After he had a rollercoaster of a chapter last Sunday at The Long Halloween, we sat down with Gene Munny to talk his victory over Nathan Cruz, his dismay at Warren Banks retiring, his confidence issues in the ring and his future goals with PROGRESS Wrestling.
OH HEY, IT’S ME, IT’S GENE MUNNY! YOU KNOW THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS CHAMPION IN BRITISH WRESTLING TODAY AND I’M ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOR PROGRESS AND THAT’S NICE…
Oh mate, I was absolutely bloody livid when I heard that bell ring. I’ve got no heat with Tom Scarborough, but when I heard the announcement that Cruz had won, I wanted to throttle him. When you’re essentially wrestling a match on one leg and THAT is how it all ends, it boiled my piss, you know? But you’ve gotta hand it to Nathan for trying, that was bullshittery at its absolute finest, I’m just glad Rich Swift was there to call it out and restart it.
Your win over Nathan was your first singles win in PROGRESS Wrestling since September 2022. How much of a relief is that for you?
Thirteen months is a bloody long time, init? I think after the me & MIlls tag-team travesty last month, I had gone wayyyyyy past caring. Don’t get me wrong, I always wanna win a match, but walking down them steps at the Ballroom on Sunday, I had a proper “it is what it is” vibe. That completely changed on the way back up though. I enjoyed the win, but it’s not a relief. The pressure is on now, because it’s a fresh start and I refuse to end up in that situation again.
After the high of your win on Sunday, you then heard the low of Warren Banks retiring… tell us a bit about your past with him and why you tried so valiantly to stop it from happening… and how important the retirement match is for you both.
I mean, that’s a proper loaded question, isn’t it? Let me be as clear as I can. I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. BE. IN. THIS. MATCH. I’m essentially being asked to pull the plug on someone who’s got a metric shit-tonne of fight left in them. I know he’s got his reasons and whatever, but that announcement was a kick in the teeth and I refused to just sit in the back and listen to that man make a terrible decision.
I love Warren like a brother. This is a guy I met almost a decade ago in Milton Keynes and was fortunate enough to have a hand in training him. Since then, we’ve travelled the roads, fought together, bled together, and grown as human beings together. Please go back and watch what happened after the finals of SSS16 2022. There’s a world class superstar quality to Warren that I am still dying for the world to see. That intangible quality that I saw in yonks ago. So, with all due respect, this isn’t going to be his last match, this is some Mark Henry salmon suit business.
You seemed to be down on yourself when trying to convince Warren Banks not to retire… if you beat him at Vendetta what will that do for your confidence moving forward?
Down on myself? Please look at my record in PROGRESS Wrestling over the last 13 months and let’s get realistic, shall we? Warren is built. Hella athletic. Insanely talented. Easily marketable. Cool AF. If someone like that can’t thrive here, then what fucking chance does a Gene Munny have?! Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t a lack of self-belief. I’m great. I’ve got a belt to prove it. If I beat him at Vendetta, then my confidence will be at nightmarish levels, and I’m gonna ride that wave into a Tag-Team Championship opportunity alongside Brother Banks.
If this is indeed the end for Warren Banks what legacy will he have left in British Wrestling for you?
It’s not though.
Post-Vendetta what are your goals for 2024 in PROGRESS Wrestling?
Next year is a time for rebuilding and starting fresh. I wanna hold gold in this company and I wanna defend that gold across the globe. Whether that be on my own, or teaming with Warren Banks, I’m happy with either. 2024 is the year that Gene Munny builds his own automated dick-kicking machines and points them at every single wrestler on the PROGRESS Wrestling roster.
