Trevor Murdoch is a wrestler who knows what he likes in a booker.
The 42-year-old veteran has plenty of experience to form his opinions, from his mid-2000s WWE run to various indie promotions to his current stint with the NWA. He seems at home now, not just because he’s a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, but because his old school vibe aligns so well with that of the company.
Ahead of the Crockett Cup tournament this weekend, where Murdoch will be teaming with Mike Knox, he told Under the Ring host Phil Strum why the booking style of NWA owner and promoter Billy Corgan has been so creatively fulfulling.
“With Billy, he doesn’t micromanage and try to tell you what to be,” Murdoch said. “He lets you be who you are. That was one of the things when I first sat down with Billy, I asked him, ‘What do you want?’ Because every promoter has an idea of what they want, and they want you to stay within that box.
“And what Billy told me was, ‘I just want you. You’re the wrestler, I’m paying you to come in and you wrestle. Don’t get me wrong, I have some talking points that I’d like to steer you towards, but go out and do you, Trevor.’ And that was very freeing; I hadn’t had a promoter do that in a long time.”
Listen to Murdoch’s full interview with Strum above to hear him speak about:
- Why the Crockett Cup is important, and why he thinks he and Knox can win it
- The main job of a pro wrestler
- Why the variety that the NWA offers helps it stand out from many other North American promotions
- What made his tag team with the late Lance Cade work so well during their time together in WWE
- Who he enjoyed watching while growing up, and what made him gravitate to Harley Race
- Stepping in as a young wrestler against Greg Valentine
Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum calling upon his longtime love for and coverage of pro wrestling to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton (an episode recorded just before she won the title), AEW wrestler and Jericho Appreciation Society member Anna Jay, and indie wrestler and AEW merchandise guru “Man Scout” Jake Manning.
To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.