Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Marko Stunt on his size, signing with AEW, Luchasarus, Jungle Boy, Dynamite

Episode Date: October 11, 2019

Marko Stunt from Jurassic Express talks with Chris Van Vliet after AEW Dynamite in Washington, DC. He talks about how his height works for him and against, getting signed to AEW, how his tag team with Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy was formed, his goals for wrestling and more! And because we talked about it in the interview, you can follow Marko Stunt on Instagram here: http://instagram.com/_markostunt_ My audio equipment provided by Samson Technologies: http://bit.ly/CVVSamson And follow Marko Stunt on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/MarkoStunt This episode is sponsored by: Harry's Razors sports.axios.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up, y'all? It's Druski, and I've teamed up with Mountain Dew to produce a hilarious new basketball podcast called The Do Zone with Drewski. Learn the backstories of your favorite ballers and celebrities like Jamal Murray. Did you have like a favorite team? Was it the Raptors at the time or no? Was the Raptors even started around that time? Come on, bro. I ain't that old, fam.

You're talking like I'm 50. Taylor, Rokes, Asian Wilson, and many more. You won't want to miss this. Listen to the Doozone with Drusky on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. It's Chrysomania, brother. That's a great question. Look at you. man with the powerful questions

This is the Chris Van Vlead show Chris Van Bleed Show Ladies and gentlemen Chris Chris Van Blin Yes my friends This is the Chris Van Vlead show

Thanks for hanging out with me And apparently I'm not doing a very good job promoting the show Because I had like seven people last week Including one of my friends Say to me You have a podcast, dude I didn't know that.

And, you know, I guess in all fairness, it's only been three months. And for the most part, you're probably seeing these interviews on YouTube. But I appreciate that you found the show. I mean, you're listening to this one right now. We've got to continue to spread the word. And this is such a good one. One third of Jurassic Express, Marco Stunt, in the house. And by house, I mean my hotel room in Washington, D.C., where we did this.

interview right after the very first episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT. That show was awesome, by the way, and I'm so incredibly grateful that I was able to be a part of the show. That was such a fun segment with Kevin James and Jason Mews, as well as the very rude and Helico and Jack Evans and Private Party who came in and really saved the day for us. That was fun. Thank you for leaving reviews on Apple Podcast. And I get that there's a good chance you're listening to this on another platform other than Apple Podcasts. I get it. I see the numbers. I know how it is. But Apple Podcast is the only place where you can leave a review for the show. So thank you to everyone who's done it. Like I said, the show's a little over

three months old. Those reviews help so much. We're one of the top wrestling podcasts in the world because of those reviews, because of you listening, because of you sharing it, which is why I'm going to keep reading one review on every episode. And, you know, I realized recently that the only reviews that I can see here are the U.S. reviews because, you know, I live in the U.S. So if you live somewhere else, please take a screenshot, tag me in it so I can see that review. And you can be part of the show. That's what Spike Aldo did.

Spike writes in this review. He titles it, Wrestling Press God. I listen to some podcasts while I drive my truck around Yorkshire in the UK. Chris gives a, that's probably Yorkshire, right? I don't know. In the UK, though. Chris gives a great insight into the wrestlers that we see on TV. His YouTube channel is great, but the podcast makes it easier to listen to all the interviews.

Cheers, Chris. Well, cheers to you, Spike from Yorkshire. Yorkshire? Yorkshire? I don't know. Please tell me. I'd like to get it right. So thank you for that.

Please keep those reviews coming. This episode of The Chris Van Vlead Show is brought to you by sports.axios.com. Also, thanks to Samson for making us sound so great with these mics and these cables and this recorded equipment that's extremely affordable and also extremely high quality. SamsonTech.com is where you can check it out. And these mics that I use, they're less than $80 a piece. Also, a big thank you to Greenroads. If you've been talking about, thinking about CBD products, Green Roads is the way to go because not all CBD products are created equal.

Green Roads is a pharmacist founded company dedicated to improving the lives of people who take it. It's THC free, so you get the benefits of cannabis without the feeling of getting high. There's CBD oil, that's what I take. It's super easy to use. Bloop, a couple drops under the tongue. And it's really helped with focus. the relaxed gummies, same thing. And they taste really good.

The topicals they have, like the muscle and joint cream, that's awesome. After a workout really helps with rest and recovery. And if you want another option, if those three options weren't enough, they also have CBD coffee and tea. It's free shipping on all orders over $100. And you can use my code Chris 15 to get 15 off. That's 15% off. at greenroadsworld.com. Chris 15 for 15% off at greenroadsworld.com.

So how tall exactly is Marco Stunt? I remember seeing him at Double or Nothing in the Battle Royal. And I'm like, man, how tall is that guy? And man, he moves quick in the ring. When we get down to the bottom of all that in a very honest and very genuine chat with a guy that I'm just super pumped for. And it's crazy to hear that his favorite wrestlers as a kid Kane and the big show

Ladies and gentlemen Here you go Marco Stunt This is definitely the latest interview I've ever done I mean if we if we're being honest here It's 1215 in the morning This is technically Thursday morning Yes

But we just got back from AEW Dynamite The first ever here in D.C. D.C. How are you feeling? I'm really beat up. Yeah? No, I'm. I'm not a little sore, but I feel very overwhelmed, I guess, is a good word.

That's a good word. Being out in front of like 15,000 people. That crowd is hot. That's the first time I've been in front of 15,000 people. So, I mean, wait, how many people were at? Yeah, something like 14,000, yeah, 14, 15,000. Like, how many people were it all out? It was like 12, huh?

Yeah, something like that. Yeah. It was like quite a few thousand more. Yeah. But it's super exciting. deciding to be able to be a part of like such a historical thing you know it's been so many years since like there's been I guess competition and like I feel like we're definitely bringing the competition we have some of the best talent in the world yeah so did you feel that energy as soon as

you walked out there oh man I mean it doesn't matter that it was like after the show the crowd was still hot like oh and the crowd stayed yeah very end yeah they were so energetic and so like I don't feel like I got left out on anything. I feel like they were still behind us the whole way. Yeah. I don't think a single person left. No. Which was amazing. I didn't see in many open seats at all. Yeah. There might have been like a few, but nothing that you can tell on camera or anything. Yeah. Oh, man. What a feeling that must have been. Of course. When did Jurassic Express become a thing? Okay. So. Uh-oh. Okay.

All right. Well, like, originally it was supposed to be just me and Jungle Boy, or Jungle Jack, whatever. But they had, Cody had hit me up, and I broke my leg back in November, so, and I did it all in and whatnot. You broke your leg wrestling? Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah.

We can talk about that. We'll get into that. Sure. But I broke my leg, and I didn't think they wanted me. I mean, I'm relatively new. a rising, I guess, relatively new in the rising scene. Sure. Whatever.

And then Cody hit me up and he was like, hey, you're going to be good by March? And I was like, yeah. Or, I'm sorry, May. May. It's May. Not March. It's two M's, whatever. And I was like, yeah, of course, I'll be ready.

And I wasn't. But he hit me up and he was like, yeah. Do you have any interest in teaming with Jungle Boy? And I was like, sure. I love Jungle Boy. And he's like, all right, cool. I think we'll have you doing that after we get done with All Out. And I was, I'm sorry, double or nothing.

Double or nothing. Yeah. And I was like, wait, you mean for like AEW? And he's like, yeah, you want to work for us? I was like, yeah. I was like, it's like my dream, bro. Yeah. How did Cody know that you, you know, who you were?

Okay. So I, there's a company called Game Changer Wrestling. Yeah. I did the show lost in New York last year. Joey Janella's lost in New York. Right. And I originally wasn't even supposed to be on that. Brett Lauderdale, who's the, who books for it and promotes it and everything.

He, uh, he hit me up for a show, which was the show after this one called Live Fast Die Young. I was originally supposed to just do that one. And somebody got hurt. And so they asked me to come, come and do loss in New York. And man, when he sent me like the graphic, I like was like, no way, he's joking. He's lying. Because I knew that show was going to be huge. I knew like they had so much going on.

And I keep up with indie wrestling. And I know that they're the hot stuff right now. Yeah. So like, I was like, yeah, I'm there. And I drove 17 hours there and back. Oh, my God. So for an opportunity. And I wrestled a guy named KTB, Kyle the Beast.

He just goes by KTB now, though. and it blew up like i came out of the crowd that was the part of the pun that was the game changer yeah it was that literally changed everything for me i mean um it it got me noticed by cody cody saw me do my satellite code breaker deal that i do which is wild which i can't hit anymore hold what do you mean i don't think i can hit it anymore i don't think i can hit it anymore i like, you know, respect for Chris. Yeah, all right. Not you, Chris.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But he popped for that and was like, hey, who's this kid? I need to get him for all in. And he hit me up. I had to, I woke up the next morning from a text to a text message from him, which was absolutely nuts. Yeah.

Like Cody Rhodes is texting me. What? But he's like, hey, is this Marco Stunt? This is Cody Rhodes. I was like, yes it is. He goes, hey man, are you interested in doing the battle royal for all in? And so that's what got me noticed by them, I think, originally. Wow.

I think that, you know, you're so unique when people see you in the ring for the first time. I mean, not just because of your size, but just the way that you work as well. Thank you. You have a very, like, unique movement with the way that you know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Yeah. I try to stand out. I try to not be like, I don't want to be like, I don't want to be the next Ray Mysterio. I don't want to be the next Spike Dudley.

I just want to be me. I want people to know me for me and I want to have like certain characteristics that people hold on to and remember years down the road. And I want to be like one of those legends that people book at these indie shows 30 years down the road. I don't know if anyone, I don't know if anyone ever wants to be the washed up legend down the road that's getting booked. I would love it. Okay. Well, actually, you know, if I can get to the level where I don't have to, I mean, that would be cool too. Well, that'd be cool too. Yeah, yeah.

But, you know, it's always in the back of my head. Hey, that'd be cool. Well, you named Ray, you named Spike Dudley. Are those guys you looked up to? Or, you know, it could be anybody. I actually, growing up, I looked up to like Big Show, Kane, Undertaker. Yeah. Seriously? It does serious. I wanted to, I think that's actually what helps me now. I wanted to be seven foot tall. I wanted to be 500 pounds. I wanted to choke. slam people, throw them around.

I thought that was the most amazing thing, and I think it worked out. Yeah. That's like the one thing you can't work hard for in life is height. Yeah. Tell me about it. Have you always been short? Yeah. Well, I was supposed to grow a little more, but I didn't.

What happened? Apparently, I hurt my growth plate in my back. Seriously? Yeah. I don't remember what I did, though. I think. I guess it was just like sports over the years. Really? But they said my growth plate had been hurt, and so I couldn't grow anymore.

Like I was supposed to have like two or three more inches, but. So how tall are you officially? I am around 5-1, 5-2. Okay. How tall should you have been? About 5-5. Okay. I also have scoliosis, so that doesn't help either.

That probably doesn't help when you take bumps either. Are Is everyone else in your family short? My mom is like 4.10. Oh my God. Wow. Yeah, but my dad's six foot. Well, you got screwed.

I did. I did not get my dad's jeans. I wouldn't fit in them if I did. But a nice dad joke there. Thank you. Yeah. You're welcome. Like you were so you were short your whole life.

Yeah. Like you were the kid that had to, you know, And the class photos, you were sitting at the front instead of standing in the back. Yeah, always. I didn't hit a growth spurt really until the end of eighth grade. Okay, so you hit a growth spurt from how tall to how tall? I was probably, I was probably four, seven. Okay.

And then I hit 5-1, 5-2. And then that was it? I haven't grown since. I haven't grown since ninth grade. Oh, I'm really sorry. That's okay. I mean, I... Your hair was stuck to the mic there.

How old do people think you are? Oh, man. Like 15, 16, 17. I got carted at Wendy's one time because they didn't believe my age. At Wendy's? Yeah. Yeah, Wendy's. What is Wendy's carding people for?

Yeah, okay. I live in a town where like, it's just whatever. You can talk to people however you want, I guess. Or, well, they think you can, you know? But I was in the drive-thru with my brother in school. had just gotten out for like spring break or something. And they're like, and the lady, we were ordering Frosties. You need to be a certain age to order.

Yeah, I know. Apparently they spike them. No. But she, we pull up to the drive-thru and she has our Frosties and I pay for it. And she gives me my change. And she goes, so you boys excited to be out of school for a little while? And I was like, well, I've been out of school for like three and a half years now. And she goes, excuse me?

excuse me like her whole demeanor change and she just stared at me for a minute she goes boy you are lying and i was like no she's like let me see your id and she like would not give me the frosties until i proved that i was my age which what yeah that's probably the most wild experience i've had with the age thing what happens when you you know try to go to a bar or something like that oh i mean i get i got carded five times in one nine I only had like two drinks but like So you were in So you got Carter to get in

I got Carter to get in And then there's a couple different bartenders So each time they would walk past me They would be like Excuse me can I see your ID And they're probably studying it like Yeah they're really good fake ID Okay I was at a bar one time

I wouldn't even drinking But I was But I was hanging out with my buddies And dude's like You know I can tell if I IDs are fake, right? And he's just talking to me. I was like, well, it's not. I'm, I was 21 at the time. I was like, I'm 21. He goes, okay. So you're, so you're telling me right now, if I take this ID, it's not going to be fake. I was like, no, it's not fake. And so he starts

bending it, like, trying to make sure it's not fake. And he's like holding it up. I've had some wild experiences. I'm sure. Do people like that expect you to be like, oh, I'm this short or this young looking because of, um, I've had some wild experiences. Um, um, I'm, I'm, um, I'm, I'm this short or this young looking because of I don't know. I think they're just like they're not used to seeing people like my height

and like I guess I don't really understand because I've been this height my whole life so I don't know what the big deal is. It's especially funny in AEW because you're in this trio team with the tallest guy on the roster. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

What a wild pairing we are. Well, you were talking about it was supposed to be you and Jungle Boy. How did Lutuessoros get worked into this? Well, okay. He did double or nothing. Yeah. And they signed him off that. And him and, him and Jungle Boy were actually already a team on the independence scene, out in L.A. and stuff. They did a bunch stuff. They were boy and his dinosaur, which they still are, I guess, kind of. Um, a boy, a boy and his dinosaur. Yeah. Yeah. But, so they, they put them together just because they were already there. And I, and, uh, they, I was already with Jack or Jungle Boy.

And so I guess we just became a trio. Yeah. And it worked out. I feel like we've worked out. I feel like we have a very dynamic team. You do. We saw it tonight. Very unique.

I don't think there's ever been anything like us, to be honest. I feel like, especially, you guys are going to see, like, crazy stuff. We've worked on some crazy stuff, like stuff that's never been seen before. You did some stuff in tonight's match. Yeah? It was pretty unique. Thank you. Yeah.

Like Jungle Boy flipped you. How do you explain what that was? He flipped me and I splashed him. Yeah, it'll be on BR Live. It's going to be on YouTube, I believe, too. Is it YouTube as well? This might be, I don't know if that's official or not, but I believe that's... Oh, sick.

I think that's something they're planning on doing, yeah. That'll be easier for me. Yeah. I believe all the dark matches are going to be on YouTube. Good, good, good. All the dark matches were great tonight, too. Oh, the whole show. It was incredible.

Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't think. I think it was a great kickoff to what we have and what we're going to be doing. Yeah. And I'm super excited to see what else we're going to do because I feel like we're going to be able to top ourselves. Like, keep topping ourselves. For sure.

And like, it's only going to get better from here. Yeah. I mean, did you ever imagine that you'd be in this situation now? No, never. I was always told I shouldn't be. Like when I Growing up in Mississippi I I was

Of course I loved wrestling You know like I said I watched I I watched the big show I watched cane My dad was a huge fan of wrestling So I've watched wrestling since I was around I guess two

And uh That's what my parents tell me at least And uh But no I never thought that it'd be a possibility Because of my size for one And like I just you never see people my size Or anything And that

But I uh I went to a I went to a show, a local show, and got up with some of my buddies, and I got up to guts to go up and ask them about training because we were all super into wrestling, and so we all three went up to him, and I was the one they didn't take serious.

They looked at my friend who's 6'5, and they were like, yeah, we'll train y'all, which they meant they'll train him. Yeah. And how old were you at the time? I just turned 18. Okay. So, they gave us a price, which is stupid price for the type of training they gave us.

Now I know. I'm like, it was terrible. I can shoot on here. Absolutely, sure. It was terrible. Yeah. And then, but we stuck with it. They beat us up the first day, which is, I guess, what happens around there.

And I ended up having a bunch of issues with the company that I started with. They treated me pretty bad. And a guy picked me up that worked with them. His name was Molly Cruz. And he is the one I give credit for training me. So he kind of like retrained you in a way. Pretty much. Yeah.

The thing is I only trained like once or twice a month. Really? Yeah, for like six months. And then they threw me into a match. No? Like a one-on-one match? Uh-huh. I was like, I've learned on the road,

basically. I didn't even get on the road for two years or three years. Wow. So I've only been doing traveling for about two and a half years. It was about two and a half years before I got into it traveling and then I, then here we are two and a half years after that. Which is crazy. But so much of this is, you know, you've got to thank Joey Chenella for this. Of course. Joey, G. G.CW. Brett. Man, they're the ones. that put me on the map for sure. They put me on the map.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you by sports.axios.com. And following a team you love in 2019, it can be time consuming. Trying to follow everything that happens in sports, that's almost impossible. Scrolling through every app, visiting every website on a daily basis, that's impossible. So that's why I subscribe to Axios Sports, the best free daily newsletter in the land. Axios Sports is a modern sports page delivered directly to your email inbox. When you sign up, for free, by the way, at sports.axios.com, you'll get the best stories from the NBA and NFL to cricket and ping pong and everything in between.

Axio Sports also highlights the most important stats and trends, giving you the ability to stay informed. It's super simple to sign up, and like I said, it's free. Not only will you be caught up, you'll be the friend sharing that amazing link with your buddies. So join the 100,000 sports fans who get caught up on the day before it even begins. And best of all, there's no paywall, there's no subscription fee, there's nothing like that. This is free curated sports content delivered directly to you. So sign up at sports.axios.com. So sports.

a x-i-os.com. It is free. Sports.axios. dot com. The CVV show also brought to you by Hary's, and humans, we've been shaving for thousands of years. And the secret to a great shave, it hasn't changed much. The ancient Greeks, they didn't need flex balls or heated handles, vibrating handles, whatever, and neither do you. That's why Harry's doesn't overcharge to add these weird gimmicky features to their razors.

they focus on what actually matters. Sharp, durable blades at a fair price. I use them because it gives me a close shave, easy glide, and most importantly, it's pretty cheap. So do us a favor, check out harries.com slash blue wire for your free trial today. Harry's, I love it, it's a return to the essentials, quality, durable blades at a fair price.

It's just two bucks a blade, and it's super convenient. The blade refills are delivered directly, to your door on a schedule with or without a subscription. And there's no risk for you to try them out. If you don't love your shave, just let Harry's know. Let Harry himself know. Why not?

And they'll give you a full refund. So if you are listening to this right now, if you're a listener of the Chris Van Vleet show, you can redeem your Harry's trial set at harries.com slash blue wire. That's named after our podcast network. You will get a weighted ergonomic handle for a firm grip. five blade razor with a lubricating strip and trimmer blade, rich rathering shave gel with aloe to keep your skin hydrated

and a travel blade cover. That's right, a travel blade cover to keep your razor dry and easy to grab on the go. You get all of that when you go to harries.com slash blue wire. That's where you will start shaving better today. Now let's get back to this fascinating late-night chat with the one and only, Marco, stunt.

I mean, you wrote down here with Joey. I did. Yeah. We had our final independent matches for a curtain call. And we drove down together, me, him, and Jungle Boy. We all stayed at Joey's house and drove down yesterday. That's awesome. It's good.

I feel like I've made a lot of lifelong friends. Like, I don't, like, I got told, like, growing up in the business, like, coming up in the business. don't make friends and stuff like you to yourself and I also got told to stay in Mississippi for at least three years before venturing out really yeah I'm glad I didn't do that but they just I forgot what I was saying what was I talking about you were talking about you've made all these great friends oh yeah yeah yeah I feel like I've made great friends and like I got told not to but I feel like it's such a different community now like in the places that I am now yeah where I was was so toxic because everybody

just wants to do better than everybody. And I feel like where I am now, everybody wants people to succeed. Yeah. Yeah, there was a real vibe there tonight. It's like everybody is watching everybody's matches. Yeah. That's one thing I've noticed is everybody watches all the matches. Yeah.

So, I mean, what a great birthday present this was for you. Right. It was your 23rd birthday. It was. That you officially got signed. Yeah. That's when I announced it. Okay.

So that's when you announced it. So it was what? A couple days before that or weeks before that? It was a few days before. I'm going to tell you your 24th birthday. is probably not going to be as good. No, no, no. 22 and 23 were, I have been some of the greater years.

It's all down there. But I do think it's really interesting that on your Twitter, your PIN tweet right now, you know the one I'm talking about. You basically are saying, like, thank you for being mean. Yeah, I mean, and I'm not, like, that's not me being like a POS or anything. Like, I'm like, legitimately, like, you guys pushed me to be where I am. Like, if it wasn't for people, like, being mean to me and stuff, like, I would not have wanted to prove them wrong, you know. And I think part of it, maybe it was kind of in spite.

But, you know, like, they really did give me some sort of fuel to keep going. And it's nice to be able to say that it all turned out. well, like, despite the negativity. Yeah, I mean, how do you deal with the negativity? Because, you know, you unfortunately get quite a lot of it. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I don't take it well at all, actually.

I don't. Really? No, I'm very bad about it. So I, so I'll sit on it for a minute and then, like, I'll talk. I'll be like, I'll get in a mood or something. I'll, like, start talking to a buddy. And then they'll be like, bro, you have way more supporters than haters anyway. It's so funny.

that you could have 99 people being like, Marco, you're awesome. That match was great. Then one person says something mean or negative, and unfortunately, it's just human nature. That's the one thing that you cling on to. There's been a couple times I almost quit. Really? Yeah.

Like recently? I wouldn't say super, well, yeah, this year. Wow. Mostly because I broke my leg in November. and that was the most mentally crushing thing that I've ever been through. I thought that it ended in my career. And for a lot of people, I think it would have been a career-ending injury. I did this move where I took a Canadian destroyer, but it was off of a stage.

And the door was lined. We did through a door, and it was lined up long ways. so so and it was set on like a solid step like it was on steps so when we we overshot it and my leg just wrapped around the steps once we broke through did you finish the match no I couldn't sure like I wanted to I was laying there in a whole like the worst pain I've ever been in my life and I was like laying here on this side and he asked if I keep going I was like yeah yeah and I was trying to think of the stuff I had to do and I rolled over and my leg flopped over. Like you ever seen skateboard videos or like basketball videos?

Yeah. It's exactly like that. And you can't see it on camera because we were so far off the camera. So what do you, you know, your leg's broken. I'm assuming don't have insurance. No. Oh, yeah. You did?

I was under my parents insurance. Oh, sure, yeah. Are you still? I am. Yeah. Until you're 26, is it? Five. Uh, seven?

25, 25. I think it's 25. Just throughout three different numbers there. One of those three. Yeah, yeah. Mid-20s. Well, this is great then. Yeah, I'm doing it.

We just, I, I, I just can't tell them I don't live with them anymore or else. That's a big no-no. Don't worry. We won't tell anyone. No, I, I definitely live with my parents. Yeah, yeah. See, for the people that are just listening to this on the podcast, they totally believe you. Yeah.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. I didn't just move out into an impartial. apartment. Yep. See? There you go. And you can get a new car.

So the broken leg almost, like that was almost the thing that made you go, I can't do it. Yeah, I was really depressed. I bet. And like I was actually, I wouldn't abusing the things that gave me for my leg. Like painkillers? Yeah. I wouldn't say I was abusing them, but I was probably, I was probably using them more frequently than I needed.

I mean, I was in pain. Don't get me wrong. Sure. But like, it was just. just I was more sad than I was in pain. Yeah. Like, um, because this had become my life. I was on such an up.

Yeah. And then all, you didn't have another job, I'm guessing. No, I did not. So what'd you do for those several months? Sat at home. I couldn't walk up the stairs. So I just sat.

I, they put a bed in the living room. Oh my God. And I was in a living room. That's tragic. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. It took like four months for me to get up to my room for the first time.

Wow. Yeah. It was weird. seeing my room like after so long i was like wow i haven't been in here i'm so long yeah but so when you look at the current aewroster are there certain people that you're like i can't wait to have a match with that guy chris jericho um while he's the champion i don't care i just want chris jericho i want to i honestly i there's not a single person on the roster that i wouldn't want to wrestle i yeah i jericho would be obviously huge for you growing up as

wrestling. Oh, yeah. And like, dude, Chris is the goat, like, for real. Like, I, I think so. Um, I do think he's one of the greatest of all time. And I think, and, and he was, I know I didn't, I said, I didn't really look up to little guys. And I'm, he's a lot bigger than me, actually. But, um, he was considered a cruiserweight. And so, like, like, I did look up to him, though. He was one that I watched. I liked Eddie. And I did like Ray. And I just, I just don't like being compared to Ray, you know. I don't know. But yeah, Chris Jericho.

I want to wrestle Jungle Boy. Really bad. Oh. Not a feud. I just want to, you know, test the waters. You know what's going to happen at some point, right? I imagine. There's going to be a feud at some point, I'm sure.

That would be fine with me. I think we would have a great feud. I think that we would put on a great match, like a pay-per-view type match. Do you think that someone that's your size could be the world champion? I've never set a limit for myself. I love it. I've proven myself wrong way too many times to set a limit now because I didn't think I could be a wrestler. I didn't think I'd ever be on TV, but here we are.

And the most amazing part about this is you've used your size and your stature to your benefit. Yeah. And I think there's so many people that would use it and be like, oh, well, I could never do that because of. I think people do that, you know. People, yeah. They can fill in the blank there with whatever. But the crazy thing is, if you were 5, 10 or 6 feet tall, with everything else going on for you, you might not have got signed.

No, I would... You'd just be a guy. Yeah. Yeah, I would be... I don't even know how to, like, think about that. But it's true. Yeah. Yeah, I agree.

You'd still be you. Yeah, I would be me, but I would not be Marco Stunt, you know? Marco Stunt is a whole other, like, character. He's fun-sized. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's, uh, I feel like the way that I, I would, that I, I, I, like, try to think of ways to use my body and, like, my momentum instead of just going

out there and try to punch somebody in the face, like, if I can punch somebody in the face and then they can punch me in the face, it's going to hurt a lot worse and it's going to do a lot more damage. So why would I not try to like, I don't know, fly at them with my feet or something? Or trip them, get them down to my level and then hit them. I don't know. Little things. But that's like very cerebral. That's like a wise way to think about this.

Oh, it's true. You were telling me earlier that you haven't always lived in the U.S. No. So where were you living before? Born in the U.S. I was born. Yeah, born in the U.S. And where were you born?

I was born in Arkansas. I was born in Parigold, Arkansas. Wow. Okay. And then where did your journey take you? Okay. So we've moved all over. My parent, my dad was a pastor for 10 years. So you're a P.K. Yeah, I am. For anybody watching this? Pastor's kid. Yeah. I am. I'm one of those. And we moved to Mississippi, Olive Branch, was to where I'm from. And then we moved down to Oxford, which is like an hour away, our south. and then we moved to Indiana, or back up to Allop Ranch.

Then we moved to Indiana. Then we moved back to Olive Branch. All because he was at different churches? Yeah. Wow. And then after we moved back from Indiana, I don't, he wasn't pastoring anymore. I don't think. I don't remember.

I don't think he was, though. And then he felt called to go be a missionary. And so we moved to Costa Rica. And Costa Rica, we learned language there. I picked it up super quick because I was only like 10 or 11. at the time. Speaking Spanish? Yeah.

Wow. I picked it up in about a month or two. That's insane. Yeah. Well, I was learning on the streets with my buddies. I'd go play soccer. We had a soccer field right across the street. And I would just go play with the local kids, and I would pick up the slang.

So I didn't really learn, like, the technical way to speak. I learned how to speak like they spoke. Okay. So that came pretty naturally. Can you still speak Spanish? I can speak it. I think I can carry my own. It's nothing near like I used to be.

Like, I stopped using it once we moved back to the States. So when you moved from Costa Rica, where did you then move to the States? We were actually in Costa Rica for a year, and then we moved to Nicaragua. Oh, my God. Two years, so we were there. My dad was in a mission organization, and he would go out on teams with the teams that would come in to these villages, which is a super surreal thing. to like you see pictures of like villages where like it's super poor setting and like people literally live in like like there's eight people and like a house this size oh wow yeah and and it's dirt floors and like um

the metal panels like the ones with the ridges and stuff you know what i'm talking about like that's what the walls are built out of and it's like it's super surreal but we live down there and he did stuff with them and I got to go out every once in a while, which was, which was cool to see. I like going out and seeing different things. But we moved back to Olive Branch after two years. Being there, though, must have given you such an appreciation for the life that, you know, we live here in America. Yes, for sure. I think it helped a lot.

I think it helped me curve my character into who I am today, because I'm, I feel like I'm a generally, you know, a nice person. I feel like I care about other people. I know I care about other people because I can't stand to, like, be on somebody's negative side, and I can't stand to have people on my negative side. Right. It's definitely shaped me in a good way, I think. What kind of churches was your father pastoring at? My dad was a Baptist preacher.

Okay. Wow. Yeah. So I grew up real in the Southern Baptist scene. Wow. I don't feel like that would be that supportive of a wrestling career. I wouldn't say my whole first. family was supportive at first, but they came around. Like, I honestly, like, I didn't, I wasn't real

close to my family growing up. I was closer to my dad's side, but even then, like, we were around, we were moving around so much that I didn't get to know them. But, like, my dad and mom were both very supportive. My dad was more supportive than my mom because she was scared for me. Like, Sure. Understandably. I've had quite a few injuries that would scare, that scared her. And like, so. Other than the broken leg?

Yeah. Yeah, I've had a couple concussions. I dislocated my elbow really bad. They had to put me to sleep to fix that once. Jeez. But, no, but like my family's been very supportive. Well, get these injuries out of the way while you're still on the insurance. Yeah, right?

Yeah, that's important. I don't need to get hurt in an, and after two years from now. No, no more injuries for you. No more injuries. No. That's, wow. You can, you know who Bill Dundee is? No. You don't know who building? He's an old Memphis wrestler. Oh, you should, he still rustle. Oh, yeah. He still wrestles at 70. I'm just going to start bumping like him and rolling. Is that what he does? Yeah, he just rolls. Like he squats and rolls. It's great. I still feel like it's very surreal. As we sit here in this hotel, it's Washington, D.C. We, we, we, we, just came from the Capital One Arena. Yeah.

Like, it feels very surreal. Yeah. Yeah, I haven't snapped out of that at all. Like, and I felt this way for, I guess, a couple months now. Like, we walked out of the arena together and everyone's like, oh, my God, it's Marco stunned. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Like, I don't even know how to explain how I like, that makes me feel because that's like the first time that's ever happened. So I was like, oh, my gosh. And dude, this is cool. This is day one. I know. I know.

It's crazy. Yeah. It's going to increase. It's going to increase. Maybe one day I'll hit 100,000 subscribers. Followers? Followers, yeah. Well, why don't we get you some more right now?

Let's do it. Okay. Oh, you want me to tell them? Well, yeah. Oh, follow me. And then, you know. Follow me on, on Twitter. At Marco Stunt.

M-A-R-K-O, not C-O, because everybody messes that up. On that Instagram? On an Instagram. It's underscore Marko Stunt underscore. I'll put them in the description below so people can find them real easy. Be good. There you go. Hopefully that'll help you out a little bit.

You guys follow me. Yeah. I know you follow him. So follow me. And then your people can then follow me. Yes. You guys follow Chris and Chris's people follow me. It all works out.

When you look ahead five years from now, what do you want to be doing with your career? I want to be a legitimate, legitimate household name. I want people to know me like, like, oh yeah, Marco, not Marco Stunt. Yeah. We know who that is. Like I want people to know who I am. I want to make an impact on people.

I don't think there's too many AEW fans that don't know who Marco Stunt is. Well, that's cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool. I was blown away when I walked out behind you and people knew who I was. I was like, what? I was not shocked. I was not shocked for that one. Really?

Yeah, I figured. We walked, in all fairness, we walked out of the arena all together. It was me, you, Yeah Dasha Yeah Darby Joey

Joey Penelope Penelope Kip Yeah like there was a big group of us And I was like You guys want to talk to me

Yeah Okay Yeah it's Thank you by the way It's very cool That's very nice It's very very cool It's

I think it's super cool To be able to do stuff like that Like I like interacting with fans I like being able to sign things Of course Like Like we might have been

a little rush and I wasn't able to like staying there the whole time but like when I get the chance like at starcast and stuff I love being able to sit down and talk to fans yeah like interact with them and let them know a little more about me I think it helps in the long run when you're when you're good with your fans yeah I feel like it'll help because people are going to remember that and people are gonna remember who you are well you say that because you came from being a fan so you understand it You know what it means to look up to these people. You know what it means, you know, to idolize them. And now the role's been reversed, which is so wild and so crazy.

Yeah. But yeah, now you're, it's been flipped. Now you're in that position. Yeah, I've actually had a couple people tell me, they're like, man, you inspire me. I'm like, wow, that's crazy. I don't, like, I don't get it. I, like, personally, I don't get it because I still feel like the kid from Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Like, I'm still the same me. I'm just doing, I just have a really cool job. But I appreciate every single message that I get like that because it makes me feel like I'm doing something right. Who has it been backstage at AEW that's really helped you or maybe helped you work on your matches or something like that? Christopher Daniels has helped me a ton. He's really taken me, I feel like under his wing. And BJ, Wittmer, and Matt and Nick, actually. have helped me a ton.

I love talking to Matt and Nick. They're very encouraging. And they're so nice. Yeah. Yeah. I was, okay, so we were sitting in their, we were doing, they were doing the, what's the room service? Yeah. And the shoot interview deal.

And Joey was doing it. And I just happened to be there, so they talked to me to some. And, but I was sitting in the room and I was like, I'm in the room just chilling. And the young bucks are right there. What is going on? Look what I As I was walking out Oh you took some of the money

Took some of the the young bucks money I didn't know they did that like At every show It's I don't know I think it's just the big entrancees Yeah But I got

I got 500 young bucks Wow I got five of these things That's what I'm saying You should try to spend it I'll try Yeah We'll go to McDonald's

I'll put it put it up like this. Yeah, that's right. There's nothing on that side. It's just this side. Look, man, I'm, I'm super pumped for you. And I appreciate you. It's almost 1 o'clock in the morning as we're wrapping this thing up. Is it really? It went that fast. Yeah, we've been talking for 36 minutes. Wow. Isn't that crazy? Yeah. I like, I like it. It was easy to talk, though. No, of course. All right, there you go, my friend, Marco Stunt. Great chat. Great chat with my friend, Marco Stunt. really enjoyed that. And as I record this, we're at the very beginning of AEW Dynamite on TNT. Man, it's so exciting to think about where this will be a month from now, you know, six months from now,

a year from now, a couple of years from now. Man, this is, this is exciting. And I'm pumped for Marco Stunt. I'm pumped for Jurassic Express. I'm pumped for everybody on that roster. I'm just pumped as a wrestling fan. I've been saying this since day one of this year. I've been since January 1st of this year when AEW was announced. What an exciting time to be a pro wrestling fan, and man, we're seeing it unfold in front of us now. If you enjoyed this interview, please subscribe, please take a screenshot.

Let me know what you thought. Tag me, tag Marco, and share it with a friend so we can help get the word out about these audio versions of the interview. Although, you know, if you still want to watch on YouTube, that's fine with me too. Watch, listen, do whatever you want. But just please, you know, consume this content. Go in this audio slash video adventure with me.

I don't know where I'm going with this. So let's wrap things up. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit. That's Aristotle. And that is, and that's words to think about. Chew on that a little bit. We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence is not an act, but a habit. And think about that for someone like Marco's stunt. who continued to chase after this dream, and now he's living in now. What's your dream? What are you chasing after? Get after it. Also, woo, have a great week. Jim Rome takes on sports.

Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain. and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand.

He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.