An Exclusive Interview with Mike Manson: Insights from 20 Years Pt 1

I had the pleasure of interviewing Alpha Pro Wrestling founder Mike Manson, who has accumulated 20 years of experience in the industry since his debut in 2001; he is a man of many hats in pro wrestling and also boasts a background in professional kickboxing, martial arts, and Krav Maga instruction.

Mike Manson received training from George Julio, a seasoned pro wrestling veteran with over 60 years of experience, who began his career in his homeland of Malta.

Alpha Pro Wrestling will hold two shows tomorrow Saturday April 12th at Pipeworks Markets in Thomastown, Victoria. The two shows will be headlined by Chikara founder Mike Quackenbush. Mike Manson talked about how this partnership with Quackenbush came about..

Lazza: What led to the partnership between APW and Mike Quackenbush, given his notable contributions to professional wrestling as the founder of Chikara and trainer of numerous wrestlers?

Mike Manson: He actually got on board through Adam Crowe’s brother, who knows him online. Initially, I doubted Mike Quackenbush would want to be involved with us, given his background and name recognition, but he’s proven to be genuinely committed to helping out.

He’s been promoting this on Facebook. He has been sharing YouTube videos from his channel, Til We Make It , to promote his ‘Til We Make It’16 seminars tour of Australia. Mike doesn’t have to do any of this, but he’s chosen to give up his time to help advance the Australian wrestling industry.

I’m hoping this collaboration will become a long-term thing, with Mike coming out here annually to run seminars. Mike Quackenbush is a highly respected trainer who has worked with notable talent like Liv Morgan and Malakai Black, and also advises major wrestling promotions.

From April 6th to 12th, he’ll be running 16 seminars to equip the Australian wrestling industry with the tools to succeed in the international market. He’s currently in the other room, leading a seminar

Lazza: Can you tell me about your wrestling background, including who trained you and how you got started?

Mike Manson: Before becoming a pro wrestler, I had a background in martial arts and competed professionally in kickboxing as ‘The Terminator’.

I had always wanted to wrestle, so I sought out training from Mario Milano, a renowned Australian wrestling legend, but he declined. In the early 2000s, it was challenging to break into wrestling, PCW just opened, but it was on the other side of town. I spoke to some people who told me about George Julio I eventually found George Julio’s school and, after six months, began training with him in Sunshine.

Training under George Julio was the best thing that ever happened to me, as he is the embodiment of Victorian Wrestling and has kept it alive, with many wrestlers owing their careers to him and now passing on his knowledge to the next generation.

Lazza: What inspired you to create Alpha Pro Wrestling in Melbourne?

Mike Manson: I co-owned New Age Wrestling with George, my tag-team partner, and Candy Man, but sold my share after a year due to internal conflicts.

In 2007, I founded Alpha, which launched in 2008, with the aim of giving young talent hands-on experience and industry exposure, as it was tough to break in unless you were part of a certain group.

Lazza: What inspired you to choose the name Alpha Pro Wrestling?

Mike Manson: I was brainstorming three-letter syllables, like ECW, inspired by how crowds chant it. During my 2006 trip to Japan, I noticed many promotions had one-word names, which I liked. Later, while driving to Carlton for a production meeting, my friend and I developed Alpha Pro Wrestling. The name Alpha stuck, and the wings logo was inspired by Captain America, as I’m a big fan.

A car drive from Broadmeadows to Carlton.

Lazza: What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced when launching and running the promotion?

Mike Manson: After leaving NAW, I faced a lot of backlash from people in the organization, which created tension between the two promotions. There was the challenge of promoting shows in a new area, as I chose not to compete with George in the western suburbs. I respect George to much.

Instead, I focused on the northern suburbs, which proved to be a tough market to crack. I was fortunate to receive a call from Sue Chuter Parsons, who introduced me to Russell Whitehead, a gentleman who had set up a training school in Campbellfield.

Although the school didn’t produce any wrestlers initially, it eventually helped us develop a talented group of wrestlers and establish a fan base in the northern suburbs, particularly through our shows at Pipeworks Market.

Lazza: The Monster Lab serves as APW’s training facility. What motivated you to create this center, and what sets it apart from other wrestling schools?

Mike Manson: The name Monster Lab originated from a video game and I thought it was a cool name for a training school. After having a decent run in Japan, I realized it would be tough to establish a career in the wrestling business from our location.

Unlike America, which has feeder territories for promotions like WWE, AEW, and TNA, we don’t have that infrastructure, so, I opened Monster Lab in 2006 or 2007 with the goal of partnering with American trainers and gyms to provide opportunities for Australian wrestlers.

The idea is to train and teach George’s style of wrestling, preparing talented wrestlers for bigger promotions and streamlining their path to success.

Part 2 with Mike Manson will be posted next week..