#620 - Keith Peterson
Episode Stats
Length
1 hour and 27 minutes
Words per Minute
192.83578
Summary
Keith Peterson is a father, a martial arts referee, a musician, a mechanic, and he absolutely hates NO Nonsense. In this episode, we talk about how he got into refereeing, what it's like refereeing amateur fights, and how he thinks about NO NONSENSE.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
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Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. No-Nonsense Keith Peterson.
00:00:47.740
I'm sitting here with the man, no-nonsense Keith Peterson.
00:01:30.540
But I think it, like, the no-nonsense thing is just, you know, my approach towards things.
00:01:38.540
And, you know, John Anik gave me that nickname and it kind of just stuck.
00:01:44.880
And I think it fits, you know, but, you know, there's nonsense.
00:01:56.980
Maybe on your birthday, we get there's a little bit of nonsense allowed.
00:01:59.740
But usually, most of the things I do, I do very straightforward and, you know, no nonsense, I guess.
00:02:08.840
Yeah, I've been involved in too much nonsense and it gets a little hairy, that's for sure.
00:02:14.080
But, yeah, John Anik gave you that nickname, when was that?
00:02:19.680
Yeah, we had a few conversations and then I think on air he said it and it just seemed to take off and fit.
00:02:30.300
You know, nicknames are weird, but I've had a few.
00:02:35.840
When I was little, my nickname was Froggy from, like, The Little Rascals, The Voice.
00:02:46.360
So, yeah, that was my nickname pretty much until I got older and kind of grew up.
00:02:52.820
Yeah, there's this girl who moved in across the street and she came over because she wanted to play.
00:03:07.560
And I originally lived in, like, East Meadow, Nassau County area and now I live in Islip, New York.
00:03:17.840
Well, I fought amateurs for a while and for about three years, all different fights, amateur level, MMA fights, Muay Thai fights, kickboxing.
00:03:29.600
And then we had a lot going on, so it was getting harder and harder, you know, to put the time in.
00:03:36.940
And someone just was like, oh, I want to, you know, judge or be an inspector at fights, at amateur fights or stuff like that.
00:03:51.480
And then I went, took this course and it was in New Jersey and there was this old referee, Donnie Caroline.
00:04:02.220
He reffed a bunch of my kickboxing, MMA fights and stuff.
00:04:06.700
He's, he passed away a few years ago and he was like, you'd be really good at reffing, you'd be really good at reffing.
00:04:14.860
And so I got my chance to reff, you know, a few amateur fights and kind of just took off from there.
00:04:20.820
And he was pretty supportive during the amateur part of it.
00:04:27.460
Like, is it something that gets easier over time?
00:04:31.220
I would always, I compare it to, and I don't know if it's a good comparison, but it would be like being a brain surgeon.
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Like, you're not going to be as good as you're going to be 10 years, but no one could die.
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And so you learn lots and lots of little things.
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So you're saying, so you're not going to be as good as you're going to be later, but as long as you don't let somebody die.
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You got to, you know, stop the fight when it's supposed to be stopped and, you know, and then the rules, it all comes in as you go.
00:05:01.220
Take me on like an early experience that was kind of like a lot for a referee.
00:05:04.740
So for me, my first like couple, like, um, I remember my first or second time reffing the fight was really even as amateurs and really even.
00:05:15.200
And then the kid was like, you know, losing pretty bad.
00:05:18.860
And I was like, wow, this kid's losing pretty bad.
00:05:27.400
And then, uh, and then kind of from there, 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.
00:05:39.420
Like, um, at first, you know, I came out from fighting, so my mentality was like a fighter, like as a fighter, I didn't always agree with the referee, like, you know.
00:05:53.620
Cause as a fighter, you have a, you're, you're, you're just doing your thing.
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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.
00:06:08.800
And all the dedication in the world, you know, that it takes.
00:06:13.420
So, you know, they're on a different journey that day than I am, you know, for sure.
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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.
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And then I just let them talk and then I, you know, do my, you know, whatever, uh, my criteria is.
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Is there one fighter that's like, do not for anything?
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Like, is there somebody that's just like, let me go to the end of the road every time?
00:06:46.580
No, 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.
00:07:00.440
You know, especially when they say, you know, oh, I'm willing to die or whatever.
00:07:03.640
But some guys are just quiet and just, you know, that they're there to get the job done.
00:07:10.800
And, you know, and as far as, you know, it's like, as I said, a criteria, you know, let's say you've watched a lot of fights.
00:07:20.060
Like, and when I'm reffing, I'll say like, you have to move.
00:07:22.660
And if they fit that criteria, if they're defending and they can move, you know, it's a fight.
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My main thing, as I said, this, you know, they're putting their health on the line.
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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.
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Like, there's a lot, like, besides me being a parent myself, it's the most important thing I'll ever do.
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And, you know, on the outside, it's just a fight, but a lot can happen, you know.
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And as I said, emotions from everywhere, right?
00:08:14.560
The fighters, the corners, people who are there to watch the fight from, you know, you get a different vibe from the people in the front row, from the people in the back row, right?
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So, really, I try to keep my emotions aside and, you know, just have this set thing of what I do each time.
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You know, I don't, that doesn't make them acceptable either.
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Or, like, you know, oh, everyone makes, and they do, and I do.
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But, you know, make a mistake, admit it, and learn from it, and move on.
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Is there a fight that you've had to, like, you were like, yeah, maybe that was a little early or that was, I didn't read it correctly?
00:08:56.400
I try not to read it totally into the early ones.
00:08:59.620
Because I don't have many where I'm like, oh, that, that was late.
00:09:04.300
Like, I'm lucky that I don't really have one where I'm like, wow, that's not what I'm here to do.
00:09:14.260
But, you know, to know, as you get more experience, you know.
00:09:20.960
Like, you'll know when, even, like, sometimes someone will be like, ah, I think that was a little early.
00:09:25.040
And you'll know right in your head, it wasn't a little early.
00:09:41.660
And even cameras, I've done, you know, because I look at my work when I'm done with it.
00:09:47.780
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.
00:09:57.120
And the other angles are kind of maybe a little bit.
00:09:59.760
And then there's one, like, closest to where my eyes are and they are.
00:10:06.740
You ever go back and, like, with your lady, make love to a fight or watch one or something like that?
00:10:15.480
Like a thing, you know, people will, like, watch their...
00:10:17.620
Oh, like, watch it, you know, just to say, wow, I did great.
00:10:20.740
No, I don't look at the ones I think I did good.
00:10:25.520
What, uh, tell me a little bit about your life outside of work.
00:10:37.100
And my other one, we've been around a pretty long time, too.
00:10:48.900
And, uh, they're, like, New York hardcore bands.
00:11:09.220
And, um, we, uh, met, you know, like a music scene.
00:11:14.480
And, um, we met, uh, and, um, I was like, oh, let's start something.
00:11:23.880
So that voice, as part of it, was that one of the reasons you even got into singing?
00:11:29.000
Uh, it's like, it just happens to be that my voice kind of fit the hardcore thing.
00:11:34.900
But, uh, kind of, like, started listening to hardcore punk rock music when I was really young.
00:11:41.360
But, yeah, I was just into, like, I got into heavy metal and, like, Black Sabbath and all that.
00:11:46.640
And then when I started hitting my early teens, I wanted to find something that would kind of, like, fit more of where I was.
00:11:53.240
And more, like, uh, work, it's, man, like, street music and stuff.
00:11:57.340
So that's, I found hardcore and just fell in love with it from then.
00:12:00.860
And, you know, I'm still, still, that's what I listen to.
00:12:04.300
Uh, I listen to all, every, you know, not everything, actually.
00:12:07.160
I don't like people who say they listen to everything.
00:12:14.080
Let's take an ear gander here at a little bit of it.
00:13:02.900
You came to wreck everything and ruin your life.
00:13:23.580
That was like, that's like one type of culture, that whole energy.
00:13:27.500
And it's like silly too, like the, the intro to that is the death march, right?
00:13:33.640
And it was like Halloween and I pressed this thing and that's what it was like.
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Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
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What are the ladies like that would come to the, that come to those shows?
00:13:53.680
So from right before the band started or whatever, I met her and then.
00:14:14.700
And so were you guys just like, were you at the concession stand or were you just like
00:14:19.140
kind of like, I don't know if there is a concession stand, but yeah, no, yeah.
00:14:28.400
At the show and just, you know, whatever the dance.
00:14:42.480
Where you're like, all right, everybody did this side and this side.
00:14:45.700
Like I was at a Suicide Boys show not long ago.
00:14:48.700
And there's probably a lot more people at that show than my shows.
00:14:53.040
But they'll do this thing where it's like this kind of controlled thing.
00:15:01.320
When there's a big crowd, those are cool looking.
00:15:07.060
Hunker man that does that really good with Seth is sick of it all.
00:15:14.720
I think I'm not familiar with as much of that genre of music.
00:15:16.940
When I was growing up, we had a brother's friend, my brother's friends, they had a band
00:15:24.380
And so being the younger brother, we'd go lit, just try to get involved and stuff.
00:15:28.720
But there was always this kind of like, I think in our area, it was kind of fringe a
00:15:34.740
little bit just because we didn't have as many people that listened to that type of music.
00:15:38.300
In New York, it's, you know, even though it has its ups and downs, but like at one point
00:15:43.940
you had like CBGBs was like the home, you know, and, and stuff like that.
00:15:55.460
And then, and then I ended up playing there in both bands a few times.
00:16:03.340
CBGB was a legendary New York City music club in the Bowery district founded by Hilly
00:16:09.900
Well, in 1973, they became a crucial incubator for the American punk and new wave rock movements,
00:16:16.060
though it was initially intended for country bluegrass and blues music, which the CBGB.
00:16:21.160
Oh, I didn't realize that name stands for country bluegrass blues.
00:16:27.080
The unglamorous gritty venue hosted influential bands like the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads,
00:16:40.640
Like, New York bands like Sick of It All, Gnostic Front.
00:16:45.340
Pretty much, like, once you kind of get into that, then it's all French bands, they get
00:16:54.240
It was, like, Sundays, you know, you'd go to, that's where you go, take the train and
00:17:00.860
And then there was, at the time, there was, like, a bunch of clubs and, you know, great
00:17:08.840
And, you know, being young, you could just go, you know, at one point you can go three
00:17:16.820
So, and, uh, so that became, like, main focus for a pretty long time.
00:17:22.220
Did you have, like, a routine before you got on stage with your band?
00:17:28.040
Uh, I, you know, like, uh, I would just stand, like, we'd be selling shirts, so stand behind
00:17:33.720
the distro and kind of get ready and just get on and go.
00:17:38.100
Um, it's not much, you know, not much, like, I don't even, you know, I think it's good,
00:17:45.680
but, like, anyone could do it, what I was doing.
00:17:49.440
Just get on and if you love it, you just start screaming, I guess.
00:17:53.700
But, yeah, I, like, the raw energy of it all is really what I still love.
00:17:58.220
And, uh, I don't get to go to shows as much, uh, anymore, but my son's really, but my son's
00:18:08.040
So, uh, but, um, I still love, love the whole culture.
00:18:13.460
Yeah, it almost seems like there's some correlation there between, like, the intensity, right,
00:18:21.760
Yeah, it's like, it's almost like when the pedal is pressed all the way down in a car
00:18:27.380
I was actually really surprised when I started reffing, you know, um, events that were on
00:18:32.560
TV, that how many guys at the hardcore scene were into MMA and, and, you know, knew, like,
00:18:41.760
A lot, there is a connection, you know, with, uh, jiu-jitsu and, and hardcore teams, a lot
00:18:46.960
of guys roll, but, uh, but with, you know, with the UFC, with all that stuff, like, you
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Where'd you take your wife on Y'all's first date?
00:21:30.680
I think we went to the diner, something like that, yeah, cheese fries or something.
00:21:39.840
I'm about to cheese fry a woman and see what happens.
00:21:54.020
And back then, like, Long Island, they would, you know, bands would play, hardcore bands
00:22:00.720
And then she just ended up being a big fan of hardcore music, too.
00:22:06.220
Ska's got, I don't know, the definition, but it's got a lot of saxophones and stuff
00:22:17.160
Ska music is a lively genre originated in Jamaica in the 1950s, blending elements of Caribbean,
00:22:27.780
A walking bass line with strong accents on the offbeat played by guitar, piano known as
00:22:32.780
the skank, fast tempos, and energetic melodies.
00:22:40.160
In Jamaica, ska was popular among working class rude boys.
00:22:45.100
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00:22:56.760
What's been the key to a long marriage, do you feel like?
00:23:06.100
Marriage, kids, I love, that's, you know, my number one thing.
00:23:11.040
And I would, you know, lie and say easy, but good, good, real good.
00:23:23.900
Well, I guess the smart answer would be everything, but-
00:23:37.200
You know, as far as, like, us parenting together and stuff like that, it's just perfect.
00:23:46.480
You know, like, certain things I'm good at help her.
00:24:04.660
What was it like when you guys decided to have kids?
00:24:07.720
Was that, like, a scary choice, or was it something you guys were just both excited about?
00:24:13.520
Like, what was your relationship with your dad like?
00:24:23.700
I do know, like, when our first son was born, I kind of looked, and it was, like, real deal now, right?
00:24:30.600
Like, all right, like, this guy depends on me for everything.
00:24:36.500
So, you're, like, all right, I got to get it together.
00:24:38.680
I got to make sure, you know, and I had it together, but I got to make sure that I do this right, you know?
00:24:43.460
And, you know, obviously, just like we said before, you make mistakes with things.
00:24:47.480
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.
00:24:59.560
You know how, like, guys like us be like, oh, we're trying to do the right thing?
00:25:02.720
I want my kids to just be able to do the right thing without having to try, which is probably impossible.
00:25:07.880
But if you shoot for that goal, you know, it's good.
00:25:13.500
Yeah, I don't have any experience parenting, but I think it's something that I start to look forward to more and more.
00:25:20.960
And I do think it's something that, like, kind of gets you into a new phase of life, right?
00:25:26.980
I feel like I've been in the same phase of life sometimes for a while, kind of like, but I don't have another phase yet.
00:25:32.620
You know, it's like I don't have a wife or family yet, you know?
00:25:36.340
Sometimes people will be like, dude, you got to grow up.
00:25:41.480
What do you want me to just go sit in a, like, rock and try something?
00:25:49.600
Like, my 23-year-old is, like, really into the hardcore scene because when he was born, I was still very into that.
00:26:01.900
That's all we would play in the backyard for barbecues.
00:26:06.680
And then, you know, my daughter, it's wrestling, wrestling, wrestling.
00:26:11.040
Yeah, and because by the time, you know, she was getting older.
00:26:20.120
So, and then, you know, my 14-year-old just wrestling, wrestling, skateboarding.
00:26:33.460
That's my son with the Rancid shirt on, and that's his girlfriend.
00:26:36.900
That's my youngest one, and my daughter's at the end.
00:26:46.280
Yeah, there's something just special about that, about seeing a man and his family, you know.
00:26:51.480
You look like you've lost weight since then, huh?
00:26:57.960
I just stopped eating horribly, and I'm running every day, and just, you know, like I wasn't
00:27:18.760
I don't know, like three gallons of ice cream or something.
00:27:22.880
You know, like, I guess it was gradual, so people didn't realize, but I'm not the biggest
00:27:30.940
And so I slowly, you know, even though since I've been losing the weight, people, oh, he's
00:27:37.320
sick, or he lost too much weight, or whatever, but you can never make people happy.
00:27:41.300
You're fat, you're skinny, you know, you're short, which I can't make myself taller,
00:27:46.500
Yeah, get taller, you f***ing, or whatever, you're like, what the fuck?
00:28:09.020
Did you have a health scare or anything like that?
00:28:12.960
You know, a few things were going, and not so much with me.
00:28:16.500
But around me, and I was like, you know, I want to make sure I'm healthier.
00:28:22.400
Like, what do you mean, like, a few things were going, like?
00:28:26.380
Oh, you saw people having the effects of not being healthy.
00:28:29.140
Yeah, and just, you know, even, you know, some of them healthy, but just, I guess, not lucky.
00:28:34.980
So, I'm like, got to give yourself the best chance, right?
00:28:37.840
Yeah, sometimes you got to meet God halfway, you know?
00:28:40.700
And it's never going to be perfect, but, you know, like, I saw this barbecue place.
00:28:46.140
I'm eating some fried alligator later, for sure.
00:28:52.080
Yeah, they got some good stuff around here, man.
00:28:53.800
The food scene's been getting better here in Nashville, as the city's been growing, too.
00:28:59.260
What about, like, did you ever, did you struggle over the years with any addiction stuff?
00:29:03.900
No, I, well, I drank, but I wasn't necessarily, like, struggling with addiction.
00:29:09.240
I couldn't remember if you told me that one time.
00:29:12.660
Um, but, uh, I never, never really even tried drugs.
00:29:17.400
It was never kind of like, I wrestled all the way through school.
00:29:21.520
And, and, you know, so, um, I wasn't the greatest ever, but, uh, I was really into it.
00:29:26.280
And, uh, and, uh, you know, kind of kept me whatever.
00:29:36.020
Something already in there, you know what I mean?
00:29:39.980
You already got half a gram of songs stuck in there.
00:29:46.720
That's wild, because I think people would look at you and probably think something like that.
00:29:53.880
In the music scene that I'm in, a lot of guys just, you know, uh, probably you would think,
00:29:59.680
oh, that guy's on drugs, but they're just on whatever.
00:30:04.820
So, but, uh, I guess that, you know, even these days, the tattoos and stuff, you would think,
00:30:14.400
Uh, yeah, I have sleeves, you know, uh, sleeves and my back's almost done and stuff like that.
00:30:22.380
I, whatever, for some reason, I got my hands in my neck, like, real fast.
00:30:29.540
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like, I don't dislike them or anything.
00:30:34.500
I mean, you seem like, you know, like, yeah, you're like, you're, you're a no-nonsense guy.
00:30:38.940
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.
00:30:46.900
You know, so it's kind of wild that you almost grew into that.
00:30:50.820
You kind of met, you kind of lived your life and then met that name right at the end.
00:30:53.980
Yeah, it's kind of, yeah, that's, it's like, you know, I kind of mind my own business.
00:30:58.480
I always have, you know, I'm always, you know, and it's just like, you know, I treat people the way that I want to be treated, which most of the time is left alone.
00:31:09.100
I'm nice to, you know, I'm nice to kids, old people, and animals.
00:31:21.320
Yeah, I'd love to see you working at a petting zoo or something like that, dude, being like the operator or something.
00:31:26.520
I could have seen you working at like whenever, like the carnival would come to town when I was a kid.
00:31:30.800
Yeah, I would definitely probably be a good carny, right?
00:31:34.400
But only on the, like the ride, it was the Gravitron where they had the dude in the middle that did the music.
00:31:48.180
It was April 19th, 1985, this place local near me, it's called Adventureland, and they had Gravitron, and the Van Halen album, 5150, just came out.
00:32:04.160
And they played that song, Why Can't This Be Love, like a hundred times.
00:32:08.060
Me and my brother went on it like 80 times in a row, and we just kept going.
00:32:12.380
And then like I would find, I was, yeah, it was my ninth birthday, I think.
00:32:18.700
And it was for my birthday, that's why I remember the date.
00:32:22.700
And the, like you'd go and then have the rules, right, of every single thing.
00:32:28.820
And like every single one, I'd break one of them.
00:32:31.220
My brother would be like, stop, stop, stop, kick off my shoe and it'd come back at you.
00:32:40.320
And that was like where, because that's, dude, at that time period, like when we would go, yeah, I was like 11, 12 or something like that.
00:32:48.760
And you get in there and the dude who ran, it would be like this kind of like rock.
00:32:52.680
Kind of look like a guy that shouldn't be running.
00:32:56.620
Like, dude, somebody who dropped this guy in here.
00:33:00.740
And it almost looked like this, this thing came from like outer space.
00:33:06.060
And the ramp would close up and it would be this dude who kind of looked like Slash from Guns N' Roses.
00:33:11.660
And, and then, and it would, you'd slide up against that wall and you couldn't even like, you could barely even move.
00:33:17.320
But every now and then you could like get your arm out and like just put it on your foot.
00:33:21.040
Well, so the more you went on it, the more your body got like used to it.
00:33:23.620
You could go upside down and it's, you know, and stuff like that.
00:33:37.400
See the one where the guy's facing the, facing the wall.
00:33:41.720
The dude who would try to turn over and he just didn't have enough energy to get back over.
00:34:04.920
The whole idea of they're not spinning and you're spinning always like got me.
00:34:14.300
Dude, did you have, who influenced that music in you when you were a kid?
00:34:16.940
Cause I remember like my brother would listen to like Dio, Lock Up The Wolves.
00:34:21.180
He would listen to some like, like Skinny Puppy maybe I think was a band as well.
00:34:25.700
Like nothing too crazy, but like kind of a little bit of mainstream edge.
00:34:36.720
Like I kind of like just grab it, you know, like sort and was like, I don't think guys
00:34:42.300
would like the cutoff sleeves and the, and the long hair, even though I've never had long
00:34:49.300
Some in the front, like, uh, in the mid nineties, I had like that skater hair thing, but.
00:34:54.160
Somebody make us a couple of, uh, put together a few memes of, um, somebody out there who knows
00:34:59.280
Uh, of, uh, of no nonsense with some long hair.
00:35:05.240
Let's, we'll, we'll throw a couple of them in or we'll put this clip online and put a couple
00:35:16.720
And then like my brother, as he was going, he started listening to, uh, like the different
00:35:23.580
metal, but like Van Halen and, um, you know, stuff like that.
00:35:35.320
So I went and then my second one was Motley Crue.
00:35:49.200
So that, that tour, he played like up on the ceiling and he just like did like, even
00:36:05.480
Nah, he actually passed away like a year and a half ago.
00:36:12.880
But, uh, what was he, was he suffering from something?
00:36:16.120
No, he, he had, um, he had, uh, tumors, but he, he didn't know or didn't, uh, take care
00:36:25.840
of, I'm not sure which one, but, um, he, uh, so he went into the hospital on a Tuesday.
00:36:35.160
So did you get to see him in between those days?
00:36:49.020
But, uh, so I bet he was super proud of you, huh?
00:36:53.920
So how things work is like, this stuff's going to happen to all of us, unfortunately.
00:37:01.280
So the way I feel is how are you going to handle those moments?
00:37:06.080
So I believe at that moment, and it was handled as perfect as it possibly could.
00:37:15.660
Well, you know, in a room of people, uh, the room was full of people he loved and they loved
00:37:27.240
And, uh, so they're surrounded, you know, surrounded by his parents and just as good as that could
00:37:34.740
And so, you know, I don't know, like my brother was the nervous guy.
00:37:49.520
I'll probably be crying like a baby, but now, yeah, he handled it, you know.
00:37:57.700
So that's how, like, he was always nervous and I never was nervous about anything when
00:38:04.500
And even crossing the street, I'd run and he'd be screaming.
00:38:09.940
It was like me and him, my mom worked most of the time, two jobs and stuff.
00:38:15.120
So it was me and him and we were total opposite.
00:38:19.520
Um, like, even growing up, like, I got into, like, the metal music first.
00:38:23.940
He would listen to, like, Cultural Club and, like, Tears for Fears.
00:38:30.320
And, um, but, um, you know, he, he, he was a comedian.
00:38:34.280
He was, uh, in school, he was in the drama club and stuff and I was in sports.
00:38:38.840
So we were totally different, but, like, the same, I guess.
00:38:41.980
Did you kind of feel like his protector sometimes in some ways?
00:38:44.240
Uh, well, he was older than me, but, yeah, I was definitely, and, and, you know.
00:38:49.880
Well, sometimes you've got that gritty brother who's the fucking, you know what I'm saying?
00:38:53.520
Yeah, but, um, it was weird how he balanced it, like, he, as I said, he was nervous and
00:39:00.420
had major anxiety, but, like, it was so different, it just, but it fit, like, um, perfect.
00:39:09.800
Like, uh, like, our relationship was, like, good.
00:39:22.440
Nice to meet you through your brother, um, and hope you guys are having a good time out
00:39:40.320
But I guess a lot of times you don't go watch somebody work.
00:39:44.420
I actually have a pretty funny, so, I was fighting for a title, uh, amateur title, in, um, in
00:39:52.820
Uh, yeah, it was like my, I think it was my first amateur title fight, so it was a big
00:39:56.740
deal, and it was actually, no, I was actually defending it.
00:40:03.560
I, I took a fight on short notice, uh, I bumped up a weight, and I lost, so now, I was fighting
00:40:14.680
So, my brother and his buddies come, and I guess they're doing their thing pretty early,
00:40:20.280
and they're going, you know, uh, Atlantic City, and, and having fun.
00:40:25.400
And then I, I come, and as I say, he's a really nervous guy, and, uh, he's standing in, like,
00:40:32.760
the, uh, the, uh, the hall, but the cage is right there, and he's, like, staring at the
00:40:38.320
And, and I said to him, I'm like, yo, what's up, Robbie?
00:40:41.080
And I'm right behind him, and he's like, oh, my God, you know, fighting, and, and, you
00:40:45.620
know, you're getting older, you have kids, and whatever, and, and, uh, ring girls walk
00:40:49.800
by, and I go, hey, Robbie, you see the ring girls?
00:40:52.880
He goes, he goes, I'm not that nervous, of course, I've seen the ring girls, and it
00:41:01.060
And then, uh, I won the fight, we went out, it was a really good, uh, great night, too.
00:41:14.460
Did you have a nickname when you were a fighter then?
00:41:19.180
So, like, we were watching 300 or something, and someone said something, like, cause he,
00:41:23.240
you know, he was just fighting, hanging out with his wife, and, and playing with his
00:41:39.460
Cause that was like a trilogy, I guess, sort of?
00:41:50.560
We bumped, we went back up, we'll wait, and he, he won 2.
00:41:55.940
You're like, I got him here, I can go back up there and get him?
00:41:59.440
I don't know, I can't remember, I'm trying to think, like, I think back then.
00:42:05.860
But I think back then, you know, it was still kind of, the amateur scene was just kind of
00:42:14.140
And he was good, and I was good, and he was competitive.
00:42:18.620
So, you know, probably, you know, I was trying to fight some other guys in between, so I was
00:42:35.340
Yeah, I think this is the one, so this is the one I bumped up, and I fought on three
00:42:47.260
It's weird that the ones I went on on here, but, and that's the guy, Donny Carly, that's
00:43:01.220
I know how to wrestle a little bit, but my first, I think he does take me down, but I
00:43:13.520
What happens is I miss a back fist, but I think if I hit it, he'd probably still be
00:43:18.140
asleep, but I miss it, and kind of get slammed on my head, and move on from there.
00:43:27.080
They were fun, and he was a good guy, and as I said, I reffed him after, and even in his
00:43:34.900
Well, it's cool that you reffed him after, and that the referee's the guy that got you.
00:43:40.040
It's so amazing, man, about life, if you're able to stay, kind of as you're saying, healthy
00:43:47.200
If you're able to take care of yourself mentally enough to stay, you don't even have to stay
00:43:52.260
You can veer off a little bit, but if you're able to stay, so many of the pieces of our
00:43:57.080
past kind of really connect and make the future make sense.
00:44:02.920
I've had, in the last couple years, I've had so many moments like that.
00:44:11.040
Well, so, my first couple of years in high school, I didn't do so well, and I ended up
00:44:25.060
In, like, ninth grade, I didn't really do very good.
00:44:28.280
People were like, were you, like, fighting with other kids?
00:44:32.200
You know, back then, kids fought more often than they do now, for sure.
00:44:36.460
But I just didn't, you know, I guess that whole punk rock feel, like, not listening to
00:44:42.640
But, um, so I didn't do so well, and I went to East Madison High School, didn't do so well
00:44:46.700
And then, uh, you know, I ended up going to a few different high schools.
00:44:59.220
I went to college for a year, and then I started, I'm a diesel mechanic for what town I live
00:45:13.860
But when I first started there, we were Teamsters.
00:45:17.320
I thought the idea of being a Teamster was cool, but.
00:45:24.820
Um, but so we've learned a little bit about unions over the years.
00:45:27.040
I didn't know anything about him until we had him in, you know?
00:45:31.660
I'm able, I'm able to do what I do and stuff that I want to do and branch out.
00:45:36.420
Wow, so you've been a diesel mechanic this whole time.
00:45:44.720
My dad's like, well, working is, get a good job.
00:45:50.020
Like, back then, when you left college, you were off your parents' benefits right after that.
00:46:02.340
And I, you know, my dad was like, you need a job with insurance.
00:46:05.980
And, and if you get hurt, you know, you get paid.
00:46:11.640
And I started a highway for a little while, like nine months.
00:46:14.740
And then I got into the mechanic shop and that was that.
00:46:19.200
So, like, you know, mowing the lawns and stuff on the highway.
00:46:30.740
Well, Long Island has a bunch of them on the sideways, but.
00:46:38.320
I could totally be fine with not finding a dead body.
00:46:56.260
Sean O'Brien is still the general president of the International Brothers,
00:47:02.000
Did you, uh, did you have a mentor that taught you how to be a diesel mechanic?
00:47:07.980
I did have, you know, there were older guys there that were really good.
00:47:11.480
And, uh, kind of like if, you know, if I, you know, if I can't fix it, I could break
00:47:19.740
And did you teach your kids any of those kind of skills or?
00:47:22.560
Yeah, a little bit, you know, like the normal skills.
00:47:25.640
Like, you know, like I actually, you know, there's kids.
00:47:28.700
I don't know how to change a flat tire these days.
00:47:31.380
My kids know how to change flat tires and my daughter knows how to change flat tire.
00:47:37.080
And, um, my younger guy is the one that seems to be the one that's going to be working with
00:47:41.900
My older guy's a chef, but, uh, so he works with his hands just differently.
00:47:45.920
Um, but I hope his hands aren't dirty when he's working.
00:47:48.800
Um, but, uh, yeah, my younger guy seems to be, you know, maybe do some, uh, mechanic program
00:47:58.300
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So take us on the journey of how you get into working with the UFC.
00:50:40.920
And I was working, putting in a lot of time there.
00:50:44.200
And I think a few months into being sanctioned, they had a show, UFC 101 in Philadelphia.
00:51:06.940
I mean, did you have your own like kind of green room?
00:51:14.940
I was actually so excited I didn't even know how to get in.
00:51:17.280
So I've never gone to a venue without a ticket, right?
00:51:36.780
But you just tried to come in through the ticket.
00:51:37.980
No, I just got there and I was in the parking lot and was like, how am I getting in?
00:51:59.380
Actually, I believe that was Mark Goddard's first time reffing in the States.
00:52:20.500
Was there a fighter that you reffed for early before he got to the UFC that you saw like
00:52:34.360
Could you tell then when you were seeing Paul then?
00:52:44.160
I think there's been a good amount over the years that you see in the local stuff and
00:52:50.760
you reff and then you reff with them in the UFC, which is pretty cool.
00:52:58.560
Like for them that they're there, not that I'm there.
00:53:11.740
As I said, you know, it's like besides, you know, my family stuff, it's the most important
00:53:16.980
thing that I'm going to end up doing, you know, and to see, you know, you think about
00:53:23.400
it, you reff them in the, you know, the local scene and they're healthy enough to get
00:53:28.360
And, you know, you think, you know, you have something to do with that, you know?
00:53:34.320
Was there ever a fighter that you remember that stood out that something happened in
00:53:40.560
amateurs and they didn't make it like someone that really stood out over the years?
00:53:43.740
Well, there's a lot of ones that you would say, oh, this guy is going to be, and they
00:53:50.980
Anyone that comes to mind that kind of like that you.
00:53:52.960
Not particularly name wise, but there's been guys where you go, wow, you know, sky's
00:53:59.380
a limit and then just, you know, for whatever injury or it's hard, you know, like we were
00:54:08.620
I think, you know, once you start having kids and stuff, the guys that have these families
00:54:13.160
and they train like that, you know, it's dedication that takes and, and, and sacrifice like a lot
00:54:19.080
and women, you know, who, who do the same, like the men and women who do that, it takes
00:54:30.000
Oh, when you see a guy going away, like, um, to a camp for six weeks, eight weeks, 10
00:54:37.560
And there, a lot of times they're going to be away from their family.
00:54:39.840
Maybe their family will come and visit on the weekends and stuff because, you know,
00:54:42.860
there's, there's, um, there's only a few places in America where the, it's like kind
00:54:48.420
Um, and then you could go into the bout and losing the first round or, you know, it's
00:54:54.560
That's like training for the Olympics, you know, taking last, right.
00:55:00.400
Take last training for your whole life, you know?
00:55:04.080
So that's what makes it, you know, cool in a way too.
00:55:07.200
Oh, that's the, that's why I like when I go to the fights and, you know, I like to go
00:55:11.780
early, I just, cause I'm like, this is like, this is their life, right?
00:55:17.800
You're getting to witness a piece of somebody's life.
00:55:20.100
Like they, they, they mean this 90, if they're at that, that level, they mean this so much
00:55:27.620
that to even be in the presence of something like that, I think gives me energy.
00:55:32.680
It's like, I'm showing up to watch an eclipse almost something so rare, you know?
00:55:37.620
Um, are there fighters when they come in the ring, like, uh, you know, Alex Pereira
00:55:42.500
has that energy when you're in there, when he comes in, like when I'm in there as a fan
00:55:46.380
and he, there is a unique energy, like that pentameter of the, I would say, yeah, there's
00:55:50.700
definitely fighters with any, that you feel the energy.
00:55:53.180
Are there some, like, what are some that you would even name?
00:55:55.040
Like, are there some that Dustin Poirier, yeah, Poirier, people are excited.
00:56:04.260
And, uh, like, Clay Glitter, win or lose, the energy is just so good, yeah.
00:56:11.640
Just the energy, and it's coming off of him, you can feel it, and that he wants to be there,
00:56:17.580
But, um, yeah, there's a lot of fighters that you just get that, really, that energy from,
00:56:23.160
and then when you get it from both at the same time, that's where you really, it's firing
00:56:29.740
Is it, is it tougher to referee some of the, um, the bigger fighters?
00:56:36.720
Like, when they're, like, is there, is there a weight class that's a little bit tougher
00:56:40.600
or different that you have to adjust how you do or where you place yourself?
00:56:47.020
Like, the smaller guys are faster, the bigger guys are stronger, right?
00:56:50.920
And it's, I'll just, right, uh, physics, I guess.
00:56:54.220
Um, so, you just, you know, make sure you're fast enough for the faster guys, and you're
00:56:59.820
in the right position for the, the bigger guys.
00:57:09.680
You know, you, you want to be in the right position, and, you know, they'll listen to
00:57:12.840
your commands, and, you know, because people do ask, like, oh, how would you stop them?
00:57:17.120
And, same way you'd stop, you know, a small, a small guy, or, you know, so.
00:57:21.680
And they always all honor the referee for the most part.
00:57:27.680
Yeah, you give respect, you get respect, right?
00:57:31.320
Yeah, the level of respect that's in that ring is pretty amazing, too, I feel like.
00:57:34.420
So, yeah, I think people would be surprised, definitely, um, how, like, you know, respectful
00:57:43.920
I, you know, I can't really speak for anyone, but to me.
00:57:46.880
And, um, you know, obviously, you're not going to always agree, but for the most part,
00:57:51.700
uh, for the very, very most part, um, they're very respectful.
00:57:55.840
Have you ever been at a fight where, uh, someone passed away in the ring, or there was something
00:58:12.860
Is there anything different about refereeing a male fight to a female fight?
00:58:18.140
I, I, you know, uh, I've been lucky to get some of the best female fights ever.
00:58:27.340
Um, you know, it's, you know, pretty amazing the level that they've grown so quickly.
00:58:34.760
And, and, and, and female sports in general, if we, you know, talk about, you know, women's
00:58:39.060
wrestling, like, last year I went to the, um, NAIA, uh, women's nationals, and.
00:58:55.160
You know, she fell short at, uh, her first year, last year, so, uh, we'll see how this
00:58:59.960
year goes, but, uh, but, um, the level, and these, you know, they're, like, they're not
00:59:06.060
They're the 26-year-old women in college, 25 years.
00:59:13.640
It was, um, although I wish she had, uh, won a few matches, me and her sitting there
00:59:18.560
watching that level together was, you know, two days.
00:59:22.180
And, uh, I was kind of, at the end, I'm kind of happy she didn't do that well because
00:59:26.900
we were able to go out for lunch and dinner and hang out.
00:59:32.980
This year is a new year, and we'll see how she does.
00:59:43.660
There's such a great sense of, like, you can take care of yourself.
00:59:50.260
Like, wrestling's the best sport, uh, you know, that you could do in, in, in high school
00:59:59.040
Oh, wrestlers will always be the craziest, too.
01:00:01.040
You'd, like, you'd just be driving one day and you'd see your buddy wrapped in trash bags,
01:00:08.040
My buddy Paul Corso would be, like, and I think it's his birthday, actually, today or
01:00:11.740
But wrapped in trash bags, just running down the highways, like, I gotta fight in two
01:00:21.860
But same as what we were talking about with the dedication, that commitment, right?
01:00:29.000
And also, like, um, you know, uh, like, when you're wrestling and you feel defeat, right?
01:00:37.080
Like, you're learning life lessons on a wrestling mat.
01:00:39.760
Instead of having to learn it outside world where, where the, you know, the cost sometimes
01:00:45.660
So you're learning it just by, you know, you know, training and stepping on a wrestling
01:00:50.680
There's not, you know, it's nothing better than that.
01:00:53.260
Um, when I was going to MMA classes, I remember there'd be, like, days where, like, even after,
01:00:58.020
like, I'd sit there at the end of the day and sometimes I would just, like, bawl.
01:01:02.800
But it was stuff that got unlocked that had been in my muscles or in my fascia or in me.
01:01:07.780
And it was, like, um, the ability to be able to be, uh, like, beaten by somebody that also
01:01:16.140
cares that you're going to be okay at the same time.
01:01:18.300
There's something really fascinating about that.
01:01:19.860
And I don't think you can find it any other place, right?
01:01:22.080
Like, you know, your competitor also, they want to beat you, but they also, some of them
01:01:28.540
It's just, like, there's, it's unprecedented the different levels of, um, well-being and
01:01:34.680
competition and, uh, ferociousness and defeat that are all wrapped up in there.
01:01:44.260
You learn who all the cops are because all of them are off duty.
01:01:47.740
And I saw a few guys that I used to train with and, um, mostly in the stand-up stuff
01:01:57.880
A lot of people would come and be like, what the hell?
01:02:05.860
And we laugh about that because, uh, I don't know.
01:02:12.360
Do you ever think that a fighter threw a fight or had given up but kept fighting?
01:02:20.420
And how do you decide if it's just you interjecting some of your own thoughts into what's going
01:02:25.620
Can you take me on even just some journeys about some of that?
01:02:27.840
So, like, you know, what, like if a guy is giving up or.
01:02:32.460
Like, do you ever think a guy doesn't want to be in there, but he's staying in there?
01:02:37.740
You know, it's kind of the sport where if you don't want to be in there, most likely
01:02:46.800
So, like, I have seen guys that it's not going very well and you can tell they definitely want
01:02:52.880
That's a little easier to see, I think, definitely.
01:02:59.960
Usually if you don't want to be there at some point, you're not going to be there pretty
01:03:02.740
quick and you can see, you know, guys get surprised or, you know, overwhelmed and for
01:03:09.720
that moment, you know, live to fight another day and whatever and, but usually, like, if
01:03:14.700
a guy, you know, they, you know, you're stopping them, they're not stopping themselves for the
01:03:20.640
Have you ever had a guy stop himself or their corner stop him?
01:03:24.800
Like, I had a kid walk out of the cage and leave the other day.
01:03:30.920
You know, and it was amateur, so, like, good decision.
01:03:45.940
His mom's, like, walking back in with him or something or his buddies.
01:03:48.840
One time, um, it was my buddy and he knocked this guy out and, and somehow his mom got
01:03:56.480
in and you thought she was going to kneel down and, and to see, tend to her son.
01:04:08.720
I remember, it was many years ago, but I remember because, uh, ACDC Thunderstruck was being played
01:04:19.700
Have, have, have there been some other instances that have happened at the end of the match
01:04:26.600
You still have fighters that are down sometimes.
01:04:31.080
And, and so now it's, you know, um, only the right personnel coming, coming in.
01:04:38.080
But, um, that's, you know, I said I was, I fought on that card, that woman.
01:04:41.900
So that was a long time ago, but, um, you know, it could be pretty crazy.
01:04:48.660
You know, especially like the higher, you know, the, the event and loud and, and, and
01:04:56.880
And then when the fight ends, sometimes it's just like that.
01:05:00.980
It's just like, like, you know, so that's crazy.
01:05:04.900
And, and the more over the years, the more you work, the more the sounds kind of, some
01:05:09.740
you hear, some you don't, um, like I can pinpoint someone's voice and then other, you
01:05:19.560
It's crazy that it can be dead quiet in there with so many people in there sometimes.
01:05:23.380
And sometimes there'll be certain cheers going on, but it's still, there's this real silence
01:05:38.540
You know, cause there can be like this insane moment at about 20,000 people are watching.
01:05:43.820
And then other times it's loud and then cheering and you're like, what are they saying?
01:05:48.520
Sometimes you can't understand what they're saying and stuff like that.
01:05:51.640
And, and, uh, so it's like up and down, you know, it's pretty crazy.
01:05:59.940
Did you ever suspect that a fighter threw a fight?
01:06:06.680
Um, like some guys aren't, you know, obviously I ref all different levels.
01:06:12.160
So some guys are coming in and they get punched and they're done, but that's just, you know,
01:06:17.960
They just don't have the talent to, uh, but I've never suspected anything like that.
01:06:23.060
What was it like when Connor would come in the ring?
01:06:25.860
I didn't, no, I didn't do any of his fights, but it was crazy.
01:06:29.240
I, I've, uh, I've been, you know, I've worked cards where he was on and like, uh,
01:06:35.040
Madison Square Garden, when he fought the first Madison Square Garden, it was crazy.
01:06:41.300
And then even after you went outside and there was, uh, you know, Irish people cheering everywhere.
01:06:51.040
So could you even tell us who you thought the best fighter is that you've seen?
01:06:54.480
Um, I don't know if I, so I stopped looking at fights like a fan a pretty long time ago.
01:07:04.620
I wouldn't even be able to like to pick a favorite fighter or say who's the best fighter
01:07:12.240
But, you know, obviously there's fights where you're like, wow, that was really exciting
01:07:17.860
You know, but yeah, I kind of just very look good at it, at the, the referee standpoint
01:07:25.720
Is there, um, a fighter that you feel like plays by the rules the most?
01:07:32.400
Well, there's a bunch of polite guys who are just polite, but for the, for the most part,
01:07:41.140
You know, but you know, like, I think a lot of the, a lot of the fouls that, you know,
01:07:45.500
are accidental, um, you know, yeah, I do some, you know, some of it couldn't even,
01:07:51.260
even if you wanted to do it the way, you know, it's such a fast.
01:07:55.280
Like, you know, it'd be hard to strategize something like, yeah, but then you have some
01:07:59.060
guys that are real grindy and when they're in the cage, they're going to do what they
01:08:02.960
And it is a fight and you know, and you got to try to control that.
01:08:09.140
So him and Connor, but mostly everyone else, but, uh, yeah.
01:08:17.280
How do you guys determine what, which fights your referee?
01:08:21.120
No, the commission just gives you, you know, you'll go and you'll get your assignments.
01:08:29.620
So you and Herb Dean aren't back there like this then?
01:08:33.840
So you come and they give you a sheet and you already have your assignments there.
01:08:38.380
And is it almost like opening up like a Christmas wishlist?
01:08:41.000
Like in some ways, like, are there some you excited about?
01:08:42.900
Like, are there some actually you're happy you don't have to so you can sit and watch
01:08:52.680
And this sounds maybe crazy, but like, if I'm like, oh, wow, that fight would be hard.
01:08:57.160
I kind of hope I get it to see if, uh, you know, if I'm, if I could do it, you know,
01:09:01.780
and, and, uh, and what would determine if I, if I would be kind of hard, like what even
01:09:09.060
Well, some matchups and, and, you know, things are like, oh, this guy's really, uh, has one
01:09:15.340
knockout power and this guy's really great on the ground, but you know, it's not very good
01:09:24.500
And I think that's what would make it harder or, or not complicated, but interesting.
01:09:29.800
So let's get rid of the word harder, but interesting.
01:09:33.660
I think it's so interesting how so many fighters have different reasons why they fight, you
01:09:41.640
Some is to get rid of anger, you know, to challenge.
01:09:45.120
Um, some just love the violence, you know, I just think it's, it's pretty fascinating to see
01:09:59.060
You coach, um, and we can wrap up in a few minutes.
01:10:05.040
You know, it's like, I get to go sometimes to the fights and get to see you guys there.
01:10:08.800
And it's like, um, you know, it's almost like you, I mean, you guys are kind of like
01:10:13.580
I mean, that, that world is built so big that, I mean, the referees are celebrities.
01:10:18.660
I don't, that sometimes it's like, oh, you know, but you'll have to have people that
01:10:26.620
Yeah, it is because it's definitely not about, you know, me.
01:10:30.520
But there's, there's not, there's not a lot of other sports.
01:10:32.880
I don't think, um, what's that been like, what's it like being a, like a part of something
01:10:41.280
Have you noticed a different energy in the space?
01:10:43.720
Have you, like, have you noticed that fighters change?
01:10:48.900
Well, it, you know, obviously it, it's still young sport, right?
01:10:56.620
Um, not only like, so I think it was 2009 was my first year.
01:11:02.520
So not only has that all changed, but people have changed since 2009.
01:11:07.160
You know, so yeah, fighters are different cause people are different and, you know, and we
01:11:13.780
have like, oh, the internet's even bigger and, and all that stuff.
01:11:17.680
And, you know, so yeah, a lot of things have changed, but, uh, the concept is there, right?
01:11:28.380
And so that, that's the same, um, fighters like end up the same, like, you know, even
01:11:35.840
all times are different, like eventually like you'll, you'll even, when you're talking
01:11:39.500
to one, you know, they're there for one goal and, and, and, you know, to, uh, be competitive.
01:11:48.880
Um, was there ever like a fighter that retired in the ring?
01:11:52.200
Cause you know, a lot of times they'll lay their gloves down.
01:11:54.160
Was there any, any moment, one of those that kind of stood out to you or?
01:11:59.580
Or just one that even caught your, caught your own feelings.
01:12:01.740
I, I, I believe, uh, I believe I, I, I might be wrong, but, um, I believe Quay Guido retired
01:12:13.120
So that would be pretty significant cause I've reffed him up a few times and, and, um, and
01:12:19.920
Um, so I believe, and there's probably been others too that they've retired after, after,
01:12:27.800
Um, but those are always like, I know some of them you can feel coming, right?
01:12:34.820
They'll take off their shoes and they leave it in the center.
01:12:37.180
And, and, and sometimes you're like, oh yeah, makes sense.
01:12:40.420
And other times it's like, hey, you know, you got more to give and more to go.
01:12:44.140
But as you said, you know, the amount of time that stuff takes.
01:12:59.040
So I coached for the, well, she went, this is the team she wrestled for.
01:13:04.660
So we have one school, which is Bayshore that has the girls wrestling team.
01:13:08.440
And then the other schools, which she went to isolate all go there.
01:13:13.120
I'm the assistant coach at the, uh, uh, Bayshore girls team.
01:13:16.280
And then me and my daughter run a club together called Empire girls wrestling together.
01:13:25.140
It's great that, um, girls get the opportunity to be in what I believe is the best sport.
01:13:32.540
And then coaching with my daughter right now is really, she's very good.
01:13:35.660
She, uh, she actually coached at, um, which is a big thing for us at, um, the national team,
01:14:07.200
Um, this was, um, uh, August on the end of August, it was the New York state fair and
01:14:14.460
they invited us and we brought a girl's team and a boy's team and we, uh, the boys and the
01:14:28.120
And then they wrestled us for the people that are watching.
01:14:30.740
So all those people are just walking by the state fair, watching the dual meets.
01:14:36.160
Why not put something like that in a place where people are already at and looking for
01:14:41.260
Because so often, sometimes you'll put it in a gym or something and people don't even
01:14:44.220
know, you know, especially a lot of times in high school or even outside, like in college
01:14:48.580
But if you're at a fair, you're looking for entertainment.
01:14:53.700
My wife planned it and, um, we got invited and it was really cool.
01:15:19.080
It's like, as, yeah, like life has, there's a lot of little off ramps that you can get
01:15:24.780
And, you know, you got, as we were just talking earlier about things that, you know, you don't
01:15:33.820
And then, uh, you know, you know, eye on the prize, I guess.
01:15:46.200
Um, so, I start work, um, at the town at 7.30 to 4.
01:15:55.880
And then I, uh, our practices, well, right now, uh, our practices, just Empire practices,
01:16:04.360
Uh, uh, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and Sundays.
01:16:10.480
And, um, and then now we're starting the high school season, so we have open mats for
01:16:26.060
I've never been much of a sit-around type of guy.
01:16:35.480
But you can have, like, I'm a pretty serious guy, but I'm, like, things I'm good at.
01:16:42.220
I know, you know, like, I came to see your show.
01:16:49.760
And they, you know, they, uh, when they told me they were going to be there, I was like,
01:17:02.260
Well, I don't know about it if I had no comedy, but.
01:17:11.380
From a guy who doesn't accept nonsense, that's the most we can ask.
01:17:15.840
Oh, is there any other, um, oh, are, are referees allowed to, is there like an alcohol rule
01:17:23.380
Like, I know with pilots, can you look it up for me?
01:17:26.100
How soon before a flight can a pilot have alcohol?
01:17:31.500
Is there a rule with referees, um, that you can or can't drink before a fight?
01:17:39.220
So I would think, I would think it would be like, uh, 24 hours or something like that.
01:17:44.780
But they never, it's never like, they don't, they're not breathalyzing refs or anything
01:17:53.860
It would probably be, well, it would be impossible.
01:17:56.060
So like, uh, to actually do the actual thing would be impossible.
01:18:00.240
But then, you know, you, you spend, so you're, you're in there, you're, you're with doctors,
01:18:12.320
Many airlines have stricter internal policies with some requiring pilots to abstain for at
01:18:16.040
least 12 hours before flying to allow sufficient time for metabolization.
01:18:21.020
I don't think 12 hours is long enough to be honest.
01:18:29.060
Even when I hear something crazy, so I have a CDL, so it has to be zeros.
01:18:32.820
When, when they do the drug test, they do a blow.
01:18:38.140
In summary, pilots must avoid alcohol for at least eight hours before a flight.
01:18:58.100
They should have to blow it in the front of the plane and show the number of the rest
01:19:05.340
No, uh, we had, we don't do breath labs or anything, but it's, it's, you, you wouldn't.
01:19:13.020
Have you never heard any, you've never heard of anybody having an issue?
01:19:17.260
What, what's it like when you get there from when you, you, when you leave?
01:19:24.060
Um, how early, like how early do you get there?
01:19:26.660
It's usually, it could be two hours, uh, hour and a half.
01:19:39.580
So I straight go in and walk in, find the commissioner.
01:19:44.000
Um, you know, obviously if I've been there before, but if I haven't been, I'm working
01:19:48.480
in a place I've never been, walk in, find the commission room, get my assignments.
01:19:53.260
When the fighters come, I do my one-on-one rules meeting and then fighter.
01:20:02.820
So usually we'll go with the average is three fights on a card.
01:20:07.020
I've had more, you know, less if a cancellation, whatever, but go over the rules, ask them
01:20:14.880
Then, you know, uh, depending what state, mostly now you do, uh, also you do RO, like
01:20:27.300
And then, um, and then the fight before yours, you usually do, you know, the gate when they
01:20:37.880
And will you have, like, what do you eat before?
01:20:42.340
I don't have an energy drink, but some places I eat before.
01:20:48.360
Like, um, when I'm from New Jersey, there's a few restaurants.
01:20:51.460
I'll have, I have something, um, Madison Square Garden.
01:20:57.240
And, uh, it's a Molly Wee pub and they have, like, um, Irish beef stew.
01:21:04.380
I like, uh, quesadillas that have, with almond flour tortillas.
01:21:09.560
And then, you know, so, and that, like, like, give me an idea.
01:21:17.120
So there's a guy, I wish I could remember the name of his company, but I can't right
01:21:23.080
I go out and say hello to him every single time.
01:21:25.900
He's always out there, no matter how cold, no matter what.
01:21:32.980
And then, uh, I say hello to him and I go down and get ready to go after.
01:21:37.120
And then I go to the Molly Wee, then I, I eat usually the beef stew and then, and then
01:21:48.080
Oh, I am very much, you know, like the same, and I use the word criteria and whatever,
01:21:57.100
And, but, but almost everything I'm like that really.
01:22:05.380
It's like, if you get up and get the things you don't want to do done out of the day,
01:22:12.040
Um, have you ever been unable to do a referee, a fight?
01:22:21.000
Um, well, I have a story of, uh, like I reffed, but I had, uh, I had, when I was reffing, I
01:22:30.100
had, uh, two kidney stones and, and, um, staples like in my stomach.
01:22:41.180
And then, um, a few years ago I had it out again.
01:22:46.240
So they took out the appendix, but they left in, they left in like a stub.
01:23:07.700
And the fact that when I asked, um, you know, I'm like, hey, is this, does this happen?
01:23:15.160
So, I also at the same time had, um, kidney stones.
01:23:20.520
So I did a recovery and there, so everything was kind of, it was miserable.
01:23:33.460
And then it was just, um, had a, a, a little meaning to me.
01:23:36.760
It was, uh, um, local and I had the main event.
01:23:39.800
It was just, uh, so, uh, so I decided in my head I was going to do it.
01:23:44.620
So I ended up getting the, um, doctor that I was going to see every two days for the
01:23:58.500
So I, I took the few of them out from the top and then.
01:24:11.200
And then, um, so then, but the kidney stone started kicking in really bad.
01:24:18.420
And so the night before I'm like really panic button.
01:24:29.180
So next day I get there and then the pain's kind of starting to go away a little bit.
01:24:37.040
Um, I get the fights and, uh, the main event, like I was hoping.
01:24:41.440
And, uh, awesome, um, place that I've always wanted to work.
01:24:46.840
And so, uh, the bathroom is like attached to like the fans and us were using the same
01:24:56.180
So I walk by and they're like, oh, Keith, you're the man.
01:25:00.740
So I walk into the bathroom and now I'm feeling pain real bad.
01:25:14.420
Like, well, the pain was still there, but it felt so much better.
01:25:17.200
And I was walking out and then you'll shoot your eye out.
01:25:19.620
And the kids like, the kids like, oh, you're a legend.
01:25:22.040
And all I can think of is you should have saw what just happened in there, dude.
01:25:28.260
And then, um, and then I passed the other one cause I had two on the way to Seattle the
01:25:37.920
It's just miserable, but, but, uh, yeah, it's kind of a funny story.
01:25:41.200
And then the, the, the appendix out to it is pretty funny cause, uh, even it was actually
01:25:46.700
almost ended up being bad because I was telling people what was wrong with me cause I was
01:25:56.100
So they kept skipping over that and, and, and yeah, so it was a week or so and I was
01:26:02.040
pretty infection by then, you know, caught in, but it was fine and everything worked
01:26:07.040
But dude, that's wild that just to know if people want to know if some of these referees
01:26:13.800
are tough or not, this guy's passing kidney stones between fights in the bathroom.
01:26:23.540
One for always making me feel welcome when I'm at the fights.
01:26:26.680
It's such an honor to get to see you guys, man.
01:26:30.060
That it's, uh, will you agree that with this, that it's one of the most, the people that
01:26:35.220
make that, that, that are part of that company that put that event on, it's pretty spectacular.
01:26:48.760
And you see the same people over and over again and it really does feel like a family
01:26:55.300
You know, as, you know, as we figured out, I kind of keep to myself, but, uh, there's
01:27:00.660
some people I see every time that I really great people and, and, um, you know, I speak
01:27:05.140
to them and, uh, briefly and it's a really, you know, well, thank you so much for all
01:27:11.240
Thanks for continuing to just support, uh, wrestling.
01:27:13.480
And I think, uh, that it's just, you know, you being out there just inspires other young
01:27:17.560
people to get into it and just having like, um, so much history yourself in it.
01:27:21.600
And, uh, yeah, thank you for letting us talk about your family and stuff today, man.
01:27:24.940
And, um, yeah, uh, cheers to, uh, many more years of, um, of, of being on the journey, man.
01:27:34.600
Now I'm just floating on the breeze and I feel I'm falling like these leaves.
01:27:45.700
Oh, but when I reach that ground, I'll share this peace of mind.
01:27:50.540
I found I can feel it in my bones, but it's gonna tell you.