On this episode of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast, K.G. Landry sits down with veteran wrestler David Young, a man known to fans as “The Messiah of the Spinebuster” and remembered for his runs in NWA Wildside, TNA, WCW enhancement work, Japan, independents across the country, and a career built on toughness, sacrifice, and earning respect the hard way.
David talks openly about knowing from the age of five that all he ever wanted to be was a professional wrestler. From watching Mr. Wrestling II, Ric Flair, Gordon Solie, TBS wrestling, and Joe Pedicino’s marathon wrestling blocks, to breaking in at just 16 years old after helping with security at an indie show, David’s entire life was shaped around chasing the wrestling business.
The strongest part of this interview is David’s honesty about the business. He doesn’t pretend wrestling was easy, fair, or always logical. He talks about injuries, politics, bad finishes, getting fired more than once, reading about his own TNA release in the sheets while he was at a TNA show, and still refusing to quit.
The AJ Styles stories are a major highlight. David explains that he and AJ pushed each other in Wildside, trained together until they were blown up and throwing up, and worked the match in front of Jerry Jarrett that led to both of them becoming the first two TNA contracts. David says AJ helped him more than anyone in the business, and his respect for him comes through loud and clear.
There’s also plenty of TNA talk, including the story of David and Elix Skipper being told they were going from a planned tag title win to losing quickly to Chase Stevens and Shark Boy, with Shark Boy pinning both men at the same time. David explains that it wasn’t the loss itself that bothered him, it was the fact that it didn’t make sense and didn’t help the story.
The episode also gets into the damage wrestling does to the body. David talks about knee replacements, neck and back injuries, sciatica, and a nasty knee injury where Tracy Smothers immediately stepped in and took his place in the match. Still, David says he doesn’t blame wrestling for any of it, because getting hurt is part of the deal when you choose the business.
By the end, this is more than a career recap. It’s David Young explaining what made him keep going: stubbornness, love for wrestling, loyalty to the people who helped him, and a refusal to ever say no when there was still something left to prove.
For fans of NWA Wildside, TNA, AJ Styles, Elix Skipper, Rick Michaels, New Jack, Tracy Smothers, Dutch Mantell, Jim Cornette, and old school wrestlers who made every mile and every bump count, this is a great listen.
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