September 14, 2020 • 47 mins
All aboard!!!! On today’s episode we get to talk to the one and only WWE Hall of Famer, The Godfather! We dig in to his beginnings in Memphis, his stint as Papa Shango, the influential Nation of Domination, and of course, the life of party, The Godfather. We had a blast with him, be sure to check out what he is working on next! Make sure you head to manscaped.com and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: BATTLEGROUND #manscapedpod
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to episode number one fifty three of the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
My name is Battle.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Thank you guys so much for allowing us to be
a part of your your morning, your evening, your night,
your afternoon, whatever. We're just thankful that we're a part
of your day when you sit down and listen to
this podcast, episode one fifty three. As you saw when
you saw the notification, we do have WWE Hall of
Famer the Godfather on our show today. We're gonna be
talking about his early career, what led him to be
(00:26):
in Papa Shango, what led him to be in the
in the Nation of Domination, the Godfather role right to center,
and of course are we gonna get a nation of
domination two point zero? I mean, he thinks that this
could be the perfect time to have one, especially with
the current climate that we're in. But we get that
answer from him, We get that in a whole lot more.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Also, please do us a quick favor.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
If you're listening to this podcast, please share it on
Twitter or Instagram.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Show us that you're listening.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Tag us in it Battleground podcast on Instagram, We're Battleground
IHR on Twitter. If you share it tag we will
repost it. We will thank you, we will love you forever,
and please make sure you tell all your friends to
follow us once again. Twitter is Battleground, I hr Facebook
is you can find us Battleground Podcast. We're also on
(01:13):
Instagram Battleground Podcast. Find us there and follow us and
we're gonna do a big thing. We're almost to a
thousand followers. I think we're gonna do a giveaway once
we get a thousand, So if you can help us
get to there, we're gonna do a really cool giveaway. So,
without further ado, enough of me rambling.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Are you ready? Here it is? The episode one fifty
three with the Godfather starts.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Now, Battle.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Youth into the du Battle Crown.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Live from the Part Unknown Studios.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
This is the Battleground Podcast, The Battle your place for
all things pro wrestling from the independent scene to w W, E, AY,
w R, O, H, m w A and Impact Wrestling
(02:14):
hot topics, as well as interviews with some of the
biggest names.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
In the game. The Battle The Battleground Podcast starts.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Now, carry your host to bat.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Battle and Eli, here we go.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
It is time for another episode of the Battleground Podcast.
I've got my tag team partner Eli with me. What's
up dude?
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Hello?
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Hello, And we've also got the Bell of the Brawl
Lena as well with us on the show.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
We are so excited to have you here. And uh,
we've got a special guest on the show. So should
I go ahead and play his theme song for everybody?
Speaker 7 (03:03):
I mean, it's been a minute since I've had that
rev that, you know, singing glorious sound in my ears.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
So yeah, so let's.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Go ahead and hit our today's special guest theme song.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That is right, that means one thing.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
The Godfather joins us on The show Man Godfather, what's happening?
Speaker 6 (03:29):
Hey, what's going on? Guys? Thanks for having me on
the show Man.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Man, thanks for being here. We are super honored to
have you.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
When I was telling everybody about you coming on the show,
we all kind of geeked out because we are big
fans of yours from the beginning of the career all
the way up until the Godfather. Man, It's it's an
honor to have you on the show.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
That's good to hear. Man that meets you. Guys are
on my side.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
We've been on your side since day one, and I
know I know in our group chat, Lena did say
that she wanted to ask you a certain question.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We're gonna throw her into the bus for click for
this one.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
Can I be on the whole train? Number one? And
is there an age limit now? To be on the
whole train?
Speaker 9 (04:08):
You gotta be twenty one to be on the whole train.
I'm looking for holes every minute of the day. So,
oh right, qualify you meet all the qualifications.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
I did right in front of the whole train.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Oh fabulous.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
And my mother also wants to be on it. Her
name is Lisa.
Speaker 9 (04:29):
Hey, there's somebody out there for everybody. We take a young, old, fat, black, white.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
We don't care.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
Man, I love it.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
There's somebody. I've got a girl for everybody out there.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
Wheah. Yeah, equal opportunity, godfather, that's what we There we go.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
That's awesome.
Speaker 8 (04:46):
So back in the eighties, you were noticed during the
filming of the movie over at the top. How did
you get involved in that movie and how did that
lead you to the legendary monster Factory.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
I wasn't involved in movie. I was working in a
strip Buk called what was it called, It's called the
Crazy Books, and it was right down the street from
the MGM where they filmed that movie, and a lot
I remember all the names some of those guys, think
Scott North's if I'm not mistaking, But a lot of
those guys in that were extras and you know Carppinger
guys in the business, and they would come into my bar.
(05:21):
I was the bartender, bouncer manager, I was everything, and
they'd come in the bar and have drinks and I
was just a monster back then, you know, and they
tell me, dude, you should get into wrestler. I'm like,
I don't want to do that. I'm like, I don't
I actually I think I said I don't want to
be no phony ass wrestler. And then, uh, you know,
(05:42):
back then I was more much more of a biker
than I am now. And they're like, well, you ever
heard of a guy named Dam Dam Bigelow And I'm
I asked to do with the tattoos on said right there?
Like yeah. I'm like, well that was all added up.
I'm like, well you've got to be cool. But they're like,
well he made a million dollars last year. I'm like,
how much?
Speaker 7 (06:00):
Come again.
Speaker 6 (06:02):
I made a call I made a call to uh
New Jersey, and uh, Larry Sharp says, well, if you
find your way out here, I'll put you up and
take a look at you. Then when they seen me, uh,
you know, he's like, I think we got something here.
And I went home and so my wife sell the
house or moving into Jersey, and uh, just like that,
(06:25):
I jumped in my truck. I just bought a brand
new truck, jumped in my truck and headed in New Jersey.
My wife's house she sold the house about six months
later than she came and joined me. And at that
time we were already moved. I was already moving to Memphis,
and so he was all started rolling.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
So was uh, eighties Jersey a down grade from eighties Vegas?
Speaker 6 (06:50):
I would say a little bit.
Speaker 7 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, I can imagine a little bit. He's kind
of pertaining Specific to the training aspect, what do you
think was the hardest part of the training for you
becoming a pro wrestler, Because you always hear about, you know,
you have the natural athletes that don't really get into
(07:12):
the acting side of things, and then you have the
natural you know, people that can run their mouth, but
they're not good in the ring, you know, so you
got to find that balance. What what was your you know,
what was your hardest obstacle? You know in the ring?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
My hardest obstacle was how to learn how to drink
secret stuff.
Speaker 8 (07:32):
I don't blame you on that one.
Speaker 7 (07:33):
Yeah, that one, that's rough.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
I literally, I literally, I can't tell you the amount
of time, but it was a short time. I was
literally in wrestling school for weeks, six weeks, seven weeks,
not many weeks, and I basically the whole time I
was there was partying with Arry Sharp, and uh, right away,
Jerry the King Lawler came through and see me, and
(07:59):
I literally knew how to lock up, and for some
reason I could do it drop down to hold. I
think I was in class that day they were teaching that,
and uh, he's seen me, and he offered me a job.
And the very my very I mean I really literally
I don't kN know how to lock up. And my
very first match ever, ever practice match, any type of match,
(08:24):
was against Jerry the King Lawler on a Monday night
at Memphis tu see mid in the middle of one,
two three, And that was my first match ever.
Speaker 8 (08:37):
That's wild, that's a that's a good different your average
average bear.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
Yeah, well, that's a good segue into the next question.
So I'm actually from West Tennessee, so Memphis wrestling is
when I grew up on. My cousin actually was a
wrestler in the us w A. I don't know if
y'all were there at the same time. Danny Davis in
the us w A. Yeah, Danny Davis is my cousin.
He was in the Nightmares.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (09:04):
Yeah, So Sunday mornings we'd watch the Jerry Lawler Show
and then we'd watch wrestling. Uh well, wrestling was Saturday mornings.
His his show was on Sunday mornings. But anyways, like
you said, you got brought in. Uh you were the
soul Taker I think was your name at the time, right,
that's what was so, yeah, you you actually won the
(09:28):
Unified World Championship, which for those people that don't know,
that was I think the aw A, the w C
CW from Texas and then the cw A Belt were
all combined. Lawler won that, so it was still considered
like a prestigious thing at the time. You'd win it.
A few years later as Papa Shanko I when WWF
and usw A were doing trade shairs and stuff, Uh,
(09:50):
what was your time like in Memphis, you know, being
kind of handpicked by Lawler and you know, obviously the
the excitement of the Monday night crowds at the Memphis
at the Mid South Coliseum.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Uh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Go ahead, that's pretty much it. Yeah, what what you know?
What's your biggest takeaway from that time? And you know, especially.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Probably probably the best time that I had in wrestling
was going back to that time and just how rough
it was we lived. I lived in Nashville. We had
you know, like you said, I think we had Memphis
TV Saturday morning, so we drive from Nashville to Memphis
for three hour drive. We drive me me the Spean
(10:32):
Taker would drive from Nashville to Memphis, do TV, drive
back to Nashville Force Show, have Sunday off, and then
back up Monday to Memphis to do Monday Night. My
best stories where we were starving, Uh, we were just surviving.
We were out on the road making it. And probably
(10:54):
some of them when I talked to Undertaker. Now, excuse
me when we text, because we don't talk anymore. Ye
are we don't even FaceTime? We text if we do
talk about wrestling. It's about those times I talked to
take her all the time, and it's never ever about wrestling.
(11:15):
And like I said, if it is, it's about those
old Memphis days, because those are the best stories. We
were pro hungry, living on the road and just surviving, man,
and that was some of the best times that these
guys today they don't have the opportunity to do that.
I know they have independent shows, but they don't have
the territories like we had Smoky Mountains, Uh, you know,
(11:37):
w C W w w F Memphis, there was so
uh there were so many territories that learn your craft
and get out there. And the guys today not that
they don't learn, but I kind of I kind of
call them store bought uh you know, kind of talking,
you know what it is. I don't want to sound
like one of them old dudes that I hate, but
(12:03):
you know that's a truly right.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
They do get a different experience doing it that way.
I mean, if you you know, if you're a local guy,
you get signed NXT and then your boom, you're right
a part of the machine. Like you don't really you
don't get to go, you know, spend fifty bucks in
gas to go make ten bucks. You know, like you
don't really have a lot of those experiences and stuff.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
We used to drive from Memphis to Nashville to make
thirty being taker to make thirty five dollars. What do
you even cover, gas man?
Speaker 7 (12:32):
Jeez?
Speaker 5 (12:32):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
And I think the stories we tell are always from
those days.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
Yeah. Well, and I think too a lot of you
know you you got taken under I guess the wing
of Lawler. And I don't think people realize how huge
Jerry Lawler is in Memphis. I mean even today. I
mean he could.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
He was there when I was there. I'm telling you
he was bigger than the case.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
I mean that that that name is help.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
He is. He was after I beat him the next
week at the next day, I was in you know,
restaurants and stuff that people knew I was, And my god,
you beat the king and it was big man, it
was he was. I'm sure it's still big admits.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Oh yeah, absolutely. They're actually doing here. In a couple
of weeks, they were doing his fiftieth anniversary celebration. I
guess fifty years in wrestling or something. I don't know, but.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
Probably too.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
He probably still does one hundred dates a year. It's ridiculous.
And it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
The fact that you know, like he had a heart
attack on live TV and then he's back to taking
drop kicks and bumps.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Hey, I don't know if that's dedication crazy or what
it is, but it's something I don't got.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
So one thing I love to to scroll through on
Instagram and it's always a great thing when you see
the Godfather going live on Instagram and it's it's fun
to watch those, Like I'm sitting here and it's like
it's pretty much every question.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Is can I smoke with you? Can I smoke with you?
Can I smoke with you?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
And then you kind of talking about Undertaker and some
other stuff. So and you know, like you said you
and Undertaker had to pass, and you know the rumor
is your WW invite was because of the Undertaker?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Is that true?
Speaker 6 (14:21):
Oh? I don't know. That's the Undertaker? So did he
probably have something to do with And yeah, we were
best friends at the time, but you know they would
they would have looked at me anyway. I was at
that time that the Taker. It's such a long story
with me and him. But when we met each other
(14:43):
in about eighty eight, uh, and we became really really
good friends. He'd been in the business about a year
before me, and so he went to he went to Japan.
When he came back, I went to Japan. When I
came back, he went to w c W. When he
went to w C you, I went to Germany and
worked Broado Bonds for eight months. And so by the
(15:05):
time I got out of Germany, take her was in
the w w E at the time, or F and
so I got back and they called me and said, hey,
you know, somebody called me and said I could take
a look at you. They took a look at me.
They hired me and said, uh, we're gonna go ahead
and put you. We're gonna hire you to put you
on payroll. We're gonna go ahead and sit you. And
(15:27):
he said, because we need to do something with you.
He says. You have the body of a monster. He says,
but you have a baby face. He goes, we got
to do something with your face. Your face doesn't match
your body. And that's why they came up with Papashango
to hide my face. But I'll tell you what, Uh,
(15:47):
looking back, it's a good thing because I'm sixty years old.
That if you see me on Instagram. I don't think
I look sixty.
Speaker 7 (15:53):
I would I would like, I'm not. I'm not doing
this to hype you up. Like when we were talking
about like what is he like forty eight or something like,
I just felt like to me, I was like maybe
he retired young or something. And then I was like, oh,
you know what.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
You know, I don't want to swear. I have been
back out.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
If you swear, it's fine.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
This is this is a full anything goes in this podcast, So.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
No bullshit. At twenty seven years old, I'm Papa Shanga.
I'm going through a nasty, nasty divorce. And back then
I wasn't the nice person that I am now. Back
then I was pretty mean. I mean, I wasn't a bully,
but I didn't take no shit from nobody. And I
had like the N word. It's because I hung around
(16:43):
so many bikers and people with tattoos. They would use
that word freely, and I refuse to be called that word.
So if you mistakenly called me that word, I would
punch you in your mouth. Oh and there was no hay,
don't say that. There was. It was bam.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
And unless you'd be the normal response anyway, I won't.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
Do that's what after the Papashaga. People think it was Vince.
It was I was going through a really bad time.
I was fighting a lot. Baker was having the babysit me,
and it was just for the best that I left.
And when I left, I went to La I spent
some time with a friend of mine and help me
to try marijuana for the first time in my life
(17:29):
at twenty seven years old. I was brought up at
a time when you know, I was brought up in
Silicon Valley, Studyville, California, very liberal, fatum. I was brought
up thinking marijuana is bad, You're gonna goose, You're gonna
become hippie, your brain's gonna fry all that. So I
didn't see people smoking until I went to college, and
(17:50):
I'm like, I are all these good as smoking weeds,
And I still didn't smoke. I didn't try till I
was twenty seven. When I started it. At twenty seven,
I'm taking so much like it in purpose that's perk
to dance like the prop and class the deals ILSA
on a lot of names there. Huh man, I'm taking
shit like that like it's nothing, and I'm drinking a
(18:12):
bottle of Zack Daniels a day. Now, I'm functioning like that,
running around and driving around like that. But I won't
try marijuana. I mean marijuana, No, are you kidding me? Well?
When I did try it, dude, just I mean, I
can't remember the first time, but it was like it
opened up my eyes. It made my knees feel better,
(18:34):
It made my back feel better, food tasted better. All
of a sudden, I had ghost step in my step.
It made me smile, It made me funny, It made
me creative. Cannabis is the best thing that ever happened
to me. And if you and God bless my brother.
I hope he's not listening to this. He's three years
younger than me, and he looks ten years older. But
(18:56):
he doesn't smoke. He drinks alcohol and beer every day,
and God, God bless us. So he's a great guy. Okay,
financially he's said he's done well, but he looks older
than me, and I think it's because of the cannabis.
I don't think to this day, the heaviest big I'll
take is in an leave. I will drink now, no,
(19:19):
I'm you know, I will have a shot at Jack
every now and then. I'll have a beer every now
and then, but I don't drink. I would as I'm
flucky to you. Now I'm taking it, you know, cannabis.
Cannabis works very well for me. People say I am
the most productive stoner they've ever met in their lives.
(19:39):
Maybe it doesn't work for everybody, but for me, it
got me off of all that other stuff. I think
it saved my life. To be honest, I think it
saved my life. And there's so many wrestlers that have
died that I do personally. But I used to try
to get to smoke cannabis and they're like, I don't smoke.
That gives me the monchies. Really, it gets the bunches.
(20:01):
I don't candy, and I used to. When I was there,
not many people smoked. There wasn't many smokers there, you.
Speaker 7 (20:09):
Know so well, And I think there's it's an interesting
an interview and you won't get a word in.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
You know, well, I think it's interesting.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
You know, alcohol is still you can find it. I
can go to the street corner and get it.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
I wasn't a bad mood a lot earlier, but I'm
doing better now.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
I think it's it's interesting that like you can get
you know, beer and liquor anywhere, and they're still dragging
their feet, you know, legalizing marijuana across the nation, and
I think that's about design, you know, I think people,
I think the alcohol does a lot more down like
you said, I mean even ages, people faster, and you know,
all kinds of different health issues and all that. You know,
(20:54):
I'm sure that's the part of why they're dragging their
feet with all that.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I bet here in the next five years everywhere.
Speaker 8 (21:01):
We do want to talk about Papa Shano a little
bit because he's one of my favorites. I was actually
watching a YouTube of and it was very a very
brief one. I don't know if you even remember this,
but Gene Okerland was interviewing you and you put a
curse on him, which I.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Just think is fabulous.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
I don't even know what year it was, but we
want to know how the character was developed and what
did you like and not like about the character, if
you didn't like, if there was something you didn't like.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
The only thing that I didn't like about the character
was that smoke that came out of that goal m
oxic sulfur but it was the worst war stuff in
the world, and it would get in your nose and
he was get in your mouth, and you were constantly
(21:53):
just fit keeping this stuff up your eyes. I didn't
even smoking then in my heights would be read all
the time. That's part on me, the gimmick itself. I
was so happy just to be there. I tried everything
I could do to make that gimmick work. I was
(22:14):
very green in the business, not the working part, but
the part too. I was compared to Kamala. I got
rest his soul. I wrestled Kamala one time as Papa Shambo,
and I had no idea what to do with him
because he was so much better at his gimmick than
I wasn't mind that I was lost in the match,
(22:34):
and you know, I'll yelling out and tell him to
stop sucking around, and he stayed and gimmick. You know,
because he go back and see one of our matches.
Every time I go to he turned away like he
was afraid of you. You go and touch me and
he's back away, and I didn't, so I tried. When
I did Pumpishambo, you got to understand, I was like
one step away from beer to Hells Angel Biker and
(22:57):
to go for two in the Listening to Country music
Rydan Harris to being a overnight being a voodoo man.
That was a big shock and the very first time
I did it, the very first match I did it
made me redo it because I went out there and
just wrestle normal. When I came back, I think it
(23:18):
was Pete J. Strumble said, didn't you realize that you're
a voodoo man. You gotta just out there acting like
a doble person. So good we started to shake it
and all that type of stuff. I had a lot
of fun with it. I wish I was more experienced
at my at you know, at wrestling. I could have
(23:39):
probably did a better job, but I did the best.
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Speaker 8 (26:21):
Oh absolutely, yeah, that's It's one of my favorite memories.
And I really do feel like today that kind of
gimmick would definitely work, just because I feel not that
it's horror, but the kind of scarier aspect of it.
People like that, you know, they woantn't be scared.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, definitely takes.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
You may always have a character like that, you know.
I tell you one character they'll never have a gein
is you'll never see another Godfather.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Oh that's right, cannot be recreated.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
I out there calling girls hose selling girl talked about
smoking weeds and all ever ever see another You never
ever see another Godfather unless you right.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
I want to say there were some merchandise that was
like ho merchandise if.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I'd have the Google to see, like.
Speaker 7 (27:24):
The feather boas.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
When I renewed my contract the last time that Godfather
I did the number at them. I said, you guys
could make that number of merchandise alone, and they just
laughed because that was so That gimmick was so hot.
People loved that game so much. And back then at
the beginning, there wasn't no internet, and there wasn't no
(27:49):
online sales or none of that. The only things you
sold was in the building. You had to buy the
shirts in the building. Had das for the lock at
his spot for Stone Cold John Michael's, you know undertaker.
Then we have like five or six spots for shirt.
(28:09):
So you get into that pot of heart. Well probably
my godfather got in there and stated there so I
mean I actually, if you look online, I was. I
was the first and only wrestler ever ever. They have
marijuana leaves on an official w w F shirt.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Nice that sounds appropriate.
Speaker 8 (28:31):
That's a collector's.
Speaker 6 (28:33):
Back of My Speed. You'll see a picture of it.
But if you look it up, godfather marijuana shirt and
makes two of them. But I had actual marijuana leaves
and on one of them on the back Sid Roller
Fatty for pimp Daddy. And now you Godfather to take
said godfathers love skinny women. Godfather loves skinny women, but
will never say no to a fatty.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
As we're talking about, I'm looking on right now, okay,
and you talk about not being on T shirts. Right
now on eBay for one hundred dollars, there's a T
shirt that says, don't say no, just say oh.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You're never gonna be able to see.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
This now, like you said, you can't. You can't have
these kind of shirts.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Don't stay. Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I remember when it all came out and I would
go to school and I would I would be like,
let's get on the whole train, and I mean everybody
would would say that, and it was just.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Know what a whole train was.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I did not win at time, and then my parents
like completely yelled at me. It was the same time
when I was telling everybody to suck it, because I
was like, the ex is doing.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
You know?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And then I was I was I was saying let's
get on the whole train everybody, and I was looking
at people in the class. And I did get in
trouble for saying it, But as I look.
Speaker 6 (29:50):
Back on it, I was like, hey, you know how
many people probably got sus fitted from school from telling
some girl, I'm gonna put you on the whole train.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Yeah, and that was a great thing.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Nobody knew anything different back then.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Oh, be real, be real with Cypress Hill. I met
him during wrestling a long time ago, and he told me,
he goes, dude, how did you getting away with saying
what you're saying? And I told him, I don't think
people really know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Nobody knew because I mean, you know, some people didn't realize.
Of course, during the time of wrestling back then, when
you had the hose with you, we just all assumed
that they were just you know, the regular girls that
were there. We didn't think anything of it, you know,
you know.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
Bro ho like I don't know. I mean, yeah, I
don't know what I assumed. I just thought it was,
you know, I almost equated it more to like, you're
just the ladies, man, so like you you got all
the girls and you know that kind of thing. I
didn't dig deeper into the whole, like you know, Oh, okay,
(30:54):
I get it now.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Oh man, I believe me. But you know what I'm
having just as but the Godfather of personality, as Charles
Wright as me that's all it is. Like I said,
I used to be really mean back in the day.
Two things type of my twentieth year anniversary to my
wife was yesterday a happy anniversary and she along with marijuana.
(31:18):
Those are the two ladies in my life that maybe
a lot nicer person nice because I used to be
I'm telling you who. But I enjoyed being the nicer
person that I am today and to bring that person
out in wrestling. And people don't know. I was never scripted.
They never They might give me a flashpoint or something.
(31:40):
I'd just stay in town or hiding the virus here
or something, but I was never ever scripted. Let us
we God, let ask the work good question.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
Well, this one kind of is timely in a sense.
So you kind of rolled over from Shannga to Kalma,
which became Comma Mustafa, which led you into one of
the greatest factions in ww history, nation and domination. We're
still waiting on the Hall of Fame call for that one.
By the way, how did that come together? You know?
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (32:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (32:13):
Was there just someone threw something out there? Was it
a plan?
Speaker 6 (32:16):
Like?
Speaker 7 (32:16):
How did that group.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Run the do?
Speaker 5 (32:20):
What?
Speaker 6 (32:21):
How did I get in the Nation. Is that what
you're asking?
Speaker 7 (32:23):
Yeah, Like, did was there a specific plan or did
it just kind of organically?
Speaker 6 (32:29):
No plan? This is the plan I was. I was
coming back anyway, but I was coming back as Papastrongo,
and uh, it was going to be a little bit
not said Papashanga was cartoonish, but it was going to
be a little bit more menacing. Jerry Lawler had did
the face paint. I think there's on my Instagram. There's
(32:51):
a picture of it on my Instagram. Jerry did the
face paint. And I had a new outfit, a new everything,
all new magical stuff. And then I get the TV
when I show up and they say Vince wants to
talk to you, and I'm like, okay, cool, I like
docor Vince. So I go in there and Vince Charles
change of plans. I'm like, change of plans. He says,
(33:14):
We're going to put you in the Nation and domination.
You and Ron Simmons are going to have a handicap
match against the other taker and you're going to go
over And I'm like, what now. I'm not knowing that
at the time, And as you know, what happened is
they probably already figured out what they were going to
do with Dwayne, and so they needed some more muscle
(33:37):
in the Nation. And so just like that, I became
commonly stopped the Nation the domination. And then after a
couple of weeks, Vince called me a Ron in to
the office and he basically said, hey, do you know
this Dwayne. I didn't know who he was. Dwayne Johnson
rise and Ron did. He goes, well, listen, I'm going
(33:58):
to do this. I'm going to put him in the Nation,
going to do this, I'm going to detail. He laid
everything out for us, and he said when he says,
once I get people to hate this kid when I
turned him, he's going to be the biggest thing wrestling
ever saw. That's what which want.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:16):
And then the rest of that was from that point right.
Of course, I don't talk to the Rock too much,
but whenever I see him, he's always cool. It's always
good to see him. I talked to Ron, I talked
to Dlo, I talked to Mark Henry. I said, that's
what all those guys. I talked to Ron Simmons a lot,
but great time, great people. We had no idea at
(34:39):
the time the significance of it now what we were
doing back then. I was just doing my job. I
always just tried to do my job the best I could.
And I didn't get involved in the politics. I didn't
get involved with what's got on here. I did my job.
I passed my check, and I smoke my weed, and
I stayed happy. I heard but and didn't hurt nobody.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
And that's all you can ask for.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
Hey, I'm sure business happy with all that, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (35:06):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
So you know, for a while, we would always look
online and there was always on the dirt sheets there
was talking about a new nation of domination coming and
could it have been the new day? And then all
of a sudden, we see the Hurt Business with MVP
and all them, and you know, Ron Simmons showed up,
and we thought, okay, maybe the Hurt Business could be
the new nation of domination the new generation. And do
(35:29):
you think that they could do that?
Speaker 7 (35:31):
Now?
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Have they like asked you guys to kind of come
back and give your blessings, Like, what would you think
about a new nation of domination in this current climate.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
I'm surprised Vince had touched that already. I don't know, man,
that's a situation man that could really hurt them. I
would have did it already. I would have called them
the Nation a domination. But if you do, they're gonna
be baby faces. They're not gonna be healed, right, that's bills.
They're gonna be baby faces. So where do you go
(36:01):
with that? You know, like today, if you had going
against the Nation, d X would be the ills and
Nation would be the baby faces. Yeah, so I don't know,
I don't know. I mean, you know, this is a
smart man. He didn't make all that money by and
everybody shit talks him now and then, but he's a
smart man and he keeps up with the times. So
(36:22):
you know, I'm surprised. I personally, I would have did it.
I would have called the Nation a domination.
Speaker 7 (36:27):
Yeah, I mean, with with all the stuff that's going on,
unfortunately and the last you know, five to ten years,
I'm with you, like, I don't know why it hasn't
popped up before, but seems like this new group is
kind of spiritual, you know, kind of a spiritual successor.
Speaker 6 (36:43):
Like I think I don't watched the show. I'm going
to start watching pretty soon because I'm getting asked too
many questions about the show, and I don't know, and
I'm bopping to a lot of wrestling fans, so I
don't have to start catching up one stuff. But I
think baby faces their heels.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
Yeah. So the next thing you were part of, which
actually kind of looking back on is it was actually
really smart. But it was right to censor, specifically bringing
in you and Valvenus, you know, two of the kind
of adult themed you know, performers and all that kind
of stuff. That was again that was probably Vince's move.
That was really smart. What was what was your time
(37:22):
like in that faction? And you know, do you have
any fond memories of it and all that?
Speaker 6 (37:26):
I don't have any fond memories of that. I hated it.
I hated it. I hated it. I hated it almost
quick because of it. Oh wow, I was so much
fun as Godfather. I was having it. Everybody, believe me,
(37:46):
Everybody enjoyed that Godfather giving the bands, the wrestlers, anti office.
Everybody loved that Godfather give me and then called me
to the office. Go to his office and he goes
change of plans, that old change of plans again, but
I already knew something was coming up. He goes excuse me.
(38:07):
This was taking so much heat. He used to tell me, uh,
he take you know there the sponsors were going after him,
part about foul, about d X, about the fuckies, and
mostly about me. And he was fighting for me. He
used to tell me, also, fight for you, fighting for you. Well,
finally they got to him, so you know, he's like, hey,
(38:30):
we're gonna put you and you're gonna do this and
that you guys are gonna lose this match. You're gonna
be in the RTC. And I'm like, wait a minute.
I just remember I just kept saying, so no more Godfather,
and he's like, nope, You're we're gonna call you the
good Father. I'm like he's like, no no more Old.
I'm like like yeah, I'm like you. I just I
(38:50):
was like the shock. I'm like, what do you mean
I'm about to Godfather? No more? And so it was
just I did the best I could, but I wasn't happy.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
Well it's surprising hearing that from you.
Speaker 6 (39:04):
I think I stopped smoking for a while or even before. Unhappy.
Speaker 7 (39:09):
Yeah, I mean, considering what you said about I mean
all the merchant stuff you were selling, and I mean
Godfather was obviously one of the most over during that
era when they intertal chut, title and all that. So
it was surprising, But now that you've explained that, it
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
I don't think I ever saw anybody rocking a right
to Censor T shirt.
Speaker 6 (39:33):
You would be surprised that somebody. I go to how
many right to sencer T shirts? I see? Because they
made it go, I've got one. The body hit me one.
I almost worked today. I was gonna go live today,
but I had I dropped my iPads. I was putting
it in stad that I'd have concrete floors. I stand
(39:56):
concrete floors at my house. Hit the floor just so
she just left. I said, it's sure, get another one.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
So it is, and you know, it's it's one thing.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And we talk about kind of like the current state
of wrestling with a W and W E and kind.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Of some other stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
But a funny thing that happened, and a lot of
people kind of talked about this, and ou't know, maybe
you know about it, but back when right to censer
was a thing, it was like rightdosenser dot com ae
W went and bought that domain. And so if you
go back and watch the w W network and then
you go to rightdosenser dot com, it takes you to
a w's homepage.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
No way.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
Yeah, they did a good troll on that one, sneaky
look it up. I did just check it. It's it
does still go to I'll Eat Wrestling.
Speaker 8 (40:46):
So we're wrapping up here soon and I'm gonna put
you on the spot. So, do you have a defining
moment from your career in WWE that comes to mind?
Speaker 6 (40:58):
No, so, because I had, you have no idea. I
had such a life and from all all the time
that I was there, and the different characters and the people. Dude,
every day was a party. And people always ask me
what was your favorite match? I mean, like, well, a
(41:19):
guess two against Undertaker against this one again, I have
favorite matters. I wrestled just about everybody because I came
in at the end of a lot of great career
careers and the start of a lot of norse. So
I had so much fun. I had the most memorable times.
Would have bit as the Godfather and every night was
(41:40):
mivorable because what you've seen on TV was nothing compared
to what I did in the house shows. Because the
house shows, there wasn't no cameras. I wasn't on TV,
so if I was rated X on TV, I was
on the House shows. And some of those House show
moments were just I'd be just crazy. The things that
(42:02):
I would do, would say and get away with it.
That just best are probably my best liveries is the
house shows as the Godsfather and these and it let
it loose and I did believe the idea that's.
Speaker 8 (42:19):
Awesome pimping and easy.
Speaker 6 (42:24):
How true that is?
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Yes, keep on pimping. So one really so one really
cool thing.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
And we kind of like to ask these people because
we've had a lot of Hall of famers on.
Speaker 7 (42:37):
And shooting your domination, uh Cohart and mister Mark Henry,
we had him.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
He and Mark had a Twitter war going back and
forth calling each other out on there, and he came
into the studio and choked me.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
So that was a fun day.
Speaker 7 (42:51):
Oh that reminds me too. We were supposed to have
d lot this time last year and our schedules didn't
line up, so dang, that'd been another one. Anyway. Sorry,
we're big fans of the nation. In case you can't tell.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Yes, So something we like to like to ask all
the Hall of famers. When did you get the call
that you were going into the Hall of Fame and
what was that experience like During WrestleMania weekend.
Speaker 6 (43:13):
I was on my way to the gym. Mark Toronto
called me and I've been going to WrestleManias for the
last ten years. You might not see me on TV,
but I'm I'm part of the show and access whatever.
And so he's like, well, you're all set for WrestleMania.
I'm like, yeah, man, I'm all set, and he goes, well,
who you bringing. I'm like, who am I bringing? The
(43:34):
matter with my brand? Bringing my wife? He goes, well,
you might want to bring your old family and I'm like,
go why would I want to bring my whole family? Mark?
He goes, because putting you into Hall of Fame this year,
And that's exactly how the call went. Wow, that whole
weekend was cool. But Dula guys did without getting people
(43:55):
in trouble. But every night there's a Godfather, happy fun night.
No better where I'm at. So if it's holiday weekend,
if it's seven flam weeked, I have I have a
lot of fund and people around me have a lot
of fund. So uh, it was just another fun weekend. Weekend.
Speaker 7 (44:19):
Yeah, wouldn't I wouldn't expect less? What's that I said? Yeah,
I said, we would not expect less?
Speaker 6 (44:30):
Yeah. Fun.
Speaker 7 (44:33):
Well, I guess we'll kind of end on this note.
You know what does what are some things you're working
on or you have, you know, brewing kind of coming
out in the future, and then, uh, you know you've
mentioned your Instagram.
Speaker 6 (44:44):
Really my fee into this cannabis industry, yeah, would be real.
We're gonna have a spring. I have a string coming
out pretty soon speaking because, like I said, I actually
have a story being high and getting that. That's a
fun part. But there's a lot of benefits from HD
and cannabis, and so I do have a story to tell.
(45:07):
I'm going to start a podcast. I'm just final filling
my way. I've really I have been on Instagram literally
verified for like four months. It's all I've been on there,
and I'm kind of learning my way around it. I'm
having a lot of fun. I'm going to do a podcast.
I got some products I have. I work with news
and some other companies I'm an influencer for. I still
(45:30):
do wrestling. I do a lot of virtual wrestling shows.
I do I'm really busy. I actually have to do
whos I get done with you. I have to do
something with Ice Network tonight. I'm doing so I'm really, really,
really busy. I'm really busy. Yeah, I'm having how about this,
I'm having Godfather fun right now.
Speaker 7 (45:49):
Yeah, that's all you can ask for. Well, real quick,
tell everyone your socials, you know, make sure we know
your Instagram handle and you know if that's the main
place to be from.
Speaker 6 (45:59):
On Instagram, am i am the Godfather with the blue
check mark the Godfather? On Facebook? I am b w
W E Godfather with the blue check mark. And I
just started a YouTube channel called smoke Strain And it's
kind of hard to find out if I don't think it.
(46:19):
The leak so far down there's so many trains and
smoking this and that. But I'm working on that and
I'm going to be working on a podcast and right
now I'm doing a lot of stuff on Instagram. If
you don't follow me, follow thee you'll give you like
this interview, you'll get a kick out of the because
I was really aigits. I don't hold back. If you
watch fights, you guys, you I don't hold back.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Yes, I can vouch for that because I watch your
Instagram streams when I see the notification that you go live,
and nothing, nothing is held back at all.
Speaker 6 (46:55):
I don't have no problem telling off myself, man, because
I can't get trouble tell it off myself. Right.
Speaker 3 (47:01):
Well, the Godfather is our guest.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
We have been super super honored to have you on
the show, and we're definitely gonna have to do this again.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Next time. We'll do a video of this interview.
Speaker 6 (47:11):
I like you have some fun awesome.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
Well, thank you so much, Godfather, and you have a
great rest of your day.
Speaker 6 (47:18):
You guys enjoy yours, say Sae.
Speaker 10 (47:21):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode of the Battleground Podcast.
Make sure you give it five stars and a nice review.
Speaker 4 (47:27):
To stay up to date with the
Speaker 10 (47:28):
Show, follow them at Battleground Podcast on Instagram.
Welcome to episode number one fifty three of the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
My name is Battle.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Thank you guys so much for allowing us to be
a part of your your morning, your evening, your night,
your afternoon, whatever. We're just thankful that we're a part
of your day when you sit down and listen to
this podcast, episode one fifty three. As you saw when
you saw the notification, we do have WWE Hall of
Famer the Godfather on our show today. We're gonna be
talking about his early career, what led him to be
(00:26):
in Papa Shango, what led him to be in the
in the Nation of Domination, the Godfather role right to center,
and of course are we gonna get a nation of
domination two point zero? I mean, he thinks that this
could be the perfect time to have one, especially with
the current climate that we're in. But we get that
answer from him, We get that in a whole lot more.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Also, please do us a quick favor.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
If you're listening to this podcast, please share it on
Twitter or Instagram.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Show us that you're listening.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Tag us in it Battleground podcast on Instagram, We're Battleground
IHR on Twitter. If you share it tag we will
repost it. We will thank you, we will love you forever,
and please make sure you tell all your friends to
follow us once again. Twitter is Battleground, I hr Facebook
is you can find us Battleground Podcast. We're also on
(01:13):
Instagram Battleground Podcast. Find us there and follow us and
we're gonna do a big thing. We're almost to a
thousand followers. I think we're gonna do a giveaway once
we get a thousand, So if you can help us
get to there, we're gonna do a really cool giveaway. So,
without further ado, enough of me rambling.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Are you ready? Here it is? The episode one fifty
three with the Godfather starts.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Now, Battle.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Youth into the du Battle Crown.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Live from the Part Unknown Studios.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
This is the Battleground Podcast, The Battle your place for
all things pro wrestling from the independent scene to w W, E, AY,
w R, O, H, m w A and Impact Wrestling
(02:14):
hot topics, as well as interviews with some of the
biggest names.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
In the game. The Battle The Battleground Podcast starts.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Now, carry your host to bat.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Battle and Eli, here we go.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
It is time for another episode of the Battleground Podcast.
I've got my tag team partner Eli with me. What's
up dude?
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Hello?
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Hello, And we've also got the Bell of the Brawl
Lena as well with us on the show.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
We are so excited to have you here. And uh,
we've got a special guest on the show. So should
I go ahead and play his theme song for everybody?
Speaker 7 (03:03):
I mean, it's been a minute since I've had that
rev that, you know, singing glorious sound in my ears.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
So yeah, so let's.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Go ahead and hit our today's special guest theme song.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That is right, that means one thing.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
The Godfather joins us on The show Man Godfather, what's happening?
Speaker 6 (03:29):
Hey, what's going on? Guys? Thanks for having me on
the show Man.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Man, thanks for being here. We are super honored to
have you.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
When I was telling everybody about you coming on the show,
we all kind of geeked out because we are big
fans of yours from the beginning of the career all
the way up until the Godfather. Man, It's it's an
honor to have you on the show.
Speaker 6 (03:46):
That's good to hear. Man that meets you. Guys are
on my side.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
We've been on your side since day one, and I
know I know in our group chat, Lena did say
that she wanted to ask you a certain question.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We're gonna throw her into the bus for click for
this one.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
Can I be on the whole train? Number one? And
is there an age limit now? To be on the
whole train?
Speaker 9 (04:08):
You gotta be twenty one to be on the whole train.
I'm looking for holes every minute of the day. So,
oh right, qualify you meet all the qualifications.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
I did right in front of the whole train.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Oh fabulous.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
And my mother also wants to be on it. Her
name is Lisa.
Speaker 9 (04:29):
Hey, there's somebody out there for everybody. We take a young, old, fat, black, white.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
We don't care.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
Man, I love it.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
There's somebody. I've got a girl for everybody out there.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
Wheah. Yeah, equal opportunity, godfather, that's what we There we go.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
That's awesome.
Speaker 8 (04:46):
So back in the eighties, you were noticed during the
filming of the movie over at the top. How did
you get involved in that movie and how did that
lead you to the legendary monster Factory.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
I wasn't involved in movie. I was working in a
strip Buk called what was it called, It's called the
Crazy Books, and it was right down the street from
the MGM where they filmed that movie, and a lot
I remember all the names some of those guys, think
Scott North's if I'm not mistaking, But a lot of
those guys in that were extras and you know Carppinger
guys in the business, and they would come into my bar.
(05:21):
I was the bartender, bouncer manager, I was everything, and
they'd come in the bar and have drinks and I
was just a monster back then, you know, and they
tell me, dude, you should get into wrestler. I'm like,
I don't want to do that. I'm like, I don't
I actually I think I said I don't want to
be no phony ass wrestler. And then, uh, you know,
(05:42):
back then I was more much more of a biker
than I am now. And they're like, well, you ever
heard of a guy named Dam Dam Bigelow And I'm
I asked to do with the tattoos on said right there?
Like yeah. I'm like, well that was all added up.
I'm like, well you've got to be cool. But they're like,
well he made a million dollars last year. I'm like,
how much?
Speaker 7 (06:00):
Come again.
Speaker 6 (06:02):
I made a call I made a call to uh
New Jersey, and uh, Larry Sharp says, well, if you
find your way out here, I'll put you up and
take a look at you. Then when they seen me, uh,
you know, he's like, I think we got something here.
And I went home and so my wife sell the
house or moving into Jersey, and uh, just like that,
(06:25):
I jumped in my truck. I just bought a brand
new truck, jumped in my truck and headed in New Jersey.
My wife's house she sold the house about six months
later than she came and joined me. And at that
time we were already moved. I was already moving to Memphis,
and so he was all started rolling.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
So was uh, eighties Jersey a down grade from eighties Vegas?
Speaker 6 (06:50):
I would say a little bit.
Speaker 7 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, I can imagine a little bit. He's kind
of pertaining Specific to the training aspect, what do you
think was the hardest part of the training for you
becoming a pro wrestler, Because you always hear about, you know,
you have the natural athletes that don't really get into
(07:12):
the acting side of things, and then you have the
natural you know, people that can run their mouth, but
they're not good in the ring, you know, so you
got to find that balance. What what was your you know,
what was your hardest obstacle? You know in the ring?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
My hardest obstacle was how to learn how to drink
secret stuff.
Speaker 8 (07:32):
I don't blame you on that one.
Speaker 7 (07:33):
Yeah, that one, that's rough.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
I literally, I literally, I can't tell you the amount
of time, but it was a short time. I was
literally in wrestling school for weeks, six weeks, seven weeks,
not many weeks, and I basically the whole time I
was there was partying with Arry Sharp, and uh, right away,
Jerry the King Lawler came through and see me, and
(07:59):
I literally knew how to lock up, and for some
reason I could do it drop down to hold. I
think I was in class that day they were teaching that,
and uh, he's seen me, and he offered me a job.
And the very my very I mean I really literally
I don't kN know how to lock up. And my
very first match ever, ever practice match, any type of match,
(08:24):
was against Jerry the King Lawler on a Monday night
at Memphis tu see mid in the middle of one,
two three, And that was my first match ever.
Speaker 8 (08:37):
That's wild, that's a that's a good different your average
average bear.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
Yeah, well, that's a good segue into the next question.
So I'm actually from West Tennessee, so Memphis wrestling is
when I grew up on. My cousin actually was a
wrestler in the us w A. I don't know if
y'all were there at the same time. Danny Davis in
the us w A. Yeah, Danny Davis is my cousin.
He was in the Nightmares.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (09:04):
Yeah, So Sunday mornings we'd watch the Jerry Lawler Show
and then we'd watch wrestling. Uh well, wrestling was Saturday mornings.
His his show was on Sunday mornings. But anyways, like
you said, you got brought in. Uh you were the
soul Taker I think was your name at the time, right,
that's what was so, yeah, you you actually won the
(09:28):
Unified World Championship, which for those people that don't know,
that was I think the aw A, the w C
CW from Texas and then the cw A Belt were
all combined. Lawler won that, so it was still considered
like a prestigious thing at the time. You'd win it.
A few years later as Papa Shanko I when WWF
and usw A were doing trade shairs and stuff, Uh,
(09:50):
what was your time like in Memphis, you know, being
kind of handpicked by Lawler and you know, obviously the
the excitement of the Monday night crowds at the Memphis
at the Mid South Coliseum.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Uh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Go ahead, that's pretty much it. Yeah, what what you know?
What's your biggest takeaway from that time? And you know, especially.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Probably probably the best time that I had in wrestling
was going back to that time and just how rough
it was we lived. I lived in Nashville. We had
you know, like you said, I think we had Memphis
TV Saturday morning, so we drive from Nashville to Memphis
for three hour drive. We drive me me the Spean
(10:32):
Taker would drive from Nashville to Memphis, do TV, drive
back to Nashville Force Show, have Sunday off, and then
back up Monday to Memphis to do Monday Night. My
best stories where we were starving, Uh, we were just surviving.
We were out on the road making it. And probably
(10:54):
some of them when I talked to Undertaker. Now, excuse
me when we text, because we don't talk anymore. Ye
are we don't even FaceTime? We text if we do
talk about wrestling. It's about those times I talked to
take her all the time, and it's never ever about wrestling.
(11:15):
And like I said, if it is, it's about those
old Memphis days, because those are the best stories. We
were pro hungry, living on the road and just surviving, man,
and that was some of the best times that these
guys today they don't have the opportunity to do that.
I know they have independent shows, but they don't have
the territories like we had Smoky Mountains, Uh, you know,
(11:37):
w C W w w F Memphis, there was so
uh there were so many territories that learn your craft
and get out there. And the guys today not that
they don't learn, but I kind of I kind of
call them store bought uh you know, kind of talking,
you know what it is. I don't want to sound
like one of them old dudes that I hate, but
(12:03):
you know that's a truly right.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
They do get a different experience doing it that way.
I mean, if you you know, if you're a local guy,
you get signed NXT and then your boom, you're right
a part of the machine. Like you don't really you
don't get to go, you know, spend fifty bucks in
gas to go make ten bucks. You know, like you
don't really have a lot of those experiences and stuff.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
We used to drive from Memphis to Nashville to make
thirty being taker to make thirty five dollars. What do
you even cover, gas man?
Speaker 7 (12:32):
Jeez?
Speaker 5 (12:32):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
And I think the stories we tell are always from
those days.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
Yeah. Well, and I think too a lot of you
know you you got taken under I guess the wing
of Lawler. And I don't think people realize how huge
Jerry Lawler is in Memphis. I mean even today. I
mean he could.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
He was there when I was there. I'm telling you
he was bigger than the case.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
I mean that that that name is help.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
He is. He was after I beat him the next
week at the next day, I was in you know,
restaurants and stuff that people knew I was, And my god,
you beat the king and it was big man, it
was he was. I'm sure it's still big admits.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Oh yeah, absolutely. They're actually doing here. In a couple
of weeks, they were doing his fiftieth anniversary celebration. I
guess fifty years in wrestling or something. I don't know, but.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
Probably too.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
He probably still does one hundred dates a year. It's ridiculous.
And it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
The fact that you know, like he had a heart
attack on live TV and then he's back to taking
drop kicks and bumps.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Hey, I don't know if that's dedication crazy or what
it is, but it's something I don't got.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
So one thing I love to to scroll through on
Instagram and it's always a great thing when you see
the Godfather going live on Instagram and it's it's fun
to watch those, Like I'm sitting here and it's like
it's pretty much every question.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Is can I smoke with you? Can I smoke with you?
Can I smoke with you?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
And then you kind of talking about Undertaker and some
other stuff. So and you know, like you said you
and Undertaker had to pass, and you know the rumor
is your WW invite was because of the Undertaker?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Is that true?
Speaker 6 (14:21):
Oh? I don't know. That's the Undertaker? So did he
probably have something to do with And yeah, we were
best friends at the time, but you know they would
they would have looked at me anyway. I was at
that time that the Taker. It's such a long story
with me and him. But when we met each other
(14:43):
in about eighty eight, uh, and we became really really
good friends. He'd been in the business about a year
before me, and so he went to he went to Japan.
When he came back, I went to Japan. When I
came back, he went to w c W. When he
went to w C you, I went to Germany and
worked Broado Bonds for eight months. And so by the
(15:05):
time I got out of Germany, take her was in
the w w E at the time, or F and
so I got back and they called me and said, hey,
you know, somebody called me and said I could take
a look at you. They took a look at me.
They hired me and said, uh, we're gonna go ahead
and put you. We're gonna hire you to put you
on payroll. We're gonna go ahead and sit you. And
(15:27):
he said, because we need to do something with you.
He says. You have the body of a monster. He says,
but you have a baby face. He goes, we got
to do something with your face. Your face doesn't match
your body. And that's why they came up with Papashango
to hide my face. But I'll tell you what, Uh,
(15:47):
looking back, it's a good thing because I'm sixty years old.
That if you see me on Instagram. I don't think
I look sixty.
Speaker 7 (15:53):
I would I would like, I'm not. I'm not doing
this to hype you up. Like when we were talking
about like what is he like forty eight or something like,
I just felt like to me, I was like maybe
he retired young or something. And then I was like, oh,
you know what.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
You know, I don't want to swear. I have been
back out.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
If you swear, it's fine.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
This is this is a full anything goes in this podcast, So.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
No bullshit. At twenty seven years old, I'm Papa Shanga.
I'm going through a nasty, nasty divorce. And back then
I wasn't the nice person that I am now. Back
then I was pretty mean. I mean, I wasn't a bully,
but I didn't take no shit from nobody. And I
had like the N word. It's because I hung around
(16:43):
so many bikers and people with tattoos. They would use
that word freely, and I refuse to be called that word.
So if you mistakenly called me that word, I would
punch you in your mouth. Oh and there was no hay,
don't say that. There was. It was bam.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
And unless you'd be the normal response anyway, I won't.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
Do that's what after the Papashaga. People think it was Vince.
It was I was going through a really bad time.
I was fighting a lot. Baker was having the babysit me,
and it was just for the best that I left.
And when I left, I went to La I spent
some time with a friend of mine and help me
to try marijuana for the first time in my life
(17:29):
at twenty seven years old. I was brought up at
a time when you know, I was brought up in
Silicon Valley, Studyville, California, very liberal, fatum. I was brought
up thinking marijuana is bad, You're gonna goose, You're gonna
become hippie, your brain's gonna fry all that. So I
didn't see people smoking until I went to college, and
(17:50):
I'm like, I are all these good as smoking weeds,
And I still didn't smoke. I didn't try till I
was twenty seven. When I started it. At twenty seven,
I'm taking so much like it in purpose that's perk
to dance like the prop and class the deals ILSA
on a lot of names there. Huh man, I'm taking
shit like that like it's nothing, and I'm drinking a
(18:12):
bottle of Zack Daniels a day. Now, I'm functioning like that,
running around and driving around like that. But I won't
try marijuana. I mean marijuana, No, are you kidding me? Well?
When I did try it, dude, just I mean, I
can't remember the first time, but it was like it
opened up my eyes. It made my knees feel better,
(18:34):
It made my back feel better, food tasted better. All
of a sudden, I had ghost step in my step.
It made me smile, It made me funny, It made
me creative. Cannabis is the best thing that ever happened
to me. And if you and God bless my brother.
I hope he's not listening to this. He's three years
younger than me, and he looks ten years older. But
(18:56):
he doesn't smoke. He drinks alcohol and beer every day,
and God, God bless us. So he's a great guy. Okay,
financially he's said he's done well, but he looks older
than me, and I think it's because of the cannabis.
I don't think to this day, the heaviest big I'll
take is in an leave. I will drink now, no,
(19:19):
I'm you know, I will have a shot at Jack
every now and then. I'll have a beer every now
and then, but I don't drink. I would as I'm
flucky to you. Now I'm taking it, you know, cannabis.
Cannabis works very well for me. People say I am
the most productive stoner they've ever met in their lives.
(19:39):
Maybe it doesn't work for everybody, but for me, it
got me off of all that other stuff. I think
it saved my life. To be honest, I think it
saved my life. And there's so many wrestlers that have
died that I do personally. But I used to try
to get to smoke cannabis and they're like, I don't smoke.
That gives me the monchies. Really, it gets the bunches.
(20:01):
I don't candy, and I used to. When I was there,
not many people smoked. There wasn't many smokers there, you.
Speaker 7 (20:09):
Know so well, And I think there's it's an interesting
an interview and you won't get a word in.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
You know, well, I think it's interesting.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
You know, alcohol is still you can find it. I
can go to the street corner and get it.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
I wasn't a bad mood a lot earlier, but I'm
doing better now.
Speaker 7 (20:30):
I think it's it's interesting that like you can get
you know, beer and liquor anywhere, and they're still dragging
their feet, you know, legalizing marijuana across the nation, and
I think that's about design, you know, I think people,
I think the alcohol does a lot more down like
you said, I mean even ages, people faster, and you know,
all kinds of different health issues and all that. You know,
(20:54):
I'm sure that's the part of why they're dragging their
feet with all that.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I bet here in the next five years everywhere.
Speaker 8 (21:01):
We do want to talk about Papa Shano a little
bit because he's one of my favorites. I was actually
watching a YouTube of and it was very a very
brief one. I don't know if you even remember this,
but Gene Okerland was interviewing you and you put a
curse on him, which I.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Just think is fabulous.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
I don't even know what year it was, but we
want to know how the character was developed and what
did you like and not like about the character, if
you didn't like, if there was something you didn't like.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
The only thing that I didn't like about the character
was that smoke that came out of that goal m
oxic sulfur but it was the worst war stuff in
the world, and it would get in your nose and
he was get in your mouth, and you were constantly
(21:53):
just fit keeping this stuff up your eyes. I didn't
even smoking then in my heights would be read all
the time. That's part on me, the gimmick itself. I
was so happy just to be there. I tried everything
I could do to make that gimmick work. I was
(22:14):
very green in the business, not the working part, but
the part too. I was compared to Kamala. I got
rest his soul. I wrestled Kamala one time as Papa Shambo,
and I had no idea what to do with him
because he was so much better at his gimmick than
I wasn't mind that I was lost in the match,
(22:34):
and you know, I'll yelling out and tell him to
stop sucking around, and he stayed and gimmick. You know,
because he go back and see one of our matches.
Every time I go to he turned away like he
was afraid of you. You go and touch me and
he's back away, and I didn't, so I tried. When
I did Pumpishambo, you got to understand, I was like
one step away from beer to Hells Angel Biker and
(22:57):
to go for two in the Listening to Country music
Rydan Harris to being a overnight being a voodoo man.
That was a big shock and the very first time
I did it, the very first match I did it
made me redo it because I went out there and
just wrestle normal. When I came back, I think it
(23:18):
was Pete J. Strumble said, didn't you realize that you're
a voodoo man. You gotta just out there acting like
a doble person. So good we started to shake it
and all that type of stuff. I had a lot
of fun with it. I wish I was more experienced
at my at you know, at wrestling. I could have
(23:39):
probably did a better job, but I did the best.
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Speaker 8 (26:21):
Oh absolutely, yeah, that's It's one of my favorite memories.
And I really do feel like today that kind of
gimmick would definitely work, just because I feel not that
it's horror, but the kind of scarier aspect of it.
People like that, you know, they woantn't be scared.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, definitely takes.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
You may always have a character like that, you know.
I tell you one character they'll never have a gein
is you'll never see another Godfather.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Oh that's right, cannot be recreated.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
I out there calling girls hose selling girl talked about
smoking weeds and all ever ever see another You never
ever see another Godfather unless you right.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
I want to say there were some merchandise that was
like ho merchandise if.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I'd have the Google to see, like.
Speaker 7 (27:24):
The feather boas.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
When I renewed my contract the last time that Godfather
I did the number at them. I said, you guys
could make that number of merchandise alone, and they just
laughed because that was so That gimmick was so hot.
People loved that game so much. And back then at
the beginning, there wasn't no internet, and there wasn't no
(27:49):
online sales or none of that. The only things you
sold was in the building. You had to buy the
shirts in the building. Had das for the lock at
his spot for Stone Cold John Michael's, you know undertaker.
Then we have like five or six spots for shirt.
(28:09):
So you get into that pot of heart. Well probably
my godfather got in there and stated there so I
mean I actually, if you look online, I was. I
was the first and only wrestler ever ever. They have
marijuana leaves on an official w w F shirt.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Nice that sounds appropriate.
Speaker 8 (28:31):
That's a collector's.
Speaker 6 (28:33):
Back of My Speed. You'll see a picture of it.
But if you look it up, godfather marijuana shirt and
makes two of them. But I had actual marijuana leaves
and on one of them on the back Sid Roller
Fatty for pimp Daddy. And now you Godfather to take
said godfathers love skinny women. Godfather loves skinny women, but
will never say no to a fatty.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
As we're talking about, I'm looking on right now, okay,
and you talk about not being on T shirts. Right
now on eBay for one hundred dollars, there's a T
shirt that says, don't say no, just say oh.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You're never gonna be able to see.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
This now, like you said, you can't. You can't have
these kind of shirts.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Don't stay. Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I remember when it all came out and I would
go to school and I would I would be like,
let's get on the whole train, and I mean everybody
would would say that, and it was just.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Know what a whole train was.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I did not win at time, and then my parents
like completely yelled at me. It was the same time
when I was telling everybody to suck it, because I
was like, the ex is doing.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
You know?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And then I was I was I was saying let's
get on the whole train everybody, and I was looking
at people in the class. And I did get in
trouble for saying it, But as I look.
Speaker 6 (29:50):
Back on it, I was like, hey, you know how
many people probably got sus fitted from school from telling
some girl, I'm gonna put you on the whole train.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Yeah, and that was a great thing.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Nobody knew anything different back then.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Oh, be real, be real with Cypress Hill. I met
him during wrestling a long time ago, and he told me,
he goes, dude, how did you getting away with saying
what you're saying? And I told him, I don't think
people really know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Nobody knew because I mean, you know, some people didn't realize.
Of course, during the time of wrestling back then, when
you had the hose with you, we just all assumed
that they were just you know, the regular girls that
were there. We didn't think anything of it, you know,
you know.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
Bro ho like I don't know. I mean, yeah, I
don't know what I assumed. I just thought it was,
you know, I almost equated it more to like, you're
just the ladies, man, so like you you got all
the girls and you know that kind of thing. I
didn't dig deeper into the whole, like you know, Oh, okay,
(30:54):
I get it now.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Oh man, I believe me. But you know what I'm
having just as but the Godfather of personality, as Charles
Wright as me that's all it is. Like I said,
I used to be really mean back in the day.
Two things type of my twentieth year anniversary to my
wife was yesterday a happy anniversary and she along with marijuana.
(31:18):
Those are the two ladies in my life that maybe
a lot nicer person nice because I used to be
I'm telling you who. But I enjoyed being the nicer
person that I am today and to bring that person
out in wrestling. And people don't know. I was never scripted.
They never They might give me a flashpoint or something.
(31:40):
I'd just stay in town or hiding the virus here
or something, but I was never ever scripted. Let us
we God, let ask the work good question.
Speaker 7 (31:49):
Well, this one kind of is timely in a sense.
So you kind of rolled over from Shannga to Kalma,
which became Comma Mustafa, which led you into one of
the greatest factions in ww history, nation and domination. We're
still waiting on the Hall of Fame call for that one.
By the way, how did that come together? You know?
Speaker 5 (32:11):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (32:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (32:13):
Was there just someone threw something out there? Was it
a plan?
Speaker 6 (32:16):
Like?
Speaker 7 (32:16):
How did that group.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Run the do?
Speaker 5 (32:20):
What?
Speaker 6 (32:21):
How did I get in the Nation. Is that what
you're asking?
Speaker 7 (32:23):
Yeah, Like, did was there a specific plan or did
it just kind of organically?
Speaker 6 (32:29):
No plan? This is the plan I was. I was
coming back anyway, but I was coming back as Papastrongo,
and uh, it was going to be a little bit
not said Papashanga was cartoonish, but it was going to
be a little bit more menacing. Jerry Lawler had did
the face paint. I think there's on my Instagram. There's
(32:51):
a picture of it on my Instagram. Jerry did the
face paint. And I had a new outfit, a new everything,
all new magical stuff. And then I get the TV
when I show up and they say Vince wants to
talk to you, and I'm like, okay, cool, I like
docor Vince. So I go in there and Vince Charles
change of plans. I'm like, change of plans. He says,
(33:14):
We're going to put you in the Nation and domination.
You and Ron Simmons are going to have a handicap
match against the other taker and you're going to go
over And I'm like, what now. I'm not knowing that
at the time, And as you know, what happened is
they probably already figured out what they were going to
do with Dwayne, and so they needed some more muscle
(33:37):
in the Nation. And so just like that, I became
commonly stopped the Nation the domination. And then after a
couple of weeks, Vince called me a Ron in to
the office and he basically said, hey, do you know
this Dwayne. I didn't know who he was. Dwayne Johnson
rise and Ron did. He goes, well, listen, I'm going
(33:58):
to do this. I'm going to put him in the Nation,
going to do this, I'm going to detail. He laid
everything out for us, and he said when he says,
once I get people to hate this kid when I
turned him, he's going to be the biggest thing wrestling
ever saw. That's what which want.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:16):
And then the rest of that was from that point right.
Of course, I don't talk to the Rock too much,
but whenever I see him, he's always cool. It's always
good to see him. I talked to Ron, I talked
to Dlo, I talked to Mark Henry. I said, that's
what all those guys. I talked to Ron Simmons a lot,
but great time, great people. We had no idea at
(34:39):
the time the significance of it now what we were
doing back then. I was just doing my job. I
always just tried to do my job the best I could.
And I didn't get involved in the politics. I didn't
get involved with what's got on here. I did my job.
I passed my check, and I smoke my weed, and
I stayed happy. I heard but and didn't hurt nobody.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
And that's all you can ask for.
Speaker 6 (35:03):
Hey, I'm sure business happy with all that, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (35:06):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
So you know, for a while, we would always look
online and there was always on the dirt sheets there
was talking about a new nation of domination coming and
could it have been the new day? And then all
of a sudden, we see the Hurt Business with MVP
and all them, and you know, Ron Simmons showed up,
and we thought, okay, maybe the Hurt Business could be
the new nation of domination the new generation. And do
(35:29):
you think that they could do that?
Speaker 7 (35:31):
Now?
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Have they like asked you guys to kind of come
back and give your blessings, Like, what would you think
about a new nation of domination in this current climate.
Speaker 6 (35:40):
I'm surprised Vince had touched that already. I don't know, man,
that's a situation man that could really hurt them. I
would have did it already. I would have called them
the Nation a domination. But if you do, they're gonna
be baby faces. They're not gonna be healed, right, that's bills.
They're gonna be baby faces. So where do you go
(36:01):
with that? You know, like today, if you had going
against the Nation, d X would be the ills and
Nation would be the baby faces. Yeah, so I don't know,
I don't know. I mean, you know, this is a
smart man. He didn't make all that money by and
everybody shit talks him now and then, but he's a
smart man and he keeps up with the times. So
(36:22):
you know, I'm surprised. I personally, I would have did it.
I would have called the Nation a domination.
Speaker 7 (36:27):
Yeah, I mean, with with all the stuff that's going on,
unfortunately and the last you know, five to ten years,
I'm with you, like, I don't know why it hasn't
popped up before, but seems like this new group is
kind of spiritual, you know, kind of a spiritual successor.
Speaker 6 (36:43):
Like I think I don't watched the show. I'm going
to start watching pretty soon because I'm getting asked too
many questions about the show, and I don't know, and
I'm bopping to a lot of wrestling fans, so I
don't have to start catching up one stuff. But I
think baby faces their heels.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
Yeah. So the next thing you were part of, which
actually kind of looking back on is it was actually
really smart. But it was right to censor, specifically bringing
in you and Valvenus, you know, two of the kind
of adult themed you know, performers and all that kind
of stuff. That was again that was probably Vince's move.
That was really smart. What was what was your time
(37:22):
like in that faction? And you know, do you have
any fond memories of it and all that?
Speaker 6 (37:26):
I don't have any fond memories of that. I hated it.
I hated it. I hated it. I hated it almost
quick because of it. Oh wow, I was so much
fun as Godfather. I was having it. Everybody, believe me,
(37:46):
Everybody enjoyed that Godfather giving the bands, the wrestlers, anti office.
Everybody loved that Godfather give me and then called me
to the office. Go to his office and he goes
change of plans, that old change of plans again, but
I already knew something was coming up. He goes excuse me.
(38:07):
This was taking so much heat. He used to tell me, uh,
he take you know there the sponsors were going after him,
part about foul, about d X, about the fuckies, and
mostly about me. And he was fighting for me. He
used to tell me, also, fight for you, fighting for you. Well,
finally they got to him, so you know, he's like, hey,
(38:30):
we're gonna put you and you're gonna do this and
that you guys are gonna lose this match. You're gonna
be in the RTC. And I'm like, wait a minute.
I just remember I just kept saying, so no more Godfather,
and he's like, nope, You're we're gonna call you the
good Father. I'm like he's like, no no more Old.
I'm like like yeah, I'm like you. I just I
(38:50):
was like the shock. I'm like, what do you mean
I'm about to Godfather? No more? And so it was
just I did the best I could, but I wasn't happy.
Speaker 7 (39:00):
Well it's surprising hearing that from you.
Speaker 6 (39:04):
I think I stopped smoking for a while or even before. Unhappy.
Speaker 7 (39:09):
Yeah, I mean, considering what you said about I mean
all the merchant stuff you were selling, and I mean
Godfather was obviously one of the most over during that
era when they intertal chut, title and all that. So
it was surprising, But now that you've explained that, it
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
I don't think I ever saw anybody rocking a right
to Censor T shirt.
Speaker 6 (39:33):
You would be surprised that somebody. I go to how
many right to sencer T shirts? I see? Because they
made it go, I've got one. The body hit me one.
I almost worked today. I was gonna go live today,
but I had I dropped my iPads. I was putting
it in stad that I'd have concrete floors. I stand
(39:56):
concrete floors at my house. Hit the floor just so
she just left. I said, it's sure, get another one.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
So it is, and you know, it's it's one thing.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And we talk about kind of like the current state
of wrestling with a W and W E and kind.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Of some other stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
But a funny thing that happened, and a lot of
people kind of talked about this, and ou't know, maybe
you know about it, but back when right to censer
was a thing, it was like rightdosenser dot com ae
W went and bought that domain. And so if you
go back and watch the w W network and then
you go to rightdosenser dot com, it takes you to
a w's homepage.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
No way.
Speaker 7 (40:30):
Yeah, they did a good troll on that one, sneaky
look it up. I did just check it. It's it
does still go to I'll Eat Wrestling.
Speaker 8 (40:46):
So we're wrapping up here soon and I'm gonna put
you on the spot. So, do you have a defining
moment from your career in WWE that comes to mind?
Speaker 6 (40:58):
No, so, because I had, you have no idea. I
had such a life and from all all the time
that I was there, and the different characters and the people. Dude,
every day was a party. And people always ask me
what was your favorite match? I mean, like, well, a
(41:19):
guess two against Undertaker against this one again, I have
favorite matters. I wrestled just about everybody because I came
in at the end of a lot of great career
careers and the start of a lot of norse. So
I had so much fun. I had the most memorable times.
Would have bit as the Godfather and every night was
(41:40):
mivorable because what you've seen on TV was nothing compared
to what I did in the house shows. Because the
house shows, there wasn't no cameras. I wasn't on TV,
so if I was rated X on TV, I was
on the House shows. And some of those House show
moments were just I'd be just crazy. The things that
(42:02):
I would do, would say and get away with it.
That just best are probably my best liveries is the
house shows as the Godsfather and these and it let
it loose and I did believe the idea that's.
Speaker 8 (42:19):
Awesome pimping and easy.
Speaker 6 (42:24):
How true that is?
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Yes, keep on pimping. So one really so one really
cool thing.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
And we kind of like to ask these people because
we've had a lot of Hall of famers on.
Speaker 7 (42:37):
And shooting your domination, uh Cohart and mister Mark Henry,
we had him.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
He and Mark had a Twitter war going back and
forth calling each other out on there, and he came
into the studio and choked me.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
So that was a fun day.
Speaker 7 (42:51):
Oh that reminds me too. We were supposed to have
d lot this time last year and our schedules didn't
line up, so dang, that'd been another one. Anyway. Sorry,
we're big fans of the nation. In case you can't tell.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Yes, So something we like to like to ask all
the Hall of famers. When did you get the call
that you were going into the Hall of Fame and
what was that experience like During WrestleMania weekend.
Speaker 6 (43:13):
I was on my way to the gym. Mark Toronto
called me and I've been going to WrestleManias for the
last ten years. You might not see me on TV,
but I'm I'm part of the show and access whatever.
And so he's like, well, you're all set for WrestleMania.
I'm like, yeah, man, I'm all set, and he goes, well,
who you bringing. I'm like, who am I bringing? The
(43:34):
matter with my brand? Bringing my wife? He goes, well,
you might want to bring your old family and I'm like,
go why would I want to bring my whole family? Mark?
He goes, because putting you into Hall of Fame this year,
And that's exactly how the call went. Wow, that whole
weekend was cool. But Dula guys did without getting people
(43:55):
in trouble. But every night there's a Godfather, happy fun night.
No better where I'm at. So if it's holiday weekend,
if it's seven flam weeked, I have I have a
lot of fund and people around me have a lot
of fund. So uh, it was just another fun weekend. Weekend.
Speaker 7 (44:19):
Yeah, wouldn't I wouldn't expect less? What's that I said? Yeah,
I said, we would not expect less?
Speaker 6 (44:30):
Yeah. Fun.
Speaker 7 (44:33):
Well, I guess we'll kind of end on this note.
You know what does what are some things you're working
on or you have, you know, brewing kind of coming
out in the future, and then, uh, you know you've
mentioned your Instagram.
Speaker 6 (44:44):
Really my fee into this cannabis industry, yeah, would be real.
We're gonna have a spring. I have a string coming
out pretty soon speaking because, like I said, I actually
have a story being high and getting that. That's a
fun part. But there's a lot of benefits from HD
and cannabis, and so I do have a story to tell.
(45:07):
I'm going to start a podcast. I'm just final filling
my way. I've really I have been on Instagram literally
verified for like four months. It's all I've been on there,
and I'm kind of learning my way around it. I'm
having a lot of fun. I'm going to do a podcast.
I got some products I have. I work with news
and some other companies I'm an influencer for. I still
(45:30):
do wrestling. I do a lot of virtual wrestling shows.
I do I'm really busy. I actually have to do
whos I get done with you. I have to do
something with Ice Network tonight. I'm doing so I'm really, really,
really busy. I'm really busy. Yeah, I'm having how about this,
I'm having Godfather fun right now.
Speaker 7 (45:49):
Yeah, that's all you can ask for. Well, real quick,
tell everyone your socials, you know, make sure we know
your Instagram handle and you know if that's the main
place to be from.
Speaker 6 (45:59):
On Instagram, am i am the Godfather with the blue
check mark the Godfather? On Facebook? I am b w
W E Godfather with the blue check mark. And I
just started a YouTube channel called smoke Strain And it's
kind of hard to find out if I don't think it.
(46:19):
The leak so far down there's so many trains and
smoking this and that. But I'm working on that and
I'm going to be working on a podcast and right
now I'm doing a lot of stuff on Instagram. If
you don't follow me, follow thee you'll give you like
this interview, you'll get a kick out of the because
I was really aigits. I don't hold back. If you
watch fights, you guys, you I don't hold back.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Yes, I can vouch for that because I watch your
Instagram streams when I see the notification that you go live,
and nothing, nothing is held back at all.
Speaker 6 (46:55):
I don't have no problem telling off myself, man, because
I can't get trouble tell it off myself. Right.
Speaker 3 (47:01):
Well, the Godfather is our guest.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
We have been super super honored to have you on
the show, and we're definitely gonna have to do this again.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Next time. We'll do a video of this interview.
Speaker 6 (47:11):
I like you have some fun awesome.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
Well, thank you so much, Godfather, and you have a
great rest of your day.
Speaker 6 (47:18):
You guys enjoy yours, say Sae.
Speaker 10 (47:21):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode of the Battleground Podcast.
Make sure you give it five stars and a nice review.
Speaker 4 (47:27):
To stay up to date with the
Speaker 10 (47:28):
Show, follow them at Battleground Podcast on Instagram.
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