time,” shared Hill.
Hill admits that he only keeps in touch with 2 friends from his days in IZW, 1 being Mestre & the other being…well, me. Hill decided to pick up his life & move out of California, where he now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hill’s focus is not the world of professional wrestling, but in another sport involving a ring. “I’ve focused my time on partying, my Promotional Modeling career & currently trainer to pursue a career as a MMA fighter,” adds Hill.
Hill’s favorite IZW memory is that faithful night he stood center ring, unmasking himself as Lucha Reigns, & holding the IZW Heavyweight Championship while the fans boo him for his victory. Hill even spoke up about what he misses most about IZW, “Partying with The Cali Connection after the shows, those wonderful massages that Destiny would give me after my matches & most of all: the fans. IZW fans are the most die-fans that I’ve ever had the privilege to perform in front of on the independent scene & I cherished every minute of it.”
And on top of that, Lil Nate may have been his favorite opponent as champion, but Hill sees his toughest & favorite opponent over all being not only the man he first faced in IZW, but the man who’s costume he stole, “That would have to go to Lucha Reigns; hands down. That guy was amazing to wrestle & we always tore the house down.”
Hill would definitely come back to visit with his old friends, but an in-ring return is out of the question for the former champion. Not even an IZW: One Night Stand would entice him to return, “I’m down with that portion of my career in Sports-Entertainment. I lived my dream, I had a great run & I’m on to the next.”
But Hill’s life & dreams are far from over. Having gone down that road of every wrestler’s dreams, being the World Champion, wrestling on Monday Night Raw, spending time with his brothers, & making new friends wherever Hill goes, one chapter may have ended for him. But the next chapter….well, Hill says it best, “I can show you better than I can tell you. Stay tuned!”