by Daniel Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Rexx Reed
Interviewer’s Note: “Zombie Killer” Rexx Reed is a wrestler currently situated in Texas who has been wrestling for nearly a decade. Some promotions he has worked for include Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA), Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW) and NWA Top of Texas (NWA TOT). While working for ACW during it’s early days he held the ACW Hardcore Championship and wrestled in brutal matches against the likes of MASADA, Necro Butcher and Shawn Vexx. In his spare time Reed enjoys watching horror movies and draws on them for inspiration for his character. Reed has an official website that can be found here. This interview was completed on September 26, 2013. In this interview Reed and I focus on the topic of working for NWA Top of Texas.
Daniel Johnson: In a nutshell how would you describe yourself as a performer?
Rexx Reed: I would consider myself kind of a hybrid. I can pretty much almost go any style and do things at my size I probably should not be doing, but I do anyways to get myself noticed.
Daniel Johnson: When did you first know you wanted to be a wrestler and what wrestlers have influenced you from when you were just a fan?
Rexx Reed: I’ve been a fan since i can’t remember. I grew up watching it with my dad who was a huge wrestling fan. Around 1990 I started to become a huge fan of WCW. My favorite era in wrestling is WCW from 1990 to 1995, though I am a huge fan of The Monday Night Wars,that era from 1990 to 1995 WCW is what really got me to wanting to be a pro wrestler. Guys like Vader, Cactus Jack, Sting, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson are guys that really inspired me to want to do this. The Vader vs. Cactus Jack, Vader vs. Sting and Steve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat feuds are three feuds that really put it in my head that, “This is what I want to do with my life.”
Daniel Johnson: When you knew you wanted to be a wrestler how did you find a place to get trained?
Rexx Reed: I wanted to start training in 1998 at a school in South Carolina. I had some set backs and actually didn’t get to start training until 2003. I was planning to attend a school in Arizona when a month before moving I went to check out a local show in Roswell, New Mexico, my hometown. That is where I met a guy by the name of TJ Fredrick. Three days later I was taking my first bumps. From there I moved to Amarillo, Texas where my training continued with Terry Daniels and Bob Wyre.
Daniel Johnson: What did a typical day of training look like?
Rexx Reed: Lots of bumps and lots of conditioning. Each guy I trained with was different in their own way.
Daniel Johnson: Do you remember your first match? Do you have any particular memories from it?
Rexx Reed: Oh yeah it was with one of my best friends in the business, “Hotsauce” Marco Rivieria. I remeber bits and pieces but I remember where it was held more then anything. A tennis court at an apartment complex in Midland, Texas. Fun times.
Daniel Johnson: Where did the “Zombie Killer” nickname come from?
Rexx Reed: I’m a huge zombie fan and with everything going on with the end of the world supposedly and people eating people supposedly, I figured why not give it a shot. I hated doing the dog gimmick and in 2008 I tried to drop it after attending a show in San Antonio, Texas. Four diffrent dog gimmicks on one show. I went to the promoter and said, “Just call me Rexx Reed.” I did the First Generation Badass gimmick with Michael Faith which I loved the name. Then I went by “Human Wrecking Machine” Rexx Reed for a bit, but I feel the “Zombie Killer” fits me better and it is something I’m still working on and had only done not even a full year before my injury.
Daniel Johnson: How big of a horror movie fan are you and what are some of your favorite movies?
Rexx Reed: That is honestly all I watch lol. Me and my girl are huge horror fans. The Dawn of the Dead remake I love. All the Friday the 13, except not a huge fan of the new one. Evil Deads/Army of Darkness, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I am also really big on paranormal horror movies as I am an independent ghost hunter with our group Waking Dead Paranormal in my spare time.
Daniel Johnson: Have any horror movie characters ever influenced your promo work?
Rexx Reed: Hellraiser some and probably Freddy Krueger. I like the whole soft spoken to start off then get alittle crazy and scream a lot.
Daniel Johnson: How did you go about developing your character in wrestling and how would you describe your character?
Rexx Reed: It is still a work in progress. I kind of have an idea how i want to go with it. But again I’m still working on it as I only wrestle a certain amount at the moment. But I would describe it as me believing well everyone is a zombie.
Daniel Johnson: Getting back to wrestling how did you first get involved with NWA Top of Texas?
Rexx Reed: I’ve known Jack Logan since I started wrestling in Amarillo back when it was ACW. He was my manager and we became friends. I’ve always been involved with Amarillo wrestling. It is where I got my start. It is a second home, and I consider most guys there family. Amarillo wrestling as a whole is very special to me. The history means a great deal to me. I just wish they could all get along there lol.
Daniel Johnson: For those unfamiliar with NWA Top of Texas who are some talent from there you would recommend fans check out?
Rexx Reed: The Bennitez Brothers, Jojo has all the talent in the world. Benny is a natural and is someone I can see going somewhere in the business beyond TOT. He is just a beast. Cody Jones has worked his ass off to get his name out. Say what you want about the guy but he’s talented as hell and I respect the hell out of him. Nolan Phillips is one talented kid. One of my best matches there was against him. He’s got all the tools to go somewhere in this business. Ryan Justice, Josh Jackson, Jake Logan as well. Jake is another I can see with his drive and passion, he’s definitely going to go somewhere in this business.
Daniel Johnson: What do you consider your best match from NWA Top of Texas to be?
Rexx Reed: Definitely my matches with Cody Jones and Austin Riley. Me and Nolan’s match. Me and Violent V vs. The Bennitez Brothers was another one I absolutely loved. There have been tons. But those all stick out to me.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anyone in the NWA Top of Texas roster you have yet to wrestle that you would like to? If so then who?
Rexx Reed: Definitely Jake Logan. I think me and him could have some awesome matches.
Daniel Johnson: Going beyond just this promotion you have also wrestled for ACW? What memories most stand out to you from this promotion?
Rexx Reed: Well it was Anarchy when I started. It was an underground movement. ACW was one bloody good time. I had one bad experience there and it was my last night there. Beyond that is was just an awesome company to work for, lots of fun times that I will never forget. My matches with Necro Butcher, MASADA, and my feud with Shawn Vexx stand out the most.
Daniel Johnson: At ACW you were the ACW Hardcore Champion. What was it like to be a hardcore champion and what was the most extreme match you had as champion?
Rexx Reed: It was great though short. I chased that title for nearly two years. The match i won the title with Lucid and Violent V stands out. The match with MASADAwas sick. I did a four corners of pain match with Darin Childs that was insane. Glass, Barbwire, light tubes. Just nuts.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any other promotions you enjoy working for? If so where?
Rexx Reed: Drangon Gate USA was a dream come true and a huge confidence builder. FSW [Future Stars of Wrestling] in Las Vegas, Nevada and DWO [Destiny Wrestling Organization] in Albuquerque, New Mexico are awesome. SCP [Squared Circle Prop] has been amazing and a blast. There are so many to name but those definitely stand out.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any places you have yet to work that would like to?
Rexx Reed: ROH, PWG, HOH [House of Hardcore], are some places definitely I want to compete for. There are still tons I still want o wrestle for. It just depends how things turn out.
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last few questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to bring a little uniqueness to the interview. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them just feel free to say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days?
Rexx Reed: The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, Paranormal Witness, Ghost Adventures, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Ghost Hunters, American Horror Story and Breaking Bad, just to name a few.
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year?
Rexx Reed: Evil Dead and World War Z from what I’ve seen so far.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year?
Rexx Reed: Salmon Patties.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite song to come out this year?
Rexx Reed: Skip.
Daniel Johnson: What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?
Rexx Reed: The Harbinger [The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future by Jonathan Cahn].
Daniel Johnson: I then just had a few brief wrestling questions. What is the weirdest part of being a pro wrestler?
Rexx Reed: The travel, the places you sometimes end up wrestling at, probably those two stand out most.
Daniel Johnson: Who is one wrestler 25 or younger that you think readers should know about?
Rexx Reed: Benny Bennitez. Should already be somewhere bigger then west Texas. Ray Basura, Kyle Hawk, I can’t just name one, but there are tons of guys i could name. I know there a little older then 25 but El Gringo Loco and Cody jones are two talented guys who people should know and be talking about.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to promote?
Rexx Reed: Just support indie wrestling. This is where most everyone gets their start.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to add?
Rexx Reed: Just that look for me more in 2014 to hopefully be making a full-time comeback. The Zombie Killer will be back ready to rid the world of the undead! Kill or be killed!
Check out Rexx Reed in action! In this match from NWA Top of Texas Reed takes on up and comer Cody Jones:
Categories: Wrestling Interviews
The Johnson Transcript 
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