Jesse Daniels speaks on Queensland Wrestling, Self Doubt and Bobby Bishop
Wrestle Radio Australia’s Lachlan Albert caught up with the ‘Devil’s Double’ Jesse Daniels recently just before the Pro Wrestling League x Renegades of Wrestling Super Show and the twelve minute conversation available on Wrestle Radio’s YouTube channel proved to be an insightful conversation which had a flavour sprinkled through it that suggested Daniels did not consider his bitter feud with ‘Undeniable’ Bobby Bishop over by any stretch of the imagination
They opened their chat with Jesse Daniels thoughts on the growth of Queensland Wrestling and he believed there were a hard working group of wrestlers who set out to build something pretty special over the last 15 years and that had put them in the position they are in today – But he insisted he was excluding Bobby Bishop from the equation.
“When I started in professional wrestling in this state, in this town in Brisbane, it was in the worst period it had ever been…To see how far we have come from that and it’s a lot of hard work as you mentioned AWA the Australian Wrestling Alliance started by my mentor Esteban Molina right we persevered for years and we had to go up against fans that owned their own rings, against idiot promoters who would book their best friend as long as he was wearing his sisters leggings…the word professional did not exist in this town unless it was associated with the Australian Wrestling Alliance and with the men and women who are trying to build something with me…all thy growth over ten years was tremendous we ended up getting into the Kedron-Wavell RSL.”
Unfortunately for the Australian Wrestling Alliance, COVID lead to their closure, but Pro Wrestling League’s growth and the tremendous crop of Queensland talent continuing to develop strongly, lead them to Eaton Hill Hotel and a collaboration with Renegades of Wrestling on Valentine’s Day and a love letter to Australian Wrestling and particular the criminally under appreciated Queensland contingent.
“All good things take time…now we’re about to see the absolute best in Australian Wrestling here in Brisbane…15 years after I first walked into a backyard of dog sh!t, we are here, credible training centres, incredible promotions and we’re about to put on a show in February that’s going to be very hard for people around the country to compete with for the year”.
The pandemic was a challenging period for Daniels and upon his return he found himself questioning whether he still had what it took to be a professional wrestler to the high standard he sets for himself.
“As hard as you get hit inside the ring and the number of like punches I have taken broken teeth I have spat out, noting hits harder than life and that’s just a fact…I went up against myself and that is the hardest battle I have ever had to face but I can put the other side of it”
On the self doubt: “can I still go? Right It’s been four years since I’ve been in the ring can I still go? I have been a main event star, can I still go? Do I have the ability to potentially get signed one day? I don’t know can I still go? So many questions right and so many things in your head.”
Fortunately for Daniels, the four and a half year hiatus realised he wanted to return to the arms of his love, instead of leaving it for good. He came back and opportunities presented themself to him. He doesn’t wish things were different, but once again Bobby’s name came up in the conversation, “the only thing I wish that was different was that Bobby Bishop’s name wasn’t all on everything.”
When interviewer Lachlan Albert asked what was on the horizon for the Devil’s Double, Jesse answered immediately – “I would like to beat up Bobby Bishop one more time”. Jesse Daniels then made clear his frustrations on how an official stepping in before he could Con-chair-to Bobby Bishop led to ‘Undeniable’ low blowing him and hitting a pile driver and that had that interaction with the official not have happened, the match would have had a different outcome.
This bitterness towards Bishop and the ending of their brutal dog collar match would then play out at the Supershow itself when Daniels would interject in the State of Origin match where it looked like Bishop might have done enough to win, with the Devil’s Double pulling the official out of the ring and ultimately handing Bobby defeat. Bishop then made a challenge which means that these two men will go to war once more in an I Quit match at Pro Wrestling League’s The Purge Cybernight at Kendron-Wavell on Saturday March 15 which will have career threatening implications.
Another bald, bearded wrestling adjacent guy, fantastic…Got into Wrestling thanks to Optus Vision and Turner Classic Movies channel, which aired Nitro, then Foxtel when I finally got to enjoy WWE live each and every week. This evolved into a love of many a different iteration of the artform, but the one I’m passionate about the most is the high level on display across this country – The Australian professional wrestling scene! That’s why I’m here, that and I was far too uncoordinated to ever attempt to do it myself.
