Standing at six-foot-tall, Buffa is an immediate presence as he saunters onto the stage carrying a giant boombox over his shoulder. He flashes a grin and grooves to ’80s hip-hop as he makes his way through the crowd. This is the pro-wrestling persona of Marcello Rhines, better known as ‘Buffa & Da Boombox’ who we saw in a live pro-wrestling event last month in Shenzhen. We catch up with the New York native and get a glimpse into his schedule, how the sport is received in China and how it’s sometimes – not all fun and games.
Where are you from? How did you get into pro-wrestling?