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This week’s 30 minute edition of JG’s Radio Free Insanity is on the air and available right now at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com (Flash and MP3 download). This week’s guest is the outspoken Ole Anderson.

 

James Guttman starts things off by talking about Ole Anderson.  Anderson's interview has already  sparked a lot of talk on the Insanity Forums.  Many readers were surprised over Ole's attitude, which some considered rude.  While he was rude at times, James was prepared for it.  He's known Anderson's reputation for years and expected him to be a bit abrasive.  JG adds that it's the first time he's ever had a guest ask how much money he makes.  Guttman was surprised by that, but it was just the tip of the iceberg.   If you're into controversy, then this is one uncut interview you don't want to miss.

 

Ole's full interview is up on ClubWWI.com and lasted for 56 minutes.  Guttman says that if you're shocked by some of Anderson's statements today on RFI, you definitely want to hear the entire shoot.  Ole discusses shooting in the ring for guaranteed money, helping Stan Hansen, how Ric Flair is an "a**hole," Dusty Rhodes, how joining the Horsemen was the worst decision he ever made, booking vs. wrestling, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, saving money, retiring at 42, telling off Vince McMahon,  Jim Herd, the problem with Ric Flair's matches, Ted Turner's big pockets, and much, much, oh-so-much more.

 

JG reminds fans that there will be real time coverage of Judgment Day tonight on WorldWrestlingInsanity.com with Mike Rickard Also aside from Ole Anderson there's over 70 interviews on ClubWWI.com with top names. Guests include: Kevin Nash, Jerry Lawler, Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes, Paul Bearer, Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Road Warrior Animal, The Iron Sheik, Rhino, Earl Hebner, The Steiner Brothers, Nidia, Christy Hemme, Chris Daniels, AJ Styles, Vince Russo and dozens of others. Plus audio shows from Lisa "Ivory" Moretti, D-Lo Brown, Kevin Kelly, Orlando Jordan, and Dr. Tom Prichard.

 

JG then talks about what RVD can mean to TNA, what TNA needs to do to maximize his potential if they do sign him, ECW One Night Stand and more.  With that, James cues up the Ole Anderson interview.

 

James Guttman begins by asking Ole how things are by him.  Anderson answers:

 

"I can't give you anything that's positive because I'd be happy if I was dead.  How's that?  I'm in bad health right now so, a little different than people watched me or whatever might be, but I'm not the same…Nothing to be sorry about, it's a fact.  Can't do anything about it."

 

Guttman says that Ole has had a full career though and asks Anderson what he hopes people remember most from his career.  He answers that all people can remember is that he and Gene Anderson "were good."  He calls them the best tag team and says that later on in his career, he was able to book.  He booked in Atlanta and Charlotte, which he thinks James may not remember because of his age.

 

JG wonders about the transition between being a performer and a booker.  Ole says that there's not many good bookers.  It's difficult because you can't understand what Ole Anderson did.  Many wrestlers today can't understand it either.  Everyone does things different.  Eddie Graham, Verne Gagne, and Bill Watts spring to mind.  But there were others who tried to book, but didn't know what they were doing.

 

"The only way to gage what you're doing is by the success you have.  The only success you have is measured by the number of people that come to the matches you book.  The stuff that's going on today, my goodness, they couldn't draw 15 cents."

 

Anderson says that while Vince McMahon is making money, guys in his day didn't get paid for TV.  They paid to be on TV.  Now, Vince and WWE get paid to be on TV.  Why?

 

"He's the only shoe store in town.  Hopefully he can sell a few shoes."

 

James then brings up the Four Horsemen DVD that just came out.  Ole was the only original not to be included on it.  Guttman asks if this was Ole's choice or if they didn't ask.  He says they asked several times and he told them no. 

 

"The reason I told them no was because I didn't want Vince (McMahon Jr.) to go against his word.  Vince told me when he got mad at me in 1984 that I would never work in this business again."

 

Ole says he was offered $1500 to appear on the Horsemen DVD.  His only question was whether or not Vince would be signing the checks.  When he was told that he was, Anderson turned it down.  He says he didn't want to make Vince McMahon into a liar after he told him he would never make money in the wrestling industry again.

 

Anderson then switches topics to the Four Horsemen.  He credits Dusty Rhodes for coming up with it and says it was pitched at a point when he was almost retired.  Ole didn't want anything to do with it.  He was happy with watching his sons wrestle and was content at that time.  After Dusty and the office pitched marketing ideas to him, Anderson started to think about it.  At that point Ole started to think about long-term money.  Most guys were getting $90,00-$100,000.  They convinced Anderson that he could sell "jock straps, boots, and socks, and that stuff."  He thought he would be getting $90, 000 a quarter. 

 

"The first check, I was sitting there with Arn, the first check that I got, we were sitting in the TV station - Turner's TV station - on channel 17.  I got my first check and Arn got his first check.  Guess how much that check was…It was right around 40 bucks.  I quit.  That's when they brought in Barry Windham, I think.  I forgot who they brought in to take my place, don't make any damn difference.  It was just B.S. We were picking up a little bit of money in the Four Horsemen, but to me that was the worst damn thing I ever did because that was really show business and it was still dependent on us to draw money, but we were hampered in so many ways because I couldn't' do what I wanted to do because I wasn't the boss…But unfortunately, people like yourself, and a lot of people, when they think about the Andersons, Ole Anderson and Gene Anderson, the only thing they can come up with is the Four Horsemen and that's unfortunate because that to me was just a piece of crap.  It was garbage."

 

Ole says to go back and look at he and Gene in the 70s.  Most guys back there thought it was a shoot.  Guttman agrees that his smash mouth style was different than the Horsemen style.  Anderson replies, "Yeah.  It was bullsh*t."

 

-ClubWWI.com Break-

 

In progress, Ole is saying that he had no idea that Turner would be giving away so much money.  Early on, Anderson booked a young Hulk Hogan.  When he showed up Ole gave him the name Sterling Golden.  It was Gary Hart that called him initially about Hogan.  Hart said he was green, but impressive.  When he got there, Ole wasn't impressed.  He says that Hulk was there two weeks.

 

"I got rid of him.  He wasn't worth a sh*t!  And today, he's still not worth a sh*t unless you call cupping your ear good wrestling."

 

Anderson says that Vince McMahon saw Hulk Hogan and it proved Ole wrong because Hulk became a superstar for Vince.  People didn't care about the wrestling though.  They just cared about personality.  All you had to do was say, "Hulk Hogan," and people arrived.  Anderson says that he's surprised that "the people were that stupid."  He also doubts that people would care that much about seeing Hogan today.  James says it was more about seeing a celebrity than seeing wrestling.  Anderson agrees but says, "You can't have Hulk Hogan everywhere."

 

JG gives Ole a final chance to speak to his fans:

 

"What do I say to them?  Nothing.  I just hope you enjoyed it and if you did, that's enough."

 

Ole Anderson's full interview is up on ClubWWI.com and lasted for 56 minutes.  Ole discusses shooting in the ring for guaranteed money, helping Stan Hansen, how Ric Flair is an "a**hole," Dusty Rhodes, how joining the Horsemen was the worst decision he ever made, booking vs. wrestling, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, saving money, retiring at 42, telling off Vince McMahon,  Jim Herd, the problem with Ric Flair's matches, Ted Turner's big pockets, and much, much, oh-so-much more.

 

Also on ClubWWI.com, you can hear over 60 exclusive interviews with wrestling’s top names including Kevin Nash, Jerry Lawler, DDP, Paul Bearer, Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Road Warrior Animal, The Iron Sheik, Rhino, Earl Hebner, The Steiner Brothers, Nidia, Christy Hemme, Chris Daniels, AJ Styles, Vince Russo and dozens of others. Plus audio shows from Lisa "Ivory" Moretti, D-Lo Brown, Kevin Kelly, Orlando Jordan, and Dr. Tom Prichard.  JG’s Radio Free Insanity is always free and always on the air each weekend at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com, with extended interviews and show archives available on ClubWWI.com. James Guttman’s book, World Wrestling Insanity, is available at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold.