Floridian: Jerry Lynn rises from the mat

Jerry Lynn rises from the mat

By JIM VARSALLONE

Extreme Championship Wrestling saved Jerry Lynn's wrestling career, and the WWF is taking advantage.

After having his desire deflated in World Championship Wrestling several years ago, he came close to hanging up his boots.

"Of course, you get frustrated with injuries," Lynn said, "but the politics are really what put a damper on the business for me. It doesn't matter how good you are. It's who you know.

"After the experience with WCW, I was going to quit the business. It was just horrible. All the hard work, and they just crap on you. After breaking a couple of bones for them, they just turn around and fire you. You're trying to put on exciting matches for them and taking bigger risks because you're smaller guys, and you got to do what the big guys can't. I was pretty disgusted after all that with WCW."

Out of WCW, Lynn received a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation in 1996, wrestling Taka Michinoku. He also thought about becoming a stunt man, working in the Orlando area for Universal Studios and other TV and movie productions.

Then ECW entered the picture. A strong independent group based in Philadelphia, ECW, the trendsetters for American pro wrestling in the '90s, breathed new life into Lynn.

"At the time, the WWF was trying to get the light heavyweight division off the ground, and they couldn't promise me anything," Lynn said. "I had already committed to ECW, and they said when I was done with ECW, I had an open door to the WWF. Who knows what the future will bring."

The turning point was when Chris Candido phoned Lynn.

"Chris called me up out of the clear blue after they saw my tryout match with the WWF," Lynn said. "I was done with WCW. As soon as they picked me up from the airport, Chris tells me, 'Paul E. (Heyman) says you're on everything.' I said, 'All right.' "

Lynn says ECW allowed him to display his skills and talents.

"It was not so political in ECW, not politically controlled," Lynn said. "You had more freedom. You could get away with a lot more during your matches and stuff."

Lynn, a high flier with solid mat work, excites crowds. He received notoriety for a series of matches with the Whole (bleeping) Show Rob VanDam. Upon appearing on WWF TV weeks ago, Lynn started to make his mark, winning the WWF light heavyweight title.

Lynn's idea to wear a mask and outfit, resembling the Power Rangers, caught the attention of WCW officials several years ago.

"At the time, the Power Rangers were so popular that I thought it could be marketed for the kids," said Lynn. "They (WCW) liked it. They said it was what they were looking for.

"But they didn't have me written in for any plans. If you're not written in, nothing's going to happen. You can really tell nothing was going to happen when they named me Mr. J.L."

Unfortunately, two injuries sidelined Lynn before he could really start marketing himself in WCW. He broke his arm against Dean Malenko, one of the best technical wrestlers in the biz, and missed three months of action. A month after his return, Lynn broke his foot on a WCW tour in conjunction with New Japan.

Earlier in his career, in 1990, Lynn started feuding with the Lightning Kid, know known as X-Pac in the WWF. It turned into an epic 2-year battle that started the ball rolling for both.

Lynn attributes his gymnast background to his success on the mat.

"I would use everyone's balance against them," Lynn said. "They would push so far, and I would squirm out of it."

Through his father, Lynn grew up watching roller derby and pro wrestling in Minneapolis, the old AWA, spearheaded by the legendary Verne Gagne.

A bad shoulder injury during his community college days ended his amateur wrestling career.

Lynn's wrestling career started when his ex-wife was working with a woman who was dating wrestler Zoldov Ustanoff in the old AWA in Minneapolis.

Through Ustanoff, Lynn met Ed Sharkey, who was running a wrestling camp.

"I knew I wasn't ready at the time, so I worked out a couple of more years," Lynn said.

Lynn also installed telephone cable before turning his attention to pro wrestling.

"A guy I was working with found out about (Olympian) Brad Rheingan's camp. So I scrounged up the money, went to the camp, and that's how it all started.

"When you first go to camp and you actually start learning the holds, hitting the ropes and doing arm drags and stuff, it's a lot harder than it looks. The true professionals make it look like it's so easy, but it is unbelievably difficult.'

He said, "To me, wrestling takes anything every other sport takes put together. You've got to have good conditioning, strength, balance, coordination, timing, everything."

-- Pro wrestling columnist Jim Varsallone can be reached at wrestling@tampabay.com.