When you move through circles in your local wrestling scene you tend to get a feel for those who are respected, those who are loved and those who have… stepped on toes. It’s a small community and in a business where reputation and goodwill mean almost as much as having talent, maintaining the respect of your peers isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish when there are only so many spots to go around. There is one person in particular who stands out on the local wrestling scene who is known not only for his extraordinary talent but also for the respect he garners from his peers… JaCub Soumis!
“Cubby” as he is affectionately known by many, is a local gentleman who started training only a few short years ago. Already he is making quite a name for himself. He’s been working promotions in the regions such as 321 Battle, Without A Cause, Prestige, 5CC Wrestling and POW Wrestling to name only a few. Those in tune with the local wrestling have no doubt heard of this fantastically talented young man.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and spend the better part of a Saturday afternoon with this gentleman and he was gracious enough to answer a bunch of my nosey questions. He did so graciously and very openly. One never knows what you might encounter when you first meet a professional wrestler in an informal setting.
Some are guarded, others are eager to put their best foot forward. JaCub had a laid back and genuine demeanor lacking in pretension or hubris. Instead, I encountered a humble young man who is eager to learn and hungry to make his dreams come true.
Philip Jones: Tell us about your early days of fandom with professional wrestling.
JaCub Soumis: I have two memories that I recall. One was when I first discovered wrestling at the age of twelve. It was Jeff Hardy in a steel cage match. Then there was another one of CM Punk. Those were my earliest memories, but I think I was exposed to it at a much younger age because there are pictures of me and my cousin at age three doing elbow drops on one another.
When I really started getting into wrestling Netflix was still a mail order service where they would send you DVDs in the mail. I would go in and delete my parent’s orders and replace them all with Wrestling DVDs.
Philip Jones: Who were the talents that inspired you?
JaCub Soumis: Besides Jeff Hardy and CM Punk I was really a big fan of Daniel Brian. He is my wrestling idol. I think when Drew McIntire made his debut with the WWE really made me want to do this.
Philip Jones: What does your family think of all this?
JaCub Soumis: My parents are big supporters. They’ve been to some of my shows. One time at Battle Mania I took a hit. I was laid out on the mat and my mom rushed the ring. She blew past security to check on me, to make sure I wasn’t really hurt. It was funny. I’ve also paid a price for chasing my dream. I lost a relationship because of the time I had to put in to be a professional.
Philip Jones: What did they say when you told them you were going to be a professional wrestler?
JaCub Soumis: They were shocked! Some didn’t know until they came to my first match. My great grandparents were there. My dad wanted me to do this because it is something that I really wanted. Mom loves I’m doing it but hates it at the same time.
Philip Jones: Who are your favorite people to watch on TV and on the indie scene?
JaCub Soumis: On TV my favorites are Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, and John Cina. On the independent scene, I love watching Pitfall Jones, Bryan Pillman and Kal Jack who is another wrestler who has a bear gimmick. I really like the wrestlers who have moves that make you go “holy shit!”
Philip Jones: What made you decide to take this interest into the professional realm?
JaCub Soumis: I was watching the Extreme PPV. There was a match between Orting and Jack Swagger. I was listening to the crowd react and responding to the match. Seeing the performers and how they brought out the audience in a big way made me realize I wanted to do that too.
Philip Jones: Tell us about your gimmick, how has it evolved into the persona we see in the ring today?
JaCub Soumis: The gimmick was originally given to me. I was part of the Hellfire Club; and I had no name, so they called me the Hellfire Club. So, it evolved from there. A wrestler gave me a bear hat and for the next two years, I was JaCub Soumis. From there the character developed. I lost some weight and because known as the Cruiser Bear. That’s when the gear came along and I’ve stuck with it.
Philip Jones: Tell us about your training.
JaCub Soumis: I started with Coach Steal who used to be the head trainer at 321 Battle. I’ve also trained with Steve West and Ethan HD at the 321 Battle training school. I went up north and did some training at ECCW with Tony Baroni up in Canada. I’ve always tried to have a lot of diversity in my training. I don’t want to become complacent and there is something to be learned from anyone who has the experience in the field to train under. I’ve done an NJPW training camp in San Jose.
Right now, I’m training in the ring Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday, I’m in the weight room. Saturday’s are my rest day unless I have a show. I rarely have a day off anymore.
Philip Jones: How many shows do you work on average?
JaCub Soumis: On average I’m working about nine shows a month, but I’ve had months when I’ve worked as many as twenty shows.
Philip Jones: How would you describe your style in the ring?
JaCub Soumis: I have a hybrid style. I think it’s a mix of technical and strong style, with strikes and a little high flying. Some of my favorite moves are the 450 Splash, and the moonsault which was the move that I broke my foot on that has kept me out of the ring the last couple months.
Philip Jones: What would we find you doing if you had free time on your hands?
JaCub Soumis: Not a lot. Mostly video games. I like action-adventure games, Shadow of Tomb Raider, Skyrim, sports games and my all-time favorite the Mass Effect games. I do other things too like museums.
Philip Jones: What kind of advice would you give to someone who was interested in getting into professional wrestling?
JaCub Soumis: Buy some arm and knee pads and some good shoes. Take the opportunity to train as much as possible. There are a lot of options 321 Battle, Buddy Wayne Academy, Lucha Libra Volcanica and ECCW. Also, when you have a character concept, or gimmick, you can also train for that character. Study and learn the moves that gimmick would use. 321 Battle is a great place to develop and work on characters.
Philip Jones: Do you still have a day job? Is professional wrestling paying the bills?
JaCub Soumis: Not yet. I still have a full-time gig to pay the bills. I work in Seattle for UPS. So far, I have been able to work around the day job and haven’t had any problems getting opportunities.
Philip Jones: Tell us more about the injury that kept you out of the game for a bit.
JaCub Soumis: I got my injury in mid-July this last summer. It was during the 321 vs. ECCW event. I broke my foot when I performed a Moonsault off the middle rope from the outside. Spiked my foot into the ground and broke a toe and several accessory bones. I also sustained a severe ankle sprain.
It was a move that I had done countless times before. Things you stop thinking about are where you get hurt. I was out for nearly three months. My first match back was up in Canada at the Horror of Hastings on October 4th. It had a horror movie theme. I was in a match with five against one. It was a fun, entertaining match. I have my next match on November 1st in a four-way. I’m not taking it easy anymore, I am ready to go at it again.
Philip Jones: What does your diet look like these days?
JaCub Soumis: Pretty bland by most people’s standards. White meat, veggies and rice. My weakness happens to be brownies.
Philip Jones: What’s your favorite food for cheat day? Besides brownies of course.
JaCub Soumis: Taco Bell, Pizza, and Mexican food. My mom’s a terrible* cook so mostly the Mexican food my father and grandparents make.
*(Philip Jones’ statement to JaCub Soumis’ mother: That was a direct quote and not the author’s interpretation of your son’s words. Thank you!)
Philip Jones: Who on the local scene isn’t getting the attention they should?
JaCub Soumis: Beef Boi Tyler Elliot is one for sure. Then Steve West and Rook Kelly are two that really aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Rook is incredibly creative and creative. There is a guy coming up in the 321 Battle school named Alex, who I think is going to be an amazing talent once he makes his debut. Another talent that I think is underestimated is Steve Migs. He is one of my favorite people in wrestling.
Philip Jones: What’s your goal in terms of being a Professional Wrestler?
JaCub Soumis: My main goal right now is to get myself out to the East Coast. I’d love to work with promotions like Chikara, Beyond and Ring of Honor. I’ve thought about moving out to Philadelphia because it’s easy to get to most of the East Coast cities from there and that is where Mike Quackenbush lives and I’d love to train with him.
Philip Jones: What do you listen to on all those long road trips?
JaCub Soumis: I like to listen to Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Simple Plan, Sum 41 and Blink 182. I usually end up being the driver when there’s a carpool. If I’m not driving, I usually fall asleep. I love those car rides. I love to take everything in.
Philip Jones: If you weren’t a professional wrestler what would you be?
JaCub Soumis: I’d be going to school for sports marketing or sports medicine. I would do something that allowed me to help people and recovery from injuries if I could.
Philip Jones: What kind of support system have you built for yourself?
JaCub Soumis: Family, friends, and other wrestlers. The community is close. 321 Wrestlers are all one big family. We’re all friends. We all support one another.
Philip Jones: What’s coming up next for JaCub Soumis?
JaCub Soumis: I have some shows coming up at ECCW, Power in Eugene and 5CC. I work fairly regularly at 321 Battle and I enjoy any opportunities I have to appear at Without A Cause. I’d love to work for DEFY if the opportunity ever presented itself. I’d also love to get some work outside the region as well. Expand my horizons!
****
If you ever have an opportunity to interact with JaCub Soumis at a show, I highly recommend you reach out. He is very approachable and excels at interacting with his fans. There are few wrestlers in the business who are as friendly and amicable as Mr. Soumis. This is true, both in the ring and outside the ring.
Apart from being friendly and good at interacting with the audience and his fans, JaCub also happens to be an exceptionally talented wrestler. With only a handful of years under his belt, he is already a standout, stellar professional wrestler.
It isn’t as common as one might think to have the trifecta of professional wrestling; talent, showmanship, and professionalism. Yet JaCub wields these three elements almost effortlessly. He did not, however, get here by sheer luck. Mr. Soumis has worked hard for where he’s gotten and every day he works hard to take himself and his career to the next level. There is little doubt if there are only so many spots at the top, JaCub Soumis more than deserves his place among the elite talents of his generation.
Here are some of the things people in the Professional Wrestling business have to say out this extraordinary young man.
Quotes:
“Cubby and I started training around roughly the same time, and he’s impressed since day one. He works incredibly hard, and I’m thrilled that he gets to share his skill set and positive attitude with more and more people. I love working with him in the ring, and I’m proud to call him my friend.” – Referee Aubrey Edwards, AEW and 321 Battle
“He works harder than most people I’ve seen, constantly joining me in the gym, always training and bettering himself. The amount of growth I’ve seen over the past year has been amazing. I’m hoping for more people to take a chance on him in 2020, as he should be getting booked all over.” – Sonico, Professional Wrestler
“Cubby is one of the hardest working and most dedicated young wrestlers in this area. If you are sleeping on him, then it’s time to wake up!” – The Black Sheep, Dave Turner
“JaCub is someone I have seen grow in the ring since I started in the local scene and he always brings his intensity and fun nature to every show he has been on. I am happy to see him back after his recent injury and can’t wait to see where 2020 leads him!” – Max Zaleski of Without A Cause
“JaCub Soumis is an amazing up and coming talent here in the PNW. He has been a standout at 321 Battle now for some time. He had his coming-out party when he won the Seattle Underground Championship last Battlemania. Unfortunately, he was injured not long into his title reign. Seems like he has come back bigger and better. He is branching out to other promotions and into Canada. Seems like the sky is the limit for this NW talent. I personally can’t wait to see what is to come.” – Lyle Schwieger, Host of the Bigfoot Prowrestling Podcast
Videos:
321 Battle: JaCub Soumis vs. Dante Smythe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOtJcqOC3M
321 Battle: JaCub Soumis vs. Sonico vs. Alex Zayne vs. Brian Pillman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UTwCYvVTDs
ECCW vs. 321 Battle: Sonico vs. JaCub Soumis vs. Artemis Spencer vs. Billy Suede
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86qIwCZ_VZA
321 Battle: Rook Kelly vs. Sonico vs. JaCub Soumis vs. Cole Crazy vs. The Bird Ladder Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt3Ap9R38FI
Without A Cause: Daddy’s Money vs. Chris Cruz & JaCub Soumis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8unDoIh9fbQ
321 Battle: B-Boy vs. Sonico vs. Kaden Talbain vs. Dexter Beckett vs. JaCub Soumis vs. Travis Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ENoIGxf8Y
CPW International: JaCub Soumis vs. Teck Tonik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A1E7RefSZc
Read more of our exclusive interviews RIGHT HERE!
