Peatzilla | MP
By: Lewis Carlan
Parker Boudreaux’s pro-wrestling career began in 2021 when he signed a developmental contract with the WWE after being recruited by Paul Heyman and Jim Ross.
Boudreaux made his NXT debut on Oct. 12th under the ring name Harland and served as an enforcer for Joe Gacy. Boudreaux’s time in the WWE lasted only 6 matches when he was surprisingly released by the company on April 1st 2022.
After signing with AEW, Boudreaux went on an impressive run for Tony Khan’s company. Unfortunately, Boudreaux suffered an injury that kept him out of action and was eventually released by AEW in April 2024.
Undeterred, Boudreaux realized a dream of his as he embarked on his first tour of Japan with the promotion GLEAT in Oct. 2024. The debut for GLEAT was made possible due to a chance meeting with CIMA in Mexico.
Since debuting for GLEAT, Boudreaux has not looked back as he proceeded to thrive for the growing promotion after five tours with the company over the past two years.
The President of GLEAT, Hiroyuki Suzuki, recently referred to Boudreaux as the “the greatest fighter out in the world right now.” After stints in the WWE, AEW and AAA, Parker Boudreaux has seemed to have finally found a home in Japan within GLEAT.
As he is preparing to begin his sixth tour of GLEAT in a few weeks, Boudreaux joined Monthly Puroresu’s Senior Writer Lewis Carlan for an in-depth interview to discuss numerous topics.
Here is the Monthly Puroresu interview with GLEAT star Parker Boudreaux:
Monthly Puroresu:
You announced on social media that Kotaro Suzuki is going to be mentoring you in GLEAT. How did this come about and how does it feel being mentored by a veteran who was trained by Mitsuharo Misawa?
Parker Boudreaux:
So, to kind of go back on that question, kind of like where it first started, this last tour was really special because it was my fifth tour, but it was also a tour where I had so many more fans. And even President Suzuki saw that from the beginning. And so, it was a true honor to be paired up with him [Kotaro Suzuki] in Osaka because I’ve went against him in I think one or two matches in GLEAT already. But that was the first time we’ve gotten paired up and worked together. And really, he taught me just between the one or two days in Osaka that we had together paired up. He taught me so much and he saw after my match that he really, really wanted to work with me. And I think he told President Suzuki that if I have the chance to work with him and teach him and really develop him in the Dojo, because of course I give the Dojo work in GLEAT, but to get his mentorship, he’s learned from Misawa-san and in my opinion, you know, top I mean, he might be the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time or top three, you know what I mean?
Monthly Puroresu:
Yes, Mitsuharu Misawa is one of the greatest of all time.
Parker Boudreaux:
I almost cried because it was President Suzuki telling me that he thinks that, obviously I’m not the greatest fighter over Roman Reigns and all these people, but he was saying that with my level of experience, I’m still really young, I still have a lot to learn, but he said with the level of experience I have right now, which is only four and a half, five years, he said he thinks in his eyes, I was the greatest fighter out right now. When he told me that, I was tearing up, and then he told me about Kotaro Suzuki-san and how he’s going to mentor me and be my sensei. It was like a dream come true, honestly, because this was like, to me it’s like all the hard work is kind paying off because this is what I work for so hard for. I never thought I would’ve been in Japan this fast. But also doing such a good job in the Dojo and having those massive matches throughout Japan and so many of these supporters, it’s just truly unreal to have this many fans or this many supporters at each show. It just means a lot to me, but also it means the world to them, because I’ve had some of these fans that come six to eight hours to see me. They’ll travel from Tokyo to Osaka or people have flown to Fukuoka from Tokyo. And it’s just crazy, the level of support, it’s inspiring. And then now better than ever with my new mentor, I mean, how can I not be more inspired every single day to just conquer the day every single day? It’s motivating me in every way possible and honestly in new ways that I never thought were possible.
Monthly Puroresu:
Does the mentoring from Kotaro Suzuki start when you return to GLEAT after your tour of Australia?
Parker Boudreaux:
Yeah, I think I’ve had probably three Dojo sessions with him already. But it’s going to be an everyday multiple times a day thing where he’s mentoring me in the ring, but also we’re doing a lot of film study outside of the ring and even technical stuff that I could work on. And I think this is going to help me tremendously because the development that GLEAT has already given me is tremendous and I needed all the different work. You know, I went from WWE, AEW to AAA in Mexico. I worked in India for a little bit with Great Khali, and now the development in Japan is on a whole different level because it’s a whole different style, but it’s also me fully engaging in the culture and I’m trying to learn a little bit of Japanese. And I think that’s why a lot of the fans and a lot of the higher ups really see that I’m really completely diving in the Japanese culture because I respect it so much. And I think the people know how much I love Japan because to me, it’s been life changing these last two years for sure.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
What have been your biggest challenges adapting to the culture in Japan?
Parker Boudreaux:
I love Japan so much that I could truly live over there. I could see me and my wife raising a family over there. So it wasn’t anything that shocked me or that I needed to change, but I think it was to me how different it is from a lot of countries. You know, Japan is super clean, it’s super safe. The food is really clean and fresh. All the food was super cheap. When I go there, I always have sponsors taking me out. When I do have to pay for food, it’s super cheap. It’s, you know, max $5 for a decent meal, or if you want to get all you can eat yakiniku, it could be like 25 bucks US. I’m trying to think what was the craziest change? I don’t know. I just really love Japan and I loved fully going in and staying in the dojo. I love training and I love the food there. I love the people, they always treat me so good. They treat me like a rock star over there, you know?
Monthly Puroresu:
That must be an awesome feeling.
Parker Boudreaux:
So, for me it’s like a blessing. I’ve never really had honestly anything that I had to change or really shocked me about Japan. It shocked me in ways that were good. Like everything was such a big, huge city. But it was also such a huge city that loves pro wrestling. There are pro wrestling bars, there’s pro wrestling restaurants, and even when you go outside of the city of Tokyo and travel to Osaka and Fukuoka and Shizuoka, all these people, they really love pro wrestling.
Monthly Puroresu
Yes, the pro-wrestling fans in Japan are very devoted to the sport.
Parker Boudreaux:
And if they don’t watch it, they’ve heard of it, which is crazy. So, to me, the passion they have for pro wrestling, the culture, I love it. For me it wasn’t like a huge change at all. It was just kind of honestly being super, super happy in the moment and just embracing it every time. Because I know a lot of people don’t have this chance to get trained in the Dojo, especially by some of these real life legends like Kotaro Suzuki. All these people that I have learned from, literally to me, Misawa-san sacrificed it all and he had the most passion in the world for pro wrestling. And to learn from these people hand on hand, just literally one-on-one, what else could I ask for? You know, especially going to Japan, this is all I wanted, and this is how you really develop and turn into a new monster, honestly. So, to me it’s a huge blessing.
Monthly Puroresu:
Let’s go back to the beginning. What were the circumstances that led you to the WWE in 2021?
Parker Boudreaux:
A lot of people, I don’t know if they know this or not, but, going into the WWE, it was kind of started years beforehand. So, it was Jim Ross and Paul Heyman. They were hitting me up when I was about 16 years old, and I was getting heavily recruited with college football offers. Jim Ross is a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan and he follows college football. He used to follow college football a lot. And he started messaging me a little bit when I was 16, 17 and he’d be like, you’d be a super monster fit in WWE and to think about it. And right then I was obviously in college football. I signed with Notre Dame when I was coming out of high school, and I went to Notre Dame to play football. And once I transferred to UCF, Paul Heyman started recruiting me really, really hard because I was doing really good at football, but I was also posting a whole bunch of super athletic stuff for my weight. That’s when he would start tweeting at me a little bit, Paul Heyman, and he would be like, I could see him being a monster in WWE, he could be the next big thing.
Monthly Puroresu:
That had to be exciting coming from Paul Heyman.
Parker Boudreaux:
And that’s when kind of the hype started building up. Once I took a little tiny break from football, it was my senior year in UCF, I was about to declare for the NFL draft and I took a tiny little break from football because I had an injury, I was recovering, I think it was like a month and a half. Paul Heyman told me to come to Orlando and meet him at this fancy hotel. And of course I went and drove and met him, but it was like a five to six hour meeting and it was basically him introducing himself to me, but also telling me how I could be a star in this business if I worked really hard and do the right things. And because he’s seen what it takes to be a mega star in this business. So he was the one that really convinced me to see the behind the scenes of WWE. I grew up watching some of the older clips that my dad would show me of Mid-South with Junkyard Dog and Ric Flair. But some of the Japan stuff I get inspiration from is like Steve Williams, like some of my outfit and my gear now is inspired by Steve Williams when he was in All Japan, because my dad used to show me stuff like that, you know?
Monthly Puroresu:
I remember Mid South growing up as well. Steve Williams was an incredible talent,
Parker Boudreaux
So, that’s the kind of wrestling I grew up on. It’s just crazy for me now because I get to do pro wrestling, I get to do all this, and the WWE recruited me straight from college football to pro wrestling. So, I got signed with WWE, amazing blessing, I was super, super young. I think I was one of the youngest signings in WWE but also, I didn’t know how to take a bump. I didn’t know just the basics of everything because I came straight from college football to WWE. But really Paul Heyman and Jim Ross got me recruited for years before the WWE and I would say that Paul Heyman was the guy that directly influenced me the most to completely, jump in and get signed by WWE. So those two people and Gerald Brisco, he was a huge influence as well. He’s not with WWE anymore, but obviously he’s old school legend and he recruited me as well. And you know, he visited me a couple times at college football and we had a couple dinners before I got signed with WWE too. So those three people are just huge influences of really how I got into WWE and how they really looked at me beforehand. And looking back at it, just what a blessing to even get a shot that young and to not know how to do pro wrestling beforehand and get thrown on TV within a couple months and stuff. So I think I’ve grown tremendously, I think it’s almost day and night from when I started with WWE to now, so we got to keep pushing.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
How did you feel about being called the next Brock Lesner? I saw that a lot on social media back then. Did you feel any pressure right off the bat?
Parker Boudreaux:
A lot of people say that, but honestly, maybe when I was in high school, it was more pressure and stuff because it was so much coming at me and when I was 16 and 17 and they were putting me on ESPN comparing me to Brock or stuff like that when I was playing football. So that was before I even got into college, that would’ve been more pressure for sure. But I would say when it was WWE time and all that stuff, no, because I’ve already had probably like 11 or 12 years of people saying this guy looks like Brock’s son or you look like you’re related to Brock, you know what I mean? It’s always something like that. But I think it’s just because of the physical attributes, which is cool, which is amazing because he’s, to me, probably in the top five one of the greatest or the greatest athlete of all time. So, to be compared to him it’s a blessing, but it’s also, we’re two different people and we’re two different beasts. And I think Japan’s finally seeing that. They’re never calling me the next Brock Lesnar in Japan. They just love, I think, the BFD character that I portray. I don’t think I’ve ever got called Brock Lesnar over in Japan, which is crazy because, in America, obviously people still like to say that which is great. Like I said, he’s one of the greatest ever. So, like I keep saying we’re two separate people. I’m not the next Brock Lesnar, I’m the first and only Parker Boudreaux, I’m not ever trying to be the next Brock Lesnar. And I think a lot of people now are definitely starting to see that, I’m putting in the work with the craft and I think the passion is for sure showing. So, I think it’s finally getting away from that. But it’s a blessing to get compared to that. But also, we’re just two obviously completely separate different people and wrestlers. So, but that’s how I kind of got rolling into the WWE and then of course, with all the Brock Lesnar stuff, that’s kind of the deal on that.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
How did the Harland character in the WWE originate and how did you feel when it was first presented to you?
Parker Boudreaux:
It was crazy because I wasn’t expecting to get a character, obviously that quick. I was training in the PC [Performance Center], I had probably 6, 7, 8 months training, which is, to me, that’s really young ring wise, a lot of people are not going be ready for WWE TV. There’s a lot of people at that PC that were there for five to eight years that never debuted on TV. It was about six to eight months before I got the character, and I did get the character from Coach [Matt] Bloom and a whole bunch of other people with creative, they’re coming up with the character and they came to me. Originally my name was going to be Gunner Harland, and they changed it within two weeks to just Harland. And so they told me that they were going to push me as this monster and destroy a lot of people. We’re going to have you, build up and we’re going to keep building you up. And then once I was on NXT TV, I thought I was doing a decent job because they gave me a raise, you know what I mean? They gave me a raise, I was on main TV and I was about to get pushed to have a fight with Bron Breaker because I kidnapped his dad with Joe Gacy. That was like my last segment on WWE. And, then I got released. But in the moment, of course, it was blindsiding, of course it was the craziest thing ever when it happened. But now being in the business for so many years, you just realize that’s the business. It’s a wrestling business. It could be anything, any little thing ever that you never know why they release you, you know what I mean? And it’s something that you can’t get mad at them at all, because I love WWE. I love AEW, I’ve had the best opportunities, and I’ve had such great experiences there with everybody that I can’t say anything bad about them because during WWE and AEW they treated me so well, and I thought things were going so well, you know?
Monthly Puroresu:
Yes, I understand.
Parker Boudreaux:
So, in my opinion, my WWE experience, it was amazing because I had the opportunity to learn how to wrestle in the beginning and the basics and get on TV very fast on a high worldwide platform. And then of course, after WWE getting signed with AEW. That was extremely beneficial in my career because then I finally started doing live shows where it’s in different arenas. Because in WWE I was in the same arena, which is amazing. I was still, you know, I was still so new, but to even develop more, it was good to go in front of different arenas, like in Minnesota or like going to Atlanta or going over to Washington, like doing the whole traveling process and then going to Mexico, that’s a whole different deal down there. It’s more chaotic, but the people love pro wrestling down there, it’s a whole different style. Going to India, that’s a whole different style. And then now Japan. So it’s been a blessing for me and I can never say anything bad about WWE and AEW or anybody because I’ve gotten treated really well in pro wrestling and I’m just very grateful for everyone that continues to still support me, you know? So, like I keep saying, it’s motivating me and I just got to keep motivating others too as well.
Monthly Puroresu:
When you were in NXT, did you have any experiences with Shawn Michaels? Did he ever give you any advice?
Parker Boudreaux:
So, he wasn’t my specific coach, it was Coach Matt Bloom. But of course, I’ve obviously had multiple interactions with Coach Shawn Michaels, but no, he wasn’t really super hands-on with me. It was more Matt Bloom, coach Fit Finley, Coach Smiley, Robbie Brookside, I’m trying to think who else. Coach wise, that was who really helped me out a lot. And, Coach Bloom still to this day, I’m still in contact with him and honestly, a couple other people from WWE, so that’s really inspiring as well.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
When you were with AEW, before you were released, you were injured, what injury were you dealing?
Parker Boudreaux:
It was just a bad sprained wrist, and I was only out I’d say for two and a half weeks. So, WWE was an unexpected release because of course I didn’t know I was going to get released from WWE with a raise, and it was my first time with the pro wrestling job like that and I was just so new. With AEW, it was more kind of, I knew it going ahead because I was on the injury list, and it was just so hard for people to get back into the storylines, especially with AEW during that moment, to get back onto the storyline and have like a good push because it kind of ruins the storyline. When we had Swerve [Strickland], Trench, Rick Ross and me, it was Trench that got hurt in the beginning, he tore his patella. It was me and him training with Mark Henry in the AEW ring and he was simply just doing some headbutts, but it because of how many people were in their ring, it was kind of double bouncing, especially when somebody would take a bump or when they would stomp. And he did a headbutt where he stomped in front of me and he tore his patella. And of course, if you tear your patella you’re going to be out for a lot of months, and it was a brutal injury. So that kind of ruined the momentum in the beginning. And it was a week and a half later, I hurt my wrist, and it was, like I said, a bad sprain, but I was only out for two and a half weeks, so it wasn’t a bad injury in my opinion. It was just two and a half weeks and you’re back at it. So, within I think a month or two of my injury, they sent me down to Orlando and I started doing special training classes with AEW and it was basically the top stars of AEW that were on the injury list. And I was doing that class for months. And after months, I was like, okay, they’re not getting me back in the storyline. So, it wasn’t as surprising with the release then, because I was doing everything I could to get back from the injury thing.
Monthly Puroresu:
That must have been a frustrating situation.
Parker Boudreaux:
There’s a lot of people injury prone and I was doing the special class in Orlando, driving to Orlando, and it wasn’t as blindsided as WWE, but like I said, of course now I just know it’s a pro wrestling business and I know they’re still watching, I’m still in contact with them. And so it, to me, I look at it as like, just to have those opportunities so young, especially experience wise and age wise, just what a blessing, like what a blessing to have that, because now, I’m still young and I still have a lot to learn and still to grow, but it’s just night and day from when I started WWE, or when I even started and finished with AEW because I never had the international work. I never had the Dojo experience that I have now, two years in the Dojo in Japan, or AAA experience working a whole different style and that’s when I really started to learn how to cut promos because Jeff Jarrett was the one that was mentoring me the whole Mexico trip.
Monthly Puroresu:
I didn’t know you were mentored by Jeff Jarrett.
Parker Boudreaux:
We had four or five Mexico trips together. We did two [AAA] TripleManias together. We won two TripleManias down there. And he was the one that really taught me how to engage the audience with the promo and really cut big time character promos. So I always say a shout out to Jeff Jarrett, especially when I was in Mexico, and still to this day there’s a lot of people that still just inspire me, to this day, that message me every, other week or every week, like Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley and Paul Heyman. Coach Bloom will give me feedback on what to work on weight room wise or ring wise or film wise, if he sees something I need to work on. So, it’s like, of course, these people wouldn’t be wasting their time, they have a lot of people to take care of or to look after or to mentor. So, I’m just grateful to have these people supporting me but also inspiring me every day.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
You debuted for GLEAT on October 4th, 2024 when you challenged Hayato Tamura for the G REX title. What led to your debut for GLEAT and how did you initially feel about the promotion after that first battle with Tamura?
Parker Boudreaux:
So, this was always a story that I wanted to tell. I was in Mexico and working TripleMania with Jeff Jarrett and all the people I was with down there. And on the tour bus during the tour for TripleMania was CIMA-san, he was on tour [for AAA]. Of course, I’ve known about CIMA-san, especially his Ring of Honor work. He was on the tour bus and he came up to me and he said, “you’re a very good worker, how would you like to work in Japan?” Of course, I was like, I would love to work in Japan that’s a dream of mine, but I didn’t think anything would come out of it because we only talked for four minutes. I got back from Mexico into the USA and within like a couple weeks, CIMA-san sends me a message on Twitter which read, “Parker-san, how would you like to come to GLEAT and have your first tour?”
Monthly Puroresu:
That must have been an exciting moment for you.
Parker Boudreaux:
I was thankful, grateful, not only to CIMA-san, but to [GLEAT] President Suzuki, of course, Kaz-san and everybody that’s behind the scenes of GLEAT, because I never thought I would get the honor to work in the [GLEAT] Dojo and train in the Dojo, but also to be booked and pushed as really the only American and the top foreigner, it was a dream come true. And I don’t know how to describe it because I couldn’t believe it at the moment and I was so excited. And he told me about the opportunity to, for the World Championship title. That was kind of the craziest part, right when I got the news, because he told me about the future matches that I would have. It would be of course the championship match in Osaka. And then my second match would be against Ishida-san in Korakuen Hall. And to get my first win in Korakuen Hall on my first tour against Ishida, obviously Ishida is a powerful striker, he is a good talent, and he is a super good wrestler.
Monthly Puroresu:
How did it feel getting that first win in GLEAT?
Parker Boudreaux:
So, to get a big win on my first tour against him was amazing. And my first match against Tamura was literally for the world championship title, and it was over a 20-minute match. And just to show people around the world that I could go 20 minutes in Japan, and of course everybody knows this now in Japan, that I could go for 20 minutes or 25 minutes and put on a good show. But that was my first tour and really showing the people my work and I think that’s what really surprised everybody because I’m really the only foreigner that goes out there so much. And that’s why I was talking to Mr. Suzuki, hopefully we could do something where we could sign an official contract and make this official because I’m obviously training and living out there so much that I’m basically signed to the company already. So, let’s make it official because they’re pushing me at a monster-like level. I haven’t lost since my first match against Tamura in Osaka, I haven’t lost since then. Even in the US before that, I still haven’t lost in the US in almost two and a half, three years. So just the push right now is unbelievable. So hopefully that’s the goal here, maybe next tour is to sign an official contract with GLEAT and be the official foreigner of GLEAT.
Monthly Puroresu:
So, you hope to become an official member of the GLEAT roster?
Parker Boudreaux:
Oh yeah, I love everybody at GLEAT, you could ask everybody at GLEAT. Everybody’s so disciplined, everybody has so much respect and they’re all amazing, great wrestlers and I’ve trained with all of them in the Dojo and I think I’ve worked with every single one of them either with them or against them in some sort of way in the Dojo or in matches, they’re such an elite group of people, these are great human beings. And I think it would be, in my opinion, I think it would be legendary. I think this would be like a bucket list thing if that happens this year and especially maybe next month when I go back after my Australia tour, that will mean everything to me. If I could be the first foreigner signed to GLEAT, I know how much it means to the people of Japan, but I think the people in the USA would really appreciate that. I think they would kind of finally understand how big this is, because this is getting big. I know all the people in Japan, especially President Suzuki, they know how big this is getting, and that’s why they started doing meet and greets with me before every show and President Suzuki and everybody have seen how all these people are lining up to see me in hundreds before and after the show to take pictures with me and stuff. So, I think the influence and the support is growing and that it would be everything to me to be signed. I mean that would be perfect.
Photo Credit: GLEAT/Parker Bourdreaux
Monthly Puroresu:
Has being released from the WWE and AEW given you any motivation to go out and prove that those promotions made a mistake in releasing you?
Parker Boudreaux:
Well of course I think it’s a mistake that they released me but also, I want them to see the passion in my development and that I don’t think that there’s anybody working harder than me, for sure. If I can’t train in Jacksonville, I’ll literally drive an hour away to Ocala, or I’ll drive three hours to Orlando just to be in the ring every single day. I’m in the gym every single day. I’m in the film room every single day. I know there’s some people in the WWE that are not working as hard as me. I could bet my life on it. Same with AEW, same with other big companies and that’s fine. I know that I’m working the hardest and I know that I’m giving it my all literally. I live, breathe, bleed, and I’ll die for pro wrestling if it needs to be like that. You know what I mean?
Monthly Puroresu:
Yes, I can see your passion for pro-wrestling.
Parker Boudreaux:
I love it and I hope people see the passion because maybe people didn’t know I had the passion because I came from college football to WWE and then AEW but I’ve spent the time in over a year in Mexico, over two years in Japan and the Dojo. Every single time I’m in the Dojo, people don’t understand, the matches are brutal in Japan, but the Dojo training. I don’t think 99% of the wrestlers in America would survive the Dojo training, especially GLEAT Dojo training. You know, this is brutal, brutal work that people think they could do it and they think that they want it until they live it. But I’m the person that lived it and I love it. And like I said, I could live in Japan, I could live in the Dojo, I could live with my wife over there. To me right now, I’m so focused on developing into such a huge star in Japan and of course throughout different countries, Australia, USA, but it’s, for me, I’m just trying to show them how hard I’m going with my passion, how much I truly want this, and how much I’ve truly developed, honestly, in the past almost five years. Of course, I still have so much more development. I’m not saying I am the most perfect pro wrestler ever, I’m just saying that from when I started until now it is a completely different person. It is somebody that’s so locked in and I honor my craft because I want people to see the passion.
Monthly Puroresu:
What is a day in the life of training at the GLEAT Dojo?
Parker Boudreaux:
You wake up, you get your rice, beef bowl or whatever you may like in the morning. Then you stretch maybe 10, 15 minutes after you get your, you get all your stuff on. Then of course you bow at the ring before you start anything. We’ll do front rolls, tiger rolls, back rolls, neck rolls, we’ll do handstands. Then we’ll go into different varieties of different rolls. And then we’ll go of course bumping before we do any bumps, the crazy bumps, we just bump ourselves. So, we’d probably realistically take maybe 30, 35 big bumps before we take any bumps on each other or anything like that. So, we’ll go the arm drags, we’ll go Irish whips into doing back body drops or going into just basic moves before we start everything. Because if you don’t have the basic moves done before you start, sometimes they’ll make you restart the whole entire thing where you go through the rolls again, you do the bumps again, and you know what I mean? You must restart the whole entire practice. So, that’s just, if you do one of the bumps wrong or if you don’t put enough effort into it, or if you don’t hit the ropes with enough passion, or if you don’t hit it, like you’re trying to break the ropes and when we’re timing each other for, for sprints, and I would say it’s usually around a three, three and a half hour session in the morning. And then after we will try to get a little recovery. If you need ice, we’ll get ice. Sometimes I’ll roll out and I’ll stretch a lot. For me, I must stretch constantly because that helps me with obviously falling on my back and my neck so much. I think stretching the most and drinking so much water because I sweat so much in these Dojo training sessions. And towards the afternoon, nighttime, that’s when we’ll watch film. If it’s recorded of the Dojo training, we’ll watch it back or we’ll watch, of course our shows that we’ll have and discuss what we could improve on.
Photo Credit: GLEAT
Monthly Puroresu:
I think one match the fans would like to see, including myself, would be you against Katsuhiko Nakajima.
Parker Boudreaux:
Oh my God. Where at though? Where out in Japan would you like to see that?
Monthly Puroresu:
Would have to be Korakuen Hall.
Parker Boudreaux:
That would be insane. Holy moly. And honestly, that would be a complete banger or another rematch of me versus [Hayato] Tamura because it’s been like two years. We’ve worked together on our last tour in a three vs. three, so I don’t know. I’m cool to work with anybody. Even if it’s something like me versus [El] Lindeman-san you know what I mean? I think me versus Lindeman-san or me versus anybody would be a good match because I think all the buddies are just so cool. I think we have a decent amount of good chemistry because of all the work and because we don’t even speak the same language most of us but when it comes in the ring, we have great chemistry, you know? I’m so excited with the Australian Tour, but I’m so excited to go back to Japan as well. I’m so, so excited because this is my sixth time and I never thought that I’d be going out there for literally a month to two months and staying in the Dojo each time. I still think of it as, “wow, what an honor”. And of course, I’ll just make it my official goal this year to officially get signed to a contract with GLEAT.
Monthly Puroresu:
So if you get signed by GLEAT, you’ll stay in Japan permanently?
Parker Boudreaux:
I kind of already am that’s why it’s like, why don’t we just make it official? Because at some points, I’m honestly in Japan more than the US and it’s kind of crazy because sometimes I’m out there two months or whatever it is and then I’ll come back to the USA. I’ll have some big or some semi big shows, maybe New York, ACW, these other shows, maybe I’ll go to Mexico and stuff. But then it’s back to Japan because the last couple times in Japan and with the tours, I’ve gotten invited back immediately because they see how it’s working with GLEAT and me and just the whole program. And I think that’s why it would make sense to get it rolling like that. But hey man, I’m just grateful to just go back and obviously be a part of the culture. And dude, it’s, like I said, it’s like rock stars over there [Japan]. They treat it to a different level over there.
Monthly Puroresu:
Is the G Rex Title your ultimate goal in GLEAT?
Parker Boudreaux:
Obviously, G Rex title is the biggest title so I would go G Rex but honestly, of course, any title. Any title I would rep with complete honor and I would wear it everywhere. I would probably wear it to the grocery store, you know what I mean? They’d be like, what’s wrong with this guy? But it would be really any title belt, G Rex title, whichever it is, and get to get signed by GLEAT this year that would be historic. I know I’m going to continue to put in the work and put on good shows for the people and of course for GLEAT and everybody that loves GLEAT.
Monthly Puroresu:
Last question – Where do you see yourself in five years?
Parker Boudreaux:
Five years and beyond, hopefully, obviously alive. I would hopefully see myself for sure having kids by then with my wife. That’s just such a good question because I have a lot of people that are watching me too when it comes to wrestling companies. You know, I know WWE is still watching me. I know other companies in Japan are watching me. I know other big, huge companies in America are watching me. So for me, five years and beyond, to have an even more complete mindset of being even more addicted than I am right now. So, continue to have the addicted mindset for pro wrestling and putting in even more work than I do now. Also, like I said, hopefully in five more years I’m healthy, I’m still alive, I have babies, I hopefully have bigger and bigger opportunities when it comes to pro wrestling. I’m not the person where it’s like, I need to be WWE in five years or AEW in five years. I think it’s just me to continue what I’m doing, but it’s also doing it even more at a higher level, inspiring even more people. For me, it’s just continuing to do it in ways that I never thought were possible.
Monthly Puroresu would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Parker Boudreaux for granting us this interview.
Date:
April 22, 2026
