Dothan, Alabama’s very own Justin Overstreet over the last few years has become known as one of the hardest working and well traveled wrestlers on the Gulf Coast. Along with Zane “Epic” Stevens he formed the Asphalt Cowboys tag team and then was recently crowned the AIWF Heavyweight Champion. I had a chance to speak with the new champ and talk about his career thus far and what the future has in store for this “Asphalt Cowboy.”
JOSH BOUTWELL: Who were you trained by?
JUSTIN OVERSTREET: Zane Stevens broke me in, and then went on to get trained by a Glacier aka Ray Lloyd. Also, “Cue ball” Carmichael and Jack Lord (have) had a hand in helping with my development.
JB: Where did you get your start?
OVERSTREET: I got my start in Dothan, Alabama at SXW
JB: Who were your biggest influences in the wrestling business?
OVERSTREET: My biggest influence was Sting. I was 3 and I thought he was a real Batman, Spiderman, Superman (a super hero). His neon face paint with the charismatic energy made him stand out (to me).
JB: Who were your favorite guys to watch growing up as a fan?
OVERSTREET: Sting, Bret “Hitman” Hart, The Undertaker, Ricky “ The Dragon” Steamboat, and believe it or not Val Venis (lol).
JB: You’ve become very heavily involved in Southeastern Xtreme Wrestling, a local promotion located close to both of our hometowns, and SXW had developed a pretty rotten reputation in years past let’s be honest. What are you and the rest of SXW’s goals in the future as you guys continue to try and rectify that reputation?
OVERSTREET: We both sat down, me and the owner, and decided what direction we wanted to go in and pretty much that direction was (to) not only bring real wrestling, but legit trained Wrestling Entertainment to fans that pay their hard earned money. We were tired of people looking at us as a glorified stunt double that didn’t know how to do their job. Wrestling was not about how many times you get hit with a weapon and that’s what we were trying to get rid of.
JB: Who are your favorite guys to be in the ring with as a partner or opponent?
OVERSTREET: Street Bandit is by far (and) away my favorite opponent. We usually always have a good match. (Zane) Stevens is another one and we had pretty good success as a tag team, but I just recently had a World Heavyweight Title match with Salem Sinner Sixx (which) was by far one of my favorite matches along the way.
JB: Recently you won the AIWF Heavyweight Championship, congratulations by the way, what was like when you raised that belt up for the first?
OVERSTREET: I almost could not rate it because it was just a humbling but extremely enlightening experience knowing that I accomplished a feat that not many in my area or in the world of professional wrestling have accomplished (winning a World Heavyweight Title). It wasn’t really the moment of raising my hand and getting it, it was walking to the locker room sitting down in my seat in front of my bags and just letting the adrenaline stop its pumping, and looking at the belt like “WOW it is my time.” Just to know it’s time to step my game up even more because I have a reputation I need to make better and I have a responsibility to bring some credibility to something that is getting its credibility back already and I have big shoes to fill. I’m afraid it still hasn’t sunk in yet that I have become a World Champion.
JB: Tell us a little about AIWF (Allied Independent Wrestling Federations). It almost seems like an indy version of the NWA joining different territories together.
OVERSTREET: Yeah it’s just another affiliation trying get all the good independent wrestling federation’s to join together, and bring back in good old school wrestling and try to capture the fans as well. That’s not going to happen overnight, you can take years and it has been around since 1992, and now it’s my responsibility to try and bring some kind of credibility and bring back just that old school raw wrestling emotion back to something that has been lost (here) .
JB: Who have you not got a chance to work with yet that you want to in the future?
OVERSTREET: Varnell Walker, Damian Wayne, “Cue ball” Carmichael, Pat Cusik, Barry Wolf, Jarrad Wayne, Rob Conway, Francisco Ciatso. Also, mixed tag matches against Houston Carson and Barbie Hayden; and Raphael King and Devyn Nicole whenever my wife gets back in the ring. It’s just anybody in general that will make me step my game up.
JB: What are your goals in both the near future and your ultimate goals in wrestling?
OVERSTREET: I just want to feel the duties of what a World Champion should do and defend this championship in more than just one country of course. My ultimate goal is to get in the WWE, if you get into this business and did not say, “hey I want to main event “WrestleMania” at least one time you’re in it for the wrong reason.
JB: Outside of wrestling what your favorite things to do? Me and you have talked football a lot in the past, unfortunately he’s an LSU fan folks.
OVERSTREET: I’m a family man actually. I like when I can spend time with my kids in my life and if I’m not in the gym or with them (family) you know it’s true, if it’s not football it is nothing .I’m really simple: some family, wrestling, gym. Somebody’s gotta be against it (Alabama). We can’t all root for the same team (lol).
JB: You’ve recently began a new family with your now wife, Mackenzie York, what’s it like with both of you two being in the business together? Does it ever put a strain on the relationship?
OVERSTREET: With her being pregnant now it’s kind of hard because now it’s just me on the road, and having to leave home and she’s at home by herself. It’s a transition that is hard to get used to but we’re going to do it. As far as on the road the way I see it we click with each other, that’s how we became best friends and eventually got married. Just like every other normal couple we just happen to be professional wrestler’s (lol).
JB: Thanks, for taking the time to do this interview with me, and let everyone know where they can follow you (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and your upcoming shows.
OVERSTREET: My facebook is https://www.facebook.com/justin.overstreet.334. SXW’s facebook is http://facebook.com/sxwwrestling and the website is http://sxwwrestling.tk. AIWF’s website is http://aiwf.net/. First AIWF Heavyweight Title defense is next weekend in Daleville, AL at the SXW event at the VFW!
Both myself, Justin, and really everyone from the fans and wrestlers that take part in wrestling on the gulf coast would like to send condolences to friends and family of Brian Reese aka B-Smoov aka B-Spidey who passed away this past week. He had a passion for wrestling like no other and he will be greatly missed. R.I.P. Brian and “Rise Up!”