The lets all point and laugh at Fin Martin thread

[King Pitcos]

Is there anyone who buys it that didn't start buying it in the attitude era or earlier, I wonder? I think the magazine fit perfectly for our generation, as it's basically a big teenage sulk about mainstream wrestling and almost always has been -- and it was timed right before everyone got broadband. But as we grew out of sticking it to the man, the younger angry teens got their anti-Cena fix on forums and websites, and PowerSlam must have just survived off those of us who kept buying out of habit. And Fin has spent years trying to break that habit for us.

[fraserbee]

A huge shame. I've been a regular reader since 1995 (and an irregular one since 1992). I still enjoy Powerslam, not so much for the news these days, but more for the historical articles such as The History of PPVs, The History of the WWE title and the article a few years back about blading. Never an issue has gone by either, without there being published at least a handful of amazing action photographs, which were another highlight.

 

If they read this, very best wishes to Fin Martin or anyone involved with PS over the years.

[LSM]

Personally I always preferred Powerslam to FSM and always bought it from issue 1 with Owen Hart on the cover. I was also a reader of the precursor Superstars of Wrestling as well. PS the only wrestling mag that I bought religiously and genuinely looked forward to buying. Such a shame.

 

If Fin does read this thread, Cheers for the past 20 years+ of a great mag.

[ColinBollocks]

Can't deny I'm a little blue the magazine is coming to an end. If only because it's another wonderful reminder I'm getting really old and my teenage years are well and truly in the past.

 

I always used to buy Powerslam when I was up visiting my old man. I tried to save it for the trip home, but I usually always found I would read it when we were in his house. I got into the habit of buying for a few months when I got back into wrestling, but like most here, I stopped bothering with it. Partly because handing over a wrestling magazine to the pretty girl in the local WHSmith was definitely a knob knocker.

[daztraction]

Findlay Martin explains the closure.

[Seratonin]

Very sad news, Power Slam/Superstars Of Wrestling was my favourite magazine but disappeared from my newsagents during the mid-90's, then I got back into wrestling in 1999 and was glad to see that Power Slam was the new SOW.

 

My interest of wrestling is dying and this is bad news for me, maybe something will change and it will be back one day.

[Jimmy Boy]

Fin isn't short of a few bob

 

http://companycheck.co.uk/director/9088762...BENJAMIN-MARTIN

[IANdrewDiceClay]

 

Still the champ.

[Rule One]

I wouldn't mind but its a J-Mar bootleg and people did have much better copies before his even arrived.

 

Still, I'd kill for a set of locks like that.

 

Shame about PS as a whole but it deserves praise for how long it lasted.

[twelve_grand]

The phone lines! Shit that makes me feel guilty - I introduced a kid up the road to SoW and he ran up a massive bill on his parents phone. Mind you they had a satalite dish the size of a caravan on the roof of the garage to pick up Italian TV (and as it happened DSF WCW) so they obviously had a couple of quid,

[LEGIT]

I've been without a laptop for a month and come back to read this shit news.

 

It's a shame, been collecting the mag since '97, and a few years ago I bought all the back issues. Twenty years is great innings, but it's a chapter closed in the way I look at wrestling. The e-book should be good, hopefully more to come from Fin and the Powerslam name.

[tiger_rick]

Shared these once before. Some old PowerSlam interviews. Came from some website about 15 years ago!

Bam Bam

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

 

Bam Bam Bigelow Interview

 

conducted by Power Slam's Fin Martin in May 1996

 

I have never been one for cliches, but the tired old phrase 'what a difference a year makes' has scarcely been more applicable: one year ago, Bam Bam Bigelow was headlining the World Wrestling Federation's Wrestlemania XI pay-per-view, the largest pro wrestling event on the calender in the United States; now, he's headlining Trans World Wrestling Federation cards, and accepting bookings with various other indies, such as ECW and the International Pro Wrestling Federation.

 

Furthermore, prior to WM XI, Bigelow was receiving more mainstream publicity than any other grappler in the industry, on account of the fact that his opponent in the main event of the show was Lawrence Taylor, the former linebacker with the New York Giants. Indeed, Bigelow's name and face was splashed all over the US tabloids, newscasts and sports programmes. Heck, he even popped up on the Howard Stern radio show - a first for a pro wrestler.

And Bigelow, remember, could previously not be uttered in the same breath as Hulk Hogan or Randy Savage: this was an all-new experience for the 'Beast from the East'. A mid-level player throughout his career in the western hemisphere, he had never been the subject of such an overwhelming level of publicity inside, let alone outside, of the wrestling business. Did he, I asked, take it all in his stride?

 

Yeah. I took all the publicity in my stride. I took it real well; I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. I got to meet a lot of people and I've got to say that I learned a lot too. And the thing is, that match raised my profile ... I became more popular because of it. I'll always be remembered for Wrestlemania XI, and it's always going to carry me as long as I'm wrestling.

 

And you gotta look at it this way: I was ready for it. I'd been wrestling for nearly ten years prior to the match with Lawrence Taylor. So there was nearly ten years' worth of work involved in that one match.

 

Was losing a high-profile contest like that just like losing any other?

 

I didn't take it as losing; I took it as a great performance. Considering LT had never been in the ring before, the match came out real well, and they'll probably never do it again.

 

Shortly after his pinfall defeat at the hands of Taylor at Wrestlemania XI on April 2nd, 1995, the 'Beast from the East' split with his longtime manager Ted DiBiase and embarked upon a fresh career as a babyface. Initially, everything went wonderfully. Bam Bam scored victories over his former stablemates Tatanka, Irwin R. Schyster and Sid, before teaming up with WWF World champion Diesel to roll over Tatanka and Sid in the main event of King of the Ring.

But then it all turned sour.

 

Although Bigelow overturned Henry Godwinn at In Your House II, he sound found himself slipping down the card. With no burning issue to speak of, he was absent from Summerslam '95. Then he lost to Davey Boy Smith at IYH III, and, by November, he was gazing at the ceiling for such luminaries as Isaac Yankem. What exactly went wrong?

 

It was down to the Clique. I was there ... I was right there with Diesel at King of the Ring, and Shawn Michaels wasn't - he was right down at the bottom. So the Clique used its leverage to push me out of the position and Shawn came in and took the spot.

 

Presumeably, it was the Clique's influence which at least partially convinced Bigelow to take a hike after the Survivor Series.

 

I'm still working for the WWF, although I don't want to be active. Once they did that thing with Shawn Michaels ... You know, Vince seemed to have given Shawn, Diesel and Razor the world. For the Clique, it was a case of 'what they want and when'. If they wanted somebody working with this guy in this position or doing that angle, it happened. They put a lot of pressure on Vince McMahon to change things around. So I got sick of that. I didn't think that the wrestlings should run the company, I thought the boss should.

 

You can't say fairer than that ...

 

Bam Bam Bigelow was quick to deny the long-standing report that he was trained by Larry Sharpe at the Monster Factory in New Jersey. ("No way! He never trained me. I trained there, but I learned most of it by myself.") But, thankfully, we were on the same page when the conversation rolled around to the territory in which he received his first real break. It was none other than the notorious Mid-Southern area, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The year: 1986.

I use the word notorious because Memphis has come under much criticism from wrestlers who have shared their experiences in the area with PS and its forerunner SOW. From Cactus Jack to Hulk Hogan, and from Maxx Payne to Steve Austin, they have all painted a sorry picture of life on the Memphis circuit. Atrocious payoffs, horrible working conditions; everyone had the same tale of woe to tell. Bam Bam Bigelow, however, broke the mould ...

I had a guaranteed payday, so the money, being a young kid, was great for me. I mean, I had a blast. I wasn't married, I was single at the time. So it was a whole lot of women, a whole lot of partying down there, plus I got to work with Jerry Lawler, Tommy Rich and some other real veterans of the game from whom I learned a lot about the business.

 

So what, if the life was so enjoyable in Memphis, convinced out man to move on to Texas All-Star?

 

The booker was offering a better payday. But, you know, I soon moved on to World Class. Mind you, that didn't last long either, because I didn't like the gimmick (Bigelow worked as Russian heel Crusher Yurkov in WCCW), I didn't like the booker, and we weren't drawing, so the pay was going down.

Bigelow's adventures in Tennessee and Texas soon led to bigger and better things, though. Indeed, NJPW learned of the tattooed mauler who displayed uncommon grace, coordination and agility for one of such gargantuan size and swiftly asked him over for a high-profile tour - and this, while he was still in his rookie year. How did he land this opportunity?

 

You know, they have their scouts, their people who travel around looking for new blood. So, after someone saw me, they called me up and asked me if I wanted to come in, and I said yes.

 

And in he went, with the backing of his 'trainer' Larry Sharpe, which was a strange turn of events considering NJPW usually eschews the heel manager.

Well, Larry Sharpe was taking care of the deal, and he basically said, 'No Larry Sharpe, no Bam Bam Bigelow'. So he accompanied me on my first tour of Japan.

 

Which went very well indeed. The legendary Antonio Inoki did not seem especially keen on locking horns with the 'Beast from the East' in a series of six-man tag team matches, and that rebellious so-and-so Akira Maeda fell to Triple B in a singles match - and he never lost to anyone! ("He wasn't happy about that at all," responded the increasingly succinct Bigelow.)

 

However, Bam Bam's career in Japan had hardly begun when the WWF came calling in 1987. And what a fuss they made, as all the on-screen managers engaged in a bidding war, or whatever one chooses to call it, in an effort to lure him over to their stable. That must have been quite the buzz for a man who was only just coming off his rookie year.

 

Well, I didn't even care, you know. I mean, all I wanted to do was stay working ... But, looking back, I thought my first run with the promotion went well. I had a good time with it; the WWF is a fine organisation. But the drawback is that Vince has his certain favourites who seem to get everything, and certain boys that work hard seem to get nothing.

 

How did Bigelow feel about his opposition, which basically consisted of Hercules and the One Man Gang, during that inaugural swing?

 

After nine months, I got tired of it. So after WM IV, I quit.

 

Were there any other factors which contributed to his decision to walk?

 

Yeah, I was married and my wife had a baby, and I couldn't get any time off. You know, back then we were working 50 or 60 days in a row on the road. When you come home, you had three or four days off, but then you were back on the road for a long period, and I couldn't do that with my new family.

 

For a number of western grapplers, especially those who value their weekends off, so to speak, New Japan and All JApan are the places to work. For a kick off, one generally only works for between 20 and 30 weeks per year, and those 20 to 30 weeks are staggered, therefore one enjoys plenty of time off between tours. Furthermore, the wages are guaranteed, and the headache of getting from one arena to the next is bypassed, owing to the fact that transportation is organised by the company. For some, it's a great life. And from 1988 to the autumn of 1992, it was the only life for Bam Bam Bigelow.

 

Still, Triple B occasionally popped up on the US circuit - under the PWF, WCW and various independent banners - never for more than a week or two, before he disappeared for months on end again. This was because his commitments with NJPW took priority, right?

 

Yeah. I had a job in Japan, and it didn't last with WCW towards towards the end of 1988 or in 1990 because they wanted me full-time. They wanted all my time, but I wanted to split it up between Japan and WCW. So it was basically a case of one or the other, and Japan won. My main thing was to stay busy and keep the money coming in. But my career in the States never really went anywhere because my priorities were with New Japan.

On the subject of NJPW, Bigelow frequently banged heads with the organisation's other superheavyweight, Big Van Vader, from 1989 through to 1992 when they formed a regular tandem. Did he crack open the champagne when management decided to hook 'em up?

 

No.

 

Why?

 

Me and Leon White hate each other. You know, you gotta realise that I was the teacher; Vader was very green, he was very inexperienced. So they put him with me to teach him - that's why we had all those singles matches. I taught Leon, I carried Leon, and the plan was that we would team up down the road. But Leon wasn't happy, so I wound up staying there and he wound up in WCW.

 

However, on March 1st 1992, several months before Vader went full-time with WCW, he teamed with Triple B to capture the IWGP tag team belts from Hiro Hase and Keiji Muto. Despite their feelings for one another, that must have been quite a night, especially for our man: in overturning Hase and Muto, he began his first major title reign.

 

No, it wasn't. It was just business.

 

Just business?

 

Yeah, it was just business. That's wrestling. It's all money. It's all about the money ...

 

As the year 1992 came to a close, Bigelow said au revoir to his companions in the Orient and bonjour to his old friend in Stamford, Conneticut, Vince McMahon. But as Bam Bam Bigelow explained, he harboured no grudges against New Japan: it was simply time to move on.

 

After fulfilling a five year contract with New Japan, I felt it was time to return home and get some work with the WWF.

 

In spite of the fact that Bigelow engaged in a lengthy and highly acclaimed programme with World champion Bret Hart around the house show circuit, he was, as far as the television programmes were concerned, more interested in laying his mitts on Tatanka. Indeed, it was a feud with went on and on and on, and never seemed to reach a conclusion.

 

That was the program. That was the office. But Tatanka and I had some really good matches. I had a lot of fun with Tatanka; I polished him up and, during the program, I was really having fun with the business again.

 

Did our man have any idea why the program ended without conclusion?

 

It started getting over in the States. And when it started getting over, it started taking something away from the main event, so they cut it off. We weren't headliners, we weren't the main event, so they cut it off. After that, I moved into a feud with Doink. But he's a friend of mine, and I polished him up too, and then moved on again ...

 

So that's what I do: I'm the teacher; I polished people up. That's what I did with Tatanka, Doink, Mabel, Leon White, Scott Norton, Tony Halme and Lawrence Taylor. I turned him into the greatest wrestler that has ever lived (laughs).

 

Earlier in our conversation, Triple B revealed that he has no desire to remain active in the WWF through the remainder of his contract, which expires in October. However, he was slated to return, for a one-night stand, at the Royal Rumble - before elbow surgery sent the proverbial spanner crashing into the works.

 

I had to have my elbow operated on, because I had bone chips lodged in the joint. I had to have the operation done, so there was nothing I could do about missing the Rumble. But it's fine now. In fact, I was out golfing - I completed 18 holes - before you called.

 

I didn't doubt him for a moment. Though his schedule has been drastically reduced, Triple B is keeping himself occupied, wrestling in various indie leagues up and down the east coast.

 

Yeah, I spend my weekends working the independents, and do very well from them. So I'm happy with that. Plus I have a roofing company, which takes up a lot of my time.

 

For now, Bigelow is an independent wrestler, a weekend warrior. But, come October, he will be free from the contractual shackles of the WWF, free to ink a deal with rival WCW ... if, of course, that's what he really wants.

 

All I'm basically looking for is three more good years in the business and then I'm done. I'm looking to go down to WCW when my WWF contract expires and, through them, return to New Japan. In three more years I'll be 37. I think that's a good age to retire ...

 

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

Edited July 16, 2014 by tiger_rick

[tiger_rick]

Benoit

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Chris Benoit Interview

conducted by Power Slam's Fin Martin in February 1995

 

Chris Benoit is not a modest bloke - he's an extremely modest bloke. The 27 year old resident of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, may be classed as one of the top three wrestlers in the profession by every reputable bone-bending journal under the sun, but it hasn't affected the dimensions of his head. Indeed, this is a man who has his own sense of self-importance well under control.

 

Which is refreshing in a business populated with raving egomaniacs, indivuals who are under the impression that they are the best thing to slide down the pipe in decades, and yet, are not in the same league, never mind division, as the man known as 'Wild Pegasus.'

If you recall, Benoit came in at number two in the PS 50 back in issue 6, being pipped for the premier position by the stellar Shawn Michaels. It would have been a crime to squander such an oppurtunity, so i put it to him: how do you feel about your top three standing, Chris?

 

I really don't have any feelings about that. I ... i feel uncomfortable when people say that to me because there is so much great talent in werstling right now, and i really don't think it's fair to single out anyone. In wrestling it's hard for anyone to pick a number one or a number two or a number three; everyone has a different style which will be appreciated by some and knocked by others. You know, it's just like someone saying they love 'this' musician, or 'that' painter and another one won't. It all depends on the type of wrestling you like to watch. For example, there are some awesoem Lucha guys down n Mexico, such as El Hijo del Santo, and it's very difficult to draw a comparison between them and the top guys in Japan and the United States.

I also feel that rating the so-called to guys takes something away from the other wrestlers who work so hard at what they do. Believe me, there are a lot if guys that i watch that make me think, 'Damn! I wish i could do what you can do.'

 

What did i tell you? A modest fellow, this Chris Benoit. Unlike certain individuals i could mention, he's certainly not one to start blowing his own trumpet ...

 

Chris Benoit was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1967 and moved West to Edmonton with his family some 12 years later, whereupon he discovered professional wrestlnig, namely Stampede wrestling - a promotion owned and overseen by Stu Hart.

 

Stu had some pretty talented players on the books in 1979, but one grappler in particular grabbed Benoit's attention. His name: The Dynamite Kid.

 

I went to all the matches - all the cards - that he was on, and watched all the TV shows. I wanted to be like him in my youth. Dynamite inspired me to become a pro wrestler.

 

Just exactly how did Chris make the big break?

 

Just from going to the matches week after week. Eventually, i began talking with the wrestlers, and then working in the ring crew, which, in the summer of 1985, led to Stu inviting me down to train in Calgary ... it just grew from there.

With an abundance of wrestlers or former wrestlers who shared family ties with the esteemed Stu Hart, 'Wild Pegasus' soon found himself in the perfect environment, never at a loss for advice from any one of an even dozen individuals, right?

 

Not really. I mainly trained with Stu, Bruce Hart and Mr. Hito (a Japanese wrestler who worked the Stampede circuit for a number of years). I never actually got in the ring and trained with Davey Boy (Smith), Dynamite or Bret. I had been out around town with them for a while, and at Stu's house when they were back home. And, sure, when we talked, i tried to pick their brains about the business, but i never spent any time in the ring with them.

 

Benoit made his debut later that year. Was it everything he dreamed it would be?

 

Yeah, it was. Because at first i was only working on weekends. I wasn't on the road during the week and didn't spend much time with the guys (other wrestlers). I didn't really learn about the ups and downs of wrestling until around February 1986 when i began wrestling six days a week with well experienced guys like The Cuban Assasin and Jerry Morrow - and making those gruelling road trips.

 

Was the man under the microscope earning a few bob at this stage of his career?

 

Yeah, yeah, i was happy with what i was making. You know, i was 18, single ... had no dependents. It was great actually.

 

Within six month, Benoit was living and working in the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo along with a rotund individual by the name of Darryl Peterson (now Man Mountain Rock). I was curious to learn how he landed such a position.

 

At the time, (Stampede headliner) Bad News Allen was still wrestling in New Japan, and i guess he put a good word in for me with the office.

I was there for about nine months, and trained with a guy called Black Cat. There were several other guys who were in there who were either trainers or students just finishing their training, such as Keiichi Yamada (Jushin Liger), Masa Chono, Akira Nogami and Masakatsu Funaki.

 

Masakatsu Funaki, he of Pancrase fame? Now, there's afellow who has driven off at a tangent. How did the shoot fiend assert himself as a run of the mill pro?

 

After Liger and the others had left the training facility, i guess Funaki showed the most natural ability towards the business. And he was my opponent in my first (New Japan) match in January 1987 ...

 

Who won?

 

I don't remember.

 

But i feel sure that Chris remembered the feeling, the rush of adrenaline, when he walked that immortal aisle under the New Japan banner for the very first time.

 

Man, i loved it. I was, like ... living in my dreams. Before i broke into the business i would watch video tapes of Davey Boy and Dynamite working in Japan. And i had always dreamed of making it to that level. I can't tell you how great it felt when i first walked down the aisle and wrestled for New Japan. I loved it ...

 

As the autumn of 1987 beckoned, Benoit's business with NJPW came to an end. Therefore, he returned home to Calgary where he found himself working his old stomping ground Stampede. Progress had been made in Japan, however, which failed to escape the attention of promoter Stu Hart, who began to push Benoit into title contention.

 

Johnny Smith had been wrestling as a babyface and we were tagged up for a run before he turned on me and we began a run over the British Commonwealth mid-heavyweight title.

 

Which our Chris raised no less than four occaisions between March 1988 and July 1989. Was this his first major program or feud in the Stampede region?

 

No, not really. I had a thing going Gama Singh previous to that. Actually, my first major program came when i tagged up with Ben Bassarab and we wrestled Wayne Farris (the Honky Tonk Man) and Ron Starr.

 

Talking of tag teaming, Chris was around when the British Bulldogs made their collective return to the Stampede area just days after the second annual Survivor Series in November 1988. Did the big fish shake the small pond up?

 

They did, yeah. But i thought the business could have done a lot better financially than it did at that point. Unfortunately, there was so much turmoil internally at that point that was simply beyond their control.

When Davey Boy and Dynamite first came back they had a lot of pull coming off their run with the WWF. But so much had happened until then ... the business really hit the skids.

I don't like to get into what happened, nor what was going on. It's over now, it's all in the past. Let's just leave it at that.

 

Is it a mere figment of my imagination, or did i hit a nerve there?

Anyway, the conversation continued to revolve around the Bulldogs, with reference to Dynamite's heel turn and subsequent colaboration with Johnny Smith, and Benoit's assention to the main event lsot where he frequently teamed with Davey Boy Smith to cross swords with 'The British Bruisers,' Johnny and his childhood hero Dynamite. Was Benoit living in his dreams all over again?

 

That was like the icing on the cake. Just to have been around them (Davey Boy and Dynamite), spent time with them and talk with them and then actually get in the ring with them ... it was more than enough for me.

 

It came to an end, however, in December 1989 when Stampede went under, leaving the crew with no place to work. Benoit was more fortunate than most though, landing himself a position with New Japan. Was this all mapped out before Stampede's demise?

 

No it wasn't. When business was going downhill in Calgary, i didn't really have any idea what i was going to do next. Then i got a phonecall from (NJPW official) Tokyo Joe, and i ended up returning to New Japan ...

 

NJPW's second annual Tokyo Dome show, held on February 10th, 1990, marked Chris Benoit's grand return to the orient. Only he was not billed as 'Chris Benoit'; he was now the masked 'Pegasus Kid,' a man who would prove to e the proverbial thorn in IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion Jushin Liger's side for quite some time.

 

I was very lucky, very fortunate to go back to New Japan so soon after Stu's business went under. But i had a real hard time in the ring that night with Liger and Nogami, just trying to get back on track, because towards the end there in Calgary the work ethic had slipped. You know, a few years previous from that, you could go from working a Stu Hart show right into a Japan show and it was almost the same thing. I was really out of shape for my comeback match. I really was.

 

Benoit teamed with Naoki Sana to roll over Jushin Liger and Akira Nogami before a live crowd in excess of 60,000 on that chilly February evening. Six months later, he was wearing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title following a pinfall victory over rival Jushin Liger, and, in doing so, he became only the second Western wrestler to raise the coveted strap (Owen Hart, of course, being the first). At this point, did Benoit think to himself, 'Yes! This is it: i'm really going places in this company'?

 

Not really, no. I don't ever like to feel too comfortable with my surroundings. I believe that that kind of attitude leads to complacency. I like to think that i can always do better and try harder in each match, regardless of what i've accomplished or where i am.

 

The Benoit/Liger run, it has to be said, beard an uncanny resemblance to the Dynamite/Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama) program of some eight years previously. When it first began, did Benoit mull over the similarities?

 

In a way, with me being a foreigner who had worked for Stu and Liger being on top of the Junior Heavyweight scene in New Japan, it was similar in that sense, yeah. and, you know, growing up watching tapes of Dynamite's matches with Tiger Mask, i can relate to what you're saying ... being in a program with a top Japanese wrestler, it was similar, yeah ... with our styles reflecting Synamie and Tiger's ...

 

And the matches being of a similar quality?

 

Well, anyone can have an incredible match with Jushin Liger; he's such a talented guy.

 

Talking of Liger, how's the lad doing over there - well on the road to recovery, is he?

 

Last i heard, he was scheduled to make his comeback at Wrestling Dontaku (on May 3rd). He was backstage at one of the shows (i was working) last November/December time, and he was already doing backflips.

 

The conversation then switched to an altogether different part of the world, Mexico. In March 1991, Chris fell under the Universal Wrestling Alliance banner where he captured the WWF Light Heavyweight title from Villano III. Was this Benoit's first ever trip to Mexico?

 

Yes, it was. And at first i had a lot of trouble because i had gotten really sick. I don't know whether it was the food, or what.

 

How did he cope with the change in style?

 

I think i was trying too hard to wrestle their exact style. After i had made the adjustment, i figured i would just incorporate a few aspects of the Mexican style into my style, which worked really well. And as i went back there to defend my title, it got easier every time out.

 

Strange as it may seem, Benoit did not compete with a US based organisation until June 16th, 1992 when he teamed with Beef Wellington in the NWA World Tag Team tournament, which was hosted by WCW. How did it feel to hit the big time in the United States?

 

I didn't know i hit the big time (laughs).

 

I rephrased the question; how did it feel to work for a big time organisation in the States?

 

Since our opponents in the tourney were Jushin Liger and Brian Pillman - two guys who i was and am familiar with - it was nothing new, it didn't really feel any different. Sure, the tag tournament did, as you said, mark the first time i had wrestled in the States, with the exception of a shot for Stu in Montana several years earlier, but in this case there was no real difference.

 

Although Benoit and Wellington were knocked out in the first round, then Vice President Bill Watts and booking sensation Dusty Rhodes were most impressed with his performance. Whilst in Japan for the NWA World title tourney in August, Watts and Rhodes again marvelled at Benoit's antics and began negotiating to bring him back to WCW which, if memory serves me correctly, transpired in January 1993.

 

I spoke more with Dusty than i did with Bill Watts in Japan, and eventually signed a one year contract with WCW. But the deal clearly stated that my commitments with New Japan took priority over WCW.

 

Which was the primary reason why Chris had a less than stellar run with the organisation.

 

Well, i liked it there. I had a good time. I met a lot of people that i'd always wanted to meet while working for WCW. And it was also a learning experience, dealing with a different style of wrestling and having the opurtunity to team up with experienced pros like Bobby Eaton. I may not have won the World title, but, looking back, i don't consider my stint with WCW to have been a waste of time ...

 

If the year 1994 will be remembered for anything other than the trial of Vince McMahon and the emergence of Hulk Hogan in WCW, it will be for it's stunning cards of action. ECW came up trumps with The Night The Line Was Crossed, as did WCW with Spring Stampede and the WWF with Wrestlemania X. In my opinion, however, New Japan's Super J Cup - held on April 16th in Tokyo's Sumo Hall - beat them all out for first place. The singles tournament was one of the greatest cards in wrestling history, and was won by none other than 'Wild Pegasus' Chris Benoit following a blinding final round battle with The Great Sasuke.

 

That was undoubtedly the hardest night of my wrestling career. I was physically and mentally exhausted after wrestling three separate matches ... if they (New Japan) have another one this year, i hope they spread it over several nights (laughs).

 

And the competition was something else, right?

 

It was great, because everyone who was involved in the tournament was really talented. I mean, they were the cream of the crop. The only thing that was missing was a Brian Pillman or a Dave Finlay; someone else with a Western wrestling style.

 

Speaking of matters of the Western variety, 1994 marked Benoit's independent wrestling debut. With so much free time on his hands between NJPW tours, the question begs to be asked: why did he leave it so long?

 

Well, i was quite content with New Japan - and i still am. If they offered me a lifetime contract, i would sign it without any hesitation whatsoever.

Getting back to the independent thing, i had never actively pursued work in the States and no one had ever tried to contact me, until one Dennis Coraluzzo called me last January, and, the following month, brought me down to New Jersey to have that crazy match with Sabu.

 

This, one would assume, led to a spot with Extreme Championship Wrestling.

 

You could say that. They were offering me a lot more work. When i first started working the independent scene, i was having a lot of fun - i really enjoyed it. You know, the atmosphere is completely different to that of a major company, such as New Japan. So, when ECW offered me semi-regular dates, it was a natural choice to make: i decided to go with them.

 

Although Benoit wrestled a number of powerful matches throughout the late summer of 1994, it was the unfortunate accident with Sabu on November 19th that set the ball a-rolling. Shortly after Sabu suffered a fractured vertebrae and bruising of the spinal chord, our man became 'The Crippler' Chris Benoit!

 

(laughs) Yeah, 'The Crippler.'

 

Did he make any significant changes in preparation for his new persona?

 

To this day, i sometimes go down to the Philadelphia Arena a couple of days before the shows to spend some time in the studio polishing up my interviews ... they were just so God-awful. If there is one aspect of the wrestling business in which i would like to better myself, it's interviews.

You know, when you're a foreigner working for a Japanese promotion, interviews are just not a factor. So, that is one area, one part of the profession, which i've been working on. And it's especially important in a promotion like ECW which contains so many guys who are great interviews.

 

The Crippler almost lived up to his name on February 4th when he performed the most astonishing run-in. Benoit powerbombed Sabu off of the top turnbuckle onto and through a table. Oh, almost forgot: 'Flyboy' Rocco Rock was lying on the table. What inspired him to commit such an act of insanity?

 

Well, i had done the powerbomb from the top rope on Liger whilst i was in Japan. And i just figured it was the perfect opportunity to do something which had never been done before in the United States.

 

The outrageousness continued on February 25th when Benoit and partner Dean 'The Shooter' Malenko downed Sabu and the Tazmaniac for the tag team belts, and performed a serious number on the Public Enemy, particularly a wheelchiar-bound Rocco Rock. Clotheslining a man in a wheelchair? Sending him crashing into the guard rail at approximately 15 miles per hour? What was he playing at?

 

Admittedly it was pretty wild last Saturday night in Philadelphia, clotheslining Rocco Rock and contesting that crazy match with the team of Sabu and the Tazmaniac. But that's the thing with ECW: it is unlike any other promotion in the US. You can, within reason, do whatever you want to.

 

But what does Chris Benoit want to do in the future? For whom does he aspire to wrestle: the WWF or WCW, or as he mentioned earlier, would he like to remain with NJPW - not forgetting ECW - for the remainder of what should be a lengthy pro wrestling career?

 

You cannot rule anything out in this business. Right now, i'm very happy with ECW, and i hope business picks up for them in terms of more dates. I talked with ECW promoter To Gordon the other day and he told me they were planning on running seven or eight house shows in April, which i'm very pleased about. Plus, i like the way things are run there, i like the style of wrestling and they work around my Japanese commitments. But this is one strange business at times. Two or three years from now, who knows what i'll be doing ... i would be crazy to rule anything out.

 

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

[tiger_rick]

Bret Hart

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Bret Hart Interview

conducted by Power Slam's Fin Martin in May 1998

 

Bret Hart. 'The Hitman'. Fairly famous bloke. Used to work for the WWF. Was rather successful too. Captured most of the titles, the big one five times. Left the group under circumstances which could be described as "acrimonious." Now works for WCW. Was a good guy. But it didn't last. "There's no sense fighting it," he tells Fin Martin. "Wrestling fans, In the United States anyway, don't seem to believe in heroes any more ...

It was a great start: perhaps the best anyone could have hoped for. Following a number of utterly stellar confrontations over the microphone, Bret Hart and Ric Flair collided at WCW/NWO Souled Out on January 24th in Dayton, OH. It was 'The Hitman's' first televised match in the organisation. And what a dam fine bout it was. Furthermore, the decision went Hart's way and the fans appreciated his efforts. Mission accomplished. Bret Hart was on his way ... to the very top of WCW. Two months later, however, that momentum had evaporated. 'The Hitman' was treading water. His lifeless series with Curt Hennig scarcely helped - but there was more to it than that. What went down a storm in Dayton was being met with indifference in other parts of the United States. In short, the babyface approach wasn't working.

 

This called for action. And, on Monday Nitro on April 20th, action was taken. Hart, completely out of the blue, turned heel: he interfered in the main event of the programme. As a result, Randy Savage bit the dust and Hulk Hogan left the ring with the World tide.

Since then, 'The Hitman' has gone up in the world: he's forged a solid alliance with Hogan and become embroiled in a bitter dispute with Savage. Their meeting at Slamboree fresh in mind, I posed the first question ...

 

FM: Were you happy with your bout with Randy Savage?

 

BH: Yeah. Pretty much.

 

FM: Still, although you got the result, It was hardly the cleanest victory of your career.

 

BH: Yeah ... But there's no sense fighting it: wrestling fans, in the United States anyway, don't seem to believe in heroes any more.There's no rule book any more. Whoever breaks the rules best wins.

 

FM: Maybe so, but did you REALLY have to spit In Savage's face after the match?

 

BH: Well, that was my way of ... I guess by doing that that makes me bad. My message was kinda like, you wanted me to be bad - here it is. You know (when I joined WCW), I tried to be a hero, someone the fans could look up to. But apparently that wasn't what anybody wanted.I've said this many times: wrestling fans dictate policy in wrestling. They, ultimately, decide my fate They were not going to accept me as a good guy. And, as much as I tried, it just seemed to be an uphill battle.It was a heck of a lot easier for me to be the scoundrel that everyone was craving. So I would rather go that route myself, if that's what makes everyone happy. That's what I've done.

 

FM: When you arrived In WCW, you were Issuing challenges left, right and centre to Hulk Hogan. Why did you join forces with him and help him win the World title?

 

BH: Funny you should ask (long pause). I helped Hogan win the World title to ... erm, get more of the spotlight on me. You know, I didn't wanna keep going the way I was going. I was fighting (Ric) Flair and (Curt) Hennig and these kind of guys. That was okay, but I didn't think that was the way for me to go. I would much rather clear out some of the other guys, like (Kevin) Nash and (Randy) Savage.I don't know where things will go with Hogan and I. I don't know if its a partnership that will last forever. But, for the time being, it's better to work with him than against him.

 

FM: Turning the clock back, do you believe that you were destined, from birth, to become a professional wrestler?

 

BH: Everybody else will probably tell you that, but I never imagined that it would happen. You know, I looked at my father, and I didn't want his life. I wanted to be at home with my family - that kind of thing. Looking back, I guess I was destined for the world of wrestling. But I just didn't realise it.

 

FM: What did you aspire to be when you were, say, 14 years of age?

 

BH: I wanted to be a movie director. At that time, I had no plans to be a wrestler.

 

FM: You wrestled for your father's Stampede promotion for a number of years. From what I hear, it wasd a hell of a tough territory.

 

BH: Oh, yeah it was. I worked it for six years ... You know I worked England as well around this time? it would have been, maybe, '81. I tagged up with big Shirley (the late Big Daddy), and wrestled most of the British guys, like Marty Jones, (Mark 'Rollerball') Rocco ... all those guys. But, yeah, Stampede was hard. I swore after that, that if my WWF career had stalled, I would have probably quit wrestling rather than go back to the grind of that schedule. It was tough.

 

FM: Meanwhile, you frequently visited the Orient, along with Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid, where you competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling. You faced the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama, on several occasions. He wasn't bad back then, was he?

 

BH: No, he wasn't ... He'd been in England too, right?

 

FM: Sure, as Sammy Lee - one of Bruce's 'relatives'.

 

BH: Yeah, I always had a lot of respect for him. He was unique. But I felt very privileged at that time to be lumped in with a bunch of guys who were ... one of a kind. Sayama was probably one of the most creative and athletic guys that ever wrestled. I think Dynamite set a standard that was unparalleled ... And, in my own way, I think I was the best young, American style wrestler at that time. I wrestled against Dynamite, I wrestled against Tiger Mask, and I wrestled against Davey, for that matter. I really feel that I learned the best wrestling from the best wrestlers. And when I look at the young guys today, I don't think there's anybody who is as good as we were back then. You know, if Tiger Mask - as he was then - came along today, he'd be better than anybody. There's nobody that compared with him, and I don't think anyone would argue with that. And Dynamite - he was just unbelievable. There's people that talk about Chris Benoit and how good he is. And he is very, very, very good. But he's not The Dynamite Kid.

 

FM: In August 1984, your father sold Stampede to Vince McMahon - and, in a sense, you along with It. At the time, did you feel It was a step in the right direction?

 

BH: I had mixed feelings about it. It was, like, before I was the top guy in a little promotion. Then I became the bottom guy in a big promotion.But, in the WWF, I made a lot more money, although the schedule wasn't any easier. Instead of driving 500 miles a day in a van with a bunch of wrestlers, going from town to town, I was flying thousands of miles a day, wrestling in one city after another, sometimes 60 days in a row.

 

FM: Would you mind telling us how much money you earned In your first year with the WWF?

 

BH: I don't like to talk about how much money I made. But I at least tripled my earnings.

 

FM: In the WWF, you became a full-time tag team wrestler, whereas in Stampede - at least from 1980 onwards - you were either pursuing or wearing the North American title. Was tag teaming the way YOU wanted to go?

 

BH: No, it wasn't. But, when I first got down there, it was a struggle to get any kind of spotlight.For example, from that first year, I don't think you'll find any pictures or footage of me. I was always advertised as "Plus one other match." My name wasn't even on the programme.So, I was there for about nine months, lost in the shuffle, and then the tag team thing came up. Then I saw an opportunity: I knew The (British) Bulldogs were coming in, and I knew that if it was The Hart Foundation vs. The Bulldogs we could steal the spotlight, grab the public's attention.

 

FM: You were right: The Harts and The Bulldogs had some phenomenal matches.

 

BH: The saddest part of it was, and I always tell people this, is that we had so many great matches on the road, most of which were never televised. Some made it to television, but the really, really great ones were never captured on camera.I remember one time we wrestled in Chicago. We were the second match and we just completely blew the house down.

 

FM: Do you believe that, given the opportunity, you could have excelled as a singles wrestler in the WWF of the late 1980s?

 

BH: I don't really know. I mean, I was a technically sound wrestler. But at that point, I wasn't a very good ... salesman. I really didn't know how to talk, how to express myself. I wasn't very colourful. Perhaps I didn't have the confidence. Technically, I was definitely good enough. But mentally and emotionally, I think I was still a little naive.

 

FM: You were a little on the small side too: In the late 1980s, the WWF employed an awful lot of monsters.

 

BH: When I think about it, you're probably right, there was a lot of monsters around back then. But I was bigger then. I was about 18 pounds heavier then than I am now. Because there was so many big guys around, it was important to be as huge as possible. So I was always trying to keep my weight up - you know, by stuffing my face.Years later, I changed. I dropped weight, cut up. It allowed me to move a lot faster and, in many ways, wrestle a lot better.But wrestling changed too, especially around 1991 when (the WWF) began getting strict on drug testing. A lot of these huge guys, who were basically steroid freaks, dropped off, which allowed me to show what I had. Which was wrestling.

 

FM: Wrestling was definitely the name of the game in your match with 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig at SummerSlam '91.

 

BH: Yeah, that was a highlight for me.There are these funny little things that mean so much. You know, Curt Hennig, when he entered that match, had a really bad back. He could have just no-showed, like some people do nowadays. Shawn Michaels, for instance. But he showed up, gave 100 percent, had a great match and lost the Intercontinental title. Looking back on it, I remember that more than the quality of the match or anything else, he was injured, he showed up, and he lost. A lot of guys wouldn't have done that.

 

FM: Presumably, October 12th, 1992 was a highlight as well. It must have been quite a rush to defeat a grappler of Ric Flair's standing for the World title, especially In Saskatoon, SK, just a few hundred miles from your hometown.

 

BH: It's funny, the first match I ever had was in Saskatoon. And to come back - and I don't remember exactly how many years later it was - and have a World title match and then get the title ... When I won the title, I think I was more shocked than anyone else. Its like you wish you could be World champion and you always think you're good enough. But when it happens, it's like, "Okay, now you're champion of the world" . . . I didn't believe I was champion. I wasn't confident at that point. I was concerned about how long I would last. I wanted to keep the belt for a while so I wouldn't look bad (laughs). And it wasn't until I lost at WrestleMania (IX) - you know, Yokozuna, Fuji, Hogan, all that stuff - that I realised I was better than them. But I think losing the title at that time was an important thing to have happen to me, it actually made me stronger, it made me work harder. If you look at King of the Ring, a few months later, I had three matches. I faced Razor Ramon, Hennig again and Bam Bam Bigelow, who are three very different wrestlers. if you look at them, all three of those matches are completely different, all three of those matches are very physical and very punishing matches. I look at that night as a testimony to where I stood in the wrestling world. At that time, I knew I was good enough to be champion.

 

FM: In all, you held the WWF World title five times. Which reign brought you the most pleasure?

 

BH: I don't know ... I think the best one I had might have been the last one. Yeah, maybe the last one because I tied the record with Hogan, and because I had those great matches with The Undertaker. Anyone who has any doubts about my ability just has to watch the match where I won the title (at SummerSlam '97). I was as good in winning that match as I've ever been. I think the English expression is "spot on." I was spot on in the match at (One Night Only) as well. I think the WWF would like to portray me as a guy who was unable to carry the weight of being champion. I think I proved that' s a whole bunch of crap.

 

FM: When did the problems with Shawn Michaels begin?

 

BH: I imagine it started a couple of months before we wrestled at WrestleMania XII. But they were always professional enough - you know, professional problems. I believe the things I said about Shawn Michaels were true. I didn't say anything that was ... damaging about the guy. I mean, I can't help it if the man poses for Playgirl magazine or if I have a problem with that. I think when I brought that up, it bothered him. And then it just kinda got to be tit for tat. Several times -before Shawn and I had our big blow-off - I tried very hard to come to terms with him and draw a line and make peace. And several times we shook on it: I said that I wouldn't cross the line as far as talking about 'this' and 'this' and 'this', and said that I would appreciate it if he wouldn't talk about my family - my father, that kind of stuff.We'd come to terms on that and then, two weeks later, I'd be watching TV and he'd just cross right over the line.

 

FM: So, in your experience, he wasn't the most trustworthy member of the locker room?

 

BH: No. I never felt that he was very honourable or had any integrity at all. I thought he was a lying piece of s--t, to be quite honest. I think Michaels is a guy who set out years ago to dismantle or dislodge me from my position of being, like, the star of the company. And it became an obsession for him. It was never an obsession for me to be the star of the company: as long as Bret Hart can be Bret Hart, he'll be fine ... And I think McMahon had a lot to do with it. I think he had to decide who was his star: Michaels or me. Because (Michaels) is younger, I think Vince was sweet on him.

 

FM: Have you seen much of the WWF's programming since you left the group?

 

BH: I really don't watch it any more, although I did see the Saturday show here (on May 16th). I thought it was pretty bad. I thought it was a step backwards. You know, people always ask me if I miss the WWF. And I'll be honest with you. I do miss the WWF. But I don't miss the way it is now. I miss the way it used to be. I always loved the international tours which WCW, at least at this point in time, has no real plans for. I miss the bigger ring, and the real ropes - the WWF has real ropes, whereas WCW has steel cables. But if you ask me if I miss being on the bill...I really don't think that Bret Hart would fit into that show. When I see Hunter Hearst Helmsley pointing at his crotch and telling the fans to "suck it" and stuff like that. I don't allow my kids to watch (Raw Is War) and I haven't done since before Brian Pillman died ... When (he) was s-gging Marlena in the back room and the springs were going up and down. I thought that was in really bad taste. And the last few weeks that I was there, they were definitely pushing me in a direction which made me out to be a racist with that black and white issue with (the Nation of Domination). I refused to do that and they started to do it anyway. I have a problem with that, a lot of people take wrestling very seriously and I don't want to be misconstrued or painted as a racist in any way, shape or form. It's one thing to bash Americans, which I had a little fun with. But I don't hate Americans, I never have, and I went along with that story line to kick start my bad guy image. But I think the rest of the world got into it - the Canadians, English people and everyone else kinda accepted that Americans do have a bit of an attitude. So I could deal with that. But being a racist? I had a problem with that. it bothered me, and I told them that. Then we did a Raw taping, and I was out there talking and all of a sudden the screen came on and Shawn Michaels was there. I knew Shawn was going to appear on the screen, but I had no idea that he was going to say that I trashed (the Nation's) dressing room and sprayed "Nigger" on the wall, or whatever it was. It was then that I realised the WWF was going to do the story line about me being a racist against my own will. To me, what should always sell in wrestling is wrestling. And I don't believe the WWF sells wrestling any more. I think they sell Jerry Springer. It's turned into Jerry Springer, strictly for ratings. I feel a sense of shame and humiliation for all the wrestlers that really believe in wrestling as an art form when I watch what happened to the WWF: Vince McMahon has just sold out the art form - the profession itself - strictly for ratings and to line his own pockets.

 

FM: How do you feel about the WWF's decision to incorporate the finish of your match with Shawn Michaels at The Survivor Series into the programme between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon?

 

BH: I think it's kinda sad. But I guess it was inevitable. Wrestling has always tried to blend fantasy with reality in such a way that you can't tell what is and isn't real. But I will say this much: what they've been doing with Austin is strictly story line. What they did with me ... I worked for (the WWF) for 14 years. I missed two shows in 14 years. And I think that if you go back and watch my matches, you'll see that I was the guy who always gave 100 percent. I was the guy that always went that extra yard. To see what they did to me at The Survivor Series, to have them ring the bell on me, just to humiliate me in Canada and around the world. Then to have Jim Ross say that my career started in 1975, or something like that when the match started ... To do the thing a few days later with the midget. They were so vicious ... so uncaring. You know, I shake my head all the time: it's such a thankless job. I was always there, whenever I was advertised. I wrestled when I was sick and injured; I never missed one title match in 14 years. But those things don't mean anything to (the WWF).

 

FM: Do you believe that Shawn Michaels was 'in on' the double-cross?

 

BH: I know he was in on it. I know all the guys who were.

 

FM: Care to name names?

 

BH: Jerry Brisco Jim Ross, Pat Patterson ... Vince McMahon, since it was his idea. That' s why I punched him out. You know, he considered suing me for quite a while, but he couldn't do it because the whole story would come out. He would have to testify as to what they did to me. And I know that he couldn't take the stand and testify as to what happened without hurting himself. Looking back, it was a very sad betrayal of somebody who gave his word and went by their word for years and years. I had been warned years ago that Vince McMahon was a snake and should never be trusted. And you know it, but I assumed after everything that I'd done for the company that when he said I could leave with my head up that I would be able to leave with my head up.

 

FM: Give us your thoughts on current WWF World champion Steve Austin.

 

BH: Steve Austin is, and always has been, a great wrestler. He's fresh, he's new, he's very good. But I do wonder about his injuries. I know he's got a bad back ... But I hope good things for Steve Austin. I don't have anything bad to say about him. He always treated me fairly. We always had great matches. And he has a lot of respect for the profession itself, which is very important.

 

FM: Will Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan ever lock horns one on one, on pay-per-view?

 

BH: I don't know. That's something that will have to be considered ... very carefully.

 

FM: It would certainly make a lot of money.

 

BH: Yeah ... I guess it would.

 

FM: What's the difference between working for Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff?

 

BH: There's a big difference: Eric Bischoff has integrity. And WCW treats its wrestlers like athletes in contrast to the WWF which treats its wrestlers like circus animals.

 

FM: Any last words?

 

BH: Even though I was only in England maybe once or twice a year (when I was working for the WWF), at least I was there. And I miss that, I miss that a lot. And not just England, but Europe and the whole international thing. I know I'm on television internationally, but I don't know if I'll ever be back. I hope the fans in the UK remember what I tried to exemplify. I never did get a chance to say goodbye to them, or any of my fellow wrestlers or the people who work in the studio, the cameramen ... There's so many people who are involved in the WWF who weren't part of what happened to me that night in Montreal. I never got a chance to say goodbye to them, or my fans. I never got to do a big farewell speech. I hope the fans can forgive that.

 

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();

[tiger_rick]

Candido

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Chris Candido Interview

conducted by Power Slam's Fin Martin in May 1997

 

'They are the sort of people who would take the best electrician in the world and make him into a plumber.'

 

'They' are the people who work at Titan Towers, imposing headquarters of the World Wrestling Federation. And 'they' are the people who came up with all those ingenious gimmicks, like Goldust, Flash Funk, Rockabilly, Henry and Phineas Godwinn and the Body Donnas.

 

Chris Candido was a Body Donna, you know. Skip, that was his name. Along with partner Zip, he held the WWF World Tag Team title. But that has probably slipped your mind, since their reign was less memorable than Bart Gunn's last match.

 

Now, Chris Candido is Chris Candido, in Extreme Championship Wrestling. The people there provide him with interview time, you know, so he can establish himself as a character with character, hook him up with talented opponents, and let him wear gear which gives him the appearance of a wrestler, not a clown. The upshot is that he is over. He's a player. The fans actually give a damn.

 

But, you see, the people he is working for now are not the sort who would hire the best electrician in the world to install a Jacuzzi or an en suite shower, rather something well within said sparky's capabilities: a burglar alarm, perhaps, or a set of spotlights ...

Implausible as it may sound, Chris Candido made his professional wrestling debut in 1986 at the tender age of 14. Trained by his grandfather, former WWWF wrestler Chuck Richards, his first tread the boards on what he describes as 'outlaw shows' against the veteran likes of Black Gordman.

 

Some five years later, following his graduation from high school and a stretch as a 'weekend warrior' for a number of East Coast independents, wrestlnig became a full-time occupation, as Candido found himself working for the organisation which has housed almost everyone who's anyone, the USWA.

 

It all happened one night after a Joel Goodhart show in Philadelphia. I went to eat with Jerry Lawler, Eddie Gilbert and Jim Cornette, and kinda asked about coming down (to the USWA). And they said, 'Okay. We'll call you in just a couple of weeks.' I got the call and thought it was the greatest thing in the world that I was getting to go to Memphis.'

 

Memphis, a city, a circuit, synonymous with all things grim. But not so for Chris Candido: he has fond memories of his six-month tenure under the USWA banner. Indeed, as far as he is concerned, it was a valuable, even an enjoyable, experience.

 

You make an average of $40 per night, and you only work six, actually seven times a week, because you work twice on Saturdays. But working in Memphis was something that I always wanted to do. I always wanted to go through there to see if I could make it.

In a way, I kinda enjoyed having to stay in one room, with Tex Slazenger ... you know, the Godwinns ... Rob Van Dam, Judge Dread; we all stayed together, except for when Tammy came down for a month or so, and we depleted her college fund.

But when you go down to Memphis, you know what to expect. You know how hard it will be financially. But you also learn how to wrestle.

 

In 1992, Candido returned home to Jersey and, with a stretch in the USWA behind him, found bookings a whole lot easier to come by.

 

When I went back, there was a lot more work. A lot of times, I would work Friday, twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday, because I had the name: the USWA, you see, was on ESPN every week, so I'd had exposure on national TV.

I also went to FMW, which was through Sabu, who I'd met and become good friends with in Memphis.

Anyway, I guess I wrestled (on the East Coast) for a year-and-a-half or so. Then Dennis Coraluzzo brought Jim Cornette in to manage me for a weekend on one of his shows, and, as a result, (Cornette) eventually brought me into Smoky Mountain.

 

So, it was back to Tennessee, East Tennessee this time around, for what, to his amazement, would prove to be a two-year run with the outfit.

 

It was only supposed to be a six-month deal, but it turned into something completely different. I was coming up to the blow-off (the conclusion of the feud) with Tim, so I started thanking Cornette for everything and he asked me what I was talking about. He said we've only just got to know you, you're going to be here for a very long time.

So, I worked with Bobby Blaze and had a lot of fun. Then I (wrestled) Tracey Smothers, and later they put me and Brian Lee and Tammy together, and we beat the Rock 'n' Roll Express for the tag team title.

 

Although the USWA and Smoky Mountain are (or were) both 'old style' territories, featuring comparable in-ring action and clearly defined babyfaces and heels on cards which played before similar-sized crowds, there was, for the workers, one very important difference between the two groups ...

 

In Smoky Mountain, you could actually make a living. Im Memphis, you almost lived out of a car, whereas while we were in Knoxville, we had a nice apartment and were home (after the matches) every single day.

 

Smoky Mountain, as alluded to earlier, was also the organisation in which Candido's girlfriend - who has since achieved international fame as Sunny - made her managerial debut as Tammy Fytch. Considering the US pro wrestling industry is hardly renowned for projecting its women in a positive light, I asked Mr. Candido if he tried to dissuade her from getting involved.

 

Not really ... A lot of times, she pulled my boots out of the garbage and prevented me from quitting when I was getting frustrated and things like that. And with her in the business, we'd always be together ...

At the time, she was going to medical school, but she just enjoyed (working in the wrestling business) so much and picked up on it so well. One time, for example, just before I went to work for Giant Baba, we started watching all Japan tapes, just trying to pick up how I was going to fit in and get over over there, and she could tell immediately. She would say, 'You've gotta do this different and that different' ... She's a lot smarter (as regards the wrestlnig biz) than people think.

 

Candido's business relationship with All Japan Pro Wrestling began - and, as it turned out, ended - in October 1994. And though he did, as divulged, prepare for the trip by viewing several hours of AJPW footage and was, therefore, aware of the organisation's brand of bone-bending, after years of wrestling in the old time, Tennessee-style, the question had to be asked: was it a shock to the system?

 

It was a little bit ... But I always try to be a student of wrestling. I adapted to the style as best I could, by going in there as a straight-laced wrestler, as opposed to part wrestler, part character as I was in Smoky Mountain. Sure, after all those years, working for All Japan was very different. But it was something that I really enjoyed ...

 

Chris Candido would have returned to the Orient on a regular basis if it were not for the intervention of a certain organisation based in Stamford, CT.

When he returned home to Knoxville, following his inaugural tour with Baba's group, Candido was greeted with the news that the World Wrestling Federation had been calling. Consequently, he had a decision to make: remain with SMW and AJPW or sign with the WWF. It was not one he took lightly.

 

I just couldn't make my mind up: here I was, with two of the most powerful wrestling companies in the world wanting me, and I just couldn't make the decision. I was so miserable. Eventually, what clinched it was that the WWF agreed to bring both me and Tammy in, so that was really too good to turn down.

 

On February 22nd, 1995 - several weeks after Candido, wrestling as Chris Candido, defeated Barry Horowitz in a tryout - Candido and Fytch made their debut under the WWF banner as Chris and Tammy Spirit, collectively known as Team Spirit.

The fitness instructor gimmick, with both playing babyface, bombed, which caused the character development squad to rethink their concept - and a great deal of confusion for the promotion's newest signings.

 

There was a lot of confusion at the start there. Once I signed the (WWF) contract, I found myself sitting around at the television tapings, waiting for something to happn ...

With the WWF, it seems that they take what you're good at ... You know, they are the sort of people who would take the best electrician in the world and make him into a plumber. I was a fantastic heel, so instead they tried to make me into a babyface, with a superhero cape.

Some time later, they called me back - actually it was Jim Ross - and said, 'How would you feel about being heel?' I said I'd feel great about it, which led to me becoming Skip Body Donna.

 

Which was a name and gimmick devised by the WWF. Candido, as is usually the case, was completely at their mercy.

 

I didn't have any say at all over the name or gimmick. I don't know if that was due to me being naive and not pushing for anything. In saying that, later on, I tried to push, and kinda buried myself doing it.

 

Initially, Candido was as inspired as the rest of the world with the Body Donna gimmick.

 

At first, I didn't think I was going to get over at all. The first few matches, I tried to do it their way but, after that, I just tried to be Chris Candido wearing a stupid outfit. Eventually, I really think it worked. The run with Barry Horowitz in the summer of 1995 was only supposed to be a short-term deal, but it got over so well that it stretched over a couple of pay-per-views.

 

The programme with Horowitz over, Skip's momentum waned and he soon returned to the background. But management had a plan, a cunning plan, which would place Skip back on the map and bolster the ailing tag team division. Enter Skip and Zip - the Body Donnas!

 

My first reaction was that I was happy about it, because Tom (Prichard) is a real nice guy, a real good friend, and one of the most misued, under-rated wrestlers in the business. But, for a guy like that, a guy I really admired who had been around so much longer than me, it seemed really strange that he would have to cut his hair off - which he hated - and dye it blond so that he could look like me.

 

The Body Donnas tag team didn't seem like a particularly good idea at the time and, in practice, it clearly wasn't. Though they captured the World tag team belts on March 31st, 199, their reign didn't last and the combo was an unmitigated flop.

 

We tried one thing, but the road agents then told us to do another thing, and then another thing, and we just never seemed to have any direction. Because of that, we never seemed to get any heat.

 

By October, Candido was through with the WWF and working for ECW after management found themselves at something of a loss: as far as his in-ring career was concerned, they were fresh out of ideas. Indeed, the only position in the offing, if he wished to remain with Titan Sports, was that of a teacher in the organisation's training facility. It was not one which Chris found particularly appealing.

 

After they split me and Tom up, I was supposed to team with the Punisher from Smoky Mountain, who's now part of the Truth Commission in Memphis, but for some reason it just kept getting put off ... So, they weren't sure what they were going to do with me and, at 24, I thought that I should be doing something in the ring, rather than helping Dr. Tom at the school.

We split on pretty good terms. They actually let me start working (for ECW) while I was still under contract ...

 

If you worked for the WWF in 1995, then chances are that you had your problems with the notorious Clique, the mega-powerful group comprised of Shawn Michaels, Kevin 'Diesel' Nash, Scott 'Roazor Ramon' Hall, the 1-2-3 Kid, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Chris Candido was no exception, experiencing, as he succinctly put it, 'loads'.

Though a trifle reluctant to dwell on the subject, he was, before we moved on, gracious enough to share one tale which certainly bears repeating ...

 

After Shawn got beat up in Syracuse, Tammy and I spent thing night with him in the hospital, holding ice on his head, while his buddies were out trying to find the guys that did it. We spent the whole night with ice on his head and, the next day, as far as the Clique was concerned, we were assholes.

 

What! Why?

 

I have no idea.

 

Chris Candido hopes to return to the WWF, as Chris Candido, at some point in the future, but for now he seems to be very content in ECW.

 

I'm a lot happier working for ECW than I thought I would be. I have a lot of input in what I do, a lot of responsibility behind the scenes, and I'd really like to stay here for as long as possible to help build this company.

 

And he is in a strong position to contribute to ECW's growth, what with the revival of the Triple Threat.

 

Yeah. We were re-established last weekend: it's now me, Shane and Bam Bam Bigelow. And I think it's really going to help us a lot, having a national name as part of the team. Plus, right now, I've got two things going. At one spot, I'n in the heel Triple Threat, and in the main event, I'm teaming with Taz as a babyface against Sabu and Rob Van Dam.

 

It quickly became obvious during out long conversation that Chris Candido has a tremendous amount of passion and enthusiasm for the mat game, much of which, as he readily concedes, stems from his current place of work and the freedom it provides. He reflects upon his tenure with the WWF, not with regret or bitterness, but a sense of disappointment, and looks to the future with optimism, as an integral part of Extreme Championship Wrestling.

 

The past few weeks, after tearing my bicep muscle, I've hardly wrestled. I've mostly been helping out in the back, and I enjoy that a lot. In ECW there's a really great locker room full of guys. They work hard and it's a great atmosphere. You know, I'm having fun: this is a fun place to work. As I said earlier, I hope to stay in ECW for as long as possible. I'd stay here for life if I could.

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close();