QT Marshall highlights what makes pro wrestling the “one true sport.”
Many of the recent celebrity cameos in wrestling have featured talented performers who love wrestling. This is a contrast to some past appearances where advertising and status was put before skill level. This is largely not the case anymore, with names like Bad Bunny and Logan Paul being standouts in their respective fields.
Whether you watch their content or not, Big Boom AJ (an indie pro wrestler before finding new popularity with his Costco content) and Marshall delivered everything fans should want in a pro wrestling match. You had a clear good guy and bad guy, each played to the crowd. The match also built to a climax, which then saw AJ’s son, Big Justice, deliver a spear that popped the crowd.
Marshall recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about working with AJ. He noted that his philosophy about that match is something he tries to teach his own students. Fans come to watch pro wrestling, and you don’t want to insult their intelligence. Marshall says everything in the match made sense, and the reaction in the arena is a result of good work.
QT Marshall leaves it all out in the ring
“People come to pro wrestling shows to watch pro wrestling. Look at the Outrunners. They are professional wrestlers and they hit the kid demographic, they also hit the older fan demographic. It’s okay to go out there and be a professional wrestler,” he said. “Because, at the end of the day when people pay their money to come watch pro wrestling, that’s kind of what they’re expecting.
“And I think if you give them that — in small dosages as well, because times have changed a little bit and so on and so forth. But as long as you don’t insult the fan, which AJ and I didn’t do, and I made sure of that. Everything we did made sense, there was a place for it,” Marshall explained. “But also, yeah check as many boxes as possible. Because this might be his last time out in the ring. This might be my last time out in the ring.”
QT Marshall highlights the essence of pro wrestling
Marshall says his goal was to make sure fans had fun and got lost in the moment. That, he says, is what pro wrestling is all about.
“If you watch the video,” Marshall explained. “When Big Justice hit me with that spear, it almost sounds like we’ve changed the audio. And we didn’t. Because I’ve seen those fan videos on YouTube as well, that place just lost their minds. And that is exactly what professional wrestling is all about.
“I remember falling out of that ring after that match and being so happy for what we just accomplished,” he added. “And knowing the feeling, I’m sure AJ had it inside, to be able to hug his son in the middle of the ring and just everything. I mean, it couldn’t have been more perfect, in my mind.”
Marshall noted that trying to get the feud over without much television time was a challenge. However, it’s one he was ready for. All he can do is hope he did his job well enough for another opportunity, like the one he earned against Jay Lethal at ROH Final Battle.
“That was the biggest thing. We try to get as many eyes on this product as possible. And like I said, it did its job. And I’m hoping that maybe a little bit of those people that saw me with Big Boom AJ are going to tune into Ring of Honor now and say, ‘You know, I like that guy. I saw what he did. Let me watch this match with him and Jay Lethal.”
Big Boom AJ told Cultaholic’s Tom Campbell that he’s discussing his next match, which might take place at AEW Revolution. He recently got involved in one of Marshall’s matches for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling, leaving the door open for another match between the two.
Related: Vinny Pacifico Shares What He Learned From The Costco Guys
