Rhino On How His Name Came About, Favorite Feuds, Life On The Indy Scene

Former WWE, ECW, and TNA Impact Wrestling star and current ROH star Rhino recently spoke to Wrestling 365.

On how the name “Rhyno” came about: “It was back in, I want to say 1996, I was on a show in Detroit and the power was out, but they got a generator to put lights up by the ring, so the show went on and the locker room was pitch black. There was some rumbling and D’Lo Brown actually came over and told me and Wreckless Youth, Edge & Christian, they were all talking about it, Joe E Legend too, but D’Lo was the one that approached me with it. I think it was a team effort, but D’Lo was the first one to come up and say “hey, did you think about using the name Rhyno?” 

On some favorite feuds/matches in his career: “I was just on a show with Sandman and the feud Sandman and I had in 1999-2000 was really the feud that put me on the map and that was my first like, real feud. It lasted a good 6-8 months and I was very proud of that. The kendo stick in the head hurt, he’s broken several of them over my head, but I was very appreciative of what he’s done for me. I’ve been blessed with a lot of angles and feuds and matches and it’s cool because you don’t necessarily have to be in an angle or a feud to go out there and have a great match. Booker T and I had a really, really good match, it was on a live event for TNA and it was over in London, everything just aligned and you couldn’t do no wrong. It was definitely one of my top 5 best matches. Booker came to me and said that too, it was one of his best matches and for him to say that, it means a lot, because he’s been around for a long time and has been on top of his game for 20+ years.” 

On if times are becoming difficult for a wrestler on the independent scene: “It’s definitely tough, it’s always been tough, but it all lies down to the individual, we’re all individuals and we all have choices whether we can work for a promotion or not. It’s a little easier for me, because I’ve got a name and reputation and I’ve built a small little brand with my name and wrestling ability and being on TV for over 13-14 years, so it’s a little easier for me. It is very difficult for independent wrestlers, but some aspects of it, it’s easier now to get your face out there for independent wrestlers because of social media. Back in the day, when you’re poor and living in your car, you don’t have $10 to print up an 8×10 and put together a 15 minute clip on a VHS tape and then pay $5 to mail it out. Now it’s just click click on your smartphone and then send the link to a promoter and it’s easier for a promoter to look you up. Back when I started, if you were sending a package out, it cost you $20 and it was tough to get your name out there back then. It’s easier now for a guy to just click a couple of links, put the match together and send it to a promoter and that costs you nothing, just time.”