Many professional wrestlers have been in the game so long that they just know who has it. Tab the CONTRA Unit faction under that special banner, according to one of its members, Josef Samael.
MLW’s Josef Samael recently appeared on the Shining Wizards podcast to discuss how CONTRA has been able to remain successful.
“I think that you’ve got a heel faction that is multi-faceted. You’ve got a narrator in myself that’s able to hit the points in the proper way. There’s always a hero in peril. It’s very believable. What we do, how we move, how we maneuver, what we do to the babyface… It’s well built. It’s well-staffed, and everybody pretty much does their job. Everybody comes out and really kills it on each end. Behind the camera, in front of the camera, on both sides of the fence. We’ve been really lucky. It’s something that’s special, and not just CONTRA. CONTRA is definitely special, but just all the players involved.
“It’s something that you really, really hope for when you’re performing. It’s something that you really really hope for when you’re creating, and you’re involved in stuff. It’s one of those deals where planets align. And we’ve had that. I guess CONTRA is pretty good. We’ve had it with LA PARK. We’ve had it with Tom Lawlor. We’ve had it with our debut. Me & Jacob (Fatu) have had it in PCW Ultra. If I really had to give it an answer, it’s believability and credibility. If you have a believable and credible heel, and you have a believable storyline, then you can lose yourself in it. And I think that’s what pro wrestling is missing, so we tend to stand out when we’re just doing what you’re supposed to be doing in pro wrestling.”
Josef Samael would then delve into the longevity of CONTRA Unit and why the group has been able to persevere.
“I think it’s believability. We believe our own bullshit. And therefore, people buy into it. We’re just doing our jobs. We’re fun to write for. I always look at professional wrestlers like action figures. If they’d be cool to play with, and if they had cool accessories, then they can get over. If you look at a wrestler, and he’s kind of boring and he doesn’t have anything like me, for instance. I’ve got a fireball, I’ve got a spike and I’m in wrestling gear, I’m in a suit. Fatu, the same thing. He’s got the braids. All the different things about us and what we do.
“I just think it’s exciting and I think when somebody throws the ball over the plate for you, you either hit it for a home run or you don’t. And I think that everybody in our group and everybody that we’ve worked with has hit it for home runs. I’m very, very lucky and fortunate and grateful that we’ve been in the main event picture since day one. And the fact that we’ve been able to stay in the main event picture, and the fact that we’ve been able to keep it exciting, and the fact that we’ve been the only thing that’s been a constant and it’s never gotten stale. I’m just grateful to be in this position and I’m happy with the trust, and I’m happy that in all my years in professional wrestling and all of Jacob’s talent…I’m just happy that it’s working.”
CONTRA Unit will next head into battle in the War Chamber against a team captained by Alex Hammerstone, the new MLW World Heavyweight Champion. Hammerstone relinquished his MLW National Openweight title on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion and picked his War Chamber team; you can read who he picked and more MLW highlights at this link.
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