Rising Star Freddy Cordova Talks Monday Night Wars Influence, WWE & AEW Goals, Training in Arizona, Phoenix Championship Wrestling, more
Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Freddy Cordova
Date: 06/17/2026
Your Host: “Arizona” James Walsh
When Terry Funk gave me the nickname of “Arizona” James, I adopted it as a badge of honor. It is a badge of honor because Terry Funk thought enough of me to give me a nickname. And, it was a badge of honor that I could adopt the name of a state. Arizona is my adopted home state after growing up in New Jersey. When I got here, pro wrestling wasn’t exactly thriving. Now, we are fortunate to have quality pro wrestling in the Grand Canyon state on various levels. Here in Mesa, Phoenix Championship Wrestling is our hometown promotion. A place where the standout students from the Arizona Pro Wrestling Center #TraininAZ compete, PCW, #PCWAZ, never fails to deliver something special at every show. Not your typical indy, PCW has an old school vibe to it where the fans, especially young fans, matter. Also, the talent know how to work! They do Arizona proud!
Freddy Cordova is my guest this week. Freddy is from Tucson, Arizona but found his way to Mesa and the Arizona Pro Wrestling Center to learn the craft of pro wrestling. To say he’s a unique talent doesn’t do him justice. While equipped with the ability to perform high spots such as the 450 Splash, he makes everything he does count. He runs faster, falls harder, and sells better than most you will see on your TV screen. The scary thing is that he’ll only continue to get better from here.
On Saturday night, July 18th, PCW returns to the Eagles for Live on Broadway. Along with a stacked card, a battle royal will be held where the winner gets to challenge WWE ID signee and EVOLVE star CJ Valor (formerly known as Jimmy House) for the PCW Heavyweight Championship. My advice to all fans attending is not to sleep on Freddy Cordova!
Tickets are still available for PCW’s Live on Broadway on July 18th. You can get yours at www.PCWAZ.com or by going to the Eagles and getting your tickets at the door. I’d suggest buying in advance as you don’t want to be shut out or turned away!
To check out all of our 933 (but who is counting?) prior interviews with top wrestling stars past, present, and future, visit www.WrestlingEpicenter.com . Subscribe to our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/iwrinteractive. And, check out our store and buy somethin’, will ya?
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUdBHVgTlLU
FREDDY CORDOVA:
On falling in love with pro wrestling:
“I hate to give a cliche answer but really, I was born into watching it. My dad watched the Monday Night Wars and guys like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Jeff Hardy, The Rock – You could name them all. They kind of latched onto me.”
On when he knew pro wrestling was something he wanted to do:
“I think back in like 2005 when Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were in their feud.”
On deciding to train to be a wrestler:
“That was back in 2020 when COVID was at its peak. I saw that #TraininAZ was having these tryouts that summer. I don’t know what it was but something about it told me this was my chance. I didn’t have any feeling of, “What if this doesn’t work out?” There was none of that. So, I filled out the application, I went through the interview process, and that’s how it started.”
On training under Dom Vitalli:
“I can’t give him enough credit for everything he’s taught me. He has definitely shaped me into the person that I am today for sure.”
On what makes PCW different from the other promotions:
“You’ve probably heard Dom say this. But, it is bigger than pro wrestling. It is bigger than just doing cool moves. It is all about engaging with that crowd. The last few shows – We did the 4th of July show (at the Mesa Fireworks) and the show before that was the Make-A-Wish show. That Make-A-Wish show might have been my favorite show that we’ve ever done. It wasn’t about doing cool moves or whatever. It was about just being out there and giving those kids something that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Their families told us and some of the kids told us that it was the best day of their lives. Being a performer on that show and being a part of that, it really meant a lot.”
On embracing his natural heel persona:
“When I started, I was the good guy! I was the guy who would scream at people, “Come on! Lets go!” But, I got injured. When I was out injured, I kind of leaned more towards my darker side. I know I’m good. I know that there isn’t anyone in that locker room that can do anywhere near what I can do. I can back that up, too!”
On how he seems to hit the mat harder than anyone else:
“I like to stick out. I like to be the guy that everyone talks about at the end of the night. I think it stems from that, basically.”
On getting out of Arizona and performing at high quality independents such as Future Stars of Wrestling:
“It is definitely good to get out of the area and to get those reps in. And, especially for a company like FSW. Look at who has come through there! LA Knight, Solo Sakoa, Killer Kross! It is great to share the same ring as them. And, they put on a great show. Especially when they have a big crowd outside of their school, Like, they have the Hyper X Arena. It is fantastic to be in! Like, it is incredible! With the connections they have in Las Vegas, it is definitely one of the best promotions to work for!”
On doing a La Parka style gimmck at last year’s PCW 4th of July event:
“It is always fun to get to do something a little different. It allows you to sort of get out of your comfort zone. And, do what comes natural!”
On his short-term goals in pro wrestling:
“I definitely have some places that I want to go. Like, I want to maybe go work some out on the East Coast. Maybe wrestle out of the country, going to Canada, going to Mexico, and even to Japan! I definitely just want to get myself out there! This has been my busiest year so far for me as a pro wrestler. I’ve been booked almost every single weekend. I’ve gone to Colorado, New Mexico, and, as we talked about, Las Vegas. In September, I’m going to Texas. I just want to keep getting out there!”
On his big time goals:
“I definitely want to be on TV whether it is WWE, AEW, TNA, MLW… Wherever it might be, I want to be on TV and I would say that I’d like to make that happen somewhere within the next 3 to 5 years.”
On seeing CJ Valor get his WWE ID opportunity:
“Of course you are happy for him. And, of course, you hope that could happen for me. It is all about the work you put in. CJ Valor? He’s a machine of a man! That man is insane looking! It is no surprise he is where he is after a year and a half of starting his wrestling career. It is awesome to see him there, a guy who came from our training school or at least started there. It adds a drive, a kick, for motivation.”
On his goals for Saturday’s PCW Live on broadway #1 Contenders Battle Royal:
“I definitely have some added motivation going into the Battle Royal because the title was stolen from the Infernal Sins back in May (when CJ Valor defeated Kevin Koa). So, if it is me, it is Baker Jeffcoat, if it is Damon Ace, or if it is Kevin Koa… I promise you, that PCW Heavyweight Title is coming back to Infernal Sins!”
