By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Paul Walter Hauser
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com
On wrestling being a side quest: “My pay differs based on the company, too. If I were to do something with TNA, and they were like, ‘Hey, come do a match with AJ Francis, or a tag match, you’re gonna be paired with the Rascalz against three heels.’ I would want 10 grand for that match, because, to me, you’re also getting eyeballs and press and whatever else comes with it, and I’m going to go out of my way to make it as good as it possibly can be, at the risk of hurting myself. But if Action Wrestling down in Georgia is like, ‘Hey, do you want to come fight, take an L to Adam Priest, or tag with your buddy Darian Bengston, I’m not going to charge them more than three or 400 bucks. I still got to drive down there and drive back. I don’t know if I’m selling merch or not. I don’t know if they’re not going to have catering, there’s X amount of things that you give up to just wrestle and have fun.”
On not being considered a celebrity wrestler: “I know, and it’s frustrating. I’m not gonna pretend it doesn’t bother me a little bit. I’m working really hard, and I’m, you know, not every match is a banger for goodness’ sake. I’ve had some smelly ass matches. There’s probably six or seven of those 22 that I would like to hide somewhere and never show anyone. But there’s probably four or five, even six, that I’m very proud of. You should watch me and Joey Janela at DEFY, you should watch me and Steve Maclin at Revolver. You should watch this promo I cut in MLW.”
On what his wife thinks about it: “She does not like it at all, but I also tell her the truth. I take calculated risks. There was a time when I was taking edibles and drinking scotch and partying around this city in Hollywood, and that was way more dangerous than wrestling.”
On the conversation that if he gets injured, it could delay shooting: “One hundred percent [I’ve had that conversation]. I did a pre-tape in 2024 for MLW. We did a match that was famously panned by the online community. They despised it. I had a match with Tom Lawlor, and it was cinematic. Re-watching it, there were a couple of things I would do differently. I would shave off three or four minutes, and I would also make it more 60 or 70 percent him, I would change the ratio a little bit on who takes what. But that match, we had already shot, and I was doing whatever I was doing that summer. It must have been the Wahlberg movie, because I was in Australia, and they’re like, Is Paul fighting a match tonight? Because they saw it on Instagram or something. And my manager is like, No, he already taped that. They’re just gonna air it. But they were freaking out, ready to read me the riot act, because they thought I was wrestling while I was shooting.”
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