Ken Resnick and Bill Apter on Kayfabe, AEW's Invasion Angle, and Working with Difficult Talent

On the latest edition of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, the two talked about the importance of Kayfabe in the 80s and previous decades, the AEW Invasion angle with Impact, and the challenges of working with Randy Savage.  Here are some highlights:

Ken Resnick on fielding questions in the 80s on whether or not wrestling was fixed:  “My fall back, or default, was… how do you think if someone picks you up and throws you down, that can be fixed? Did you not see them land? Then they would look at me and realize that is the only answer I’m going to give. I think I talked about this off air, when George Herbert Walker Bush was VP under Ronald Reagan, I got invited to the Christmas ball at the White House. The US Senator Rudy Boschwitz was instrumental in that. When he introduced me to then VP Bush, told them who I was and what I did. VP Bush was a wrestling fan. He used to watch in Houston.. he said, ‘You know one of the biggest reasons I (enjoy) watching wrestling (is that) to me, it’s an escape…as soon as they come into the ring you know immediately who the good guy is who the bad guy is. If only the world was that simple,’ and then (Bush) asked, ‘Let me ask you, how much of that is real?’ And…all was protected (in) the business… I’m thinking, you know, alright, I’m talking to the Vice President of the United States inside the white house. You know, I can’t lie!  So I said, ‘you know Mr. Vice President, the best way to explain it, I think wrestling is an awful lot like politics. All is not exactly what it appears to be.’ And he just roared and said, ‘you know, that might be the best answer to a question I’ve ever gotten.’

Ken Resnick on Verne Gagne’s edict on protecting the business:  “When I first started in the AWA, Vern many times would, especially at house Shows at the civic center, not so much on TV days, he would say, ‘remember you can’t tell even your closest friends, you can’t say a word!’…It was almost treated like a national security secret. It’s just something you didn’t ever do.
Ken Resnick on Bobby Heenan’s reaction to McMahon exposing pro wrestling:  “I remember when Vince kind of, you know, exposed the business; he didn’t want to have to pay the percent to the athletic commissions on pay per views. I remember Bobby Heenan  just said, ‘That’s it. The magic’s dead.’

Bill Apter on the AEW/Impact Invasion angle:  “I thought it was great, it’s very believable, and what I’m hoping down in the future – and this is nothing I know or anything – but I’m hoping that the AEW focus would be not just for Impact, but maybe for some Ring of Honor guys to come in and maybe this becomes a whole explosion of (promotions).  NWA (talent as well), they already brought in Thunder Rosa from NWA as well.  I think this Invasion angle (is great especially) for people who weren’t around in the old NWO invasion days.  It’s also great for Impact; people are seeing that Impact is a good non-schtick wrestling show…some schtick, but mainly wrestling matches.  It’s giving them a new audience.”

Bill Apter on tense moments with talent:  “Randy Savage and Scott Steiner were two of the people you had to be concerned about. You never knew which Randy or Scott you were going to get when you see them.  Randy was moody at times.” 

Bill Apter on presenting Savage with the PWI Comeback of the Year award following some miscommunication with Savage about the award:  “(He) holds the plaque up and he throws it against the wall as hard as he can.  (Savage said) ‘I don’t need your (explative) award; Comeback of the (explative year).’…it looked like Randy was going to hit me… every time I tried to explain (he interrupted)… and then he spits at me and takes off.”
Apter talked in much more detail about the incident, and Hulk Hogan’s involvement to heal the relationship between the two men.

Link to the show:  https://vocnation.com

VOC Nation provides daily, interactive talk radio, geared toward the professional wrestling community.

Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more!

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