AUBURN - Even for a 6-foot-6-inch, 255-pound professional wrestler, there is no place like home for the holidays.
Mark Jindrak is happy to be spending this Thanksgiving weekend with his 5-year-old son, Marcus, parents Roberta and Mark and siblings Mike and Stephanie.
“I was born in Auburn,” Jindrak said while relaxing at Parkers' Grille in Auburn Wednesday. “I grew up here, my family is here - my aunts and uncles and cousins. My friends are here, and we still keep in contact, and I look them up when I come back.”
Growing up, another sport really held his attention. Jindrak played CYO basketball before moving on to play on the Port Byron varsity squad and ultimately two seasons with Keuka College. And Jindrak is still never far from the game, playing in celebrity games and even incorporating basketball into his earliest wrestling persona.
In his seven years on the pro circuit, Jindrak has experienced all the highs and lows the sport and lifestyle have to offer.
Shortly after making his debut in the WCW with former tag team partner Sean O'Haire, he found himself co-holder of the tag team championship.
“Being one of the tag team champions was great,” Jindrak said. “I've had the chance to travel so much and see all these different places. I've seen every state and performed all over the world.”
From WCW the prospects only brightened for Jindrak, when he was picked up to be part of the WWE. There, he found himself facing off against legends of the ring like Ric Flair and the Big Show.
“I actually beat Ric Flair,” Jindrak said. “I've been lucky to have a lot of big matches and wrestle a lot of big names and no one will ever be able to take that away from me.”
But in July, Jindrak was released from the WWE. He has not been out of the wrestling scene, moving on to compete in Japan.
“In Japan they don't get to see as much wrestling as we do over here,” Jindrak said. “There isn't the crazy over-the-top violence that there is here. It is a different style. I think the fans in Japan really appreciate a good performance.”
Jindrak has also been taking this time to expand on the opportunities that wrestling has afforded him.
“Right now I get to spend more time with my son, which is great,” Jindrak said. “And I've been getting into other things - print ads, movies, television. Wrestling has really opened a lot of doors for me.”
At the top of Jindrak's list of projects right now is markandmattlive.com, an Internet documentary show based around Jindrak and a fellow wrestler Matt Morgan.
“It is something we created to show people what it is really like,” Jindrak said. “We've got hours and hours of footage. We want to show fans what it is really like backstage. I think people only see wrestling form one way, but there is so much more. There's the flights and hotels and missing your family and all these other things that go on (that) we want to show people.” Jindrak said he enjoys having so many projects and looks forward to seeing where it all goes.
“I'm 28; I'm still in my prime,” Jindrak said. “If I had to guess if I would ever be back in the WWE, I'd say ‘yes,' but from here whether I ever get back there or not, I plan on pursuing modeling and acting and doing what it takes to get me where I want to go. I haven't stopped for a second. I always want to keep going and always get to the next thing.”
Jindrak said he owes much of his success and his firm footing in reality to his family.
“My family has been supportive since day one,” Jindrak said. “I'm lucky my parents let me grow up. I didn't have any pressure from my family to be a certain way. I think too much pressure and you can turn the other way and second guess and hesitate.
“I want to do everything 100 percent or not at all and that is because of my family. When I wrestle in Elmira or Rochester or Syracuse, the whole family from around here is there. It is a nice thing for them to be there and be proud.”
“I was born in Auburn,” Jindrak said while relaxing at Parkers' Grille in Auburn Wednesday. “I grew up here, my family is here - my aunts and uncles and cousins. My friends are here, and we still keep in contact, and I look them up when I come back.”
Growing up, another sport really held his attention. Jindrak played CYO basketball before moving on to play on the Port Byron varsity squad and ultimately two seasons with Keuka College. And Jindrak is still never far from the game, playing in celebrity games and even incorporating basketball into his earliest wrestling persona.
In his seven years on the pro circuit, Jindrak has experienced all the highs and lows the sport and lifestyle have to offer.
Shortly after making his debut in the WCW with former tag team partner Sean O'Haire, he found himself co-holder of the tag team championship.
“Being one of the tag team champions was great,” Jindrak said. “I've had the chance to travel so much and see all these different places. I've seen every state and performed all over the world.”
From WCW the prospects only brightened for Jindrak, when he was picked up to be part of the WWE. There, he found himself facing off against legends of the ring like Ric Flair and the Big Show.
“I actually beat Ric Flair,” Jindrak said. “I've been lucky to have a lot of big matches and wrestle a lot of big names and no one will ever be able to take that away from me.”
But in July, Jindrak was released from the WWE. He has not been out of the wrestling scene, moving on to compete in Japan.
“In Japan they don't get to see as much wrestling as we do over here,” Jindrak said. “There isn't the crazy over-the-top violence that there is here. It is a different style. I think the fans in Japan really appreciate a good performance.”
Jindrak has also been taking this time to expand on the opportunities that wrestling has afforded him.
“Right now I get to spend more time with my son, which is great,” Jindrak said. “And I've been getting into other things - print ads, movies, television. Wrestling has really opened a lot of doors for me.”
At the top of Jindrak's list of projects right now is markandmattlive.com, an Internet documentary show based around Jindrak and a fellow wrestler Matt Morgan.
“It is something we created to show people what it is really like,” Jindrak said. “We've got hours and hours of footage. We want to show fans what it is really like backstage. I think people only see wrestling form one way, but there is so much more. There's the flights and hotels and missing your family and all these other things that go on (that) we want to show people.” Jindrak said he enjoys having so many projects and looks forward to seeing where it all goes.
“I'm 28; I'm still in my prime,” Jindrak said. “If I had to guess if I would ever be back in the WWE, I'd say ‘yes,' but from here whether I ever get back there or not, I plan on pursuing modeling and acting and doing what it takes to get me where I want to go. I haven't stopped for a second. I always want to keep going and always get to the next thing.”
Jindrak said he owes much of his success and his firm footing in reality to his family.
“My family has been supportive since day one,” Jindrak said. “I'm lucky my parents let me grow up. I didn't have any pressure from my family to be a certain way. I think too much pressure and you can turn the other way and second guess and hesitate.
“I want to do everything 100 percent or not at all and that is because of my family. When I wrestle in Elmira or Rochester or Syracuse, the whole family from around here is there. It is a nice thing for them to be there and be proud.”
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