Post by CW .org .info .net on Dec 8, 2022 10:33:47 GMT -6
Rob Van Dam Interview - May 2001
Rob Van Dam, headed to Windy City Pro Wrestling's Battle of the Belts show tonight in Hammond, Ind., talked about how he made the ECW TV championship an important event.
"When I had the TV belt, that was when everything turned in my favor," Van Dam said. "I bet Bam Bam Bigelow, and then I had a match against Mikey Whipwreck and it was the first time I had all the fans on my side. I fought hard to have the best match on every card. Fans would say, 'Hey Rob, when are you going to have a chance at the world title?' I said the TV title means more. And it did. I almost had it for two years and I was undefeated. At that point, the belt did mean a lot to me. I was the longest-reigning champion in recent history and I was undefeated until I had to give it up because I broke my ankle. I never lost the title. It did have a lot of honor and I made it mean a lot. It was going to be the best match on the card every night and it didn't matter who the world champ was or who was the tag champs as long as the fans were chanting, 'RVD, RVD.' "
Rob Van Dam on ECW's last days:
"I don't even know if I could draw a line, this is where they started to show they were heading to bankruptcy," Van Dam said. "I had been with them since January of 1996. When I came in, I came in making a fraction of pay I was making when I left.
"It was built up to where it there wasa Big 3. It looked like it was going to take off. We had the magazine, videogames, pay per view, national TV. But even during that time, there was a period when the boys' checks were bouncing and guys were stressing bad. We made it thorugh some rough times.
"There was a point where I knew I had passed the point of no return. I was highest-paid guy, and I was owed the most money. TNN never helped ECW take a step up. ECW was swept under carpet. ECW signed guys up to contracts, many for pretty big money.
Van Dam then left the company.
"I thought leaving would help ECW out," he said. "The hole of debt was getting deeper and deeper. But at the same time, having me at he shows would help the show out."
He said he was disappointed he didn't get to say goodbye at the pay-per-view event scheduled for January. The event eventually was canceled.
"I was very excited about going back in January for the pay per view," he said. "It was the last chance to wrestle in my favorite group, in my favorite ring in front of my favorite fans."
*****
Jimmy Stronz Interview - May 2001
Jimmy Strons admits he lucked into his two-year ride in the WWF.
Strons was 21 years old and self-trained when state of Illinois official John Spahn spotted him at a Lunatic Wrestling Federation independent wrestling show in the south suburbs.
With Illinois one of three states that required state officials present at professional wrestling events, those officials were allowed to designate one referee for any event. Spahn asked Strons if he would be interested in being that referee at the next WWF event.
Strons was working his second event as a professional.
Everything happened for me really fast, Strons said. I had just turned 21 and had done one professional show. Then here I was at the Rosemont Horizon in a WWF ring.
Strons, now 25 and a student at Northern Illinois University, spent two years working for the WWF at shows in Illinois and Wisconsin. He has become one of the top referees in Illinois and still works for the LWF and also Midwest Championship Wrestling, where he will be Saturday at the MCWs first-ever TV taping in Chicago Ridge.
He no longer works for the WWF.
Its a complicated story, Strons said without revealing details. I did something I was supposed to do, but I really dont think I did anything wrong.
He didnt work for the WWF on that first day - a WWF Raw show in Rosemont.
I just hung around and watched the show, he said.
But Strons made a good impression with WWF officials and by February 1998, he was called on to work at a house show in Springfield.
My very first match was Kama vs. Savio Vega, Strons said. It was the very first match of the card. I still remember it. At one point, Kama had Savio Vega in a chokehold and he was really choking him. I was still very green and I didnt know that. Savio was literally pulling at my jersey because I wasnt asking him if he was OK. But it was my very first match.
Later in the card, he became the victim of a WWF practical joke.
There was a match, Kane vs. Chainz, Strons said. You know how Kane would bring up the lights (and explosives) when he dropped his arm. Well, I was being worked. The guys were saying when Kane drops his arms, you have to run through the ropes and back up the ramp, because youre afraid. But nobody told Jack Lanza, who was the road agent there. So Kane comes in, he reaches out his arms and Im running through the ropes, up the ramp and Jack Lanza greeted me and said, What are you doing? Get back in the ring. He was furious, because none of the guys told him what they told me. They told him later.
Strons spent a week touring with the WWF when head referee Earl Hebner injured himself.
He was trimming a branch in a tree and he fell out of the tree, Strons said. They asked me to come along with them. That week was absolutely crazy.
Strons traveled to Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Rockford. During the tour, he made his first appearance on Raw.
It was Kaientai vs. Luna and the ICP freaks (the Oddities) and it was pretty crazy, Strons said.
He said he was asked to go to North Carolina, but already had missed a week of school and could not afford to miss any more time.
His experience taught him the WWF isnt as bizarre as those who read about it on the Internet are led to believe. He said backstage is fairly calm.
The guys show up, they get dressed, they talk, Strons said. Theyre normal people. Youre sitting there and Mankind is on the phone with his credit card. The guys are just playing cards and theyre joking around. Its just like work, you have a boss who tells you what to do. Its a normal job, but its on TV.
He said many would have you believe WWF stars feud constantly behind the scenes, but he said most wrestlers get along nicely.
Its quiet, its calm, Strons said. They throw ideas back and forth. There isnt much anger.
Ive only seen a wrestler get angry once.
He said the upset wrestlers were angry over an ad-libbed spot in a tag match.
It was their match to go over and one of the other wrestlers stole their heat, Strons said. He added a spot that wasnt supposed to be there. He went over, but it wasnt his turn. I wont name names.
He said he nearly was able to work Owen Harts final match as Strons was in Rosemont with the WWF the night before Harts death in Kansas City, Mo.
I watched a hockey game with Owen Hart the night before he died, Strons said.
He worked a lot of dark matches when the Hardys, Edge and Kurt Angle were working them.
The Hardy Boyz and I came in together, Strons said. They did dark matches and didnt actually have a gimmick. I did a bunch of their matches when they did dark matches. Edge did dark matches. I actually did two of Kurt Angles matches before he had a gimmick.
He says he isnt happy about the way his stint ended, but he understands he was fortunate to even get the chance. He said many have worked a lifetime for such an opportunity.
Its probably the biggest slap in the face if you think about it, he said. Some referees have been working for 10 years and they can only dream of being in a WWF show. I did two shows and it was like, here you go. There are guys in this business their whole life just to be in the WWF ring, to be on live TV. Here I am, self-trained and 21 years old and Im in the Horizon. The first night, I got paid $300 and I didnt do a thing. I felt like I should have been paying them.
Its the most funny thing in the world. Its really screwed up.
He said he just happened to fit what the WWF was looking for.
I have the perfect stature to be a referee, Strons said. I have a clean-cut look. Im not very big and Im an outgoing person. That makes me marketable as a referee. If youre above 5-foot-10, youre not going to be very marketable as a referee. They like smaller referees. That helps make the wrestlers look bigger. You put a 5-10 guy in with guys like Jayson Reign and Double M, the referee is going to be the biggest guy in the ring. In the WWF, I was the tallest one, and Im 5-7. Jack Doan is 5-5 and Earl Hebner is 5-6.
Strons said he was amazed to watch the LWF grow from the backyard.
I just happened to come in at the right time, he said. They were doing it for two or three years and I never thought it would get as big as it did. When we first started in Lemont, we were drawing 600 people. Thats at $10 a head and thats pretty crazy. We only had one guy trained and he wasnt a major wrestler at the time.
He said he never would discredit the LWF because of where they began and said others who began in LWF should stop criticizing the place
The backyard is probably the best thing that ever happened to me, the best thing that happened to a lot of wrestlers, Strons said. (Former LWF wrestler) CM Punk always rips on yarders, but he was the biggest backyard wrestler ever. He was all backyard, all the time. It took another guy to get trained for him to get trained. He was a yarder when he was doing LWF stuff. When I hear him talk about yarder, yarder, hes the biggest hypocrite ever.
That is not to say Strons doesnt respect Punk.
Hes a good wrestler and he was a best friend of mine, but he burned so many bridges, Strons said. I hope Id never have to work with him again.
But if the situation arose...
If he did an MCW show, yeah, I would do his match, Strons said. Id be as professional as I could be. We wouldnt go out to dinner. I just think its funny when he calls people yarders. He forgets, hes a yarder, too. Im not embarrased. I started in the backyard. Who cares?
Strons said many remain with the LWF out of personal enjoyment.
Its a fun time, he said. You know everybody. Double M has accomplished everything he can, but he still does it. I know Jay Jensen left, but its just because he wanted to get away and spread his wings. He just didnt want to be involved anymore.
He says the LWF is becoming more organized. He said he respects MCWs professionalism.
I show up there, and I get with the wrestlers and talk about what has to be talked about, Strons said. I do my thing. I get paid. I go home. Its a well-run organization. Its well thought out, well presented. The wrestlers come to wrestle and the referees referee. Its everything you enjoy about the wrestling business. Let the wrestlers concentrate on wrestling and the referees concentrate on refereeing and youll have a happy locker room.
Strons had a memorable exchange with former ECW star Simon Diamond in a comedy spot in MCW. Strons was able to execute a few moves on the wrestler.
If I didnt get a chance to touch a wrestler, if I never put my hands on a wrestler, thats fine, Strons said. It made me look good, but thats not the object of the game. The object is to put the wrestler over and make sure they get their spots, let the wrestlers know how the crowd is reacting. I can make things look more dramatic than they really have to be. There are three people in the ring two who get the excitement and one who helps them.
In MCW, guys like Double M, Jay Jensen, Jayson Reign and Airborne can have all the glory. They deserve it. The fans dont pay to see me, they pay to see them. Its my job to make them look good.
*****
Eric Priest Interview (about defending AWA Title vs Jerry Lawler) - September 2001
Eric Priest looked across the ring and saw Jerry Lawler. The American Wrestling Association world champion
looked in the crowd in Gallup, New Mexico, and saw 4,000 fans.
He couldn't believe it.
"It just kind of felt like I had taken over somebody else's body," Priest said of the moment, which took place
two weekends ago. "I kept thinking this shouldn't be me. It should be somebody else."
Priest, a Steel Domain-trained wrestler from Melrose Park, went in and left the main event against Lawler with
the AWA world title. He had Jimmy Hart in his corner, and the Mouth of the South interfered, disqualifying Priest
and giving Lawler a victory, but not the belt.
It was another notable moment in a summer that keeps topping itself for Priest, who has had five title defenses
since winning the AWA title.
"It was very intimidating," Priest said. "We barely spoke before the match at all. I stood there, staring across at him,
having no idea what I was going to do, and no idea what he's going to do."
Lawler has been in thousands of matches, so the match wasn't difficult. And Priest is no rookie.
"I loved the match," Priest said. "Looking back, there are a few things I could have done differently."
Working as the heel, Priest said he got an instant reaction.
"I walk out there and they already hate me," Priest said. "It's just my attitude, and how I present myself.
Are you ever at a bar, and you see a guy walk in, and you just hate him right away. You don't even know him,
but you could tell he's a jerk. That's me. I had a lot of trash thrown my way, fans spitting at me. I don't like to be spit it,
but when I'm walking out there, there is no question who was going to be the face or the heel."
Priest said he and Lawler "focused on the crowd. We did a few moves, but the rest was psychology, bringing the crowd up,
bringing them back down. We didn't go out and do a lot of high spots, but Lawler never did that kind of stuff anyway."
Priest said he came in and left with respect for Lawler, and he said Lawler "liked the match."
"He lived up to expectations," Priest said. "I was very excited going into the match."
Priest made his friends proud. Ace Steel - the Steel in Steel Domain - said Priest thanked him after the match.
"Every time Priest has a good work, he turns around and thanks us," Steel said. "I always say stop it, but he says, no, thank you.
It's a good thing. It's like your kid out there when you train them."
Said Priest: "I'll always be a Domain guy. No matter what."
Priest said he is enjoying his run as AWA world champion. He said the crowds usually are big. "AWA is promoted differently," Priest said.
"I did 5 or 6 radio interviews within two weeks leading up to the show. It's not like Chicago, where they put up some fliers, and maybe
you see it advertised on TV."
Next for Priest is a Sept. 22 show in Wausaw, Wis., where he will face the Honkeytonk Man, a Steel Domain show in Minnesota and he said
he likely will appear Oct. 20 in Hammond, Ind., at a World Wrestling Zone show at the Hammond Civic Center.
He said he'd like to add a date in Memphis against Lawler. He said the King mentioned the possibility, and Priest knows facing Lawler
in Memphis is entirely different than a match with him anywhere else.
*****
Ace Steel Interview - September 2001
By the time Ace Steel's arm was raised in victory Saturday at the Sweet Science 16 tournament in Charlestown, Ind.,
Steel Domain wrestling had put its stamp on the two-day event.
To win, Steel needed four victorires beating Suicide Kid, Danny Dominion, Adam Pearce and former ECW star Nova.
Steel vs. Dominion - a quarterfinal match - pitted the Steel Domain namesakes against each other.
Steel said Suicide Kid seriously hurt his arm during their first-round match.
Dominion beat American Kickboxer in Friday's first round before losing to Steel in round 2.
CM Punk lost to Dino Bambino in Friday's first round, then won a three-way dance over Tracy Smothers and Sabu.
Punk pinned Smothers.
Colt Cabana lost to Tarik the Great in Friday's first round, then teamed with American Kickboxer to win a tag match
over Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush.
And Steel claims Pearce as a Domainer, so count his first-round victory over Hero, a second-round win over BJ Whitmer
and a semifinal loss to Steel on the Domain scorecard.
Steel said despite he and Dominon's close friendship, the two have not had many 1-on-1 matches. "We've really only been
in the ring against each other maybe 5 times over the last few years," Steel said. "It's less than 10."
Because it was a tournament, their quarterfinal match couldn't go long, but Steel said it was satisfying.
"I wouldn't say it was a barnburner," Steel said. "But it was good for what it was supposed to be. It was about 6-8 minutes.
A lot of guys said it was good to see two buddies stiffing the hell out of each other out there."
Steel also enjoyed his match against Pearce.
"It was very nice to get back in the ring with Adam," Steel said. "I would never turn a blind eye to him, ever. Anyone could
burn down the ring with him."
He said Pearce works like the rest of the Domain guys.
"We all like to work snug," Steel said. "We like to get the crowd involved. It was a hard-hitting match. I wish I would have
had more time. I worked four main-event guys and with two - Danny and Adam - I would have liked to go longer, but I wasn't allowed.
It would have taken a lot more out of me."
Against Nova, "there wasn't a lot that we did, but we did enough to put the capper on the night for the whole Sweet Science thing,"
said Steel, who said he took the tournament concept seriously. The emphasis for tournament matches was on technical wrestling.
"We did not put in bump after bump. It was not like his ECW theory. He seems to have gone away from that, at least with me."
Steel said Nova "was very receptive to anything I wanted to do." And from beginning to end, they put on a match faithful
to the concept.
"It was a good time," Steel said. "He was very professional."
Steel said Nova paid him and the Domain guys "the ultimate compliment. He said you deserved jobs, but there were none available
in ECW (when Nova was there), but he said he never doubted what we could do. That's the ultimate compliment, well,
next to getting work."
Steel said Cabana's match " sounded really great." And he said Punk stood out in his three-way match.
Steel said Punk originally was scheduled for the three-way match, then was switched to a match putting him in a six-man tag with
Madman Pondo and Mitch Ryder against Ian Rotten and the Insane Clown Posse.
"Ian had changed his mind and was going to have Punk work with the Cowns, and he was kind of down," Steel said. "He wanted to work
in that three-way match. Tracy got there and asked Punk what happened, and Punk said, oh, go ask the boss, that's what he said.
So Tracy said, no, we've got to have the three-way."
Steel said Punk scored "a decisive win. He got the pin on Smothers, and at the end there was a little table action."
Steel said Smothers "is a machine. He is phenominal. I'd love to work him 10 more times. I know what I'm doing against him,
but he's telling me what I'm going to do before I even do it."
Ace Steel said he didn't believe it when Danny Dominion told him they were booked for Saturday's Windy City Pro Wrestling
show at Taft High School.
"I laughed for an hour when I got Danny's message that (WCPW owner) Sam (DeCero) was going to book us," Steel said.
"I think it's odd."
Steel will face the WCPW league champion Terry Allen, while Dominion faces "All That" Steve Boz.
Steel and Dominion the namesakes of Steel Domain wrestling - are former WCPW stars who left years ago.
With Steel Domain, they train about a dozen high-level independent workers, and they still run shows in Minnesota.
Most who leave WCPW do so angrily. Steel said that was not the case with him, though it was for Dominion,
who stormed away after dropping his league title at a Battle of the Belts show.
"I was gone already (when Dominion left)," Steel said. "I got a job, and my job training took me to Florida.
I worked at the legendary Sportatorium in Tampa. It was no pay, but it was pretty good at the time.
It was true that they had us believing there was nothing out there except Windy City, but I found out."
Steel says he was fired by WCPW, and he said it was "something ridiculous. Like I didn't shake Sam's hand,
and then he wanted me to pay dues for working once a month."
But Steel said all is well, and has been for a long time. He believes DeCero is sincere when he says he is ready to move on.
"I read everything on your site, the interview with Sam saying let bygones be bygones," Steel said.
"And I'm pretty much down with that. It was the place I started."
Steel also has had a taste of being in charge, and says he can understand why DeCero has his reputation as a hard man.
"It's difficult doing what he had to do," Steel said. "You've got to fire this guy and that guy. But you have to be a
complete assh*le to get kicked out of the Domain. We have had guys come in and be humbled. But Sam is not a bad guy.
If he's true to his word, he's right, he has kids now. He wants to get away from the attitude he had before."
"He had a bit of a godfather attitude before," Steel added. "But when you've got a gym full of 40 people, you've got to
be intimidating. Does Sam intimidate me? No, I've been around. But he's a father figure in a sense. He'll tell you, do this,
do that. He watches your matches and critiques you, and he knows what he's talking about. He's a father figure in a sense."
Steel said he and Dominion "could be more than a 1-time deal. It would be a great thing to add to the list. It could also
give their newer guys experience. I have a lot of old-school theory and the newer guy needs to see a guy who has watched AWA,
rather than a guy who has watched WWF since 1992. That's one of the reasons Sam might like to have us around."
He said he never has faced Allen, and in fact, only saw Allen in action once.
"It was against Vic Capri and it was very early in his career," Steel said. "I certainly wouldn't judge him now from that match.
I saw he had a 45-minute draw with RVD, which had to be a hell of a match. If you can hang with RVD for 45 minutes,
you're doing something right."
But Dominion and Steel are familiar with Boz. They broke him in.
"Boz had his first match with us," Steel said. "It was, I think, the first taping at Slag Valley. It was the first appearance
of Danny and I as a team. We were the old LA connection against King Cobra and Steve Boz. Sam had him squashed by us.
He's gone on from there, and that's a credit to (Boz). He's got what he's wanted. Other people have left for different reasons,
but he is where he wants to be."
*****
Bil Patrick Interview - October 2001
Bil Patrick won the Lunatic Wrestling Federation's Intercontinental title for the second time last month,
beating Maverick. Patrick's rise has been quick in the LWF, and his character - an old-school rules loving,
heavy metal freak - is among the most hated in the fed. On Oct. 27, Patrick faces Grin in a "lumberclown"
match for the title. Patrick talks about his character, his style and his philosophy:
AL: Was it always Bil Patrick?
Patrick: Yeah ... the original idea was the old school rules and gimmicks, in the planning, we thought you
might as well say it was the 80s.
AL: Are you a fan of that style of wrestling?
Patrick: Back in the day, I watched the WWF and all that, but now I realize how much better NWA was.
I like when the heels win, but they'd do something despicable. Never win clean. I mean, when the
Honkeytonk Man beat Steamboat, I was upset. I was a little kid then. But the Honkeytonk Man is my favorite
Intercontinental champ, in retrospect.
AL: Do you like the 80s music?
Patrick: Yes, I do. I like heavy metal
AL: Do you own Metal Health (the Quiet Riot album from which Patrick got his theme music)?
Patrick: Yes, I do. As sad as it seems. All that stuff is true.
AL: You go in, make all those crazy 80s rules. Make people adhere to these rules, any inspiration?
Patrick: I was pissed off and I got the idea as a rib on someone. Me and the Blitz were talking and it's like,
I think we're on to something here. I've known Maverick for a long time. Me and Double M cheated on each other
since eighth grade. .... We'd watch the shows and I kept thinking this gimmick would irritate people,
if nothing else.
AL: At first, you'd go into these long promos.
Patrick: They really didn't like me right off the bat.
AL: It got to the point that when your music hit, people would react.
Patrick: Yeah, that was kinda cool. I remember this one, I opened a show and Billy Whack says let's get ready to go,
and I heard a woman, the second my music hit, she screams, oh no. And I couldn't go out, because I was laughing.
I had to compose myself.
AL: People would groan. I'm sure that was by design.
Patrick: I knew they wouldn't like me and I knew they wouldn't like the gimmick, I just didn't realize they wouldn't
like me this quick. The first promo kinda set everything up, and they were booing the hell out of me.
AL: It couldn't be that they're booing Quiet Riot?
Patrick: I would hope not.
AL: You've got your bright outfit, your little boa. Things that are not going to be considered cool, and you are not
considered cool. A lot of the guys would rather be the cool guy, do you mind being uncool?
Patrick: Doesn't bother me at all. The feather boas I got from Kurt Warner's wife from the Super Bowl. She had this
blue shirt with this feather boa collar. I thought, why would she wear that? I kept thinking, I need something.
I found a feather boa at Spencer's. I was never the cool person to begin with.
AL: You have a background in radio. Did you ever think of a different avenue for wrestling, or was it always in the ring?
Patrick: I wouldn't mind commentating. I always thought I could do that, but out of college, I just decided to give
wrestling a shot. If I couldn't, I'd try to weasel my way behind a mic. I'm still trying to weasel my way behind a mic.
But I bring something to the table and as long as they want me to, I'll be a wrestler.
AL: You're a belt-wearing member.
Patrick: Two-time Intercontinental champion.
AL: So when was your debut?
Patrick: They brought me out in the Bloodbath battle royale. Then they brought me out for an interview in January.
My first match was against Warm Carlos, I think it was May. Supreme was my second match at Crestwood.
AL: Did you have 80s rules in the first match.
Patrick: Yes, I went to clothesline him and he pulled me over the top rope, and that's how I won. The seldom-enforced rule.
And that's what the LWF needs. The fans want to see two men in an athletic contest, where the rules mean something.
Where they're enforced. I can't help it if I'm in the only one in this damn company who knows how to read.
AL: Did you like the guys in the 80s and 90s who enforced the rules like that?
Patrick: I just liked guys who would irritate the crowd. Steven Regal, I couldn't stand him, but I've grown to appreciate him.
He'd like yell at some kid, 'Shut up you little brat.' It's just any way you can irritate a crowd.
That's the idea with the rule
book.
AL: The regaining of the title, how did that go?
Patrick: I thought it was a good match. I love working Maverick. He's got all the teeny-boppers in the crowd into him.
So what happened is he kicked my ass for 10 minutes. I had a couple moves. He hit the pedigree. Blitz came in to see
how I'm doing, the Pedigree's a big move, I could have been hurt. He sees I'm OK, and Maverick is jawing at him.
I rolled out of the ring. Me and Blitz consulted and I decide I want to stay out. The ref counts to 10 and everyone
assumes the match is over. But the Blitz was Johnny on the spot and pointed out that the match has a 20-count, under my rules,
the official old-school rules from World Class, and a couple of smart marks are out there, you're going to 20,
aren't you Patrick? I was trying not to laugh. So Maverick was a little pissed off, what are you talking about 20,
so he hits the Blitz. I come in schoolboy, some say I had a handful of tights, I say I'm just grabbing for leverage.
And 1-2-3.
AL: So at first, the whole gimmick was just a joke.
Patrick: Yeah, just a rib, like I'm gonna show him. You booked this crap, who do you think you are? Then it was hey wait
a second, this could be used in the LWF.
AL: You're definitely different.
Patrick: I stand out.
AL: Would you like your character?
Patrick: I would, because I liked the heels. I liked Boz when I came to shows. I didn't really like him when he was the
Mean Street Posse ripoff, but I liked his character, he was a d*ck. He'd just irritate people.
In that aspect, I'd like my character, but I don't know, the boas, we're a little over the top.
AL: What about the 27th?
Patrick: I hear I'm in a "lumberclown" match with Grin.
AL: Explain lumberclown.
Patrick: I wish I could, it's not in the rule book. I found leather strap match and lumberjack match.
So I think the LWF booking committee is trying once again to pull the wool over Bil Patrick's eyes. ...
My first title reign was only a week, but what you didn't know is I was traveling coast to coast to make
it a truly Intercontinental title. I just caught the red-eye home and got shamboozled.
And now, they're throwing this at me, another attempt to hold me down.
AL: So how was it exactly you got into the LWF
Patrick: Well, like I said I grew up with Maverick and Double M. Maverick always talked about bringing me up here.
I came up with my gimmick in 2000, whenever the Rams played in the Super Bowl. I talked to Maverick and you've talked to him,
he's a little lazy at times, he'll admit that. He was teaming with Jensen and I just bugged the sh*t out of both of them
until Jensen said, fine, here's where the factory is, just show up. Me and the Blitz showed up, Acid started the camp.
AL: Who was in your class?
Patrick: Me, the Blitz, some guy who quit. The guy who's running in on Curse. Chef Dementia. ...
It was an interesting class. Bloodbath was right around the corner, Whack asked Jensen and Acid if anyone's ready.
They said me. They asked if you've got a gimmick. People come in, what do you want to be? They're like, uhhhh.
I want to kick ass. Jensen and Maverick told him my gimmick and I guess Whack liked it.
AL: Down the road, I guess your agenda is to defend the title?
Patrick: My agenda is to become the greatest LWF Intercontinental champion of all time. My agenda is to constantly improve,
to not only have good matches, but to have great matches. I want to bring it to the next level, like the Bozes, the Jensens,
the Acids, the Mavericks, the Mimics are.
AL: Can you feel a buzz around Punk?
Patrick: Yeah, they popped pretty darn good at the last show. I was not familiar with Punk. I've heard very nice things.
I think he's a nice guy. The place went nuts for him.
AL: How loud was it?
Patrick: An LWF chant ended the show and he cut a hell of a promo. I tip my cap. ,,, You want to end the show leaving them
something. I look forward to the response at the end of the next show.
AL: Down the line, could you and Blitz be a tag team?
Patrick: Maybe, I don't know. I don't really see myself as a tag team wrestler. It's something we could do, but I'm not
going to push for it anytime soon, don't see him pushing for it anytime soon.
AL: Could you see yourself going after the top title?
Patrick: Sure if I could elevate myself, sure.
AL: Especially considering how quickly you got the Intercontinental title. Did that surprise you?
Patrick: Actually, it did. I think it pissed off a lot of fans. I knew it would piss off a lot of fans, and probably a lot
of guys in back.
AL: It's a title. It means something.
Patrick: If you treat it like it's something, it's going to be perceived like it's something. If you treat it like sh*t,
it'll be perceived like it's sh*t.
AL: Anything else you want to throw out there? Any impressions of Grin?
Patrick: Yeah, he never stops laughing, and I'm looking to change that. I'm not so sure about this lumberclown match.
Me and the Blitz, we're going to research it, we're a little confused. It's not in the book. We're stumped.
It's the Halloween show. Anything can happen, but I wouldn't bet on Grin.
Rob Van Dam, headed to Windy City Pro Wrestling's Battle of the Belts show tonight in Hammond, Ind., talked about how he made the ECW TV championship an important event.
"When I had the TV belt, that was when everything turned in my favor," Van Dam said. "I bet Bam Bam Bigelow, and then I had a match against Mikey Whipwreck and it was the first time I had all the fans on my side. I fought hard to have the best match on every card. Fans would say, 'Hey Rob, when are you going to have a chance at the world title?' I said the TV title means more. And it did. I almost had it for two years and I was undefeated. At that point, the belt did mean a lot to me. I was the longest-reigning champion in recent history and I was undefeated until I had to give it up because I broke my ankle. I never lost the title. It did have a lot of honor and I made it mean a lot. It was going to be the best match on the card every night and it didn't matter who the world champ was or who was the tag champs as long as the fans were chanting, 'RVD, RVD.' "
Rob Van Dam on ECW's last days:
"I don't even know if I could draw a line, this is where they started to show they were heading to bankruptcy," Van Dam said. "I had been with them since January of 1996. When I came in, I came in making a fraction of pay I was making when I left.
"It was built up to where it there wasa Big 3. It looked like it was going to take off. We had the magazine, videogames, pay per view, national TV. But even during that time, there was a period when the boys' checks were bouncing and guys were stressing bad. We made it thorugh some rough times.
"There was a point where I knew I had passed the point of no return. I was highest-paid guy, and I was owed the most money. TNN never helped ECW take a step up. ECW was swept under carpet. ECW signed guys up to contracts, many for pretty big money.
Van Dam then left the company.
"I thought leaving would help ECW out," he said. "The hole of debt was getting deeper and deeper. But at the same time, having me at he shows would help the show out."
He said he was disappointed he didn't get to say goodbye at the pay-per-view event scheduled for January. The event eventually was canceled.
"I was very excited about going back in January for the pay per view," he said. "It was the last chance to wrestle in my favorite group, in my favorite ring in front of my favorite fans."
*****
Jimmy Stronz Interview - May 2001
Jimmy Strons admits he lucked into his two-year ride in the WWF.
Strons was 21 years old and self-trained when state of Illinois official John Spahn spotted him at a Lunatic Wrestling Federation independent wrestling show in the south suburbs.
With Illinois one of three states that required state officials present at professional wrestling events, those officials were allowed to designate one referee for any event. Spahn asked Strons if he would be interested in being that referee at the next WWF event.
Strons was working his second event as a professional.
Everything happened for me really fast, Strons said. I had just turned 21 and had done one professional show. Then here I was at the Rosemont Horizon in a WWF ring.
Strons, now 25 and a student at Northern Illinois University, spent two years working for the WWF at shows in Illinois and Wisconsin. He has become one of the top referees in Illinois and still works for the LWF and also Midwest Championship Wrestling, where he will be Saturday at the MCWs first-ever TV taping in Chicago Ridge.
He no longer works for the WWF.
Its a complicated story, Strons said without revealing details. I did something I was supposed to do, but I really dont think I did anything wrong.
He didnt work for the WWF on that first day - a WWF Raw show in Rosemont.
I just hung around and watched the show, he said.
But Strons made a good impression with WWF officials and by February 1998, he was called on to work at a house show in Springfield.
My very first match was Kama vs. Savio Vega, Strons said. It was the very first match of the card. I still remember it. At one point, Kama had Savio Vega in a chokehold and he was really choking him. I was still very green and I didnt know that. Savio was literally pulling at my jersey because I wasnt asking him if he was OK. But it was my very first match.
Later in the card, he became the victim of a WWF practical joke.
There was a match, Kane vs. Chainz, Strons said. You know how Kane would bring up the lights (and explosives) when he dropped his arm. Well, I was being worked. The guys were saying when Kane drops his arms, you have to run through the ropes and back up the ramp, because youre afraid. But nobody told Jack Lanza, who was the road agent there. So Kane comes in, he reaches out his arms and Im running through the ropes, up the ramp and Jack Lanza greeted me and said, What are you doing? Get back in the ring. He was furious, because none of the guys told him what they told me. They told him later.
Strons spent a week touring with the WWF when head referee Earl Hebner injured himself.
He was trimming a branch in a tree and he fell out of the tree, Strons said. They asked me to come along with them. That week was absolutely crazy.
Strons traveled to Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Rockford. During the tour, he made his first appearance on Raw.
It was Kaientai vs. Luna and the ICP freaks (the Oddities) and it was pretty crazy, Strons said.
He said he was asked to go to North Carolina, but already had missed a week of school and could not afford to miss any more time.
His experience taught him the WWF isnt as bizarre as those who read about it on the Internet are led to believe. He said backstage is fairly calm.
The guys show up, they get dressed, they talk, Strons said. Theyre normal people. Youre sitting there and Mankind is on the phone with his credit card. The guys are just playing cards and theyre joking around. Its just like work, you have a boss who tells you what to do. Its a normal job, but its on TV.
He said many would have you believe WWF stars feud constantly behind the scenes, but he said most wrestlers get along nicely.
Its quiet, its calm, Strons said. They throw ideas back and forth. There isnt much anger.
Ive only seen a wrestler get angry once.
He said the upset wrestlers were angry over an ad-libbed spot in a tag match.
It was their match to go over and one of the other wrestlers stole their heat, Strons said. He added a spot that wasnt supposed to be there. He went over, but it wasnt his turn. I wont name names.
He said he nearly was able to work Owen Harts final match as Strons was in Rosemont with the WWF the night before Harts death in Kansas City, Mo.
I watched a hockey game with Owen Hart the night before he died, Strons said.
He worked a lot of dark matches when the Hardys, Edge and Kurt Angle were working them.
The Hardy Boyz and I came in together, Strons said. They did dark matches and didnt actually have a gimmick. I did a bunch of their matches when they did dark matches. Edge did dark matches. I actually did two of Kurt Angles matches before he had a gimmick.
He says he isnt happy about the way his stint ended, but he understands he was fortunate to even get the chance. He said many have worked a lifetime for such an opportunity.
Its probably the biggest slap in the face if you think about it, he said. Some referees have been working for 10 years and they can only dream of being in a WWF show. I did two shows and it was like, here you go. There are guys in this business their whole life just to be in the WWF ring, to be on live TV. Here I am, self-trained and 21 years old and Im in the Horizon. The first night, I got paid $300 and I didnt do a thing. I felt like I should have been paying them.
Its the most funny thing in the world. Its really screwed up.
He said he just happened to fit what the WWF was looking for.
I have the perfect stature to be a referee, Strons said. I have a clean-cut look. Im not very big and Im an outgoing person. That makes me marketable as a referee. If youre above 5-foot-10, youre not going to be very marketable as a referee. They like smaller referees. That helps make the wrestlers look bigger. You put a 5-10 guy in with guys like Jayson Reign and Double M, the referee is going to be the biggest guy in the ring. In the WWF, I was the tallest one, and Im 5-7. Jack Doan is 5-5 and Earl Hebner is 5-6.
Strons said he was amazed to watch the LWF grow from the backyard.
I just happened to come in at the right time, he said. They were doing it for two or three years and I never thought it would get as big as it did. When we first started in Lemont, we were drawing 600 people. Thats at $10 a head and thats pretty crazy. We only had one guy trained and he wasnt a major wrestler at the time.
He said he never would discredit the LWF because of where they began and said others who began in LWF should stop criticizing the place
The backyard is probably the best thing that ever happened to me, the best thing that happened to a lot of wrestlers, Strons said. (Former LWF wrestler) CM Punk always rips on yarders, but he was the biggest backyard wrestler ever. He was all backyard, all the time. It took another guy to get trained for him to get trained. He was a yarder when he was doing LWF stuff. When I hear him talk about yarder, yarder, hes the biggest hypocrite ever.
That is not to say Strons doesnt respect Punk.
Hes a good wrestler and he was a best friend of mine, but he burned so many bridges, Strons said. I hope Id never have to work with him again.
But if the situation arose...
If he did an MCW show, yeah, I would do his match, Strons said. Id be as professional as I could be. We wouldnt go out to dinner. I just think its funny when he calls people yarders. He forgets, hes a yarder, too. Im not embarrased. I started in the backyard. Who cares?
Strons said many remain with the LWF out of personal enjoyment.
Its a fun time, he said. You know everybody. Double M has accomplished everything he can, but he still does it. I know Jay Jensen left, but its just because he wanted to get away and spread his wings. He just didnt want to be involved anymore.
He says the LWF is becoming more organized. He said he respects MCWs professionalism.
I show up there, and I get with the wrestlers and talk about what has to be talked about, Strons said. I do my thing. I get paid. I go home. Its a well-run organization. Its well thought out, well presented. The wrestlers come to wrestle and the referees referee. Its everything you enjoy about the wrestling business. Let the wrestlers concentrate on wrestling and the referees concentrate on refereeing and youll have a happy locker room.
Strons had a memorable exchange with former ECW star Simon Diamond in a comedy spot in MCW. Strons was able to execute a few moves on the wrestler.
If I didnt get a chance to touch a wrestler, if I never put my hands on a wrestler, thats fine, Strons said. It made me look good, but thats not the object of the game. The object is to put the wrestler over and make sure they get their spots, let the wrestlers know how the crowd is reacting. I can make things look more dramatic than they really have to be. There are three people in the ring two who get the excitement and one who helps them.
In MCW, guys like Double M, Jay Jensen, Jayson Reign and Airborne can have all the glory. They deserve it. The fans dont pay to see me, they pay to see them. Its my job to make them look good.
*****
Eric Priest Interview (about defending AWA Title vs Jerry Lawler) - September 2001
Eric Priest looked across the ring and saw Jerry Lawler. The American Wrestling Association world champion
looked in the crowd in Gallup, New Mexico, and saw 4,000 fans.
He couldn't believe it.
"It just kind of felt like I had taken over somebody else's body," Priest said of the moment, which took place
two weekends ago. "I kept thinking this shouldn't be me. It should be somebody else."
Priest, a Steel Domain-trained wrestler from Melrose Park, went in and left the main event against Lawler with
the AWA world title. He had Jimmy Hart in his corner, and the Mouth of the South interfered, disqualifying Priest
and giving Lawler a victory, but not the belt.
It was another notable moment in a summer that keeps topping itself for Priest, who has had five title defenses
since winning the AWA title.
"It was very intimidating," Priest said. "We barely spoke before the match at all. I stood there, staring across at him,
having no idea what I was going to do, and no idea what he's going to do."
Lawler has been in thousands of matches, so the match wasn't difficult. And Priest is no rookie.
"I loved the match," Priest said. "Looking back, there are a few things I could have done differently."
Working as the heel, Priest said he got an instant reaction.
"I walk out there and they already hate me," Priest said. "It's just my attitude, and how I present myself.
Are you ever at a bar, and you see a guy walk in, and you just hate him right away. You don't even know him,
but you could tell he's a jerk. That's me. I had a lot of trash thrown my way, fans spitting at me. I don't like to be spit it,
but when I'm walking out there, there is no question who was going to be the face or the heel."
Priest said he and Lawler "focused on the crowd. We did a few moves, but the rest was psychology, bringing the crowd up,
bringing them back down. We didn't go out and do a lot of high spots, but Lawler never did that kind of stuff anyway."
Priest said he came in and left with respect for Lawler, and he said Lawler "liked the match."
"He lived up to expectations," Priest said. "I was very excited going into the match."
Priest made his friends proud. Ace Steel - the Steel in Steel Domain - said Priest thanked him after the match.
"Every time Priest has a good work, he turns around and thanks us," Steel said. "I always say stop it, but he says, no, thank you.
It's a good thing. It's like your kid out there when you train them."
Said Priest: "I'll always be a Domain guy. No matter what."
Priest said he is enjoying his run as AWA world champion. He said the crowds usually are big. "AWA is promoted differently," Priest said.
"I did 5 or 6 radio interviews within two weeks leading up to the show. It's not like Chicago, where they put up some fliers, and maybe
you see it advertised on TV."
Next for Priest is a Sept. 22 show in Wausaw, Wis., where he will face the Honkeytonk Man, a Steel Domain show in Minnesota and he said
he likely will appear Oct. 20 in Hammond, Ind., at a World Wrestling Zone show at the Hammond Civic Center.
He said he'd like to add a date in Memphis against Lawler. He said the King mentioned the possibility, and Priest knows facing Lawler
in Memphis is entirely different than a match with him anywhere else.
*****
Ace Steel Interview - September 2001
By the time Ace Steel's arm was raised in victory Saturday at the Sweet Science 16 tournament in Charlestown, Ind.,
Steel Domain wrestling had put its stamp on the two-day event.
To win, Steel needed four victorires beating Suicide Kid, Danny Dominion, Adam Pearce and former ECW star Nova.
Steel vs. Dominion - a quarterfinal match - pitted the Steel Domain namesakes against each other.
Steel said Suicide Kid seriously hurt his arm during their first-round match.
Dominion beat American Kickboxer in Friday's first round before losing to Steel in round 2.
CM Punk lost to Dino Bambino in Friday's first round, then won a three-way dance over Tracy Smothers and Sabu.
Punk pinned Smothers.
Colt Cabana lost to Tarik the Great in Friday's first round, then teamed with American Kickboxer to win a tag match
over Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush.
And Steel claims Pearce as a Domainer, so count his first-round victory over Hero, a second-round win over BJ Whitmer
and a semifinal loss to Steel on the Domain scorecard.
Steel said despite he and Dominon's close friendship, the two have not had many 1-on-1 matches. "We've really only been
in the ring against each other maybe 5 times over the last few years," Steel said. "It's less than 10."
Because it was a tournament, their quarterfinal match couldn't go long, but Steel said it was satisfying.
"I wouldn't say it was a barnburner," Steel said. "But it was good for what it was supposed to be. It was about 6-8 minutes.
A lot of guys said it was good to see two buddies stiffing the hell out of each other out there."
Steel also enjoyed his match against Pearce.
"It was very nice to get back in the ring with Adam," Steel said. "I would never turn a blind eye to him, ever. Anyone could
burn down the ring with him."
He said Pearce works like the rest of the Domain guys.
"We all like to work snug," Steel said. "We like to get the crowd involved. It was a hard-hitting match. I wish I would have
had more time. I worked four main-event guys and with two - Danny and Adam - I would have liked to go longer, but I wasn't allowed.
It would have taken a lot more out of me."
Against Nova, "there wasn't a lot that we did, but we did enough to put the capper on the night for the whole Sweet Science thing,"
said Steel, who said he took the tournament concept seriously. The emphasis for tournament matches was on technical wrestling.
"We did not put in bump after bump. It was not like his ECW theory. He seems to have gone away from that, at least with me."
Steel said Nova "was very receptive to anything I wanted to do." And from beginning to end, they put on a match faithful
to the concept.
"It was a good time," Steel said. "He was very professional."
Steel said Nova paid him and the Domain guys "the ultimate compliment. He said you deserved jobs, but there were none available
in ECW (when Nova was there), but he said he never doubted what we could do. That's the ultimate compliment, well,
next to getting work."
Steel said Cabana's match " sounded really great." And he said Punk stood out in his three-way match.
Steel said Punk originally was scheduled for the three-way match, then was switched to a match putting him in a six-man tag with
Madman Pondo and Mitch Ryder against Ian Rotten and the Insane Clown Posse.
"Ian had changed his mind and was going to have Punk work with the Cowns, and he was kind of down," Steel said. "He wanted to work
in that three-way match. Tracy got there and asked Punk what happened, and Punk said, oh, go ask the boss, that's what he said.
So Tracy said, no, we've got to have the three-way."
Steel said Punk scored "a decisive win. He got the pin on Smothers, and at the end there was a little table action."
Steel said Smothers "is a machine. He is phenominal. I'd love to work him 10 more times. I know what I'm doing against him,
but he's telling me what I'm going to do before I even do it."
Ace Steel said he didn't believe it when Danny Dominion told him they were booked for Saturday's Windy City Pro Wrestling
show at Taft High School.
"I laughed for an hour when I got Danny's message that (WCPW owner) Sam (DeCero) was going to book us," Steel said.
"I think it's odd."
Steel will face the WCPW league champion Terry Allen, while Dominion faces "All That" Steve Boz.
Steel and Dominion the namesakes of Steel Domain wrestling - are former WCPW stars who left years ago.
With Steel Domain, they train about a dozen high-level independent workers, and they still run shows in Minnesota.
Most who leave WCPW do so angrily. Steel said that was not the case with him, though it was for Dominion,
who stormed away after dropping his league title at a Battle of the Belts show.
"I was gone already (when Dominion left)," Steel said. "I got a job, and my job training took me to Florida.
I worked at the legendary Sportatorium in Tampa. It was no pay, but it was pretty good at the time.
It was true that they had us believing there was nothing out there except Windy City, but I found out."
Steel says he was fired by WCPW, and he said it was "something ridiculous. Like I didn't shake Sam's hand,
and then he wanted me to pay dues for working once a month."
But Steel said all is well, and has been for a long time. He believes DeCero is sincere when he says he is ready to move on.
"I read everything on your site, the interview with Sam saying let bygones be bygones," Steel said.
"And I'm pretty much down with that. It was the place I started."
Steel also has had a taste of being in charge, and says he can understand why DeCero has his reputation as a hard man.
"It's difficult doing what he had to do," Steel said. "You've got to fire this guy and that guy. But you have to be a
complete assh*le to get kicked out of the Domain. We have had guys come in and be humbled. But Sam is not a bad guy.
If he's true to his word, he's right, he has kids now. He wants to get away from the attitude he had before."
"He had a bit of a godfather attitude before," Steel added. "But when you've got a gym full of 40 people, you've got to
be intimidating. Does Sam intimidate me? No, I've been around. But he's a father figure in a sense. He'll tell you, do this,
do that. He watches your matches and critiques you, and he knows what he's talking about. He's a father figure in a sense."
Steel said he and Dominion "could be more than a 1-time deal. It would be a great thing to add to the list. It could also
give their newer guys experience. I have a lot of old-school theory and the newer guy needs to see a guy who has watched AWA,
rather than a guy who has watched WWF since 1992. That's one of the reasons Sam might like to have us around."
He said he never has faced Allen, and in fact, only saw Allen in action once.
"It was against Vic Capri and it was very early in his career," Steel said. "I certainly wouldn't judge him now from that match.
I saw he had a 45-minute draw with RVD, which had to be a hell of a match. If you can hang with RVD for 45 minutes,
you're doing something right."
But Dominion and Steel are familiar with Boz. They broke him in.
"Boz had his first match with us," Steel said. "It was, I think, the first taping at Slag Valley. It was the first appearance
of Danny and I as a team. We were the old LA connection against King Cobra and Steve Boz. Sam had him squashed by us.
He's gone on from there, and that's a credit to (Boz). He's got what he's wanted. Other people have left for different reasons,
but he is where he wants to be."
*****
Bil Patrick Interview - October 2001
Bil Patrick won the Lunatic Wrestling Federation's Intercontinental title for the second time last month,
beating Maverick. Patrick's rise has been quick in the LWF, and his character - an old-school rules loving,
heavy metal freak - is among the most hated in the fed. On Oct. 27, Patrick faces Grin in a "lumberclown"
match for the title. Patrick talks about his character, his style and his philosophy:
AL: Was it always Bil Patrick?
Patrick: Yeah ... the original idea was the old school rules and gimmicks, in the planning, we thought you
might as well say it was the 80s.
AL: Are you a fan of that style of wrestling?
Patrick: Back in the day, I watched the WWF and all that, but now I realize how much better NWA was.
I like when the heels win, but they'd do something despicable. Never win clean. I mean, when the
Honkeytonk Man beat Steamboat, I was upset. I was a little kid then. But the Honkeytonk Man is my favorite
Intercontinental champ, in retrospect.
AL: Do you like the 80s music?
Patrick: Yes, I do. I like heavy metal
AL: Do you own Metal Health (the Quiet Riot album from which Patrick got his theme music)?
Patrick: Yes, I do. As sad as it seems. All that stuff is true.
AL: You go in, make all those crazy 80s rules. Make people adhere to these rules, any inspiration?
Patrick: I was pissed off and I got the idea as a rib on someone. Me and the Blitz were talking and it's like,
I think we're on to something here. I've known Maverick for a long time. Me and Double M cheated on each other
since eighth grade. .... We'd watch the shows and I kept thinking this gimmick would irritate people,
if nothing else.
AL: At first, you'd go into these long promos.
Patrick: They really didn't like me right off the bat.
AL: It got to the point that when your music hit, people would react.
Patrick: Yeah, that was kinda cool. I remember this one, I opened a show and Billy Whack says let's get ready to go,
and I heard a woman, the second my music hit, she screams, oh no. And I couldn't go out, because I was laughing.
I had to compose myself.
AL: People would groan. I'm sure that was by design.
Patrick: I knew they wouldn't like me and I knew they wouldn't like the gimmick, I just didn't realize they wouldn't
like me this quick. The first promo kinda set everything up, and they were booing the hell out of me.
AL: It couldn't be that they're booing Quiet Riot?
Patrick: I would hope not.
AL: You've got your bright outfit, your little boa. Things that are not going to be considered cool, and you are not
considered cool. A lot of the guys would rather be the cool guy, do you mind being uncool?
Patrick: Doesn't bother me at all. The feather boas I got from Kurt Warner's wife from the Super Bowl. She had this
blue shirt with this feather boa collar. I thought, why would she wear that? I kept thinking, I need something.
I found a feather boa at Spencer's. I was never the cool person to begin with.
AL: You have a background in radio. Did you ever think of a different avenue for wrestling, or was it always in the ring?
Patrick: I wouldn't mind commentating. I always thought I could do that, but out of college, I just decided to give
wrestling a shot. If I couldn't, I'd try to weasel my way behind a mic. I'm still trying to weasel my way behind a mic.
But I bring something to the table and as long as they want me to, I'll be a wrestler.
AL: You're a belt-wearing member.
Patrick: Two-time Intercontinental champion.
AL: So when was your debut?
Patrick: They brought me out in the Bloodbath battle royale. Then they brought me out for an interview in January.
My first match was against Warm Carlos, I think it was May. Supreme was my second match at Crestwood.
AL: Did you have 80s rules in the first match.
Patrick: Yes, I went to clothesline him and he pulled me over the top rope, and that's how I won. The seldom-enforced rule.
And that's what the LWF needs. The fans want to see two men in an athletic contest, where the rules mean something.
Where they're enforced. I can't help it if I'm in the only one in this damn company who knows how to read.
AL: Did you like the guys in the 80s and 90s who enforced the rules like that?
Patrick: I just liked guys who would irritate the crowd. Steven Regal, I couldn't stand him, but I've grown to appreciate him.
He'd like yell at some kid, 'Shut up you little brat.' It's just any way you can irritate a crowd.
That's the idea with the rule
book.
AL: The regaining of the title, how did that go?
Patrick: I thought it was a good match. I love working Maverick. He's got all the teeny-boppers in the crowd into him.
So what happened is he kicked my ass for 10 minutes. I had a couple moves. He hit the pedigree. Blitz came in to see
how I'm doing, the Pedigree's a big move, I could have been hurt. He sees I'm OK, and Maverick is jawing at him.
I rolled out of the ring. Me and Blitz consulted and I decide I want to stay out. The ref counts to 10 and everyone
assumes the match is over. But the Blitz was Johnny on the spot and pointed out that the match has a 20-count, under my rules,
the official old-school rules from World Class, and a couple of smart marks are out there, you're going to 20,
aren't you Patrick? I was trying not to laugh. So Maverick was a little pissed off, what are you talking about 20,
so he hits the Blitz. I come in schoolboy, some say I had a handful of tights, I say I'm just grabbing for leverage.
And 1-2-3.
AL: So at first, the whole gimmick was just a joke.
Patrick: Yeah, just a rib, like I'm gonna show him. You booked this crap, who do you think you are? Then it was hey wait
a second, this could be used in the LWF.
AL: You're definitely different.
Patrick: I stand out.
AL: Would you like your character?
Patrick: I would, because I liked the heels. I liked Boz when I came to shows. I didn't really like him when he was the
Mean Street Posse ripoff, but I liked his character, he was a d*ck. He'd just irritate people.
In that aspect, I'd like my character, but I don't know, the boas, we're a little over the top.
AL: What about the 27th?
Patrick: I hear I'm in a "lumberclown" match with Grin.
AL: Explain lumberclown.
Patrick: I wish I could, it's not in the rule book. I found leather strap match and lumberjack match.
So I think the LWF booking committee is trying once again to pull the wool over Bil Patrick's eyes. ...
My first title reign was only a week, but what you didn't know is I was traveling coast to coast to make
it a truly Intercontinental title. I just caught the red-eye home and got shamboozled.
And now, they're throwing this at me, another attempt to hold me down.
AL: So how was it exactly you got into the LWF
Patrick: Well, like I said I grew up with Maverick and Double M. Maverick always talked about bringing me up here.
I came up with my gimmick in 2000, whenever the Rams played in the Super Bowl. I talked to Maverick and you've talked to him,
he's a little lazy at times, he'll admit that. He was teaming with Jensen and I just bugged the sh*t out of both of them
until Jensen said, fine, here's where the factory is, just show up. Me and the Blitz showed up, Acid started the camp.
AL: Who was in your class?
Patrick: Me, the Blitz, some guy who quit. The guy who's running in on Curse. Chef Dementia. ...
It was an interesting class. Bloodbath was right around the corner, Whack asked Jensen and Acid if anyone's ready.
They said me. They asked if you've got a gimmick. People come in, what do you want to be? They're like, uhhhh.
I want to kick ass. Jensen and Maverick told him my gimmick and I guess Whack liked it.
AL: Down the road, I guess your agenda is to defend the title?
Patrick: My agenda is to become the greatest LWF Intercontinental champion of all time. My agenda is to constantly improve,
to not only have good matches, but to have great matches. I want to bring it to the next level, like the Bozes, the Jensens,
the Acids, the Mavericks, the Mimics are.
AL: Can you feel a buzz around Punk?
Patrick: Yeah, they popped pretty darn good at the last show. I was not familiar with Punk. I've heard very nice things.
I think he's a nice guy. The place went nuts for him.
AL: How loud was it?
Patrick: An LWF chant ended the show and he cut a hell of a promo. I tip my cap. ,,, You want to end the show leaving them
something. I look forward to the response at the end of the next show.
AL: Down the line, could you and Blitz be a tag team?
Patrick: Maybe, I don't know. I don't really see myself as a tag team wrestler. It's something we could do, but I'm not
going to push for it anytime soon, don't see him pushing for it anytime soon.
AL: Could you see yourself going after the top title?
Patrick: Sure if I could elevate myself, sure.
AL: Especially considering how quickly you got the Intercontinental title. Did that surprise you?
Patrick: Actually, it did. I think it pissed off a lot of fans. I knew it would piss off a lot of fans, and probably a lot
of guys in back.
AL: It's a title. It means something.
Patrick: If you treat it like it's something, it's going to be perceived like it's something. If you treat it like sh*t,
it'll be perceived like it's sh*t.
AL: Anything else you want to throw out there? Any impressions of Grin?
Patrick: Yeah, he never stops laughing, and I'm looking to change that. I'm not so sure about this lumberclown match.
Me and the Blitz, we're going to research it, we're a little confused. It's not in the book. We're stumped.
It's the Halloween show. Anything can happen, but I wouldn't bet on Grin.