Caleb Roush Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview on TV title

The Caleb Roush Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview with The Franchise covered why the inaugural World Independent Television Champion welcomes open challenges, how football film study shapes his preparation, and which wrestlers he wants to face next. Roush, who wrestles as Rip Rex, also reflected on winning the title at Rose City Comic Con after an earlier championship loss to Brian Brooks.

What did Caleb Roush say about winning the World Independent Television Championship?

Caleb Roush said becoming Roundtable Pro Wrestling’s inaugural World Independent Television Champion felt earned rather than overdue. He connected the achievement to an earlier experience in football: as a six-foot-one, 300-pound offensive lineman seeking a college roster spot, he had to convince others that he belonged and should play.

Roush had previously lost to Brian Brooks, the inaugural World Independent Heavyweight Champion, after what he called an incredible series of matches. He did not dismiss that loss. Instead, he said the experience of having to prove himself in football helped him through the effort that led to his television title.

Asked how wider attention felt, Roush acknowledged that part of him thought it was about time. His conclusion was more measured: “everything's earned, everything's earned.” He said he was happy the championship had happened.

What did Caleb Roush say about Rose City Comic Con and Janice Jett?

Caleb Roush said winning the title at Rose City Comic Con in Oregon brought him full circle. He had attended the event years earlier with a friend as a spectator; returning to wrestle there gave the occasion a different meaning. His matches included opponents PJ Freak and Janice Jett.

Returning to Rose City Comic Con

For Roush, the setting mattered alongside the championship. He remembered going to the convention with his friend years before and described being there as more than a spectator as “very cool.” He pointed to the series of matches he had there, rather than presenting the title as a single isolated moment.

Wrestling Janice Jett

Roush said he respected Janice Jett, especially after wrestling her more than once. He believed she was upset not to become television champion. When The Franchise noted that Jett’s group had won the Roundtable World Independent Tag Team Championships, Roush wondered how Tyler figured into the group’s claim to those titles. He left the question there rather than claiming to know the answer.

How does Caleb Roush plan to defend the World Independent Television Championship?

Caleb Roush called the World Independent Television Championship Roundtable Pro Wrestling’s “workhorse championship” and welcomed challengers from inside or outside its roster. With a 15-minute limit on title matches, he said opponents must prepare carefully: they have to beat him within that time, while he can push them to the limit without necessarily beating them.

Preparing for the 15-minute limit

Roush said a challenger needs to study before entering a television title match. His own routine includes watching footage to identify what opponents do and do not do, an approach he connected to film study from his football background. He warned against arriving unprepared and only then discovering how the time limit works.

The Franchise raised a recent time-limit match between CJ Edwards and Darren Lawless. Roush said beating either wrestler quickly would demonstrate what he could do against a Pacific Northwest veteran. He also saw value in proving himself against former world champions, including Paul Preston, and said such matches could affect both his standing and his own assessment of his progress.

Opening the challenge beyond the roster

Beyond Lawless, Edwards and Preston, Roush said he would welcome another match with Janice Jett or a challenge from Sunny Days. He wanted to extend the invitation to wrestlers not listed on the Roundtable roster, too. He also mentioned another possible meeting with Kylen Rowland, asking whether Rowland had learned anything from their earlier encounters.

Roush said the title must be defended at every Roundtable Pro Wrestling show and that he was open to bookings with other companies. His point was not that the belt would be difficult to win merely because of its rules. Roush put his view of a challenge more directly:

you've got to step into the lion's den right here and try to win it from me.

How did Caleb Roush begin wrestling training?

Caleb Roush’s first attempt to help at a wrestling show ended with a wasted drive from Vancouver, Washington, to Salem: the show had been canceled before he and Ryan Black arrived. He later began training with Brian Brooks under Tommy Celsius, then worked with Eric Wright and Richardson Cyr, known as the Cool Heels.

The canceled show in Salem

Roush said he and Black, who later became his agent, had been invited to help unload and set up at a show. They did not allow enough time for the drive and traffic, and they learned of the cancellation only after reaching Salem and contacting someone. Roush said he was not angry and tried to get another opportunity to help.

Training with Brian Brooks and the Cool Heels

He and Brooks spent many days setting up and tearing down a ring, often by themselves. Roush said they learned from that work as well as from training. After starting under Celsius, they moved on to sessions run by Wright and Cyr; Kodiak also helped at times.

Roush credited Celsius and the Cool Heels with lessons in promos and ring movement. One point he continues to work on is when not to move so much. His account of training included both the physical work of putting on shows and the smaller choices that make a performance clearer.

What did Caleb Roush say about Rex’s World and working in comedy?

Caleb Roush said he co-hosts the Vancouver radio show Rex’s World with Brian Brooks on Thursday nights at 10 o’clock. He also described working as an usher and security staff member at Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon, where he had opportunities to meet people outside wrestling.

Roush said Rex’s World airs on KX RW at 99.9 FM in Vancouver and on KX RW.com. Past episodes are available there under the show’s name. Ryan Black has appeared multiple times, and Roush said they have shared stories from when they attended high school together.

The radio partnership is another connection to Brooks beyond their training and title history. Roush described having fun stories to tell with his co-host, while his time at Helium gave him a different set of experiences. The Franchise thanked Roush for helping him connect with comedians; Roush spoke about the opportunities he had at the club without claiming those connections as a wrestling accomplishment.

Who would Caleb Roush team with or feud with in wrestling?

Caleb Roush chose Kurt Angle as the wrestler he would team with and John Cena as the one he would feud with during The Franchise’s wrestling choices game. He picked Goldberg as the person he would fire, explaining that he preferred Brock Lesnar and felt Goldberg had taken opportunities from other wrestlers.

Roush said Angle and Chris Jericho were two of the wrestlers he most admired, with Bret Hart also high on his list. Although he called the team choice close, he settled on Angle. His criticism of Goldberg was his own assessment, not a claim about any particular match or booking decision: he felt others, especially Jericho, could have received more attention.

His feud choice was brief. Roush named Cena without laying out a proposed storyline. The answers distinguished wrestlers he looked up to from a prominent opponent he would like to face and a performer whose opportunities he questioned.

Which Pacific Northwest wrestlers does Caleb Roush want to face?

Caleb Roush named Dom Hess, Wade Hess and Spencer Scott when asked which Pacific Northwest wrestlers he wanted to work with. His interest in Dom and Wade came from different personal connections: he met Dom during training and said he learned from Wade while working under him at a former company.

Dom Hess and Wade Hess

Roush recalled meeting Dom Hess while training; Dom was getting his start and was still refereeing at the time. A match with him would mean a lot to Roush for that reason. Wade Hess represented another link to his development because Roush had a chance to learn from him while working at a company they were both part of.

Spencer Scott

Roush added Scott as a third name. He agreed with The Franchise that someone calling himself “the hot shot” should want to take Scott on. None of the three matches was announced. They were opponents Roush wanted to work with as he considered where his television championship run could take him.