Good Morning Deven, how are you today?
"Absolutely miserable."
Okay, why is that?
"That’s the way I like to start my day off. If I wake up miserable then the rest of my day can only get better right?"
I suppose so. So let’s get started. First off, what attracted you to professional wrestling?
"That goes way back to my childhood. I looked up to the wrestlers that I saw on TV. Hogan, Savage, Jake, Dibiase; you get the idea. I had all the action figures. When I was upset, which was most of the time, I would hold the figures and hope to one day be like them. Those figures helped me get through a lot of nights. It was then when I was a young boy that I decided I wanted to be a wrestler."
When did your boyhood dream become a reality?
"The day I met Jake "The Snake" Roberts; I told him that my dream was to become a wrestler and asked him if he would train me. Jake then wrote down a phone number and said, "Call me when you get to Gainesville, TX." Two weeks later I was in Texas."
Let’s go back to the beginning. What was your childhood like?
"Sure, I was born and raised in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania. My father ran his own excavation and construction business. Hell, he still does. He was a workaholic that I didn’t spend much time with. Unless it was Sunday, then he was there all day. My mother has never worked a day in her life. When I was young she went out to the bar a lot. With my father always working and my mother always going out they eventually got a divorce. With my mother gone my father would make me go with him while he was working, which ultimately caused me to have finger cut off. My accident happened a few months before my mother left."
How old were you when this all happened?
"I was in second grade, so I’m guessing around 7 years old."
That must have been very difficult for you. Were you an only child?
"No, my sister was a baby when my parents ultimately divorced. The only good memory I have of her was feeding her. I had to work for everything I had, my sister had everything handed to her. At some point in time my grandparents took my sister to Ohio during the split. When they brought her back she came to my father. When she was there I was always the one who paid when things went bad. I resented her for that. She would make things up to get me into trouble. To this day I can’t stand the bitch. She used to come to work with us and I was expected to watch her and help. I was very robbed of a childhood, but my father didn’t have a father and did the best with what he knew."
So, not only did you lose your finger your parents separated when you were 7. What was that like?
"It was interesting to say the least. I was young, so the finger didn’t really bother me much. I do however remember the other kids making fun of me at school. My mother leaving on the other hand was tough. I very vividly remember setting crying waiting for her to come home and she never did. I cried for days on end. I sat in the doorway and held onto a heart shaped pillow that played "You are my Sunshine". This went on for a very long time until my father came to me and took the pillow. He destroyed it. He told me, ’She’s never coming back.’ I clung to a Hulk Hogan action figure begging him to help me. I wanted to be strong like him. That didn’t work but it helped because Hogan told me it was okay."
So there you were left without a mother, how do you feel about that now?
"As I said, my father was a workaholic and my mother an alcoholic, great combination. Of course there is a lot more to it than that. I don’t want you to get me wrong; I know both of my parents loved me. I just wish my mother would have spent more time with me and less time in a bar. I wish my father would have just spent more time with me. Looking back I can see that my father was only doing what he thought was right. It’s pure hell growing up without someone to play with as a child. Due to the fact that my mother was always drinking my father did his best to spend time with me. He had just started his own business and was working a lot. She didn’t like that he worked so much. My father was a good man. There wasn’t much quality time but I was always with him. My dad took the time when he could. We played chess. We only got to play once or twice a month but we did. Every Sunday we threw a football. It wasn’t much but I always enjoyed those times."
What are some of the repercussions of the divorce?
"Well, there was a time period after my parents’ divorce that I was sent to live with my grandmother in a small town called Big Run. My parents never knew it, but I spent more time on the streets than with my Grandmother, a lot more time. I was running with the wrong crowd. The people I was associating with forced me to smoke and do things that I didn’t want to do. They forced me, meaning that if I wanted to have them as friends, I had to do what they wanted me to do. These friends were some of the people that molested me. When I would go back to my grandmother’s I would hold onto my wrestling figures and cry myself to sleep. Some time later, after moving back in with my father, he put me into his Dodge truck and went to visit a woman. While we were there, her son showed me porn’s. He asked me if I knew what happened to bad little boys who went to juvenile hall. I said no and he made me take my clothes off. He then molested me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the first time either. When I was very small, while in Ohio; my cousin who was an older female cousin thought to teach me the "facts of life". She showed me her breasts and told me to touch them; then told me to bite them. I did that then she pushed my head down and made me go down on her. I was maybe 6 or 7." No one ever knew I was molested when I was young. I was to afraid to tell anyone.
Did you ever live with your mother?
"My mother had a lot of health problems. She almost died having me. My mother drank because she was very unhappy. After the divorce she saw me and my sister on week-ends and Wednesday’s. This lasted for a year or two. Then it stopped. There was a time I didn’t see her for a few years. My father showed me discipline. I respected him for that. On the other hand my mother had no rules and bought me stuff. So, when I was 13 I moved in with her. She had quite drinking. The fucked up part was that after moving in with her I still had to earn everything. My step-father’s family owned a sanitation business and I was expected to work. I remember skipping school to work."
So, your mother bought you things and enticed you to move in. But, after you were there things changed?
"It’s like this; most kids have the luxury of having their first car bought for them. Butch was a friend and gave me his Mom’s old car when he bought her a new one. It was a 1981 shit brown Buick Skylark. I thought it was cool that my car was born the same year I was. God I had a lot of women…. I mean fun in that damn car; after it broke down though I was on my own. Richard is a great man and it’s strange that being the snake I am I can’t find one bad thing to say about him. My mother and step-Dad bailed me out of a lot of trouble. He is one of five children. Out of those five children there were three boys and two girls. Besides my step-Dad was my Uncle Randy. Every chance I got I would go to Randy and his wife Deb’s. They were both very good to me. They are two of the best people I will ever know. They always encouraged me to do everything and that included wrestling. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen them much at all since wrestling and that bothers me. I look up to them because they are so successful. One day I need to thank them for everything. Hell, at my first marriage Randy was going to be my best man and Deb was going to be Jamie’s maid of honor. In fact if either two of you read this I just want to say thank you."
That’s great that you had people that supported you and you could finally trust. Did you graduate high school?
"Yes, I graduated from Punxsutawney Area High School in 1999. I didn’t go to the ceremony because my principle refused to shake my hand. I was a trouble-maker in high school so it was clear that I had no respect for the authority figures. That is the reason he refused to shake my hand and that is why I didn’t go."
At least you graduated and in the circumstances you grew up in that is an accomplishment. What did you do after high school?
"After high school I worked full time for my step-Dad Richard. We went all over town in a 1978 white Chevy pickup-truck. It may not sound like much fun, but it’s the only normal job that I truly enjoyed. It was during this time that I got with my first wife Jamie. I knew her in high school. She and I talked in business Math. We weren’t really friends we just knew each other. We ended up meeting back up at a friend’s house after I graduated. She was working with her father, who also does construction, and I was more of a distraction than helpful, but I tried! She worked part-time at an ice-cream shop in Brookville PA. I would sneak up and take her out after work."
Sneak? Why did you have to sneak to see Jamie?
"We had to sneak because her parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses and I wasn’t so her parents did not approve. I was working at a lumber yard. I got a 30 minute break for lunch and it was exactly eight minutes to the ice cream shop. I would rush to just spend five to ten minutes with her. She was a wonderful girl. Eventually I got a house with her; a small three bedroom two bath house. We both moved out of our parents’ houses and that meant a lot to me."
Was Jamie supportive of your wrestling dream?
"Jamie is actually the one who talked me into being a wrestler. She wanted to be a writer. We encouraged each other. We talked about everything and truly think that’s how I fell in love with her. No one had ever done that. None of my parents ever talked and I believe that was the cause of a lot of their problems. I was very thankful and fortunate that Jamie and I talked so much. She never laughed at my dream. Jamie was definitely the first person to encourage me. We were driving, like we always did. No discussion on which way to go just driving. We heard a commercial on the radio of APWF Wrestling featuring Jake "The Snake" Roberts. I jokingly said that here was my chance. I would ask Jake about a trainer. That was about a week before the show. Jamie and I had a lot of discussions about meeting Jake and I have to admit that I was scared. I truly felt that this was my one chance. Jamie finally convinced me into talking to him. She said, "The worst he can say is no. Do you really want to be sitting on our back porch 30 years from now and say your know I should have tried." That was enough to convince me."
So, what happened when you met Jake?
"I met Jake in Dubois Pennsylvania, at a Ford dealership. During the drive up I kept rehearsing what I was going to say. I was nervous as hell; I tried not to let my nervousness show through. I walked in and stepped to the back of the line. I stood there in amazement as I watched one of my boyhood heroes signing autographs. When I finally got to talk to Jake I said to him. "I want to be a wrestler and I want you to train me." Jake looked at me and chuckled a little bit. He took a piece of paper and wrote a phone number down. Jake handed me the paper and said, "I live in Gainesville, Texas. It will cost you a grand up front. When you get to Texas give me a call and we’ll talk more." I left the car lot with a feeling of joy and accomplishment. I drove as fast as I could to get home to tell Jamie the good news. She was extremely happy for me. Now all I had to do was figure out how to come up with the cash to get my ass to Texas."
How in the world did you come up with the money?
"I went and talked to my father. I explained to him what had happened and ask him if he would help me get the money. Instead of just handing me 1,000 bucks, he took me to the basement of a house that was under construction. He handed me a pick, sledgehammer, shovel, and a tape measure. He took me over to the one corner where it was solid rock. He told me to dig a three foot by three foot hole for a pump. It took me two fucking days to dig that whole. It was solid rock the whole way. Once I had it finished he checked it to make sure it was right. Then he handed me the money and said, "Good luck son." My father was and still is a workaholic, but any time I have ever asked for help he helped me. I had to work for it, but he helped. I can honestly say that I love him like a father and respect him like a man; Thank you Dad."
So, how did you prepare to leave for Texas?
"Well, my mother and step-Dad threw me a going away party. They also gave me a couple hundred bucks and a gold necklace that said "follow your dreams". I love them both for everything they have done for me. My mother has apologized to me for what she did to me. She has bailed me out of more trouble than I can remember and for that I am very thankful."
So, what happened next?
"After the party I jumped into my car and headed for Texas. The drive seemed like it would take forever. I got to Missouri and found a cheap hotel and called Jake. I told him where I was at and he said, "Yeah, sure you are. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then." No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get to sleep. The next day I finished my drive and arrived in Gainesville Texas."
What happened when you arrived at Jakes house?
"I didn’t know what to expect when I got there. I was excited like a small child on Christmas Day. I found Jake, gave him the money, and we began to talk. The fist thing we discussed was the where I was going to stay. Jake told me that if I wanted I could help him around the house I could work off the balance of the training fee and I could stay with him. Of course I took him up on the offer. I’ll never forget the first job Jake gave me. He asked me to dig a few holes so he could put posts in them. I thought it was funny. I had to dig a hole to get the money to go and once I got there I had to dig some more holes to stay. Hmmm, I guess you could say that from the beginning I was in the hole."
When did the actual training start?
"We didn’t have a ring when we were training, so Jake only taught me very basic fundamental technical wrestling. Jake focused on psychology with me. I didn’t know it at the time, but psychology is far more important than any thing else in a wrestling match. I’m damn glad that’s what we focused on."
Many people in the wrestling business focus on the bad things about Jake. Sum your time with him up.
"My time with Jake was very mentally and physically exhausting. I don’t know if the emotional pain was worse or not being able to move my legs from doing so many squats. Jake tore me down to nothing, when I was totally beat down to nothing he would build me back up. Jake once told me, "You have everything that it takes to be a wrestler. It’s my job to chip away the rough edges and make you a wrestler." That’s exactly what he did. People judge Jake, but they don’t truly know him. He allowed me to stay with him for a year. And I will always be thankful for everything he taught me, about wrestling and about life."
When did you marry Jamie?
"After a few months Jamie came with me and we got a condo. Shortly after that she and I got married. Unfortunately though, before she got there I had been introduced to easy women, cheap booze, and even cheaper drugs. I went crazy. Jake always tried to talk me out of doing stupid shit. He told me all of the horror stories, but I didn’t listen. Hell, I remember the day Jake looked at me and said, "It scares me when I look at you and see myself at that age." "
What eventually happened with Jamie and with you staying in Texas?
"Jamie left because of my own mistakes. I cheated on her and took for granted the love of a good woman. Now I realize she was the important part of my life and I ruined that. I neglected her. I doubt she will ever read this but if she does I would like to say thank you for supporting me. I’m sorry for everything that I did to you. You will always have a place in my heart. After Jamie left me I called Jake and told him I couldn’t do it anymore and that I was going back to Pennsylvania. Jake tried to talk me into staying, but I didn’t. At the time I wanted a way from wrestling. Instead of taking responsibility for my mistakes I blamed Jamie leaving on wrestling."
So, since you hated wrestling I take it you didn’t start immediately.
"That’s right. I was not completely finished with my training when I left Texas. Jake had started me out by teaching me psychology we didn’t spend much time in the ring. Plus, I hated wrestling and wanted nothing to do with it. I went back up north and there I met another wonderful woman. My second wife Bridget, she has supported me in everything I have ever wanted to do. In fact after finding out how much I missed wrestling and I realized it was my fault Jamie left she talked me into getting back into it. She had a long fight on her hands. At that time I had a beautiful daughter. I started telling Bridget the horror stories I had experienced and the ones Jake had told me. It goes without saying that she won that argument. Thank you for pushing me so damn hard. I wouldn’t be doing this without you."
Tell me a little bit about your daughter?
"On November 15 of 2002 Bridget gave me the greatest gift in the world; my little girl Jezabel. I would do anything for her. I love her more than anything in the world. As much as I love Jezabel she is the biggest sacrifice I have to make in order to be a wrestler. I travel quite a bit and go for a couple of weeks at a time without seeing her. The hardest thing in this world is to be packing your bags to leave and have your daughter crying and begging you not to leave. I will never forget that night. It still hurts to think about it. It’s also hard to pick up your phone while you’re on the road and have your little girl crying on the phone begging you to come home when you can’t. When I’m with her I try my best to spend as much quality time with her as I can. I also bring her back gifts and souvenirs from the states I travel to. I know that it doesn’t make up for the time lost, but it’s the best I can do for now. I hope and pray that one day the sacrifice pays off. I think what makes it really painful is that I remember what it was like to have a father that was always working. I promised myself that I would always be around, and then I got back into wrestling. My mother watches her for me while I’m on the road. Between my mother and Bridget, Jezabel is taken good care of. Even though my mother wasn’t that great to me as a child she is a wonderful with my daughter. After all is said and done my mother is a good woman that made some serious mistakes."
So, how did you get back into wrestling?
"The first thing I did was decide to finish my training. I started looking for schools and found one in Mckeesport Pennsylvania. I went in for a try out, gave them my money and then the fun began. The trainers, if I remember correctly, Nikita and Justin had me doing physical drills. First we ran around the ring, and then we had to do a shit load of squats. My legs have never been my strong point, but I did everything they asked without bitching. After the running and the squats I couldn’t feel my legs, hell I couldn’t stand up! After I tried to stand up and kept falling down the trainers looked at me and told me, "You will never make it or amount to anything, get out." So, I did. That’s when I met Dr. Feelgood and finally finished my training."
Have you seen Nikita or Justin since?
"Yes, several times at different shows. No, I’ve never said anything to either one of them. To be perfectly honest I don’t even think they remember that night. Besides, it really doesn’t matter. I fully understand why they did what they did. Both of them are really great guys. Feelgood is the one that really is the one who taught me the technical aspects of wrestling."
Tell me a little bit about Dr. Feelgood?
"Feelgood is one helluva great guy and he has a future in wrestling. He has worked a lot of dark matches for the WWE. With Feelgood it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Feelgood is the one that really got my foot in the door. He started taking me with him to shows in Pennsylvania and Michigan. He also let me work on the shows he promoted."
So, how did you come up with the Snakeman gimmick?
"Well, Jake is the one who named me Deven Michaels, however it was Feelgood is the one that originally suggested I carry a snake. At first I didn’t like the idea. Then once I thought about it I loved it. Not only does the snake make a great gimmick it is also a great way to pay tribute to Jake. He was and always will be my hero and I consider it an honor and a privilege that he allows me to carry the snake. To me carrying the snake is my way of making sure the younger generation will know who Jake "The Snake" Roberts is and that his legacy will go on forever. Once Feelgood got me started I have worked shows all over. I’ve worked shows in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia."
What’s it like being on the road?
"While being on the road I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of my childhood hero’s. Such as, The Honky Tonk Man, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Koko B. Ware, Demolition Ax, The Maestro, Ricky Morton, Beautiful Bobby Eaton, Nikoli Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, Dr. Tom Prichard, and more. So far out of everyone I have met Honky, Ax, Bobby, and Stro are the top four. I have a lot of respect for all the guys that came before me. If it wasn’t for the road the veteran’s paved I wouldn’t be able to do what I love to do. There is so much to be learned from the veteran’s and in my opinion today’s wrestlers, on the indy level, don’t take advantage of the wealth of knowledge these guys have to offer. I also don’t think they get all of the respect that they deserve and earned."
What is Demolition Ax like?
"I remember setting though a training seminar that Ax was giving. He had a lot of great knowledge and was handing it out on a sliver platter and only a couple people out of about 30 asked the man any questions. I think that most of what he said that day fell upon deaf ears. Ax is a really great guy and down to earth. If you have questions he will set and answer them all night long."
What about the Honky Tonk Man?
"Honky is just a riot to be around. He has called me Jake Jr. from the time we met. Honky doesn’t pull any punches and will tell you what he thinks whether you want to hear it or not. I always have a great time when Honky is around. He has given me a lot of great advice."
Tell me about Beautiful Bobby Eaton?
"Bobby is one helluva nice guy. Very friendly, it’s always a privilege to be around Bobby. I remember one night after a match of mine Bobby pulled me asked and told me the match looked great, but he also took the time to point out what he didn’t like and showed me how to correct my mistake. That meant a lot to me. Bobby is a damn legend! He didn’t have to do that but he did it anyway. That match was me vs. Brad Thomas. It is my favorite match to date. Brad is a great wrestler. I truly enjoyed wrapping the snake around Brad and watching him run screaming. The next night I teamed up with Brandon Morgan to take on Brad and Ricky Landell. That night Ricky felt my wrath and Jezabel’s grip. Speaking of Ricky, there is an upstanding guy. Always very professional and you can learn a lot from him by just being around him."
You also listed The Maestro, what’s he like?
"It was just recently that I met the Stro. I didn’t get to spend as much time with him as I would have liked to; however he gave me one of the greatest compliments I have been given since being in the wrestling business. When I introduced myself, he replied by saying, "I’ve heard a lot about you. I’ve wanted to meet you. It’s really great to meet you." Coming from a man that has been to the top, him saying that meant a lot to me. I felt great about that for several days. Stro is a wonderful man and he had one great match with Jake that night in Clarksburg West Virginia."
Recently you wrestled in your hometown, what was it like coming home?
"Well, it was on November 10 in Punxsutawney. That is always interesting. For some reason I always feel more pressure when I am wrestling in my hometown. I guess maybe it’s because when at home you know everyone or just about everyone in the stands. That night was a very special night for me. At the end of the match instead of putting the snake on my opponent alone I had some help. My beautiful daughter, Jezabel helped me put the snake on Lumber jack. And yes my daughter and my snake have the same name. That moment will always be one of my most memorable moments. I can’t even explain the way I felt to share the spotlight with Daddy’s little girl. It was a very spectacular moment."
Well, back to the road stories how do you deal with the dark side of wrestling?
"The dark side of wrestling is probably something I will always have to deal with. I have entirely too much fun with it. Over the years on the road I have developed what some might call a slight drinking problem. No matter how much fun I have drinking, I have never performed drunk nor will I ever. Every day with alcohol is a struggle. Some days I want to quit, some days I don’t. Sad truth of the matter is sometimes I think my demons are my friends although I know they are just killing me. But, such is life. Perhaps someday I’ll kill the demon instead of the demon killing me. One never knows."
What other vices of the road do you struggle with?
"Drinking is my main vice followed by sex. I definitely have a weakness for the ladies. I still have a hard time saying no to women. I’ve been with over 50 women and have tried just about everything you can think of. Perhaps someday I will work on my sexual addictions, but not today. There for a time I was heavy into pills. I didn’t meet one that I didn’t like. Danielle is the one that really keeps me away from drugs. Danielle also keeps me from drinking as much as I used to. Thank you, Danielle.
Is this the first time you have discussed these issues?
"No, far from it, I have talked about drugs and alcohol at a high school in Ohio. When I’m not wrestling I talk to groups of children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. I also stress the importance of staying in school and getting a good education. One more thing that is put forth is telling all of these children to follow their dreams not matter what."
What are your goals as a professional wrestler?
"Obviously I would like to work for Vince McMahon someday; however, that’s not my main goal. My main goal is to help people the way wrestlers helped me. I want to be some child’s hero and to possibly change his or her life in a positive way. In fact recently, I was thanked for doing just that. She told me that she admired me greatly and that I have helped her get through life. She told me that I had helped her more than anyone else ever has. I truly appreciated hearing that. She had no idea that she was fulfilling my boyhood dream as she thanked me. She will always have a special place in my heart."
Do you have any final thoughts Deven?
"I love wrestling now and always. I wish I could personally thank every wrestler for being my hero’s and helping me through my childhood. There are a lot more stories about my childhood that I am leaving out; maybe one day I will tell the rest of my tale, but not today. My one true goal in wrestling is to make the fans happy. I can only hope to be someone’s hero and to help them they way I was helped. In the end the fans are what make wrestling possible. I love the fans and am very thankful that they have accepted me. There is no greater feeling than talking to fans and being thanked for doing a good job. Before I end this thing I would like to add that even though my childhood was far from perfect my parents did the best they knew how. My father still instilled some good values in me even though he was always working. My mother did make some mistakes, but since then she has more than made up for them. Both of my parents always loved me and for the past 10 years they have both helped me when I needed it. In the end they are good people. Mom and Dad, I love you both. Until next time watch behind you, you never know where the Snakeman will appear next. And for news and to contact me slither on over to www.thesnakemandevenmichaels.com ."
Oh, by the way, for more news and upcoming events check out the indymessageboard.com
Thanks again Deven for your time and talking with me. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about you in the wrestling world!
