Post by Kammy on Jul 5, 2011 2:18:35 GMT -5
This month's Mind Behind goes deeper into finding out who "Soulfire" Justin Tyger really is. Want to know the genius behind the character? Then look no further and read on.
Who or what got you interested in the world of E-Feds?
I was bored on WGZ in 2003, and happened to notice their E-Fed, which I think was called WGZ-EF at that point, pretty creative name I know, but eventually it became RIW. I really didn’t know what it was, to be honest, I just joined it on a whim because it looked pretty cool, and I had no clue what to do or what was going on. A lot of people don’t believe me when I say I started RPing when I was 10, but I was, and it showed.
Do you remember your first match/experience?
I don’t recall anything I did the few little while I was there, honestly. The first thing I remember doing was RPing as D-Von Dudley for some reason which was a few months into my run there.
What is the driving force behind your role-plays and where do you come up with your ideas?
Music, TV shows, movies, stuff like that, and a lot of the stuff I’ve done have been what I felt like at the time I was doing the RP. There’s nothing better than channeling what’s going on in your real life, not saying that I’ve ever gone through most of the stuff Tyger has in RPs, but I have channeled emotions in there from real life and embellished them.
How did you come up with the character Justin Tyger?
RIW changed to where you had to have your own custom gimmick, so I couldn’t use D-Von anymore, and I sat and just tried to think of a name. Justin is just a name I’ve always liked, I don’t know why, but I knew Justin would be the first name, and I don’t know how or why I thought of Tiger as a last name, but I had that in my head, for Justin Tiger, but I thought that looked weird, and I was a pretty big fan of Rhyno at that time, and he had the -y- instead of an -i- in his name, and I thought that Justin Tyger looked pretty cool, so I went with it. People say all the time that it’s a rip off of Jushin Thunder Liger, but it’s really not, I didn’t have Liger in mind at all.
What is the meaning of "Soulfire"?
Originally my nickname was Ironman, in RIW, and I really didn’t like it, it wasn’t creative at all, and I scrapped it all together when I got to WFWF, but I still wanted a good catchy nickname when I got there, and I was a huge fan of Tommy Rich, and his nickname was Wildfire, and he’d go insane all WWILLDFFIIREEE and I thought that was awesome, but I didn’t want to take it, because again, it wasn’t creative, and I thought Soulfire sounded pretty cool. It means two different things, the first is the fire inside of your soul, the desire you have to do something and be the best at it, but it can also mean exciting the fans, and setting their souls on fire with happiness or sadness or hatred or whatever it may be.
What has been your most memorable feud?
I liked the work I did with Raven, because it’s one of the best ever in my opinion and I stole so much from him, but I think the most memorable one was the CM Punk feud we did for the title there. We did some crazy shit in that feud, and it was a lot of some to RP for and write for.
What are some things you really like about E-Wrestling?
It’s fun, it’s a chance to be creative, everyone is wrestling fans and most are cool to talk to, and it’s a chance to really work hard at something, I really do like it.
What about things you dislike?
People that just take it too far, you know. They just take it too seriously. They think it’s real, you know, and I’m guilty of feeling that way sometimes. It’s fake, you know, yeah there are things that get under my skin now, but, I don’t care about stupid shit like that anymore. I just wanna have fun with my wrestling buddies.
Do you prefer working as a heel, face, or neutral?
Believe it or not, the NWO angle was the only time I’ve ever been a full out heel. I’ve had some glimpses sometimes, and teased it abit, but I’ve never went all the way. So, I guess I like face more, but it really goes with my gimmick and how I RP, but heel could be interesting to do again at some point
In a RP what do you mainly focus: Character Development, talking trash about your opponents, or deep detail? And why is that?
Trash talking is such a minor thing, in my opinion. You’ll never see me all out trash someone in my RP, because that’s not a very smart thing to do. You gotta build them up, you know, tell their gimmick’s strengths and everything, then be like, you’re all of that, but I’m just that much more better. I think character development and deep detail are the most important, because except for a few moments on the show, your RP is your chance to put your gimmick over, change it all up, reveal who you are, which is important for any RP.
Will we ever see the return of Casey Kage?
Not as a wrestler, no. I’ll never RP as Kage again. I’ve done great things with him, and I don’t want to bring him back and ruin what I did. I’ve used Kage as a commentator on Southland, so something not RP related is possible, but people seem to forget that Kage was an extension of Tyger, so have both on the shows would be weird.
How do you keep up with your personal life and your E-fed life?
At first it was easy because I honestly had no life, ha-ha, but now, I got a girlfriend, I’m out of school, I got a lot to worry about, and it’s hard to balance. I was always on the “It’s just an RP, you can do it no matter how busy you are!” side of the fence, but as I’m getting older, I’m finding it harder and harder to do.
What is your motivation to continue churning out all of these roleplays?
It’s just something I like to do, I love being creative, I love writing. There’s stuff I want to do now, I want to help younger dudes, you know, and I just want to be the best, ha-ha.
How do you like the Out Of Character atmosphere?
Most of the time it’s good, most of the time, but sometimes it really sucks and gets really annoying because of, again, the people that take it too seriously, and are just stupid about it.
What is your favorite roleplay that you have written in your time with SNME?
I really like the RP I did in early to mid 2007, I believe, with Vince McMahon in it from NHBWO, where we just shot shit, you know, talking about the past, and the future, and getting to the end of our ropes, and it was damned near the length of a short story, and took two posts to post on the board because it all wouldn’t fit in one post, but not a soul read the full thing. I actually pretty much admitted that I would’ve retired pretty soon, but no one knew because no one read the thing, ha-ha.
What has been your best and worst e-wrestling experiences?
The best are just shitting around with Blake and Hafiz and Brad, and others. Those huge ass AIM chats we used to have in the middle of the night were great, and there have been some bad times, but they were mostly linked to my stupidity at the time, and really don’t meant anything now.
Have you set any goals for your character and if so, how close are you to having achieved them?
I want my gimmick to be the best, to be as good as I used to be and I want my gimmick to help the younger guys that are in the same position I was in 2004 and 2005, getting help from people like The Realist and ZMaster, and I want to pass on the stuff they told me onto the people that will come after me, but in the end, if I’m not up to par with what I was and want to be, none of that really matters.
Is there anyone in particular that you would like to feud with in the future?
Shawn Michaels is a dream feud. I’d like to, not feud with, but have a match with Matt Sydal again, I’d love to feud with Raven again.
Are there any Characters no longer active in SNME that you would have liked to feud with?
A good feud with Sting woulda been fun, I never got to feud with Kurt Angle, that woulda been good, Scott Hall, and Bryan Danielson. I woulda, as weird as it sounds, have had a feud or match with Vince McMahon, I think we coulda pulled that off really good.
Who do you think the Top 5 roleplayers are currently and why?
Raven - Learned so much from him, he’s amazing, and my second top favorite RPer ever, and he’s still turning out great RPs.
Shawn Michaels – He’s someone else I learned a lot from. I know he’s part time now or whatever, but he can still pump out some great interviews, and he’s so versatile, he can literally do anything.
Seth Akira – He was the first dude I got to RP against in SNME, and he really showed me there are some great dudes here in SNME, and he, like Raven, still pumps out great RPs.
Randy Orton – Hafiz is someone I’d like to say I helped alittle, I don’t know if he feels I did anything for him or not, but he’s a really good RPer. I really love the team we had, even if it was only one match we were able to do Paparazzi Productions, and he deserves that Title more than anyone.
Alberto Del Rio – I really love him, and I think if he sticks around he could become the next huge thing in SNME, I really do. He’s great right now, and can only get better.
Do you feel that management in SNME likes to play favoritism towards certain roleplayers?
Yeah, of course it does. You’re gonna use your favorites, and you’re gonna use your boys better than you use someone you don’t like or don’t think is as good. I’m a prime example for favoritism, I admit it. If it wasn’t for favoritism towards me, I probably wouldn’t have done all the stuff I did in SNME. I get special treatment, I admit it, sometimes I like it, and sometimes I hate it, but there’s not much I can do about it.
What do you hope to have accomplished by this time next year?
I really don’t care about titles anymore. If I’m not a champion again in a year, it really wouldn’t bother me. I, again, just want to be the best I can be, and help younger guys be the best they can be. If I can do that, and have a few matches I’ve been wanting to have, I’m happy.
Do you see yourself retiring from SNME anytime soon?
It’s not out of the question. I’ve been thinking a lot about it recently. I know I’ve cried wolf so many times with retirement before, but, if it ever happened again, it would be final for Tyger. If I can’t be as good as if not better than I used to be, I don’t want to RP anymore. I don’t want to be the RPer who really can’t do anything anymore, hanging off of what he did before and his favoritism. I want to prove I still belong with my RPs.
What would be your dream match and who would be in it?
Against Shawn Michaels. We’ve teased it and almost done it so many times, I really want to do it before we both die, ha-ha.
Any last thoughts about any other roleplayers?
Hafiz – You’re a great guy, one of the best friends I got on here. You deserve that title, and I’m happy that you got it. I wish I coulda got to RP against and with you more than I did. Life is Huff, man. Keep doin’ you.
Raven – You’re literally my second favorite RPer ever, it’s amazing you still turn out the RPs like you do, it’s amazing. Whenever people say I’m great or have great RPs, it’s directly linked to you and Justa Mazing, I wouldn’t be shit without learning from you two.
Blake – You’re legit my best pal on here. You’re an amazing RPer, booker, writer, and a great dude. Thanks for all the advice, and the HONK!
Shelton – You’re such a legit guy. You’re a great RPer and a great guy. Had a lot of fun with you and Blake. I wish we still talked a lot. Viper and Cade/Murdoch Undefeated Streak 4 Life.
MATTY! – You’re a cool ass dude. I’m glad I got to team with and RP against you as much as I did. You need to chill a bit though, not take it all so seriously.
Danielson - I <3 you dude. You're a cool fella. You need to get your ass back.
Roy – I like you. You’re a pretty cool dude away from RPing. Admittedly, in SNME, you’re not one of my favorite guys.
Kennedy – LOL, at one time you doubted me. You’re a great RPer. NWO… JUST TOO SWEET!
Angle – One of the best, wish I could have wrestled him.
Brannan – You live in an anonymous world.
Magnum – You’re a dick, but you like hockey and John Mayer, so you’re cool.
Kammy – I respect the hell out of you.