This interview was filmed on 10/30/04
It was conducted by Rob Feinstein and Doug Gentry
This was a two-disc set. Disc one runs for one hour and fifty-four minutes while disc two runs for
forty-seven minutes. I have included both discs in this review.
My copy is missing the first few minutes of the first disc.
I start with Neidhart being asked how he got to the NFL. He says that there was a friend of his at Stanford that the Dallas Cowboys wanted but the guy told them about Neidhart, who was flattered and thought that since he was 5'11 the team would never give him a shot. He said that coach Tom Landry tried to get him a position on the team and he was backup to Randy White, an All-Pro defensive tackle.
Neidhart talks about how he served a month in jail as he went to Long Beach State and they just gave him passing grades because he excelled in track & field. However, he went to collect his schloraship money for his last six months of school and they told him he was academically ineligible, despite the fact he already received his passing grades, despite never setting foot on campus as needed time to train full-time to go up against the amateur athletes in Europe. He said that he ended up serving 30 days in Los Angeles Couty Jail for attempted extortion saying that he was going to go to the media outlets and say how the school gave him free grades. Neidhart said that Jerry Tarkanian was in trouble for this at the time and the school did not want to see any more troubles. Neidhart said that he only served 21 days and while there saw Charles Manson walk by and that the other inmates thought he was a "lifer" because of how big he was and he played along with that for a minute.
His football career ended in goal-line practice one day when his hand was off the ground and Gene Upshaw's charged into his arm and he went on injured reserve. Neidhart said that football players are odd individuals, like Steve McMichael, who he likes.
On how he got into wrestling, Neidhart said that he was walking down the street in Ohio when a guy who owned a gym told him that he had a million dollar body for wrestling then introduced him to Gene LeBell, the promoter in Los Angeles. They gave him an option to train for two guys in Canada, Al Tomko in Vancouver or Stu Hart in Calgary. He said for some reason he went to Calgary.
When Neidhart first talked to Stu, he thought he was a drunk because he talked so slowly. He then said the first time he ever did any wrestling was with Stu, who was 63, and Neidhart said that he was 22 and in great shape but that Stu absolutely wore him out for a half an hour by doing a series of submission holds. Jim then does a bunch of Stu Hart impressions.
He said that a lot of guys back then did not want to help anyone out but that Bruce Hart would help him learn to take bumps.
Neidhart said he was there with the Bulldogs and Bret at the time. He said that Owen was just starting out at the time and that a lot of the wrestlers were jealous of him for how good he was.
Now, he tells a story of how he got into a car accident and a piece of glass cut his nose so they chased down a truck and went to a gas station, where the clerk told him not to look in the mirror as his nose was hanging off. Neidhart said that the surgeons did a great job and that you cannot tell what happened today. Neidhart then said that the cops told him that he was lucky to be alive as there was no room between the dashboard and the backseat where he was sitting.
When asked if there were any other Americans there with him, Neidhart said that David Schultz was there and he was crazy. He also said that the Junkyard Dog was there too under the name "Big Daddy Ritter."
On whether or not Stu approved of him dating his daughter Ellie, Neidhart said that he asked Stu if he could marry here and he was fine with it then jokes how he was probably happy that he was taking her for them as she was a troublemaker.
He left Calgary for Mid-South as JYD got him a job. He says that the towns in Oklahoma and Louisiana had great crowds but that they were crazy and racist too, which is something he did not experience much of at all in California and talks about how he tagged with Butch Reed. Neidhart said that he was not smartened up about the racism there and wish that he was and had to carry a gun in the car with him as the Ku Klux Klan was prevalent down there.
Neidhart said that he liked Watts as he paid well and was a hard-working guy but did not stand for any bullshit and would fire you if you lost a locker room fight.
He talks about wrestling against Butch Reed, who had a lot of product in his hair and how they wrestled a pole match and because Butch climbed up first, he got the pole greasy to the point that he was unable to climb up.
Back to how crazy the crowds were in Mid-South, Neidhart said that he actually had to shoot at fans on occasion because of how nuts they were because he was tagging with Butch Reed and even said that the stores would not serve Reed's wife when she was out with Neidhart's wife.
When Neidhart left Mid South, he went to Memphis. He talks about how he was teaming with Rick Rude and were managed by a blond girl named Angel who Neidhart said was smoking hot. He also said that Rude would be having sex with her backstage and even right before they were supposed to go out to the ring. Neidhart also said that Rude was a jealous guy in regards to her as well as they dated for a little bit. Neidhart said that he also worked a program with Austin Idol and that made a little bit of money.
From Memphis, Neidhart went down to work in Florida for Eddie Graham. Neidhart was there when Graham committed suicide. He talks about how he partied a lot there with the Freebirds, Kevin Sullivan, and Oliver Humperdink.
He then tells a story about working a show in the Bahamas. Neidhart said that the natives sit on top of palm trees at the arena and throw rocks at the wrestlers. After beating one of the natives, a lady threw a spear that stuck into Neidhart's neck and he pulled it out and blood gushed everywhere. After Florida, Neidhart went to the WWF after he got called from George Scott.
Neidhart puts over Bret for being not just a great wrestler but also for having an excellent wrestling mind. He said that it was Bret's idea for them to team together and for the pink tights, with Neidhart being apprehensive at first because guys in the locker room looked at guys wearing pink as "fags."
Speaking about the travel in the WWF, Neidhart said that he worked 90 days straight at one point but the Iron Sheik held the record with 108. He talks about how some guys who had little experience would crack as Feinstein tells Neidhart that Barry Windham told him that he couldn't take it and that was why he quit the WWF.
When asked about the drug use and how wrestlers used drugs just to cope with the hectic schedule, Neidhart said he used to tell Bret how they were flying too much and thought that was wrong as you would fly twice a day but without a union and a promoter working you like a dog, you had no choice. Neidhart said that too many days on the road led to Joey Marella dying in a car accident.
He tells a story about a rib that took place in Saskatoon. There was a guy in the arena there who wanted to be a wrestler so the Bulldogs told them to drink something, which was vodka and chewing tobacco mixed with crushed valium and amphetamines and the guy drank it and passed out then the Bulldogs shaved his head.
They ask him about the ribs that Owen Hart pulled. Neidhart said that Owen would never pay for a hotel room and collect all of the keys. Owen then ribbed Jim one night when he told Jim that he had a hotel room and gave Jim a key and when he entered it turned out to be someone else's room and he startled the guy who was in bed.
He talks about several workers. Neidhart said that Strike Force was a great team. He loved Roddy Piper, who Neidhart said helped him and Bret with promos. He said that Bad News was a good guy to have on your side. He never witness Randy Savage abuse Elizabeth but said that he was very jealous.
Neidhart tells the story about Haku biting off the nose of a guy during a bar fight in Baltimore. Haku grabbed one guy by his front teeth after was harrassed by him and went to throw a chop and he ducked and Haku ended up chopping a palm tree in half that was in the bar then Haku ended up pulling out the guys upper teeth.
They ask Neidhart about several other workers. He said that the Nasty Boys were crazy and very clumsy in the ring then said that Sags almost broke his back once. He called the Ultimate Warrior "self centered" and said that he was not a team player. He puts over the Islanders and the Powers of Pain for being good teams. He thought that Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson were good guys but that they never really fit in due to being Crockett guys. Neidhart said that the WWF guys viewed WCW as the minor leagues back then. Neidhart talks about Jake Roberts and how he was a great talker with an excellent mind for the business. He said that Kerry Von Erich was a close friend of his and that he wrestled him ten days in a row during an independent circuit on the West Coast and after it wrapped up, he went home to Texas and wrote a few suicide notes before killing himself.
On the match against the Rockers in which they were supposed to lose the belts, Neidhart said that on one side of the ring, all of the ropes ended up breaking and that the match was a mess.
When asked why Davey Boy Smith substituted for him a few times in 1990, Neidhart said that he got Cat Scratch Fever while picking up a wild cat in front of a steakhouse in Florida. They tested him for Lou Gehrig's Disease and AIDS but wound up having cat scratch fever. Vince wanted Neidhart to get back on the road but the doctor yelled at Vince about how he could not go everywhere. He said this took place right before Christmas and thinks the office believes he was full of shit because of the time of year.
When asked if he was upset that Bret Hart got the World Title after he left, Neidhart said that he is not jealous over the success of others, especially not his partner.
DISC TWO
He is asked about the Kliq, after not remembering his brief runs in ECW and WCW in 1992, and said he knew the guys and never had a problem with them
Neidhart is asked about Dr. Zahorian then tells a crazy story of how the Dynamite Kid had a plan to hoist his doctors bag. Neidhart actually was involved as he distracted Zahorian by asking him questions about psoriasis and as that happening the Bulldogs tossed Zahorian's bag out of the window. When they found the bag, it contained shitloads of muscle relaxers, Halcions, and sleeping pills and Neidhart said they all got those as they were working so hard and never had time to see a doctor. Neidhart then talks about how Dynamite started tossing Halcion in everyone's drinks and gave a lot more to the new guys and Outback Jack ended up getting so fucked up that he was walking around the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Oakland naked and then plopped down in the coffee shop because he wanted some pie and the cops had to bring him back to the room. Neidhart said that Jack's mistake was thinking that he could try to out drink Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji.
He talks about a rib that Curt Hennig pulled while in Utica, NY. Neidhart cannot remember the wrestler's name but said he was a hillbilly-type guy from Florida who always chewed tobacco and was a disgusting guy so Hennig bought a bunch of ladybugs and stuck them in the guy's bag then told the facilities guy that the place was infested with bugs so they ended up spraying all of the guy' stuff.
They ask him about several other guys. He said that he knew Austin could be a star when he worked with him in New Japan. He talks about Pillman and that he had a drug problem in the WWF and believes that he struggled under the pressure of the road.
When asked about the ratings battle, Neidhart said he never paid attention as promoters would always donwplay the ratings and success so they have an excuse to pay you less money.
Neidhart said that he never got involved in anyone else's bullshit so he did not know much about the troubles between Bret and Shawn Michaels. He does think it is very possible that Vince played the two against each other.
About Shawn Michaels' "Sunny Days" comment, Neidhart said that Bret was livid but that nothing sexually happened between Bret and Sunny. He then said that he believes Davey and Sunny had a thing.
When asked about the "Montreal Incident" he said that both Bret and Vince did what they had to do. He then said that Bret tossed stuff around backstage afterwards and wound up in the middle of it and admitted that Bret took a few shots at Vince. Neidhart added how he has thrown stuff around in his day too.
After that, Neidhart went to WCW. He did not have a written contract with the WWF at the time and WCW offered him a three-year guaranteed deal that was double what the WWF offered. He said that WCW had no idea how to use Davey and himself.
They ask him about Owen's death and Neidhart said it was a horrible tragedy and has even torn the family apart.
Since leaving wrestling, he has done a little acting and is getting his real estate license.
When asked what wrestlers today have what it takes to be a star, he said that he thought Brock Lesnar would be a huge star if he stayed.
He says that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame once asked him for an autograph for his kid and he had no idea who he was and heading out for his match so he blew him off. He found out after his match that it was Page.
Neidhart closes by saying how he wishes that wrestlers had a union just like other sports and actors have.
Final Thoughts: This was a decent interview. Neidhart almost seemed asleep here as he started off with sunglasses on then took them off. My copy said that this started at 4:10am and Neidhart appeared lucid so I do not believe it was drug-induced, which is a possibility given his history. The audio was not the greatest here too and it was hard to hear Neidhart speak at times.
The highlight of the interview was the crazy road/rib stories that he told. He should do a YouShoot as he is a perfect candidate for that due to all the insane stuff he did in his life. Neidhart did have some decent insight into things and was not bitter at all when speaking about his career.
I think this interview could have been better if not for the fact that Neidhart seemed half asleep. The beginning of the first disc was fairly dull too as the interviewers did not really ask him a whole lot about the territories he worked with other than Calgary.
Overall, its worth a listen for the crazy stories he tells.
You can purchase the video here:
http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithjimneidhart.aspx
It was conducted by Rob Feinstein and Doug Gentry
This was a two-disc set. Disc one runs for one hour and fifty-four minutes while disc two runs for
forty-seven minutes. I have included both discs in this review.
My copy is missing the first few minutes of the first disc.
I start with Neidhart being asked how he got to the NFL. He says that there was a friend of his at Stanford that the Dallas Cowboys wanted but the guy told them about Neidhart, who was flattered and thought that since he was 5'11 the team would never give him a shot. He said that coach Tom Landry tried to get him a position on the team and he was backup to Randy White, an All-Pro defensive tackle.
Neidhart talks about how he served a month in jail as he went to Long Beach State and they just gave him passing grades because he excelled in track & field. However, he went to collect his schloraship money for his last six months of school and they told him he was academically ineligible, despite the fact he already received his passing grades, despite never setting foot on campus as needed time to train full-time to go up against the amateur athletes in Europe. He said that he ended up serving 30 days in Los Angeles Couty Jail for attempted extortion saying that he was going to go to the media outlets and say how the school gave him free grades. Neidhart said that Jerry Tarkanian was in trouble for this at the time and the school did not want to see any more troubles. Neidhart said that he only served 21 days and while there saw Charles Manson walk by and that the other inmates thought he was a "lifer" because of how big he was and he played along with that for a minute.
His football career ended in goal-line practice one day when his hand was off the ground and Gene Upshaw's charged into his arm and he went on injured reserve. Neidhart said that football players are odd individuals, like Steve McMichael, who he likes.
On how he got into wrestling, Neidhart said that he was walking down the street in Ohio when a guy who owned a gym told him that he had a million dollar body for wrestling then introduced him to Gene LeBell, the promoter in Los Angeles. They gave him an option to train for two guys in Canada, Al Tomko in Vancouver or Stu Hart in Calgary. He said for some reason he went to Calgary.
When Neidhart first talked to Stu, he thought he was a drunk because he talked so slowly. He then said the first time he ever did any wrestling was with Stu, who was 63, and Neidhart said that he was 22 and in great shape but that Stu absolutely wore him out for a half an hour by doing a series of submission holds. Jim then does a bunch of Stu Hart impressions.
He said that a lot of guys back then did not want to help anyone out but that Bruce Hart would help him learn to take bumps.
Neidhart said he was there with the Bulldogs and Bret at the time. He said that Owen was just starting out at the time and that a lot of the wrestlers were jealous of him for how good he was.
Now, he tells a story of how he got into a car accident and a piece of glass cut his nose so they chased down a truck and went to a gas station, where the clerk told him not to look in the mirror as his nose was hanging off. Neidhart said that the surgeons did a great job and that you cannot tell what happened today. Neidhart then said that the cops told him that he was lucky to be alive as there was no room between the dashboard and the backseat where he was sitting.
When asked if there were any other Americans there with him, Neidhart said that David Schultz was there and he was crazy. He also said that the Junkyard Dog was there too under the name "Big Daddy Ritter."
On whether or not Stu approved of him dating his daughter Ellie, Neidhart said that he asked Stu if he could marry here and he was fine with it then jokes how he was probably happy that he was taking her for them as she was a troublemaker.
He left Calgary for Mid-South as JYD got him a job. He says that the towns in Oklahoma and Louisiana had great crowds but that they were crazy and racist too, which is something he did not experience much of at all in California and talks about how he tagged with Butch Reed. Neidhart said that he was not smartened up about the racism there and wish that he was and had to carry a gun in the car with him as the Ku Klux Klan was prevalent down there.
Neidhart said that he liked Watts as he paid well and was a hard-working guy but did not stand for any bullshit and would fire you if you lost a locker room fight.
He talks about wrestling against Butch Reed, who had a lot of product in his hair and how they wrestled a pole match and because Butch climbed up first, he got the pole greasy to the point that he was unable to climb up.
Back to how crazy the crowds were in Mid-South, Neidhart said that he actually had to shoot at fans on occasion because of how nuts they were because he was tagging with Butch Reed and even said that the stores would not serve Reed's wife when she was out with Neidhart's wife.
When Neidhart left Mid South, he went to Memphis. He talks about how he was teaming with Rick Rude and were managed by a blond girl named Angel who Neidhart said was smoking hot. He also said that Rude would be having sex with her backstage and even right before they were supposed to go out to the ring. Neidhart also said that Rude was a jealous guy in regards to her as well as they dated for a little bit. Neidhart said that he also worked a program with Austin Idol and that made a little bit of money.
From Memphis, Neidhart went down to work in Florida for Eddie Graham. Neidhart was there when Graham committed suicide. He talks about how he partied a lot there with the Freebirds, Kevin Sullivan, and Oliver Humperdink.
He then tells a story about working a show in the Bahamas. Neidhart said that the natives sit on top of palm trees at the arena and throw rocks at the wrestlers. After beating one of the natives, a lady threw a spear that stuck into Neidhart's neck and he pulled it out and blood gushed everywhere. After Florida, Neidhart went to the WWF after he got called from George Scott.
Neidhart puts over Bret for being not just a great wrestler but also for having an excellent wrestling mind. He said that it was Bret's idea for them to team together and for the pink tights, with Neidhart being apprehensive at first because guys in the locker room looked at guys wearing pink as "fags."
Speaking about the travel in the WWF, Neidhart said that he worked 90 days straight at one point but the Iron Sheik held the record with 108. He talks about how some guys who had little experience would crack as Feinstein tells Neidhart that Barry Windham told him that he couldn't take it and that was why he quit the WWF.
When asked about the drug use and how wrestlers used drugs just to cope with the hectic schedule, Neidhart said he used to tell Bret how they were flying too much and thought that was wrong as you would fly twice a day but without a union and a promoter working you like a dog, you had no choice. Neidhart said that too many days on the road led to Joey Marella dying in a car accident.
He tells a story about a rib that took place in Saskatoon. There was a guy in the arena there who wanted to be a wrestler so the Bulldogs told them to drink something, which was vodka and chewing tobacco mixed with crushed valium and amphetamines and the guy drank it and passed out then the Bulldogs shaved his head.
They ask him about the ribs that Owen Hart pulled. Neidhart said that Owen would never pay for a hotel room and collect all of the keys. Owen then ribbed Jim one night when he told Jim that he had a hotel room and gave Jim a key and when he entered it turned out to be someone else's room and he startled the guy who was in bed.
He talks about several workers. Neidhart said that Strike Force was a great team. He loved Roddy Piper, who Neidhart said helped him and Bret with promos. He said that Bad News was a good guy to have on your side. He never witness Randy Savage abuse Elizabeth but said that he was very jealous.
Neidhart tells the story about Haku biting off the nose of a guy during a bar fight in Baltimore. Haku grabbed one guy by his front teeth after was harrassed by him and went to throw a chop and he ducked and Haku ended up chopping a palm tree in half that was in the bar then Haku ended up pulling out the guys upper teeth.
They ask Neidhart about several other workers. He said that the Nasty Boys were crazy and very clumsy in the ring then said that Sags almost broke his back once. He called the Ultimate Warrior "self centered" and said that he was not a team player. He puts over the Islanders and the Powers of Pain for being good teams. He thought that Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson were good guys but that they never really fit in due to being Crockett guys. Neidhart said that the WWF guys viewed WCW as the minor leagues back then. Neidhart talks about Jake Roberts and how he was a great talker with an excellent mind for the business. He said that Kerry Von Erich was a close friend of his and that he wrestled him ten days in a row during an independent circuit on the West Coast and after it wrapped up, he went home to Texas and wrote a few suicide notes before killing himself.
On the match against the Rockers in which they were supposed to lose the belts, Neidhart said that on one side of the ring, all of the ropes ended up breaking and that the match was a mess.
When asked why Davey Boy Smith substituted for him a few times in 1990, Neidhart said that he got Cat Scratch Fever while picking up a wild cat in front of a steakhouse in Florida. They tested him for Lou Gehrig's Disease and AIDS but wound up having cat scratch fever. Vince wanted Neidhart to get back on the road but the doctor yelled at Vince about how he could not go everywhere. He said this took place right before Christmas and thinks the office believes he was full of shit because of the time of year.
When asked if he was upset that Bret Hart got the World Title after he left, Neidhart said that he is not jealous over the success of others, especially not his partner.
DISC TWO
He is asked about the Kliq, after not remembering his brief runs in ECW and WCW in 1992, and said he knew the guys and never had a problem with them
Neidhart is asked about Dr. Zahorian then tells a crazy story of how the Dynamite Kid had a plan to hoist his doctors bag. Neidhart actually was involved as he distracted Zahorian by asking him questions about psoriasis and as that happening the Bulldogs tossed Zahorian's bag out of the window. When they found the bag, it contained shitloads of muscle relaxers, Halcions, and sleeping pills and Neidhart said they all got those as they were working so hard and never had time to see a doctor. Neidhart then talks about how Dynamite started tossing Halcion in everyone's drinks and gave a lot more to the new guys and Outback Jack ended up getting so fucked up that he was walking around the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Oakland naked and then plopped down in the coffee shop because he wanted some pie and the cops had to bring him back to the room. Neidhart said that Jack's mistake was thinking that he could try to out drink Don Muraco and Mr. Fuji.
He talks about a rib that Curt Hennig pulled while in Utica, NY. Neidhart cannot remember the wrestler's name but said he was a hillbilly-type guy from Florida who always chewed tobacco and was a disgusting guy so Hennig bought a bunch of ladybugs and stuck them in the guy's bag then told the facilities guy that the place was infested with bugs so they ended up spraying all of the guy' stuff.
They ask him about several other guys. He said that he knew Austin could be a star when he worked with him in New Japan. He talks about Pillman and that he had a drug problem in the WWF and believes that he struggled under the pressure of the road.
When asked about the ratings battle, Neidhart said he never paid attention as promoters would always donwplay the ratings and success so they have an excuse to pay you less money.
Neidhart said that he never got involved in anyone else's bullshit so he did not know much about the troubles between Bret and Shawn Michaels. He does think it is very possible that Vince played the two against each other.
About Shawn Michaels' "Sunny Days" comment, Neidhart said that Bret was livid but that nothing sexually happened between Bret and Sunny. He then said that he believes Davey and Sunny had a thing.
When asked about the "Montreal Incident" he said that both Bret and Vince did what they had to do. He then said that Bret tossed stuff around backstage afterwards and wound up in the middle of it and admitted that Bret took a few shots at Vince. Neidhart added how he has thrown stuff around in his day too.
After that, Neidhart went to WCW. He did not have a written contract with the WWF at the time and WCW offered him a three-year guaranteed deal that was double what the WWF offered. He said that WCW had no idea how to use Davey and himself.
They ask him about Owen's death and Neidhart said it was a horrible tragedy and has even torn the family apart.
Since leaving wrestling, he has done a little acting and is getting his real estate license.
When asked what wrestlers today have what it takes to be a star, he said that he thought Brock Lesnar would be a huge star if he stayed.
He says that Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame once asked him for an autograph for his kid and he had no idea who he was and heading out for his match so he blew him off. He found out after his match that it was Page.
Neidhart closes by saying how he wishes that wrestlers had a union just like other sports and actors have.
Final Thoughts: This was a decent interview. Neidhart almost seemed asleep here as he started off with sunglasses on then took them off. My copy said that this started at 4:10am and Neidhart appeared lucid so I do not believe it was drug-induced, which is a possibility given his history. The audio was not the greatest here too and it was hard to hear Neidhart speak at times.
The highlight of the interview was the crazy road/rib stories that he told. He should do a YouShoot as he is a perfect candidate for that due to all the insane stuff he did in his life. Neidhart did have some decent insight into things and was not bitter at all when speaking about his career.
I think this interview could have been better if not for the fact that Neidhart seemed half asleep. The beginning of the first disc was fairly dull too as the interviewers did not really ask him a whole lot about the territories he worked with other than Calgary.
Overall, its worth a listen for the crazy stories he tells.
You can purchase the video here:
http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithjimneidhart.aspx
Jim Neidhart, that's who
ReplyDeleteNeidhart is right about one thing; Vince absolutely played Michaels and Hart against each other and than got a couple of Wrestlemania matches out of it and even made a DVD about it.
ReplyDeleteVince ALWAYS wins in the end.
The story about Outback Jack trying to piss in the hotel lobby got me chuckling.
ReplyDeleteSeemed like a solid interview. Anvil didn't seem to have any agenda from what you wrote, Brian.
No he didn't. He wouldn't suck questions either
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the tobacco-chewer hillbilly from Florida was Skinner Steve Keirn?
ReplyDeleteHe said it wasn't him and they ran through the usual suspects. I wonder if it was Black Bart
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Vince is still a carny promoter at heart. Besides two guys that were paranoid egomaniacs fighting for one spot...it was impossible to not play them against each other. When Bret wasn't blaming Shawn for ISIS and world hunger on the DVD it was clear Vince was pulling both their strings.
ReplyDeleteI realized after Wrestlemania 26 when Shawn retired and Vince himself fought Bret at Wrestlemania. Same thing happened in 1996 when Shawn won the title and Bret went on hiatus/contract expired than Bret returned and Shawn took time after losing to Sid and than his smile. I'll never forget the closing comments of Bret's as he made scathing remarks about Shawn and HHH than came back to work for/with Vince at Wrestlemania just as Shawn was on his way out.
ReplyDeleteOr when Shawn wasn't conveniently forgetting everything that happened.
ReplyDeleteLOL, wtf is Cat Scratch Fever? Are you serious?
ReplyDeleteAhahahahahaha I'm singing the song
ReplyDeleteSounds like a solid shoot.
ReplyDeleteWhile also admiting anything he was accused of was all likely true.
ReplyDeleteJim Neidhart strikes me as the kind of person you would absolutely want to hang out and party with but you would wake up the next day horribly regretting what you got yourself into.
ReplyDeleteSolid shoot and solid review regardless.
Crazy as he was, I betcha HE never hijacked an ice cream truck.
ReplyDeleteHeh.
It was basically an excuse to defend no-showing a house show or two.
ReplyDeleteRoddy Piper already outed Neidhart's cat scratch fever claims as bullshit in his book before Neidhart did this shoot. No surprise the office didn't believe him because he had already used the excuse at least a few times beforehand.
So the British Bulldogs were dicks, huh?
ReplyDeleteThank you and I agree with your assessment on Neidhart.
ReplyDeleteToxoplasmosis. It's actually quite common, though usually the body can fight it off without the person exhibiting any symptoms. People with weak immune systems (say, do to massive drug use) might have a harder time with it, though in this case Neidhart was probably just full of shit. It's estimated that something like 40% of cats carry it.
ReplyDeleteThe Jimmy Page story makes Jim sound like a douche. "I thought he was just a regular guy, so I blew him off ... if only I'd known it was Jimmy Page!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a stupid question.
ReplyDelete'Incarcerated hernia' is way too brilliantly obscure for WWE Creative to come up with
ReplyDeleteA step forward for something different, ten steps back in execution. Adding Cena to the super-hot Rollins/Ambrose feud is pointless, much akin to DDP coming into the Raven/Benoit feud back in 1998 WCW. Rollins and Ambrose are the only things worth watching when Brock isn't around, and deserve a shot at the big time.
ReplyDeleteBy adding Cena, now you're booked into a corner. Cena/Rollins has nowhere near the heat to warrant a Hell in a Cell match, and it robs us of the Ambrose/Rollins payoff that we've been building up to all summer. But what purpose would Cena v. Orton Part Infinity serve at this point, either? Just stupid, stupid creative direction ruining what should be straightforward A to B storytelling.
'Incarcerated hernia'
ReplyDeleteWait, WHAT?!?!?!
The Ultimate Warrior didn't die either. They just needed him to go into hiding so he could make his return at the Rumble as a mystery entrant.
ReplyDeleteEven better, two years later Orton is feuding with Punk and he has a totally different wife.
ReplyDeleteTotally lame. Such a waste of Tom Hardy as well. Sure, let's cast this 5'9" guy as a hulking monster, never mind the fact that Bale has 3" on him. Even better, let's mask the two most prominent features on the guy, his face and his voice.
ReplyDeleteAt that rate, you could have casted someone like Brock Lesnar if you were going to do that.
But... but... that video package on Raw the next night told me it was the greatest match ever!
ReplyDeleteTJ: If you haven't seen it yet, go see The Drop. Great performances all around from Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini (his last movie).
ReplyDeleteThis movie makes Hardy's use in the Dark Knight Rises all that much more of a waste.
This seems like a waste of space.
ReplyDeleteTed Danson wore a hairpiece to conceal his baldness for the role of Sam Malone during filming of Cheers. His baldness was revealed at the 1990 Primetime Emmy Awards.[28] In the episode, "It's Lonely on the Top" (1993), Sam Malone reveals his baldness to Carla (Rhea Perlman).
ReplyDeleteThey definitely don't have to raise eachother's hands at the end. Ambrose can get over huge by teaming with cena against a common enemy, but still calling Cena on his bullshit constantly and showing Cena that he'd kick his ass if needbe.
ReplyDeleteAs much as Cena buries most heel opponents, he's actually great at getting over babyfaces who stand up against him. (Punk, Bryan, Rock). Involving Cena in this could be great for Ambrose if he keeps being the crazy cool badass face to Cena's squeaky clean choir boy face.
I've always said that: Why not have Lesnar be the body double for Bane?
ReplyDeleteAnd as a wrestling fan I was very disappointed in that backbreaker.
I assume they'll try to justify it by Ambrose getting a "big win" over Orton.
ReplyDeleteTo me the ending felt rushed. They should have split the movie into two parts. Part one is up to the earthquake and part 2 is everything afterwards.
ReplyDeleteWe the fans are getting a Randy Orton match so we're the losers here.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Rollins/Ambrose have to get the blow off right now? It's the hottest feud in the company and has been consistently getting better and better since it started in June. Why not add some twists and turns and let it build even more? It can get a huge blowoff as a TLC ladder match, or even at Mania.
ReplyDeleteA lot of us have pined for that great aspect of the Attitude Era in which feuds would intersect and build upon eachother. This seems like one of those situations.
But again, Ambrose/Rollins not happening at HIAC is not the same as them overlooking the feud.
What would be illegal about it? I'm lost...
ReplyDeleteIt would be a big win for Ambrose. As a singles, who the fuck has Dean Ambrose ever beaten?
ReplyDeleteIf Cena and Ambrose have a war to open the show, and Cena advances (whether clean or through some Authority-involved gaga), and then Ambrose immediately beats Randy Orton in a Cell match? That'd absolutely be huge for Ambrose. Biggest night of his career so far.
Yeah, I'm not getting that either.
ReplyDeleteThey just wrote Ambrose off that way, for instance.
I'm fairly positive I knew a LARPer in college who called himself Finn Balor.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of discussion sometimes makes me fear that wrestling in general has jumped the shark
ReplyDeleteOr.... I'm sorry, but if your wrestling name sounds like a sickness, it's a crappy wrestling name: "I'm sorry to tell you, but you have untreatable Finn Balor Syndrome"
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who Prince Devitt is other than he's a wrestler.
ReplyDeleteFinn Balor is terrible. At least it's not Prince Finn.
If Tugboat starts a get-well card campaign, does it become legal again?
ReplyDeleteYeah, but then no glitter.
ReplyDeleteIt's what happens when a hernia makes jokes about Bossman's mother. Reigns is serving hard time.
ReplyDeleteJust saw that Bob Seger is going on tour.
ReplyDeleteI hope Chief Wiggum gets the right tickets this time.
The schedule isn't working. Every week this gets buried halfway down the page within an hour.
ReplyDeleteAriana?
ReplyDeleteWho knew
ReplyDeleteI never cared for his old name either. I always thought he was Indian for some reason before I actually saw him.
ReplyDeleteAnal bleeding would be better
ReplyDeleteIf they are going to name him Finn, they better not pair him with a guy named Jake.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, I think I figured out how they get the names for their wrestlers.
ReplyDeleteThey take a character from a popular book or TV show, combine it with a normal work, and anagram it:
Finn Balor = "Fail Bronn"
It's not a schedule - all of these other posts driving them down are Scott's.
ReplyDeleteThreadjack: Jake Roberts vs Junkyard Dog.
ReplyDeleteIn a *ladder match*.
in *1979*.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKxy6GJTTBQ
I watched the bottom of the 9th clutching a Bible.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the question... and I won't respond to it.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like Yankees fans when it comes to the Red Sox?
ReplyDeleteSame, they've done it with rehab stints, firings, random time off requests, death in the family's, all sorts of things.
ReplyDeleteThe only way I can imagine it would be illegal I guess is if maybe the stock dropped and it could be proven the Reigns was the reason for it and Vince KNEW it was going to happen beforehand AND sold high........or some shit?
Totally lost on this one, wassupwitdat Scott
Blowing a 2-0 lead is bad. Has a team ever blown a 3-0 lead? Not sure...
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if Lesnar is booked for the HITC PPV or not (if he isn't, that's insane). But how wild would it be on the next Raw if Brock and Heyman came out to cut a promo to challenge any worthy opponent to take the Beast on for the title...and the lights go out. Cue up "Live in Fear (We're Here Intro)". Bray Wyatt becomes an instant main event face.
ReplyDelete"Neidhart was there when Graham committed suicide."
ReplyDeleteUh, so he watched him kill himself???
Get back to me when you've got a real source, I don't do "wiki"
ReplyDeleteIf they keep Bray off of TV like they did last week, it could work to his advantage, then when he goes to challenge Brock, people would be invested in him again.
ReplyDeleteThis is all part of the Montreal Screwjob.
ReplyDeleteOh it'd be amazing. The crowd would go apeshit.
ReplyDeleteThat's what's great about lesnar--- and I really wish WWE would take advantage of it--- is that ANYONE of note who stands up to Brock would instantly be over huge. Throw Sheamus in that scenario, or Cesaro, or Bray or Ambrose--- they'd immediately be a main event bad ass, especially if it's followed up with an awesome PPV match with Brock.
It's why to me it'd be such a waste to waste a Brock PPV on someone like Big Show, or even another Cena match. Why not have Cesaro interrupt Brock and Heyman, get the better of Brock in a brawl, and then have a killer 20-minute war with Brock on PPV? Even a loss would make Cesaro a huge star. Brock's one of the few guys that can get someone over just by having a match with them.
In the Florida territory when it happened
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Yankees in 2004, I think. I believe an NHL team did it a year or 2 back too.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else feel like she's getting Reigns'ed (by that I mean overpushed, not plowed by Roman)? I see her everywhere, and don't think her music or singing are that spectacular. It's like it's been decided she's the next diva pop star, and we have to like it. That said, I took the free album DL from Google Play strictly because of her legs on the cover.
ReplyDeleteI thought he was black.
ReplyDeleteExactly and a cool way to elevate Darren Young to the main event
ReplyDeleteHe's just asking if the Reigns "injury" is potentially a work.
ReplyDeleteIm guessing it is like with pro teams injury lists, they can't totally fake it (though they can partially fake it) or its against the rules. Only thing I got. Otherwise we should feel ashamed at laughing at Austin violating McMahon in the hospital since Vince obviously was really injured by UT and Kane. Otherwise everybody involved would be in jail for lying about his injury or accomplice to lying about his injury.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who was disappointed that Neidhart didn't confirm that he in fact quit the NFL "because it wasn't tough enough"?
ReplyDeleteVince is not Roger Goodell so he would never have dreamed up such an idea
ReplyDeleteDadgummit!
ReplyDeleteFunny. I'm actually a die-hard Yankee AND Heat fan.
ReplyDeleteYankee fan since I was four in 1978.
Heat fan since the original season with Seikaly and Rory Sparrow.
It's a product of growing up in both NYC and South Florida more than their records. Put up with a ton of shit from both throughout the years.
Yeah, there are terrible bandwagon factions to both fanbases which I probably can stand less than haters of each team can, but whatever. The silver lining of quasi-sucking (if you can call winning ~85 games and being eliminated in September that) is that they all go away eventually and leave the rest of us in peace
South Florida fans, in general, are the worst. If it's not the Dolphins or University of Miami, they won't care unless you're winning. I don't even think the Heat truly won them over with this run.
Balor is a king in Irish mythology, as is Finn, as in Fionn mac Cumhaill, aka Finn McCool.
ReplyDeleteThat's...kinda dumb. Him going away for awhile is going to end up helping him in the long run. But that's not anything they would intend to happen.
ReplyDeleteI can't see how it would be illegal, since they just fake injured Dean Ambrose so he could film a movie.
But the only reason sports teams are obligated to be honest with injury reports is because of the gambling industry. With wrestling, it's a TV show in which the wrestlers are actors -- not the same as a sports league in which the wrestlers are athletes. Working an injury angle with Reigns would be no different than 'Boardwalk Empire' having Nucky Thompson get shot and put in the hospital for a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteVince dreams up injury angles all the time.
ReplyDeleteFunny story about Neidhart getting into acting:
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine did some shitty independent film that he managed to get not only Jim Neidhart, but the Blue Meanie and Alan Ruck to play a part in. Basically, Neidhart asked the one producer to borrow her phone to make a call for a ride to the airport after he was done shooting, and just straight up leaves with the girl's phone while she was busy with something else.
His name is related to two characters in Irish mythology: Balor and Fionn mac Cumhaill.
ReplyDeleteIn a better world, that would be the first thing they do.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky that I do not have to deal with emails like this.
ReplyDeleteIt just doesn't feel like a wrestling name like a Kevin Sullivan. It fails the hell out of the Fink test. Even an historical mashup like Michael de Valera works better.
ReplyDeleteI thought at first it was a cross between Finn Jones - Loras Tyrell, and Baelor, statue of 1 of the 7 gods in Game of Thrones.
ReplyDeleteThen I read Balor, and then I thought of course of D&D demon inspired by LotR.
I'm buying a Roman Reigns friendship bracelet if they make them.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Also, the novelty of somebody like Bray coming out to challenge Brock would be completely unexpected and out of left field which is what the product desperately needs right now.
ReplyDeleteI think Grantland got rid of their comments page.
ReplyDeleteYou're late. I made that joke.
ReplyDeleteOr a botch!
ReplyDeleteHomophobic but in a laugh out loud way. Just because the idea of a main event push based on injuring your opponents with sheer dick power is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's really that dumb. Almost everybody here complains about Reigns' in-ring work and says he's not ready to put on the good, lengthy matches you want from a main eventer. I personally believe WWE knew that already -- which is why they were hiding his weaknesses so well in The Shield -- but then they either pulled the trigger on his solo push too early out of eagerness (trying to strike while the iron was hot), or they were actually responding to what they felt fans wanted and did Reigns' solo push despite knowing it was too early.
ReplyDeleteEither way, if they've been paying attention to the slowly dwindling response Reigns has been producing (live crowds and online), and if they're getting worried that he's gonna lose the heat that made him their guy going into WrestleMania 31, it's believable that they'd want to bench him for a little bit. This could both allow Reigns time to seriously train undercover (maybe with a vet in psychology like the Undertaker or Austin) and allow his absence to make his return feel special, like Cena at the '08 Royal Rumble.
The timing and method of it may seem odd, but that could be WWE's way of making it seem even more real. I mean, pulling Roman Reigns out of a high-profile PPV match the day before the event HAS to be real, right?
And didn't we all find it odd that they actually ran Reigns vs. Rollins 1-on-1 at the RAW before the PPV? But if they knew they were sending Reigns underground, it makes more sense that they'd give that match away on RAW because they didn't want another PPV "flop" from Reigns. And the way things turned out at Night of Champions, with a relatively fresh Rollins feeling confident enough to attempt a cash-in on Brock ... I mean, that doesn't happen if Rollins had gotten beat or just beaten up earlier in the show against a monster like Reigns, does it?
I'll admit, I'm often a contrarian just for the sake of argument, but the more I think about it, I could believe that Reigns isn't really hurt and that this is an angle intended to get him better before making him the No. 1 guy.
The chances of that happening involve the kind of math Scott Steiner dabbles in
ReplyDeleteIt would be a hair tie with Reigns.
ReplyDeleteDean and 1 trillion other people in the past. Its not illegal.
ReplyDeleteNo one reads your writing enough to know your email address.
ReplyDeleteYeah but how is it gonna rebook the Invasion?
ReplyDeleteOr a shoot!
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't like injuries at all, I have always had the mentality that the wrestling business needs injuries...how many times have, in hindsight, an injury been the cause to something GOOD in prowrestling? An injury to a top star can lead to the next man up stepping up and making a name for himself...
ReplyDeleteAdd me to the confused list.
ReplyDeleteOh man, you really got me there.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your email? I'll start sending you stupid questions.
ReplyDeleteReigns: "I've lost many things over the last few months.. most of all I've lost my smirk."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the injury is legit, but the whole thing just smacks of keeping Reigns out until the Rumble so he can come back from his injury, like Shawn in 96, Cena in 2008, Edge in 2010 and whenever else they've done that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Magnum TA for helping Nikita Koloff's push..
ReplyDeleteI think the illegal part is having him fake being in the hospital? I mean he was in the hospital, right?
ReplyDeletebbayless781@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteTHE POWER OF THE WARRIOR WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL!
ReplyDeleteOr a work!
ReplyDeleteI understand, but that is the only thing I could think he meant.
ReplyDeleteI like the name only because it's going to get dropped to just Balor anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic. At least Austin outright said that he was driving to Brian's house.
ReplyDeletethe wilhelm scream would have required them to be aware of how stupid that scene was.
ReplyDelete>Finn Balor
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to add that i'm sure hasn't already been said. Astounding incompetence is now the new norm at Titan Towers.
I can see the argument on paper, but in reality, no one cares about Orton and a win over him means nothing.
ReplyDelete