Anthony Greene Talks Limitless Career, MJF, The Beginning Of The Retrosexual

This Friday marks the biggest night in the history of Limitless Wrestling. Not only is it the celebration of four years of Limitless, not only is it the first time professional wrestling has been at the historic Portland Expo in 15 years, but it also marks the first ever one-on-one encounter between two of the best to ever step foot in a Limitless Wrestling ring.

Anthony Greene and Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known as MJF, will headline the event for the Limitless Wrestling World Championship. While MJF, as champion, has become synonymous with being a “thorn in the side” of Limitless Wrestling and its fans, Anthony Greene has been growing with the company since the beginning and looks to reach the mountaintop this Friday night.

Limitless Wrestling’s Mike Abelson sat down with Retrosexual AG on August 13th to talk about his career, Limitless, MJF, and the biggest match in Maine wrestling history.

MIKE ABELSON: You were on the very first Limitless Wrestling show in September of 2015. Did you ever think you would be in a position like this?

ANTHONY GREENE: Funny enough, I was actually a last-minute replacement for that first show. 24-hour notice. Jason Rumble was supposed to be on the show, but I think he had a chance to wrestle Thursday-Sunday in Canada and he was going to make way more money, and he already lives very close to Canada.

I think I hit Randy up on a whim asking if he had any openings and he said ‘as a matter of fact, I do’. The setup was that I was going to be in a four-way. It was going to be me, Steve Scott, Mike Orlando, and Good Hank Flanders. But I specifically asked if I could wrestle one of them and the other two wrestle a singles match. I ended up wrestling Good Hank Flanders on the show. Second match in Limitless wrestling history. Not first, but I’m the first ever second match.

Anthony Greene (Sept 2015 - Photo: Eye Shoot People Photography)

MIKE ABELSON: There’s so many independent promotions in the Northeast. When you went to Northern Maine for the first Limitless event, was there anything you noticed that made you think this place has sticking power?

ANTHONY GREENE: In the grand scheme of independent wrestling in the Northeast, I don’t think I was super like ‘oh man, this is going to be something huge’ but it did blow me away with what Maine wrestling was. 

I had made a promise to myself that I would never wrestle in Maine again. Crowds were down, shows were not very good. I had fun doing it, but I never wanted to do it again. Then this show in Brewer, Maine popped up behind a pizza restaurant, and I was very impressed. When I was asked to do the second show I was like alright, I’ll give it another chance. It clearly turned out to be more than just a solid independent wrestling show.

MIKE ABELSON: You were in the first ever title match in the company. You’ve headlined numerous events. In an era where so many wrestlers have one character they bring with them around the independents, it felt like every three months you were trying out something new. How much does that help improve you as a wrestler?

ANTHONY GREENE: I honestly did that more to find what was going to work for me. Being unexplained wrestler in tights wasn’t cutting it at the time. At Paragon Pro Wrestling in Vegas, they wanted me to be like a viral video star. At Beyond Wrestling, I was doing the frat boy stuff with Brick Mastone, which I had a lot of fun with. I’ve always felt that if you put me in a certain position, I can do it to the best of my abilities and make it work regardless if I have to change a few things. Then it was 2017 when I said screw it, I don’t have to be anything but myself. And I was generic Anthony Greene again. I was getting bookings, getting opportunities, but nothing really clicked. I don’t think there was anything for a fan to attach to with me. 

I came through the curtain and it was Anthony Greene. Now I come through the curtain and it’s oh man, that’s something to look at.

Anthony Greene (May 2017 - Photo: Harry Aaron)

MIKE ABELSON: What’s something about the 80s and 90s that you’ve connected with and lean into?

ANTHONY GREENE: I’ve just always loved the 80s and 90s pop culture. I love Full House. My favorite movie is The Goonies. I was wearing the Zubaz pants even before I was Retro AG. I would already be wearing fanny packs, so it all meshed.

Toward the end of All Good Anthony Greene, I’d wear a fanny pack to the ring and an 80s/90s windbreaker, and that’s how the Retro AG stuff started. I’d get them off eBay, and it connects with the audience because that’s what they like. “Oh, the Uncle Jessie of pro wrestling. That’s funny. It’s tongue in cheek. Oh, he wears tearaway pants. That’s cool.” 

I almost feel like I’m a throwback and a memory for parents that are making sure their kids are having a good time. They get the jokes, and the kids think I look cool because I have the vibrant colors and flashy attire. Plus, the fans like you who watched Full House you think it’s funny. I think I do a little something for everyone.

Retrosexual AG (January 2019 - Photo: Harry Aaron)

MIKE ABELSON: How does having the experience of wrestling in front of TV crowds at Paragon Pro Wrestling and Evolve Wrestling on the WWE Network prepare you for a match like this against someone like MJF?

ANTHONY GREENE: I think I am more ready than ever because the most nervous I have ever been before a wrestling match was that Evolve special at the ECW Arena. In front of however many people there live and up to 2 million on the WWE Network. The next night, we worked Evolve in Massachusetts and it was a breeze by comparison. I still get those jitters and nerves, but nothing like it used to be before a big match. Anything now is manageable.

A thousand people in the Expo would be sick. We are looking at what is going to be the biggest crowd in Limitless Wrestling history on September 6th so the question is, is MJF ready for it?

MIKE ABELSON: He says he’s the salt of the earth. While that may be debatable, what isn’t debatable is that he’s great in the ring. In the last three years, he’s gone from someone working regional independent events to being consistently featured on national television. He knows how to be successful and he knows how to win, legally or not. How do you prepare for that?

ANTHONY GREENE: Him and I have never wrestled a singles match together. I’ve definitely gone out of my comfort zone when it comes to preparing for this match. Training harder, training with different people. I’ve been doing less weight lifting in the gym and more cardio to prepare myself. And I think the matches I’ve been having lately at Beyond, CZW, Limitless have helped me and guided me leading into this match.

First Ever Limitless Championship Match (March 2019 - Photo: Sanico Denaut)

MIKE ABELSON: What are some of the things you’ve been doing differently in training?

ANTHONY GREENE: At the New England Pro Wrestling Academy, I go up and train at least once a week with Brian Fury. Not to mention that he’s been having me help out with the classes that’s getting me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to think differently. [August 18] I’m running my first ever show, but more important than that I have Simon Grimm coming in to do a seminar the day before and I’ve set up a session with him to spar and work things out.

I know MJF is best friends with Cody Rhodes, but is he sparring with Cody Rhodes? Is he working out with Cody Rhodes? Or is he just tweeting or texting him back and forth? Because I’m doing everything I can in the ring to be my best.

MIKE ABELSON: How can training and promoting help you as an active competitor in the ring?

ANTHONY GREENE: I think it has to do with not getting complacent or comfortable where I am in the business. I think I’m in a really good position in pro wrestling. I’ve probably had a summer of a lifetime in my career. Just this year alone has been insane for me, but I don’t think anything’s ever enough.

I got signed to Evolve. What’s the next step? I wanted to go to another country. Let’s go to Mexico for a week and wrestle there. Alright, I did that. What’s next? I want to make sure I wrestle in five new states I’ve never wrestled in before; what do I do to hit those goals? I’ve wrestled in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, and Michigan this year so I’ve already hit those goals. Every goal I’ve set myself up for this year I’ve smashed out of the park. Wearing all these hats plays a really important part in me finding what I want to do in wrestling. I’m at a point in my career where I can’t fail. That’s not saying I’m not going to fail, but I have to do everything in my power to make sure that I don’t. I can’t allow myself to at this point.

MIKE ABELSON: You win the match on September 6th and you basically, in a way, become an ambassador for pro wrestling in Maine. If you’re able to get your hand raised, what would you want to accomplish as Limitless World Champion?

ANTHONY GREENE: When MJF won the belt, he made a point to say he’s going to take it everywhere and that he was going to make it a world championship. He’s gone out of his way to say he’s already done wonders for the title even though he’s only had one defense in Limitless. Sure, he’s brought the championship around the world. But I believe he’s completely forgot about bringing it back to the fans who have supported this company from day one.

For me, winning the championship would mean doing everything he said that he would do, but do it the right way and follow through with my promise. Wear that belt with pride. Take it CZW. Take it to Alpha-1. Take it to C4. Wear that belt like it should have been worn.

Even more so than that, I talk to Randy often. I would say he’s one of my best friends in the business. He thinks that it’s inevitable that I’m going to get picked up by someone at some point as a full-time competitor. So the idea is when, not if, I win the belt that I have the run of the century. Whoever wants the opportunity I think we give it to them whether it’s at a Limitless show, a Let’s Wrestle show, Beyond Wrestling, Zero1 Northeast, just give everyone the opportunity. I don’t think I’ve done myself justice on the independents yet. There’s the Fred Yehi’s of the world, the Timothy Thatcher’s of the world, Walter. There are so many guys that I’d love to wrestle before I get “picked up”. And I’d love to do it all as the Limitless Wrestling Champion.

Anthony Greene, 2019 Vacationland Cup Winner (July 2019 - Photo: Sanico Denaut)

MIKE ABELSON: What makes MJF such a good wrestler? On the flip side, what makes him beatable?

ANTHONY GREENE: Natural ability. There’s no doubting that he’s worked hard. People can say that he’s been fed with a silver spoon, been given everything he’s got. It might be true that he’s been given a lot of opportunities. But if he sucked and failed, he wouldn’t have gotten a contract, he wouldn’t have been in CZW, clearly he’s delivered in every aspect of his character and career.

What makes him beatable? I think that’s the possibility of a packed Expo that wants to see MJF lose the title. They say home field advantage: I think that’s going to me. I don’t think he’s taking me as seriously as I’m taking this. I don’t know if he even trains anymore. I know he’s always busy smoking cigars with Cody Rhodes and hanging with Pharaoh.

I think he has a lot more to worry about than me in his mind. I think he’s worrying about AEW, the MLW tag team titles. I think that’s going to be the biggest mistake of his career. He has everything to lose. I have nothing to lose.

MIKE ABELSON: I guess I’ll wrap it up here with one final question. What’s your game plan September 6th when you step into the main event with MJF?

ANTHONY GREENE: Man, what is my game plan? Sweep the leg.

No, I’m kidding. I don’t know if I have a game plan per se. I don’t think you’re going to see a wrestling match between him and I. I think you’re going to see a fight, and I think the crowd is going to be real surprised in the match that we’re going to give them on the sixth. At the end of the day, I’m going to walk out as the Limitless Wrestling World Champion.