Pro wrestler Vinnie Massaro, a veteran of nearly three decades in the sport, has found a new calling in training and mentoring aspiring wrestlers on the West Coast. While he has performed in top promotions in Japan, including at the famed Korakuen Hall, and competed in the United States, Massaro stated that his focus has shifted from pursuing major league aspirations to nurturing emerging talent.
Massaro, who began his career in Hayward, California, has been a fixture on the independent wrestling circuit. He expressed satisfaction with his current role, emphasizing that his dream is no longer about reaching prominent organizations like WWE or All Elite Wrestling. "Honestly, the dream is not WWE, the dream is not AEW. Those dreams have kind of gone. I realize that I’m not young," Massaro told Fox News Digital. "I’ve reached that stage and that age where nobody is going to hire me as a professional wrestler. But there are other things like training. I love teaching young people how to wrestle. I love helping out in the back. I love doing agenting and that kind of stuff. To me, that’s a better outcome for me."
He recalled that his original ambition was to wrestle in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) before that promotion was acquired by WWE. His focus then shifted to Japan, inspired by wrestlers like Mitsuharu Misawa. Massaro achieved his goal of wrestling in Japan, competing for promotions such as Pro Wrestling Noah and All Japan Pro Wrestling at Korakuen Hall. He also had the opportunity to wrestle Misawa and tag with his former partner, Yoshinari Ogawa. "So to me, yeah, ‘What about your WrestleMania moment?’ I don’t even care about the WrestleMania moment. Being at Korakuen Hall, wrestling for Pro Wrestling Noah, being on my first Japanese tour, my first Japanese wrestling match and looking down at the mat and it’s ‘All Japan Pro Wrestling,’ the logo that I’ve seen so many times at Korakuen Hall, those are my highlights," he said.
Massaro also highlighted the significance of wrestling at Arena Mexico and the ECW Arena, venues that held personal meaning for him. He sees the success of his students, such as Miko Alana, who now wrestles at Korakuen Hall after being trained by Massaro from her first bump, as a testament to his own achievements. "To me, that’s making it," he stated.
He likened his approach to wrestling and career development to that of Terry Funk, known for adapting to different styles and performing globally, rather than an " Ole Anderson" type who remained rigid. Massaro has trained with various international wrestlers, including Japanese Joshi wrestlers and Lucha Libre talent like Lady Apache.
Looking ahead, Massaro is scheduled to participate in a six-man tag team match at Pandemonium Pro's End of Summer Event on September 5 in Phoenix, Arizona. He will team with Shigeo Okumura to face a team led by Lucha Libre legend Blue Panther. Massaro expressed his excitement about facing Panther, a wrestler he admired growing up. "I grew up watching a lot of the AAA and Lucha Libre and CMLL and Blue Panther one of the few ones that you recognize and you always saw his match," Massaro said. He also noted his pride in being a significant part of Pandemonium Pro Wrestling.