Interviews (37)

Three years ago I interviewed Stan Hansen for my website and one of the questions I talked to him about was about a possible induction to the WWE Hall of Fame as this was a few years removed from inducting Antonio Inoki to the aforementioned Hall.  Without being disrespectful to the WWE Hall of Fame, he spoke of his induction into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, which was then based in Amsterdam, New York.  For Stan, gaining entry into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame meant so much because as he stated “this one is done by my peers”.

He isn’t the only one who feels that way.

There are many athletic and entertainment Halls of Fame in North America however most of the inductees are decided by writers, and very few solicit actual past participants.  The ones that do have ex-players rarely consist of half of the voting body.  As Stan Hansen stated, that is not the case with the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, whose voting committee is predominantly former professional wrestler, with a sprinkling of wrestling journalists and historians.

         To get to the play in the Super Bowl you obviously have the necessary skill to first compete in the National Football League and the luck to be on a competitive team.  Former Tight End Orson Mobley not only played in the Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos, he was at the big dance three times.

         As a Professional Football player, Mobley caught 84 passes for 1,019 Yards with four Touchdowns and as a member of three AFC Championship Teams he had a pro career to be proud of, though it was he accomplished off of the field long after he retired from the gridiron that he is most proud of.

         Mobley would be suspended in 1989 for drug use and would be out of the league the year after and would for years deal with substance abuse issues; a topic he has been open about in interviews, but more importantly with young athletes so that they do not fall into the same pitfalls that befell him when he was young man.

The athletics and the arts aren’t supposed to be intertwined, or at least that is what we are taught to think.  Athletes are supposed be one-dimensional and only capable of playing sports.

I can’t tell you how much I love breaking that stereotype!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kareem Rush, a former member of the Missouri Tigers and the Los Angeles Lakers who you probably remember for sinking a plethora of three point shots on Sportscenter, however Rush opened up the eyes (or ears) of many people when he appeared on TMZ and sang Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”, and was applauded by fans for how well he could sing.

I have had the pleasure of interviewing many athletes but I laughed more speaking with former Cincinnati Bengal and University of Michigan Defensive End, Larry Stevens than I have with all the other people I have spoke too combined.

It was one of those experiences where when I was transcribing the interview, where exclamation points just don’t do it justice.  I had never interviewed anyone before who had more energy, and who put more entertainment in a story than Larry had, and I immediately wished that I had my podcast set up.[i]  Print simply doesn’t so this man justice.

Owning this website allows me not only to interview athletes but debunk the myth that all athletes are just “dumb jocks”.  Rules may be made to broken, but stereotypes are made to be shattered, and after speaking to multiple athletes from the NHL, MLB, NBA, and the WWE, I can say that unequivocally that some of the most intelligent and well rounded people I have ever talked to in the last year have had an athletic past.

Granted, there have been many publicized instances where we see athletes who have gone through millions of dollars and have declared bankruptcy within a few years after retirement.  Those are the stories that are sexy to the media, though when a former player excels in multiple careers outside of athletics, it rarely gets coverage; it just isn’t a sexy story.

Countless football analysts have always stated that games are won in the trenches; though the battle between Offensive and Defensive Lines never show up in highlight videos or on stat sheets.  These are players who always praised for what they do, though never showcased on our screen, at least during the game anyway.

Personally, when I watch a game that I have no rooting interest in, I try to spend at least a quarter only watching what happens at the line.  Television, even in this High Definition and Multi-Camera angle era can never do justice to the brute physicality that happens there at every play. 

Mixed Martial Arts Legend.  Former WWE Superstar.  UFC Hall of Famer.  The World’s Most Dangerous Man.  The Godfather of MMA. 

All of the above have all been phrases attributed to Ken Shamrock, a former champion in virtually every promotion he competed for.  Anyone who saw Shamrock compete either in shoot promotions like the UFC, Pride or Pancrase or in worked organizations like the WWE and TNA, where he was the upstart promotion’s first Heavyweight Champion, could not help but me impressed with his intensity and ability to strike fear in opponents and fans alike with his mere presence.

As much as those phrases all describe Shamrock admirably, I found myself thinking of a different series of adjectives while I was talking to the former multi-time champion.  Innovator, businessman, mentor, historian all were coming to mind.  Perhaps the most accurate word might be reflective, as Ken Shamrock, at 48 years old, though still looking like he could enter the octagon, has ended the stage in his life where he made his name with his fighting prowess, and now uses his intellect to guide his path, and history to understand his past, and that of the sport he helped to make famous.[i]

The UFC has evolved into a multi-million dollar empire, and as athletic entities grow, the pioneers who were there at the beginning generally see their legend grow.[ii]  As a still relatively young man, and living in the digital age, it is easy to fans to watch the early matches of Shamrock and see the early stars of the sport and understand the evolution of a product that for many has replaced Boxing as the premier combat sport in North America.  For many fans, Shamrock symbolizes when Mixed Martial Arts began, although if you ask Ken himself, he might give you a different view.

The labels he has been given might flatter Shamrock, but in our conversation, he is looking towards putting the correct historical perspective of his career, and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts as a whole. 

With UFC dominating the current Mixed Martial Arts narrative, there is a common belief that it all began with that promotion, but modern history tells a different tale.  Tough man contests had long been contested across the United States and there have been examples in the past fifty years of combining multiple disciplines in competitive contests.

Still, as much as traditional Greco Roman Amateur Wresting was a featured attraction in the Olympic Games since its inception, it never translated into huge dollars, thus the belief that a legitimate wrestling match would be too “boring” to draw money, and for a long time in the United States that was true.  In Japan, however it was a completely different story.

In 1975, Muhammad Ali, the Heavyweight Champion of the World in Boxing took place in a “Boxer Vs Wrestler” match against Antonio Inoki, a legend in the world of Japanese Pro Wrestling.[iii]  The match itself was considered a dull affair, with Inoki lying on his back for most of the match kicking the legs of Ali.  The match, which was shown on closed circuit television, told many what they thought they already knew, that hybrid types of fighting wouldn’t work; though in Japan, the intrigue of these type of matches never went away.

Shamrock, whose first ambition was to be a Professional Wrestler, found his way to Japan, and was working for a company called Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, an offshoot of the UWF promotion in Japan that employed a more realistic shoot style.[iv]  The wrestling showcased by the new organization was still a work, however on a card at the Tokyo Dome on October 4, 1992 they would elect to have Shamrock would compete in a legitimate contest against a man named Don Nakaya Nielson, who was the World Kickboxing Champion at the time.  The match only lasted a minute, when Shamrock tapped out Nielson in an armlock, but something very interesting occurred; the normally stoic Japanese crowd was into what they saw.

Almost instantly, along with Japanese wrestlers, Minoru Suzuki and Masakatsu Funaki, Ken Shamrock helped to form Pancrase, an organization designed promote all fighting disciplines within one sport.  During its inception, Pancrase proved to be successful and Shamrock would become the first “King of Pancrase” in a tournament in 1994.  More importantly, Pancrase shows were filling large size venues and proved that that there was money to be made for a new style of combat sports.

Meanwhile in the United States, Professional Wrestling, while still popular had seen its largest organization, the World Wrestling Federation, openly went to State Athletic Commissions expressing that their matches were predetermined to avoid paying them.  Wrestlers evolved into “Sports Entertainers”, and those who still clung to the belief that Pro Wrestling may have been on the level were told the exact opposite by the product itself.[v]

Boxing began its wane in popularity in the U.S. as constant corruption and the lack of globally recognized champions caused its fan base to slowly deteriorate, a trend that continues to this day.[vi]  Fans of combat sports needed a void, something that felt real, they were ready for the UFC.

For all intents and purposes, the UFC was the first major Mixed Martial Arts organization in the U.S., and almost immediately sports fans started to pay attention, and much like Shamrock had in Japan, he would become a champion again and generate fans.  In the mid-90’s however, the UFC was facing financial issues due to successful lobbying to remove it from Pay per view.[vii]  Shamrock, regarded by many as the biggest name in the sport, looked to capitalize on that with his first love, Professional Wrestling.

As a former Professional Wrestler, Shamrock did not have to make an adjustment to a worked style.  Joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1997, Shamrock would make is eagerly anticipated in-ring debut against former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader, which saw Shamrock win in stiff and compelling fashion.[viii]  Shortly after, the company embarked on what would be known as the “Attitude Era” where sexual innuendo ran rampant and pushing the envelope was encouraged.  Although Shamrock did not participate in multiple risqué angles, he raised the bar in a different way, in the ring.

Subtly, the product changed.  Following Shamrock’s lead, submissions were now rendered by tapping out.  Other wrestlers would slowly adopt more realistic like submission moves as their finishers.  Shamrock, who was known for his unparalleled intensity was rubbing off on others, and though the WWE does not often reference Shamrock, much of his influence can still be felt today, especially as they are entering what they call the “Reality Era” where television matches have been much longer and a higher premium is being placed on genuine athleticism and in ring ability; an era that Shamrock paved the way for.

 In my conversation with Ken, we talked about he was justifiably one of the first members of the UFC Hall of Fame, and how he would like to see that institution, or a Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame look in the future.  We also had a chance to discuss his legacy in Mixed Martial Arts, Professional Wrestling and how he transformed from a terrorizing in ring combatant into a soft-spoken public speaker. 



         The first thing that I wanted to discuss was your membership in the UFC Hall of Fame.[ix] 

         “I am in, yes.”

         You have been vocal about your opinion on the status of the UFC now, and how the pay to the fighters has not exactly been reflective of the name recognition that of the company’s talent. 

         Currently, the UFC does not have a physical Hall of Fame in terms of an actual structure where fans can visit, similar to that of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada or the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.  Is this something that you hope will change in the near future?

“I get what your saying but I am not sure that the UFC Hall of Fame can get there.  The Halls of Fame that you spoke of have that kind of credibility is because those Halls have people that actually know the history.  In this case, we need someone who knows the history of Mixed Martial Arts.  The thing that we are missing today is the actual study and understanding where Mixed Martial Arts came from, how it got to where it is today, the people who helped create it.

Right now, the only Hall of Fame we have is with the knowledge of people who are from this era: not necessarily digging and trying to find out the roots of MMA, so we have people in the UFC Hall of Fame, who maybe friendly to the organization (UFC) or from just the memories of what we know. 

For instance, the UFC (Hall of Fame) does not have Frank Shamrock who was involved in their history, nor does it have Jerry Bolhander who was the very first person to hold any other belt than the open belts or the Heavyweight belt.[x]  Jerry Bolhander was the first one to capture those straps.[xi]  There’s no mention of him, and there has to be because it’s a first, even if may not have accomplished that much, it’s a first!

A lot of the history that we are seeing with this Halls of Fame (The UFC) basically have very limited knowledge with the people who are putting them into the Hall.  You get people over in Japan who fought with me in the Pancrase organization, with all of the people from around the world with Bas Rutten being one of them, who have definitely paved the road for what we know today as MMA, which started three years before the UFC was even born.[xii]

         For me, if there was a physical place for people to go and enjoy the Hall of Fame, you just can’t put up one like the Football Hall of Fame, or Baseball or Hockey or Golf because there hasn’t been enough study and enough education for people to enjoy it.  Nobody’s really doing their homework to get people interested as to where all of this came from; the people that made it important, the people that made it what it is today.

         To enjoy the people that get inducted today, you need to know that line that got us here.  How can you put something up when you don’t have the right information or even the right people to do this?  Every time someone is inducted (into the UFC Hall of Fame) it is always someone from the current era, but there’s no understanding where it came from.”

         Who would you like to see spearhead that?

         “Well, I would like to see the reporters who follow MMA have more of a role.[xiii]  On top of that I would like to see some historians who would do a legitimate background search on where this (Mixed Martial Arts) came from and how it all started because we know it goes all the way back to the Olympic Games.  It was hand-to-hand combat with two people with no skills or styles; just two people going in and one person would walk out.

         In all honesty, I would like to see induction done by those who know the history, those who know the stats, and those who know what they meant to the growth of UFC.  On the same level you also need a historian who could really make it legitimate of MMA, so that when people go to look at it, they are not just looking at what happened in the past twenty years. 

         Really, if you just look at that (time period), it is really quite boring, even though I know I was a part of that, and it was fun!  But don’t you think that when a person walks into a place like that (a MMA Hall of Fame) they could get a feel where the sport came from, so they can understand how we got where we are today?  It would make it a lot more interesting to see where people got to where they are at. 

         That’s my feeling.  We have to do a whole lot more studying on the history of MMA before we think about putting up a building and have people come and view it.”

         If this were to ever happen, would you want this to be independent from UFC?

         “I think you definitely need something that is separate.  When a Hall is controlled by one organization they can control who and who does the research.  You want people who are going to write what they think without fear of not being invited to the next ceremony.”

         Speaking of history, I personally feel that you did not receive the credit you deserve for bringing Mixed Martial Arts elements to the WWE.  With all due respect to Dan Severn who was there at the same time you were, he didn’t have the same impact you did.[xiv]  I will go on record that a match you had with the Undertaker on Pay Per View, was an underappreciated match where Taker was clearly showing he was influenced by what you had already done.[xv]  Do you think the WWE has put your influence on their product in proper perspective?

         “I don’t know if I can really speak to that.  I do feel that I definitely deserve to be in their Hall of Fame based on the things that I did while I was there, being able to change that sport along with other people.  I feel I earned that right based on what I was able to do there in a small amount of time.

         I’m not sure that I can stand here and boast about that.  The fans are the ones that really tell the tale and I think they speak very loudly about where I stand in pro wrestling.  I don’t think that there are too many people who would tell you that I don’t deserve to be there.

         Obviously, a lot of times the fans aren’t listened to, or their opinions are overlooked a lot.  Today’s promoters just push them aside and don’t listen to what they want and they want fans to ‘shut up, sit down and enjoy the show’, because we are going to do whatever we want to do, like it or not, because you are going to come to the show. 

         I hear it all the time in the WWE.  I hear about how fans would like to see certain wrestlers, and obviously you can’t give them everything they want, but you at least have to listen to them and I believe they are being completely ignored.  I’ve always said that I think the fans are most important that you have when it comes to the entertainment industry.  They are the ones that matter most and they should be heard.”

         In terms of your legacy, you have been billed as the “Godfather of MMA” and the “World’s Most Dangerous Man”, which is not exactly a title you think of when you think of a public speaker.  Yet, here you are in 2014, and have embarked into that field, and have done very well. 

         “The one thing that I want to mention so that it is understood.   When I was fighting, there was a station that came on that called me that.  They were looking at the World’s most dangerous food, or animal and of course, a person.[xvi]   At the time, I was the bare knuckle/no holds barred champion and they (the producers of the program) looked at me for that.  I was named the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Man’ through a show; I did not name myself that. It was given to me, and it stick with me.[xvii]

         ‘The Godfather of MMA’, it’s the same thing.  I never named myself that; people just started calling me that.  Once people start calling you that, especially if you’re a smart guy, you’re going to roll with what people say, or at least market it.  Therefore, I just carried the Godfather name, and I thought it was very respectful and I was honored to carry that.  I just want to make myself clear that I did not label myself that.  You can’t name yourself, that has to come from other people.”

         Understood. Again, though, your transformation from revered fighter to public speaker is very impressive.[xviii]  I would like to know, and pardon my language here, can you tell me about the switch from ‘bad-ass’, to an eloquent public speaker looking to inspire?

         “I was in trouble a lot as a kid. My biological mother was a go-go dancer at the time and wasn’t home a whole lot and therefore me and my brothers had to take care of ourselves.  We were in Georgia, and then we moved to California, and then later she (my biological mother) tried to have us live a constructive life with rules, but by that time it was too late it didn’t work out because we were already rebels at that time. 

         I ended up in all kinds of placements, and just a lot of anger and a lot of disappointment was in my life.  I ended up in a place called the Shamrock Boys Home and that’s where my life started changing around a little bit.[xix]  The man who ran it would become my father.  He showed me how to direct my anger in something positive, and that was through sports.  Some of them in the home would be directed through acting, or singing or whatever it might be but it allowed the kids to vent their frustrations through different activities.  Mine happened to be sports.

         I have always said that through MMA my life became something positive.  I was able to fight in Japan and release all that anger.  As life goes on, as you get older, you realize that you don’t need to feed off that anger anymore.  If you continue, it will eat you up inside.  You have to learn to forgive yourself and forgive other people in order to move forward in life, in order to raise a family, and to enjoy yourself. 

         I was able to do that by speaking to others about my life and explain to others that you don’t have to hang on to that hate anymore.  You’ve made it, and you’ve done the things you need to do and you don’t need to hit people or hate things and that guilt and anger that you’ve carried around for so long and let it go. 

         It was not easy for me to transition into learning how to fight and be that guy who did not stand on that anger.  It was very difficult but I ended up figuring it out, and once I did, I was able to go into motivational speaking.  I was able to go and speak to people in need to understand that it is ok what happened before, its ok to be angry about it, but you can’t hang on to those things because it will tear you apart later in life. 

         That’s where I am now.  I am writing a book about my life and I have been able to make the transition and I have been able to let things go and still be successful, that it where my speaking comes from.  You’d be surprised how many people are leading normal lives who have a lot of hurt or anger inside of them and they are still trying to figure out how to get rid of it”

         When people think of Ken Shamrock, they think of automatically think of your exploits in the UFC and WWE.  As a past star in both, is there anything you would change anything in either of those promotions?

         “I would.  In the WWE, I would push for them being to able have an outlet for the wrestlers for them to vent their frustrations, a personnel department where they could talk one on one and talk about what is going on in their lives.  There’s nothing there right now.  There are guys who are struggling in life and in certain situations and there is nowhere for them to turn.  That is what I would definitely implement there.

         For the UFC, the definite thing that I would improve there the most is the fighter pay.[xx]  Obviously they (the UFC) have their stance on it, but I would implement an opportunity for these guys to negotiate their terms and their ways to move forward in MMA.  There is definitely a personnel problem in those companies, there needs to place for guys to go and vent about on the job frustrations; a place where they go and speak their mind.

         Is there anything that you want fans of Ken Shamrock to know what you are up to?

         “I definitely do.  I have a website, www.kenshamrock.com, which has all my social media sites on there, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, all of that.  I stay connected with my fans as much as I can, as they were the ones that really drove me to be successful.  I really wanted to make sure that when I was in the ring that they were entertained and was happy with what I was doing in the ring. 

         They really did help me to become successful, so I always like to stay connected to my fans, and I can do so through Social Media.  So go on Kenshamrock.com, and be a part of the family and you can see what am I doing, or what appearances and podcasts that I am doing, or book me for whatever event that you may be doing. 

         Also too, I do a lot of ministry work and with troubled youth and will always be available to speak to young people.  Other than that, you know, I’m just living life large and thank you so much for allowing me to speak to you.

         Thank you, for your time and supporting us at Notinhalloffame.com!

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[i]Ken last fought in 2010.

[ii]Ken has been outspoken in recent interviews about how the pay for the fighters have not been properly compensated for the increased revenue that UFC generates.

[iii]Inoki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

[iv]The Fujiwara name comes from Yoshiaki Fujiwara, the head of the promotion who was regarded highly for his shoot style of wrestling.

[v]‘Sports Entertainment’ is what Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation referred to his company as.

[vi]Basically, the horrendous business practices of Don King caught up to the sport.

[vii]The lobbying was spearheaded by future Presidential candidate and then Senator, John McCain.

[viii]Shamrock would actually appear a month earlier as the special guest referee in the highly regarded Bret Hart/Steve Austin “I Quit Match” at Wrestlemania 13.

[ix]Along with Royce Gracie, Ken was the first inductee to the Hall.  It took place at UFC 45 on November 21, 2003.

[x]Bolhander, a member of Shamrock’s “Lion Den” won the UFC 12 Lightweight tournament.

[xi]In the early days of UFC, weight classes were essentially non-existent.

[xii]Pancrase, a Japanese promotion, was a precursor for the UFC.  Shamrock was the “First King of Pancrase Open Weight Champion”.  That occurred in 1993. 

[xiii]In the major North American sports Halls of Fame, media plays major roles in Hall of Fame inductions. 

[xiv]Severn may have had classic encounters with Shamrock and others in the octagon, but as a pro wrestler, Severn’s look and voice did not end himself to WWE success. 

[xv]That match took place at the Backlash Pay Per View on April 25, 1999.  Although it was not well received by some, the Undertaker would later adopt MMA moves into his repertoire.  Frankly, I loved that match, and enjoyed it for being different than anything else that had been on WWE TV in some time. 

[xvi]The station was ABC, and was done on ABC News. 

[xvii]When Ken worked in the WWF, they billed him as such, though initially crediting ABC for that moniker.  

[xviii]An example of Ken’s public speaking can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8coM29QvSSY

[xix]It was run by Bob Shamrock, who would have over 600 boys during his time running the Home.  Ken, whose birth name was Ken Kilpatrick, would later be adopted by Bob, and take on the Shamrock family name as his own. 

[xx]Ken has been a longtime advocate for this for sometime and has been very blunt on this topic on numerous interviews.

As you can imagine from the name of our website, and the content that we create, the origins of Hall of Fames and the thought process behind it is fascinating to us, and myself in particular as the owner of this site. I think it is a safe assumption to say that we know why they are created: out of the need for us to celebrate the absolute elite in any profession. Recognizing that, each Hall of Fame has their own vision, though for the Las Vegas based Boxing Hall of Fame owned and operated by Steve Lott, it was a vision decades in the making.

Speaking with Steve was like sitting under the learning tree of the sweet science. A historian of the sport and disciple of Jim Jacobs, Steve spoke to me about the long struggle to use their vast Boxing film library and create a Hall of Fame that celebrated just the fighters, and not the ones behind the scenes.

Opening as part of Score, a sport themed attraction at the Luxor Hotel in the Las Vegas Strip in 2012, Steve Lott has created just that, a vibrant exhibit utilizing the historical and priceless film archive and embracing the modern social media to push his product. This differentiates this Hall of Fame from all of the other Boxing related Halls and uses every square inch they are given in Boxing’s prime real estate.

We spoke about the long path to the creation of his Boxing Hall of Fame, his personal relationship with former Heavyweight Champion, Mike Tyson, and the state of Boxing itself and how he views its past, present and future.

Here at Notinhalloffame.com we take pleasure in discussing as many Halls of Fame as possible, and engaging in the debate of that topic. It is a topic we are passionate about, but admittedly our scope has always been intentionally general. With the amount of categories that we cover; we have to!

With that in mind, we thought it would be fun to conduct a series of interviews with individuals who are conducting online campaigns to get their respective artist/athlete inducted to the Hall of Fame.

The first person we reached out to was Mike Litherland, from Atlanta, Georgia, who operates the Induct Janet Jackson to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame campaign. It has a very active Facebook page, holding a sizable near 14,000 Likes.

Janet Jackson has been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2007, and a case could be made that she was the biggest female singing star in the world at one point in time. Jackson ruled Pop and R&B airwaves for fifteen years, and while casual music fans may not view her as influential, music history has shown that a large amount of Janet clones existed and she was a seamless bridge from Pop to R&B in a way that few could match.

We asked Mike a few questions about his push to induct Janet Jackson to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On a personal level, what first attracted you to Janet Jackson's music, and what you say is her essential album for someone not familiar with her work to listen to?

“I first remember Janet from her appearances on Good Times. From a musical perspective, though, I remember when she performed ‘Young Love’ on American Bandstand. I was pretty young at the time, probably 11 or 12, but there was just something about her that stood out and made me take notice. I became a 'fan' when Control was released and she completely dominated the music world and the Pop, R&B and Dance charts. I remember hearing Janet all over the radio - and seeing her videos all over the place. I remember being obsessed with Friday Night Videos (on NBC, maybe?). They had a segment called Friday Night Video Fights and my siblings and I would call the 800 # to vote any time one of Janet's videos was in the battle. Those were good times. On MTV, Janet was one of the first African-American female artists to be placed in heavy rotation.

It's difficult to decide on one essential album. As a fan, I consider ‘The Velvet Rope’ to be her masterpiece. It's raw, powerful and very introspective and covers a lot of territory. A very, very close second would be Rhythm Nation 1814. It's quite possibly one of the most cohesive albums in history and would probably be the best pick to play for someone who isn't familiar with Janet's work. Both albums have been listed on Rolling Stone’s list of greatest all-time albums.”

What triggered you to want to try to get her inducted?

“I've enjoyed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for years and years. I grew up in Dayton, Ohio so I've actually been to the museum three or four times. I began following the nominations and inductions ten or so years ago. I had no idea how political and convoluted the nomination process is/was. I remember being surprised that Madonna was inducted after her first year of eligibility. Once that happened, though, it made Janet's nomination chances also appear to be a no-brainer. Janet's been eligible since 2007 and still hasn't even received a nomination yet, though. It's definitely a head-scratcher since Janet rivaled and matched her peers of that time (MJ, Prince, Madonna) and they've all been inducted. Janet broke a lot of records and doesn't always get the credit she deserves. I guess that's why I decided to get involved and created the Facebook page a little over a year ago.”

What are the main attributes that Janet has in her music that makes you feel she is a Hall of Famer?

“Janet was able to emerge out of her brother's shadow and even eclipse his popularity during the 90's. She's a very savvy businesswoman and her commercial success is undeniable. She was virtually unstoppable in the 80's and 90's. The Rhythm Nation World Tour in 1990 remains the biggest debut tour of any artist in music history.

The Nomination Committee doesn't factor commercial success into their nomination equation, though. The fact that Janet wrote, co-wrote and co-produced on all albums from 1986's Control through 2006's 20 Y.O. shows how involved she was in the creative process of all of those hit records and albums. That should make quite a statement.

Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis created a magical dream team of sorts. Contrary to what some may believe, Janet Jackson was no puppet. She was in control, both literally and figuratively - and proved it with each release being more successful and having a bigger impact than its predecessor. Janet Jackson's music is the soundtrack of the 80's, 90's and 00's.

And then the 2004 Super Bowl performance happened, damaging her career & musical legacy…but we'll get to that in a bit.

Why do you think she has been ignored by the Hall, and not even nominated at this point?

“The fact that Janet hasn't released a new studio album since 2008 has probably hindered her chances a bit. She starred in several hit movies and had a very successful Number Ones Up Close & Personal tour, but has remained out of the spotlight of the public eye for several years now.

I also think there's a bias in the NomCom. It seems to be a very political process and decisions seem to be heavily influenced by a handful of the more persuasive members of the committee. And obviously, there's quite a backlog of deserving artists. At some point, though, they're going to have to add Janet to their nomination discussions. I'm just pushing to have that happen sooner rather than later.

Rumor has it that she's finishing new music now, so hopefully the dry spell is just about over. If the new album is even moderately successful that should also send quite a statement. To have such an incredibly successful career and still be doing it after 30+ years is pretty amazing…and shows tremendous longevity.”

Do you think (serious question) that the Super Bowl Nipplegate affected her chances?

“I won't spend a lot of energy on this question, but the Super Bowl fallout seriously damaged her career and I'm sure that's had an impact on her nomination chances. Should it have a negative impact on her nomination, though? I mean - what's more "Rock & Roll" than that?!?!

In all seriousness, though, I do wish someone could explain why Janet was completely blacklisted in the industry and destroyed by the media yet Justin Timberlake remains unscathed and more popular than ever. I'll leave it that.”

If Janet gets inducted, Is there another act that you feel passionate about getting inducted?

“I'd really like to see The Cure nominated again. I think The Smiths and Depeche Mode are also deserving. Other artists I'd support are: Joy Division/New Order, Bjork, and De La Soul off the top of my head. Other deserving artists that I hope to see nominated when they become eligible are PJ Harvey, Alanis Morissette and A Tribe Called Quest.”

We thank Mike for his time and we look forward to doing more of these type of pieces in the future.

You can like this page on Facebook at this link: https://www.facebook.com/InductJanetJacksonIntoTheRockRollHallOfFame

Or you can follow them on Twitter at @inductjanet

One of the great perks of running this website is that I occasionally I get to interview some very interesting people. With that said, I am confident that I have never spoke with anyone tougher than when I spoke with former USFL player and Professional Wrestler, Steve Cox. Seriously, I think if I angered him over the phone, he would have had the ability to summon up the ability to reach through my I-Phone and render me an invalid at will.

Steve may have also been one of the funniest people I have had the pleasure to talk to. As i listened back to his stories in his distinctive Midwestern drawl, the amount of times I found myself bursting out laughing eclipsed any other interview I have ever done.[i]

I found the timing to be perfect. Currently, the WWE is promoting a Mid-South wrestling DVD, and though Cox did not officially compete there, he was there in final portion of Mid-South’s finale, the UWF. Cox may not have been the biggest name in the business, but he did compete against and befriend those who were. He also was an amateur wrestler who would later compete in the early shoot promotions in Japan, which itself would foreshadow the Mixed Martial Arts that has become popular now.

With special thanks to our mutual friend, Chavo Guerrero Sr., I hope you enjoy the transcript of my chat with Steve Cox.

You had a great football career at the University of Tulsa, correct?

“I grew up out in the middle of nowhere, three miles across into Kansas, and I was a real good Linebacker and wrestler and I got a full ride scholarship to Tulsa University. That’s how I got there.”

This took you to the USFL right?

“Yeah, I got out of school and then I got drafted.[ii] I was signed by the New Jersey Generals and was there when Herschel Walker came in. I am going to show my age, but this was back when ESPN was showing us and we were a bunch of lunkheads wondering who would watch 24 hours of sports. This was the early days of (Chris) Berman. Chuck Fairbanks was our Coach.[iii]

I was traded from to the Michigan Panthers[iv] so I went from Hackensack, New Jersey to Pontiac, Michigan and Jim Stanley was our coach. He was one of the original guys who went off with Bear Bryant at Texas A&M. He was a real hardcore coach. Anyway, I was getting beat up pretty badly, and I decided to get out (of Football).”

You mentioned that you were an amateur wrestler in school. Were you a fan of pro wrestling when you were growing up?

Heck no! Now I grew up in Kansas, so I was familiar with Bob Geigel and Harley Race and all those guys. Every now and then we caught a glimpse of the old WWF out of New York. But as a collegiate wrestler, though this has changed since Kurt Angle, a lot of the “real” wrestlers didn’t appreciate “fake” wrestling.

As I got out of the USFL, and back in the day there weren’t a lot of gyms, and I always went to Moguin’s Gym by TU (Tulsa University). When the wrestlers came through, that’s where they worked out. I was actually talking to of all people, Sting[v] and he asked me if I ever thought about being a pro wrestler, and I said ‘not really’. That weekend there was an article in the paper about the UWF, Bill Watts and the Rock and Roll Express and how they had a sold out crowd downtown. The guy who owned the gym was a friend of Bill Watts and he called him up and I met Bill Watts.[vi]

I didn’t realize at the time what Bill was all about. He asked me if I had (wrestling) boots and I said no. He said I had no possibility in hell until I go t some boots as he couldn’t get me in the ring and do much with me. He said, stay and watch the show, and they did TV every Sunday night in Tulsa and that place was sold out like lightning.

I got some boots in this place out of Arkansas. Back in the day, there weren’t too many places you could buy (wrestling) boots unlike now where you can buy them all over the place. Anyway, I got my boots and I got my trunks and I got a call that he wanted me at the arena at four o’clock, which was pretty early because they started at seven. I get there, and he (Watts) says suit up, and I go out to the ring. We’re in the middle of the ring and Watts says ‘Hit the ropes’, and I’m running back and forth hitting the ropes. He said ‘Drop down, hit the ropes. Drop down, hit the ropes’, then he says be at my house, which was near Tulsa at two o’clock Sunday.

I got to his house and we drove to Miami, Oklahoma and we go to this armory and he said you’re going to wrestle tonight. I’m like ‘Oh Shit, I’m not planning on it!’, but I get to the arena and there is Terry Taylor, Rick Steiner, Doc (Steve Williams) and my first match is with Mike George.

It was a small armory, but this place was packed to the ceiling with people. I go out there and Mike George[vii] is my first match and Tommy Gilbert is the referee. I should have known from the first match when I went over that I was being brought in as Dr. Death’s protégé, but I had never took a bump. Mike was slamming me, giving me boots, but Tommy was getting in my ear that ‘we have a superstar here!’ I couldn’t even breathe during the match! Mike did the deal where I grabbed the ropes and he falls back and then 123 kick and I take a powder and I am beat to shit.

After, Terry Taylor says ‘Now why would Watts want a jabroni[viii] to get ahead?’ you know what I’m saying? They’re all inquisitive and watching ‘cause Watts liked big men. That’s why he used to crack on the Memphis territory, and how you had to put over midgets[ix]. Watts wanted you to understand that you had to bump for the right people at the right time.

That night, there was (Skandor) Akbar from Devastation Incorporated[x] , The One Man Gang, Eli the Eliminator and Bill said to me that I can’t to a Stampede run[xi] which was Doc’s finisher so I was told to do a Side Russian Leg Sweep for my finish. I think Bill Irwin came up with that. The deal that night was that I would go watch Doc have a match with Mike George which was a technical match. Doc goes over and Devastation runs in, and I jump in. Now, I don’t know shit about the business, that’s how green I was. After that, every night I was working and every night I was getting killed in the ring. I was getting crowbarred, the old school way. There wasn’t a lot of wrestling schools; that was my school, right there.

They came up with an angle where I would be the Rookie of the Year. My first marriage[xii] was really against Gary Young. He really cleaned me up pretty good. Every night we did the same match, but it was always different. I don’t know if you heard some of the boys say this, but (Ric) Flair’s match was always the same but they are always different.[xiii] The boys knew how to tell the difference.

At the time I was fortunate enough to run around with the top guys and I kept my mouth shut, and I learned a lot. I had my first ever squash match, I put over Bubba (Rogers) real good; Watts loved that; which helped Doc when he went in to help. The thing about Watts is that he told me a lot of stuff that didn’t make sense at the time, but it helped me later on to see the business as not just as worker but as a promoter.”

Did you get some heat with the boys because you came in with a decent position, especially since you did not have a professional wrestling background?

“Oh yeah. I was brought in, green as green could be and at the time Bill Watts was negotiating with the NWA[xiv] . We were working tight every night. Now when they would come at me, and I’m not the sharpest guy on the stick but when we got to a certain point, I was like ‘Fuck You’, and I would stand up (for myself). Like I said, I was a real good High School athlete, I wrestled, I played Football, I could slow them down. But I had to respect the fact I was crowbarred in, and it wasn’t easy for them to take that. I understood. Nowadays (aspiring wrestlers) go to school; real boy band shit. In my day it wasn’t that way. You had to be one mean, tough son of a bitch to get through this shit! Staring out the way I was (with a good spot), it just wasn’t done that way.

I remember Terry Taylor, he had to lace up my boots[xv] . Terry said ‘Look at this fucking guy!’. It was hilarious. Chavo (Guerrero Sr.) of all people showed me how to tuck in my laces. That’s how bad I was, I didn’t know how to lace up boots. These guys would thump me pretty good, because I couldn’t lace up boots. If I couldn’t do that, why would they want give me anything (in the ring)? “

Was there anyone who took you under their wing when you were starting out?

Yeah, Chavo. He was the most consummate worker, he understands the business, and he grew up in the business. Everything he did (in the ring) had meaning. He was the total package, and he was one hell of a partier! Sometimes he would go too far out there, and you would have to reel him back in, but that was Chavo!

I had Gary Young, I had Doc, and Terry Gordy.   I would ask them to watch my matches and have them critique it. This is another way that Watts helped me; he said when they tell you what to do, don’t say ‘Yeah, but’. They don’t care what you’re thinking. Listen to what they’re telling you. They will check to see if you listened, and from there you will get more information.

I just lived, learned and watched. I rode with everyone from Flair, Arn Anderson and really everyone. You have to realize that in my first year to two years in the business I had almost five hundred matches. I was dong singles and tags often on the same card, and as a new guy that was the norm.

One night, me and Sting after (Ultimate) Warrior left[xvi] I pained my face and worked with him as his partner against (Rick) Steiner and somebody else. Jeff Gaylord, I think. Think about it, these indy kids nowadays wouldn’t be working with the best in the business in their first five hundred matches. That doesn’t happen anymore. The work was tough. We weren’t just suspending disbelief, we were really tough. In time, I could work 60’s style, 70’s style, 80’s style, 90’s style, Bullrope Match, two minute match, six minute match; whatever.

The most important match is the opening match. A lot of green guys don’t even know that. The opener sets the tempo and the crowd. It is not an easy match, usually fifteen minutes and a time limit draw; a lot of false finishes. These kids today don’t know; you don’t get that anymore.”

You were there when the NWA merged with the UWF. Chavo Guerrero told me that he didn’t see it coming, and that it was a surprise to him. Was it a surprise to you also?

“A lot of people thought something was up. Now I didn’t really, because I was just happy to be in the same locker room as these guys, but it goes back to what Bill always said which is ‘negotiate your own contract’. Now that was his territory, and he gave us ‘We’re all in this together’ speech about generating synergy (between the two organizations). Well, he dropped the bottom out and he skated out, and we didn’t get much out of that deal. There were a lot of guys hot.”

Where did you go after that (the NWA UWF Merger)? Did you go to the NWA?

“The deal was that Dusty Rhodes[xvii] was the one who called me and told me I wasn’t needed anymore. I needed a break as my body was beat to shit. I got a call from (Bob) Geigel, and I just wanted to work with “Bulldog” Bob Brown[xviii], so I asked if Bulldog was still there. I wanted to work there just to get my picture taken with Brown and send it to my roommate from College who was from Kansas City and was a big Bulldog Bob Brown fan.

I went up there, and anytime you walk into the territories, they might know you, they might not. TV coverage wasn’t that national yet. I remember I worked a match with Mike Golden. I didn’t know much about Mike and how great he was until we got in the ring. As soon as we tied up after two minutes I was like ‘Let’s get it on’ and we had a good match. I worked for about a week up there.

Then I get a call from the same place that ran the office side for the UWF and they told me that WCCW is coming in and I was asked if I wanted to tag up with Michael Hayes going up against the Samoans[xix] , but you got to lose. I’m told them I’m there.”

You were brought in as Michael Hayes’ protégé, were you not?

“It kind of worked out that way. Really, they wanted (Jimmy) Garvin, but Garvin and Michael couldn’t hold up the way the Samoans worked. It was only supposed to be one match, but the Samoans loved me. Anyway, I get a call from Pritchard down there, asking me if I could be there for Friday. It was funny, because Michael really pushed for Garvin, but the office was like nope, and they liked the big, blonde Texas style wrestler, you know what I’m saying?

I go down there, and this is where I first met Fritz (Von Erich)[xx] . They were trying to negotiate with me, but I already had a deal in hand with Kansas City but it was a good deal to down to Texas. I signed a contract, though it took a while as we kept going back and forth and I finally said ‘I’m out of here’, and he said, ‘Hey, hold on’, and we hammered it out. That was the first time I met Fritz, though I had no fucking clue who Fritz was. We shook hands, and I never worried once about my paycheck. I was now working with Michael against the Samoans and we had one of the top tag team programs in the United States. It was a real good time.”

You did a few shots with the AWA, did you not?

“Oh yeah, but that was all tied in. By that time, everything was crumbling. What happened was, I talked to the guys in Atlanta[xxi] , and they were like ‘You don’t want to come here!’ Usually, I give people the benefit of the doubt but if there is one person in life and literally I would do this for the boys, I would KO Eric Bischoff. I knew some guys there. The Steiners, Buff was there and Steve Austin. Hell, I’m the one who told (Austin) to go to Texas! Of all the people one night, he asked me to watch his match over in Memphis. I was kind of impressed that this kid wanted me to watch his match. I said the first thing you got to do is change the name from Steve Williams. He said to me, ‘There is another Steve Williams?’ I swear to God, he said that! I started to laugh thinking that this fucker was as dumb as I was! In the business, I was probably the dumbest son of a bitch to come in, and I wear that proudly because I humble myself to the fact that I was one dumb son of a bitch. He asked what name I should have, and I said do the porno shit, where you take the first name of your first pet, and the last name is the street you grew up on. As everything was falling apart (The territory system in American Wrestling), I was doing a lot in Japan.

Which promotion in Japan?

The UWFI and New Japan. I was also with another upstart shoot promotion. Doc got me over there. It was good money; I was making $2,500 a week there. I didn’t do a lot of indy shows around Tulsa, but I did do them all over the Midwest. I even did some in Philadelphia before ECW started. I worked a lot with Mankind (Mick Foley), before he was Mankind. I remember the 1-2-3 Kid coming in[xxii] , I did a lot with Shane (Douglas) back East and did Europe too. I got to see a lot of Europe with Shane, and we tagged up a bunch. I like the way that Shane kind of morphed into that “Franchise” character.

Actually, I would like to talk to you more about Japan.

Let me break it all down. All-Japan had a death grip on that whole market over there, and a lot of guys were starting to do their own shows. You know Gary Albright?[xxiii] ”

Yes.

“Gary Albright and the Shoot promotion over there.”[xxiv]

Was that a more fitting style for you?

“I suplexed the hell out of those people! But, I had to take some serious shots there, but the money was so good. It was funny, I was working with one group, and there was a lot of cross promotion. I remember at the Tokyo Dome, when (The Great) Muta showed up, and I was drunk as shit. I knew Muta, as his first American tour was in WCCW with us. I worked a bunch with Muta. They were pretty prejudiced towards us gaijins[xxv] , but yeah, I bounced around and worked with five different groups over there. I did a lot of submission style wrestling there. I also did a lot of boxing and pad up with linemen’s gloves. Yeah, it was rough.

In Japan, I slowly started stepping over into the real world. I got a call from New York (The WWF) and at the time they were getting their ass kicked by Atlanta. In today’s world you wouldn’t think about it. The money (in the WWE) is so good, but they run your ass ragged in the ground. That’s why all these guys flamed out, suicide but for three million dollars and 250 days on the road, you just shut the fuck up and do it.”

What made you want to leave wrestling?

“I was in Iowa, and I saw a father and son fight over cocaine in the locker room, I thought do I want to have that conversation with my son? None of these guys had good relationships with their kids until much later when they begin to understand. I made up my mind that I would try coaching football. I wouldn’t make as much money, but I would have a better life. I didn’t get out clean, as I had to go to rehab but overall I did transition well (out of wrestling) when it is all said and done. I was a onetime rehab guy, and I have been clean and sober ever since.”

So you were able to put wrestling behind you. That in itself is a success story as many other former wrestlers have not been able to do that. I am thinking of an example where Diamond Dallas Page is trying to get Jake “The Snake” Roberts recovered, and one of the constant threads in the videos he has put out is that if he fails he won’t be able to get a slot at the Royal Rumble. This is the carrot that Jake seems to need to be motivated. One more pop from the crowd. Let’s say he does get that appearance, and then what will be his motivation? What does he do next?

“Oh, I’m telling ya! Bill Watts told me never to wind up in a cage where people are throwing crumbs at you. That’s where Jake and some of these other guys are at tight now. I think Chavo’s a lot like this too; I think I am a renaissance man. I have been a business owner, a teacher, a coach, I have done sales, and I was in College. I didn’t do the best, but I got a degree. I always told my son, that you can do anything you want to do as long as you harness yourself. You learn as much you can and then make it your own, and then you can do as well as they have done. I have had a lot of different careers.

When I look at Scott Hall[xxvi] , I think ‘God Damn’. You want to hand him a pistol and just say ‘Go ahead and shoot yourself and get it over with’. That sounds really crass, but at some point you have to fight for your life. They will tell you (in rehab) that is not your fault, but fuck that. I got in trouble, because I partied too much, and that was my fault. They kept telling me why I failed, and they coddled it. What really helped me a bunch was dealing with a bunch of old-time drunks.

I’ll tell you the thing I miss about the wrestling business is that I didn’t wrestle in New York. I never went against (Hulk) Hogan, but I have been with everyone from Harley Race, Ric Flair, the Andersons; I had a good run.”

Steve, I always like to close with a bit of word association. I will mention a wrestler and just tell me what word comes to mind, or if something triggers, feel free to expand.

“Alright.”

Eddie Gilbert

“Genius. A great booker, and he did some great angles. He was humble. It wasn’t about him, it was about the book.”

Rick Steiner

“Goofy. Craziest guy I have ever been around in my life. A great consummate worker.”

Kerry Von Erich

“I’ve never seen anybody, and I’ve been a lot of places, I have never seen anybody radiate a room like he could. He just had it. Kerry walked in, and they knew he was a somebody. They might not know who, but they knew he was a somebody.”

The One Man Gang

“Scariest son of a bitch I ever saw. When I first saw him, he spits at me but misses out of politeness. A great big teddy bear of a guy”

Kamala

“Great match. I did some big time spots with him. What a great guy to work with. I loved working with Kamala.”

I think you were there when he started his career, Booker T.

“Yeah. Booker and his brother. When they came in, and don’t get me you wrong, you got to have a lot of swag, you know what I’m saying? I was really surprised he made it has high but I’m not. He was always learning, he picked up his craft quick. He went from a loud thug to someone who mastered his craft. He and Stevie. I liked him. Tag matches; people don’t’ realize what an art form tag team wrestling is. It’s a whole different part of the business that you have to learn. We actually crossed paths more in Japan then we did over here. It was funny, you would go to Ribera’s[xxvii] and that’s how you would find out who all is in the country. In the business, nobody ever says goodbye, they’ll say see you down the road. In that line of work, that’s a fact. You’ll cross paths somewhere.”

The 1-2-3 Kid

“He just got to Texas, and he was already trained well, by the Harts I believe. I’m sitting there looking at this little shit, thinking who the fuck is this guy in his little blue outfit? (Laughs) I made a mistake one time, the first time I saw Jeff Jarrett in Memphis in the locker room and I said (aloud) ‘Who the fuck is he related to?’ (laughs) The boys laughed, but I had a real good match with Jeff.

He (The Kid) comes up to me and says we have a match tonight and that we are going fifteen minutes and asks what are we going to do. Now when you are someone new and you come into someone else’s territory you don’t do shit like that. You should be asking what kind of match will we have tonight, and the veteran will take care of you.

Anyway, I told him to come off the top rope and get as much height as you can, and I’ll catch you. Anyway, I move out of the way and he hits as hard as hell. You should have seen the look on his face on the way by! I just started beating the shit out of him and putting the boots to him. He was gone the next day; he wasn’t made for Texas. I think the only reason he got where he did was, was that he was a funny mother fucker, that’s what I heard.”

I think you wrestled him a bit, Stan Lane.

“I think they are replaying a bit of this on ESPN Classics. I was a Midnight Express also. We worked an angle with Bobby (Eaton) Stan and me, and Bobby was out. Lane was just a funny mother fucker. I was plugged into a lot of tags, and I became as good as anybody.

You’ll get a kick out of this. The boys would say you see a room with a revolving door; Steve has that gimmick quarantined! Tag teaming was an art, you had to know when to have the referee cut off, work the hot tags; remember you have five people out there working! If you’ve never done that it can scare you.”

I have a few more for you, Doug Gilbert.

“You took care of him, because he was Eddie Gilbert’s little brother. I liked Doug, but he was no Eddie. He’s still out there working. You could slide him in, no harm, no foul.”

One more for you; Buff Bagwell.

“I knew him as the “Handsome Stranger”[xxviii] . (Skandor) Akbar had him kiss all the girls in the front row. He was just a pretty boy, and when he popped up like he did in Atlanta, I have to give him props.

You got to realize, I hung out with (Bruiser) Brody, Doc, Albright; I wasn’t used to hanging out with a guy like Buff! Guys like that…..Yeah, he was Buff out there (in the ring) but in here (locker room) you’re just a paper tiger. That was like Hogan, but again, props to Hogan, nobody could draw like he could. But, yeah, Buff as the Handsome Stranger did well at the Sportatorium[xxix] out there on “Skank Row”.”

One final question, do you watch wrestling now?

“I do, when I can. Now CM Punk and John Cena, you’ve got to me kidding me. Is this the best you got? Don’t get me wrong, but if this is the best you got, but these guys ain’t Brody. These guys would get destroyed in my day. When you watch the work today, it’s so light. It’s too make believe; too much entertainment. In my day, you believed you were getting your ass kicked, because you actually were.”

Thanks Steve!

---

[i]And I am only talking about what I can print!

[ii]Cox was selected in the 16^th Round in 1983

[iii]Fairbanks was a successful collegiate coach who won the Orange Bowl and two Sugar Bowls with Oklahoma. The job with New Jersey would be his last as a coach in football.

[iv]Michigan was the inaugural USFL Champions.

[v]Sting’s first big break was in the UWF territory which had a large base in Oklahoma

[vi]Watts was the owner of the UWF, and notoriously known for his toughness.

[vii]George was a journeyman wrestler who held multiple regional championships in the United States but was an underneath worker at this stage of his career.

[viii]“Jabroni” is slang for someone who does the “job” in the ring. Basically; the one who loses on a regular basis.

[ix]The Memphis territory traditionally had smaller wrestlers in comparison.

[x]Devastation Incorporated was the heel stable that was managed by Skandor Akbar.

[xi]The Oklahoma Stampede was Steve Williams’ finisher which was a powerslam preceded by a run in a slam position to the turnbuckle

[xii]“Marriage” in wrestling, means that two opponents were booked against each other on a regular basis.

[xiii]I have heard that often from my friend, Chavo Guerrero Sr.; or as he says “seen one, seen them all”.

[xiv]Watts would sell his territory to the NWA, and “merge” with them, though it was unknown to his wrestlers at the time.

[xv]This isn’t a metaphor; this was about actually lacing up boots.

[xvi]Sting and the Ultimate Warrior were a tag team called the Blade Runners that got their start working for Bill Watts. The Warrior left for World Class in Texas.

[xvii]Rhodes was the booker of the NWA at the time

[xviii]Brown was an icon in Central States Wrestling.

[xix]This was the Samoan incarnation of Samu and Fatu.

[xx]Fritz Von Erich was the owner of WCCW. The World Class area was drawing huge a few years previous with Fritz’s sons.

[xxi]This would have been in the early 90’s.

[xxii]This is in reference to the Global Wrestling Federation which was based in Dallas. They had a brief contract with ESPN.

[xxiii]Albright was a star in Japan, but never achieved mainstream success in North America; of course, he never seemed to try.

[xxiv]The UWFI was a shoot style promotion which was a precursor to UFC, but the match results were still pre-determined.

[xxv]Gaijins is the word for foreigner in Japanese

[xxvi]As if this writing, Scott Hall has been doing very well, and credits a lot of that to Diamond Dallas Page. Hopefully, this continues.

[xxvii]Ribera’s is a steak house in Tokyo where wrestlers frequent. It is considered a badge of honor for an American wrestler to set foot in Ribera’s and get once of their famous jackets. It is definitely a “wrestling” thing!

[xxviii]This was Bagwell’s gimmick in the GWF where he wrestled alongside Cox.

[xxix]The Sportatorium was the facility that was the home base of the GWF and previously World Class in Dallas.