Ross Tweddell is Editor-in-Chief of wrestling magazine, podcast and social media icons, Cultaholic. Ross agreed to answer a few questions about wrestling and music. Let us see how we got on.
Can you explain Cultaholic? How it started, what it’s about and what kind of response have you had since its creation?
Even though the name might suggest we really, really like cults, we are actually a professional wrestling YouTube channel and website based out of PAC’s country, Newcastle upon Tyne, England – if you don’t know who PAC is, he’s The Bastard Emperor of Japan and isn’t really to be trifled with in all honesty.
Essentially, we’re just a bunch of pals who really do love professional wrestling and try to provide the most comprehensive coverage on all things WWE, NJPW, AEW, and more while having a bloody good laugh along the way.
Cultaholic became “a thing” after we left the WhatCulture Wrestling team, having helped build a YouTube channel with over 1.2 million subscribers.
Our new venture continues to go from strength-to-strength. At the start of 2019 we launched a sister gaming YouTube channel called TripleJump as we continue to grow our little empire. As for Cultaholic, we have ourselves a vibrant and ionate audience that we do love with all of our collective hearts. Without their backing we’d be absolutely knackered!
The underground wrestling scene in the UK is huge. Why do you think this has happened and how did you feel about the World of Sport revival?
This has happened because everyone involved is too bloody good for it not to have happened. The talent we have produced who have gone on to make a name for themselves over the last few years is staggering. I was really excited for the WOS revival as finally, after some 30 years professional wrestling was going to be shown to a mainstream audience on prime-time terrestrial TV over here in the UK.
While the images of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks are iconic in their own right, they attached an outdated stigma to professional wrestling over here that I was hoping would be forgotten about with the current day stars showing the masses how the genre has evolved. It’s a huge shame thing didn’t work out.
What are your first memories of pro wrestling?
My first memory of professional wrestling arrived after receiving the Goldberg/Sting WCW/NWO Superstar Series VHS tape for my eighth birthday. Eight-year-old me watched Goldberg assault human beings and thought: “Woah, he’s good. I like his style of eating human men without even thinking about cooking them first.”
I then seeing a seven-foot masked man in a red suit set people on fire using lightning bolts that came out of his hands. That’s a thing that actually happened. Honestly. He now works in politics. It’s all very strange. Soon after, I got to meet the seven-foot masked man in his red suit, along with his brother The Undertaker. This took place inside Morpeth Leisure Centre at a show that might have had 20 people in attendance. My mother maintains it was the real Undertaker and Kane to this day.
What was the first match you and who would win between your first wrestling hero to a member of any of the rosters today?
I don’t know if it was the first full match, I ever saw but The Undertaker vs. Mankind’s Hell in a Cell… thing, where Mick Foley died twice. And then came back to life, twice.
I used to go swimming and can being very scared when I was doing backstroke because I thought The Undertaker might swim up from below and drag me down to the bottom of the pool… Looking back, that match really did fuck me up as a youngster.
For the second half of that question, see Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler from SummerSlam 2019… and any other time a star of the past returns. WWE really likes the past. A bit too much really…
What is your favourite comment on YouTube you’ve seen either about your media or anything else?
“Joe Rogan” (not the real one, although they do appear to share a face? It’s on my Instagram, if you don’t believe me) commented: “This is what news would be like if the news anchor had Tourette’s”.
The Fiend Bray Wyatt also called me his “illegitimate long-lost brother” out of the blue which was nice. It’s also horrifying because it means he’s seen my stuff on Cultaholic. He might eat me.
Favourite Botchamania moment?
Maffew being born. I was there. (We previously interviewed Matthew – here.)
What is life like for you during Wrestlemania weekend?
I get to enjoy the NXT TakeOver at the start of the weekend so that’s bloody lovely. After that, things get busy. On ‘Mania night, I arrive into the office at around 9:30pm GMT to watch the kickoff and main shows for our live reactions series. Then, at around 7:00am GMT, I re-watch the whole thing (all 7 or 8 hours, give or take) on the WWE Network (for only £9.99 per month) for my WTF Moments series. I then get to go home at around 7:00pm on the Monday evening after I’ve forgotten my own name due to lack of sleep and a caffeine overdose.
Now, some music questions… In your opinion, what’s the best album ever made and why?
ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits.
It’s ABBA. It’s gold. It’s their greatest hits.
What was the first live gig you went to and what was it like?
I think it was Evolution Festival in Newcastle… I have no idea if this count? I saw Dizzee Rascal though and realised a dream I’d had since he appeared on the FIFA Street soundtrack all the way back in 2005.
Is there a band you haven’t seen, but have always wanted to?
Duran Duran.
What track would you have as your ring walk?
James Brown – “The Boss”. First of all, it’s a banger. Second of all, boss rhymes with Ross.
Scenario. You’re manager of five wrestlers. These wrestlers form a band. Which wrestlers would be in this band and what would the name of the band be?
- Lead Singer: Shawn Michaels – listen to the bloke’s theme song and tell me I’m wrong.
- Lead Guitar: Elias – he can actually play guitar instead of just being able to smash one over a wrestler’s head.
- Bass Guitar: Farooq – he can just use his voice and we can save money on a guitar. We can buy some playing cards for the bus or something.
- Rhythm guitar: Edge – he likes rock music and proved he has the hips for it during his career… He also knows Alter Bridge and that might be handy.
- Drums: Eric Bugenhagen – a wrestler band cannot be complete without Eric Bugenhagen.
If you could describe yourself in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
Eric Cartman.
You’ve been given full control of a wrestling event of three matches. What would your three matches be of wrestler’s past, present and future who’re alive or ed on.
- 90s Sting vs. 90s Undertaker
- Goldberg vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
- 1997 Kane vs. The Fiend Bray Wyatt
Along with this event, you’re allowed to choose three bands to perform. Who would you hire and why?
Duran Duran, ABBA, Boney M. Bangers everywhere.
Name two bands and two wrestlers who you would tell our readers to look out for
I’m the wrong person to ask about bands. But you need to be looking out for Montez Ford (NXT/WWE) and MJF (AEW) in the wrestling world.
We interview many bands, especially new and up and coming ones…Can you give us one or two questions we can ask a band/musician in a future except of our Band of the day feature?
Do you know Lolly (from Viva La Radio fame)? Because if you do, there’s no doubt you have a bright future because you know the best music.
Ross Tweddell: twitter | instagram
Culatholic: facebook | twitter | official | youtube
