wrestling / News

More Details on Matt Sydal’s Release From Prison in Japan

December 1, 2016 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris

– As previously reported, former WWE Superstar Matt Sydal is set to be released from prison in Japan next week after his recent arrest and conviction for drug possession in the country. AfterBuzz TV has now released the following press release with more details on Sydal’s release from prison from Japanese wrestling journalist Fumi Saito, who spoke at length on the situation during Sean Waltman’s podcast. You can read the full press release with the updated details below.

JOURNALIST REVEALS MATT SYDAL HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON & IS HEADING HOME NEXT WEEK

LOS ANGELES, CA — “Hardcore” Bob Holly is our guest on Sean Waltman‘s X-Pac 1,2,360show this week. Japanese wrestling journalist Fumi Saito joins us as well, with an update on American wrestler Matt Sydal‘s legal situation. Here are the highlights:

Fumi explains the most recent development on Matt: He was in jail for quite some time, over a month or so. It took them eight, nine weeks to have court set. There was finally court this week. He plead guilty right away. It was a rather simple court case procedure. The prosecutor wanted eighteen months in jail or three years probation…He’s going to take the probation. He that means next week he’ll have a verdict, then he goes to the air port and goes home.

Fumi reveals that someone reported Matt to authorities: It was his thirtieth trip to Japan, and they didn’t think it was the first time he brought something in…The reason he got caught this time though, this is where things get really mysterious and tricky, Japanese customs in Osaka were informed by somebody that Matthew Joseph Cochran is bringing in certain things.

The setup was acknowledged in court, according to Fumi: It was mentioned in the court too, that customs was informed by somebody, they’re not saying who, but that Matthew Joseph Cochran from America is bringing in certain things on certain dates. They knew it.

Fumi on what’s next for Matt: He’s out on bail now and then the verdict is coming this coming Monday. They’ll give him three years probation, no jail time, nothing, he’s going home that day.

Bob Holly’s feelings on being named Thurman “Sparky” Plugg: People laugh at it. I’ll tell them, what am I going to tell these guys?! No?! I guarantee you if they gave you that name you wouldn’t tell them no, especially when that’s been your goal all your life. You wanted to be in WWF. You would take whatever name they gave you, whether it’s humiliating or not and just run with it.

Bob talks about Vince McMahon gifting him the race car he used in vignettes: He goes, no, I’m gonna let you have it. I’m going to sell it to you. I think he was screwing with me. He had to have been. I was in a panic because I was like, oh my God how am I going to get the money to pay for this? There’s no way. Even if they took it out of my pay I would end up with nothing for years and years and years. I was freaking out. So then he goes, I’m going to sell it to you for a hundred dollars. I’m like, excuse me? He goes, a hundred dollars. I said no, I will sell it and get you your money out of all this equipment and give it back. He goes, nope. It’s yours for a hundred dollars. I insist. Stay on the phone with my attorney and we’ll send you all the paperwork and blah, blah, blah, and he hung up. To this day I never saw that hundred dollars come out of my paycheck.

Bob on Bill DeMott consoling Matt Cappotelli after Bob beat him up in the ring: That was a huge oxymoron, wasn’t it? I mean really. He was consoling him and everything. I’m like, are you kidding me…I was recovering so I never did talk to him [Bill]. Bill and I probably had talked about it but I can’t remember the conversation. Actually I know we talked about it but I honestly can’t remember the conversation. It’s not ballet what we do. It’s a rough business. I did the same thing with Randy Orton on a nightly basis, because that’s what they asked me to do. Randy, not one time, not one time complained about me being too rough with him. That’s just the way I wrestle a lot of times, because I don’t mind it back. If I’m going to do something to you, I’m fine with it back, and that’s the way it is in wrestling.

Sean and Bob discuss Bob’s dislike for The Kliq.

Sean: When Vince and Jerry Brisco came and met us and we had this big meeting and we ran down a list of all the guys, you were one of the guys that we were like, Bob Holly! You’re not doing anything with him and you need to. That was the thing about us that a lot of people don’t realize. We were going to bat creatively for a lot of guys that we knew didn’t really care for us much.

Bob: It is what it is. The thing is, if I would have been If I had an opportunity to be with those guys and be as tight as you guys were, Sean, believe me I would’ve had no problem being a part of that group whatsoever, because that’s what you need in the wrestling business. You can’t do it by yourself. That’s the thing.

Bob reveals Eric Bischoff called to offer him a job at WCW when he was with WWF: They did…It wasn’t even an option for me. It was not even an option because Vince had taken such good care of me, and not monetarily–just through the whole racecar thing. I’m a loyal person. You know, I’ve worked the man. I never had any problems for him. I just felt like my loyalty was important.

Bob’s response to his feelings about CTE, and the recent lawsuits filed by wrestlers against WWE: I’m not worried about it. The thing is, that’s what I chose to do. Vince didn’t twist my arm and say, get in that ring and do this and this and this. I chose to get in that ring. I chose to have the matches, as far as how rough I was. I chose that. He didn’t tell me to go out there and be rough. He didn’t tell me to go out there and take a chair shot to the head, or anything like that. I chose that career path. That’s what gets me. It’s like, these guys chose this and some of them are even still wrestling. So how can they sit there and say they’re having post-concussion syndrome when they’re still wrestling? I just don’t understand that. It’s a crock of shit if you ask me.

What is Bob’s current lifestlye?: I have to be very frugal. I can pick and choose what I want to do. I’ve afforded that luxury because I saved my money…I pick and choose what shows I want to do. I don’t work every single weekend…As long as I watch how I’m doing everything, I don’t have to work every again.

Bob divulges that he’s changed his mind about women’s wrestling since criticizing it in his book: Women’s wrestling has evolved so much. I honestly think they can carry a show. I really do. I think they can main event a pay-per-view now. It has evolved so much and the talent has become so incredible now.

For all that and more check out the full X-Pac 1,2,360 interview video, on AfterBuzz TV: https://youtu.be/OCfvnJRQ8r4, or download the podcast version on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/x-pac-1-2-360-afterbuzz-tv/id1150124693?mt=2&i=374822005.

article topics :

Matt Sydal, Jeffrey Harris