Host:
Welcome back to Coffee on the Couch, where we dig deep into the stories, the legends, and the grit behind the faces you think you know. But today—today is different. I’ve got a guest who doesn’t just step into the ring; he owns it. He’s the man they call Big Country, a force of nature who’s never met a challenge he couldn’t take down.

Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up because Jason Maverick is in the building. And I promise you, this is going to be one wild ride.

Jason, welcome to the couch, my man. How you doing?

Jason Maverick:
Not too bad, not too bad. I’ve got my coffee here, so we’re good to go.

Host:
Got your coffee, I see.

Jason Maverick:
Oh yeah.

Host:
Wait a second, is that a race car on your mug?

Jason Maverick:
Yeah, I’ve been a massive Jimmie Johnson fan since about 2005 or 2006—whenever I was old enough to decide who my favorite driver was.

Host:
Oh, cool. That’s a solid pick!

Jason Maverick:
Yeah, I’ve been all in ever since.

Host:
Nice, man. That’s awesome. My mug? Oh, nothing fancy. It’s just one my kids got me for Father’s Day a year or two ago. I do have another one, though—it’s my favorite. It says, “Mandate: Minding Your Own Business.”

Jason Maverick:
[Laughs] That’s perfect.

Host:
So we got connected at a wrestling show.

Jason Maverick:

Yeah, that’s right.

I can’t pinpoint exactly which one it was because I’ve been doing a lot of events lately.

Host:

It was the Bell to Bell promotion in Calais.

Jason Maverick:

Oh, okay! Yeah, I remember now. That was the first time we ran a show in Calais, wasn’t it?

Host:
Yep, that’s right.

Jason Maverick:
Was that a Wes Ruffin show?

Jason Maverick:

Yeah, it was. That would’ve been February when you guys were up here.

Jason Maverick:
February—yeah, that tracks.

Host:
You actually came back up to Calais a month or two later as well.

Jason Maverick:
Oh, wait! Were you the guy who came up to me and had me put my information into your phone?

Host:
[Laughs] Yep, that was me.

Host:
That’s how I got your number!

Jason Maverick:
For a while, I was curious how you got it. I thought maybe you pulled it from my professional page or something.

Host:
Nope, just had you put it in.

Jason Maverick:
[Laughs] That’s awesome. Old-school networking at its finest!

Host:
Jason Maverick, you’ve carved out a reputation as one of the toughest and most relentless forces in the ring. What drives you to push beyond your limits every time you step into battle? Is it something deep inside, or is it just how you were born?

Jason Maverick:
It’s kind of been something that’s deep inside of me. I’ve always had this aggression held deep within, and when Jason Maverick was born, that’s when I was able to bring out all that aggression and turn it into the Big Country ass-kicker you see in the ring today.

Host:
Nice, nice. So it’s kind of, you know, the persona of aggression, right?

Jason Maverick:
Yeah.

Host:
Nice. Yeah, because I noticed that it’s very high-energy when you’re in the ring. It’s a good thing. That makes sense.

Now, that covers a lot of the character. But this is kind of off the cuff—how was it when you were coming up with the persona? Obviously, aggression is a big part of it, but were there other facets to the character?

Jason Maverick:
When I first started, I’d been trained on the basics. I knew the moves, but I wasn’t really trained on psychology. When I started at the Limitless Wrestling Dojo, they began teaching me psychology and how to really build a character.

That’s when it all started coming together. A lot of Big Country’s attitude and aggression—you can actually see some similarities to Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone. Rip, played by Cole Hauser, has that raw energy and confidence. He’s got this saying: “If you want to fight anybody, you fight me.”

Host:
That’s awesome. So Rip Wheeler was kind of an inspiration behind the persona?

Jason Maverick:
Yeah, absolutely. His attitude and no-nonsense style really spoke to me, and I wanted to bring that energy into Big Country.

Host:
Man, that’s a killer foundation. Rip Wheeler meets Jason Maverick—that’s a dangerous combo!