#620 - Keith Peterson

“No Nonsense” Keith Peterson is a professional MMA referee known for his work in the UFC. He is also a diesel mechanic and a wrestling coach in New York. Keith joins Theo to talk about what’s going through the mind of a referee during a fight, his alter ego as a frontman in a hardcore band, and what he loves about coaching his daughter in wrestling. Keith Peterson: https://www.instagram.com/thereal.keith.peterson/ ------------------------------------------------ Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ Ethos: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/THEO. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Armra: Go to http://tryarmra.com/THEO or enter THEO to get 15% off your first order. Morgan and Morgan: Visit https://forthepeople.com/THEO to see if you might have a case. Morgan and Morgan. America's Largest Injury Law Firm. Symmetry Sauna: Go to http://symmetrysauna.com/THEO to learn more Ryl Tea: the tea that cleaned up its act and still tastes like the good old days. Refresh yourself now at www.drinkryl.com Perplexity AI: Ask anything at https://pplx.ai/theo and download their new web browser Comet at https://comet.perplexity.ai/ ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn Bishop Gunn - Shine ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: [email protected] Hit the Hotline: 985-664-9503 Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Send mail to: This Past Weekend 1906 Glen Echo Rd PO Box #159359 Nashville, TN 37215 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend Twitter: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Trevyn https://www.instagram.com/trevyn.s/ Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Theo Von?

  You ever realize that you spent your entire morning thinking about lunch? It's 9 a.m. and somehow I'm already in negotiations with myself about how I'm gonna spend $20 on a sandwich at noon. And then I eat it, or you eat it, or somebody eats it, and then an hour later, you're just standing in the kitchen worrying about what you'll do for dinner. And that's one reason why I've been into Huell. The Black Edition Powder is a complete meal you have instead of food, not a shake on top of food. Their powder starts at less than $3 per meal, has 40 grams of protein, and mixes with water or milk in about 30 seconds. I like Huell's shakes because they're clean and it's quick.

• 0:41Theo Von?

  I just want to make sure I have everything I need to keep going the way I want to keep going in a healthy manner. So with Huell, basically, lunch went from a daily logistical problem to a thing I can solve in about 30 seconds. Make healthy eating simple. New customers get an exclusive offer of 15% off online with my code WEEKEND at huell.com/weekend. That's H-U-E-L dot com slash weekend. Thank you to Huell for partnering and supporting our show. Today's guest is a true Renaissance man. He's a father, he's a MMA referee, he's a musician, and he's a mechanic, and he absolutely hates nonsense.

• 1:26Theo Von?

  Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. No Nonsense Keith Peterson.

• 1:48Theo Von?

  I'm sitting here with, uh, with the man No Nonsense Keith Peterson. Um, thanks for joining me, man.

• 1:55Speaker 01

  No problem.

• 1:56Theo Von?

  I gotta ask you straight up, dude, is there... How much nonsense is allowed?

• 2:01Speaker 01

  In, in what? In fighting or life or?

• 2:04Theo Von?

  Like, like, what are, what are your thoughts on, on nonsense? Cause you got the name No Nonsense, right?

• 2:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, um, I don't know. There's a time and place, I guess, right? Uh, but, um, I think it, like, the No Nonsense thing is just, you know, my approach towards things. And, you know, uh, John Anick, uh, gave me that nickname and it kinda just stuck. And I think it fits, you know, but, you know, this nonsense.

• 2:34Theo Von?

  So you'll, it'll allow a little?

• 2:35Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 2:36Theo Von?

  Okay, depends during the holidays.

• 2:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, I guess.

• 2:39Theo Von?

  Okay, okay. Maybe on your birthday, we can, there's a little bit of nonsense allowed.

• 2:43Speaker 01

  Usually, most of the things I do, I do very straightforward and, you know,

• 2:50Speaker 01

  No Nonsense, I guess.

• 2:52Theo Von?

  Yeah, I've, I've been involved in too much nonsense and it's, it gets a little hairy, that's for sure. Um, yeah, John Anick gave you that nickname, when, when was that?

• 3:00Speaker 01

  Yeah, a few years ago, um, yeah, we had a few conversations. And then I think on, on air, he said it. And it just seemed to take off and, and fit.

• 3:11Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 3:11Speaker 01

  And, uh, I think it does fit.

• 3:13Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 3:13Speaker 01

  You know, nicknames are weird, but, uh, I've had a few.

• 3:17Theo Von?

  Yeah, what are some other ones you've had?

• 3:19Speaker 01

  Uh, when I was little, uh, my nickname was Froggy. From like the Little Rascals, the voice.

• 3:24Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 3:25Speaker 01

  The, the little guy with the voice. Uh, I've always had this voice. So, uh, yeah, that was my nickname pretty much till I got older and kinda grew up. Some people still call me that, though.

• 3:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, there's this girl who moved in across the street. And she came over cause she wanted to play.

• 3:44Theo Von?

  That fits, man. That fits. You're from, uh, New York?

• 3:48Speaker 01

  Long Island, yeah.

• 3:49Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 3:49Speaker 01

  Long Island, New York. And I originally lived in like, uh, East Meadow, Nassau County area. And now I, uh, I live in Islip, New York.

• 3:57Theo Von?

  Islip?

• 3:58Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 3:58Theo Von?

  And how did you get into refereeing? How'd that start for you?

• 4:01Speaker 01

  Um, well, I fought amateurs for a while and, um, for about three years. Um, all different fights, amateur level, uh, MMA fights, Muay Thai fights, um, kickboxing. And then, um, We had a lot going on, so it was getting harder and harder, you know, to put the time in. And um, someone just uh, it's like, oh, why don't you, you know, judge or, or be an inspector at, at fights, at amateur fights or stuff like that? And I was like, okay, that sounds cool. I'll be, you know, still be at the fights. And then um, I went, took this course and the uh, I was in New Jersey and um,

• 4:42Speaker 01

  there was this old referee, uh, Donnie Caroline. He reffed a bunch of my kickboxing MMA fights and stuff.

• 4:48Theo Von?

  Donnie Caroline?

• 4:49Speaker 01

  Yeah. He's um, he passed away a few years ago and um, he, he was uh, like, you, you'd be really good at reffing. You'd be really good at reffing. So, I got my chance to ref, you know, a few amateur fights and it kinda just took off from there. And he was pretty supportive during the uh, amateur part of it.

• 5:07Theo Von?

  Were some of those early bouts tougher? Was it tougher to referee then? Like, is it something that gets easier over time? What?

• 5:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, I would always, I, I compare it to, and I don't know if it's a good comparison, but it would be like being a brain surgeon. Like, you're not gonna be as good as you're gonna be 10 years, but no one could die.

• 5:26Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 5:26Speaker 01

  Pretty, right? Pretty simple, right? And uh, so you learn lots and lots of little things and...

• 5:33Theo Von?

  So you're saying, so you, you're not gonna be as good as you're gonna be later, but as long as you don't let somebody die?

• 5:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, you gotta, you know, stop the fight when it's supposed to be stopped and, you know, and uh, and then the rules, it all comes in as you go.

• 5:44Theo Von?

  Take me on like an early experience that was kind of like a lot for a referee?

• 5:47Speaker 01

  Yeah, so for me, my first like, couple, like um, I remember my first or second time reffing. The fight was really even, it's amateurs, and really even, and then the kid was like, you know, losing pretty bad. And I was like, wow, this kid's losing pretty bad, you know, this fight should be stopped. And I was like, oh no, that's me. And I, and I stopped it. And then uh, and then kinda from there, you, you're like, yeah, you're the one in there, you know, cause it's, you're up close and like, you know, you have to adapt into a referee, like um, at first, you know, I come, came out from fighting, so my mentality was like a fighter.

• 6:31Speaker 01

  Like, as a fighter, I didn't always agree with the referee, like, you know.

• 6:35Theo Von?

  Oh, it's a good point, cause as a fighter, you have a, you're, you're...

• 6:38Speaker 01

  You're just doing your thing and, you know. Especially, you know, at the high level, like this is, you know, it's their health, their lives, their livelihood, you know, and all the dedication in the world, you know, that it takes. So, you know, they're on a different journey that day than I am, you know, for sure.

• 7:02Theo Von?

  And are there fighters that will tell you, they'll come up to you before about and say like, this is like, do not do this, or do this?

• 7:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, you'll get, you know, do not, and then I just let them talk and then I, you know, do my, you know, whatever my criteria is, I don't change it.

• 7:20Theo Von?

  You can't?

• 7:21Speaker 01

  No, you can't, you don't change it.

• 7:22Theo Von?

  Is there one fighter that's like, do not for anything? Like, is there somebody that's just like, let me go to the end of the road every time? Like, somebody that stands out? Cause it's kind of...

• 7:30Speaker 01

  Like, there's been, like, not to name any, but a lot, a lot of times when they say, don't stop this, they usually, you end up stopping it, it's weird. Or they'll like tap or something, they'll like, you know, be like, wow, you know? Especially when they say, you know, oh, I'm willing to die, whatever. But some guys are just quiet and just, you know, that they're there to get the job done. And, you know, and as far as, you know, it's like, as I said, a criteria, you know? Let's say you, you've watched a lot of fights, like, and when I'm refing, I'll say like, you have to move. And if they fit that criteria, if they're defending and they can move, you know?

• 8:11Speaker 01

  It's a fight. My main thing, as I said, this, you know, they're putting their health on the line. My main thing is to have them fairly fight and, you know, health, like them leaving and being able to fight again, or whatever they want to do again, right? Um, you know, be a family person, like, there's a lot, like, besides me being a parent myself, it's the most important thing I'll ever do. It's, it's very important. And, you know, on the outside, it's just a fight, but a lot can happen, you know, and so, um...

• 8:47Theo Von?

  You're kind of like a safeguard.

• 8:49Speaker 01

  Yeah, and, you know, and it's like, you're in there and, as I said, emotions from everywhere, right? Fighters, corners. People who are there to watch the fight from, you know, you you get a different vibe from the people in the front row, from the people in the back row, right? So it's a very emotional. So really, I try to keep my emotions aside and and, you know, just have the set thing of what I do each time. And, you know, everyone makes mistakes. No, I don't. That doesn't make them acceptable either. Like, you know, oh, everyone makes, and they do, and and I do. But, you know, make a mistake, admit it, and learn from it and move on.

• 9:33Theo Von?

  Is there a fight that you've had to like, you were like, yeah, maybe that was a little earlier. That was, I didn't read it correctly or?

• 9:39Speaker 01

  I try not to read it totally into the early ones. I don't have many where I'm like, oh, that that was late. I got, um, I'm lucky, uh, that I don't really have one where I'm like, wow, that's not what I'm here to do. Um, so that that I'm lucky, but, um, you know, to know as you get more experience, you know. Like, you'll know when even like sometimes someone like, ah, I think that was a little early, and you'll know right in your head, it wasn't a little early. Like, cause you're there right next to them. So, you know, you hear all the sounds.

• 10:16Theo Von?

  That's a good point, actually. Yeah, you're right there. I mean, you're you're you're right there. You're the closest person to it. You can feel a different energy than we can.

• 10:24Speaker 01

  Yes. And and even cameras, I've done, I've, you know, cause I look at my work when I'm when I'm done with it, and I've watched five different angles. And like, usually the only angle, like, there's one angle that I'm like, oh, that's what I saw.

• 10:40Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 10:40Speaker 01

  And the other angles are kind of maybe a little bit, and then there's one, like, closest to where my eyes are, and they are, where you're like, oh, that's what I saw.

• 10:50Theo Von?

  You ever go back and, uh? Like with your lady make love to a fight or watch one or something like that like that you know I'm saying watch if like watch your work type of thing like a thing you know people will like watch their

• 11:00Speaker 01

  Oh like watch it you know just to say wow I did great yeah nah I don't look at the ones I think I did good

• 11:06Theo Von?

  Yeah

• 11:08Theo Von?

  What uh tell me a little bit about your life outside of work so I know you're in a band I remember you telling me about it one time

• 11:14Speaker 01

  Yeah I was in I was in two bands it was uh my first band we started in nineteen ninety eight And my other one we've been around a pretty long time too um

• 11:25Theo Von?

  What's that band called

• 11:26Speaker 01

  The first one was called GFY and um the second one's Loser Sometimes Win And uh they're like New York hardcore bands

• 11:34Theo Von?

  Hardcore

• 11:35Speaker 01

  Yeah yeah

• 11:35Theo Von?

  Nice and what do you kind of model to me what is GFY for

• 11:38Speaker 01

  Uh go fuck yourself

• 11:39Theo Von?

  Oh yeah

• 11:41Speaker 01

  I was younger younger then yeah yeah

• 11:44Theo Von?

  Oh that shit was fun huh dude where did you guys play how did you guys get started

• 11:48Speaker 01

  Um we uh Long Island guys and um we uh met you know like a music scene yeah and um We met uh I was like oh we'll start something and then we just started it

• 12:04Theo Von?

  And were you singing were you playing an instrument

• 12:05Speaker 01

  I sing

• 12:06Theo Von?

  You did so that voice as part of it was that one of the reasons you even got into singing is because your voice was kind of different or

• 12:12Speaker 01

  Uh it's like it just happens to be that my voice kind of fit the hardcore thing but I liked hardcore way before that but uh Kind of like started listening to hardcore punk rock music when I was really young but yeah I was just into like I got into heavy metal And like Black Sabbath and all that and then when I started hitting my early teens I wanted to find something that kind of like Fit more of where where I was and more like uh work as man like street music and stuff so that's I fell in hardcore and just Fell in love with from then and you know I'm still still that's what I listened to uh I listen to all every you know not everything Actually I don't like people who say they listen to everything but uh I listen to a lot of types of music but

• 12:55Theo Von?

  Let's let's take a gander at some of it let's take an ear gander here at a little bit of it play that second one actually I like Till I Die

• 13:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, boy!

• 13:38Theo Von?

  You come in on this?

• 13:39Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think right after the intro.

• 13:44Speaker 03

  Who the hell are you? We came to wreck everything and ruin your life. God sent us.

• 13:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's right. There's two singers in this band.

• 14:01Theo Von?

  Yeah, bro!

• 14:04Theo Von?

  That vibe is a pure vibe, dude. That was like, that's like one type of culture, that whole energy.

• 14:10Speaker 01

  And it's like silly too, like the, the intro that is the death march, right? And it was like Halloween and I pressed this thing and that's what it was like

• 14:23Speaker 01

  So I went to my guys, I'm like, "Yo, play the death march."

• 14:26Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 14:26Speaker 01

  And there you go.

• 14:27Theo Von?

  What are the ladies like that would come to this, that, come to those shows?

• 14:31Speaker 01

  That's how I met my wife.

• 14:32Theo Von?

  Really?

• 14:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 14:33Theo Von?

  Oh, so pretty good.

• 14:34Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's it. So from, uh, right before the band started or whatever, I met her and then...

• 14:41Theo Von?

  Where did you meet her at? Like, technically?

• 14:42Speaker 01

  At, uh, the band Hatebreed. At a Hatebreed show.

• 14:45Theo Von?

  Hatebreed?

• 14:46Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:47Theo Von?

  Bring 'em up.

• 14:47Speaker 01

  They're famous.

• 14:48Theo Von?

  And are they out of, uh, New York?

• 14:50Speaker 01

  No, Connecticut. They're famous now, pretty. They play huge shows.

• 14:55Theo Von?

  Yeah, I think I've heard their name before.

• 14:56Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:57Theo Von?

  Um, and so were you guys just like, were you at the concession stand or were you just like kind of like?

• 15:03Speaker 01

  I don't know if there's a concession stand, but, uh, yeah, no, yeah.

• 15:06Theo Von?

  It's just tongue piercings and vodka at it?

• 15:08Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:09Theo Von?

  Um, yeah, where'd you meet her at?

• 15:11Speaker 01

  Uh, at, at the show and, uh, just, you know, whatever, dancing, what do you call it, the mosh pit or whatever?

• 15:17Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 15:18Speaker 01

  And, uh, yeah, and we just met and that was it, yeah.

• 15:22Theo Von?

  Dude, those pits are fun, kind of if you can coordinate the pits. Do you ever do that when you're on stage where you're like, "All right, everybody to this side and this side," and then you make a merge? Like, I was at a Suicide Boys show not long ago.

• 15:31Speaker 01

  There was probably a lot more people at that show than my show.

• 15:35Theo Von?

  Yeah, yeah. But they'll do this thing where it's like this kind of controlled thing, but mosh pits used to be pretty sick.

• 15:41Speaker 01

  The wall of death.

• 15:42Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 15:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah. When there's a big crowd, those are cool looking.

• 15:46Theo Von?

  Yeah, shit's dope, dude.

• 15:48Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:50Speaker 01

  Hunker band that does that really good with us is Sick of It All. They do a good wall of death.

• 15:54Theo Von?

  Sick of It All?

• 15:55Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:56Theo Von?

  Yeah, I'm not familiar with them. I think I'm not familiar with as much of that genre of music. When I was growing up, like, we had, like, a brother's friend, like, like, my brother's friends, they had a band that was like that. And so, like, being the younger brother, we'd go lit, you know, just try to get involved and stuff. Um, but there was always this kind of like, uh, I think in our area, it was kind of fringe a little bit, just because they wouldn't have as many people that listened to that type of music.

• 16:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, in, in New York, it's, you know, e- even though they had its ups and downs, but like, at one point, you had, like, CBGB's was like the home, you know, and, and stuff like that, and you had lots of clubs and so it's...

• 16:34Theo Von?

  Would you go there when you were growing up?

• 16:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, that's where I went mostly, and then, and then I ended up playing there in both bands a few times, yeah.

• 16:42Theo Von?

  Bring it up, CBGB.

• 16:46Theo Von?

  CBGB was a legendary New York City music club in the Bowery District, founded by Hilly Kristall. In 1973, they became a crucial incubator for the American punk and new wave rock movements, though it was initially intended for country, bluegrass, and blues music, which the CBGB, oh, I didn't even realize that, name stands for, country blueba- country, bluegrass, blues. The unglamorous, gritty venue hosted influential bands like the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith Group before closing in 2006. Wow.

• 17:20Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 17:21Theo Von?

  So, do you remember who'd you go see there?

• 17:23Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah, like, New York bands like Sick of It All, Nostic Front. Um, pretty much, like, once you kind of get into that, then it's all friends bands, they get to play, they play there, you go, like, we, we played there a few times. Um... It was like Sundays, you know, you'd go to, that's where you go, take the train and go, go to a show. And then there's, at the time, um, there's like a bunch of clubs, uh, and you know, great clubs there. And, um, you know, being young, you just go, you know, at one point you can go three or four shows a week.

• 17:59Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 18:00Speaker 01

  So, and, uh, so that became like main focus for a pretty long time.

• 18:05Theo Von?

  Did you have like a routine before you got on stage with your band? Did you have any?

• 18:10Speaker 01

  Yeah, uh, you know, like, uh, I would just stand like, we'd be selling shirts, so stand behind the distro and kind of get ready and just get on and go. Um, it's not much, you know, not much, like, I don't even, you know, I think it's good, but like, anyone could do it. Uh, well, what I was doing, just get on and if you love it, you just start screaming, I guess.

• 18:36Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 18:36Speaker 01

  But, yeah, I like, the raw energy of it all is really what I still love. And, uh, I don't get to go to shows as much, uh, anymore, but my son's really, but my son's in three bands right now. So he's really involved in that. So, uh, but, um, I still love, love the whole culture.

• 18:56Theo Von?

  Yeah, it almost seems like there's some correlation there between like the intensity, right, of that and MMA.

• 19:02Speaker 01

  MMA. Yeah, there is. Definitely, definitely.

• 19:04Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's like, it's almost like when the pedal is pressed all the way down in a car and you're going at that.

• 19:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 19:09Theo Von?

  Like, there's that.

• 19:10Speaker 01

  I was actually really surprised when I started rapping, you know, um, events that were on TV, that how many guys at the hardcore scene were into MMA and, and, you know, knew like, you know, the events and, and stuff. A lot, there is a connection, you know, with, uh, jiu-jitsu and, and hardcore teams, a lot of guys roll. But, uh, but with, you know, with the UFC, with all that stuff, like, you know, oh, they knew everything about it. I, I was pretty surprised. But it makes sense.

• 19:41Theo Von?

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• 22:11Theo Von?

  Where'd you take your wife on your like y'all's first date? Do you remember?

• 22:14Speaker 01

  Hmm, I think we went to the diner.

• 22:17Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 22:18Speaker 01

  Something like that, yeah, cheese fries or something.

• 22:20Theo Von?

  That's what I'm talking about. I'm thinking about sitting on this fancy dates. I'm about to cheese fry a woman and see what happens. I need a wife, brother.

• 22:27Speaker 01

  With the brown gravy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the ticket.

• 22:30Theo Von?

  Was she in a band or was she like?

• 22:32Speaker 01

  She wasn't in a band, just, you know, like, um, she liked ska music.

• 22:36Theo Von?

  Mm-hmm, oh, yeah.

• 22:37Speaker 01

  And, uh, back then, like Long Island, they would, you know, bands would play, uh, hardcore bands and ska bands would play on the same bill. And then she just ended up being a big fan of hardcore music, too.

• 22:47Theo Von?

  What differentiates ska?

• 22:49Speaker 01

  Uh, ska's got, uh, uh, the definition, but, uh, uh, it's got saxophones and stuff and the horn section.

• 22:56Theo Von?

  Hmm.

• 22:56Speaker 01

  Usually.

• 22:58Theo Von?

  I never really thought about that. I've always wondered ska music is a lively genre originated in Jamaica in the 1950s, blending elements of Caribbean, calypso, American jazz, and rhythm and blues. Um, a walking bassline with strong accents on the offbeat played by guitar piano known as the skank, fast tempos and energetic melodies. Uh, let me see. In Jamaica, ska was popular among working-class rude boys.

• 23:26Speaker 01

  Rude boy!

• 23:28Theo Von?

  While in the UK, skinheads adopted the genre during the two-tone era as a form of working-class solidarity. Ah, that's pretty cool. How long have you guys been married now? Is it your?

• 23:38Speaker 01

  Uh, 23 years.

• 23:39Theo Von?

  What's been the key to a long marriage, do you feel like? Like, um, how's that been? How's that road been?

• 23:44Speaker 01

  Oh, awesome. The whole, that part, amazing. Um, marriage, kids, I love, that's, you know, my number one thing. And, uh, it's been good. Uh, I would lie, you know, lie, say easy, but good, good, real good.

• 23:59Theo Von?

  You think you chose a good partner? Like?

• 24:00Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah. No, definitely. Uh, yeah.

• 24:04Theo Von?

  What makes her pretty great, do you feel like?

• 24:06Speaker 01

  I don't know. Uh, I guess the smart answer would be everything, but, uh.

• 24:10Theo Von?

  Yeah. Oh, there she is. She's Italian?

• 24:13Speaker 01

  Um, she's Algerian and Italian.

• 24:15Theo Von?

  Ooh, yeah, boy. Keep you on your toes.

• 24:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah. She definitely is. And, um, yeah. I'd say, you know, as far as like us parenting together and stuff like that, it's just perfectly like, very good. Works out really good. Um, you know, like, uh.

• 24:32Speaker 01

  Certain things I'm good at help her, certain things she's good at helps me. Mostly what she's good at helps me. Um, she keeps it definitely uh going.

• 24:43Theo Von?

  She's the one that keeps it going, yeah.

• 24:44Speaker 01

  By a lot.

• 24:45Theo Von?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure, man. Um, what was it like when you guys decided to have kids? Was that like a scary choice or was it something you guys were just both excited about? Was it scary for you kind of to become a dad? Like what was your relationship with your dad like?

• 24:58Speaker 01

  Um, I'm, I'm good, both of my parents, good. Um, but uh, yeah, I would, I don't think I was nervous. I do know like when our first son was born, I kind of looked and it was like real deal now, right? You're like holding him, like alright, like this guy depends on me for everything, like everything, you know? So you're like, alright, I gotta get it together, I gotta make sure, you know? And I had it together, but I gotta, I gotta make sure that I do this right, you know? And, you know, obviously, just like we said before, you make mistakes with things, but like, my goal is to, you know, raise, I have three kids and, you know, raise them to be good people without having to try, if that makes any sense.

• 25:42Speaker 01

  You know how like guys like us, like, oh, we're trying to do the right thing? I want my kids to just be able to do the right thing without having to try, which probably impossible, but if you shoot for that goal, you know, it's good, you know, it's a good thing.

• 25:56Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 25:56Speaker 01

  So.

• 25:57Theo Von?

  Yeah, I, I don't, I don't have any experience parenting, but I think it's something that I start to look forward to more and more. And I do think it's something that like kind of gets you into a new phase of life, right?

• 26:08Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah, definitely.

• 26:10Theo Von?

  I feel like I've been in this same phase of life sometimes for a while, kind of like, but I don't have another phase yet, you know? It's like I don't have a wife or family yet, you know? Sometimes people will be like, dude, you gotta grow up. And I'm like, to what, dude, what, like what? What do you want me to just go sit in a, like rock and try something? Like what do you want me to do?

• 26:27Speaker 01

  Yeah, definitely not.

• 26:29Theo Von?

  I want to enjoy my life.

• 26:30Speaker 01

  Even with my kids, it's been different, like my 23 year old is like really into the hardcore scene because when he was born, I was still very into that, still played shows, still, you know? Did, you know, went to shows, my friends would come over. That's all we would play in the backyard for barbecues. So like, he's really into that. And then, you know, my daughter, it's wrestling, wrestling, wrestling.

• 26:53Theo Von?

  Oh, she loves it.

• 26:54Speaker 01

  Yeah. And because by the time, you know, she was getting older, she's nineteen and she was getting older. That's what my older guy was doing. We were into wrestling things. So, and then that, you know, my fourteen year old is wrestling, wrestling and skateboarding. He's into skateboarding. So, and I was pretty good, but uh.

• 27:11Theo Von?

  Oh, there's your children right there?

• 27:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's them, yeah.

• 27:13Theo Von?

  Let's go, Keith. That's awesome.

• 27:16Speaker 01

  That's my son with the rancid shirt on, and that's his girlfriend. That's my youngest one and my daughter's at the end.

• 27:23Theo Von?

  Dude, congratulations, bro. That's so cool, man.

• 27:26Speaker 01

  That's cool.

• 27:27Theo Von?

  That's so cool.

• 27:29Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 27:29Theo Von?

  Yeah, there's something just special about that, about seeing a man and his family, you know? Um, you look like you've lost weight since then, huh?

• 27:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, I've lost a good amount of weight.

• 27:38Theo Von?

  Have you? Are you taking the peptides?

• 27:40Speaker 01

  No, I uh just stopped eating horribly and uh I'm running every day. And just, you know, like I wasn't eating well. I, I don't think, so uh.

• 27:53Theo Von?

  What were you eating?

• 27:54Speaker 01

  Everything. So.

• 27:57Speaker 01

  Everything, so.

• 27:58Theo Von?

  Did you have one snack, like at night? What was that snack that got you at night, homie?

• 28:02Speaker 01

  Like, what, three gallons of ice cream or something? Like, I was eating a lot.

• 28:05Theo Von?

  Really?

• 28:06Speaker 01

  You know, like, I guess it was gradual, so people didn't realize, but I'm not the biggest guy in the world. And I, I weigh like a hundred and eighty-six pounds. It's a lot. And uh, so I slowly, you know, even though since I've been losing the weight, uh, people, oh, he's sick or he lost too much weight or whatever. But you can never make people happy. You're fat, you're skinny, you know, you're short, which I can't make myself taller, so I don't understand that comment.

• 28:29Theo Von?

  Yeah, get taller, you're fat or whatever, you're like, yeah.

• 28:33Speaker 01

  It's like.

• 28:34Theo Von?

  What do you mean? They need me here. I'm closer to the fight.

• 28:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, you have a big head.

• 28:39Speaker 01

  And I didn't choose to have a big head, so.

• 28:42Theo Von?

  Yeah, let me get this nail file.

• 28:43Speaker 01

  Yeah. So like things, but uh, I feel good. I, I love that I, I've lost the weight. Um, you know, I'm trying to put some muscle on.

• 28:52Theo Von?

  Did you have a health scare, anything like that?

• 28:54Speaker 01

  I wanted to be healthy. Um, you know, a few things were going and not, not so much with me, but around me. And I was like, you know, I wanna, I wanna make sure I'm healthier and.

• 29:05Theo Von?

  Like, what do you mean, like a few things were going, like?

• 29:07Speaker 01

  Like a few people passed away.

• 29:09Theo Von?

  Oh, you saw, you saw people having the effects of not being healthy?

• 29:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, and, and just, you know, even, you know, some of them healthy, but just, I guess, not lucky. So I'm like, gotta give yourself the best chance, right?

• 29:21Theo Von?

  Yeah, sometimes you gotta meet God halfway, you know?

• 29:23Speaker 01

  Yeah, and it's never gonna be perfect, but, you know, like I saw this barbecue place, um, where I am, I'm, I'm eating some fried alligator later, for sure, yeah, for sure.

• 29:34Theo Von?

  Hell, yeah. Yeah, they got some good stuff around here, man. The food scene's been getting better here, uh, in Nashville as the city's been growing too. Um, what about like, uh, did you ever, did you struggle over the years with any addiction stuff? Are you, did you drink?

• 29:47Speaker 01

  Nah, I, well, I drank, but I, I wasn't necessarily like struggle in addiction.

• 29:52Theo Von?

  I couldn't remember if you told me that one time.

• 29:54Speaker 01

  I don't, I don't drink anymore, really. Um, but, uh, I never, never really even tried drugs. It was never kind of like, I, I wrestled all the way through.

• 30:03Theo Von?

  Oh, that'll keep you clean.

• 30:04Speaker 01

  And, and, you know, so, um, I wasn't the greatest ever, but, uh, I was really into it. And, uh, and, uh, you know, kinda kept me whatever. I was, I was wild enough without drugs.

• 30:16Theo Von?

  Yeah, you're a drug.

• 30:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Something already in there, you know what I mean?

• 30:22Theo Von?

  Yeah, you already got half a gram of something stuck in the back.

• 30:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, never, was never attracted to.

• 30:28Theo Von?

  Wow. That's wild, cause I think people would look at you and probably think something like that.

• 30:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, probably, I guess.

• 30:34Theo Von?

  And people, I mean, me too.

• 30:37Speaker 01

  In, in the music scene that I'm in, a lot of guys just, you know.

• 30:41Speaker 01

  Uh, probably, you would think, oh, that guy's on drugs, but they're just on whatever. That's, it's what who they are, right? So, but, uh, I guess that, you know, even these days, the tattoos and stuff, you would think, oh, that guy's, but, nah.

• 30:55Theo Von?

  Are you fully tattooed? What do you?

• 30:57Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah, I have sleeves, you know, uh, sleeves and my back's almost done and stuff like that.

• 31:04Theo Von?

  Wow.

• 31:05Speaker 01

  I, whatever, for some reason, I got my hands in my neck like real fast. I was young though, like twenty-two.

• 31:11Theo Von?

  Oh, okay, so these have been there for a while?

• 31:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, I like, I don't dislike them or anything, I don't.

• 31:15Theo Von?

  Yeah, no, it's cool. It's definitely an energy. I mean, you seem like, you know, like, yeah, you're like, you're, you're the no nonsense guy. So it's like, you know, you've, I think you kind of look a little bit like there's not a lot of nonsense allowed here.

• 31:29Speaker 01

  Yeah, I guess.

• 31:29Theo Von?

  You know, so it's kind of wild that you almost grew into that.

• 31:32Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 31:33Theo Von?

  You know what I'm saying? You kind of met, you kind of lived your life and then met that name, right?

• 31:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's kind of, yeah, that's, it's like, you know, I kind of mind my own business, always have, you know? I'm always, you know, and it's just like, you know, I, I treat people the way that I want to be treated, which most of the time is left alone. Right? I'm nice to, you know, I'm nice to kids, old people and animals. Keep moving on.

• 31:58Theo Von?

  Yeah, what else can you ask? I'm a citizen.

• 32:00Speaker 01

  That's it, right? Yeah.

• 32:03Theo Von?

  I think that's fair. Yeah, I'd love to see you working at a pet and zoo or something like that, dude, being like the operator or something. I could have seen you working at like, whenever like the carnival would come to town when I was a kid.

• 32:14Speaker 01

  Yeah, I would definitely probably be a good carny, right?

• 32:16Theo Von?

  Yeah, dude, but only on the, like the ride, it was the Gravitron where they had the dude in the middle. That did the music.

• 32:22Speaker 01

  Yes, I love that ride, so I, I have.

• 32:24Theo Von?

  Stop that ride, stop that ride. They would spin that thing and you would fucking.

• 32:28Speaker 01

  Gravitron story, it was, uh, it was actually, I know the date, it was, um, April nineteenth, uh, nineteen eighty-five. This place in, local near me, uh, it's called, um, Eventual Land, and they had Gravitron. And the Van Halen album, uh, Fifty-One Fifty just came out. And they played that song, Why Can't This Be Love, like a hundred times. Me and my brother went on it like eighty times in a row, and we just kept going. And then like I would find, I was, um, yeah, it was, uh, it was my ninth birthday, I think, and, um. It was for my birthday, that's why I remember the date. And, uh, the, uh, like, you'd go and then have the rules, right, of every single thing, and like,

• 33:12Speaker 01

  every single one, I'd break one of them. My brother would be like, "Stop, stop, stop!", like, kick off my shoe and then come back at ya, you know? Yeah, I remember that. That's crazy. The Gravitron was like my favorite.

• 33:22Theo Von?

  Fuck yeah, dude. And that was like where, cause that's, dude, at that time period, like, when we would go, yeah, I was like eleven, twelve or something like that, and you'd get in there and the dude who ran it would be like this kinda like rock.

• 33:35Speaker 01

  Kinda looked like a guy that shouldn't be running it.

• 33:37Theo Von?

  Yeah, yeah, yes. Like dude, somebody who dropped this guy in here.

• 33:42Speaker 01

  Somebody hired him.

• 33:43Theo Von?

  Yeah, and it almost looked like this, this thing came from like outer space and you get in.

• 33:47Speaker 01

  Like they built it around him.

• 33:48Theo Von?

  Yes, and the ramp would close up and it would be this dude who kinda looked like Slash from Guns N' Roses. And, and then, and it would, you'd slide up against that wall and you couldn't even like, you could barely even move, but every now and then you could like get your arm out and like just put it on your friend.

• 34:04Speaker 01

  The more your body got like used to it, you'd go upside down and it's, you know, and stuff like that.

• 34:09Theo Von?

  Oh damn, I didn't know people got used to it.

• 34:12Speaker 01

  Sideways.

• 34:13Theo Von?

  Oh shit, look at this.

• 34:16Speaker 01

  Like standing there, yeah. That's pretty brave there too.

• 34:19Theo Von?

  See, I'm the other one. See the one where the guy's facing the, facing the wall?

• 34:23Speaker 01

  He skipped me out of it.

• 34:24Theo Von?

  Yeah, the dude who would try to turn over and he just didn't have enough energy to get back over, that would be me. Just humping the edge of the Gravitron.

• 34:32Speaker 01

  Body's like split.

• 34:34Theo Von?

  Dude, that shit was cool though. There was just something.

• 34:37Speaker 01

  Well, that guy looks like a normal guy there.

• 34:39Theo Von?

  Amazing.

• 34:40Speaker 01

  The guy running it there.

• 34:41Theo Von?

  Yeah, that guy's an op, dude. That guy's not fucking real, dude. That guy's a narc probably.

• 34:46Speaker 01

  But.

• 34:46Theo Von?

  But dude, that shit was so much fun.

• 34:48Speaker 01

  The whole idea of they're not spinning and you're spinning always like got me. Like I would always like ex- explanation, like, he looks like he's spinning too.

• 34:55Theo Von?

  Yeah. Dude, did you have, who influenced that music in you when you were a kid? Cause I remember like, my brother would listen to like, uh, Dio, Lock Up The Wolves.

• 35:03Speaker 01

  Okay, yeah.

• 35:04Theo Von?

  He would listen to some like, like Skinny Puppy maybe I think was a band as well. Like nothing too crazy, but like ki- kind of a little bit of mainstream edge, you know?

• 35:13Speaker 01

  Skinny Puppies, yeah, um, good.

• 35:17Speaker 01

  The, you know, the metal stuff, like, I kinda like just grab it, you know, like sort and was like, I don't think guys would like the cut off sleeves and the, and the long hair, even though I've never had long hair, I was like, oh yeah.

• 35:31Theo Von?

  Never?

• 35:31Speaker 01

  No. Some in the front, like, uh, in the mid nineties, I had like that skater haired thing, but.

• 35:37Theo Von?

  Somebody make us a couple of, uh, put together a few memes of, um, somebody out there who knows how to do it. Uh, of, uh, of no nonsense with some long hair, just, we just, we have them for the future. Let's, we'll, we'll throw a couple of them in. Or we'll put this clip online and put a couple of them in. I'd love to just see that. Yeah, dude, I can't believe you didn't even try it.

• 35:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, I know. And then, uh, just that whole, whatever. And then like my brother, as he was going, he started listening to, uh, like, the different metal, but like Van Halen and, um, you know, stuff like that. So we kinda got Motley Crue.

• 36:13Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 36:14Speaker 01

  My first ever concert was Poison. I went with my brother. He was a few years older. So I went and then my second one was Motley Crue.

• 36:21Theo Von?

  Fuck dude, that's so sick, bro.

• 36:24Speaker 01

  On, um, Dr. Feelgood Tour. Yeah.

• 36:28Theo Von?

  We got Tommy Lee on here.

• 36:29Speaker 01

  Awesome. Yeah, that's crazy.

• 36:31Theo Von?

  That's crazy dude.

• 36:32Speaker 01

  So that, that tour, he played like up on the ceiling. And he just like, did like even, I think it was like ACDC, like cover songs. And just like went across the ceiling. It's pretty cool.

• 36:43Theo Von?

  And your brother took you to that?

• 36:44Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 36:45Theo Von?

  So you guys were pretty close?

• 36:46Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 36:47Theo Von?

  Nice. Does he play music?

• 36:48Speaker 01

  Nah, he actually passed away like a year and a half ago.

• 36:51Theo Von?

  Oh, man.

• 36:52Speaker 01

  So, yeah, young, at like fifty.

• 36:54Theo Von?

  Oh.

• 36:54Speaker 01

  So, yeah, but, uh.

• 36:57Theo Von?

  What was he, was he suffering from something?

• 36:59Speaker 01

  No, he, he had, um, he had, uh, tumors, but he, he didn't know or didn't, uh, take care of, I'm not sure which one, but, um, he, uh, so he went to the hospital on a Tuesday. He died on a, a Friday. So it was real fast. Real fast, so.

• 37:18Theo Von?

  Did you get to see him in between those days?

• 37:19Speaker 01

  I was there the whole time.

• 37:20Theo Von?

  You were?

• 37:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 37:21Theo Von?

  Oh, man.

• 37:22Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, so, yeah.

• 37:23Theo Von?

  What was that like?

• 37:24Speaker 01

  Uh.

• 37:25Theo Von?

  I mean, I hate to ask you that.

• 37:26Speaker 01

  Not good, uh.

• 37:27Theo Von?

  Yeah, sorry.

• 37:27Speaker 01

  So, no, it's alright.

• 37:28Theo Von?

  Fuck, it's not the most thoughtful question.

• 37:30Speaker 01

  No.

• 37:30Theo Von?

  I'm sorry that happened, man.

• 37:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, but, uh, so.

• 37:34Theo Von?

  I bet he was super proud of you, huh?

• 37:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, so how, yeah. So how things work is like, this stuff's gonna happen to all of us, unfortunately.

• 37:42Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 37:42Speaker 01

  Bad stuff, right? So.

• 37:46Speaker 01

  The way I feel is how are you gonna handle those moments? So I believe at that moment, it was handled as perfect as it possibly could.

• 37:57Theo Von?

  What makes you say that?

• 37:59Speaker 01

  Well, you know, in a room of people, uh, the room was full with people he loved and they loved him. You know, he, uh, he wasn't married, he didn't have kids, so my kids were like his kids. And, uh, so they're surrounded, you know, surrounded by his parents and just as good as that could happen. You know what I mean? And so, you know, I don't know, like, my brother was the nervous guy. He didn't seem nervous at that point, so I don't know, you know what I mean? But that's, yeah, much is weird.

• 38:31Theo Von?

  That's kind of interesting, huh?

• 38:33Speaker 01

  I'll probably be crying like a baby, but, uh, yeah, he handled it, you know?

• 38:37Theo Von?

  The world is kind of nerve wracking, you know, when you think about it?

• 38:40Speaker 01

  Yeah, so that's how, like, he was always nervous and I never was nervous about anything when we were kids. Even crossing the street, I'd run and he'd be screaming. Yeah, yeah, so we were really, really, really close. It was like me and him, my, my, um, my mom worked most of the time, two jobs and stuff. So it was me and him and, and, uh, we were total opposite. Like even growing up, like I got into like the metal music first. He would listen to like cultural club and like Tears for Fears, it's just different. Then he got into rock and roll stuff and, um, but, um, you know, he, he, he was a comedian. He was, uh, in school, he was in the drama club and stuff and I was in sports. So we were totally different, but like the same, I guess.

• 39:25Theo Von?

  Did you kind of feel like his protector sometimes in some ways?

• 39:27Speaker 01

  Uh, well, he was older than me, but yeah, I was definitely, and, and, you know, uh,

• 39:33Theo Von?

  It's always you got that gritty brother who's the fucking, you know what I'm saying?

• 39:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, I was definitely that, yeah, but, um, it was weird how we balanced it. Like he, he, as I said, he was nervous and had major anxiety, but like, It was so different, it just, but it fit like, um, perfect. Like, uh, like our relationship was like, good. Like, really good, yeah.

• 39:57Theo Von?

  What was his name?

• 39:58Speaker 01

  Uh, Rob.

• 39:58Theo Von?

  Rob?

• 39:59Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 40:00Theo Von?

  Nice, man. Rob Peterson?

• 40:01Speaker 01

  Yes, sir.

• 40:02Theo Von?

  Oh, well. Hello, Rob. Nice to meet you through your brother. Um, and I hope you guys are having a good time out there, wherever you are.

• 40:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, whatever you're doing.

• 40:12Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 40:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, for sure.

• 40:14Theo Von?

  Did he get to come see you referee?

• 40:17Speaker 01

  Uh, he, he never saw me referee, actually, yeah. Yeah, yeah, so.

• 40:23Theo Von?

  But I guess a lot of times you don't go watch somebody work.

• 40:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, but he came to see me fight. Actually, I have a pretty funny. So, I was fighting for a title, uh, amateur title in, um, in Atlantic City. And him and his buddy.

• 40:35Theo Von?

  Was this one of your biggest fights?

• 40:35Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah, it was like my, I think it was my first amateur title fight. So it was a big deal. And it was actually, no, I was actually defending it. I, I took a fight on short notice. Uh, I bumped up a weight and I lost. So now, I was fighting the same kid, but at our weight for the title. He was gonna take my title, whatever. So, my brother and his buddies come, and I guess they're doing their thing pretty early. And they're going, you know, uh, Atlantic City and, and having fun. And then I, I come and as I say, he's a really nervous guy. And, uh, he's standing in like the, uh, out of the hall, but the cage is right there.

• 41:19Speaker 01

  And he's like staring at the cage, and he looks like he's sweating. And I said to him, I'm like, yo, what's up, Robbie? And I'm right behind him, and he's like, oh my God, you know, fighting and, and, you know, you're getting older, you have kids and whatever. And the ring girls walk by, and I go, hey Robbie, you see the ring girls? He goes, he goes, I'm not that nervous, of course I've seen the ring girls. That was pretty funny. So I'm like, I'm fine, it was pretty funny. And then I, I won the fight, we went out, it was a really good, uh, great night, too. Uh, I, I remember it being really, really awesome.

• 41:51Theo Von?

  So you had an amateur belt?

• 41:53Speaker 01

  Uh, a few, yeah, a few. I, I, um, I won that one.

• 41:57Theo Von?

  Did you have a nickname when you were a fighter then?

• 41:59Speaker 01

  Shortly, the, the Spartan. Yeah, so like we were watching 300 or something and someone said something like, cause he, you know, and he was just fighting, hanging out with his wife and, and playing with his kids. And they're like, oh, that's kind of like you. I was like, oh, go with that Spartan, but yeah.

• 42:15Theo Von?

  Yeah. I saw where you fought one guy three times.

• 42:18Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:19Theo Von?

  Jose Villanueva?

• 42:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:21Theo Von?

  What was that? Was that, cause that was like a trilogy, I guess.

• 42:24Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:25Theo Von?

  What did that feel like? Was that part of that same thing?

• 42:27Speaker 01

  Yeah, that was.

• 42:28Theo Von?

  Oh, it was. So you guys were 1-1?

• 42:30Speaker 01

  Well, he ended up winning, uh, two. He ended up winning two. We bumped, we went back up, but we, and he, he won two.

• 42:37Theo Von?

  Did you feel like you could go back up? You're like, I got him here. I can go back up there and get him? Or what was that? What was that like, dude?

• 42:42Speaker 01

  I don't know. I can't remember. I'm trying to think like, I think back then.

• 42:46Theo Von?

  Did you have something against the guy?

• 42:48Speaker 01

  I don't know. But I think back then, you know, it was still kind of amateur scene was just kind of growing and.

• 42:55Theo Von?

  With MMA?

• 42:56Speaker 01

  And yeah, and he, he was good and, and I was good and he was competitive. So we're at, you know, probably, you know, I was trying to fight some other guys in between. So I was kickboxing and fighting Muay Thai fights too. But, uh, no, nothing against him. I actually ref'd him a bunch of times after.

• 43:14Theo Von?

  Oh, that's pretty cool, man. Oh, this is part of that bout?

• 43:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think this is the one. So this is the one I bumped up and I fought on three days notice.

• 43:23Theo Von?

  This is the first one?

• 43:24Speaker 01

  I lose this one. Yeah.

• 43:27Theo Von?

  Keith, that's dope, bro. You're in there.

• 43:30Speaker 01

  It's weird that the ones I went on, on here, but, and that's the guy, Donnie Carli. That's him. That's.

• 43:36Theo Von?

  The referee?

• 43:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's the guy who got me into reffing.

• 43:39Theo Von?

  Wow, that's cool.

• 43:40Speaker 01

  My first, yeah, my first.

• 43:42Theo Von?

  That's good defense right there, man.

• 43:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, I know how to wrestle a little bit, but my first, I think he does take me down, but I pop up and basically what happens is.

• 43:50Theo Von?

  Oh, look at that, bro. Go back. Let's see a little bit of that frigging, yeah. You were loving that shit, huh?

• 43:56Speaker 01

  What happens is I miss a back fist, but I think if I hit it, he'd probably still be asleep, but I miss it. And kind of get slammed on my head and move on from there. He submits, he submits me.

• 44:07Theo Von?

  That's cool, man.

• 44:08Speaker 01

  Yeah. Those fights were good. They were fun and he was a good guy. And as I said, I ref'd him after. And even in his pro career, so.

• 44:16Theo Von?

  That's pretty cool. Well, it's cool that you left him after and that the referee is the guy that got you.

• 44:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, there's a lot of connections.

• 44:23Theo Von?

  It's so amazing, man, about life if you're able to stay, kind of as you're saying, healthy enough, right? If you're able to take care of yourself mentally enough to stay, you don't have to stay in the center lane. You can veer off a little bit, but if you're able to stay, so many of the pieces of our past kind of really connect and make the future make sense.

• 44:44Speaker 01

  For sure, definitely. I've had, in the last couple of years, I've had so many moments like that, it's crazy.

• 44:50Theo Von?

  Yeah?

• 44:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, so.

• 44:52Theo Von?

  Anyone that stands out?

• 44:53Speaker 01

  Uh, well, so my first couple of years in high school, I didn't do so well. And I ended up doing pretty well.

• 45:01Theo Von?

  Like, what do you mean, didn't do so well? Like, in school?

• 45:03Speaker 01

  In school, yeah, so.

• 45:04Theo Von?

  Did you not like it?

• 45:05Speaker 01

  Um, yeah, I guess. In like ninth grade, I didn't really do very good.

• 45:11Theo Von?

  People were like, were you like fighting with other kids?

• 45:14Speaker 01

  No, not so much. You know, back then, kids fought more often than they do now, for sure. But I just didn't, you know, I guess that whole punk rock feel, like not listening to authority, whatever. Yeah, something like that. But, um, so I didn't do so well, and I went to Eastman High School, didn't do so well there. And then, uh, you know, I ended up going to a few different high schools, we moved a bunch of times. And, um, so it didn't end well, and then, um.

• 45:40Theo Von?

  Did you graduate?

• 45:40Speaker 01

  No, I graduated, I graduated high school. I went to college for a year, and then I started, I'm a diesel mechanic for the town I live in. I've been there 28 years, so.

• 45:49Theo Von?

  Are you still a diesel mechanic?

• 45:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 45:50Theo Von?

  Are you in the union?

• 45:51Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah.

• 45:52Theo Von?

  Oh, wow, what union are you in?

• 45:53Speaker 01

  Um, now, we're, uh, USP, we change a lot, but when I first started there, we were Teamsters. That was pretty cool. I thought the idea of being a Teamster was cool, but.

• 46:02Theo Von?

  Yeah, we had Tony O'Brien in, he worked with the Teamsters. Um, he was Teamsters president, I'm not sure if he still is.

• 46:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 46:07Theo Von?

  Um, but so we've learned a little bit about unions over the years. I didn't know anything about them until we had him in, you know?

• 46:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's the whole, union job's awesome. I'm able, I'm able to do what I do and stuff that I want to do and branch out.

• 46:19Theo Von?

  Wow, so you've been a diesel mechanic this whole time?

• 46:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 46:22Theo Von?

  How'd you get into that?

• 46:25Speaker 01

  I decided college wasn't for me. My dad's like, well, working is. Get a good job. So um. Got a job like back then. When you left college, you off your parents' benefits right after that. It wasn't like now where it's the twenty six. So I I needed a job. I was roofing and uh. I think I broke a rib or something and and I, you know, my dad was like, you need a job with in in insurance and. And if you get hurt, you know, you you get paid. So uh. I found this town job and I started a highway for a little while, like nine months, and then I got into the mechanic shop and that was that.

• 47:00Theo Von?

  You started working on the highway?

• 47:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, so like, you know, mowing the lawns and stuff on the highway.

• 47:04Theo Von?

  Oh, wow. You ever find anything cool out there?

• 47:06Speaker 01

  No.

• 47:07Theo Von?

  Damn.

• 47:08Speaker 01

  Garbage that you have to pick up. That's it.

• 47:10Theo Von?

  Always want to find a body out there.

• 47:11Speaker 01

  So like a dead body. My Long Island has a bunch of them on the sideways highways, but.

• 47:17Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 47:17Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 47:17Theo Von?

  Or semi living. I'll find, you know, I'm saying I'm I I hope they're alive, but yeah.

• 47:21Speaker 01

  I could totally. Be fine with not finding a dead body.

• 47:25Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 47:25Speaker 01

  Definitely. I'm good.

• 47:27Theo Von?

  Yeah, tomato, tomato.

• 47:28Speaker 01

  A body part or something, maybe.

• 47:30Theo Von?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 47:32Speaker 01

  Foot.

• 47:32Theo Von?

  Just a thumbs up.

• 47:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, thumbs up.

• 47:34Theo Von?

  That'd be kind of cool. Sounds like you're finding an emoji.

• 47:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, just like that. That'd be cool.

• 47:39Theo Von?

  Sean O'Brien is still the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as of October twenty twenty five. Um. Did you uh, did you have a mentor that taught you how to be a decent mechanic?

• 47:48Speaker 01

  No, kind of like on the job learning. I I did have, you know, there were older guys I had that were really good and uh. Kind of like if, you know, if I, you know, if I can't fix it, I could break it even more, you know, just keep going and then. From there, you know.

• 48:02Theo Von?

  And did you teach your kids any of those kind of skills or?

• 48:05Speaker 01

  Yeah, a little bit, you know, like the normal skills, like, you know. Like I actually, you know, there's kids that don't know how to change a flat tire these days. I've had a few of that. My kids know how to change flat tires and. My daughter knows how to change flat tires.

• 48:18Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 48:18Speaker 01

  You know, stuff like that. And um, my younger guy is the one that seems to be the the one that's going to be working with his hands. My older guy's a chef. But uh, so he works with his hands just differently. Um. But I hope his hands aren't dirty when he's working. But um. Yeah, my younger guy seems to be, you know, maybe do some mechanic program moving forward.

• 48:39Theo Von?

  Hmm.

• 48:41Theo Von?

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• 49:25Theo Von?

  If you're ever injured, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. For more information, go to forthepeople.com/theo. That's F-O-R-the-people.com/ T-H-E-O. This is a paid advertisement. Getting your sweat on might seem like hard work, but with Symmetry Sauna, it's a work of art. Premium custom saunas for your home or business, plus a series of sleek, pre-built saunas. I just got myself a Symmetry sauna, and I'm sweating out bad decisions. Like the time I tried to just fill my own chipped tooth in.

• 50:10Theo Von?

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• 51:02Theo Von?

  So take us on the journey of how you get into working with the UFC.

• 51:06Speaker 01

  Um, so I started reffing and um, so each one, you know, is commissions and I started reffing first in New Jersey. And then Pennsylvania got sanctioned and it's a really big state. So I got a lot of work there. And I was working, putting in a lot of time there and um, I think a few months into being sanctioned, they had a show. UFC 101 in Philadelphia and um.

• 51:36Theo Von?

  And you went to the fight?

• 51:37Speaker 01

  And I, no, I worked it. I reffed that one. That's my first one was 101.

• 51:42Theo Von?

  Bring that up, bring that card up.

• 51:44Speaker 01

  I reffed the first two fights.

• 51:46Theo Von?

  Wow. What was that like, that first day? I mean, did you have your own like kind of green room? Was it a little bit different? What was that like?

• 51:54Speaker 01

  Just normal like.

• 51:55Theo Von?

  But you had to be so excited, but how did you get it?

• 51:58Speaker 01

  I was actually so excited, I didn't even know how to get in. So I, I never, I've never gone to a venue without a ticket, right? So I, I didn't, and I, I didn't ask them, I didn't ask what I needed and, and I got there and realized how do I get in? So now, now I know, you had to have your credential, obviously. So, you know, and I ended up getting it, but now I know how that works.

• 52:19Theo Von?

  But you just tried to come in through the ticket?

• 52:21Speaker 01

  I, I, no, I just got there and I was in the parking lot and was like, how, how am I getting in? I don't have a ticket.

• 52:28Speaker 01

  So yeah, so that was, you know, 2009, so.

• 52:31Theo Von?

  Who were the other referees? Do you remember on the card?

• 52:35Theo Von?

  Any of the same guys as now?

• 52:37Speaker 01

  There, there's some, I think some are still now.

• 52:40Theo Von?

  Maybe Mark Goddard?

• 52:41Speaker 01

  Yeah, yes. Actually, I believe that was Mark Goddard's first time reffing in the States, I believe, or UFC in the States or something like that. So yes, he was on that card.

• 52:51Theo Von?

  BJ Penn, wow, that's amazing. Dude. That's Forrest Griffin?

• 52:57Speaker 01

  Yep, it was Anderson Silva versus Forrest Griffin. So it was a while now, I guess, right? Yeah.

• 53:04Theo Von?

  Was there a fighter that you reffed for early before he got to the UFC that you saw like in amateurs and stuff?

• 53:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, a bunch of them, like Paul Felder.

• 53:13Theo Von?

  Yeah, Paul's the best, huh?

• 53:15Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 53:15Theo Von?

  He's fearless.

• 53:16Speaker 01

  He's awesome.

• 53:17Theo Von?

  Could you tell then, when you were seeing Paul then?

• 53:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, he's a different level. Al Quinta, different level, tough. Yeah. I'm trying to think, there's been a good amount over the years that you see in the local stuff and you reff and then and then you reff them in the UFC, which is pretty cool.

• 53:38Theo Von?

  That's pretty cool, man.

• 53:39Speaker 01

  For them and for me.

• 53:40Theo Von?

  Yeah, for sure.

• 53:41Speaker 01

  Like for them that they're there, not that I'm there. I don't think they really care about that. But, uh, yeah, for me, it's like, wow.

• 53:49Theo Von?

  Yeah, I'm a part of something.

• 53:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 53:50Theo Von?

  Yeah. Like, we're all on this journey, we're all on the same journey in a way.

• 53:54Speaker 01

  As I said, you know, it's like, besides, you know, my family stuff, it's the most important thing that I'm gonna end up doing. You know, and to see, you know, you think about it, you reff them in the, you know, the local scene and they're healthy enough to get there, right? And, you know, you think, you know, you have something to do with that, you know?

• 54:16Theo Von?

  That's a good point.

• 54:16Speaker 01

  You know, so.

• 54:18Theo Von?

  Was there ever a fighter that you remember that stood out that something happened in amateurs and they didn't make it? Like, someone that really stood out over the years?

• 54:27Speaker 01

  Well, there's a lot of ones that you would say, oh, this guy is gonna be, and they don't, you know, it's a tough sport, right? So, and...

• 54:34Theo Von?

  Anyone that comes to mind that kind of liked that you?

• 54:36Speaker 01

  Not particularly name-wise, but, uh, there's been guys where I go, wow, you know, sky's the limit. And then they just, you know, for whatever injury, or it's hard, you know? Like we were saying, you talk about having kids and stuff. I think, you know, once you start having kids and stuff, the guys that have these families and they train like that, you know how much dedication that takes and sacrifice, like a lot? And women, you know, who do the same, like, the men and women who do that, it takes a lot. A lot, a lot um to do. So, you know, at that level.

• 55:12Theo Von?

  Yeah. Oh, when you see a guy going away like um to a camp for six weeks, eight weeks, 10 weeks to get ready and there a lot of times they're going to be away from their family. Maybe their family will come and visit on the weekends and stuff because you know, there's, there's um, there's only a few places in America where it's like kind of premier training. Um, and then you could go into the bout and losing the first round or you know, it's like, it could end in 30 seconds. Yeah.

• 55:37Speaker 01

  That's like training for the Olympics, you know, taking last, right? You cannot train at all, take last.

• 55:44Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 55:44Speaker 01

  Training for what? Your whole life, you know? So that's what makes it, you know, cool in a way too.

• 55:50Theo Von?

  Oh, that's the, that's why like when I go to the fights and you know, I like to go early. I just, because I'm like, this is like, this is their life, right?

• 56:00Speaker 01

  Yeah, I noticed that.

• 56:01Theo Von?

  You're getting to witness a piece of somebody's life. Like they, they, they mean this.

• 56:06Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 56:06Theo Von?

  Ninety, if they're at that, that level, they mean this so much.

• 56:11Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 56:11Theo Von?

  That to even be in the presence of something like that, I think gives me energy. It's like,

• 56:16Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 56:16Theo Von?

  I'm showing up to watch an eclipse almost, something so rare, you know?

• 56:20Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 56:21Theo Von?

  Um, are there fighters when they come in the ring like, uh, you know, Alex Pereira has that energy. When you're in there, when he comes in, like when I'm in there as a fan and he, there is a unique energy like that pentameter of the.

• 56:32Speaker 01

  I would say, yeah, there's definitely fighters with energy, you feel the energy.

• 56:36Theo Von?

  Are there some like, what are some that you would even name? Like, are there some that?

• 56:38Speaker 01

  Dustin Poirier.

• 56:39Theo Von?

  Yeah, Poirier, people are excited.

• 56:41Speaker 01

  Yeah, the people energy, his own energy.

• 56:44Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 56:44Speaker 01

  You just can feel it. Um.

• 56:46Theo Von?

  Hmm, that's interesting.

• 56:47Speaker 01

  And uh, like Clay Glieter, win or lose, the energy is just so good, yeah.

• 56:52Theo Von?

  Dude, you see him, you just get excited.

• 56:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just the energy and it's coming off of him. You can feel it and that he wants to be there, you know, like.

• 56:59Theo Von?

  Wow.

• 57:00Speaker 01

  Yeah, but um. Yeah, there's a lot of fighters that you just get that really, that energy from. And then when you get it from both at the same time, that's where you really, you're just firing off, right?

• 57:11Theo Von?

  Yeah. Is it, is it tougher to referee some of the, um, the bigger fighters? Well, is it because of their body shape? Like when they're like, i- is there, is there a weight class that's a little bit tougher or different? That you have to adjust how you do or where you place yourself?

• 57:28Speaker 01

  I don't know about tougher or different. Like the small guys are faster, the bigger guys are stronger, right? It's, I just, right, uh, physics, I guess. Um, so you just, you know, make sure you're fast enough for the faster guys. And you're in the right position for the, the bigger guys. Um, I don't, I don't like have a preference. Um, I can ref whatever.

• 57:52Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 57:53Speaker 01

  You, you wanna be in the right position and, you know, they'll listen to your commands and, you know, cause people do ask like, oh, how would you stop them? And same way you'd stop, you know, a small, a smaller guy or, you know, so.

• 58:05Theo Von?

  And they always all honor the referee for the most part.

• 58:07Speaker 01

  For the most part, yeah, you know?

• 58:09Theo Von?

  Cause that's part of the code of?

• 58:10Speaker 01

  Yeah, you give respect, you get respect, right? So, you know?

• 58:14Theo Von?

  Yeah, the level of respect that's in that ring is pretty amazing too, I feel like.

• 58:17Speaker 01

  So, yeah, I think people would be surprised, definitely, um, how like, you know, respectful fighters are to, to me, I put, you know, I can't really speak for them, but to me. And, um, you know, obviously you're not gonna always agree, but for the most part, uh, for the very, very most part, um, they're very respectful.

• 58:39Theo Von?

  Have you ever been at a fight where, uh, someone passed away in the ring? Or there was something that tragic that happened?

• 58:44Speaker 01

  No.

• 58:45Theo Von?

  Wow. That's, that's amazing, man.

• 58:48Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 58:48Theo Von?

  That's a blessing.

• 58:49Speaker 01

  A lot of fights, yeah, yeah.

• 58:50Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 58:50Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 58:51Theo Von?

  Cause you've refereed thousands of fights.

• 58:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, probably, yeah.

• 58:53Theo Von?

  Wow.

• 58:54Speaker 01

  Definitely a lot of them, yeah.

• 58:56Theo Von?

  Is there anything different about refereeing a male fight to a female fight?

• 59:00Speaker 01

  No. I, I, you know, uh, I've been lucky to get some of the best female fights ever. And, um, There's really no difference, um, you know, it's, you know, pretty amazing the level that they've grown so quickly.

• 59:17Theo Von?

  For sure.

• 59:17Speaker 01

  And, and, and I, and female sports in general, if we, you know, talk about, you know, women's wrestling, like last year I went to the, um, N A I, uh, women's nationals and.

• 59:28Theo Von?

  Well, your daughter was in it?

• 59:29Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 59:29Theo Von?

  Oh, she was?

• 59:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, she won the regional last year.

• 59:32Theo Von?

  Let's go!

• 59:34Speaker 01

  And, uh, the level of competition was insane.

• 59:38Theo Von?

  Really?

• 59:38Speaker 01

  You know, she fell short at the, her first year, last year, so, uh, we'll see how this year goes, but, uh, but, um, the level and these, you know, they're like, they're not girls, they're 26-year-old women in college.

• 59:51Theo Von?

  Oh, that's a good point.

• 59:52Speaker 01

  There's some real tough women out there, so, uh, it was, it was amazing, it was, um, although I wish she, she had, uh, won a few matches, me and her sitting there watching that level together was, you know, two days, it was in, uh, Kansas, and, uh, I was kinda, at the end, I'm kinda happy she didn't do that well, cause we were able to go out for lunch and dinner and hang out.

• 1:00:13Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:13Speaker 01

  So, but, um.

• 1:00:15Theo Von?

  Oh, that's nice.

• 1:00:16Speaker 01

  This year's a new year and we'll, uh, see how she does.

• 1:00:19Theo Von?

  And she really loves it, huh?

• 1:00:20Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. All, all my kids, uh, really loved wrestling and, uh.

• 1:00:25Theo Von?

  There's such a great value in that, there's such a great sense of like you can take care of yourself, that you can handle yourself, I bet.

• 1:00:31Speaker 01

  There, there is, it's just, uh, there's more, like wrestling's the best sport, uh, you know, that you could do in, in, in high school level and, and, well, youth level to college level, um.

• 1:00:42Theo Von?

  Oh, wrestlers will always be the craziest too, you'd like, you'd just be driving one day and you'd see your buddy wrapped in trash bags, right? It's like 90 degrees out in Louisiana, my buddy Paul Corso would be like, and I think it's his birthday actually today or tomorrow, but wrapped in trash bags, just running down the highways, like, I gotta fight in two hours, you're like, who are you fighting, man, you're fighting off Satan, brother?

• 1:01:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:01:03Theo Von?

  That's wild.

• 1:01:04Speaker 01

  Yeah, but same as what we were talking about.

• 1:01:06Theo Von?

  But that commitment too, right?

• 1:01:09Speaker 01

  Right, and then it carries on to almost anything, and also like, um, you know, uh, like.

• 1:01:17Speaker 01

  When you're wrestling and you feel defeat, right? Like you're learning life lessons on a wrestling mat instead of having to learn it outside world where where the you know costs sometimes is a little more. So you're learning it just by, you know, you know, training and stepping on a wrestling mat, there's not, you know, it's nothing better than that.

• 1:01:36Theo Von?

  Uh, when I was going to MMA classes, I remember there would be like days where like even after like I'd sit there at the end of the day and sometimes I would just like ball, like just emotions would come out of me, but it was stuff that got unlocked that had been in my muscles or in my fascia and in me. And it was like, um, the ability to be able to be, uh,

• 1:01:57Theo Von?

  like beaten by somebody that also cares that you're going to be okay at the same time. There's something really fascinating about that. And I don't think you can find it any other place, right? Like you know, your competitor also, they want to beat you, but they also, some of them want to teach you, especially if you're new. It's just like there's, it's unprecedented, different levels of, um, well-being and competition and, uh, ferociousness and defeat that are all wrapped up in there.

• 1:02:23Speaker 01

  Yeah, and, and bonds can be made that way.

• 1:02:26Theo Von?

  Oh, you learn who all the cops are because all of them are off duty. You know, they're all in there.

• 1:02:31Speaker 01

  And I saw a few guys that I used to train with. And, uh, mostly in the stand-up stuff and, um, you know, buckets of blood, we would really go hard. A lot of people would come and be like, what the hell? Right? It was my early training and I just got bonds with those guys forever, you know, seeing them is great. And, and we laugh about that because I, I don't know, we spar pretty hard.

• 1:02:53Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:02:53Speaker 01

  So it was good. It's good.

• 1:02:55Theo Von?

  Do you ever think that a fighter threw a fight or had given up but kept fighting? What is that kind of energy like? How do you manage something like that? And how do you decide if it's just you interjecting some of your own thoughts into what's going on? Can you take me on even just some journeys about some of that?

• 1:03:11Speaker 01

  So like, you know, what, like if a guy is giving up or?

• 1:03:15Theo Von?

  Yeah, like, do you ever think a guy doesn't want to be in there, but he's staying in there? Like, do you ever get some of that energy?

• 1:03:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's, it's kind of the sport where if you don't want to be in there, most likely you're not gonna be for very long, right? So like I have seen guys that it's not going very well and you can tell they definitely want to be there, right? That's a little easier to see.

• 1:03:37Theo Von?

  Hmm.

• 1:03:37Speaker 01

  I think, um, definitely, but, um,

• 1:03:41Theo Von?

  Yeah, I guess that's a good point, huh?

• 1:03:42Speaker 01

  Yeah, usually if you don't want to be there at some point, you're not going to be there pretty quick. And you can see, you know, guys get surprised or, you know, overwhelmed. And for that moment, you know, live to fight another day and whatever. And but usually like if a guy, you know, they, you know, you're stopping them, they're not stopping themselves for the most part.

• 1:04:03Theo Von?

  Have you ever had a guy stop himself or their corner stop him with some of that?

• 1:04:06Speaker 01

  I have like amateur stuff. Like I had a kid walk out of the cage and leave the other day.

• 1:04:11Theo Von?

  One for him. Good choice.

• 1:04:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, wasn't wasn't for him. And I know he was amateur, so like, good decision.

• 1:04:16Theo Von?

  Yeah, fuck, yeah. Go get a smoothie, huh?

• 1:04:20Speaker 01

  Yeah, see you later. I was like, all right, I waved it off. And they're like, what? I'm like, yeah, once you leave, it's over. Yeah.

• 1:04:26Theo Von?

  Yeah, yeah, that'd be crazy. He comes back in. His mom's like walking back in with him or something, or his buddies.

• 1:04:32Speaker 01

  One time, um, it was my buddy and he knocked this guy out and and somehow his mom got in. And you thought she was gonna kneel down and and to see tend to her son. But the doctors were there. He was being taken care of. She stepped over and gave him the finger. Gave my buddy the finger. It was crazy. I remember it was many years ago, but I remember because ACDC Thunderstruck was being played. And the moms gave him the kid the finger. It was pretty awesome.

• 1:05:00Theo Von?

  Oh, that's epic, dude.

• 1:05:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 1:05:02Theo Von?

  Yeah, have there been some other incidents that have happened at the end of the match where? What's that like? Because that's a lot of energy. People are coming into the ring. You still have fighters that are down sometimes.

• 1:05:12Speaker 01

  So obviously that was years and years ago. And so now it's, you know,

• 1:05:18Speaker 01

  only the right personnel coming coming in. But um, this, you know, actually I was I fought on that card, that woman. So that was a long time ago. But um, you know, it could be pretty crazy, you know, especially like.

• 1:05:34Speaker 01

  The higher, you know, the, the event and, and loud and, and, and stuff. And then when the fight ends, sometimes it's just like that.

• 1:05:43Theo Von?

  It is.

• 1:05:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's just like, like, you know, so that's crazy. And, and the more, over the years, the more you work, the more the sounds kinda, some you hear, some you don't. Um, like, I can pinpoint someone's voice and then other, you know, there's thousands of people screaming.

• 1:06:02Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's crazy that it can be dead quiet in there with so many people in there sometimes. And sometimes there'll be certain cheers going on, but it's still, there's this real silence that's right up there by the cage. Like, um, it's almost eerie in a way.

• 1:06:16Speaker 01

  It can be.

• 1:06:17Theo Von?

  Or mysterious.

• 1:06:17Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:06:18Theo Von?

  Or unique, it's, uh, it's powerful.

• 1:06:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:06:21Theo Von?

  You know, cause there can be like this insane moment, about twenty thousand people are watching.

• 1:06:26Speaker 01

  And it's quiet.

• 1:06:26Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:06:27Speaker 01

  And then other times it's loud and, and cheering and, and you're like, what are they saying? Sometimes you can't understand what they're saying and stuff like that. And, and, uh, so it's like up and down, you know, it's pretty crazy.

• 1:06:40Theo Von?

  Yes, like life, man.

• 1:06:41Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, up and down.

• 1:06:42Theo Von?

  Yeah. Did you ever suspected a fighter threw a fight?

• 1:06:46Speaker 01

  No, uh, like, no, like, some guys aren't, you know, I was, obviously I ref all different levels. So some guys are coming in, they get punched and they're done, but that's just, you know.

• 1:07:00Theo Von?

  Right.

• 1:07:00Speaker 01

  They're not throwing it, they just don't have the talent to, uh, but I've never suspected anything like that.

• 1:07:06Theo Von?

  What was it like when Connor would come in the ring? Did you do any of his fights?

• 1:07:09Speaker 01

  I didn't, no, I didn't do any of his fights, but it was crazy. I, I've, uh, I've been, you know, I've worked cards where he was on and like, uh, Madison Square Garden, when he fought the first Madison Square Garden, it was crazy.

• 1:07:24Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:07:24Speaker 01

  And then even after you went outside and there was, uh, you know, Irish people cheering everywhere.

• 1:07:30Theo Von?

  Yeah, oh yeah, they show up.

• 1:07:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:07:32Theo Von?

  They really do. So could you even tell us who you thought the best fighter is that you've seen?

• 1:07:38Speaker 01

  I don't know if I, so I stopped looking at fights like a fan a pretty long

• 1:07:44Theo Von?

  Oh, you did?

• 1:07:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, I kinda don't see him that way. I wouldn't even be able like to pick a favorite fighter or say who's the best fighter or anything like that. But, you know, obviously there's fights where you're like, wow, that was really exciting or something like that.

• 1:08:00Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:08:01Speaker 01

  You know, but yeah, I kinda just very look at it at the referee's standpoint these days mostly.

• 1:08:09Theo Von?

  Is there um, a fighter that you feel like plays by the rules the most?

• 1:08:15Speaker 01

  Well, there's a bunch of polite guys who is just polite, but for the, for the most part, everyone really plays by the rules.

• 1:08:23Theo Von?

  That's a good point.

• 1:08:24Speaker 01

  You know, but you know, like I think a lot of the, a lot of the fouls that, you know, are accidental.

• 1:08:30Theo Von?

  You do?

• 1:08:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, I do. Some, you know, some of it couldn't even, even if you wanted to do it the way, you know, it's such a fast.

• 1:08:37Theo Von?

  That's a good point.

• 1:08:38Speaker 01

  Like, you know.

• 1:08:39Theo Von?

  It'd be hard to strategize something like, yeah.

• 1:08:41Speaker 01

  But then you have some guys that are real grindy and when they're in the cage, they're gonna do what they have to do and it is a fight and, you know, you gotta try to control it.

• 1:08:49Theo Von?

  Did you get to ref any of Khabib's fights?

• 1:08:51Speaker 01

  Nope. So him and Conor, but mostly everyone else, but yeah.

• 1:08:55Theo Von?

  Is there a reason why you think?

• 1:08:57Speaker 01

  No, there's no, I don't believe there's a reason why.

• 1:09:00Theo Von?

  How do you guys determine what, what fights you'll referee? Do you draw out of a hat?

• 1:09:04Speaker 01

  Nah, the, the commission just gives you, you know, you'll go and you'll get your assignments. So I never really asked exactly what they use.

• 1:09:12Theo Von?

  So you and Herb Dean aren't back there like this then?

• 1:09:15Speaker 01

  No.

• 1:09:15Theo Von?

  Okay, okay.

• 1:09:16Speaker 01

  No, so you come and they give you a sheet and you already have your assignments there.

• 1:09:20Theo Von?

  Oh, and is it almost like opening up like a Christmas wish list? Like in some ways, like are there some you're excited about? Like are there some actually you're happy you don't have to use, you can sit and watch it?

• 1:09:30Speaker 01

  Um.

• 1:09:31Theo Von?

  Or do you even think of it like that? That's like a fan thinking of it.

• 1:09:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, I do sometimes and and this sounds maybe crazy, but like if I'm like, oh, wow, that fight would be hard. I kind of hope I get it to see if I, you know, if I'm, if I could do it, you know, and and.

• 1:09:45Theo Von?

  And what would determine if I if I would be kind of hard, like what even in your head makes you think of that?

• 1:09:49Speaker 01

  Uh.

• 1:09:50Theo Von?

  Or what makes some fights harder than others?

• 1:09:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, some matchups and and, you know, things are like, oh, this guy is really, uh, has one knockout power and this guy is really great on the ground, but, you know, it's not very good at taking them down. So then, you know, you, you're right. So you don't know what you're gonna get, right? And I think that's what would make it harder or or not complicated, but interesting. So let's get rid of the word harder, but interesting.

• 1:10:15Theo Von?

  For sure.

• 1:10:15Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:10:17Theo Von?

  I think it's so interesting how so many fighters have different reasons why they fight. You know, like some is to test themselves, some don't even know. Some is to get rid of anger, you know, to challenge, um. Some just love the violence, you know, I just think it's it's pretty fascinating to see how many uh why guys do it.

• 1:10:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, different, you know, from different roads, right?

• 1:10:39Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:10:40Speaker 01

  And everyone, uh, yeah.

• 1:10:42Theo Von?

  You coach, um, and we can wrap up in a few minutes. Thank you so much, man. This has been cool. I appreciate it, you know, it's like I get to go sometimes to the fights and get to see you guys there and it's like, um, you know, it's almost like you, I mean, you guys are kind of like celebrities in that fighting world. I mean, that that world is built so big that I mean, the referees are celebrities.

• 1:11:01Speaker 01

  I don't, that is sometimes it's like, oh, you know.

• 1:11:04Theo Von?

  But you'll have to have people that are excited to see you.

• 1:11:06Speaker 01

  There there is, but, uh, you know.

• 1:11:09Theo Von?

  It's crazy.

• 1:11:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, it is because it's definitely not about, you know, me.

• 1:11:13Theo Von?

  Of course, but there's it, there's not, there's not a lot of other sports, I don't think, um. What's that been like? What's it like being a like a part of something that's changed? Like, have you noticed the changes over time? Have you noticed a different energy in the space? Have you like, have you noticed that fighters change? What have you, what have you noticed?

• 1:11:32Speaker 01

  Well, it, you know, obviously it it's still a young sport, right? And and it's it's growing and growing, um.

• 1:11:41Speaker 01

  Not only like, so, I think it was 2009 was my first year, so not only has that all changed, but people have changed since 2009. So, yeah, fighters are different because people are different. And, you know, and, you know, we have like, oh, the internet's even bigger and, and all that stuff. And, you know, so, yeah, a lot of things have changed, but the, the concept is there, right? Put two people in there and they fight. And so that, that's the same.

• 1:12:15Speaker 01

  Fighters like, end up the same. Like, you know, even though times are different, like, eventually, like, you'll, you'll, even me talking one, you know, they're there for one goal and, and, and, you know, to be competitive.

• 1:12:28Theo Von?

  And that's always stayed the same?

• 1:12:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:12:30Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:12:32Theo Von?

  Um, was there ever like a fighter that retired in the ring? Because you know, a lot of times they'll lay their gloves down. Was there any, any moment, one of those, that kind of stood out to you or?

• 1:12:42Speaker 01

  Trying to think.

• 1:12:42Theo Von?

  Or just one that even caught your, caught your own feelings?

• 1:12:45Speaker 01

  I, I, I believe, uh, I believe I, I, I might be wrong, but, um, I believe Quay Guido retired the last time I ref'd him, I think. So that would be pretty significant because I've ref'd him a few times and, and, um, and he's, you know, awesome. Um, so I believe, and there's probably been others too, that, that have retired after, after, uh, after I've ref'd them. But those are always like, I know some of them you can feel coming, right? And then some you can't. It happens in wrestling too. They'll take off their shoes and they leave it in the center. And, and, and sometimes you're like, oh yeah, makes sense. And other times like, hey, you know, you got more to give and more to go. But as you said, you know, the amount of time that stuff takes.

• 1:13:30Theo Von?

  Yeah. You spend time now coaching your daughters?

• 1:13:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, so my daughter, yeah, so I, my daughter and I.

• 1:13:39Theo Von?

  Is this her school?

• 1:13:40Speaker 01

  Um, this was her high school. So I coached for the, well, she, this is the team she wrestled for. So we have in our area, so we have one school, which is Bay Shore, that has the girls wrestling team. And then the other schools, which she went to isolate, all go there. So I coached the Bay Shore. I'm the assistant coach at the, uh, Bay Shore girls team. And then me and my daughter run a club together called Empire Girls Wrestling. So, and right now that's growing, like, the whole sport's growing. It's amazing. It's great that, um, girls get the opportunity to be in what I believe is the best sport. And, um, it's awesome. Yeah. It's awesome. And then coaching with my daughter right now is really, she's very good.

• 1:14:18Speaker 01

  She, uh, she actually coached at, um, which is a big thing for us at, um, the national team, New York National Team at Fargo. This year was her first year coaching there. And she did really well. And, uh, she's gonna be an awesome coach.

• 1:14:32Theo Von?

  She's dynamite, huh? What's her name?

• 1:14:34Speaker 01

  Uh, Mora.

• 1:14:35Theo Von?

  Mora. Oh, it's a pretty name, man. Wow. That's cool, man. Oh, there you go. Look at that.

• 1:14:42Speaker 01

  So this was really cool.

• 1:14:44Theo Von?

  How much nonsense does Mora allow?

• 1:14:45Speaker 01

  Uh, not much either. Yeah, there's not much going on, not much nonsense. Um, this was, um, uh, August. Um, the end of August, it was the New York State Fair. And they invited us and we brought a girls team and a boys team. And we, uh, the boys and the girls stay in like the four age dorms. So they get the state, uh, fair for free. The kids get to walk around and do all that. It was really cool.

• 1:15:11Theo Von?

  And then they wrestled just for the people to watching?

• 1:15:13Speaker 01

  And that, yeah, so all those people are just walking by the state fair watching the do meets.

• 1:15:17Theo Von?

  Dude, that's great entertainment. Why not put something like that in a place where people are already at and looking for entertainment?

• 1:15:23Speaker 01

  Yeah, it was pretty cool.

• 1:15:24Theo Von?

  Cause so often, sometimes you'll put it in a gym or something and people don't even know, you know? Especially a lot of times in high school or even outside, like in college, people, you just don't know. But if you're at a fair, you're looking for entertainment.

• 1:15:33Speaker 01

  And there it is. It was really cool. It was our, our first year doing it. My wife, uh, planned it. And, um, we got invited and it was really cool. We'll do it again for sure. It was really cool.

• 1:15:43Theo Von?

  Wow, Mora.

• 1:15:44Speaker 01

  Mora.

• 1:15:45Theo Von?

  Mora.

• 1:15:46Speaker 01

  M O R A.

• 1:15:47Theo Von?

  M O R A. Beautiful young lady. That's awesome, dude. Congratulations.

• 1:15:50Speaker 01

  Thanks. I didn't do anything, but.

• 1:15:53Theo Von?

  Well, you showed up.

• 1:15:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's for sure.

• 1:15:56Theo Von?

  You know?

• 1:15:57Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:15:57Theo Von?

  I mean, that's a lot of it.

• 1:15:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 1:15:59Theo Von?

  And you kept going.

• 1:16:00Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:16:01Theo Von?

  You know, we're talking about it today. It's like, as, yeah, like, life has, there's a lot of little off-ramps that you can get on.

• 1:16:06Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, you got, as we were just talking earlier about things that, you know, you don't think are ever gonna happen, happens. And, uh, you just gotta keep going forward and then, uh, you know, you know, eye on the prides, I guess.

• 1:16:22Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:16:22Speaker 01

  So, yeah, so I'm lucky, you know, I got all these good things going.

• 1:16:25Theo Von?

  Yeah, it seems like you stay really busy. What is your daily routine like, kind of?

• 1:16:29Speaker 01

  Um, so I start work, um, at the town at seven thirty to four.

• 1:16:35Theo Von?

  At the Diesel mechanic?

• 1:16:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, and then, um.

• 1:16:38Theo Von?

  That's unbelievable.

• 1:16:39Speaker 01

  And then I, uh, our practices, well, right now, uh, our practice is just Empire Practices. Um, they're from, uh, seven to nine o'clock. Uh, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and Sundays. And, um, and then now we're starting the high school season, so we have open mats for that, too, so.

• 1:16:57Theo Von?

  Wow.

• 1:16:58Speaker 01

  Getting busy.

• 1:16:59Theo Von?

  Yeah, that keeps you busy. You like staying busy, huh?

• 1:17:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, very. I like to stay busy. I like to, uh, you know, keep moving.

• 1:17:06Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's me. I don't sit around much. I've never been much of a sit-around type of guy.

• 1:17:11Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:12Speaker 01

  But, uh, you know, I, I.

• 1:17:15Theo Von?

  Well, too much nonsense can happen.

• 1:17:16Speaker 01

  But you can still have fun. Yeah, it's true. But you can have, like, I, I'm a pretty serious guy, but I'm, I'm like, things I'm good, I'm good at making fun of myself. I'm good at laughing. I know, you know, like, I came to see your show. That was funny.

• 1:17:28Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:17:28Speaker 01

  And I was surprised, my cousins were there. They, they're huge fans.

• 1:17:31Theo Von?

  They had a good time?

• 1:17:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, and they, you know, they, uh, when they told me they were gonna be, I was like, oh, I, I'm going. And so they're huge fans and it was, it was good. It was good.

• 1:17:40Theo Von?

  Thanks, man.

• 1:17:40Speaker 01

  It was funny, yeah.

• 1:17:41Theo Von?

  I'll accept that. I appreciate that. Hey, you're a referee, you would know, man.

• 1:17:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, I don't know about if I'd know comedy, but.

• 1:17:47Theo Von?

  I'll take it, though.

• 1:17:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's good enough, fair enough.

• 1:17:50Theo Von?

  Fair enough.

• 1:17:51Speaker 01

  I've laughed a few times.

• 1:17:52Theo Von?

  Hey, that's fair. That's all we can ask. From a guy who doesn't accept nonsense, that's the most we can ask. Um, is there any other, um, oh, are referees allowed to, is there like an alcohol rule with referees? Like, I know with pilots, can you look it up for me? How soon before a flight can a pilot have alcohol? Is there a rule with referees, um, that you can or can't drink before a fight?

• 1:18:20Speaker 01

  Well, you can't drink before a fight, so I would think, I would think it would be like, uh, 24 hours or something like that. I'd never, you know.

• 1:18:28Theo Von?

  But they never, it's never like, they don't, they're not breathalyzing refs or anything like that. Yeah, but it would be hard to do.

• 1:18:34Speaker 01

  To what?

• 1:18:35Theo Von?

  Referee a fight if somebody's been drinking?

• 1:18:37Speaker 01

  It would probably be, well, it would be impossible, like, uh, to actually do the actual thing would be impossible. But then, you know, you spend, so you're, you're in there, you're with doctors, commissions and whatever. I wouldn't think they'd let you.

• 1:18:52Theo Von?

  Yeah, somebody would catch on.

• 1:18:53Speaker 01

  Yeah, someone would catch on.

• 1:18:54Theo Von?

  Let me see what this says. Many airlines have stricter internal policies with some requiring pilots to abstain for at least 12 hours before flying. To allow sufficient time for metabolization. Dude, 12?

• 1:19:04Speaker 01

  I don't think 12 hours is long enough, to be honest. 12 hours seems, you know.

• 1:19:10Theo Von?

  That's not that much, bro.

• 1:19:11Speaker 01

  Uh, you wanna hear something crazy? So I have a CDL, so it has to be zeros. If, when they did drug tests, they do, well, you're allowed to blow a percentage.

• 1:19:21Theo Von?

  In summary, pilots must avoid alcohol for at least eight hours before a flight, maintain BAC below 0.04.

• 1:19:29Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:19:29Theo Von?

  That's, that's drunk in some states, I think. And not fly while hungover or impaired.

• 1:19:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, so no, yeah, so I guess.

• 1:19:39Theo Von?

  Oh my god, bro. They should have to blow it in the front of the plane and show the number of the rest of the plane.

• 1:19:46Speaker 01

  That's pretty crazy. That's yeah, no, uh, we don't do breath laths or anything, but it's, it's, you, you wouldn't.

• 1:19:53Theo Von?

  It's never been an issue?

• 1:19:54Speaker 01

  No, I, I, you know.

• 1:19:56Theo Von?

  Yeah, if you've never heard, you've never heard of anybody having an issue.

• 1:19:58Speaker 01

  No, a real one, no.

• 1:20:01Theo Von?

  What, what's it like when you get there from when you, you, when you leave? Take me through a UFC fight as a referee.

• 1:20:06Speaker 01

  So you get there, um.

• 1:20:08Theo Von?

  How early? Like, how early do you get there?

• 1:20:09Speaker 01

  It's usually, it could be two hours, hour and a half, I think usually like.

• 1:20:14Theo Von?

  And who's there when you get there? Like, is Megan O'Leary in there yet or not?

• 1:20:18Speaker 01

  I, I guess, I don't know, um.

• 1:20:20Theo Von?

  Do you have a meeting with the commission? Yeah, like, just take me through like just a beat.

• 1:20:23Speaker 01

  Go in and walk in, find the commission room, um, you know, obviously if I've been there before, but if I haven't been, I'm working a place I've never been, walk in, find the commission room, get my assignments. When the fighters come, I do my one-on-one rules meeting.

• 1:20:40Theo Von?

  With each fighter?

• 1:20:41Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:20:41Theo Von?

  Wow, every fighter on the card?

• 1:20:43Speaker 01

  Every fighter I have on the card. Yep. So usually we'll, we'll go with the average is three fights on a card, right? I've had more, you know, less if a cancellation, whatever, but go over the rules, ask them if, you know, they have any questions.

• 1:20:58Speaker 01

  Then, you know, uh, depending what state mostly now you do, uh, also you do RO, like the, a review official and.

• 1:21:06Theo Von?

  What does that mean?

• 1:21:06Speaker 01

  So it's like the instantly play. I were, we have instantly play now and then, um, and then the fight before yours, you usually do, you know, the gate when they walk in, the check. And so you, you're busy.

• 1:21:20Speaker 01

  Pretty much the whole time, yeah.

• 1:21:21Theo Von?

  And will you have, like, what, do you eat before? Do you have an energy drink? What do you do?

• 1:21:25Speaker 01

  I don't have an energy drink, but at some places I eat before. Sometimes I don't eat before. It all depends. Like, um, when I ref in New Jersey, there's a few restaurants I'll have, have something. Um, Madison Square Garden, I always go to the same place and I eat there.

• 1:21:40Theo Von?

  What is it?

• 1:21:40Speaker 01

  And, uh, it's a Molly Wee Pub and, and they have like, um, Irish beef stew and I.

• 1:21:46Theo Von?

  Yeah, I get what you like. Yeah. I like, uh, quesadillas that have, with almond flour tortillas. We like what we like.

• 1:21:51Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I get that and then, you know, so, and that like, like, did you have an idea like MSG? I do the same thing every time. So there's a guy. I wish I could remember the name of his company, but I can't right now, but he sells shirts and stuff outside. I go out and say hello to him every single time. Right? He's always out there, no matter how cold, no matter what, the guy's out there, he's awesome. He's uh, right on Eighth, Eighth Avenue. He's on the corner. And then I say hello to him, and I go down and get ready to go. After, and then I go to the mall, then I eat usually the beef stew. And then, and then get going, and uh, so.

• 1:22:27Theo Von?

  Yeah. Yeah, I'm kind of a creature of habit in some ways, you know?

• 1:22:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, oh, I'm very much, you know, like, same, and I use the word criteria and whatever. But uh, you know, this is how I do it, and with almost everything, I'm like that, really.

• 1:22:43Theo Von?

  Hey, discipline equals freedom, man, that's what Jaco Willink always says.

• 1:22:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's pretty, yeah, that's awesome.

• 1:22:47Theo Von?

  And I think that's kind of true, it's like if you get up and get the things you don't want to do done out of the day, your day's so different.

• 1:22:52Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:22:53Theo Von?

  You know?

• 1:22:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, definitely.

• 1:22:55Theo Von?

  Um, have you ever been unable to do a referee a fight and for what reason?

• 1:23:02Speaker 01

  Uh, no.

• 1:23:02Theo Von?

  Before you go?

• 1:23:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, um, well, I have a story of, uh, like I reffed, but I had, uh, I had, when I was reffing, I had, uh, two kidney stones and, and um, staples like in my stomach. I ended up, so it's crazy story. I had, uh, my appendix out when I was like twenty, and then, um, a few years ago, I had it out again. So they took out the appendix, but they left it, they left it in like a stub. So I actually had my appendix out twice, pretty interesting.

• 1:23:37Theo Von?

  Oh.

• 1:23:37Speaker 01

  So, uh.

• 1:23:38Theo Von?

  Or you got scammed, one or the other, either way.

• 1:23:41Speaker 01

  Either way, it was the same hospital, so, but uh.

• 1:23:44Theo Von?

  Who forgot a little?

• 1:23:45Speaker 01

  I don't know. And it was bad, so they had to like.

• 1:23:47Theo Von?

  Dude, that's nonsense.

• 1:23:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, that's real nonsense. And the fact that when I asked, um, you know, I'm like, hey, is this, does this happen? They're like, uh, it does. I'm like, oh, so I also at the same time had, um, kidney stones.

• 1:24:03Theo Von?

  Oh.

• 1:24:03Speaker 01

  So I did the recovery and there, so everything was kind of miserable. And I had a, um, a big show, an event coming up, and, um, it was an important one for, for me.

• 1:24:15Theo Von?

  A fight?

• 1:24:15Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:24:16Theo Von?

  A fight?

• 1:24:16Speaker 01

  And then it was just, um, I had a, a little meeting to me, it was, um, local, and I had the main event, it was just, uh, so, uh. So I decided in my head I was gonna do it. So I ended up getting the um doctor that I was going to see every two days for the recovery to say you can do it. And she was like, you can do it. I said, great. So but the staples are getting really tight. So I took a few of them out from the top. And then By yourself? Yeah. And then it was easy though. They were coming out already. Yeah. And then, yeah, and then Yeah, it's a Build-A-Bear. Yeah, yeah, just put it together. Boom, boom, boom, boom, you know. And then um so then

• 1:24:58Speaker 01

  but the kidney stone started kicking in really bad. It was just a weird time. And so the night before, I'm like really panic button. I'm about to say I can't do it. And but uh I'm in there. So next day I get there and then the pain's kind of starting to go a little bit. So I get to the event. Um I get the fights in the main event like I was hoping. And uh awesome um place that I've always wanted to work. And so uh the bathroom is like attached to like the fans and us were using the same bathroom. So

• 1:25:40Speaker 01

  I walk by and they're like, ah, Keith, you're the man, da, da, da, da. So I walk into the bathroom and now I'm feeling pain like real bad. So From the kidney stone? Yeah. So boom, I I pass it. It goes ta-ting. Yeah, yeah, it hits the thing. All good for that. Like, well, the pain was still there, but it felt so much better. Yeah. And I was walking out and then You'll shoot your eye out. And the kid's like, the kid's like, ah, you're a legend. And all I can think of is you should have saw what just happened in there, dude. Like, and crazy. And then the event went great. And then um and then I passed the other one because I had two on the way to Seattle the next week in the plane. Oh, yeah, you gotta save one for when you travel.

• 1:26:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just miserable. But but uh yeah, it's kind of a funny story. And then the the appendix out twist is pretty funny because uh even it was actually almost ended up being bad because

• 1:26:33Speaker 01

  I was telling people what was wrong with me cuz I was

• 1:26:36Theo Von?

  Oh, and they thought it was already done.

• 1:26:38Speaker 01

  They thought that was already done, so they kept skipping over that. And, and, and, yeah, so it was a, a, a week or so, and I was pretty in infection by then, you know, kept caught in, but it was fine and everything worked out great, but.

• 1:26:51Theo Von?

  Dude, that's wild that, just to know, if people wanna know, if some of these referees are tougher or not, this guy's passing kidney stones between fights in the bathroom. That's pretty unprecedented. Um, Keith Peterson, man, thank you so much, one for always making me feel welcome when I'm at the fights. It's such an honor to get to see you guys, man. That, it's, I, will you agree with this, that it's one of the most, the people that make that, that, that are part of that company that put that event on, it's pretty spectacular.

• 1:27:23Speaker 01

  Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is, like, uh, yeah, like, some of the, like, T-Mobile and everything.

• 1:27:29Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's just all so special.

• 1:27:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:27:32Theo Von?

  And you see the same people over and over again, and it really does feel like a family over there.

• 1:27:36Speaker 01

  It is.

• 1:27:36Theo Von?

  Does it feel like that to you?

• 1:27:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, you know, I, I, it's, you know, as we figure it out, I kinda keep to myself, but.

• 1:27:42Theo Von?

  Right.

• 1:27:43Speaker 01

  Uh, there's some people I see every time that I, really great people, and, and, um, you know, I speak to them, and, uh, briefly, and it's a really, you know, tight knit.

• 1:27:53Theo Von?

  Thank you so much for all your efforts, man. Thanks for continuing to just, uh, support, uh, wrestling, and I think, uh, that it's just, you know, you being out there just inspires other young people to get into it and just having like, um, so much history yourself in it and, uh, yeah, thank you for letting us talk about your family and stuff today, man, and, um, yeah, uh, cheers to, uh, many more years of, um, of, of being on the journey, man.

• 1:28:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, for sure. Thank you.

• 1:28:16Theo Von?

  Amen, you bet.

• 1:28:17Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:28:44Speaker 04

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