WEBVTT
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Channel, let yourself Seesty, Channel Time and thirty.
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History Chattel.
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Welcome back to the Wrestling History Channel. I'm Steve Fallen.
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On today's edition, I'm going to give you a classic
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interview with one of your favorite wrestlers. Enjoy on today's edition,
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I'm talking to Dos wonder Kid.
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It's Alex right from w CW. How are you doing today?
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Very good, Steve? How about you?
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I am doing amazing. But also I did a little
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math before we started this, and today I really want
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to dive into the first WCW Nitro, which is coming up.
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On twenty nine years.
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Ago, old old.
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Talk about those days. Really enjoyed.
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I enjoyed it, I know because the previous when I
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talked to you before, we talked about, you know, every
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little bit in point that people bring up about your career.
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But really diving into one specific date and time and
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month for you is interesting because what were your thoughts
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about heading into this WCW Nitro, Because this is the
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first time that Nitro is going to go head to head,
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you know with mod Night Raw. Now this week Raw
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is preempted when Nitro airs, but obviously this is a
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kind of like a gunshot you're like, we're coming for you.
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And how did WCW feel about this?
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Well, we were all very excited about that, you know,
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going head to head with Raw.
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It was a big deal. Everybody was looking forward to it.
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And I think it was in Minneapolis, right, first time,
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all of America exactly, yeah, exactly, I've been there, and.
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Yeah, everybody wanted to be on that show.
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Sadly, I think I didn't have a spot at the
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first show, but of course I was watching it. I
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was backstage, and it was incredible. Yeah, it was the
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beginning of a really great era and wrestling.
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What was the backstage atmosphere like though, because again, arenas
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are a common thing professional wrestling.
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It's the Mall of America, some reality tickets.
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You can just get on the escalator and go up
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and look down and watch wrestling for free. But what
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was the backstage atmosphere like? Thinking that we're going to
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be at the Mall of America, are you wondering like,
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is this a good idea a bad idea?
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No? Actually we thought that it was a very good
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idea because it was a special place. You know, it
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created attention and you know for all the viewers which
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don't know, but there's actually a roller coaster in that mall,
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you know, you can drive and stuff. I mean, it's
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huge mall and it's very impressive being there, so it's
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really a standout point to have a show there.
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So everybody was anyway excited just because we have a
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live show.
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It was one hour, and everybody knew whether it was
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going to be a great success or you know, we
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are all finished.
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So but apparently we did good and they came up
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with two hours life and yeah, it was really great.
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Yeah.
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And when Lex Luger showed up unannounced on Nitro, this
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is the first time he was on WWF television. Just
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a few weeks before that he was at a house
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show over the weekend. Now he's on Nitro. What was
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your reaction backstage?
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Well, all the guys popped, you know, because we didn't
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know about it. Of course it was a secret.
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And even better was the crowd reaction, you know, I mean,
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the crowd knew something very special is going on this evening.
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You know, that's that's we're writing history at that moment
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because WCW, you know, challenges ww and but yeah, it
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was great.
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It was one of the mo craziest moments because over
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the past to nine years they have played that clip
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over and over and over again of Lex Lugrian, some
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silky like pirate looking type shirt walking out unannounced, and
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this became, I guess a calling card for WCW. Did
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you feel like at one point while you were there,
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it suddenly became the WWF show because anybody they kept
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bringing in, They're like, oh, they're free, let's bring them in.
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Match him in, Hulk Cogan, Lex Luger, Irs million of
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the man like it keeps.
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The list goes on and on and on and on.
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At what point, with you being, I guess not an
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original WCW wrestler.
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But you were there before the era of bringing in
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WWF wrestlers, Like, what was your thought on that?
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Well, if you look at the product overall, then of
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course was a good idea to bring on in all
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those stars because they, you know, had a lot of
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fan base. And of course it was like a statement
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which WCW did. They said, Hey, listen, we're top dog. Now,
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we have the money, we have everything, we have the
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better show. That's why everybody and the big stars wanted
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to work for us, you know. So on that hand,
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it was actually good because it draw a lot of attention.
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You know, we took a lot of w W fans
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to w CW. But for us guys, like you said before, I.
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Mean I was a young guy.
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You know, we got lost in the shuffle there somewhere,
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you know, because the focus was on all the old stars,
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and the major problem from w CW, in my opinion,
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was always that they weren't able to build their own stores.
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They just built a few stores like Goldberg.
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And the Giant, you know, but that's it most of
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of course, staying and joining bad. I mean, they were
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huge stars, but if you compare it to WWE, I
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mean they put.
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Out star star star stars.
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So you know that made that was a problem for
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WCW because we were always depending on on all their
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guys and they didn't have that look in the future
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that some days those older guys they can perform like
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in the when they were young. Plus some of them
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are retired, so you need to build up young stars,
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and that's what was missing in the WCW.
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I agreed.
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You know, Vince mcman when he went around and bought
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all the territories and took their top stars, say like
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Hacksaw Jim Duggan or a million dollar man.
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He was.
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He was taking people who were already created, bringing them over,
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giving them kind of like a new gimmick, and then
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establishing WCW did the opposite.
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They were like, we're gonna bring you in and you're
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gonna be exactly who you were.
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And then when we get we get a lawsuit towards us,
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like I R S Erwin Scheistcheer, Mike Rotundo.
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He came in as mister you know VK.
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Wall Street like a little a little wink on I
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R S type of character. Plus you're making fun of
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Vincic Man using VK as your initials. So it's like, well,
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but again, can't blame the success because it was successful
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for so many years.
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So for the product overall was good, you know.
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And since the characters or the gimmicks were very similar
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to the w W characters, it meant that the defense
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weren't that confused.
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You know, they just could.
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Switch channels out there's a million dollars or whatever, There's
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Metro Man and stuff like that. So I was good
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for the product and for WCW. But for the younger guys.
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No, I wouldn't think so I remember them bringing the
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Big Boss Man and call him just boss Man, and
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then people, I think the WWF was like we're sending
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you a lawsuit, like like you can't do that. Then
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he was the Guardian. Then he went back to his
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old name, Big Bubba Rogers. And when you see that
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name on a billing, if you see it on a post,
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you're like, who the hell is that because you know
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him as the Big boss Man. You know, Hulk Kogan,
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a Machia Man got to keep their name. But yeah,
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I always felt it was strange because as WSW would
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go on, you know, you had Goldberg and you had
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other characters, but in reality, it's like you kept buying
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more people from other companies. Ultimate Warrior came in from
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you know, he was in four years, Mike Awesome from
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E c W. It's like they just kept buying up
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people from other places instead of being.
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Like, you know, we have a power plant and we
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could use those those.
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People a lot of great talents in the power plant.
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Very young and hungry guys. I mean, they could have
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brought a lot of stuff to the product also, you know.
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But yeah they did.
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They did later on, like when you were Berlin and
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they had you know, Sean O'Hair, Mark Jindrak and Mike
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Sanders and they had uh natural born thrillers. So they
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started bringing in people, but it might have been too late.
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Yeah, it definitely was too late.
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Yeah, from your perspective, though, how did Eric Bischoff pitch
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Nitro to the roster? Like is there a sit down meeting?
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Is there a memo or like, Hey, everybody, we're gonna
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do this. We're gonna go head ahead with WWF as
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some people rolling their eyes going like what are you thinking?
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You?
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What are you gonna do? Like was there a meeting
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about this?
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Well, it's a really long time.
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Ago, twenty nine years.
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Yeah, there were rumors beforehand and then so one night
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at the before the show, we had a.
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Big sit down everybody, big meeting and he explained his
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ideas and stuff like that. Yeah, everybody was excited actually
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at that moment because that meant we are expanding, we
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you know, getting more attention and the Yeah, like I said,
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the whole locker room under Eric Bushoff in those beginning
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years where I was, there was really a good, good
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atmosphere and they're all motivated and they all wanted to
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work and give their best, And that was actually a
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how should I say at a present? How you say
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if you did something good and you get something what's the.
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Word in English if you do something and you get
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something good?
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I don't know. Not karma, I guess, No, not a fail.
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I mean like if you work hard for the boss
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and he gives something extra because.
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You work hard, like a bonus.
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It's like a bonus to us. Yeah, we thought we
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were all looking at it great. Now you know, did not?
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They invest more?
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It's live TV and you know, made us even much
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bigger stars than you know, and another platform, you know,
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airtime is it's very important for for wrestlers. You know,
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the more the more airtime you get, the more fame
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you get, or the more money you get or you
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sell more merchandise or whatever.
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So actually everybody was looking forward to.
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And then what were your thoughts because before this you
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had Saturday Nights events, you had six oh five on TBS,
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and that was ww's big staple. Those were pre taped,
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those weren't not live unless you did a Clash of
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the Champions. You're going live now week every week, not
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just you know, one week like RAW would do. You're
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going every well, every week for you as a performer,
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Is it easier for you to be live because you know,
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if you know you need to be perfect and crisp
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or being taped, you're like, well if I screw up that,
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we can fix that.
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Well, actually we did go live beforehand. Also, we did
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have Sunday Live. We did that a few times before.
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Maybe I was like a trial, I don't know. Of
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course we did pay per views.
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Well yeah, pay per views. I'm more like a weekly show.
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But yeah, yeah, but what did they were live?
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So we could We're kind of used to working live
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close if you do a lot of house shows, which
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we did at that time. I mean I was on
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the road for in thirty days in a month, I
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was like twenty five twenty six days gone.
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We're working.
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Yeah, so everybody from us had a lot of experience
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working live. Basically, the difference was live TV, you know.
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And but I don't think.
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It didn't bother me, you know, because I always wanted
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to be crisp and do good job in the ring,
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and I think everybody else will just thought it the
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same way. You know that they were all because everybody
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in the in the in at that level and the
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business you know, they're pros and they know when they
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step in the ring they have to perform because if
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they don't perform, they're going to be follow us.
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Either they lose their job, or.
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They make less money or you know, the fan base
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you know, gets smaller or whatever. You know, So everybody
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I wanted to work out anyway, but that was a
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bonus and it motivated even more. You know.
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00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.799
Now, what were your thoughts on Nitro eventually giving away
247
00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:01.279
the results of Monday Night Raw I've on TV right
248
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before Raw went live, Nitro would give away the results, Like,
249
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what were you thinking? He thought, well, that's dirty play,
250
00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:12.360
but hey, we're in it's kind of a war or man,
251
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I don't know.
252
00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.840
I don't know if you do that provocation to Vince,
253
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you know.
254
00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:17.639
You can't do that.
255
00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:22.639
Yeah, you know, it's but I don't think it made that.
256
00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:24.639
Much of a difference, you know, I think it don't
257
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take sense, not really, you know. I think.
258
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.279
What what made the difference is that the people talked
259
00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.080
more about it, because then then it started, you know,
260
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w c W war against w WE because of such things.
261
00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:46.000
You know, that's where it's like a yeah, like storyline
262
00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:48.600
in some way, you know, and.
263
00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:51.759
That's which created a.
264
00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:53.519
Lot of talk, you know, a lot of rumors, a
265
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lot of stuff, you know, And on that hand it
266
00:13:55.519 --> 00:14:00.960
was good, but business wise it wasn't necessary.
267
00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:03.639
But you know, vincient man, he did a lot of
268
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stuff also.
269
00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:08.639
So there's no good and bad guy.
270
00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:09.879
It's just business, you know.
271
00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.559
Yeah, there was a lot of funny perspective over the years,
272
00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.080
for a long time, for at least twenty of the
273
00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.120
twenty nine years we're talking about. Is maybe there is,
274
00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:19.919
Like Vince was like.
275
00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:22.679
Well, it's unfair and they're doing this to me. I'm
276
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just a family owned company and I'm a good guy. Really, really,
277
00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:31.919
you didn't put out all the territories by buying up
278
00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:35.159
their top talent first, then coming back around to buy
279
00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:38.679
the business after they've been deluded of all talent and
280
00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:41.600
have no more money and no more collateral nowhere to
281
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fight you.
282
00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.679
Well, that that happened a few years ago all over
283
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in Europolso they.
284
00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:52.960
Bought with that XTUK right, Well.
285
00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.759
Yeah, they just bought all the talents. There was no
286
00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.759
no talent anymore, you know. So it was hard for
287
00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:00.039
the companies the DC.
288
00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.679
You know, like like Gunther and Pete Dunn and people
289
00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:04.240
like that.
290
00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:08.840
Like Gunther and Pete Dunn and Tyler Bate and Trent
291
00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:10.360
and seven and all those guys.
292
00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:14.840
Exactly, all those guys, you know. So yeah, but that's
293
00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:16.200
the business. I mean.
294
00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:20.440
I mean, I run my own promotion also in European
295
00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.399
championsh Wrestling, and I'm always aware of the fact that
296
00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.840
I'm just a small small wheel, you know.
297
00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:30.639
So that's the big company.
298
00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.240
And of course guys which get the chance to work
299
00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:35.720
for a big company, they leave.
300
00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:38.960
That's just normal, that's life. You have to expect that.
301
00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.000
So I'm not mad at that stuff or whatever. It's
302
00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.639
just how business works.
303
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.320
Well, because I think I remember even your story you
304
00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:50.159
told me where was you did have a contract with
305
00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:53.200
a company what in Germany and to get out of
306
00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.679
that you had to, like I think it was like
307
00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:57.320
you had to squirre them get to get out of
308
00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.919
that deal to come to America to work for deb CD.
309
00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.399
Well, they were very understanding, you know, and they had
310
00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:07.240
a very good relationship to the TWA office because of
311
00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:10.240
my dad. No, I mean he were many many, many
312
00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:13.360
many years for them, So that wasn't there a problem.
313
00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:14.840
They were very understanding.
314
00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:19.039
But yeah, like I said, it's a big company. And
315
00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:25.159
of course, actually I'm happy for everybody would make it
316
00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:26.000
to the top, you know.
317
00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:27.679
I mean I have a lot of students of mine.
318
00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.080
They were for my company, and I get him in
319
00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:34.000
other companies, and if they have a chance for the
320
00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:36.320
big companies, I'm just happy and proud for them, you.
321
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:42.799
Know, because you, if I'm correct, you trained Geevanni Vinci right, yes, awesome,
322
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.480
And then unfortunately for him, where they gave him some
323
00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:49.720
new gimmick and everything was gonna honky dory, he lost
324
00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:52.240
his first match, and then everyone thought it was the storyline,
325
00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:53.840
and then about a month later.
326
00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:54.360
He was laid off.
327
00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:57.000
And so you look at that stuff and you go, well,
328
00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:59.559
he's he had the opportunity, but did.
329
00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:02.039
He He he was always a company man. I mean
330
00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:03.879
he's a really hard working guy.
331
00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:07.799
He's always a company He was always very loyal and
332
00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:13.640
reliable work in my company and also in WB and
333
00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.200
in my opinion, they just didn't use him the correct way.
334
00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:20.960
I mean, he's an unbelievable talent. I mean he had
335
00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:24.279
he had in Europe unbelievable matches. That's why he was
336
00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:28.279
so popular over here, and they just missed out on
337
00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.759
him not using his talent. They just missed it, you know,
338
00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:35.559
because I mean, if you think about the European market,
339
00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.279
he could have been such big draw for the European
340
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.000
Marcup market. And last time they had that Berlin that
341
00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:47.200
show in Berlin TV show, they didn't even put him.
342
00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:47.519
On the card.
343
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.440
So you know, I mean that's not very business smart,
344
00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.319
I would say, but who knows.
345
00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:56.640
You know, I've been in the business so long, and
346
00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:57.240
I don't know.
347
00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.480
I think some other stuff played into you know, like
348
00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:05.079
you know, backstage politics and stuff. But on my hand,
349
00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.799
I can say five and is a real good guy
350
00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.279
and he just wants to have good matches.
351
00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:13.440
He's not into backstage politics or anything like that. So
352
00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:18.960
I don't know. Maybe it's just jealousy or whatever is it?
353
00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:22.400
As you were WW with sharks like Hogan and Nash
354
00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:24.319
and Hall might have been good people.
355
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:26.000
But also how do you stay on top?
356
00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.960
Well, unfortunately, to stay on top, you have to push
357
00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:31.039
down the people who have potential to grow and go
358
00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:35.079
up higher. And so you're possibly Giovanna Vinci, He's part
359
00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:37.319
he was part of Imperium with Gunther and Ludwig.
360
00:18:37.480 --> 00:18:40.680
Well, how do you get these two to be more popular?
361
00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.720
Well, I guess you gotta chop down one tree to
362
00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:45.079
let the other ones grow.
363
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.960
Yeah, who knows, you know.
364
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.079
I mean it's just sad, But I'm sure he will
365
00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.359
make his way in some other companies.
366
00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:56.640
I just can recommend him.
367
00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:00.359
He's a great worker, right, and so many great wrestler
368
00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:03.400
as recently a few months back, we're laid off and
369
00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:05.000
some people were just shocked at.
370
00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.079
Some of these announcements.
371
00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:08.279
And some are like, okay, I understand, and at the
372
00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:10.960
times every people are like what how has this even possible?
373
00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.000
I just, in my opinion, actually is good. He was
374
00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:17.680
released because he was such a good company man that
375
00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:21.759
he never would give his notice to them, so stayed
376
00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:24.480
at stayed in state, and now they released him. And
377
00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.160
now he's free, and can you know, look to other
378
00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:31.519
companies and you know, make his mark over there.
379
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.880
True great freshens up the indie market as well the
380
00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.160
all your company and other companies around, where suddenly you
381
00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.480
have sixteen wrestles all laid out from the WWE. Well,
382
00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.119
those sixteen wrestlers can go off and end up in
383
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.880
different places. Suddenly more tickets are purchased because they want
384
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.079
to see that person they saw on Raw or smack Down.
385
00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:51.559
And now they've created a new following because of their
386
00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.359
original following, at least.
387
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:55.039
From the w WFS perspective.
388
00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.839
But for E sorry, when you have about wsw my
389
00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.319
brain goes into f all the time, all the time.
390
00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:03.000
I did too many podcasts.
391
00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:04.799
But to mey wrestler, as we talked about the past,
392
00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:09.240
but was there ever discussion for you to be on
393
00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:11.559
the Nitro broadcast the first one of them all of
394
00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:15.079
America because there is a dark match before the actual broadcast,
395
00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:16.160
but you're not on it.
396
00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.799
It's the American males, Buff Bagel and Scotti Riggs.
397
00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:24.559
Kind recall, No, but I was on anything as on
398
00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:25.440
the second one.
399
00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.000
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're you're you're on
400
00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:30.079
the you're all all of the shows, but this one
401
00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:35.240
it's it's you're just not on there. Yeah, And that
402
00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:37.759
interesting because yeah, I'm wondering, did you ever hear of
403
00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.000
discussed matches or last minute changes that occurred, because again,
404
00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:43.920
your backstage like who's backstage and the whole roster is there.
405
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.759
That's that's a long time ago, you know, just because
406
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:54.640
it was Nitro that the backstage stress was just the
407
00:20:54.680 --> 00:20:58.119
same as any other paper view or whatever we did.
408
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:01.759
So it wasn't that big of a difference. At least
409
00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.759
I didn't notice that. You know, it was the same
410
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:08.240
old you know, you had the matches, you had, the promos,
411
00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:11.319
you had, it's all, you know, it was just life.
412
00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:12.400
That was the only difference.
413
00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:13.599
You know.
414
00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.359
Interesting now looking looking back, though, do you think Nitro
415
00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:21.079
was the beginning of like the creative revolution, the revolution
416
00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:24.880
of professional wrestling in general, because suddenly a format was
417
00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:29.119
created and people stuck to it.
418
00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:34.880
Revolution that's a strong word because it means everything else
419
00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:38.480
what was beforehand doesn't apply anymore.
420
00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:41.640
Like revolution is something you really changed. And I don't
421
00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.279
think WCW invented the wheel.
422
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.000
You know, it was just the live show, which w
423
00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:54.200
W did many many years beforehand. And but we showed
424
00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:57.279
that WCW is actually able to put on a show
425
00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:01.119
which is as good as Raw.
426
00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:01.880
Or even better.
427
00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:07.039
So I think that opened the eyes to a lot
428
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:11.200
of fans that there's something else out there instead of
429
00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.720
just WB.
430
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:15.559
But I wouldn't think it's a revolution.
431
00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.559
The only reason I use that word is because of
432
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.400
the way it was presented. Because Raw was only rot
433
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:26.200
live once a week, Nitro went live every week. Nitro
434
00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:30.680
gave away results to other programs and Nitro suddenly was
435
00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:35.279
doing like the nWo became this gang fighting in the backstage.
436
00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:36.880
You didn't see backstage.
437
00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.519
You saw a blue you saw fake lockers, and they
438
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.680
do interviews in front of them. This was the first
439
00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:47.480
time you're exposing that there's more than just the It's
440
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:49.720
not it's a TV show yet, but I think it's
441
00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:52.359
real too. I think that's where I bring up revolution,
442
00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:54.160
because they expanded.
443
00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:57.039
In that sense, I understand. Yeah, definitely, they invented a lot.
444
00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:02.039
They tried on the new stuff to integrate in the show. Yeah, definitely.
445
00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.160
Yeah, well even you and the Cruise Ofweights as well,
446
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.119
Like that was the Cruiseweights was something we never saw
447
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:11.559
on the WWF television. If you only watched WWF, you
448
00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:12.680
were like, what the hell is this?
449
00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:13.720
Yeah?
450
00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.960
Yeah, that was a unique selling point from WCW. Of course,
451
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:21.880
the cruiseweight division because they were able to show different
452
00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:22.680
style of matches.
453
00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:25.759
Yeah, that was very important. Yeah. I think that was
454
00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:32.680
actually a very very important wheel of the whole plan
455
00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:36.920
that it worked, the cruiseweight division. Yeah.
456
00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:40.559
And then as a promoter yourself, though obviously each event
457
00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:44.079
is to promote the next event as well, you're supposed
458
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:45.880
to carry over into each one.
459
00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.519
Each one's kind of a promotional tool.
460
00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:52.279
WCW, though, did something which I never it's I think
461
00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:54.519
what bit in the ass was they gave away pay
462
00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:57.720
per view quality matches every single week. So Rick Flair
463
00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.839
versus Ho Cogan or Hoe Cogan versus Macho Man or
464
00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:01.880
Sting versus.
465
00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:04.000
The Giant weekly every week.
466
00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:06.279
So when you finally got to a paper someone that's
467
00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:09.000
actually gonna purchase, you already saw those combos of matches
468
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.039
over and over again for free on television as a promoter.
469
00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:12.960
Was that a.
470
00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:15.279
Mistake or was that a great way to get everyone
471
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.880
paying attention. But once they were paying attention, they were like,
472
00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:19.480
oh shit, we have to keep doing this every week.
473
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:23.880
Well, once you started, you have to keep up doing it.
474
00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:27.640
Of course, because of the expectation of defenses. That's why
475
00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:35.759
they switched to your channel. I think WCW was kind
476
00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:39.880
of forced to do that because if they just would
477
00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:43.920
have done it like having squash matches like WWE had
478
00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:46.079
and then just on the big paper goose, they would
479
00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:46.799
have those.
480
00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:55.799
Pairing of matches, that wouldn't work because he in that way.
481
00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:57.839
Eric Eric is anyway a.
482
00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.160
Very smart businessman, and I have a lot of respect
483
00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:01.960
for him.
484
00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:07.079
He I think he's he knew he needed to do
485
00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:07.880
something different.
486
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.799
Like you said, it's it's a kind of revolution in
487
00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:15.519
that sense, and he needed to draw attention, and that
488
00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:17.720
was the best way to draw attention if you have
489
00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:21.559
those kind of matches every week, because then of course
490
00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:25.079
that's a selling point to say, hey, here you have
491
00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:28.920
matches stars versus stars versus stars instead of having you know,
492
00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:32.839
it's I don't like that word, but it's a regular
493
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:36.559
use in the in the business jobber, you know, or
494
00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:41.200
handsome at guys which are squashed in five minutes, you know,
495
00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:43.599
So that's that sense.
496
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.000
I think that was very smart to do.
497
00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:50.000
Oh yeah, Like I think years ago when they put
498
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:52.480
all the Nitra episodes on Peacock, it might have been
499
00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:55.319
Oh no, it was the WW network. I remember watching
500
00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:57.839
the first hundred Nitros and when you watch him all
501
00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:01.960
in a row, they all connect. They all have these gigantic,
502
00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:04.640
huge main events from top to bottom.
503
00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:06.680
Like the first match could be like Sting versus.
504
00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:08.599
Ming, and you're like, what the hell, and then like
505
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:10.920
the last match it's like Hogan versus Savage or some
506
00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:13.440
shit like that, and you're like, wow, this is this
507
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.680
is this is impressive.
508
00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:19.279
Yeah, of course when you when you pair, so if
509
00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:23.799
you book so so so high class matches, then it's
510
00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:28.400
very important to storelines even more much more important because
511
00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.960
if the storeline is not good and you see Flair
512
00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:35.720
against Thing five times in a row, then people just go.
513
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:41.720
So the storyline is went much more in the front,
514
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:45.319
you know, like they became very important.
515
00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:46.440
Yeah.
516
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:47.359
I thought it was amazing.
517
00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:49.920
And here's the question for you, which I always baffled
518
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.640
my brain is over the years in the w W
519
00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:55.920
E they have had E C W reunions like a
520
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.880
thousand times plus, why never a w C reunion?
521
00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:03.400
What is the reasoning? Because there was such a threat.
522
00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:05.599
Yeah, I think there were.
523
00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:13.359
WWE was really shocked that other company was actually for
524
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:16.839
I think a year and a half, we were winning
525
00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:20.920
the ratings on TV. So I think they had a
526
00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.759
really post traumatic shock. They were afraid that if they
527
00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:30.960
do something like that, the WCW gets much more popular
528
00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.640
again as WW.
529
00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:36.640
I think interesting because like I always wonder if that
530
00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.839
was reason and being like they're so upset that they
531
00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:40.680
got beat up that like we're not going to help
532
00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.160
that bully who punches in the face for all those
533
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:45.839
eighty three weeks in a row and beat us in ratings,
534
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.039
and but like that, for a lot of wrestling fans,
535
00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:51.480
that was the greatest time. In today's world, people are
536
00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:53.519
people are like, oh, it's the greatest time now because
537
00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:56.400
there's more money being made in Netflix and and all
538
00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:58.759
these deals and aew exists.
539
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:03.079
It's like, yeah, but wrestling actually those times, Yeah, yeah,
540
00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:03.759
And I was.
541
00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.240
Looking enough and I'm very grateful that I was able
542
00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:10.960
to work in those days. Now, oh my god.
543
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:12.440
Yes, yes.
544
00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:15.880
Every every talent from that era from like at least
545
00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:20.680
tenty five to like two thousand and one, can't can't
546
00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:21.119
touch him.
547
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:22.480
Each one of you had a different look.
548
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:24.839
Each one of you have a different style, and I
549
00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:28.000
think that's what brought WCW Nitro two. It's forefront as well,
550
00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:31.240
because you had high flyers, you had brawlers, you had
551
00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:35.240
technical wrestlers, you had submission wrestlers, you had every single style.
552
00:28:35.319 --> 00:28:37.680
If you watched WWF at the time, it was the
553
00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:39.960
same style. The only person who was stuck out with
554
00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:41.960
Sean Michaels because he was jumping off the top rope
555
00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.839
and nobody really else was, you know, and that's what's funny,
556
00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:48.400
is what was that like working with talent who have
557
00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:51.119
all different styles because you had an experience with working
558
00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:55.720
with every different type of style, Is that difficult for you?
559
00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:56.920
No, it wasn't different.
560
00:28:57.079 --> 00:29:01.359
Actually was good for everybody because that kept kept us
561
00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:02.480
on our toes.
562
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:05.359
Is that how you say that? Because you knew you
563
00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:06.839
had to be on top of.
564
00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:11.680
Your gain too to be competitive with everybody in the
565
00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:14.839
locker room. And I was learning every time I stepped
566
00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:16.759
in the ring. You know, when I stepped in with
567
00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:20.160
Eddie or it was Dean, or it was whoever, you know,
568
00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:22.359
we were Claire or Anderson. You know, every time I
569
00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:25.319
stepped in the ring, I I I learned and I
570
00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:29.400
really enjoyed that time. You also, and it wasn't hard
571
00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.759
for me because you know, my dad, my trainer, he
572
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:35.759
prepared me very well. I mean he wrestled all over
573
00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:39.640
the world, and I knew all those styles. But of
574
00:29:39.720 --> 00:29:43.960
course there you always learn, you always, you never stopped
575
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:46.559
learning in that business. And that's that's that was very
576
00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:48.279
helpful to me.
577
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:53.319
Hopefully someday we do get our w CW reunion show.
578
00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:55.720
I don't know what's going to happen because WW.
579
00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:56.680
Uh.
580
00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:59.599
Well, the thing with me is WSW opened a YouTube channel.
581
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:02.960
I mean, the WWE opened a YouTube channel for WW
582
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.599
called ww Vault. So now they're just loading up all
583
00:30:06.839 --> 00:30:09.920
old episodes of Saturday night shows and pay per views
584
00:30:09.960 --> 00:30:11.559
and full matches and nitros.
585
00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:14.880
So I'm hoping, I'm hoping it gets the ball roll.
586
00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:17.960
Because they didn't open an ECW channel, they opened a
587
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:19.559
WCW channel.
588
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:23.640
Well, that would be great, I you know, that would
589
00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.559
be great. But maybe it happens because you know, the
590
00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:29.119
owners are different now.
591
00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:33.319
I think it's TKO which Entertainment maybe have a different
592
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:33.839
look at it.
593
00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:35.559
You know, it could happen.
594
00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:40.519
You know, beforehand I would have said no, no. You
595
00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:45.880
should remember when when WWE bought WCW, all those guys
596
00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:52.119
which transferred over to WWE. I think the only guy
597
00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:54.920
who really made it up there is Booker T and
598
00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.519
maybe Ray everybody else.
599
00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:02.880
Everybody else from the time they just they didn't use them.
600
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:07.359
They wanted to make them.
601
00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:07.880
I know.
602
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:12.319
It's like, do you think that vinsic Man would spend
603
00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:16.279
money just to embarrass the company what she possibly might
604
00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:16.680
have done.
605
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:24.799
That's a good question. I I don't know Vince that well,
606
00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:28.799
you know, so I would. I hope you wouldn't, but
607
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:38.559
who knows. But yeah, that's it. Yeah, how how shall
608
00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:39.039
I put it?
609
00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:44.079
I'm a human being which has a lot of high
610
00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:49.799
moral standings, and the words in English is hard. You know,
611
00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:53.000
you always have to decide for yourself if that what
612
00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:58.279
you're doing is that good or not good? And other
613
00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:02.640
people made it might have other perspectives on their decisions
614
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:04.960
as I do put it in a nice way.
615
00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:11.759
So what you're saying is, yes, vinsick Man would spend
616
00:32:11.799 --> 00:32:13.440
money to embarrass people.
617
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:15.440
No, that's what you said.
618
00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:16.720
That's what I said.
619
00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:19.279
Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't go that far because I don't
620
00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:23.119
know it, and I hope you But of course he's
621
00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:28.279
been in the business for many, many years, and to
622
00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:31.359
be that long in the business and having a big
623
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.759
company like that which always expanded and grows, and you
624
00:32:34.839 --> 00:32:38.559
have to be a tough businessman. And I think for
625
00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:45.240
a tough businessman to have too much emotions is not helpful.
626
00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.720
Yeah, it sounds like a man had too much emotion.
627
00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:56.920
Any story I've ever read for the past twenty nine
628
00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:00.519
years about WCW through vinsic Man's eyes as he was bullied,
629
00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:03.960
it was unfair at Ted Turner's money was holding him
630
00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:05.799
down and he's a family run company.
631
00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:06.559
How dare he?
632
00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:09.480
How dare Ted Turner try to put out a mom
633
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:11.559
and pop shop like the WWF.
634
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:14.799
Okay, that's what I gather.
635
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:17.799
Well I am.
636
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:22.920
When I was an active wrestler, I kept myself away
637
00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:27.440
from backstage politics because they're no and it's just stressful
638
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:28.000
on your mind.
639
00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:31.839
So and that's what I do after my active career.
640
00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:34.480
I don't, you know, I don't read them a lot
641
00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:37.359
of stuff in the Internet and stuff like that because
642
00:33:37.559 --> 00:33:39.559
a lot of times, you know, it's just yes.
643
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:43.119
And I don't want to use my.
644
00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:47.680
Time in my life to worry about things what I
645
00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:51.599
read from some persons. You know. I try to gather
646
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:56.279
positive people around myself to positive things. And if I
647
00:33:56.400 --> 00:34:00.359
feel some guy is handling himself the wrong way or
648
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:02.960
he's not a good guy or is negative, I just
649
00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:04.319
try to get distance.
650
00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:07.319
That's a good way to look at life. I need
651
00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:12.239
to stop doom scrolling then, because yeah, boy, I find
652
00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:14.320
a lot of politics on my phone by accident, and
653
00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:15.960
I'm like, this is not what I want.
654
00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:18.480
But not just regular politics.
655
00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:22.199
And then then you don't fall into wrestling politics like
656
00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:22.960
oh god.
657
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:24.920
Same that. Actually, that's true.
658
00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:30.039
If you stop watching the daily news on TV for
659
00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:32.840
a while, you are much heavyer, happier.
660
00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:33.400
Guy.
661
00:34:34.199 --> 00:34:37.800
That's that's it, I'll tell you. Yeah, I agree. I agree.
662
00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:41.679
Watching daily news maybe once a week, that's fine, or
663
00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:45.719
every two weeks, and I feel much better because every
664
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:47.800
day if you hear oh, here's a war, and there's
665
00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:50.000
a war, and this guy is that, and here's a killing,
666
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:51.079
here's a shooting, here's.
667
00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:56.519
It makes you feel like, fucking what world do I live? Exactly?
668
00:34:56.679 --> 00:35:00.039
And that's why I distance.
669
00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:04.519
Good, good, idea, good good twenty nine years of experience FROMM.
670
00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:08.840
Sabic Nitro, you definitely have kept away, kept away from that.
671
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.000
I used to work for a television station for seventeen years.
672
00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:14.199
I work for a news station, and I will tell
673
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:17.159
you what. For seventeen years, I thought the world was
674
00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:20.480
the scariest place because for eight hours a day, I
675
00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:23.559
was told how terrible the world was. Look at this fire,
676
00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:25.639
look this dead baby, look at this dead person, this
677
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:26.760
person hates that person.
678
00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:27.599
So on, I so.
679
00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:31.519
Forth and and now the weather and then get to
680
00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:36.880
the weather. So I I worked with I worked for
681
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.800
a TV station for seventeen years up until this past January,
682
00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:44.440
and I'll tell you right right now, my mind, my body,
683
00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:47.599
my soul, I feel clear, I feel healthier, I feel
684
00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:51.719
happier because I haven't been watching that shit every single
685
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:52.800
day and day of the week.
686
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:57.159
Yeah, that's what I mean. Very good, so smart to you.
687
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.360
So try it distance.
688
00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:05.599
Yes, don't believe that Vin mcmahn purposely boughtsw just to
689
00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:06.760
hold on all the wrestlers.
690
00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:10.480
Don't believe that or believe it. Up to you. It's
691
00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:13.159
your day to decide yes or no. I'm gonna go
692
00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:15.280
with yes. But that's my thoughts.
693
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:19.159
But in reality, though, WW Nitro the first episode will
694
00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:22.000
always be one of those moments in wrestling where people go,
695
00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:25.199
I can't believe what a successful night this was, because
696
00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:28.000
from this point on again, this is the first when
697
00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:31.039
it airs there is no Raw Ross preempted, because that
698
00:36:31.239 --> 00:36:35.079
is when Raw used to be preempted by Tennis and Puppies.
699
00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:37.920
That's right, They used to have Puppies and Tennis on
700
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:42.880
USA Network and that would prehenpt Monday Night Raw on Mondays,
701
00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:48.039
and so Nitro went had no competition. Yeah, so great
702
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.159
timing to launch that show. And then the next week
703
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.800
was the first time they went head to head, and
704
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:55.760
that's where the ratings war really begins. And before we
705
00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:58.599
wrap this up, though, when you were in WSW and Nitro,
706
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:01.599
was there a television Backstaine playing raw so you can
707
00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:02.400
see what they were doing.
708
00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:09.000
Yeah, definitely in every locker room. So yeah, because because.
709
00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:16.199
I guess now the office did it on purpose so
710
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:20.440
we see which we could do better than them. Well,
711
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:23.440
on the other hand, a lot of guys said, hey, listen,
712
00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:25.480
we would like to have the TV here so we
713
00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:29.320
can do better than them. So because I think everybody
714
00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:32.880
was pulling on the same string, the WCOW office and
715
00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:35.360
all the guys, they're all the workers because we knew
716
00:37:35.840 --> 00:37:39.880
we have this had this chance to be the number
717
00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:44.519
one company, and everybody wanted to work for the number one.
718
00:37:44.400 --> 00:37:45.800
Company and showed the best.
719
00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:48.599
And that's the reason why we have the TV to
720
00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:54.079
get better spots, do better promos, whatever to react, you know,
721
00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:58.719
because if you see on other television three vertical suplexes,
722
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.159
you wouldn't put in and you mentioned suplex, you know
723
00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:03.440
you would do with something else.
724
00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:07.639
Of course, yes, I'd hope you wouldn't see three vertical
725
00:38:07.639 --> 00:38:09.039
superlexes in one match, but.
726
00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:11.159
You never know.
727
00:38:12.119 --> 00:38:17.119
Well, it depends what company you watch, especially.
728
00:38:16.679 --> 00:38:17.400
That time as well.
729
00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:21.159
Good point, good point, But yeah, no, the Monday Night Wars.
730
00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:23.719
No matter what people will tell me how much money's
731
00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:26.760
being made or was it made during this time or
732
00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:29.039
even in today's world where like they make you so
733
00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:30.119
much money off Netflix.
734
00:38:30.239 --> 00:38:30.920
Yeah, I don't care.
735
00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:33.400
When in ninet teenty five through two thousand and one,
736
00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:35.320
if I walked into a gas station, I would see
737
00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:37.320
a Steve Boston or an nWo shirt.
738
00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:39.239
Well, you don't see that. In today's world.
739
00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:42.119
You could walk into any store and find a WCW
740
00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.960
or WWF piece of merchandise. Didn't matter what store you
741
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:48.079
went into, you would find it. So in today's world,
742
00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:50.840
that's not the way it is. So I will always
743
00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:53.639
say the Monday Night Wars was the greatest time to
744
00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.639
be a professional wrestler and a professional wrestling fan.
745
00:38:56.880 --> 00:38:57.719
That's my thoughts.
746
00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:00.360
You can argue that if you want, but I will
747
00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:02.719
argue with you and you're wrong and I'm right, But
748
00:39:03.239 --> 00:39:05.239
all in all, alex Right, thank you so much for
749
00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:08.519
sharing your perspective on I'm first episode of Nitro.
750
00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:10.760
I really enjoyed our conversation.
751
00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:12.840
Remember, folks, As he brought up don't watch the news
752
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:15.039
to stay away.
753
00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:17.519
Just stay away from it so you'll feel better. But
754
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:19.639
I'm Steve Faul. Actually you know what, people wraps up?
755
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:21.360
What do you got going on? Talk about your company?
756
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:23.199
I want to know what's your next show coming up?
757
00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:27.119
Well, we just had a show three weeks ago and
758
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:31.159
I was actually really really good for German standards. We
759
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:36.079
had like seven hundred spectators. Yeah, of course for Germany
760
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.599
is actually a very good number. And yeah, I have
761
00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:44.880
a lot of good and very talented new guys on
762
00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:49.400
my show. They debuted and they're all booked in all
763
00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:52.199
of Germany. So I'm very proud that those guys have
764
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:54.719
had a very good start in the business.
765
00:39:54.760 --> 00:39:56.199
Now so awesome.
766
00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:59.039
Yeah, I think a few of those you will see
767
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:01.960
about in a year or two years internationally.
768
00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:07.320
Ye, look at your hands on the future and I
769
00:40:07.400 --> 00:40:09.199
like it. Hands in the past, hands in the future.
770
00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:10.800
Alex Right, thank you so much for being here on
771
00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:13.440
Tankout Media. I'm Steve fall He's Alex Right. Have a
772
00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:15.199
wonderful day and we'll see you next time.
773
00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:17.119
Bye bye, bye bye.
1
00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:10.839
Channel, let yourself Seesty, Channel Time and thirty.
2
00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:16.480
History Chattel.
3
00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:22.120
Welcome back to the Wrestling History Channel. I'm Steve Fallen.
4
00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:24.719
On today's edition, I'm going to give you a classic
5
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:29.839
interview with one of your favorite wrestlers. Enjoy on today's edition,
6
00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:31.440
I'm talking to Dos wonder Kid.
7
00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:34.560
It's Alex right from w CW. How are you doing today?
8
00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:36.719
Very good, Steve? How about you?
9
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.799
I am doing amazing. But also I did a little
10
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:43.119
math before we started this, and today I really want
11
00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.079
to dive into the first WCW Nitro, which is coming up.
12
00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.119
On twenty nine years.
13
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:53.880
Ago, old old.
14
00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:59.840
Talk about those days. Really enjoyed.
15
00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.399
I enjoyed it, I know because the previous when I
16
00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.439
talked to you before, we talked about, you know, every
17
00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:08.640
little bit in point that people bring up about your career.
18
00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:12.159
But really diving into one specific date and time and
19
00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:15.799
month for you is interesting because what were your thoughts
20
00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.400
about heading into this WCW Nitro, Because this is the
21
00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.000
first time that Nitro is going to go head to head,
22
00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:25.719
you know with mod Night Raw. Now this week Raw
23
00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:29.120
is preempted when Nitro airs, but obviously this is a
24
00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:31.319
kind of like a gunshot you're like, we're coming for you.
25
00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:33.560
And how did WCW feel about this?
26
00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.400
Well, we were all very excited about that, you know,
27
00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:38.719
going head to head with Raw.
28
00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:43.359
It was a big deal. Everybody was looking forward to it.
29
00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.640
And I think it was in Minneapolis, right, first time,
30
00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:52.480
all of America exactly, yeah, exactly, I've been there, and.
31
00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.400
Yeah, everybody wanted to be on that show.
32
00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:57.959
Sadly, I think I didn't have a spot at the
33
00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.040
first show, but of course I was watching it. I
34
00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:03.959
was backstage, and it was incredible. Yeah, it was the
35
00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:06.920
beginning of a really great era and wrestling.
36
00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:11.879
What was the backstage atmosphere like though, because again, arenas
37
00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:13.680
are a common thing professional wrestling.
38
00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.000
It's the Mall of America, some reality tickets.
39
00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:18.840
You can just get on the escalator and go up
40
00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:21.560
and look down and watch wrestling for free. But what
41
00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:24.360
was the backstage atmosphere like? Thinking that we're going to
42
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.800
be at the Mall of America, are you wondering like,
43
00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:28.479
is this a good idea a bad idea?
44
00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:31.560
No? Actually we thought that it was a very good
45
00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:33.599
idea because it was a special place. You know, it
46
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:39.120
created attention and you know for all the viewers which
47
00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:42.759
don't know, but there's actually a roller coaster in that mall,
48
00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.280
you know, you can drive and stuff. I mean, it's
49
00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.520
huge mall and it's very impressive being there, so it's
50
00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.960
really a standout point to have a show there.
51
00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:57.039
So everybody was anyway excited just because we have a
52
00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:57.639
live show.
53
00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:02.479
It was one hour, and everybody knew whether it was
54
00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:05.719
going to be a great success or you know, we
55
00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:06.439
are all finished.
56
00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:12.599
So but apparently we did good and they came up
57
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.800
with two hours life and yeah, it was really great.
58
00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:16.080
Yeah.
59
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:21.800
And when Lex Luger showed up unannounced on Nitro, this
60
00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.400
is the first time he was on WWF television. Just
61
00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:25.960
a few weeks before that he was at a house
62
00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.080
show over the weekend. Now he's on Nitro. What was
63
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:30.840
your reaction backstage?
64
00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:34.560
Well, all the guys popped, you know, because we didn't
65
00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:36.319
know about it. Of course it was a secret.
66
00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:40.800
And even better was the crowd reaction, you know, I mean,
67
00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:44.319
the crowd knew something very special is going on this evening.
68
00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:48.120
You know, that's that's we're writing history at that moment
69
00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:55.039
because WCW, you know, challenges ww and but yeah, it
70
00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:55.960
was great.
71
00:03:56.439 --> 00:03:59.120
It was one of the mo craziest moments because over
72
00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:02.800
the past to nine years they have played that clip
73
00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:06.159
over and over and over again of Lex Lugrian, some
74
00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:10.840
silky like pirate looking type shirt walking out unannounced, and
75
00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:16.120
this became, I guess a calling card for WCW. Did
76
00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.079
you feel like at one point while you were there,
77
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.519
it suddenly became the WWF show because anybody they kept
78
00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:24.879
bringing in, They're like, oh, they're free, let's bring them in.
79
00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.680
Match him in, Hulk Cogan, Lex Luger, Irs million of
80
00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:30.680
the man like it keeps.
81
00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:32.319
The list goes on and on and on and on.
82
00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.399
At what point, with you being, I guess not an
83
00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:37.480
original WCW wrestler.
84
00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:40.439
But you were there before the era of bringing in
85
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.199
WWF wrestlers, Like, what was your thought on that?
86
00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.839
Well, if you look at the product overall, then of
87
00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:51.240
course was a good idea to bring on in all
88
00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.560
those stars because they, you know, had a lot of
89
00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:58.319
fan base. And of course it was like a statement
90
00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:03.240
which WCW did. They said, Hey, listen, we're top dog. Now,
91
00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:06.399
we have the money, we have everything, we have the
92
00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:09.480
better show. That's why everybody and the big stars wanted
93
00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:11.879
to work for us, you know. So on that hand,
94
00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.279
it was actually good because it draw a lot of attention.
95
00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:17.800
You know, we took a lot of w W fans
96
00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:24.879
to w CW. But for us guys, like you said before, I.
97
00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:26.839
Mean I was a young guy.
98
00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:30.240
You know, we got lost in the shuffle there somewhere,
99
00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:34.360
you know, because the focus was on all the old stars,
100
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:39.279
and the major problem from w CW, in my opinion,
101
00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:43.800
was always that they weren't able to build their own stores.
102
00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.800
They just built a few stores like Goldberg.
103
00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:52.920
And the Giant, you know, but that's it most of
104
00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:55.519
of course, staying and joining bad. I mean, they were
105
00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:59.399
huge stars, but if you compare it to WWE, I
106
00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:00.519
mean they put.
107
00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:02.240
Out star star star stars.
108
00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.439
So you know that made that was a problem for
109
00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:10.120
WCW because we were always depending on on all their
110
00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:14.160
guys and they didn't have that look in the future
111
00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:16.879
that some days those older guys they can perform like
112
00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:20.920
in the when they were young. Plus some of them
113
00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:23.279
are retired, so you need to build up young stars,
114
00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:26.319
and that's what was missing in the WCW.
115
00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:28.360
I agreed.
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00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:30.600
You know, Vince mcman when he went around and bought
117
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.279
all the territories and took their top stars, say like
118
00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:35.240
Hacksaw Jim Duggan or a million dollar man.
119
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:36.240
He was.
120
00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:39.120
He was taking people who were already created, bringing them over,
121
00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:41.879
giving them kind of like a new gimmick, and then
122
00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.079
establishing WCW did the opposite.
123
00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:45.680
They were like, we're gonna bring you in and you're
124
00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:46.920
gonna be exactly who you were.
125
00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.040
And then when we get we get a lawsuit towards us,
126
00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:53.959
like I R S Erwin Scheistcheer, Mike Rotundo.
127
00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.000
He came in as mister you know VK.
128
00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:59.560
Wall Street like a little a little wink on I
129
00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:01.959
R S type of character. Plus you're making fun of
130
00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.000
Vincic Man using VK as your initials. So it's like, well,
131
00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:09.519
but again, can't blame the success because it was successful
132
00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.120
for so many years.
133
00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:14.879
So for the product overall was good, you know.
134
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And since the characters or the gimmicks were very similar
135
00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:23.439
to the w W characters, it meant that the defense
136
00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:24.600
weren't that confused.
137
00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:26.959
You know, they just could.
138
00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.720
Switch channels out there's a million dollars or whatever, There's
139
00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.120
Metro Man and stuff like that. So I was good
140
00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:37.079
for the product and for WCW. But for the younger guys.
141
00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.240
No, I wouldn't think so I remember them bringing the
142
00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:42.040
Big Boss Man and call him just boss Man, and
143
00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.120
then people, I think the WWF was like we're sending
144
00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:48.480
you a lawsuit, like like you can't do that. Then
145
00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:50.480
he was the Guardian. Then he went back to his
146
00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.279
old name, Big Bubba Rogers. And when you see that
147
00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.920
name on a billing, if you see it on a post,
148
00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:57.319
you're like, who the hell is that because you know
149
00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:00.800
him as the Big boss Man. You know, Hulk Kogan,
150
00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:02.959
a Machia Man got to keep their name. But yeah,
151
00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.360
I always felt it was strange because as WSW would
152
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:07.319
go on, you know, you had Goldberg and you had
153
00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.560
other characters, but in reality, it's like you kept buying
154
00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:13.560
more people from other companies. Ultimate Warrior came in from
155
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.680
you know, he was in four years, Mike Awesome from
156
00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:19.639
E c W. It's like they just kept buying up
157
00:08:19.639 --> 00:08:21.519
people from other places instead of being.
158
00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:23.399
Like, you know, we have a power plant and we
159
00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:26.240
could use those those.
160
00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.759
People a lot of great talents in the power plant.
161
00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:33.159
Very young and hungry guys. I mean, they could have
162
00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:35.960
brought a lot of stuff to the product also, you know.
163
00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:37.440
But yeah they did.
164
00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.200
They did later on, like when you were Berlin and
165
00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:42.519
they had you know, Sean O'Hair, Mark Jindrak and Mike
166
00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:46.000
Sanders and they had uh natural born thrillers. So they
167
00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:48.799
started bringing in people, but it might have been too late.
168
00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:50.759
Yeah, it definitely was too late.
169
00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:56.519
Yeah, from your perspective, though, how did Eric Bischoff pitch
170
00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:59.879
Nitro to the roster? Like is there a sit down meeting?
171
00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.320
Is there a memo or like, Hey, everybody, we're gonna
172
00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.120
do this. We're gonna go head ahead with WWF as
173
00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.799
some people rolling their eyes going like what are you thinking?
174
00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:10.320
You?
175
00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:11.840
What are you gonna do? Like was there a meeting
176
00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:12.240
about this?
177
00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.200
Well, it's a really long time.
178
00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:17.919
Ago, twenty nine years.
179
00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:26.600
Yeah, there were rumors beforehand and then so one night
180
00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:29.039
at the before the show, we had a.
181
00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:33.480
Big sit down everybody, big meeting and he explained his
182
00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:39.200
ideas and stuff like that. Yeah, everybody was excited actually
183
00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.639
at that moment because that meant we are expanding, we
184
00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:47.440
you know, getting more attention and the Yeah, like I said,
185
00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.440
the whole locker room under Eric Bushoff in those beginning
186
00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:54.679
years where I was, there was really a good, good
187
00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:57.679
atmosphere and they're all motivated and they all wanted to
188
00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:01.320
work and give their best, And that was actually a
189
00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:05.919
how should I say at a present? How you say
190
00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:07.919
if you did something good and you get something what's the.
191
00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.879
Word in English if you do something and you get
192
00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:12.519
something good?
193
00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:17.720
I don't know. Not karma, I guess, No, not a fail.
194
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.159
I mean like if you work hard for the boss
195
00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:22.120
and he gives something extra because.
196
00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:24.159
You work hard, like a bonus.
197
00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.000
It's like a bonus to us. Yeah, we thought we
198
00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.639
were all looking at it great. Now you know, did not?
199
00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:30.639
They invest more?
200
00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:35.600
It's live TV and you know, made us even much
201
00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:40.120
bigger stars than you know, and another platform, you know,
202
00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:44.120
airtime is it's very important for for wrestlers. You know,
203
00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.720
the more the more airtime you get, the more fame
204
00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.840
you get, or the more money you get or you
205
00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:52.360
sell more merchandise or whatever.
206
00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:54.960
So actually everybody was looking forward to.
207
00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:58.200
And then what were your thoughts because before this you
208
00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:02.600
had Saturday Nights events, you had six oh five on TBS,
209
00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:05.320
and that was ww's big staple. Those were pre taped,
210
00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.919
those weren't not live unless you did a Clash of
211
00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:12.200
the Champions. You're going live now week every week, not
212
00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:14.120
just you know, one week like RAW would do. You're
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going every well, every week for you as a performer,
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Is it easier for you to be live because you know,
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if you know you need to be perfect and crisp
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or being taped, you're like, well if I screw up that,
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we can fix that.
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Well, actually we did go live beforehand. Also, we did
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have Sunday Live. We did that a few times before.
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Maybe I was like a trial, I don't know. Of
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course we did pay per views.
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Well yeah, pay per views. I'm more like a weekly show.
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But yeah, yeah, but what did they were live?
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So we could We're kind of used to working live
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close if you do a lot of house shows, which
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we did at that time. I mean I was on
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the road for in thirty days in a month, I
228
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was like twenty five twenty six days gone.
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We're working.
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Yeah, so everybody from us had a lot of experience
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working live. Basically, the difference was live TV, you know.
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And but I don't think.
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It didn't bother me, you know, because I always wanted
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to be crisp and do good job in the ring,
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and I think everybody else will just thought it the
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same way. You know that they were all because everybody
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in the in the in at that level and the
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business you know, they're pros and they know when they
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step in the ring they have to perform because if
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they don't perform, they're going to be follow us.
241
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Either they lose their job, or.
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They make less money or you know, the fan base
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you know, gets smaller or whatever. You know, So everybody
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I wanted to work out anyway, but that was a
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bonus and it motivated even more. You know.
246
00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.799
Now, what were your thoughts on Nitro eventually giving away
247
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the results of Monday Night Raw I've on TV right
248
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before Raw went live, Nitro would give away the results, Like,
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what were you thinking? He thought, well, that's dirty play,
250
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but hey, we're in it's kind of a war or man,
251
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I don't know.
252
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I don't know if you do that provocation to Vince,
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you know.
254
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You can't do that.
255
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Yeah, you know, it's but I don't think it made that.
256
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Much of a difference, you know, I think it don't
257
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take sense, not really, you know. I think.
258
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What what made the difference is that the people talked
259
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more about it, because then then it started, you know,
260
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w c W war against w WE because of such things.
261
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You know, that's where it's like a yeah, like storyline
262
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in some way, you know, and.
263
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That's which created a.
264
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Lot of talk, you know, a lot of rumors, a
265
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lot of stuff, you know, And on that hand it
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was good, but business wise it wasn't necessary.
267
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But you know, vincient man, he did a lot of
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stuff also.
269
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So there's no good and bad guy.
270
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It's just business, you know.
271
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Yeah, there was a lot of funny perspective over the years,
272
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for a long time, for at least twenty of the
273
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twenty nine years we're talking about. Is maybe there is,
274
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Like Vince was like.
275
00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:22.679
Well, it's unfair and they're doing this to me. I'm
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just a family owned company and I'm a good guy. Really, really,
277
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you didn't put out all the territories by buying up
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their top talent first, then coming back around to buy
279
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the business after they've been deluded of all talent and
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have no more money and no more collateral nowhere to
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fight you.
282
00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.679
Well, that that happened a few years ago all over
283
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in Europolso they.
284
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Bought with that XTUK right, Well.
285
00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.759
Yeah, they just bought all the talents. There was no
286
00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.759
no talent anymore, you know. So it was hard for
287
00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:00.039
the companies the DC.
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You know, like like Gunther and Pete Dunn and people
289
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like that.
290
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Like Gunther and Pete Dunn and Tyler Bate and Trent
291
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and seven and all those guys.
292
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Exactly, all those guys, you know. So yeah, but that's
293
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the business. I mean.
294
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I mean, I run my own promotion also in European
295
00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.399
championsh Wrestling, and I'm always aware of the fact that
296
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I'm just a small small wheel, you know.
297
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So that's the big company.
298
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And of course guys which get the chance to work
299
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for a big company, they leave.
300
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That's just normal, that's life. You have to expect that.
301
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So I'm not mad at that stuff or whatever. It's
302
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just how business works.
303
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.320
Well, because I think I remember even your story you
304
00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:50.159
told me where was you did have a contract with
305
00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:53.200
a company what in Germany and to get out of
306
00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.679
that you had to, like I think it was like
307
00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:57.320
you had to squirre them get to get out of
308
00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.919
that deal to come to America to work for deb CD.
309
00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.399
Well, they were very understanding, you know, and they had
310
00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:07.240
a very good relationship to the TWA office because of
311
00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:10.240
my dad. No, I mean he were many many, many
312
00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:13.360
many years for them, So that wasn't there a problem.
313
00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:14.840
They were very understanding.
314
00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:19.039
But yeah, like I said, it's a big company. And
315
00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:25.159
of course, actually I'm happy for everybody would make it
316
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to the top, you know.
317
00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:27.679
I mean I have a lot of students of mine.
318
00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.080
They were for my company, and I get him in
319
00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:34.000
other companies, and if they have a chance for the
320
00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:36.320
big companies, I'm just happy and proud for them, you.
321
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:42.799
Know, because you, if I'm correct, you trained Geevanni Vinci right, yes, awesome,
322
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.480
And then unfortunately for him, where they gave him some
323
00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:49.720
new gimmick and everything was gonna honky dory, he lost
324
00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:52.240
his first match, and then everyone thought it was the storyline,
325
00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:53.840
and then about a month later.
326
00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:54.360
He was laid off.
327
00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:57.000
And so you look at that stuff and you go, well,
328
00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:59.559
he's he had the opportunity, but did.
329
00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:02.039
He He he was always a company man. I mean
330
00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:03.879
he's a really hard working guy.
331
00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:07.799
He's always a company He was always very loyal and
332
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reliable work in my company and also in WB and
333
00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.200
in my opinion, they just didn't use him the correct way.
334
00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:20.960
I mean, he's an unbelievable talent. I mean he had
335
00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:24.279
he had in Europe unbelievable matches. That's why he was
336
00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:28.279
so popular over here, and they just missed out on
337
00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.759
him not using his talent. They just missed it, you know,
338
00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:35.559
because I mean, if you think about the European market,
339
00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.279
he could have been such big draw for the European
340
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.000
Marcup market. And last time they had that Berlin that
341
00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:47.200
show in Berlin TV show, they didn't even put him.
342
00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:47.519
On the card.
343
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:52.440
So you know, I mean that's not very business smart,
344
00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:54.319
I would say, but who knows.
345
00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:56.640
You know, I've been in the business so long, and
346
00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:57.240
I don't know.
347
00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.480
I think some other stuff played into you know, like
348
00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:05.079
you know, backstage politics and stuff. But on my hand,
349
00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.799
I can say five and is a real good guy
350
00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.279
and he just wants to have good matches.
351
00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:13.440
He's not into backstage politics or anything like that. So
352
00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:18.960
I don't know. Maybe it's just jealousy or whatever is it?
353
00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:22.400
As you were WW with sharks like Hogan and Nash
354
00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:24.319
and Hall might have been good people.
355
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:26.000
But also how do you stay on top?
356
00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.960
Well, unfortunately, to stay on top, you have to push
357
00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:31.039
down the people who have potential to grow and go
358
00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:35.079
up higher. And so you're possibly Giovanna Vinci, He's part
359
00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:37.319
he was part of Imperium with Gunther and Ludwig.
360
00:18:37.480 --> 00:18:40.680
Well, how do you get these two to be more popular?
361
00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.720
Well, I guess you gotta chop down one tree to
362
00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:45.079
let the other ones grow.
363
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.960
Yeah, who knows, you know.
364
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.079
I mean it's just sad, But I'm sure he will
365
00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.359
make his way in some other companies.
366
00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:56.640
I just can recommend him.
367
00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:00.359
He's a great worker, right, and so many great wrestler
368
00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:03.400
as recently a few months back, we're laid off and
369
00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:05.000
some people were just shocked at.
370
00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.079
Some of these announcements.
371
00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:08.279
And some are like, okay, I understand, and at the
372
00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:10.960
times every people are like what how has this even possible?
373
00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.000
I just, in my opinion, actually is good. He was
374
00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:17.680
released because he was such a good company man that
375
00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:21.759
he never would give his notice to them, so stayed
376
00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:24.480
at stayed in state, and now they released him. And
377
00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.160
now he's free, and can you know, look to other
378
00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:31.519
companies and you know, make his mark over there.
379
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.880
True great freshens up the indie market as well the
380
00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.160
all your company and other companies around, where suddenly you
381
00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.480
have sixteen wrestles all laid out from the WWE. Well,
382
00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.119
those sixteen wrestlers can go off and end up in
383
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.880
different places. Suddenly more tickets are purchased because they want
384
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.079
to see that person they saw on Raw or smack Down.
385
00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:51.559
And now they've created a new following because of their
386
00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.359
original following, at least.
387
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:55.039
From the w WFS perspective.
388
00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.839
But for E sorry, when you have about wsw my
389
00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.319
brain goes into f all the time, all the time.
390
00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:03.000
I did too many podcasts.
391
00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:04.799
But to mey wrestler, as we talked about the past,
392
00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:09.240
but was there ever discussion for you to be on
393
00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:11.559
the Nitro broadcast the first one of them all of
394
00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:15.079
America because there is a dark match before the actual broadcast,
395
00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:16.160
but you're not on it.
396
00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.799
It's the American males, Buff Bagel and Scotti Riggs.
397
00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:24.559
Kind recall, No, but I was on anything as on
398
00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:25.440
the second one.
399
00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.000
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're you're you're on
400
00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:30.079
the you're all all of the shows, but this one
401
00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:35.240
it's it's you're just not on there. Yeah, And that
402
00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:37.759
interesting because yeah, I'm wondering, did you ever hear of
403
00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.000
discussed matches or last minute changes that occurred, because again,
404
00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:43.920
your backstage like who's backstage and the whole roster is there.
405
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.759
That's that's a long time ago, you know, just because
406
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:54.640
it was Nitro that the backstage stress was just the
407
00:20:54.680 --> 00:20:58.119
same as any other paper view or whatever we did.
408
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:01.759
So it wasn't that big of a difference. At least
409
00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.759
I didn't notice that. You know, it was the same
410
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:08.240
old you know, you had the matches, you had, the promos,
411
00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:11.319
you had, it's all, you know, it was just life.
412
00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:12.400
That was the only difference.
413
00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:13.599
You know.
414
00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.359
Interesting now looking looking back, though, do you think Nitro
415
00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:21.079
was the beginning of like the creative revolution, the revolution
416
00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:24.880
of professional wrestling in general, because suddenly a format was
417
00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:29.119
created and people stuck to it.
418
00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:34.880
Revolution that's a strong word because it means everything else
419
00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:38.480
what was beforehand doesn't apply anymore.
420
00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:41.640
Like revolution is something you really changed. And I don't
421
00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.279
think WCW invented the wheel.
422
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.000
You know, it was just the live show, which w
423
00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:54.200
W did many many years beforehand. And but we showed
424
00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:57.279
that WCW is actually able to put on a show
425
00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:01.119
which is as good as Raw.
426
00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:01.880
Or even better.
427
00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:07.039
So I think that opened the eyes to a lot
428
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:11.200
of fans that there's something else out there instead of
429
00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.720
just WB.
430
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:15.559
But I wouldn't think it's a revolution.
431
00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.559
The only reason I use that word is because of
432
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.400
the way it was presented. Because Raw was only rot
433
00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:26.200
live once a week, Nitro went live every week. Nitro
434
00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:30.680
gave away results to other programs and Nitro suddenly was
435
00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:35.279
doing like the nWo became this gang fighting in the backstage.
436
00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:36.880
You didn't see backstage.
437
00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.519
You saw a blue you saw fake lockers, and they
438
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.680
do interviews in front of them. This was the first
439
00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:47.480
time you're exposing that there's more than just the It's
440
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:49.720
not it's a TV show yet, but I think it's
441
00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:52.359
real too. I think that's where I bring up revolution,
442
00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:54.160
because they expanded.
443
00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:57.039
In that sense, I understand. Yeah, definitely, they invented a lot.
444
00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:02.039
They tried on the new stuff to integrate in the show. Yeah, definitely.
445
00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.160
Yeah, well even you and the Cruise Ofweights as well,
446
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.119
Like that was the Cruiseweights was something we never saw
447
00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:11.559
on the WWF television. If you only watched WWF, you
448
00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:12.680
were like, what the hell is this?
449
00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:13.720
Yeah?
450
00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.960
Yeah, that was a unique selling point from WCW. Of course,
451
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:21.880
the cruiseweight division because they were able to show different
452
00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:22.680
style of matches.
453
00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:25.759
Yeah, that was very important. Yeah. I think that was
454
00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:32.680
actually a very very important wheel of the whole plan
455
00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:36.920
that it worked, the cruiseweight division. Yeah.
456
00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:40.559
And then as a promoter yourself, though obviously each event
457
00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:44.079
is to promote the next event as well, you're supposed
458
00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:45.880
to carry over into each one.
459
00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.519
Each one's kind of a promotional tool.
460
00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:52.279
WCW, though, did something which I never it's I think
461
00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:54.519
what bit in the ass was they gave away pay
462
00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:57.720
per view quality matches every single week. So Rick Flair
463
00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.839
versus Ho Cogan or Hoe Cogan versus Macho Man or
464
00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:01.880
Sting versus.
465
00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:04.000
The Giant weekly every week.
466
00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:06.279
So when you finally got to a paper someone that's
467
00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:09.000
actually gonna purchase, you already saw those combos of matches
468
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.039
over and over again for free on television as a promoter.
469
00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:12.960
Was that a.
470
00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:15.279
Mistake or was that a great way to get everyone
471
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.880
paying attention. But once they were paying attention, they were like,
472
00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:19.480
oh shit, we have to keep doing this every week.
473
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:23.880
Well, once you started, you have to keep up doing it.
474
00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:27.640
Of course, because of the expectation of defenses. That's why
475
00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:35.759
they switched to your channel. I think WCW was kind
476
00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:39.880
of forced to do that because if they just would
477
00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:43.920
have done it like having squash matches like WWE had
478
00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:46.079
and then just on the big paper goose, they would
479
00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:46.799
have those.
480
00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:55.799
Pairing of matches, that wouldn't work because he in that way.
481
00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:57.839
Eric Eric is anyway a.
482
00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:00.160
Very smart businessman, and I have a lot of respect
483
00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:01.960
for him.
484
00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:07.079
He I think he's he knew he needed to do
485
00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:07.880
something different.
486
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.799
Like you said, it's it's a kind of revolution in
487
00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:15.519
that sense, and he needed to draw attention, and that
488
00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:17.720
was the best way to draw attention if you have
489
00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:21.559
those kind of matches every week, because then of course
490
00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:25.079
that's a selling point to say, hey, here you have
491
00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:28.920
matches stars versus stars versus stars instead of having you know,
492
00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:32.839
it's I don't like that word, but it's a regular
493
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:36.559
use in the in the business jobber, you know, or
494
00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:41.200
handsome at guys which are squashed in five minutes, you know,
495
00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:43.599
So that's that sense.
496
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.000
I think that was very smart to do.
497
00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:50.000
Oh yeah, Like I think years ago when they put
498
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:52.480
all the Nitra episodes on Peacock, it might have been
499
00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:55.319
Oh no, it was the WW network. I remember watching
500
00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:57.839
the first hundred Nitros and when you watch him all
501
00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:01.960
in a row, they all connect. They all have these gigantic,
502
00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:04.640
huge main events from top to bottom.
503
00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:06.680
Like the first match could be like Sting versus.
504
00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:08.599
Ming, and you're like, what the hell, and then like
505
00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:10.920
the last match it's like Hogan versus Savage or some
506
00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:13.440
shit like that, and you're like, wow, this is this
507
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.680
is this is impressive.
508
00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:19.279
Yeah, of course when you when you pair, so if
509
00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:23.799
you book so so so high class matches, then it's
510
00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:28.400
very important to storelines even more much more important because
511
00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.960
if the storeline is not good and you see Flair
512
00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:35.720
against Thing five times in a row, then people just go.
513
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:41.720
So the storyline is went much more in the front,
514
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:45.319
you know, like they became very important.
515
00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:46.440
Yeah.
516
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:47.359
I thought it was amazing.
517
00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:49.920
And here's the question for you, which I always baffled
518
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.640
my brain is over the years in the w W
519
00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:55.920
E they have had E C W reunions like a
520
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.880
thousand times plus, why never a w C reunion?
521
00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:03.400
What is the reasoning? Because there was such a threat.
522
00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:05.599
Yeah, I think there were.
523
00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:13.359
WWE was really shocked that other company was actually for
524
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:16.839
I think a year and a half, we were winning
525
00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:20.920
the ratings on TV. So I think they had a
526
00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.759
really post traumatic shock. They were afraid that if they
527
00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:30.960
do something like that, the WCW gets much more popular
528
00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.640
again as WW.
529
00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:36.640
I think interesting because like I always wonder if that
530
00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.839
was reason and being like they're so upset that they
531
00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:40.680
got beat up that like we're not going to help
532
00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.160
that bully who punches in the face for all those
533
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:45.839
eighty three weeks in a row and beat us in ratings,
534
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.039
and but like that, for a lot of wrestling fans,
535
00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:51.480
that was the greatest time. In today's world, people are
536
00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:53.519
people are like, oh, it's the greatest time now because
537
00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:56.400
there's more money being made in Netflix and and all
538
00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:58.759
these deals and aew exists.
539
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:03.079
It's like, yeah, but wrestling actually those times, Yeah, yeah,
540
00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:03.759
And I was.
541
00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.240
Looking enough and I'm very grateful that I was able
542
00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:10.960
to work in those days. Now, oh my god.
543
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:12.440
Yes, yes.
544
00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:15.880
Every every talent from that era from like at least
545
00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:20.680
tenty five to like two thousand and one, can't can't
546
00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:21.119
touch him.
547
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:22.480
Each one of you had a different look.
548
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:24.839
Each one of you have a different style, and I
549
00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:28.000
think that's what brought WCW Nitro two. It's forefront as well,
550
00:28:28.039 --> 00:28:31.240
because you had high flyers, you had brawlers, you had
551
00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:35.240
technical wrestlers, you had submission wrestlers, you had every single style.
552
00:28:35.319 --> 00:28:37.680
If you watched WWF at the time, it was the
553
00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:39.960
same style. The only person who was stuck out with
554
00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:41.960
Sean Michaels because he was jumping off the top rope
555
00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.839
and nobody really else was, you know, and that's what's funny,
556
00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:48.400
is what was that like working with talent who have
557
00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:51.119
all different styles because you had an experience with working
558
00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:55.720
with every different type of style, Is that difficult for you?
559
00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:56.920
No, it wasn't different.
560
00:28:57.079 --> 00:29:01.359
Actually was good for everybody because that kept kept us
561
00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:02.480
on our toes.
562
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:05.359
Is that how you say that? Because you knew you
563
00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:06.839
had to be on top of.
564
00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:11.680
Your gain too to be competitive with everybody in the
565
00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:14.839
locker room. And I was learning every time I stepped
566
00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:16.759
in the ring. You know, when I stepped in with
567
00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:20.160
Eddie or it was Dean, or it was whoever, you know,
568
00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:22.359
we were Claire or Anderson. You know, every time I
569
00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:25.319
stepped in the ring, I I I learned and I
570
00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:29.400
really enjoyed that time. You also, and it wasn't hard
571
00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.759
for me because you know, my dad, my trainer, he
572
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:35.759
prepared me very well. I mean he wrestled all over
573
00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:39.640
the world, and I knew all those styles. But of
574
00:29:39.720 --> 00:29:43.960
course there you always learn, you always, you never stopped
575
00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:46.559
learning in that business. And that's that's that was very
576
00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:48.279
helpful to me.
577
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:53.319
Hopefully someday we do get our w CW reunion show.
578
00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:55.720
I don't know what's going to happen because WW.
579
00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:56.680
Uh.
580
00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:59.599
Well, the thing with me is WSW opened a YouTube channel.
581
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:02.960
I mean, the WWE opened a YouTube channel for WW
582
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.599
called ww Vault. So now they're just loading up all
583
00:30:06.839 --> 00:30:09.920
old episodes of Saturday night shows and pay per views
584
00:30:09.960 --> 00:30:11.559
and full matches and nitros.
585
00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:14.880
So I'm hoping, I'm hoping it gets the ball roll.
586
00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:17.960
Because they didn't open an ECW channel, they opened a
587
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:19.559
WCW channel.
588
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:23.640
Well, that would be great, I you know, that would
589
00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.559
be great. But maybe it happens because you know, the
590
00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:29.119
owners are different now.
591
00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:33.319
I think it's TKO which Entertainment maybe have a different
592
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:33.839
look at it.
593
00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:35.559
You know, it could happen.
594
00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:40.519
You know, beforehand I would have said no, no. You
595
00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:45.880
should remember when when WWE bought WCW, all those guys
596
00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:52.119
which transferred over to WWE. I think the only guy
597
00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:54.920
who really made it up there is Booker T and
598
00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.519
maybe Ray everybody else.
599
00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:02.880
Everybody else from the time they just they didn't use them.
600
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:07.359
They wanted to make them.
601
00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:07.880
I know.
602
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:12.319
It's like, do you think that vinsic Man would spend
603
00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:16.279
money just to embarrass the company what she possibly might
604
00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:16.680
have done.
605
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:24.799
That's a good question. I I don't know Vince that well,
606
00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:28.799
you know, so I would. I hope you wouldn't, but
607
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:38.559
who knows. But yeah, that's it. Yeah, how how shall
608
00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:39.039
I put it?
609
00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:44.079
I'm a human being which has a lot of high
610
00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:49.799
moral standings, and the words in English is hard. You know,
611
00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:53.000
you always have to decide for yourself if that what
612
00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:58.279
you're doing is that good or not good? And other
613
00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:02.640
people made it might have other perspectives on their decisions
614
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:04.960
as I do put it in a nice way.
615
00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:11.759
So what you're saying is, yes, vinsick Man would spend
616
00:32:11.799 --> 00:32:13.440
money to embarrass people.
617
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:15.440
No, that's what you said.
618
00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:16.720
That's what I said.
619
00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:19.279
Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't go that far because I don't
620
00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:23.119
know it, and I hope you But of course he's
621
00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:28.279
been in the business for many, many years, and to
622
00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:31.359
be that long in the business and having a big
623
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.759
company like that which always expanded and grows, and you
624
00:32:34.839 --> 00:32:38.559
have to be a tough businessman. And I think for
625
00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:45.240
a tough businessman to have too much emotions is not helpful.
626
00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.720
Yeah, it sounds like a man had too much emotion.
627
00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:56.920
Any story I've ever read for the past twenty nine
628
00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:00.519
years about WCW through vinsic Man's eyes as he was bullied,
629
00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:03.960
it was unfair at Ted Turner's money was holding him
630
00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:05.799
down and he's a family run company.
631
00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:06.559
How dare he?
632
00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:09.480
How dare Ted Turner try to put out a mom
633
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:11.559
and pop shop like the WWF.
634
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:14.799
Okay, that's what I gather.
635
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:17.799
Well I am.
636
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:22.920
When I was an active wrestler, I kept myself away
637
00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:27.440
from backstage politics because they're no and it's just stressful
638
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:28.000
on your mind.
639
00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:31.839
So and that's what I do after my active career.
640
00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:34.480
I don't, you know, I don't read them a lot
641
00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:37.359
of stuff in the Internet and stuff like that because
642
00:33:37.559 --> 00:33:39.559
a lot of times, you know, it's just yes.
643
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:43.119
And I don't want to use my.
644
00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:47.680
Time in my life to worry about things what I
645
00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:51.599
read from some persons. You know. I try to gather
646
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:56.279
positive people around myself to positive things. And if I
647
00:33:56.400 --> 00:34:00.359
feel some guy is handling himself the wrong way or
648
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:02.960
he's not a good guy or is negative, I just
649
00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:04.319
try to get distance.
650
00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:07.319
That's a good way to look at life. I need
651
00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:12.239
to stop doom scrolling then, because yeah, boy, I find
652
00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:14.320
a lot of politics on my phone by accident, and
653
00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:15.960
I'm like, this is not what I want.
654
00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:18.480
But not just regular politics.
655
00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:22.199
And then then you don't fall into wrestling politics like
656
00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:22.960
oh god.
657
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:24.920
Same that. Actually, that's true.
658
00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:30.039
If you stop watching the daily news on TV for
659
00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:32.840
a while, you are much heavyer, happier.
660
00:34:33.159 --> 00:34:33.400
Guy.
661
00:34:34.199 --> 00:34:37.800
That's that's it, I'll tell you. Yeah, I agree. I agree.
662
00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:41.679
Watching daily news maybe once a week, that's fine, or
663
00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:45.719
every two weeks, and I feel much better because every
664
00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:47.800
day if you hear oh, here's a war, and there's
665
00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:50.000
a war, and this guy is that, and here's a killing,
666
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:51.079
here's a shooting, here's.
667
00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:56.519
It makes you feel like, fucking what world do I live? Exactly?
668
00:34:56.679 --> 00:35:00.039
And that's why I distance.
669
00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:04.519
Good, good, idea, good good twenty nine years of experience FROMM.
670
00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:08.840
Sabic Nitro, you definitely have kept away, kept away from that.
671
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.000
I used to work for a television station for seventeen years.
672
00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:14.199
I work for a news station, and I will tell
673
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:17.159
you what. For seventeen years, I thought the world was
674
00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:20.480
the scariest place because for eight hours a day, I
675
00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:23.559
was told how terrible the world was. Look at this fire,
676
00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:25.639
look this dead baby, look at this dead person, this
677
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:26.760
person hates that person.
678
00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:27.599
So on, I so.
679
00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:31.519
Forth and and now the weather and then get to
680
00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:36.880
the weather. So I I worked with I worked for
681
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.800
a TV station for seventeen years up until this past January,
682
00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:44.440
and I'll tell you right right now, my mind, my body,
683
00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:47.599
my soul, I feel clear, I feel healthier, I feel
684
00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:51.719
happier because I haven't been watching that shit every single
685
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:52.800
day and day of the week.
686
00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:57.159
Yeah, that's what I mean. Very good, so smart to you.
687
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.360
So try it distance.
688
00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:05.599
Yes, don't believe that Vin mcmahn purposely boughtsw just to
689
00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:06.760
hold on all the wrestlers.
690
00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:10.480
Don't believe that or believe it. Up to you. It's
691
00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:13.159
your day to decide yes or no. I'm gonna go
692
00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:15.280
with yes. But that's my thoughts.
693
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:19.159
But in reality, though, WW Nitro the first episode will
694
00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:22.000
always be one of those moments in wrestling where people go,
695
00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:25.199
I can't believe what a successful night this was, because
696
00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:28.000
from this point on again, this is the first when
697
00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:31.039
it airs there is no Raw Ross preempted, because that
698
00:36:31.239 --> 00:36:35.079
is when Raw used to be preempted by Tennis and Puppies.
699
00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:37.920
That's right, They used to have Puppies and Tennis on
700
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:42.880
USA Network and that would prehenpt Monday Night Raw on Mondays,
701
00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:48.039
and so Nitro went had no competition. Yeah, so great
702
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.159
timing to launch that show. And then the next week
703
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:51.800
was the first time they went head to head, and
704
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:55.760
that's where the ratings war really begins. And before we
705
00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:58.599
wrap this up, though, when you were in WSW and Nitro,
706
00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:01.599
was there a television Backstaine playing raw so you can
707
00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:02.400
see what they were doing.
708
00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:09.000
Yeah, definitely in every locker room. So yeah, because because.
709
00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:16.199
I guess now the office did it on purpose so
710
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:20.440
we see which we could do better than them. Well,
711
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:23.440
on the other hand, a lot of guys said, hey, listen,
712
00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:25.480
we would like to have the TV here so we
713
00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:29.320
can do better than them. So because I think everybody
714
00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:32.880
was pulling on the same string, the WCOW office and
715
00:37:32.920 --> 00:37:35.360
all the guys, they're all the workers because we knew
716
00:37:35.840 --> 00:37:39.880
we have this had this chance to be the number
717
00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:44.519
one company, and everybody wanted to work for the number one.
718
00:37:44.400 --> 00:37:45.800
Company and showed the best.
719
00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:48.599
And that's the reason why we have the TV to
720
00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:54.079
get better spots, do better promos, whatever to react, you know,
721
00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:58.719
because if you see on other television three vertical suplexes,
722
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.159
you wouldn't put in and you mentioned suplex, you know
723
00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:03.440
you would do with something else.
724
00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:07.639
Of course, yes, I'd hope you wouldn't see three vertical
725
00:38:07.639 --> 00:38:09.039
superlexes in one match, but.
726
00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:11.159
You never know.
727
00:38:12.119 --> 00:38:17.119
Well, it depends what company you watch, especially.
728
00:38:16.679 --> 00:38:17.400
That time as well.
729
00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:21.159
Good point, good point, But yeah, no, the Monday Night Wars.
730
00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:23.719
No matter what people will tell me how much money's
731
00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:26.760
being made or was it made during this time or
732
00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:29.039
even in today's world where like they make you so
733
00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:30.119
much money off Netflix.
734
00:38:30.239 --> 00:38:30.920
Yeah, I don't care.
735
00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:33.400
When in ninet teenty five through two thousand and one,
736
00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:35.320
if I walked into a gas station, I would see
737
00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:37.320
a Steve Boston or an nWo shirt.
738
00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:39.239
Well, you don't see that. In today's world.
739
00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:42.119
You could walk into any store and find a WCW
740
00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.960
or WWF piece of merchandise. Didn't matter what store you
741
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:48.079
went into, you would find it. So in today's world,
742
00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:50.840
that's not the way it is. So I will always
743
00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:53.639
say the Monday Night Wars was the greatest time to
744
00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.639
be a professional wrestler and a professional wrestling fan.
745
00:38:56.880 --> 00:38:57.719
That's my thoughts.
746
00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:00.360
You can argue that if you want, but I will
747
00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:02.719
argue with you and you're wrong and I'm right, But
748
00:39:03.239 --> 00:39:05.239
all in all, alex Right, thank you so much for
749
00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:08.519
sharing your perspective on I'm first episode of Nitro.
750
00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:10.760
I really enjoyed our conversation.
751
00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:12.840
Remember, folks, As he brought up don't watch the news
752
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:15.039
to stay away.
753
00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:17.519
Just stay away from it so you'll feel better. But
754
00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:19.639
I'm Steve Faul. Actually you know what, people wraps up?
755
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:21.360
What do you got going on? Talk about your company?
756
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:23.199
I want to know what's your next show coming up?
757
00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:27.119
Well, we just had a show three weeks ago and
758
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:31.159
I was actually really really good for German standards. We
759
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:36.079
had like seven hundred spectators. Yeah, of course for Germany
760
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.599
is actually a very good number. And yeah, I have
761
00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:44.880
a lot of good and very talented new guys on
762
00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:49.400
my show. They debuted and they're all booked in all
763
00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:52.199
of Germany. So I'm very proud that those guys have
764
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:54.719
had a very good start in the business.
765
00:39:54.760 --> 00:39:56.199
Now so awesome.
766
00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:59.039
Yeah, I think a few of those you will see
767
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:01.960
about in a year or two years internationally.
768
00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:07.320
Ye, look at your hands on the future and I
769
00:40:07.400 --> 00:40:09.199
like it. Hands in the past, hands in the future.
770
00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:10.800
Alex Right, thank you so much for being here on
771
00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:13.440
Tankout Media. I'm Steve fall He's Alex Right. Have a
772
00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:15.199
wonderful day and we'll see you next time.
773
00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:17.119
Bye bye, bye bye.