Scott Lost is like a lumberjack who knits sweaters, like a rodeo cowboy who grooms poodles or like a construction worker who arranges flowers. Lost is a professional wrestler who draws masterpieces.
The hands that deliver vicious strikes in the wrestling ring are the same hands that produce master strokes on the drawing board. It’s an unlikely combination for sure, but they are two passions that run very deep for Lost.
“My entire life, I was training to be a comic book artist,” Lost said. “But I started wrestling and that became my passion. The past couple of years, though, I have been getting back into drawing.”
Born in Paradise Hills, Lost’s family migrated to the EastLake area looking for a safer environment for his nieces and nephews to grow up in. Lost honed his drawing skills while attending high school and college in the Chula Vista area.
His wrestling skills were developed at a training school in Los Angeles — the same school that produced World Wrestling Entertainment megastar John Cena.
Lost made his pro wrestling debut in 2000 and it didn’t take him long to become one of the better wrestlers on any card he performed on. As he gained experience and his wrestling skills flourished, wrestling promoters from around the world jumped at the opportunity to have him on their cards.
“I’ve worked all over the United States, Mexico, Germany, England and Japan — not a bad run,” Lost said. “The only place I wish I could have worked in was Canada.”
Canada is the home of one of Lost’s biggest wrestling idols: Bret “Hitman” Hart. Lost even uses Hart’s “sharpshooter” as one of his wrestling finishing holds.
Lost’s run in the wrestling world will come to a close when he takes part in the final match of his very successful 10-year wrestling career on Friday, July 30, in Reseda for the Pro Wrestling Guerilla promotion of which he is part owner. His final match will be with longtime friend Scorpio Sky.
“I have traveled the world with Sky, he is my brother from another mother,” Lost said with a smile.
While in Japan in 2004, Lost and Sky (a masked wrestler at the time) had the opportunity speak with Super Delfin, a world renowned Japanese professional wrestler. The conversation with Delfin set in motion a match-up that showed just how much respect Lost and Sky have for each other.
“Super Delfin told us about how he had taken a wrestler’s mask and how he had it in a glass case because it was so special to him and Sky said to me, ‘One day we are going to do that,’ and we did,” Lost said.
On July 9, 2005, Lost teamed with longtime partner Chris Bosh and wrestled Sky and his partner Quicksilver. Though Sky and his partner won the match, the “dastardly” heels (Lost and Bosh) removed Sky’s mask after the match.
Taking the mask of another wrestler may seem trivial to an outsider. But inside the wrestling business, it is the sign of ultimate respect to allow another wrestler to win a match and take the mask. Since Sky showed him that kind of respect, Lost said, “Who else would I have my last match with, but with him?”
The mutual admiration is very evident when you hear Sky speak about Lost. Sky had many kind words about his friend and frequent opponent.
“Scott Lost is the best wrestler I’ve ever been in the ring with,” Sky said. “He never has an off night and is always there to make you look good. Scott is a pleasure to work with and I have had the best matches of my career with him. I am honored to be his final opponent.”
When looking at Lost and how he performs in the ring, it’s clear he is still a young man. Earlier this month, legendary grappler Ric Flair stepped in the ring again, at the age of 61, and had arguably the best match on the card. So, why would Lost call it a career at ripe old age of 30?
“I promised my family that if I hadn’t done anything substantial, continuously, when I was 30, I would quit,” Lost said. “When I started, I decided to give it my all for 10 years and see what happens — if it pans out, good, and if it doesn’t, oh well. I’m still young enough to do another trade or move on with life.”
Lost added: “Another reason I am stopping is because it dawned on me early in my career, if you are not one of the hugely famous guys, it’s probably good to stop young. Guys like Ric Flair, yeah they made it so they can keep doing it at 60. Then there are guys like Honky Tonk Man.”
Honky Tonk Man was one of WWE’s top stars in the mid-1980s and into the 1990s while performing at several Wrestlemania’s, the industry’s biggest event of the year. Honky Tonk Man is now 57 and recently wrestled on a free show at the San Diego County Fair.
“In my second year of wrestling (2002), he was on a tiny, nothing show and I was like, what’s Honky Tonk Man doing here? He’s Honky Tonk Man!” Lost said. “He is wrestling this tiny show with me? That’s when it dawned on me, the longer you are in this business, the more stuck you get.”
Wrestlers are even more notorious than boxers or Bret Farve when it comes to retiring and un-retiring and retiring and un-retiring and retiring. As of right now, Lost feels he is hanging the tights up for good.
“Yup, this is the last stand for me,” he said. “I have friends who have retired and came back to have fun, but I’ve changed gears and I’m doing things that are fun without getting my butt kicked every week! This’ll be the last you see of Scott Lost the wrestler. Scott Lost, the comic book artist will be around, though.”
His first comic book is nearing completion; he said there are only a couple of pages left to complete.
“My writer and I also have the first four books of a five-issue mini-series finished,” Lost said. “Hopefully I can get it published, have it made into a graphic novel and then shop it around. That is my goal.”
Lost also shares his artwork every Sunday on his Twitter account (ScottLost), posting different pictures he has drawn for his #SketchySunday series.
But, before the comic book artist can fully take over, Lost has one last match and one more time to receive the adulation from his peers and the fans.
There was no shortage of wrestlers who wanted to share what Scott Lost has meant to them both personally and professionally.
“Scott is the funniest guy in Southern California and we are going to miss the laughter he brought,” Total Nonstop Action wrestling and PWG star Max Buck said. “I’m stealing his moves now that he is leaving.”
Max’s brother and tag team partner, Jeremy Buck, said, “He’s so innovative and creative and PWG won’t be the same without him. I have tons of respect for him and he’s a good friend of mine who taught me a lot.”
Another wrestler, Ariel Star, who some call, “the next Scott Lost,” was more than happy to share his thoughts on what Lost has done for him. Star has been an unofficial protÈgÈ of Lost and his influence is very recognizable when seeing Star wrestle.
“Scott is nothing short of a genuine guy in and outside of the ring,” Star said. “He’s taught me a lot throughout the course of my (wrestling) career and I will forever be in his debt of all the advice he’s given me in life.”
Lost shared his final thoughts on what he thinks it will be like when he steps into the ring one last time.
“I have been thinking about it, I think it will be great,” Lost said. “The last PWG show in June, the fans were insane. I had such a loud reception. I imagine this one will be just as packed and the crowd will be just as loud. After the match, I am sure the emotions will kick in. Hopefully, I will keep it together.”
Wrestlemania
Scorpio Sky performed in the main event of the NWA Pro/Mach-1 wrestling show at the downtown San Diego YMCA on July 20, facing former WWE superstar Shelton Benjamin. Other former WWE stars Brian Kendrick and Paul London met Johnny Goodtime and Eastlake High alum Johnny Yuma.
