ERIE, Pa. (AP) - Paul Bilbo struts into the room with well-coiffed hair, polished fingernails and flashy clothes on his 6-foot 9-inch, 250-pound frame, and people may think it’s an act to gain attention. And they would be right, if he’s heading toward a wrestling ring in the center of that room.
But there is nothing fancy about the work Bilbo does as a professional wrestler that few witness behind the scenes. A life spent toiling on independent circuits across North America is demanding, painful and, as the Mercyhurst University alumnus and former Lakers basketball player has discovered in his now 2½-year wrestling career, a challenging but fulfilling way to make a living.
Bilbo, 27 and from Long Island, New York, works hard at Wegmans on Peach Street to earn a steady paycheck. His other career requires a much different kind of dedication.
He spends many hours every day perfecting his craft as a wrestler - before dawn building his imposing physique at Fitness U in Millcreek Township and after work at Empire State Wrestling’s school in Buffalo, New York. He’s on the road for many hours heading to wrestling matches, and is in the ring for half a dozen shows or more per month year round.
What Bilbo does in pursuit of his dream is very real, and it’s a challenge that demands focus and drive.
“Not everyone can do what I’m doing. I take pride in that,” said Bilbo, who goes by PB Smooth, Pretty Boy Smooth or Mr. Fresh 2 Death in the ring. The names are a reflection of his flamboyant style and in-ring persona that pays tribute to the 1990s hip-hop culture of his childhood days in the New York City area.
Bilbo has performed in shows for many independent companies, including Pro Wrestling Rampage and Revenge Pro Wrestling in Erie, where he earned his start with, and continues to perform alongside, veteran professional wrestler and promoter John McChesney.
“You have to sacrifice a lot of time, money, (be) away from family, away from friends, away from normal everyday things. You have to travel long distances for little to nothing (in pay),” said McChesney, 37. “He did it. He’s still doing it. He has more heart, passion and drive than anybody I’ve met in a long time. That’s what I saw in him (the first day), the passion to make this something he wants to do forever.”
Sacrificing for success
Bilbo felt lukewarm at best about moving to Iceland in 2014 to play professional basketball for the first time.
He had played competitively since 11 years old, and turned his size, skill and drive into an opportunity to play NCAA Division I basketball at hometown Hofstra University, even as a serious knee injury threatened to derail him. It didn’t pan out, he said, as two coaching changes and a change of direction within the program led him to Division II Mercyhurst with the motivation to prove he still belonged in Division I.
Once his time at Mercyhurst ended in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s degree in organizational leadership, Bilbo recalled, “I fell out of love with basketball because I realized I was just playing for bragging rights.”
Yet, pro wrestling instantly caught his attention while watching McChesney face current World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Matt Hardy, of Hardy Boyz fame, in the main event of a show in Erie nearly three years ago. Bilbo set out to be larger than life, and not simply larger than most in physical stature, in a sport where wrestlers need to be as determined as they are charismatic, engaging and athletic.
Bilbo appreciates the little sleep he gets because of his hectic work, training and wrestling schedules.
Last month’s schedule included wrestling seven hours away in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on a Thursday night, and four hours away in Oshawa, Ontario, on a Sunday night. He was at work the next day each time. That happens every time. “I’m just determined,” he said. “Some people would be stressed out by that kind of schedule. But it’s what wakes me up in the morning because I’m doing what I love. I’m living my dream. I’m getting paid to professionally wrestle. People are buying pictures of me. I try not to take things like that for granted.”
Bilbo commands the spotlight in the ring. But he doesn’t focus solely on the spotlight, which keeps his unique career paths in perspective.
He develops his Pretty Boy Smooth and Mr. Fresh 2 Death brand through close connections made with fans in and out of the ring, and a growing social media presence headlined by weekly “Monday Vibes” videos on YouTube that provide fans with a personal look into his journey. Bilbo has 4,000-plus followers on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and also sells merchandise bearing his brand online.
But he’s Paul Bilbo, driven yet caring member of the front end management team, at Wegmans.
“Aside from his strict workout regimen and eating routines, we don’t often hear or see much about Pretty Boy Smooth (at Wegmans),” manager Hayden Grack said. “One would only know of Pretty Boy Smooth if they followed him or saw a match highlight. His in-ring persona is quite the opposite (compared to) seeing Paul walk our customers to their car or offer help loading their groceries.”
Poised to pay dividends
Bilbo vows wrestling will be his sole career one day. That could happen sooner than later, given the changes taking place in pro wrestling from WWE, which for many years has been considered the pinnacle of the sport, to the expanding independent circuits worldwide.
WWE has experienced an influx of young talent from NXT, a brand featuring the next generation of superstars such as Johnny Gargano, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, who trained Bilbo for a year at Absolute Intense Wrestling, his hometown company, before signing with WWE.
John Thorne, owner and promoter of Absolute Intense Wrestling, pointed to the growing list of independent companies with multi-billion dollar backers and television exposure, namely Ring of Honor Wrestling and soon-to-be-launched All Elite Wrestling. Bilbo already has past experience in WWE as an extra on shows, and earned a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, in June 2017.
“The turnover has been so great that it’s wide open at the top right now for guys to grab those spots,” Thorne said. “Paul certainly has a good chance to find himself as a full-time professional wrestler in the next few years. He has all the tools to get there. He just needs to continue to work hard and promote himself and show his face in as many companies as possible until somebody takes notice.”
His income at Wegmans provides the financial stability needed to pursue a career that Bilbo compares to being an independent contractor.
Professional wrestling doesn’t pay off, he said, until “you’ve built up your reputation and people know who you are and the promoters know you’re a draw.” McChesney, a 17-year veteran who once traveled from Erie to Nashville, Tennessee, 15 weeks straight to earn $30 per show, said Bilbo isn’t “afraid to take a 10, 12-hour drive just to wrestle in front of 50 people. Most people that do that, they quit.”
Bilbo was hard at work in Erie last Saturday, as he competed in two matches in a Revenge Pro Wrestling show at the Avalon Hotel.
His work never ends. That’s the way Bilbo expects it to be to realize his dream.
“I’m traveling. I have a little bit of buzz behind me. I’m going places, networking, getting on more shows,” he said. “I’m just trying to work on my craft and take it day by day. So when it’s time for me to go somewhere, I have options and I’ll make the best decision.”
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Paul Bilbo file
Age: 27
Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.
Resides: Erie
Career: Professional wrestler (2½ years)
In-ring names: Pretty Boy Smooth, Mr. Fresh 2 Death
Notable: Has past experience in World Wrestling Entertainment as an extra on nationally televised shows. … Earned a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida (June 2017). … Once held the Absolute Intense Wrestling tag team championship with longtime WWE performer Hornswoggle.
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Online:
https://bit.ly/2BA50F0
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Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com
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