Author:Vinny Berry
Historically, the western region of Texas has produced some tough wrestlers. Names like The Youngbloods, The Guerreros, The Funks, and Dick Murdoch all hail from the Badlands. This modern era of pro wrestling has gunslingers too! One man who is quick at the draw, is The Living Proof, Jastin Taylor.
“We have had some people who have come from around this way,” Jastin Taylor goes on to say. “Someone who is popular on the indies and a current active wrestler is Curt Stallion. He comes directly from the Old School Wrestling tree that I come from in Odessa.”
Growing up in the 80s, allowed Taylor to watch such talents as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, and Ricky Steamboat. As a child, those larger-than-life personalities appeared to him as superheroes.
“That was probably the first time that I was enamored with what wrestling was,” Taylor explains. “I didn’t know anything about it or how to pursue it, I just knew that I liked it and that like grew into a love!”
Even when Vince McMahon told fans that it wasn’t what they thought it was, wasn’t enough to turn off the fandom in Taylor. Announcing to the world that pro wrestling was a show and it was just entertainment only fueled Taylor’s curiosity. He began to appreciate the performance, the physicality, and the ability for the wrestlers to control the audience by what was being done in the ring.
“It was when I fell in love with those aspects of wrestling was when I started to appreciate it more,” Taylor said. “To me it is one of the most beautiful forms of entertainment that there is. That is about the time I wanted to know what it actually felt like to be inside that ring!”
15 years later, Taylor is still stepping into the ring. Not only is he preserving the wrestling tradition in the state of Texas, but he is also taking his passion for the sport across the United States. The dedication that he has for the profession shows up in his actions, and also in his willingness to pass his knowledge to the athletes coming up behind him.
“You don’t have to be a wrestler. You can be a writer, you can be a part of the ring crew, or you can be a fan who takes pictures and shares your experience.” Taylor continues. “We all have a part to play in this crazy thing that we call wrestling. I think it’s real cool that we all share a significance in that way.”
Vinny is also the author of Lance By Chance, The Lance Von Erich story and Black Bart. Check out his books, articles and many podcasts at wrestleville.com! It’s where wrestling lives!
