Local Navy veteran turned pro wrestler excels in Seattle indie scene

The cheers for the heroes and the jeers directed at the “villains” are among some of the deafening sounds heard often at independent wrestling shows, especially ones in Seattle.

They are also very different from the sounds of the open ocean while serving in the U-S Navy. The two ends of the sound spectrum represent the transition of Josh Schaff of Anacortes.

In two years, he’s gone from former Naval Petty Officer Second Class to professional wrestler. A wrestler making a big name for himself in the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s mind-boggling sometimes to think about,” Schaff said. “And sometimes I get caught up in it and I forget how successful I’ve been.”

In 2011, Schaff was 17 when he enlisted out of Tennessee. After training, he was stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

From there, he was deployed to Spain, Greece, Qatar and more. Throughout the deployments, he was watching wrestling with his fellow sailors.

At first, it was the sports-entertainment giant that is World Wrestling Entertainment. That included Monday Night Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-views like WrestleMania.

But then he began learning about companies aside from WWE. That includes New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and several independent promotions.

Near the end of enlistment, Schaff decided he could become a wrestler himself. For two years, he told everyone he could about his dream.

“Every single person I walked past, I was like ‘I’m going to get out of the Navy and be the world’s heavyweight champion,’” Schaff said. “And everyone laughed at me.”

In 2016, he moved back to Tennessee and found a wrestling school two hours away in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I gave them the money and I walked in and I started training,” Schaff said. “I drove two hours one way, about four hours every day.”

His first match came within months and he won a number of independent championships in his first year. But he had a decision to make – his girlfriend was still serving in the Navy in Washington state.

“Do I pick this wrestling career that’s starting to take off? Or do I take this girl?”

Luckily for Schaff, he got to have both. When he came back to Washington, the Pacific Northwest wrestling scene had exploded.

He began wrestling for promotions in Vancouver, B.C., and in Portland. Eventually, he was discovered by Defy Wrestling based in Seattle.

Schaff made his debut in 2017 and has since been put in the ring with top international stars. The likes of Brody King and Jeff Cobb – both now in Ring of Honor Wrestling.

He’s also squared off with the man known simply as Walter, who just debuted for WWE’s NXT United Kingdom developmental brand.

It turns out you can transition from sailor to star wrestler. Defy Wrestling producer Matt Farmer says Schaff’s military experience helps Schaff in the ring athletically and being able to adapt to new situations.

“You come across people that you’ve never met before,” Farmer said. “You’re in front of crowds that you’ve never performed in front of before. I think being in the military will give you a lot of experience handling those strange situations.”

Schaff’s supporters say he’s made a positive impact on the local wrestling scene. He’s attracted fans from across the military community; even from Whidbey Island.

Looking ahead, Schaff wants to expand outside of the Northwest.

“I want to be the Brody King; I want to be the Jeff Cobb,” Schaff said. “I want to start getting out there and making that name for myself.”

Major wrestling promotions like WWE and the newly-formed All Elite Wrestling, new talent is always being scouted. And Schaff’s journey could turn global as quickly as a referee’s three count.

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