Post by Marco Keller on Mar 18, 2015 22:53:02 GMT
The following article was posted on IWF.com
Gearing Up: Marco Keller and the Training Grounds
By Guillaume Proust
The amount of talent that comes through the IWF Training Grounds is absolutely staggering. World-class athletes that could be champions in smaller promotions come to test their mettle against each other, weeding each other out through brutal and punishing competition. Those that do succeed find themselves elevated among wrestling’s elite. Every man and woman in the Training Grounds roster wants to find that success, and Marco Keller’s hunger cannot be understated.
I had the chance to speak with him recently about his first month in IWF: the ups and downs, the change of the hectic road schedule, and the differences between the wrestling styles of Europe and the eclectic mix of IWF’s competitors.
On his record: “Well, obviously it could be better. I’d like to think that I’ve acquitted myself well, though. Once the initial culture shock wore off, I realized that I needed to change tactics in order to win. If you have any questions about whether that’s worked, ask Freakke, John Tolly or Ryan Shane.”
On adjusting to IWF life: “I’ve traveled a lot for my career, so it’s not as big a shift as you might imagine. I’ve done Warsaw to Dresden to Prague to Munich to Zurich to Milan in a four-day period before. I’m used to running on no sleep and little food. This is the high life in comparison to where I’ve been.”
On the differences between American and European wrestling: “I think the biggest difference is the emphasis on showmanship in American wrestling. It’s not enough to win, you have to look good doing it. That runs counter to everything I was taught as a trainee. We’re competitors first and foremost. Winning is what we’re here to do. In addition, there’s more of an influence from other combat sports in modern American wrestling, particularly the emphasis on striking. European wrestling is very much a sport of the grappler. Trainers on either side of the Atlantic push various components as being more important, and it shows in each wrestler’s strengths and weaknesses. I’ll admit, my trainer didn’t prepare me well for a strike-heavy environment, but that’s changing. I’ve never had a glass jaw, and learning how better to work against this style is only a matter of practice.”
On IWF’s talent pool: “It’s honestly the deepest I’ve ever seen. You have every style represented here, and by those who know the ins and outs of what they do like the backs of their hands. I’m learning a lot just by being in the back and watching everyone. God only knows what I’ll learn when I actually get to wrestle them.”
On the Roulette Match: “Well, we’re all in it, and if you win it’s the greatest of rewards. Why wouldn’t I have incentive to try to win it? Can you imagine that, fresh from Training Grounds and main-eventing the biggest show of the year? I certainly can.”
On his next opponent, Jason Rhodes: “Another challenge, another victory to be won. Not handed, won. If anyone ever forgets the difference, they can just ask me to demonstrate it for them.”
With his combination of technical acumen and incredible power, Marco Keller looks set to prove a formidable foe for those who wish to survive the Training Grounds. Could a date with Invictus Champion Warren Kidd be in the cards? In Keller’s own words, “If that weren’t my plan, I wouldn’t be here. First, though, comes Jason Rhodes.”
That's it for this time. Join me next week when I profile another competitor in the IWF Training Grounds.
I think I like this way of handling the obligatory insult portion of the evening...there’s a certain smoothness to it, unhindered by anything else. It’s efficient: delivery of the piss-take, pure and simple. And I think against an opponent with as many layers, with the kind of complexity of being that Jason Rhodes has, being able to strip away the extraneous is important. I need to try to find the core of who you are, Mr. Rhodes. Once that’s identified, the rest should fall into place.
So what are you? You’re the last pupil of a dying breed. You’re a man who hybridizes power with a technique most wouldn’t expect of you. On the surface, we have a lot of similarities. But we took the opposite direction. Where you rose to the skies, I found my home on the ground. I’ve found a lot of my opponents enjoy that approach. I’ve never…seen the appeal, really. Leave it to the acrobats.
But maybe the mat isn’t where your skills lie? That’s not what it’s seemed to me. No, you have a style that works for you. Where we overlap, I give myself the edge. Where we differ…well, I’m biased. I think that a master technician and a master high-flyer ends with the technician’s edge winning out ten times out of ten. I’ve seen it before, all it takes is one opening. I was trained to look for those holes and exploit them. It’s not about showing off, it’s about winning.
That’s what I want to do. I want to win. I want to find Warren Kidd across the ring from me, and I want to take the Invictus Championship. Isn’t that the point of being in the Training Grounds? Claim that title, rise to the challenge and prove that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with giants? You do that through victory, and I will do that when we meet.
We both want to make the men who trained us proud. We want to prove that the time, the blood, sweat and tears that they invested in us and our training wasn’t in vain. So, in that respect, I can offer you one solace: you will not. From what I’ve seen and heard of you, you’ll do your training credit. I just give myself a better chance because I know exactly what I can do. Best of luck, Mr. Rhodes. And feel no shame. Stand up, be proud, and know that your dedication, in its own time, will pay off.
Just not today.
Gearing Up: Marco Keller and the Training Grounds
By Guillaume Proust
The amount of talent that comes through the IWF Training Grounds is absolutely staggering. World-class athletes that could be champions in smaller promotions come to test their mettle against each other, weeding each other out through brutal and punishing competition. Those that do succeed find themselves elevated among wrestling’s elite. Every man and woman in the Training Grounds roster wants to find that success, and Marco Keller’s hunger cannot be understated.
I had the chance to speak with him recently about his first month in IWF: the ups and downs, the change of the hectic road schedule, and the differences between the wrestling styles of Europe and the eclectic mix of IWF’s competitors.
On his record: “Well, obviously it could be better. I’d like to think that I’ve acquitted myself well, though. Once the initial culture shock wore off, I realized that I needed to change tactics in order to win. If you have any questions about whether that’s worked, ask Freakke, John Tolly or Ryan Shane.”
On adjusting to IWF life: “I’ve traveled a lot for my career, so it’s not as big a shift as you might imagine. I’ve done Warsaw to Dresden to Prague to Munich to Zurich to Milan in a four-day period before. I’m used to running on no sleep and little food. This is the high life in comparison to where I’ve been.”
On the differences between American and European wrestling: “I think the biggest difference is the emphasis on showmanship in American wrestling. It’s not enough to win, you have to look good doing it. That runs counter to everything I was taught as a trainee. We’re competitors first and foremost. Winning is what we’re here to do. In addition, there’s more of an influence from other combat sports in modern American wrestling, particularly the emphasis on striking. European wrestling is very much a sport of the grappler. Trainers on either side of the Atlantic push various components as being more important, and it shows in each wrestler’s strengths and weaknesses. I’ll admit, my trainer didn’t prepare me well for a strike-heavy environment, but that’s changing. I’ve never had a glass jaw, and learning how better to work against this style is only a matter of practice.”
On IWF’s talent pool: “It’s honestly the deepest I’ve ever seen. You have every style represented here, and by those who know the ins and outs of what they do like the backs of their hands. I’m learning a lot just by being in the back and watching everyone. God only knows what I’ll learn when I actually get to wrestle them.”
On the Roulette Match: “Well, we’re all in it, and if you win it’s the greatest of rewards. Why wouldn’t I have incentive to try to win it? Can you imagine that, fresh from Training Grounds and main-eventing the biggest show of the year? I certainly can.”
On his next opponent, Jason Rhodes: “Another challenge, another victory to be won. Not handed, won. If anyone ever forgets the difference, they can just ask me to demonstrate it for them.”
With his combination of technical acumen and incredible power, Marco Keller looks set to prove a formidable foe for those who wish to survive the Training Grounds. Could a date with Invictus Champion Warren Kidd be in the cards? In Keller’s own words, “If that weren’t my plan, I wouldn’t be here. First, though, comes Jason Rhodes.”
That's it for this time. Join me next week when I profile another competitor in the IWF Training Grounds.
I think I like this way of handling the obligatory insult portion of the evening...there’s a certain smoothness to it, unhindered by anything else. It’s efficient: delivery of the piss-take, pure and simple. And I think against an opponent with as many layers, with the kind of complexity of being that Jason Rhodes has, being able to strip away the extraneous is important. I need to try to find the core of who you are, Mr. Rhodes. Once that’s identified, the rest should fall into place.
So what are you? You’re the last pupil of a dying breed. You’re a man who hybridizes power with a technique most wouldn’t expect of you. On the surface, we have a lot of similarities. But we took the opposite direction. Where you rose to the skies, I found my home on the ground. I’ve found a lot of my opponents enjoy that approach. I’ve never…seen the appeal, really. Leave it to the acrobats.
But maybe the mat isn’t where your skills lie? That’s not what it’s seemed to me. No, you have a style that works for you. Where we overlap, I give myself the edge. Where we differ…well, I’m biased. I think that a master technician and a master high-flyer ends with the technician’s edge winning out ten times out of ten. I’ve seen it before, all it takes is one opening. I was trained to look for those holes and exploit them. It’s not about showing off, it’s about winning.
That’s what I want to do. I want to win. I want to find Warren Kidd across the ring from me, and I want to take the Invictus Championship. Isn’t that the point of being in the Training Grounds? Claim that title, rise to the challenge and prove that we can stand shoulder to shoulder with giants? You do that through victory, and I will do that when we meet.
We both want to make the men who trained us proud. We want to prove that the time, the blood, sweat and tears that they invested in us and our training wasn’t in vain. So, in that respect, I can offer you one solace: you will not. From what I’ve seen and heard of you, you’ll do your training credit. I just give myself a better chance because I know exactly what I can do. Best of luck, Mr. Rhodes. And feel no shame. Stand up, be proud, and know that your dedication, in its own time, will pay off.
Just not today.
Well howdy there pardner.