Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Bobby Fish on AEW, MLW, Undisputed Era, NXT, Adam Cole in AEW

Episode Date: October 11, 2021

Today's guest is Bobby Fish. Bobby is a professional wrestler currently signed to MLW and known for his time in NXT as part of the faction "Undisputed Era" with Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong. He has also worked for AEW, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about why he signed a contract with MLW, some of the matchups he's looking forward to there, forming the Undisputed Era, being released from his WWE contract, what he learned from training with the late, great Harley Race, his plans after wrestling and much more! If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.  For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Blitz! All right, here we go, my friends. Welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight. I'm Chris Van Vleet. Thank you so much for being with us on this one. And for a lot of you, you know who I'm talking about. You're with us on every episode, whether it's a wrestler, an actor, a comedian, entrepreneur, FBI negotiator, astrophysicist.

whatever the case may be, I appreciate you being on this journey with me. Today we are joined by a wrestler and one who's been all over the world. You've seen Bobby Fish most recently in MLW and also in AEW where he had a TNT championship match against Sammy Guevar.

You can give him a follow on Twitter and Instagram. If you don't already, he's at the Bobby Fish. And if you're not following me already, it's just at Chris Van Vleet. And if you happen to have TikTok, Chris. Dot Van Fleet, as I throw the occasional video up there on TikTok. Also, could you check right now to make sure that you're subscribed to the show wherever you're listening?

And speaking of subscribing, if you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, we are so close to hitting 300,000 subscribers on there. We're just a few hundred a ways. So your subscription would go a very, very long way. And of course, of course, it's free. Not like some other people who have patrons and charge for things. And that's fine. I'm just saying it's absolutely free to support the show, to support the YouTube channel.

Kind of like this from Darius Carlisle. He's our fan of the week. He says an amazing must listen podcast. Thank you so much for what you do here in your podcast. It's been a great inspiration for me. As I've been taking the steps necessary to follow my passion for 50, and bodybuilding. I'm very grateful there's people in the world

like you. Wow. Well, super grateful for you, Darius. Thank you so much for leaving that review on Apple Podcasts. And I read one out on every episode. So please just leave a few words on there. And I will shout you out. All right. Let's get right

into this thing. Please welcome. Bobby Fish. Bobby, it's good to see you again. Yeah, man, you too. what do I get going on on here? Oh, it's like telling you like, yes, this is being recorded. Yeah.

Like a legal thing here. I got it. We were just spending the last 10 minutes doing errands in your house. I appreciate you taking us along for that. I'm a multitasker. And if any point during this conversation, you need to do things, just pick us up and bring us along for that. Sure. I mean, that's the power we have in technology.

Right. Yeah, well, not only are we not even in the same place right now. We're not even in the same time zone. It's amazing how technology has allowed us to be able to do this. Yeah. It's like, wow, I'm going to really date myself with this reference. But it's like Star Trek, which I don't even know from my generation. It was my sister's generation.

My sister and I are 15 years apart. So she was in charge of me a lot of times. And she would watch Star Trek. So I have vague memories of Star Trek when I was a wee boy. Remember when Dick Tracy would talk to people on his watch phone? Yes. And we were like, man, that is the future. Yeah.

And now here it is. Look at us now. What are we drinking here, by the way? Some cold brew. Nice. I'm just drinking water over here. Okay. I got a water over there as well.

I go back and forth. Okay, mixing it up. It was so nice to meet you. It was like two weeks ago. It was so nice to meet you in Pennsylvania there. And now you're getting ready to debut at MLW. And how are you feeling about the MLW debut? I'm excited.

You know, it's an interesting place to get back out there on the indie scene and kind of doing doing this thing freehand. Freehand as in like, what, you get to call your own shots here? Is that what you mean? Yeah, I suppose. I mean, it's just, you know, when you spend a good amount of time in this business, you experience where places, every place is different, you know. And no place is better nor worse, just different, I feel.

And, you know, certainly different getting back into the swing of things where I am now and with a place like MLW. And you're pretty familiar with a lot of people on the roster there, right? Yeah, yeah, very much. And then looking at the Opera Cup, for sure, like the people that have been announced, there's a few that I don't, I am not familiar with. And then there's a few that I am. So when you look at the roster, who are you like, oh my God, I can't wait to get in there and mix it up with them? Tom Lawler and I have some history on both sides of the fence. So it's always interesting to me to get in there with Tom.

He was either my second to last or my last independent mass before leaving for NXT. I want to say it was the last one, literally the last one, if not close to it. But yeah, not knowing when I'd mix it up with Tom again. And Tom at the time, I think, was just coming off the tail end of finishing out some maybe UFC contract stuff and was getting back into pro wrestling. I don't think he was as enveloped as he is now. And so to think that things have come a little bit full circle in the past four years, and now I might be tied up with Tom again.

That's exciting. That'd be cool. Have you worked Matt Cross before? Yeah, he's another one. So, oddly enough, right before going to NXT, it was, again, another one of the last independent matches that we did. Kyle and I, who towards the tail end of our Ring of Honor run, we didn't tag there for, I think, over a year. We came back together on a few independent bookings before we went to NXT tagging.

And we tagged at a place in Seattle called Defy Wrestling. It was actually a really, really cool show against Matt Cross and Darby Allen, a young, a young Darby Allen. Not that he's old now, but like he was just kind of getting out there. You know, I didn't know him until that booking. And yeah, it was a fun match and to see what he's done now. And obviously Matt Cross is Matt Cross. I've known him for years.

That guy, I can't even believe some of the things that guy can do. It's pretty crazy. He's a video game. He is a video game. I think people are really familiar with a lot of your work recently as part of a tag team, and that's obviously shifting now. So how does your approach to it change? I think it's like you get your bearings.

You got to give yourself that time. But I think when you've done it this long, like transitioning between the two, I don't want to say is easy, but you know it's going to happen. You just got to be patient with it sometimes. they both have pros and cons to them. It's like anything else. But

like I said, towards the end of our Ring of Honor run, Kyle and I really kind of stopped tagging, so I did mostly singles. And then transitioning into Nxti, it turned into a couple of years of

mostly tagging. And then, you know, who I don't even know how to categorize. The tail, the very tail end of where I was. But now I'm back to kind of a singles route. I'm excited about it. Yeah. How do you categorize the time you spent in NXT,

just as a whole? As a whole, I mean, that was certainly highlight of one of the highlights of my career. You know, to obviously, you know, the Tokyo Dome and New Jersey. Japan stuff were highlights as well. So like I don't I don't rank anything above or below others necessarily but like debuting in the Barclay Center standing literally next to two of my best friends and getting that sort of reaction that is now somewhat estranged to us because of the lack of crowds and whatnot recently. But there's that and then as a whole, I think when we found out that it was going to be Adam, Kyle, and I, we were kind of, that was Divido-D-E.

That was NXT's idea. So it was like kind of waiting for somebody to come into the room and go, ah, we're just screwing with you. So from that point, all the way through to like when they added Roddy to the mix with us, who, you know, at the time, if they had suggested anybody but Roddy, we probably would have been like, so it was just kind of serendipitous. And it being four legitimate close friends made it like not really going to work. Even when we were running hard and we were kind of the workhourses of NXT at one point,

I will say wholeheartedly with confidence, We loved it because it was what we went there to be. And it wasn't hard because you were just hanging out with your buddies. Yeah. Didn't seem real. Were those three guys, the guys that you always traveled with too? Yeah. I mean, we would kind of in and out with one another because we all went slightly different places with our careers.

but once the four of us were in Ring of Honor together, and then we started doing a lot of New Japan stuff, especially Kyle and I, and then Adam would be thrown into the mix here and there with New Japan, Roddy, before, you know, until he left to go to NXT because he went to NXT before the rest of us. He was probably there about a year, I believe.

But we, you know, the four of us had just crossed past, had so many times and had such similar journeys that there it was just you know there are definitely three guys that I could relate to on a level that I can't everybody else you know yeah so when you signed with nxc were you assuming that you know that was maybe the place that you would end your career um yeah I mean I was trying to be just present with it and not think too far ahead because there was definitely a time in my career where I thought, you know, but the standards that were believed to be required in WWE, you know, would have ruled me out at that point in working underneath the WDWROW.

You're talking about the size requirements, perhaps? Among other things. Yeah. So I don't know that I was, you know, let's just put it this way. I'm far from the prototype. And, you know, at that point in my life, let's say, even further from the prototype. So to get the opportunity that I got for Triple H and Sean Michaels to roll the dice on us and give us an opportunity to end up in this group that was compared to DX and the horsemen and just it's like it doesn't get. any more humbling.

Yeah. And some of the best entrance music ever, I think. Yeah, it's, it's, it's amazing to look back how how those things kind of come together. And if you really tried, like to plot it out and plan it,

it wouldn't work. Like even the, you know, the hand gesture and blah, blah, blah. It was like, yeah, you know, it's interesting the way that that stuff happens, especially with pro wrestling, only in pro-rass. And the fact that Adam Cole turned, you know, that one part of the song into his like, you know, his gesture.

Like, yeah. Do you remember him saying to you, all right, Bobby, I'm going to do this boom thing? No, it was all, like the whole thing, we were feeling it out as we went. And the music, I think anytime you get music, you're kind of married to your previous music, Like I know for us, when they gave us that as a group,

I kept thinking about the music that Cole came out to. And then I kept thinking about the music that Kyle and I came out to as Red Dragon. And they were very different from one another and very different from what they were proposing. So it was like, man, how are we going to make this work? And ideas got kicked around and boom was one of them. and it ended up sticking. And I think we each individually found our groove on the entrance. And then somehow it all just kind of came together.

And then, I don't know, like the thing that happened in the ring didn't really, I don't think really came together fully until Roddy was added. So, yes, it's interesting how step by step. Yeah. It's hard, I guess, for you to look at this objectively, but where do you rank the undisputed era in all the great factions in wrestling? I don't know. I can only say that like every time I've ever seen a mention of us with the horsemen,

it's mind-boggling to me because I watch like the Crockett years in W. or NWA or NWA or whatever you were called. That's that's the pro wrestling that like truly turned me like rabid. You know, there was and there was definitely WWF. Like, I mean, who was not a Hulkomaniac? I was a big British Bulldogs fan. I'd say Ricky Seymbo when he was doing kind of the ninja gimmick in WWF was what really got me into pro wrestling.

But I remember a teenager. as a teenager like the horseman stuff and the war games and that being so um like just really capturing my imagination so much

to then become a group with three of my best friends that like rivaled to some people that and then we are the kind of catalyst that that war games like Hunter was

because I know that Hunter obviously loved the war games and stuff too and wanted to bring it back for a long time and that he trusted us to be those guys you know is again

just humbling to me and I'm grateful for it like because in the history books it'll always be at the next incarnation of the war games we were synonymous with that you know we were in all four of them

so it's yeah career one of the career highlights obviously. With all of these legendary names that you just threw out at us, those are some of the best of all time. When you were growing up, you were watching wrestling, but at what

point did it start to click to you, they're like, oh, I might be able to actually do this for a living. I don't think it ever did when I was a kid, not even a little. It wasn't really, like, growing up, I was way into martial arts, and then I got really into football in high school, going into college.

and that's all I cared about. I just, I wanted to play major college football. I didn't end up, you know, making, I wanted to play Division 1A college football, and I made it to a 1-A school. I played out my years, enjoyed it, not quite at the level that I had seen for myself, but, you know, it is what it is. and when that was kind of coming to an end, I had a college degree.

I was trying to figure out, okay, well, what am I going to do with a bachelor's in English? And I don't, you know, I do remember, but it's a story maybe for another time. But the pro wrestling thing, I don't know, it kind of ended up on the radar. And then once I got a year or so into it, I was like, okay, I know I really kind of enjoy this to see where it goes.

And then I think the first thing that made me look at it and go, okay, maybe you can do this for a living was when I got brought over to Japan for the first time by pro wrestling Noah. That was about five years in. And I wasn't making a living on pro wrestling at that point. I was still working other jobs. but, you know, for somebody to fly you to another country. Yeah, and pay you. And pay me, yeah. I was like, okay, I mean, maybe I'm not too bad at this.

What position were you playing in football? I played, like growing up, I played running back linebacker, and then into junior college in an effort to try to get recruited by a bigger school, I moved to strong safety. and then when I ended up at a one double A school I went back to linebacker because the school I was playing at like you could get away with

I guess I could get away with being a little bit undersized and that's what the team I was playing on needed a lineback and um were you close at all to getting drafted or being invited to like the combine or anything no no there was a

guy on my team reggie green uh who was a just out of this world running back. He got some NFL attention. You know, I did what the writing on the wall for me became, because I just, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to continue to play football. And so I worked out for two different arena teams.

Arena football was a thing at the time. And when I didn't make either of those teams, it was kind of a, you know, a turning point. Because I don't know necessarily that I wasn't good enough to make those teams, but I was, the way that the arena football game shrunk the outdoor game, it really took away some of the things that I did well and then focused on some of the stuff that I might have struggled with. So, I don't know. I mean, apples and oranges, who knows, but it was clear to me that, like, okay, I'm not going to make a living playing football. So I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for a living. And I don't know. Every time I flirted with something that felt like nine to five, it didn't feel right.

I think you're at this stage of your career, perhaps with more years of wrestling behind you than in front of you. Do you think about what might be next? Are you going to put that English degree to good use? I don't know. You know, I really, I don't know. I think right now it's like such a transitional period. And I'm still going to wrestle. We'll see how much longer, you know,

and we'll see where the chips fall from there. Yeah, I mean, I definitely don't want to bump forever. I don't know if you can't bump forever. That's the thing. No, and that's the truth is you cannot. Like when you get out of bed right, now what hurts on you i guess it depends on the day and how recently you've wrestled yeah i mean i don't know sometimes i think i'm just in denial because i just feel abnormally good and i feel like

that maybe i shouldn't you look great i mean there's no reason you can't wrestle another five ten years i don't yeah and you know i don't even know if that's the timetable i i i wish for you You know, I just know that like right now, I'm still motivated to do it. And I'm just trying to be present with it and make my decisions from that place as opposed to trying to predict the future and know what's to come and blah, blah, blah, because you just don't. Yeah. Why did you feel that MLW was such a great fit for you right now? The opportunity presented itself, and it just made the more we talked about it, the more it seemed to make sense. And having an opportunity with this, I think it caters to my style.

There were some interesting matchups already if I looked at them on the surface. And so, yeah, just made sense. Yeah. And it is, we've already said a couple of the matches. But when you look at the entire roster, I feel like Bobby Fish could have a great match with pretty much anyone there. Yeah, I mean, you know, I'd like to think I could have a great match with anybody. It always helps when you have a good counterpart, you know.

But yeah, so to look up and down that roster and see the talent, like it's encouraging and it's exciting. and it kind of gets you, get you motivated. By the way, Bobby Fish is a fantastic name. I'll thank my parents for that. Were you always Bobby growing up, or were you Robert, Rob, Bob? Like, there's so many different variations of your name. I was Bobby from the time I was a, like I can remember,

the earliest. That's what my mother called me Bobby. And then as I got older and into, high school, like I went through a little bit of an identity crisis where I wanted to be, you know, Bobby sounded like a kid. So I insisted on being called Bob. And then as I got out of high school and started going to college and like I would have to introduce myself to people, I felt really kind of derpy to go, oh, my name's Bob. So I went back to Bobby. Bob Fish is pretty good too though

Yeah I guess I just Bob you know You spell it the same way front and back It's just a palindrome it's amazing It was tough so I went back to Bobby And it's been Bobby ever since I mean that's really what I'm comfortable with And ironically enough that's what my mom always called me But there must be wrestling phones

I think that your real last name isn't fish Yeah For sure or somebody is looking at for like the gimmick to be attached to it. There really, you know, there isn't one. You know, I don't come out looking like the Gordon's fisherman or anything. And really, the way that that came about was where Noah had noticed me and recruited me to come in, they knew me as Bobby Fish because it was a Harley Race Camp was where they saw me.

So I was just Bobby Fish. and when I was going over there, the work visa and everything was set up for my real name. So before I had even got there, it was advertised. So I had no choice, but at least there, to go with my real name. And then it didn't, you know, I figured Noah was the highest profile stuff I was doing. Possibly that would be the highest I did. So I figured, well, I'm going to stick with it.

you know, why confuse the audience and have multiple names if you can avoid it? I love that you brought up Harley Race because that's who trained you. And I'm curious to know how much of what you do in the ring now is influenced by what you learned from him all those years ago. Well, so that's Harley, Harley was somebody that after I had been working and trained, kind of polished my time there. So Tony DeVito trained me originally from the Baldies. He worked in ECW.

He worked in Greenwich. He was who trained me. And I started working after being with Tony. I was probably, like I said, maybe five years in when I did a Harley camp. And Noah started bringing me over. At the time, I thought I was going over to train. and when I saw my itinerary and it was for three weeks and not three months, I couldn't make sense of it. And then I spoke to Harley and then, you know, nobody really had an answer.

So I got over there. And when I got there, you know, much to my surprise, they were like, oh, no, you're wrestling tonight on Samurai TV in Quarkin Hall like you're having your first match. And off to the races we went. And like most of the Japanese boys, you know, the way that they, in. interpret it. They, you know, they were like, well, no, you, you were coming over to work. I guess it was just the miscommunication, because I never, from that day forward, I always went over there just as one of the working wrestlers. And I didn't know that I was ready for that, you know. And then, like I said, certainly, so then I would go back to Harle's each year for a few years.

that they would do the camp and work with Harley. It was, you know, it was awesome to get, to spend time with such a legend and learn from him. And like I said, he really was, was one of the people that was able to polish up some of, I guess, what was, what was there. Do you think there's anything specific that you're doing the ring now that is, you know, because of what Harley taught you?

I know there's one thing I don't do as often. than anymore. It was something that I had remembered Harley saying about his neck. And I used to do a diving headbutt off the top rope all the time because I was a big dynamite kid fan. And in Noah, God, I did it every opportunity I got. And then started to get the neck pain myself. And there were things that Harley had said that kind of rung in my ears. And so I slowed down on doing that one in particular. And there were a couple of kind of spots that I would do it in, especially when Kyle and I were running hard with New Japan as Red Dragon.

We had a couple tag spots that were wrapped around the diving headbutt. So I would do it then, but only if, you know, was one of those instances. and I'd say it's kind of the same now. Yeah, I'll avoid it if I can. I feel like after 20 years in the business, I know how to go out and do my job without having to do a diving headbutt. Yeah.

What would you say your style looked like before you went to Japan? Because I'm sure that being in Japan really influenced you a lot. It did for sure. Before going to Japan, I just don't think I had figured it out. Tony DeVito was,

I couldn't have asked were a better teacher of the fundamentals and the little things. He, he was huge on some of the little things. So, like, I think I had some polish before I was supposed to have polish just because of that. And it was almost by default. It was to no credit of my own. It just happened to be. But I think working for Noah, I was able to figure out how to receive a lot. Because in the beginning, like, you know, you were there for a purpose, you know, and they, they had guys that were, you know, the people that, they were the guys that people paid to come see. And you, unbeknownst to me at the time, but you being able to take a lickin and keep on ticking, so to speak, was what made you successful in the role that I was in, you know, the younger foreign talent. And at that time, I didn't know this, and I wouldn't have been able to tell you this.

But I look back at it now and I realize, like, oh, that's what it was. And that's really where I think I kind of learned to work was Noah. It's so interesting for you to say, like, that's five years in your career and saying, you know, you maybe hadn't quite figured it out yet because like a lot of people do something for five years and think they're a master of it. Well, I just don't, I think it's kind of the generation I came up in and even the generations that have come since. Like, they don't have the people I watched as a kid when the business was still what it was and somewhat protected and blah, blah, blah, blah. Like there were teachers still working and they would go out and they would teach you on the fly.

You know, I'll look at a guy like Fit Finley, who I was fortunate enough to interact with working for NXT. And he was a guy that towards the tail end of his career, like he was doing something that, you know, there was not a lot of people capable of doing anymore is to like go out and teach. He did a run on the Indies too where like, I mean, the people he crossed paths with, he gave them an in. invaluable lesson that really, I don't know. You could count on one hand the guys that are capable or were capable at that time of giving what he gave. And I think that, you know, the generations that I watched coming up, there were a lot more of them that were able to pass that tradition on. And it just was a different form of work. And now that learning curve is different and it's, you know, and you can't resist it. It's just the way that things go. Everything

has to evolve and progress to what it's going to be and change is inevitable. You're kind of in that role now, though, especially when you were in NXT working with a lot of young talent. Yeah, and I thought that that was kind of where I was headed. And I was okay with that, and I was welcoming that. And I thought, like, hmm, see where this transitions, you know, and fit was his career path and the way that he was kind of doing stuff, you know, for what amounted to a couple years' time, I believe, when he had gone back from that indie run and back into WWE, like, that was kind of where I saw myself headed and hoped to have a similar grace in doing what I was doing at that time that fit had, you know, because that really inspired me.

But it wasn't in the cards, you know, that somebody had different plans and, you know, here we are. Yeah. How were you even informed that you were being let go? You know, a phone call. Same as like I think everybody gets that, you know, gets that one. And yeah, it just is what it is. Yeah. Well, I mean, now you've got a lot of opportunities in front of you, though. Yeah.

And, you know, that's the beauty of it is the opportunities that are there now and figuring out what those, what ones are worth taking and, you know, see where it goes. I mean, speaking of opportunities, Adam Cole has a lot of opportunities in front of him in AW. Did you watch his debut? I did for sure. I caught it. I was away. So I caught it a day later, but yeah, I did see it for sure. What did you think of the reaction that he got?

Oh, it was incredible. You know, it's incredible. And man, they're hitting home runs there, you know? And it came at a time with, you know, with Punk and Brian. And, you know, they're, yeah, when you're making contact with almost every pitch, it just, you know, it's a good time for them right now. to see the smile on Adam's face, knowing him the way I do, knowing that it was real and genuine, and I was happy for him, you know.

Yeah, and you're right. They're hitting a lot of home runs right now, but the great thing is, I've said this so many times, but rising ties lift all ships. And I feel like if AEW is succeeding, then everybody else can succeed as well. Yeah, I mean, I think it's a really interesting time and that you can't opportunity is what it is. It's opportunity and you're going to do something successful with it or you're going to fall on your face and learn from that mistake.

So either way, like, it's progress. Yeah. You must be so excited to get in front of a crowd again because it's a long time of wrestling with no crowd. Yeah. I mean, I can remember when we were running hard with the Undisputed Era stuff and we were doing takeovers and, you know, it was before all the COVID and everything. Like those takeovers, man, and they, I don't know, they were like anywhere from five to seven match cards. Um,

they were electric and they were just some of the, you know, most intoxicating things I've done in my career. So, um, it's weird to think how long it's been since, since the, you know, having a live reaction like some of those were. And how did you make the transition to, it's basically like snap your fingers. It went from a crowd to no crowd and you guys just had to figure it out. So much of what you do in the ring is feeding off of the crowd and figuring it out as you go. How did you make that transition?

I don't know. I don't know if I ever did. I'm very much a live audience guy because I can't shut up. And it's to the point of annoyance. I know my girlfriend hates the sound of my voice a lot of times. And I know other people in wrestling have mentioned it. Like, I hear your voice for some reason over other people's when you're yelling at, whether it be a ref or the other team or an audience member.

And I've always kind of relished those opportunities to engage with the two or three people, ringside. And, you know, it's almost like a little Easter egg for them that not everybody gets. or like just the interaction and I like that back and forth. And sometimes it gets hostile. But, you know, I think it's all part of it and it's interactive. And that's what's cool about wrestling is it's kind of like a movie, but not a movie because you can interact.

Well, in a normal time with a crowd, when you're yelling at all these other people, we can't really hear it as the audience at home. It just kind of looks like, you know, you're getting animated. When there was no crowd, We heard every single words you guys were saying. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

So, I mean, again, it's like, it's just different. Yeah. And, you know, it's been some change for sure. Yeah, but it's like, change is not a bad thing, though. It changes a good thing. No, no, I agree. You know, it'll be nice to get back to the live crowd, assuming that everybody, you know, can still be safe and all.

Like, I mean, this is, this flirts with a whole other conversation. But, yeah, I mean, getting back to the live crowd is really, I can't think of anything better. But with all of the, you can't help but be a little apprehensive with all the BS that's out there. Sure. You know, stuff like what is what in this world at this point? I don't even know what to believe. Yeah. When you look at your career as a whole, Bobby, what's like?

something that you think you want to do that you still maybe haven't done yet? I don't know. I mean, at this point, I feel like I've checked a lot of the boxes that I wanted to check and then checked some boxes that I didn't think I'd have an opportunity to check. So at this point, I just want to enjoy what I'm doing. and then if I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I think there's a better chance of me figuring out what I would like to do next

than if I'm not enjoying it and I'm just doing it because it's like riding a bike. So I hope that this one now, I plan to make it as enjoyable as I can and then keep my eyes open and be aware of what it kind of kicks up. Have you always been able to live in the present and enjoy the moment? Because, I mean, that's something that's very commendable to be able to say, like, you're in this moment right now and you're going to appreciate it for what it is.

No, I struggle endlessly with it. I'll be completely honest. I have, I don't know, man. And I really, my girlfriend could tell you, I get so stuck in my head. So some of it, you know, you say commendable, but it's like, I'm working at it every day myself. So I'm far from there. I just know that that's what I'm trying to do. But talking about it, I think, and then maybe it holds you accountable to it.

I think that that's definitely step in the right direction. Maybe. Yeah. It's just a matter of getting that, you know, one foot in front of the other and staying committed to it and having faith in it. And, you know, when the, when the waters get a little rough, you know, still believing in the fact that, like, you know, he's got a plan. Yeah. He's working it out. Yeah.

That's what faith is, is that you trust him. You trust in something. So when I saw you a few weeks ago, it was an autograph signing, and there was all kinds of fans there, what's the one thing that most fans want to ask you about? You get a lot of undisputed era stuff. I got a lot of requests to do the hand signal. I tell them they can do it. I won't do it. You don't do it anymore.

No, I don't do it. I don't, and I honestly, like, I don't have a yes or no answer for legally on it. I just know that it's a gray area and I'll just stay away from it. But if you're standing next to somebody who's doing it, that's okay. I think so. I would assume so. It's a hand gesture. You can trademark a hand gesture?

I, listen, they got a lot more legal brainpower going. on that end than I do. So if it were to be a point of contention, I'm not winning. So I'll just stay right. They have more expensive lawyers than you do. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, they sure do.

Bobby, I'm so excited to see you back in the ring. I think MLW is such a great fit for you. And I'm excited to see what happens with the Opera Cup. Yeah, me too. Me too, for sure. I end every interview with the same questions. And so I'm going to ask it of you. And you mentioned being grateful earlier.

What are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? I'm grateful for my kids and their health, including my stepdaughter and my girlfriend, my two daughters, Madison and Britain who live in New York. I'm grateful for the opportunity to go back to work. and make a living. And I'm grateful, you know, for this morning for the fact that I opened my eyes and got to see the sun and live another day because, man, you don't know. You really don't know.

Yeah. Grateful for you. Thank you so much for this, Bobby. Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. And I look forward to seeing you again in person, whenever that might be. Yes, sir. You never know.

This business. You're always crossing paths. This is true. All right, thank you so much. Yes, sir. Thank you, Chris. Well, there you have it, my friend. Thank you to Bobby Fish for joining us on this one.

And thank you, of course, to you for listening and for listening all the way until the end right now. Because without you, there's no show. It's just me here in my bedroom with the door closed behind me. I don't know why I slammed it as a demonstration, but that's how close I am standing to the door. But yeah, without you, there's no shows. So thank you so much for being part of this and for being the best part of this. Take a screenshot.

Let us know what stood out for you the most from this episode and share it with a friend. Tag us. Bobby is at the Bobby Fish. I'm at Chris Van Fleet. And I'll leave you with the words of the great George S. Patton who said, A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.

Be great, be grateful. We'll see you on the next one for some more insight. The Hammer Alley podcast, an 80s flashback mockumentary. Back in the 80s, there were a thousand bands trying to make it in the world of rock, but there was one band that had it all. Hammer Alley. Whatever happened to Hammer Alley? How did they go from top of the rock?

I'm looking for a music video. They're a band from 1987. Hammer Alley. Ever heard of then? To Rock Bottom. Dude, I was born in 1987. I can't believe he's doing this. Hammer Alley.

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