Tommy Dreamer wrestling on Long Island

Tommy Dreamer donned a suit last week to take some pictures for a friend, who will use the likeness of him all dolled up for a villain character in a comic book.

“My body and suits don’t get along well,” Dreamer jokes over the phone.

The suit, according to Dreamer, is one of the few things in his life today that doesn’t fit. Now 41, he spends his days doing, well, whatever pleases him. It could be shooting scenes for the sci-fi flick Sensory Perception, which comes out next year. It could be helping friends do construction work. And he figures he’s only had about two weekends since he left WWE that hasn’t involved him being inside the squared circle -- continuing the career he started at 18 that earned him the title “The Innovator of Violence.”

These days, Dreamer seems just plain innovative.

“It’s pretty funny, I consider myself semi-retired, but I work more than ever,” says Dreamer, who will compete at Carle Place High School during the Family Wrestling Entertainment promotion’s debut Long Island show Saturday at 7:30 p.m., in a four-way elimination FWE Title bout with Brian Kendrick, Carlito and Jay Lethal. “I didn’t want to find a second career, but sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself.”

The key, says Dreamer, is that he’s been able to create a life that allows him to spend more time with wife Trisa (aka ECW legend Beulah McGillicutty) and twin daughters Kimberly and Brianna, who shared some of their dad’s fame during his WWE finale match against Long Island's own Zack Ryder on the now-defunct ECW show in 2009. His walk up the ramp with the girls was memorable. But, Dreamer says, sharing memories with them all the time is even better.

“I used to want a life where I could go out and live like a rock star,” he says. “Then you get to the point where you’re in hotel room crying looking at their pictures in your wallet.”

But passion for the ring still burns in Dreamer, who considers one of his matches against Lethal to be among the top 20 in his career.

His opponents Saturday are significant -- all are considered top talents who never reached the pinnacle of the sport, with politics largely referred to as factoring into the reason.

Politics seem to be at the center of the reason Dreamer is going into promoting himself. His “House of Hardcore” promotion will debut at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on Oct. 6.

In the press release announcing the company’s formation, Dreamer ironically railed against the politics of the business while also praising figures like Vince McMahon -- who Dreamer considers his top influence other than his father -- and Dixie Carter.

“There’s politics in everything, I get it,” Dreamer says. “But wrestling is unlike baseball, football. In those sports, you can be outspoken against a team, but if you score a touchdown, you’re fine. They might trade you, but you’ll still get the most out of it. Look at Dwight Howard, the guy can back up what he says. In wrestling, that’s not the case.

“Wrestling is live theater, it’s a movie, there’s casting,” Dreamer continues. “‘I like this guy because he’s tall, or he’s muscular.’ I like people because they’re talented.”

Dreamer says the promotion is basically going to be a wrestling school run out of the building, and that there may only one show depending on how it goes. But he’s bringing some big names to the event, including Rhino, The Sandman and Chris Mordetsky (Chris Masters).

“I do have an idea, I have a great network of people, people who are working for me for free right now,” Dreamer says. “My goal with anything is to work really hard and have good people around me and everyone reaps the rewards of the hard work. I want everyone to earn it, that’s the greatest satisfaction.”

Despite the promotion's name, he wants people to focus less about the blood and guts of ECW’s past, and more on its spirit.

"This isn’t an ECW revival, this isn’t reliving past glory," Dreamer said. This is creating new memories. For right now, it is one show, and I am going to be proud to put my name on it.”

Follow Tommy Dreamer on Twitter @THETOMMYDREAMER

What: Family Wrestling Entertainment
Where: Carle Place High School, 168 Cherry Lane, Carle Place
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Ticket info: FWEWrestling.com
Note: A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Myelin Repair Foundation, a California-based nonprofit focused on accelerating the discovery and development of myelin repair therapeutics for multiple sclerosis.