RF Video Shoot Interview with Rene Dupree

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





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

 

He is asked how old he was when he met the Dynamite Kid. Dupree said it after his WWF run in the late 80’s.

 

He would travel with his dad in an RV. They had two, one for the heels and another one for the faces. They would travel with the heels and he said back then, the fans were really into it and would throw stuff at their RV when they left. They ran four provinces, New Brusnwick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Eastern Quebec.

 

When asked what age his dad smartened him up to the business, he said when he was thirteen, he spent the whole Summer setting up the ring and traveling with his dad, Bad News Brown and Rip Rogers. He would be quiet and soak up all their knowledge

 

He said that Bad News was cranky most of the time. He then tells a story of being at a show and a little kid pushed him in the ass and Bad News took his head up against the wall and told him to keep his hands to himself. Rene also said that he would sleep most of the day and spend most of the night bashing Vince McMahon.

 

He said that Rip Rogers would always drink milk and kept himself in shape. He also said that he always read the dirt-sheets, which he refers to as the “stooge reports.”

Rene said that he wanted to be a wrestler as soon as he saw Masahiro Chono work. He was wowed by his springboard back elbow smash.

 

He started training with weights at age 11. He then said that his dad taught him how to give a bodyslam.

 

He then started to train as a wrestler and had his first match at age 14. He didn’t use a ring but it was a canvas on top of carpets on the grass. He said that his dad was stiff during training but you knew how to sell as a result. He then says that you learn the most in front of people.

 

The territory ran seven nights a week and they would work twice a night. They were seasonal and went from May to September.

 

His first match was against a guy named Wildman Williams, someone is dad trained a year prior.

 

He said he never wanted to quit because he loved it too much. He would go to school, workout for a bit, go to a van and do homework then get home around 11 and go to school the next day.

 

When asked if kids knew about his dad, they said not really and that hockey was the biggest thing in Canada.

 

He said that no one took liberties with him in the ring but then says he never had friends either. He said that he was 14 and most of the guys were in their 20’s and 30’s then said that being a promoter’s son was another reason.

 

Rene said he learned a ton from the Cuban Assassin. Rene said veterans like that are missing in wrestling today. He said that he accidentally stiffed him once but he still worked every night. He tagged with Leo Burke a few times and said that everything he did meant something.

 

He said that the promotion did a decent business. He said that in the 1970’s, his dad worked with the Poffo’s and said his dad was Lanny’s best man at his wedding.

 

When asked about Dynamite Kid’s behaviors, Rene said that he was nice to him and once gave him his ring jacket. He also said that at times he would scream out loud during the van rides but he wasn’t allowed in the locker room at that time.

 

Rene said that every season he would fight for his dad to keep running. His dad wasn’t making any money and that the glory days of territories were over.

 

When asked how he wound up with the WWE, Rene said that his dad received a call from Carl DeMarco, who was in the WWE, and asked him to train Rodney Blackbeard and Glenn Kulka. Rene said they looked like a million bucks but couldn’t work. His dad then said when Rene turned 18, they would give him a look. Rene said when he was 18, he was a bodybuilding champion and they sent some tapes but nothing happened out of that. After that, his dad talked with Lanny Poffo, who was friends with Molly Holly, and said he was worthwhile, to let him know. They liked the tape and gave it to Johnny Ace and he got invited to a tryout camp.

 

Rene is asked about his memories of OVW. He said that he liked it there. He got called up after 10 months. Rip Rogers was there and Rene said Rip told him he would be dead before he turned 35, because he was ripped to shreds. Rene was asked if he was all gassed up and he said that he was but felt that he had to. Rene  said no one told him too but thinks that might he part of the reason that he got hired in the first place.

 

Some of the guys in OW with him were Charlie Haas, Lance Cade, Seven, Tyson Tomko, Matt Morgan, Nick Dinsmore, Rob Conway, and the Bashams. He was asked if Cena was there and said he just got called up but did work a few matches with him when Cena was using his “Mr. P.” gimmick. Dupree likes Cena and refers to him as an “All-American Boy” and thinks that is part of the reason why Vince pushes him.

 

He is asked about Nova. Rene said that he liked him a lot but became a dick once he became in charge of Developmental.  

 

He is asked about Lance Cade. Rene said he misses him but Cade loved the business and just got caught up. They were teaming up in OVW and got put together with Kenny Bolin. They worked a few dark matches and thinks that they were originally going to be brought up as a tag-team. They worked against the APA while in OVW.

 

Rene is asked about Bradshaw and if he was a bully. Rene said that he was an asshole. He recalls doing an interview in Japan an few years back and how he was miserable the last three years of the company because of him. He said that Bradshaw would call him a “French Faggot” every day in the locker room when he was on Smackdown. He was asked if he ever went to the office and he said no. Rene said he was quiet and shy and that may have come across as being arrogant. He also just turned 21 before going over.

 

He was asked about Tommy Dreamer. He said that he was depressed and told Rene once that he hated the company because they took all of his passion away, something Rene felt a few years later. Rene thought he didn’t like him but Rob said that he does, because they are friends and asked about him before the interview. Rene said that once during a match against Dreamer, he got sarcastically thanked by him about that being a highlight of his career. Rene then said he is a natural heel, but doesnt mean to come across that way. He said he will order food, noting how he eats a ton of egg whites and for his steak to be steamed and that waitresses will start crying and he has no idea what he did.

 

He is asked about Jim Cornette in OVW. He tells a story of how he once called him for advice and he didn’t answer. Cornette called him back and they spoke for a half-hour but Cornette had no idea he was using a Canadian phone and when he got his phone bill, it was a $185. Rene said that he paid the bill for him. He liked Cornette.

 

Rene is asked about Sylvain Grenier. He first met him in a tryout Camp. He then says how he is from the Maritimes and Grenier from Montreal and they speak French differently. He said that his French was more of a Cajun style and that Grenier could not understand him. He then said that most from Montreal would look down upon him when he spoke. Rene said Sylvain was cocky but okay then says he was extremely lucky as he met Pat Patterson on a golf course and his first three matches were at WWE house shows, went to OVW for a week and got called up for the La Resistance gimmick. Rene said that Sylvain was not a fan of wrestling and that his dad spoke to him about wrestling and he did not do anything. Rene then adds how he hasn’t watched wrestling for a few years but from what he hears, 75% of the roster did not grow up as fans either.

 

Rene tells a story of how he was overseas during a tour, he ended up oversleeping after a night of partying with two German girls. The hotel concierge woke him up and informed in that he missed the bus. Apparently, Johnny Ace asked Grenier where his partner was and he told Johnny that sometimes, wrestlers take pills. Rene does a pretty funny Johnny Ace impersonation.

 

He is now asked about the rumors of Pat Patterson and Sylvain Grenier and their relationship outside of the ring. Rene said that he doesn’t believe that one bit.

 

When asked about Chris Kanyon, Rene said that he was a good guy who gave him a lot in his matches. He said that he had no idea he was gay but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

 

Rene is now asked about his RAW debut when La Resistance attacked Scott Steiner. He said that was how to get a new team over. He liked Scott the tells a story during their first PPV match. Rene said that if you go to Steinermania on YouTube, you can hear Steiner say “fuck off” and that was to him. During the match, the referee told Steiner a bunch of times that he had to go to the heat but he ignored him and when Rene said it that was when he yelled then he shook him off. He said during that same match, Test slapped him in the ear and he couldn’t hear for a few days.

 

He liked working against RVD & Kane. He said that they had a three minute match at a PPV against them but the following night, worked the main event on RAW. Rene said that it was really cool working the main event on RAW at age 19. He was also the youngest WWE wrestler to ever hold a title. He said that RVD knocked him out once with a kick and that he was backstage in the training room and would introduce himself to everyone who went by and shake their hand except for Chris Nowinski.

 

Rene was asked if he was for Rob Conway joining the group. He said he was cool with it and didn’t really give a shit either way. He said that he was ambitious at the time where Sylvain was laid back. He then said that Sylvain went off the road with a neck injury and he joked that he teamed with Rob, usually on job duty.

 

When asked about Vince McMahon, he said that he would give him dirty looks. He also notes that Vince has an aura about him and doesn’t know if it because of the protein diet because HHH has the same aura about him. He then tells a story about when he main evented RAW that Vince approached him and said that Sylvain was a bit different and that he would be here for the long run.

 

He is asked if Bubba Ray Dudley was an asshole. Rene said not with him and said that Bubba has a good mind for the business and would be a great agent someday.

 

He liked Rosey a lot but thought Shane was just okay. He said that Shane always tried to get in his moves, which Rene didn’t mind if it happened at house shows but on TV, he just wanted to do what the office wanted. I have watched a few shoot interviews that have basically said the same thing about Helms too.

 

He is asked about working against Booker T & RVD. It took a minute for Rene to remember that he teaming with Kenzo Suzuki against RVD and Rey Mysterio. Rene said that Kenzo is hilarious and that they met up in Japan recently and gave each other a hug in the locker room and the other Japanese wrestlers looked confused because they do not watch the WWE and had no idea they teamed together.

 

He is asked about Shane McMahon. Rene said that Shane gave him the Van Terminator once and asked him after the match if he got stiffed and when Rene said no, Shane looked sad. Rene thinks that Shane might be Bipolar, because he was either really high or really low regarding his mood.

 

At first, Chris Jericho did not like him because he believed Rene’s dad did not use him after sending in tapes. Rene said that his dad didn’t run at the time and after that, he was okay with him.

 

Back to being a promoter’s kid, Rene said a few people gave him shit for that and when he worked for his dad, he was making $200 a week while everyone else was getting $500, which is the same as WWE Developmental.

 

Rene said that Mark Jindrak was a pussy magnet and for that reason, would like to hang around with him. He also said that Jindrak was a funny guy too.

 

He is asked about being for or against the move to Smackdown. Rene said he didn’t care either way. His first match was against Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio put it over backstage. Rene liked Rey, calling him a positive person.

 

On Smackdown, he traveled with Paul London then with Carlito. After that, he rode with Bob Holly, Billy Gunn, and Jamie Noble.

 

Rene is asked about London being out of his mind near the end of his WWE run. Rene said that he was always that way but when he did drugs, he just didn’t care. Rene considers Paul his one friend in wrestling. He said that when Paul opened up to him on the road, he knew he was out there but that was why he liked him.

 

He is asked about the Café de Rene segments. He said it was something different to use while he feuded with Cena. He was asked if he saw potential in Cena and recalls that he was at a bar in Canada watching Cena vs. Kurt Angle and knew he would be a star.

 

He is asked about winning the tag belts from RVD and Rey Mysterio. Rene said at that time, he was sick of taking steroids and stopped then lost some weight. He said that Michael Hayes approached him frantically backstage if he lost weight and Rene told him that he switched to an all fish diet. He then said he went to Pat Patterson and told him he didn’t want to take them anymore. Rene said that you are supposed to kayfabe people backstage about taking roids.

 

Rene flat out admits that he is a drug addict, noting that he has been to rehab three times but did enjoy taking steroids, stating they made him feel good but at the time, he got sick of taking them.

 

Rene said that when Eddie Guerrero died, he took all of the roids and HGH he had that he tossed away. He then said that he gave away some of it to other guys but refused to give any names. He said that the cried a lot when Eddie died but couldn’t go to the funeral because he went to one in his life and couldn’t handle it. He then claims to have spent a $2,500 on a flower arrangement from his entire family. He said that he related to Eddie as their dads were both promoters.

 

He is asked about the Afghanistan tour. He said that he had a broken nose and he got food poisoning then got heat from the office for not singing Christmas Carol’s.

 

He was asked about his angle with the Undertaker when he got sacrificed. Rene said it was a childhood dream to work with him. Rene said when he was a kid, he would have the other kids on the playground hit him in the jaw as hard as they could so he could use his no-sell gimmick. Rene is asked if he was the locker room leader and he confirmed that. Rene also said that some of the guys tested him once and Rene found all of his clothes in the shower soaking wet. He said this was when the dress code first stated and he went out and bought expensive clothes and most of them got ruined. He is asked if he knew who did it and Rene was told by someone that it was Billy Gunn but doesn’t know for sure.

 

He thought Spike Dudley was cool but had a bit of a drinking problem and thinks that might be why he got fired. He said that Paul London was supposed to have a match against him once and went up to the office and said he couldn’t have a match with him as he was drunk.

 

Rene is asked about when he got taken off the road, he started to experience a ton of anxiety as a lot of guys were getting released and was afraid he was next. He said that he started to smoke a ton of weed and adds that he has an addictive personality.

 

He is asked about drugs and Rene said that first time he ever got fucked up on somas was with Bob Holly. He had taken them a few times in the past but never experienced the “soma coma.” He was in a hotel in Seattle and said Bob offered him some somas when he complained of back pain. Rene asked him how much he should take and Bob said he took five so Rene took that much and woke up hours later and saw Bob and Luther Reigns standing around then went to his room. He said that after the soma’s he didn’t want to ride with Bob anymore as he knew he got easily get addicted due to his addictive personality. He said that Bob got mad at him for not wanting to ride and word got to the office that he had a pill problem. Rene said that Bob was known for “stoogeing off” guys to the office. Rene then said Bob would asks guys for gimmicks then go report them to the office. He said that he did that to Heidenreich, Jindrak, and Reigns. Others such as Nova, Heidenreich, and Ken Kennedy have also accused Bob of the same thing. After that, he talked with Vince McMahon, who told Rene that there wasn’t a drug that he hadn’t tried and sometimes to have to raise some hell

 

Rene then talks about his incident with Bob Holly. He said that he got a parking ticket after being at the gym then panicked as he didn’t know what to do and that they were fining guys who were arriving late. He also had no idea what to do when he got a ticket so asked the hairdresser what to do and she told him to throw it away and he did. What a dumb fuck, it tells you what to do on the back of the ticket if you don’t have a clue. Anyway, a few months later at the airport in Dallas, Bob was out of his mind and screaming and swearing, with kids and families also around, that he got a ticket and had to pay $800. Rene said he told Bob he would pay for the ticket but doesn’t think that Bob heard him. They had a match shortly after that when Bob gave him a black eye. Rene said that in the match, Bob put him in a front facelock then lit him up with a few punches. Rene went to the floor then Bob hit him from behind in the head with a chair then started to kick him repeatedly and told Rene not to fuck with him again. Rene said he got right up and went to the finish then told Finlay, who was the agent, to change the fucking match then outran Holly to the locker room. Holly got a few more shots from behind before Kurt Angle broke things up.

 

Rene is asked about his new look, when he wore black trunks and had a goatee. He said he wanted to stand out with a different look. He mostly wrestled on Velocity.

 

He came back to RAW and wrestled against Val Venis. Rene said that the match was supposed to highlight him but it was 50/50. Rene said that over time, he learned that you half to be more selfish to get yourself over. He puts over Val for being a good worker.

 

He calls Matt Striker a sweet-talker, noting how he would always talk up people and get stuff like free tanning sessions and lotions. He loved Tajiri and remembers a match they had in Nashville in which Tajiri put over Rene for being just as good as HHH.

 

Rene is asked about Shawn Michaels. He said that he once asked Shawn his opinion of a match against Tajiri. Shawn told Rene that sometimes, you shouldn’t bump for certain people. He then said that Shawn was a good person to go to for advice and could tell if you had a lot of passion.

He said he suffered a hernia when he went to slam Mordecai and he dead-weighted him. After he recovered, he went to OVW to train.

 

Back to Rene’s addcition problems, he said that the first time he took a pain pill was when he trained in HWA. He was wrestling against Brian Kendrick and took a Slaughter bump in the corner but forgot to cover his mouth and lost some teeth. They gave him a script for Vicodin but he didn’t feel any pain. He tried it anyway and said it felt nice then took the bottle to the apartments with the other wrestlers and they all surrounded him like little dogs. That was when he realized the power those drugs had on people. He then said that after the incident in the match with Bob, he got a script for Vicodin with five refills.

 

Rene said that being a wrestler in the United States is very easy for getting scripts for painkillers. He said in Canada, it is tough, but in the U.S., you just give the doctor “the tape” and he will put you on all sorts of stuff. He got scripts for Vicodin and Somas. After that, he got hooked on Somas.

 

He is asked if drugs effected his career. Rene said you cannot think clearly on drugs.

 

He was asked about his older brother Jeff trying to break into the business. Rene said that he tried but that the business is rough and can really fuck you up. He didn’t want to seem to talk about this at all but luckily for him, Rob Feinstein was conducting the interview and only sticks to his script of questions.

 

Rene was asked about working for the ECW brand. They bring up the vignettes in which he looked at his physique in the mirror. He said he just did what he was told and didn’t care where he worked as he just wanted to make money. He then adds that he made no money working that brand.

 

Rene liked Balls Mahoney and called him a good worker but noted that his hygiene wasn’t always the best.

 

He said that he and Sylvain were supposed to win the ECW tag belts and they had a debut match but at that point, his drug problem was out of control and got fucked up on somas. At that point, he found a dealer who sold him Somas. During the match, his balls actually fell out of his tights. He said that Sylvain got the tights made but they were too small for him. He said that Nova called him up and called him a stupid motherfucker. He then said he did not get fired over this. He then called up the office and said he had a problem. They sent him to a rehab in Tennessee but he got kicked out for having a bad attitude. Rene said it was a spiritual rehab and he did not want that, saying it was for hippies. He wanted to go to a rehab in Atlanta where Eddie Guerrero and William Regal went and stayed there for three months.

 

After getting out of rehab, the Chris Benoit tragedy happened. He said he wasn’t really close with him then offers his opinion on what happened. Rene said that they found wine bottles and multiple drugs, including Xanax in his system. Rene said from his own experience, you black out from taking Xanax with alcohol. He believes that Benoit got into a fight with his wife and notes how his testosterone levels were ten times higher than normal due to steroids and when you add up all those factors, including the fact that his wife was filing for divorce, they got into a fight and Benoit killed her then woke up the next day, realized what happened then gave his kid a Xanax, noting how there was Xanax in his kid’s system, then choked him to death before killing himself. Rene also adds that the timeline of the deaths took place over a couple of days.

 

Rene is asked about the WWE wellness policy. He said that it is great and that no matter what they think, they influence all of wrestling because it is the only place that makes money.

 

He is then asked about growth hormone, Rene said that it is a big problem but they will not test for it in WWE because it is too expensive.

 

He was asked about Lance Cade’s death. He found out after his wife called him when he landed in the airport. He said that he cried the entire time.

 

When he went to Japan, he said that he was drunk every day. He then notes that he has been clean for six months. He then brings up an interview he did that he trashed everyone while he was all messed up on Xanax and Halcyons. Rene said what’s done is done and has moved on.

 

Rene is asked about going down to FCW after rehab. He said the facility was in a warehouse with two rings. He notes that they were stacks of canned goods in the corner. He notes guys like Harry Smith, Tyson Kidd, Natalya, and Teddy Hart were down there.

 

He said that he first met Teddy when he was 17. Teddy told him about the MatRats promotion and they flew Rene in for a match. Eric Bischoff was there as was Jason Hervey and Teddy picked him up at the airport in a banged-up Acura then asked him if he smoked pot. Rene said that Teddy smokes way too much pot and that is what holds him back, as it messes you up.  He also believes deep down that Teddy has a good heart.

 

Rene said he was miserable at the time. He said that having people dying and others messing with his stuff made him feel that way. He also said that someone stuck is French flag in the toilet. He called Johnny Ace and asked him for his release. Johnny gave him a week to decide and Rene said that he wanted to go to Japan. Johnny said that they would look to bring him back in a year or two.

 

Rene went to Japan and loved it, noting how he got a tattoo of the country on his chest. He teamed with Scott Norton for a bit. He then said the style his really stiff but he didn’t want to take pain pills, noting how the pain pills in Japan are weak. He is asked about drug problems and said that they just drink like fish.

 

He said he liked Randy Orton but was pissed when he asked him to see his dad, who wanted to show him some old pictures. He said that Orton apologized to him later on.

 

He said he got along okay with HHH and Stephanie. He is asked if HHH was one of the boys and Rene said that HHH had few friends in the locker room but noted how many in his position don’t have friends.

 

Rene is asked about CM Punk. He said that he was Paul Heyman’s boy and how they tried forever to get him over. He tells a story of when Punk debuted on ECW, Rene watched from the arena and noticed the chants for Punk then noticed a few guys come out from each side of the arena wearing “ECW” shirts chanting for Punk for a minute, then they removed their shirts and left. Rene noted that Heyman was known for putting “plants” in the audience. He said that when he was in OVW recovering, Heyman would take all of the students and sit in front of the hard camera then tell them how to react to the wrestlers, while all of the fans would sit on the sides, away from the camera. Heyman would also open the doors 20 minutes late on Wednesdays, when the WWE agents would come down to scout, so that they would see a huge line of fans when they arrived. Rene said that Heyman was a master at perception.

 

He liked Steve Austin and said that he once called him up on Christmas break and he was drunk. Rene said that his friends were around and that it was a mark-out moment for him. Rene went to talk to him about it afterwards but Austin said he didn’t know what he was talking about.

 

He is asked about working a show for Dragon Gate in Mexico. He said he did a few spots with Mistico in his match.

 

He said that he has no hard feelings against Vince McMahon and bashed him in that infamous interview. Rene said when he gets messed up, he starts thinking about the past and all the bad things that have happened. He notes that when Vince took the TV slot away from his dad, his family had a few rough years, noting how his dad drank a lot after that.

 

He tells a road story when he was riding with Paul London after a PPV. London was older and rented a car, which was a shitbox Chevy Cavalier that had all of the check engine lights on from the secondhand shop. Cena pulled up right next to them, who Dupree wrestled at the PPV, in an SUV and looked over at them before driving away.

 

Rene asks about the independents in the states and Feinstein tells him that they are terrible. Rene is wrestling his first match in the U.S in five years. He says that he is excited to be in the states again.

 

Rene is asked about any regrets. He said that he is only 28 years old and has whole career ahead of him. Feinstein then tells him that he has a copy of the Bob Holly shoot to give him when he leaves. Rene asked if Holly bashed him and Feinstein claims he cannot remember. He tells Rene that he has a seminar with Bob coming up and Rene tells a story of how Bob did not know what a “one-two” meant, which Rene says is the first thing you learn in wrestling. It is when you hit a guy and he registers then you hit him again. Rene calls Bob a solid WWE-style worker.

 

He finishes by asking if he has an accent, then when told no, Rene tells HHH that he does not need a French flag to get heat, which is what HHH told him. Feinstein tells him that he looks like Luke Perry and that basically ends the interview.

 

Final Thoughts: I thought this was a really good interview. It would have been even better if someone other than Rob Feinstein was asking the questions. Rene had a lot of interesting stuff to talk about and gave a lot of chances for Feinstein to ask follow up questions but he instead stuck to his script of asking questions about TV matches that no one remembers. Rene would be an excellent choice for the "Breaking Kayfabe" series. I also thought this was interesting as it was clear by his actions that Rene was not mature enough to be on the road with the WWE at age 19. Also, it was clear that the Smackdown locker room was not the place for younger wrestlers either. From other interviews, the mix of angry midcard veterans and younger wrestlers was like oil and water. I wish Rene luck and he did appear sober but after watching this, there was something about him that made me think he would be dead in a few years. He seems like a depressed guy that is holding back something traumatic that happened in his past. Anyway, I recommend this shoot and I really thought his opinion of what happened with Benoit was one of the better ones I have heard from wrestlers.