Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with Ring of Honor star Dalton Castle as he prepares for his match at All Star Extravaganza 7 against Silas Young

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with rising Ring of Honor star, Dalton Castle. With ROH’s All Star Extravaganza 7 airing live on Pay-Per-View and iPPV, Castle puts his boys on the line in a match against his rival, Silas Young. Castle has been one of the hottest up-and-coming stars in Ring of Honor and even had the opportunity to face wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger this year.  You can listen to the interview on the YouTube link below or continue past it and read the entire interview here!

Ring Rust Radio: The biggest news is that you will be taking on Silas Young at Friday’s All-Star Extravaganza pay-per-view in San Antonio. The stipulation is that if Silas wins, he gets your boys, but if you win, Silas becomes one of your boys. What can the fans expect from this match and are you approaching the bout any differently with your boys on the line?

Dalton Castle: Well, it’s a tough one to approach. I have faced Silas twice now and I have beaten him twice. Obviously, I feel pretty confident. At the same time, I feel like teaching this silly boy a lesson so it’s something I can’t pass up. Sure, there is a risk putting my boys on the line, but it’s not that big of a risk when the reward is to take Silas and put him in his place, which is rightfully underneath my feet as a lounge amongst all of them. Silas is no slouch. I have beaten him twice but he is a heck of an athlete. Strong back there. Silas does a lot of lateral pulls so that back is strong and perfect for my heels.

Ring Rust Radio: One of the matches that really helped put you on the map in ROH was your clash with Jushin Thunder Liger at Global Wars. What was it like for you to step in the ring with a legendary, 30-year veteran of the business, and what did you learn from that match that’ll help you moving forward?

Dalton Castle: Do you remember the way you felt when you saw Jushin Thunder live? Do you remember when he hit that ring the way you felt as a fan? Do you remember that giddiness you felt inside? The butterflies in your belly, the excitement, the smile that you couldn’t wipe off your face? Now trying doing that but being inside the ring he gets in. It’s tough to focus on an opponent when you grew up watching him. What I have learned is to stop liking people. You lose some focus if you do.

Ring Rust Radio: You've wrestled against some of the top talent in the world this year including Jay Lethal and Adam Cole. How do you approach and prepare for matches of that magnitude knowing expectations are so high?

Dalton Castle: Well I guess I can’t treat a match different. Each match I treat kind of the same. I want to be the best, I want to win, I want it all. If I’m not putting as much focus in one match as I am in the other, then I am going to slip up and something bad is going to happen. With that being said, going up against Lethal and Cole, two people I truly do respect as performers and wrestlers, I do focus a little bit harder. I get a little bit nervous but the bottom line is I have been doing this for a while, I know what I am doing, I am fearless, and I am a hell of an athlete. So I always try to remind myself of how good I actually am and that calms me down a little bit.

Ring Rust Radio: You have one of the most unique and interesting characters in all of wrestling. What went into creating the Dalton Castle persona and what or who were some of your inspirations?

Dalton Castle: Well I have been building this for several years. You start wrestling, you learn the moves, and then you learn how to carry yourself through a match, and frustration builds when you don’t get the attention that you think you deserve. You try something new and you try something else new and I didn’t see myself getting the focus that I thought I needed or wanted or craved. I needed that attention so I kept thinking about how could I get more eyes on me, how can I stand out, and what are people not doing that I can do? You add a little bit here, you put on a suit, you add a boy or two, and things kind of fall into place. It didn’t happen overnight that’s for sure. As far as influences or who helped paved the way? It wasn’t anybody in wrestling, its rock and roll. I look to glam rock, I look to people who perform on stage regardless of how good their music is, but how they present themselves. People like: Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Liberace, the guys from Foxy Shazam and the Darkness, those are all people that stood out to me and I kind have taken from them and put it into my own act.