By: Jamie Johnson
Indie wrestling superstar Danny LimeLight has been turning heads in the big leagues ever since appearing on AEW Dark – an opportunity he earned after showcasing his fighting spirit on New Japan Strong throughout Autumn. Hosted by New Japan of America, #njpwSTRONG gave Limelight the opportunity he’d been craving. He took no prisoners at the inaugural Lion’s Break Crown tournament, falling just short to LA Dojo standout Clark Connors.
We caught up with Limelight after the tournament to get a feel for where he’s been, where he’s going and why you should take notice. (Updated: December 2021)
Monthly Puroresu:
What impact did the time you had in the military have on your time in pro wrestling?
Danny LimeLight:
Well, the military shaped my life for a lot of things, you know, it got me out of New York City. It got me out from doing a lot of the things that I was doing back in the day. It really kind of set me straight and put me on the right path. You know, it gave me that discipline that I needed to thrive. The training and then obviously transitioning into wrestling, the physical fitness endurance, the mental capabilities, the mental strengthening that the Marine Corps did, they all transcended into wrestling. Like it bled over. It was very easy for me to transition. Obviously wrestling has its own challenges and things that I had to learn and adapt to what the Marine Corps gave me that, you know, that first to fight, fight or flight mentality, you know, it gave me that willingness to adapt to any situation. And that’s what I was able to do when I transitioned to wrestling.
Monthly Puroresu:
What was it like facing Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita in AEW?
Danny LimeLight:
Well, my favorite match of all time is definitely me versus Konosuke Takeshita from AEW Dark: Elevation. It’s my favorite match I‘ve had, and it was my first time meeting him, but he’s the Ace of DDT for a reason. He’s a stud. He’s a star. He brought out a different kind of fight in me that day. That’s my very best match of all time. Kenny Omega, I got to wrestle him on Dynamite and I got to wrestle him on Elevation. Both part of six men tags and a majority of the time that I was in the match. I was in there with Kenny. And he’s the man for a reason. He’s the best bout machine for a reason. He‘s just so good. That’s why he was the AEW world champion. And it was crazy to me, you know, being in the ring with him at the time when he was the world champion, just throwing down and it was an amazing experience and one that I’ll never forget.
Danny LimeLight:
And, I appreciate everything that he did for me behind the scenes and stuff like that. Jon is another one. Jon Moxley is the man. Another former AEW world champion that I got to step into the ring with. I main-evented on Elevation with him. One on one, and then I teamed with my Team Filthy partner Royce Isaacs to take on him and Eddie Kingston in another fun match. But one-on-one with him was another one where it was kind of one of those, you know, okay. That next level, the level of max, you know, leveled up kind of, I learned some things took a pretty good beating but I gave it back, you know, I put up a fight and John is great, man. I wish him, I wish him well too.
Monthly Puroresu:
Do you still have the aspiration of being in NJPW Best of Super Jr.’s?
Danny LimeLight:
Absolutely. I love wrestling for New Japan. I’m the only junior heavyweight on Team Filthy and I think it’s the hottest thing going on in New Japan Strong right now. And I think that if there’s going to be someone from Strong heading over that way, I think my name should definitely be one of those names. You know, all that I did for Team Filthy, the company in the last year, I’ve been putting in the work, showing everybody that could go and I’d be showing everybody I could go with anybody in any company. I’ve wrestled in Impact. I’ve wrestled at AEW, New Japan. And Best of Super Jr.’s is one I’m gonna go out there and try to win.
Monthly Puroresu:
Do you want an extended run in Japan, are you more focused on New Japan STRONG?
Danny LimeLight:
Well, I like being a staple of New Japan Strong and part of Team Filthy with Tom Lawlor. But, it will be quite a lot to go to Japan for a couple of weeks. To do a little tour out there and wrestle some of those guys out there that I never faced before, that I think would be fun,
Danny LimeLight:
Yes. The COVID restrictions make things difficult, but also it’s the Best of Super Jr.’s – you know, it’s the best in the world. So I still got work to do. That’s how I’m looking at, you know? I’m not one to ever complain, “Why not me? Why not me?” because I see things happening. And I asked myself, what do I have to do to get there? You know, what else I gotta do? The answer is always work harder.
Monthly Puroresu:
What are your impressions of the New Japan STRONG locker room?
Danny LimeLight:
This thing happening on New Japan STRONG, and you can quote me, is Team Filthy is the best thing happening on New Japan STRONG. It’s an intense locker room. There are some of the best wrestlers in the world, you know, New Japan is known for bringing the best wrestlers and warriors. And I’m proud to be there. I’m proud to be part of Team Filthy. I don’t want to be nowhere else.
Danny LimeLight:
I hate Rocky Romero. I hate Fred Rosser. So, screw those guys. Me and Rocky have been going back and forth for over a year. Now he’s still salty because I turned on him and he doesn’t want to let it go. You know, that’s all it is. He doesn’t know how to let go that his time’s passed. And he sees me and everybody compares me to him. And the fact of the matter is, you know, Rocky just can’t let go and understand that Rocky is gone and I am here.
Monthly Puroresu:
Has the Rocky Romero feud been one of your favorites?
Danny LimeLight:
Yes, that’s actually my favorite. It’s been my favorite rivalry of all time. And I want to put him in the dirt already, you know? I’m ready to put him down for good, and let him know that there’s a new Latino superstar in town. I think that we’ve done an amazing job as a group at Team Filthy securing our spot in the main event, you know, securing our spot on STRONG. And I think that when Tom’s feuding with Fred Rosser or whoever’s coming up to try to challenge him. Or when JR Kratos is throwing guys around, or the West Coast Wrecking Crew is doing their thing, I think we’ve all solidified our spot as the real deal.
Monthly Puroresu:
What do you think about the work Tom Lawlor has been doing as NJPW Strong Openweight Champion?
Danny LimeLight:
He’s the man. He’s the best. He’s the best Strong champion. He’s the best New Japan champion, you know – who’s beat him? He’s got pinned one time by Fred Rosser. That was a fluke. You understand? So, I think Tom’s doing his best work. And I just like to be his right hand, you know what I’m saying? I like to be on his right-hand side and whatever he needs me to do. I’m there always.
Monthly Puroresu:
Where do you think Team Filthy will go in future? Do you think they will go to Japan?
Danny LimeLight:
Yeah. I hope one day the whole team Team Filthy go to Japan. I hope we can go to Japan and take on some of the factions out there that we haven’t had a chance to wrestle. I think there’d be some good match-ups. So hopefully one day they bring Team Filthy out there. I think we’d have a blast. I think the people will hate us. We don’t care if they hate us, you know, but we’ll go out there. We’ll beat whoever’s ass, do our pose in the ring and keep it Strong.
Monthly Puroresu:
What’s it like working in MLW?
Danny LimeLight:
I love it. I love working with Slice Boogie. I love working with the OG Konnan and Dr. Julius Smokes and Homicide when he pulls up. I love being part of a new LAX, in the 5150 stable. It’s been a blast representing the Latino culture, you know, coming out, representing Puerto Rican’s and Latinos around the company itself. And, there’s some hot young talent coming up. Plus, we got some veterans in there like Davey Richards and TJP. They had Alex Shelley and Bobby Fish come through. Obviously you’ve got the World Champion Alex Hammerstone and Jacob Fatu and CONTRA Unit. There’s some really good people there that people need to keep your eyes on. So, I’m proud to be part of the company. I think that it’s gonna be doing some big things going forward. And until then, 5150, we’re the World Tag Team champions and ain’t nobody stopping that.
Monthly Puroresu:
Are there any teams you want to face, who might pose a challenge to you as tag-team champs?
Danny LimeLight:
All of them, anybody. Anybody from anywhere from any company. From any country, any state, any city to come get this work? You know, I seen the Briscoe Brothers coming back to the independent scene and it’d be cool to throw down with them. The Motor City Machine Guns pop into my head too.
Monthly Puroresu:
Do you have a preference between tag-team and singles wrestling?
Danny LimeLight:
I like being a swiss army knife, whatever any company needs me to do, I can go in and do it. And that’s what matters. When I’m singles, when I’m tag-team, when I’m in a faction, I make it work. I think that that’s important. I think it’s important to be able to adapt to any situation, which is what we talked about earlier with the military. I think the fact that I’m able to do that when I’m in singles, but I’m in a tag-team or I’m running with a group of five of us or whatever. It’s important for me to still somehow find a way to stand out, show out and do what Papi does best.
Monthly Puroresu:
Do you have any singles ambitions in MLW?
Danny LimeLight:
Of course, that Middleweight Championship is looking good, you know all those championships are beautiful, honestly, but right now my main focus is defending the world tag team championships until I no longer can and there’ll be over my dead body. Somebody’s got to come and snatch it. But if an opportunity presents itself, like I said, I make the most out of every opportunity. I just need more shot. Like my boy, Chris Bey says, all I really need is one shot to show everybody what I can do. MLW hasn’t really seen me go yet. They’ve seen me fight. They’ve seen me brawl. But they ain’t seen me really get in there and have a one-on-one match with anybody yet. And when they do they gonna, they gonna see what’s up.
Monthly Puroresu:
Are there any wrestlers you definitely want to face in the future?
Danny LimeLight:
Yes. I need a one-on-one with the following: Lio Rush needs to stop ducking me. Alex Zayne, Alex Shelley, Will Ospreay, Lince Dorado, Buddy Matthews, Jay White. I would love to throw down with JT Dunn again on TV. So those are just some of the names off the top of my head.
Monthly Puroresu:
Are there any other promotions you’re looking towards working for in the future?
Danny LimeLight:
I’d like to wrestle for PWG one day. DEFY, Chaotic wrestling, Limitless Wrestling on the East Coast. Yeah, those are just some indie companies and obviously, you know, PWG is the big one, but as far as TV companies and stuff like that, I’m very happy where I am right now with New Japan and MLW.
Monthly Puroresu:
You’re definitely one of the rising stars, and we love watching you. What else have you been working on, it seems like Danny LimeLight has been busier than almost anyone throughout covid-19…
Danny LimeLight:
Aside from wrestling, my acting and my start work that I’ve been doing my film, Joe Riv won six awards at the Action of Film Festival and at the Hollywood Dream Film Festivals we won six awards. We won best actor, which was me, best short film over 10 minutes, best action short, best drama short, best movie poster and most outstanding cast. And I’m in the process of writing the full script now for it. Hopefully once I’m done with the full script, we’ll get rolling into production with a solid crew and team to shoot the full length feature for feature film of Joe Riv which I wrote, produced, did all my own stunts and coordinated all the stunts for. So, I’m excited to see what we could do with the feature. I’m actually about to be on set at the beginning of December for a horror film called AFK. So I’ll be playing one of the killers in the horror film as a full length feature film. I was just on set for NCIS, that episode airs January 3rd. I have a co-starring role in that episode. So, I want everybody to know that if you got ambitions, you got dreams, you got goals, work your ass off man and it’ll come through.
An earlier Q&A with Danny Limelight appears in Monthly Puroresu Issue #2
Date:
December 22, 2021
