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Some of Todays Wrestling News and Rumours (Possible spoilers)
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There's a shoot interview with Ken Anderson (formerly Kennedy) available here:
www.pwrshow.com
Very revealing!0 -
There's a shoot interview with Ken Anderson (formerly Kennedy) available here:
www.pwrshow.com
Very revealing!
okayyy....i dont think ill click on that link so.0 -
It seems that Orton had a lot to do with the firing but theres always two sides to the one coin.0
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Hardcore Holly speaks on WWE, Jericho and Kennedy.
http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/112461/Hardcore-Holly-Discusses-Working-With-Crash,-Ken-Anderson,-Chris-Jericho-and-More.htmA mere couple of days before Holly sets out for a couple of VPW shows in the South of England, Hardcore Holly talks about his past, present and future...
Transcript Credit: Liam Burnside of VPW
You performed at Wrestlemania several times, most notably winning the Hardcore Championship match at ‘Mania 16 in a match where there seemed to be some confusion over the outcome? What actually happened there, and what was meant to happen?
"Crash was meant to win but the buzzer didn't go off. I shattered that container over his head and went for the cover. The ref, Timmy White, said to me as he was counting – "we're going to hit this perfectly" and then the buzzer didn't go off before his hand hit the mat for the three. I don't know who messed up, all I knew was that it wasn't me! You see that Timmy didn't hit the mat on three because he was expecting the buzzer and after the match, Crash went to go get the belt, so we were just going through with the original plan but someone in the back must have been watching the monitor, realised that the whole thing looked **** and called an audible. I wasn't expecting to be handed the belt."
You didn't look pleased after the match.
"I wasn't! I thought "someone's gonna catch some **** for this one". They did try to lay it at my feet but I made sure they knew what I thought about that. It wasn't a big deal anyhow, I just dropped the belt back to Crash the next night and that was that. It wasn't hard to move that belt around."
Moving forward a few years, how did the accident come about in the match with Brock Lesnar where you ended up with a broken neck?
"It was a simple case of an accident caused by inexperience. A lot of people have suggested that I didn't co-operate with Brock on the powerbomb but nothing could be farther from the truth. If you look at the footage, you can see that I played my part in the move but the rotation didn't go to plan. Brock should have put me back down on my feet but, instead, he decided to put me down on top of my head. He just wasn't experienced enough to know how to handle a situation like it and, being absolutely honest, I'm not sure he realised the damage it would do to me. I reckon he thought it wouldn't hurt that much if it happened to him, so just sort of dropped me without thinking of the consequences. He learned quick enough about neck injuries after his top rope move at Mania 19 though."
Speaking of Lesnar, he came into the WWE when he was well below 30 and was pushed to the moon in what, in retrospect, seems like a bad decision. Out of the sub-30 year olds in the mainstream right now, who would you say is the best bet for future stardom?
"Nobody."
Really?
"Yeah, there's nobody there who has the dedication, the focus, the ability to tell a story – at least not at the level that they need to move into the upper level. Even if they did, they'd still have to deal with the current group of guys at the top anyway and I don't see them moving for a while. John Morrison, for example, he's good but it's too early. He's stuck at a level and he's good where he is but he needs to focus and learn from the older guys to really click at the top level."
What have you made of Chris Jericho since his return to the promotion?
"He's a great wrestler and he's proved just how great since he got back last year. Chris is one of my favourite people in the world – he's a genuine guy and he'll never stab you in the back the way that others would. John Cena is the same – just a straight up nice guy, no hidden agenda and one-hundred percent genuine. It's a shame you can't say the same for a lot of others in the business."
Why do I get the impression this conversation is heading rapidly towards Ken Kennedy?!
"That mother****er... he's a dead man walking. I told VPW that if they get him on their show, I'll not only work for free but I'll fly myself in too. If I ever see him again, I'm going to jail, that's all there is to it."
So is it true then that he was instrumental in having you released from your WWE contract?
"No, that's not why I got released. He didn't have any clout, he's was a backstage joke. I left months after that whole deal with pills but when he turned me in for doing something he gave me permission to do, he broke the rules and threw me under the bus. You don't do that to one of the boys, tell them that something is ok and then turn on them the moment that it looks like you might get heat for it. If that happens, you take it like a man and own up to what you did wrong. I guess he had done so many stupid things in the year before that he figured he couldn't afford to do anything else wrong. Didn't make any difference in the end, he only lasted a couple more months before they realised how sloppy and boring he is and got rid of his whining ass."
If not Kennedy's doing, why did you get released?
"Johnny Ace and I talked about it and I said I wasn't happy continuing if I was just going to be used as a job guy. When you're always putting some other guy over, you don't get any programs, you don't get to work pay per views and you don't get to make the money. I felt they could have been using me much better, building to something with other guys and letting them learn from me over a period of time rather than just having some green newcomer go out there, get a quick win over me and then move on without learning anything. It doesn't help anyone in the long run and sure didn't help me. I told Johnny that I'd stick around if they were prepared to get behind me and start using me in a more meaningful manner. Well, turns out that creative weren't, they had other priorities now, so I decided I'd be better off off-screen. The door is open though, there weren't any bridges burned."
Why do you think they didn't do more with you?
"I have no idea. It's something that Jericho would say to me often, he'd say he didn't have a clue why they couldn't use me more. I've been in the business for twenty years, I know how to tell a story, I'm safe to work with and the boys respect me but I guess they just don't want to put over some people. Hel
l, even ‘Taker went to Vince to ask about doing an extended program with me but Vince shot the idea down."
What do you think the problem is regarding creative?
"Well, here's the thing. A lot of the internet and the wrestling fans get worked up with certain people, saying how a guy like Cena sucks and that's fine. It's their right to do so, they bought their ticket, they can do what they want but they don't know the guy. As I said earlier, John's one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life period but a lot of people crap all over him. If creative didn't worry so much about doing their scripted interviews and just took a little time with people outside of the ring, showed the fans who we all are, it'd be interesting and it'd get the boys over. You watch me on a show and you just see me wrestle. You draw your own conclusion. If you were to spend ten minutes with me backstage or at home, you'd have a different opinion. They should open that door and make it more real. It'd be something the fans would enjoy, especially since everything on TV seems to be about reality stuff now anyways."
What advice would you give to people looking to get into the business?
"Realise three things from the word go – firstly, it's hard work and you get out what you put in. Secondly, at some point or another, you're going to get injured – deal with it. Thirdly, if you want to work for Vince, you can't be normal. What I mean by that is that "normal" is what you see walking down the street. Nobody pays to see something they can see when they hang out at the local mall. The fans want to see characters and larger-than-life personalities. That's why the giants and the big muscle men have always done well. They're not your everyday guy – they're something you pay to see because it's out of the ordinary. New guys should always be thinking about what is going to make them different from everyone else. You can know all of the basics and be able to piece a decent match together but if you're just the same as everyone else on the card and everyone in the audience, how are you going to stand out and capture anybody's attention?"
What are you occupying yourself with these days in your post-WWE career?
"I'm fortunate enough to have had a long run with WWE and have been smart with my money so I don't have to just go and work wherever the work is – I can afford to pick and choose. I don't like to work with groups that have little respect for wrestling and just want to promote a human demolition derby without thought to the consequences for the wrestlers. I work some shows in the US when the promoter seems like a genuine guy and the talent is committed to putting on a good show. I've been abroad this year too, to Europe – in fact, I'm leaving tomorrow for England where I'm doing a couple shows with a group called VPW – Varsity Pro Wrestling – in Exeter on Wednesday 5th August and Portsmouth on Thursday 6th August. They're a good all-round wrestling entertainment show, they all work hard, put on a value for money show and they've got a few real good home grown talents, most notably a guy called Chris Andrews – he's a great wrestler and has a million dollar look"
Have you worked with them before?
"Yeah, I did a show with them earlier in the year, May – I wrestled the UK Kid, who was trained by Shawn Michaels. He's a lot smaller than me but he's tough – he actually broke one of my ribs in the first minute of the match!"
So presumably you're looking to settle the score with him?
"Well, it was meant to be a cage match between Kip James and the UK Kid on that last show but TNA needed to use Kip at short notice so they pulled him from the show. He gave me a call and I stood in for him. It ended up being a TLC match and I put the Kid in his place – right through a table. Maybe I'll get my way and get him in a cage this time... I've been talking with my contacts over there; we'll see what they can come up with!"
Backtracking a moment to going through tables – this reminds me of the match on ECW where you fought Rob Van Dam and took a nasty spill to the floor through a table that didn't quite go as planned. No pun intended, can you flesh it out for us?
"Well, most of the time flesh is going to lose against metal! Most of the tables break on impact and the metal bends under your weight but on that occasion, it didn't bend as much as I would have liked and ended up creating a pretty huge gash in my back. It ended up taking 24 stitches to close the wound."
How much did it hurt?
"I've had worse."
I'd imagine it can't have been pleasant though!
"No, it wasn't but the adrenaline was pumping and all I was thinking about was getting through the match. I thought it was one of my best matches and the crowd seemed to respect me for just getting on with it. That's just what you've got to do. If I can walk, I'm going to finish the match. Hell, even if I can't walk, I'll still do my best! That's just an attitude that you get in all of the good guys, the ones that are worth their paycheque."
An obvious question but one worth asking – what are your thoughts about the potential of a return to WWE?
"It's a possibility and the door's open on both sides for discussion. We'll have to see how it goes and if they figure out a way to use me that suits them and suits me. They know what I can bring to the table. They've got some good experienced hands in there but as far as I'm concerned, the more experience you've got on hand, the better."
What about a one-shot deal as a host on RAW or something more backstage, like a producer role?
"I think doing a one-shot deal as host would be a waste and I could bring a lot more than that to the show but working with the guys to put the matches together and teach the next generation would be interesting. I did a training seminar with VPW in May and will be doing another one this Friday. Working with guys just starting out is pretty rewarding and, as long as they're willing to work hard and put in the effort, I'm happy to give them all I can to help them succeed."0 -
Jakers, that Holly fella is awful full of himself for someone who never did anything of note during the entire time he was with WWF/E.
First off, he complains that they weren't using him in a meaningful manner to bring in new guys. This is obviously untrue given his last storyline was training up Cody, not simply jobbing to him, but working with him for weeks. And in the modern televised business, thats a long time.
He also goes on about what a great storyteller he is, and how safe he is. If he's such a great storyteller, how come I cant remember any of his matches? And I'm sure DDP would have something to say about how safe Holly is to work with.
The advice he gives people about having to stand out rings a little false considering he managed to hold down a job in the WWE with the most boring character of all time.
And there would be absolutely zero interest in a Taker/Holly feud.0 -
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I lost all respect for Holly when he started beating up that trainee in 'tough enough'. Ken Anderson's depiction of him (in that interview above) may be a bit biased, but it sounds exactly like him. Just a nasty bully with a big ego.0
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I could care less about Holly as well. Apparently everyone else feels the same way. Good.0
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I thought Holly came across well in that interview actually, and said alot of stuff that made sense.
I also agree that he was wasted. Not in his later days- but in his prime he had alot to offer. His storytelling ability was very good, but it was the personality, and charisma side that let him down. Creative should have placed him in better situations that played to his strengths, and disguised his weaknesses. In many ways, his career mirrored poor Vals. Only for a brief period in 2000, did i feel they really had a handle on his character.
In saying that though, what he did to the TE trainees was inexcusable.
Honestly, I think that suggesting the storyline with Cody Rhodes was especially meaningful or good, is insane. It was pretty obvious, and poorly executed, and the build-up, like alot of WWE storylines was not what it should have been.0 -
If his storytelling was so good, how come I can't remember any of his matches? Not one of them stands out for me, except his title match with Lesnar, which was terrible.michael.etc... wrote: »His storytelling ability was very good
I didn't say it was a creative masterpiece, but it was a relitively long programme with a younger star, which was what Holly was moaning about not having.Honestly, I think that suggesting the storyline with Cody Rhodes was especially meaningful or good, is insane. It was pretty obvious, and poorly executed, and the build-up, like alot of WWE storylines was not what it should have been.0 -
Tricity Bendix wrote: »If his storytelling was so good, how come I can't remember any of his matches? Not one of them stands out for me, except his title match with Lesnar, which was terrible.
He was hardly ever booked in memorable matches. Except, yes, the lousy Brock title match. His lack of charisma is just one of those reasons he worked better as a heel, and should have had a mouthpiece. Fans had no reason to back him in that wretched programme with Lesnar.
For me, he showed great ability in 2000, during a belting match with Triple H, some good encounters with the likes of Chris Benoit, Val Venis, Chris Jericho, and the other guys hanging around the IC title scene. But there's only so much you can do jobbing on TV, and not being placed on longer PPV matches. Nobody blames Brian Kendrick for his lack of memorable matches in the WWE.
I'm not saying he should have been a main eventer or anything. But i do think he could have been better used in his prime. And he wasn't claiming he should have been on top either, but towards the end, should have been utilised better for building to the future.I felt they could have been using me much better, building to something with other guys and letting them learn from me over a period of time rather than just having some green newcomer go out there, get a quick win over me and then move on without learning anything. It doesn't help anyone in the long run and sure didn't help me.
He's completely on the money here.0 -
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michael.etc... wrote: »
He's completely on the money here.
Except when he beat the **** out of that new guy on Tough Enough, and sandbagged Brock, who powerbombed the dumb bastard anyway. There's two examples of him in situations where he was supposed to help the up and comers he claims he was big into helping. They were better off firing him.
I think his larger point is correct, that they need to get veterans to help train people in programs, but that's exactly what's happening with William Regal, Paul Burchill, and Goldust on ECW. They're training the next bunch of wrestlers in programs.0 -
michael.etc... wrote: »I'm not saying he should have been a main eventer or anything. But i do think he could have been better used in his prime. And he wasn't claiming he should have been on top either, but towards the end, should have been utilised better for building to the future.
While I agree in a way, there's also the fact that there are better people in the WWE for doing that. People like Regal, Goldust, Chavo... these are the guys who should be utilised for this. Because as well as ability, they also have personality, and could help sustain a feud. Nobody would really care if Hardcore Holly was feuding with a younger guy.
EDIT: ^^^ What Snakeblood said0 -
paddyirishman85 wrote: »While I agree in a way, there's also the fact that there are better people in the WWE for doing that. People like Regal, Goldust, Chavo... these are the guys who should be utilised for this. Because as well as ability, they also have personality, and could help sustain a feud. Nobody would really care if Hardcore Holly was feuding with a younger guy.
Agreed. There are other people out there who are as good, if not better in this spot. Hopefully they continue to make use of some of them on ECW positively. I'm not a big Holly supporter at all, and have been very critical of him in the past. My only point of debate is that he could have been better used in his prime.Except when he beat the **** out of that new guy on Tough Enough, and sandbagged Brock, who powerbombed the dumb bastard anyway. There's two examples of him in situations where he was supposed to help the up and comers he claims he was big into helping. They were better off firing him.
When I said he was "on the money", I was referring to the part of his interview that I quoted, which was why I quoted it. I've already said that the TE incident was inexcusable. I would personally have fired him for that alone.0 -
michael.etc... wrote: »When I said he was "on the money", I was referring to the part of his interview that I quoted, which was why I quoted it. I've already said that the TE incident was inexcusable. I would personally have fired him for that alone.
My point is that the dude was a bullying asshole in his prime, and shouldn't have been training or seasoning people even when he was in his prime, both times he got a shot at it, he screwed it up and hurt other people and then himself. This makes his quote about how he personally should have been used a bit ludicrous. His larger point is still valid, that veterans (but not him) should work programs, and luckily that's happening.
Edit:
I don't think we disagree with each other very much, I just hate Bob Holly a bit more than you do. I liked him as the Big Shot.0 -
Snakeblood wrote: »I don't think we disagree with each other very much, I just hate Bob Holly a bit more than you do. I liked him as the Big Shot.
I agree. I think we misunderstood each other initially there. I maintain he was undervalued for a while, but then again, he's been utterly worthless at points. I certainly don't like him enough to argue with someone who hates him!0 -
Hurricane Helms and Velvet Sky have apparently broken up. “All good things must come to an end," said Helms, presumably in reference to the split.
WWE officials have reached out to seven-time WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus to guest host the September 14th edition of Monday Night RAW. The flagship show will hail from the Air Canada Centre in her hometown of Toronto. No word yet if she's accepted the offer or not.0 -
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Is that the basis for the reporting of the "break up"? If so, its about time the gossip stayed where it should, and that is in womens magazines.0
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From PWinsider:To follow up on the post you guys had up on the site last week about Randy Orton, John Cena & Triple H dominating the PPV main events, here's a couple of more scary statistics about those 3 guys.
The last time there was a WWE PPV without any of those guys in a WWE Title/World Heavyweight Title match or without any of those guys being a WWE Champion/World Heavyweight Champion in a non-title match was at, get this, Vengeance 2006! Over 3 years ago! Rob Van Dam defended the WWE Title against Edge. The two exceptions would be Great American Bash 2006(a Smackdown brand PPV) and December To Dismember 2006(an ECW brand PPV), but Orton, Cena and HHH were all Raw stars at the time.
Another scary statistic is the last time there has been a Wrestlemania without either Orton, Cena or HHH in a WWE Title/World Heavyweight Title match was 2001 for WrestleMania X-Seven when The Rock defended the WWF Title against Stone Cold
Steve Austin! Wow.0 -
2001!!! thats such a joke!! Sure they satred having double and triple main events which just takes away from a match being the "main" event like!0
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Very enjoyable Kevin Nash here.
http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/113106Kevin Nash Speaks On Recent Talk with HBK & Triple H, Negotiating With WWE, TNA's Booking, More
Posted by Ashish on 08.12.2009
Nash speaks on a variety of topics...
Newsday has an interview up with Kevin Nash. Highlights are below.
On a recent talk he had with Shawn Michaels & Triple H: "We were kind of going through the rosters and saying who are the guys who are going to replace us. Which guys are going to replace us when we retire? And everybody through names around and there weren't a whole lot of names of guys who we thought were going to replace us. You look at a guy like Edge, and now he's starting to realize – and, gosh, I don't even know how old he is but he I think he's in his 30's. And he's getting to the point where he's had a ton of injuries. John Cena has had a ton of injuries. With these guys, it's almost [a question of] who can last."
On why wrestlers don't take time off for injuries: "I think it was Matt Hardy who not too long ago got like a little injury. And then got another little injury. And he was starting to get a push so he said, ‘Ah, I'm not going to take the time off.' And then that injury ends up escalating to something where he has to, because he has to get it fixed. It's hard. I sat one day and I was flipping channels and I saw Cena. I had read that he had injured his neck and I see John in there… I look, and here's this earthworm of a scar on his neck – knowing that he shouldn't be in the ring already. And it's not that Vince said, ‘You need to get here and get in the ring, John.' It's just the fact that John realizes that that spot's golden. And he doesn't want to lose that spot. And as soon as he feels that he can somewhat fill that void."
On his negotiations with WWE last year: "My whole thing was that I came into prominence with Shawn. And I know that Shawn is thinking about – I don't think he's going to be doing it that much longer. And I kind of wanted to have that circle of life. I wanted it on my wall of shame in my house to have that 1993 picture of Shawn Michaels doing a double-bicep pose with the black headed Diesel behind him and then I wanted a 2010 photo of Shawn Michaels doing the double-bicep pose with the gray-haired Diesel behind him."
On Scott Hall's problems: "I don't feel guilty, but I don't think sad even begins to cover it. Because, to me, Scott Hall is probably one of the most talented guys I've ever been around in my life. One of the most charismatic. It crushes me. I've tried. Everybody's tried. But as much as you want somebody to live a sober life, unless they want to, it's just not going to happen. And I've been around it. Scott's been a close friend of mine. I've seen the demon of addiction and, God, it's just horrible. And people say, ‘Well if you want, you can get clean.' I'm of the mindset, being around it as much as I have on so many different levels with so many different guys, that it's a disease. It is absolutely a disease and it has to be treated as a disease. And, you know, some people don't make it from a disease."
On whether he would want to book TNA: ‘I have a 13-year-old son who needs a father way more than TNA needs a booker… I don't do anything half-assed. If you put me in there, it means I'm thinking about it 24/7. You have to, because when you're lying there in the sun, you get an idea and it's like, ‘God, that's way better than I thought.' And you've got to get up and you've got to write it down. And you've got to change in and so on. I'm really good friends with [Vince] Russo. And I see what he has to go through and the situation that happened where kind of right before the pay per view, some political things go down, and he's left with a show with a bunch of gaps in it and he's got to do his best to fill it. And those are the things that take years off your life. And at this point, right now, like what we talked about earlier – I'm closer to dying. So, I don't need the stress and they can't put enough zeros at the end of my paycheck."
On critics of TNA's booking: "…For years Stallone and Shwarzenegger – they said what horrible actors they are. But you know then they do $240 million at the box office. So, I believe there's something to critics. But, you know what, I believe that the 10-16-year-old kid, who's really the meat and potatoes of your demographic, and then from there the 18-35 year-old demographic – I've never had a 9-year-old kid come up to me and say, ‘I think you need to pick up your workrate.' "
On the challenges of booking TNA: "I've said this 100,000 times. I would write a show and I'd go to bed and I would say, ‘That's show is going to be brilliant.' And then three guys miss two spots and the execution… All of a sudden it's like this domino effect. This guy screws up a finish in match one. This guy does something in match two. And all of a sudden everybody's saying, ‘Your show is horrible.' Well, yeah, but if they would have executed those three things, it would have been a lot better. But I take the rap because I made the soup."
On wrestlers bringing their wives around the business: "I remember I was on the road with Rick Rude… And he looked over at me and he said, ‘Nash, whatever you do, don't bring your old lady around the business. Not backstage. Not anywhere.'... I don't think there's on of us in which there's not a Jeckyll and Hyde. You're different when you're in your character… There's so many times that you see a pretty girl walking backstage and the guys will walk by and you'll see them go, ‘God, who's that? And who's that? And who's that?' And you find out, eight minutes later, it's some guy's wife…The boys are the boys. They see a pretty girl and it does cause controversy. There's no doubt about it. The girls that we have, like the Christy Hemmes, and the Beautiful People, and Tracy – I look at those girls as sisters. They're part of the team. But it's always that fresh piece of meat that comes in. That's the one that causes [problems]. It's almost like putting chum in the shark tank. That's the one that the boys all start sniffing around – especially the single guys. And you can't blame them."0 -
Good interview, and Nash comes off as a very reasonable guy. I heard he has a rep for a bad attitude - is that solely from his WCW days?0
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He comes across as a very level headed and balanced individual. I presume the bad rep to which you refer is his history of backstage politicking in both WWF in the clique and WCW.0
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Interview with Eric Young:
It's good to be bad, and Eric Young is getting his chance to be bad -- something good.
Young is the leader of TNA's newest faction, dubbed the World Elite. It's a different role for the Canadian-born wrestling star.
``It's exciting,'' Young said. ``It's new for me. I haven't been a real heel in 10 years.''
In TNA, the 29-year-old Young has played quiet, confused, funny, heroic and scared.
``We did the Team Canada thing, and I was involved but not a big part,'' he said. ``It was a watered down version of me. I didn't talk at all.''
These days, Young is doing much of the talking, leading the British Invasion, Kiyoshi and Sheik Abdul Bashir in the World Elite.
``Where we're going with this, it seems like it will be a pretty big deal for me which is really exciting,'' Young said. ``Being a heel is cool. It's like learning to wrestle all over again.''
Young (Jeremy Fritz) always spoke with a gruff, bass type voice, fitting his newfound bad boy image. He actually turned a negative into a positive.
``You hear my voice, and you know it's me,'' Young said. ``My voice was always deep but not like this. I've had 14 surgeries on my throat. I got polyps [papillomas] on my throat, and they had to be removed. Hopefully, I won't have to have anymore.''
Young joined TNA in 2004 as a member of Team Canada (A-1, Johnny Devine, Scott D'Amore, Bobby Roode, Petey Williams).
``For almost the first three years I worked in TNA, I never said one word on camera,'' he said. ``I was the guy who got the job done, the utility guy which was a cool role for me. I learned how to work on TV, being around guys who are pros and absorbed their knowledge which made myself better.''
Just two weeks after graduating from Lambton Kent Composite School in Dresden, Ontario, Canada, Young began training to become a pro wrestler with Waldo Von Erich and Carl LeDuc in Cambridge, Ontario.
``Waldo taught me the mental aspect, and Carl LeDuc -- the bald guy from Wrestling With Shadows, the French guy getting beat up in the basement by Stu Hart -- is the guy who did the physical training for me.''
Waldo Von Erich recently died at age 75 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
``Waldo taught me how to put a match together, psychology. He was a genius,'' Young said. ``He was a super nice guy. He didn't have to be at the school every night, but he was. He was like the matriarch of the school. He didn't really have money in it, but his name was attached to the school because he was a good guy and the owner knew him.
``Waldo was super smart, and he done it all. He wrestled all over the world. He still holds the record in Madison Square Garden for longest pro wrestling match ever against Bruno Sammartino.''
Being the bad guy in the wrestling ring today is safer.
``Waldo was a true heel,'' Young said. ``Back in that time, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like. People thought he was a real Nazi, and he had to be sneaked out in an ambulance after shows.''
Waldo Von Erich knew how to upset a crowd and also work a match.
``He said, `We wouldn't even tough each other for 10, 15 minutes in the ring.' He'd walk around and put up the Hitler sign, and the crowd would go crazy. I'd be scared for my life being a bad guy back then.
``Being a heel nowadays is one thing, but being a heel back then, people believed. They really thought he was a Nazi.
``People are a lot more sensitive to that stuff now. I don't know what's right and wrong, and it's not for me to judge. For Waldo, that was his character, and it was a different time. It was after the war.''
Young respects those who paved the way like Waldo Von Erich; he has listened and learned from some of the best.
``Wrestling is always going to change,'' Young said. ``I remember reading a Terry Funk interview when I was 15. It said, `How do you stay so fresh and current? You've been wrestling 25 years,' and he's still one of the most popular guys. He's older but still doing stuff considered cutting edge, and he said, `Wrestling changes everyday. I'm still going to be Terry Funk, but I have to learn to adapt to how wrestling changes,' and he's done that to this day.''
Speaking of Funk, Young made a very worthwhile trip to Texas.
``Terry Funk is one of my idols,'' Young said. ``I got to meet him in Amarillo and ate steak with him. It was really cool. A lot of stories. I could have sat there all night, for sure.''
Young debuted on Oct. 14, 1998 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Young worked the indie circuit and also made three appearances on WWE TV (Sunday Night Heat and Velocity). He got his break with TNA.
``I've been a wrestling fan, since I was 6, and I'm still a wrestling fan. So it's a dream come true,'' he said. ``I know it's cliché, but it's the absolute truth. I get to live my dream everyday, and I get paid to do it which is kind of surreal at times, and it's a lot of fun.''
Young waited to speak his part in TNA.
Like fellow TNA star Christopher Daniels, Young took drama throughout high school. He also performed in community theater, musical theater and Improv. Young enjoyed playing Seymore Krelborn in the musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors.
In the movie version, Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; Spaceballs; Parenthood; My Blue Heaven; Bob and Doug McKenzie; Second City TV) played Seymour Krelborn, good-hearted protagonist and nerdy florist who loves strange and interesting plants.
``I watch movies everyday,'' Young said. ``I love them. That's also a passion of mine. Movie making, anything, old movies, chick flicks, I don't care. I'll watch them all.''
People are watching Young, a television character in TNA.
``A lot of the stuff I did as the Eric Young character in TNA was acting, first and foremost,'' he said. ``We did the Christmas special where I believed in Santa. The bulk of the show was me dressed as an elf, believing in Santa. Well, he could be real.''
Young appeared as a celebrity judge on a SpikeTV special. Speaking in front of a camera is no problem.
``I mentioned [about speaking on camera in TNA],'' Young said. ``Talking is a huge part of it, and that's what drew me to it when I was young. The ability to display emotion, act and become a character, that was my strongest point.
``I'm not the best athlete nor the fastest or the strongest or the best looking, but my No. 1 skill was being able to portray a character and have people become attached to it -- whether they don't like it or they love it.''
Young finally got his opportunity to talk, and it went very well, connecting with the audience.
``I think I proved that with the Eric Young character,'' he said. ``I barely won matches. I barely wrestled. Yet, I was arguably one of the most over, most popular characters in TNA, and it was really a fun thing to do.''
Young developed his own persona -- a scared, paranoid character.
It worked.
``That's the cool thing about working in TNA,'' he said. ``They allow you to give your input. They say, `This is kind of what you're thinking. Do it.' This is what we're thinking, the base idea, but you got to make it yours.
``I thought if I'm really going to be scared of everything, I should be scared of everything. I should be scared of the wrestlers. I should be scared of everything except the fans because they're my friends. It's me and them against the world, and that's how Eric Young the character looked at it.
``It's obviously not me, but that's how it came about, and it grew into this huge, fun thing to do, and it was really cool.''
Young's antithesis of the cowardly lion became his alter ego Super Eric, complete with super hero cape and mask. Young never admitted to being Super Eric on camera, and he forged a bond with two other masked favorites -- Shark Boy and Curry Man -- to create TNA's own Justice League.
``It was a lot of fun,'' Young said. ``I get a long with both those guys great. The whole mask thing, I've been into comic books and super hero stuff. The Super Eric thing was like an ultra, cheesy, over-the-top good guy version of a super hero.''
Even a super hero has a weakness. Super Man, kryptonite. Super Eric, sweat.
``The costume ended up smelling really bad,'' Young said. ``I sweat a lot. It stinks. So he had to go, but it was a lot of fun, and the people really seemed to enjoy it. The vignettes backstage and even the stuff in the match were totally different.
``When I was Eric Young, I couldn't really have offense, because I'm scared, and I don't want to lock up. I really don't want to be in the ring, but Super Eric wasn't afraid of anything. He would jump off the top of the cage. He picked up two guys at once. It was another side of the personality.''
With Shark Boy, Curry Man and Super Eric together during an interview, well, good thing for taped segments.
``It was tough some days getting through all the pre-tapes,'' Young said. ``If it wasn't Sharky saying something and we'd start busting laughing, then Curry Man or JB [interviewer Jeremy Borash] which is also an important part; the great broken English and feeding off each other. It was really cool to do.''
Daniels said: ``Working with Eric is a pleasure. He is very professional to deal with, but he also is a very funny person and always has some comments or tomfoolery that cracks up the locker room.
``Eric definitely brings the morale of everyone around him up. I'm glad that he's finally getting a chance to shine on his own and show a different side to his character.''
Former TNA Knockouts standout Roxxi Laveaux (Nikki Roxx) added: ``Eric Young is one of the most talented wrestlers I've seen. He has a great work ethic and has a great mind for wrestling. His matches are always creative, and he is able to adjust to anyone's wrestling style.
``He is always willing to help someone out and has a big heart. I've never had the pleasure of training with him, but any feedback I would receive from him after my matches was always welcomed and only helped me improve my work.''
Whether good guy or TV bad guy, Young is good.
``Both have benefits and restrictions,'' Young said. ``Being the bad guy, you don't get to say and do those things in real life. You're totally living a character -- not you at all. For the most part, it's not a real person. You do explore the darker side of your personality. It's a lot of fun.
``For being a babyface for so long, being a heel is real exciting to me, because it's a whole new thing. It's fresh.''
Young grew up athletic, playing baseball, hockey, rugby and soccer. He was also good at inline skating and skateboarding.
In high school at L.K.C.S., he was captain of the rugby team, goalkeeper for the soccer team and competed in hockey. Hockey and rugby were his best sports.
L.K.C.S. is a small school with half the students farm kids who will attend agricultural school and take over the family farm.
``I was never a farmer,'' Young said. ``I lived in a small community, population 150 people. It's a village, The Village of Florence, just outside of Chatham, Ontario and just across from Michigan.
``I always watched wrestling. When I was young, I knew I wanted to do that when I was older. I loved it. I was in high school, and I was not much of a school person and don't really like being told what to do. I liked to do my own thing. I was a pretty good athlete.''
Young joined forces with his friends.
``We started backyard wrestling,'' Young said. ``We made a ring out of an old trampoline. We started running shows and raised money for the optimist club. The last show we did was a Tuesday night, and we charged $3 to get in. The optimist club collected the money. We raised $2,600 for the Boys & Girls Club. We raised $1,400 for the Red Cross.''
They not only made money for charities, but they also made a ring.
``The ring wasn't hard like a real ring,'' Young said. ``We put wood and mattresses underneath it. We had rope to climb and jump off. A lot of times, you'll see backyard wrestling, and the kids are using chairs, tables and glass, and that's just nonsense. We didn't do that.''
Two of the other four friends still wrestle: TJ Harley, who lives in Nashville, and Darren Wood, who lives in Canada.
``We did it for charity. So we got to wrestle, and they would pay to fix the ring and rent us lights,'' Young said. ``I was a kid in high school. It was insane to me that people were reacting to what I was doing. As soon as I got a reaction from the crowd, that was it. I needed to do this for a living.''
Young is doing this and living well, continuing to climb the TNA ladder.
``We watched wrestling tapes and studied them -- hours and hours and hours and hours -- and just tried to mimic what we saw,'' he said. ``We didn't know what we were doing, but we loved it. We never claimed to be pros.''
Young's final backyard type show ran at his local community center.
``We drew 750 people on a Tuesday night of a town with a population of 150, and it ended up being on TV,'' he recalled. ``For a 16-17-year-old, like I was, it was crazy.''
Young captured some gold in TNA. He twice won the TNA tag team titles -- once with Bobby Roode and the other with Kaz. He is also a former X Division champ.
Young enjoyed his belt-wearing moments, but his highlight had nothing to do with titles.
``I wrestled Sting on TNA iMPACT, and it was his first match back in 10 years,'' Young said. ``This is a guy I grew up idolizing. He's a great guy. We put the match together. He kind of pulled me aside and said he needed to rely on me because I'd been wrestling and he had been off. It was eight minutes.
``It was unbelievable. I'm standing in the ring, and here he comes. I wrestled him twice now, and both matches were pretty good. He's one of my top five favorite wrestlers all-time, and I can say I wrestled him. It's cool. It's a dream come true.''
• Young respects his president, boss and company.
``[TNA President] Dixie Carter is a really smart businesswoman,'' Young said. ``With her and the people she hired and Jeff [Jarrett] and everybody working together, it's like a family, and we want to do well.
``It's not about how much money we make or how many T-shirts I sell. It's about how many people we can get talking about TNA. Everybody is kinda on the same page, and we are the underdogs. No doubt about it.
``It's baby steps, and they didn't get too far ahead of themselves, like ECW did. ECW went from doing shows in bingo halls to doing worldwide pay-per-views in a matter of months. It got too big, too quick. TNA was smart. They built up their clientele.
``Pay-per-views on Wednesday nights with like guaranteed money, and then they did FOX Sports and that grew. Then, TNA went to SpikeTV, a big network, and then TNA got primetime. It kept going forward. Even now in the recession, TNA is making money, and we're still moving forward in these tough economic times. It's really cool to be part of it.''
• Family matters
``The family was behind me,'' Young said. ``My mom and dad are great people. They said, `If this is what you want to do, and it's going to make you happy, then this is what you do.'
``I said all my friends are going to school. Maybe I should go to school first. They asked me what I thought about it. I thought I'm only going to be this young once. I could go to school when I'm 30. I can go to school anytime, but I knew school wasn't for me. So I started training right away, started wrestling right away, and here I am.''
• Oh Canada
``It's hard breaking into the business in Canada,'' Young said. ``I had been wrestling six years, and there were guys on TV who I was just as good as or better, and I was ready for it.
``There are things on TV you have to experience and learn as you go. There's no other way to learn, except by just doing it.''
Doctor, lawyer, bounty hunter?
``I'm not good at anything else, but this I can do, and I've known that from the very first day I stepped into a wrestling ring,'' Young said. ``I knew once I signed my contract with TNA I would get my chance.
``I'm young. I'm 29-years-old. I've got 13 years experience. I keep quiet. I do my thing. I try to make my segments or whatever I'm involved in as best as I can. I do this for a living, and I have nothing to complain about.''
• TNA's Hard Justice pay-per-view is 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Aug. 16 from Universal Studios Orlando.
• Tune into TNA iMPACT! at 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on SpikeTV. Visit tnawrestling.com.
• TNA tapes TNA iMPACT! three times a month at Soundstage 21 of Universal Studios Orlando. Admission is free.
Wrestlers sign autographs and pose for photos, and some lucky fans go backstage. Seats are first come, first serve.
Call 407-224-6000 or visit universalorlando.com/shows/tna-wrestling.0 -
In WWE announcer Jim Ross' latest blog, the wrestling veteran puts Jeff Hardy over as the hottest wrestler in the company.
"If you are wondering who the hottest WWE Superstar presently is in WWE, it's Jeff Hardy. As my late, domino playing friend, Ernie Ladd would say, case closed," wrote Ross.
While many will undoubtedly connect Ross' comments to reports that WWE is working hard to keep Hardy beyond his expected exit date of WWE summerslam, his words do speak to the consensus within the company. Several months ago, a Wrestling Observer report confirmed that WWE internally views Hardy as the most popular wrestler.
Yes it is safe too say Jeff is most over guy in WWE at present if he is leaving after SS i assume he will drop the title to Punk
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Yes it is safe too say Jeff is most over guy in WWE at present if he is leaving after SS i assume he will drop the title to Punk
Why sad? I think Punk deserves a chance to run with the title. I'm guessing they're going to bring John Morrison into the frame as a foil to C.M. and, based on their Smackdown bout, they could do some very good work together.0 -
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Jeff Hardy leaving
That is a bummer. But he's either taking a much-needed break or leaving the business with his health, legacy and dignity intact, hopefully with some money saved too. That's something very few of the top stars have managed to do in pro wrestling, and I can't help but feel happy for him.0 -
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Kristal Marshall aka Lashley's other half could be debuting soon in TNA - did she actually wrestle in WWE?0
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