Dr. Tom Prichard On Fundamentals Always Being Relevant, Wrestling Losing Credibility
Photo Credit: Jacobs Prichard Wrestling Academy
Dr. Tom Prichard is a highly touted trainer in the world of professional wrestling, and the former WWE Head Coach recently appeared on the Briscoe and Big Ace podcast. Prichard discussed today’s product, the importance of fundamentals and more. Here are some highlights.
On wrestling losing the aspect of credibility:
“You have a guy like Lesnar who goes out there and actually throws the forearms and the elbows. My take on that is that everybody knows when you step in the ring with Lesnar what can happen… That’s because he’s one of the most authentic guys they have these days because they know he’s a badass; they know his credentials. They get it, it’s real. But when you go out there and you don’t have that credibility, or you don’t have something to back it up, of course people are going to say ‘oh that’s bull***t.”
On fundamentals:
“The fundamentals and the basics never go out of style. You’re still going to be blocking and tackling, you’re still going to be fielding the ball, you’re still going to have to learn how to wrestle. And even if you don’t know how to wrestle you have to at least look like you do, at least look credible…There’s a lot that’s been lost, there’s a lot that hasn’t been emphasized… I think we’ve got so lax (in modern wrestling).”
On training Kurt Angle:
“Kurt Angle, that guy knew right off the bat. He picked it up. He had it, and I told him before we even locked up.”
On working in WWE when his brother was in a prominent position:
“Having family in there can hurt you a lot more than it can help you at times because they want to make sure that there’s no—you have to really make sure about yourself and not rely on anybody else because I got that message right up front. When they made sure they delivered that message to me in the manner they delivered it to me, I knew I was on my own and when left to my own devices I don’t always do the right thing.”
(If you use any portion of this transcription, please credit VOC Nation Radio Network with a h/t to WrestleZone)
The full interview is available below, or at this link.
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Dr. Tom recently spoke with Wrestlezone’s Bill Pritchard about his career as a wrestler and trainer, as well as his latest venture as co-founder of the Jacobs-Prichard Wrestling Academy with Glenn Jacobs. Prichard has been a trainer for more than two decades, and has a keen eye for spotting talent in some of the biggest names in wrestling today, including Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt and Natalya.
The Jacobs-Prichard Wrestling Academy has seen some guest appearances by some of WWE’s stars including Natalya, who Prichard says would be a great coach because of what she brings to the wrestling business. “She’d be a great coach. She’d be a great trainer, she has a great attitude,” Prichard said, “she brings positivity, which I think is a huge thing when you’re a coach.”
More information about the Jacobs-Prichard Wrestling Academy can be found at jpwrestlingacademy.com.
Read More: Dr Tom Prichard On Natalya’s Future As A Coach, Why The ‘Only Way’ In Wrestling Doesn’t Exist