video — page 5

Here are the choices:

Raven & Honky Tonk Man
Raven & James Mitchell
Matt Hardy & Shane Helms

Vote by Clicking on the link below. Voting Ends Saturday at 8pm.

http://poll.pollcode.com/835514

This was filmed in 2001 and has a run time of two hours and twenty-five minutes

He got started in wrestling while attending junior college. He was going to transfer to the University of Tampa in order to pursue a degree in teaching. He always wanted to be a Physical Education teacher. When he met with a guidance counselor, he was told that there was a 3-5 year wait to get a job in Florida due to the fact that a lot of coaches from the North would move down and get a job a few years before their retirement and the schools wanted experienced teachers. His girlfriend at the time moved to Minnesota and became roommates with Verne Gagne’s daughter, Donna. He said that one night, his girlfriend was invited to Verne’s house for dinner and his daughter Donna told her that Ricky was a good wrestler, as they were talking a lot at the time. Apparently, Verne heard of Steamboat’s real name, Richard Blood, through Eddie Graham from the time Steamboat wrestled his son, Mike. Ricky said that the old-time promoters always paid attention to amateur wrestlers. Verne then contacted Ricky and asked for a resume.

When asked who helped train him, Steamboat said that the Iron Sheik was instrumental in training him. Billy Robinson would pass through and stretch the guys out on occasion but most of the camp consisted of exercising.

When the camp started, there were 16 guys. After two weeks, only four remained. Besides Steamboat were Chad Nelson, Scott Irwin, and Buck Zumhoffe.

His first territory was the AWA. he only worked there for eight weeks then went down to Florida and worked for Eddie Graham. He only stayed there for a few months. From there, he met up with Jim Barnett and ended up working in Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1976 after he asked him repeatedly for two months.

He tells a story about the booker at that time in Georgia, Tom Renesto (The Assasin), and how he was told that he was going to get a push and work with Dick Slater. He put over Slater one week then the following week he was at TV then told that they were not going to start the program until the following week and that continued for a while.

Still talking about Georgia, he says that Dean Ho helped him out a lot. In the territory, they would work six days a week and have Sunday’s off. Dean would have a barbecue every Sunday with him and his wife. Steamboat said that he kept to himself most of the time.

After Georgia, he went to work in the Carolinas. Steamboat said that he was doing opening matches for the first six months there and is unable to recall who he was wrestling at the time. He then said that Ric Flair went to Jim Crockett and asked to work a program with him. At the time, Flair was the Television Champion.

In regards to Flair, Steamboat says that he doesnt keep in touch with him as much but that he can still go in the ring. He also talks about Flair’s partying for a bit but does not go into details. He then says that he owes his career to Flair as that was when he started to get popular.

Steamboat is asked about his work ethic, especially the 45-60 minute long matches. Steamboat said that he wanted to go at least 30 minutes a night as being in the ring was his time. He says that he cannot tell a story in just 20 minutes. He then talks about guys would get into shape before they worked a program with him.

He is asked about Roddy Piper. Steamboat said that he was crazy and wouldnt back down from anything. He also said that Piper was an incredibly loyal friend.

Steamboat says that Jim Crockett tried to project that he knew about the business but did not have a foothold on the business the way that Vince McMahon does. He said that Crockett was easily persuaded by others.

When asked about Harley Race, Steamboat said that he was loved going to Japan. Steamboat said that he did 12 tours of Japan and most of them were with Race. Steamboat said that if Race respected you, he would take care of you in the ring. Steamboat also puts over his strength and said he never went to the gym and recalls a time that Race picked him up from the apron with one hand and pulled him back into the ring.

Next, Steamboat is asked how he got teamed up with Jay Youngblood. They were paired up in 1978 when they used to ride together then came up with the idea to become a team then pitched the idea to Crockett. At the time, Crockett wanted Steamboat to say as a singles wrestler to work with the heels. He puts over their matches against Flair & Greg Valentine, Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle, and the Brisco Brothers. Steamboat then says while the general public will probably state that their favorite Steamboat match was his WrestleMania III match with Randy Savage or his matches against Ric Flair in 1989, his were his tag matches agaisnt the teams mentioned above.

Steamboat is asked about his retirement match against Sgt. Slaughter in 1982. He said that it was a build-up for a cage match with him and Youngblood against Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle and that had the stipulation if Steamboat lost, the team would have to split up and he would have to retire. Steamboat and Youngblood won that match. He then said that they were ahead of their time with the stipulations and puts over George Scott as a booker.

When asked about Ole Anderson, he calls him a “real hardnose” and that there was no gray area with him. He says that he was an okay guy.

Back to Japan, Steamboat says that his mother was Japanese and that the fans there took to him as a fae. He said that all of the Japanese were faces and that the Americans were heels but he was a face. He also said that the heels were happy to work against him as he was nowhere near as stiff as the Japanese guys. He talks about the brutal travel schedule in Japan and tells a story of how he took several different forms of transportation totaling sixteen hours in order to work a spot show.

He is asked about any road stories while in the Carolinas. He laughs for a bit then tells a story about the Brisco Brothers. He said that they loved to drink but that Gerald always drove and one several occasions, he would drive well past their destination and would keep driving until he ran out of gas. When that happened, Gerald would go walk to get gas and Jack would end up locking the car and go back to sleep. One time, Gerald came back to the car and had to get in so he could open up the gas cap but the car was locked and Jack was sound asleep. Gerald then banged on the window a dozen or so times, with Jack’s head bouncing off of it as he was asleep, before Jack awoke.

Steamboat is asked about Tully Blanchard. He called him a hard worker but said that he had an attitude problem back then and said that Tully himself would probably agree (Tully confirmed this on his shoot interview). He joked that sometimes you felt like slapping the shit out of him due to how he acted.

Now, Steamboat is asked about working a few shows up in the Northern cities. This had Steamboat talk about different styles then said how all of the mechanics (moves) were the same but that the differences are how people sell, get heat, and timing of comebacks.

Steamboat is asked how the territory changed when Dusty Rhodes became the booker. He said that he left as he saw the writing on the wall as Rhodes was a babyface and had the pencil. He was working a program with Tully and that he would have a time limit on which he could win the Television Title off of him and that he would beat him in 25 minutes but he could only win the title if he beat him in 20 minutes. They kept extending the time limits but he would never get the title and it did not get over with the fans. After a match in which Steamboat went 47 minutes with Tully, Dusty proceeded to beat Tully in 12 and Steamboat started to work with Nikita Koloff, who was fairly new to the business. Steamboat knew that they were building up to Dusty vs. Nikita and that George Scott was booking in the WWF at the time and decided to make the jump.

Now, Steamboat is talked about the differences between WWF and NWA. He said at first, everyone thought that flying instead of driving would be great but after a while, they got sick of the planes as they had a lot less freedom.

He is asked is initial thoughts about Vince McMahon. Steamboat talks about how Vince ended the old handshake deals of the past about not running TV in another territory’s market. He said that he liked him too.

Steamboat now talks about his feud against Don Muraco. He said when he saw him in Florida, he was 228 lbs and looked like a Polynesian God but when he faced him in the WWF, he was up to 280lbs and sometimes hit the 300lbs mark. He said that Muraco would blow up in the ring and looked on the verge of dying but would take every bump and be in the right spot at all times. Muraco would be hungover from the night before and would sometimes have vomit hanging off of his mouth.

At this time, Steamboat addresses his matches against Randy Savage. Steamboat said that Savage was a detailed guy and would spend a lot of time with you before the match and then give you some offense if he liked you but if he did not, he would go out there and take everything he could. He then said that Savage was detailed to the point that he would write down each step and for step one would actually go ahead and write “lockup,” which Steamboat thought was ridiculous as every wrestler would start out by doing that. Steamboat said that he had a spiral bound notebook with each step written out, with as much as 285 steps. They would meet in their hotel rooms and go over the matches the night before. He said that while Andre and Hogan sold the show, he told Savage that they should go out and steal the show. He mentioned that they had 22 nearfalls in a sixteen minute match that the fans were going nuts for the whole time.

Steamboat now compares his matches against Ric Flair to the ones he had with Savage. He said that they went into a 57 minute two-out-of-three falls match just knowing the three finishes and that they would call the rest in the ring. For that reason, he said that he liked his matches against Flair the best.

When asked about his relationship with Hogan, Steamboat said that it wasnt much and cannot recall a single time in which they ran into each other outside of an arena. He said that while Hogan stayed at the finest hotels, he was staying at the Red Roof Inn type of places in order to save money.

He is asked why his team with Jimmy Snuka did not get pushed. Steamboat said that he did not even know why they were teamed to begin with. He didnt say much other than that but for what it’s worth, multiple wrestlers who were in the WWF at this time stated that Snuka’s drug use was really out of control at the time.

Steamboat said that he realized WrestleMania was a huge deal during WrestleMania III. He said that the first one was more localized and that he didnt like WM2 as they had to fly to Australia that same night. He said that he wrestled Hercules Hernandez, who really wanted to try hard and have a good match that night but ended up having an anxiety attack and froze up in the ring. Steamboat said it was like wrestling a pole.

When asked about the drug use in the locker room, Steamboat said that it was used and that he would be lying if he said that he never dabbled in drug use himself, stating he took a “little bit” of speed a few times when he was run down due to their brutal schedule so he could work a match.

In regards to the Honky Tonk Man, Steamboat said that he was an okay guy but was sad that he had to drop the Intercontinental Title to him. Steamboat then reveals that he was originally promised that he was going to have the belt for the year but that Vince had to have the belt defended at house shows. Steamboat said that he just wanted a few weeks off for the birth of his son and that he defensively told Vince that they only wrestled in major cities once a month so why couldnt the belt be off the road for a few weeks? Steamboat then goes on to say how he never had a problem doing a job and that having a good match was the most important thing. He thought the Honky Tonk Man character was hokey but he worked his ass off. He also said that they had several others heels that had been with the company for a while who also worked their asses off who were upset that they were passed over for the belt.

Steamboat said that his realtionship with Vince was damaged after that. He also said that he was really down after coming off of his match with Savage at WrestleMania, he dropped the belt. He said that his feelings were hurt after that too and his outlook on Vince changed.

He loved working with Jake Roberts and calls him a great worker with excellent timing.

He is then asked how he wound up going back to WCW. Steamboat says that he came back after a six-month break in December of 1987. At WrestleMania IV, he was part of the tournament to crown the new WWF Champion. He first saw the brackets and saw that he was facing Valentine in the first round then figured that he would win and face Savage in the second round and return the favor by jobbing to him as everyone knew that Savage was winning the belt. Steamboat said that Chief Jay Strongbow came up to him and told him that he was going to be eliminated in the first round. He also said that his wife went out to the concession stands and found that he did not have any merchandise out at all then thought that Vince was making an example out of him for taking time off and that was when he decided to leave for WCW.

Steamboat is asked if had something to prove during the Chi-Town Rumble and he said that he might have wanted to show the fans that he still had it but that was about all.

After he dropped the belt to Flair, he thought that he was going to have some re-matches with Flair and had no idea that Funk was coming in to challenge for the belt. Steamboat then said that he had no ego in regards to his stance in the company about being the number one babyface. He said that he was happy that he would usually have the best match on the card that night.

He liked the Great Muta but said that he wanted to go 90mph all the time, which Steamboat did not want to do all the time as he wanted to save stuff for the end of the match. Steamboat then goes back to his WWF days and tells a story how he wrestled the second to last match on the card against Randy Savage in Chicago, with Paul Orndorff and Hogan as the main event. Well, Orndorff and Hogan were late and on a jet as they worked at the Nassau Coliseum that day. Blackjack Lanza was the agent and told them that they did not know when Orndorff and Hogan were arriving and said that when he came out and put his pencil in his mouth, they had to wrap up the match. He said that the referee saw him standing there and that they ended up going 52 minutes that night. He said after the match, he collasped on the floor, as was Savage. He said they were blue due to a lack of oxygen.

When asked about Terry Funk, Steamboat said that he would stiff you but when it was your turn on offense, he would let you unload on him. He is asked about Lex Luger and grabs a lamp post and says that working with that is what it’s like working with Lex. He said that he would help him and basically tell him what do during their matches as it happened. He said that Luger had no clue how to work as a heel but that Luger himself actually thanked him for helping him out. Steamboat said that he didnt know Sting much at all as he kept to himself but that he was cordial towards him in the locker room.

Steamboat is now asked about his WWF return and if he was against the fire blowing gimmick. He said at that time, Vince had an art lady who would draw up costumes as that was what Vince wanted at the time. Steamboat said that the costume looked cool on paper but the tail weighed a lot. He said orignally, he was only supposed to do the fire blowing gimmick at the big shows but that Vince loved it and convinced him to do it every night. Vince actually sent him to a guy in Florida to did fire-swallowing for the Carnival to learn and the guy turned out to be a huge fan of his. Steamboat tells a story of the guy showing him the trick on a windy day and that the wind shifted and blew the fire into his face and he was running around trying to put it out. Steamboat, who was with Bruce Prichard at the time, turned to Prichard and said that he was not going to do this but he eventually learned and did it safely each time.

He is asked if he felt insulted working opening matches and Steamboat said that he was. Steamboat said that he met with Vince at his house and they shook hands and buried the hatchet. Vince also promised Steamboat a main-event spot but told him he wanted to start him off slow and build him back up and that it would take three months. Steamboat said that after three months, he asked Vince about a program and he was told it would happen at the next TV but it never did and lasted for ten months until Steamboat landed in a town somewhere in the midwest and called up the office and gave his two weeks notice.

On the subject of Shawn Michaels, Steamboat said that he was surprised that he became the top guy in the company but thought that he ended up pulling it off. He called Rick Rude a hard worker but was very opinionated and that he was usually only looking out for himself.

Steamboat is asked about the rumor that he quit the WWF after refusing to job for the Undertaker. He said that his last show, a TV taping,  they wanted him to do a stretcher job for both the Irwin R. Schyster and the Undertaker and he said no. Steamboat said that he would job in the ring but if he did a stretcher job in the first hour then later on in the taping did another one, what would the fans think. Vince told him that if he did not do a stretcher job, he would be fired on the spot.

He wound up back in WCW after he called them up. He teamed with Dustin Rhodes and Steamboat puts him over as a hard worker and thinks that he wanted to prove himself because of his dad.

Steamboat said that Bill Watts respected him and wanted the heels and faces to be separate at all times, even during flights or at the gym. When traveling to cities that had multiple flights, he would try to have the heels go on one plane and the faces on the other.

He is asked about several other workers. Steamboat loves Arn Anderson, saying that he would help you out in a minute. He also calls Arn a great finish guy and said he was a great worker. He also puts over Cactus Jack as a great guy, both outside and inside of the ring. He loved working with Brian Pillman and Steve Austin. Steamboat recalls a story while wrestling at a small house show in Northern Georgia against Pillman & Austin while teaming with Douglas, an announcement was made that if you want to make it home, leave now because a blizzard is coming. They did not know about the announcement as the locker room was in a dark basement and when they came out to the ring, only twelve people were left in the crowd that was sold out and they were all from the same family. Their house was across the street from the building so they stayed. They ended up wrestling for 40 minutes and had a blast. He said that they mixed in comedy spots in their too and had a blast.

When asked how he became teamed up with Shane Douglas, he didnt know but said that Shane always tried to learn from him and that he was an intelligent guy. They still keep in touch today and occasionaly have dinner.

Steamboat then says that he has few guys in wrestling who will always be there for him including Shane, Arn, Nikita, and Flair.

He liked Vader and thought he had a big heart but said that he was stiff in the ring. Steamboat also said that he cant blame him for being a little stiff as he played in the NFL and to play at that level, you needed to have that edge and he would get wrapped up in his matches and start to really lay into you.

About his last match in WCW against Steve Austin, he said that he hurt his back and had two months left on his contract yet WCW decided to terminate him anyway. He said that guys came up to him and couldnt believe that he was fired as he gave his all and was a decent guy yet there were others who were hurt for several months and nasty in general that still got paid to sit home.

Steamboat is then asked if he could come back and work a match today. He said that he could but not the same way he used to wrestle and could only take a limited amount of bumps. He would love to work with Flair and thinks after a few weeks of training, could work an hour-long match with Flair although at a much slower pace.

He talks about Teddy Long and how he still keeps in contact with him. He also says that Teddy calls him every Christmas. Steamboat says that Teddy thanks him for telling management that he should be a manager when he was a referee for the NWA. Steamboat says that he is not sure if he even was the reason that Teddy got that into the role.

On the current product, Steamboat says that he feels for the new guys in the business today when it is all geared towards TV and PPV and all of the matches are short. Without working long house show matches, you cannot get a feel for psychology and without territories, there is nowhere to practice and learn. He brings up a seminar that he is conducting and said that he asked a lot of guys what to do in certain situations and they are lost as what do to. Steamboat really shows off how much he knows about psychology and stresses once again that all of the moves are the same but it is the body language and movement that makes it special. From that, he said that a card is varied and that they all portray different characters and sell moves in different ways.

When asked about the Rock, he said that he doesnt know him personally but is doing a great job. He calls Steve Austin a hard worker.

He is asked about his son being a fan of wrestling and he said no but loves watching NASCAR. Steamboat also adds that his son’s friends all watch and cannot believe that he doesnt because he is a wrestler.

Steamboat says that he doesnt really watch much today but will stop and watch when he sees Rock, HHH, and Austin on TV.

Now, he is asked about guys who we thought should have made it bigger. He brings up the Guerrero’s, specifically Chavo Sr. and Eddie.

About working as a heel, Steamboat said that he wanted to work heel during his second WWF run as for once, he wanted to tell someone in the crowd to shut up and sit down. He said that Pat Patterson told him that he could cut off Bret Hart’s head with a chainsaw and that wouldn’t work as a heel. He also told Steamboat to never work heel as it would hurt his career.

He says that he has no regrets about the business.

When asked about good rib stories, he says that Mr. Fuji would put super glue on door handles and one time in the 70’s in the Carolinas, Fuji wrapped a chain all around a car and put an M80 on the distributor so when the car started, it would blow up. He then tells a story of how Johnny Valentine did a really bad rib when crapped in someones bag then put lighter fluid in Harley Race’s inhaler. After that, Race came back with a gun and shot holes into Valentine’s bag.

He closes by stating he will never forget his fans and the support that they gave him and will never, ever turn down an autograph or photo from them. He thanks them for evverything that he has then tells a story of a fan named George Silva. He wrote a letter and sent a picture of how when he was 15 years old and at an autograph session, he was at the back of the line and after the time was up, Steamboat said that he was going to stay and sign for everyone. In the letter, he said that he was going to try to make the seminar and that he showed up and went they met, Steamboat pulled out the picure and gave him an autograph.

Final Thoughts: After a really slow start, the first 20-25 were dreadfully boring, it ended up turning out to be a decent shoot. I felt like shutting it off at the beginning to tell you the truth. Steamboat also speaks slowly and relaxed so that ould also turn people off. Steamboat did not have an agenda here and seems to appreciate everything wrestling has gotten him. However, you could tell that he was still bitter about losing the Intercontinental Title and the way he was booked in his last WWF run, despite saying at one point in the interview that he did not have a problem jobbing to someone clean in the ring. The part about the stretcher job I can see it from his perspective about the fans at the building not buying him coming out after being stretchered out only to have it happen again but at the same time, they were television tapings and the fans are seeing them a week apart. In closing, I give this a mild recommendation but would not blame you if you tuned out early.

Any feedback can be sent to [email protected]

This interview was filmed in 2002. It ran about two hours and 45 minutes long.

Orndorff is asked if he was a fan of wrestling growing up. He said that he was not but after getting drafted by the New Orleans Saints and after failing his physical and not making the team, he lost his spirit for football and went to Tampa, where he was a former High School All-American. His father in-law knew Eddie Graham and he got a tryout.

He is asked about bodybuilding. He said that he did it for football then became obsessed with it and said that he had the best natural body in the business. He then looks back and says that his WWF heel character worked because that is what he was at that time, a jerk who was overly aggressive.

He was trained by Hiro Matsuda. Orndorff said that most people didn’t last long in training and that it was brutal. He said that he had four practices in a single day with the Saints and that still didnt compare to the training under Matsuda. They would practice in a building that was closed up and over 100 degrees inside. He said that he had the drive and was passionate and that is why he made it.

His first went to Memphis and stayed for nine months. After a week, Eddie Marlin took him aside and said that if he didnt improve, he would be let go. Orndorff said that the crowds intimidated him and he is not an outgoing person, making it tough at first. After that, he started doing things he had never done before and called Marlin a good guy that knew how to handle him.

In Memphis with him at that time was Jerry Lawler, Junkyard Dog, and the Fullers.

Next, he went to Mid-South to work for Watts. Orndorff said that he liked athletes and called the territory an experience. He said that the travel was a rude awakening but he loved it. After a while, he left and went to Charlotte after George Scott saw him and asked if he wanted to go to Charlotte.

He is asked about working with Dusty Rhodes and Ernie Ladd. He said that he has the utmost respect for Ladd as he helped him tremendously. He did not hang around Dusty all that much.

He is asked about Bill Watts being tough. Orndorff said that he was and that Watts made all the new guys go through him.

In regards to working the Superdome, he said that he only had about two years of experience and had to grow up quickly. When asked if guys were jealous of him, Orndorff said maybe a few of the older guys but that he gernerally got along with everyone.

Orndorff is asked about Andre the Giant. He said that he was very smart and respected him a lot. He called him a friend and said that if Andre didn’t like you, he would let you know.

He is now asked if he left Watts under good terms. Orndorff said no and that he got pissed when he found out he was not getting any money off of his T-shirts and got fired. Orndorff said that he really did him a favor and that Watts did not know he had a deal with Charlotte.

He is asked about teaming with Snuka. Orndorff puts him over as one of the best ever and that he learned a lot from him. He said that they had fantastic matches against Gene & Ole Anderson. When asked about Greg Valentine, he liked him a lot and said that he was old school and enjoyed working with him.

When comparing the locker rooms between Charlotte and Mid-South, Orndorff said Charlotte had a lot more stars. He said if you asked the veterans for help, they would help you but if you did not, you wouldnt receive any help at all.

He is asked about Ric Flair at that time. He calls him a great worker and that you need the “pencil” behind you and if you did not, you were only as good as you want to be.

Orndorff is asked about David Schultz. He said that he was a good worker but cocky. He was asked about the John Stossel incident and Orndorff said that Schultz was trying to get himself over as the top heel and that was his way of trying to get notoriety.

Rob jumps ahead and asks if he ever bumped heads with Roddy Piper about being the top heel. Orndorff said that as corny as it might sound, he let his work do the talking instead of backstage politics.

Orndorff quit Charlotte and went back to work for Watts. He said that he was miserable in Charlotte. He is then asked if Watts treated him different and he said yes but he likes Watts.

He is asked about Dick Slater. Orndorff liked him a lot and calls him and Bob Orton one of the best tag teams ever. He also liked Orton but said that he stuttered a lot. He says that guys like Orton, Slater, and Eddie Graham are the ones who should be thanked as they are the reasons that guys are making big money today.

Next, Orndorff is asked about Hulk Hogan around this time. He said that Hogan was never an athlete and playing the guitar at the time but didnt really no much about him until he went to the WWF. Orndorff calls him smart and charismatic.

He is asked about working with Ted DiBiase. He said that they had good matches sold out the Coliseum and had an hour-long draw. Orndorff said at first, he didnt think it would work as they were two young guys without much experience. Orndorff puts over the genius of Watts for having the vision to see that it would workout then adds how the match gave him a lot of confidence going forward.

When asked about Jake Roberts, Orndorff said that he really is a snake. He calls him a good worker but didnt care much for him personally. He said that while he is a straight shooter, Roberts would make everything about himself.

He is asked about matches against JYD. He said that in Mississippi, he had a gun pulled out on him. It was his first time working heel too. Orndorff said that JYD tried and was a hard worker but they had different styles. Orndorff said that he was determined to give the best match on the card. He brings up how Eddie Graham once told him that if you wrestle in front of ten people or ten thousand people, you still give the same effort.

Orndorff is asked about Ricky Steamboat and joked that he was “too good.” He also said that he was ahead of his time and one of the best.

Next, Orndorff went to Georgia and wrestled for Jim Barnett. He said that he got a good guarantee and liked the schedule. He said that he got along with Ole Anderson then adds that you always knew where you stood with him. Orndorff also states that the TV show put TBS on the map and because you were on TV, you could go to another territory and be noticed.

Orndorff is asked about an altercation he had with Tony Atlas. He tells a story of how Brian Blair was driving and Orndorff was with Atlas. They had a cooler with melted ice and everytime they took a turn, the water would splash on himself. He wanted Blair to pull over but Atlas said no and wanted to keep going. They kept going at it then he said it ended up with Atlas going to the hospital after they fought on the side of the road. He said that he didnt know what happened with Atlas that night as they always got along.

He is asked about any Ric Flair stories. Orndorff said that he doesnt but puts over Flair for his psychology and work. He also puts over Harley Race for his psychology and that both guys could draw and were nice guys.

Orndorff went over to Japan to work for Antonio Inoki. He said that happened when Ernie Ladd told him that Vince McMahon Sr. wanted him to work for the WWF. Orndorff said that he was called a year and a half prior but declined because he said that he was not ready yet. Around this time, Vince Jr. was getting ready to take over for his dad so he only worked in Japan for several months while Vince Sr. took care of him.

He said that he liked Japan and wished that America would adopt their ways of doing business. He said that he trained hard over there but did not like the food and that it was too far of a plane ride.

Orndorff went to the WWF with David Schultz, Hogan, Piper, and Orton. He said that Vince Jr. treated them wonderfully and wanted to take over the world. He said that Vince told them all of the expansion plans. When asked if it would work, he said that you have to take chances. Orndorff said that at the time, WWF did not have many athletes and relied on slow, lumbering guys.

He confirmed that the office came up with the idea to team him up with Schultz and Piper. He said that he did not like tag matches but they are a good way of helping young guys. He said that Vince told him he was going to make money and when he says that, you will and he is still like that today.

At this time, he traveled with Heenan a lot when he came in and also traveled with guys like Tito Santana and Rick McGraw but he liked to travel by himself and concentrate on his matches instead of being caught up in gossip. He said that he took his work seriously.

Orndorff talks about wrestling today and how they no longer have guys around to teach psychology. He said that teaching someone to jump off a balcony or take a bump off the top rope is the easy part. He then adds how no competition will really hurt things in the long run as competition makes everyone better.

Next, he is asked about working against Hogan when he first got the title. Orndoff said that he loved worknig with him and calls him good people. He then adds that Hogan made him a ton of money and the hottest heel in the company as Orndorff made him the hottest face in company.

He is asked about how Snuka was in the WWF at this time. He points out that is body was broken down and had “other” problems going on as well. Snuka’s drug problem was rumored to be out of control at this time.

When asked about Vince changing as the company grew bigger, Orndorff said he is a class act all the way. He tells a story of how he got hurt at the end of WCW and Vince called him and told him how much he respected him.

Orndorff is then asked about Captain Lou Albano. He brings up how he was always loaded on the plane rides and would talk the entire flight. He said he was a fun guy.

He said that Jesse Ventura was probably ahead of his time but his gimmick didnt do anything for him. Orndorff thinks that there must be LSD in the waters of Minnesota for him to get elected governor then says that he wouldnt be any worse than the others.

Next, is the incident between David Schultz and John Stossel. Orndorff thoguht he should be fired as you had Schultz, who was 6’5, slap a tiny reporter in Stossel. Orndorff also believes that they should act like professionals and stuff like this is what gives wrestling a bad name.

Orndorff is asked if the TNT skits bothered him. He said not at all and mentions that it was all ad-libbed. He saw it as another vehicle, as you couldnt have just wrestling all the time. Orndorff thought it was smart and that Vince knew how to get his product over.

He is asked about several workers. Orndorff thought that Rocky Johnson was all show and when he was facing him, he was past his prime. He couldnt stand Chief Jay Strongbow at all. he still doesnt like him and says that Strongbow never treated him with respect and one day, he dressed down Strongbow in front of the locker room. He loved Bruno Sammartino, calling him a great and humble guy. He would have loved to work with him in his prime.

They talk about MTV. Orndorff said Vince told him it was all about the big picture. He tried to focus on himself at this time. Vince says he was the first to do this (WrestleMania) and said everywhere they went after that, people were talking about it. He was asked about if he had to change his style and Orndorff said not at all.

Next, he is asked about Mr. T. He said that he did not like him and if he tried to shoot on them, Piper and him had a plan. Feinstein asks him about the rumor of Bruiser Brody running in during the main event and shooting on Mr. T but Orndorff said that he never heard about that.

In regards to the travel schedule, Orndorff said that it burned everyone out. He said that he got offered a role in “Rambo” but Vince would not give him the time off to film. He also got offered a part on “Miami Vice” by Don Johnson that he was unable to get the time off for. He adds that he was in the main event and had to be at all the shows.

Orndorff is asked about the drugs in the locker room. He said that wasnt for him because he took his job seriously and you cant burn the candle at both ends. He says that the drugs were there.

Back to Mr. T, Orndorff said he was scared to death but they worked with him. When asked who trained him, Orndorff said he forgot then jokes how they didnt do a very good job.

They ask Orndorff about the training vignette in which they throw Gene Okerlund out on the street. Orndorff thought it was great.

Now, he is asked about turning babyface. He said that he did not like it much at all. He then adds that he suggested to them that he get the belt then lose it back to Hogan, mentioning how it would have drawn huge, but they decided to do that with Savage later on. He did not enjoy working as a face because it wasnt his style but he had to do it that way.

Orndorff did not like working with Piper, saying he was very limited in the ring. When asked if Hogan was difficult as a partner, Orndorff said he was a business man.

He thought Big John Studd was a great guy, which seems to be the consensus for most of the shoot interviews I have seen. They traveled to Japan together and he said that Brian Blair and himelf used to pull pranks with Studd.

When speaking about the politics in the locker room, Orndorff said there were a lot of sharks in the locker room. He said that he was not a good politician and Vince told him once that he was too honest. Orndorff said that he let his work do the talking. He also says that Piper played a lot of politics then too.

Now, he is asked about being upset as a face due to being behind Hogan. He said no, because he was drawing  alot of money.

Orndorff is asked about Dynamite Kid. He said that he went overboard with the ribs that he pulled and himself wasnt into hurting someone or destroying their stuff.

He said that Funk was in a league by himself but beat up his body too much. He adds that he will always find a way to work a match and that is why he is great.

Up next is WrestleMania 2 and if we was bothered about going from the main event to fcing Don Muraco. He liked Don but said that his style at the time wasnt good and that sometimes, they have to put you on the backburner.

When asked about Adrian Adonis, he said at the time, he wasnt going to work with him while he was wearing the dress. Looking back, he said that he would have done it but didnt care as he had enough money in the bank.

Orndorff then stresses the importance of good matches, saying that you need the money angle and the good match.

He calls the first WrestleMania and the Big Event show in Toronto as the highest poinrs of his career. He mentions how much the crowd hated him. He recalls that was the biggest check of his career.

Next, he is asked about Bobby Heenan. He loved him and says that always got lost driving from Newark and he ripped out the steering wheel on one occasion.

He said that he saw guys crack. One night, he worked with Hogan at the Nassau Coliseum then went to Chicago. They had a jet waiting for them and he left the arena in his robe and went to the show.

Orndorff said that he took pride in having good matches. He says that the crowd works hard for their money and want to be entertained. He mentions growing up in a trailer park and how that made him appreciate everything he had.

On his physique, Orndorff said at one time, he had 4% body fat. He said that when he traveled, he never ate the airplane food because it was terrible for you. He said that his body was his money and that he took care of it.

Orndorff admitted that he took steroids at one point. He said that he got them through a doctor and took only as prescribed.

When asked about the Iron Sheik and Jim Duggan getting caught with drugs, he said that it was really bad for business. He also said guys getting into bar fights also hurt things.

Orndorff is asked about getting buried when he turned face again in late 1987. He said he probably was but he was also really burned out at that time too.

He thought that Bret Hart was a good worker but a terrible interview. He also adds that Bret thinks he is bigger than he really is but also said that he saw something in him when they wrestled at the end of his WWF run.

Now, he is asked about the angle in which he fired Heenan and hired Oliver Humperdink. He said that it was good but didnt think it would draw a lot of money. He didnt think that he needed a manager.

On working with Rick Rude, he said that he was hurting badly at the time but kept working. He said Rude was one of his best friends and that he was a pallbearer at his funeral. They hunted together and Orndorff said that he talked to him the night before he passed. He said that Rude was the best heel at the end of the 1980’s.

He did not leave the WWF on good terms with Vince. Orndorff claims that others got into Vince’s ear that he was not really hurt. Orndorff said that he was prepared to retire at the time.

Now he is asked about an obituary report about him dying on steroids. Orndorff said he got a call about that at his bowling alley.

On how he wound up in WCW, Orndorff said that he was offered close to $500,000 by Jim Herd at one time but turned it dow, as  he was mentally and physically burned out .Looking back, Orndorff said it was a mistake turning that down.

When asked about comparing WCW locker room to the WWF, Orndorff said that WCW was second rate. He liked the Steiners and Sid Vicious but hated Luger, calling him a “puke” and a “sissy.” He thought that Sid had a lot of potential. Orndorff then adds that the fans are a lot smarter than what most wrestlers and promoters give them credit for and just being big or a freak is not going to sell if they do not have anything to go with that.

He is asked about smart fans hurting the business. Orndorff said that is does to a point but the promoters and wrestlers have gotten away from the basics and are delivering a product that is not believable. He talks about how it is an insult to the fans intelligence for someone to get right up after they fall from a balcony.

He is asked about being phased out of WCW. He said that he was banged up at the time. He went to UWF and worked for Herb Abrams. Orndorff said that he was a good guy but wild and wanted to hang with the wrestlers. He then says that he wished more promoters shared his enthusiasm for the product. He said he liked him and didnt blow him off like others did.

On how he wound up in Smoky Mountain, he said that someone called him up but he forgets who. He liked it there and enjoyed teaching Brian Lee. He calls Ronnie Garvin a solid worker and an okay guy. He also said that Brad Armstrong did good but was on the small side.

He went back to WCW when Bill Watts was in charge. He said that the company was different and they had non-wrestling people in charge who knew nothing at all about wrestling.

He puts over Cactus Jack, saying he could talk and work but says that he did not have any respect for his body and if he did, he could still be wrestlnig today. He loved working with him as he always went all out. He also said that he was a nice guy.

Orndorff is asked about teaming with Vader. He said that he had all the tools to be a star but that he wanted to be a “Mexican.” He is referring to his highspots. Orndorff said that he should have been the hottest heel in the country but his attitude got in the way. Feinstein said they will get to their altercation later in the interview.

Next, he is asked if the locker room was angry over Erik Watts being pushed. He said he wasnt personally mad then adds that he wasnt even pushed that hard. He also adds that he was not ready for the spot. He knew Erik when he was a little kid and wanted to help him out.

Back to the company, Orndorff said Watts could have turned it around but the office would not let him. He says that Vince would never run a company the way that WCW did, especially when it comes to guaranteed contracts. Orndorff said that guaranteed deals give guys no incentive to work.

He thought 2 Cold Scorpio could have been something and was really good in Japan. He hated the Goldust gimmick but said that Dustin Rhodes could work. He calls Ricky Steamboat a professional.

When asked about conflicts between other wrestlers and Bill Watts, Orndorff said there was but he did not care to get involved as it just brings you down.

When Jim Herd replaced Watts, Orndorff said that he did not know much about him but that he helped them during interviews.

Orndorff is asked about Eric Bischoff. He replies that if you cant say something good about someone, dont say anything at all. He did say that Bischoff valued his opinion then mentioned how he was unable to win the race against Vince McMahon. He said that he predicted that from day one and that it would never work because Bischoff listened to the boys.

He calls Steve Austin his friend and is glad that he went to the WWE . He then adds that he needs to stop cussing so much.

On the subject of Pretty Wonderful, he said there were plans for them at one point.

When Hogan came to WCW, he said that he was a help to the company but when he turned is when the company really took off. Orndorff also adds that Hogan should have turned heel in the WWF.

He said that Randy Savage was different but worked hard. He never hung around with him outside the ring so does not know if he was paranoid.

Orndorff said that Jimmy Hart came up with the Gary Spivey angle. He adds that Hart was very underrated and had a smart mind for the business. Orndorff said he doesnt let things fall through the cracks and wishes him well in XPW.

Next, is his fight with Vader. He said that Dave Penzer asked him to do interviews and he said no then after Vader declined a few more times, Kevin Sullivan went up to Orndorff and asked him if he would talk to Vader. Orndorff says that the crew was union and had fifteen minutes until their break so he apporached Vader and asked if he could do it then Vader swore at him and Orndorff said that they went back and forth then Vader sucker punched him. Orndorff said that he got up and defended himself and evetually knocked him down then started kicking him in the face. He said that they got into it again and Orndorff took a few more shots at him. When asked about the locker room reaction, he said that they loved it . Orndorff wasnt proud of it.

Orndorff now talks about how hard it is to be a good wrestler today. He adds that he can teach anyone to bump in three months but to become a good worker, you need between 3-5 years of wrestling constantly and without territories, it is hard to accomplish. He then talks about how wrestling is just about showbiz now and that it is filled with profanity and nudity. He then adds that people will get burned out on the product and believes the economy will play a factor in wrestling’s popularity declining.

When asked about if he was pressured to return to the ring, he said that they always asked him and brings up his last match in WCW, when he hurt himself giving a piledriver to Mark Jindrak. He said that his legs were supposed to be straight but that Jindrak’s legs were bent and he couldnt drop him down because he would drop straight on his head so he altered the hold and when he hit the mat, his right arm went numb. He basically broke his neck again, according to him, and mentions that it toes become numb after walking and that he has to visit a pain clinic on a regular basis.

He is asked how WCW changed when Kevin Nash and Scott Hall entered the company. He said that they liked to stir things up and were not his kind of guys.

He is asked about the issues between Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff. Orndorff calls it a feud between an egomaniac and a spoiled brat. When asked if there was something they could have done to solved the problem, he said fire both of them then laughed afterwards.

Orndorff is asked about Hogan and Billy Kidman. He said that he would never lay down for a “Beanpole” like Kidman, who couldnt draw flies. He thought it was horrible

On the subject of Goldberg’s rise, Orndorff said that he never saw someone get over as quickly as Goldberg. He then says that Goldberg shouldnt have jobbed to Nash and should have threatened to go to the WWF and feud with Austin. He said that it would have drawn a ton.

About the younger wrestlers showing respect, Orndorff said 95% of the guys were very respectful towards him. He says that you have a few guys who think they are something when they are not, hinting that Kidman was one of them, who show up to the airports looking like a slob and cannot get recognized, despite being pushed on TV.

He denied that Vince ever contacted him about an office position. He said that he liked to train and knows talent. Orndorff claims he can tell in five minutes if someone has talent.

When asked about how he got involved with the WCW Power Plant, Orndorff said he was approached about training then came up with the idea of the Power Plant by himself. He says it was the finest place in the world then states that Sean O’Haire, Chuck Palumbo, and Johnny the Bull will all become stars, as long as they are serious and do not cop attitudes.

Still on the Power Plant, Orndorff said that you could not just show up and get trained. He said only about 5% of the tapes he received got selected. He said he gave guys between 4-6 weeks to get train before they showed up. Orndorff said that he broke in and had to go with four guys in a row for five minutes straight the very first day.

He didnt have favorite students and said that the ones who made it were good. He tried to be fair and everyone had to do the routines every day then adds that they were getting paid to train

Orndorff said that Bischoff was not involved much at all in the Power Plant. When asked about Les Thatcher, he calls him an “ambulance chaser” and has no respect for him as he went on TV and told everyone how easy it is to wrestle.

He never thought Paul Wight (Big Show) would be anything as he has no heart. He calls him a “fat basketball player” and would never be as good as Andre the Giant.

On Vince Russo, Orndorff said that he was just about shock TV and that didnt work with Turner due to them being a family station.

He is asked about the “Old Age Outlaws” gimmick. Orndorff said that he got good crowd responses.

Orndorff said that he does not like women in the business, especially when they beat men. He also doesnt like fat women.

When asked who ruined WCW, Orndorff said that they were just about competing with the WWF and didnt pay attention to their own product. He said that they should have spent time focusing on their own product.

Orndorff liked to work with athletes but hated going against guy just coasting for a payday or the old-timers who wouldnt do anything. He said a fan can easily tell who is just going through the motion in the ring

He is asked how to change the business. Orndorff said to go back to basics. He then says that they need to go back to recruiting athletes.

Orndorff is asked to rate himself as a worker. He says that he was athletic, had a great body, and was a badass. He then tells Feinstein to look up his matches and say who was better than him.

On giving advice to younger wrestlers, Orndorff said you have to work constantly but the problem is that there are not many places to do that.

He talks about his surgeries and is fearful on what will happen with his next surgery

Orndorff hopes that some young guys can come up today and bring back wrestling to what it was in the 1980’s. He also says that Vince is smart and will turn things around.

He is asked about having any regrets. He said that he has a lot due to him basically being a jerk when he was wrestling . Today, he claims that he has mellowed out and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.

He still keeps in touch with Curt Hennig, Rick Steiner, and Steve Austin but doesnt follows the current product.

When asked where he sees himself in ten years, he says that he now commits hmself to the lord. He says that he was not a nice guy back then. he no longer hates anyone either and sees himself working with kids. He seems sincere when discussing this issue.

Final Thoughts: This interview went on for way too long. They should have shaved off the last half hour or so as it just went nowhere. Feinstein’s questions near the end were redundant and he really had no idea to conduct an interview. He can only stick to his script of questions. Orndorff seemed like a straight shooter but he frequently stated how he didnt really hang around a lot of the guys in the locker room and mostly took care of himself yet Feinstein continued to ask him questions about that. Orndorff came off as bitter during the end but I have seen much worse from others in that regard. Also, he just might be his own biggest fan. He is also another wrestler that found the lord after admitting that he was a prick. I wouldnt really recommend this interview unless you are a diehard Orndorff fan.

I might have thrown this one up before, don’t remember. Punk and Austin trying to hype up WWE ’13. Austin channels his 1996-early 1997 persona by just being miserable and annoyed the whole time. Ross plays his role perfectly, being somewhat of a passive aggressive instigator. Was it just about the video game or were these guys possibly planting the seeds for something bigger that didn’t come to fruition? Either way everyone seemed to be in good form here although I almost forgot the calm, babyface version of Punk.

The Coliseum Video Rant – Andre The Giant I’ve decided that I kinda like the single-show format for these, so that’s what I’m gonna go with from now on. Saves me having to come up with goofy subtitles, too. I think the point of this tape is pretty self-evident.

Hosted by Lord Alfred Hayes, who relates a story about meeting 17 year old Andre in Europe in the 60s. Andre the Giant v. Moondog Rex From the Spectrum, and shot on what appears to be 16MM film rather than videotape. Andre takes Rex down with a headlock and whips him around the ring like a child, then finishes with a big boot and splash at 1:50. Clearly Andre was not paid by the hour. Andre beating the shit out of dudes is always great. 1 for 1. Battle Royale! This is from Jersey and the Murdoch/Adonis team would place this around late 84. We’ve got Slaughter, Adonis, Murdoch, Studd, Andre, Pat Patterson, Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Tiger Chung Lee, Iron Sheik, Mil Mascaras, Tito Santana, Jimmy Snuka and a few others that flew by too fast. There’s some giant star power in this one. Usual messy schmoz and after a couple of dead weights are tossed, Sheik eliminates Slaughter to trigger a brawl between them. Murdoch tosses Snuka off-camera and an annoyed Andre starts tossing guys, although the camera misses most of them. Three heels team up and get rid of Hogan, triggering a pretty good Hogan-Studd brawl that would appear to foreshadow the next show. Finally it’s a weird final four, with Andre, Murdoch, Adonis and generic Russian Alexis Smirnoff. The three heels team up on Andre, but he gets annoyed again and everyone goes flying to give Andre the win after a trademark Adonis corner flip at 11:05. Eh, it’s a battle royale. 1 for 2. Andre the Giant v. Giant Goliath & Black Gordman These two goofs are not as fearsome as their names would indicate. No idea where or when it’s from, but it looks old. There’s a false front row set up to sell the gimmick that Andre throws his opponents into the front row too often, and thus no one is allowed to sit there. So I guess someone’s constantly getting thrown into 75% of the seats in arenas that TNA runs, and that’s why no one is allowed to sit in THOSE seats. Makes sense. To demonstrate this, Andre throws one of the poor geeks in the front row, before they actually manage the miracle of taking him down! Andre even sells a couple of punches and one of the dweebs gets a foreign object and works Andre over with that, but Andre manhandles them like they’re toys and sits on them for the pin at 6:52. 1 for 3. Andre the Giant v. Jack Evans, Johnny Rodz & Joe Butcher Nova As Alfred notes, this is a bit more of a fair fight. Andre does some of the same spots as he did with the other two jobbers before, and fights off several dogpile attempts, and again Andre piles all three guys up and pins them at 3:20. I liked this one a bit more because the 3-on-1 deal was more of a spectacle and it was much more to the point. 2 for 4. Boxing Match: Andre the Giant v. Gorilla Monsoon This is from the famous Puerto Rico show where a rainstorm pounded the ring all show. Terrible “match” with Andre finishing him with a KO at 5:00. 2 for 5. Andre the Giant & Jimmy Snuka v. The Wild Samoans Snuka quickly gets caught in the Samoan corner and he’s so baffled by Afa trying to explain if and how they’re related that he gets beat on without any defense. And that shit just goes ON and ON. Finally even Andre is bored of waiting around and Snuka takes the hint and makes the hot tag. The crowd goes APESHIT and Andre destroys the Samoans and headbutts the shit out of poor Sika, allowing Snuka to climb onto Andre’s shoulders and finish with the Superfly splash at 9:00. The heat segment was dull as dishwater but the finish was MOLTEN. 3 for 6. The Masked Superstar v. Andre The Giant This was Bill Eadie’s last MSG appearance before making his return as Demolition Ax a couple of years later, and I believe this is from the undercard of one of the MTV shows. Andre overpowers him and tosses him around the ring, but Superstar manages to take him down and put him in the cobra clutch. Andre pulls at the mask to force a break, and sits on him to finish at 7:00. Meh. 3 for 7. Big John Studd & Ken Patera v. SD Jones & Andre the Giant From WWF TV in early 85. Jones does OK against Patera for a bit, but gets caught in the corner and whipped like the proverbial government mule. Patera dumps Jones and Andre just decides to come in and exact some vigilante justice, but the heels manage to double-team him until the ref calls for the DQ at 4:00. And with Andre down, they CUT HIS HAIR and Vince declares that they’re RAPING HIS DIGNITY. Fans are so pissed off that they’re throwing trash into the ring and everything. Classic stuff. 4 for 8. Andre appears on TNT with Vince to discuss his impending Wrestlemania match with Studd. And they throw to… Andre the Giant v. Ken Patera From MSG, as Andre’s revenge tour begins. Andre quite thoroughly beats on Patera and steps on him, then takes him to the floor and whips him into the railing to boot. This prompts Bobby to come in and attack Andre with brass knuckles, drawing the DQ. Andre calmly continues kicking both of their asses and lays an EPIC beating on Bobby. Heenan’s sell of Andre slapping him around should be taught in classrooms. Not exciting, but it was total destruction by Andre from start to finish as the heels got everything that was coming to them. I can’t imagine fans not getting their money’s worth out of this one. 5 for 9. Bodyslam Challenge: Andre the Giant v. Big John Studd From Wrestlemania, of course, with Studd putting up $15,000 against Andre’s career. We’ve covered this one enough, it’s terrible, we all know it. Andre of course slams Studd and throws the gimmicked money bag into the crowd. 5 for 10. The Pulse At .500 it’s right at the cutoff for a recommendation, although way too much time is taken up by the two handicap matches. It’s Andre, you know what you’re getting anyway. Next time: Best of the WWF Volume 2!

The Coliseum Video Rant 1A: Into Dorkness Jesse Baker writes: “please do a review of the first WWE coliseum home video if only for completion sake” How could I have guessed that he’d be the one with the OCD reaction to me skipping it? So here’s the first ever Coliseum Video in a special single tape edition! Wrestling’s Bloopers, Bleeps & Bodyslams! Hosted by Gorilla Monsoon. Did you know that WWF superstars can LITERALLY fly in and out of the squared circle? This is an 80 minute collection of clips rather than matches. – Andre the Giant humiliates Don Muraco during a 10-man tag match. 0 for 1. – Freddie Blassie gives advice to the lovelorn on TNT. Funny for a little bit but runs way too long. 0 for 2. – Iron Mike Sharpe squashes some dude, who loses his toupee during the match! That’s a funny bit. 1 for 3. – Tiger Chung Lee tries to break bricks on TNT, without much success. Vince McMahon is nearly cracking up watching him fail. 2 for 4. – Lou Albano has a soundbite on TNT. 2 for 5. – Tony Atlas and Paul Orndorff have a posedown at what appears to be the nightclub from the intros of Seinfeld. Atlas wins the popular vote and Orndorff attacks him. Dunno if this went anywhere. 2 for 6. – Iron Sheik introduces Vince McMahon to his camel. Sheik is actually trying to focus the interview on Sgt. Slaughter and Vince keeps trying to crack him up and throw him off by insulting the camel. 3 for 7. – Vince interviews Kamala and Fred Blassie on TNT, and Kamala tries to eat a live chicken. 3 for 8. – MIDGET MADNESS with the Haiti Kid. 3 for 9. – Ivan Putski teaches Vince how to polka. 3 for 10. – Hulk Hogan’s PYTHON POWDER. This of course is the greatest segment on any wrestling tape, ever. 4 for 11. – Lou Albano gives advice to the lovelorn on TNT. Lou complains about people who don’t use deodorant and are fat. Albano improvising and getting more and more worked up is funny stuff. 5 for 12. – The Samoans give a cooking demonstration on TNT, which Lord Alfred describes as “smelling worse than the bubonic plague.” Oh, that wacky racism. 5 for 13. – Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas win the tag titles from the Samoans when Lou Albano accidentally breaks a chair over Afa’s head. Then on TNT, Lou Albano denies all responsibility and throws his team under the bus. Now that’s a heel. 6 for 14. – Sal Bellomo makes pizza for Vince and Alfred. This gets a point for Vince making a joke about Alfred’s cocaine use. 7 for 15. – Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch take Mean Gene on a tour of the mean streets of New York. Okerlund and Adonis basically just riff and interact with various weirdos they meet along the way. Mean Gene stiffing the hot dog vendor because he’s too cheap is just tremendous. 8 for 16. – Johnny V gives his advice for the lovelorn on TNT. His gag is that he misses the obvious sexual overtones of the letters, and it’s not that funny. 8 for 17. – Andre sings the Fish Song on TNT and cracks everyone up. Gotta love him. 9 for 18. – Cyndi Lauper appears on Piper’s Pit and Lou Albano interrupts. 9 for 19. – Butcher Vachon gets married on TNT, and we get a wacky array of terrible wedding gifts at the reception. Blassie buys them glasses so his wife can inspect the tiny cheap diamonds on the ring. Ha! George Steele gives a toast while the heel managers egg him on and everyone seems to be legitimately pounding back the sauce. You can see Sika sitting in the background and just losing it every time some crazy thing happens or Lou Albano says something stupid. Even Jesse Ventura breaks up after Albano randomly comes by and burps into Vince’s microphone. Dr. D, drunk and pissed off at Vince, shoves the cake into the bride’s face, triggering a food fight to Vince’s horror. But then he goes ahead and throws a pie at George Steele anyway. It was lacking a snake in the wedding gifts and thus can’t be the greatest wrestling wedding reception in history, but it was damn close. Well worth looking up on YouTube and it basically saved the tape. Anyone know who the girl with the wrestling mask was? Albano and Steele tear her shirt off at the end before she’s hustled off to the side by the producers. 10 for 20. The Pulse Pretty middling stuff most of the way, but that wedding reception was one of the craziest things you’ll see from the 80s and ran for about 15 minutes on its own. And with a .500 record, that makes this one a thumbs up.

Honestly, 1999 was not really a banner year to be a wrestling fan (in ring…not talking about ratings…WWF was on FIRE that year with, as some wise man would say, the Russofication) but I was still watching most of it. So how come someone sends me this video and it was like seeing something for the first time? Goldberg? Herschel Walker? JCVD? CHUCK NORRIS? WHY DO I NOT REMEMBER THIS?

The Coliseum Video Rant 2.0 – 10.10.13 Much like Star Trek, I’m rebooting the franchise. Thanks to YouTube, I can start from the beginning of the series and probably lose interest after the second one. I’m skipping WF01 because it’s a compilation of skits called “Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams” and doesn’t really fit the series, but here’s WF02 (Hulkamania) and WF03 (The Best of the WWF Volume 1). As always, a point for stuff that works in any way, and no points if it doesn’t.   Tape #1: Hulkamania!   Hosted by Vince McMahon, from HOME VIDEO CONTROL, still doing his Howard Cosell cadence. He gives us highlights of the tape, which I don’t really like because I preferred the “What’s coming next?” surprises of the tapes. WWF World title: Hulk Hogan v. Greg Valentine From the Spectrum in August 84, featuring Hulk’s NWA National title variation on the belt. The Philly crowd is just JACKED for Hogan. Hogan quickly slugs Valentine into a Flair Flop and this is unfortunately edited, as we cut to the heat segment on Hogan. Valentine works on the knee with an indian deathlock and rams a chair into it, but Hulk does a primitive version of the Hulk Up and hits him with the axe bomber. Suplex from the apron and Hulk adds an atomic drop, as his comeback goes much longer than it would in later years. Valentine catches him with his head down and drops elbows, and we’re clipped again to another heat segment on Hogan. Hammer goes up and gets slammed off, but Hulk’s knee gives out and Greg goes back to work on it. Hulk escapes the figure-four, drops the leg, and we’re done at 8:29. Good start to the tape. 1 for 1. $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge: Hulk Hogan v. Big John Studd This is also a title match, but if Hogan slams him, he gets the money as well. EVERYTHING’S COMING UP HOGAN. From December 84 in New Jersey. The egregious music editing during the intros would seem to indicate that “Eye of the Tiger” was still Hulk’s theme. Welcome to 1984: Some dude in the front row has a Kodak 110 camera with about 18 flash cubes stacked on top. Good times. They fight over the slam and Hulk slugs away and hits the big boot, but can’t get the slam. Clothesline and another try, but Studd clubbers his way out of it. Hulk keeps coming with the corner clothesline and ALMOST gets it, but Studd grabs the ropes and they brawl outside. So Hulk starts bleeding and Studd beats on him outside, and then back in for LUCHA STUDD off the top with the CLUBBING FOREARM OF DEATH. Back elbow gets two. Studd slams him and sadly can’t collect $15,000 off it. Back to the floor as Studd keeps beating on him, but Hulk makes the comeback and slams Studd out there. Gorilla notes it wasn’t in the ring, so he doesn’t get the money, but the match is over at 8:00 for some other reason, which turns out to be Studd getting counted out. How do you book a screwjob in a bodyslam challenge? 1 for 2. Hulk Hogan makes his PYTHON POWDER SMOOTHIE for Vince and Lord Alfred on TNT. OH MY FUCKING GOD, why didn’t someone show this to the feds before they started prosecuting?!? Hogan adding the “magic powder” to make them stronger should have locked both guys up for 20 years. And then he pulls out a BAGGIE filled with packages of PILLS! Hulk notes that he eats one of these pills every day and doesn’t need any other painkillers, and if you’re looking small in the gym, they’ll help you get bigger. The secret ingredient: Kryptonite. Is that the street name, I wonder? BEST SEGMENT EVER. 2 for 3. WWF World title: Hulk Hogan v. Dr. D David Schultz From Minneapolis, sometime in 1984 you’d presume as a giant “Fuck you” to Verne Gagne, and Hulk has the rare powder blue tights. Schultz lays him out and chokes him down with his headband, which gets two. Dr. D pounds away in the corner and Hulk bails to the floor, where D adds a chairshot that busts Hulk open. Back in, Schultz drops the flying elbow, but he chooses not to cover, and that gives Hulk time make the comeback. Axe bomber and an elbowdrop gets two, but Hulk picks him up and decides to beat the shit out of him some more. Legdrop gets two, but he wants more. So they head to the floor and Hogan, SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR, runs the already beaten Schultz into the post to bust him open. BE A STAR, jerk. Back in with Schultz making a comeback and going up, but the flying elbow misses this time. Hulk levels him with a lariat to finish at 9:00. Schultz lays him out and steals the WWF title, and that of course is the only thing Hulk cares about, so he takes it back and chases him off. Does petty revenge make you feel better, Hulk? This all set up the super-duper-rare Hulk Hogan & John Stossell v. Dr. D & Richard Belzer tag match that I don’t think has ever been featured on DVD yet. I think Hogan won that one with a facelock. 3 for 4. WWF World title, cage match: Hulk Hogan v. Big John Studd Back to April 84 now for some reason, even though the dubbed Gorilla commentary tries to sell it as the rematch from earlier in the tape. Hulk still has the ugly green belt here that he originally won from Shieky baby. Studd quickly drops an elbow and tries to walk out, but it turns out that it’s just VERY edited because Hulk is bleeding all over the place and we’re obviously late into the match. Cut to double juice and Studd dropping the clubbing forearm off the middle rope. They fight at the door and Hulk keeps him from leaving, and they slug it out. Studd goes down and Hulk drops the leg, but can’t crawl out the door. So Hulk kicks Studd in the face and crawls out on his belly like the coward he is at 5:48. 3 for 5. Meanwhile, Vince McMahon interviews Hulk about how he got into the sport and he manages to lie about EVERYTHING even in this short bit. 3 for 6. WWF World title: Iron Sheik v. Hulk Hogan And of course we finish with this one, which we’ve covered a million times, as Hogan wins in 5:00 with the legdrop and kicks off four years of our national nightmare. 4 for 7, since it changed the course of history and all. This one barely passes, but the Python Powder segment is a must-watch, especially if you’re a federal agent looking for evidence against Hogan and Vince. Tape #2: The Best of the WWF Volume 1 Hosted by Vince McMahon. Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant v. Big John Studd, Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch From New Jersey in 1984, and this is quite the tag match. Adonis and Murdoch were the tag champions at this point and I’m not even sure what the setup for this would be. Adonis starts on Hogan’s arm and gets caught in the babyface corner, but Hulk gets double-teamed in return. We’re clipped to Studd and Andre, and then over to Hulk beating on Adonis. Andre REALLY beats on him as Adonis bumps all over the ring, and then Andre traps all three heels in the corner and beats on them at the same time! Finally Andre puts his head down and Studd puts him down, and Andre is YOUR giant-in-peril. Murdoch goes up with a knee from the top and pounds away, then uses the tag rope to choke Andre down. Murdoch slugs away, but Andre chokes him right back and brings Hogan in to clean house. Murdoch catches him with an elbow and we’re clipped to Adonis dropping knees on Hogan and Studd holding a facelock. Hogan fights out and it’s hot tag Andre, as kicks everyone’s ass. The heels all bail and Studd runs for the dressing room while the tag champs double-team Hogan and get nowhere. Hogan no-sells Murdoch’s punches and Andre sits on him to finish at 9:29. Murdoch and Adonis as diabolical heels is always fun, and Andre kicking the crap out of people will never ever get old. 1 for 1. WWF Women’s title: The Fabulous Moolah v. Wendi Richter This would be from the Bout To Knock The Other Guy Out, of course. Moolah attacks and chases Richter to the floor, and we’re clipped to Moolah getting the heat on Wendi. This was a pretty short match and even then they had to edit it down to something watchable. Richter ties her up in the ropes and we’re clipped again to Cyndi Lauper getting a cheapshot on Moolah. Richter gets a dropkick for two and a suplex for two, and we’re clipped again to Moolah hitting a backdrop for two. Clipped again to Moolah rolling her up for the apparent pin, but Richter gets the shoulder up and wins the title at 4:00 aired. Terrible on every level. 1 for 2. Gorilla Monsoon v. Baron Mikel Scicluna This is famous for other reasons, as Muhammad Ali is at ringside watching. The Baron attacks and gets nowhere, as a chop from Gorilla puts him on the floor, prompting Ali to get all riled up and throw challenges at Monsoon. So he comes into the ring and wants a boxing match, but Gorilla grabs him in an airplane spin to send him fleeing. This sets up the famous promo from Gorilla, where he declares that Ali “doesn’t know a wristlock from a wristwatch”. Crazy stuff. Can you imagine Floyd Mayweather or Anderson Silva going on national TV and being made to look like a fool now? 2 for 3. Jimmy Snuka v. Bobby Bass Another TV match, as Snuka squashes this guy and finishes with the Superfly splash. 2 for 4. Piper’s Pit with Jimmy Snuka. Piper’s racism aside, this remains a classic. Best moment: After calling Snuka a “monkey who lives in the trees” and pelting him with bananas, Snuka asks “Are you making fun of me?” No wonder Piper cracked him on the head with the coconut. 3 for 5. Rowdy Roddy Piper v. Jimmy Snuka So yeah, this one tore up the house show circuit for a while. Snuka of course attacks him right away as Piper bumps all over, but a poke to the eyes turns the tide. Snuka fights back with a sleeper and Piper takes him to the floor to break, so Snuka RAMS him into the post. Piper is crazy to take the bump so hard. Back in, Piper is bleeding and Snuka goes nuts with rage. He goes up to finish, but Piper trips him up and he bumps to the floor for a countout at 5:51. 4 for 6. WWF Junior Heavyweight title: The Cobra v. Black Tiger The title is being held in abeyance at this point. Black Tiger is Mark Rocco, not Eddie Guerrero, of course. Cobra puts him down with a spinkick and a gut wrench suplex for two, and they have a stalemate. Cobra pounds the back and hits a gutbuster into a Boston crab, and then hooks Tiger with a bow and arrow. Clipped to Cobra dropkicking the Tiger out of the ring and then slamming him back into the ring, but Tiger comes back via the magic of editing with a clothesline for two. Clipped again to Cobra hitting a leg lariat for two and dropkicking Tiger out of the ring, then following a SUICIDE DIVE. In 1984! Black Tiger comes back in with a floatover suplex for two and a TOMBSTONE for two! Another one is reversed by Cobra and he goes up with a top rope senton to finish at 7:00. Holy cow, what a finish! The title went back to Japan with Cobra and never returned that I know of. 5 for 7. Hulk Hogan arrives at Mean Gene’s house to train him for their tag match, and Gene is smoking a cigar while drinking coffee and eating a pancake breakfast. They go on a run and Gene tries to stop for a beer and sausage, to no avail. Gene’s commitment to the gag earns a point by itself. I nearly deduct the point for the visual of Gene carrying Hogan on his back while grunting in pain, but I’m nothing if not generous. 6 for 8. Hulk Hogan & Mean Gene Okerlund v. Mr. Fuji & George Steele We’ve covered this one a bunch as well, and it’s a famously silly match from Minneapolis with Hogan beating both heels by himself and putting Gene on top of Fuji for the pin. Just harmless fun. 6 for 9. Bruno Sammartino v. Larry Zbyszko This would be the complete opposite of harmless fun, as this is a “scientific exhibition” between teacher and student that kicked off a violent feud. They fight over a waistlock and Bruno gets the best of that, but Larry gets a hiptoss for two. Bruno takes him down with a drop toehold and Larry is getting flustered and slams Bruno for two. Bruno slams him right back and Larry’s rage is building. He tries the abdominal stretch and Bruno quickly throws him away. Larry with another slam for two and he goes to a half-crab, but Bruno escapes that as well. Criss cross and Bruno hiptosses him, and now Larry gets so worked up that he walks right into a bearhug. Bruno quickly breaks out of sportsmanship, which only makes it worse. Larry bumps to the floor and Bruno holds the ropes open, so Larry BLINDSIDES him and absolutely destroys him to take out his frustrations. This results in a DQ at 9:24, and Bruno eats a chairshot and bleeds all over. What a great storyline and payoff. And Zbyszko STILL won’t shut up about it to this day. 7 for 10. Cage match: Bruno Sammartino v. Larry Zbyszko So we finish the tape with this classic from Shea Stadium. Bruno attacks and chokes him out in the corner to start, then sends him into the cage all over the place and rakes his face into it. Larry goes low and stomps him down, but can’t make it out of the cage, so he rams Bruno into it a few times and tries to climb out. Bruno yanks him down and they slug it out, which goes Bruno’s way. He rams Larry into the cage, but he tries to climb out again and Bruno slams him off the top again. Larry eats the cage a few more times and Bruno chokes him out in the corner, but Larry slugs him down and pounds away in the corner. Larry manages to tear open a gash in Bruno’s arm and he tries to walk out, but Bruno yanks him back in again and sends him into the cage. Into the post and Larry does the obligatory blade, so Bruno sends him into the cage a few more times to really give the fans their money’s worth. He kicks Larry in the head one more time, wipes his sweat onto him, and then walks out to win. Just a total fight from start to finish. 8 for 11. Hell of a collection here. The Pulse I’d give both a pretty solid recommendation, actually. The later Hogan tapes would get pretty insufferable once it turned into the “Hogan v. big fat heel” formula over and over, but this was a nice mixture of stuff, as was the Best of the WWF debut.

This interview was filmed in December of 2012. It is an hour and a half long

The
interview starts with Dupree being asked about his earliest memories of
wrestling. His father, Emile Dupree, was the promoter of the Maritimes
promotion in Canada. He said he was going to shows for as long as he could
remember. He also remembered as a kid, guys like Harley Race and Dynamite Kid
at his house drinking with his dad.

This interview was filmed on October 2, 1999. It runs about two hours and fifteen minutes long

The interview starts with Tully being asked about his college career. Tully said it was a free education. He said that he was a quarterback in high school and started for three years. He said that a lot of schools in the Southwest Conference offered him scholarships and he chose Southern Methodist University. He refers to college football as a “meat market” and said you were pressured constantly. Midway through his freshman season, the coach that recruited him got fired and they ended up changing the whole offense and he didn’t get along with the new coach and was moved to fullback. He came back to school as a sophomore and was bigger than before then was switched to defensive end then primarily on the kickoff team. He says that shocked him and he ended up dropping out of school before the first game as he did not want to be a special teamer.

Final Thoughts:  I thought it was a decent shoot but it didn’t really blow me away or anything. Tully had a good mind for the business but it’s evident by his stories and just by listening to him speak that he easily rubbed people the wrong way and had little awareness he was doing just that. Tully did have a lot of long pauses and did preach quite a bit and if the interviewers weren’t in such awe, they might have been able to reign in him when he went off topic. This was just as much about Tully the person as it was his wrestling career. He does not go in depth during the people he worked with and they spend little time covering his stay in the WWF. I would recommended it strongly for fans of Tully and for those who are not and a fan of shoots, I would give it a mild recommendation.

> With ROH possibly folding in the next couple of years, could u see Trips going after their library??

WWE will own everything available when all is said and done, so of course. The money from one DVD release that does reasonably well pays for the minimal cost of the entire library.

Speaking of DVDs, I was checking out the MSG listing, and what a huge disappointment that one is. Shawn v Razor AGAIN? Only 4 pre-Hogan matches? What nostalgic fans are buying this thing for The Hardy Boyz v The Dudley Boyz in 2000?

This
interview was filmed in June 2013. The runtime is just under two hours long.

Here are the three choices:

Ric Flair & Terry Funk
Honky Tonk Man & Raven
Matt Hardy & Shane Helms

Vote by clicking on the link below. Voting ends at 8pm Sunday.

Which RF Video “Face-Off” Shoot Would you like to see Reviewed?