You have concerns? I DON’T!

I’ve heard a few concerns over the past couple of months that I would like to address.  Whether it is concern with the focus I have put on other areas of my career and life… Or concerns about how hard I’ve been working to get as fit as possible for opportunities that I have approaching.  Am I wearing myself too thin?  Do I have all the tools that I need to succeed in the ring, now that I’ve cut so much weight?  What about focus on wrestling for the WWE?

I’ve heard it from all directions, folks.  I’ve heard it from friends, family and even read about it columns on the web.  I appreciate the concern…

But I’m doing just fine.

I had my very best friend tell me that WWE would never sign me.  This is a guy I’ve known since I was five years old.  A guy that I thought would be supportive no matter what the circumstances were.  And maybe he still is supportive.  Maybe he’s just giving his honest opinion on the matter.  He thinks I’m too small for WWE.  He says TNA would love to have me though.

Let me put a few things to rest.

Full Schedule!

Well, I’m full.  My schedule, that is.  I haven’t been inside a wrestling ring in about three weeks.  Working on my fourth.  I feel great, by the way – but the question still remains.  When will I step back into the squared circle?

Hmm… What a question, huh?  Seems like an easy answer.  At least a few days ago, it seemed pretty easy.  I had an opening on November 28th, which was going to be filled by EWE’s Thanksgiving Throwdown.  But since then, it has been brought to my attention that Thanksgiving itself is that very weekend.  I will be out of town with family that weekend.  How obvious?  And how did I not think about that?

Well, that certainly throws a wrench in things, now doesn’t it?  Speaking of throwing plans off schedule… Think of how badly this mis-scheduling is messing with EWE’s programming.  Good lord, they’ve stuck by me thru it all and I can’t even commit to attending their shows.  It isn’t out of spite, at all.  There aren’t any hard feelings because of my scheduling conflicts, either.  The higher-ups within EWE know of my plans and completely understand them.

So, what now?  What about the EWE Championship I currently hold?  When will I be back in the ring?  What’s the story, Five Starr?

I can hear you all asking yourselves, right now!  And I’m going to answer you all, right now!

I’m in talks with EWE, right now, to find a solution.  So, it’s either looking like a mid-December return… Or I just forfeit the Championship.  There aren’t any other choices, really.

My return to the ring will definitely be the first week of December.  All of this training… All of this scheduling… All of this hard work culminates on the first week of December.  Root for me, folks this is it!

Until then, you can find me at the DeSoto Civic Center for Riverkings hockey.  I’m at every home game.  Come say hello.

( New picture from a photo shoot with Dennis Copeland! )

Response to Jamie Jay?

Well, if you haven’t read it yet – CLICK HERE – and take a look.  It’s a pretty interesting take on what I’m posting on the site every day, regarding my Diet Journal.  For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the right-hand side of the page.  You’ll see an activity log of what I’ve been eating and when I’ve been eating it.

Sure, it won’t work for everyone.  Sure, not everyone will care.  But I’ve received so many e-mails, texts, direct messages and even comments on this website asking questions about how I’m doing what… and why I’m doing what – I just thought I’d give everyone a little insight on what I’m doing personally to get in WWE-shape.

I never said this would work for everyone.  I revealed that up front, right off the bat.  So, let’s just get that out of the way right now.

When I read Jamie’s “Food for Thought” I thought most of it was tongue-in-cheek… written in a joking manner.  But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to respond.  Here’s a bit of what he said that I feel I need to correct:

IWA Television???

Were you aware that there’s more wrestling in Memphis than Memphis Wrestling?  Okay.  Were you aware that this “other group” were actually aired on television every week?  Well, they are and they’re also aired on Saturday morning.  That’s right!  Just like the classic Memphis Wrestling we all know.

But wait, it gets even stranger.  Not only is there another wrestling company in Memphis.  Not only do they have a television show on Saturday morning… But they are also on the SAME station!  How ironic is that?

Some of my statements were a bit sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek.  But the fact of the matter is that many of the wrestling fans out there are currently unaware of the show’s presence.  You can tell that by looking at the ratings.  Not to mention the fact that the show isn’t the greatest quality out there… Nor is the talent.

I’m not here to bad mouth the IWA (still unsure of the meaning of the initials).  Rather, I’m here to let you know they exist and… Well, they’ve apparently set their sights of ME.

The problem with the IWA is simple I they’re new.  They don’t have the production quality that a major independent wrestling “player” should have.  But then again, how many major independent “players” are even out there any more?  None, to my knowledge. 

After a few days, I feel GOOD!

So, we are a few days into my Diet Journal (posted on the right-hand side of the page) and I feel great!  Physically, mentally… And I feel as if I look better already!  All in my head?  Sure, it is.  That’s half the battle.  But the bottom line is – the way I feel will keep me geared up and pressing on.  When that happens, you find the success your looking for!

Let’s take a look at the first few days, shall we?

Thru two days and working thru the third, I really do like my consistency.  That’s very key in any diet.  Mass gain or cutting – you have to have the frequent meal intake.  I have that.  So, there’s a plus.

No candy!  That’s right!  Not one single piece of candy has entered my mouth in the last three days!  After Halloween’s candy consumption, I’m very proud o report that I’m candy-free.  I did have a few sips of milk shake after last night’s hockey game, but hey – who wouldn’t sip a little shake with a pretty girl?  It’s my weakness.  I only had a few sips though, but I also felt that I needed to report it.  Honesty should be brutal when you’re keeping up with your daily plan.

Diet Journal

Take a look to the right-hand side of the page.  You’ll see the section that is entitled “Diet Journal”.  I will be updating this every morning / afternoon with what I had to eat the day before.  If you’re interested at all, please check back daily.  I will NOT be keeping every single day up.  Tomorrow, I will replace Monday’s schedule with Tuesday’s (today!)  So, you will have an updated look at what I had the previous day.

Also, along with the meal in-take… I’ll be posting my cardio activity.  What I did I do?  How long did I go?  How many calories did I burn (according to the machine?)

If you’re looking to get on track, this might just help you out.  If you can’t do it exactly the way I do… then, you can get a good idea of where you’ll need to be.  Remember – this doesn’t work for EVERYONE!  It works for ME and MIGHT help you!

Before & After – My Diet Journal

On June 2nd, I finished up my bookings with World Wrestling Entertainment.  After having been evaluated, I knew something just wasn’t right.  They liked me but for some reason just wouldn’t pull the trigger and sign me.  So, I took a step back and had a good, long, hard look at what I needed to do to get where I needed to be.

BOOM – it hit me.

What if I did something that I had never done before?  What if I concentrated on getting LEAN instead of getting BIG.  Heck, I’m never going to be a “big guy.”  My height IS what it IS.  Right?  I can only hold so much weight.  Afterall, I had gone into the WWE booking much lighter than the norm.  I weighed in at 215 pounds in June.  So, I decided to shift my focus.  Shift my training.  Adjust everything about my eating, training, cardio – MY WAY OF LIVING.

I certainly had a lot of help along the way (especially with the food!), but I also put in the hard work and dedication to make it happen.  So, from those dates in June… I looked at a calendar and made my plans. 

Stella Marris Coastal Cuisine & Lounge

Last night, I was out and about enjoying myself at a brand new lounge in Cordova, TN.  I don’t get out that much for various reasons, but after hearing all the fluff surrounding this place – and having an invitation to go – I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

After several unique delays, Stella Marris Coastal Cuisine & Lounge finally had its VIP opening, last night!  Did I say unique?  What exactly does that mean?  Well, apparently there were problems with the fire alarm… which went off a few times last night.  Then, there was the issue with the dishes not arriving on time.  Could you imagine not opening your restaurant on time because your dishes had not arrived?  It happened to Stella Marris… but fortunately, the dishes were there last night.  The food that went along with the dishes was AMAZING.  That’s not all the unique controversy, though.  Don’t forget all the fact that Steve Cooper, the owner of Stella Marris, has other business ventures that had people talking – like Gold Club.

All in all, with all of that said, Stella Marris was amazing.

Yes, that’s right.  I was in attendance for last night’s VIP opening at Stella Marris and I must say – I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The place was put together very well.  There was a TON of money spent on the design and decorating.  From the marble floors and statues, to the immaculate chandeliers

Hockey & Wrestling

It’s that time of year again.  Hockey calls shotgun and wrestling takes the back seat.  Well, let me rephrase that… local wrestling takes the back seat.  How do I feel about it?  I’m actually psyched!

The approach that I’ve taken the last year or so is simple.  Work towards big events.  Train towards the events that have the grandest opportunity.  Not necessarily money-wise.  But certainly long-term, big time event-wise.  I am training towards those big opportunities and trying to make the best of them.

So, now it’s that time of year where the Riverkings take over my priority, as far as bookings are concerned.  It’s time to rest my body a little bit from all the wear and tear.  It’s time to put a major focus on my training.  I’m never where I want to be or need to be – training-wise.  I must stay in the best shape possible.  And being less sore and less banged-up will help me get in the gym and bust out some very good workouts.  Plus, it’s always good to just take a little time away from the ring and focus on other vehicles for my success.

With that being said, I will still be wrestling locally – namely Ripley, TN.  Heck, I’m the EWE Heavyweight Champion… I have to be there to defend the belt.  But if you do not see me around from time to time, I’m sure there’s a hockey game going on.  I really do enjoy the hockey experience, as it gives me something other than beating my body around the ring.

Look out folks, there’s a ton of other stuff going on with me right now, as well.  There’s talk of commercials.  There’s talk of bigger wrestling opportunities.  There’s writing opportunities coming up (more on that tomorrow!)  And just to give you a hint on what the future holds for good ole Dustin Starr – I’m not only gearing back up for a competition-quality workout regimen… I’m also setting my future up for a big move.

And no… I’m not talking about, to quote Corey Maclin, “A BIG MOOOOVE!!“

What a Celebration!

It was a great celebration, indeed!  No, I’m not talking about the Yankees returning to World Series glory.  No, I’m not talking about the start of the NBA season, tonight.  No, I’m not even talking about the wrestling return of Hulk Hogan!

I’m talking about my Birthday celebration, last week!  Oh my goodness, what a week it was!  I couldn’t have asked for a better Birthday… and it lasted from Thursday til Sunday!  Now, THAT’S how you throw down!  But I didn’t get too carried away… I have just been surrounded by people who seem to really care about me and they really and truly show it.

Thursday, I had lunch with my mother and my angel.  Hibatchi was amazing and the gift that I received during that lunch was even better.  Have you ever received a gift that you could never put a price tag on?  A piece of memory lane that I will not only never forget but one that I have to hang in my home, now.  Awesome, indeed.

Thursday night, I was lucky enough to enjoy an Alabama steak dinner (in Memphis, TN though).  Check out my Twitter page and you can even see a picture of the meal!  Steak, sauteed mushrooms, turkey bacon-wrapped asparagus, baked potato and Caesar salad.  Then, just when I thought it was all said and done… I was presented with a mini-Birthday cake where the candles whistled a Birthday song!  Not only that, but I had a very sweet girl sing to me, as well!  I will never, EVER forget that.