Chew The Mat: Creature Creature Bassist Dave Cobley Talks Wrestling

Creature Creature is bringing “the noise” with the release of their brand new EP. The Noise was just released on May 27th, which follows the release of their widely praised new singles “Linework” and “YOUNGSTARS!.” There’s a simple yet so worthwhile intention with this new EP, an attempt to give a shot in the arm to modern punk rock. It’s what you’d expect from a punk record, supplying all the energy and liveliness you could want. The Noise features anthemic choruses and sizzling guitar riffs, everything you’d expect from a solid punk record.

The main intention behind The Noise was to capture the essence of what makes punk rock so intense and easy to enjoy. There’s just something about having an avenue to have your voice be heard. The members of Creature Creature have never taken that for granted. They appreciate having a place where they can be heard and where they can let their emotions roam freely. The Noise is the band’s testament to the power of music to inspire change and revolution. They do take on social issues within their songs and these songs provide a blueprint of what the band hopes to accomplish with future releases.

Never mind music for a moment, Creature Creature bassist Dave Cobley joins us for Chew The Mat to discuss how he started watching wrestling, his favourite moments as a wrestling fan, underrated wrestlers, and more.

Who’s your favourite wrestler right now, and who’s your all-time favourite?

Dave Cobley: “I am a really big fan of Will Ospreay. He was a big star in Japan, but is only just getting to show his talent in the United States. I got to see him wrestle on the debut show of Brighton promotion Riptide Wrestling and he is just a natural. He was known as a highflyer but has managed to adapt his style to work with anyone. Being from the UK, his promos are different and really stand out.

“My all-time favourite wrestler is The Undertaker. It was his action figure that caught my attention and made me first watch wrestling. He was such a captivating figure but he really knew the psychology of wrestling match. His matches with Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, and Edge in the mid 2000s were classics that will stand the test of time.”

Which wrestler would you want to write a theme song for?

“I would love to write a song for a larger wrestler. I would have have written a really heavy rock entrance theme for Vader, but with a Marty Friedman style lead line as a nod to his history and status in Japan. Writing wrestling entrance themes would be a dream job for me.”

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What’s the best wrestler entrance theme song?

“‘Sexy Boy’ is just the perfect entrance theme for Shawn Michaels. It captures the character, it is catchy and you instantly know it is him. That fact it lasted from the new generation era of the WWF all the way past the ruthless aggression era of WWE shows how much of a fit it was. Whoever came up with the idea of switching the song to being sung by Shawn is a genius.”

When did you start watching wrestling?

“I believe I saw my first match on TV in the early 1990s. From that point, until certain WWF pay-per-views started airing on Channel 4, the only wrestling I could get were WWF and WCW videos. The first wrestling show I got to see live was Premier Promotions in 1996. On that show, a wrestler did a hangman in the ropes to end a match and I was hooked. I would go on to be their timekeeper in the late 2000s.”

If you were a wrestler, what would your finishing move be, and what would you call it?

“I would want to use Mitsuharu Misawa’s finisher, the ‘Emerald Flowsion,’ though I always thought that a more western sounding version, the ‘Emerald Fusion’ would work. I can’t recall anyone adopting it in a major promotion so it would still feel unique.”

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One thing you would change about the WWE?

“I would like every feud to have a reason for existing. It can work on occasion to have a number one contenders match but I think it is used too much to cover for the lack of reason for wrestlers to feud. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the WWE was really good at having stories, even for non-title matches. If I was The Undertaker and someone spilt milk on my bike, I would want revenge!”

If you were a wrestler, who would be your arch-nemesis?

“I would want Bryan Danielson to be my nemesis. He just gets the most out of every situation. He can work as an underdog babyface or an arrogant heel and then go and wrestle an hour long match where the crowd is completely invested. Also, I think it would be cool to see some vegan-on-vegan violence.”

The wrestling community and music community are pretty intertwined. What band do you think would be the coolest wrestling stable?

“Motley Crüe would have been a wild stable. Even today where they have all turned on Mick Mars and brought in John 5 as a replacement. Their antics would have made for decades of must watch TV and I think Ozzy Osbourne appearing from under the ring would be awesome.”

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Were you a WWF or a WCW kid?

“I was a WWF kid. They always had a way of making a wrestler seem a bigger deal. Looking back, the in ring work in WCW was much better (most of the time) but WWF felt almost more important. I think becoming the WWF champion felt like a bigger accomplishment than being the WCW champion. WCW bringing in outside talent was super cool. The first time I saw the Great Muta was unlike anything I had ever seen in the WWF.”

What’s your most memorable moment watching wrestling?

“I remember getting to watch Royal Rumble 2000 live on TV was huge for me. It is still my favourite pay per view of all time and the Street Fight between Cactus Jack and Triple H is one of my favourite matches. It was unpredictable, violent, and such a good story between two wrestlers at the right time. Being in Madison Square Garden was the ideal setting.

“I also had so much fun watching Rikishi dominate an early part of the rumble match, and the the tables match between the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz was the prefect car crash of an opening match.”

What would your theme song be as a wrestler?

“The song that I think would work best is ‘Let Em Know’ by Alien Ant Farm. I think it would work for a cocky heel character, that is very assured of their skills and throws that in their opponents face. It is one of their lesser known singles as well so it wouldn’t feel overplayed.”

Who do you think you could take in a match?

“I think I could take down Sami Zayn. He may be better skilled, more talented, and tougher than me. But once I hit him in the back of the head with a Flying V, he will be out for the count!”

Which wrestler deserves their own biopic?

“Rico Constantino has a crazy story. He was a former police officer and bodyguard as well as a contestant on American Gladiators. After only twelve matches, he ended up getting signed by WWE and, within a short time was on Smackdown. I think his life would make an incredible film.”

Who is the most underrated wrestler of all time?

“I think that Goldust/Dustin Rhodes retiring without becoming a world champion is insane. I think he would say that substance issues at points of his career had played into it, but his talent and consistency, from debuting in the 1980s and still wrestling for AEW today, is not as celebrated as it should be.”

What do you think is your most controversial wrestling opinion?

“I don’t think size should have any bearing on if you are considered to become world champion. There is a famous backstage conversation where Triple H stated that Kurt Angle was too small to be the heavyweight champion until somebody asked, ‘who do you think would win in a real fight?’.”

What is the worst part about wrestling right now? Should it be changed? How can that take place?

“I think that there has been a lack of progression for younger stars, especially in the WWE. Damien Priest is having his first run as the World Heavyweight Champion and he is in his 40s. I think that younger wrestlers haven’t been considered as worthy to headline WWE Pay Per Views over the last few years. AEW have much better range of age when it comes to stars, with MJF having a long title reign and being the face of the company for their huge Wembley Stadium show last year whilst still in his 20s.”

What is the most exciting thing about wrestling right now?

“I am super excited by the talent that the AEW currently has. They have recently brought in Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, and Will Ospreay. And they have Swerve Strickland as their world champion. On top of this, they can easily push Orange Cassidy, Konosuke Takeshita, and Willow Nightingale into main event spots and are building stars like Hook, Nick Wayne, and Sky Blue for the future.”

What are you most looking forward to in the years to come with wrestling?

“There seems to be more openness for wrestling companies to work with one another. I love seeing wrestlers from Japan and Mexico show up as a surprise in American promotions but I also enjoy getting see wrestlers test their skills outside of their comfort zone. I think that sending Jack Perry to New Japan Pro Wrestling was a smart idea and has established his new persona.”