Tom Prichard: The Great Comeback of Wrestling
Today I have Dr. Tom Prichard on the show. He is a wrestling coach, multiple champion, and co-founder of a wrestling school in Knoxville, Tennessee - Jacobs-Prichard Wrestling Academy.
He takes me through the history of wrestling as a sports entertainment, how it all began in the 60s and 70s and had its peak of popularity in the 80s and 90s. Tom has trained wrestling stars such as The Rock and Mark Henry whom we had on the podcast earlier.
In this interview we talk about why people think wrestling shows are fake and whether wrestlers are getting hurt (spoiler alert: it’s real!). We talk about some of the famous wrestlers like Johnny Valentine, famous matches, and how nowadays social media are influencing our perception of this ancient discipline.
With his wealth of experience, Tom shares a lot of motivating stories not only about training, but also about determination and getting through life in general. Enjoy our conversation!
"Wrestling is primal, it's as old as life itself. We've all had to combat in life, it's part of our nature. " - Dr. Tom Prichard
Time Stamps:
1:30 - Who our guest today is and what he does.
4:00 - What we talk about on The Lone Star Plate.
5:45 - How it is living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
8:17 - Is wrestling fake or predeterminate?
12:10 - How wrestling became popular as sports entertainment.
22:00 - Professional wrestlers are acquiring a public persona like musicians.
23:15 - How wrestling has changed since 70s and 80s.
28:00 - How improvisation works in a wrestling match.
29:53 - How are people who attend Tom’s wrestling school.
37:30 - The importance of grinding for what you really love, and how some people go into wrestling only for the love of fame.
45:45 - How the culture of true rock stars and sport stars doesn’t exist anymore in 2000s.
48:15 - Food regiments of professional wrestlers and how it feeds into charisma and authenticity.
54:25 - The issue of political correctness and moral play in wrestling.
1:03:40 - Regardless of the influence of social media, the fundamentals of any skill will always work.
1:04:30 - How to get in touch with Tom’s wrestling school.
1:07:00 - What wrestling conventions there are.
Resources:
Jacobs-Prichard Wrestling Academy
A Pro-Wrestling Curriculum Advice, suggestions and stories to help the aspiring Pro get to the next level, a book by Tom Prichard
Mark Henry: Strongman's Love for BBQ
Chico's Tacos
Texas Real Food