Post by CW on Nov 14, 2018 19:48:12 GMT -6
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.
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.