Wanted: local actors to appear in a film about professional wrestling with Sweetooth and Shark Boy.
Brandon High School graduate Justin Barger, a budding professional wrestler, will be a part of the movie ‘OHW Returns,? currently in production. Barger goes by the moniker of Sweetooth(TM) during his wrestling appearances.
One of the people appearing in the film will be Shark Boy, a wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. Shark Boy, 31, whose real name is Dean Roll, has been with TNA Wrestling (which is televised weekly on Spike TV) since the company started about four years ago, and wrestled in his first match in October 1995.
Anthony Nick, a Lapeer native who heads up Nick Entertainment (the producers of the film), said he traveled to Cincinnati to meet with Roll and film his segment. Right now, he is looking for other actors and actresses to appear in the non-fiction movie.
‘We’re at a standstill right now,? he said. ‘We’re trying to get parts of the script ironed out.?
Roll, a native of Lebanon, Ohio, said he was honored when Nick called him and asked him to appear in the movie.
‘I’d never done anything like it, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,? he said. ‘I told him I’d be happy to do it. We shot a couple of different scences, and we did a wrestling match for the end of the movie.
Barger said he talked to Roll on the telephone for a brief time recently. ‘Actually, I was supposed to go to Ohio with Anthony for some filming, but I ended up having to go to work and couldn’t go,? he said.
Roll said he talked to Barger about what they might do during the movie, but Barger’s work schedule precluded that from happening. Nonetheless, Roll said he addressed some of Barger’s concerns.
‘He was real concerned about what he’d do during the wrestling scenes,? Roll said. ‘It’s a one-take business ? you have one chance to get it right. I told him not to be concerned about the wrestling scenes, but to focus on the speaking part of it.?
During the time they talked, Barger said Roll gave him several bits of advice. ‘He told me if I ever want to pursue pro wrestling, to do as many shows as I can, and don’t expect to get paid a lot right away ? you have to pay your dues like anything else,? he said.
In addition, Barger said Roll emphasized the importance of keeping in shape and practicing, especially with regard to bumping.
In the pro wrestling business, Barger said bumping refers to how a wrestler hits the mat, particularly in the back, when they are sent there by a particular move, such as a body slam. If a wrestler is not trained to bump correctly, they risk back problems, Barger said.
‘When you wrestle a lot, your back starts to get used to it,? he said.
In addition to his wrestling career, Roll also teaches prospective wrestlers at a wrestling school called the ‘Shark Tank,? in Cincinnati. He has about 14 students in his current class, and will be starting another class around January or February.