Joey “kAos” Muñoz has spent his life wrestling. He has worked with Alternative Wrestling Show (AWS), Lucha Underground, Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (NWA), Lucha VaVoom, Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW), Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), MTV’s Wrestling Society X (WSX), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Impact Wrestling (TNA) to name just a few. He as booked wrestling on televisoin and taught wrestling to a new generation of superstars. He is the owner of Santino Bros Wrestling Academy the elite Pro Wrestling School in Los Angeles, California. kAos was nice enough to stop by First Comics News and talk to us about his career and his school.
First Comics News: How old were you when you broke into wrestling?
Joey kAos: 14 years old I started my training with Supreme in North Hollywood, CA.
1st: How did you get into wrestling so young?
kAos: My uncle Supreme met Rob Crazye at a show and Rob invited him down to join and I tagged along.
1st: Who trains a 14-year-old?
kAos: Rob taught us how to bump, lock up and some basics. But my uncle and I trained ourselves for the most part, in pushing ourselves to do matches and try new moves we had no clue how to do.
1st: Does your school take 14-year-olds?
kAos: No, haha. We take students 18 years old and up at Santino Bros. Wrestling in Los Angeles, CA.
1st: How did you get involved with Wrestling Society X?
kAos: I knew Kevin Kleinrock, the show’s producer, since XPW and he had an idea for me in his Mexican American spot called Los Pochos Guapos.
1st: You were wrestling under the name kAos, how did you and Mongel become the Fighting Santino Brothers?
kAos: Shrooms. One night in Hollywood, I was expanding my mind and wanted to do circus type gimmick. We took the one-night altered mind state and ran with it. Mongol was Santana Santino and I was Sonny Santino. We were the same guy. Mongol branded it and produced a lot of merchandise and promotional material for Santino Bros. we did some cool work and had a great time, but the tag team never took off. So when starting the wrestling school, since we had banners, t-shirts and other promotional stuff we transformed the tag team into a backyard school.
1st: How did Rico Dynamite’s school morph into Santino Bros Wrestling Academy?
kAos: Rico had a group of about a dozen students he was training and took them to his limit of teaching and asked me to come in to help train his guys. We helped out about 2 months and then took full control officially making it Santino Bros. Wrestling in a backyard.
1st: When did you move from the backyard to a building with a full wrestling school?
kAos: The city of Norwalk found out we had a wrestling ring in the backyard and due to the city ordinance kicked us out. Within a few months we ended up finding a warehouse in Bell Gardens and pushing forward with paying the rent. There is some tough times which Forced us to have to do live shows out of the dojo to make ends meet. and there were a few times we nearly closed down.
1st: Who are the trainers as Santino Bros Wrestling Academy?
kAos: We’ve had a variety of trainers thru out the years, but the current trainers are Robby Phoenix, Los Luchas, Eli Everfly and Jervis Cottonbelly. I oversee the training these days.
1st: While running your school you wrestled, wrote and booked for NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood how did you do all that at once?
kAos: It was a lot of work, but the school at the time only ran about 2 classes a week. And I had a regular shoot job at the time. These days I’m far busier just running the school and helping with Lucha Girls.
1st: Did any of your student debut on Championship Wrestling from Hollywood?
kAos: Yes, Famous B wrestled Austin Aries, Rico wrestled Colt Cabana and Ray Rosas got to wrestle me. I may be forgetting some. I know eventually more did debut but Famous B, Rico and Ray were from the 1st show at the Galaxy Theatre.
1st: Which of your students are on Lucha Underground?
kAos: Famous B is the only alumni at the moment.
1st: Your Pro Wrestling Program is a total of 100 sessions, how long does it take to go through 100 courses?
kAos: Right now we offer 3 days a week and takes 9 months. Some are ready sooner than others.
1st: The first 25 sessions are the Beginners Course, what do you learn in the Beginners Course?
kAos: Fundamentals like Rolls, Bumps, Rope Work, footwork. Wrestling moves like headlock takeovers, top wrist locks waist locks and more. Wrestling attacks like Clotheslines and Back elbows. How to work a 5-minute job match, headlock match and hold for hold match.
1st: Does everyone get admitted into the beginning program or do you have to qualify?
kAos: In the past we allowed anyone to join. But now we are offering a One Day tryout to allow them to qualify.
1st: The next 25 Sessions are the Intermediate Course, once you’re in the program do you automatically advance to the Intermediate course or is there a weeding out process?
kAos: Most will weed themselves out, we have cut students in the past but never if you’re putting in the work and effort.
1st: What do you learn in the Intermediate Course?
kAos: Intermediate course takes you thru more of a move set learning higher skilled moves like German suplexes, powerbombs, power slams and more. Also breaking down your match. Learn more about the process and different matches.
1st: What is the difference between the Intermediate Course and the Advanced Course?
kAos: Moveset and advanced match psychology.
1st: By the time you reach the Semi-Pro Course are student ready to start taking some weekend bookings?
kAos: You will officially debut after completely this course, but it’s not impossible. Eli Everfly starting working shows before this point. As a matter of fact, I have some students debuting this month in a live show who are in the Semi-Pro Course. So all in the effort and work put in by the individual. Others from their class are not debuting.
1st: Does the school have any kind of placement program where promoters like Dave Marques takes a look at the better students?
kAos: Yes, we’re gonna do more but I much rather teach them how to hustle their own bookings rather than me getting them for them. It’s that old saying. You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.
1st: What type of seminars does the Santino Bros Wrestling Academy offer?
kAos: Wrestling, Production and Referee seminars as of late. I’m looking to do seminars myself for the local talent focusing on punches or footwork or a category of other things many SHOULD be working on.
1st: What makes Santino Bros Wrestling Academy better than all other wrestling schools?
kAos: We don’t focus on being better than anyone else. We focusing on being the best we can be. Our goal has always been and always will be “Keep The Dream Alive”
1st: What is Luchafer?
kAos: What is Luchafer you ask? Simply put, they are Santino Bros. Wrestling’s Lucha Libre troupe brought to life in a collaboration with Puscifer and Santino Bros Wrestling. Luchafer brings a high flying, action packed yet comedic style of dramatic wrestling entertainment to form the baddest Mexican Wrestling show on the planet! From 2015 to 2017 Luchafer was the opening act for Puscifer’s Money Shot Tours 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, not only the opener but also a part of the main show as it is the theme of Puscifer’s album ‘Money Shot’. The troupe has performed in 90 cities and 17 countries throughout North America, Europe and Oceania introducing their craft to the world.
1st: Lastly Who is Luchafer?
kAos: Luchafer is a life-long group Luchadors & Luchadoras, once known as the Guitar Quintet, Ass Kickers #5 and Force 5 Ass Kickers they are now artlessly known as Luchafer. Each member has a worldwide personality of their own that when fused together creates the magic. First, we have the Red Team, The Rudo Mano Roja, a former Champion named after the blood on his hands left from the many victims that stood in his way. His woman at arms, Alacrana Plata, also known as The Scorpion, the baddest bitch around, she’s got a kiss that’s pure poison! Then we have Sr. Valiente’, the Valiant One, a technico of honor and Mano’s arch enemy. Valiente doesn’t stand alone he’s brought his niece La Sirena……a beautiful heartbreaker who’s not too bright, but has a vicious streak that will not only break your heart but your back also! And finally we have El Catrin, The chameleon whose only side he chooses is his own, he’s the ‘wine guy’, the spider man, a man that doesn’t fear the dark. He’s an ass-kicker extraordinaire and he’s not afraid to lay it on you.
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