For those of you that know me, know I’ve been wrestling on the Pro-independent scene for almost 9 years.  I’ve done a lot with my career, and I’ve been to many places, worked in many locker rooms and have met a number of people from all over with very different backgrounds. You see indy wrestlers that are dedicated, with hard bodies carrying their meals, you see the underweight pot-heads that are smoking out before the shows, you see the weekend warriors that chug beers after (and in some cases before) their matches, you see the dirty sluts that are sitting on the male wrestlers’ laps, and you see the dedicated women with self-respect going over their stuff. But I think people that have been in the business for a while would definitely agree that wrestlers share a common thread: we’re all messed up in the head one way or another. 

The majority of wrestlers have daddy issues, were teased as kids, are slightly mentally retarded, etc. (present company INcluded).  There’s some stupid reason we like to get into a square surrounded by ropes, and in some cases matresses surrounded by garden hose, and kill our bodies in front of sometimes 10 people, for no money.  You just don’t many people in the outside world of wrestling that are capable of doing that to themselves. 

I never got sick of wrestling.  I wrestle ALL the time.  But I did, however get sick of the wrestling world.  I missed the competition.   I missed the NYKO that competed for everything, all the way through college.  I missed winning.  I even missed losing…not because my opponent was banging the promoter, but because my opponent happened to fight the better fight. 

So I started boxing.  I’m training for my first fight, and have been training a while now.  After participating in clinics and working with different trainers and different people, I realized a tremendous difference between both my worlds: the MEN. 

I don’t mean to pick on the males, but I have yet to work with a significant number females (in boxing) to notice a difference.  Let’s cut to the chase.  The majority of male wrestlers (I’m covering my ass here, because I have a few amazing male-wrestler friends) are pigs, and they make shitty boyfriends.  They’re self-absorbed, self-centered, uninteresting, superficial, muscle-headed idiots whose gear bags smell like woodchips and peanut butter, as Michelle Morgan would always say.  I’ve dated a few, and every time I fall for a new one it’s like making the same mistake over and over.  It’s a combination of always being around them and me having low standards.  It’s hard to wrestle so much and not wind up dating a wrestler.  A lot of them have no manners or etiquette.  For example, it has been more than one time where I’ve walked into a locker room with no seats available, and not one testosterone-laden beast even offered me a seat.  In any other work place, if someone decided to grab my ass, or my boobs, it’d be a law suit, and it’d be all over the papers.  This happens all too often in a wrestling locker-room.  If someone told me there was a class in their wrestling schools on how to sexually harass females, I wouldn’t be surprised.

And I won’t even get into the fact of how many broke and needy men I’ve met in the business.  I’ve had guy friends tell me they’re with their girlfriend so they’d have a place to stay.  Awesome.  Way to be a real man.

I’ve trained with some great wrestlers.  A lot of them were perverts.  I can’t even remember how many times a Ballard has touched me inappropriately and has gotten whacked for it.  It’s the nature of the business.  Dirty girls give themselves to these dirty men, so they think they can act inappropriately to all women in the business.  Thank you, dumb bitches who have paved the way for us.

As for boxing, I’ve trained with about 4 different people, all of them being male.  I first started noticing a difference when the Russian, who trains me Monday nights, took the time out to run me to the ground.  He had tons of opportunities to flirt, cop a feel, etc.  He was SO into making sure my foot work and jab were ok that the workout was a hundred percent productive.  He helped me put my gloves on, and he actually got up on the ring, and HELD THE ROPES OPEN for me!!  With nobody watching!!  It wasn’t part of a show or match!  It’s the little things, guys.  The little things.

Chad, the pro-boxer that came in to evaluate of few of the fighters, was also really into what he was teaching.  He treated me like a fighter, not like a big-boobed woman with amazing legs.  He told the class I had the best footwork.  So obviously he was paying attention when we were sparring.  And he called me an animal—for hanging with the guys, and not for any other reason.  I took it as a compliment.

I can’t even go into how amazing coach Pat is.  Just a genuinely good person all around.  I’m not going to start because I’m already rambling, and I could go on for days.

So, my theory?  Boxers have discipline. A lot of wrestlers don’t.  It takes DISCIPLINE to wake up at 5:30 am, make your way to the track and train for two hours, only to go home and rest up to train for another hour and a half in the gym.  You have to make weight, which means you can’t eat taco bell and have a beer five minutes before your fight. You respect your opponent, because he probably worked almost as hard as you did, and you don’t shit in his bag.

 With discipline, etiquette and respect is learned.  Guess what guys! You were supposed to pick up on this stuff as a kid.  Grow up.  Respect each other, especially the women who work hard (in the ring that is).

All in all, these are opinions based on MY experiences only.  I can’t speak for anyone else.  There are ok guys in wrestling, I just wouldn’t date any of them anymore.  I’d rather date a guy with a smooshed nose that is attentive to me than a dude with a nice bod that checks himSELF out all the time.

Let’s see how much shit I get for this one…

Peace, love and free drinks,

New York Knockout Nikki :)