The D'Amore Drop is a weekly guest column on Uncrowned written by Scott D’Amore, the Canadian professional wrestling promoter, executive producer, trainer and former wrestler best known for his long-standing role with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he served as head of creative. D’Amore is the current owner of leading Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling.
When you get older and realize you can’t do what you used to be able to, you think about the paths not taken.
I get asked sometimes about whether I wished I’d wrestled more, and, at least sometimes, I think of the kind words from Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Kurt Angle telling me that I had "it" and should dedicate myself to the craft.
The pop of a crowd, absolutely, is amazing. So is hitting a great move — or getting hit by a great move and the fans reacting.
But I know I followed my real calling — developing other people’s in-ring talent as a coach, producer or promoter. Nothing beats recognizing that someone you know has a gift to showcase to the world and then seeing them get the chance to deliver it. I don’t know if I can explain it without sounding corny, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve experienced in my career. It feels the same as when we did something in TNA that was new, exciting, or successful.
I’ve had this feeling many times over the years: Rhino showing up on ECW TV; Joe Doering winning the Triple Crown in All Japan; the Motor City Machine Guns showing they are one of the best team ever; Bobby Roode, Eric Young and Petey Williams making their names; the TimeSplitters tearing it up in Japan; or Kaito Kiyomiya lifting the GHC title in NOAH. I popped bigger for all those moments than they probably did themselves.
This past Sunday, at AEW’s astonishing Forbidden Door pay-per-view, I got that feeling once more.
Bozilla — the 21-year-old, over 6-foot tall phenom, is strong as anyone I’ve ever trained, and already carries herself like a star. She’s not just big — she’s powerful, a legitimate powerlifter who can outwork a lot of men in the gym. Honestly, when she hits the weights, you can feel the building shake.
And when she steps in the ring, she has presence.
I first met her in 2021. Her father, Ulf Herman — a well-known German wrestler I’d first crossed paths with more than 30 years — brought her to Windsor.
He said to me: “There’s only one person I trust with the most precious thing I have. She wants to join the business, and I ask you to train her.”
That was Bo. She was still a teenager, raw but full of potential. Ulf had trained her some, but he wanted her sharpened. She had an opportunity to go to Japan and he knew she needed the right environment.
She lived here in Windsor, trained at the Can-Am Dojo with Josh Alexander and our crew, lifted like a demon in the gym, learned how to be an athlete, learned how to be a performer.
Every day she was in there, sweating, pushing, listening. Not entitled, not looking for shortcuts.
That work paid off. Bo signed for a year with Rossy Ogawa’s new promotion, Marigold. Ogawa was the man who built Stardom, and when he launched his new project, having Beau in the mix was a big deal. She went to Japan, learned the culture, lived the life, wrestled hard matches and came back better.
And on Saturday, there she was, looking like a monster powerhouse in a match at AEW’s Forbidden Door, representing Stardom wrestling in front of 18,000 people. She belonged — age 21, in a four-way match with AEW TBS Champ Mercedes Moné, Alex Windsor and Persephone. The AEW fans know what they are looking at and they didn’t see a 21-year-old rookie. They saw a monster, a star in the making, someone they’ll be talking about for years.
She has IT.
I sat there proud — proud of her, proud of the work she’s put in, proud to have played even a small part in her journey.
Yeah, I could have wrestled a few more matches myself, but I wouldn’t trade moments like the one I had Saturday for anything.
One of the other big, personal highlights of Forbidden Door for me was my friends Adam Copeland and Christian Cage back together.
I actually love the way AEW boss Tony Khan has booked their return. Sure, the fans just wanted the two real-life best friends and iconic tag team together again, but there’s some lovely nuance to it.
It wasn’t, 'Yeah, let’s tag again.' It was more, 'Hey, we are having a 'down' in our relationship, but we are brothers in every single way that matters.' They both have problems they can’t face down on their own, but together they are unstoppable.
They didn’t just hug it out and pretend nothing had happened. It was layered, uneasy, honest. Adam admitted Christian’s an a**hole, then said, “But he’s my a**hole” and made a funny face.
You can fight with your brother a thousand times, but when outsiders come, you stand together.
AEW pay-per-views are must-see. Every single one is outstanding.
I can’t think of another run of great pure wrestling cards like AEW is on right now.
A friend of mine said the other day that he wished Christian could have walked out of his classic TNA music at AEW, rather than the one “inspired” by it.
In fact, I signed the rights to that music to AEW more than four years ago! Christian has walked out to that “instant classic” many times in AEW.
Wrestling crowds are booming again — AEW with 30,000 fans at All In, 18,000 at Forbidden Door, WWE packing 50,000 for SummerSlam, even TNA drawing 7,000 for Slammiversary. Hard to believe when I think back to all the black drapes we used to travel with to cover empty seats.
Even local shows are doing well, a real sign that wrestling is on fire.
Before I wrap, let me say this because I’ve wanted to have this in my column a bunch of times but there’s never been a particular reason to do it one week rather than the next. So the reason is simply, I want to say it: Alex Shelley doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.
Without Shelley, there are no Young Bucks. Without Shelley, there is no Seth Rollins.
The Motor City Machine Guns were light years ahead of the game. Shelley studied Lucha, Japanese juniors, British World of Sport era wrestling and more, and blended it all into something new.
Every top star of the past 20 years has taken a little something from Shelley. He was the template.
If you love modern wrestling, you have Alex Shelley to thank.
Comments