Crist’s passion for wrestling blossomed as a teenager growing up in New Carlisle. He, his brother Jake and some buddies put on backyard wrestling events at a friend’s barn using a ring he built himself during advanced welding class at Tecumseh High School.
The barn was also fitted with lighting equipment and speakers he bought from Mendelson’s Liquidation Outlet. Then an old friend gave them a wrestling mat for extra protection from the wood and steel.
“The majority of the people that came to our shows were kids from our school. We ran Fridays nights when it wasn’t football season, and then during football season we ran on Saturday nights because you can’t compete with football,” said Crist. “It’s like, do we go to this wrestling thing or do we pick up girls at a football game? Women win every time.”
Crist and his friends learned most of their wrestling moves from UWF videos on the basics of wrestling. They never received formal training until NewsCenter 7 did a story on their backyard wrestling events. Their friend who did the ring announcing was approached by a man at his church named Bill Kovaleski, who said he was interested in training the boys.
“We ran a match for him and he looked at us and said he could see our raw talent. He agreed to train us for free as long as we did his shows for free,” said Crist. “Today if it wasn’t for Bill taking the chance on us it would probably be just us spinning our wheels, never making it out of Dayton.”
When Crist finally got in the wrestling business, he said he wanted to be the guy that never messed up, saying only “Yes sir” and “No sir,” earning respect from the veterans, who eventually encouraged him to go on the road to build his brand instead of waiting to be discovered.
Since then he has wrestled in numerous national organizations and has also performed in Germany, Australia, Mexico, France, Canada, England and Japan.
“When the Japanese fly you over that means they respect you,” Crist said. “I knew I made it as a wrestler when I went to Japan.”
Crist currently competes in All Access Wrestling in Philadelphia, Combat Zone Wrestling in New Jersey, travels the country with the Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo Championship Wrestling and makes his home in Dayton, where he also competes for Rockstar Pro Wrestling.
“At the end of the day, what I care about most is Dayton,” he said. “I go out and hone my craft all around the world and bring it back to Dayton. Every time I win a match here in Dayton the people go home happy and I feel like for three hours a week, I’m able to make them forget about any problems they are dealing with in their real life.”
Dayton native and Wright State University student Anitra Jordan works at Rockstar Pro Wrestling, where she referees matches and was trained as a wrestler by Crist.
“I got more comfortable in wrestling and with myself since I’ve trained with Dave,” said Jordan, 21. “I’m pretty shy, but he always advocates to not be afraid of anything. I wouldn’t have talked to the people I’ve talked to or made the friends I have if it was wasn’t for Dave, he’s a pretty great guy.”
Crist said his goal is to always put on a good show for the fans that come to the Rockstar events at 1106 East Third St. every Wednesday, where tickets prices are $6.
“What makes (independent) wrestling different from other types of wrestling is when you come to a show you’re going to see your favorite wrestler do something new all the time,” said Crist. “(Rockstar Pro Wrestling) puts on the best hard-hitting and high-flying action Ohio has to offer.”
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