In PWPonderings’ latest exclusive interview, Mani Ariez (@aries_mani) sits down to talk with Scott Mitchell (@scott44mitchell) about representing Focus Pro as the Focus Pro Champion, his upcoming match with TNA’s Frankie Kazarian on Sunday, winning the title from Danny Miles to start his second reign, his first reign with the belt, “Tha Neighborhood” podcast, his goals, dream opponents, and so much more. Watch it in it’s entirety down below.

Let’s jump right into it. You will be defending your Focus Pro Championship against TNA’s Frankie Kazarian on Sunday. What’s your mindset heading into this match?

“Man… The mindset is to just stay calm, cool, and collected and not allow my nerves to kind of overwhelm me. I feel like I’ve had a lot of high-profile matches with a lot of high-profile names, with people who have done things, but I feel like out of everyone that I’ve wrestled up to this point, Frankie is the highest. Between all those other matches, I go into it thinking I don’t know if I can, I don’t know if I’m ready. Then, I go out there, and I show that I can and show that I am ready. But something to me, I still don’t see it, and I still don’t believe it. But this is the first match in my career that I feel like I’m walking into and know I’m ready for this match. I’m ready for all things that may come into play in this match. I think I can match Frankie’s energy, and for me, I’m just hungry because I know it’s going to be nothing but a learning experience. I know I’m a student of the game, and I learn a lot while I’m out there. I’ll notice and pick up certain things. I just want to do my best to impress Frankie, but hopefully turn some heads. But I have no doubt in myself going into this match. I feel like I’m ready. I feel like I’ve been ready for a little bit now. But everything happens for a reason. That’s why I don’t go preaching it. When it happens, it happens. I just understand where this is that scenario, and this is that time. So, I’m ready, let’s go. I’m also going into it like, this could be my match. This could be it. I feel like with somebody who has gone through some of the stuff that I’ve gone through. It kind of feels like it’s something that’s not supposed to happen. That’s why I’m getting emotional on it. That’s how much this means to me. I have sacrificed a lot. I’ve lost a lot. I’ve sacrificed a lot. I just want to get to a point where I can fix it, and I have been able to fix it. Professional wrestling has been that thing for me to fix. I want to work on that level. I feel like I’m ready for that. I think I’m going into it just 100% full blown because I know this could be my moment. I feel like Alec Price when he wrestled MJF. For everything I’ve sacrificed, I feel like this is that time. Regardless if it’s that night, and it’s a here you go kid, or we’ll talk, I know that that match, I know Sunday, is going to be a seed planter and a chapter turner for my career for the better. It can come with a lot of things. I noticed a lot of times in professional wrestling, it doesn’t happen right away sometimes. But just be patient, and as long as you play that game right, play your cards right, it’ll come back around. I’ve always been patient; I’ve always seen the results. So, I just know that this match is everything, and I’m ready to prove to everyone who has doubted me and anyone who has doubted me, on a shoot and a work level. This is my moment. I’m ready.”

What does it mean for you to work with someone of Kazarian’s stature, seeing all he’s accomplished in this world?

“I’m just blessed. I’m blessed. I’m very fortunate. There are a lot of guys who could get that opportunity, who probably deserve that opportunity. As I said earlier, I’m a student of the game. I know when I go in there with him, all I’m going to do is learn. At the same time, I just want to prove myself too. I want him to come into this. I’m pretty sure he’s gone into the ring and wrestled the indies for some people, and experienced and crossed paths with some people in the ring who just don’t hit the mark, backstage, that don’t hit the mark in there. I just want to show him I can, and I am, and I will. At the age that I’m at with the experience I have. I just want to prove to him that New England is aight, there’s good talent out here. I just, for me, it’s a level up. He builds me up. I don’t do anything for him. Win or lose, he walks up out of there, and he’s still on AMC. Win or lose, I walk out of there, and I’m out of there, not Focus Pro Champion anymore, or I am. Then, if I’m not, where do I go? So, it’s just like being in there; the pressure is on. I know, I’ve watched his stuff. He brings it. He will point out a flake in a minute. I want to prove to him I’m not one of those guys. That’s what I’m most looking forward to. I’ve been working a lot more on trying to feel. I know that Frankie and I come from the same learning tree, that Killer Kowalski learning tree. I want him to know that, hey, the wrestling bloodline is still okay. There’s isn’t anything to worry about.”

You began this reign back in November when you defeated Danny Miles in a Dog Collar match. Following this title win, you worked with the likes of KJ Orso, Gringo Loco, B-Boy, and Beastman. Has any match really stood out for you in this reign, and what has it been like working with so many talented names?

“Working with all of those people, out of all of those matches, the match that stood out to me the most was, I think, it was definitely the Danny match. The Dog Collar matches itself. It sparked it, and all the other matches helped what that match unlocked, if that makes sense. I felt like something clicked with me in that match when it came to trying to portray the story and portray the emotion. Then, I was able to carry that on into my KJ match, into my Gringo match, into my Beastman match, because of that Danny Miles match. So, definitely the Danny Miles one man. Because again, that match, I made history. When you talk about Focus Pro 10 years down the line, you’ll talk about who was the first-ever Focus Pro two-time champion. When that person becomes a three-time champion and that person surpasses me, that’s what I love, dude, and I got to create that with this title reign and with these matches. At the same time, learning so much. All those guys are different types of styles. All very similar but also very different in their own right. It was interesting. Because you train a certain way, or you see a certain way, or you wrestle a certain way, now you get thrown in the scenario where I have to adapt and wrestle  another way and then learn and understand that style so when I go home and see that stuff I have more in my pocket that I can just play around with and more things to go too with other matches in the future.”

Your first run as the Focus Pro Champion lasted 266 days when you became the second-ever Focus Pro Champion. What did this reign mean to you?

“So, that first reign was, I’m here to prove myself. I was this kid who, at the time, two and a half, three years in, out of nowhere, was being put on the cards and matches with names that have been holding it down for years at this point in the area. When guys who have been doing it so long on the regular see someone come up brand new, kind of get pushed forward, and he just catches on quick and gets put in positions quick. It’s all fun and games, but at the same time, you may get a little worried, or you may feel like that person doesn’t deserve it. My whole thing was proving to all those guys that I know I’m green, but I’m a serious wrestler. I’ve seen it myself. There are a lot of people out there in a lot of locker rooms who just play wrestler. They aren’t there. They just play wrestling. To the guys who are professional wrestlers and do this for real, you see that in the locker room, and you feel disrespected, especially if they carry themselves funny. I wanted to prove to everyone that I wasn’t that guy. That I was hungry. That I was going to continue thriving, growing, improving, and just earning my spot and earning my keep. This second reign, I did that. Now watch what I’m going to do. That’s the difference there.”

You’ve worked with a ton of excellent talent in your first reign, including the likes of Tyree Taylor, Dezmond Cole, Bear Bronson, TJ Crawford, Kylie Alexa, Brad Hollister, Channing Thomas, and Richard Holliday. What was this reign like for you?

“If it wasn’t me, I’d look at that person and be like, damn, they threw you in the deep end. They just said here you go, we’ll see if you come back. Those are big names. Every single one of those people has accomplished some major things. For me, I am truly grateful for it. I think about my background. I think about what I was going through, what I was dealing with, years before I decided to lock in for real, and it was just like this wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m making it happen. Seeing it back and hearing it back, holy sh*t. I can’t believe that. But it’s there, it happened. Wow. That’s all I can say to that. Yeah, they threw me into the deep end. But yeah, I didn’t sink though. I didn’t sink. That’s the best part about it.”

In your spare time, you also run “Tha Neighborhood” podcast with fellow independent wrestling star, Kidd V. What made you want to start your own podcast?

“I’ve always liked podcasting. I had a few that never worked out. But when it comes to professional wrestling, it’s about building a fanbase. You want to build that connection and grow that connection with the fanbase. I think one of the best ways outside of this is 10 times easier than Vlogging, and I would do Vlogs, but the editing process is so tedious, and sticking to a schedule could get annoying and discouraging. But with the pod, we can just record, go, set it up, and we’re good. It’s another outlet to give the fans another avenue to get to know us, travel with us, and be with us. Also, just for us to have an archive for down the road when we listen to this back. It’s like, yo, remember those days, man, pull it up. That’s what it’s all about. That was the biggest reason for doing “Tha Neighborhood” pod. We drop every Saturday, like roughly early in the morning, no designated time, but usually by the time you’re up, our episode is already out. But we drop off every Saturday. We’re all over the place. Some weeks, we talk about what we have coming up. Some weeks, we’re talking about video games. Some weeks, we talk about stupid sh*t. Some weeks, we talk about tournaments and brackets. It’s just an open-book personal diary for y’all to join us and be chilling. We want y’all to be listening to our pod and acting like you are in the room with us, just chilling. That’s what the game of the podcast is all about. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts.”

Looking ahead for you, what are your future goals?

“Right now, it’s getting signed to TNA. Right now, that’s my main thing. Just staying healthy and working hard so that I can set myself up for success to get to TNA. I want to run it back with Bear (Bronson) and have some sort of interaction with The Hardys. I’m a soldier dude, wherever they need me.”

Do you have any opponents you’d really like to share the ring with?

“I killed a lot of them with Focus Pro. Now, Mike Santana. It’s crazy because some guys that I would, I’d be like nah, that would never happen. But it’s possible now, so it’s kind of insane to think about—Jeff Hardy, one-on-one, and The Hardy Boys tag team. I’d love to wrestle Zilla Fatu; he’s another guy that I’m trying to get Focus Pro to call the Main One and get him with the Main Shooter quick. Number five, Tommy Invincible. I need to get my ones with Tommy. Those are some of those dream opponents that could be attainable within the next couple of years.”