Veteran Wrestler Pretty Boy Floyd Set to Retire After Storied Career
By Zachary Daum
[email protected]
Pretty Boy Floyd, a wrestling legend who has spent over 35 years in the ring, will be stepping away from professional wrestling following his final NGW match against Ricky Cruz in Mascoutah, Illinois. Having worked for top promotions such as WWF and WCW, Pretty Boy Floyd’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“I’ve worked with a lot of tough superstars, such as Gentleman Chris Adams, Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine, Tommy Wildfire Rich, The Warlord, George ‘The Animal’ Steele, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and of course, Cowboy Bob Orton,” Floyd said.
Floyd’s wrestling journey began with his first battle royal happening in Kansas City in 1992. “I’ve always been a wrestling fan. I was inspired by a lot of people back then like Victor Bruiser, The Crusher, Bobo Brazil, and Haystack Calhoun. I slowly worked my way into the generation with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper.”
His wrestling career took off after working with Windy City Wrestling and later training with WCW. “We used to put the stage up for WCW and do the lights for pay-per-views and house shows. We’d get there early, set up the stage, and then we were able to train. One day, they asked me if I had my gear. When I said yes, they asked how I’d feel about being in a battle royal that night. My stomach dropped, but I said yes. After that, things just took off.”
Floyd discussed how he once offered to buy food for Ron Simmons and Teddy Long and was met with laughs, and one telling him he made a huge mistake offering to buy wrestlers food; They eat a lot. Floyd is also known for his colorful costumes including crazy hats, masks and pop culture references. When asked what his favorite costume was, he said that his biggest pop and most satisfying costume was based on Japanese film studio Toho’s monster Mothra. “When I threw my arms out, you know fully to the side, showing the whole wings, the crowd went crazy.”
Outside of wrestling, Pretty Boy Floyd is also an over-the-road truck driver and an international DJ. “I pretty much haul bulk pneumatic and tanker loads, running coast to coast and even into Canada and Mexico. The trucking life is wild. I’m normally out on the road two or three weeks at a time. The DJ gig takes me all over the world. I’ve performed in Tokyo, Australia, Paris, London, Greece, Stockholm, Finland, and all over the United States.”
Now, as he prepares for his final match against Ricky Cruz, Pretty Boy Floyd reflects on his time in the business. “Me and Ricky have known each other a long, long time. I’m really looking forward to this match. It’s going to be a hard-hitting affair. It’s going to be scientific. Everybody’s going to be doing their thing and getting ready to take care of everything.”
Floyd has worked with numerous wrestling companies over the years, including WCW, AWF, RCW, IWA Productions, NGW, and many others. He even retired as the champion from some companies that folded while he still held the title.
As Pretty Boy Floyd steps away from the ring, he’s not leaving the entertainment world entirely. For those wanting to keep up with him, his Twitch channel is a great place to catch him live. Check him out at Twitch.com/thefreakshowlivetv
