Joey Ryan Talks Lucha Underground, TNA Impact Wrestling, Unique Suplex and More

Joey Ryan has been one of the most popular independent wrestlers in the world for the last decade, but the veteran signed on with Lucha Underground for Season 2, and the results have already been magic.

As an undercover police officer sent to The Temple in Boyle Heights to take down Dario Cueto, Ryan has entered Lucha Underground with a well-defined character that fans can instantly get behind.

Add in Ryan’s unique look and in-ring style, and he is a perfect fit for El Rey’s flagship show.

Ryan sat down with Ring Rust Radio to discuss his jump to Lucha Underground, his time with TNA Impact Wrestling and the terms on which he left the company, his unique suplex style, which has gone viral, and much more.

Lucha Underground is one of the hottest new promotions in the world, and the company added several new pieces to the show for its second season, including Ryan. While he was originally hesitant to sign for the promotion, Ryan told Ring Rust Radio he knows The Temple is where he belongs:

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To be honest, my perception changed in between Season 1 and Season 2. They had approached me about joining Season 1, but I had some reservations given the fact that the product was unknown. I have seen companies with similar model plans come before, like Wrestling Society X, so a lot of things did look similar at the time and the contract terms I was a little unsure about.

I passed on the first season, but the second season they approached me with another idea. This was after I talked to some of my friends like Brian Cage, Jack Evans and Ricochet. They told me my reservations were unfounded, and it’s not the same thing I would have dealt with before.

They are a straight-up company and not trying to restrict you or hold anyone back. They are trying to put out a great product and the product itself is really great. They really connected with the wrestling audience, so I was all gung ho about them wanting me for Season 2.

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As much as undercover police officer Ryan infiltrating Lucha Underground is an amazing storyline, he also had a short but successful run with TNA Impact Wrestling as a popular contestant on the retired Gut Check segment.

As a fan favorite, Ryan managed to earn himself a spot on the roster where he became a sleazy character who was wildly inappropriate at times. The comedy role fit him and was a success, but his time with TNA was too short.

Ryan spoke honestly about how and why he left Impact Wrestling in 2013:

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I didn’t leave on bad terms with them at least. When they started taking the show out of Orlando and started touring different arenas, I think the expenses got high and they weren’t drawing the way they thought they would. So they started losing a lot of money and cut me with about 10 or 12 of us.

They cut RVD’s contract and didn’t renew Matt Morgan's contract in an attempt to save money. It wasn’t like I did anything wrong or they didn’t like my work or that we were angry with one another, it was just budget cuts plain and simple. It’s just business.

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At just over a year, Ryan’s time in TNA may have been too short, but his departure did afford him the opportunity to hit the independent scene once again. There, he continued to perfect his character and added a one-of-a-kind move that sees him suplex his opponents using his private parts.

The YouPorn Plex, as it has become known, went viral when the video was first shared online toward the end of 2015, and the popularity of the move has resulted in some much appreciated attention for Ryan:

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It’s cool how accepted it has become inside wrestling and our community. My peers and everyone want to be a part of it and want to do it. Most of the attention I have gotten is from outside the wrestlers is either the main stream or the casual friends.

I hear all the time that someone’s friend knows they are into wrestling and sent them the link or my friend knows I wrestle so they sent me this video. It is a lot of attention from that mainstream, which is really cool. It’s something I can get recognized for outside of the stuff I do in the ring. It’s something that people who aren’t familiar with my work can recognize me for.

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At 36 years old, Ryan is in the midst of the prime of his career. Thankfully for casual wrestling fans who've never had the pleasure of seeing the veteran work, Lucha Underground will give Ryan the mainstream attention he deserves.

There is plenty of comedy in Ryan’s character, but don’t let that fool you; he is a talented wrestler who knows how to tell a convincing story in the ring no matter what message he is trying to convey.

Lucha Underground was already the best wrestling show on television, but with the addition of Officer Ryan to the cast, the second season will be infinitely better than the first. It’s time to bring sleaze back to The Temple.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).