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69 MINUTES: TNA star Abyss discusses his match this Sunday against Kevin Nash, balancing hardcore and straight wrestling, doing too much hardcore in the past, how he feels physically today, adding to the dimensions of Abyss, advice he's gotten from Mick Foley, the origins of the Abyss character, his first reaction to wearing the mask, how the mask helped him become a better performer, whether he would be open to losing the mask down the line, barbed wire matches against Sabu and Judas Mesias, his chemistry in the ring with AJ Styles, winning the NWA title from Sting, recent changes backstage in TNA, remaining loyal to the company in the face of multiple WWE offers, backstage vignettes, Jim Mitchell as Abyss' father, how much longer he envisions being an in-ring performer, learning about the production aspects of TNA, maintaining kayfabe in 2009, talents he'd love to work with, TNA's first tour of Germany, working in Japan, being in the ring when something doesn't get over creatively, promos, Dutch Mantel, Matt Morgan, Lauren and more!
ONE HOUR, 23 MINUTES: ROH's Prince Nana discusses his legitimate royal heritage, training at Johnny Rodz's school, learning from the ECWA's Jim Kettner, the Northeastern independent scene, working WWE TV tapings, how to present yourself backstage when trying to get a WWE gig, the reaction he gets from those he works with in the music industry when they learn he works in pro wrestling, dropping weight, first thoughts on ROH, being the brunt of a Gabe Sapolsky fit, his different runs with the company, being booked to return just as Sapolsky was let go, fears of being left in the cold during that switch, The Embassy, ROH on television, his current role in the company, managing vs. wrestling, future goals, helping promote ROH in NYC, the Glory by Honor sellout on 9/26, why the company is doing better than people assume, returning to the ring in ROH, the HDNet series, changes in the company in the last year, getting his tooth knocked out in the ring, advice he's received from Mick Foley, the reaction to his gimmick from family members in Africa, TNA, his favorite memories and more!
53 MINUTES: Second
generation star Dakota Darsow discusses his memories of growing
up the son of Barry "Demolition Smash" Darsow, training under his father and
Lenny Lane, working the Minnesota independent scene, tagging with Demolition,
trying out for and being signed by WWE to a developmental deal, what a
developmental talent goes through in Florida, working FCW TV, being coached by
Dusty Rhodes and Norman Smiley, whether being a second generation talent makes
it easier or harder to train in FCW, how he improved during his time there,
whether criticism of the FCW facility being "too big" for its own good is a fair
assessment or not, the character he was about to debut when he was let go,
advice his father gave him about his release, what he was told to do by WWE when
he was released, future goals, his role in "Jobber: The Movie", Smash vs. Repo
Man, Demolition as WWE Hall of Famers, why he's looking to work internationally
right now, working at Brian Knob's new wrestling school and much, much more!
ROH'S TYLER BLACK DISCUSSES HIS RECENT NECK SURGERY, COMPARISONS TO CM PUNK, ROH
ON HDNET, CRITICISMS OF ROH, BRYAN DANIELSON, AAW, BRISCOES, IWA MID-SOUTH
CLOSING, ADAM PEARCE, GOALS, THE BRIEF LIFE OF WSX ON MTV, JIMMY JACOBS,
INJURIES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
60 Minutes: Ring of Honor
star Tyler Black discusses his run in ROH, his recent neck
surgery, when he hopes to be back in the ring, debuting against the Briscoes in
an incredibly bloody angle, his series this year with Bryan Danielson, Danielson
signing with WWE, his first high-profile ROH PPV match against Nigel McGuinness,
McGuinness' injuries and whether it makes Black temper his own in-ring style as
a performer working hurt, The American Wolves, Jimmy Jacobs, The Briscoes,
thoughts on the changes in ROH over the last year and addressing the criticism
made by fans over those changes, his reaction to plans for his scheduled ROH
title run changing when Gabe Sapolsky was fired, positives Adam Pearce has
brought to the ROH locker room, what he likes and feels could be improved on
ROH's TV product, where he feels he needs to improve as a performer, the demise
of IWA Mid-South, comparisons to WWE World champion CM Punk, training under
Danny Daniels, the AAW promotion in Illinois, whether he's been asked to work
for Dragon Gate USA, Wrestling Society X's brief run on MTV, interests outside
of the business, future goals, backyard wrestling, favorite places to wrestle
and much, much more.
LACEY VON ERICH DISCUSSES MISCONCEPTIONS OF HER FATHER, WRESTLICIOUS, THE VON
ERICHS GOING INTO THE WWE HALL, HOW HER WWE DEVELOPMENTAL GIG HELPED HER COME TO
TERMS WITH HER KERRY VON ERICH'S DEATH, PLAYBOY AND MUCH MORE
35 Minutes: Lacey
Von Erich discusses the Von Erich family being inducted into the WWE
Hall of Fame, her independent wrestling career, being compared to her father
Kerry Von Erich, memories of her father wrestling as a child, misconceptions
people have of her father, why she hated professional wrestling for years after
his death, being invited to become a WWE Diva by World Wrestling Entertainment,
why she has an issue with criticism that she didn't earn her way into the
business, how accepting the invitation helped her come to term with Kerry Von
Erich's suicide, getting the chance to train for the first time with Kevin Von
Erich, leaving WWE developmental, Wrestlicious, why Playboy may be in her
future, her family's reaction, favorite memories in the business so far, her
business outside of wrestling and much more!
JACKIE GAYDA-HAAS DISCUSSES HER TIME WITH WWE, TOUGH ENOUGH, GETTING BACK INTO
AMAZING SHAPE AFTER HER PREGNANCIES, THE BUSINESSES SHE & CHARLIE HAAS RUN IN
TEXAS, RICO, WRESTLEMANIA, PLAYBOY, WORKING TNA COMPARED TO WWE AND MUCH, MUCH
MORE
51 Minutes: Jackie
Gayda-Haas discusses her time on the second season of Tough Enough,
whether she regrets her actions on the show, why Linda Miles didn't succeed in
WWE, being brought up to the main roster too soon, whether there was ever any
concern over her relationship with Charlie Haas being made public via WWE
storylines, Rico Constantino, working Wrestlemania XX, the Diva Battle Royal at
Mania 25 and her thoughts afterwards, thoughts on WWE Divas doing Playboy,
whether she was ever offered, why it didn't happen, how she was able to get back
into such amazing shape after her pregnancies, how she and Haas dealt with both
being let go the same day by WWE after their honeymoon, working for TNA,
comparing the two companies, what was on the "tape" she was being blackmailed
with by Jeff Jarrett and crew, her TNA departure, whether she was happy with how
she left the company, the Custom Muscle and Smoothie shop she and Charlie Haas
own in Texas, future plans for the store and website, whether she ever intends
to get back into the business on a national scale, what she's up to today and
much, much more
BILL DEMOTT DISCUSSES HIS NEW WRESTLING SCHOOL IN GEORGIA, THE LOST ART OF
HOOKING, RUMORS OF BEING TOO ROUGH ON WWE TRAINEES, DEEP SOUTH, W*ING, FALL OF
WCW, PUBLIC ENEMY MEMORIES, HIS HEALTH, THE BOOK HE'S WRITING AND MUCH MORE
63 Minutes: Former WWE and
WCW star Bill DeMott discusses the opening of the New Energy Wrestling
school in Georgia, memories of training under Johnny Rodz, touring Japan for W*ING,
getting drunk with Mr. Pogo, being hired by WCW out of the Vader-Paul Orndorff
locker room fight, which persona he enjoyed and hated the most, the book he is
working on now, when he hopes to release it, the end of WCW and the talents that
were brought over to WWE, why so many of them failed to have the same success,
memories of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge, defending the wrestling business on
the Nancy Grace Show after the Benoit tragedy, the lost art of hooking in
professional wrestling, reports he was too rough with WWE developmental talents
he was training in the past, WWE closing Deep South Wrestling and the lawsuit
that has risen out of it, whether Jody Hamilton will be involved in his new
school, announcing WWE Velocity, Les Thatcher, Bill's health today, breaking out
internationally early in his career and much more!
CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI DISCUSSES RING OF HONOR, EUROPE VS. AMERICA IN TERMS OF
WRESTLING AND NUTRITION, HIS BRIEF WWE DEVELOPMENTAL DEAL, HIS RELEASE, ROH ON
HDNET, 'THE WRESTLER', BEING 'VERY EUROPEAN', DIETING, CHIKARA & MUCH MORE
48 MINUTES: Claudio
Castagnoli discusses Ring of Honor, his excitement over the ROH on HDNet
series, differences in working bouts for TV vs. live events, the possibility of
the series being sold into international distribution, how he deals with rumors
of ROH's health, what first attracted him to the business, breaking into the
business in Europe, differences in the independent scene in the United States
vs. Europe, getting his Visa to live and work in the United States, his brief
WWE developmental deal and being abruptly dropped after being hired, whether he
was ever given a legitimate reason as to why he was released, rumors at the time
he didn't have a legitimate visa at the time, his reaction to those reports,
Chris Hero, his PWG bout with Bryan Danielson that once saw them use a 12 minute
side headlock, the European wrestling style, Danielson signing with WWE, what
sets CHIKARA apart from other companies, the origins of his "Very European" tag,
nutrition and dieting, maintaining them while traveling on the road, differences
in the "eating culture" of America and Europe, making his patented almond
butter, his love for professional wrestling, his cameo in "The Wrestler",
watching Mickey Rourke hit a dive in person and much, much more!
TNA'S DON WEST DISCUSSES LEAVING THE IMPACT COMMENTARY TEAM, HIS NEW ROLE WITHIN
THE TNA MERCHANDISE ARM, HIS HEEL TURN, TAZ'S FIRST IMPACT BROADCAST, TNA
MERCHANDISE PLANS, WHETHER THE MEDIA IS FAIR TO TNA, BEING PARODIED ON SNL AND
MORE
42 Minutes: TNA's Don
West discussing leaving his post as TNA Impact announcer, his new role
and responsibilities in the TNA merchandising end, ways the TNA merchandise side
can improve, whether he was upset about leaving the announcing team, his heel
turn the last few months of his tenure, why he's going to be busier than ever,
his thoughts on Taz's first broadcast, a proposed angle that would have had Taz
replace him that didn't come to fruition, the inspiration for his TNA signed
baseball line, dream merchandise projects for TNA, what he gets the most
satisfaction out of in his new role, whether the media gives TNA a fair shake,
fans who are more interested in the behind the scenes maneuverings than TNA's
in-ring product, the ever-blurring line of what's fair game in the journalism
world, being parodied by Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live, his own sports
collection and more!
GABE SAPOLSKY DISCUSSES BRYAN DANIELSON SIGNING WITH WWE, FAVORITE MEMORIES OF
WORKING WITH DANIELSON, DANIELSON'S WORK ETHIC, HOW FAR DANIELSON WILL GO IN
WWE, DRAGON GATE USA AND MORE
38 Minutes: Gabe Sapolsky
discusses Bryan Danielson signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, predicts
where Danielson will end up in that company, favorite memories of working with
Danielson through the years, Danielson's work ethic, working through injuries
and how he's holding up as he begins the WWE stage of his career, how he would
have booked Danielson's ROH farewell, thoughts on how ROH is handling it, the
night Danielson planned to wrestle a three hour match (not a typo) with Austin
Aries, why fans should come out and see Danielson's farewell appearances on the
independent scene, Danielson vs. Naruki Doi in DGUSA, how Danielson's signing
affects the independent wrestling scene, WWE signing talents that seemed to be
outside of their interest a few years back, how Dragon Gate USA is doing thus
far into its existence, the Danielson match that was planned and scrapped from
the first DGUSA event, thoughts on John Zandig selling CZW and much more!
AUTHOR AND BELT CRAFTER DAVE MILLICAN DISCUSSES THE NEW BOOK 'TEN POUNDS OF
GOLD', HOW RIC FLAIR ENDED UP WITH THE NWA BELT, CLEARING UP URBAN LEGENDS OF
WHERE DIFFERENT BELTS ENDED UP, BUILDING BELTS FOR TNA, UFC AND MANY OTHER
COMPANIES & MORE
37 Minutes: Beltmaker Dave Millican discusses his new book Ten Pounds of Gold - A Close Look at the NWA World Heavyweight championship, getting access to and researching the NWA title, Kerry Von Erich etching his initials into the belt, urban legends of where different versions of the NWA/WCW World title belts ended up and what the truth is, working on the new TNA Knockouts Tag Team championship belts, how much time it takes to go from start to finish is crafting a belt, the amount of wear and tear the belts take from being used by wrestlers, writing the book with Dick Bourne and much more!
47 MINUTES: New Combat Zone Wrestling owner Dave "DJ Hyde" Markland
discusses his purchase of the company from former owner John Zandig, whether
that means Zandig is completely gone from the company, the future of Hyde's own
in-ring career, the stigma of CZW as a promotion, why do another Tournament of
Death after the Nick Gage incident, trying to find the right balance of
traditional wrestling and Ultraviolence, mistakes the company made in the past,
dealing with Athletic Commissions, trying to repair CZW's relationship with the
media and the Internet fans, whether old CZW regulars will be returning, a run
down of the current storylines and top performers in the company, memories of
the late Chris Cash and much more!
ROBERT AND PAM ALLYN DISCUSS THE SOLIE CHRONICLES, THEIR NEW BOOK ON THE LIFE OF
PAM'S FATHER GORDON SOLIE, GORDON'S ANNOUNCING STYLE, HIS FAVORITE PLACES TO
WORK, WHY HE NEVER WENT TO WWE, SOLIE'S WWE HALL INDUCTION AND LOTS MORE
51 MINUTES: Robert and Pam Allyn, the son-in-law and daughter of legendary
wrestling announcer Gordon Solie discuss their new book "The Solie
Chronicles", Gordon's life, his favorite places to announce, the amount of
research Solie put into his work, memories of Gordon personally, Pam growing up
the daughter of a television personality, Robert realizing how important Gordon
was once they went out in public, Gordon being fired and hired by Eric Bischoff
in the same conversation, memories of Gordon's WWE Hall of Fame induction in
2008, the huge slew of names they interviewed for the book, working with Scott
Teal and reworking the book from scratch once Teal came on board, the many years
of research and interviews for the project, the previous Solie book projects,
why Gordon never went to work for the WWF in the 1980s, whether he ever
regretted that move, Gordon's battle with cancer, Solie's legacy and much much
more.
60 MINUTES: General Skandar Akbar discusses breaking into the business, Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge, turning on Hodge in Oklahoma, favorite territories where he wrestled, going to Japan with a rookie Ric Flair, why Flair doing 60 minute bouts with the Von Erichs was a true feat, learning the importance of the promo, going back and forth between World Class and Mid-South during the hottest periods of those companies, dealing with legitimate heat from fans, craziest moments, the night a female fan flung her baby at him, favorite memories of The Von Erichs, whether anyone ever tried to warn Fritz Von Erich about the children's problems, the destruction of the Sportatorium, feuding with Eric Embry as World Class turned into the USWA, differences between the territories and the way wrestling is constructed today, why national TV is what destroyed the wrestling business, whether the territories would have survived even if the WWF hadn't gone national, what a good booker used to do compared to what creative teams do today, whether he ever got flack from the Arab community for his gimmick, WCCW's popularity internationally, whether World Class could have pulled off a national expansion in the 80s, Mick Foley and Gary Young, memories of Dick Murdoch, Global Wrestling, Jim Crockett's attempts to run Dallas, the World Class documentaries, what he's up to today and much more!
2 HOURS, 5 MINUTES: Former WWE Tag Team and Cruiserweight champion Paul London discusses the back injury that has kept him out of action, his pursuit of an acting career, parallels between wrestling and the acting world, being recognized as a wrestler on auditions, learning acting technique, why he didn't come into TNA to team with the Amazing Red, the frustrations of his WWE run, addresses some of the negative things said about him during his WWE run, dealing with Vince McMahon when the shooting star press was banned, Evan Bourne now using the move, "Yes Men" in the WWE, the mentality of most wrestlers towards management, Kevin Dunn, not being allowed to do "other people's maneuvers", the type of people WWE employs, the night he smiled at Vince McMahon before the limo exploded on Raw and the aftermath, his WWE release and the conversation he had with John Laurinaitis that night, the WWE Wellness Policy, being tested for marijuana, why the marijuana fines WWE instituted didn't stop him from smoking, marijuana abuse vs. alcohol abuse, a PSA he wanted to film for WWE that the company had no interest in doing, being the only Cruiserweight excluded at Wrestlemania XX, the WWE Cruiserweight championship, teaming with Brian Kendrick, teaming with Billy Kidman vs. teaming with Brian Kendrick, Kendrick's WWE release, being blamed for news of Ashley Massaro's Survivor gig leaking, when he plans to return to the ring, Ring of Honor, Gabe Sapolsky, his ROH run, the WWE dress code, Hybrid Dolphins, Bryan Danielson, his lone regret from his WWE run, the other McMahons and much more!
52 MINUTES: New England Championship Wrestling owner and promoter Shedon Goldberg discusses NECW's leap to television on Comcast Sportsnet this January, how the deal came together, what the goals for the series are, the emotion of the announcement to the NECW roster and then the fans in attendance, getting legal letters over wrestler's ring names, how NECW will change with the new TV series, why this is a big announcement and much more about NECW!
70 MINUTES: WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart discusses his favorite Memphis Wrestling memories, crossing Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler vs. Jerry Jarrett creatively, maintaining continuity when some Memphis towns were behind a week on TV, the original plan for the Hulk Hogan vs. Lawler Memphis Wrestling event, the creation of the Kamala gimmick, Memphis stars he felt could have been huge national names, Austin Idol, working with Lance Russell, the NWA Legends convention and its Memphis reunion, the status of the Wrestlicious women's promotion, what it takes to write great wrestling theme music, his favorite songs that he's written, his all-time favorite moments in the business, a recent trip to the Middle East, a lawsuit he may have to file shortly over music, a wrestling concert tour he is putting together with a ton of former WWF 80s names, the WWE Hall of Fame, Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, the type of reality series he would have liked it to have been, whether he ever really got any flack from WWE for appearing, whether there will be more XWF DVDs, whether he thinks we'll see Hulk Hogan wrestling again, how he'd like to see Hogan used, the originally planned WWF gimmick for Shane Douglas in the 1990s that never came to be, booking WCW Saturday Night in the midst of all the WCW turmoil, bad business deals made by WCW execs, his love for the wrestling business and much, much more.
54 MINUTES: Former TNA X-Division champion Matt Bentley discusses
working the first TNA Ultimate X Match, his different TNA incarnations, his
favorite and least favorite TNA runs, his quiet departure from the company,
training at the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, how involved Michaels truly
was in the training, the one person Michaels was afraid of from that time
period, memories of Bryan Danielson & Brian Kendrick from that era, how Shane
got involved in the business, why he hasn't used his relation to Michaels to
further his career, The Michael Shane name and where it came from, having to
change his ring name and why he chose his real name, where the Michael Shane
name came from to begin with, working for ECW during the end of that company,
his ROH feud with Paul London, London's WWE run, his reaction to co-holding the
X-Division title with Kazarian, working an Ultimate X match with a broken
tailbone, Shane Douglas, his rock band Lost in Chaos, future goals, why he's
never signed a WWE deal, and lots more!
ATLAS SECURITY PRESIDENT RONNIE LANG DISCUSSES WORKING WITH THE ORIGINAL ECW,
MISTAKES MADE BY SECURITY IN THE JERICHO FAN ATTACK IN CANADA, THE ECW VS. XPW
RIOT, HIS SHORT RUN PROMOTING INDY WRESTLING, WHY IT WAS A MISTAKE & MUCH MORE
56 MINUTES: Atlas Security's Ronnie Lang discusses running security for the original Extreme Championship Wrestling, first impressions of ECW coming in from the outside, working in the middle of riot situations, which venues were hardest to control, the infamous XPW vs. ECW brawl in Los Angeles, working with WWE and how that differed from ECW, criticisms WWE had of Atlas' work, Lang's short run promoting Pro Wrestling Xplosion in the Northeast, why he regrets promoting, compares TNA's live events to ECW's in regard to fan interaction, the craziest things he's had to deal with, what went wrong from a security perspective in Canada when Chris Jericho was attacked by fans in a parking lot and much more!
70 MINUTES: Legendary Memphis Wrestling announcer Lance Russell discusses his induction to the NWA Legends Hall of Heroes as part of the Charlotte, NC NWA Legends gathering next month, his one of a kind career as the voice of wrestling in Memphis, the atmosphere of the WMC-TV Studios, how much he knew about angles before they happened, the post-production work for the show's other markets, having Jerry Lawler on the show when he was a teenager, whether he ever expected Lawler would become such a star, Eddie Gilbert, famous Memphis tag teams, Lawler and Jerry Jarrett trading the booking responsibilities back and forth, differences in Memphis during those regimes, Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler, appearing in the "Man on the Moon" film, the Hollywood star Lawler legitimately hurt during the film shoot, Jim Carrey as Kaufman, leaving Memphis for WCW, Bob Caudle, Dave Brown, The Lawler vs. Terry Funk Empty Arena bout, the Tupelo Concession Stand brawl, the creation of the scaffold match, Gilbert running over Lawler with his car on live TV, Lance's favorite Memphis memories, what he's up to today, who he's looking forward to seeing in Charlotte and much more!
45 MINUTES:Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Jeffrey Leen discusses his new biography of Mildred Burke "The Queen of The Ring", what led to him writing the book, Burke's influence on not just female wrestling but all female sports, Burke's relationship with ex-husband and promoter Billy Wolfe, Burke's unpublished autobiography, her shoot match against June Byers, the death of Burke's adopted daughter Janet Boyer Wolfe in the ring, the research that went into the last five years for the book, pitching and getting a publisher for such a niche subject, using the book as a way to tell the story of wrestling, casting who would play Burke and Wolfe in a feature film version of the book, the most surprising things he learned while researching the project, future projects, the Lipstick and Dynamite documentary, Leen's goals for the book and much more!
59 MINUTES: Ring of Honor Tag Team champion Davey Richards discusses this weekend's ROH shows in Toronto, his stellar bout with KENTA at the ROH Supercard of Honor, his response to backstage criticism of the bout, comparing Gabe Sapolsky to Adam Pearce and different positives they have each brought to ROH, original plans for him before Sapolsky was let go, how the American Wolves team came to be, being inspired by Stampede Wrestling's physical style, reaction to NYC fans chanting "Benoit" at him in the past, the physicality of his in-ring styles, his workout regimen, protecting himself from long-term damage, whether there was any political fallout by taking bookings with Dragon Gate USA, Bryan Danielson, Steen & Generico, Low Ki, Samoa Joe, working in Europe, touring Pro Wrestling NOAH, ROH's TV series, Larry Sweeney, Shane Hagadorn, other teams he'd like to wrestle, why he doesn't see a long-term future for himself in wrestling, what he's planning to do after wrestling, his interests outside of the business, why he's upset about the decline of ECCW in Canada and much, much more!
68 MINUTES: Former NWA United States champion Magnum TA discusses the NWA Legends convention, working in the cellular tower industry today, how he's physically feeling in 2009, changes in the wrestling business today, why fans are so nostalgic for the wrestling they grew up on, who in WWE could still do the old style of wrestling and succeed, why WWE being so production driven is a good thing, being given his nickname by Andre the Giant, whether he ever thought his I Quit Match with Tully Blanchard would become so infamous, putting together matches with Nikita Koloff vs. Tully or Ric Flair, working many different territories, feuding with Mr. Wrestling II, Bill Watts vs. Jim Herd, the emotional return to wrestling at the Crockett Cup after the car wreck that ended his in-ring career, Turner Broadcasting's inept management of WCW, whether he enjoyed any of his backstage duties in WCW, memories of Southwest and Mid-South Wrestling, who wanted to get him into the WWF in 1985, debuting in the ring after one day of training, Buzz Sawyer, Ernie Ladd, Dusty Rhodes, Ole Anderson, Shane Douglas, who he is looking forward to seeing in Charlotte, whether he's ever thought about shaving his trademark mustache and much, much more!
52 MINUTES: Sir Oliver Humperdink discusses his vast managerial career in professional wrestling, returning to the NWA Legends convention, the passing of his good friend Gary Hart, wrestling Andre the Giant and Edouardo Carpentier in Montreal, Andre's heat with Bam Bam Bigelow in the WWF, the craziest fan incidents he was involved with, working Wrestlemania and Starrcade in the same year in 1988, whether managing crazier acts made his role at ringside harder or easier, Eddie Graham as a creative mind in the business, The House of Humperdink's long feud with Jimmy Valiant, putting together long programs in Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, comparing the Florida and Mid-Atlantic TV shows, working for the Funks, Central States, Leroy McGirk and many other territories, whether the business today matches the business he worked in, why his babyface stint in WWF didn't get over, disliking his time in WCW, Brad Armstrong, Michael Hayes, The original Hollywood Blondes, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, The One Man Gang, Kelly Kiniski, Paul Orndorff, how the Cauliflower Alley Club helped him when he had health issues, what he's been up to since his retirement in 1993 and much, much more.
TWO HOURS: Blackjack Mulligan discusses his appearance at the NWA Legends convention, being inducted into the Hall of Heroes that weekend, why this may be the last appearance he will make, why he isn't very active today, what WWE had to give him to get Mulligan to agree to going in the WWE Hall of Fame, going to High School with Wahoo McDaniel, leaving professional football to become a wrestler, being stabbed by a fan while challenging Pedro Morales for the WWWF title in Boston, wrestling Bruno Sammartino in the first show of the "new" Madison Square Garden, giving WWWF notice he was leaving - while Tag champ - to help the Charlotte territory, meeting a young Andre the Giant and how Andre changed over the years, legitimate fights with Andre, why Andre never had his tryout with the Washington Redskins, George Scott as a booker, first memories of Ric Flair when Flair was young in the business, comparing Charlotte to the WWWF and WWF as companies, Bobby Heenan, Lou Albano, Ernie "Grand Wizard" Roth, whether he ever wanted Barry and Kendall Windham to become wrestlers, his daughter marrying Mike Rotunda, which WWE stars could have "hung" with he, Flair and Wahoo on the road, his autobiography, why he wasn't happy with it, why there may be another volume but not for a long time, The Dallas territory, what Kendall Windham is up to today, his grandchildren in WWE developmental, what he thinks of wrestling today, and much, much more - this is truly two hours under the Mulligan learning tree!
30 MINUTES: Chad Hart discusses the release of his father Gary Hart's autobiography, memories of growing up in Texas during the height of the World Class era, why his father never went to the WWF, how he felt about the two World Class documentaries, his father's induction in the NWA Legends Fanfest Hall of Heroes, Chad's experiences working for WCW in 2000, working MLW with his father, favorite memories of his dad, the Texas independent scene today, being trained by Chris Adams, Kabuki, Muta, why reading the book has been so emotional for him and much more.
2 HOURS, 4 MINUTES: Percy "Paul Bearer" Pringle discusses his legendary managing career, why he turned down recent WWE invitations for appearances, his real life job now as a mortician, the reaction of fans when they see him in that role, growing up with Michael Hayes, dealing with the passing of his wife, his first meeting with Vince McMahon, learning about the Paul Bearer character, Sportatorium memories, dealing with unruly fans, his role in the Eric Embry angle that turned World Class into the USWA, feuding with Chris Von Erich, Gary Hart and Rick Rude memories, why he once chose not to go to WCW, traveling around the world, managing Undertaker, Kane, Vader, Mick Foley, why he doesn't care for the indy scene or hardcore wrestling, his responsibilities when working as a WWE agent, the Crypt angle at the 2004 Bash that "killed" Paul Bearer, the Kane angle that would have brought him back, why it didn't happen, his gastric bypass surgery, travels overseas, his website, how wrestling fans have changed, hating message boards, this website, the role of managers today, his favorite managers, his love of the business and much, much more!
2 HOURS, 15 MINUTES: Former WWE developmental talent, ROH and NOAH alumnus Ace Steel discusses how he ended up playing "Donald Trump" on Raw in one of the worst and silliest TV segments in wrestling history, how he got the gig, Vince McMahon before and after the segment, what led to him creating the "Steel Domain" training school, lots of insight into training wrestlers, training CM Punk and Colt Cabana, first impressions of them, how they evolved, their respective WWE runs, breaking into the Mid-Western independents, the reaction of a guidance counselor when he said as a teenager he'd become a pro wrestler, the passing of Mitsuharu Misawa, Harley Race, wrestling The Road Warriors, touring Japan for Pro Wrestling NOAH, Ring of Honor under Adam Pearce and Gabe Sapolsky, his time in WWE developmental, his reaction to being released, what his future holds, his favorite matches, getting his hair cut by Eric Bischoff and Eugene, what it was like working Ahmed Johnson, battling pneumonia while in Japan, Haruka Eigen, Tommy Dreamer, Mike Bucci, Roddy Piper, favorite AWA memories, ribbing Cabana on national TV, getting the stamp of approval from veterans, and much, much more!
ONE HOUR, 15 MINUTES: The Four Horsemen's Tully Blanchard discuss the NWA Legends convention this August in Charlotte, the Legend Blanchard will be inducting into the Hall of Heroes, Southwestern Championship Wrestling, their TV deal with the USA Network, where the video library is today, Gino Hernandez, Blanchard's favorite version of the Four Horsemen and his personal relationship with them today, returning to WWE for Ric Flair's retirement, Flair returning to the ring, Bobby Heenan vs. JJ Dillon, Demolition vs. The Road Warriors, favorite matches and opponents in the NWA and the WWF, Baby Doll, Dusty Rhodes, Dark Journey, whether he follows the business today, the physical punishment of the Crockett territory's in-ring style, his matches against Jeff Jarrett and Dustin Runnells at legends events in the last several years, a book project he had been working on, his Ministry, his father Joe Blanchard, leaving Crockett for the WWF and whether he regrets it looking back, what would have prevented him from leaving, how he feels about former wrestlers who use God as an angle, matches he feels will be his legacy and much, much more!
TWO HOURS, 18 MINUTES: Former ECW star "Mr. 500" Don E. Allen discusses his career, breaking into the business, Tod Gordon, training, Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling, the early days of The Sandman, the formation of Eastern Championship Wrestling, bumping and doing jobs for every major name that came through the ECW Arena, comparing the Arena to the Philadelphia Civic Center, managing Abdullah the Butcher, living his dream by stepping into the ring with Road Warrior Hawk, breaking his leg in a Battle Royal, D.C. Drake, working with Nancy Benoit, getting walloped by Stan Hansen, being part of "Kiss" in ECW, backstage duties for ECW, Eddie Gilbert, Mick Foley, Jimmy Snuka, the ECW reunions, the upcoming Legends of the Arena event, his musical career, getting chokeslammed by 911, JT Smith, being the first person to go through two tables in ECW history, being ranked 500th in the PWI 500, favorite memories, how he would like to be remembered and much, much more!
In an exclusive three part discussion with Dave Scherer, Taz discusses his WWE departure, working under Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn, his WWE debut, politics in the WWE locker room, Triple H, Mick Foley leaving WWE, different announcers he's worked with including Mike Adamle, Jim Ross, Joey Styles, Styles in WWE, Samoa Joe, TNA and much, much more! All 3 parts are currently online with over 90 minutes of discussion.
The Four Horsemen's Tully Blanchard discusses the NWA Legends convention this August in Charlotte, the Legend Blanchard will be inducting into the Hall of Heroes, Southwestern Championship Wrestling, their TV deal with the USA Network, where the video library is today, Gino Hernandez, Blanchard's favorite version of the Four Horsemen and his personal relationship with them today, returning to WWE for Ric Flair's retirement, Flair returning to the ring, Bobby Heenan vs. JJ Dillon, Demolition vs. The Road Warriors, favorite matches and opponents in the NWA and the WWF, Baby Doll, Dusty Rhodes, Dark Journey, whether he follows the business today, the physical punishment of the Crockett territory's in-ring style, his matches against Jeff Jarrett and Dustin Runnells at legends events in the last several years, a book project he had been working on, his Ministry, his father Joe Blanchard, leaving Crockett for the WWF and whether he regrets it looking back, what would have prevented him from leaving, how he feels about former wrestlers who use God as an angle, matches he feels will be his legacy and much, much more! One Hour, 15 Minutes
Former WWF star "Young Stallion" Jim Powers discusses his long WWF run, the one regret of his career, working for World Class, Big John Studd discovering him, why he'll never name or credit his original trainer, differences contractually between working for WWF then and WWE today, teaming with Paul Roma, the night The Rockers got fired immediately, how much insight he was given into the Stallions' push in the late 80s, winning at the first Survivor Series, why the Stallions' push ended, favorite memories, why he never turned heel in WWF, how Sean Waltman's 1-2-3 Kid push ended up ending his WWF run, the role of enhancement talents, what's missing in wrestling today today, Don Muraco, why he has a deep respect for The Ultimate Warrior, WCW, interviewing with WWE for a trainer's position, "The Wrestler", differences in wrestlers today vs. the 80s era, the short-lived AWF and promoter Paul Alperstein, the neck injury that curtailed his career and how he's feeling today, whether he's interested in wrestling today, the landscape of the business now, his involvement in the Scott Hall incident at the Iron Sheik Roast, his recent tour of Germany, the possibility of a Young Stallions reunion today and much, much more! 2 Hours
Former WWE and ECW star Mike Bucci discusses the Legends of the Arena benefit show on 6/27 in Philadelphia, Bucci's favorite ECW memories, ECW stars who should have gotten a shot in WWE, the XPW vs. ECW brawl, fights he witnessed backstage in ECW, an in-depth discussion of how the WWE developmental system's hirings and firings worked, transitioning from wrestler to WWE management, problems with talent he would see when scouting for WWE, the pressures of the WWE locker room, whether ribs and bullies have a place in the business and why there are more complaints about them in today's era, a big problem WWE will have in five years, working overseas, why the Undertaker is the greatest gimmick of all time, his new job in the real estate industry, whether he'd want to work full-time for another wrestling company, WWE shutting down Deep South, OVW today vs. his run there and much, much more. - 57 Minutes
Former TNA X-Division champion Petey Williams discusses his TNA release, not being allowed to discuss it at first, his reaction, whether he ever considered WWE, breaking into All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Phil Atlas, the 'new breed' of tag team wrestling, first impressions of Scott D'Amore, training, politics in the business, his sterling reputation in the locker room, Jeff Jarrett, Dixie Carter, the X-Division and changes of the division, characters vs. pure wrestling, shaving his head in TNA, working with Scott Steiner, returning to ROH, the big mistake a lot of independent wrestlers make now, breaking into personal training, fans being burnt out, Chris Sabin, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Chris Daniels, working Ultimate X matches, favorite matches, a bonus TNA once gave him out of nowhere, and much, much more! - 60 Minutes
Former WWE and current ROH star Colt "formerly known as Scotty Goldman" Cabana discusses his love for European wrestling and what makes it so special, the Scotty Goldman character, comedy in wrestling, why things didn't work out for him in WWE, returning to Ring of Honor and how the company has changed from his first tenure there, pitching ideas to WWE creative, ideas that were discarded, why ideas get lost in WWE, a storyline for Goldman vs. Brian Kendrick that never came to be, his final night where he wrestled Umaga on Smackdown, what he hoped for in terms of the Goldman character, a new Cabana interview DVD that is about to be released, CM Punk, ROH TV vs. WWE developmental TV, his commentary in Florida, The Mid-West independent scene, Dusty Rhodes, what he was told when WWE let him go, Johnny Saint, future goals, producing his WWE.com segment, why he's been more open about his Jewish heritage of late, the WSX Matt Classic character, whether it'll return on the indy scene, transitioning back to the independent scene, Cabana's knack for selling gimmicks at shows and much, much more! - 74 Minutes.
Former WWE star Nick "Kizarny" Cvjetkovich discusses growing up with Edge and Christian, training under Ron Hutchinson and Rob Fuego, becoming a real life carnival sideshow performer, stunts that he did and the dangers involved, similarities between that world and professional wrestling, his short run with WWE and his release, the tweaks he would have made to the character, the origins of the Kizarny name and why he spoke canry, his goal to return to WWE, Jake Roberts, touring in Canada, Great Britain and Puerto Rico, international fans, the WWE developmental system, comparing OVW to FCW, Mike Bucci, Jeff Jarrett, tattoos, his self-published comics and books, the Jim Rose Sideshow vs. wrestling tour he will be doing this summer, future goals and much, much more!- 57 Minutes
George South discusses his 30 year career, the museum of wrestling memorabilia he has cultivated, his reputation for loving the business and how he gets ribbed for it, wrestlers who use religion as a crutch, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Paul Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, the Charlotte territory, watching Gene Anderson stretching potential students, The Crocketts, Rick Steamboat, Brian Pillman, getting cursed out by Ole Anderson, breaking into the business, whether being such a well known fan among the wrestlers made it harder, the old TBS Techwood Drive wrestling studio, WCW's Center Stage, the differences between working for WCW and the WWF, his EWA promotion, what the Italian Stallion is up to today, tons of insight into what's missing in the business today, what today's wrestlers don't get yet really need, breaking into the Dallas Sportatorium, training Reid Flair, Richie Steamboat and Dylan Eaton and tons, ton, tons (did I say tons?) more! - 2 Hours, 51 Minutes.
Former WWE and ECW star Justin Credible discusses his hope to return to a national wrestling promotion, his recent visits to WWE in the Northeast, overcoming his addiction to painkillers, why he chose not to take WWE up on their offer for help, why he self-destructed during the ECW rebirth and why he was personally offended at the time by how WWE used ECW, training with the Hart Family and visiting the Dungeon, being knocked out on live television by the Headshrinkers, concussions, traveling the world at 19 as Aldo Montoya, his thoughts on that character, what he learned from the Clique, misconceptions of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's power in WWE, why he tries not to use his friendships to better his career, how WWF/WWE changed during his different runs with the company, favorite venues to wrestle in, leaving WWE for ECW, why ECW remains so special to him, The Impact Players, deciding to go to culinary school, why X-Factor didn't work out in WWE, Vince McMahon over the years and much, much more! 72 Minutes
Former ECW star CW Anderson discusses the Legends of the Arena bout, how Anderson overcame his crippling back injuries, how he's feeling today, returning to the independent scene, why he once retired then returned, why "The Wrestler" was dead on accurate as a movie, reaction to Bret Hart's criticism of the film, thoughts on Reid Flair after wrestling him, comparing Reid to Nick Hogan, how kids in this generation are disciplined, what the creative plans for him were had the original ECW not shut down, why Tommy Dreamer doesn't get credit for all he did for ECW, what fans don't understand about the end of the company, being ribbed by Jack Victory, Steve Corino, David Flair, Lou E. Dangerously, NWA Charlotte and their recent issues, his recent appearances in Germany, indy talents he feels have potential, whether he'd be up for another national run, goals left in his career and much, much more! - 61 Minutes.
WWE Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele discusses the creation of the Amsterdam, NY-based Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and its induction ceremonies this weekend, creating the "Animal" persona, balancing his wrestling career with teaching and coaching football in Michigan, wrestling Bruno Sammartino for an hour, fans rioting to support Pedro Morales, Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr., Bruno Sammartino's bitterness towards the businesss, being the only man to wrestle WWF champions Bruno, Backlund, Hogan and Morales and comparing the four, being ringside for the Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat Wrestlemania III bout, Elizabeth, his favorite manager, great stories about wrestling Jay Strongbow and Dean Ho, Paul Orndorff, Lou Albano, Mine, his unique Jakks WWE Classic action figure, why he isn't under a WWE Legends deal, his appearance for TNA at the Jay Lethal wedding, what's missing in the artform of wrestling today, his longevity as a character, his proposed sitcom with Greg Valentine, the origins of the turnbuckle eating, his deep faith, what he's up to today in retirement and much, much more! 71 Minutes.
Tony Devito discusses the upcoming Legends of the Arena cancer benefit event next month in Philadelphia, why he's working the show for free, being trained by "Dr. D" David Schultz, breaking in and doing enhancement work for the WWF in the early 1990s, memories of working different talents during that era, the differences in WWF's TV tapings then and now, comparing the ECW Arena to the Manhattan Center, memories of the late Mike Bell, getting into the original ECW, whether he was insulted being offered a job on ring crew, how he lost 85 lbs. in three months, Justin Credible's ECW title run, Da Baldies, New Jack, why he remained loyal to the end to ECW, how that weighed on his family financially, Paul Heyman, Angel Medina's disappearance after ECW closed, why Vic Grimes doesn't belong in wrestling, favorite ECW and ROH memories, Gabe Sapolsky as a booker, The Carnage Crew team, Tommy Dreamer, Paul Roma, not being invited to be part of the ECW reunions in 2005, his short-lived gimmick in the WWE version of ECW, independents, and much more! 65 Minutes.
Former TNA Knockout Roxxi, Nikki Roxx discuss her release from Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, what TNA told her, whether she felt the Rhaka Khan incident had anything to do with it, her 60 day suspension, stories of Khan going to Kurt Angle after the incident, interest in working for WWE, whether she'd be open to a TNA return down the line, training under Killer Kowalski, the birth of the TNA Knockouts division, who recommended her to TNA, debuting with the "Voodoo Queen" gimmick, BG and Kip James, her cursing hardcore character, learning the character side of the business, differences between working the indies and working a national TV promotion, Gail Kim and her TNA departure for WWE, how rough Awesome Kong truly is in the ring, shaving her head and her reaction to the angle, The Beautiful People, ODB, memories of the late Steve Bradley, SHIMMER, New England wrestling talents that deserve more exposure and much more! 55 Minutes.
Lanny Poffo discusses Poffo's return to the ring, the feud between his father's ICW and Memphis Wrestling, working for the Ann Gunkel's promotion during the battle of Atlanta, training, why he can't stand Chief Jay Strongbow, where his poetry gimmick came from, his infamous suit of armor, how his father Angelo Poffo and brother Randy Savage are today, Savage and Bruno Sammartino not being in the WWE Hall of Fame, Ric Flair, shooting with Ole Anderson, wrestling Lou Thesz, a special event he is emceeing in NYC next month, Gorilla Monsoon, his aerial style, Bobby Heenan, beating Hulk Hogan on Saturday Night's Main Event, bleeding on NBC, his books, lots of poetry being recited and tons more! 91 Minutes.
Additional recent interviews include Jim Cornette, Richie Steamboat, Gabe Sapolsky, SHIMMER stars Portia Perez and Nicole Matthews, Midnight Express Scrapbook co-author Tim Ash and more. There's never been a better time to subscribe to the PWInsider Elite section - for more information on that, visit http://www.pwinsider.com/elitenav.php.
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