Legends Of Indy Wrestling #3 - Bay Ragni (aka Chubby Dudley)!!!

R.A.W Media's Bean Lebouc continues his 'Legends Of Indy Wrestling' series by catching up with Bay Ragni (aka Chubby Dudley) to reflect on what is was like, during the 90's, on the independent wrestling scene.

Bean Lebouc - Before we get started for those who may not know Bay Ragni tell us a bit about yourself and what made you want to get in the Wrestling business? 

Bay Ragni - First off, thanks so much for asking me to do this, and help me build the legend of myself and Chubby Dudley!!! 

Since a very young age I knew that I never wanted to be a doctor, police, fire or army man and that I wanted to be a star. I wanted to be Evel Knievel, a sports player, an actor or a rock star and then, in the Mid 80's, whilst I was following my rock star dreams I fell in love with the world of Professional Wrestling and companies like NWA, WCCW and Mid-South. 

The energy, and emotions, I would get watching those shows was like watching the movie 'Rocky' and Pro Wrestling became my back up plan if my rock star dreams didn't work out. 

Well in 1990 I decided to sell all my music equipment to go to wrestling school which turned out to be my college education lol. 

BL - You were trained by Larry Winters and debuted in 1991. What was the independent scene like when you started out? 

BR - I honestly had no idea about the whole indy world of wrestling so I was in shock when I started diving into the world of it and, back then, there was no internet as it was all magazines and dirt sheets, which again, I had NO IDEA Existed so my mind was blown to the whole world and what I was missing out on!!! Once I discovered the TWA (Tri-State Wrestling Alliance), and Joel Goodhart, I knew, right then, what I wanted to do and for who!!!!  

I got those 'Rocky' feelings, whilst attending TWA shows, and started my training with Larry Winters and Ron Shaw but Ron shortly left, and then Larry broke his ankle, in a match, so Tony Stetson and Johnny Hot Body took over, then in turn, I broke my ankle in training and, when I came back, the whole TWA Locker room became my trainers and general support team. 

BL - You worked for ECW (then Eastern Championship Wrestling), from 1992 - 1993, as 'E.Z. Ryder' and then again (as Extreme Championship Wrestling), from 1995 - 1996, as a member of the Dudley's under the name 'Chubby Dudley'. What was the company like to work for especially as you worked for ECW under both 'Eastern' and 'Extreme'? 

BR - WOW...talk about complete opposites!!! 

Eastern Championship Wrestling, and Tod Gordon, took a chance on me and my partner HD and gave us a shot, after TWA Closed up, and I'm forever grateful, and thankful, for that but, in all honesty, I was not a fan of early ECW as they were trying to be different than TWA and make a new name for themselves. 

I thought the product, and shows, were actually very boring and did nothing for me as a fan.  

Fast forward a few years to the EXTREME and HOLY SHIT...I  was mind blown and felt like I was now in an actual 'Rocky' Movie!!!!  

It's been 30 years and there is a reason people have not stopped talking about it and want to know more about Extreme Championship Wrestling as it was magic and a huge part of Pro Wrestling history!!! 

I really don't think we will see another moment in time like the run of Extreme Championship Wrestling. 

BL - After you left ECW, the first time around in 1993, you worked for the East Coast Wrestling Association. What was the ECWA like to work for during this time? 

BR - ECWA was amazing and literally like going to school while working. 

Jim Kettner was so ahead of his time. He was promoting shows in Delaware and if you didn't know Delaware then you didn't know ECWA. Jim ran once a month, and trained all his talent, plus he scripted every single match that went out!!!   

He had actual scripts for matches, promos, everything so basically what WWE does today, to an extent, but he would work out in his mind a storyline and write out the schedule of matches, for a particular character, for the year and build up their feuds and storylines gradually.  

He taught me so much and especially once I started promoting shows. 

He was vital in helping me pull off the first LAW show by renting me his ring and letting me use some of his talent which was really cool of him as none of his guys had worked for anybody else, at the time, because they only knew how to work his scripted matches. 

Jim Kettner was so good to me and I was sad when I couldn't work for him anymore once I went to work for ECW as a Dudley.  

BL - During the time between working for ECWA and returning to ECW you also started your own promotion called LAW (Liberty All-Star Wrestling), in 1994, alongside Larry Reed and Frank Cody. What was it like as a promoter, in the mid-90's, especially as you were also working for, what was considered, the number one independent wrestling promotion in North America? 

BR - It was fun, stressful and harder than expected!!! 

Honestly this is where I realized so much about myself. As much as I wanted to be in the ring I was finding myself getting more of those 'Rocky' feelings with my booking of shows and watching the crowds reactions to angles coming off. 

Frank, Larry and myself really took a chance and jumped in on a shoestring budget. We didn't have Tod Gordon money but we put on some really fun shows and some really great talent came through our locker room. 

Some of the boys still tell me that it was the best locker room they ever were a part of and how much they miss it.  

This part of my career also taught me so much, not just about the world of Pro Wrestling, but about life in general. 

Rest in Peace Larry Reed, who we lost a few years ago, as he was such a beautiful person who was like a father to Frank and me. 

BL - As someone who worked on the independent scene, in the 90's, what did you think of the scenes growth, in the early 00's, after the end of WCW and ECW? 

BR - Those times it was changing big time with the start of this new thing called the internet. 

News was traveling quicker and people were wanting more, and more, of it at a faster rate. 'Smart Marks' and 'Super Fans' were being born, at a booming rate, on a daily basis as well. 

There was also the explosion of merchandising which took the business to bigger heights than before!!! 

I mean, seriously, without the internet the wrestling business would not be where it is today with all the armchair & keyboard bookers out there.  

BL - Before we wrap up tell us more about, your YouTube channel, 'React & Chill with Chubby Dudley' and about any other projects you're working on. 

BR - I am so excited and happy about doing this!!!!  

A friend of mine, in the music business, Rayen called me up, at like 1am, a year ago because he had got home, from playing a gig, and was laying in bed watching old ECW Clips and he was like "I wonder what Bay would say about this moment or what are his thoughts about this" and I was like "OH MY GOD YOU ARE A GENIUS"!!! 

From there I started my reaction channel where I watch classic ECW TV shows and do a match by match reaction video. 

I think I'm  currently on episode #15 and there is so much more to watch and I genuinely can't wait!!!  

People are truly loving it and I am shocked that there are actually a lot of EASTERN Championship Wrestling fans, out there, and that people want to know more about the people, and those times, so I am telling what I know. 

I also have my 'Bay Ragni Show' where I do interviews with different people, in the entertainment industry, and I also have another channel called 'CocoBay Official' which is me and, my fiance, Coco which is our reselling business as well as just us going out to eat or whatever goofy stuff we are up to lol.

Make sure to check out, and subscribe, to the 'React & Chill With Chubby Dudley' YouTube channel here - React & Chill with Chubby Dudley (YouTube Channel)