Grayden Damien Live Q&A and Chat Recap

Grayden Damien appeared on a live youtube hangout video chat and answered a few burning questions. Here are some of the highlights to recap. You can watch the full hour long video below.

On Embracing Social Media during Feuding with Michael Hannigan
“ We were kind of doing stuff differently at the time. We were the first (in ucw) to embrace the
social media thing. People weren’t connecting with their fans the way we were and we were very similar in that aspect. Then we were put together and created some fun videos kind o fjust poking fun at each other and it just took off from there.”

On Michael Hannigan’s Injury
“He’s a risk taker and sometimes a little flashy with some of the things he does and unfortunately if you have some sort of preexisting condition that you don’t know of. That is putting a lot of stress on your body. That’s the sad reality of the situation. My hope is that he can come back. I know how much he loves this and I don’t want to see his career end.”
On BodySlam Michael’s recent health issues
“I wanna send out my best well wishes. I wouldn’t have a lot of my fans or much of advancement of my career if it weren’t for him taking a chance on me. I’m hoping he gets better and bounces back. He knows his shit when it comes to entertaining you guys and providing wrestlers for UCW. Not just good looking guys but the whole training aspect. Very good at spotting talent and all around good guy.”

On a Ucw Return
“Currently I’m on the custom list and if the right opponent came along then I’d love to do a couple of matches. I wouldn’t rule the idea out if the door is open then I’d take the chance and see what happens. There is a new crop of talent since I left. The other thing I’d love to do would be doing backstage interviews and integrating social media.”

On Drama
“If you’re talking about me at least I’m (my name) coming out of your mouth and that is not necessarily a bad thing.”

On The Wrestling Phone App Game  (In regards to a joke made about the wrestlers picked for the game not being any good)
“ I didn’t think people would take the joke that literally.  I pissed off a lot of people with that joke. A lot of them were popular BG wrestlers and some others popular with the gay wrestling community.  I don’t watch (BG) so I can’t really judge their wrestling ability. It was clearly meant as a joke but not everyone saw it that way.”

LRW
“There was opportunity for me there to do it. There was an organizing issue on my end. I fucked up  I didn’t take the proper steps to clarify the scheduled weekend. So it appeared that I flaked out but I never was able to finalize everything and wasn’t sure what was going on. Especially with trying to organize getting TJ back home when he was at my place and we had to drive 3 or 4 hours to where the filming was. The whole thing was just bad timing and planning on my end.  The other thing is Freddie gets a lot of good looking guys. Like really good looking guys and compared to these guys that he gets I have a different look and not sure how I fit in with that image. I think I’m attractive in a different way but maybe that’s the point. Maybe there is supposed to be a balance. Like the super hot model guy then me good looking but not super hot model.”

Favorite Memory of Chyna
“My favorite times came from anytime I met her and interacted with her. She was just very genuine real person. Very approachable and made things very easy if you were uncomfortable and made it easy. I’m not a very emotional person but just talking about her and when I found out the news that night I didn’t wanna believe it. It broke me down for a bit. I’m not at the point yet where I can talk about her legacy or anything like that since it did hit me hard without getting a bit emotional.”

On If there were plans or if he wanted to be UCW champion.
“ I think when Eli had it there was some continuity. I think there was enough he was in a lot of videos so I think he was able to carry the title and defend it and retain it. There needs to be more of that. I feel there was some significance there. It felt like it meant something. That was the thing he was consistent. People knew who he was. I think Michael Hannigan won the title at some point and it was similar. For me to have won the title at any point. I don’t think it would have worked well. There was something set but I don’t want to reveal what it was. I ended up injuring myself. I did a match and pulled a muscle in my leg and had to stop filming for the day. Wasn’t very severe just a light strain but enough to prevent me from filming. So I lost an opportunity to be champion. There haven’t been enough significant reigns. If you put the title on the wrong guy and they are only a flash in the pan. These guys aren’t sticking around then you devalue the title. I also didn’t wanna be a joke champion. If I won the the title it would be because of hard work and that I deserved it. Maybe a goal for the future. I’ll come back and win the title. Let’s do it”

Hookups in UCW
“I think people have this misconception that UCW is some sort of gay sex party and ha ha it is not. When I was single there may have been one or two things that happened with guys that wrestled on the site at the time. HAHA .”

On potentially playing Axel’s brother
“People say we look similar. I don’t see it but other people see it. I think we joked about one time where I was like the evil Axel. That is a lot of weight to carry on your shoulder. He is so well
known
and then to have a newbie (at the time) like me come in and be his evil brother. I wouldn’t wanna ruin his momentum. He has worked very hard to get where he was. I didn’t wanna be in the position where I came in and if I failed or something and then somehow dragged him down with me. Didn’t wanna be that guy.”

On Wrestling the Indy Scene
“Not interested in doing anything with the Indy scene. A lot of work with very little reward. I’ve done a couple of things but no main stream singles matches. Got to participate in a few Battle Royals
during training. This is me paying my dues kind of thing and doing what I’m told. Did a couple of tag matches but nothing really on my own and for me it isn’t worth it at this time.”

Looking back at my UCW Foes

     It is hard to believe that 2 years ago this weekend I was filming my debut UCW match against Axel. Seems like that time just flew by! I had a rather short run in UCW as you may recall I left right before the summer started. There were some people I didn't get a chance to have matches with that I would have loved to face but for several reasons. I want to share with you my experience with some of my former ucw rivals.  DISCLAIMER These are strictly MY OPINION! I'm not here to deliberately trash or make someone else look bad. This is just from my viewpoint. This opinion doesn't necessarily reflect whom that person is.

AXEL
I have blogged positively about him in the past. I don't really have anything negative I could say about him if I tried. Him and I are very similar in a lot of ways. We are both into fitness and fitness leadership and even had people think we should have been a brother type tag team. That is quite the compliment and I would have loved to sort of work in his shadow if my character was portrayed differently. I love his passion for wrestling. He helped me out a lot behind the scenes and I was always grateful for that. It was great having him further help train and develop me as a wrestler. When I first started in UCW I had a slight crush on him and I think he knew it. I like a guy's feet and he knew how to use his in a way that would be effective in a match and also be slightly a tease. He seems like a good guy at heart.

Michael Hannigan
He's another one I sort of had a crush on at one point. He's a great guy! I love everything about him. He is very fun to be around and a hilarious guy. The thing that I really liked about him is he had a strong passion for wrestling and that shows in his matches. A lot of guys came to UCW for some one off matches or keep coming back to make a quick dollar and they don't give a shit about the fans or what their matches look like. He on the other hand has a very old school mentality in a lot of ways where he actually does give a shit what his matches look like. It is that level of passion that really sets him apart from a lot of the other guys in UCW. So I am thrilled that he has been successful and I am thrilled that I got to have a storyline with him and that fans got behind it. Him and I had a great chemistry together and I think we could have easily put on a few more intense matches as we both improved. There was a moment in our one match where I accidentally stiffed him and I felt awful about it but he got me back later in the match and hit me equally just as hard. It wasn't a vindictive or bitchy type of thing.and there was a mutual respect there. He's one of the few that actually gets it and that is really what UCW could use more of.

Pvt Jack 
I don't know why but I always got the feeling that he never really liked me all that much. It is just one of those things that I could sense. Sometimes I am wrong about these things but more often than not I am on the money. I did a match with him and I think I was a little rougher than normal. I think I threw caution to the wind and just didn't give a fuck. I think I was in ass kicking mode or something. For some reason I just always had a negative vibe with him. He's a good looking man but I think that is the problem. I think he just had a little bit of an ego and it was rubbing me the wrong way. I was rough as all hell in our match and I did give him a hard stiff kick in the stomach but that didn't go very well. I think because when I was doing my pro training I had trainers of an old school mentality and there is sort of a different way being taught these days. I was a bit in the mix of both old school and new teachings. He was sort of a newbie at the time and I didn't know much of his wrestling experience, so I think that brought out the old school mentality in me. Well if he didn't like me before I don't think it changed after that. In my eyes Respect and Hard work still has a place in gay wrestling. Wrestling is wrestling and that doesn't change. Back to the story here. He seemed bothered by the kick and didn't say much to me after our match. I think he also refused to shake my hand after the match. I'm not sure what that was all about but I won't dwell on it. I will say this though he did have some potential. I am not really sure what his current status with UCW is but he was actually pretty decent as far as wrestling goes. He was a quick learner and was actually rather easy to work with as far as wrestling goes. There were just a few small things I would have changed but I won't get into that right now. It is too technical and boring to discuss at the moment.

Lance Thrust
I have mixed feelings about him. I think he had massive potential but was very under utilized. I also think he didn't quite realize what he was capable of doing performance wise and I felt that held him back a little bit. There is no reason he shouldn't have been a top star in UCW. I think he had some confidence or comfortably issues. He was great to work with and he was a bit of a natural. I enjoyed out match and I feel it was one of my better matches. It is when I was really starting to develop as a wrestler and it was my chance to carry someone through a match. I think I did a damn good decent job of doing that. He was also a very attractive guy and he brought out my flirty side. There is more I could say about him and some interesting stories to tell but again that is another time and place :-)


Eli Black
I never really got a chance to know much about him. I honestly don't know much about him. I have seen a lot of his other work and can tell you he's fucking amazing to watch but I can't really say much else because I don't know anything.

Quinn Harper
I'm really bummed that I never got to really work with him in a full match. He is a really odd duck. He is not a good looking man by most typical gay standards yet there is something that is really attractive about him. He also has a banging body! He has years of experience under his belt and I think working with him I could have really learned a lot and it would have been an amazing thing for me

Nick Diesel
We were supposed to wrestle on a few occasions but for some reason it never came to fruition. He had a personality that sort of rubbed me off the wrong way. We had an attempt at a match but we did not work well together at all. Something about us just didn't click and that happens sometimes. Sometimes 2 people could be so good at what they do but there is just no chemistry. I think that is something that was really missing when we tried to wrestle. Other than that he is a good performer and he had some interesting matches. It just wasn't meant to be for him and I

Ask Grayden Damien!

I love answering your questions! I figure now that I have this blog this would be the perfect place to do it. At the start of the year I asked you guys to send me some questions. These are some of the questions that I got and I am looking to answer more. Make sure you read through to the end to see how you can submit more questions to me. The last few segments were strictly about UCW! Now as I am expanding my horizons I am taking more types of questions.

Q: Damien comes across as flamboyant and wild, are you like that off camera?
A: That is part of the mystery man! There is a reason I call myself the image of deception. Part of the reason I come across that way is so people under estimate me and I stand out. There isn't another UCW wrestler who can touch my personality. You gotta do what you gotta do to get ahead. It works for me and people mistake my hyper personality for a weakness. That is why I also do a lot of dirty moves and tactics in my match. I'm not a full blown heel and I'm not a total face. So playing up to camp allows me to really do whatever the hell I want in my matches. I can grind my crotch in your face or give you a swift kick to the nuts. Take your pick? Off screen I'm not quite that gay. That's all part of my image and my manipulation tactics.




Q: Are you done with UCW?
A: I addressed this in a previous blog! As long as fans wanna see me I'll continue to wrestle for UCW. You'll see more of me in 2014!


Q: What are your 2014 goals in UCW?
A: One of my main goals is to be the best wrestler I can be. To keep myself evolving and keep myself appealing to the fans. I think this year you'll see some improvements and I'll keep things fresh. I'm also planning on becoming champion at some point. So look out!

Q: Will you be appearing on any other wrestling sites?A: Not really! Aside from what I do with Devin for our own videos. I am not interested in many of the other sites right now. I touched upon this in a previous blog. Fans are interested in seeing me on other sites and there have been talks but nothing really set in stone. If the right opportunity comes along with the right wrestling promotion then of course I'd consider it.



Q: Has your life changed since becoming a famous wrestler?
A: HA HA If only I was a famous wrestler! I get what you mean though! The only thing that has really changed is I have had more opportunity and more exposure because of UCW. It has opened some doors and also gave me a fanbase.


Q: Favorite Wrestler?
A: UCW It is my enemy turned best friend Michael Hannigan! WWE It is Cody Rhodes! On the Indy Scene it's really too hard to pick. There is some great talent out there and also a lot of generic similar talent. As far as other gay wrestling sites I have no idea. I can tell you more who I dislike on gay wrestling sites, but I don't wanna start shit here!

Q: Top, Bottom, or Vers?
A: That is for me and my fiance to know and nobody else!

Q: Do you do private matches?
A: This question is becoming too common! I've answered it before and discussed it in heavy detail. Not at this time!





This has been fun! I am sure we will do many more of these. So if you'd like to ask me some questions here is how.. You can either comment here, hit me up on facebook, twitter, AskFm, or email! Thanks again guys!


Grayden Damien!

Behind The Scenes of My First Match with AXEL and my UCW DEBUT!

                                                     MY DEBUT UCW MATCH 
                                                                     FEB 2013

      It seems like only yesterday I was in my first match in UCW! I can't believe it has already been a year almost. This is a match that I rarely talk about. I mean Axel by all means is an incredible performer. A possible induction into the Gay Wrestling Hall of Fame (which i hope to create.. more on that later) but I really have pushed this match aside. I feel I have brushed it off because it was my debut match. I hate being a newbie at anything and this was no exception. I was so nervous the entire day that I found out I would be having my debut match. Let's sort of rewind about how I got to UCW at this point.

     I was sitting in a very dingy gay bar that shall remain nameless. I had actually left because the owner tried to fuck me in the bathroom. He followed me in and was trying to put moves on me and luckily I was able to push him off of me and make an exit. (I can get more into some other time) before I left I grabbed a philadelphia gay news magazine. I was going through the magazine and saw this ad for a wrestling promotion. They were seeking fresh talent and mentioned something about training in the ad. I was instantly drawn to the guy in the ad. That would be none other than my future rival, Michael Hannigan. I thought Michael was really cute, but not a super sexy guy. He didn't have a lot of muscle but he was appealing. I thought to myself, self maybe this is something I could do. My experience in wrestling up until this point was a bit of pro training, which i dropped because of money issues, wrestling with my friends, and high school. Although I wasn't able to even compete in high school because I was kind of a trouble maker and got suspended. Wasn't able to compete for the team so what little i learned was wasted.  I was also feeling very down at this point because I was had a BG East audition a month prior and was told I was too slim. I had the look he liked but he wanted me to put on more muscle. I never saw that as a rejection, more of if it is meant to happen it will happen. So I made contact with UCW and BodySlam Mike was very interested in me.

A little bit after answering that ad I was rushed down for some training. I was already a natural performer and just needed to be shown a few moves basically. Went for a few training sessions and after that was told I'm being put in a match against AXEL. The golden boy of UCW. I was both thrilled and terrified. I always appear confident but I tell you that sometimes is a front.I don't let it show because what I learned from the indy world of wrestling is fans will eat you alive if they see you lack confidence. At this point I didn't have a name or a character. I started talking about being FLAWLESS and having this high ego basically. That was the birth of my character and I didn't even know I was doing it. I was set to be the in between type of character. It wasn't till after my debut that people started to tell me that I looked like Axel.  I heard and to this day still hear people ask me if we are related. I think there was an opportunity for an incredible angle there with me playing his younger brother. It could have opened up many doors but I thought I'd sort of be in the shadows and never really on Axel's level. So I am thrilled that never came to fruition. 

    It comes time for my first match. I am also facing a fear of now having to do a 35 minute match where the moves aren't called. Any other time before this I'd be used to working with my friends or my pro training calling out moves. You can't do that when there is a camera so close to you because then you ruin the fantasy of it all. This was something else for me to adapt to. A new style. Having to feed off of body movements and signs of what moves would come next. I tell you it was a learning experience and one I was very thankful to have. My fears were easily rested as Axel is an incredible performer and worked a great deal with me. He carried me through the match and honestly he can make a potato make it look like it has wrestling ability. He really is that good. He has been doing this shit for years and knows what he is doing. I was also very comfortable with him so our chemistry was spot on. There was one point in the match that I thought as a rookie I was in control for too long. I didn't think it would be believable if I was in control too long.  I started to do some taunts and really wind him up. I wanted to be in control longer but I also kind of wanted to keep fans in suspense.  He without hesitation took control and again carried me through. After it was all said and done I think I had a great deal of respect for him. The match ended up going over well and it got me off to a good start in UCW.

              SO WHAT DO I REALLY REALLY THINK OF AXEL OFF SCREEEN?
     I told you guys that I was going to be brutally honest and not hold back. So here goes! I don't really know a lot about Axel behind the scenes. We've shared a few laughs and had some conversation, but aside from that I really don't know much about him. He's sort of hard to get a reading on. I think he's fairly guarded, you never really know what he's thinking. I mean aside from that he is smart and motivated. I think he knows what he wants in life and goes after it. He knows what is best for business in a lot ways too. So he is an ideal person to have in a control position at UCW. He also has some crazy ass fans.

      Thanks for sharing this look back with me. I'll leave you with some screenshots that I came across from this match. If you'd like to purchase this match go UCW MATCH 258