By: Tom Mitchell
Beyond the Canvas is a monthly interview series PPW’s backstage announcer, Tom Mitchell, will present to fans in anticipation for the next show. At the end, Mitchell will offer his personal opinion to what the PPW superstar has to say. The very first guest in the series will be none other than one half of the PPW Tag Team Champions, “Undeniably” Johnny Moran.
Moran is a long tenured member of PPW’s roster, having made his PPW debut all the way back in 2015. Whether it be as a part of the World Class Gentlemen, a competitor in the No Limits division, or now with Clutch Adams as a part of the Arrogance of Excellence, Moran has his footprint all over PPW, and looks to continue making noise in Hazleton.
Interview with Johnny Moran
Tom Mitchell: How did you and Clutch come up with the name Arrogance of Excellence?
Johnny Moran: We are so excellent that we have to have arrogance! I mean, come on. We’re undefeated together. Four wins in one night then add the past two beatings we gave the two bottles of suntan lotion, that’s six and there ain’t no stopping us!
TM: How did you and Clutch develop such fluid tag team chemistry so quickly?
JM: Well, honestly, neither one of us thought it would work. We have battled each other all over PA. Clutch literally gave me a concussion that took me out for 2 months. So needless to say when Ryan [Race] said he had an opportunity for us to get on Impact and become tag team champions, it was a done deal. We both clicked in that ring. Both of us being overlooked for years now is what drives us both.
TM: Talk about Ryan Race a bit more. How instrumental has he been to your success as a team?
JM: See, here’s the thing. Ryan Race will open a door. How ever he gets that door open is his business. Clutch and I need to walk through that door. An’ if you haven’t been watching, we have been ripping the hinges off with the door. So what I’m saying is you can put any opportunity getter for us with us. An’ we will take it. We don’t want it all. We just want a lot.
TM: While the door was certainly torn down by you guys, you’ve had some help from outside sources not named Ryan Race. First, it was referee Jeff Carden at New Beginnings to win the PPW Tag Team Championships or, more recently, TJ Masters at Juiced to retain.
JM: Listen here’s the thing. Were you talking to me 2 months ago? No? Exactly! I lost that No Limits Championship and everyone forgets about Johnny Moran. I show up to PPW and they didn’t even have a match for me but they got spots Desean Pratt, Sean Carr, KC Navarro, Mike Orlando, and even Clutch Adams. So Ryan Race said “help Clutch and you won’t be forgotten again.” Well, I’ll do whatever I need to do to, whoever I need to do it to with, whatever I need to do it with to keep myself at the top. PPW is dog eat dog and I’m sick of being hungry!
TM: It’s hard to argue with that. Last question. In one year, where do you see yourself being in Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling?
JM: On the top and kicking people back down to the bottom of the mountain. See now, I have the guy that calls the shots in PPW (TJ Masters) on my side. So I’m gonna be the first person to hold that PPW Heavyweight Championship and the Tag Team Championship at the same time. Next year, we can brand PPW The Moran Show!
TM: Thank you for your time, Johnny.
Tom’s Take
While it is easy to see Johnny’s frustration, his ways about going about that frustration could have been managed better. Ryan Race has been nothing but trouble in PPW since its inception, which Johnny knew before he decided to join Undeniable. Moran could have stuck to his morals and continued to hone his craft in the No Limits Division and work his way up from there to the Heavyweight Division. Since Moran failed to land a spot on the card a couple of times, he instead opted to sell his soul to Ryan Race.
In fairness, it is difficult to argue with the results that Moran’s alliance with Race and Clutch have brought forth. Moran immediately became one half of PPW’s Tag Team Champions. With not only Race but also TJ Masters in his corner, there really is no limit for Moran in 2019 and beyond.