What I also find interesting about Ricky, is his character. No, not his ring persona, but the way he carries himself out of the ring. He is respectful and quiet, but when he speaks it is well worth listening to. What makes him a great Independent Star, is his ability to turn on "the magic" when he needs to and entertain the fans. With the right set of circumstances, Ricky could rise out of the Independent scene and flourish in what some call "The Big Time". But you ask what are those circumstances? I can only do my part here, with saying, anyone that is reading this article, that has any influence in "The Big Time" aspects of the wrestling business, should take a long hard look at the career of Ricky Andrews and Anton Leveigh. They are what I call, a model of what a wrestler should be, and they have the ability and skill set to make an impression on the fans. Their work ethic is second to none and would make a top tier addition to your company. Not that I have any influence, as I am just a small time blogger, but those are my thoughts and if I was fortunate enough to be a "Talent" Scout, I would sign these two up quickly.
With all that said, please take some time and get to know Ricky Andrews in the following 10 questions.
Height: 6'
weight: 182lbs
Years wrestling: 6
Current Promotions: UCW
1. Why did you want to become a pro wrestler? Well, it's always been there as far back as I can remember. When I was down, my heroes and idols were there to pick me up. I grew to love it more and more over the years. I decided very early that's what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a kids relief. His reason to believe dreams are reachable if you work hard and believe hard. Wrestling is my passion, the one thing that makes sense when nothing else does. Not the politics, but Pro Wrestling. It gives me a way to help out people and hopefully be part of others getting to know, accept, and share my love of Pro Wrestling.
2.Who is your Favorite Wrestler and why? Shawn Michaels. You always knew when he stepped in the ring you were in for your money's worth. He had the charisma, the wrestling ability, and mic work to be a complete package. He defined what it meant to be a ShowStopper, The Main Event, and earned every ounce of those names.
3. What is the best experience in or out of the ring you have had in pro wrestling and why? The best experience to me was wrestling the The Rock n Roll express with Anton as my partner. Not only was I getting to sharer the ring with two veteran legends, but I got to share that moment with one of my best friends. That night the stars aligned and everything clicked. The backstage reaction to the match honestly brought me to tears because of the respect we received from our peers. It was definitely a moment in my career I will never forget.
4. What was the Coolest venue/location you have wrestled in and why? That would be a tie between UCW in Union City and RCW in Paragould, Ark. The reason being the passion of the fans. UCW fans are loyal to the core. They give their emotion to the show and that makes it that much more rewarding to do what we do. Then in Paragould it was an amazing feeling to walk out in front of 700-1000 ppl (I've heard several different attendance numbers) and hear them express the passion they have for wrestling.
5. Who is the most experienced or well known person you have wrestled? Rock n Roll Express, Men on a Mission, Sarge O'Riley, Golden Boy Greg Anthony. Also I have shared the locker room with some known names that were very great to gain knowledge from. Won't name drop becuse I'm not an egomaniac.
6. Is there a story behind your wrestling name? Haha. Yes and it's very simple. I have my first name tattooed on my arm. When I originally debuted it was under a different name. Which to keep kayfabe I had to wear an arm sleeve to cover my tattoo. That stupid thing was impossible to get use to. So when I took time off to heal a crack in my neck, I changed everything. Took my name added my Father-in-Laws middle name, and threw an S on the end. This gave birth to "NRG's" Ricky Andrews.
7. Who over the years has been your Biggest Rival and why? Brandon Barbwire. He brought me to the next level of my game. He saw a spark and made it a fire. When we faced each other it was magic, to sound cliche. Win or lose I knew when we were on the card I was going to learn and advance in my knowledge and experience in pro wrestling. Street fights, wrestling, cages no matter. What I knew was it would be a match to remember every time. I owe half of my career to that rivalry and that rival. Straight truth.
8. What is your entrance Theme Music? NRG custom Mix. Also known for "Click Click Boom" by Saliva.
9. What makes you stand out in the wrestling business? I stand by my word. I never let the business kill my ability to care about ppl who don't care back. Call it being soft or whatever, but I believe everyone deserves an ear to talk to or shoulder to lean on. It's my biggest flaw. Also Character-wise I'm still searching for that answer myself.
10. What has been your Proudest Moment in the sport of wrestling.? Teaming with Anton LeVeigh and Jason The Brain. Hands down being around those guys and doing what we did was big to me. They don't even realize the impact they made on me. The next proudest moment will be when Sarge O'Riley stands eye to eye with me and tells me, I finally earned his respect.
Also, while I have a public forum I'd like to acknowledge and show gratitude and appreciation to the UCW owners David and Becky Biro, along with the UCW bookers. They have given their workers a CLEAN, SAFE, and family oriented place to gather. They treat their fans and workers with unreal Respect. It truly is joining another family when you join UCW. Also to all promoters who provide clean and safe environments pat yourself on the back. It's getting very rare to have both of those things present at a show. Thank you to Derrick for giving guys the exposure you have, and thank you to all the wrestling FANS. #SupportIndyWrestling
I want to say Thank You Ricky for your time and may your career skyrocket beyond your expectations.
Derrick O'Dell
Wrestling News Center
