FUJIWARA INTERVIEWS #01: JACK GALLAGHER
My friend Olly, though a deliberately frustrating man, knows his wrestling and can spot a good wrestler a mile off. I dragged him along to a Grand Pro Wrestling (GPW) event in Wigan. On the way home he raved about Jack Gallagher. Though Olly and I occasionally disagree, he had hit the nail on the head. A gritty, sinewy wrestler with a supreme scientific base and a believably belligerent (in-ring) personality, Gallagher is a perfect fit on paper for the range of styles on offer in Japan (or indeed, anywhere else).
During 2013, Gallagher (under the name Jack Anthony) travelled to Japan to work for Zero1, Big Japan, NOAH and Diana and hone his skills. I'd had the idea to interview him at the outset of this blog, and when I finally asked he was only too receptive to share his experiences of Japan, training, the domestic scene and various asides along the route. I haven't edited his answers in the slightest. It was too good from beginning to end, packed with insight, humour, self-deprecation and honesty.
FUJIWARA ARMBAR: From March 2013 to mid-September 2013 you worked for a number of organisations in Japan. Can you tell us about the experience?
JACK GALLAGHER: Settle in, kids, it's a minor odyssey.
The Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA), based in Glasgow, has ties to Zero1 in Japan – the SWA is also known as Zero1 Scotland. I was a semi-regular visitor to the North and they were holding what was called a “Fighting Spirit Challenge”. Essentially, the owner of Zero1 was there to see if there were people with the conditioning to hack it in a dojo. We did some basic exercises and ring drills, and afterwards he stayed to watch the show. Myself and Mark Coffey were subsequently invited to Zero1.
Now most people tour Japan for three months at a time. The reason for this is that you can actually visit the country for that long without a visa. It’s a lot less hassle for companies this way. Although, during my prep, I found I was eligible to apply for what is called a working holiday visa. You can only apply for this once and you are limited to choosing one valid up to three months, six months, or one year. What’s more I could obtain one without need of a sponsor. As I was only going to be able to do this once, I applied and received a year visa into the country of Japan.
I actually arrived in February with the work beginning in March. I spent a week acclimatising before heading to the dojo, which was a small trouble, as I have a poor sense of direction and an even poorer grasp of the Japanese language. I got there eventually.
Before arriving I was expecting the worst of the worst intensity of training. I was doing a thousand hindu squats every other day, a few hundred push-ups, and my neck bridging had never been better, and whilst the training was hard, it was no worse than anything I’d put myself through. So settling into the weekly routine was little bother. If there were no shows on, then the week was six days of training with Sunday being the day off. Aside from training, shows, and the occasional press conference, we had no obligations and our time was ours to do with as we pleased.
Maybe it was a language barrier or maybe it really was a cultural difference, but there’s a real sense of isolation. When you’re not working, the days seem to last forever, so you do what you can to pass the time. I tried to treat my free time as a holiday. I’m genuinely interested in Japanese history and culture so it was nice to befriend the few English speakers that I could and end up in places that ranged from the Edo-Tokyo Museum to an underground club in Shibuya at three in the morning.
(Have you ever seen the film Lost in Translation? If you haven’t, you should. It has Billy Murray and a satisfyingly long shot of Scarlett Johansson at the beginning, what’s not to like? Anyway, Lost in Translation. That film captures the essence of the experience.)
I’d also like to mention that whilst I was living in Tokyo I trained at the AACC gym. They had a good Jiu Jitsu, Submission Wrestling, and MMA team, and I miss training there as much as I do wrestling in that country.
Once I’d actually begun wrestling on shows I the office had an immediate idea of what to do with me. Ikuto Hidaka, who has been with the company for a very long time and is essentially the Jr. Heavyweight Division, likes the European style of wrestling. The fact that I’d trained in the Wigan Snake Pit and had met Billy Robinson did me no harm either.
The main piece of advice I’d been given was to remain as true to my style as I could. The Japanese aren’t interested in foreign wrestlers who’re coming over and imitating their wrestling. They want something different. So I kept to the stuff I’d been doing in Britain for the last few years. The style and the look isn’t immediately associated with World of Sport, as it is in this country, but an old school sensibility instead. I had Dory Funk Jr. and Billy Robinson comparisons here and there, and, every now and again, a Dynamite Kid one too. Not too shabby.
I’d love to go back. Mainly I’d like to see some friends and catch up in person; working there again would just be a bonus. Right now I’m happy with how my wrestling is progressing. I don’t have any immediate desire to make such a major change in my life again, but the opportunity to do so is there. I’m young enough, I suppose.
FA: How do you reflect upon the opportunities you got inside the ring?
JG: It’s kind of surreal, but the experience as a whole more so than just the wrestling. Wrestling is wrestling; cultural differences don’t change my job description. The main thing was the fans. It’s kind of cliché to talk about the Japanese wrestling fans and their appreciation of the sport, though it does stand out as something that’s still very special about the business over there.
FA: When you returned to the UK and European circuit after your six months, what did you feel was different about yourself?
JG: Well I was chubbier. (Seriously, if you’re ever in Tokyo, get a beef bowl.) Aside from that I honestly couldn’t tell you. I’ve since revisited some of my older matches – much to my chagrin, I assure you – and seen the things I kept and the things I trimmed away over time, but I don’t know how much of this can be attributed to my times overseas. One thing is for certain: I’ve gotten significantly better at tag matches. The only problem is I’m a nightmare to team with as I’m a control freak.
JG: When I was first training I was told that no one will pay to watch someone who’s just a wrestler. They wanted something a little more show business, and the only way I was going to be allowed to debut was with some sort of gimmick. So I ended up as a poor amalgamation of Johnny Rotten, Johnny Thunders, and a chunky teenager. I was not a very convincing punk rocker.
After a period of appearing here and there in Northern English wrestling I’d found that I’d far from set the world on fire. I was stuck in a situation where nobody knew what to do with me, but simply couldn’t be bothered replacing me. So the promoters of the show saw nothing to lose when it was suggested to them to let me give this 'Grappler' thing a go. Thankfully the audience took to it.
The only inspiration or motivating factor, whatever you want to call it, behind the change is that that is the type of wrestling I enjoy watching the most. I’d spent a few years too long attempting to do what I’d been told other people like, and instead did what I knew I liked. I reasoned that if I like watching it, then there has to be at least one other person who does too.
Honestly, I’m looking to transition from that persona now. For one, it can be a very limited role to be put in. For another, it seems as though there’s a significantly larger number of wrestlers in trunks, with no kneepads, than there were four or five years ago.
FA: From what I hear you have spent time working with Billy Robinson, and continue to develop yourself as a grappler as much as a professional wrestler. With the increase in opportunities for viable careers in mixed martial arts and even submission wrestling, what made you decide to pursue the professional game?
JG: Professional wrestling came first. I’m not a Catch wrestler or Judoka or Jiu Jitsu player that moved into wrestling. I’m a professional wrestler that adopted these things. Truth be told, if I’d have started in one of these backgrounds and had a choice of moving into MMA, submission grappling, or wrestling as a pursuit I don’t know what route I would have taken. All I can tell you is I equally enjoy these pursuits, but for different reasons.
My friend Olly, though a deliberately frustrating man, knows his wrestling and can spot a good wrestler a mile off. I dragged him along to a Grand Pro Wrestling (GPW) event in Wigan. On the way home he raved about Jack Gallagher. Though Olly and I occasionally disagree, he had hit the nail on the head. A gritty, sinewy wrestler with a supreme scientific base and a believably belligerent (in-ring) personality, Gallagher is a perfect fit on paper for the range of styles on offer in Japan (or indeed, anywhere else).
During 2013, Gallagher (under the name Jack Anthony) travelled to Japan to work for Zero1, Big Japan, NOAH and Diana and hone his skills. I'd had the idea to interview him at the outset of this blog, and when I finally asked he was only too receptive to share his experiences of Japan, training, the domestic scene and various asides along the route. I haven't edited his answers in the slightest. It was too good from beginning to end, packed with insight, humour, self-deprecation and honesty.
FUJIWARA ARMBAR: From March 2013 to mid-September 2013 you worked for a number of organisations in Japan. Can you tell us about the experience?
JACK GALLAGHER: Settle in, kids, it's a minor odyssey.
The Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA), based in Glasgow, has ties to Zero1 in Japan – the SWA is also known as Zero1 Scotland. I was a semi-regular visitor to the North and they were holding what was called a “Fighting Spirit Challenge”. Essentially, the owner of Zero1 was there to see if there were people with the conditioning to hack it in a dojo. We did some basic exercises and ring drills, and afterwards he stayed to watch the show. Myself and Mark Coffey were subsequently invited to Zero1.
Now most people tour Japan for three months at a time. The reason for this is that you can actually visit the country for that long without a visa. It’s a lot less hassle for companies this way. Although, during my prep, I found I was eligible to apply for what is called a working holiday visa. You can only apply for this once and you are limited to choosing one valid up to three months, six months, or one year. What’s more I could obtain one without need of a sponsor. As I was only going to be able to do this once, I applied and received a year visa into the country of Japan.
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| "the pretty boy versus the gentleman": with Mineo Fujita, Zero1 |
Before arriving I was expecting the worst of the worst intensity of training. I was doing a thousand hindu squats every other day, a few hundred push-ups, and my neck bridging had never been better, and whilst the training was hard, it was no worse than anything I’d put myself through. So settling into the weekly routine was little bother. If there were no shows on, then the week was six days of training with Sunday being the day off. Aside from training, shows, and the occasional press conference, we had no obligations and our time was ours to do with as we pleased.
Maybe it was a language barrier or maybe it really was a cultural difference, but there’s a real sense of isolation. When you’re not working, the days seem to last forever, so you do what you can to pass the time. I tried to treat my free time as a holiday. I’m genuinely interested in Japanese history and culture so it was nice to befriend the few English speakers that I could and end up in places that ranged from the Edo-Tokyo Museum to an underground club in Shibuya at three in the morning.
 |
| Edo-Tokyo museum, Ryogoku |
I’d also like to mention that whilst I was living in Tokyo I trained at the AACC gym. They had a good Jiu Jitsu, Submission Wrestling, and MMA team, and I miss training there as much as I do wrestling in that country.
Once I’d actually begun wrestling on shows I the office had an immediate idea of what to do with me. Ikuto Hidaka, who has been with the company for a very long time and is essentially the Jr. Heavyweight Division, likes the European style of wrestling. The fact that I’d trained in the Wigan Snake Pit and had met Billy Robinson did me no harm either.
The main piece of advice I’d been given was to remain as true to my style as I could. The Japanese aren’t interested in foreign wrestlers who’re coming over and imitating their wrestling. They want something different. So I kept to the stuff I’d been doing in Britain for the last few years. The style and the look isn’t immediately associated with World of Sport, as it is in this country, but an old school sensibility instead. I had Dory Funk Jr. and Billy Robinson comparisons here and there, and, every now and again, a Dynamite Kid one too. Not too shabby.
 |
| credit: Tony Knox |
FA: How do you reflect upon the opportunities you got inside the ring?
JG: It’s kind of surreal, but the experience as a whole more so than just the wrestling. Wrestling is wrestling; cultural differences don’t change my job description. The main thing was the fans. It’s kind of cliché to talk about the Japanese wrestling fans and their appreciation of the sport, though it does stand out as something that’s still very special about the business over there.
FA: When you returned to the UK and European circuit after your six months, what did you feel was different about yourself?
JG: Well I was chubbier. (Seriously, if you’re ever in Tokyo, get a beef bowl.) Aside from that I honestly couldn’t tell you. I’ve since revisited some of my older matches – much to my chagrin, I assure you – and seen the things I kept and the things I trimmed away over time, but I don’t know how much of this can be attributed to my times overseas. One thing is for certain: I’ve gotten significantly better at tag matches. The only problem is I’m a nightmare to team with as I’m a control freak.
FA: You have transformed yourself since debuting, from a more punk-rock inspired aesthetic to something similar to the serious grapplers/wrestlers that calls to mind the great televised era in the UK. What motivated the change?
JG: When I was first training I was told that no one will pay to watch someone who’s just a wrestler. They wanted something a little more show business, and the only way I was going to be allowed to debut was with some sort of gimmick. So I ended up as a poor amalgamation of Johnny Rotten, Johnny Thunders, and a chunky teenager. I was not a very convincing punk rocker.
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| Changing: from this... |
The only inspiration or motivating factor, whatever you want to call it, behind the change is that that is the type of wrestling I enjoy watching the most. I’d spent a few years too long attempting to do what I’d been told other people like, and instead did what I knew I liked. I reasoned that if I like watching it, then there has to be at least one other person who does too.
 |
| ...to this... |
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| ...to this? (credit: @Missus_IP) |
JG: Professional wrestling came first. I’m not a Catch wrestler or Judoka or Jiu Jitsu player that moved into wrestling. I’m a professional wrestler that adopted these things. Truth be told, if I’d have started in one of these backgrounds and had a choice of moving into MMA, submission grappling, or wrestling as a pursuit I don’t know what route I would have taken. All I can tell you is I equally enjoy these pursuits, but for different reasons.
As an aside: Billy Robinson was the most knowledgeable person on wrestling that I have ever met.
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| Billy Robinson |
People from all over the world come here to train - guys like Brian Danielson, Fergal Devitt, El Generico and loads more came here to learn the job before going onto great success. Every Summer, Japanese, American and European wrestlers travel to this country to learn how to work. This country! This is where they choose to learn. SO, why the fuck do people here fly off to those countries under the guise of it being to learn? It doesn't make sense. If you're not making it here, it's one of two reasons - 1: You're not good enough. 2: You're not fucking good enough.http://jimmosangle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/jimmos-angle-special-interview-mad-man.html
FA: What do you make of Manson's views? Is this country the proving ground it once was since the days of The Snake Pit? Or is there something to be gained from an excursion?
JG: Is it still a proving ground? Yes and no. People still travel here to ply their trade from all over the world, and the runs that existed in say the Golden Era of this country still exist i.e. All Star Wrestling and the summer camps. But the type of wrestling we produce is so vastly different from that time.
We’re still lucky enough to have a decent number of the older generation of wrestlers still knocking about, but a lot of that knowledge isn’t being passed down like it once was. This is still a great place to learn to how to wrestle, you just have to look at the wrestlers to know that, but it’s not the same country that produced 'Rollerball' Rocco or Marty Jones.
FA: The UK scene appears to be undergoing a minor renaissance. The two promotions I identify you closest with, Futureshock and GPW, have been going for a decade or more. You've also worked for PCW and ICW who are enjoying wider exposure than might have been thought possible around the time of your debut. Generally wrestlers can hold court on the the triumphs and disasters of their own scene: in your view, what are they?
JG: Triumphs? I couldn’t speak with certainty about that. I think that’s something we’ll know with hindsight. But I can tell you where the improvements have been since I started.
The first is production values. When I started the original FWA was on the way out, and they were the only company in this country that was making a TV ready product at the time. Aside from them, a good setup was a rare thing in England. I think that GPW had the best for a long time with guardrails, lighting, a video screen, and a proper entrance way. They’ve maintained this, but other people have since caught them up. NGW and ICW are currently the front runners for me in presentation. Both have not only got the apparatus required, but these props are staged in such a way as to make everything TV ready.
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| Gallagher working for Insane Championship Wrestling (credit: @mrdavidjwilson) |
Thirdly, television doesn’t have to be the end goal. Yes, I just mentioned about shows being 'TV ready' but it’s a short-hand for a certain level of quality. What I’m saying is let me eat my cake and have it too. TV reaches an incredibly wide audience and helps to encourage sponsorship, but we’ve reached a period where the internet is becoming just as viable a tool and has a lower wall of entry.
Most importantly, more people in wrestling are realising this; promoters are streaming their shows, or selling them for download rather than having to deal with all the annoyances of physical media production and distribution. Getting on BBC iPlayer is almost as important a goal as the BBC now. Even major companies like the WWE and the UFC have realised this. The largest companies in the world, in their respective industries, are essentially trying to create the Netflix of those industries.
Disasters? We’ve too few good characters and personalities – I don’t need more than one hand to count them all on. I’m also far from Mr Personality UK, mind. We’ve plenty of people with interesting names, and looks, and catchphrases, and hand gestures, and poses but none too many who can simply talk and be engaging. When someone talks in Britain it’s obviously utilitarian and rarely comes across as natural. It’s not that we’re lacking in interesting people.
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| Jack ties Noam Dar up |
I’m not saying that is the answer to suddenly creating an abundance of people that the casual audience would care about. What I am saying is that there’s more than one way to tell me the essentials: who’s fighting? Why’re they fighting? Why should I care?
Follow Jack on Twitter @GrappleDays
Bonus video: Jack Gallagher vs Zero1's Yusaku Obata in SWA/Zero1 Scotland
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