How John Cena and Bryan Danielson inspired indie wrestler’s career inside and outside the ring

Professional wrestler Vinny Pacifico has made a name for himself on the independent scene, and his success has led him down paths he never thought possible.

The Staten Island, New York, native began training in a professional wrestling ring when he was just 14 years old after telling his father he no longer wanted to play football in high school. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, he said it was his conversations with John Cena and Bryan Danielson (formerly Daniel Bryan) that convinced him he was on the right track.

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“I was playing football in high school for a while and I told my dad, listen, I love football, I love this, I’m following in his footsteps and all that, but I said I want to try pro wrestling. I want to go for it. I have to do it,” Pacifico said. “I just felt this need, the fire burning inside me, I felt like I had to go after this dream. After that, I went on a talk show with John Cena and he spoke after that and I asked him for advice. It was very, very motivating, very, very inspiring. Shortly after that, I went to a meet and greet with another one of my favorite wrestlers in town, Daniel Bryan. I asked him for his advice and he was the same way – motivating, inspiring, just had a great conversation.”

“Once those two things happened, I knew this was what I was meant to do. So yeah, I started 13 and 12 years later, I’ve traveled to over 15 countries, wrestled all over the world, done things I never imagined I would do. Now, I’ve branched out into so many movies and television over the last year, it’s been an incredible experience. I’m grateful for it all because at the end of the day, it’s just a kid who started that dream and turned it into something I never could have imagined.”

Pacifico said his father was nothing but supportive of his decision and continues to attend his matches to this day.

Professional wrestling has an overwhelming effect on everyone; You either really love it or you really hate it. For Pacifico, he knew from watching it on TV that he really wanted to try it and make it as malleable as possible.

“I loved watching it on TV because it captivates you, makes you believe for a moment, and takes you away from reality,” he told Fox News Digital. “Television, film, cinema, they all do it, but wrestling is a living art form. That’s what it did for me.

Vinny Pacifico flexes for the audience. (Vinny Pacifico)

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“When I started it was very difficult to transition because when I was wrestling I was like, ‘What do the fans want to see?’ You have to think: How can we get these fans to invest in us emotionally? So I said: ‘Okay, as a fan, I loved this stuff.’ I’m watching the first game of the show these days and I’m just trying to imagine: OK, the fans liked this, the fans liked that, and I’m trying to figure out what the crowds liked. There are different types of fans all over the world. In Japan, they love what they love. They like what they want in Europe. There are all kinds of different styles and styles of movement in the ring. So I always try to establish: OK, tonight I’m doing this for the sake of doing it. I can adapt to any style. “I was trained by Ring of Honor and they taught me how to do all kinds of styles and for that I’m incredibly grateful.”

Pacifico has since performed in many promotions, including All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Ring of Honor, WWE, Coastal Championship Wrestling, Awesome Championship Wrestling, and others.

However, one match stands out above the rest for him: his match against Paul London.

A standout veteran wrestler in his own right, London challenged Pacifico for the PWM Junior Heavyweight Championship at Pro Wrestling Magic in 2024. Pacifico won the match.

“I would say I’m against Paul London,” he said. “That was one of the most exciting matches I’ve had in my entire career, my character work, my technical wrestling, it was like the grand finale in fireworks. You watch it and everything went wrong in that match.”

Now Pacifico is ready for a new challenge: on the big screen.

He told Fox News Digital that he just completed filming “Mr. Reset and the Society of Turnbuckle and Bone,” which will be released June 2. He also appeared in the films “Family Ties” and “Crimson Harvest”.

“I got to play my wrestling character myself,” he said of “Mr. Reset and the Turnbuckle and Bone Society.” “So it was a no-brainer for me to do both. That was the first thing I ever did. I absolutely loved being on set and filming and having my character tested in different ways. You know, how Vinny Pacifico would react to this thing or other emotional things that you don’t always get at a wrestling event. So it was really cool to dive deep into the character of who I am and really play with that.”

Vinny Pacifico appears in “Mr. Reset and Tension and Bone Society.” (Vinny Pacifico)

Pacifico added that he would like to continue his professional wrestling career and acting career.

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“When I’m acting and filming, I really enjoy doing both, even going so far as to wrestle in the same week,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s been very easy to make changes to both programs. I haven’t had any conflicts yet, so I’m very grateful for that as well.”