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Highspots Shoot Interview with Ahmed Johnson

This was released by Highspots in 2006.

It runs for one hour and forty-eight minutes.





The interview starts with Ahmed being asked about his homelife. Ahmed said he grew up going back and forth between Indiana and Florida. He adds that his father was extremely abusive to him and describes it as a "living hell." As the interview progesses, you will find out in great detail just what he meant.

At age 13, Ahmed joined the "Bloods." He did eventually join the military, calling it one of the highlights of his life and said he was graduated at the top of his class but it was bittersweet because while everyone else had family there, he did not.


Ahmed played baseball, football, track, and wrestling in high school. He was a wrestling fan growing up and watched the AWA. When he moved to Houston, he watched Mid-South and ended up sweeping the floors in the Coliseum as a kid. This was in 1986. He was a big fan of Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner.


He got involved in wrestling when he went to a school in Houston with Booker T and Stevie Ray. The school was run by Ivan Putski and Joe Blanchard. Scott Casey was one of the trainers too. Ahmed said it was brutal, even tougher than football. This occurred in the late 1980's.


When asked about his earlier gimmicks and characters, he was the "Black Superman" at one point and then became Moadib in GWF.


Ahmed got in GWF after Stevie Ray? (I couldnt understand what Ahmed said here, after re-watching the clip several times) sent a tape to the office from when he wrestled in Japan. He was managed by Skandor Akbar. He said he was there for about two years. He worked with the Freeebirds, Chris Adams, Bradshaw, Action Jackson, and Iceman Parsons. He learned a lot from Dick Murdoch, Paul Orndorff, and Johnny Valentine. He said the fans liked him and did not accept him as a heel.


Ahmed got into the WWF due to Michael Hayes. He was walking to the ring during a match (He did not specify what promotion this was) and someone hit him in the back. He thought someone was playing a "ha-ha" on him so he turns around and sees some big biker guy, covered in tattoos. Ahmed said he cracked his jaw then he turned around and headed back to the ring and saw Hayes and Terry Gordy on their knees laughing hysterically. He went on to have a good match and Hayes told him that he would get him into the WWF and he ended up making good on his promise.


He was asked about his first impression of the WWF He said that he met Bill Watts at first.He then said that he was very impressed with the company. Watts told Ahmed that he loved their intensity.


He started off in dark matches and got over doing when he did high-flying moves. Ahmed said when they presented him with the character, they did not give him an outline and was never told what to do.


Ahmed said he wasn't promised much at the beginning but whatever Vince did promise him, he kept his word.


At first, Ahmed said he did not get along with Yokozuna at first. They had a tag match that involved Davey Boy and Owen and they were "doing ha-ha's" all match long and in the locker room, Yoko confronted him and challenged him then Ahmed stood up to him.


Ahmed said Owen was the best and he always kept morale up. He tells a story of one of his dark matches when his music played so Ahmed took that as a cue to "go home" and he did. Backstage, Mike Rotunda was the agent and flipped out because the match ended early then they saw Owen and Davey walk out of the sound truck and Rotunda threatened to call Vince as Owen and Davey blamed each other for what happened. He then tells about another ha-ha that Owen pulled on him. He was at his first WrestleMania (WM XII) and was in his room when he got a call from someone at the Jay Leno show asking for him to be a guest. Ahmed said he spent $4,000 on a suit and bought a chain, stating he was "pimped out from head-to-toe." He was waiting outside for the limo that was supposed to be there at 8pm. Davey walked out and asked him where he was going and when Davey found out, he was mad that Ahmed got that opportunity and he hadn't, despite being with the company longer. After 8pm, the limo had not arrived and Owen asked him where it was. Ahmed then thought how would Owen know about this and realized that he was pranked by Owen, who pretended to be from Leno's show. Ahmed said that Owen and Davey were hysterically laughing and that Bret almost fell into the bushes because he was laughing so hard.


He tells another Owen story. When Ahmed was doing arm wrestling matches against Davey, he was supposed to meet his future wife's parents before the show. Ahmed saw Owen and Davey and thought hey were up to no good. Well, turns out that Davey had broken a stink bomb on his hand and locked up with Ahmed, who couldnt do anything about it because they were on live TV. Ahmed said it smelled like dog shit and when he went to meet his wife's parents, he smelt awful. Ahmed said that Owen and Davey would get a key to your hotel room and shit in your toilet then turn up the heat so the room would reek. Ahmed then said that Bret told him Owen would only rib people that he liked. Ahmed really seemed to like Owen a lot, despite all of these pranks pulled on him. He said he was devastated when Owen passed away. When asked about the PPV, Ahmed said he would have called off the show but said that you have to understand Vince, who got where he was by pushing the envelope. He was also sad about Davey's death, especially how bad he became with drugs at the end.


Next, they talk about his angle with Goldust that culminated with him winning the Intercontinental Title. He is asked about when Goldust gave him mouth-to-mouth. Ahmed said that Goldust ribbed him then on live TV as he told him before the show to put his hand over his mouth and do it that way but once the cameras were rolling, Goldust thought it would be funny to put his lips on him and Ahmed did not find it funny. He got along fine with Dustin before that. Ahmed felt great winning the title.


Ahmed talks about how shortly after he won the belt, someone wrote on his rent-a-car "Congratulations Nigger" and says that a fan told him that he saw Steve Austin write that. Ahmed doesnt know if that was the case or not but never cared for Austin and said that he got a vibe that he was racist but never witnessed any behavior like that from him. He also read about his ex-wife Debra saying that Austin would not let her watch black people on TV and that he was a racist person. Ahmed said if he ever heard him say the "N" word, he would beat his ass.


When asked if there was any other racism or jealousness he experienced at the beginning. He said that Shawn Michaels asked him to stop doing all of his top rope moves because when he does it at his height and weight, it isnt as important as when he is using that and wanted Ahmed to stick with power moves. Ahmed said he was disappointed by that but stopped using the moves because Shawn asked him too. Ahmed said that he is happy where Shawn is now at this point in his life and is happy that he found the lord.


He now talks about his feud with Faarooq, specifically about being kicked stiff by him during a run-in. The announcer brings up how Faarooq did a convention a few years prior to the interview and tells Ahmed Faarooq kicked him to deliver a message about being too stiff in the ring and hurting guys. Ahmed said that he had not wrestled him prior and it was the first time they had met. Ahmed thinks that he might have been a little jealous for winning a belt so quickly and did not like that. Ahmed said he was quiet backstage and when Faarooq first met him, he might have taken his demeanor the wrong way and stiffed him because of that.


Ahmed talks about the injury he recieved by Faarooq' kick. He was tagging with Shawn against the Smoknig Gunns. Faarooq did a run in and kicked him right in the kidney and it felt like he got shot. Ahmed said he had no idea it was that bad and he was rooming with Vader that night, who noticed that Ahmed was breathing funny and called an ambulance and that is how he found out he was injured. Ahmed said he felt like it was done on purpose. He also called Faarooq one of the stiffest workers in the business but said he liked that. Ahmed said that he gave Faarooq a receipt during a match and he wound up in the hospital during the WrestleMania XIII Chicago Street-Fight match in which he teamed with the Legion of Doom against the Nation of Domination. He gave Faarooq a spinebuster and during the move drove his head into his ribs, breaking a few of them. Ahmed said that he believes in receipts. For those who do not know, a receipt in wrestling is payback for when someone who stiffs you or fucks you over.


He is now asked about a shoot interview with the Legion of Doom and how Animal said that Ahmed stole the spikes he wore in their WrestleMania match. Ahmed said he had never stole from anyone in wrestling or football and with the money he was making at the time, he didnt need to steal shoulder pads with spikes if he wanted them. Ahmed said that he did not know that he and Animal had heat together but if he has a problem, then fuck him. Ahmed then said that Hawk gave him the shoulder pads to keep when he went to return them and said that he was tight with Hawk, teaming up after they left the WWF. Ahmed said that he gave Hawk's shoulder pads to the Dallas Sportatorium to put in a glass case after he passed away. Ahmed seems pissed at Animal now. He called it an honor to team with them but is still mad after what he heard.


Now, Ahmed is talked about his reputation among wrestlers about not protecting his opponents in the ring. Ahmed said that wrestlers have told him that they were scared when they first faced him due to his intensity. Ahmed said that Lawler and Vince always commented his intensity. He then talks about how no one in WCW complained about him being stiff and said that after a segment in which he brawled with Hulk Hogan, he approached Ahmed backstage and told him that his punches looked so intense but they were the softest blows and told him his punches were the best in the business. Ahmed says that rumor came about when he left the WWF, who bury people when they leave. He said that he had never hospitalized anyone with his finisher and no one in the WWF told him that he was stiff after a match. He also goes back to people being jealous of him in the WWF.


Ahmed is asked about the Kliq and other groups in the WWF. He said that everyone had a group but the Kliq ran the show. He did confirm that would bury those they didnt like. Ahmed didnt pay attention to who they were burying but said that everyone disliked them, even if they sucked up to them in person.


He loved the Kuwaiti Cup. He said that HHH walked him through that match and was a good guy back then.


Next, he is asked about his heel turn. He didn't get the idea of the turn. He said that Gerald Brisco broke the news to him and he was mad, as was Brisco but it came from the top so there was nothing he could do. Ahmed said it didnt last long at all and tells a story why. He said that Vince called him and the rest of the Nation of Domination to the offense and showed them a clip of their entrance to the ring. Vince told Ahmed he had to take him out of the Nation. Ahmed said that he just turned on all of his fans, who now hate him, and in two weeks have to make them like him again. Vince showed him why and played a clip of the Nation walking to the ring, with six guys all over 300lbs, except for D'Lo. Vince then told him that it was too intimidating and said that he couldnt get anyone to believe that they would be beaten. Ahmed said after Vince showed and told him that, he got exactly what he was saying. The original plans were for Ahmed to take over the NoD for those who were wondering but they ended up switching plans to Ahmed trying to destroy them by acting like an agent.


He then talks about a fight he had with the Rock. They were going to have a match and Ahmed was willing to do Rock's highspots but Rock was unwilling to do his and after a back-and-forth, Ahmed said they could settle it in the ring then a few punches were thrown but Faarooq and Kama broke it up. Ahmed then said tha the Rock was getting really cocky at this point and would refuse to do spots with certain guys. He then said he heard a rumor that Rock hated the fact that he wrestled with the same last name that his father had. Ahmed said he was given that name and it wasn't his choice.


He got hurt again in a match with the DOA after one of the Harris twins tore his meniscus in the knee. Ahmed said that Vince paid for his knee surgery and physical therapy after that. Ahmed puts him over for that.


The interviewer asks Ahmed about him being a project of Vince to get to the top. Ahmed confirms that he was Vince's project and that was why his push was so good.


When asked about Chyna and a comment he made about her, stating that he wasnt going to let a "Bitch" hit him, Ahmed said he doesnt know where that came from and if he said that, it was as his Ahmed Johnson character. He liked Chyna and thought she was good for business.


He did not like working with Jeff Jarrett and did not like him as a person, either .He said that he was extremely arrogant off camera and if he can understand that he is not the Rock and relinquish some control, TNA could take off. He then talks about a confrontation in WCW with Mike Awesome after he powerbombed Booker in the corner and nearly killed him. Ahmed and Stevie confronted Awesome in the locker room and told him that there would be problems if that happened again, with Stevie doing the talking. Jarrett was apparently outside of the room and heard this and Ahmed believes that he started a rumor that they beat him up.


Ahmed talks about his match at the 1997 against Faarooq when he powerbombed an unnamed member of the NoD through the announcers table. Ahmed said that person was his friend who was also a wrestler that he helped land a dark match. This guy owed him money and never paid him back so Ahmed told Faarooq to let him into the NoD so he could get him after the match. He said that he grabbed the guy, who had no idea what was going on and tried to get away, after the match and powerbombed him but did not realize that the monitors were still in place and his head's whacked the edge and he received stitches in his head. Do not dodge Ahmed if you owe him money.


When asked why he left the WWF, Ahmed said that his sister was dying of cancer at the time. She also happened to be a huge wrestling fan and was terminally ill. This started to really effect him in the ring and never told anyone about it. He couldn't concentrate on his match he knew she was watching the show and could only think of her. There was a proposed angle in which the Truth Commission was supposed to drag him up the ramp by a rope and he didnt want his sister to see that. He then got a call that his sister was really going downhill so Ahmed quit, right before the show. A week later, his sister passed away. He then goes on about the rumors that came about as to how he left the WWF.  Ahmed said that after all of the abuse they went through as kids, he needed to be by her side as she was passing away. Ahmed said that he does not talk about his problems and never wanted to look for sympathy.


Ahmed is now asked about the abuse he endured as a child. He said that it was all physical abuse. Ahmed then said that as a child, he and his siblings were not allowed to touch any food unless his parents gave it to them. He then talks about having to steal food for his siblings and that at times, they would resort to eating out of garbage cans. He also adds that they were all malnourished, with their ribs showing and said you would have thought they were from Ethiopia. One day, Ahmed thought his father had left so he grabbed some hot dogs and boiled them. His dad came back in and asked who did that and when Ahmed said he did, his father tied him to the bed and poured the boiling water on his stomach. His skin began to bubble and peel off so his dad stuck him in a cold bathtub and his skin kept peeling off but his dad refused to take him to the hospital and instead, rubbed vasoline and butter on his burn.


He tells another horror story from his childhood. One day, his sister couldnt find her piggy bank so his dad took all of the other kids and removed their clothes and beat them with an extension cord, switch, and a belt for hours. He said that at the end, their skin and blood were on the walls. To make his father stop beating on his other siblings, Ahmed said that he stole the piggy bank. When his dad heard that, he punched Ahmed and knocked him to the ground then flipped the bunk bed over and it landed on him. Ahmed said that he got beat until he passed out. It was so bad that his mom came in and had to peel the sheets off of his back because they stuck to his back, which was soaked in his own blood.


Now, Ahmed talks about how his dad's violent ways changed him as a kid. He remembers while in middle school, he wsa playing softball at recess and the other team was getting destroyed and had not even been up to bat yet. Recess was almost over so the pitcher told Ahmed, who was up at the plate, that he was going to pitch fast. Ahmed said just dont hit me and the pitcher barely grazed his arm. Ahmed said that the fact he warned him not to do it made him go insane and he took the bat and charged the mound, hitting the kid upside the head. He actually put the kid in a coma for a few days. They called his dad in the principal's office. His dad was in a motorcycle gang called the "Road Knights" and several of them pulled up to the school. Ahmed thought he was going to get his ass kicked by his dad but when they told him what happened, Ahmed said he hit him because the other kid hit him first and his dad said that he should have hit him then and his dad took him out and bought him ice cream and treated him great, thus rewarding him for his violent behavior.


When asked about his mother, Ahmed said that he couldnt cry for her and didn't at her funeral and still holds a grudge against her for allowing someone to abuse their kids like that. Ahmed said that his dad is alive and in Florida but does not talk to him at all.


Back to the wrestling, after leaving the WWF, he did not call them at all. He wound up in WCW after Vince Russo called him a year after leaving but he said no. When Stevie Ray called him a year later, he said yes. Ahmed said that he and Stevie grew up together and got in a lot of fights in the streets as kids. He couldnt say no to him. Ahmed said he was 410 lbs at that time and miserable. He sweated all day long and couldnt walk without getting out of breath. He said that he only went because of Stevie but just ate after his sister's death and stopped working out and wasn't into wrestling at that time


He said there was a lot of bickering backstage. The main problem, according to Ahmed, was that there was too many chiefs and not enough indians and when the boys got control, egos got out of control and that was the end.


He tells a story about Scott Hall in the WWF and how no one helped him out but him when he first started. He would watch his matches from the gorilla position and tell him what looked good and what needs to change and what he can improve on, which Ahmed appreciated.


After leaving WCW, he didnt wrestle at all until he started to lose weight then went over to Japan for a year. He said that he is going to go back over soon and work in a new promotion, which is some sort of spin-off of Big Japan. Right now, he goes by the name Big T. He still works a few indy shows.


He talks about landing the role of Suge Knight in the MC Hammer story "Too Legit to Quit" after the director had him in mind since he worked with him on an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger." He never took any acting classes before. He said that he is trying to get back into the ring and not looking to become a full-time actor.


Now, he is asked about racism in wrestling and if he was a direct victim of that. He said when he first got there, he was the only black guy in the WWF and said that it took until 1997 for the WWF to crown their first black champion. Ahmed then talks about racism can happen in any environment and how it is a two-way street. He tells the interviewer, who is Caucasian, that he would probably experience racism in a football locker room that is comprised mostly of African-Americans.


Ahmed said that he was told by others that Vince was racist but he cannot testify to that as he delivered on all of his promises. Ahmed said all you can judge a man is how he treated you and Ahmed said he was treated like gold.


His favorite matches were against Vader and one that he had with Owen. He talks about his match with Vader, who we rode with on the way to the show. He was told by Vader that he better be ready because he was going to hit him hard. Ahmed said that Vader clotheslined him so hard that he left his feet. After that, they had a hard-hitting match but Ahmed said it was enjoyable. He loved his match in Kuwait against HHH, which he said went 35-40 minutes and HHH basically carried him.


On his least favorite matches, he said he had a few against the NoD that Ahmed claims "didn't go right."


Ahmed is confronted about the interviewer about an incident regarding Dennis Coralluzzo, who ran a show and alleged that Ahmed refused to go to the show due to not having a limo pick him up and stayed in his hotel room, which lead to the promoter going into the ring and telling the crowd that Ahmed was full of himself and refusing to perform then proceeded to give out Ahmed's room number. Ahmed claims to have never met him and said if he did, he would put his foot in his ass and when informed that he passed away, Ahmed said he will do that to him in heaven. Ahmed said that he was supposed to get $1,500 and told him on the phone to have the money when he was picked up so he didn't get screwed. He was picked up and no money was there. He told them to have the person picking him up for the money and when they didnt show up with it, he refused to go. Ahmed then said he called Coralluzzo was few more times and when he still didn't receive the money, he flat-out refused to go to the show. He then made reservations that night to go home and found out he gave out his room and phone number that night.


He is then asked about an autograph signing from 1998, between his stints in WWF and WCW. The rumor was that Ahmed held up the promoter for more money then threatened to kill the promoter on the phone. Ahmed laughs at that and said it never happened. He then said how being from the streets and getting into many fights, he wouldn't tell you he was coming for you but rather just go after you. Ahmed stresses again that verbal threats are not his style.


On the subject of steroids in wrestling, he is asked point-blank if he took them. Ahmed said he has always been well-built. He did use steroids in college and said they are in every sport and in wrestling, but never used them in wrestling.


Ahmed then talks about how he just found out that he had a daughter after he did an interview and someone called the interviewer, a girl named Amanda from Canada, who claimed that Ahmed was her dad. At first, Ahmed said he was freaked out at first but found out a girl he was with was pregnant and that it was his. She was 21 at the time of this interview and doing well and currently in college. Ahmed plans to meet her for the first time soon.


He then talks about wanting to go back to the WWE. He says that he had an intensity that cannot be matched today and some guys try to be intense today but it feels forced. He said he was training with a friend and how his vertical leap, 40 time, and bench press was higher now than when he played for the Dallas Cowboys (According to Wikipedia, Ahmed played for the Cowboys from 90-91).


Ahmed said he wants to call Vince and apologize to him for they way he left. He does not regret or feel sorry for how it happened but does owe him and the fans and apology.


When asked about the Bobby Lashley comparison, Ahmed thinks that they have two totally different styles. He said from watching him wrestle only a few times but Lashley does not have the intensity that he does and that their styles wouldn't clash at all.


He doesnt believe that TNA is an option due to Jarrett's involvement in the company. If Jarrett wasn't involved, he doesnt think he would go there and says he wouldnt fit in as more of the matches are high-flying.


The one guy in the business he hates working with the most is Steve Austin. He is most impressed with the Undertaker and said he is one of the coolest guys you will ever meet outside of wrestling.


Ahmed had no problem with the Ultimate Warrior and said that he was always treated well by him.


Now, he is asked about a few guys. He never conversed with Bret much at all but liked him. He said that Vince Russo is one of the best "angle makers" in the world. In WCW, he never had a problem with Bischoff but when he was there, the boys were in control and he had very little power.


Ahmed closes by saying believe what you want to and lists off rumors about him being killed and on dialysis. The interviewer then tells Ahmed that he has been nothing but pleasant to deal with during the interview and for the autograph session as Ahmed talks about treating others how they treat him and if you live up to your end of the bargain, so will he.


Final Thoughts: A tremendous interview. Even if you do not believe everything he said, Ahmed was willing to talk about anything and the interview had everything covered, from his horrific upbringing to his glory days in the WWF.


The first part of the interview was about his time in the WWF. He seemingly got along with everyone except for Steve Austin, who he hates with a passion. Ahmed seemed to have a genuine friendship with Owen and brightened up whenever he talked about him, even when recalling all of the pranks Owen played on him.


About his upbringing, he was graphic in telling about the abuse he received from his sociopathic and abusive father. From beating him senseless to rewarding him for violent behavior, it is a miracle that Ahmed was able to make a career for himself and not wind up in prison.

From that upbringing though, you can easily tell by the interview that he has a short-temper. When he found out what Animal said about him, he was really bothered and almost seething for a minute. Other than that, he was calm for the duration of the shoot. He also stressed how loyalty was the most important thing and when that is broken, Ahmed will not deal with you again.


If you were a fan of his or the WWF during his run, I absolutely recommend this shoot. Hell, if you are a fan of shoot interviews in general, pick this up right away. I provided the link from the Highspots, which you can download the shoot for $7.99.

http://www.highspots.com/p/27121.html

Comments

  1. I stopped watching WCW after Starrcade '98, so I plan on going through their last 2+ years at some point. It's going to be a chore, though.
    I'm bored at work and trying to think of a scenario where WCW remains viable post 2001. I can't think of anything. They would've never been able to separate themselves from Hogan and Co. and it feels like the ratings would've continued dropping as wrestling continued falling out of favor in pop culture. They were horrible at developing talent and signed all the wrong ECW guys.

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  2. Halloween Havoc 98 had to be the most poorly promoted ppv in history. Goldberg/DDP, Hart/Sting, Nash/Hall and Scott Steiner vs Rick Steiner. The WWF would have done over a million buys. I bet WCW lost to Judgment Day that month

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  3. .78 if the info I'm reading is correct.

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  4. That's under 300k buys in a hot era for wrestling.

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  5. At that point all they cared about was Nitro.

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  6. All those greatest night in the history of our sport TV shows and all those ppvs kicking off with unannounced 20 minute Jerry Flynn vs Van Hammer matches.

    Is it any wonder why WCW is not around anymore?

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  7. wrestlewar 92

    superbrawl iii and iv

    beach blast '94

    hog wild ('96)


    uncensored '97


    souled out '98, superbrawl viii, uncensored '98


    the final 3 ppvs in '01 (sin, superbrawl revenge, greed)

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  8. I'm going through all the WCW PPVs from 2000 I've never watched.

    They're about as bad as I expected with some bright spots here and there, mostly due to the cruisers.

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  9. Marc Lowrance was non-descript as hell, but I really liked Bill Mercer. He had such an easy-going style, while still managing to put over the matches as legitimate contests and reacting the right way to the angles. He was vastly underrated.

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  10. Well, to be fair, nothing on their end. I'm in Canada and trying to find a way to get things to run smoothly. Not a ton of luck thus far. Jiggered a couple things on PS3, and on my computer. Best I can get at this point is a slow video on my computer with the Hola extension.

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  11. I think this was basically when Bischoff had almost completely run adrift and had no idea what he was doing.


    I mean, he may well never have, really, but this is where they hit the point of no return. I mean strictly in practical terms, of course - someone vaguely non-cretinous and non-self-interested could've turned the company around with fucking ease. They'd go on to beat the WWF again in buys and ratings, but it was all downhill from here.

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  12. Definitely check out Starrcade '83 at least for curiosity sake. Watching it now and it's pretty cool. Piper vs. Valentine in the famous dog collar match just started.

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  13. Grew up watching World Class on ESPN as a kid, absolutely loved it. This would have been around 1987-88. They would show classic episodes from the early '80s along with the current ones. Really cool stuff.

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  14. Spring Stampede 94/Slamboree 94 are two pretty killer back to back ppvs

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