school graduate
turns
pro wrestler
By Rob Burns
The Associated Press
ABERDEEN, Wash. — At 5
foot-8 and 185 pounds, Brian
Danielson doesn’t look like a
professional wrestler. You
wouldn’t think it possible that
someone his size could excel in a
big man’s profession.
But nine months ago, after
graduating from Aberdeen High
School, Danielson left his home
in Central Park, near Aberdeen,
for San Antonio, Texas, to pursue
pro wrestling fame and glory.
After three months of training
at the Shawn Michaels Wrestling
Academy and two months of per
forming for the Texas Wrestling
Alliance, the 18-year-old earned
a month-long trip to Japan to
hone his skills against some of
the best grapplers in the world in
December.
The experience paid off. On
Feb. 8, Danielson fulfilled a life
long dream to perform for the
World Wrestling Federation by
wrestling in a four-man tryout in
Austin prior to a WWF Smack
down! taping.
Three days later, the four
wrestlers were offered develop
mental contracts by the WWF,
and they signed them during a
ceremony at a TWA show.
There aren’t too many 1999
high school graduates who can
say that they’re in the beginning
of their careers, earned a trip to
Japan after seven months and
signed a contract with a major
sports entertainment company.
But then, you couldn’t tell that
from Brian, either, whose hum
ble, yet high-key, personality de
flects a lot of the praise and
stature a trip and promotion like
that gains.
“There’s a reason why I wear a
mask — I like my privacy and
sometimes, as a wrestler, it’s hard
to keep that,” he said, smiling. “I
want my own private life. It’s not
bad in San Antonio and I’m pret
ty thankful for wearing it.”
Brian and his academy class
mate Lance McNart, a fellow 18
year-old who is 6-foot-5, 250
pounds, were a tag team during
the Japan trip. Frontier Martial
Arts Wrestling (FMW), the organ
ization that hosted the two
wrestlers, didn’t know how good
or bad the two would be.
So to minimize mistakes and,
possibly a bad match or two,
FMW put them together as a tag
team throughout the tour.
After several shows and wins
over established FMW teams, the
pair proved themselves worthy
of a return trip to Japan this
spring for another two-week run.
“Lance is a big guy and he was
picked for his size and ability,”
Danielson said. “The first time I
was power-bombed, where
you’re picked up and slammed
onto your back, was from Lance.
Normally, when a big guy picks
you up to power-bomb you,
they’ll throw you. Lance doesn’t.
He’ll drive you straight into the
mat, which makes it better.
“You’re up in the air and once
you hit the mat, all of the air
leaves you. You don’t want to
kick out after one of Lance’s pow
er-bombs.”
After arriving in Tokyo after
Thanksgiving, the tag team got
their first taste of a major
wrestling promotion. The pair
hung out backstage at a FMW
pay-per-view event and attended
a press conference with Michaels
and FMW President Shouichi
Arai. Danielson showed up as his
ring persona, the baby face hero
“The American Dragon.”
“You see a raised hand, you
look and ’snap’, you look and
’snap’,” Danielson added. “We
just stood behind everyone and
we got our pictures taken every
time we looked around. I had my
mask on the entire time. It was a
strange experience.”
For the first week in Tokyo, the
two trained at FMW’s dojo. They
worked on how to wrestle with
people who don’t speak their
language, along with cardiovas
cular exercises.
Danielson also learned how
the Japanese wrestlers trained for
their matches.
Japanese wrestlers, just like
their American counterparts, rely
upon spontaneous moves, noth
ing choreographed or planned
ahead of time. During his three
month stint at the Michaels
Academy, Danielson was taught
how to perform and “bump”
every known wrestling move and
sell it during the match. “Every
thing you do in the ring is spon
taneous,” Danielson said. “It s
hard to explain, but you have to
know all of the moves and how
to take them. When it’s choreo
graphed, you lose a lot of the re
alism. You want to make it look
as real as possible.”
Danielson added to his reper
toire of moves with the minor
league promotion TWA, learning
how to tell a story in the ring in
front of a crowd and improving
his cardiovascular conditioning
with 10- to 15-minute matches.
On Dec. 1, the pair entered the
FMW ring for the first time, win
ning a tag team, match against
Ricky Fuji and Ishiara when
Danielson pinned Ishiara. Two
days later, the team faced the re
cently dethroned tag team cham
pions, Oya and Kuroda.
Danielson and McNart lost the
match, but the memory of the
event is a little foggy to the for
mer Bobcat. Trying to perform an
Asai Moonsault, which is a back
flip off the second rope to the
outside of the ring, Danielson
slipped on the plastic casing on
the ropes and crashed 10 feet to
the floor on the back of his neck.
“For the first time in my life, I
blacked out,” he said. “In Japan,
they have casing on the ropes,
which we don’t have in the U.S.
Trying to do the move, my toes
slipped and I got no rotation. The
next thing I remembered I was
back in the ring. Kuroda was
lightly tapping me with his foot,
which resembled a stomp, and
the referee was telling me to
‘touch, touch.
“I got up and tagged Lance and
the crowd went nuts that I was
still alive.
Later on in the match, I did the
move again. I wasn’t thinking
clearly at the time.”
Danielson, a life-long wrestling
fan, began taking seriously his
dreams of a pro wrestling career
as a junior at Aberdeen. After ap
plying to wrestling schools in
Florida, the former Bobcat junior
varsity fpotball player was ac
cepted into Michael’s school for
the July 1999 session.
“Originally, I wasn’t sure about
the school because it sounded
fishy,” Brian said. "I called the
number and the school helped
set up the whole thing — a place
to live, a part-time job.
They made it really easy for
me to come down here and as
easy as it can be to be a pro
wrestler.”
After working through the
school’s grueling three-month
program, Michaels, a former
WWF Champion and the
school’s main instructor, chose
Danielson, along with McNart, to
represent the school in Japan.
The team returned home Dec.
15 and now Danielson is back in
San Antonio preparing for up
coming TWA shows and his first
stints with the WWF, possibly
with WWF announcer Jerry “The
King” Lawler’s promotion, Mem
phis, Tenn., Championship
Wrestling.
Call (541) 346-4343
or stop by Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
to place your ad today.
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fiEgjdiMilM
Hey you in my CHEMISTRY Class!
I can feel the energy through
the haze, why do you always
avoid my gaze???
From the one sitting next to you...
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Thank you for the money honey!
Here's wishing you fun shredding
the slopes on the east side.
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copia bottle opener key chain with 4
or 5 keys, including bike lock key.
Please call 485-8248.
Lost Butterfly Pin
after Duck game (2/26). $50
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At 344-0759, ROBIN is GRAD
SCHOOL APPROVED. 20-year
thesis/dissertation background.
Term papers. Full resume service.
Editing. Laser pr. ON CAMPUS!
EDITOR
Books, articles & dissertations.
681-9004
Japanese Animation: Largest
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City Comics. 770 E. 13th. 345-2568.
Like new queen bed, $110;
Large tan sofa, excellent condition,
$110. 465-9886
Former UO student must sell nice
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Bed set, and desks. Please call
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b) The Emerald
c) Fun
d) All of the above
Personals^
070.]) $1.00
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Emerakl
Suite 300 EMU • 346-4343
1986 Mazda 626
Runs great! Good for around town.
5-speed trans. $500. 683-7084.
1995 KIA Sephia
78,000 miles, air, automatic,
cassette, $3800. 338-9954
140 BICYCLES
Red mountain bike. 1998 Trek 820.
size 18, used sparingly, new bike
equip. & rack. Amber 485-7931.
Computer for sale: Compaq, 16 mb,
syncDRAM, 65-bit graphics, up
gradable, new Sony monitor, desk,
comfortable chair and color printer.
$600 (o.b.o.) 685-1548.
CASH! We Buy, Sell & Service
VHS VCR's & Stereos. Thompson
Electronics, 1122 Oak, 343-9293
165 SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Snowboard, Boots & Bindings. 155
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Otherwise, ads that appear too good to be
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Respond at your own risk.
Leadership and
Diversity Practicum
• Understand and use basic
leadership principles.
• Learn about effective and
impactful leadership.
• Increase awareness of variables
that affect leadership.
• Improve your leadership skills.
ELTA 199/409
"Practicum Leadership
and Diversity"
Dates: Saturdays. April 15 & 22.
from 8:30-4:30
(Location: Gerlinger)
Monday, tyay 1, from 12:00-1:00
(Location: Multicultural Center)
Robin H. Holmes, Ph.D.
ELTA 199/ CRN: 35631
ELTA 409/ CRN: 35632
1-4 Credits, P/N or Audit
For more information, call Robin H.
Holmes, Ph.D.. at 346-3227
Enroll in New Directions - a
seminar designed to explore addic
tive behaviors, raise awareness, &
provide skills to change behavior
patterns that do not work for you.
ELTA 407/507 “New Directions"
Tues. 19:00-21:20
Dates: 4/11,18, 25. Room: ED 151
Edel Davenport
CRN 31442/31469
1 credit P/N or Audit
For more info call Edel Davenport,
Counselor, at 346-3227
Aspiring Writers
Inform, Expose
Provoke, Explain
Tell, Ask, Vent, Change
An online college community
email us: earn@maincampus.com
$25 per article!
a509832
teaching
music
prayer
fellowship,
intervarsity Christian
fellowship
large group worship
thursday, march 2
Willamette 110
9:00 pm
t- .V ? 1
The CHOICE Program needs wom
en to volunteer in the Eugene, Mar
cola and Monroe middle schools.
As a group facilitator your role is to
lead candid discussions and activi
ties to help girls explore issues im
pacting their lives. You can make a
difference in the lives of at risk girls
who may have no one else. The
next training is scheduled for Sun
day, March 5th from 12 noon to 3
p.m. Contact Mercedez Cruz at
485-5911 for more information.
Jobs in Campus Recycling!
Campus Recycling Now hiring work
study/ tech fee funded students for
positions beginning now.
Contact Campus Recycling at 346
1529. Leave message with a mail
ing address and phone number to
obtain application.
Experienced Barista needed. Part
time 20hrs. Bring resume to: 1591
Willamette St. No Phone calls
please.
SUMMER CAMP Counselors
Needed for Premier Camps in
Massachusetts
Positions available for college stud
ents as counselors in all team
sports, all individual sports such as
Tennis & Golf, Waterfront and Pool
activities, and specialty activities
including art, dance, theatre, gym
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The Emerald is seeking a Uni
versity student interested in joining
its staff as a copy editor for spring
term. Applicants must be enrolled
in classes at the University and be
available to work about 25 hours a
week. Experience with Associated
Press style and the basic rides of
grammar is a must. Quark, Page
maker or layout experience is pre
ferred. Applications can be picked
up at the Emerald office in Suite 300
of the EMU on the third floor. Dead
line for applications is Tuesday,
March 7, 5 p.m. The Oregon Daily
Emerald is an equal opportunity
employer committed to a culturally
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Groovy Dude! Get paid while you
surf the web! No gimmicks.
Go to: www.groovydude.com
Graphics Specialist
City of Albany
$2,599-S3,196/month
Full-time position. Designs & pro
duces brochures, fliers, posters &
newsletters for print production,
presentations, & the World Wide
Web; performs variety of adminis
trative and technical work in plan
ning & implementing content of
Web site, including creation of
unique content & integration of ap
proved content; performs Web
maintenance. Apply at State Em
ployment Office, 139 4th Avenue
SE, P.O. Box 70, Albany, Oregon
97321; or send request with
stamped, self-addressed envelope
for application and job announce
ment that has all job requirements
listed to James Munger, State Em
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be received by the State Employ
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March 17, 2000. AA/EEO
a509818
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# # • •
child care arid development centers
“From Why to Wow”
Applications are now being taken for spring term openings
at the following Accredited Programs: EMU, East Camps and Westmoreland.
Toddler and Preschool spaces are available.
Flexible schedules, U of 0 student discount.
Call 346-4384 or stop by 1511 Moss