By Joe Puccio

For professional wrestlers based in the United States who are not currently under contract with either World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) or All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the struggle is certainly real, as the commonly repeated expression goes. While there is absolutely an abundance of independent promotions in existence that allow both novice upstarts as well as grizzled mavens to hone their skills in the ring, the unfortunate reality is that the risks can oftentimes outweigh the rewards in the extremely dangerous, high-risk, sport.

“I recently pulled my hamstring while wrestling at a local show,” revealed Bobby Fish, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “Between that, getting divorced this year, and not having health insurance, life has definitely thrown a few curveballs my way. So, this hamstring is going to have to take of itself.”

Fish’s plight, though not unusual for the competitors who dedicate their lives to the grueling grappling game, is one that could easily sour even its most ardent devotees. But for the gifted 23-year veteran, it only pushes him to soldier on while simultaneously seeking new fulfilling opportunities to tide him over while he’s on the shelf.

A brief five-minute video, posted on social media by Fish himself, describing the injury, the circumstances, and more importantly, his driving motivation to excel at what he happens to do for a living, wound up generating a considerable response amongst his legions of fans. And within just a few days, the upstate New York-born athlete launched his own YouTube channel, which presently boasts 4.18K subscribers and counting.

“What made me post the original video was an interaction I had with my cousin the day after the event. I was having my little pity party, feeling down in the dumps, and when he realized I was wrestling without health insurance, he basically asked me if I was stupid. And I thought about it, and the answer is yes,” he smiled. “But it’s been the case for most of my career. And it’s also the case for the majority of my friends in the business. Most of us don’t have jobs that are going to provide health insurance like a civilian job does,” he continued. “And if we did have a job like that, we wouldn’t be able to pursue wrestling.”  

Fish fully understands how executing the profusion of death-defying stunts that modern performers do on a regular basis without protection sounds crazy to outsiders. And at only a year from 50, he’s even a bit embarrassed by it. But he’s still accepting it. “It’s learned behavior, and it’s become the norm,” he acknowledged.

Fish, often referred to as having the most educated feet in professional wrestling, employs a mixed martial arts-tinged style with a heavy emphasis on kickboxing and Muay Thai. Trained by seasoned journeyman Tony DeVito, he also had the privilege of learning the ropes from the legendary Harley Race at the former multi time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Champion’s exclusive wrestling camp that he operated in his home state of Missouri. “It played an integral part in my career,” Fish contended. “Harley’s camp was where I was seen by Pro Wrestling Noah (Japan), and it was the big break I needed. It was the first time a promoter flew me to another country, and it was the first time I really got paid, seeing three zeroes on my check. I still had a way to go from there but that was when I felt I might be good enough at it to do something with it. Harley was the conduit of that happening. And if you’re going through a Harley Race camp, you’re going to learn some things,” he laughed.

Fish worked consistently in Japan with Pro Wrestling Noah for eight years before transitioning to the more prestigious New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion while also climbing the ranks of Ring of Honor (ROH) in the U.S., arguably the hardest hitting and most revered independent company in the world at the time. It was there where he was packaged with Canadian up and comer Kyle O’Reilly and reDRagon was born. The pairing was crucial to both men’s success.

“Teaming with Kyle and that period has a special place for me because we really put our all into reDRagon. It was my first real opportunity to make something mine. And it wasn’t just mine; it was mine and Kyle’s,” he explained. The series of matches that Fish and O’Reilly had with Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards (American Wolves) are still marveled at today for their athleticism and they bring back nothing but fond memories for Fish. “We were both wrestling nerds and all we thought about was making it special.”

In 2017, Fish’s most notable break came when he was signed to WWE. Debuting in the promotion’s bullish NXT brand, he reunited with O’Reilly, added Adam Cole to the mix, and the trio, known as The Undisputed Era, became a formidable force on the national stage for most of the following four years. Transitory stints in AEW and Impact Wrestling ensued, before Fish landed in Major League Wrestling (MLW), a territory known for its eclectic mix of various wrestling styles.

Fortunately, Fish’s leg injury is healing nicely, likely a combination of both his impressive physical conditioning along with his undeniable sheer determination. While his in-ring career is far from over, the certified DDP (Diamond Dallas Page) Yoga and CrossFit instructor and son of a Marine/firefighter father and nurse mother envisions a future for himself in training others, something he’s already dabbled in.

“When I started teaching DDP Yoga, I began to realize that I have value in this space and I kind of love it. We spend our entire careers around our friends and peers. So, everyone knows the same information, more or less,” he added. “The kids coming up now don’t know these things so when you drop some of that knowledge on them, the lightbulb goes on and it makes a difference in their world. It’s exactly what happened when Terry Taylor, Fit Finlay, William Regal, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels worked with me in WWE. I’m now on the other side. How can I not fall in love with that?”

As for the YouTube endeavor, followers should expect to see a significant amount of content imminently. Fish credits CrossFit trainer, entrepreneur, and good friend Jason Ackerman with assisting him in getting the project off the ground. “He reminds me a lot of Dallas Page. It was 100 percent his idea and he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” he remarked. “We’re doing this thing, and I have lots of stories to tell. To say we’re scratching the surface doesn’t even do it justice. I’ve had a long career and have been so blessed and fortunate. The content is only going to get better.”

Although not quite healthy enough at the moment to don the tights, a return to either WWE or AEW isn’t out of the question for the talented grappler. “Right now, YouTube is my biggest focus. But I’m never not open to the idea of going back to TV wrestling. I still enjoy doing this and there’s still tread on the tires,” Fish assured. “But I really feel that my value is in producing, coaching, and giving back. I still love the industry and am grateful for everything.”

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