Vinnie Massaro’s Journey in Professional Wrestling
Professional wrestler Vinnie Massaro may not be a household name for those who frequently consume televised wrestling content. However, Massaro boasts an impressive career spanning nearly three decades, beginning in Hayward, California. His journey has taken him to Japan’s top wrestling promotions.
Massaro has been a fixture in independent wrestling circuits. He contributes by training and wrestling with up-and-coming talents at West Coast Pro, Pandemonium Pro Wrestling, and other venues. While recognizing his chances of joining major promotions like WWE or All Elite Wrestling (AEW) have waned, he told Fox News Digital about his passion for nurturing the next wave of wrestlers.
Teaching and Mentoring Aspiring Wrestlers
“Honestly, the dream is not WWE, the dream is not AEW… I’ve reached that stage and that age where nobody is going to hire me as a professional wrestler. But there are other things like training. I love teaching young people how to wrestle.”
Massaro expressed contentment in transitioning from aspiring performer to mentor. He aims not only to teach technical skills but focus on backstage roles like agenting.
Early Aspirations
His early pursuit was not aimed at WWE or World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Massaro envisioned joining Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), intrigued by its hardcore style popular in the Northeast, but the acquisition by WWE shifted his focus.
Once training commenced, his attention turned to Japan, particularly performing at Korakuen Hall. Achieving this with Pro Wrestling Noah and working with wrestling icons like Mitsuharu Misawa fulfilled his aspirations.
“The main thing I wanted to do was wrestle in Japan… I’ve wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah at Korakuen Hall.”
Personal Milestones
Massaro cherishes moments like wrestling in Arena Mexico and the ECW Arena. His passion for ECW reignited his interest in wrestling, leading to his current satisfaction with training students who achieve successes like wrestling at Korakuen Hall.
His protégé, Miko Alana, exemplifies this accomplishment. Starting from scratch, Alana progressed to performing on the Monday Magic pay-per-view, representing Massaro’s idea of “making it.”
Adaptability and Success
Massaro acknowledged his straightforward wrestling style focused on strength. Although fancy moves like the Spanish Fly were never in his repertoire, his adaptability offered career longevity. He preferred emulating wrestlers like Terry Funk who successfully adjusted to varied wrestling styles globally.
“To me, I’d rather be a Terry Funk… You could just do one thing and keep doing it, and if you fail that’s on you, but I tried a lot of different things.”
Vinnie Massaro’s upcoming match alongside Shigeo Okumura against a team led by Lucha Libre legend Blue Panther in a six-man tag team match at Pandemonium Pro’s End of Summer event highlights his continuing active engagement.
Despite not having extensive bucket lists, the chance to wrestle against Blue Panther marks a significant personal achievement for Massaro.