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2006 CIW Wrestler of the Year and 1/2 of the Tag-Team of the Year, "Krazy K" Kirby Mack
Conducted at CWF/AWA Mid Atlantic
Burlington, NC
Saturday, December 2, 2006
- Carolina Independent Wrestling was proud to be able to interview the 2006 CIW Wrestler of the Year, 1/2 of the Tag-Team of the Year and former AWA Light Heavyweight Champion "Krazy K" Kirby Mack at the AWA Showcase in Burlington, NC on December 2, 2006. On this night, Mack went into a Ladder Match as the Disputed AWA Light Heavyweight Champion, but his brother, T.J. Mack, turned on him and claimed the Light Heavyweight Championship for himself.
To see the CIW report from that night, Click Here.
CIW: You were the first light Heavyweight Champion since the AWA reformed in the modern era. You won a big tournament with 30 guys who are the best of the best Cruiserweights in the world including Shannon Moore in the finals. How does it feel to not only be the first champion, but to win it in a tournament where you beat some of the best cruiserweights in the world?
KM: Being able to go up against guys like Ricky Reyes, Jerelle Clark, Shannon Moore and all those guys that I did face, that was just an honor in itself, then being able to advance and pull through to win the tournament after the long hiatus of the AWA Light Heavyweight status that it had, and to be able to be crowned champion, it was like Christmas morning all over again. It was a great feeling.
CIW: You’ve been on TNA. Do you feel that that is better fit for your style of wrestling versus WWE?
KM: I think what TNA is looking for versus what WWE is looking for; definitely me and my brother (or whoever they take) would fit in there better with them having the X-Division we could fit in there and do X-Division stuff. Smaller guys, as long as they look in shape….the jacked up David versus Goliath thing they don’t really do in TNA, they give everybody an equal chance, so yeah, I think we would fit in there perfect. A lot better than at the Fed….for now.
CIW: So far, what’s been the pinnacle moment of your career?
KM: Wow, there’s been so many. Definitely being able to get in the ring with Jeff Hardy was a great moment. Being able to get a victory over him. Being able to wrestle with Steve Corino was a great moment. I would have to say, though, if not the brief shot on TNA, definitely the Light Heavyweight Championship from the AWA was definitely the pinnacle so far.
CIW: This was obviously written before this evening, but what does the AWA Light Heavyweight Championship mean to you?
KM: It means a lot. It means that….it’s showing all these fans that I’m real, that I’m not just that I’m not just out there; I’m not just some gimmick; I’m not just some rip-off; I’m not just another, I guess, so to speak, Hardy Boy. I’m my own person, this sets me apart. I try to go out there and show them that this is what I am. I’m gonna bleed for you and take bumps off of very high ladders for you whether you boo me or not. It’s a platform to allow me to show who I really am.
CIW: Out of all the talent on the independent scene, what makes Kirby unique? What sets you part?
KM: I don’t know…..I can’t get inside everybody and speak for everybody’s passion and dedication to the business, but I have a lot of passion regardless of whether I’m in front of 6 fans or 300 fans, the passion is still there. The same exact passion. I think my desire to eat, sleep, and breathe this business is definitely what makes me as an individual stand out and then, of course, there is my flashy outfit, that’s always kinda cool.
CIW: You were trained by the Hardy’s and at one point, you were even referred to as Jeff Hardy’s protégé. Is a label like that more of a blessing or more of a curse?
KM: I would definitely look at it as a blessing. Jeff, of course, is an amazing individual; a great performer, talented beyond anybody I know. And definitely when you’re coming up at a young age like that, to be labeled as Jeff Hardy’s protégé, people definitely start to take notice of you. Now, granted, at that time, I may not have been the best, so to speak, but a name like that when you’re starting out is definitely good for you. And then you’re able to break out of that mold as you show your own individuality from it. So, I definitely take it as a blessing and an honor.
CIW: Thomas Simpson has been somewhat of a mentor to you in your career. Tell us what influence he has played in your career?
KM: Thomas is a great guy. He’s very blunt; he’ll speak his mind at times and we do exchange a lot of words in a lot of loud tones, but the big thing about Thomas is, he won’t sugar-coat anything; he’ll come straight out if something sucked, if something looked horrible, if I’m not out there with my A-game, or if I’m not bringing my emotion, Thomas Simpson will tell me. He’ll take me aside and he’ll say…..he’ll do the (blows raspberry) and then he’ll say (Simpson impersonation) “Well, that sucked! It was horrible! That was the sh*ts!” So Thomas was definitely a great influence on my career. He brought me around. Thomas always said that if you want to be the best, you have to surround yourself with the best people. I was very blessed and very lucky for Thomas to bring me around best in the business, such as the Hardy’s, Corino, C.W. Anderson and so on.
CIW: This question was also written before tonight, but your tag team partner is your brother T.J. Mack. Tell us how it feels to be in the ring with your brother.
KM: Well, until tonight, when you’re in the ring with your brother, the feeling that I had up until tonight was there was nobody more that you could trust. You guys are one unit; you’re not a tag-team, you’re one individual in two different bodies. And you work as one, and you know exactly what the other guy is doing, and you’re always looking out for him. So, it’s definitely an edge up. And it’s just a great thing to know from when you’re kids and you’re wrestling in the backyard and you have this dream and then you’re able to come to and wrestle in front of live crowds, such as LAW (Live Action Wrestling), which was hundreds of people or TNA, which was broadcast around the world, and to be there with your brother, to say “Hey, man, remember back in the day when we were the Smoking Gunns on the couch. I was Bart and you were Billy and we were leg-dropping couch cushions! Man, look at us now!” It’s a great feeling, but now I have to talk to him.
CIW: What’s the next level for Kirby Mack?
KM: Just gotta keep taking my game up a notch, kind of like tonight, hopefully. Ultimately, I’m shooting to get on one of the feds. Hopefully either TNA…..I guess that’s gonna probably be the better direction for me right now ‘cause I’m one of the smaller guys that can do the X-Division stuff, but that’s kind of what my game plan is as far as the future.
CIW: What do you want your legacy as a wrestler and a champion to be?
KM: When people think back on Krazy K, I just want them to think; you know what, yeah, the guy had his ups and downs, the guy had his bumps and bruises, but every time he went out there he gave you who he was. He poured his heart and soul into the ring. And whether or not or I’m the greatest worker in the world, he was a great performer. He was a great entertainer and he really gave me my money’s worth. When I went there, I didn’t leave there thinking that that show could have done better without that Krazy K character. I just want to leave that kind of legacy there.
CIW: Ok, we’re going to end up with word association:
CIW: Wrestling
KM: My life
CIW: Jeff Hardy
KM: Amazing. Jeff Hardy is not one in a million; Jeff Hardy is a million all wrapped into one.
CIW: Thomas Simpson
KM: (blows raspberry)
CIW: Lucha libre
KM: Great art form. Definitely blows my mind
CIW: T.J. Mack
KM: Blood is apparently not thicker than water
CIW: WWE
KM: Watched it all my life; definitely a hardcore fan
CIW: TNA
KM: Amazing. I like the stuff they’re doing and I hope they really take off.
CIW: AWA
KM: Great legacy. An honor to be a part of them
CIW: Krazy K
KM: Me (laughs)…..No, passion. Krazy K = passion.
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