Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Matt Granahan might not be a name too familiar to pro wrestling fans. He has wrestled on the independent circuits, but is more notable for ventures outside of the squared circle. He’s done MMA, a broadcaster, a cornerman, lawyer, author and podcaster. He is brash, arrogant, confident, has money, power and has been nicknamed ‘the Diva Smasher’ for his flings with women in the pro wrestling business. Granahan made news a couple of years ago for getting into a real life feud with Ric Flair over Flair’s wife Wendy Barlow. Today we talk to the ‘King of Connecticut’ himself Matt Granahan.
BD: Tell us about your background in amateur and pro wrestling and of course MMA.
MG: I started competing in wrestling at 11 years old and began coaching wrestling at 18. I started judo in college to enhance my wrestling. That’s how I got into pro wrestling. I always wanted to be a pro wrestler and in 96′ after college my buddy Dave from Akari Judo told me he was doing pro wrestling. I always wanted to be a pro wrestler and so I became Dave’s opponent. This was before internet coverage so we could wrestle each other every weekend. I never went to pro wrestling school so my matches were actual wrestling and judo with lots of entertainment, I love to be a heel and engage the crowd. My friend and mentor Billy Wicks told me “You tell those people there isn’t a damn thing you do in the ring to your opponent that you can’t easily do to the fat slobs who pay to watch you” That was the truth and I passed that on to guys I brought from the mat and the cage to the pro wrestling squared circle like Steve Volponi, Kamal Shalorus, Phil Baroni and Stephan Bonnar. Bonnar and Baroni were naturals and both naturally funny guys. In 2008 I got a nice severance from the company I was working for. I was competing in grappling and coaching wrestling with Kamal Shalorus at Pat Miletich’s CTC in Austin. MMA was on fire, this was the Golden Age just 3 years after Bonnar and Griffin took the sport mainstream. It was on my bucket list to compete and I had a handful of fights under the guidance of Kamal and did quite well. Around this time I began managing Kamal and guided his career when WEC was purchased by UFC. I later managed longtime friend Phil Baroni and Stephan Bonnar. In 2013 I was prime marketing consultant for Bellator and my most important contributions were writing their marketing plan and booking the Stephan Bonnar Tito Ortiz fight as well as creating all the hype with Bonnar who delivered the greatest promo in the sport’s history in the cage with Tito and Justin McCully. Stephan was the man he created that without smartening Tito up. The true Master! That is the Only time Bellator EVER beat UFC head to head in the ratings the Bonnar-Griffin card. Stephan Bonnar was my favorite mma broadcast partner but I have broadcasted shows in mma, kickboxing and pro wrestling with Merciless Ray Mercer, King Mo, Frankie Edgar, Sonny Onoo and Shonie Carter. I still coach my submission wrestling class on Wed nights at Fighting Edge gym in Titusville Fl. In 2017 I was inducted into the Fl MMA Hall of Fame. I have worn many hats always had fun.
BD: That is a damn impressive resume to have. The other impressive resume you possess is the moniker of “Diva Smasher.” Can you talk about that and the divas you’ve “smashed?”
MG: Yes. Love the ladies and the Phil Baroni gave me that moniker as Phil and I both enjoyed the romantic company of Sunny and I WOOOOed the lovely Debra. Both great women and I feel sad for how Sunny’s life turned out.
BD: Wait you and Phil with Sunny at the same time?
MG: No lol. Different years. I don’t allow another rooster in the room ha
BD: Can you tell us about how your relationship with Debra McMichael came to be?
MG: I met her at a fanfest where I had a table next to her with Dan Severn. We flirted throughout the event and she had me out to her house in Alabama. She 1st wanted me to be her date for a charity dirt bike race and concert with Aaron Lewis who had crossed over into country and some other country stars and she took me to Alabama football games. Wonderful woman very down to earth. She was scarred from Steve Austin beating and abusing her. Few remember, he plead no contest to domestic abuse against her. Sweet and wonderful woman. I always treat the ladies well with a soft warm touch and I treated Debra like the queen she is.
BD: Besides Debra and Sunny, any other divas you “smashed ?”
MG: All women are Divas! lol Top on my Fuckit List today in pro wresting is Mandy Leone 
BD: Formerly of Ring of Honor…She just recently got married.
MG: I believe so. I follow her IG. Obviously Renee Michelle she’s a good friend but she is happily married. Jenni Santana too Ah Who knows if Ms. Leone is open?
BD: Can I ask why things didn’t work out with you and Debra or with Sunny or were they just meant to be flings?
MG: Just fun flings my man. Both lovely ladies though.
BD: Did you ever have any physical confrontations with pro wrestlers that wasn’t kayfabe?
MG: Sure. I wrestled in the ring and some opponents didn’t like that and thought I was “shooting on them” which is why I usually brought my own opponents from the mat and cage. One story Chuck Sloan just reminded me about was a young man who was crying after a match he had with me in SC. He told the promoter and Chuck I shot on him. The kid just couldn’t follow me in the match. Chuck told him if I had shot on him he would be in the ICU. Chuck is a tough guy with a Greco background he cornered a few fights with me and trained some of my fighters. In this case I was wrestling him and giving him openings and when he didn’t take them I just kept wrestling. That’s true professional wrestling…it’s an exhibition. That happened a few times, but when I wrestled, the indie promoters I sold for them and let them get over because it was their show. The marquis doesn’t say stunt show, freak show or burlesque show it says wrestling. I never tried to hurt anyone but if you pro wrestled me, you had to be able to wrestle and follow.
BD: Tell us about the heat you’ve had with Ric Flair
MG: I’ve told that dozens of times on podcasts lol. No heat. I wish Flair well and I gave Wendy back because she was 2 cup sizes too small and 40 years too old for this King WOOOOO
(For those unaware of the story…Matt Granahan sent some racy pics and videos of a woman that Matt was dating at the time to Ric Flair’s phone. Flair’s wife Wendy Barlow found them on Flair’s phone and got very angry. Flair texted back Matt and asked Matt to pretend that Matt meant to send the racy images to somebody else and accidentally sent them to Flair instead. Matt and Wendy started texting one another and the two began flirting. Flair found out about Matt and Wendy and threatened to have Matt killed. Not long after, Flair announced that he and Wendy were getting a divorce. The couple have since reconciled.)
BD: Now lastly you have mentioned Phil Baroni earlier. He is accused of killing his girlfriend in Mexico. As I understand it, you are helping defend Baroni in his case. Anything you can shed light on about this entire situation?
MG: I encourage folks to watch my segment on Jon BravoTV documentary Crime and Entertainment. Phil is a patsy and in Mexico it’s all about extortion rackets. I got Phil in a good place for now in a halfway house in Chorizo prison. He is living a good life for now.
BD: You have definitely led and continue to live a fascinating life. Before we go, any other wrestling Divas or famous women you can let us know about?
MG: I rarely kiss and tell but the night is still young WOOO! We will just say Sunny and Debra and Ill leave at that!
BD: I want to thank you for spending some time chatting with us.
MG: Thank you. My book Rough and Tumble the definitive history book on grappling, mma and pro wrestling that I wrote 15 years ago with World Shoot champion Erik Paulson. Folks can DM me on Facebook for a signed copy. Also Shoot Pro Wrestling Jake Shannon’s promotion that I am biz development manager for. Here is a video I put together with Bonnar and Griffin describing Shoot Pro….