Brandon Day
Posted by Douglas Nunnally
on 07/13/2004
Interviewer's Note:
Welcome to another edition of "Wasting The Time Of..." and in this edition, I have a bright new star for you: Brandon Day!
Brandon Day is a very exciting young individual who many have said will be the next big thing in Virginia and East Coast wrestling, and maybe even wrestling period if the right opportunity arises. Having seen his matches personally, I can attest to this as well. Brandon Day has the technical elements of Ric Flair and Bret Hart as well as the demeanor and personality as Raven and Undertaker. Four years in, Brandon Day has left his mark on Virginia and most of the East Coast, and in four more years, it is this interviewer's belief that he will leave his mark on the wrestling scene period.
Call him what you want: "Flawless" or "The Mourning Star," but just make sure to give him the credit he's due and the respect he's earned in this business.
Douglas Nunnally: First off, thank you for joining me here today.
Brandon Day: No problem.
Douglas Nunnally: I understand that you manage to balance a college education and a professional wrestling career at the same time. Is this true?
Brandon Day: Yes, I'm a rising junior at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia.
Douglas Nunnally: What is your major or focus of study?
Brandon Day: I'm an English major and working on a minor in Psychology.
Douglas Nunnally: What do you plan to do with that degree?
Brandon Day: Well, I'm kinda hoping this wrestling thing works out the way that I don't have to do anything with it; but should the time come, my current life planner (written in pencil mind you) says that I'll be getting my masters in English and teaching at the college level.
Douglas Nunnally: Very interesting. At this point, would you say professional wrestling is a long time goal for you?
Brandon Day: Absolutely. It's a life long goal of mine to make it in this business. What exactly that entails isn't exactly clear now, but I have a feeling that I'll know it when it happens. It could be landing a contract or it could be having a match that people around the country or the world talk about but until then I'm just working to be the best performer I can be.
Douglas Nunnally: Which is more important to you at this stage of your life, your education or your wrestling career?
Brandon Day: Wrestling and I'll give you an example. My first week at college I had five shows: I wrestled the Saturday and Sunday before, the Wednesday during at a fair (during a horrible rainstorm where we were wrestling under a tent that we nearly hit our heads on just standing in the ring) when I had to be in class the early the next morning, and the Saturday afterwards which ended up costing me my job because though I had asked off for all the dates, they never gave me the Saturday off. I've sacrificed a great deal to get to where I'm at now, which frankly isn't close to where I want to be and I'm willing to sacrifice more to get there. If someone called me up tomorrow and said we need you to move here and you start work for us tomorrow full time, contract, the whole deal then I would leave school immediately to do so.
Douglas Nunnally: How did you first get into wrestling?
Brandon Day: A promotion ran a show where I lived several years ago with Steve Corino headlining. I was a big Corino mark at the time so I headed out to check out the show. I found out the promotion had a website and from there learned about the school. I spent two years training there, wrestling a few matches here and there when needed before I got my license here in Virginia when I turned 18.
Douglas Nunnally: What kind of people did you idolize growing up?
Brandon Day: Ric Flair has always been the top guy on my list. I've also always been a huge supporter of Shane Douglas. Bret Hart, the greatest technical wrestler ever, is obviously a huge influence on me as anyone who's seen me work can tell. Other guys I've always enjoyed watching and whom I've been able to learn from watching are Dean Malenko, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, and Raven.
Douglas Nunnally: What do you feel about Ric Flair and his open remarks and shots at many numerous wrestlers, including Bret Hart and Mick Foley, in his autobiography?
Brandon Day: I'm not finished with the book yet, but I disagree with his comments thus far about Bret Hart and those that I've heard him say about Mick Foley.
Douglas Nunnally: Who do you think influenced your overall package the most?
Brandon Day: My style, like I said, is very similar to Bret Hart, although I've recently been trying to stray away from that strict technical style to incorporate more innovative moves into my repertoire. My personality probably reflects Raven's in many ways, but mostly try and stay away from stealing other wrestlers' mannerisms.
Douglas Nunnally: Where did you get the monikers "Flawless" and "The Mourning Star?"
Brandon Day: Flawless came when I first started with VCW. I was getting into a band named Flaw and it just kinda clicked with the direction I was starting to go at the time. The morning star is one of the many names of Satan in the Bible. The spelling change gives the proper image to someone who reads it if they don't get the other connection.
Douglas Nunnally: What are some of the promotions you have been with in the past or are currently with?
Brandon Day: Vanguard Championship Wrestling, NWA Virginia, Coast Real Extreme Wrestling (CREW), North Carolina Wrestling Association, KYDA Pro Wrestling, Global Wrestling Alliance, NWA East, Extreme Wrestling Federation (Indiana/Massachusetts).
Douglas Nunnally: I understand that you attempted to start up your own promotion, is that correct?
Brandon Day: Yes, had much of the groundwork laid, but when it came down to it, the finances weren't there when my partner backed out. I'm currently still looking at options to keep that idea alive and start running shows.
Douglas Nunnally: Who would you most be interested in hiring to work for your promotion in terms of wrestlers?
Brandon Day: Of course I'd want to use many of the people I know and work with already like Sean Lei, Dirty Money, Phil Brown, et cetera. In terms of bigger name stars, I'd like to bring in guys like Raven, Shane Douglas, Chris Candido, and Christopher Daniels.
Douglas Nunnally: What titles have you won in the promotions you have competed in?
Brandon Day: KYDA Pro Mid-Atlantic Champion, Global Tag Team Champion, CREW Lightweight Champion, NCWA NC Lightheavyweight Champion, VCW Vanguard Champion.
Douglas Nunnally: Which title reign was of the most important to you?
Brandon Day: I really can't pick one out as being the most important to me. Most of them have some special meaning for me and mark a certain point in my career.
Douglas Nunnally: How many years have you been competing now?
Brandon Day: Four.
Douglas Nunnally: Who is your favorite opponent?
Brandon Day: Right now I'd have to say Joey Sylvia because the last two times we competed we had really hot matches with great crowd reactions. I've also noticed a trend that whenever I wrestle Joey my gimmick sales go up at intermission so that's always a plus.
Douglas Nunnally: What would you say is your best match to date?
Brandon Day: Hard to really nail down one as the best. There are several that really stand out to me. Preston Quinn & I versus Dirty Money & Chris Escobar for the GWA Tag Titles. The psychology of the match was flawless and the crowd ate it up. People compared it to a Rock N Roll Express/Midnight Express match which was a tremendous compliment. My first match at CREW with Chris Escobar is a favorite of mine and I think that it could stand in the same company as many mid-late nineties Cruiserweight title matches and current X-Division matches. My recent bouts with Joey Silvia were great because of the chemistry we had in the ring and the reaction to the matches despite them both being heel versus heel battles.
Douglas Nunnally: Which do you prefer, tag or single matches?
Brandon Day: Growing up, I always though of myself as a tag team wrestler, but in truth I've done very little tag team wrestling. In fact, I haven't had a tag team match all year that I can recall except for one 6 man match a few months ago. I would like to do more tag team wrestling, but I can't say as I prefer one or the other.
Douglas Nunnally: What kind of injuries have you sustained in your career?
Brandon Day: I've got really bad knees. I wear braces on each leg and two pairs of knee pads to help and protect them. My back is a nagging problem but nothing that most workers don't have. As far as serious injuries go, I've had a concussion, suffered what I believed to be a mild stinger after taking a fisherman buster, and a separated shoulder that took about 4-5 months to heal. Despite that very painful injury, I didn't miss a booking in that time and even wrestled a match later on in the evening after the injury occurred.
Douglas Nunnally: If you could for those who are not familiar with you, could you tell us a bit about your style and trademark moves?
Brandon Day: I'm very technical. Lots of throws and slams. A few of my trademark moves are the Traumaplex, a fisherman down across my knee in a neckbreaker. The Fixxer Series, a Back breaker into a lay out DVD and then I bridge my opponent up and hit him with a reverse DDT. My finishing move is the Spinal Tap; I hook the move like a T-Bone Suplex, but lift the opponent and drop them in a sit out powerbomb position.
Douglas Nunnally: Is there a chance we could be seeing you on Impact, Raw, or Smackdown in the near future?
Brandon Day: [Laughs] I would like to say yes, but I'm a realist. Fact is they're looking for guys who are in phenomenal shape first and can work second. Getting in shape is my primary goal and bulking up my booking schedule. From there, it'll be a much more likely possibility.
Douglas Nunnally: Is that a path you wish to pursue?
Brandon Day: Absolutely, I'm in this business to go to the top and that's the path right now.
Douglas Nunnally: What is your take on the supposed "retirement" of Chris Escobar that was announced at the NWA-VA "Downtown Beatdown" show on June 19th?
Brandon Day: This is the first I've heard about it. If it's true I can only assume its injury related. Chris is a very talented guy who I've always gotten along with and had tremendous chemistry with in the ring. I wish him all the best whether it's true or not.
Douglas Nunnally: If it is all right with you, I would like to try a little name association with you.
Brandon Day: Shoot.
Douglas Nunnally: Jacey North
Brandon Day: Met him once, seemed like a good guy, and was supposed to team with him once for NWA-VA, but the show got cancelled.
Douglas Nunnally: Preston Quinn
Brandon Day: Taught me more than I could've thought possible without trying to. I learned more wrestling Quinn than I did training. I hope to pull him out of retirement one of these days for a rematch. He's one of my favorite people I've met in the business.
Douglas Nunnally: Sean Lei
Brandon Day: Sean Lei took me under his wing when I first started training. Once he became the head trainer at the school, I became his protege. As he learned, I learned; and as he got better so did I. Without his help, I wouldn't be where I am in the business today. One of my best friends in wrestling.
Douglas Nunnally: Travis Bradshaw
Brandon Day: Travis is an incredibly nice person. Nice, in fact, to a fault which is why, I believe, sometimes VCW events don't come off as they should because he's being pulled in some many directions trying to do favors for everybody. His promotion is an undiscovered gold mine; as soon as he gets his stuff together, VCW is going to really breakthrough in the wrestling business.
Douglas Nunnally: Vince Russo
Brandon Day: Overrated in my opinion. He had the most talented WCW roster in ages at his disposal and still couldn't make it work. Very creative, but perhaps his creativity shouldn't be used in wrestling.
Douglas Nunnally: Joey Sylvia
Brandon Day: Fantastic performer, loads of charisma, a pleasure to work with, and a pleasure to be with around in the locker room
Douglas Nunnally: Dirty Money
Brandon Day: He should've had a contract months ago due to his phenomenal physique and tremendous charisma. Another guy who I grew up in the business around/with.
Douglas Nunnally: Chris Escobar
Brandon Day: One of my favorite opponents. Sad to hear about his retirement.
Douglas Nunnally: Eddie Guerrero
Brandon Day: Awesome. Wish he didn't say "Esse" and "Vato" every other sentence, but otherwise very enjoyable to watch.
Douglas Nunnally: Phil Brown
Brandon Day: Locker room leader. I see him with a contract in the very near future.
Douglas Nunnally: Undertaker
Brandon Day: Wish everybody didn't call me that when I came out. New Undertaker just doesn't make me feel like he did before the biker gimmick. I think it's going to residually affect his career from here on out.
Douglas Nunnally: Triple H
Brandon Day: Tremendous performer lives the business. He should've put over just about everybody he beat during his long title reign.
Douglas Nunnally: Jeff Jarrett
Brandon Day: Always enjoyed his work. TNA has really taken off and he's been pushing it hard all the way.
Douglas Nunnally: Dusty Rhodes
Brandon Day: Charisma...unbelievable charisma.
Douglas Nunnally: David Flair
Brandon Day: Was no where near ready when his career began in WCW. He has improved a great deal since his time there. Pleasant person to have been in the locker room with.
Douglas Nunnally: Kurt Angle
Brandon Day: One of the best performers in the ring and out in WWE ever in my opinion. A bout between him and Bret Hart is a dream match of mine. It's a shame his health is such a concern in the past few years.
Douglas Nunnally: Ric Flair
Brandon Day: The greatest wrestler who ever lived...my hero and my idol.
Douglas Nunnally: Chris Benoit
Brandon Day: Finally got what he deserves in the World Heavyweight Title. I wish they would push some different opponents for him to work instead of the same rotation of Triple H, Ric Flair, and Kane every other week.
Douglas Nunnally: Steve Austin
Brandon Day: Was the perfect guy at the perfect time to set the wrestling world on fire. Unfortunately, his ring work went down as his popularity went up.
Douglas Nunnally: What advice would you give to up and comers coming into the business?
Brandon Day: Get in shape, keep their mouths shut at all times and their eyes and ears open. Be a sponge and learn something from everyone you meet everywhere. Shake hands with everyone. Nobody and I mean absolutely nobody is above that and anybody who doesn't do it is in immediate danger the next time they step in the ring with someone who notices.
Douglas Nunnally: What is your take on the current product of WWE?
Brandon Day: It's not wrestling, and that's bad enough, but most times their sports entertainment is not entertaining. Thankfully, Eugene has taken off and really brought me back to Raw every week, but it's his presence and his alone right now that keeps me watching.
Douglas Nunnally: NWA-TNA?
Brandon Day: I've only seen it once or twice. Matches I've seen have been good, but overall I don't have an opinion on the product as a whole.
Douglas Nunnally: VCW?
Brandon Day: Just came off the hottest show we've had since I became involved in the company. The DVD release will come out by our August 1st show so everyone can see for themselves. The company's on huge upswing right now and we can only hope that the finances hold up so that we can take this company to the national level where we know we can compete.
Douglas Nunnally: Is there a Mrs. Mourning Star?
Brandon Day: I have been with my current lady for 2 1/2 years now but she is not a Mrs. yet...
Douglas Nunnally: What kind of things do you like to do in your free time, if there is such a thing?
Brandon Day: Listening to music, reading, and writing. In fact, I'm currently working on a movie script that I hope to have finished next year sometime if time allows.
Douglas Nunnally: What kind of shows, bands, or books do you like to be entertained by?
Brandon Day: My favorite band is Metallica followed closely by bands like Creed, Sevendust, Flaw, Linkin Park, et cetera. I'm a big sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast. I'm going to get ribbed like crazy when my already annoyed fellow wrestlers read this, but my favorite shows are Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and anyone who has a problem with it can take it up with me in the ring! Those shows rule and I'm not afraid to admit it, damn it!
Douglas Nunnally: Is this interview going on too long?
Brandon Day: I think so.
Douglas Nunnally: What are you planning to do afterwards?
Brandon Day: Watch Nip/Tuck (another television favorite of mine) and hit the hay immediately afterward.
Douglas Nunnally: What is your take on the website, TheWrestlingVoice.com?
Brandon Day: Nice site. I hope it becomes very successful.
Douglas Nunnally: Finally, what are your long term goals as a wrestler?
Brandon Day: To be someone's favorite wrestler. Not my mom, not someone I know, but a legitimate fan's opinion that I'm the best and that I'm the most entertaining. There's a lot of other stuff I hope leads to that, but that would be a true honor.
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