In TurnbuckleTimes’ latest exclusive interview, Bobby Orlando (@TheBobbyOrlando) sits down with Scott Mitchell (@scott44mitchell) to discuss his time in Beyond Wrestling, including his upcoming match with Jermaine Marbury, his reign as the Wrestling Open Champion, his recent match with Andrade El Idolo, his time at Create A Pro, winning the Create A Pro Championship for the first time from Aaron Rourke, his goals, future opponent(s) he’d like to face and much more. Watch it in its entirety down below.

Let’s jump right into it. On Saturday, for Beyond Wrestling, you’ll be going one-on-one with Jermaine Marbury at the “RRD Pain Olympics.” What’s your mindset heading into this one?

“I love Jermaine. I’ll give this little tidbit, I think that’s the right term. The first time I ever felt old in professional wrestling was when Jermaine Marbury first started wrestling for Beyond and Wrestling Open. He came up to Bryce and me, and was like, ‘Oh, I met you when I was in school at a show.’ Then he showed us the picture he took with both of us during intermission at one of these Blitzkrieg! Pro shows, and I was like, oh my God. Hearing the words, ‘I used to watch you growing up as a kid,’ made me f**king almost throw up. Sorry for cursing. But, there’s that history there.

Jermaine is a really good kid. I think he’s doing some amazing things. I’m all for like out there, being out there, being yourself. Jermaine is out there, and he’s himself through and through. This is the first time we’re ever going to share the ring in a singles match. We’ve shared the ring in a few other matches, I believe. One was like the number one Contendership for the Wrestling Open title. We’ve had a few matches where we’ve been each other’s tag partner. So, this is the first-ever one-on-one match. There’s some correlation with the basketball stuff. I know Jermaine, he’s the basketball guy, but I’m the BASKETBALL guy to reference my social media. The basketball world will collide this Saturday… I’m going to use him and Benny as a basketball. Two-for-one special.”

You’ve become a bit of a mainstay at Beyond Wrestling and Wrestling Open. What has it meant to you to be a part of this locker room?

“It’s cool, because I’ve gotten to see a lot of people. So this is actually cool because Jermaine is one of these people. I think Beyond and Wrestling Open have done a great job at discovering new people and new talents on the independent wrestling scene, and I think what’s cool is that when Wrestling Open first started, it really gave a platform to those who were just one match away or one opportunity away from getting recognized. I feel like Bryce Donovan and I were some of those people as well.

So, Wrestling Open has benefited a lot of people. Wrestling Open has benefited a lot of people by showing what they can do. I feel like it’s really cool because Jermaine is one of those people whom I didn’t really know before he started wrestling at Wrestling Open and Beyond. Ever since then, every single indie on the New England scene, not saying it’s all because of Wrestling Open, but it’s a large part due to Wrestling Open.”

Recently, we saw you battle Andrade El Idolo at Beyond Wrestling’s big event, “Break The Walls Down.” What was this moment like for you, and what was it like to work with Andrade?

“It was so, it still doesn’t feel real. That whole situation with the MJF injury and all that jazz. The Andrade thing came up with 24 hours’ notice. So, I didn’t really have time to be nervous. I just had to lock in. It does mess with your mind a little bit. Whenever you go to show days and big matches, you kind of have to get yourself in the mindset of just being locked in and dialed in. But, when you’re dealing with the added-on stress of oh snap, this person who I was kind of mentally preparing to wrestle for a few months is not wrestling me, and I’m wrestling a completely different wrestler, especially someone as talented and amazing as Andrade.

This is, if not, going into it, I knew it was going to be one of the biggest matches of my life, but leaving it, I knew it was the biggest match of my life. I’ve never felt more confident going into a match before in my life. I learned so much from it. It has made me a better wrestler because of it. At the same time, it proved to me that I can hang in there and I do belong. We all kind of have our doubts about our abilities sometimes. The grind of indie wrestling can be mentally and emotionally taxing. But moments like those really help me; it really makes me remember why I love doing this, and it helps me realize that I am meant to do this.”

You are a former Wrestling Open Champion, defeating Bryce Donovan for the title back in August of last year. What was this moment like for you?

“That was also another one of my biggest matches to date. It’s so funny because I look back on that day, and I knew how big of a deal it was in the moment, like a former tag partner, not only was it my first-ever Americanrana main event, but it was our first-ever match against each other ever. We never shared the ring in a singles match before that. It was very emotional because you go into it thinking if things didn’t go the way they did, maybe we could have wrestled Americanrana as a tag team. But it just worked out the way it did.

Bryce went off and did his own thing. He set out a goal to become the Wrestling Open Champion. That was more important to him than building the brand and the legacy of the Shook Crew at Beyond. But, everything works out the way it’s supposed to. It’s definitely up there with one of the things I’m most proud of in wrestling. Not just because I won the Wrestling Open title, but because all the circumstances involved.”

You held the title for just under 200 days, knocking off the likes of Vinny Scalice, Timothy Thatcher, Donovan Dijak, and Eye Black Jack. What did this reign mean to you?

“Honestly, being with Wrestling Open since Day 1, I am a Day 1 original. I was on the first-ever show. When I first started Wrestling Open, my goal was to help build it. I love helping to build up promotions and build them from the ground up. I love seeing things grow over time. So, holding that championship really meant a lot to me. You just said some names that I knew I wrestled, but I almost forgot that I wrestled them defending the Wrestling Open Championship. It just goes to show, like, I don’t know, I’m very grateful for my time as the Wrestling Open Champion.”

Ultimately, Ryan Clancy took the title from you earlier in March. What was it like to work with Clancy and put on an incredible story at Open?

“I’ve only wrestled Clancy a few times, but each time I have, he’s always pushed me to my limits in the best way possible. I think when he returns to wrestling, he’ll take the wrestling world by storm. I know that’s such a cliché thing to say, like, ‘Oh, he’ll be back and better than ever,’ but I truly believe that he will be back and better than ever, and the wrestling world will be put on notice. He is and probably will forever be one of the best people I’ve ever shared the ring with. I know this injury is a bump in the road, but there’s a lot more road to go in his career. He’s going to have a very long and illustrious career. I’m very excited for when he does step back into the ring.”

How important has it been for you to represent Create A Pro as the CAP Champion, the place it all began for you?

“Honestly, I was over the moon the first time I won the Create A Pro Championship. But to become a two-time Create A Pro champion was something that I never thought could even happen. I really am grateful for every single thing that the school has given me. I will have friends for life because of that school, I will have a career that I’ll forever be proud of because of that school, and I’ll have memories that I will cherish forever because of that school. Winning that championship for the second time, a feat only two other people have done, Max Caster & Johnny Clash, to be, out of every single person who has ever walked through that door, to be one of those few people who have ever held that championship twice, that is just something I can’t even put into words. It’s beyond special.”

Your first Create A Pro Championship reign started after an incredible rivalry with Aaron Rourke. What did it mean to your career to work with him?

“I said before that Clancy is one of the best people I’ve shared the ring with. I think Aaron Rourke definitely falls in that category as well. There’s probably like a top five best people I’ve ever shared the ring with, and those two are definitely in there, maybe even in the top three. Aaron Rourke is someone that I’m so happy that the world is now waking up and realizing how good he is. The independent wrestling world has always known, but the fact that he’s now able to showcase his talents on a higher level and a bigger stage like WWE, I think the sky is the limit. He’s going to show just, I can’t put into words how talented this person is.

The second he walked through the doors at Create A Pro, I think we all collectively knew he was going to be a star. I don’t want to take credit and be like, ‘Oh, I always knew.’ We all knew the second he stepped foot and did his first roll, this guy gets it, and he’s going to be amazing. He’s not even close to his peak yet. He’s not even close to his prime, and that’s kind of scary. What he’s doing right now is a lot of wrestlers prime, and he’s not even close to that. So, just watch out because I know he’s the current EVOLVE Champion, but he will be holding many other titles in the WWE.”

You won the title for the second time at one of the biggest CAP shows ever, “Monumental Moment.” What did this moment mean to you?

“If you think about it, I know I pinned Leo Sparrow in that match, but there were two other guys in that match that I also grew up watching and respecting. Frankie Kazarian is the guy. I’m a big TNA fan. I’ve been a big TNA fan my whole life. Honestly, there have been times when I watched TNA more than I was watching WWE. I was that big of a fan. To share the ring with Frankie Kazarian is a moment that I will forever be happy and grateful for. But also, Cedric Alexander. When the cruiserweight division started in WWE, he was one of those guys who I was like, whenever he’d be in the ring, I had to watch the entire time. He had one of my favorite finishers in wrestling, the Lumbar Check.

It’s just amazing, but also God damn, after taking that move, I can see how he’s won many matches with that. It’s an insane move, and it’s been something I’ve watched. I normally don’t like watching a lot of my matches back more than once, but that’s been something I’ve watched more than once. It’s definitely up there with one of those moments that still feels surreal getting to win that match, win the title, on that big show. Because you’re right, it is one of the biggest Create A Pro shows of all time, if not the biggest one. To become the Create A Pro Champion for the second time was just the cherry on top.”

Looking ahead for you, do you have any future goals you’d like to accomplish?

“I’ll keep some of them private. As I said before, I like to keep some of my goals to myself. That’s something I’ve always done. My biggest goal right now is just to continue having fun. Right now, I’m having the most fun of my career. 2026 isn’t even halfway over yet, and I think it’s the most successful year of my life. I think just keep pushing, doing what I’m doing, keep the positivity, keep the vibes going, and overall, just, I’m big into preaching positivity and preaching gratitude, and that’s been what I’ve been doing. Ever since I started doing that, good things have happened, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing here.”

Any future opponents you’d like to share the ring with?

“Yeah, actually. This is a BIO Pro student who I feel like has been doing amazing work on Beyond and Wrestling Open shows. Rain Conway is someone that I think people need to start keeping their eye on. He’s been, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining parts of the Open shows. I think he’s going to have a really, really, really good rest of 2026, and I think in 2027 is when he’s really going to break out.”