WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:11.080 This is the art of wrestling with professional wrestler called Kamanda. Oh all right, 2 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.960 Hi you doing? Come on, sit down, relax, here about 3 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:20.120 to listen to the art of wrestling. A professional wrestling podcast. It's a 4 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:24.000 life podcast is a personal journal. It's a pantryway to the minds that holds 5 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.480 the hearts and the lives of the people involved the world of professional wrestling. 6 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:33.119 I am your host. My name is Cold Kamana. I am a commentator, 7 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:38.079 I am a podcaster. I am a actor. I am sag Aftra. 8 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:42.439 Most importantly, though, I am a professional wrestler, and I am 9 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:49.479 coming to you live from my studio apartment in Chicago, Illinois. Before I 10 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.280 go in re further, this is a fan support and listener supported podcast, 11 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.960 supported by people just like you. When we give it to you, we 12 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:57.759 give it to you on Thursdays. We give it to you. Good on 13 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:02.520 a good old Thursday. This is the last of the batch. This batch 14 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.400 was based upon me jumping on an NBC show, which now seems so long 15 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:10.879 ago. But I thought, in celebration, I would do a bunch of 16 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.680 podcasts and put it out and Kevin's gonna be the last one. Coltmerch dot 17 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:18.079 com and digital coolt dot com is a great way to support pictures, posters, 18 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:22.400 DVDs, digital downloads. I have a ew cards, I have aw 19 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:26.640 autographs, I have major wrestling podcast cards, I have plush dolls. I've 20 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.840 got it all. Also rate, review and subscribe. Wherever you listen to 21 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:34.079 your podcasts, Tweet out the show, give it a retweet, show some 22 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:38.239 love on social media. The best way to support Patreon dot com slash Cold 23 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.719 Cabana. That's where you can listen to all of these shows, the whole 24 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:48.000 history, AD free wrestling, anonymous, AD free pro wrestling, fringe, 25 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:52.560 ad free, bonus wrestling, anonymous shows. You can get mail from me. 26 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.439 Just a great way to support. It's always appreciated. Patreon dot com 27 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.159 slash Cold Cabana. Today on the show is Kevin Kelley. Kevin somebody who 28 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:05.640 I had on the books. I was doing a tour of New Japan Professional 29 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.960 wrestling in March of twenty twenty. I had the ticket in the United app 30 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:15.159 I had already upgraded to a first class ticket O'Hare to Tokyo, Tokyo to 31 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:20.800 O'Hare and then the world shut down and Kevin and I were unable to speak 32 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:23.560 at that time. But then since that time, I got booked on a 33 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:25.840 show with The Rock, and then I could ask Kevin about his time with 34 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:30.599 The Rock and of course all of the wonderful commentary that he has done over 35 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.159 the years, and not just commentary. When you're a personality like Kevin Kelly, 36 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:38.280 it's not just about go to work, talk about the matches, and 37 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.000 then go home. I mean it is for some, but for the most 38 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.439 part, if you want to be a success in wrestling and you're not a 39 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:51.680 professional wrestler, you have to be a jack of all trades unless you're literally 40 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.840 so good. Like let's say you're a referee, if you're literally the best 41 00:02:54.919 --> 00:03:00.199 referee in the world. But I think Charles Robinson still on duty, learned 42 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:04.719 how to put up a ring. Kevin Kelly so good a commentary, has 43 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:10.240 won the Observer Award for years and years, but still always understood the importance 44 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:15.039 of doing everything. You get that foot in the door, and then you 45 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:17.240 keep your foot in the door. Kevin Kelly so great at that. And 46 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:22.439 we'll hear all about it, which will happen here on this show. So 47 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:27.280 that's so stay tuned. As for me, oh, I was in the 48 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:31.159 sheets a little bit this week. It's so funny to think about who are 49 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:37.280 the people telling the journalists the information, because it definitely wasn't me. I 50 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:40.479 didn't tell them anything. But it was reported that I signed a new contract, 51 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:45.280 and I did sign a new contract. There was something reported about Ring 52 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:47.879 of Honor that I have no clue about that. I just know I've signed 53 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:52.879 a new contract. I don't know who reported it. Somebody who knew something 54 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:57.319 obviously reported it. And I only say that because it just makes me think 55 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:02.400 of people that report stuff on a week where in my wrestling brain it's so 56 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:09.039 obvious that people are leaking stuff to people. I guess for me, someone 57 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:12.639 who's just been in wrestling for so long and knows the personalities like can see 58 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:17.199 a mile away that they've duped the wrestling journalism people or whatever it is. 59 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.560 But once a story gets out, it gets out and it spreads like wildfire, 60 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.279 and there's a true art to it. There's a true art to manipulating 61 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.800 the wrestling journalism world. And that might be my new podcast. It's no 62 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.759 longer gonna be the art of wrestling. It's gonna be the art of duping 63 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:41.879 the wrestling journalist. Maybe that's gonna be my next successful podcast venture. Otherwise, 64 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:45.480 for me, business as usual. I'm streaming, I'm trying to put 65 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.199 out content. I'm working out, I'm getting ready like Dennis Stamp. I'm 66 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.839 on the trampoline. I'm looking for the call, and between the call, 67 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.879 I am doing other outside shows. I'm doing comedy shows. I'm trying to 68 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.240 keep my brain moving, trying to stay inspired. A little sad that I 69 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:04.560 won't be doing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. I guess technically I could, 70 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:10.639 and I am now double boosted, but at the time of sign up 71 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:15.399 it just seemed a little scary to be in a very enclosed basement for thirty 72 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.959 days straight in Scotland. Hindsight, maybe I would be ready to go at 73 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:23.759 this present time, but who knows. Those numbers are changing every single week. 74 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.519 But I do recommend going back in the feed. There's so many different 75 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.839 Edinburgh shows. There's live art of wrestlings from Edinburgh, which include some pretty 76 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:39.399 famous comedians Ari Shaffer, Chris Gethard, Kyle Knane, even Nicky Ash before 77 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:43.279 she went to the WWE and Demo before he went to the WWE, Graato 78 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:46.079 being a silly Goose and so many more so, I recommend going back in 79 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.000 the feed checking out those past Edinburgh shows. There's so much fun if you're 80 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:55.160 looking for a mixture of both comedy and wrestling. Also, if you're looking 81 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:58.720 for a mixture of both comedy and wrestling, I suggest Marty and Sarah Love 82 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:02.240 Wrestling. What a fun pod cast that is Marty Rosa Sarah Shocky, two 83 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:08.839 real silly billies who also love wrestling. And I've been doing a podcast every 84 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:12.800 single week for like five years now, maybe even more. Marty and Sarah 85 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:15.120 love wrestling. But this is not Marty and Sarah love wrestling. This is 86 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.959 the art of wrestling. This is talking with people within the wrestling industry, 87 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:23.959 long form, very direct chats. I think you'll love it. We'll take 88 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:29.279 a quick little break and then let's go over to our talk with Kevin Kelly. 89 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:34.920 So you invested how much in this setup? Kevin already asking me the 90 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:39.439 audio questions. Come on, turn your fucking phone on, all right, 91 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:44.000 I'm a professional. This setup I've had for years, a couple of microphones. 92 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:48.160 Recently got a road sponsorship from Road Microphones and Cables Outstanding. I have 93 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:54.519 a zoom here. This is the travel still not turning off that I'm working 94 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:58.759 on it. There we go. I'm an old guy. The podcast equipment 95 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.120 has changed over the years, and I mean I'm not doing a week to 96 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:05.399 week podcast anymore. So it's not like I have to keep up to date. 97 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:09.560 I feel what I have works U and it is what it is. 98 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:15.079 Whatever you invested in that set up paid off, long since paid off, 99 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:19.240 since paid off. You know when it's funny, because I was when I 100 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:24.360 was in WWE. You're gonna call it E when you were there, No, 101 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:29.480 it was f Then they got the F out, but it was, 102 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.160 oh, I SDN studio equipment, you gotta have this, you gotta have 103 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:39.399 that minimum five grand. Now I do New Japan shows from home with a 104 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:46.279 USB port in my computer and free software and it works great. It costs 105 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:47.759 like two hundred dollars. So when you think, when we think about that 106 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:53.439 stuff, I just say, imagine in twenty years now or thirty years from 107 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:56.759 now, it's gonna be like like how people say you can like people say 108 00:07:56.759 --> 00:08:00.199 you can podcast on your iPhone but it sounds shitty, Yeah, but you'll 109 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.319 be able to podcast on your iPhone like it's studio quality. Yeah. Sure, 110 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:09.439 I bought a little because I got a nice Senheiser headset, and but 111 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.720 I have a USB connection for that now, so I can take that with 112 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:18.040 me when I'm in Japan if I need to do something there, which invariably 113 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:20.439 I wind up having to do when you were when you say when you were 114 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:24.920 in WF and we'll get to all of it, But was there? So 115 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.399 was there? Radio talk? Was there? And I know you're talking about 116 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:33.000 announcing stuff, but if we're talking about podcasting and all of that, like 117 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:35.759 were you a part of the bite this or any of that kind of stuff? 118 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:39.639 Like was that their idea of like trying to get into Howard Stern type 119 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:48.000 radio? Or it was content for the fledgling website, which again at first 120 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.360 when I got there, they only had the AOL section. Oh I know 121 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:56.919 very well. Oh yes, I was as a child. How much long 122 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:03.519 distance you know, dollars were right, My parents know very well. Which 123 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:05.399 is another thing is saying in twenty years, right, in another twenty years, 124 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:09.240 internet will cause a sent it'll be free, So it will be Yeah. 125 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:11.919 It was a It was a way to get content. It was a 126 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:18.600 way to a lot of the genesis of the what it was known as the 127 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:24.080 attitude era. Came from the magazines because Vince Russo was the editor in chief 128 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:30.759 and pushed that philosophy of we need to be edgy, like we're doing on 129 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:35.919 Raw magazine. WWF magazine was you know, for everybody, but Raw was 130 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.279 sort of like the shoot, you know, the inside stuff, and that 131 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:46.240 was what he sold Vince on and why Raw took a discernibly edgier track. 132 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:54.039 So Bite this was a way to deliver content but also kind of be real 133 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.240 with the people. Now. Vince Russo wanted to be Howard Stern, So 134 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:01.080 when he first started doing the show with me, it was you know, 135 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:05.039 toilet flushing sound effects and wacky stuff, and then he quit doing it and 136 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:09.480 then we just made it more of an interview show. Was there ever radio 137 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.759 talk? Was that a thing they had done the radio WWF before I got 138 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:18.200 there, before you got there, and there wasn't. I never remember any 139 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:22.600 conversation about that. Because the belief at the time was that terrestrial radio was 140 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:28.399 going to be going away. It's still around, and that we needed to 141 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:33.480 embrace the new technology of the Internet and this new website WWF dot com to 142 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:39.320 have our fans and we could be in control of everything. Did you were 143 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:41.720 you did. You have a lot of it. Just by this two seconds 144 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.159 of talking, it seems like you were kind of in that world. Where 145 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.000 was that a part of your world? It was, and it wasn't at 146 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.080 first. When I first got hired in June of ninety six, I was 147 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:56.279 hired as just an announcer, but I didn't do very much. So I 148 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:00.360 was bored, and I got to know Vince Rousseau and I got to know 149 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:05.559 Jim Monsey's and those guys who worked on the magazines and on the AOL side, 150 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:09.000 and let me write, let me do some kind let me do something. 151 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:13.759 So I started doing that. And then after my first year writing, 152 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.639 which was what you, started doing magazine stuff. Yeah, okay, a 153 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:22.960 couple of editorial pieces, did stuff for you know, did some interviews which 154 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.000 went up. Mostly it was like text for the AOL side. I feel 155 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:31.159 we're wired the same where it's just like people would think, like you got 156 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.600 the dream job. You've been hired by WF and it's just like I don't 157 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:37.039 want to sit around and do nothing, right, I need to do something 158 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:39.559 I loves. Please, yeah, put me to work. And that was 159 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:45.440 a big issue for them with me. Oh, he's a wrestling guy. 160 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.720 Kevin Duddon never wanted to hire me. I don't know if you know the 161 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.360 story. It's so I came up for the audition because Vince wanted to step 162 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:58.600 away from doing announcing every week. So they had a big casting call, 163 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:03.159 brought a bunch of people in and we're gonna find the replacement announcer. Okay, 164 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:05.639 I'm gonna stop you a little bit. Were there people there like with 165 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:09.360 you or was it one at a time and you were only there one at 166 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:13.639 a time. I saw an attractive young lady sitting she had already done her 167 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:16.399 audition. She was waiting for the car to take her back, and then 168 00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:22.120 I went upstairs to get makeup, and in my head it's a big like 169 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:26.960 because I do auditions and stuff like Gordon Soli's over there, and then like 170 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:30.120 Mike Adam Lee right like even like people from the like the guy from Channel 171 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:33.639 seven News. You're like, like Thomas Sulo from the news. What do 172 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.159 you guy? I have no idea why they picked me, but they did. 173 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.240 And it was a three person committee that was in charge of the search. 174 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:45.200 So it was Bruce Pritchard, a woman named Lisa Wolf who at the 175 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:50.559 time was ahead of hr and Kevin Dunn and I got picked two to one, 176 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:56.120 and Kevin Dunn was the loan dissenting vote. That's wild to know you're 177 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:58.000 gonna go. Did you how did you find that? And when did you 178 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:01.960 find that out? Way after the fact? Okay, yeah, add he 179 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:05.159 hard to like go to work every day knowing this guy didn't want you. 180 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:07.639 Then why does he hate well, why does he hate me? And probably 181 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:11.320 salty that you're there? He never liked me? And then I found out 182 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:18.200 so okay, so after the first year he didn't want me around anymore. 183 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:22.360 I only had a one year contract. I'd moved my family to Connecticut and 184 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:24.559 all on a one year contract, thinking they're gonna love me. It's not 185 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.919 gonna be a problem. I'm affable, look at me. But it was 186 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.960 out and Vince russ Kevin Dunn called Vince McMahon. Vince Russo told me the 187 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.759 story, and I have no reason to believe he was lying. I completely 188 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:43.480 believe in one had sent to be true. Kevin Dunn called Vince McMahon at 189 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:48.679 his house writing television with Vince Russo and said, I'm letting Kevin Kelly go. 190 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.120 And he said, Vince looked down the end of his glasses with a 191 00:13:52.120 --> 00:14:01.960 look on his face like why, Well, he's a few different random non 192 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.559 reasons, and Vince Russo said, well, he likes to write. He's 193 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.240 really good writer. Could I have him for the magazines? Oh yeah, 194 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:11.840 you could absolutely have him, no doubt about it. Well I gotta go 195 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:15.559 see later, guys. And that was it. So then I got moved 196 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.200 over full time writing for the magazines. Cut and pay, of course, 197 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.320 but it was all right. And then three months later I got rehired back 198 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:30.440 in television. So now I was getting paid twice. That's wild because Vince 199 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.519 wanna being on TV wan on TV, or they ran out of or they 200 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:35.840 the week before. He was like, I don't like whoever's doing this? 201 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.840 Who else do we hear? Oh? He wasn't that. He wasn't as 202 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:43.639 flighty as he is of late, because you hear the stories. Yeah right, 203 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.200 it's just interchangeable. And you're saying it wasn't always like that. No, 204 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:52.480 No, Kevin Dunn brought in Michael Cole, and Michael Cole was hired 205 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.120 to replace me. Now we became friends, and as we were traveling together, 206 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:00.519 he's telling me the story about how he was hired to replace me. 207 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.200 The story starts to come out right, and we became good friends and traveled 208 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:11.399 together. So it was ah a trying time for a young guy. You 209 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.799 know. I was twenty nine, thirty years old and wife and a one 210 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:18.720 year old baby and so, but it all worked out. Yeah. Did 211 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.799 you then once you went to announcing did you go? Did you stick to 212 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:26.519 writing and the other technical stuff? I stayed. I was. I was 213 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:31.519 made the managing editor of WWF Publications with a separate paycheck. No, it 214 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.679 was all lumped and all, but I was. I had no idea what 215 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:39.840 a managing editor did. Yeah, I had to learn what the job was. 216 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.559 So I went to the publisher of the magazines and said, okay, 217 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.360 this is my job. Tell me what I'm supposed to do. Did you 218 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:50.559 feel nervous saying that, knowing that they would know nothing? Yeah? I 219 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:52.879 did. He just gave me was like, not really, No, I 220 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:58.080 did. Because these were magazine professionals that were hired to run these magazines, 221 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:00.480 and Vince Russo was the editor in chief, but they sort of had to 222 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:06.240 work to rein him in all the time, hit deadlines, et cetera, 223 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:08.039 et cetera. He was who was the publisher. Was it a company, 224 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:14.559 No, it was a I can't remember his name, Brad something grow other. 225 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:18.320 He was a magazine veteran, nice guy, and they had a copy 226 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:23.320 editor and they had designers who put the magazines together, and they had all 227 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.840 had magazine experience. So I was like, used to be such a big 228 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:36.559 biz Oh my gosh, we've sold half a billion copies a month of of 229 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:41.240 WWF and I think RAB was like three fifty. We had huge numbers for 230 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:45.720 a while. Now it's probably twelve and it's all digital. Um. But 231 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:48.000 yeah, so I had to kind of go around and say, listen, 232 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:52.360 I really don't know what I'm doing. Please forgive me. You know, 233 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:56.039 I'm going to learn the best I can, and we'll all work together and 234 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.240 we'll get this done. And I wound up getting along with everybody, so 235 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:03.519 it was a good team. And I still did stuff with dot com and 236 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:08.599 did television, so it was it all worked together nice. Um. Okay, 237 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:12.359 so obviously I like getting into like the struggles to get to where you 238 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:15.319 got. Hey, the shows are add for you over on Patreon. But 239 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.559 let's take a quick little break and we'll be right back. Um. I 240 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:22.319 do have a little I don't know if it's an ulterior motive when I came 241 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:26.440 here, but I don't know what your thought. I assume there's happy thoughts 242 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:30.000 about Twain Johnson The Rock, right, Oh yeah, yeah, So I'm 243 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:34.759 the Brooklyn Brawler on the Young Rock on the TV show, Yes, and 244 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:41.319 so I portray Brawler wrestling the Rock in his first match. We're there for 245 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:47.680 that, all right, turning Corpus Christy. And then the next night he 246 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:56.279 worked Chris Candido. I think I was there were stuffs, No, and 247 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.240 I've tried to remember it over the years. That might have been on HOW 248 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:02.839 shows. It was on HOW Shows. Then I didn't see it, Okay. 249 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.920 The first match I do remember him wrestling was against Owen Hart, which 250 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:11.640 was a dark match at TV before Survivor series. Yes, yes, and 251 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:18.559 Owen Hart was that was this was after Memphis, Yes, okay, right, 252 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:22.440 because in the I learned in the show that, like he does these 253 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:26.359 two matches, get sent to Memphis and then thinks he'll be in Memphis forever 254 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:30.880 and then eventually starts getting brought up and it was a that was the beginning 255 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.960 the genesis of the developmental system. So he was training with doctor Tom in 256 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:42.720 the warehouse and Stamford along with Mark, Henry and Braccas and the and then 257 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:49.599 Mark was learning from scratch, so was Braccas. Duane was a prodigy, 258 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:56.640 and it was just do more of this and less of that. Would you 259 00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:00.079 walk into the to the what was it called tracks? This was before tracks. 260 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:07.599 It was in the physical television studio. They had a warehouse where back 261 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:11.799 in the day, this was where they stored all the merch. So there 262 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:15.480 was still boxes of merch like tucked in the corner and you know, would 263 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:18.279 if they needed a set piece or something like that. And then there was 264 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:23.680 a ring and it was the old Alaska ring that they had brought back from 265 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:27.960 when they said they didn't run Alaska anymore. So this ring was stiff. 266 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.440 It was one of those old stiff rings. So they had built a ring 267 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:34.839 just to keep an Alaska Is that what you're saying. They had had a 268 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.200 ring in Alaska for house shows, just for the year, over the years, 269 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.920 over the years, okay, And then the ring got shipped back to 270 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.559 Connecticut. No need for the Alaska Loop to have their own ring anymore. 271 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:51.720 And that became the training ring that doctor tom Uh you know, put Dwayne 272 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:53.400 and Mark and brought us through and would you walk into that area? Oh 273 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:56.359 yeah, it was an open area. In fact, you couldn't not see 274 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:00.799 it because you would go through the reception area, door would open up and 275 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:03.720 you'd be staring at the ring. Now do you look at these guys and 276 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:06.640 are you like, Wow, they are the future? Are you like, 277 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:10.319 look how green these fucking guys? Now? It was there was always something 278 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:15.480 good about all of them and everybody. You know, there wasn't a lot 279 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.519 of screaming and yelling because these were not kids off the street. You know, 280 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:23.960 these were trained professional athletes who looked fantastic, especially Brocus, my god. 281 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:29.039 And you know, Dwayne was there, Mark Henry was there, and 282 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:30.720 Tom was there, and they were working hard and sweating a lot, and 283 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:34.640 we'd go out to eat every once in a while and just laughing and joking. 284 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:37.319 Now, when you get to the when you get because in the show 285 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:41.160 there's this backstage area you know of Pad and Bruce and they're all looking at 286 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.240 at Rocky and I know it's written, but you know Brian's writing on the 287 00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:48.000 show. Yeah, so so when when they get done with that, owen 288 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:52.319 Hart's the what's the mumbling in gorilla position or are you in grilla? I 289 00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:56.319 was in the gorilla position for that because we were getting ready to go out 290 00:20:56.359 --> 00:21:00.480 next to do the syndicated stuff. It was was well. The first thing 291 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.680 that happened. Owen at the time had a cast on his arm, the 292 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:10.640 bob Orton cast, and Dwayne not wanting to work the left arm because he 293 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:15.519 saw Owen had a broken arm, grab the right and Owen very quickly switched 294 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:18.920 hands that said, no, take over the left. So he's doing wrist 295 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:23.839 locks on a cast. Yeah okay, And it was so everybody popped at 296 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:29.680 that just because Owen made us laugh. And then the match was great and 297 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:33.200 Pat was there, Bruce was there, I think Vince was there too, 298 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.880 and they were like, this guy's got it, He's got everything we want. 299 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:41.480 Pat was a huge proponent. Yeah, that's how it's portrayed in the 300 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:47.960 show too. That's very accurate. That's that's cool. Okay, let's start 301 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:52.279 with you. You didn't grow your start with you. Your parents didn't grow 302 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:56.440 up in the magazine business, which I always find funny because my dad was 303 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.119 in the clothing industry and then years later I become a wrestler. But I 304 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:07.920 really just become a just entrepreneurs salesman. My dad was a photographer and shot 305 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:14.200 news for newspapers in New York and covered a couple of Madison Square Garden shows 306 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:17.759 back in the sixties. So you're a New York kid, New York kid, 307 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:22.160 and then in the city. I was born in Staten Island, lived 308 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:25.839 in Queens, and then when I was nine, we moved to Florida because 309 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:29.880 my grandfather had passed away. My dad was willed the house and he had 310 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:34.440 a business opportunity to set up a press service for the local radio stations, 311 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:38.400 etc. So we went down there. The business tanked and you know, 312 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:42.480 you've been around this stuff, yeah, for years, and it was so. 313 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:51.000 I didn't have an interest necessarily in photography or journalism. But the first 314 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:55.640 thing when I we got TV hooked up and the cable guy, we didn't 315 00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:59.200 have cable to New York. Cable guy came on Saturday and set up our 316 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:03.119 cable and I turned the TV on and the first voice I heard was Gordon 317 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:07.960 Soli. So I started watching Championship Wrestling for Florida and I was hooked. 318 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:10.519 That was what I wanted to be. Cable guy in Florida, not in 319 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:14.680 New York cable guy in Florida hooked up the cable on our TV when we 320 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:18.880 moved to Florida. Gotcha, did your dad enjoy wrestling? The first time 321 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:22.359 I saw it, we were still in New York and I had it was 322 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:26.759 Saturday night Late was on at midnight and I was up because I had a 323 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:30.240 stomachache or something like that. I wasn't feeling good and Dad was up watching 324 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:33.720 whatever was on before wrestling. Then wrestling started, I was like, oh, 325 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:36.440 wrestling. And he got up, stood in front of the TV and 326 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.200 said, let me tell you what this is all about. It's all fake. 327 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.480 It's all a show. All this all that I don't care move. 328 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:47.200 This was after he had taken pictures at medicine. Yeah, and he explained 329 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:51.839 to me that, like he said, one guy was bleeding out of his 330 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:55.799 mouth in the corner, and whoever it was said, hey, get a 331 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.559 shot of this, and he spit this big, huge lugie of blood out, 332 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:02.480 and so Dad got the shot and he was like, oh, it's 333 00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:07.039 all a show. So, being a father looking back at that, what 334 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:08.839 is your thoughts on your dad trying to do that? I don't know, 335 00:24:10.839 --> 00:24:12.880 you know, he's trying to protect me. I guess in some way with 336 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:18.079 my kids because now I have two boys, and I always I always told 337 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:22.240 them that it was physical and very real, but you know, there was 338 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:26.359 a lot of show business to it, and none of them, neither of 339 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:30.920 them really had like an interest that there was no family business. Neither of 340 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:33.880 my sons are going to follow my footsteps into announcing. Right. You're telling 341 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.160 them that just because like it's coming up you as a kid, you were 342 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:41.079 in awe looking at a tough As soon as I got to Florida, I'm 343 00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:47.759 buying the magazines and I'm I'm an obsessed fan nine ten years old. I'm 344 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:51.119 signing into the fan club. You know, Dusty Rhodes is my favorite wrestler. 345 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:56.119 It was awesome, and it was like the first because when I moved 346 00:24:56.119 --> 00:25:00.480 there, I'm a New York kid in Florida. They all fun of my 347 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:03.599 accent and everybody wanted to beat me up every day. Have you worked on 348 00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:07.920 your AX? Because I wouldn't. I couldn't even said that you were from 349 00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:11.839 New York. I don't know it went away, yeah, because I didn't 350 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:15.640 get a Southern accent from living in Florida, but I can sound country if 351 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:19.200 I want, you know, and I probably would have thought you were, 352 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:23.720 and the New York accent softened, so it just wound up. I'm from 353 00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:27.279 like Ohio, right somewhere in the middle equal here in midwestern right, Okay, 354 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:30.799 but yeah, that was it was hard to make some friends, maybe, 355 00:25:30.839 --> 00:25:37.519 oh Florida terrible. But wrestling was like the one thing that I gravitated 356 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:41.880 towards. And I never wanted to be a wrestler. I always wanted to 357 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:47.119 be the announcer, and the matches themselves didn't because it was all squash matches 358 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.960 on TV. Occasionally get a good match, but I mostly cared about the 359 00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:53.799 interview segments and the angles. That was what excited me. So that was 360 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:56.759 what I was always drawn to. And did you find other kids that liked 361 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:02.640 wrestling? One man and he became my best friend. Okay, did he 362 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:04.720 ever do anything with wrestling or anything like that? Did you stay obsessed like 363 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:08.599 you did? He came to a Ring of Honor show when we were at 364 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:14.359 Lanta. You wrestled Jay Lethal two out of three falls. Yeah, and 365 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:19.559 that giant conference room, Oh my gosh. And you know it was always 366 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:22.000 like he was like, Wow, I can't believe you you know, over 367 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:25.519 the years, I can't believe you did this. I can't believe it. 368 00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:27.880 You know, he got in the car business, then he became a banker, 369 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:34.000 and he's a rich suburban guy now. And I've been a struggling wrestling 370 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:37.319 announcer. We're in the circus, right, yeah, right, But it's 371 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:41.640 the life I chose and the life you chose. Yeah, of course. 372 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:45.799 So, um do you go when you start getting like sixteen, and do 373 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:48.839 you start going to the matches and all the time? Yeah? Are you 374 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:53.160 right? Are you? Yeah? Maybe explain the championship wrestling for Florida loop 375 00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:57.519 and where you are, Like, are you in Tampa Bay going to the 376 00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:00.000 what was it the sportitorium? Yeah? I was on the other side. 377 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:03.400 I was on the other coast. Okay, So if I went to wrestling, 378 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:07.599 it was either Monday night West Pump Each Auditorium or the occasional Thursday spot 379 00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:11.759 show in Fort Pierce at the Saint Lucy County Civic Center. And as I 380 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:17.799 got older, they started running Saint Lucy more so I went because it was 381 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:22.640 like twenty minutes closer than West Palm And who would your would anybody to take 382 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:23.440 you? Was it your mom? And dad or was it just your dad. 383 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:27.039 My dad got sick when I was eleven years old. He had a 384 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:33.960 stroke, so he was, you know, basically an invalid. And my 385 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:37.400 mom didn't really have a bunch of interest in driving me anywhere, so I 386 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:41.000 would wait for friends, you know, try to talk people into going with 387 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:45.119 me. And then once I got sixteen and I was driving, then I 388 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:48.200 went everywhere on my own. But when I was younger, my dad took 389 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:51.960 me. The first show I went to was at West Palm and Harley Race 390 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:59.079 and Rocky Johnson were the main event. Another tie it and I was scared 391 00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:03.319 to death of Joe LaDue because he did an angle on TV with Jimmy Garvin 392 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:08.839 and I had nightmares. And when he came out in like the fourth match, 393 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:15.119 I hope prayed that he didn't see me, and he didn't believe it 394 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.640 or not, he didn't come after me. And yeah, so that was 395 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:22.759 just And I probably went to I don't know, when I was sixteen, 396 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:27.559 every week, every other Thursday, whenever it was there. Right, Hey, 397 00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:30.359 the shows are ad free over on Patreon, But for now, let's 398 00:28:30.359 --> 00:28:34.759 take a quick little break. We'll be right back. So how do you 399 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:40.000 would the correct term, be like, how do you weasel your way into 400 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:44.480 professional wrestling? Because it's like for the wrestlers, it's pretty cut and dry. 401 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:45.519 I think you go get trained, you pay someone in money, they 402 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:48.960 beat the shit out of you. And I feel everyone on the fringe of 403 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.680 wrestlers, right, I don't know if that's the correct term, right, 404 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:56.160 like the fringe of the interviewers, the bookers, you know that we still 405 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:59.680 get asked these questions. I'm sure you more than me. It's just like 406 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:00.839 how you do it, And it's like, well, there is no school, 407 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:04.519 so it's like you kind of have to just like befriend everybody and hope 408 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:07.519 that one day something opens up that you kind of get a foot in, 409 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:12.000 and then you just push and push, right, Yeah, it was the 410 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:18.200 luckiest way. So I went to Florida State and I was in communications radio 411 00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.400 all because I wanted to get into wrestling when I was done, but I 412 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:29.839 didn't know how now at the time. Because I graduated in nineteen ninety WCW 413 00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:33.119 still in Atlanta, and a friend of mine who wanted to get into sportscasting, 414 00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:40.519 said we should go and become pages at CNN at the CNN Center and 415 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:44.000 then you could do the wrestling thing. I can get in with CNN Sports 416 00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:47.319 and it'll be great. But I didn't have two nickels to rub together by 417 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:49.640 the time I was done with school. So I went back home and I'm 418 00:29:49.640 --> 00:29:55.640 working at a local radio station, and wrestling at this point was kind of 419 00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:57.039 in the back on the back burner. I didn't know how it was going 420 00:29:57.079 --> 00:30:03.680 to get in a local promote. Are called the radio station and he said, 421 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:07.599 we're at the Saint Lucy County Fair. You guys are there? I 422 00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:10.960 need a ring announcer. Is there anybody there? And the girl that took 423 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:12.359 the call said, Kevin, do you know anybody who would be a rigg 424 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:17.480 announcer for wrestling? The phone? Now, how come they weren't? Did 425 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:19.319 they know you were all obsessed? Were you obsessed at this point as much? 426 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:22.680 Oh? Yeah? And I talked about it, you know, all 427 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:26.920 the time. So how come she randomly just goes to Kevin, would you 428 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:30.119 know anyone? I was standing there? Because I was just standing there and 429 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.640 Carrie Hanson, sweet lady, she was wonderful. Uh. She just sort 430 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:38.839 of asked me, like who what? I said, I'll take the calls 431 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:42.279 me, you know, it's me you know where the shirts every day Perfect. 432 00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:47.480 They didn't even have shirts back then. I've grown my hair out to 433 00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:52.559 look like Dusty Rhode. Look at me. Um And and a friend of 434 00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:56.559 a guy who I met through local promoter is still a friend of mine to 435 00:30:56.599 --> 00:31:00.440 this day. And I got him like a part time gig at the radio 436 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:06.000 station, so it all sort of worked out. And then he said, 437 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:10.920 hey, after I did the ring announcing anybody on that show, we would 438 00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:14.519 have known that Tommy Rogers was in the main event. Perfect And it was 439 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:18.400 so poured down rain were under a tent and they closed the fair, but 440 00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:22.480 the wrestling was still going on because they had sold tickets. So there was 441 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:27.000 like twenty five ticket buyers and all the carnies because the rides were shut down. 442 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:33.920 Tough crowd, and we had we had fun. It was just awesome. 443 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:37.680 I got to be a ring announcer and professional wrestling and Tommy Rodgers in 444 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:41.920 the main event. And years later I saw I ran into him in Memphis. 445 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:44.880 Tommy, and I said, hey, by the way, you were 446 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.400 on the very first show that I was on, and I told him about 447 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:51.039 it and he was like, I remember that show. It poured down rain. 448 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:52.720 We thought the show was going to be canceled, as I guess, 449 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:59.559 yeah, and it's weird the stuff. Like both of us, we've done 450 00:31:59.559 --> 00:32:04.039 thousands of shows and sometimes and I'm sure you thought, well, no way, 451 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:06.759 I remember You're like, I remember this match because this was my first 452 00:32:06.759 --> 00:32:09.079 show. Of course, no way, Tommy Rogers remembers. I didn't think 453 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.640 he would know it. I've said, I'll tell you a funny story, 454 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.240 Tommy, and you probably don't remember that. The weird shows, they just 455 00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:20.559 stick in our mind, and he certainly did. But then the guy who 456 00:32:20.599 --> 00:32:24.480 was the promoter, Cliff Anderson, got hired for a fledgling television startup in 457 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:29.200 Orlando and said, hey, I think I got you an audition. Oh 458 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:32.079 sweet, And he got a bunch of us auditions wrestlers, etc. And 459 00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:37.759 we all drove up to Orlando and tried out for Eddie Mansfield. No in 460 00:32:37.880 --> 00:32:40.279 the IWF. I know that you. I mean I know that part of 461 00:32:40.279 --> 00:32:45.440 your story that you were Freddie Mansfield. Eddie Manshield still going at it today, 462 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:46.400 right, he was on this dark side of the ring, Is that 463 00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:52.400 correct? Yeah? So he's still like has his foot kind of in the 464 00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:58.240 wrestling industry. When when we were in roh together. He called me out 465 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:00.880 of the blue and he wanted to be the book or a ring of honor. 466 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:02.000 He wanted me to get him in. I was like, oh, 467 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:07.400 okay, well they already have a booker and he's doing a pretty good job, 468 00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:12.480 you know, but I'll certainly throw your name in the hat and whatever. 469 00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:15.880 So what's this? What was Eddie Mansfield like at that time? Why 470 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:22.079 was he trying to start this up? Like, looking back, do you 471 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:25.000 do you look at him a different ways as when you met him as a 472 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:28.960 young guy just trying to get a foot into the wrestling industry. He was 473 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:31.440 always good to meet, Yeah, he wasn't you know. He was a 474 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:36.359 little sometimes shady with some of the boys. He said he got back into 475 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:39.400 wrestling because he was tired of and this is his quote, tired of looking 476 00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:45.720 at all the same recycled horseshit. And that was his motto going back to 477 00:33:45.759 --> 00:33:51.799 when he wrestled. He couldn't break through the glass ceiling or whatever it was. 478 00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:55.880 And he just wanted to have new young guys, fresh faces, etc. 479 00:33:57.119 --> 00:34:01.119 Etc. And give new wrestler is an opportunity. And he got a 480 00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:06.519 TV deal. He worked somebody into something. How did the Sunshine Network okay? 481 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:12.880 And which is the thing? Yeah? And got the story is Kevin 482 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:19.679 Sullivan told me this. Mike Graham, Steve kern Eddie Mansfield went and met 483 00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:24.679 with Universal Studios Florida about setting up TV tapings. The Florida office was going 484 00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:31.559 to get going again, and Universal kind of was like, I'm not really 485 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:37.599 interested and you need to do this that the other and Steve Kernent Mike Graham 486 00:34:37.639 --> 00:34:44.480 really weren't interested in whatever Universal had said. So those two leave and Eddie 487 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:49.280 stays and says, I can do what you want. So he double crossed 488 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:53.679 them and got the deal and set it up TV taping. You know, 489 00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:59.239 same thing like Impact does, Like did you know TNA in the sound stage? 490 00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:02.000 Fans come in from the park, they don't know who what are we 491 00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:05.719 doing? We're just out of the sun and the air conditioning for an hour. 492 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:09.800 Let's watch a TV taping. Let's watch gangrel Yeah, it was we 493 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:14.840 had who do we have? We had Mondo Clean who became Damian Demento. 494 00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:17.159 Love it and would love to hear the story on him. By the way, 495 00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:21.159 give me a two minute like why was he on raw? And then 496 00:35:21.239 --> 00:35:27.679 not a thing anymore? He was a handful he was allowed to do. 497 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.360 He was a lot to deal with. So he had a cool look. 498 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:31.400 They were like, let's use this guy. He got there. They were 499 00:35:31.400 --> 00:35:36.119 like, ah, yeah, okay, right, he was Johnny Rod's guy, 500 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.880 so you know there was link. Okay. He looked impressive but kind 501 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:45.280 of wrestled like a real old timer. But it was twenty two years old. 502 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:52.760 Yeah he was, and it was a nice guy and wanted to get 503 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:57.440 into comedy, wanted to get into doing different things, which eventually he did, 504 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:00.559 like on some public access stuff in New York. It was an actor 505 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:06.880 kicking around for a while, but Eddie knew him because Eddie went after the 506 00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:09.199 whole wrestling thing blew up. He was in New York for a while and 507 00:36:09.239 --> 00:36:14.079 I think he was trying to become an actor or something and met Phil, 508 00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:19.119 met Mondo clean. They became friends and brought Phil down to Florida becoming world 509 00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:21.480 champion. They all can't do They all can't be on NBC. You know 510 00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:24.840 what I'm saying. No, they can't from Chicago, fire right, I 511 00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:28.760 mean good, still get the checks for that. They'll getting royalties from pd 512 00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:31.480 T. It's beautiful. Oh that's right, And Fire. I did Fire 513 00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:35.039 too, that's right, I remember you on Fire. I definitely saw that 514 00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:37.119 one. I've doubled down. I'm betta go look for Sergeant Void when we're 515 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:43.239 done here today. Oh, he might be around. I'm hello. So 516 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:45.400 who else was done? Oh gosh? Uh? Well, when Blackjack Mulligan 517 00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:49.639 got out of prison, we used him. He was great, he was 518 00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:52.119 awesome. Now are these like the equivalent of like what I'm doing in two 519 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:57.079 thousand and eleven, Like they're just like indies for guys, like no, 520 00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:00.000 one's under contract or it was another date, just another date. Yep. 521 00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:04.639 Yeah, that's kind of my question. And they Eddie was trying to tell 522 00:37:04.679 --> 00:37:07.639 the boys us a territory. It's a territory now, and they were like, 523 00:37:07.719 --> 00:37:09.239 no, it's not. We run like two shows a month. What 524 00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:12.960 are you talking about. None of us are full time. We all have 525 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:17.239 to either have jobs or do whatever. No, it's a territory. It's 526 00:37:17.239 --> 00:37:22.039 a territory. And it never really took off. Money. Money was the 527 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:28.119 big issue because it was expensive to produce TV and who's paying for it? 528 00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:32.400 He different investors that kicked in money from time to time. Universal No, 529 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:35.760 no, no, no, they allowed the space or not even that. 530 00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:37.760 They gave him the space, gave him an office too. He had an 531 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:40.360 office in Universal. Oh, it wasn't a territory then he had an office. 532 00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:44.880 Right, that was the booking golfice. Yes, so you got the 533 00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:49.519 gig as announcer. Charlie Platt was supposed to be the play by play guy, 534 00:37:49.559 --> 00:37:52.639 and I was supposed to do the ringside interviews. Now, Charlie Platt 535 00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:55.920 was the old Continental announcer, which is how Eddie knew him. The day 536 00:37:55.960 --> 00:38:00.199 of the first taping at Universal. Now, the day before, we had 537 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:06.519 shot tons of pre tapes in the park and I had done all the stand 538 00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:12.039 ups in etc. Etc. The next day, first day taping matches, 539 00:38:12.239 --> 00:38:15.000 Charlie Platt's supposed to be there, and Eddie says to me, where are 540 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:16.599 you going to be today? I don't know, Probably standing over there by 541 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:20.000 the camera. No, you're gonna be sitting next to me doing commentary. 542 00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:24.719 What. Yeah, Charlie Platt had allergic reaction to penicillin. Oh okay, 543 00:38:25.039 --> 00:38:30.159 I think he had no allergic reaction and not getting paid or didn't feel like 544 00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:34.280 coming down, and so I did play by play. I had no idea 545 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.519 what I was doing when I was rotten. But I did know what I 546 00:38:37.599 --> 00:38:39.159 was. I knew what I wanted it to sound like, because in the 547 00:38:39.159 --> 00:38:42.840 same way I knew how to do a sunset flip in my first day of 548 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.079 school training. They didn't have to teach me how to do it right. 549 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:51.559 I wrestled in ninth grade on the high school team and the coach wanted to 550 00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:54.800 see something that we I forget what it was, and I did a small 551 00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:59.840 package and he was like, where did you learn that? TV? Du 552 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.840 no no no go run damn. At first, was he impressed, like 553 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:07.280 that was an actual wrestling move. I know nothing about it are wrestling, 554 00:39:07.400 --> 00:39:09.320 I don't know what he was impressed. He was a weird guy. He's 555 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:13.639 a weird old guy, but he got bad boy when I when I told 556 00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:16.599 him where I got it from. Satis thought on TV small package right gets 557 00:39:16.679 --> 00:39:20.440 him every time. Hey, the shows are AD free on Patreon, but 558 00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:24.039 let's take a quick little break and we'll be right back. So essentially, 559 00:39:24.280 --> 00:39:29.199 do you just build up a resume that looks good but haven't gotten paid, 560 00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:35.000 Like you're not making money, but you're just like getting this TV credit almost 561 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:39.480 a little bit and started then because then Eddie kind of fell off a little 562 00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:43.480 bit nice said Hey, I'm gonna work for other people, and he got 563 00:39:43.480 --> 00:39:46.960 really mad at me for doing that. Whatever, So I started doing different 564 00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:52.280 indies around Florida, and but I was almost done with the business as commentary 565 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:54.880 or as ring announcer, ring announcing, right, because who's no, they're 566 00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:58.800 not putting VHS tapes, are they? No, it's not a business, 567 00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:02.119 none of it, none of it. But I got to sit in and 568 00:40:02.239 --> 00:40:06.960 learn from a lot of really good folks like Cuban, Assassin, Dave Sierra, 569 00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:13.000 Nasty, and Need Brady, guys that were veterans that knew how TV 570 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:19.039 should be done and knew how live events needed to be produced, so they 571 00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:21.400 let me sit in. Cuban was great because he let me sit in on 572 00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:24.440 finish meetings and that was really like the first time I had exposure to that. 573 00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:30.239 And he used the Eddie Graham vernacular to describe a finish when the time 574 00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:36.679 is right. So, but that was where I met Dwayne the first time 575 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:42.760 in Hudson, Florida, at a small, a small shitty show with Rocky 576 00:40:42.840 --> 00:40:46.679 Johnson in the main event. And he's in the finish meeting. He's wrestling 577 00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:52.239 Cuban and the finish was when the time was right. Ned Brady hits the 578 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:57.760 ring DQ and we beat you down and we'll run out some baby faces to 579 00:40:57.800 --> 00:41:00.440 make the save. And Rocky says, that's fine. I got my kid 580 00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:04.719 here with me tonight. He's going to do something in wrestling. Would it 581 00:41:04.719 --> 00:41:07.559 be okay if he made the save? Yeah? Sure, why not? 582 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:14.239 So down, you know everything's going to form. Beaten on poor Rocky Johnson 583 00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:19.800 and out wearing his number ninety four University of Miami Jersey Dat slides in, 584 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:24.320 throws those open hand punches like we've seen and clean's house and sends the heels 585 00:41:24.320 --> 00:41:30.679 scattering. So this is when he was just like training with Rocky essentially. 586 00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:32.199 I think so, yeah, he was in college. He was still playing 587 00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:37.440 for University of Miami, gotcha, And I think had you know the bug 588 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:42.679 for sure, So it was probably just training with Rocky wherever. That's so 589 00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:45.239 funny and h and that was the first time I met him Hudson, Florida 590 00:41:45.280 --> 00:41:50.039 at the flea market. And that's that was in the not that that specific 591 00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:52.480 one was in the show, but the idea of Rocky Johnson doing these shows 592 00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:55.559 was in the show. The NBC show right that I'm a part of the 593 00:41:55.599 --> 00:42:01.760 young rack watch it on NBC twoes in. But I do watch the show 594 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:07.039 as a wrestler, knowing that he was this territorial guy, and then I 595 00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:12.960 see stories about him working at Circuit City, and it just kind of like 596 00:42:13.079 --> 00:42:15.280 blows my mind, you know, like he was on top, he was 597 00:42:15.320 --> 00:42:19.159 making money. It's like, where did it all go? Was there a 598 00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:22.119 relationship with Rocky Johnson at that point or where you could like you could like 599 00:42:22.280 --> 00:42:28.320 understand it or see it or see the frustration or understand his mindset. I've 600 00:42:28.360 --> 00:42:31.760 been again growing up when I did you know he and Tony Atlas were tag 601 00:42:31.800 --> 00:42:36.320 team champions and he was a top guy in Georgia and etcetera, etcetera. 602 00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:42.880 I never understood like why. I didn't even think about the why I do 603 00:42:43.079 --> 00:42:45.920 now though, And how did he what happened to his money? Because he 604 00:42:45.960 --> 00:42:52.159 had to have made good money, but you know, things happen. Was 605 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:55.960 it weird to see him like coming from a job at not that you're watching 606 00:42:57.039 --> 00:42:59.880 him come to the arena at the Circuit City. He wasn't taking his pen 607 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:04.039 in off, you know, but we did. I didn't really know like 608 00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:06.960 what these guys did you know, he was in shape, he was a 609 00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:12.079 veteran guy, older guy son in college. I assumed he just did this 610 00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:16.719 for fun or just to keep busy. And it was weird when I first 611 00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:20.800 met Dwayne, you know, it was kind of like he didn't want to 612 00:43:20.800 --> 00:43:24.480 push his dad too much into the act, and there was a little bit 613 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:30.000 of hesitancy there, I think from his part to have dad involved. Dad 614 00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:32.519 eventually did get involved a little bit, and then it kind of went away. 615 00:43:32.679 --> 00:43:37.079 And then they hired Rocky to be one of the trainers at OVW. 616 00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:40.639 That didn't last too long because it was some guys they're on top and they 617 00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:45.280 may not know how to teach. They know what they did to get themselves 618 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:49.880 over to get their match over, but they may not be great to teach. 619 00:43:50.199 --> 00:43:52.199 I don't think Dwayne needed teaching. I think he just was naturally. 620 00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:59.239 He was going to get it no matter what. Okay, so you so 621 00:43:59.360 --> 00:44:01.519 you were about to quit wrestling, yeah, ninety four. I was like, 622 00:44:01.559 --> 00:44:07.599 this sucks. I'm done and your dream yeah I know, but it 623 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:10.599 wasn't really going anywhere. And my wife and I were talking about having a 624 00:44:10.599 --> 00:44:15.679 baby, and I was like, maybe maybe this is it. And then 625 00:44:15.079 --> 00:44:22.320 I got hired a radio show that was very popular in Florida at the time, 626 00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:28.039 and morning show. They wanted to do wrestling because one of the guys, 627 00:44:28.079 --> 00:44:30.639 Fez Watley, who just passed away recently. It was on the Ron 628 00:44:30.679 --> 00:44:36.320 and Fed show on Sirius for years. He was a big he loved wrestling, 629 00:44:36.519 --> 00:44:43.199 did Rick Clair impressions on the show. Pistol Pez Yes, And so 630 00:44:43.239 --> 00:44:45.320 they set up an angle on the radio show and was like, well, 631 00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:47.679 we'll do a wrestling event. It'll be a lot of fun. We'll do 632 00:44:47.719 --> 00:44:52.679 it at a bar. Now, Cuban Assassin was a big mentor of mine, 633 00:44:52.800 --> 00:44:54.360 and at the time bar show started to become a thing, and Cuban 634 00:44:54.440 --> 00:44:59.360 had one rule. You don't work in bars. You wrestle in arenas. 635 00:44:59.559 --> 00:45:00.519 You want to work at a bar show, you don't work for me. 636 00:45:01.719 --> 00:45:07.239 And so here I am the best payday. I have gotten three hundred dollars 637 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:12.119 to ring announce for this huge radio show. And I'm in a bar and 638 00:45:12.199 --> 00:45:15.119 I'm looking out and I see my wife, who's now pregnant in the crowd. 639 00:45:15.639 --> 00:45:20.599 I'm like, and the music guy on the show is doing body shots 640 00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:22.519 off woman in the ring. I'm like, this is not what I got 641 00:45:22.559 --> 00:45:27.119 into wrestling for this isn't Gordon solely. I was like, I'm done. 642 00:45:27.760 --> 00:45:30.000 So we went out to eat a couple nights later and talking about it, 643 00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:35.679 and two days later I got a call. I got an audition with WW 644 00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:39.719 Had you been putting in to get that audition? Not really? A guy 645 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:45.079 who was involved with the IWF with Eddie Mansfield's deal got hired to help set 646 00:45:45.159 --> 00:45:49.679 up the thing that they were doing at Universal because they took over the spot 647 00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:54.199 when Eddie wasn't doing it anymore. And so I got an audition warming up 648 00:45:54.199 --> 00:45:58.559 the crowd. So I was the a boo guy telling people to cheer and 649 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:04.920 booing whatever time for the comeback, start clapping and got to meet and work 650 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:07.840 with everybody. Talked with Eric Bischoff afterward and he said, you know, 651 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:13.760 did fine, absolutely great, but hired mean Gene, don't really have a 652 00:46:13.800 --> 00:46:19.239 spot for you. And then I was like, ah, bummer. Then 653 00:46:19.280 --> 00:46:22.039 I talked to Billy Gunn just casually because we were friends, because that's where 654 00:46:22.039 --> 00:46:25.480 the smoking guns came from. The w Hey, you guys are coming down 655 00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:29.440 to Florida doing a Loupa House shows. Let me know if they need a 656 00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:31.679 local ring announcer, see if you can, because at the time they weren't 657 00:46:31.679 --> 00:46:35.480 flying finkel In or whatever. He said, Okay, I'll ask. And 658 00:46:35.599 --> 00:46:43.159 while I'm at the WCW audition, Billy Gunn calls me on my pager and 659 00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:45.599 I call him in between shows. Yeah, what's up? You need to 660 00:46:45.599 --> 00:46:47.800 call Bruce Pritchard. Oh about ring announcing? No, they want to bring 661 00:46:47.800 --> 00:46:52.800 you up for an audition. What so I called Bruce right there. Hey, 662 00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:54.360 Bruce, Kevin Kelly, Hey, good to hear me. What are 663 00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:59.280 you doing? Oh I'm doing an audition right now with WCW. What you 664 00:46:59.280 --> 00:47:01.320 haven't signed a con check? No? No, I haven't offered one. 665 00:47:01.559 --> 00:47:06.960 Do you think he loved? Like just saying those letters makes him go oh 666 00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:08.679 shit, Oh it's I knew it immediately worked it out. You knew what 667 00:47:08.679 --> 00:47:13.559 you were doing. Yeah, and he's Hogan there it's a god no how 668 00:47:13.679 --> 00:47:19.199 the matches kind of the ships? So uh yeah, brought me up June 669 00:47:19.599 --> 00:47:24.199 sixth and started on June twenty four. Nice um? And then how long 670 00:47:24.199 --> 00:47:28.960 with those guys? Seven years? Seven years? Yeah? Yeah almost? 671 00:47:29.159 --> 00:47:31.000 And then I think about like long, Well, first of all, did 672 00:47:31.000 --> 00:47:34.559 you ever meet Gordon Sildy and work with him. No, but I did 673 00:47:34.599 --> 00:47:39.400 interview him on Bite This when he released his book. I did. Wait, 674 00:47:39.400 --> 00:47:43.800 it was Bite This, the one on USA network at like ten am 675 00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:47.719 in the morning. No, that was Live Wires, that was bye bye, 676 00:47:47.719 --> 00:47:51.119 this was their radio stay there. It was just the Internet show. 677 00:47:51.159 --> 00:47:54.239 Okay, okay, okay. So I somehow through through Finkel, I got 678 00:47:54.239 --> 00:47:59.719 Gordon's number. We did an interview with him, and I slobbered all over 679 00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:02.559 him on the phone. And you had the right to book anybody on that 680 00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:06.360 show, anybody too. Youah, the freedom. You guys had the freedom 681 00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:07.920 at that point. Nobody paid attention to what we were doing. Okay, 682 00:48:07.920 --> 00:48:15.199 And earlier before you talked about that, like Russo was able to push Vince 683 00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:20.840 McMahon to into going into this way of booking or whatever it might. Did 684 00:48:20.880 --> 00:48:22.519 you ever see anyone else that kind of had that power over him? Did 685 00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:25.920 you ever try to have that power over I never did. I don't feel 686 00:48:25.960 --> 00:48:29.679 I don't take you as that kind of guy. Knew I did not have 687 00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:34.440 that power. But the only other one that had power over him was Shawn 688 00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:37.280 Michaels. Because Sean could do whatever he wanted, and he and Vince would 689 00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:42.480 scream at each other, and Vince would Sean would curse him like you would 690 00:48:42.599 --> 00:48:45.639 believe, and Vince loved him and no matter what Sean did, he was 691 00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:50.119 never going to get fired. Yeah, but that was it. But yeah 692 00:48:50.199 --> 00:48:53.480 he had Vince had. Brusso had like a hypnotic thing over McMahon for a 693 00:48:53.480 --> 00:49:00.280 while. Right, he got him to be like, change the whole attitude 694 00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:01.880 of the company. Take it in a completely different direction. And what everybody 695 00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:07.199 like in the back that wasn't Vince Russo just would it be like scuttle butt 696 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:09.000 or small talk would be like this is wild that this is happening. They 697 00:49:09.079 --> 00:49:15.960 hated it, hated it. Pat, Pat liked Pat was okay with it. 698 00:49:15.039 --> 00:49:17.320 Pat didn't care. He was kind of checked out at the time. 699 00:49:17.360 --> 00:49:21.559 He was pretty much retired. He was living in Florida. He'd come in 700 00:49:21.559 --> 00:49:24.079 and singing on cruises. Yeah, he just sang my way and loved his 701 00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:30.119 life. Bruce went along with it, but didn't like it. Jim Ross 702 00:49:30.159 --> 00:49:36.519 didn't like it because Jim Ross was trying to book house shows and TV was 703 00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:39.679 constantly changing, so the lineups had to constantly change. One of the biggest 704 00:49:39.719 --> 00:49:45.440 changes was Jim Ross would book the pay per view card and Vince Russo got 705 00:49:45.480 --> 00:49:52.239 that stopped, so that now the pay per views were booked through television, 706 00:49:52.920 --> 00:49:55.280 which kind of works. Hey, the shows are ad free on Patreon. 707 00:49:55.360 --> 00:50:00.239 But let's take a quick little break and we'll be right back. Is there 708 00:50:00.280 --> 00:50:06.519 a moment that you have that's like your stamp on WWF at that time history, 709 00:50:06.599 --> 00:50:09.000 that's maybe you behind the scenes that people don't know about, or something 710 00:50:09.079 --> 00:50:13.239 that you're really like. I kind of hate like exact questions, but I 711 00:50:13.280 --> 00:50:15.960 don't know if anything comes out. No, it's good because I there were 712 00:50:15.960 --> 00:50:20.920 a couple of things that I did. Vince Russo was sort of stuck for 713 00:50:21.400 --> 00:50:25.320 a big moment, a match or main event or whatever it was for the 714 00:50:25.400 --> 00:50:30.239 upcoming week's Raw. And it was the time that Steve had won the belt 715 00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:35.079 from Steve Austin and won the belt from Sean, and Vince was doing the 716 00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:38.840 you know, he wanted a corporate champion, and they used to when a 717 00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:45.960 new champion was crowned the next Raw show, Vince would present the belt to 718 00:50:45.960 --> 00:50:49.800 the new champion champion cuts of promo. Well, this time with Steve, 719 00:50:49.880 --> 00:50:52.800 he wore the belt. Vince did down to ringside and I came up with 720 00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:55.679 the idea. While Vince and I are at Russel and I are at lunch 721 00:50:55.880 --> 00:51:04.559 at a and w Roupier at the Stamford male to Steve Auston is annoyed that 722 00:51:04.840 --> 00:51:07.000 Vince McMahon wore the belt and you keep talking about a corporate champion. What 723 00:51:07.039 --> 00:51:10.000 you're really talking about is you, Vince. So I'm gonna give you a 724 00:51:10.039 --> 00:51:14.880 shot here, and you know we can do this easy way. We're gonna 725 00:51:14.880 --> 00:51:16.320 do this a hard way, easy ways. You faced me in the main 726 00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:20.599 Vince tonight for the w WF Championship. Hard way is I beat your ass 727 00:51:20.679 --> 00:51:24.159 right here, right now. And Vince mcmaon versus Stone Cold Steve Auston is 728 00:51:24.159 --> 00:51:28.840 the main event. Knowing that they wanted to get to dude love. Dude 729 00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:31.280 comes down to say whoa brothers, Peace and love, Peace and love, 730 00:51:31.320 --> 00:51:35.639 and he turns on Steve and Vince. Russel was like, holy shit, 731 00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:39.280 that's great. And we went back to the office and he said, what 732 00:51:39.320 --> 00:51:42.039 are you gonna I said, what are you gonna do? Is I'm gonna 733 00:51:42.039 --> 00:51:45.559 try to get in with Vince and talk to him about it. Beth finally 734 00:51:45.559 --> 00:51:46.800 called him up to the office. He sat down with Vince. He came 735 00:51:46.840 --> 00:51:51.000 back down twenty minutes later. How'd it go? He went for it? 736 00:51:51.239 --> 00:51:55.840 Holy shit. So it's like the idea of a Steve versus Vince match, 737 00:51:57.880 --> 00:52:00.239 but you only said it in passing to get to something else. But it 738 00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:05.519 was the how to get how to get to dude Love, That's what I'm 739 00:52:05.519 --> 00:52:09.440 saying. Yeah, But like so this was like a really small idea in 740 00:52:09.480 --> 00:52:15.000 that promo with the big idea of DoD Love versus Steve, but Vince said 741 00:52:15.079 --> 00:52:19.519 yes, and then it literally became became the whole company, became the whole 742 00:52:19.559 --> 00:52:23.519 company. It was. And the other thing that I pitched, which they 743 00:52:23.559 --> 00:52:29.119 did. I had the idea that Vince and this came from my wife because 744 00:52:29.159 --> 00:52:35.960 we're both big soap opera fans, and the whole love triangle thing with Stephanie 745 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:38.960 and test and you know, were they going to get married? This and 746 00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:42.920 that well, Triple H of course, being the thorn in the side of 747 00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:45.360 Vince, would do anything he could to try to ruin anything Vince wanted, 748 00:52:46.119 --> 00:52:50.159 and ruining the wedding would be the best way to do it. Now, 749 00:52:50.639 --> 00:52:53.199 what I pitched was different than what they did. Stephanie at the time had 750 00:52:53.239 --> 00:52:57.440 gotten dinged like the week before it got caught up in the wash in some 751 00:52:58.079 --> 00:53:02.800 fight and I pitched it like, okay, so something happens again and she 752 00:53:02.840 --> 00:53:08.199 gets you knocked loopy. And then later on the night after the main event, 753 00:53:08.719 --> 00:53:13.599 what there's a wedding going on, and we see the long hair, 754 00:53:14.039 --> 00:53:16.400 you know, the shot from behind Stephanie and her dress. We assume it's 755 00:53:16.440 --> 00:53:21.880 Test and then she turns that she's kind of loopy after you know, exchanging 756 00:53:21.960 --> 00:53:24.800 vows. You've made me the happiest woman in the world. And it's not 757 00:53:24.880 --> 00:53:28.119 test, it's triple h oh. You have no idea how happy you've just 758 00:53:28.159 --> 00:53:30.559 made me. So that came from the young and the restless. Yeah, 759 00:53:30.559 --> 00:53:35.480 probably all my children. And so I wrote it up in a big email 760 00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:39.480 and sent it to Vince Kevin Dunn Jr. Et cetera, et. And 761 00:53:39.599 --> 00:53:44.159 Vince wrote back in five minutes, all caps, that's great shit. And 762 00:53:44.360 --> 00:53:45.920 Shane was one that I sent it to. Shane came down to my office. 763 00:53:46.480 --> 00:53:50.719 Dude, that idea is crazy. And they did it their own way, 764 00:53:50.719 --> 00:53:52.840 but eventually it was what we got. Now, were you on the 765 00:53:52.880 --> 00:53:54.960 writing team or were you just chiming your shit chiming shit in There was not 766 00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:59.239 a writing team. Were people upset by this? Do you think? No? 767 00:53:59.679 --> 00:54:01.599 I think so. I mean that's how wrestling works. Man like this, 768 00:54:01.679 --> 00:54:05.119 Why is he sending and ship? Who knows? But it was it 769 00:54:05.239 --> 00:54:07.719 was kind of a thing at the time. It was sort of an open 770 00:54:07.960 --> 00:54:09.519 they were saying, please send in your Yeah, it was an open submission 771 00:54:09.559 --> 00:54:13.920 thing. And Vince never had a problem with it. Great, And I 772 00:54:13.960 --> 00:54:17.000 don't remember any other stuff I would have sent him and just I would email, 773 00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:21.079 you know, kind of thoughts of the show or whatever, and a 774 00:54:21.119 --> 00:54:24.119 couple of people did that, but um, yeah, it was It was 775 00:54:24.199 --> 00:54:27.760 just I had a spark of an idea. Great, So that was it. 776 00:54:28.079 --> 00:54:30.760 I was thinking that. So I was thinking about longevity and wrestling, 777 00:54:30.159 --> 00:54:35.320 and it's hard for announced and especially after you're no longer with At the time, 778 00:54:35.360 --> 00:54:40.800 the only company that's on television right right at the time was wc W. 779 00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:44.480 It was gone when they were gone, when you were gone, when 780 00:54:44.519 --> 00:54:47.199 you parted ways. The only thing that was going was TNA, right, 781 00:54:47.239 --> 00:54:51.480 which was just getting started. And as soon as I got fired, which 782 00:54:51.480 --> 00:54:53.159 I knew was going to happen, because they were just cutting, cutting, 783 00:54:53.159 --> 00:54:59.880 cutting by department. We've seen we've seen that yeah, And so I got 784 00:55:00.039 --> 00:55:02.280 home and I called Jeff Jarrett and Jeff said, I would love it, 785 00:55:02.320 --> 00:55:07.119 but I don't have any money to pay you. I said, well, 786 00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:09.280 if anything changes, let me know. Nothing ever changed. And you were, 787 00:55:09.360 --> 00:55:12.599 I mean, you were scrambling to stay in wrestling, or you're like, 788 00:55:12.639 --> 00:55:14.679 I have the skill, I need to put it to you. I 789 00:55:14.719 --> 00:55:19.559 was scrambling trying to get a job. I was out of work eleven months 790 00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:27.960 and was in danger of losing our house to foreclosure. And then I tweaked 791 00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:31.800 my resume instead of emphasizing the television portion of it, but I went to 792 00:55:31.840 --> 00:55:37.599 the sales portion of it because it was always selling wrestling as sales. So 793 00:55:37.639 --> 00:55:42.280 that's what I became. I became a salesman. And what was your tweet? 794 00:55:42.320 --> 00:55:45.480 What did you say? You sold pay per views? Okay, sold 795 00:55:45.840 --> 00:55:52.159 merchandise sold, live event tickets sold, sold, sold, and just kind 796 00:55:52.159 --> 00:55:55.480 of kept a foot in wrestling. And then yeah, and then next thing, 797 00:55:55.679 --> 00:56:00.639 I guess that's I mean, how it is, especially if you're putting 798 00:56:00.639 --> 00:56:05.360 your body on the line. Do you worry about like as you're getting older, 799 00:56:05.440 --> 00:56:07.760 Like I mean, you're obviously the best, but like you know, 800 00:56:07.800 --> 00:56:10.760 I worry as a wrestler like, oh then my forties, now, will 801 00:56:10.800 --> 00:56:15.880 they stop using me? I don't know if that if that's if that creeps 802 00:56:15.880 --> 00:56:19.920 into your head or that's just my own paranoida. I kind of worry about, 803 00:56:20.599 --> 00:56:24.639 uh, my mind, because at some point I'm gonna lose my mind 804 00:56:24.679 --> 00:56:30.000 and my voice, and at that point it'll be time to go. Plus 805 00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:34.280 I travel back and forth to Japan. So how long am I gonna want 806 00:56:34.280 --> 00:56:37.639 to make these flights? You know, great at the beginning, right, 807 00:56:37.719 --> 00:56:44.920 it's fun, fantastic another flight? Can I come in the last minute and 808 00:56:45.159 --> 00:56:49.360 leave first? Um? But no, it's it's cool. And the folks 809 00:56:49.480 --> 00:56:54.119 in the New Japan side and the tvous Eye side are wonderful. They make 810 00:56:54.199 --> 00:56:59.519 my life so easy, no stress. And then I mean, I know, 811 00:56:59.719 --> 00:57:04.639 Dave Melter isn't the end all be all of professional wrestling, but uh, 812 00:57:04.679 --> 00:57:07.199 you know, there was all this time where New Japan becomes very hot, 813 00:57:07.320 --> 00:57:10.000 New Japan, USA becomes very hot. You're the voice of New Japan. 814 00:57:10.840 --> 00:57:16.039 And after years of maybe like not getting any would you say, awards, 815 00:57:16.039 --> 00:57:20.480 not even from Melter, but just maybe from the wrestling world, Like 816 00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:23.760 you're you're all of a sudden recognized for the work you do. It is 817 00:57:23.880 --> 00:57:27.760 nice. It was. It was a gratify gratifying was it like, hey, 818 00:57:27.800 --> 00:57:30.360 I told you fuckers? No, no, no, it was very 819 00:57:30.400 --> 00:57:37.679 gratifying. It really was just to be in that class of again, Gordon 820 00:57:37.719 --> 00:57:42.320 Solei, you know, kind of like he's he was recognized during his era 821 00:57:42.559 --> 00:57:46.000 when there were so many great announcers of being you know, the best, 822 00:57:46.360 --> 00:57:52.360 and now the field is much smaller. So I'm it's like being the valedictorian 823 00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:55.159 in a class of five. You know, nothink the field is smaller now, 824 00:57:55.440 --> 00:57:59.280 Oh you're saying because territories there was so much rest, right, there 825 00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:01.840 was everybody is on television, and there was all these different people you could 826 00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:08.119 choose from voices regionally. I mean you had Gordon Souley, Lance Russell, 827 00:58:08.199 --> 00:58:13.360 Vince mcmaan, Jim Ross, Bob Caudle, et cetera, et cetera, 828 00:58:13.599 --> 00:58:19.480 all these legendary names. And now there's you know, the the WWFE announcers 829 00:58:19.840 --> 00:58:25.000 are criticized because the product is so bad, right and you know, aw 830 00:58:25.039 --> 00:58:29.480 announcers have gotten a great deal of credit and just fiably so because they do 831 00:58:29.519 --> 00:58:31.960 a really good job. And the Tony Schivanni coming back you know, it's 832 00:58:32.000 --> 00:58:36.239 been a nice story. So yeah, it does feel good to be recognized. 833 00:58:36.920 --> 00:58:42.679 You. I see that the WWE announcer world, it just seems like 834 00:58:42.719 --> 00:58:45.079 everyone loves them. They come in as a new announcer. It just seems 835 00:58:45.119 --> 00:58:50.960 like an ongoing theme. They come in as a new announcer, and I'll 836 00:58:51.000 --> 00:58:53.239 just put like Matt Striker and maybe Corey Gray's you know, but you don't 837 00:58:53.239 --> 00:58:55.599 have to name anybody like whatever. But like it's like we see them, 838 00:58:55.679 --> 00:58:59.840 everyone's like, yes, they know wrestling, they get wrestling, and then 839 00:59:00.039 --> 00:59:04.880 people seem to like spite on these people. I'm not saying right or wrong. 840 00:59:05.079 --> 00:59:07.960 Well I am saying wrong. I hate it as a as someone my 841 00:59:07.039 --> 00:59:12.880 friends like kind of at first getting this love and then a world almost turning 842 00:59:12.880 --> 00:59:17.239 on them a little bit. Is that like a theme just from from a 843 00:59:17.280 --> 00:59:21.840 wrestling from a wrestling announcer standpoy looking at it? Is that just seemed to 844 00:59:21.880 --> 00:59:24.559 be that place? Or is that Is it a hard business from like a 845 00:59:24.599 --> 00:59:30.519 wrestling announcer to like stay hot. I guess it's boy, it's easy to 846 00:59:30.519 --> 00:59:34.280 stay hot when you work for the companies that I've worked for Gotch, I 847 00:59:34.320 --> 00:59:38.840 worked for Ring of honor when it really was fantastic. Not the early days 848 00:59:38.880 --> 00:59:43.599 fantastic, but the later they hit a great stride yet they had you know 849 00:59:43.639 --> 00:59:45.280 again, it was remarkable. And then I went from there to New Japan 850 00:59:45.400 --> 00:59:50.760 at its zenith. So it's been pretty easy for me to kind of ride 851 00:59:50.800 --> 00:59:54.039 the coattails and promotions that are good. I've never worked for anybody that's terrible. 852 00:59:54.199 --> 01:00:00.039 Yeah, And I don't know what that would be like. Is it 853 01:00:00.039 --> 01:00:02.840 because they change Do they change their style because Vince is in their ear? 854 01:00:04.519 --> 01:00:07.679 Or are they still doing their same thing but because the product is so bad 855 01:00:07.079 --> 01:00:13.800 that they get blamed for not changing. You're you're such a good announcer, 856 01:00:13.800 --> 01:00:17.199 and yet you're having to explain all this nonsense and your credibility is in the 857 01:00:17.239 --> 01:00:22.239 toilet. So I never have had to do that. When you were there 858 01:00:22.320 --> 01:00:24.559 in ninety six, seventy or whatever, did you see like the fans, 859 01:00:24.599 --> 01:00:30.639 like could you read the room almost of like people turning on announcers people? 860 01:00:30.679 --> 01:00:32.840 Did people turn on you? No? Because in that time, the wrestling 861 01:00:32.880 --> 01:00:36.800 fan, you know, no, because the product was getting hot. Okay, 862 01:00:37.199 --> 01:00:39.880 it was coming up, and by the time we got to ninety nine 863 01:00:39.880 --> 01:00:44.719 two thousand, it was as hot as ever. I mean, I don't 864 01:00:44.760 --> 01:00:47.400 know what the Twitter version was back that like message boards and AOL, the 865 01:00:47.519 --> 01:00:52.199 grands to or whatever. The only thing we ever did for AOL was we 866 01:00:52.239 --> 01:00:54.320 would do a pole at the end of a pay per view and we would 867 01:00:54.360 --> 01:01:00.280 provide some comments and the pole results to Vince and if a baby face won 868 01:01:00.320 --> 01:01:06.559 the main event, overwhelmingly thumbs up for the whole show, and the opposite 869 01:01:06.599 --> 01:01:12.119 was true if the heel won. And so we were giving these reports to 870 01:01:12.199 --> 01:01:15.000 Vents every time, and eventually I talked to Bits about it. I said, 871 01:01:15.280 --> 01:01:17.880 it's pretty much the same, so there's no real need for it anymore. 872 01:01:17.920 --> 01:01:22.800 He's okay, bell, I was it. Hey, the shows are 873 01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:25.400 ad free on Patreon. This will be the last break and then we'll be 874 01:01:25.480 --> 01:01:31.480 right back. And then can you tell me about sitting there and what like 875 01:01:31.559 --> 01:01:40.280 the difference of announcing matches for Steve Auston announcing matches for like Okada, Do 876 01:01:40.320 --> 01:01:47.800 you do you do you look back and and tell yourself like this one guy 877 01:01:47.920 --> 01:01:51.239 was bigger than the other guy, or this is like how it is, 878 01:01:51.360 --> 01:01:52.880 or this is what main event wrestling is. Do you have what are your 879 01:01:52.880 --> 01:01:57.440 thoughts when you kind of compare the big names that you've been able to do. 880 01:01:57.880 --> 01:02:04.119 Main event guys do very little. They do their best stuff and they 881 01:02:04.119 --> 01:02:07.519 put it in the right spots. You can see it as when I look 882 01:02:07.559 --> 01:02:10.480 at the evolution of wrestlers over time, you know, like most recently we 883 01:02:10.480 --> 01:02:14.719 were talking about it with El Desperado in the junior heavyweight ranks, who right 884 01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:16.199 now, for me, for my money, is the best at that weight 885 01:02:16.239 --> 01:02:22.960 class. He's amazing. When he wrestled Ibushi in twenty fourteen, he was 886 01:02:23.000 --> 01:02:27.599 throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall hoping to see what's stuck. Now 887 01:02:27.599 --> 01:02:30.599 he's got it figured out and he does less and he gets a better reaction. 888 01:02:30.679 --> 01:02:32.000 When he was in I mean when he was in Noah with me, 889 01:02:32.599 --> 01:02:35.920 he was just a dude, right, just a dude. Yeah, he 890 01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:37.679 wrestled like a dude back in the day. But now he's a star. 891 01:02:37.960 --> 01:02:42.599 And once you figure out how to wrestle like a star, then you just 892 01:02:42.840 --> 01:02:46.360 make sure that you're putting your stuff in, letting whoever my opponent is, 893 01:02:46.480 --> 01:02:51.039 let them do their thing. I'm going to wrestle your match, but I'm 894 01:02:51.079 --> 01:02:52.800 gonna get my stuff in and at the end, I'm gonna get my hand 895 01:02:52.840 --> 01:02:58.639 raised, what about comparing the Tanahashi to the Tanahashi, No Kada to Austin 896 01:02:58.719 --> 01:03:00.239 though, like you're in the arena, you're seeing I mean, I know 897 01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:05.679 that was like maybe the peak of wrestling ninety eight or whatever, But is 898 01:03:05.679 --> 01:03:08.159 there like, do you see the comparisons or are you like these guys You 899 01:03:08.199 --> 01:03:10.719 just can't be like Steve Buston, he was one in a million or whatever. 900 01:03:10.960 --> 01:03:17.039 Well again Steve Austin in the Rock versus Okada and Tanahashi, they're they're 901 01:03:17.159 --> 01:03:24.360 so different, but they have that aura about them and they give the people 902 01:03:24.440 --> 01:03:30.400 what they want and again just do it in such a way. It's a 903 01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:35.760 master of psychology. All four of them were in their own way. Steve 904 01:03:35.880 --> 01:03:38.320 was that constantly you had to stay on him and stay on him and stay 905 01:03:38.320 --> 01:03:40.840 on him. And Tanahashi you leave him alone, you let him stay there 906 01:03:40.880 --> 01:03:47.599 and sell. And Okada is more like the Rock in terms of pure athleticism 907 01:03:47.639 --> 01:03:53.239 and being able to overcome whatever you know, the opponent throws at him. 908 01:03:53.280 --> 01:03:58.639 Just amazing stuff. So there are there are similarities, there are differences, 909 01:03:59.039 --> 01:04:02.480 but there's that are that presence and when you can when somebody comes out the 910 01:04:02.599 --> 01:04:06.000 music hits and you get that whole reaction. In Japan, it's like, 911 01:04:06.000 --> 01:04:11.960 Okay, this guy's getting to that level, and you know, Hiromu has 912 01:04:12.000 --> 01:04:15.599 it, Nito has it. Uh, There's there's guys up and down the 913 01:04:15.639 --> 01:04:18.199 card to do. But when when you get to that level, then it's 914 01:04:18.239 --> 01:04:21.599 like, Okay, now I'm playing with house money because I'm made, I'm 915 01:04:21.599 --> 01:04:25.320 all set. I don't have to do anything else. And it's fun to 916 01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:29.920 watch as a spectator, as a commentator, and to commentate all completely. 917 01:04:30.039 --> 01:04:33.360 I love it, And because sometimes I'm trying to figure out how to say 918 01:04:33.440 --> 01:04:38.599 less. That's and that's another thing that I do now, is I say 919 01:04:38.679 --> 01:04:42.599 less than I ever have before. I let the pictures tell the story, 920 01:04:43.199 --> 01:04:46.280 and especially if they're doing a strike exchange one two one two, what am 921 01:04:46.280 --> 01:04:49.280 I going to say? Let's hear it, let's hear the strikes, let's 922 01:04:49.320 --> 01:04:55.960 hear the crowd. And is that a lesson that you kind of taught yourself? 923 01:04:56.639 --> 01:04:59.000 Like what do you do you remember? Like moments, there's just moments 924 01:04:59.000 --> 01:05:01.320 watching it back and being like why am I talking here? Yeah? Some 925 01:05:01.440 --> 01:05:06.639 of that and Jim Ross was a great mentor to me as well, speaking 926 01:05:06.639 --> 01:05:12.800 in soundbites was the first thing, and then laying out was another. The 927 01:05:12.880 --> 01:05:23.880 power of laying out cannot be understated. Kevin Kelly is on Twitter at real 928 01:05:24.159 --> 01:05:30.079 Kevin Kelly and his next big commentary gigs are June twelfth, Dominion in June 929 01:05:30.119 --> 01:05:36.480 twenty sixth, The Forbidden Door. Watch both of them over at mgpwworld dot 930 01:05:36.480 --> 01:05:40.840 com. While you're at it, go check out myself and Yano in the 931 01:05:40.840 --> 01:05:45.400 twenty nineteen Global Tag League. It's like a three week long SNL skid. 932 01:05:45.639 --> 01:05:47.840 All right, The Art of wrest League is not over. I'll definitely be 933 01:05:47.920 --> 01:05:51.199 doing some more, but we'll take a quick pause in the rotation. It 934 01:05:51.239 --> 01:05:57.119 won't be weekly. Stay subscribed still, Tell friends you never know when these 935 01:05:57.159 --> 01:06:00.199 shows will pop up. And right now I'm gonna get into some plugs and 936 01:06:01.199 --> 01:06:08.159 coming even my Patreon Patreon dot com slash Coal Cabanas, where you can listen 937 01:06:08.159 --> 01:06:12.199 to the ad free archive of almost five hundred episodes of the Art of Wrestling 938 01:06:12.559 --> 01:06:17.840 ad free archives of wrestling Anonymous and new boninous Wrestling Anonymous episodes just for Patreon 939 01:06:18.320 --> 01:06:23.840 twice a month. This month is me and my friend Jonah Jerkins. We 940 01:06:23.920 --> 01:06:27.840 listen to calls and we give our thoughts for different tiers on Patreon. I'll 941 01:06:27.880 --> 01:06:30.079 also send you a vinyl sticker every month when I handwrite out your envelope. 942 01:06:30.119 --> 01:06:33.480 I give you a real fun nickname too. And don't worry, Wrestling Anonymous 943 01:06:33.559 --> 01:06:36.920 isn't done. There will be new episodes on the feed. There just was 944 01:06:38.000 --> 01:06:41.920 one last week. Also, grab some merch at coltmerch dot com. Brand 945 01:06:41.920 --> 01:06:46.280 new signed upper deck cards and major pod cardmark cards are available. I have 946 01:06:46.320 --> 01:06:49.599 some new autograph pictures, up stickers, micro brawlers, the usual fund, 947 01:06:49.679 --> 01:06:54.360 Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are all at Colcabanda. 948 01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:57.639 I'm on Twitch all the time, playing games, Twitch dot tv, Slash 949 01:06:57.679 --> 01:07:00.719 Coldcubana, Cult Wrestling at gmail dot com is my very public email, and 950 01:07:00.760 --> 01:07:03.599 that's where you can hit me up for shows, conventions, or business or 951 01:07:03.599 --> 01:07:06.559 non business stuff, or send me something fun to my po box, which 952 01:07:06.599 --> 01:07:12.119 you can find on my website colcobata dot com. I'm coming June thirtieth in 953 01:07:12.199 --> 01:07:16.440 Atlanta Terminus presents Modern Age Grappling. I'll be fighting Brian Johnson. Also July 954 01:07:16.559 --> 01:07:19.159 twenty second and twenty third, I'll be at the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame 955 01:07:19.159 --> 01:07:24.280 in Waterloo, Iowa, doing a live podcast which will be on the feed. 956 01:07:24.440 --> 01:07:29.280 I'll be wrestling in so much more nwhof dot Org. July twenty ninth, 957 01:07:29.280 --> 01:07:33.119 Matt Classic is heading back to Luchevavoom in Los Angeles, gen Con dot 958 01:07:33.119 --> 01:07:36.400 Com in Indianapolis on the fourth of August, and then on the fifth of 959 01:07:36.400 --> 01:07:43.039 August, the Gathering of the Juggalos podcast. Cover Arn't designed by Jimmy Lee. 960 01:07:43.079 --> 01:07:45.119 Photo by James muscle White. Thank you to our sponsor One Hour Teas 961 01:07:45.159 --> 01:07:48.320 dot Com. They help run Pro Wrestling Teas dot Com. That's where you 962 01:07:48.320 --> 01:07:53.480 can get my shirts and my personal video messages. They're called shoots. I 963 01:07:53.599 --> 01:07:56.239 do them fun. You know I'm gonna do a fun one if you get 964 01:07:56.239 --> 01:08:00.679 one from me. That's at Pro Wrestling Teas dot com. Slash Cold and 965 01:08:00.840 --> 01:08:02.440 that's it. That is the show for the way. Hope you had fun. 966 01:08:02.920 --> 01:08:05.639 Love doing these. Can't wait to come back with a new batch, 967 01:08:06.079 --> 01:08:11.199 but for now, this has been the art of wrestling For Cold Cabana. 968 01:08:11.599 --> 01:08:31.119 I'm Cold Cabana. Thanks your levels. Hello, Hello, well hi, 969 01:08:31.560 --> 01:08:36.640 yes, I'm sorry, I have a big voice. All right, tell 970 01:08:36.680 --> 01:08:41.920 me what you have for breakfast? Coffee? Just cut well, by just 971 01:08:41.920 --> 01:08:45.479 saying one word, Kevin, just I only had coffee. I tried to 972 01:08:45.479 --> 01:08:49.399 get hotel coffee downstairs, and it was brown hot water. It was disgusting, 973 01:08:50.079 --> 01:08:54.199 so I ordered Uber Eats instead. All right, I also had brown 974 01:08:54.239 --> 01:08:58.880 hot water, but for something different. Check check check. All right. 975 01:08:59.600 --> 01:09:02.359 I'm to make you turn your chair to me a little bit, sure, 976 01:09:03.079 --> 01:09:09.039 so we can conversate without breakingness. Well, I don't want to break anything, okay,