Interview Conducted by: Patch of Squared Circle News October 4, 2005

Patch: Dan Tanaka, welcome to Squared Circle News, and "Patch's Place" Thanks for granting me this interview.

Dan Tanaka: Thank you for having me.

Patch: We begin each interview by having the stars that we speak with tell us a bit about themselves, such as Height, Weight, Age, Hometown, Years As Ref, and Hobbies away from the ring?

Dan Tanaka: I’m 5’7”, 155 lbs, 25 years old, I live just a little outside of Worcester, Massachusetts. I have been a referee for almost four years. My hobbies away from wrestling include hanging out with my friends, watching movies/TV, music, and video games.

Patch: Have you always been a Pro Wrestling fan?

Dan Tanaka: I’ve been a pro wrestling fan since I was about two years old, watching with my older brother and dad. I wasn’t a hardcore fan at that time, but I did like watching people get beat up in the ring. I remember seeing matches from WWF, NWA, AWA, IWCCW, and another one I can’t quite remember the name of.

By the time I was ten years old, and moved into a new house I had a neighbor who was a big time wrestling fan. I was always invited over to watch wrestling tapes, PPV, video games and even play with wrestling action figures. That’s what made me a hardcore wrestling fan. So overall, I’ve been a fan for about 23 years.

Patch: How did you get your training as a referee? What was training like? How different is training to be a ref as opposed to training to be a wrestler?

Dan Tanaka: My training started out by a “seminar” of sorts. I was asked if I wanted to referee by a promotion I had been associated with for some time, Northeast Championship Wrestling. I said “sure”. So before the event started I was in the ring, learning some of the craft of being a referee. Not much can be taught in such little time. I had my first match to referee that night, and I was really not that good. At least I don’t feel that I did that good. I still work for Northeast Championship Wrestling to this day. (thencwonline.net).

I then went to a small wrestling school to get more training done a few weeks after that to train with TJ Richter. As time passed I shaped up, and got better, and started working for a few other promotions.

After a few months I decided to train for manager, but this would be done with Maverick Wild. Due to some conflicts this didn’t work out, so my training with him was brief.

I then enrolled with Slamtech Wrestling University, for referee training. Bob Evans has a great amount of knowledge, and has brought me to being a better referee. He has brought many people to a whole new level on the independent scene. Thanks to him, I have had some bookings from quality wrestling promotions.

It’s hard to describe the training. Pretty much while people train to be wrestlers, I would train to ref right along with them training to be wrestlers through a practice match. I’d receive criticism, and pointers as much as anyone else would. I guess the only thing that’s different is that I don’t get into the moves like the wrestlers do. However, I still get the same warm up routine, before class begins.

Patch: Do you recall the first match you reffed? Who were the wrestlers?

Dan Tanaka: Yes I do. This was “Psycho” Mike (now known as Michael Sain), vs. G.Q. Beast. If “Psycho” Mike were to win, he would have five minutes in the ring with G.Q. Beasts manager, “The Talented” Dean Ripley. “Psycho” Mike won, and immediately was my second match where he beat the hell out of Dean Ripley. This took place in Northeast Championship Wrestling.

Patch: Have you ever been accused of laying down a fast count?

Dan Tanaka: That happens many times. I’ve also been accused of laying down a slow count! Sometimes I’m accused of not knowing how to count at all. I do my best to call things down the middle, you just can’t make everyone happy.

Patch: Do referees ever work as a rule-breaker or fan-favorite? If so, which one would you classify yourself as? Or do you call it right down the middle?

Dan Tanaka: I call things down the middle, like every referee should. There had been a time however where I would be classified as a fan favorite referee. This took place in Ringside Wrestling in Connecticut. One of my fellow referees decided to go ahead and help out a rule-breaking wrestler, Paul Lombardi.

Paul Lombardi went through a phase of demanding certain referees to step aside (me being one of them), and have Rich Bass referee his matches. Rich Bass would then favor Lombardi in every given way. Fast counts while Lombardi pinned his opponent, slow counts while Lombardi was pinned, and sometimes would stop or not count at all! The one time he did that, I was an appointed outside official (actually I was originally the inside official, but Lombardi demanded I switched with the evil ref, Rich Bass. I only agreed to, due to the importance of the match). I hopped in the ring and argued for Rich to finally make the count. He just shoved me to the mat. I got up as my anger boiled up, while he had his back to me. I grabbed him by the neck and belt and tossed him out of the ring much to the fans delight. At this time, Lombardi came to, and yelled at me for tossing out Rich. Alex Chamberlain (Lombardi’s opponent) finished off Lombardi and I made the count. This caused Alex Chamberlain to win the Ringside Wrestling, Heritage Championship. I have to say though, if Lombardi had Chamberlain pinned I would have done the right thing and made the count.

Patch: Do you prefer reffing Tagteam Wrestling to Singles Wrestling, Why or why not?

Dan Tanaka: I like singles better because it’s a little easier to control. It’s two wrestlers instead of four. However, I am perfectly capable of refereeing tag team matches, and have even been an official for a tag team tournament night to crown the first ever Tag Team Champions of a promotion. I have also been a referee in a fatal four-way tag team match.

Patch: What has been one of your favorite matches to ref?

Dan Tanaka: Bob Evans vs. Tim Kilgore in a championship belt on a pole match, Alex Chamberlain vs. Paul Lombardi, Chris Venom vs. Michael Sain, Steve King vs. Johnny Idol in a kiss my foot match. I also like tournament matches to crown a new champion or for a special event.

Patch: How about your least favorite?

Dan Tanaka: It’s hard to think of my least favorite… I can say there is one event I hated being at though. This was a block party in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The thing that made me hate this event was that it was out doors and kids were spraying Fart Spray all over the place. You would think Fart Spray smells like farts, but it doesn’t. Fart Spray smells like spoiled milk based dairy products. This made everyone sick. I nearly vomited several times during the matches I was refereeing.

Patch: Can you list some of the wrestlers you've reffed matches for?

Dan Tanaka: I have refereed for many! But I’ll go ahead and list some of them. Chris Venom, Michael Sain, Bob Evans, Tim Kilgore, Steve Bradley, Brian Fury, Alex Arion, Frankie Arion, Kevin Landry, Maverick Wild, Eddie Edwards, DC Dillinger, Mark Vincent, Matt Spectro, Paul Lombardi, Timothy McNeany, Timothy Pittman, Johnny Idol, Doug Williams, The Logan Brothers, Wagner Brown, Gallo, Sethoran, Kid Mikaze, Justin Shaype. Some of the women I’ve refereed for are, Nikki Roxx, Tanya Lee, Miss Peters, April Hunter, Trinity… There are many others that I can’t think of at the moment.

Patch: Tell me about some of the craziest things that you have seen happen in the ring?

Dan Tanaka: The craziest thing… That’s a good question. I’d probably have to say as an outside man, a tag team, TLC in a cage match! Bits and pieces of table everywhere, chairs being bent, and I think a ladder broke on someone. I could be confusing that part with another TLC I was a referee for though.

I have to say though, The Wisconsin Badger has got to be one of the craziest wrestlers I’ve ever seen anywhere. He alone is crazy, therefore anything he does is crazy, as well as anything he is involved in. I don’t see him around much though.

Patch: What about some of the scariest things that you've seen happen in the
ring?

Dan Tanaka: Whenever someone gets seriously hurt. Jason Blade has nearly got himself killed several times. I was at one event backstage when he was knocked out and on the outside. An ambulance came in and took him away to be taken care of. He also moonsaulted off the top of a ladder in the ring to the outside and nearly had his head taken off by the top rope, again I was backstage for this part.

I’ve been fortunate to never be in the ring when someone had a fatal accident. I had a phone call and a few messages online from fellow people in wrestling telling me that Dan “Spider” Quirk died in a wrestling accident. I hardly knew the guy, I only met him a few times, but it still affected me. I think it affected everyone in the New England region (maybe a little or more beyond), whether you were a fan, or someone in the wrestling business. It could have happened to anyone.

The time I felt most fear for my safety is when a ring had some broken pieces. They broke in a previous match, so the main event I was in ended up being a falls count anywhere match. The match ended in the broken ring. I just had this fear that ring would collapse, and somehow I’d end up hurt. Everything turned out fine though, so I’m thankful for that.

Patch: What promotions do you ref for?

Dan Tanaka: I am currently working for New England Championship Wrestling, Slamtech Wrestling, Ringside Wrestling, Northeast Championship Wrestling, and sometimes others if they ask for me and of course if I’m available.

Patch: Are you any relation to the wrestler Pat Tanaka?

Dan Tanaka: Now here is a common question I get, and sometimes internet journalists will write my name as such. That’s ok though, but I have no relations to any Tanaka in wrestling.

Patch: OK Dan, We give the stars that we talk with a chance here to say whatever they feel needs to be said about the Wrestling business... The mic is yours...SHOOT?

Dan Tanaka: Some would look at my job and say “that’s easy, just count 1-2-3!” It’s really not that simple, there’s more to the job than that. I enjoy my job as a referee, but it’s not as easy as it seems.

Patch: Where can fans find you on the web?

Dan Tanaka: http://www.dantanaka.com

Patch: Dan Tanaka, Thanks again for taking time to chat with me, I appreciate it and wish you the best in your career!

Dan Tanaka: Thank you, Patch. I enjoyed this interview, and its been a pleasure!