FIP Radio #11 w/ Phil Davis of the Heartbreak Express is now available for download:
http://www.fullimpactpro.com/images/radio/fipradio011.mp3
MSL: And we are back on FIP Radio, Mister Saint Laurent here, joined with Phil Davis at this time, one half of the Heartbreak Express. And the Heartbreak Express came back to FIP recently, and really almost right away have been having an issue with the YRR. Tell the fans at home, what’s the deal with the YRR? What is your beef with them?
PD: You know the beef is, that YRR, since we’ve been gone for a few months, have kinda’ run roughshod, put Black Market out. I heard it was controversial. They’re going around telling everybody they put Black Market out, and they’re the number one tag team in FIP. You know that doesn’t sit well with the Heartbreak Express, seeing that we helped build FIP to what it is today, the last four years. They want to start badmouthing us, go right ahead boys, but just ‘cause you got rid of Black Market doesn’t mean you’ll get rid of us. We’re back and we’re back better than ever.
MSL: Now we’ve seen a lot of changes in the FIP landscape over the years.
PD: Yes, definitely.
MSL: But one thing remains consistent, and that’s the Heartbreak Express, in important matches. And let’s be honest over the last several years, the fans haven’t really been on your side. And now, in the last few weeks, gaining more and more fan support. We saw you a couple of weeks ago in Brooksville, and actually your partner Sean won the Southern Stampede.
PD: Yeah, that’s his style of match, man.
MSL: So certainly have a lot of momentum going into these events, May 25th and May 26th, in Inverness and Melbourne. What can you tell us about what you have in store for the YRR? I know you guys said you’re gonna’ make them bleed!
PD: Well you know, everyone can remember back to the year 2006 will remember, countless drawing blood, blood bath bathing matches we’ve had with Black Market. We beat the living hell out of each other. And you know that kinda’ wasn’t our style of match per say, but it kinda’ found a niche, and we started getting over with the people, and the people wanted to see us do that. And the more they liked it the more we did it. So we kinda’ took Black Market all over the state of Florida, especially FIP and ended with them. So now we’re kinda’ saying, YRR if their the next in line, well step up to the plate. YRR you’re gonna’ be in the same kinda’ match we did with us and Black Market.
MSL: And the YRR of course, they say they’re young, rich, and ready for action. And, you and Sean have more experience than the YRR…
PD: (laughs) What are you saying, that I’m old?
MSL: I’m not saying you’re old!
PD: Ok yeah, I’m not really young, I’m not really rich…
MSL: Certainly athletes in their peak years. So what would you say have been your influences through the years, what made you want to be a wrestler? What has shaped the Heartbreak Express? Because certainly, you guys stand out on a show. You certainly have a style that now seems very unique. You’ve got so many guys doing all this new stuff, flipping around…
PD: What’s old is new. That’s our motto. So, we’re just two guys, and I can’t put it more simple, it’s a dream come true. Me and Sean wanted to be wrestlers since we were little kids, we both started watching wrestling about 1984. And ever since then, man, I’ve been literally living out my dream as a professional wrestler. So this is something I’ve always wanted to do my whole life, and it’s my passion, and I’ve watched countless tapes over the years, studying it. And we’re old school, and people say we’re old school, people say we’re traditionalists, people say we’re ‘stuck in the past’, and well, that’s the whole point. We’re bring back something that hasn’t been seen in years, and the people seem to like it. Hey if it makes us stand out, then so be it. We’re old school fuddy-dutty’s. Plain and simple.
MSL: Certainly people look at the independent circuit in the United States, one of the top tag teams is the Heartbreak Express. So to look at some of your heroes from the past, some of the great teams, Midnight Express, Rock N’ Roll Express…How does it feel? Is it a lot of pressure to be in FIP, to be the premier tag team for so many years, and to know you’ve got young guys like the YRR, who are looking to make a name at your expense?
PD: Well you know, like you said, grew up watching Midnight Express, the Freebirds (the original Fabulous Freebirds, Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy, and Michael Hayes), we grew up watching the Hart Foundation, big fan of the Dynamic Duo (Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez). You know those are the teams who exuded, this tag team psychology and charisma, they just knew how to aggravate the crowd. So we carried that on through the years, just watching tapes, doing that, and studying them. And yeah, standing out in FIP, and standing out in the indy scene in general, being a tag team is one thing because tag team wrestling is dormant pretty much nowadays, and has been for years, in my opinion. So, but definitely here in FIP, and in the state of Florida, I think people miss tag team wrestling, they want to see the old school southern wrestling. So in a way, yeah, we stand out like a sore thumb, but I guess that’s what gets us over. We’re different than everyone else, so we’re trying to bring back old school, traditional, tag team wrestling, a lost art, back here in FIP. And it’s not really pressure because I feel like we’re not really competing with anybody. If people like us, the like us, you know? Like Black Market, they came into FIP, and I’m like ‘Oh, that’s great, no competition, just another tag team that we can work with good, and have some good matches with.’. So it was no pressure, just go out there and do our thing, and hopefully tag team wrestling will get back to the way it was. And hopefully we can be the forerunners of that.
MSL: Now do you think, having been in FIP since the beginning, having been in so many battles that people still talk about to this day, watch the DVD’s talk about some of the wars you guys have been in. It doesn’t really seem to me that what you guys do has changed too much. Maybe the fans have just learned to respect what it is that you have to offer, and they’re starting to support you a little more? Because before, I think maybe they didn’t really know how to take you guys at first look.
PD: I guess people look at is, if you’re entertaining, and I’m not putting myself over or anything like that, but people tell us we’re entertaining, and we’re the most entertaining guys on the show, we’re funny, we’re this, we’re that. I think people just look at, whether they hate you or love ya’, whether you’re a bad guy or good guy, you know, people are gonna’ like ya’, as long as you’re entertaining, they’re gonna’ like ya’. So I guess we kinda’ earned the respect through the last several years, just bringing back an old school style. And I guess that’s what people want to see, I guess we won them over with that.
MSL: You mention Black Market before, and you had a long standing issue with those guys. And the Cage of Pain, all came to a head, and I’m sure you’re still sore from that one.
PD: (laughs) Yeah, every time I look at a fluorescent light bulb, I start cringing.
MSL: Let’s bring out the FIP Crystal Ball a little bit. It’s an imaginary crystal ball.
PD: Oh ok, there it is, yeah ok!
MSL: We’ve got a crystal ball here. Where do you see this thing with the YRR going? I don’t think it’s gonna’ end pretty.
PD: No, well, YRR they wanna’ keep running their mouth. Saying they’re the new tag team in FIP, they put Black Market out, they’re gonna’ put us out. It’s nothing but a bunch of young, spoiled, little snot-nosed brats, momma’s boys, that maybe had a little success in the last few months. They’re thinking they’ve got one up on everybody, but they’re gonna’ find out the hard way. One we get in the ring with them, throw the wrestling out the window. Because I think the stuff we did with Black Market, has kinda’ gotten in our blood, some of our blood has gotten out of ourselves, you could say. But YRR, they’re gonna’ be in for a fight, they like to do the tag team wrestling, the high spots, the pretty high flying. But that’s not gonna’ come into play when they get into a match with us, I have a feeling, I could be wrong. But it’s not gonna’ end too pretty, and their might be some bloodshed in that one.
MSL: Now certainly when you’re dealing with the YRR, you could be dealing with three, four, five guys, the numbers are never going to be in your favor. So how do you combat that, do you maybe try to make some alliances here in FIP? Do you maybe try to bring some friends in to even the odds?
PD: I dunno’, we don’t really have too many friends. (laughs) To be honest, we’re kinda’ loaners, you know? But, I don’t know, who knows what’s going to happen. Black Market lost the ‘Loser leave town for 90-days’, I heard Murphy’s out with a neck injury, who knows if he’ll ever wrestle again. I don’t know, if he comes back, I don’t know if they’ll come back, or when. But we don’t really don’t have any alliances, but, we can handle ourselves pretty much.
MSL: So if you gotta’ do it 2 on 4, so what?
PD: Well, we took it to ‘em a few weeks ago in Crystal River and Inverness. You know, the odds are always going to be against us. But hey, that’s the way it goes sometimes. And…
MSL: It’s not easy being a pro wrestler? (laughs)
PD: No, no, no, it’s not easy at all. But hey, we welcome that kinda’ stuff, we don’t run from a fight, we look to a fight, and we’re the first ones to throw a few punches so, you know.
MSL: Well I’ve never seen you or Sean back away from a fight. I want to thank you for being on the show.
PD: Oh thank you, thank you, brother.
MSL: And certainly, Heartbreak Express, gonna’ be a big part of the upcoming weekend here in FIP, May 25th, and May 26th, Inverness and Melbourne. Go to FullImpactPro.com for more information on those events. We’re gonna’ take a quick break, and we’ll be right back, on FIP Radio!