• Info · Interviews •

DOI: What was your childhood like and did you grow up watching wrestling?
KS: My father was a prison Guard at Nassau county Jail, and my mother is a high school chemistry, biology, and forensics teacher. I grew up in the quaint fishing village of Northport NY. I wrestled and played Football in High school was also an Eagle Scout. It's sort of like the American dream. I spent the majority of my life watching wrestling. My father knew some of the security guards at Nassau coliseum so if there was wrestling I was there. When I started wrestling in high school I watched a little, Coach said It gave me "Bad Habits", but pro Wrestling was why I joined the team in the first place and that stuck with me. At 18 I fractured my neck during a wrestling match and I was told I should never wrestle again. So Instead I took up Kung-fu for three years, went to college got a degree in electronics and spent those years working in a fish store and doing bit parts for a local theatre company. Since I was in shape they taught me how to Bump on stage. This re ignited my desire to wrestle. So I immediately started wrestling school and the rest as they say is history.

DOI: Growing up which wrestlers did you admire most?
KS: I always loved Ricky Steamboat and the Rockers, But there was always a special place in my heart for the likes of George "the Animal" Steele and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Later as wrestling changed my favorites switched to Mick Foley, Spike Dudley, Tajiri, and of course Mikey Whipwreck

DOI: You were trained to be a pro by Mikey Whipwreck at the QWA Wrestling Academy, what was that experience like for you?
KS: It was the most fun I've ever had, but no one watching would have known it. When I started training with Mikey There were 9 students in the class. By the end of that class we were down to 6, By the end of that week we were down to 4. When I finally got my license at the end of training it was only Joey Braggiol and I. Mikey would drill basic chain for hours and then follow it up with a half hour of cardio or make us do squats until we couldn't walk. Once I made it past basics. I got to pull double duty the beginner's class cardio/squats then the advanced class. The advanced class consisted of the SAT or tom Marquez Or Chris Divine using me as a training dummy, which was so Much fun. The SAT would need to practice a complex lucha' spot for their next match. So they would teach me how to receive it then teach me how to do it. It was a, succeed or die, situation. Marquez taught me every suplex on the planet and some I think he discovered in outer space. Divine always tried to keep things organized but in the end classes always ended up being a pass the Scampi Bump-fest. After classes we would sometimes go to get dinner at a local Diner. That's when the real fun happened. Mikey would rehash old ECW stories and the SAT would goof off everyone would harass the waitress. Since then I've never been able to look at chocolate Ice cream the same way.

DOI: When did you realize that the wrestling world was deprived of retarded fishermen and where did the Ken Scampi persona originate?
KS: For Mikey's "retirement match" the first ?WA show. Mikey told us that he wanted all his students to work the show. So Mikey asked me if I had thought of a Gimmick. At the time I was working at a fish store so I replied " I'll do any gimmick you like Mikey as long as I'm not a Fisherman". Mikey said..."ok so you're a fisherman". And thus Ken Scampi was born. The retarded thing came at an ICW show, I was in the locker room chilling and I did the "YAAAA" thing from Crank Yankers, and Jerry Lynn Popped, so I told him I would do it in the ring. The elks lodge liked it so much I just kept doing it.

DOI: You wrestled on both Question-Mark Wrestling Alliance shows, for whatever reasons the company is no logger, what can you tell us about QWA and your time there?
KS: When I was working for QWA I was wrestling and Ring crew, which as any worker can tell you, is draining. I was In charge of ring crew so I had to rent the truck, Pick up the truck (at 9 Am.) plus normal ring crew duties. Then after that I had to wrestle, and take it all down. Plus the ring needed to be set up for the next class and the truck had to be back before 9am next day. Roadkill said I got off easy.

DOI: Which Indy promotions have you worked for and which are your favorites? KS: I have worked for USA Pro, ICW, ?WA, NYWC and NWA-Wildside (soon to come SSCW and UWC). I love working for ICW because there are always a lot of people I can learn from. But The NYWC locker room is still my favorite because it's filled with Young Hungry workers Like Dan Barry, Dickie Rodz, and Tyler Payne.

DOI: What is your involvement with the NYWC and the Critical Mass Pro-Wrestling school, and how did you get involved there?
KS: John Curse and I belonged to the same Gym. He invited me down after the QWA School closed. So One day I showed Up, Trained, Had a lot of fun, and since then I kept coming back.

DOI: What do you think your best match to date?
KS: My best Match was Definitely the triple threat With Me Braggiol and Wayne at the ICW show in Passaic. We were all really comfortable with each other. I was really happy to be working with Wayne; I think he's one of the best workers in the Business. Braggiol always brings out the best In Me because of His size, whenever I bump for him People think I'm dead. We all just went out there Worked the crowd, And each other, and had fun with the match. When you're having Fun the crowd is having Fun.

DOI: Who would be Ken Scampi's dream opponent and where would the match take place?
KS: I have a strange sense of Humor. So My dream match Is Ken Scampi vs. Shark Boy, In a steel cage. I can see the promos now. "Man goes into the cage, cage goes into the ring, shark lives in the ring, Our Shark! Were gonna' need a bigger Boat!!"

DOI: The wrestling world needs to know have you seen Tara Charisma naked and what is your relationship with her?
KS: Very funny. Tara and I are Just Friends. She trained at the QWA school with me, so it just seemed natural that she valets for me. Since were always at shows together, and always training together, I guess people just assumed we were a couple. Tara, although a sweet Girl Is FAR too young for Me, Our relationship is more Paternal than anything else.

DOI: Is ScampiMania running wild?
KS: OOH YEAH!!!...YAAAAAAAA!!!! and all my little ScampiManiacs keep track of my matches at www.kenscampi.cjb.net or see ken scampi before the glory at www.northportfish.com

DOI: What are Ken Scampi's career goals in terms of life and wrestling?
KS: In terms of life and wrestling I have One Universal Goal. I want to do all the stuff old people say they should have done when they were younger. I'm always saying I'm getting too old for this $*it because I eventually will. So I'm going to Go as crazy as I can, In the ring and out, Until I cant do it any more.

Word Association

Mikey Whipwreck - Mentor
Danny Demanto - Mayonnaise
ICW - Ken Scampi's second chance
NYWC - Wrestling's Future
McMahon - Wrestling's legacy

Check out: www.kenscampi.cjb.net

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