Houston musician Gaspar Hernandez was at a crossroads. After being laid off during the pandemic at his job as a safety supervisor while also spending his nights in college for a degree in safety management, Hernandez decided to pursue his dream of being a pro wrestler.
Hernandez, a veteran musician in the Houston scene, recently has played bass for pop-punk act Luchador Libre and folk pop-rockers Jay Beezy and the Nightcrawlers. While music was always in his life growing up worshiping punk rock acts like Rancid, pro wrestling was another passion of Hernandez waiting to be explored. All those years on stage prepared him for the bright lights of the squared circle. A former bouncer of now defunct Houston venue Roc Bar, Hernandez was told all the time he should be a pro wrestler based on his impressive physical prowess due to his strict gym regime. At 6’4 and 240 pounds, it is easy to see when Hernandez attended wrestling events he was mistaken for the talent.
Now, there is no mistaking Hernandez. Using his real name, Gaspar Hernandez made his in-ring TV debut for Booker T’s Reality Of Wrestling Christmas Chaos taping after just 8 months of training , which is unheard of in the industry. His work ethic as a musician prepared him for the transition to the ring.
“Just as a musician, it helped me understand that without practicing you're not going to get better,” Hernandez said. “You can't expect to learn how to play a Matt Freeman or John Entwhistle bass line without putting in the time. Same goes for wrestling. It's reps, reps, and more reps.”
Hernandez was taken under WWE Hall of Famer Booker T’s wing, and has been booked as Booker’s protégé- often having the former five-time champion accompany him to the ring. Booker T is slated to come out of retirement and work a tag match with Hernandez in the near future.
Booker T’s ROW doubles as a training program and a regional territory that has produced WWE stars like the Usos, Ember Moon, recent NXT signee Drac Anthony, ROH women’s champion Rok C, AEW star Sammy Guevara and former NXT and Smackdown commentator Rich Brennan.
“ROW is such a great launching pad for anyone who takes wrestling seriously,” said Brennan who now calls matches for Major League Wrestling. "It’s been fun to see them grow beyond just being a “training ground” as well. They’ve had some incredible talent come through there and have really cemented themselves as the top promotion in Texas.”
While Hernandez has just started his dream, he’s also taking this new-found career one chokeslam at a time.
“I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to make it to the next level,” Hernandez said. “Whether that is AEW, WWE, or NWA for that matter. That is a big goal and like to think of life in small goals. First was having the courage to sign up. Next was to train and get good enough to get a match on TV. Now it is to sit under Booker T's learning tree, soak up as much knowledge as I can from Booker and the other veterans, and contribute to Reality of Wrestling and make it the best it can be.”
-By MIKE DAMANTE
Disclaimer: Hernandez is a long-time friend of the author of this article. The two have enjoyed attending various WWE PPVs in the past.
For more pro wrestling content here is the punkrockandufos.com interview with WWE Hall of Famer Amy Dumas/ Lita.
If you are a fan of pop culture meets paranormal, Mike Damante’s latest book “Punk rock and UFOs: Stranger Than Fiction” features exclusive interviews with Leslie Kean, Tom DeLonge, Peter Levenda, Kevin Day, Sean Cahill, Diana Pasulka, Peter Levenda of “Sekret Machines,”, Jeffrey Kripal, David Marquez of DC Comics, and the producers of “Unidentified.” Order now.
If you are a fan of music Mike Damante’s latest book “Hey Suburbia: A guide to the emo/pop-punk rise” is out now, and features interviews with blink-182. Descendents, New Found Glory and others.