TATANKA DISCUSSES RETURNING TO WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT AND WHY HE OPTED TO DEPART THE COMPANY LAST YEAR, FUTURE PLANS & MORE
By Alex Hernandez on 2008-01-18 13:32:26
Chris "Tatanka" Chavis was interviewed by Between the Ropes online. Highlights included:
On How often he wrestles nowadays: "Well most people since they don't see you on TV think you don't wrestle anymore. The first time I left WWE I decided to go away and start a family take a few years off and my decision was to start a family not go to WCW. But when I started back on the independent scene I was doing big independents worldwide, I was booked as many as 21 independents a month. Right now, just finishing up with WWE again, I'm doing this event Saturday the 19th in Florida and then February the 2nd I will be in Germany to defend a championship I'm the champion over there and then just a few days later I go back to the UK. After that I'm back in the states throughout March and then I go back in April to Switzerland and come back and do more events in the States and then in May more events in the States. I'm busy the only reason people don't see you is because your not doing TV events but I'm thankful that I'm being able to be involved with big events such as this Saturday the 19th in Melbourne, Bash at the Ballpark big stars like Jimmy Snuka, Buff Bagwell, Warlord, Barbarian, Demolition, Roddy Piper, Honkytonk man, and of course the main event Sid Vicious vs. myself. There will be lots of fans and lots of great names from an era in wrestling that will never be forgotten"
On getting a upswing on the business following his last run in WWE: "Oh definitely, without a shadow of a doubt. The great thing about the fans, again I want to say to all the fans on BTR, Tatanka and the fans know this, I always loved the fans I'm always very thankful for all their great support in the 90's, late 90's, and in all over the world in between that time and then coming back to WWE for that guest appearance in August of 2005, you know the people exploded when my music hit cause they never forgot who Tatanka is. So the fans love that era of wrestling so I'm very very thankful for that, but what happened by going back to WWE is the fans have never forgotten me so what it did is yes, it put me right back on TV. It started a lot of different things such as action figures for myself, I'm still on very good terms with WWE. I just got approval from them towards the end of the year to create a Classic Superstar action figure, 2nd quarter there should be a multi-pack out there of me and towards the ending of this year a single pack of me. I'm still on very good terms with them, but yes it put me back on worldwide TV. There's a lot of fans that were not watching wrestling in the 90's when the ratings we're so high in 1999 and a lot of people that never watched wrestling that started watching then so I was able to get in front of them that didn't watch in the 90's they had not been the avid wrestling fan that had been watching for 15-20 years, so yes it did give me a lot of great benefits to go back to WWE."
On getting a call from WWE to bring him back: "Well I always knew the opportunity was there. They knew that I was out being very active doing shows all over the world. WWE has there people out there all the time, they know how your doing and they hear about you and they know that your doing this and doing that. The way they called me was out of the blue, but they had set the scenario for me to be a very good scenario they were going to be in the Mohegan Sun Casino which was Native American lands and it was a perfect opportunity because it was the Eugene Invitational with Kurt Angle's gold medal and Angle being involved and bringing a local hometown fan favorite to take on Eugene. It was a perfect scenario and they set it up perfect for me to come in to be on Native American land for it to really match the storyline. You know that's something I miss from my first run to this last run cause the company has changed a lot. What I mean by that is the storylines are nothing like they use to be and that revolving door. What I mean by that is the writers coming in that have never been involved in the wrestling business and don't know anything about it and there just not writing the proper storylines. That's one of the greatest things I miss from the 90's and before to the new WWE which is a much bigger company but Vince doesn't have his finger on the pulse when it comes to writing even when the final say goes through him. There's a lot of people that never had any wrestling experience that are responsible for those storylines and there not doing the best of jobs."
On his thoughts of his last run in WWE: " Well, again, first of all came back in 2005 it was fantastic. They brought me in for one appearance but again when the fans responded the way they did after my match they were instantly talking to me. We talked about what they would be looking forward to do with me cause they saw the fan response. We initially came to speaking about contract terms and then I signed with them in 2005. Then I started on the road and things were just fantastic, the fans we're right there it was like I had never left. Then we started where I actually went to the Lakota Tribe and we debuted that on TV we did some sacred rituals with the Lakotas and I was away from the wrestling arenas but we said Tatanka is going to return next week and the fan response was even stronger. The fans we're there for me 100% but the storyline we we're going to go with from that point unfortunately did not go where it should of went at that point. Its not only that with Tatanka, its been that way with many people that have been there just unhappy with the storylines. Storylines that start and they drop the ball or take a turn and not the right turn where it should go. Again a lot of people that don't have wrestling experience. Back in the day you had Pat Patterson which was responsible for the whole Rock character and Rock got so big. The difference with Pat Patterson and all the success in the 80's and 90's being Vince's right hand man is he was a wrestler. A very good wrestler and he knew wrestling and he knew how to give the fans something that they can get really emotionally tied to. So that's the thing when I made my return we started that off and it just did not finish. Then after that we're we did the thing with me on TV where injustices we're happening to me in the ring with the referees, the refs we're not seeing things and overlooking unfair wins over Tatanka. Then I went to portray the Native American Warrior, that I've had enough of this and I'm standing up for who I am and for my people. I'm not going to let this stuff happen anymore what's going on here in the company and what you guys are seeing in the ring as far as the referees. Great storyline, started off with a big name Bobby Lashley which I attacked him because I was being fed up easy at that point. It started off with a big name but then it went nowhere. So again, I'm very happy how strong the fans we're there for me but the storylines did not just start out and finish the way we wanted to finish. And again I'm on good terms with WWE no bad feelings, but you know we just came to mutual agreements that right now with what's going on here that the Tatanka character can't be used the way it should be used. But again I'm still on good terms with them cause since then that's when we had the approvals for the new action figure lines and something to be thankful for.
On his Indian heritage being used in storylines: " Well one thing I have to say throughout all the years of my career cause I've always wrestled at WWE one of the greatest things I have to say is that I'm very personal with many tribes. I'm very close living in Florida with the Seminole tribe I've met the chief personally, been to his house personally. I know many other tribal leaders that have been a part of tribal council for the Seminole tribe which is one of the strongest tribes throughout the nation. Spent time with the Lakotas, with my own tribe, and with many different tribes. One of the greatest things that I'm very proud of after all these years your never, I don't care who you are, your never going to make everyone happy and not everyone is going to love what you do. But one thing I have to say in the Native American tribe and all of them that are out there 99.9% of all them we're very thankful and very encouraged with what I was doing. They were very happy to have a native out there representing the Native Americans. It showed many of them that even though your out there on that reservation and you don't feel you have any chance for success here's another Native American that has done it and that you can go and accomplish, doesn't mean you have to be a pro wrestler, but whatever your dreams are. Just because you are where your at you don't have to look back at the past and look at the true injustices that happened with the Native American people which is true, but you can look forward to a bright future you can accomplish great things yourself. So many natives we're very thankful and I've received emails from all over the world that they were.
On stepping away from Wrestling in 1996: " Well I'm very thankful cause when I started in 1990 and closed at 97 there when I stopped wrestling at that point I had done very well in wrestling and I was very very thankful I made smart business decisions financially and personally in my life. So I was able at that point in my life to make a decision where I could say Hey I don't need to wrestle right now, I'm not interested in wrestling and I wanted to do something that was more important then wrestling and that was to focus on my family and spend time with my wife and focus on things that are more important then money and my career. So I spent time with my wife and we started a family, that child now is 11 years old and she's a blessing. I also have a 5 year old daughter also a son that is 3 years old so we started our own family which is such a blessing and I look back and I know I made the right decision. After 2 years I started back wrestling all over the world not on worldwide TV just some local TV. I did have an opportunity after I left WWE I spoke to Eric Bischoff himself but I did not go to WCW and turned down there offer because again what was more valuable to me at that time and what's more valuable to all of us is family at that time. You can always have a career and have money but you can't always have a family and start a family so that was my decision at that time and I'm glad I made that decision.
Between the Ropes is currently streaming on Betweentheropes.com They are looking for a new radio station home.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section,
which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts,
interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
