🥋 Sundays with Cain – Episode 33 - A ROLL & RUMBLE Fight Co. Exclusive

Interview by “D-Man,” CTF Inmate Correspondent

Sundays With Cain (To Honor Curly)

“When the mind soars in pursuit of things conceived in space, it peruses emptiness. But when the man dives deep within himself, he experiences the fullness of existence.”
— Meher Baba

The clock is running out. We are in the final weeks of Sundays with Cain. His story still has a few more beats left to unfold. As we reflect on the past, it is the present where we now dwell.

The day before our interview, I saw Cain returning from a sweat lodge ceremony. He was red, looking sunburned. His face was dirty, and the strong aroma of smoke clung to him. He looked exhausted, so I decided to wait until the next day to ask about his experience. That’s where we pick up our tale.

The next day.

You guys usually sweat once a month. Could this have been your last sweat here at CTF?

“I hope we can do one more. It’s supposed to be every two weeks, but the outside sponsor has only been able to come monthly as of late.”
(Cain will be released February 15th.)

Can you tell me what it has meant to you, having the sweat lodge be part of your prison experience?

“I see it as a blessing. It’s been essential for my growth. One of those things I didn’t know I needed, but that I did. It’s also been a great tool for me to let go of more things I’ve been holding inside.”

Before coming here, had you ever participated in a sweat lodge?

“Only one time.”

Your mother’s side is native Yaqui. I know that growing up, you mainly identified with your Mexican heritage. What did you know or understand about being Yaqui growing up?

“My mom would always mention that we were native — Yaqui, from the Sonoran Desert. I heard this all my life. But the aspects of what that means were lost. Their traditions, history, culture, and practices were unknown to us.”

I ask because I’m wondering how being here and sweating with brothers from other tribes has changed that.

“I’m learning a deeply spiritual practice from other cultures that are relatable to my own. Learning about a way of living that was taken away from most native people through colonialism.

Take the sweat — it transcends everything. It’s a place of worship. A place to learn and know yourself, giving a deep understanding of who you are. It’s also the church of native life, a place of worship and prayer.

In prison, we sweat in the Lakota traditional practice, even though the Yaqui don’t sweat traditionally. They drum, sing, and dance like other tribes.”

Wait — so the Yaqui don’t sweat?

“No. They come from the desert, where every day is a natural sweat.”

When did you begin to embrace that part of yourself and learn some of your history?

“I began searching for this part of my history three or four years ago. There’s a story that the Yaqui people were once starving. They began to pray, and from their prayers, a deer was placed in front of them. That deer allowed them to survive. Now the deer is sacred to us.

There is a deer dance done to honor that relationship. In Mexico, the state of Sonora’s license plates have a Yaqui dancer with two rattles. His eyes are covered, and he wears deer antlers on his head.”

That’s pretty awesome. I’m glad you’ve been able to find more of that part of yourself, and I’m sure there’s much more to it.

Can you describe your experience in the sweat lodge from yesterday?

“I think they knew it might be my last one, so they made it a good one. It was so hot, I felt like this must be Hell. I was pretty close to losing my shit and freaking the fuck out.

In that moment, your mind is its own worst enemy. It’s telling you how easy it would be to just crawl outside. But you’re 100% committed with your brothers to sit in the fire.

You hear each other groaning and breathing loudly. You know everyone is going through it together, so you stay.

I felt like I was in Hell, but I found a way to survive. I was putting mud on my face and leaning down to breathe air off the ground. Ultimately, I had to change my emotions in that moment. You accept the heat and take what it’s showing you.

When it’s done and I come out, I have a sense of accomplishment and achievement for finishing.”

Will you continue to practice sweat lodge when you get out of prison?

“Yes. It’s something I see myself doing more of.”

Let’s shift gears and return to your story. Last week we left off with you at the Crown Jewel, wrestling Brock in Saudi Arabia. Did you do any more WWE after that?

“There was one more event in Mexico City, but I don’t think it was televised.”

You also did another Lucha event in Monterrey, Mexico. You wrestled L.A. Park, but not as El Toro — you were the Sun Devil. Why the change?

“Before that event, Curly Culp and I were voted Arizona’s greatest athletes. Curly is from Yuma. He was a ‘Criminal’ — Yuma High School’s mascot. He wrestled at ASU as a heavyweight and was a national champion. Curly was also a Pro Bowl football player for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He passed away shortly before this Lucha match. I had AAA’s costume guy, Oscar, make me a Sun Devil mask to honor Curly.

They tried to explain that El Toro was my brand, but I wasn’t hearing any of that. I wanted to do this for Curly. Not much comes out of Yuma, but me and Curly found our way.”

That’s a great story. I’m sure his family, friends, and fans appreciated that.

Let’s talk about your match with L.A. Park.

“When we arrived, I saw we were wrestling in the Monterrey baseball team’s stadium. They were playing a game the day before our match.”

(Cain smiles big.)

“Guess who Monterrey was playing?”

I tell him I have no idea.

“The Yaquis of Sonora.”

It sounds like the universe was speaking to you.

So the next night, you wrestled L.A. Park as the Sun Devil. How fun was that?

“My kids were there. When L.A. Park took me into the crowd, that was all him. He’s a real pro and knows how to work the crowd.

I had a blast involving the fans — it was really fun for me. Cain Jr. didn’t fully understand it and was a little scared for his dad. After the match, he asked me, ‘Dad, you got hit with a chair?’

I told him yes, and that it hurt, but not too bad. It’s what I had to do to beat that nasty old L.A. Park. He understood.”

What’s it like hanging out with those Lucha veterans before and after the match?

“It’s like creating a part of family. It’s also about creating something special for the fans.

L.A. Park took me out to eat. We were trying to hash out our differences before the match. He got me cabrito — roasted baby goat — tacos.”

How were they?

“Amazing. When we wrestled and his guys were holding me, he gave me a huge chest slap.”

(Cain laughs.)

“I gave him a chef’s kiss after that. That’s how good the tacos were.”

At one point, he tries to take off your mask — but you have Cain Velasquez written on your pants, so everyone knows who you are. Why does he want your mask?

“Normally, 99% of Lucha wrestlers’ identities are unknown. Taking someone’s mask is extremely disrespectful. L.A. Park is one of the ultimate bad guys in all of Lucha — so that’s just what bad guys do.”

This is something I can tell you truly loved doing. Around this time, COVID-19 began to spread. Let’s talk about that period. What did you do during the pandemic?

“We spent a lot of time together as a family. I remember going to the grocery store during the toilet paper shortage.”

(Cain laughs.)

“I bought a ten-pound bag of Oaxacan string cheese.”

I’m laughing too — why are you laughing so hard?

“Because that’s what I thought was going to be essential. Michelle and I  laughed about my essential shopping.”

What else did you do during lockdown?

“I built a home gym — wrestling mats, weights, a heavy bag, speed bag, and a Peloton. Pretty much everything I needed to stay in shape.”

I know losing your mother and brother only three months apart affected you deeply. Is this also around the time you started using plant medicine?

“The first time was the one-year anniversary of my brother’s death. There was a ceremony with friends and a shaman who guided us responsibly. The first day we took ayahuasca, and the next day was Desert Toad — Sapito.”

We’ll talk much more about plant and toad medicine later.

For now, let’s establish a timeline. You were arrested in February 2022. From your brother’s anniversary to your arrest, how many times did you use plant medicine?

“Six or seven times.”

How long were you in county jail before being bonded out?

“From February to November of 2022. The UFC bonded me out.”

That’s incredibly generous of them.

I know this is personal and difficult, but it’s important to your story to mention that you and Michelle separated during this time.

(Cain looks uncomfortable and sad.)

“We decided to split as a couple, yes. But we still love each other very much, and that love will always be there. We’re still in each other’s lives and talk every day.”

Thank you for being honest. We can move on unless you want to add more.

“We can move on.”

After being bonded out, you were placed on an ankle monitor?

“Yes. I was on house arrest. I couldn’t leave except for shopping, gas, or medical appointments — about three hours a week. I could travel for work anywhere in the U.S., but it had to be pre-approved.”

Where were you staying?

“At a friend’s property in Gilroy — 200 acres. I went into hermit mode. I had a mountain to be alone with myself.

I just spent nine months locked in a cell. I took that time to look within. Isolation was essential and beneficial for doing that inner work. When I got out, that same mindset continued.

“That’s when I began practicing ceremonial healing work and shamanism. I spent a lot of time in meditation and nature. I hiked barefoot in the rain, freezing cold, and scorching heat. This went on for two years.” A lot of the healing that you have been teaching the guys here appears to have come from your time spent on that mountain. There’s obviously a lot more to this story and we’ll take a deeper look next week.

This is where we’ll leave it for this week.

Thank you, Cain, for your openness. Next week, we’ll talk about those two years and what you learned.

And to you, the reader — thank you for continuing this journey with us. This is a human story, deeply relatable in many ways.