Richard Brumley Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview on refereeing

In the Richard Brumley Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview, we asked the fan about his two opportunities to referee, the Monster Nation street fight that made him love the promotion, and the wrestlers he cheers and boos. Brumley also explained why Jeff Hardy would be his dream tag partner and why he wants more from the Rey Mysterio and Dirty Dom storyline.

How did Richard Brumley become a Roundtable Pro Wrestling fan?

Richard Brumley became a wrestling fan by watching with childhood friends, then made WrestleMania part of an annual celebration for his brother’s birthday. He found Roundtable Pro Wrestling much later through a sign advertising a show at the American Legion near his home. The close-up, participatory experience kept him coming back.

WrestleMania and his brother’s birthday

Brumley said his friends were wrestling fans, so he started watching with them. His brother’s birthday fell around WrestleMania weekend, and the family held a combined WrestleMania and birthday party each year. Once he began watching, he said, he was hooked.

Finding a show at the American Legion

On a drive home from work, Brumley noticed a reader board advertising pro wrestling at the American Legion. The venue was in the town where he lived, so he went to check it out. He recalled someone diving from the ring during the first show he attended, colliding with an opponent and landing among the fans.

That proximity is what distinguishes Roundtable for him. Brumley tries not to miss its shows because the audience can feel involved rather than separated from what happens in the ring. He put the appeal this way:

It's interactive right like the fans are a part of the show just as much as everyone else.

What did Richard Brumley say about refereeing the Monster Nation street fight?

Richard Brumley picked Monster Nation against the Roundtable interviewer and Sexy Pants as the match that made him fall for the promotion. The no-disqualification street fight also gave him a chance to participate as a guest referee. He has had two opportunities to referee and called the experience one of the top five moments of his life.

Monster Nation, Sexy Pants and the street fight

Brumley remembered the match for how intense it felt from inside the action. He mentioned thumbtacks, while the interviewer recalled lightsabers, kendo sticks and a traffic cone used against Crowley. For Brumley, being close enough to take in the entire street fight made it stand apart from the matches he had watched as a fan.

Enforcing rules in a no-disqualification match

The referee role brought an unexpected joke: people urged Brumley to enforce the rules even though the match had no disqualifications. He enjoyed that contradiction as much as the chance to be in the ring with the wrestlers. Before Roundtable offered him the role, he had not imagined he would ever get to do it.

Who are Richard Brumley’s favorite Roundtable Pro Wrestling wrestlers?

Richard Brumley named Big Vicious, Bad Blood and Darren Lawless as his three favorites. His list of wrestlers he boos was led by Brian Armstrong, followed by Rip Rex and Dirty Crew. Those are fan judgments rather than dismissals of their ability: Brumley said he respects the wrestlers he roots against.

Big Vicious, Bad Blood and Darren Lawless

Brumley connected with Big Vicious partly because he is a big guy himself and enjoys watching Vicious dominate. He called Bad Blood a double champion and pointed to Lawless as a rising star in his opinion. Lawless’s match with CJ Edwards particularly impressed him; Brumley rated it among the top 10 matches in Roundtable history.

The interviewer said Lawless and Edwards had gone to a time-limit draw and were scheduled for an October rematch. Brumley agreed that another match made sense. He also likes the uncertainty around who might appear at a Roundtable show, alongside the wrestlers audiences already know.

Brian Armstrong, Rip Rex and Dirty Crew

Armstrong was Brumley’s easiest pick to boo. He described a small feud between Armstrong and his daughter, adding that she might not admit it. Brumley placed Rip Rex next because he finds him too arrogant, although he acknowledged that the champion can compete with strong opponents.

Dirty Crew completed his list. The conversation also turned to JD Grunge and a dispute involving tag-team belts and Monster Nation, which Brumley expected to see develop at the October 18 show. He said his least favorites would get boos from him, even while recognizing that other fans might cheer them.

Why did Richard Brumley pick Jeff Hardy, Edge and Jon Moxley?

Richard Brumley chose Jeff Hardy as the wrestler he would most like to team with and Edge as an opponent he would like to feud with. Asked which wrestler he would fire in a hypothetical game, he picked Jon Moxley. His answers reflected what he values as a fan: versatility, a compelling opponent and loyalty.

Teaming with Jeff Hardy and feuding with Edge

Hardy is Brumley’s favorite wrestler. He described Hardy as versatile enough to work with bigger opponents or take a dramatic leap from a cage, making him a fun choice for a tag partner. For a feud, Brumley settled on an old-school version of Edge; Lita also came up as he clarified his choice.

His criticism of Jon Moxley

Brumley took longer to choose someone to fire, then named Moxley. He felt Moxley was not technical enough and could be sloppy. Brumley also framed his objection around loyalty: he contrasted Moxley’s departure from his former brand with Seth Rollins’s betrayal of The Shield, saying he felt Moxley had left altogether.

What did Richard Brumley want from Rey Mysterio and Dirty Dom’s storyline?

Richard Brumley wished the Rey Mysterio and Dirty Dom storyline had gone further. He thought another chapter could help build Dom and suggested it could potentially provide a closing in-ring feud for Rey. That was Brumley’s hope for the story, not an announcement of another match or a retirement plan.

He acknowledged that Dom was already popular and effective as a heel. Even so, Brumley felt the family feud had more to offer and said he hoped the two would return to it. When pressed for another storyline that ended too soon, he considered older examples but did not settle on a second pick.

Will Richard Brumley dress up for the October 18 show?

Richard Brumley did not promise to wear a costume to the October 18 Roundtable Pro Wrestling show. He said he normally does not dress up for Halloween, but left the possibility open and told fans they would have to attend to find out. Away from wrestling, he also streams games on Twitch as thick preacher.

The Halloween costume question

Asked directly whether he would come to the next show in costume, Brumley first called it a large ask. He then reconsidered without giving a definite answer. His invitation was simple: anyone who wanted to know whether he dressed up would have to see him on October 18.

Streaming as thick preacher

Brumley said Facebook is another place to find him, but he directed people interested in his streams to twitch.tv/thick preacher. He plays shooters, horror games and simulator games, among others. The conversation ended with the two discussing Call of Duty and the possibility of playing together.