Keith Lee is...PINNED DOWN

 

Difference between you and me?

The Man, The Myth, The Future Legend Keith Lee. He has been and is from everywhere, The Literal Moon, Planet Vegeta, even the surface of the SUN! My first time seeing him was at Inspire Pro when he attacked a loading door loud enough to get himself in.

It was a hell of an entrance and since then he has been a force in Inspire and anywhere else he goes. Teaming with Shane Taylor over in ROH or his future fight against Samoa Joe he has carved out his very own path. Recently in Inspire Pro he won the Pure Prestige Title against Thomas Shire and Mr. B and helping his teammates in The New Movement, becoming really protective of Delilah Doom.

He has faced people with speed and flight like Matt Riot to bigger men like Shire and has either beaten them or if they won, they didn't feel like they won. Over at Inspire Pro, which is where I see him the most, he suddenly has a ton of challengers for his Pure Prestige title. At one show, Davey Vega, Angelus Layne, Scot Summers, all challenged him for the belt. Not to mention Shire most likely has a rematch in the future.

Layne was given the match at the next Inspire Show, how will her teammate Davey Vega will feel about that? Check out Fade to Black on August 9th to find out.  Now let us see what the soft spoken man who carries a large spirit bomb has to say when you try and pin him down.

I got started when I stopped playing college football. My Grandmother was definitely the inspiration there because she LOVED wrestling. Had my very first wrestling match very early 2005.

I think my first big loss came at the hands of Lance Hoyt, late 2005 or early 2006. What I consider big victory came in 2006, against Vordell Walker (who I still want to face again lol)

My history: I've been a big guy all my life, been an athlete for a large portion of my life. played football from 8th grade through college before I came to football. did some power lifting for a couple years. I was a captain on the football field, in power lifting, and even on my Academic Decathlon team. In the year 2000, I was introduced to Final Fantasy, in 2001, Dragonball Z and immediately fell into nerd culture. I've been a dedicated nerd AND athlete ever since!

Wrestling Questions:

1. What was the toughest thing to give up or sacrifice to be part of the wrestling world? 

I completely closed the door on football, regardless of how many agents and/or associates have tried to talk me into going pro. It is tough, but a greater love grew, and it was for professional wrestling. Time is also always a sacrifice. There are many things I miss family wise to maintain my scheduling. And sometimes promoters/bookers don't communicate well and it makes it very difficult to plan.

2. Do you think its harder or just equally as hard to get to the big leagues of wrestling as it is say Basketball or Football? 

I would say equally. It's tough in any industry that is saturated like this. And with athletes, it can be a bit more tough. It takes a certain amount of news usually, and having the right people be a fan of you.
3. Do you feel that wrestling has more premature or just a surprising number of earlier then expected deaths compared to other sports and does this influence you in any way?

Not particularly. Any sport will take years off of your life. The thing about professional wrestling, more often than not, bigger bonds are built. Not just between wrestlers, but between wrestlers and fans. I am not influenced by it. When it's all said done, I hope I influence lives that way as well.
4. If you had the power to make any gimmick work, no matter how weird or normal it may be, what would you do?

5. If you could change anything about the indy wrestling industry what would it be? What about TNA/WWE? Anything?

Okay, this goes for all places. I'd stop the stupidity of politics in the industry that have NOTHING to do with wrestling. Unless someone it is flat out unprofessional, it should not effect booking prowess if it isn't wrestling ability related.

6. Once you retire from being in the ring, do you see yourself walking away fully or would you become a manager or commentary or announcer, keep involved in some way or is it once you can't work in the ring you have no desire to
be there? 

I will definitely be involved in some way, form, or fashion. There are many things I'm capable of doing that I don't. I will most definitely stay involved in some way.

7. Do you handle crowds differently depending on size? 

Absolutely not. People pay to see Keith Lee. They get Keith Lee. Anything less....is uncivilized.

8. How do you handle going from say going from a no rules wrestling show to a family first show. Do you change a lot about how you handle things and what you say or do you just try and act the same no matter what the show? 

I am always the same. I don't even swear on the microphone. I have ONE time, and it's because the promoter specifically asked for it. I prefer to always cater to family's. I do not like the idea of a barrier on my fan base. More importantly, I feel like what I do in the ring speaks volumes for all the intense words I don't use. I do not require them.

9. Was there every a moment when you truly felt you had had enough, that maybe wrestling wasn't for you?
Was it a crowd? Just one guy/gal? A losing streak? Too many broken bones? If so what kept you going?

One moment there was...I wasn't happy with the level of talent I was in the ring with regularly. I was having mediocre matches, and it just wasn't fun. Many people refer to me as a Super Saiyan. It is for more than just my nerd qualities. I thrive on competition. I love facing people that are going to go toe to toe with me. Whether it be via aerial tactics, or via power, or a mixture...I get excited over proper competition.

10. Say you were picked up by TNA or WWE and given a over the top gimmick? How would you play it, go through the motions and hope it fails so you can move on to something better or really try to sell and play up the gimmick?

 I've never come up with gimmicks. So IF someone has seen me in one, it has always been via someone else. Whatever position I'm in, I give my all. It is best to do that to open eyes and force people to pay attention to your greatness. Make the most of what you have.

11. What promotions do you feel are breaking down the walls separating Men Wrestling from Women Wrestling and just making it all Wrestling? How do you feel they are doing that? 

There are a few doing some serious work in that regard. Lucha Underground, Inspire Pro, and NXT are a few that come to mind. And that is an easy answer. They are using female WRESTLERS. These chicks are athletes! Some hit harder than dudes I've seen throughout my time in wrestling. Hell...I got forearmed in the face once by Athena and questioned if these dudes knew she could probably knock them out lol. The ladies that have true passion for this and work to be the best at what they do, use those girls and you have WRESTLING instead of women's wrestling.

12. What has been your most exciting experience in the wrestling world so far?

For a while it was all the times WWE has flown me out to Florida. However, as of current, the interest from ROH is really what has me wired these days. My experience with William Regal, Dusty Rhodes, and Joey Mercury are probably my most fond experiences though.

13. Have you wrestled outside of the USA, If not do you plan too in the future and where? If So what other places? 

I have not as of yet actually. I am interested is going other places in general. I REALLY want to go to Japan.

14. Who are your wrestling Idols? 

I don't particularly have idols per say. There are those I really want to wrestle. One of them happens July 11th, and that's Samoa Joe. Other would be Kurt Angle, Cesaro, Brock Lesnar, just about anybody from ROH lol.

15. Goals for 2015/2016?

Try and take it.

 I have eyes on ROH right now. ROH has their eyes on me. But in a cautious manner. So my goal right now is make it so that can't deny me. PBK showed up there, showed out. Now we (Shane Taylor and myself) must continue on that path.

16. You have come from so many places, The Literal Moon, The Planet Vegeta, and others, what is your favorite origin story? 

I think right now it is easily Planet Vegeta. It holds much significance for me personally, and in terms of my nerd side.

17. Is it hard as a bruiser and a BIG man to sometimes not pull back, to not hurt your opponents even by accident? With your strength you could win quickly but risk injury to the other wrestler, does this ever concern you?

 I wasn't trained to "not" hurt people. I'm definitely in there to do damage. People should know they were in the ring with you. Am I there to ruin someone? Absolutely not. For those that have the luxury, this is a livelihood. For others, they are striving to make it so. And still for others, it's a "hobby" (I don't like that) but nonetheless, if people can't wrestle regularly, promotions can't run. I'm not particularly concerned, I seem to have mastered the art of killing people just enough so that if the dragon balls are gathered, they will recover by the next day.

18. Most big men stay planted, they use their size and strength but stay grounded. You have proven to always be willing to fly when you want to or it is needed. Did you do this to round out your game or to throw opponents off who would never expect it?

 I do more aerial things now to make a statement. A grand statement that says "I am Limitless", the "Complete Athlete". Not only can I throw you 12 feet in the air(disclaimer: drops to around 9 at 260 lbs or more lol), I can also throw myself and have you suffer further. I am everything you don't see regularly. I am 320 lbs, but I don't move like it. And I never intend to.

Bonus Questions:

Do you have a name for your finisher? Three different finishers, and a name for them all. Spirit Bomb, Ground Zero, and DOOMsault!

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

Submission or High Flying? High Flying

Cats or Dogs? Both!

Beer or Liquor? Neither but VERY rarely liquor.

Light Side or Dark Side? Dark Side (no pun intended)

Favorite Opponent EVER? Right now it's ROH's Ray Rowe. We will see what happens when I face Samoa Joe July 11th.

 He has several things coming up, Including facing Samoa Joe on Saturday July, 11th. Angelus Layne on August 9th and several others. ROH has invited him and Shane Taylor back soon and the future is bright for Mr. Keith Lee.

Credits to Joel Loeschman, Kelly Kyle, and Inspire Pro for photo's.