Ivan Putski Shoot interview: Polish Power – Strength, Legacy, and Stories Untold - Wrestling Shoot Interviews and stories

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Titlematchnetwork dot Com. Welcome to another edition of the RIF
Video Shoot Interview series, and they were joined by a
true legend in the sport of professional wrestling, none other
than Polish Power himself. I've Ben Putsky, thanks for being
here today.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well, I'm glad to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
You've been in the business. You started, I believe in
the sixties. Of course you remain stay in the seventies
and of course the eighties as well. My first question
to you would be is how you got started in
the parstling business.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well, Joe Blair, I do know if you're familiar with
the name Joe Blanchard. He's father of Tony Blanchard. He
he's the one. I give him all the credit. He
got me started. At the time, I was playing football
as Texas State University, and he approached me with the

(00:46):
offer of wrestling, and you know, I kind of thought
about it, but you know, I had a chance to
play pro football when I graduated. I went played in
Canada for a couple of years. The Detroit Lions picked
me up and then after I had a serious knee

(01:09):
injury which ended my professional football career. I well, you know,
I was teaching school five years at Northeast Independent School
District in San Antonio. That's where Joe Blanchard lives, and
he got a hold of me, and after that it's
all history.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
We were a wrestling fan growing up.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
You know, I really wasn't. I was into powerlifting, heavy lifting, weightlifting,
bodybuilding and things like that. But you know, being that
I was Polish, came from Poland, I could speak Polish.
So Joe Blanchard came up with this gimmicky Ivan Putsky,

(01:52):
you know, the strong men that I started doing all
the strong men things like crushing the oil drums, holding
their cars back and believe it or not, got a
hold of this and they got me unbeliever or not,
and I did some of these stunts and they're not stunts,
they're really dangerous on the TV. And then that's what

(02:17):
really catapulted me in wrestling because it brought in the fans.
I started selling out all over the place round this area,
around the Texas area. Then my first wrestling area was
Oklahoma under mister McGirk and Bill Watts, who was the
booker there, and that's where I really got my knowledge

(02:40):
of wrestling professional wrestling. And then after that I came
to Texas that wrestled for Fritz in Dallas, Paul Bosh
in Houston, and Joe Blanchard for Corpus Christia Austin San Antonio.
But that was one territory. These were just three promoters
that were running it. And uh then uh, once I

(03:03):
got my gimmick down, pat, I went to uh uh Minneapolis,
Minnesota for Warren Gania and I stayed there a little
over a year, and then Vince McMahon senior heard of me.
He picked me up, and history after that, well, I
sold out every arena for him. Matter of fact, first

(03:25):
time I was the Medicine Square Garden we were running. Uh,
we sold out the garden. Plus first time in history
we ever sold out underneath felt for him, right wow, Yeah,
that was the first time. And I was wrestling uh
circuit Yeah, closed circuit fell for him and it was
so lot too. So as after that, he'd me in

(03:47):
a garden every time.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
How did you actually start getting to the strength competitions
and like, what did you start to get into bodybuilding?

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Uh? You know I did. I was doing that in
the fifties in high school when they were telling me
weightlifting wasn't good for you believe it or not. In
the fifties, that's what the coaches would tell you. Don't
lift weights, you get muscle down. And you know what
I did. I went to HIV. There's a supermarket, I know,

(04:18):
if you ever heard of it in Texas called HB Supermarket.
It's it's big, I mean. So I got went to
the manager and he gave me empty fruit cans. They're
like a big where they contained what half a gallon fruit?
And what I did, I used to fill in with
cemen and put a bar in there and let that

(04:41):
semen harden. Then I turned it over the same thing.
And that's how I made my weights with different sizes cans.
And at home I was working out and doing things
like chins and behind their back. But in the meantime
they didn't know. Man, I was running over everybody. They
couldn't stop me, you know, and little you know, but

(05:01):
they were telling everybody that weights were bad for you.
And I was doing it on my own at home,
and I contributed that, so I kind of started. Uh.
Weightlifting was a party to me early in life, and
thank god I did it because it helped me in
sports and of course as y'all know helped me in

(05:23):
wrestling because and I was one of the first guys
in wrestling. Me and Superstar Billy Ground that really got
into where everybody saw us. How good we looked at
everybody else started doing it.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
Now, as far as your training, I heard rumors that
you would run up and down the steps at the
arenas and stuff like that. For a very long period
of time.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
I tried. I used to go these arenas, especially where
there's a football stadium close, and I'd sprint up and
down these That's right exactly. I was in good shape. Now.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
Joe Blanchard when he approached you, he basically wanted to
see if you wanted to get into the business. What
kind of training did you go through as far to
learn the bumps and stuff.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
You know, then we didn't have. He taught me everything.
Me and him got together, we went in the ring.
He Joe Blanchard himself, he was my teacher, and he
taught me everything I knew about wrestling.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
As far as psychology goes to He taught you how
to work the crowd and oh everything.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
He took me under his wing. That's where I learned everything.
I give all the credit Joe Blanchard. He's my man,
and I just if he's watching me, I love you, Joe.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
What was that territory?

Speaker 2 (06:28):
Like?

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Southwest championsh Wrestling?

Speaker 2 (06:30):
It was good what I would do. Uh after I
made my main name in uh New York for Vince Vince.
I knew I had three boys and a daughter too,
but they played football, and all of them were good
football players. And when they were in high school. Then

(06:50):
I was a big name in New York. And he
gave me, uh the summers off every year so I
could spend time with my kids. And then uh, we
had a deal you know that every month during the
football season, on Fridays and on the weekends, he'd fly
me home. And I tell you, let me tell you
nothing but Vince McMahon senior. Uh they have contracts now

(07:15):
with the wrestlers, and you know what our contract was.
That's right, A handshake. Wow, that's all we needed. And
I tell you that, to me, he was the finest
gentleman and a good man. And I really appreciate everything
he did for me. And I just said, I know

(07:37):
I made him a lot of money too, but I
was just lucky and thankful that I worked for him
when he was alive and after he died, uh, you know,
after he died. Nothing against the young Vince McMahon, but
he came up with contracts and that then I just said,
I just quit after that.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Was it hard to transition from football to wrestling? To
make that transition or no?

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Not really matter of fact, A lot of guys in
our business to do that. Now I noticed the lot
of them have a football background college for professional it's
actually it's really easier because we're used to the knocks
and pains in football. And of course, you know in
professional wrestling, especially when now wrestle we got after it.

(08:24):
You know, things got out of hand, but you know,
the slams and things like that, hip tosses that we
have to take. Bumps. The football player, the guys that
played football could endure this much much better than regular
guys that went through the ropes and not having any
kind of athletic background, especially football. I think that really helps.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Who's your first major feud with down in Southwest Championship Wrestling?

Speaker 2 (08:50):
Do you remember?

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Let me think, uh, god, I guess you give me
some names.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
He was down there.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
I believe that no memo scared we teamed up together.
I think the first one was Johnny Valentine. Yeah, it
was a matter of fact, Johnny Valentine spoiler. Uh uh,
guys like that guy. You know, like I said, you know,
I came to that territory kind of to help Joe out.

(09:26):
You know, he drew houses and I wrestled in when
I actually this was my time off.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
What are your memories of Johnny Valentine.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
Johnny Valentine. I got a lot of my most vivid
memory about Johnny. Boy, he knocked the crap out of here.
We laid him in and I and uh, because I
like it like that. And I told him, I said, Johnny,
I know you lay him in, layman, because I'm on
to lay him into. And that's what made we had

(09:56):
the solid match and uh, you could hear things popping
me and Johnny were in the ring. I really like
working with Johnny.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
He was a big river too, from what we understand,
what a big river. He likes to pull ribs on people,
a lot of practical joke.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah, let me tell you one he he did, boy,
the one that pops in tom, I don't want to
tell it. Say the wrestler's name he did this too,
because I know he wouldn't want, you know, people to
know this. But the guy went in the match and
then uh had his match and where Johnny took took

(10:30):
his bag and crapped in it and zipped it up,
and uh, you know, oh my god, you should have
heard of you. He was when nuts when he off shuts. Well,
but you know, there's a lot of guys pull ribs. Me.
I never pulled a rib on anybody. And because you

(10:52):
know I do too, you know, because it'll turn around,
it'll happen you. But I didn't think much about these ribs,
but there were. I mean, there's some crab people pull. Oh,
all kinds of rids. I'll never forget. Also, uh Fuji
he uh he was a hell of a cook, you know.

(11:12):
And uh he'd always used to bring things he'd fix
and uh who was Oh yeah, Bruno said, hey, he said,
I don't don't ever eat anything he cooked. He said,
why not? He said, he told me what and I'll
tell you what happened. So I never did. He'd don't
for I mean, and the man I'll tell you. They say, Hey, everybody,

(11:35):
he was he was an extra cook. He came down
there way he was given this. Uh he fixed some
barbecue or yeah, he marinated his man, it's his best
thing and marinated. And he was giving this stuff to
all the guys in the address to do. God, give

(11:56):
me some more. Everybody was fighting over it. You know what.
It was a dog, all right, Scott, Hey, there's a
dead dog. He barbecued, marinated. Oh he is.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Oh man. What are some rememories on our Red best team,
Red Basting.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, I made him in Minneapolis. Uh. Uh my memory
is a Red Bastine was. He was a hustler. He
got in that ring and and uh, to me, he
was a great worker and good guy. He used to
give me advice. He come on, I was just breaking
into the business and he's been around a long time. Uh,

(12:46):
Red Basting and then uh, and he appreciated. He'd always
after my match, you know, he'd come on and see
say we'd go where no one could hear it. He
did this wrong? Do it like this, you know and
read if you're watching, Thanks buddy, I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
We talked a little bit about Noma Scars. What was
like teaming up with him?

Speaker 2 (13:08):
Good athlete, he had a hell of a gimmick. He
he there around Texas where he sold every place he
went out, and uh a nice guy. He was a
gentleman to me. And uh. But the only thing that uh,
what I remember the most about Mal he never took
his mask off, even when he took a shyer and

(13:29):
all the guys he said, shit, I don't wonder what
he looks like. But one time I was working out
in uh there in San Antonio, and uh, I knew.
I finally got to see he was working out that too.
He got in early, and he was wearing the same
sweatpants that he wore a week before in the dressing

(13:52):
room and uh. The guy never talked to anybody, but
I saw. That's the only time I saw his face
was in the and uh uh Jim and San Antonio
where he worked out, and I just happened to work
out there at the same time, and I knew that
was him.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
None of the boys ever wanted to take his mask
off as a river.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
Or anything or uh, you couldn't. He used to have
it all so tired. There's no way you'd have to
get a knife to rip it a wow.

Speaker 1 (14:18):
Did you go up to him in the gym or now? Yeah,
he said he said, and also Tony Blanchard was at
Southwest Championshiprestling.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
He was good because his dad was a professional rassler.
He wrote me in and he taught everything, totally learned
everything from his dad. He was actually wrestler and good guy.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think he even worked him. Was a tag match
with maybe you and Terry Funk against to.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, yeah, I mean we did. And uh, as matter
of fact, Telly was my partner several times, you know,
not only that match and several other matches there, you know.
And uh, when I was with Southwest Championship Wrestling during
the summers, and yeah, he was my partner too. We
had a lot of we teamed up. As a matter
of fact, I worked against him a lot too, right,

(15:08):
several times.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
What was Terry Funk like?

Speaker 2 (15:13):
Terry Funk was a good worker. He sold for you,
and he's just a good guy. You know, He's just
kind of guy you'd want for a friend. He's, Uh,
Terry's a good man, He's a good people. He's down
home type of guy you know that you'd want for
a friend.

Speaker 1 (15:34):
Now you you went from Southwest Championship Wrestling to Lery
mcgirk's Mid South, which was where Bill Wats's.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
Booking, right, No, I went there. That was my first
territory was the Oklahoma where Bill Watts. Yeah. From there,
I went to Texas and but for that wasn't Southwest Championship.
Then it was the circuit and in Dallas. And then
when I stole working for Vince McMahon Senior during the summers,

(16:04):
then they Joe started up the Southwold Championship wrestling, you know,
and everybody had their own little place there in Texas.
That's when I started.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
What was it like working for Bill Watts?

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Good? Hey, hey, he paid me good and used my
gimme a good. I enjoyed working for Bill Watts. And
another thing, he didn't put up with your bullshit either,
you know, And I'll respect that, and I think that's
the way all the promoters should be a lot of
them were too. Then they take it too easy on

(16:37):
the guys. But Bio Wats wouldn't put up with your crab.
I mean, you come on time. And that's why that's
why I left there. One time he gave me a
I don't know if you all heard about this, he
gave me tapes to take from Oklahoma City to uh
where was it. Oh, it was from we left Oklahoma

(16:59):
City to New Orleans, right, And I said, what he said,
he expected me, you know how full of that is.
He wanted me to do that that night. And what
I did, it was me and uh what's his name? Uh?
Well we were partners then. Uh uh oh, hell yuh

(17:23):
Tom Jones. You remember Tom Jones. Me and he were driving.
I was driving to Tom Jones and uh uh, I said,
he was driving with me, you know, And we came
over the I believe it was the Colorado River. I
took all those tapes, dumped him the river, and I said, Tom,
I'm leaving this territory.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
A lot of guys had. The travel schedule was that
that promotion was really crazy?

Speaker 2 (17:49):
Yeah, it was. It was just ridiculous, and I just yeah,
but hey, that was my first territory. I learned a lot,
and I got McGirk and wats to think, what.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
Are some of the things that you learned there?

Speaker 2 (18:02):
Well through wrestling, you know, working with the guys, and
that's that's the main thing. He gave me a chance.
I was the main eventer there, see, and I was
just starting. So that's pretty good when you start going
to business and you start off main event and then
you have to hold your own. You know.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
That's who are some of the other guys there at
the time.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Doctor x uh uh, doctor x H. Tom Jones, uh
uh huh, Redbasting and what's his name? Oh, the Spoiler.

(18:46):
There's a bunch of guys that come in through the
in and out.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Any matches in the territory that stick out in your mind?

Speaker 2 (18:53):
Not really, you know they you know, matches a match
to me, you know, the only be the best matches
I ever had, that with the great wrestlers, with me
and Superstar Ivan Coloff, guys like that. You know.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
How would you compare Bill Wats to somebody like Joe
Blanchard as far as promoters.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Different types of personality? Joe Joe Blanchard was more of
a you know, easy going guy and Bill Watts more
of a disciplinarian and uh, you know, that'd be like
uh uh comparing Vince Lombardian football to mc brown of

(19:38):
University of Texas.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
What are your memories and your thoughts on josea Fario.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Great wrestler, great worker, the boy. He he really was good.
I was really impressed with Jose he was and uh
good man. Me and him used to we travel together
and stayed the other hotels in Texas and uh uh
he left really a great impression on me as a

(20:07):
worker and as a gentleman.

Speaker 1 (20:09):
And of course later on he went on a train
on Shawn Michaels.

Speaker 2 (20:11):
So yeah, yeah, and of course of course I've trained
in uh into the business, broke in uh uh uh
what's his name? Scott Booker t and his brother, and
I'm at Johnson, but I broke him in the business.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
I'm gonna actually ask you about those guys coming up later.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
From Bill Watson's territory, where did you go from there?

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Joe Blanchard back to Texas? Yeah, yeah, that's what that was.
My Bill Watson's territory was my first territory, Dallas, which.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
We called, you know, the world class.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
Second territory, and then uh Minneapolis for vern Gun your
third and my last one. Only one was w w F.
Of course, then during the summers, the Office Championship was
actually the same, you know, as how.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
Come you never worked for the funks I did.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
They'd bring me in because at the time I was
working for Joe and Fritz. He did Paul Bosh he'd yeah,
I'd go in there for shots, Amill. I sure did,
Yeah a lot of times.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
You like that territory?

Speaker 2 (21:21):
Yeah it was great. Yeah, yeah, good down home type
of people. I like him, you know, Dick Marnock, the
Funk Brothers, you know, kind of like family orientated top
of things, which I really like.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
What are your memories of Fritz van Eric?

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Fritz van Eric he was good strategy strategist and he
took care of me, and I appreciate that, you know.
He of course when I worked for him, his sons
were just little guys. He used to come into the
dressing room and and and Fritz used to he brought

(22:00):
me on the weekends. I'd have to go to his
house there and his ranch, and uh, I'll make it
made out of a weightlifting program for all his sons
because they were just starting to junior high and high
school and a lot of them were playing getting ready
for football, playing football. So I got him on a
weight program when they were little. And uh, I enjoyed

(22:23):
working for Fritz. He was a good man.

Speaker 1 (22:25):
Do you think he pushes sons too far?

Speaker 2 (22:28):
No, hey, he he had nothing to do with it. Uh,
you know, you got him want something like this Fritz game.
The opportunity, but they pushed them, so you push yourself
in his business, he goes far you want to go
and uh, and what you do in private, there's no
one can watch you. I mean, this is you got

(22:50):
a free will. You do as you want. I mean,
no one can tell you what to do in anything.

Speaker 4 (22:56):
Did the boys at that time, early on the days
have more interest than other sports or pro wrestling?

Speaker 2 (23:04):
I think when I knew, they were really interested in football.
And one was a hell of a javelin thrower. I
think he made All state and track instead of one
and they made All state and football. Yeah, they were.
They were good at great athletes. They were involved in
all kinds.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
Of sports now from the first mine art territory. Any
classic matches that stick out in your mind?

Speaker 2 (23:29):
Ah, let me see, Yeah, I had, Like the classic
match that sticks in my mind was with me and
Bruce Bernard in a cage match in Houston, Sam Houston Coliseum. Yeah.

(23:50):
And you know Bruce Bernard god restes, So he he
was another one that started. He laid them in there.
He never complained and vice versa and uh, and he
had that gimmick. I don't know what y'all.

Speaker 1 (24:04):
Remember, I don't remember.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
It was all headed his gimmick. He was from Canada,
but he was kind of out in the left field.
That was his gimmick. And I used to have a duck.
I weighed three hundred pounds at the time. I was
real big and I used to pull this duck in
the ring. And what he did. He came up and
stomped that duck. To me, that duck was everything. Boy,

(24:31):
I went berserk. He ran out and uh, with that angle,
we went. Oh we I remember we sold out the
same Houston Coliseum ten weeks in a row. They turned
people away.

Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yeah, no, it was.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
A play duck. But see what happened was every time
I this kid get brought it to me. I used
to get toys, you know this. Uh, when I first
started with my gimmick, I wore these overall and a
kid mentality type of thing, and these kids used to

(25:06):
bring me toys. I mean I used to get tons
of toys that end of the year. I'd give to
the fire department and they'd give you homeless kids, you know,
for Christmas. But I had this one dog that I
would taken after uh for about a year I'd bring
him in a ring and just walking before my man's

(25:27):
and you know, I was really fascinated with this little
toy duck and it got to be like a pet
to me. And boy when he did that, that devastated me.
We would we sold that everywhere one around Texas but Houston.
You know, that was a big payof Paul Bosh used
to really take care of the guys, and we sold

(25:50):
that thing out about ten weeks in a row. Finally
just peter up.

Speaker 4 (25:54):
Like you said, you were one of the probably earlier
guys with the bodybuilding and like the brief h zeke
and everything like that. Was there any jealousy from like
some of the older time wrestlers that weren't like like
into that power bodybuilding type guys.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, there were. They were from the old school, so
you can sort of say and yeah, I mean anything,
sure there was.

Speaker 1 (26:14):
You know, they like try to stretch you or teach
you a lesson because you were like.

Speaker 2 (26:18):
They didn't try Yeah, you know, no, they never did.
And no one ever tried that on me in the ring.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
Never did anybody that were really outspoken against you like
you're too big or no.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
No one ever said anything. But you can just tell,
you know, the jealousy. A lot of times that happens.
But the thing was that when I started doing it,
then other wrestlers started going to gyms and working out.
Superstar was doing it, and uh then finally the guys
like Ultimate Warrior came in, and then you know, they
started bringing in guys that looked good.

Speaker 1 (26:52):
Yeah, from uh, well it wasn't really close, but from Texas,
from Fritz Fine Art. You ended up working for vern Gania.
What was Vernon like in the n b A.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
He was uh strict, you know, and uh made the
guys you know, I mean he had to be on time.
He was uh, I mean, you know, he expected what
you said you were going to do, expect what he
told you, and he expected a lot from you.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
Who are some of the guys that were in that
promotion at the.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Time, Oh, Baron von Rashki, the Crusher, h uh uh
who else? Uh? Oh Kanitsky, Gene Kanitsky. Then there's a
lot of guys, you know, but he probably haven't heard

(27:46):
of these.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
Definitely, what was up? Baron von rask Like God?

Speaker 2 (27:51):
To me, he was the greatest. Hey, he could portray
this gimmick better than anybody ever. I mean, he was
just he was that German uh s s guy with
that little ah. He really he really worked that gimick
to perfection.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
I heard a lot of stories about Bruiser and Crusher
and all those get along with those guys great.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
Matter of fact, me and Crusher we were tag teams.
We used to travel together. Yeah, Crusher and Bruiser and
the Sheet guys like that.

Speaker 1 (28:24):
Yeah, yeah, did you just well to that territory? Huh?
Did you adjust well to that turrety?

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Yeah? I really did.

Speaker 1 (28:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
Of course Superstar was there then Nick Bockwinkle.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
You know, and yeah, is that when you first met Superstar?

Speaker 2 (28:40):
Yeah, that was the first time. And I tell you
my first fluent matter of fact, my first day in Minneapolis,
I flew into the airport and you know guess who
picked me up? Superstar picked me up at the airport,
took me to his house. His wife fixed us a
big old steak dinner. Hey, he's a class guy. So

(29:01):
I got to say, Wayne, you're hell of a guy.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
If you watch the original Sheet, What was he like?

Speaker 2 (29:09):
I never h I've I never worked Detroit, but uh
like Steady, but I went in there for shots for
Burne and uh uh he worked with other guys. I
never worked with him, so I don't know, you know,
and I never been arounding was I've just met him
one time one time that he was on a card
working with somebody else. But I never worked that territorist.

(29:33):
I never got to know him.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
No, Nick Bockwiggle, you said he was there as well.
What was he like?

Speaker 2 (29:38):
Nice guy? You know he uh you know we made
money together. You know, he was a heel at the time,
and uh uh. He was a perfectionist and he liked
everything done right, and he was a good guy. I
really enjoyed working with him.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
What led your departure of Awa and into uh missus?

Speaker 2 (29:57):
Ma me up and I said, uh, you want to
talk to me? And he flew me up to New
York to his office and that's what started. He talked
to me and you know how everybody sounds contracts. Everything
he did was on a handshake.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
No, Vince Junior was there at the time, probably is.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Yeah, he was an announcer, right.

Speaker 1 (30:22):
Did you see a senior molding Junior at all?

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Not for wrestling. No, he didn't. Matter of fact, he
didn't want him to wrestle all he wanted him to
do was announce. I never heard vincior say he was
really he just you know, was one. I think that's
he was his main job as announcing.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
What are your thoughts on Brunos Sarmartino.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
Great wrestler, a gentleman and a scholar. He liked opera,
which I do too. He liked music. He really guy.
Of course, I guess I can identify with Bruno because
he came from Europe, the Old Country like I did,
and we were Europeans, and we know what hardships are

(31:11):
and what meant to save a dollar. So he's a
good guy. I really like Bruno.

Speaker 1 (31:18):
What was the locker room like at the time when
you first came to wwwf.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
Uh what Rustling Federation?

Speaker 1 (31:25):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (31:26):
What do you mean? But what it was?

Speaker 1 (31:27):
It clique is or was everybody a team? No?

Speaker 2 (31:31):
It was just a great place to be. Oh No,
I didn't see any cliques or anything. No, No, no
cliques everybody because you know, they knew and everybody took
care of each other because they knew for good, the
babyface came in, you're going to make money with him.
For good, heal came here, so everybody got their turn.
So now we was a good camaraderie and with WWF,

(31:54):
I really liked its. Matter of fact, actually I everywhere
I went, you know, I got along with the guy.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Like these days now like it's pretty much everybody is
objective to being the WWF because it's the only real company.
Did you feel did you have that kind of sense
when you went to New York that well?

Speaker 2 (32:11):
At the time when I went, WWF was the NFL
of professional wrestling. Everybody, I mean that was the place
to go. Well, everybody want to go there. I mean
every Tom Dick and Harry every wrestler would. So I
feel real fortunate that Evince called me. I never called him,
but he asked me to come in, and I really

(32:31):
appreciate that.

Speaker 4 (32:33):
Was the pay there like that much better than everywhere
else as well?

Speaker 2 (32:37):
Sure was, oh yeah, a lot better.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
How big was k FABE? Back then?

Speaker 2 (32:44):
It was real big. You're going to dressing room first
thing in kfab and everybody protected the business. I mean, really,
we really predict it's not like that now. We spoke
Corney kids as he is he is it See, he

(33:07):
was meant something to us, and there was that big
mistake about professional wrestling they knew there was a Wilzard,
but they didn't weren't quite sure. And that's why we
sold out the garden. I was with w W for
twenty years and we sold out the garden every month.
We stole out the Spectrum, Boston Garden, uh, Pittsburgh Garden.

(33:31):
I mean, we sold out everywhere we went. It was
a sellout. And I understand they can't even sell out
the garden now, is that? Oh? God? And you know
we and I remember we'd sell out the Garden and
then we'd sell out to for him underneath.

Speaker 4 (33:46):
I think they have flared somebody there. It wasn't like
five thousand people. It was like what yeah, like quarter
filled Saturday night. We drew.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
We used to drew that and witches in uh North Attleborough?
Are you serious? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (34:05):
Like a house show, like I heard the paper, the
paper users side, but I think even the one pay
per view at the Garden, they said it was hard
to sell out.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
Man.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
What do you think would happen if we with the
the people we were drawing for the house shows and
if we we never had pay for view or pay
you know, if we had that good God, the money
would Yeah, they never marketed US didn't see if they did,
it had been something.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
Else, right, I don't think the technology was then.

Speaker 2 (34:32):
No, no, you're right.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
Do you think that the wrestling they give away too
much on TV? Now that's why fans on show up?

Speaker 2 (34:39):
What do you think I mean if on TV see
what we did? Hell, I remember, I could put a
headlock on a guy and I could work the whole
match near they give you everything. Hell, yeah, you're gonna
get tired. You gotta kill the little bed each you know,
live save it exactly. Know. Let me tell you something.

(35:01):
I remember, if we gave a guy backdrop, he stayed down.
I mean, if we gave the guy tomic a brain
buster that was a stretcher case, they'd bring a stretcher out.
Now the guy just shicks he's head and he's up.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
I think they give away too many matches. If they
had him roll back when you were there, they would
have like you and backland.

Speaker 4 (35:25):
Every like once a month on TV. But we never
see that on TV. No, No, never.

Speaker 2 (35:30):
Never see We kept them hungry, right, which they don't
do now they do it. They'll get up on the
scoffold and fall on up. They put a bench table
and they falling. Big deal. See what they do now
is acrobatics, you know. And but what we did, we

(35:50):
did wrastling. That's the difference.

Speaker 1 (35:52):
It's true. What about Peter Myvia? What are you remembers
of Peter Myvia?

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Great guy? Married? Me and Peter used to drive together
to towns and a good man. He'd give you the
shirt off his back. That's what I remember about Rocky Johnson,
same thing. Me and he used to ride together, and
a good friend of mine. I don't Rocky. If you're watching.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Memories of a headlining MSG against superstar Billy Graham, some
of your memories to.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
Me, some of the memories were if you'd asked me
the the guy that I made the most money with,
if you'd ask me who's the toughest guy, that's who
I'd say to me, the superstar Billy Graham, Hey gelman.
He was a gentleman. He was a good man. He'd

(36:45):
take care of you. And the thing is he was
a businessman. And h I'll take my head off, Billy,
you're a hell of a guy. And uh Wayne and uh,
God blessed us. Guy. He just has had such a
hard life and uh, he's such a good guy. And

(37:08):
I'll think a lot about Wayne Coleman. He's a good man.

Speaker 1 (37:12):
What about Arnold Sculling? What was he like?

Speaker 2 (37:14):
He was an asshole?

Speaker 1 (37:15):
As far as why, that's all I can say. A
lot of people said the same thing about Honor Schoing.
What about memories of Louis Ana good guy man? Oh,
great guy, h lou Man. Hey, he's in a dressing room.
You bust the stitch. I never laughed at it as
much as I did. This guy a good guy. A

(37:39):
lot of people heard he was fired like on a
Saturday and rehired on Monday, like A yeah, I'd be.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
As funny as hell. He's just a good guy to
have around, and you need somebody like that in UH organization.
They should always be a lum By Albinea.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
On address, What was it like out of the ring?
As far as like with the groupies in the rugs
in the seventies, was it a party scene?

Speaker 2 (38:03):
Well, let me tell you something, but that I try
to stay away from that because I never tell the
guys where I'm staying. I never stayed at the hotel
where all the boys arrest. And I would call Scott,
my agent, Scott Epstein and we would stay completely away
from where the other guys stay, so I can't do there.
The group is would chase it had come, but I

(38:26):
had nothing to do with that. Now, I was in
the health working out and I needed my rest because
with the traveling my tenerary for the day the week,
I had to make my time for my time in
the gym. So, you know, I ate good. I watched

(38:47):
what I ate. I didn't smoke, didn't drink, So that
was kind of weird over there among the a lot
of the guys. But you know, I mean that words
didn't never bother me. You know, Superstar was the same,
and you know a lot of guys like that. But yeah,
that I couldn't say much because I never associated with

(39:08):
that type of life, so I didn't want to.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
What are your views on steroids?

Speaker 2 (39:14):
I've views on steroids. I used them. Everybody used them.
If they tell you they didn't, they're full of shit.
The main inventors because it was uh uh, we had it.
We didn't have a choice. If you didn't use the steroids,
the other guy would use it and he'd have a
jump on you. He'd be hav an edge on you,
and that mant you losing money and he're making money.

(39:36):
So once the one guy started using them, everybody had
to use them. It was a vicious cycle that we
had to go through. And I don't care what people say.
We had to do it because the other guy was
doing it. And I'm sure of pro football and all that,
the same way if for one guy, for a big
lineman is using them and the other guy he's got

(39:56):
a divinag's facing, you did get bigger, you got stronger,
and uh, you had no choice. So I'm telling you,
I'm telling everybody I used them, right, and I'm not
gonna lie about it because I did use them, and
everybody else used them probably you know. But the reason
I used them because other guys were using them and
I had no choice.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
Do you have any regrets about using stories?

Speaker 2 (40:18):
Never have. I'm healthy as hell.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
I was gonna ask you, did you guys know that never?

Speaker 2 (40:21):
I never never hurt me, you know, And then I
must not have used that much or did it that long.
But uh, I'm in great shape now.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
I was gonna ask you when I guess Kenbetera came
in and superserve Billy Graham. Was there a lot of
pressure on you to choose your physique back then.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
Exactly. Yeah, I mean everybody, you know, you had no choice,
Like I said, you had to use them.

Speaker 1 (40:44):
What are your memberies of Bugs and mc gral.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
Uh? Well, you know, he had his gimmick, you know,
that goofy type of gimmick, you know, and uh uh
uh I thought he was a hell of a game again.
Know that's that's when uh gimmick started. You know, everybody
started after actually me, you know, I started with this gimmick,
you know, and then everybody else started coming in with

(41:11):
different gimmicks, you know. And uh here, Hell, he had
a good gimmick, I thought. And he made money. You know,
we did too. I made money with him and Bruin
a lot of the guys that worked with him. Yeah.
A nice guy too, he bugs. He was a good person.
What do you remembers of the Blackjacks? Well, uh oh,

(41:32):
Bob Wendam and him started together for Joe Matt Joe
broke us in Me and Bob Windham the same time.
I'll never forget it. Yeah, And I knew Bob and hell,
I knew him before when he got married and had
he I remember when these kids were just little kids
like mine, and uh yeah, all of them, all of them,

(41:53):
they're just little kids. And I used to matter of fact,
Bob bought some land right next to mine and and
Marcus Texas, and uh yeah, I knew Bob had and
me and him started together, and we went through the
ropes together. Joe Blanched got him and I started together,
gave that gimmick. Matter of fact, what.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
Was the story Blackjack Mulligan where he wore the glove?
Was it a fan attacked him in Boston?

Speaker 2 (42:18):
Were you there for that or I don't know.

Speaker 1 (42:20):
I think they stabbed his hand or something.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
You mean Mulligan. Yeah, No, he wore that glove before that,
But I do remember, yeah, I remember something about that,
him getting cut, his hand getting cut, right, Yeah?

Speaker 1 (42:34):
Did you ever have it? Was there problems back then
with security? The fans hit the ring out.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
Hey, if a guy wants to get to you right now,
he can get to you. I don't give them what
security you have.

Speaker 1 (42:45):
Did you ever did you ever have a problem fans
or did you just have it in your matches or something?

Speaker 2 (42:50):
The only problem I had with fans was not them
trying to them trying to tear my shirt and me
going into the ring or coming in medicine squad. They
wanted just to touch me things like that. Now they're great,
fam I mean that's part of your success, you know,
part of being celebrity. But no, and but in New

(43:12):
York it's more so than anywhere else in the nation.
You know, they want they want to get their hands
on you. Tear. So I used to wear an old
T shirt all the time. You know, they can tear
at that all they want to remember Scott. And Scott
would bring me into the ring, you know he was,
he's my agent, and uh uh you know, and him

(43:34):
go in together, and boy, I said, tear you want.
Then I'd go to them, you know, you know my
gimmick I had to So I'd wear shirts, no clothes
that they could tear. Ah, grant me, hug me, tear
on me. I said, go ahead. So that's you know,
you gotta comply with everything. You know her And let

(43:56):
me tell you something about the fans. Uh, you know,
I'd be sitting in a restaurant and go to Mama
Leonis or wherever you know we should go out and
need after the matches, and little kids would come up
to me. Men women, even can I have an argument,

(44:17):
I'd be eating. I'd stop everything I'm doing, move my
plate away, little boy once I give him autograph, shake
his hand. And I did this every time. I don't
care where I was, what I was doing. If a
fan came up to me, wanted to shake my hand,
wanted my autograph, I was more than one hundred percent

(44:40):
willing because if it if it's and I realized this,
if it wasn't for that pat fan, I wouldn't be
in a situation. I would be making that money that
I'm making. And you know, I like to say this.
You know, I watch a lot of the guys, not
only in my sport, but another sports. Kids would come,
get out, get the hell out, don't bother me. I'm busy.

(45:02):
You know, how can they do that?

Speaker 4 (45:04):
You know?

Speaker 2 (45:05):
I mean, if it was for them, you wouldn't be
in a situation you're in. So I just want to
tell all my fans that thank you, thank you for
support me, thank you for coming to the match when
I was wrestling, and thank you for making me Ivan Putski.
I love all of y'all.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
What about Ernie Ladd?

Speaker 2 (45:25):
Great guy? Oh me and Ernie had a lot of matches.
Ernie is a good man. Hey, Ernie, if you watch him,
I want to take my hat, tip my hat to you.
He's a great guy. I love Ernie. He's a gentleman,
a good man, and he's the type of guy that
cares about people. You know, he'd give his shirt off

(45:48):
his back to you. And I just feel real fortunate
that I got chance, the pleasure and the chance to
meet Ernie Ladd, to work with him and annoy him
as a friend.

Speaker 1 (46:01):
Did you have like maybe more camaraderie with guys who
played football.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Yeah, yeah, because we had a lot in common, you know,
but not really. We had a lot of camaraderie then
with all the guys, you know, regardless of whether you
were this, it was just a closer knit group. And
when I was wrestling, you know, and I don't know
what they're doing now. I can't speak for these new
generation type of thing. You know. We used to travel together,

(46:28):
you know, ride together, so we had to spend time
in the car together, you know a lot of times
the whole day. So we got a little good a
lot of camaraderie. We helped each other out and if
a guy was in the buy and I'd try to
help him out by versus. So you know, I have
a lot of fond memories of our days with the

(46:50):
w WF.

Speaker 1 (46:51):
In your opinion from your error, who do you think
was the best football player that was a wrestler?

Speaker 2 (46:56):
Wahoo McDaniel.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
There's been a lot of stories about well, how was
I heard like he wasn't really liked much by his teammates,
And you have like problems with Joe.

Speaker 2 (47:05):
I don't know. I never I never, you know, because
I never, I can't. You know, you hear stories, but
you know I never heard Joe probably name was probably
didn't like him because you know he said it like
it was, Hey, wo who? Hell? I knew? Who? For you?
Great guy? Ain't a day he'd work with you. I
mean he's a good guy, nice guy, Hey, great guy? Wait?

(47:29):
Who was one of the finest people I ever met?
Was it known by like, hey, they probably didn't like
him because he was tough? Right? Hey? I like that guy?

Speaker 4 (47:38):
Was it known by like a lot of football players
like on New York Season to go into wrestling as
a way to make money? And yeah, was there a
lot of football players who like maybe famous football players
trying that failed?

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Not really, not that I know. You know, maybe there
was in different territories, but uh, I can't name you
one that tried, you know, and because but of course
in that time he didn't have that many you could
cant him. On the one hand, you know.

Speaker 1 (48:06):
Now I believe it was like seventy six you were
supposed to wrestle Ernie Ladd at the Shea Stadium and
Baron Seicluna sub what was the reason for that?

Speaker 2 (48:13):
Uh uh uh Ernie Ladd hurdy his knee and uh
you know he had like six operations on each knee,
you know for football, and uh uh he slipped or something. Man,
I mean his knees just swoll up, you know in events.

(48:33):
You know, said, well we'll get you know, that's the
only guy was available, Baron, how.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
About I don't call off. We talked about him before.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
Oh, man, I made a lot of money with Ivan.
Oh what a great guy. Hey, good guy to work with,
good guy to travel and just a good person. Ivan
was a good man.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
What about Stan Hanson? You had some good matches with him.

Speaker 2 (48:56):
Saying, boy, he was a good guy. I like working
with him because he was stiff. Because being stiff too,
so we had great. I laid him in and he
laid him in and that made it a good match.
You know, people be believed, they buy this.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
Were a lot of the wrestlers a little worried to
Russell stan Hanson after when he dropped burnout on his head.

Speaker 2 (49:16):
Well, sure, wouldn't you broke a guy's neck, right, except
when I arristed. I wouldn't let him slim me. That's all.
That's all you gotta do.

Speaker 1 (49:26):
What about girl mon Soon your memories of grill?

Speaker 2 (49:28):
Oh man, oh gino, geno, gentleman and a scholar, just
good guy. Well, best way to describe him, good guy,
that's all I can say. What a nice man, bruiser brody.
I broke him in. He was a good friend of
mine and we used to work out together in the

(49:51):
same gym in San Antonio. And I've known u, uh
uh Frank Goodish that's his real name, for a long time.
And uh, what a tragic way he was a he
was a good friend of mine. I broke him into business.
I took him to Fritz van Eric and that's where
he got his start. And I told Fritz about him,

(50:11):
and uh, what a shame? What happened to him. He
was just such a fine person. Did you ever go
to Japan? Never did? They asked me a lot of times.
And you know the reason I didn't go because at
the time, you travel on a bullet and it was
like the smallest tour was six weeks and I couldn't jeopardize.

(50:34):
There's no way you could work out. And I mean
I was offered a ton of money, but I turned
that down because I wouldn't been I couldn't. I wasn't.
You couldn't work out while you're on that train. And
every time I turned him down did the private and
the man. I mean, I just said, look, I don't
want to go, and they said, I will give you this,
But I said, talk to my agent.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
Remember do you regret not going? Her?

Speaker 2 (51:00):
Who was no? Bye bye? And what's the Yeah. Yeah,
they both asked, no, I don't regret it. Hell, I
did what I wanted to do. Uh. You know I
never worked or is that on?

Speaker 4 (51:18):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (51:19):
I never worked with him, you know. I just worked
with him when I was teaching him, showing him things
like that, you know, but you know I've never worked
with Bruis of Brody.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
A little earlier, talking off camera about growing up in
Poland and everything you want to go into some stories
like well, you know, the war.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
I don't realize how lucky they are to live here
in this country. You know. I was born acteen forty one,
that's when the Second World War broke out, and I
was born in Poland. And actually I never had a
childhood because the first thing we ended up was in
a Nazi labor camp. We weren't Jewish, and if you

(52:00):
weren't Jewish, they would put you in a labor camp.
If you were Jewish, they put you in a concentration camp,
which was you know that you were marked for death,
you know, and your you know, your life was doom.
But they needed all able bodies working labor camp. So
my dad was healthy, in good shape. So we ended

(52:24):
up in a Nazi labor camp. And five years still,
the Americans came in and liberated us. Uh and uh,
I never I didn't know what candy, what sweets, cake, what?
You know. We lived on oatmeal and bread and water.
That's all we ate for five years. You know, I'm

(52:46):
feel like to be alive, but I'm not trying to,
you know, make people feel sorry for anything. It was
just I think That's why I value things and the
way I do things. I do now because I know
what hardship is. People that go through something like this. Uh,
you know, they just value things more than others.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
Getting back to wrestling with Kem Terra, you had some
great matches.

Speaker 2 (53:11):
With him, Yeah, real great. Yeah, men and Kian had
a lot of good matches we went around. Yeah, he
was a good guy to work with too. I really
enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
Now, at what point did Vince Senior come up to
and said, We're gonna make you a tag with Tudo
Santana and are you for it?

Speaker 2 (53:28):
Uh? He called me up? Matter of fact. I was
in a home for summer, you know, and uh uh,
I got a phone call on Vince mcman sr asked
me a matter of fact, he didn't tell me I
was gonna be tacking with Tito. He asked me who

(53:49):
would I prefer as a tag team champion to be
my partner, and I picked Tito. Wasn't Vince didn't pick it.

Speaker 1 (53:58):
Did you prefer working a tag matches over singles matches
was easier for you?

Speaker 2 (54:03):
No? I like, Actually, once I got into tag team,
I like singles better. But you know, because you you
do you You're your own leader in there. You do
what you want to do, and whereas tag team, you
gotta your timing has got to be there, and you gotta.

(54:24):
Anyone will tell you that singles match is a lot better.
Not that I love being tag team and I love
working tag teams, you know, but I just much prefer
single matches.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
What about your matches with the Valiants? What are some
of your memories on that?

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Oh, they were great, you knows, were good workers and
uh boll. We used to have some good matches. And
I like Johnny and Jimmy. They were good people to
work with. And it was great with him too.

Speaker 1 (54:53):
A lot of people say Johnny's a character.

Speaker 2 (54:55):
He is a character. He really is. He's a comedian.

Speaker 1 (54:58):
What else the smells?

Speaker 2 (55:01):
We had great matches with him. Yeah, you know what,
what can I tell?

Speaker 4 (55:06):
You know?

Speaker 2 (55:06):
Everybody I worked with we had good matches with. You know,
I can't tell you one guy or one tag team
that I didn't enjoy, right we you know, different guys
have different styles. You just adapted it while you're in
the ring, you know. I mean, everybody can't work the
same wife. So but I never never had a bad
match or never had a time where I said, oh, hell,

(55:28):
I hate going to ring with this. No. Never.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
Also, Jesse Ventur, you guys at the wrestling contest.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
And that's a classic.

Speaker 1 (55:37):
That was one of your big feuds. Jesse's body. He
shocked that he went on to go covernor.

Speaker 2 (55:41):
Yeah, I was surprised. Yeah, I really was. I couldn't
believe you, Jesse the government. I just couldn't picture him
being a governor.

Speaker 1 (55:51):
Knowing him, did you ever do anything really shady or
anything like that, or.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
If you did, I wouldn't tell you.

Speaker 1 (56:00):
He was just one of the boys.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
I guess he was one of the boys.

Speaker 1 (56:03):
Do you think the houses were different with Bob back
on top rather than Bruno?

Speaker 2 (56:08):
Uh? Yeah, uh uh I don't you know? They were?
Bruno had more charisma and he drew and uh I
always noticed with Bob beckling matches, there was patted it
with me with me, guys like me snook, Hey, you
know this. But Bob's a nice guy. I have a

(56:31):
lot of respect for him, and it was a great
amateur wrestler.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
Was there any was there any considerations to ever turn
your heel at any point?

Speaker 2 (56:39):
Never? Never? Never?

Speaker 1 (56:41):
No, Don Rocco, you had some great matches with Don.

Speaker 2 (56:44):
The Rock Morocco another guy. Yeah, great matches down. He's
a good man. Made money was down too. Hey ever,
got worked with I love him, made a lot of
money with him, and we had great matches. He couldn't
have but I have a great match with Alan Pletsky.

Speaker 1 (57:00):
Anything to go to your mind about Don Rocco.

Speaker 2 (57:03):
Don just that he was a happy, go lucky type
of guy. And uh, you know, there never was a
problem that couldn't be solved that was explain.

Speaker 1 (57:16):
Like when they did the TV still yeah, TV tapings
up in a Hamburg, Hamburg, Pa.

Speaker 2 (57:22):
What was that like? Pain in that buck? Either all
day you gotta they bring you stuff lunch and hey, yeah,
I dreaded it. How long were those all day?

Speaker 4 (57:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (57:34):
It was all day affair. That's what I hated. You know,
by the time and you didn't get finished till ten
eleven o'clock and you will beat right and the next
day you had to go make a go to uh
you're make you shot. No, I hated the tas.

Speaker 1 (57:51):
What about the travel schedule in general for w F brutal.

Speaker 2 (57:55):
Yeah, that matter of fact, that was one main reason
that I finally quit when I did. I'll find a
Huh that traveling. I hated that traveling or making the airports.
You had to get up in the morning. And I
did that for twenty years, and one day I just said,

(58:17):
that's see it, don't go.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Yesterday we had to convention in Boston and Iron Cheek
was there. What are your memories of Iron Cheek?

Speaker 2 (58:23):
Great guy, he was got a got a raw deal
in Minneapolis. And you heard him, he said himself, you know,
poor guy had to carry the ring around, set it up,
and not only that, then he had to work. You see,
I didn't ride, I don't do don't what you know.

(58:44):
Guy shouldn't be abused like that, all right. He's a
nice guy. I like Ali. He's a good man.

Speaker 1 (58:51):
Another guy who came in with a great gimmick was
a Killer Con. What are your memories of Killer Con?

Speaker 2 (58:56):
You know, I didn't work with him that much. I
don't know. I really don't know much about the guy.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
What was your opinion about Andre the Giant?

Speaker 2 (59:02):
Back then? Hey, we tag team, Uh, you know we
Uh he was a nice guy. He always nice to
me and uh, there's not a bad word I can
say about him.

Speaker 1 (59:18):
You talked earlier that there was no consideration ever to
make a heal. Did you ever want to be a heel?

Speaker 2 (59:23):
Or never did? I loved what I'm doing. I didn't
want people hating my butt, right, I liked it. I
find a guy where it kind of grew on you,
where everybody comes up to you. You know what your autograph. Well,
they wanted heels too, but it's different. You know, when
you're a baby face, you know it's I think it's easier.

Speaker 4 (59:43):
Do you think that since Bruno held the title for
so long and that back when you know he held
up for a long do you think that back then?
Do you think they kept the titles too long on
one specific guy? Do you think they should have switched
it around the.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
Okah, yeah they could have, but hey, he was drawn
with it, know, and you know, more powert to me.
I say this, The longer guy holds a belt, the
more money he's making, more power to him.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
Was there ever any talk of maybe putting a belt
on you one of the singles belts?

Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Ah? No, But the only thing they told me Vince
told me, and that's was his excuse because he uh,
he called me in and he said, we're gonna give
so and so the beilt by Beckling and he said
the reason you now this was his excuse. Now he said,

(01:00:36):
the reason you're not getting in. You don't need a
belt to draw people. And we went then does that
make sense? That's what he told me. I said, Hey,
I made without that belt. I made just as much.
And you know, I'm not complaining. I made a lot
of money.

Speaker 1 (01:00:53):
How do things change for you as a performer when
the New Earth stars came in, like Cogan and Roddy Piper?

Speaker 2 (01:00:59):
Well, you know, hey, like I say, if a guy
comes in more part terms, the more money he can
make in this business great, because everybody's entitled to make money,
and they got their opportunity. I had mine. I made
my money, so you know, everybody gets You had your run,

(01:01:22):
and I had my run. I was there twenty years,
you know, and when I quit it was time for
me to quit. But new meat came in, new faces,
and you got to go with it. And I think,
you know, I'm just glad that they made what they made.
Everybody deserves a shot like that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:41):
Do you think, well, since you were Polish Power, do
you think, you know, do you think that they used
Vincere us like ethnic stereotyping a little bit too much
for the booking, especially babyface and heel.

Speaker 2 (01:01:53):
Not really, because that's what you have in New York,
you have that melting pot of foreigners.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
No, he did that was a.

Speaker 2 (01:02:03):
Good I mean if he if he didn't do it,
he'd have been crazy. I think that was great. Especially
you need to get you can't get a guy in
there that's not really that ethnicity. You know, I'm a Polot.
I was born in Poland. I spoke Polish and I
am Polish. You know, Bruno's Italian. He came from Italy.

(01:02:26):
He's Italian. And that's what put us made us. You know,
people knew we weren't fakes. We were the original thing.

Speaker 1 (01:02:37):
No, Riddy Paper, they did a papers pit with you
on al Roddy, which led to a series of matches
with you and Roddy. What do you remembers of working
with Roddy Paper?

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
Great, we're good worker. You know, I had charisma and
I thought Roddy was a head of a worker, you know,
and I was just glad I got the opportunity to
work with him make that money.

Speaker 1 (01:02:55):
What are your thoughts on hal Cogan when he came
into the company.

Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
Uh well, I thought I was impressed because you know,
he was one of those guys like us, he would
like to work out and and right off the bat,
I said, hey, he's one of us. You know. He
they spent time in gym, He took care of his
body like we did, you know, and he was one
of us when.

Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
He got really over. Did he ever try to big
league any of the guys that have been with Vince
from day one?

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
No, no, no, he always helped, you know, he never
I never got that opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
Was there a lot of respect mutual respect for the
new generation of guys coming in towards like the seventies
generation wrestlers or was there any classes between any of
the guys.

Speaker 2 (01:03:36):
No clashes, but I wouldn't say. You know, you know
people you know kind of you know said well, you
know they uh headed handle. See, we opened up the
We paved the way for him, and now the ways
are like they just coming in. It was end to him.
They had they marketed them, which they didn't do us.

(01:04:00):
They had paid for review which we didn't get, and
they got more money which we did. Then certainly you
know you say, well, hell, I wish that had happened
to us. But you know, for the new guys, more
part to them. The more money you can make, the
better off. Hey, in those days, the top guy make
four or five hundred grand a year. We thought that
was a lot of money, which and it was. But

(01:04:21):
now they make four or five million a year, and
more power to them, I'll say.

Speaker 1 (01:04:26):
With the with your generation of wrestlers, was there like
some some of the guys that you were counterparts with
their like kind of like why did Holkogan get the
belts so quick? And why didn't like Jimmy Snooker get
the title?

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
Was there? Yeah? No, hey, that's that was none of
my business. What the office does you know? Uh? You know, hey, infa,
if we did say something, you think they'd listen to us.
They wouldn't care. I mean, what they do is their business,
none of my business. I just I'm there, they pay me,
and I go home. That's simple as that. I try

(01:04:58):
to draw a crowd for him, and that's all I
can do.

Speaker 1 (01:05:01):
What are you remembers of Jimmy Snooker? And uh, you
know the answer that happened with him and his girlfriend?

Speaker 2 (01:05:07):
Just you know what, I know, I know what you know?
You know that I haven't heard. This is exactly what
I read in the paper and what you heard everybody else.
You know, I don't know much about it.

Speaker 1 (01:05:20):
We shocked and Vince brought him back.

Speaker 2 (01:05:24):
Uh, well, you know, he was a hot commodity then
and I knew he'd bring him back. I mean you
had to, you know if because he was he was
making money with him, and some mean you always bring
a guy back that makes money for you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
How did Vince Junior change over time? And how would
you compare Vince Senior to Vince Junior?

Speaker 2 (01:05:45):
Okay, just a good example was when me and Senior
our contract was a handshake, and Junior he wrote out
a contract. That's all I can say. You signed a
contract with him handshake with his dad. So right, take
it away, you want to take it?

Speaker 1 (01:06:04):
Were you bitter that you were kind of phased out
as a wrestler and uh in the late eighties.

Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
Not really, because I was it was time for me
to go. And then one day where were we booked?
I forgot that? Well anyway, I just finally I sat
down and said, what am I doing here? You know,
I'm tired of this. I just walked out. And that

(01:06:31):
was into my rastling career with the w W. Were
you still under contract or yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:06:35):
No, I never signed.

Speaker 2 (01:06:37):
I left the contract. Matter of fact, Vince the Junior
gave me a contract and I left it on the
desk and I said, so.

Speaker 1 (01:06:45):
Long, What year was that about?

Speaker 2 (01:06:49):
I don't know my last day in the NFL and
my last day in w W. I don't know what
day that was that It didn't really didn't matter to me.
I had my fill up. But I'm left. I told
called Scott and I said, Scott, I'm quitting.

Speaker 1 (01:07:08):
Was the main reason, do you think because of Vince Junior?
Or just how the whole company was changing and a.

Speaker 2 (01:07:13):
Little bit of everything. Yeah, everything was changing and they
didn't need me there. They had there guys.

Speaker 1 (01:07:19):
You know not Hey, I.

Speaker 2 (01:07:21):
Made my I made my money there. You know that
I had my day there.

Speaker 1 (01:07:25):
I know it was your time.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
Yeah, it was my time to go, and I just went.
But I left on top. See I didn't. You know,
people remember me? And now you look at TV you
watch Rick Flair getting a ship crap beat out. You know,
actually that's humiliating, right right? And last time we didn't
huk hoo, we get pinned or something. Yeah, what is

(01:07:48):
the last thing? People remember that right right? What they
remember me on top? Yeah, and that's how that's why
I wanted to be Hey, I have no regrets none.

Speaker 1 (01:08:00):
What did you do after wrestling?

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
I worked, you know, little shows here and there, and
I saved my money, you know, and uh uh, I
kind of took life easy, you know, just but they
wanted me to come up like things like what I'm
doing now and uh in order to get my Scott
broken in, I used to sacrifice and go ahead and

(01:08:24):
put my trunks back on and boots back on in
order to help him out. As I do that now,
you know, because I'm I'm in shape now. I could
go in the ring right now and work. I'm in
great shape, but I don't want to. You know. I
put in my time and Scott's not working, so I
don't want to do it. You know, the only reason
I did it was for Scott. That's why I went

(01:08:45):
to the uh uh Joe Freeman Coliseum and tag team
with me and Scott were the lawlers. What we want?
You know. I did it for Scott, my son. I
didn't do it because Evince asked me, now.

Speaker 1 (01:08:59):
Do you all uh weight left he's workout religiously.

Speaker 2 (01:09:05):
Can you tell guns are still up? Let me tell
you my guns are still loaded, right, Scott?

Speaker 1 (01:09:19):
At what point did us Scott actually tell you that
he wanted to be a wrestler.

Speaker 2 (01:09:23):
Oh, he always ever since he was a little kid,
you know, and uh uh and uh uh he was
you know, let me tell you so. I'm not saying
this because he was my son. Scott was really good.
You know, he had the charisma, he had the size
and the mass. But what happened, let me tell you

(01:09:43):
what happened. Why Vince is not using him? And I
want everybody to know this. And wasn't Vince's fault. It
was Scott's. When Scott had hurt his leg, You remember that,
all right? He uh, he didn't lay Vince. You know,
Vince would he used him again. Well, what Scott did
after his leg, He'll love he said, Well, Vince was

(01:10:04):
not gonna use me, kept telling me. I said, hey,
Vince is gonna use you. Once you signing with Vince,
he'll always use you. And so he jumped. He went
to the other organization. And I know exactce why Vince
doesn't use him anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:10:19):
You know, did you try to talk about.

Speaker 2 (01:10:23):
No, I never talked with kids out either. They really
got their mind. MA, I'll do something. I'm back.

Speaker 1 (01:10:30):
How did you Scott handle the pressure of being your son?
Did he like did you like?

Speaker 2 (01:10:34):
Yeah? I mean listen, like Bruno. So Martino's kid likes
being Bruno. So sure they like that. I mean that's
the human nature. Wouldn't you like your dad be a
star rassler or a football player or something like that?
Sure you would.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
What are your thoughts on the ww Hall of Fame
induction and to do with you? Are you glad?

Speaker 2 (01:10:50):
I'm glad? Hell yeah. I mean let me tell you,
anybody and everybody in any sport, every sport wants to
be recognized as the best and what they did. And
Vince and WWF recognized me that I was the best
in what I did at the time, that was professional wrestling,

(01:11:10):
and I thank them for it and I'm proud of it.

Speaker 1 (01:11:16):
Was it hard to fit into the locker room back
with the whole new generation when he went back? Was
it was it different for you to seeing all these
new guys?

Speaker 2 (01:11:21):
No, Because I was built better in any of the
new guy and I was in better shape, so I
kind of was putting them down. You know, actually, you
know they had nothing on me. I had everything on them.
I looked better than any of them, especially there I
was in my peak. You know, Vin's crazy for not
you know, actually used me that. I you know, I
looked the best I've ever looked was that when I

(01:11:42):
was getting ready to quit. Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:11:44):
Yeah, what about Steve Austin? Were you thought of Steve
Austin Beingish from Texas and.

Speaker 2 (01:11:48):
All that hell of agamick? More part of the guy? Hey,
the more he can make money with them, any any wrestler,
if they I'll take my hand off to all of them. Hey,
the more money they can make, more power too.

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
We talked about your son a little bit and he
had a one time romance with Missy Hyatt. What are
your thoughts on Missy?

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
Well, I'd rather not comment.

Speaker 1 (01:12:09):
On that, okay. You also talked briefly about your your
training of Booker T. What are you you know, what
are your memories of Booker T?

Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
Good guy? Let me tell you, you know, I don't.
I haven't been keeping up with his career very much.
I did it right at first, but then you know,
I kind of he was a listen everything I told him.
He was really good. I mean I could see stardom
then that he had this charisma, uh that you needed

(01:12:38):
to be a star. His brother also lash he was
good too. And of course I met Johnson. You know,
oh man, that guy. Let me tell you, he was
the best talker I ever come. I mean, he came
natural toime. Man, he was. He just I just wish

(01:12:58):
he could have I could have sued his uh his name,
real name was Tony, and I just wish he could
have pursued his professional little boy he was. He really
wasn't natural. I mean, Tony could talk, he could work,
and he just had that something like both of them did.
They were good.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
Why do you think out of the business, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:13:21):
Never talked to him since then, never, you know, so
I can't tell you.

Speaker 1 (01:13:25):
Do you have DoD you have promote the show promoter show?

Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
Yeah? I used to promote in Houston a lot of shows.
It was good. We had a regular TV there and
we had local guys that we use. You know, like here,
same thing.

Speaker 1 (01:13:41):
Does your son still work or now?

Speaker 2 (01:13:43):
Yeah, he works around uh Dallas area, Texas area. They
book him to get TV there, but right now he's
in construction. Him and his brother. Uh, we opened they
opened up a construction company. They're building homes.

Speaker 1 (01:13:58):
Now, would you ever come back as a as a
road agent for w f vits Calder.

Speaker 2 (01:14:04):
No, well, no, no, that's already did my trial. I
don't want to. That's one thing I've never done.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
Some of your favorite opponents and least favorite opponents.

Speaker 2 (01:14:16):
Well, in this business, I never had a least favorite,
but my favorite, uh superstar Billy Graham. I even fall
off Jesse the body you know, but the main one
that I really used to love and enjoyed being with
a superstore, Billy Graham.

Speaker 1 (01:14:36):
What's your seems like like Bruno San Martino is very
vocal against professional wrestling. Now, what's your take on some
of the old guys and maybe it seems like they
come off kind of.

Speaker 2 (01:14:45):
Bitter really Yeah, see, I haven't heard this right just
from hears say, but i'd have to hear the man.
I never heard Bruno say anything, uh about professional or
the other guys. See, I guess because where I live,
you know, and you guys get more poop around here.
But I haven't heard Bruno ever say anything.

Speaker 4 (01:15:06):
I think Bruno was against Vince when that whole steroid
scandal came out in the nineties and everything, and Bruno
I think didn't he testify against Vince and everything?

Speaker 2 (01:15:14):
Oh like that.

Speaker 4 (01:15:15):
It just seems like Bruno like always knocks wrestling for
what it is now and how different it is and everything, so.

Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
Well it is different. But you know, I think everybody
got a right to express their opinion. You know that's
what Bruno feels. You know, he has the right to
feel like that.

Speaker 1 (01:15:34):
You never worked for the NWA or like, like never did,
do you feel like do you wish you did?

Speaker 2 (01:15:39):
Like? Why I should? I was making more money. W
W was paying more money than anybody then, so now
when I want to go and make less money? Right?

Speaker 1 (01:15:49):
You know, what are some of your favorite towns that
you like to go to New York in their period?

Speaker 2 (01:15:55):
New York Love, New York Love, Medicine, Square Garden. Yeah,
I love you your boy every time I come here.
I used to love it. I've walked down Diamonds and
all those Jews goes and they believe it or not.
You know, people say Jewish people are tired. I don't
believe that. They used to give me watches, remember they

(01:16:16):
come out, give me ring theye I'm not kidding you. Yeah,
great people, Diamond Center. I loved used to go in there.

Speaker 1 (01:16:25):
What's your favorite country that you've been to?

Speaker 2 (01:16:28):
My favorite country was, uh uh, you're gonna laugh, Saudi
Arabia was that Kuwait? Yea? That was before we invited
They those people they never touch you, but boy, they
or they loved the restaurant American Rid. We'd come in there. Ah,

(01:16:52):
you know they but they never put the hand on you.
They holler, never touch you, utmost respect. And man, I
tell I don't know some reason, I just really enjoyed
going there.

Speaker 4 (01:17:04):
Who who is the toughest wrestler that you back.

Speaker 1 (01:17:07):
In your day?

Speaker 2 (01:17:08):
Superstar in our face, superstar.

Speaker 1 (01:17:11):
Outside of the ring, superstar. You were talking about your
football days? Any good football stories?

Speaker 2 (01:17:19):
Oh? Just like anything else, shit happens, right, so you
know you heard. You know, I don't really like to
talk about you know, guy said, give me a story. Well, hell,
life is a story that's a storyline in itself. What
the hell they talking about? What kind of story? You
want me? Tell you? What happens in life? Hey, you're

(01:17:39):
going through life. Shit happens to you. You know, that's
what it is.

Speaker 1 (01:17:44):
You know, now you said, your cousin was Chuck Badnar.

Speaker 2 (01:17:48):
He's just pretty favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:17:50):
But he's how come he never got how come he
never got into wrestling? He seems like he'd be.

Speaker 2 (01:17:55):
Well, didn't he referee or he got involved somehow? So
if you times didn't.

Speaker 1 (01:18:00):
He I'm maybe I don't know, yeah, he.

Speaker 2 (01:18:04):
But he No, he refereed. I think a lot of
didn't he refree Scott several matches a long time ago,
I think, right.

Speaker 1 (01:18:12):
But before Vince expanded his company national and you know,
took over from his father when his father passed away,
were you surprised that the success that Vince Junior had
as far as like, you know, he basically shut down
all the church.

Speaker 2 (01:18:23):
For you know, not really because even when uh brought
there at the end when uh the old events was sick,
you know, and Vinnie was kind of Vince McMahon Junior
called him Vinnie all the time. You know, Vinnie was
you know, kind of starting to take over. I could
I could see it. You know, he went and started
going into Canada and having these uh uh paid per views,

(01:18:46):
started giving free tickets, you know, to build up and
he and I could see he was going in the
right direction. But yeah, pay per view. You know he
started that.

Speaker 1 (01:18:56):
What was the worst injury you ever experienced?

Speaker 2 (01:18:59):
You know? I never was injured. I was lucky. Never
can you believe that? Never? And as long as I worked,
never was injured. Oh I had to pull aches and pains.
Everybody has that, but god, I guess you know, because
I worked out so hard all the time. Maybe, but
I never had a serious injury.

Speaker 1 (01:19:21):
Was there one wrestler that you never wrestled that you wish.

Speaker 4 (01:19:24):
Like right now looking back on your career, I go, wow,
I wish I had gotten a ring with that guy.

Speaker 2 (01:19:28):
No, no, no, wrestle everybody I wanted to, and then
I was glad to do it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:35):
Is there anything you want to say to your fans
out there that you never had a chance to say before?

Speaker 2 (01:19:39):
Well, I don't know without said it, but I just
want to tell them how much I love them and
how much I appreciate for their support what they did.
If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't right now, Thank you,
thank you. If it wasn't for you. Every year I
have to pay twenty thousand, or every year it goes up,

(01:19:59):
I'll pay you interest on my money that I have
in my bank the last year had to pay twenty
thousand dollars on interest and if it wasn't for you,
I wouldn't be able to do this.

Speaker 1 (01:20:08):
Thank you, thanks for being here today.

Speaker 2 (01:20:10):
Thank you, You're welcome. Titlematchnetwork dot com

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Ivan Putski Shoot interview: Polish Power – Strength, Legacy, and Stories Untold

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ivan Putski Shoot interview: Polish Power – Strength, Legacy, and Stories Untold