Michael Cuellari is living his dream profession. It just so happens that dream involves punching people and occasionally being bashed with a steel chair.
Better known by his stage name, QT Marshall, Cuellari is a regular player on All Elite Wrestling, the upstart pro wrestling promotion launched by Tony Khan in 2019. This includes the weekly Wednesday flagship program, "Dynamite," airing on the WarnerMedia-owned TBS channel, a division of AT&T Inc (NYSE:T). Behind the scenes, he helps bring shows to life as the director of creative coordination.
Success has come fast. In 2020, one year after launching the show, AEW and WarnerMedia signed a $175 million deal, adding a second TV show, "Rampage," to Friday night. "Dynamite" ratings in early 2022 continue to hover around 1 million viewers each Wednesday night.
Cuellari is also co-owner and coach of an Atlanta area training center, The Nightmare Factory. Despite the unique office settings, the New Jersey-raised pro wrestler told Benzinga his work "is pretty standard stuff."
First Serving Appetizers, Later, QT Cutters: Cuellari has gone from serving tables at Planet Hollywood to having his boots retired at the restaurant, starring on TV and training future talents and crossover competitors for the ring.
For Cuellari, he thought he was doing what his family always told him to do.
"When you're younger, and your parents tell you to grow up and do what you want to do, I took them seriously," he said.
Cuellari, a lifelong fan, became involved through family friend Dawn Marie Psaltis, on-air talent for Extreme Championship Wrestling and later World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE). Her advice led him to The Monster Factory, a New Jersey training school.
In 2004, at 18 years old, he began training.
Like many pursuing wrestling success, Cuelleri eventually hit the road to gain education, experience and exposure. Stops included stays in Florida until 2015, a return trip back to New Jersey, and a move to the Atlanta area with his wife, Carolyn, in 2017.
He worked for various promotions during that time, notably Ring of Honor, then owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc (NASDAQ:SBGI), and sporadic appearances on WWE's NXT program over several years.
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2017 also saw Cuellari partner with former wrestler Ray Lloyd (Glacier) to open the Norcross, Georgia-based Nightmare Factory training center. Carolyn serves as nutritionist while friend and former AEW EVP Cody Rhodes coaches.
This past October's 12-week class cost $4,500.
2017 also saw Cuellari gain exposure as the focal point of "The Wrestler: A Q.T. Marshall Story," a documentary following his WWE aspirations. In 2019, he signed with AEW as a wrestler and associate producer, working closely with Khan and Rhodes.
Working Many Roles, Like Any Startup: "We put on some of the most exciting shows possible," Cuellari said.
He serves a vital role in making that possible, both on- and off-air for the developing company. Despite its early success, AEW remains in the startup phase, and he's playing his part in building it up.
Cuellari is like a creative jack of all trades. He helps train newcomers, including Shaquille O'Neal and former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo. The Factory, an on-air heel, or "bad guy," group led by Cuellari's QT Marshall character, includes Ogogo.
He also serves as a sort-of creative go-between for Khan and the show's various creative departments, including talent, producers, makeup, camera crew and others--ensuring all parties remain aligned.
The role can be ambiguous, but Cuellari enjoys the work as it allows him to demonstrate his worth in various facets of the production.
"The more we grow or figure out what's needed, we can hire and do all that, but right now it's working," he said. Company energy remains high despite hardships, including a months-long period of crowd-less show tapings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Credit is shared among the staff at AEW, but he gave particular praise to Khan.
A rabid fan of the sport, Khan is credited with not taking complete control of the creative reigns, but instead allowing the talent and AEW's producers to determine part of their storylines and ring action.
"AEW does a really good job of letting us have some creative freedom," he said, adding that the company empowers talent to make choices, with Khan having the final approval.
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Importance Of Fan Reaction: The company has built a reputation for listening to fans, including calls for increased minority and female representation on the main show. Cuellari's current storyline rival is an example of listening to fans.
Hook, the son of AEW commentator and former ECW star Taz, rose to stardom in a meme-like fashion. Fans took to the silent, potato chip-loving Hook, propelling him to a top draw before wrestling his first televised match in December 2021. Hook merchandise became the top seller on leading vendor Pro Wrestling Tees that month.
Cuellari hopes to see AEW's fan base grow so that shows can host 30,000 to 40,000 wrestling fans per taping. To do so, he said, "We have to continue to give them what they want."
Fan opinions help shape the company, but Cuellari remains focused on the views of those who matter to him: family, colleagues and the live audience.
"I go off the reaction of the live crowd--those are the people that genuinely matter to me," he said.
QT Marshall shaking hands with Cody Rhodes. Photo courtesy of AEW.
