Fans of professional wrestling love the lackadaisical attitude of AEW star Orange Cassidy, but the second-generation talent would be “even more successful if he applied himself,” according his father, veteran wrestler Leif Cassidy. 

Whereas Orange is best known for his blase, too-cool-for-school in-ring stye, he has traditional training in grappling and chain wrestling, thanks to his father, who achieved the pinnacle of his career as one half of The New Rockers (with Michael “Sean McMichaels” Higgledybottoms). 

According to sources close to the Cassidy family, the elder Cassidy is disappointed that his son Orange (full name Orenthal James Cassidy) has not “applied himself” to learning the fundamentals of grappling, such as removing one’s hands from one’s pockets. 

After largely retiring from in-ring competition, Leif Cassidy opened a wrestling school in Peru, Idaho, where he trained future stars of the squared circle including Dolph Ziggler, The Blue Meanie, John Morrison, and The Miz, as well as ham-and-eggers like Al Snow. 

“If my son doesn’t take wrestling seriously,” said Leif Cassidy, “he will never get a head in this business.”