Michael Maskell Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview and planned exit

The Michael Maskell Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview with the franchise covered Big Vicious’s return after more than four years away, his heavyweight title win four matches into that comeback, and his decision to leave the ring on his own terms. Maskell also revisited his match with Madman Pondo, the faction’s history and his place in Monster Nation.

How did Michael Maskell get started and face Madman Pondo in JCW?

Michael Maskell said people doubting that he could become a professional wrestler gave him the drive to keep going. His early years took him from a small group of wrestling fans into violent matches around the Northwest, including a JCW appearance against Madman Pondo that he remembers for its stop sign, chairs and cinder block.

He described the start as a rough journey toward convincing others he belonged in wrestling. Asked about the matches that followed, Maskell said he spent a large part of his beginnings in the hardcore realm rather than treating his encounter with Pondo as an isolated experience.

Facing Madman Pondo on the Happy Days tour

Maskell placed the JCW match during the Happy Days tour, when Insane Clown Posse was traveling with concerts and wrestling. He said Pondo had just lost a belt to Corporal Robinson and was complaining in the ring when Maskell’s music played. Maskell recalled throwing him around for much of the match before Pondo brought in a stop sign and chairs, then placed a cinder block against Maskell and used a sledgehammer. Maskell valued the chance to go toe to toe with Pondo.

Cage matches and the Hellbilly Brawl

Other memories included a bar match with a local clown, repeated chair shots and a cage match involving Hazard 503. Maskell also recalled the Hellbilly Brawl between the freak show and the moonshiners. Under its unusual rule, a wrestler had to fight into the cage to win; used toilets, blocks and tires surrounded it. Those details, he said, made the match an experience of its own.

How did Michael Maskell win the NWA heavyweight title while working with NWWA?

Michael Maskell said NWWA gave him an opportunity when he was not a popular choice with promoters. After arriving to help set up the ring, he was put in a match; continued work there, alongside Blue Collar Wrestling, helped him earn more respect. He later beat Eric Hansen for the NWA heavyweight title.

Maskell traced his introduction to a wrestler from a Bob Spiker promotion who had mentioned him to NWWA promoter Dan Closser. He went to the show, asked to assist with the ring and started working on it. Closser then approached him, asked whether he had his gear and put him in a match with Ron.

The relationship developed gradually. Maskell credited Blue Collar Wrestling with giving him a home and said that working with Closser helped people see he was there to work. He called the title win an honor and said he still held the championship when NWA went down before the promotion he recalled as Revolution Pro began. By his account, he never lost that title.

What did Michael Maskell say about the faction?

Michael Maskell said the faction’s different versions all mattered to him, but its more permanent Oregon run was especially fun because the group could cause chaos and assert itself. The faction grew from wrestlers who felt overlooked into a lineup that changed as members worked together in Utah and Oregon.

The faction’s early members and Utah run

The franchise recalled that he, Maskell and Buddy Highway were the original three. Their discussion then turned to taking the group to Utah and bringing in Kendall Rush and Legion. Maskell said the earliest version felt fresh and new, while each addition gave the group room to expand.

Making the faction a presence in Oregon

When the faction became more established in Oregon, Maskell enjoyed its confrontational purpose. “We got to say, you know, we are tired of this. It's going to be our way,” he said. He also recalled a promo with the franchise and Zach Winters in which he answered a request to speak by hitting himself in the head with a chair. The franchise said the two were scheduled to reunite as a tag team against American Sexy’s Paul Preston and Kyle Enrolling at the House of Action on October 18.

Why did Michael Maskell return to wrestling with Roundtable Pro Wrestling?

Michael Maskell said he had been out for more than four years and had become content with being done. Seeing familiar people at Roundtable Pro Wrestling drew him back to visit while he was recovering from arm surgery. That visit led to a spot in Monster Nation and, four matches into his return, a heavyweight championship win.

Maskell had previously spent time away because of health issues. After another break around the COVID period, he thought his wrestling career might be over. Following Roundtable Pro Wrestling from a distance changed that: he recognized people he had worked with and considered friends and family, then decided to see them in person.

He said the franchise contacted him shortly after he made plans to visit. Once there, he was given a place with Monster Nation. Maskell initially worried that being assigned to a group meant he was not good enough to return as an individual wrestler, but came to see the decision differently. He was grateful for the opportunity and said that four matches after coming back, he became the second person to hold the Roundtable Independent Pro Heavyweight Championship.

What did Michael Maskell say about retirement?

Michael Maskell said he has decided how he wants to leave wrestling, though he did not identify when it will happen or whom he wants to face. He wants the choice to be his because earlier absences were not. His aim is to give something to the business, but he insists the person receiving that opportunity must earn it.

Maskell connected the decision to the work it took for him to be considered a professional wrestler. He does not expect someone else to spend the same number of years struggling, he said, but believes they should face one substantial challenge rather than simply be handed an opportunity.

Explaining why control over his exit matters, Maskell put it plainly:

I'm going to go out on my own terms.

He also thanked the franchise for believing in him, helping him and offering opportunities when others did not. Maskell described returning to work with Roundtable Pro Wrestling as an honor because of the respect he feels among its people.

Who would Michael Maskell team with, feud with or fire?

Michael Maskell chose Mick Foley as the wrestler he would have liked to team with, Abyss as an opponent he would have liked to feud with, and John Cena as the wrestler he would fire in the franchise’s hypothetical game. Those answers reflected his interest in performers willing to put their bodies through demanding matches.

Maskell thought a Foley partnership would have been fun because he sees similarities in their ability to be both brutal and funny. He expected a feud with Abyss to hurt, but said that shared willingness to take punishment was precisely why it appealed to him.

His Cena answer was a matter of taste, not a denial of Cena’s strengths. Maskell praised Cena’s promo work and acknowledged that he had had some great matches, but said the repeated moves in other matches did not appeal to him. He also named Bill Goldberg as an alternative choice, saying Goldberg’s winning streak and later return were not for him.

What are Michael Maskell’s favorite restaurant and food?

Michael Maskell picked Joy Teriyaki as his favorite restaurant and lasagna as his favorite food. At Joy Teriyaki, he orders the spicy teriyaki dish with all rice instead of the salad. His lasagna preference is broader: he enjoys it pre-made, but considers homemade lasagna the best version.

The choices offered a lighter finish to a conversation largely about physically demanding matches and the end of his in-ring career. Maskell said he likes lasagna almost any way he can get it, while noting that making it at home takes time.