In November of 1991, Marcus DeAngelo found himself in front of the television on a Saturday morning following his usual routine of any youngster of the era that became a fan of the vibrant colors of the World Wrestling Federation, a bowl of equally colorful breakfast cereal, and the WWF Superstars show beamed through the screen. On this particular episode, the sinister Jake “The Snake” Roberts would lure fan favorite “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the ring, and what happened next became etched into the minds of fans as a topic of discussed even today.
With Macho trapped in the ropes, Jake lived up to his name when he revealed a legitimate king cobra from his trademark bag at ringside. The actual snake latched onto Savage’s arm while the figurative snake taunted him. The iconic “Rowdy” Roddy Piper rushed to the ring from the broadcast position to help his fallen friend. The usually exquisite Ms. Elizabeth was hysterical as Macho was delirious from the perceived venom from the Cobra bite. The villainous Roberts cackled at the chaotic scene.
The young DeAngelo didn’t know it at the time, but a few decades later, not only would he form a friendship with the snake man, but would be a co-host of his podcast, “The Snake Pit,” a show on the network of Conrad Thompson, a real estate czar that parlayed his fandom of professional wrestling into a gig that eventually became one of the most influential forces among the sports entertainment landscape.
“In mid-2021, I saw that Ad Free Shows was hiring a social media guy. I had been doing marketing for a small company locally, and dreaming of what life would be like to be Conrad Thompson and have the opportunity to make a living speaking to guys you grew up admiring. I applied for the job and asked Dominic to put in a good word for me with the connections he had made as a wrestling journalist. I was hired and did all the social media for AFS for more than a year. During that time, I had become friends with Jake Roberts, and one day, Conrad called me and asked if I’d like to do a show with Jake. From there, things just continued to grow, Jake continued to introduce me to his friends like Jim Duggan and Ted DiBiase, and I was off to the races,” Marcus explained.
“As far as the podcast network, I started working with Conrad Thompson at AdFreeShows before Marcus, myself and Paul Bromwell started our show, and while Marcus does his respective podcasts with DiBiase, Duggan and Jake Roberts, I do my own with RVD, Magnum TA, Greg Gagne & Bill Alfonso,” said Marcus’ brother, Dominic DeAngelo.
Marcus’ mundane 9-to-5 gig was traded in for stories of Mid South under the reign of the hard-nosed Bill Watts, the early expansion of the WWF, and other gems that fans were eager to hear the legends that lived through the often wild era of the 80s when pro wrestling mixed with the MTV pop culture of its heyday.
With pythons, 2X4s, and mysterious mountains of cash as the backdrop, Marcus began to make a name for himself in the podcast world, particularly when stories of Andre, Iron Sheik, and JYD garnered a hefty amount of listeners across his various podcast projects. Always on the lookout for a good story, DeAngelo thought of a narrative that the audience could follow, putting himself in the mix as he had never done before. He wouldn’t just guide the elder statesmen of industry through the golden years of their careers, but rather he would become the focal point of the story.
What would happen if a podcaster that talks about wrestling with some of the biggest legends of the sport actual steps inside the ring to take some bumps the same way those grapplers had?
“My plan was initially to document my journey to one match, and then step away from in-ring performance,” Marcus remarked.
Similar to any endeavor that requires an education and a level of skill, Marcus had to go to school. So, he found the Iron City Wrestling Academy, the training center affiliated with the International Wrestling Cartel, one of the longest-running and most influential independent groups in the Pittsburgh area. While Justin Plummer has promoted the brand successfully for more than a decade, the organization was originally founded by local radio personality, Bubba The Bulldog in 2001 before it was ran for almost ten years by “Notorious” Norm Connors, who is widely regarded as the godfather of Pittsburgh independent circuit. Names like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, CM Punk, Troy Lords, Shirley Doe, and Dennis Gregory were just some of the national and local names that were staples of the promotion at one time or another.
The tedious process of landing on the stiff canvas repeatedly to learn the safest way possible to hit the mat was certainly a shock to the system. However, it wasn’t long before the chance to step inside the ring ropes became something that Marcus looked forward to every week. Just like when he sat in front of his television screen to watch the action as a child, or his computer screen to discuss the industry with the legends as an adult, the “wrestling bug” bit Marcus again.
“I started to fall in love with the in-ring part of the business and I received a lot of encouragement from my trainers and some of the wrestlers who told me that I was good enough to keep going past just one match. I decided I should really throw myself into it, and now I’m planning on wrestling until my body tells me I can’t anymore. The training at the ICWA was absolutely incredible and I would strongly encourage anyone in the surrounding area to start there if they want to learn how to do things the right way,” DeAngelo said.
“Marcus has been an absolute student of the game. He has something that cannot be taught; instinct. I have really enjoyed passing down knowledge to him. He has always been very receptive,” said Bobby Piskor, one of the head trainers and organizers behind the scenes of IWC, with the resume of his own that stretches back nearly a quarter of a century.
In November of last year, months of training, and years of fandom before that led to Marcus DeAngelo’s official in-ring debut in the sport. A combination of nervous energy and excitement ran through him as he stood behind the black curtain, waiting for his cue to walk literally under the bright lights of the Marx’s Sports Center venue. His in-ring persona of a pompous podcaster fell in defeat to local favorite, “The Handyman” Sam Handleman at around the six-minute mark, but the real-life Marcus only had gratitude for the chance to live out a dream that he never thought would become a reality.
“Getting to go out there in front of a live crowd after the months of training and feeling that energy was an irreplaceable moment. The cherry on top was that Tommy Dreamer was on the card and he was the first person I spoke to after coming back through the curtain. He gave great input on my match, and having the opportunity to speak to him moments after coming through the curtain was incredibly valuable to my growth,” Marcus said.
“So, it’s really rewarding to see Marcus jump into the wrestling ring. In certain ways, he’s representing both our love and appreciation for the business. Before he stepped out of the curtain for his first time, we reminisced how we grew up doing this together in the living room. Marcus has always been an athlete and to see him jump in as a late bloomer, it speaks to his confidence and his God-given ability to take to the genre so organically. It’s truly amazing and I’m super proud of him,” added Dominic.
Despite officially turning pro, Marcus still cites his background in podcasting as the foundation of the genesis of his leap into the in-ring aspect of the industry. In fact, with the pursuit of his own pro wrestling glory, Marcus was gifted the infamous black glove from Ted Dibiase’s Mid South days.
“My work in podcasting has helped me more than I can really describe. Hearing guys like Jake, Ted, and Hacksaw break down the nuances of wrestling for years had me feeling very prepared for what was to come. All the talents I work with have also been very generous with their time, answering my questions,” explained Marcus.
So, with a fresh pair of wrestling boots and the potential foreign object in the black glove when needed, Marcus has spent the past few months doing exactly what any rookie of the industry should do when they break into the independent scene, continuing to hone his craft and picking up opportunities anywhere he can find them. However, Marcus’ determination isn’t limited to just a chance to get into the ring, he wants to take his talents as far as he can in the industry.
“I have a number of goals. I want to continually improve, I want to make more connections in the business, and of course, I’d love to get a contract somewhere,” he concluded.
For more information about Marcus, you can go to www.facebook.com/marcus.deangelo.165
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
