Richard O’Sullivan, the President and co-owner of ChuteVerks, LLC, has sent us the following statement:
As President and co-owner of ChuteVerks, LLC (which held its first Lucha Ilimitado show on October 12), I’d just like to say thank you to Joey Styles.
Not for making an arguably questionable joke on a wrestling broadcast, but for reminding a lot of people of what made them fall in love with this business in the first place.
Wrestling has been missing its “testicular fortitude” for some time now (having the boss of the biggest company in the industry send his daughter on TV week after week to publicly neuter the hired help will do that) and to see even a semblance of an actual “outlaw spirit” return is a breath of fresh air.
I appreciate this because on October 12 in Yakima, the Washington State Department of Licensing tried to shut our debut show down due to the late arrival of blood work and physicals for several wrestlers on the card.
After offering refunds as a caveat to get the event underway (with four wrestlers who were cleared to go), I defied the state officials’ direct orders and allowed the remainder of the unlicensed wrestlers (and referees) to compete.
I essentially turned Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, MVP, El Hijo del Santo, Juventud Guerrera, and a host of others into “fugitives from justice.” Into “outlaws.” And when I did, the state officials left the arena in a huff, vowing an investigation (a process that is underway right now), as well as fines and suspensions.
Why did I do it?
I dunno…because it was a charity show (for the Nora Sandigo Children Fund)? And because I’m bad like Jesse James.
Or maybe it was because I idolized Roddy Piper growing up and I know Roddy Piper wouldn’t have waited around for permission either if some pornstache-having mid-level government pencil pusher started disrespecting him and his crew.
But mostly, I guess, I just figured it would make a helluva story. And as such, we filmed the entire thing and will be releasing it as an upcoming feature film (entitled “Lucha Ilimitado vs The State of Washington”).
Original point being though, it’s that type of attitude that made me fall in love with wrestling back in the day to start with. And a guy like Joey Styles still embodies that attitude.
I love a lot of the in-ring product I see from groups like Evolve, Beyond, and CHIKARA. And I respect their desire to create a Lena Dunham-like “safe zone” for fans who enjoy robotically chanting “This. Is. Awe-some” (clap clap clap-clap-clap). But at the end of the day, it’s hard for me (as a fan) to viscerally connect to “a brand” that is that “whipped.”
I didn’t dip my toe into the wrestling game so that I could forge a working relationship with WWE or get my orders from some upstart distribution company.
I jumped in because I friggin’ love wrestling.
I’m a writer and a filmmaker. My job is to sell emotion. Wrestling used to do that better than almost any other genre of show biz. But somewhere along the way? I think it kinda lost that ability. Coincidentally, right around the time it lost its sac.
See, I like my wrestling with a little outlaw spirit. And I’m not necessarily talking about a show filled with a bunch of nudity and four-letter words. Or people going off balconies and through tables. That’s kinda been done to death to the point that it doesn’t really have the same impact anymore.
But I do prefer wrestlers (and announcers) who look like they aren’t scared to death that some “higher power” is gonna swoop in and spank them like a child for daring to be ballsy or for having an opinion. For daring to be creative and free. For daring to “go off script.”
I just like my wrestling to feel organic and dangerous. Like anything could happen at any given moment.
So, with that in mind, as we prepare for the release of “Lucha Ilimitado vs The State of Washington” (and our upcoming real-life battle with an actual overreaching state government body that will be attempting to pickpocket us after the fact), I’d just like to state publicly for the record, that I would be honored (should the opportunity present itself in the near future) to work with a man like Joey Styles.
He’s one of the few people still brave enough to make me chant, “This. Is. Awesome” (clap clap clap-clap-clap)…and actually mean it.
Thank you, Joey.
Richard O’Sullivan
Writer/Director
“Lucha Ilimitado vs The State of Washington”
http://luchailimitado.com
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
