Curt Stallion held Southern Underground Pro’s Bonestorm Championship for 308 days before losing it to Dominic Garrini in February at Achy Breaky Heart. He’s been a staple of the SUP main event scene ever since that first show, when he won The Battle For Bonestorm. Stallion’s matches have often been among the best on the show, and he quickly became one of the promotion’s featured attractions.
In fact, if you want to have a conversation about who “Mr. SUP” would be, it’s fair to start with Stallion. But, the days of the “fun” Stallion taking shots at the bar in the middle of his matches seem long gone.
He’s always been rough around the edges, and in a way, that’s made him endearing to a large subset of the SUP faithful. But, since he lost that Bonestorm Championship, Stallion has reminded us of just how nasty he can be. On Sunday, that churlish attitude boiled over into outright rage. His opponent, A.J. Gray (an elite SUP wrestler in his own right), was the recipient of some of the most brutal strikes I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring. Stallion hit Gray in the chest, back, and neck, repeatedly, with a kendo stick, before ultimately breaking it over his head.
It was so violent that SUP official Dylan Hales had to step up and throw in the towel on behalf of Gray. But, after suffering consecutive losses to Garrini in SUP, and getting booted from the first round of the 2018 Scenic City Invitational at the hands of Joey Lynch, Stallion knew this was a win he had to have at all cost. I firmly believe that he wouldn’t have stopped hitting Gray if not for Hales, and I shudder to think of what the result of that would’ve been.
But, on Sunday, Stallion reminded us of one of his most underrated attributes as an elite professional wrestler: his ability to capitalize on an opportunity. The chaos of the ‘I Quit’ match provided Stallion with an opportunity. All he had to do was mentally commit to doing what it took to win, even if it was pretty hard to watch. He seized that opportunity to seal a victory for himself.
When Brett Ison and O’Shay Edwards came out to fend off The Carnies, Stallion saw an opportunity to make a statement. He’s like a feral hyena – always dangerous, always unpredictable, willing to do what it takes to win, and always ready to strike. And, he used that opportunity to send a message to the entire locker room: he’s still in the the thick of the hunt for that Bonestorm Championship, and more importantly, he’s just plain not someone to fuck with.
I don’t agree with the senseless, excessive violence. But, after what has been dubbed “The Music City Murders,” it appears that a new era for SUP is on the horizon. One with a vengeful Stallion, Edwards, and Ison at the forefront of it.
I had the chance to catch up Stallion after Sunday’s show to try and get a better grasp on where this callousness comes from, his thoughts on the big weekend in Tennessee wrestling, and much more.
“Big Natural” Stoney Keeley’s Interview with Curt Stallion
SK: It took a brutal ‘I Quit’ match to settle things between you and A.J. Gray. Do you even consider the score to be settled? And, why did things get so personal between you two to begin with?
CS: There was never a score to begin with in my book. He came out and stuck his nose in some shit that he had no business sniffing around. He needed and wanted that match more than I did. Him, SUP and powerbomb tv are welcome.
SK: After reaching the SCI Finals in 2017, you lost in the first round to Joey Lynch on Friday night. Was Sunday’s match with Gray looming in your head at all? Or, do you attribute that loss to Lynch rising to the occasion?
CS: I didn’t think about my match with AJ until I showed up to the building in Nashville to have it. Joey Lynch pulled a fast one at SCI and I’m not going to bitch because I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing in his position that night.
SK: Did you orchestrate the beatdown that you, Brett Ison, and O’Shay Edwards laid on The Carnies at the conclusion of Sunday’s SUP show? Or, were you simply capitalizing on an opportunity?
CS: No orchestration needed. Almost everything I do is a capitalization on someone else’s faulty circumstance and/or lack of effort. The two you saw with me are of the same cloth with the same goals within SUP.
SK: For the love of God, why would you ever strike Doug Markham in a ring?
CS: If someone you care deeply enough about does you wrong, are you going to let them get away with it or teach them a lesson however you see fit? I love Doug, but the motherfucker needs to realize, business or not, you don’t cross me.
SK: You’ve wrestled a lot of matches for SUP – do you have a favorite?
CS: My match vs Joey Janela was a standout in my memory, so I’d go with it.
SK: You held the Bonestorm Championship for nearly a year. Is it safe to say that losing it has made you a more bitter man? How do you plan to recapture the title?
CS: The circumstances toward the loss made me bitter. I have zero worry of Dom. He’s going to be nothing more than a transitional champion with as little as he’s around defending the belt, as far as I’m concerned.
SK: What’s next for Curt Stallion? Where will you be and where can people find your merch?
CS: What’s next for me? Good question. I broke my phone and lost my dates so I’m in the process of trying to get that figured out. Buying merch helps keep me afloat. You can find my stuff on What A Maneuver! and Pro Wrestling Tees.
Thoughts
Let’s call a spade a spade. Stallion’s a sharp guy that knows how to win a wrestling match. It’s obvious that he’s not short on confidence. He’s not short on motivation. Interesting to hear that he was able to let go of that loss to Lynch so quickly, too. It’s like a quarterback throwing an interception. To be successful, you have to be able to move past it right away.
But, he’s also willing to stoop to any low to prove how dangerous he is. My God, just read his response to my question about Doug Markham! Stallion has that trait in common with Edwards and Ison, though. So, that makes me a little nervous for the rest of that SUP locker room moving forward.
There’s a lot about Stallion that reminds me of WWE Hall of Famer Edge, who journalists used to refer to as “The Ultimate Opportunist.” He’s cocky, cerebral, and opportunistic, maybe better than anyone else in SUP in that regard. But, winning is imperative to Stallion, and it doesn’t matter if he brutalizes his opponent or steals a victory from them, he’s going to get that W.
I’m incredibly interested to see how the rest of 2018 plays out for the guy.
And, as an aside, I’ve often asked people at SUP shows what their favorite match has been. It seems like everyone has a different answer. But, I always go back to that Janela-Stallion match. It may be Stallion’s favorite match that he’s been in. But, I’m still willing to call that the greatest match in SUP’s young history so far.
For my interview with Brett Ison, click here. For Mose’s recap of Sunday’s SUP show, click here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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