Brian Carson has made a great deal of progress since beginning his training with Johnny Gargano in mid-2014. He is now a regular in AIW and numerous other promotions. Header photo by John Janezic.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.grimm.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@BTheExcellence
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebriancarson/
Cagematch.net profile: https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=18450&name=Brian+Carson
Particle Don: What got you into wrestling? Did you watch growing up?
Brian: As a kid, my parents and grandparents bought me a bunch of old school WWF action figures, wrestling buddies, and Coliseum Home Videos. The first match I saw was Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam ’91. Ever since, I’ve been in love with wrestling and would never miss an episode or RAW, Smackdown or Nitro, or any of the pay-per-views.
Particle Don: Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?
Brian: Bret Hart.
Particle Don: How did you first hear about AIW? Did you attend their shows as a fan?
Brian: My initial show was Gauntlet for The Gold 8. I got there late because of work. Johnny Gargano was in the first AIW match I saw, and I had an idea of who he was. My buddy called me during JLIT 2014 and told me about AIW opening their own school. I figured no better time than now to give it a shot!
Particle Don: What made you decide to train to be a pro wrestler? When did this happen?
Brian: I went to 4 different colleges out of high school, and realized it wasn’t for me. I always wanted to be a wrestler, so I made the decision to stop wasting time and money on school, and pursue my life’s dream. I last attended college in 2009. Ever since then, I’ve been focused on wrestling.
Particle Don: What’s it like training with WWE superstars Johnny Gargano and Candice LaRae? Is there any funny or entertaining stories that stick out in your mind?
Brian: Johnny and Candice are human encyclopedias when it comes to wrestling. They don’t only push us physically in the ring, but they make sure we stay sharp mentally outside of it. They’re always available for questions or anything.
If anyone’s birthday falls on a training day, they get to book a show of matches of their choosing between all of us trainees. We’ve had hardcore matches, lumberjack matches, I quit matches, falls count anywhere matches, even a ladder match. I wouldn’t have wanted to be trained by anyone else.
Particle Don: Do you know if anyone will take Johnny’s place as head trainer when he goes to WWE full-time?
Brian: I don’t know who, or if, anyone will replace Johnny.
Particle Don: If there was one match you’d show to someone who has never seen you wrestle before, what would it be?
Brian: My match against Johnny Gargano at AIW Fresh Meat. I don’t think I can have that much fun in the ring again!
Particle Don: What is your theme song, and why did you choose it?
Brian: “Bad” by Downstait. I’ve always been a fan, and that’s my favorite song by them. They even wrote music for the first AEW event, All In.
Particle Don: Other than AIW, what are a few other promotions you’ve worked for?
Brian: Mega, UXWA, NWA Midwest, and Full Throttle.
Particle Don: What’s the farthest you’ve traveled for a wrestling show?
Brian: Before debuting in AIW, I went to Chicago with Johnny, Candice, and Alex Daniels.
Particle Don: What was it like competing in this year’s Back to the Future Cup? You had an impressive showing and made it to the finals.
Brian: The tournament was a lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to wrestle Space Monkey, and we had a hell of a match. It’s great to get in the ring with someone that has a totally different style than yours. It helps you become a better wrestler.
I’d like to do over the finals because I hurt my knee in the beginning, and couldn’t give 100% during the match. All in all, though, I enjoyed it.
Particle Don: Did you know Kaplan before training with him at the AIW school? You’re both from Mayfield Heights.
Brian: We went to high school together. I’ve known Kaplan since I was 16.
Particle Don: What are your goals in professional wrestling?
Brian: Short term: travel more, work in Canada, improve my physique. Long term: wrestle in Japan, NXT, and WWE.
Particle Don: Who are a few people you’d like to wrestle that you haven’t already?
Brian: Chris Sabin, Ethan Page, Raymond Rowe, Josh Prohibition, Ricochet, The Young Bucks, Joey Ryan, Tracy Williams, Tyson Dux, EC3, DJ Z, Pentagon Jr…I could go on and on. There’s so much talent on the independent circuit right now.
Particle Don: I’d definitely like to see Brian Carson vs. Raymond Rowe. What’s your finishing move? Why did you select it?
Brian: It’s called The Reaper. It’s a back suplex that plants my opponent on their face. I hit it one day in training, and liked how it looked and felt. Plus, you need to try to be as original as possible with your finisher.
Particle Don: Do you have any non-wrestling hobbies? If so, what are they?
Brian: I enjoy cooking, personal training, doing mock radio shows with my friends, and performing stand up comedy.
People tell me all the time to either be a chef, trainer, radio personality, or comedian. I wouldn’t enjoy these things if they weren’t just hobbies to blow off steam. I do them to relax.
Particle Don: What are a few of your favorite bands?
Brian: Eminem, Dr. Dre, Linkin Park, Blink 182, Lil’ Wayne, Downstait, AC/DC, Journey, KISS, Van Halen, and Guns N’ Roses.
Particle Don: Had you ever heard of Particle Don before this interview?
Brian: I remember when you rapped Ethan Page’s intro at AIW Battle of the Sexes 2.
Particle Don: Do you have a favorite classic WWF entrance theme?
Brian: Man, that’s a good question. I have so many. Stone Cold is my favorite, but I also like the themes of Hogan, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Million Dollar Man, Bret Hart, DX, nWo, Mr. Perfect, Triple H, Kane, Big Boss Man, Undertaker, Vince McMahon, and Goldberg.
Particle Don: Do you watch current WWE? If so, who are your favorite wrestlers?
Brian: Yes, I watch WWE. My favorite wrestlers, including NXT, are AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Johnny Gargano, Shinskue Nakamura, Finn Balor, Sasha Banks, Bayley, American Alpha, and Dean Ambrose. I like a lot of them.
Particle Don: Do you have a favorite 90’s cartoon?
Brian: Man, again, I could list so many. But my favorite as a kid was Looney Tunes.
Particle Don: What’s your favorite food?
Brian: Either a grilled medium rare porterhouse steak, or my homemade cavatelli.
Particle Don: Do you have a favorite candy?
Brian: Cookie Dough Bites.
Particle Don: What’s your favorite TV show?
Brian: Again, I can list a ton of them. I’m big into House of Cards. I loved Sons of Anarchy, The Newsroom, Friends, Chappelle’s Show, All In The Family, and The Sopranos. But because of how I love almost every episode, I’ll say South Park is my favorite.
Particle Don: Do you watch the show Ancient Aliens? What is your opinion on the Ancient Astronaut theory?
Brian: I don’t, but my dad does. And I’ll say here what I tell him: stop watching that stuff, it’s bad for you.
Particle Don: Do you have a favorite movie?
Brian: This is one that can really go on forever, haha. I’ll give you my top 10: The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski, Man on Fire, Jaws, The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather, Christmas Vacation, Caddyshack, and The Breakfast Club.
Particle Don: Is there anywhere can fans buy your merchandise online?
Brian: Not yet. It’s coming soon, though.
Particle Don: Is there anything you’d like to shout out or plug?
Brian: Follow me on Twitter! I’m @BTheExcellence. On Instagram I’m thebriancarson, and add me on Facebook.
Keep coming to AIW if you live in the Cleveland area. The shows are always improving, and independent wrestling needs all the support it can get!
