March 18, 2025 • 52 mins
Bull Dredd and Pro Wrestling Wire’s Rick Del Santo discuss this past Saturdays Elimination Chamber, Dredd’s recent PAPW HOF induction and as always, some random old school wrestling.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And make it a point check out Pro Wrestling Wire.
(00:01):
They got lots of great interviews, lots of great wrestling news.
You can check them out online and make it a
point to enjoy the best in professional wrestling right here
on Pro Wrestling Wire.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What's going on, everybody. This is a Pro Wrestling Wire Radio.
This is Rick Del Santo. I am joined today by
Bull Dread, recent Paradise highly Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee.
We're gonna be talking about that subject as well as
talking to ww Elimination Chamber, which to me turned out
(00:43):
to be an exciting show for the most part. We'll
talk about what wasn't exciting about the show. But let
me say hello, Mike. Why don't you say hello?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Oops, hey, hey listen, we're called you Mike. That's fine,
I mean, because you want to know something. I'm at
a stage in my life where I am the same
person in the ring, out in public, outside of the business.
It's it's people who are like, you know, hey, you
can't tell if it's your gimmick. Dude, it's the same person.
(01:15):
Now I can say that. But yeah, bringing that back
here and the Pro Wrestling Wire with you go, oh
and I got the egg parts from yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Still, I've gotten to know you quite a lot, quite
a bit over the last few years, becoming quite, you know,
very good friends with you. So it is the first
name basis, and it's kind of hard to break out
of that. Sometimes even during the show, if I'm calling
one of your matches, sometimes it's pretty hard to not
say Mike. But I do catch myself.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So yeah, it's it's what happens. I mean, you know,
I mean, I just can't wait for the time we
actually get to sit down and do some commentary together,
because my goal is to make you laugh and make
you break care for it.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I have a feeling that that goal as to being
in the commentary booth, and that opportunity will be coming soon,
I'm sure, sometime probably in the next year, so that
we'll be able to sit in the booth together and
call a match. What promotion that may be is yet
to be determined, but I'm sure I'm looking forward to it.
I think it'll be fun.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, I mean, I'm still open to working. You know,
I'm not fully taking the boots off, and you know
that's it. It's I'm going to start exploring, exploring, other avenues,
you know, within the business and still be involved. But
you know, it's hard when you're still a draw and
a name and my career is opposite. And I'm not
afraid to talk about it. I mean, you know, I mean,
(02:39):
I'm more over now than I was twenty years ago,
and you know, but what I'm doing now I should
have done twenty years ago. But I'm doing it now
and that's what matters. And I feel if people don't
take the opportunity now to bring me in, it's their loss.
But whatever, I'm still I'm working hard and staying in
shape for a reason, and I'm working harder than some else,
(03:01):
some of the other guys. I'm the last of the
old school veterans that are around right now. So we
draw differently.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
It's definitely a different a different type of draw. And
I get exactly what you're saying. Uh So, let's jump
into what happened recently before we get into the WWE
pay per view or ple that happened just this past Saturday.
Paradise Sally Pro Wrestling is your home. It's been your
home for the last like what five six years or so. Yeah,
(03:33):
that is of course run by Mario Mancini and Paul Roma,
former w W superstars, very good friends of ours. And
it was, I believe just about two three weeks ago
they had a Hall of Fame inductee their induction excuse me,
and of course amongst the House of Pain and some others,
(03:56):
you bull Dread have been inducted into the Paradise Allly
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Uh, let's talk about that
a little bit. How do you feel about your induction finally?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
You know, I've been saying it for a while, and
you know, it wasn't the New England Independent you know,
pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, you know, come Aby, you know,
thinking all the independence of New England, and but I
kind of feel that, you know, treating it that way.
And you know, I hope it's the first of many,
(04:30):
because I've watched guys get inducted before they hit twenty
years and I'm like, I can't wait for my time
to come. Even though there's no actual Hall of Fame
place to go. It's more of the the being recognized
and being appreciated and the recognition and and uh, you know,
(04:51):
and I picked pick Daddy, and and I'm open about
it because I fought it back then when I was
loyal to you know, another company, which is Northeast Wrestling,
where I spent a decade of my career and my
life there and I've had a lot of great experiences
from and this is something that I didn't get to
say in my speech. And you know, and Rich, I mean,
(05:14):
you've known me for a while, and you know, and
and and and I don't want to get off track,
but like I picked Big Daddy because for a long
time to especially there was a time in my career
where I wanted to work for PAPW, but I was
afraid too because of my loyalty to any W and
Mike Lombardi where I didn't want to lose my spot.
(05:36):
And and it's a thing, you know, like sometimes you're
afraid to go work somebody because there's friction. It'll be
like why are you working for this guy? If you're
work for him, you're not gonna.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Work for me.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That's the type of shit what was going on. And
there was a type there was a time where I
think Lombardi and Mario and Paul they were working together.
Something didn't work out and the heat started, you know.
And and again, like I wanted to work there because
I felt, you know, PAPW was like a whole, like
very old school and somewhere where I could flourish and
(06:09):
you know, be some give some type of impact to
the company and and uh, you know, and I found
myself lost at one point where you know, you feel
like you got trash and trashed and you got thrown away,
you know, and forgotten about. And I'm there sitting I'm like,
where the hell is my career going, you know, And
I'm you know, for the longest time, Like I said,
(06:31):
Mario and Big Daddy was, you know, the primary person
to bring me there, and he was like, if you
go to PAPW, You're gonna help the company become legitimate.
And I'm like, who the fuck am I? You know,
but it was all the accoletes and you know, and
the things that I bring to the company, you know.
I mean, I guess it's just me being humble, you know,
because I never thought of myself as being a star
(06:51):
or anything like that or And the first person to
call me a legend was Mario and he was like,
you know, once you get twenty years, your legend status.
And I'm like, okay, and you know, like I said,
I picked Big Daddy because he was the force to
bring me there. So I you know, he inducted me,
and he gave the full speech, and I still listened
(07:12):
to it every day, not so much what I say,
you know, I kind of listened to what he says,
but like I drew a blank and some you know,
when I actually got on the mic, but I talked
about what was important to me. You know, I talked about,
you know things, what would I say if I get
inducted into the Hall of Fame and you know, and
(07:33):
when I said, I was like, what people know or
they don't know? You know, you know where I come from,
you know, me personally, not a lot of people, you know,
because I've made new fans over the last five six years,
they don't know who the hell I am or where
I came from. And it all traces back to you know,
your your family, your upbringing, your heritage, and traces back
(07:55):
to your family, where your family comes from. And that's
what I talked about. What was important family, you know,
being a parent, and you know, I had to make
a decision at one point in my life where what
was more important because Northeast to me was WW That's
how it was run. I was like, I'm not making
it any further. I had to, you know, that was
the reality. So I treated that as my WWE and uh,
(08:21):
you know, your priorities come first. I didn't want to
be an absent father anyway. So, like I said, I
talked about what was important. But one of the things
I didn't I had forgotten to mention is you know
when I talk about experiences and what I was able
to experience in my decade career, that Northeast Wrestling is
(08:43):
uh briack. I mean, we grew up watching this. We
we're pretty much we're the same age, and we grew
up in the same time era of like wrestling, sports movies,
and I feel the greatest times of wrestling in the
movies and sports eighties, nineties or whatever. But as a kid,
if you can name like, if you can name like
(09:05):
who your childhood idols are, it doesn't necessarily have to
be wrestling. But who would they? Would three names come
come to mind?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
If you think like legitimate you're asking me, I'd have
to say one of them, and it just might sound ridiculous.
It might be the character of Rocky Balboa. Number one,
all right, sol Vester Stallone became my favorite actor and
still I mean even in him as John Rambo. You
(09:34):
know what I'm saying. Great, and I'm gonna say this,
I might not think the same about him now than
I did in nineteen eighty four, nineteen eighty five, whole Cogan, right, Okay,
and I don't know this guy. I know there's got
to be another out there, but I just can't really
think about it up off the top of my head.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
All right, well, but you understand, you know, like like.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
What I'm saying, and yes, absolutely there's.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
So many more, you know, like it could be basketball, football,
any sports.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Let me say this, I just thought of it came
to my head and I'm gonna say, way, Wade Box
because he was I was obsessed with the Boston Red Sox,
Wade Bogs, uh, that era of the Boston Red Sox,
Dwight Emmons, Roger Clemens. You know what I'm saying, Like
that to me was the Boston Red Sox that I
grew up watching.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Okay, so that was your childhood, That's who watched. That's
what you're starting to be imagine if you were able
to see all the all your childhood heroes kind of
like on a regular basis and like almost like it
was another day at work. You know, you're sitting down,
you're chatting with him, You're you're introducing yourself, You're walking
(10:43):
in a locker room or with any room, or you're
sitting down having dinner with them, or you just kind
of it's like you're starting to see them almost like
I don't say every weekend, but on a regular basis.
You know, you're like that happened. I lived that for
a decade, you know, from sharing a locker room with
(11:03):
a lot of these guys, going out to dinner, just
sharing a ring, sharing a locker room, being in the ring,
just kind of standing there talking, just introducing yourself or
taking a picture with them, or just like you knows
as a matter of fact, like you know, meaning Flair,
And the next thing you know, I'm standing at the
bathroom stall with him because I was taking care of
his autograph line. Then going on to you know, doing
(11:27):
the Northeast Wrestling Spring Tour with him headlining a couple
of shows and him critiquing my match, and I'm wrestling
working with his son in a Battle Royal plus with
all of these other guys watching, like Foley Waller you
know in the back watching us on monitor and Kurt
Adonis will you know, we'll we'll admit to this because
(11:48):
he's locking up with Flair while he's critiquing all of us,
and I'm here locking up with Jerry Waller. And that
was my experience. That's what I experienced. I mean, one
of the last legends I saw, it was a few
years ago, was when I worked for Trooper in Rhode Island.
Was hard to slaughter and I've done shows with him
in Northeast. He remembered who I was, you know, he
(12:10):
just how can you forget? So that's what I experienced,
and that's the only way I could explain it to
the normal person, because the normal person wouldn't be able
to experience what I have what I have done, you know.
And I'm not saying that I'm better than anybody else.
It's the point I'm trying to make is that no
matter what level you reach, dreams do come true. So
(12:35):
that's the only way I could explain it. And it
contributed to my career. And like, like I said, my
career is opposite what I'm doing now. I should have
done twenty years ago, but it was a different time.
Then I got over without social media, but I wasn't
willing to travel. I couldn't do it. You know, I
(12:56):
was getting married, you know, the kids were small, but
Northeat Wrestling kind of allowed me to do things, you know,
go to Newburgh which is an hour away or two
hours away Newburgh. At one point all I had was
Northeast Wrestling. And then then p WA was running and
you know, I was in the rain four or five
nights a week during my Sexy Beast era and was
(13:17):
like my life transformed. They got in great shape. And
that's one with the true love. The passion came into
my life about you know, I'm working harder than some
many younger guys. And I was like, damn. You know
then I look back, I was like, damn. If I
was what I'm doing now, then where would I be.
But I don't regret nothing because I am where I
(13:37):
am because of everything I've been through. You know, I'm here.
We became friends because I feel like if my career
was anything different, we probably wouldn't be am I right,
you know, we probably maybe we would have you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Well, I get what you're saying things the way, like
one minor detail in that entire story that you just
told could change the whole outlook on how life or
how the future, what God had planned. You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, I don't regret the path. I would relive. There's
something I said the other day. I would relive every moment,
every heartbreak, depression, being broke, pain, just to be where
I am again because it led me to where I am.
And one of the most important things was I didn't
(14:25):
want to be an absent father because now my kids
and you saw the kids or even guys, you know,
you see Mikey all the time, but you finally met
my daughter. You know, my kids finally were able to
you know, understand or experience what how like what even
you know, Kevin talk to Tommy said, and you know,
(14:46):
big Daddy, what what I mean to the business and
the fans? Have I ever looked at myself that way?
I'd never called myself a star or a legend or
a heart or nightmare. The fans gave me that, my peers,
and if you could pop your peers, your fans, your
your boys, you're doing something right. That's why it's like,
(15:06):
right now, I don't I don't want to be sitting home.
I want to work. I feel now is the time.
And is it selfish of me to say, why aren't
you using me? You know, I bring something different? But
right now it's like independent wrestling, especially around here, is
about popularity. You're not drawing old school wrestling fans if
(15:28):
you're not using some of the old school local count
oh different.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Pro wrestling is definitely Indie wrestling is definitely different how
it was when you or I were coming up and watching, say,
you know, in the eighties and nineties and stuff like that.
It's not about Independent wrestling is wildly popular these days,
but it's like like you said, it's about it's it's
just a different style, I guess you could say than
(15:53):
it was when we were to be personal.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
What I'm not gonna say what hurts me is what
I see and uh you know, and I said it
in my my in the ring. You know, social media
is one of the best things that happened in my
career because like everything evolved. You know, I was over
before social media. People knew who I was before social media.
Social media helped me, you know, through Northeast wrestling and
(16:18):
reach out to fans. You got fans all over, you know.
But it's it's a shame. It's a shame that all
of us, many of us, we all perform on the
same stage, we have the same audience, but not every
one of us get the same applause. And that's a
(16:38):
big fuck you to the people that would support somebody
who's not as senior as me or his veteran is
me was really done nothing, But it's more of a
popularity because they're they're friends with them where they like them,
And like, I could post the same thing as somebody else,
not you know, pinpointing anybody else. This is stuff I'm
(17:00):
seeing and I've been seeing for a long time. Maybe
I'm guilty of it because people I know personally or whatever,
but it's like I could post the same I could
be in the same show with somebody else in the
same match and have the same exact people. We can
post the same exact results, but that person will get
(17:25):
the different results or reactions than me. And I'm like,
we're on the same show and we did the same thing.
So it's a big fuck you to everybody. That's why
I've become a lot more private, and it's kind of
just started closing chapters in my life and friendships and everything.
Not saying that I think about it every day, I
mean we talk about it every day now. I just
(17:47):
know that I keep doing what's best for me because
no one can do what I do but me am.
I as great as I used to be. My better
years are behind me. But I draw differently, you know.
I mean I see the changes in myself, you know,
compared to three or four years ago. Speed and you know,
(18:07):
agility and stuff like that. But you understand I bring
a different feel to the ring, and it kind of
I look back and and I'll ask you, is the
business going to be the same when some of us
twenty plus year vets are gone. I don't know. I'm
(18:28):
not saying that the business the business is going to
lack or anything like that. It's driving well.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
I think it's getting ready for another shift in a way,
you know what I mean. Independent wrestling. I mean, you
could see how big the WWE is. I'm sorry to
cut you off there, but you can see how big
the WWE is doing what they're doing. And now they've
got the WWE program or ID program. Excuse me, and
I think that that now is going to set for
(18:55):
another shift in the way that you know, the independence
work in certain thing in certain ways.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Yeah, I mean, you know, somebody just asked me the
other day, why didn't you ever make it big or whatever?
Try to I'm like, the exposure is different now than
it was fifteen years ago. There wasn't exposure like how
it is now.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Well, somebody could see a social media clip of you
doing something and then they're like, how do we get
in touch with this guy? You know.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, it's a much different time. And is it like
I said, is it selfish of me wanting to still
be active and I'm kind of seeing myself kind of
not being used in ways? But you know what I mean,
Like like with PAPW next show, I'm not on the show,
and I'm like, I want to work. EPW is my home.
(19:42):
But I understand because you want to give the young
guys work. They need to get out, they need to develop.
But I'm also here sitting here like I'm working hard
for a reason. You know, I want to work with
the young guys because they need somebody like me to
work with, you know. I mean, you know, but I've
become more of an attraction, even though that's in a
(20:05):
way it's respectful. I mean, you don't want to get you.
I guess if I work, if I'm working every week
and on the same show, once you get stale as
seeing me, I understand that. And it's me accepting that.
You know my time's coming. I just don't want to
accept it yet.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
But well, if you look at the conversations we are
having on this program last year, around this time, you're
gearing up for this being your twenty fifth year and
you were retiring at the end of the year. But
I feel like those conversations have subsided and you're not
one hundred percent certain if you're going to be retiring.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Correct, it's it's it's it's how I feel. Yeah, you know,
the main thing is I don't want to get hurt.
You know, that's the most important thing. But I mean,
come on, I mean, like you were I know you
weren't at the last PAPW show, but I mean, like
you know, Curtis Donis, you know that's why, like he
was re announcing and you know he he announced me,
(21:03):
and it's like, man, that's what I appreciate it because
it's like you know, like I said, I'm showing love
to people like you Big Daddy, Matt Decour, Kevin Saban
Hurt announcing you guys are on a soundtrack to my career.
And you know he announced me. You knows the icon,
the hardcore, nightmare, the legend, you know, the the p
(21:26):
APW Hall of Famer and the crowd pops. The crowd
pop for that, and uh, that's what I live if
that's what I do it for. You know, right before
I go out, I say to myself, why do I
keep doing this? And that? And that happens. And after
I'm after the match, and like I'm done, I go
back and I'm like, I'm ready for another one. It's
(21:47):
gonna be hard to give up something you're in love with.
I'm just not there yet because I'm working hard to
stay in shape.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah. And you mentioned the uh us, gentleman, being the
soundtrack to you, your career going forward and for the
last however many years or whatever in your speech. And
I got to tell you, being mentioned and given credit
in that in that in your Hall of Fame speech,
it kind of made me in the fields, you know,
(22:14):
it made me happy a little bit. And to be
acknowledged the fact that you know, I mean, it's not
we're just not friends. We also work together and you
know it's my job to put you over when I'm
on the microphone and be a part of your Now.
I'm also a part of your career in a way
as well.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Yeah, I'm just an Italian kid, you know, and I've
stayed true to who I am and that's what made
That's what was important to me. The business didn't change me.
So when the voice is like yourself, you know, big
Daddy talking Tommy or Kevin or whoever else is doing
(22:56):
on you know, commentary, Joey g everywhere else where I work.
You know, guys that's from Vanguard, and guys from BCW
where you've worked, and guys from Rhode Island, anywhere that
I work. Where you guys are putting me out there
as this monster, as like you're making me look bigger
than life. Because little kids that come up to me,
(23:19):
they'll give me all these names. You know, Like I said,
they they're the ones looking at me, calling me the beast.
You know how you're portraying me to them out there
if they're watching it on video. To me, I'm just
like I'm just Mike. I'm just an Italian kid. I'm
just that kid that wanted to be a wrestler. I've
never imagined myself to be where I am today. I
(23:39):
often wonder how my son looks or my kids look
at me. You know, like what I'm doing with life
for them is normal because it's been a part of
their life. What I'm doing, there's been a part of
their lives since they were kids, you know what I mean, Like,
how does Jamie look at me?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
You're just dad to your kids in a way, and
you just so happen to be a pro wrestler, you
know what I mean. I was talking to Tommy Angel
not so long ago, former n W a ww a
Professional Wrestler Enhancement talent. He was talking about how his
kids didn't believe he was a wrestler when he was younger,
and they ended up finding looking him up on YouTube
(24:17):
there like holy crap, that's dead, like right there. But
they're a part of your life, Like Mikey is at
a show every single weekend with you, and you know
a lot of times if I'm not working a show,
like I sit around with Mikey, you know what I mean.
Have fun.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, people, he's experiencing what what you know, Maggie experienced
it a little bit, you know, coming to shows when
she was coming with me to PAPW. But you know,
Mikey's experienced it a lot more over the last because
he's been traveling with me on this weekends. He's with me, right,
you know, once I've gotten myself out there. Uh And
I was afraid too, but there was a different world
(24:55):
out there. Once I started getting out there, I started
I started running into it, into it a lot more
now where I grew up watching you or That's why
I say be respectful and kind to every fan or
person you meet, because one day that kid is going
to be in the ring with you. From like a
wrecking Ball who came to an ACW show when I
first started to a you know, Dave Coley from the
(25:20):
Canadian Superstars that I remember coming across that picture he
took with me. You know, get guys like Greg Baylor,
Fly Noriega, and there's a few other people they used
to come, you know, like what's his name, Dustin Waller,
And I'm sure there's a lot of other people. One
I feel old, but two what does this say for
(25:42):
the legacy I'm going to leave behind once I'm once
I decide that I'm done, you know what I mean.
So I'm just at a time where it's like I'm
working with kids they grew up watching me. I would
never imagined to be where I am, especially when there
was a time where I was ready to quit this
business because they didn't give me anything. But I learned
(26:02):
that this business doesn't owe me anything. It's about the
passion and the ship and what I have inside about
what I want to do as Mike. You know this
has been and what bull dreaded means to this business,
and I hope one day, you know, the closest conversation
is that people could look back on some of the
(26:22):
top guys that came out of Connecticut and New England
that honestly people, uh, you know my name is up
there and talking about sound tracks just like you guys,
you know, you guys that do commentary and you know podcasts.
And that's why I think, like Ogust, people that were
(26:42):
you know what's his name, like you know John and
from the other ship. I'm drawn up by you know,
fog band and you guys that support and put our show,
you know, our Matki's out there support and the rest
of what every shows and stuff. Right when did I
become a soundtracked a lot of the other kids, you know, childhood?
(27:04):
You see what I'm saying. It's so yeah, where I
am and I'm looking forward to where I'm going to
be going, you know, somehow involved in the business side.
I don't consider myself a head trainer. I ain't gonna
open up a school. I'm not going to run a show.
I see myself more as a mentor. But then again, like,
(27:25):
who the fuck am I study psychology?
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I just want to say, if anybody want to
want to watch the Hall of Fame induction Mike Bulldred's speech,
it is up on my YouTube. Go to the Rich
Deel YouTube channel and just search for bull Dread paraly
sidly progressing Hall of Fame induction and you will see
him big Daddy praise the legend that is bull Dread
(27:51):
and then the speech of course.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Oh yeah, he made me look larger than life. I mean,
was there anything bad that you didn't already know?
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I think he took a lot. He said that he
he asked me for some notes, you know what I mean,
And he said that he was. He got a lot
of the information. I mean, not that he didn't obviously
that he didn't know you, but he definitely did.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Uh uh.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
You know, he went through the the four or five
interviews that you and I had done together in the past.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
You know, one thing though, he keeps that man pining
Adam Cole. I did nothing with Adam Cole except sit
there in the locker room talking with him. You know,
he had just started with Ring of Honor. He was
like still green to the business. I feel, I know
anything with him except just have a chat with him.
But there's a lot of other names he never mentioned,
you know, like I tagging with Kevin Nash, me being
(28:40):
nWo you know, Brett Hart, Jerry Lawler. Uh, you know,
I actually had a tag match with fucking Blue Mimi. Uh.
You know, there's a lot of other names that he
never he never got mentioned. But there's just so many
I guess that, you know, a testament to my career,
you know.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
But uh yeah, but you can't mention and everything because
the list would he'd be going on and on forever.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Well, and for one thing that before we end this,
what I say and what we talked about, especially with
the clips that you put up with me. People really
need to watch what they say that the camera catches,
especially when they're trying to hit somebody personally. It's disrespectful
to me, disrespectful to you, disrespectful to the fans and
(29:24):
the product. You know what I mean. So you know
what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Trying to get a reaction by being an asshole just
makes you look like a fucking asshole.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, it kind of ruins. Like I've watched it since
and I just paint on mind to it, but you
can't unhear it once once it's said. That's why it's like,
you know, you kind of look back and I'm like,
all right, what kind of You're just trying to get
a reaction out of me? Or I kind of look
back and I'm like, what the fuck have you done
(29:54):
in your own life?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
People? People are freaking miserable and they just had to
make a try to be show how miserable they are
and be h and try to make other people miserable.
And I don't need none of that. We we talked
positive here.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Right right, Let's get to the chamber baby, all right?
All right?
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Uh so w W elimination Chamber was this past Saturday.
Let me get to it before we start breaking down
and going match by match. What did you think of
this show as a whole.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
It's one of the pay per view wise, it's just
getting better. Uh, it's I mean, honestly, I think the
only match that I didn't like was the girls tag match.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, okay, I agree with that. I'll agree with that.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, the only match that was kind of like the
d you know, and it had no interest for me.
It surprisingly, like I understand, they started the Eliminae. They
started with the women's Eliminage Mation Chamber first match, but
then immediately went to the second and other women's tag match,
which well there was only like what four matches on
(31:06):
the car.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It was four matches, and I read the breakdown was
that each Elimination Chamber was getting forty minutes total, and
I think that the final segment was getting something like
fifteen to twenty minutes, which I'm not sure that it
reached that. I wasn't keeping track of time, but I
(31:27):
enjoyed the before we started getting into it. I started.
I have to say, I enjoyed pretty much the whole show,
with the exception of the women's tag match. I think
I tweeted out that every match I thought was really good.
I thought the closing segment was really good, but the
women's tag match just fell dead right there. They put
the popcorn match on second, you know, that's that's.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
What it was. I mean to me, that was the
dud of the show. And I've had Tristatus hometown hero. Yeah,
that's why there.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Yeah. So they opened up with the women's elimination chamber
match as they're introducing each and every single one. Earlier
in the day, I read that Jade Cargo was spotted
in Buffalo, which was in driving distance to Toronto, and
as Naomi was getting introduced, She's about to enter the ring.
Jade Cargo's music hitch. She comes down, just walking badass
(32:26):
as she is, and destroys Naomi. Now this is of
course going back to Jade Cargo getting destroyed backstage in
the parking lot parking garage. However, many months ago, and
basically the mystery was solved last night as to who
it was, I myself predicted once that Bianca and Naomi
(32:48):
were put together that it was Naomi that did it.
They kind of hinted that it was Raquel Rodriguez at
one point, and I think that they went another direction
at one point. I think they hinted that it might
be Bianca, but I said in a way, uh, and
that it ended up being Naomi. And then she I
mean when she destroyed her, I mean she really destroyed her. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I didn't understand it because until Raw started, uh, until
Raw was on Netflix and didn't really watched. I couldn't
watch it. I cable, you know what I mean. But
then again, I did wonder why Naomi was with Bianca,
you know what I mean, Like I didn't want to.
I thought Bianca was with the other one, Cargo whatever.
(33:33):
I didn't know that she had gotten jumped. I just
thought she was hurt. But uh, when she came out
and attacked her, I'm like, why is she attacking her?
Like I don't get it. Then it started putting the
pieces together. I'm like, oh, okay, now why I understand
So but to me, the eliminate the women's elimination Chamber
was highly entertaining and it was a great finish.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Yeah. Uh, it was Beyonca bel Air that one. And
then she's going to WrestleMania and she's going to be meeting.
Uh is it real Ripley for the title?
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Well, it depends on what goes on tomorrow night. I
actually thought that there was gonna be a replacement, you know,
like's gonna be like like we have a replacement for her,
you know.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Well, they said that she can't compete, and I thought
for a second, I sat there was like, why isn't
Jade Cargill just get in the ring and compete, you
know what I mean? So apparently that's not the direction
that they went in, and she just like walked out
like who gives a fuck? So let's see what happens
this week on I believe it's gonna be on SmackDown,
So let's see what happens.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Yeah, tomorrow is uh, what's your name? That the little
short Chinese girl versus Ria Ripley for.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The title taken on Rea Ripley. Yes, whoever?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
You know, I mean, we all know who's gonna who's
gonna be over on that. So yeah, it's gonna be
and belair at WrestleMania. I don't think Ripley is going
to be giving up the title this this that quick.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
No, I don't think I think it's going to be
a while before she uh, before she loses it, whatever
happens at Mania, I think she's gonna be walking out.
I think Ria is just too popular right now for
her to be losing the title. But you know who knows.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Yeah, I mean, you know, what are you gonna do?
It's like, you know, it's like that one time where
I worked with a you know, kind of big gym.
You know, it's hard to say this, but you know,
I win the title and we have one match, and
it was like, you know, you kind of thought I
was gonna be dropping the title. It's like, I don't
have just one title defense and I drop it already,
you know what I mean. Like he hasn't been she
(35:35):
hasn't been a champion long enough. Right now, she's the draw,
she's the top, and to take the belt away from
her right now? It go out there and have a
great entertaining match, entertain the fans. That's what you want.
It doesn't matter who the champion is.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And of course both of us thought that this match
was a dud. It was the woman's tag team match
Tiffany Stratton and Tris Stratus. They defeated Kennice Larray and
Naya Jacks. I have nothing to say about this because honestly,
it was not entertaining and it just kind of couldn't
stay tuned in, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Yeah, I think I forgot what the pinch was TI
Tiffany did the what did she do?
Speaker 2 (36:17):
The off?
Speaker 3 (36:17):
The she did this moon salt right. I mean it
was a good finish, you know on Jack's but whatever.
That was the only I was like, yeah, good finish.
But the match was just like that. But come on,
this is just a this is a bathroom break match.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah. I didn't think that that was necessarily that great
of a not a lot of action in that match.
It was just boring. It was nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
What was The next match was Owens uh.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Kevin Owens and uh Sammy's Ay and the unsanctioned match.
I thought this match was phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I mean that could have been easily the main events.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah. Absolutely, honestly, I thought there was a very good
chance to get might be these two were being from Canada,
they have put them in the headlining match at on
occasion just for the sake of doing it. And this
match they went all over the place. Kevin Owns destroyed
Sammy's ain spot with the chair just trying to continue
(37:18):
and go at it. Shane Helms came out, Greg ree Elms,
excuse me, and who's the other guy? Who's the other guy.
There's another backstage guy that's the Olympian. That Jason Jordan.
That's right. Yep, Yeah, he was out there, and I
thought this one, this whole entire match, it told a
(37:39):
perfectly good story about Kevin Owens and Sammy Zain throughout
their whole careers, being friends over twenty years. They made
references to lots of older references to early parts of
their career and stuff. And did you hear Michael Cole
swear on this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Hey, I thought, you know, I said to somebody, we're
gonna see a lot of Ring of Honor spots.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
It wasn't really that way. No, they told they told
the story. It was exactly what I was going to be.
I liked how they turned the lights down. I was like, man,
I hope they keep it like that for the rest
of the show.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
I like them lights. It's an old school approach with
the lights down and stuff like that. That's just the
that's how wrestling was when we watched it as kids.
The darkened Arenas. Yeah, yeah, so I thought this match
was probably, uh match of the night. I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna lie. I thought it was fun. It
(38:36):
was damn. There was times where I thought either of
these guys are about to get killed accidentally.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Yeah, it was exactly what you know. I mean, It's
something that like I looked about, like, damn, would I
be able to do that? I would, but like definitely
would feel it the next day, you know what I mean. Yeah,
it definitely to me was my favorite match of the night.
I think, better than both elimination chambers. Yeah, yeah, so
(39:03):
I did. Yeah, I said Match of the Knight could
have been easily the main event, that could have easily
main event any pay per view.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I think so. Uh So we went to the men's
elimination chamber match. I thought this match was a lot
of fun. It kind of went back and forth. My
pick to win it was Sina, second pick was Punk.
I'm just my prediction right. It was one of those
ones where it seemed like, when it was only two
(39:32):
of them in the ring, that it was going to
go either way at certain points, and then uh, and
then it was Sina. He won, And I thought it was.
It was pretty incredible. And then obviously Cody Rhodes came
out to congratulate him at the end and you know,
gave a little speech. The Rock came out, said a
(39:52):
few things, asked for his soul and he said, fuck no.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
You know, I thought the women's elimination chamber was much funner,
a little bit more enjoyable. Watch. Yeah, Uh, it was
weird how Priest and what's his name, uh, Drew Drew
got eliminated before Punk even got in the ring.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah, it was weird.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I'm like, why these two guys already eliminated?
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, I didn't think now if I could get in that,
I didn't think priests performance was this matchup?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yeah, I don't know. Like to me, it was kind
of like the oddball. But yeah, even Logan Bam like like,
Logan Paul should have been eliminated first. That's what I think.
He's to me, he's not entertaining. But I was saying
to myself, I'm like, I could actually see Paul and
Cody because it would be a high spot type of match. Yeah,
(40:56):
but I was picking Punk because not because of this
just the story the main event, but because it would
have been an old school telling a good story type
of match right in a one. My first reaction was like,
who the fuck is going to pay to want to
see Sena and fucking Cody Rhodes.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well, then they made you want to be the one
that would pay to see Cody Rhoads and Seena. But
my prediction going into this, did you have a prediction
going into this at all as to what was going
to happen?
Speaker 3 (41:24):
I thought they were leaning more towards Punk because.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I think they were kind of hinting at that. Yeah,
I said that My first pick was Cody's going to
decline and Sina joins. Okay, my second pick was Cody
declines and Punk wins. He cashes in his favor or
where that he asked for mention the Hayman or whatever. Boy,
(41:53):
I had never been more right when I predicted, like
a something that happened before literally and right. I'm not
gonna lie the top of my head, blew off. I
was kind of excited. I said, holy shit, I can't
believe there was as soon as a when he told
the rock to fuck off and then seeing it in
(42:15):
Rhodes hugged and then you just saw it immediately John
Seena's facial express and changed to this evil dry look.
I said, I told him My wife was sitting next
to me on the on the other couch. I said,
holy fuck, they're about to do it. She paid attention,
and then he just nailed Cody right in the balls.
I My mind was blown, dude.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Yeah, like I said, like you know, Sina one, I'm like,
who the fuck is gonna want to pay? See this?
Rock came out at the promo, Cody did his thing,
told him to go fuck himself, and you know, Rock
is just standing there. I'm like, all right, like something,
this is okay? What's this is weird? I think the
(42:56):
point because I started, like, I started thinking about it today.
Do you remember did you watched SmackDown?
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Not last week's No, I did not get an opportunity
to watch it, No.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Miss, did did you watch? Like how Punk ran into
roads and they gave him some advice and yeah, actually
he ran into the miss and Miss was like, dude,
if you don't take this opportunity, somebody else will. I
wasn't really thinking about it until today, But then it
wasn't until the moment where the camera when you're watching
(43:30):
the screen and the Rocks started kind of stepping into
the corner, and then it was Sina and then like
Rhodes was kind of looking at Rock, and then Rhodes
kind of looked at Sena and I said to myself, Oh,
Sina is gonna fucking turn. And that's when he went
(43:53):
in for the hug, acting like you were all happy,
went in for the hug, and I saw the facial
and I'm like, wow, this is a Hulk Hogan nWo
all over again for the younger generation, but for us.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
Sina has not worked heel since two thousand and two.
Do you remember when he first came in Ruthless Aggression era,
He was the rapper gimmick. He had actually had tights,
who was not wearing jeorts. He was heel making heel raps.
So him working hell and I read in an interview
not so long ago that he said that he would
love to work heel again. The fact that they're doing
(44:28):
this now on his farewell tour, it's pretty freaking amazing,
wouldn't you say?
Speaker 3 (44:32):
I think it now it makes people want to buy
in to watch Mania, is making everything interesting. Yeah, we'll
go over. That's I can see him going over and yeah,
going for the chase again.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, that that would make sense. Maybe, well he has
his last match at the end of the year, Cody
wins it something, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah about this, Osaka was somebody about it today? Where
does Rome and figure into this?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It's a good question. Yeah, I read.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Something that that's confirmed it's going to be Rock and Roman,
you know what I mean. So it's like, where does
Roman figure into this at some point?
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Could it just be a repeat from last year? Could
it just be Rock and Roman, Cody and Sina. I
don't know. I mean, it's making everything interesting to watch again.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah, Yeah, they're gearing up for WrestleMania season. This is
when they put everything on. They're creative and they start
doing all a lot of they start ramping everything up.
And right now, I think with the start of that
last night, I think I'm fully vesting in watching and
seeing how scene is gonna This whole thing is gonna
(45:49):
unfold going forward.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
Imagine imagine watching wrestling right now the way it is,
how it was available, how it's available now. Imagine how
it would have been for us when we were growing up.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
Yeah, we have access to so much right now, whether
it be Old School, New School, two hundred different promotions
on various different apps. We didn't have apps back in
the day. We had syndicated television that we had to
try struggle to sometimes with an antenna, try to get
an in.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
Well, we're we're already looking forward to what's happening tomorrow
night from fat When we were grown up, we were
looking forward to what the fuck is going to be
happening next Saturday exactly, and it was already been recording.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Yeah, and everything is live now as opposed to being recorded.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
So yeah, you know, it's one of the things like
I've kind of been talking about and it's like weird.
It's like if I can cut a promo, I try
to cut a promo, it'll take me four or five
times kind of you know, with the camera by myself.
But doing it live it's a different feel. It's a
different feeling when you're doing everything live. It's like you're
on point and everything is like you clear, you know,
(46:58):
and the same what you were trying to say by
yourself takes four or five times. You try you say
it live, you do it in one shot. So that's
what I'm just trying to say that live. The live
experience is so much different.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
It's a lot. It just there's so much more to
it these days than it was when we were younger.
We didn't get live wrestling, yeah, very rarely. Did we
ever get a live special clash of the champions. Maybe
the pay per views.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Yeah, well even that Wrestling Challenger, you know, even Monday nights.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
Yeah, what a prime time prime time with.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. I mean I missed that.
I mean I told you I was watching last week,
you know, the WWF main event, the main event or
the big event from Toronto, Yes, and I was like, man,
I was watching, like damn, this is wow. Me back
to my childhood.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Yeah, isn't Dix later on that show, if I remember correctly,
and during his he was the rebel Dix s lator
his his brief stint in the WWF.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
I had to look up and I'm like, who the
hell is I didn't realize that dory Funk went under
something else there like I had it. I was like,
is that dory Funk.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
Was a hoss Funk right us Funk?
Speaker 3 (48:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember that, yeah, because that was
just like why you even change his name he's like
a legend. He was a legend then at that you know,
back then.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
So yeah, see that this is what we get to
talk about because you know, this is where our friendship,
you know, evolved, because we.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
Two old school wrestling fan Italian guys sitting here talking
about professional wrestling.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
I'll know about wrestling and how it affected us during
our lives, yep, you know, and what's missing today. But
that's another that's a that's a topic that give me
for another podcast.
Speaker 2 (48:59):
Yeah, well, don't worry, You're always coming back every so often.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
So I mean, would you know, how would the whole
Hogan and Andre angle work in today's generation of what
in the wrestling is?
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Yeah, nobody is that size. I don't think people are
invested in guys like who do we have? We have
guys like Omas that nobody really cares about, you know
what I.
Speaker 3 (49:20):
Mean honestly who the business right now needs a Don Morocco? Yeah,
I watched Don Morocco. I'm like that's that. I mean,
how would he do in today's in today's in the
wrestling today? How to how would he would do against
what's what's the guys in the guy in a E.
W Right now the the Aerial Assassin, I forgot his name.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
They're not you're not talking.
Speaker 3 (49:46):
Well, how would a Don Morocco go fair against will Osprey?
Speaker 2 (49:53):
Yeah, I don't know, that would be an interesting matchup.
Don Morocco is one of those guys that could have
worked with anybody back in the day, a big muscle guy. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
I mean there was a time in my career, and
I've said this, I was like I felt like I
could work with anybody. Yeah, you know, during my especially
with the clip that I put up with like me
and Zombie from the Brass City Brawl. I mean, there
was a time where you know, I was at my heaviest,
you know, but like I was able, I was able
to work with anybody, you know, And that's kind of
(50:21):
how I felt. I guess as I've gotten older, where
my anxiety and you know, my you know, my insecurities
kind of work against me. You know, I was like,
can I still do this? And but whatever? I mean,
that's a different another topic, another podcast and another conversation.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
All right, all right, So either way, that was our
thoughts on Elimination Chamber. That's uh, you know, we talked
about the Hall of Fame. Uh, Dred. Do you have
anything else you want to throw in there before we
bounce out of here?
Speaker 3 (50:51):
But the only thing I got coming up right now
is I'm off until the end of the month.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Uh you know where's this.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Dapw uh mark? Was it called the APW Mayhem and
Middletown Mayhem at the Elks Club March twenty ninth and
April eighteenth for CWS. I'm you know, defending the hardcore
title at the April eighteenth at the Polish Club in Bristol.
(51:18):
That's all I have coming up right now. I don't
like too much time off. I like the time off,
but too much time off. I you know, the work
still doesn't stop. I still put in the work in
you know, lifting cardio and staying in shape and but whatever.
I mean, I ain't going anywhere anytime soon. And you know,
(51:39):
my fiftieth is coming up this September, and you know
twenty five years is coming up in January. So I
never saw you know, five years have gone by like nothing,
you know, with COVID and everything. But cheers. I ain't
going anywhere anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
Yeah, yeah, Well I want to thank you for dropping
by yet again. Well we'll definitely have to get you
back on pretty soon.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Thank you, all right, man.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
Make it a point check out Pro Wrestling Wire. They've
got lots of great interviews, lots of great wrestling news.
You can check them out online and make it a
point to enjoy the best in professional wrestling right here
on Pro Wrestling Wire.
And make it a point check out Pro Wrestling Wire.
(00:01):
They got lots of great interviews, lots of great wrestling news.
You can check them out online and make it a
point to enjoy the best in professional wrestling right here
on Pro Wrestling Wire.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What's going on, everybody. This is a Pro Wrestling Wire Radio.
This is Rick Del Santo. I am joined today by
Bull Dread, recent Paradise highly Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee.
We're gonna be talking about that subject as well as
talking to ww Elimination Chamber, which to me turned out
(00:43):
to be an exciting show for the most part. We'll
talk about what wasn't exciting about the show. But let
me say hello, Mike. Why don't you say hello?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Oops, hey, hey listen, we're called you Mike. That's fine,
I mean, because you want to know something. I'm at
a stage in my life where I am the same
person in the ring, out in public, outside of the business.
It's it's people who are like, you know, hey, you
can't tell if it's your gimmick. Dude, it's the same person.
(01:15):
Now I can say that. But yeah, bringing that back
here and the Pro Wrestling Wire with you go, oh
and I got the egg parts from yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Still, I've gotten to know you quite a lot, quite
a bit over the last few years, becoming quite, you know,
very good friends with you. So it is the first
name basis, and it's kind of hard to break out
of that. Sometimes even during the show, if I'm calling
one of your matches, sometimes it's pretty hard to not
say Mike. But I do catch myself.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So yeah, it's it's what happens. I mean, you know,
I mean, I just can't wait for the time we
actually get to sit down and do some commentary together,
because my goal is to make you laugh and make
you break care for it.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I have a feeling that that goal as to being
in the commentary booth, and that opportunity will be coming soon,
I'm sure, sometime probably in the next year, so that
we'll be able to sit in the booth together and
call a match. What promotion that may be is yet
to be determined, but I'm sure I'm looking forward to it.
I think it'll be fun.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, I mean, I'm still open to working. You know,
I'm not fully taking the boots off, and you know
that's it. It's I'm going to start exploring, exploring, other avenues,
you know, within the business and still be involved. But
you know, it's hard when you're still a draw and
a name and my career is opposite. And I'm not
afraid to talk about it. I mean, you know, I mean,
(02:39):
I'm more over now than I was twenty years ago,
and you know, but what I'm doing now I should
have done twenty years ago. But I'm doing it now
and that's what matters. And I feel if people don't
take the opportunity now to bring me in, it's their loss.
But whatever, I'm still I'm working hard and staying in
shape for a reason, and I'm working harder than some else,
(03:01):
some of the other guys. I'm the last of the
old school veterans that are around right now. So we
draw differently.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
It's definitely a different a different type of draw. And
I get exactly what you're saying. Uh So, let's jump
into what happened recently before we get into the WWE
pay per view or ple that happened just this past Saturday.
Paradise Sally Pro Wrestling is your home. It's been your
home for the last like what five six years or so. Yeah,
(03:33):
that is of course run by Mario Mancini and Paul Roma,
former w W superstars, very good friends of ours. And
it was, I believe just about two three weeks ago
they had a Hall of Fame inductee their induction excuse me,
and of course amongst the House of Pain and some others,
(03:56):
you bull Dread have been inducted into the Paradise Allly
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Uh, let's talk about that
a little bit. How do you feel about your induction finally?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
You know, I've been saying it for a while, and
you know, it wasn't the New England Independent you know,
pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, you know, come Aby, you know,
thinking all the independence of New England, and but I
kind of feel that, you know, treating it that way.
And you know, I hope it's the first of many,
(04:30):
because I've watched guys get inducted before they hit twenty
years and I'm like, I can't wait for my time
to come. Even though there's no actual Hall of Fame
place to go. It's more of the the being recognized
and being appreciated and the recognition and and uh, you know,
(04:51):
and I picked pick Daddy, and and I'm open about
it because I fought it back then when I was
loyal to you know, another company, which is Northeast Wrestling,
where I spent a decade of my career and my
life there and I've had a lot of great experiences
from and this is something that I didn't get to
say in my speech. And you know, and Rich, I mean,
(05:14):
you've known me for a while, and you know, and
and and and I don't want to get off track,
but like I picked Big Daddy because for a long
time to especially there was a time in my career
where I wanted to work for PAPW, but I was
afraid too because of my loyalty to any W and
Mike Lombardi where I didn't want to lose my spot.
(05:36):
And and it's a thing, you know, like sometimes you're
afraid to go work somebody because there's friction. It'll be
like why are you working for this guy? If you're
work for him, you're not gonna.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Work for me.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That's the type of shit what was going on. And
there was a type there was a time where I
think Lombardi and Mario and Paul they were working together.
Something didn't work out and the heat started, you know.
And and again, like I wanted to work there because
I felt, you know, PAPW was like a whole, like
very old school and somewhere where I could flourish and
(06:09):
you know, be some give some type of impact to
the company and and uh, you know, and I found
myself lost at one point where you know, you feel
like you got trash and trashed and you got thrown away,
you know, and forgotten about. And I'm there sitting I'm like,
where the hell is my career going, you know, And
I'm you know, for the longest time, Like I said,
(06:31):
Mario and Big Daddy was, you know, the primary person
to bring me there, and he was like, if you
go to PAPW, You're gonna help the company become legitimate.
And I'm like, who the fuck am I? You know,
but it was all the accoletes and you know, and
the things that I bring to the company, you know.
I mean, I guess it's just me being humble, you know,
because I never thought of myself as being a star
(06:51):
or anything like that or And the first person to
call me a legend was Mario and he was like,
you know, once you get twenty years, your legend status.
And I'm like, okay, and you know, like I said,
I picked Big Daddy because he was the force to
bring me there. So I you know, he inducted me,
and he gave the full speech, and I still listened
(07:12):
to it every day, not so much what I say,
you know, I kind of listened to what he says,
but like I drew a blank and some you know,
when I actually got on the mic, but I talked
about what was important to me. You know, I talked about,
you know things, what would I say if I get
inducted into the Hall of Fame and you know, and
(07:33):
when I said, I was like, what people know or
they don't know? You know, you know where I come from,
you know, me personally, not a lot of people, you know,
because I've made new fans over the last five six years,
they don't know who the hell I am or where
I came from. And it all traces back to you know,
your your family, your upbringing, your heritage, and traces back
(07:55):
to your family, where your family comes from. And that's
what I talked about. What was important family, you know,
being a parent, and you know, I had to make
a decision at one point in my life where what
was more important because Northeast to me was WW That's
how it was run. I was like, I'm not making
it any further. I had to, you know, that was
the reality. So I treated that as my WWE and uh,
(08:21):
you know, your priorities come first. I didn't want to
be an absent father anyway. So, like I said, I
talked about what was important. But one of the things
I didn't I had forgotten to mention is you know
when I talk about experiences and what I was able
to experience in my decade career, that Northeast Wrestling is
(08:43):
uh briack. I mean, we grew up watching this. We
we're pretty much we're the same age, and we grew
up in the same time era of like wrestling, sports movies,
and I feel the greatest times of wrestling in the
movies and sports eighties, nineties or whatever. But as a kid,
if you can name like, if you can name like
(09:05):
who your childhood idols are, it doesn't necessarily have to
be wrestling. But who would they? Would three names come
come to mind?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
If you think like legitimate you're asking me, I'd have
to say one of them, and it just might sound ridiculous.
It might be the character of Rocky Balboa. Number one,
all right, sol Vester Stallone became my favorite actor and
still I mean even in him as John Rambo. You
(09:34):
know what I'm saying. Great, and I'm gonna say this,
I might not think the same about him now than
I did in nineteen eighty four, nineteen eighty five, whole Cogan, right, Okay,
and I don't know this guy. I know there's got
to be another out there, but I just can't really
think about it up off the top of my head.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
All right, well, but you understand, you know, like like.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
What I'm saying, and yes, absolutely there's.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
So many more, you know, like it could be basketball, football,
any sports.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Let me say this, I just thought of it came
to my head and I'm gonna say, way, Wade Box
because he was I was obsessed with the Boston Red Sox,
Wade Bogs, uh, that era of the Boston Red Sox,
Dwight Emmons, Roger Clemens. You know what I'm saying, Like
that to me was the Boston Red Sox that I
grew up watching.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Okay, so that was your childhood, That's who watched. That's
what you're starting to be imagine if you were able
to see all the all your childhood heroes kind of
like on a regular basis and like almost like it
was another day at work. You know, you're sitting down,
you're chatting with him, You're you're introducing yourself, You're walking
(10:43):
in a locker room or with any room, or you're
sitting down having dinner with them, or you just kind
of it's like you're starting to see them almost like
I don't say every weekend, but on a regular basis.
You know, you're like that happened. I lived that for
a decade, you know, from sharing a locker room with
(11:03):
a lot of these guys, going out to dinner, just
sharing a ring, sharing a locker room, being in the ring,
just kind of standing there talking, just introducing yourself or
taking a picture with them, or just like you knows
as a matter of fact, like you know, meaning Flair,
And the next thing you know, I'm standing at the
bathroom stall with him because I was taking care of
his autograph line. Then going on to you know, doing
(11:27):
the Northeast Wrestling Spring Tour with him headlining a couple
of shows and him critiquing my match, and I'm wrestling
working with his son in a Battle Royal plus with
all of these other guys watching, like Foley Waller you
know in the back watching us on monitor and Kurt
Adonis will you know, we'll we'll admit to this because
(11:48):
he's locking up with Flair while he's critiquing all of us,
and I'm here locking up with Jerry Waller. And that
was my experience. That's what I experienced. I mean, one
of the last legends I saw, it was a few
years ago, was when I worked for Trooper in Rhode Island.
Was hard to slaughter and I've done shows with him
in Northeast. He remembered who I was, you know, he
(12:10):
just how can you forget? So that's what I experienced,
and that's the only way I could explain it to
the normal person, because the normal person wouldn't be able
to experience what I have what I have done, you know.
And I'm not saying that I'm better than anybody else.
It's the point I'm trying to make is that no
matter what level you reach, dreams do come true. So
(12:35):
that's the only way I could explain it. And it
contributed to my career. And like, like I said, my
career is opposite what I'm doing now. I should have
done twenty years ago, but it was a different time.
Then I got over without social media, but I wasn't
willing to travel. I couldn't do it. You know, I
(12:56):
was getting married, you know, the kids were small, but
Northeat Wrestling kind of allowed me to do things, you know,
go to Newburgh which is an hour away or two
hours away Newburgh. At one point all I had was
Northeast Wrestling. And then then p WA was running and
you know, I was in the rain four or five
nights a week during my Sexy Beast era and was
(13:17):
like my life transformed. They got in great shape. And
that's one with the true love. The passion came into
my life about you know, I'm working harder than some
many younger guys. And I was like, damn. You know
then I look back, I was like, damn. If I
was what I'm doing now, then where would I be.
But I don't regret nothing because I am where I
(13:37):
am because of everything I've been through. You know, I'm here.
We became friends because I feel like if my career
was anything different, we probably wouldn't be am I right,
you know, we probably maybe we would have you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Well, I get what you're saying things the way, like
one minor detail in that entire story that you just
told could change the whole outlook on how life or
how the future, what God had planned. You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, I don't regret the path. I would relive. There's
something I said the other day. I would relive every moment,
every heartbreak, depression, being broke, pain, just to be where
I am again because it led me to where I am.
And one of the most important things was I didn't
(14:25):
want to be an absent father because now my kids
and you saw the kids or even guys, you know,
you see Mikey all the time, but you finally met
my daughter. You know, my kids finally were able to
you know, understand or experience what how like what even
you know, Kevin talk to Tommy said, and you know,
(14:46):
big Daddy, what what I mean to the business and
the fans? Have I ever looked at myself that way?
I'd never called myself a star or a legend or
a heart or nightmare. The fans gave me that, my peers,
and if you could pop your peers, your fans, your
your boys, you're doing something right. That's why it's like,
(15:06):
right now, I don't I don't want to be sitting home.
I want to work. I feel now is the time.
And is it selfish of me to say, why aren't
you using me? You know, I bring something different? But
right now it's like independent wrestling, especially around here, is
about popularity. You're not drawing old school wrestling fans if
(15:28):
you're not using some of the old school local count
oh different.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Pro wrestling is definitely Indie wrestling is definitely different how
it was when you or I were coming up and watching, say,
you know, in the eighties and nineties and stuff like that.
It's not about Independent wrestling is wildly popular these days,
but it's like like you said, it's about it's it's
just a different style, I guess you could say than
(15:53):
it was when we were to be personal.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
What I'm not gonna say what hurts me is what
I see and uh you know, and I said it
in my my in the ring. You know, social media
is one of the best things that happened in my
career because like everything evolved. You know, I was over
before social media. People knew who I was before social media.
Social media helped me, you know, through Northeast wrestling and
(16:18):
reach out to fans. You got fans all over, you know.
But it's it's a shame. It's a shame that all
of us, many of us, we all perform on the
same stage, we have the same audience, but not every
one of us get the same applause. And that's a
(16:38):
big fuck you to the people that would support somebody
who's not as senior as me or his veteran is
me was really done nothing, But it's more of a
popularity because they're they're friends with them where they like them,
And like, I could post the same thing as somebody else,
not you know, pinpointing anybody else. This is stuff I'm
(17:00):
seeing and I've been seeing for a long time. Maybe
I'm guilty of it because people I know personally or whatever,
but it's like I could post the same I could
be in the same show with somebody else in the
same match and have the same exact people. We can
post the same exact results, but that person will get
(17:25):
the different results or reactions than me. And I'm like,
we're on the same show and we did the same thing.
So it's a big fuck you to everybody. That's why
I've become a lot more private, and it's kind of
just started closing chapters in my life and friendships and everything.
Not saying that I think about it every day, I
mean we talk about it every day now. I just
(17:47):
know that I keep doing what's best for me because
no one can do what I do but me am.
I as great as I used to be. My better
years are behind me. But I draw differently, you know.
I mean I see the changes in myself, you know,
compared to three or four years ago. Speed and you know,
(18:07):
agility and stuff like that. But you understand I bring
a different feel to the ring, and it kind of
I look back and and I'll ask you, is the
business going to be the same when some of us
twenty plus year vets are gone. I don't know. I'm
(18:28):
not saying that the business the business is going to
lack or anything like that. It's driving well.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
I think it's getting ready for another shift in a way,
you know what I mean. Independent wrestling. I mean, you
could see how big the WWE is. I'm sorry to
cut you off there, but you can see how big
the WWE is doing what they're doing. And now they've
got the WWE program or ID program. Excuse me, and
I think that that now is going to set for
(18:55):
another shift in the way that you know, the independence
work in certain thing in certain ways.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Yeah, I mean, you know, somebody just asked me the
other day, why didn't you ever make it big or whatever?
Try to I'm like, the exposure is different now than
it was fifteen years ago. There wasn't exposure like how
it is now.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Well, somebody could see a social media clip of you
doing something and then they're like, how do we get
in touch with this guy? You know.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, it's a much different time. And is it like
I said, is it selfish of me wanting to still
be active and I'm kind of seeing myself kind of
not being used in ways? But you know what I mean,
Like like with PAPW next show, I'm not on the show,
and I'm like, I want to work. EPW is my home.
(19:42):
But I understand because you want to give the young
guys work. They need to get out, they need to develop.
But I'm also here sitting here like I'm working hard
for a reason. You know, I want to work with
the young guys because they need somebody like me to
work with, you know. I mean, you know, but I've
become more of an attraction, even though that's in a
(20:05):
way it's respectful. I mean, you don't want to get you.
I guess if I work, if I'm working every week
and on the same show, once you get stale as
seeing me, I understand that. And it's me accepting that.
You know my time's coming. I just don't want to
accept it yet.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
But well, if you look at the conversations we are
having on this program last year, around this time, you're
gearing up for this being your twenty fifth year and
you were retiring at the end of the year. But
I feel like those conversations have subsided and you're not
one hundred percent certain if you're going to be retiring.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Correct, it's it's it's it's how I feel. Yeah, you know,
the main thing is I don't want to get hurt.
You know, that's the most important thing. But I mean,
come on, I mean, like you were I know you
weren't at the last PAPW show, but I mean, like
you know, Curtis Donis, you know that's why, like he
was re announcing and you know he he announced me,
(21:03):
and it's like, man, that's what I appreciate it because
it's like you know, like I said, I'm showing love
to people like you Big Daddy, Matt Decour, Kevin Saban
Hurt announcing you guys are on a soundtrack to my career.
And you know he announced me. You knows the icon,
the hardcore, nightmare, the legend, you know, the the p
(21:26):
APW Hall of Famer and the crowd pops. The crowd
pop for that, and uh, that's what I live if
that's what I do it for. You know, right before
I go out, I say to myself, why do I
keep doing this? And that? And that happens. And after
I'm after the match, and like I'm done, I go
back and I'm like, I'm ready for another one. It's
(21:47):
gonna be hard to give up something you're in love with.
I'm just not there yet because I'm working hard to
stay in shape.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah. And you mentioned the uh us, gentleman, being the
soundtrack to you, your career going forward and for the
last however many years or whatever in your speech. And
I got to tell you, being mentioned and given credit
in that in that in your Hall of Fame speech,
it kind of made me in the fields, you know,
(22:14):
it made me happy a little bit. And to be
acknowledged the fact that you know, I mean, it's not
we're just not friends. We also work together and you
know it's my job to put you over when I'm
on the microphone and be a part of your Now.
I'm also a part of your career in a way
as well.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Yeah, I'm just an Italian kid, you know, and I've
stayed true to who I am and that's what made
That's what was important to me. The business didn't change me.
So when the voice is like yourself, you know, big
Daddy talking Tommy or Kevin or whoever else is doing
(22:56):
on you know, commentary, Joey g everywhere else where I work.
You know, guys that's from Vanguard, and guys from BCW
where you've worked, and guys from Rhode Island, anywhere that
I work. Where you guys are putting me out there
as this monster, as like you're making me look bigger
than life. Because little kids that come up to me,
(23:19):
they'll give me all these names. You know, Like I said,
they they're the ones looking at me, calling me the beast.
You know how you're portraying me to them out there
if they're watching it on video. To me, I'm just
like I'm just Mike. I'm just an Italian kid. I'm
just that kid that wanted to be a wrestler. I've
never imagined myself to be where I am today. I
(23:39):
often wonder how my son looks or my kids look
at me. You know, like what I'm doing with life
for them is normal because it's been a part of
their life. What I'm doing, there's been a part of
their lives since they were kids, you know what I mean, Like,
how does Jamie look at me?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
You're just dad to your kids in a way, and
you just so happen to be a pro wrestler, you
know what I mean. I was talking to Tommy Angel
not so long ago, former n W a ww a
Professional Wrestler Enhancement talent. He was talking about how his
kids didn't believe he was a wrestler when he was younger,
and they ended up finding looking him up on YouTube
(24:17):
there like holy crap, that's dead, like right there. But
they're a part of your life, Like Mikey is at
a show every single weekend with you, and you know
a lot of times if I'm not working a show,
like I sit around with Mikey, you know what I mean.
Have fun.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Yeah, people, he's experiencing what what you know, Maggie experienced
it a little bit, you know, coming to shows when
she was coming with me to PAPW. But you know,
Mikey's experienced it a lot more over the last because
he's been traveling with me on this weekends. He's with me, right,
you know, once I've gotten myself out there. Uh And
I was afraid too, but there was a different world
(24:55):
out there. Once I started getting out there, I started
I started running into it, into it a lot more
now where I grew up watching you or That's why
I say be respectful and kind to every fan or
person you meet, because one day that kid is going
to be in the ring with you. From like a
wrecking Ball who came to an ACW show when I
first started to a you know, Dave Coley from the
(25:20):
Canadian Superstars that I remember coming across that picture he
took with me. You know, get guys like Greg Baylor,
Fly Noriega, and there's a few other people they used
to come, you know, like what's his name, Dustin Waller,
And I'm sure there's a lot of other people. One
I feel old, but two what does this say for
(25:42):
the legacy I'm going to leave behind once I'm once
I decide that I'm done, you know what I mean.
So I'm just at a time where it's like I'm
working with kids they grew up watching me. I would
never imagined to be where I am, especially when there
was a time where I was ready to quit this
business because they didn't give me anything. But I learned
(26:02):
that this business doesn't owe me anything. It's about the
passion and the ship and what I have inside about
what I want to do as Mike. You know this
has been and what bull dreaded means to this business,
and I hope one day, you know, the closest conversation
is that people could look back on some of the
(26:22):
top guys that came out of Connecticut and New England
that honestly people, uh, you know my name is up
there and talking about sound tracks just like you guys,
you know, you guys that do commentary and you know podcasts.
And that's why I think, like Ogust, people that were
(26:42):
you know what's his name, like you know John and
from the other ship. I'm drawn up by you know,
fog band and you guys that support and put our show,
you know, our Matki's out there support and the rest
of what every shows and stuff. Right when did I
become a soundtracked a lot of the other kids, you know, childhood?
(27:04):
You see what I'm saying. It's so yeah, where I
am and I'm looking forward to where I'm going to
be going, you know, somehow involved in the business side.
I don't consider myself a head trainer. I ain't gonna
open up a school. I'm not going to run a show.
I see myself more as a mentor. But then again, like,
(27:25):
who the fuck am I study psychology?
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I just want to say, if anybody want to
want to watch the Hall of Fame induction Mike Bulldred's speech,
it is up on my YouTube. Go to the Rich
Deel YouTube channel and just search for bull Dread paraly
sidly progressing Hall of Fame induction and you will see
him big Daddy praise the legend that is bull Dread
(27:51):
and then the speech of course.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
Oh yeah, he made me look larger than life. I mean,
was there anything bad that you didn't already know?
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I think he took a lot. He said that he
he asked me for some notes, you know what I mean,
And he said that he was. He got a lot
of the information. I mean, not that he didn't obviously
that he didn't know you, but he definitely did.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Uh uh.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
You know, he went through the the four or five
interviews that you and I had done together in the past.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
You know, one thing though, he keeps that man pining
Adam Cole. I did nothing with Adam Cole except sit
there in the locker room talking with him. You know,
he had just started with Ring of Honor. He was
like still green to the business. I feel, I know
anything with him except just have a chat with him.
But there's a lot of other names he never mentioned,
you know, like I tagging with Kevin Nash, me being
(28:40):
nWo you know, Brett Hart, Jerry Lawler. Uh, you know,
I actually had a tag match with fucking Blue Mimi. Uh.
You know, there's a lot of other names that he
never he never got mentioned. But there's just so many
I guess that, you know, a testament to my career,
you know.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
But uh yeah, but you can't mention and everything because
the list would he'd be going on and on forever.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Well, and for one thing that before we end this,
what I say and what we talked about, especially with
the clips that you put up with me. People really
need to watch what they say that the camera catches,
especially when they're trying to hit somebody personally. It's disrespectful
to me, disrespectful to you, disrespectful to the fans and
(29:24):
the product. You know what I mean. So you know
what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Trying to get a reaction by being an asshole just
makes you look like a fucking asshole.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, it kind of ruins. Like I've watched it since
and I just paint on mind to it, but you
can't unhear it once once it's said. That's why it's like,
you know, you kind of look back and I'm like,
all right, what kind of You're just trying to get
a reaction out of me? Or I kind of look
back and I'm like, what the fuck have you done
(29:54):
in your own life?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
People? People are freaking miserable and they just had to
make a try to be show how miserable they are
and be h and try to make other people miserable.
And I don't need none of that. We we talked
positive here.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Right right, Let's get to the chamber baby, all right?
All right?
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Uh so w W elimination Chamber was this past Saturday.
Let me get to it before we start breaking down
and going match by match. What did you think of
this show as a whole.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
It's one of the pay per view wise, it's just
getting better. Uh, it's I mean, honestly, I think the
only match that I didn't like was the girls tag match.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, okay, I agree with that. I'll agree with that.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, the only match that was kind of like the
d you know, and it had no interest for me.
It surprisingly, like I understand, they started the Eliminae. They
started with the women's Eliminage Mation Chamber first match, but
then immediately went to the second and other women's tag match,
which well there was only like what four matches on
(31:06):
the car.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It was four matches, and I read the breakdown was
that each Elimination Chamber was getting forty minutes total, and
I think that the final segment was getting something like
fifteen to twenty minutes, which I'm not sure that it
reached that. I wasn't keeping track of time, but I
(31:27):
enjoyed the before we started getting into it. I started.
I have to say, I enjoyed pretty much the whole show,
with the exception of the women's tag match. I think
I tweeted out that every match I thought was really good.
I thought the closing segment was really good, but the
women's tag match just fell dead right there. They put
the popcorn match on second, you know, that's that's.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
What it was. I mean to me, that was the
dud of the show. And I've had Tristatus hometown hero. Yeah,
that's why there.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Yeah. So they opened up with the women's elimination chamber
match as they're introducing each and every single one. Earlier
in the day, I read that Jade Cargo was spotted
in Buffalo, which was in driving distance to Toronto, and
as Naomi was getting introduced, She's about to enter the ring.
Jade Cargo's music hitch. She comes down, just walking badass
(32:26):
as she is, and destroys Naomi. Now this is of
course going back to Jade Cargo getting destroyed backstage in
the parking lot parking garage. However, many months ago, and
basically the mystery was solved last night as to who
it was, I myself predicted once that Bianca and Naomi
(32:48):
were put together that it was Naomi that did it.
They kind of hinted that it was Raquel Rodriguez at
one point, and I think that they went another direction
at one point. I think they hinted that it might
be Bianca, but I said in a way, uh, and
that it ended up being Naomi. And then she I
mean when she destroyed her, I mean she really destroyed her. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I didn't understand it because until Raw started, uh, until
Raw was on Netflix and didn't really watched. I couldn't
watch it. I cable, you know what I mean. But
then again, I did wonder why Naomi was with Bianca,
you know what I mean, Like I didn't want to.
I thought Bianca was with the other one, Cargo whatever.
(33:33):
I didn't know that she had gotten jumped. I just
thought she was hurt. But uh, when she came out
and attacked her, I'm like, why is she attacking her?
Like I don't get it. Then it started putting the
pieces together. I'm like, oh, okay, now why I understand
So but to me, the eliminate the women's elimination Chamber
was highly entertaining and it was a great finish.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Yeah. Uh, it was Beyonca bel Air that one. And
then she's going to WrestleMania and she's going to be meeting.
Uh is it real Ripley for the title?
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Well, it depends on what goes on tomorrow night. I
actually thought that there was gonna be a replacement, you know,
like's gonna be like like we have a replacement for her,
you know.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Well, they said that she can't compete, and I thought
for a second, I sat there was like, why isn't
Jade Cargill just get in the ring and compete, you
know what I mean? So apparently that's not the direction
that they went in, and she just like walked out
like who gives a fuck? So let's see what happens
this week on I believe it's gonna be on SmackDown,
So let's see what happens.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Yeah, tomorrow is uh, what's your name? That the little
short Chinese girl versus Ria Ripley for.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The title taken on Rea Ripley. Yes, whoever?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
You know, I mean, we all know who's gonna who's
gonna be over on that. So yeah, it's gonna be
and belair at WrestleMania. I don't think Ripley is going
to be giving up the title this this that quick.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
No, I don't think I think it's going to be
a while before she uh, before she loses it, whatever
happens at Mania, I think she's gonna be walking out.
I think Ria is just too popular right now for
her to be losing the title. But you know who knows.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Yeah, I mean, you know, what are you gonna do?
It's like, you know, it's like that one time where
I worked with a you know, kind of big gym.
You know, it's hard to say this, but you know,
I win the title and we have one match, and
it was like, you know, you kind of thought I
was gonna be dropping the title. It's like, I don't
have just one title defense and I drop it already,
you know what I mean. Like he hasn't been she
(35:35):
hasn't been a champion long enough. Right now, she's the draw,
she's the top, and to take the belt away from
her right now? It go out there and have a
great entertaining match, entertain the fans. That's what you want.
It doesn't matter who the champion is.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
And of course both of us thought that this match
was a dud. It was the woman's tag team match
Tiffany Stratton and Tris Stratus. They defeated Kennice Larray and
Naya Jacks. I have nothing to say about this because honestly,
it was not entertaining and it just kind of couldn't
stay tuned in, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Yeah, I think I forgot what the pinch was TI
Tiffany did the what did she do?
Speaker 2 (36:17):
The off?
Speaker 3 (36:17):
The she did this moon salt right. I mean it
was a good finish, you know on Jack's but whatever.
That was the only I was like, yeah, good finish.
But the match was just like that. But come on,
this is just a this is a bathroom break match.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah. I didn't think that that was necessarily that great
of a not a lot of action in that match.
It was just boring. It was nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
What was The next match was Owens uh.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Kevin Owens and uh Sammy's Ay and the unsanctioned match.
I thought this match was phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I mean that could have been easily the main events.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah. Absolutely, honestly, I thought there was a very good
chance to get might be these two were being from Canada,
they have put them in the headlining match at on
occasion just for the sake of doing it. And this
match they went all over the place. Kevin Owns destroyed
Sammy's ain spot with the chair just trying to continue
(37:18):
and go at it. Shane Helms came out, Greg ree Elms,
excuse me, and who's the other guy? Who's the other guy.
There's another backstage guy that's the Olympian. That Jason Jordan.
That's right. Yep, Yeah, he was out there, and I
thought this one, this whole entire match, it told a
(37:39):
perfectly good story about Kevin Owens and Sammy Zain throughout
their whole careers, being friends over twenty years. They made
references to lots of older references to early parts of
their career and stuff. And did you hear Michael Cole
swear on this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Hey, I thought, you know, I said to somebody, we're
gonna see a lot of Ring of Honor spots.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
It wasn't really that way. No, they told they told
the story. It was exactly what I was going to be.
I liked how they turned the lights down. I was like, man,
I hope they keep it like that for the rest
of the show.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
I like them lights. It's an old school approach with
the lights down and stuff like that. That's just the
that's how wrestling was when we watched it as kids.
The darkened Arenas. Yeah, yeah, so I thought this match
was probably, uh match of the night. I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna lie. I thought it was fun. It
(38:36):
was damn. There was times where I thought either of
these guys are about to get killed accidentally.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Yeah, it was exactly what you know. I mean, It's
something that like I looked about, like, damn, would I
be able to do that? I would, but like definitely
would feel it the next day, you know what I mean. Yeah,
it definitely to me was my favorite match of the night.
I think, better than both elimination chambers. Yeah, yeah, so
(39:03):
I did. Yeah, I said Match of the Knight could
have been easily the main event, that could have easily
main event any pay per view.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I think so. Uh So we went to the men's
elimination chamber match. I thought this match was a lot
of fun. It kind of went back and forth. My
pick to win it was Sina, second pick was Punk.
I'm just my prediction right. It was one of those
ones where it seemed like, when it was only two
(39:32):
of them in the ring, that it was going to
go either way at certain points, and then uh, and
then it was Sina. He won, And I thought it was.
It was pretty incredible. And then obviously Cody Rhodes came
out to congratulate him at the end and you know,
gave a little speech. The Rock came out, said a
(39:52):
few things, asked for his soul and he said, fuck no.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
You know, I thought the women's elimination chamber was much funner,
a little bit more enjoyable. Watch. Yeah, Uh, it was
weird how Priest and what's his name, uh, Drew Drew
got eliminated before Punk even got in the ring.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah, it was weird.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
I'm like, why these two guys already eliminated?
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, I didn't think now if I could get in that,
I didn't think priests performance was this matchup?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yeah, I don't know. Like to me, it was kind
of like the oddball. But yeah, even Logan Bam like like,
Logan Paul should have been eliminated first. That's what I think.
He's to me, he's not entertaining. But I was saying
to myself, I'm like, I could actually see Paul and
Cody because it would be a high spot type of match. Yeah,
(40:56):
but I was picking Punk because not because of this
just the story the main event, but because it would
have been an old school telling a good story type
of match right in a one. My first reaction was like,
who the fuck is going to pay to want to
see Sena and fucking Cody Rhodes.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well, then they made you want to be the one
that would pay to see Cody Rhoads and Seena. But
my prediction going into this, did you have a prediction
going into this at all as to what was going
to happen?
Speaker 3 (41:24):
I thought they were leaning more towards Punk because.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
I think they were kind of hinting at that. Yeah,
I said that My first pick was Cody's going to
decline and Sina joins. Okay, my second pick was Cody
declines and Punk wins. He cashes in his favor or
where that he asked for mention the Hayman or whatever. Boy,
(41:53):
I had never been more right when I predicted, like
a something that happened before literally and right. I'm not
gonna lie the top of my head, blew off. I
was kind of excited. I said, holy shit, I can't
believe there was as soon as a when he told
the rock to fuck off and then seeing it in
(42:15):
Rhodes hugged and then you just saw it immediately John
Seena's facial express and changed to this evil dry look.
I said, I told him My wife was sitting next
to me on the on the other couch. I said,
holy fuck, they're about to do it. She paid attention,
and then he just nailed Cody right in the balls.
I My mind was blown, dude.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Yeah, like I said, like you know, Sina one, I'm like,
who the fuck is gonna want to pay? See this?
Rock came out at the promo, Cody did his thing,
told him to go fuck himself, and you know, Rock
is just standing there. I'm like, all right, like something,
this is okay? What's this is weird? I think the
(42:56):
point because I started, like, I started thinking about it today.
Do you remember did you watched SmackDown?
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Not last week's No, I did not get an opportunity
to watch it, No.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
Miss, did did you watch? Like how Punk ran into
roads and they gave him some advice and yeah, actually
he ran into the miss and Miss was like, dude,
if you don't take this opportunity, somebody else will. I
wasn't really thinking about it until today, But then it
wasn't until the moment where the camera when you're watching
(43:30):
the screen and the Rocks started kind of stepping into
the corner, and then it was Sina and then like
Rhodes was kind of looking at Rock, and then Rhodes
kind of looked at Sena and I said to myself, Oh,
Sina is gonna fucking turn. And that's when he went
(43:53):
in for the hug, acting like you were all happy,
went in for the hug, and I saw the facial
and I'm like, wow, this is a Hulk Hogan nWo
all over again for the younger generation, but for us.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
Sina has not worked heel since two thousand and two.
Do you remember when he first came in Ruthless Aggression era,
He was the rapper gimmick. He had actually had tights,
who was not wearing jeorts. He was heel making heel raps.
So him working hell and I read in an interview
not so long ago that he said that he would
love to work heel again. The fact that they're doing
(44:28):
this now on his farewell tour, it's pretty freaking amazing,
wouldn't you say?
Speaker 3 (44:32):
I think it now it makes people want to buy
in to watch Mania, is making everything interesting. Yeah, we'll
go over. That's I can see him going over and yeah,
going for the chase again.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, that that would make sense. Maybe, well he has
his last match at the end of the year, Cody
wins it something, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah about this, Osaka was somebody about it today? Where
does Rome and figure into this?
Speaker 2 (45:02):
It's a good question. Yeah, I read.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Something that that's confirmed it's going to be Rock and Roman,
you know what I mean. So it's like, where does
Roman figure into this at some point?
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Could it just be a repeat from last year? Could
it just be Rock and Roman, Cody and Sina. I
don't know. I mean, it's making everything interesting to watch again.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah, Yeah, they're gearing up for WrestleMania season. This is
when they put everything on. They're creative and they start
doing all a lot of they start ramping everything up.
And right now, I think with the start of that
last night, I think I'm fully vesting in watching and
seeing how scene is gonna This whole thing is gonna
(45:49):
unfold going forward.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
Imagine imagine watching wrestling right now the way it is,
how it was available, how it's available now. Imagine how
it would have been for us when we were growing up.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
Yeah, we have access to so much right now, whether
it be Old School, New School, two hundred different promotions
on various different apps. We didn't have apps back in
the day. We had syndicated television that we had to
try struggle to sometimes with an antenna, try to get
an in.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
Well, we're we're already looking forward to what's happening tomorrow
night from fat When we were grown up, we were
looking forward to what the fuck is going to be
happening next Saturday exactly, and it was already been recording.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
Yeah, and everything is live now as opposed to being recorded.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
So yeah, you know, it's one of the things like
I've kind of been talking about and it's like weird.
It's like if I can cut a promo, I try
to cut a promo, it'll take me four or five
times kind of you know, with the camera by myself.
But doing it live it's a different feel. It's a
different feeling when you're doing everything live. It's like you're
on point and everything is like you clear, you know,
(46:58):
and the same what you were trying to say by
yourself takes four or five times. You try you say
it live, you do it in one shot. So that's
what I'm just trying to say that live. The live
experience is so much different.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
It's a lot. It just there's so much more to
it these days than it was when we were younger.
We didn't get live wrestling, yeah, very rarely. Did we
ever get a live special clash of the champions. Maybe
the pay per views.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Yeah, well even that Wrestling Challenger, you know, even Monday nights.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
Yeah, what a prime time prime time with.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. I mean I missed that.
I mean I told you I was watching last week,
you know, the WWF main event, the main event or
the big event from Toronto, Yes, and I was like, man,
I was watching, like damn, this is wow. Me back
to my childhood.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Yeah, isn't Dix later on that show, if I remember correctly,
and during his he was the rebel Dix s lator
his his brief stint in the WWF.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
I had to look up and I'm like, who the
hell is I didn't realize that dory Funk went under
something else there like I had it. I was like,
is that dory Funk.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
Was a hoss Funk right us Funk?
Speaker 3 (48:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember that, yeah, because that was
just like why you even change his name he's like
a legend. He was a legend then at that you know,
back then.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
So yeah, see that this is what we get to
talk about because you know, this is where our friendship,
you know, evolved, because we.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
Two old school wrestling fan Italian guys sitting here talking
about professional wrestling.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
I'll know about wrestling and how it affected us during
our lives, yep, you know, and what's missing today. But
that's another that's a that's a topic that give me
for another podcast.
Speaker 2 (48:59):
Yeah, well, don't worry, You're always coming back every so often.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
So I mean, would you know, how would the whole
Hogan and Andre angle work in today's generation of what
in the wrestling is?
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Yeah, nobody is that size. I don't think people are
invested in guys like who do we have? We have
guys like Omas that nobody really cares about, you know
what I.
Speaker 3 (49:20):
Mean honestly who the business right now needs a Don Morocco? Yeah,
I watched Don Morocco. I'm like that's that. I mean,
how would he do in today's in today's in the
wrestling today? How to how would he would do against
what's what's the guys in the guy in a E.
W Right now the the Aerial Assassin, I forgot his name.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
They're not you're not talking.
Speaker 3 (49:46):
Well, how would a Don Morocco go fair against will Osprey?
Speaker 2 (49:53):
Yeah, I don't know, that would be an interesting matchup.
Don Morocco is one of those guys that could have
worked with anybody back in the day, a big muscle guy. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
I mean there was a time in my career, and
I've said this, I was like I felt like I
could work with anybody. Yeah, you know, during my especially
with the clip that I put up with like me
and Zombie from the Brass City Brawl. I mean, there
was a time where you know, I was at my heaviest,
you know, but like I was able, I was able
to work with anybody, you know, And that's kind of
(50:21):
how I felt. I guess as I've gotten older, where
my anxiety and you know, my you know, my insecurities
kind of work against me. You know, I was like,
can I still do this? And but whatever? I mean,
that's a different another topic, another podcast and another conversation.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
All right, all right, So either way, that was our
thoughts on Elimination Chamber. That's uh, you know, we talked
about the Hall of Fame. Uh, Dred. Do you have
anything else you want to throw in there before we
bounce out of here?
Speaker 3 (50:51):
But the only thing I got coming up right now
is I'm off until the end of the month.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Uh you know where's this.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Dapw uh mark? Was it called the APW Mayhem and
Middletown Mayhem at the Elks Club March twenty ninth and
April eighteenth for CWS. I'm you know, defending the hardcore
title at the April eighteenth at the Polish Club in Bristol.
(51:18):
That's all I have coming up right now. I don't
like too much time off. I like the time off,
but too much time off. I you know, the work
still doesn't stop. I still put in the work in
you know, lifting cardio and staying in shape and but whatever.
I mean, I ain't going anywhere anytime soon. And you know,
(51:39):
my fiftieth is coming up this September, and you know
twenty five years is coming up in January. So I
never saw you know, five years have gone by like nothing,
you know, with COVID and everything. But cheers. I ain't
going anywhere anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (51:57):
Yeah, yeah, Well I want to thank you for dropping
by yet again. Well we'll definitely have to get you
back on pretty soon.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Thank you, all right, man.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
Make it a point check out Pro Wrestling Wire. They've
got lots of great interviews, lots of great wrestling news.
You can check them out online and make it a
point to enjoy the best in professional wrestling right here
on Pro Wrestling Wire.
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