July 24, 2024 • 29 mins
On this episode of The Downtown, we talk to wrestling legend, Kevin Von Erich. AEW will be at the Esports Stadium every Saturday until August 17th. We also hear music from Zachary Lastname with his new song “Spirits in the Floor” along with Chloe Clemente with her song “This Time Love.”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:25):
Welcome to the Downtown, brought toyou by our lincens Hitus Media. I
am Rody John and today we talkto the wrestling legend Kevin von Eric.
Aw will be at the Esports Stadiumevery Saturday until August seventeenth. Do not
miss these shows. They are somuch fun. And this Friday Ring of
Honor Death Before Dishonor is one oftheir biggest pay per views of the year,
and you are not gonna want tomiss it. Those shows are absolutely
(00:48):
spectacular, so definitely make sure toget on over there. I was there
this past Saturday, and I willdefinitely look forward to being there even more
almost every Saturday. Also on thisepisode, we will hear local music from
A. Zachary last Name with hisnew song Spirits in the Floor. But
first here is Chloe Clemente with hersong This Time Love Sing George Song to
(01:34):
Hate the Field. The Battlusion isa battle fielding songs on and there yourself
to bite when it so we remainedlast night the record winning the sun us
(02:05):
Susie standing at this time the SunWay Sun down the well, No time
(02:32):
now see yourself Cat look sapling thegrounds. Second consant Sweech Cat turning upside
down with everyone up be come thatsweet street. He love it, coping
(02:53):
back the pan your far s,that's like the the world. And then
I sat fum this time queens andso sorry Will seems done with three dots
(04:15):
doping sat at the STA. Iwould like to welcome the show a true
(05:04):
not only a DFW legend, buta pro wrestling legend and a life legend.
Really, Kevin van Eric, thankyou so much for being here.
How are you doing to day?My pleasure? I'm so glad to be
here. I love it in Dallas. Yeah, I mean, welcome back.
I know you have been living inHawaii for a very long time,
and you do. I mean,I've heard you and the boys have come
back on some of this family aswell. What's it been like being back
(05:24):
in the DFW area. That's great. They kind have a big show where
I think the boys are gonna behere. What the twenty first does get
there? Yeah? Yeah, they'redoing so much or so busy, but
it's gonna be a great time maybeor so well. So. I always
ask what's your earliest memory of prowrestling? But you grew up in a
wrestling family, what is the actualfirst memory that you have like vividly of
(05:45):
pro wrestling, well, do youknow, Like to me, it was
just another normal life I kind ofstuff. Everybody's dad got in the ring
and beat up beat people, youknow, but it was way different.
It was like guy, and oh, my brothers, we love my dad
so much, you know, weare We're a really close family. And
(06:06):
so when the matches will be on, you know, we when we couldn't
stand and see dad getting beat,you know, we'd get and when the
crowd was cheering, we knew dadwas being beat and we just couldn't look.
So we delegate one brother to watch, you know, and Dad's winning
star watching again, you know,And it was it was just you know,
(06:30):
I think my dad was like me, it's you realize after being in
the business a while, that isa it is a widow maker the businesses,
you know, and uh, thewives suffer and the children's suffer when
the dad's not there. And andso I didn't want to be like that.
But I've seen a lot of wrestlers. I did grow up in the
business, and my dad was areally sharp guy and he could see that.
(06:56):
You know, life goes on,but with and and your family.
It's just not with you. It'sjust another day, another day, another
day, and it's just a cyclethat's you have to break it if you
want to be a man that youknow, put your family cars true.
I mean, it's in wrestling.It's it's hard a lot of times because
you're low on money and all.But but we just made it happen.
(07:21):
We stayed in cheap hotels, youknow, and just as we would stayed.
I tried to take them with youas much as I could so that
we'd have to have that time.And I'm glad we did, and I'm
glad my boys look at it andthat way too, because life is happening
fast. And maybe it's more realto me than other people because I've seen
so much death amongst my loved ones. But life is happening fast, and
(07:45):
it's going to be over soon.That beautiful baby you're looking at right now,
it's going to change. And Ijust try to tell people live enjoy
every minute, don't wish time arguingand fighting forgive each other and we love
each other, see the best ineach other. And because these days are
not coming back. Yeah, Andit's just it's just something you learn and
(08:07):
now it's something I want to tellpeople won't know if you haven't, if
you've been fortunate enough to not havepeople that your love die like this,
well, just no, enjoy everyminute because it's bleeding. It's going fast.
Yeah, tomorrow's I promised you.That's right. Yeah. Now AW
is here in the Metroplex for thisweek, for basically the next month.
Every Saturday you got something going on. Next Friday is obviously ring of honor
(08:28):
as well. Now that you've comeback to the Metroplex growing up here,
what has it been like seeing thegrowth and like, like we kind of
talked about before we start recording,everything is just so busy and bigger here.
How are you enjoying just the growththat the Metroplex have been. Wow,
it's something else, you know whenI think about how much it's changed
(08:48):
just since I lived here. Youknow when when I was a little boy,
do you have w Airport wasn't hereyet? You know it was love
Field. Yeah. In fact,I can give you a little history here
that you know, when somebody diesin wrestling, they ring the bill ten
times. You know, it's areal respectful thing. You know, my
dad started that really. Yeah,we were come. He was coming out
(09:11):
of love Field to work in SaintLouis and uh, his was the last
flight out when Kennedy got killed andhe was declared dead at one o'clock,
right, and so my dad flewonto Saint Louis and they got there and
they had to sell out crowd andSam much and it comes to the back
and the promoter comes to my backkills my dad. He said, Fritz,
(09:31):
we'n't have to cancel the show.The president was assassinated. A little
while we'd go with, Dad said, and it was it was devastating to
everybody, you know, the president. But Dad said, Sam, I
think it would be show more respectby instead of just canceling the show if
we all have a moment of silenceof prayer and we bring the bell ten
(09:52):
times slowly when we're thinking about Andit was a great idea and it was
respectful that came up. So wellit's still to this day they do that.
Right. Well, I think inthe back of my mind, my
brother the brothers and I knew thatmy dad really was uh, he was
a smart man, but he wasalso didn't have to give that money back.
(10:15):
Yeah, there's a lot of moneygive back, especially in Saint Louis
back to the day. Yeah,Now, speaking of things you guys started,
you guys were the first ones todo music for entrances, which now
if you don't have a music forentrance, it's actually the opposite of normal.
Now everybody has got I mean,especially now that we things are so
(10:37):
like the Glass Break for Stone Cold, the Ultimate Warriors, the everybody's got
their their music that they just werelike boom identifiable with them who really kind
of came up with that idea andobviously it took off bigger than anybody ever
thought it would. Well, thisis a little more crazy wrestling history.
But Michael Haysen I used to bea tag teothart wow WTVS in Atlanta and
(11:00):
we were coming to the ring andhe was free bird Michael Hayes and I'm
just Kevin Bond Eric. You know, I don't wear silk scarves and swish
around like that, you know,yeah, you know, but uh he
played free bird going to the ring, and it was just as going to
(11:20):
the ring with Michael and seeing Ijust pictured what we could do if we
Because my brothers and I were hadthis unique situation where we were young guys
in this world of old men.It was. It was. And as
far as we wanted to change theentrances, we wanted to be like a
(11:41):
concert, you know, with thelasers and the good sound, and then
the NFL we like those slow motioncollisions, you know, and show that.
So we wanted our show to havesome of these groundbreaking new things that
happened in television that people didn't reallyhave. And and so we were able
to do a lot of things thatwere first because we were young kids that
(12:01):
were hungry and we loved making agood TV show and watching that rating go
up, and it was going upevery week. And our syndication a new
market or three new markets, fournew markets, and we had so many.
It was we became innovators. Itwas wrestling had been the way.
Actually, my dad is the guythat had started studio wrestling in Columbus,
(12:26):
Ohio, where we started, wherethe format that lays out the matches,
the interviews and all that. Mydad did all that because he was the
president of the NWA back when whenwe were in high school, in junior
high he was the n w Apresident and it was just like an offer
(12:48):
for us to be able to Okay, you think you can do something different,
Okay, let's do it. Andwe could because the other wrestlers,
a lot of wrestlers were old menback then and now archives were young athletes.
You were the new generation coming.Yeah, and it was made for
great TV. And we also laidthem in. We hit each other hard,
you know, because you know we'repaid. Well, let's aren't it.
(13:11):
You know, when we got outthere and had a good match,
and when you put all of yourselfinto something, well then you're able to
get more out of it. Youknow, you only get out of suff
what you put into it. Andwe were just really pulling our guts into
those matches, and the ratings wereclimbing and going up and up, and
we uh and then with the fansand the girls, they just kicked it
(13:33):
over the top. You know.Now, music is to a lot of
people a time machine. You canhear a song and it takes you back
to a certain place, It bringsfeelings back, it does you know,
it does all kinds of great things. What does the song stranglehold? Where
does that take you? What isthe first memory that kind of comes back?
Well, it's got a really goodsolo in it. It's amazing.
(13:58):
The gym yesterday, it was awesome. That's where that's what I really wanted
to come to the ring to thatsolo, you know, that was so
good. But uh, but that'sthat's between. I heard the song and
I thought, you know, Ihad a hold at the time where no
one else did. My body strangleholdhad gone the roops, and I'd catch
him on the run and clamp mylegs around him and squeeze, and every
(14:18):
time you next sale, I'd holdit and hold it where you know,
I could really put the hurd onyou, you know. And so I
was calling it my body stranglehold inthe name of the song of Stranglehold.
So kind of work easy about that. And I kind of picked the music
for for my brothers, but uh, Carrie picked his own. So that
(14:39):
was Tom Sawyer had a great song. It's so awesome. I love that.
And now Dave, Dave didn't havea head for music, you know,
and so he put that song on. When I die, I mean,
I go ahead in Dave, notthat one is because you know you
(15:00):
need it. They kind of havelike a contained energy, kind of light
usually within like the first five tosix seconds. If you haven't really got
them, you've got it. Thefirst pro is an interesting sound, and
then the crescendo final an explosion ofmusic, and then spotlights kicked. It
will open, you know, it'sa great opening, you know, but
not win. I die. SoI just said, I said, let's
(15:24):
there's a song by Fin Lizzie calledCowboys Slung Babe and it's I'm Just Cowboy
and once Along Betrayal and then theyyeah, I love it, Kevin all
that country tell you we want thepeople to be excited and you know,
jazzed when you hit the ring andhe goes, yeah, you do your
way. I'll do man, Isaid, all right, Which is funny
because that song is now played atevery Texas Rangers game. So is it
(15:46):
really every game Texas Texas Rangers?Every time that I believe it's every time
they win? Cowboys the first oneand I die, Yeah, Chuck,
we're going to play it every time. I think day have met Tanya Tucker
and they were in the town togetherand they called along or sometth I think
(16:06):
that's why he did it. Oh, I mean, I imagine that would
be so much fun. Now wekind of touched on Michael Hayes earlier.
Can you did you even imagine thatMichael Hayes would be one of the most
important people in pro wrestling when youwere teaming with him back in the day
or even going against him back inthe day. Michael Hayes is like a
h he's a he's a real artist. He is. He lives life wi
(16:29):
a different drummer, you know.I mean, he really does. He's
his own man, and I don'tknow anybody else like him, but he
is. He was just made tobe a free bird, made to take
care of those other two. Andhe can talk. And what an interview
he put out there. He wasjust so good and uh but the thing
(16:51):
was, in wrestling, you wanta guy that can talk like that but
is also an athlete and can dazzlepeople. Well, Michael had the He
had those one really good gift.He was really talk but he didn't have
the athletic ability for the Terry Gordyor a Buddy had really eating. Both
of them were agile and strong andquick, and but Mike could talk.
(17:14):
And when you take those two guysand put him with Mike talking, it
just made for a great for agreat show. In fact, like after
the Free Birds we wrestled up orI Mike and I Kerry got hurt and
so Michae and lust on the ChrisAdams and Geno. But we had some
(17:34):
great matches. And even though Ginawas the talker, Chris was such a
good athlete, and Gina was reallya better athlete I think than Michael athlete.
I mean, but Michael the wayhe could talk, and and he
was violent too, and so butuh so he was Chris. Michael Hayes
(17:55):
was just great for us at thetime. But you know, it was
like just a perfect time of life. It was just we were young,
they were young, and we justwanted to put the best show we could
out there. And we didn't mindhurting each other song, you know,
And so that was what makes itgood. Nobody complained, you know,
if we knocked a couple of teethout, you know, good shot,
(18:18):
good nuts, you know. Itjust it's a good show. We know
what we're doing. So I lovethat now as much as things, I
mean, things will always get betterand progress and the way the businesses progressed,
and obviously the partying has gone wayfurther down and people are being a
lot more safe and the concussions arebecoming taken care of. Is there something
that you kind of see in thecurrent product that you kind of wish would
go back to the way it wasback when you were wrestling. Yeah,
(18:44):
well that has changed a lot,because it was a lot different when there
were so many girls and little kidsin the wind. Yeah, I mean
you kind of realize how different itwas. You know, they smoked,
but oh yeah, everybody smoked.And I'm we're going to the ring.
And when you're on television, andwhen you're you've been on TV a while,
(19:04):
when people see you, you're kindof not real from it, and
they kind of lose themselves. Theycan kind of forget what they're doing.
And everybody smoked that you and thoselittle kids, little toddlers would be in
the crowd and they're standing right eyelevel with those cigarettes. Yeah, and
so I picked the kids up,you know, And and I've tried to
always. I saw a little kidget burned when I first got started,
(19:26):
and I saw that the people up. I came up, Kevin, Kevin,
Kevin. Then we're talking and they'renot thinking, and little girls I
got burned. So now and I'mgonna I'm gonna watch out for that,
you know. And and you cansee me go into the ring sometimes see
me pick up a little kid,you know, out of a group of
grown ups, you know, getaway from little cigarettes until until I'm out
(19:47):
of there and they can start thinkingstraight again. Because it's it's something about
that television builds you up to awhere no man should be. Yeah,
you know it's not real. It'sTV. And it's like, you know,
the TV always talks about your yourgreat points, how high you can
jump, how fast you can run, how good you were and all that.
(20:08):
But you got to remember it's it'sTV. It's made for entertainment.
You can't no man should be liftedup that eye. You know, we
were men. And when I goto the ring and I see and I
was like, the so and sois God. You know that I would
have never seen that back in thoseold days. You know, I think
(20:32):
by having girls and children and kidsin the crowd, we were more of
a morally conscious you know, wedidn't want to see dirty words and bad
things. We say yes start ofthe announcer and all because a lot of
our audience were what they used tocall latch key kids. Their parents both
work. The kids get off fromschool, they get off the bus,
and they locked the door when theyget home because mom and dad's not home,
(20:56):
right whoever, no more dad,And so we had to think about
kids or you know, we arekind of bom bubbles, you know.
So we want to say yes ora nosa and try to you know,
make our show be you know,conducive to raising a healthy ward. Yeah,
teach the manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. They
(21:18):
teach the manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. I'm sorry.
Teach those manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. That's
right. Consider each other. Andyou know you never hear things like if
you can't say anything nice, don'tsay anything at all. And that used
to be here. Your mom saidthat a couple of times a week,
you know, but you don't hearthose kind of things anymore. We anybody
(21:41):
knows when you go to school orwith other children and you'll see one little
kid be single to out be embarrassedby the teacher and all the kids will
laugh at them. It can dosomething to you. It can make you
never want that to happen, soyou stick up for the week, stand
up for people that are can bepushed around. Well, you see it
(22:03):
happen, and you don't do anythingabout it, and the next time it's
easier to ignore and easier. Andthat's the way people seem to be behaving
and treating each other. When Ithink that's a change, that people weren't
so cooled each other right now,I want to say down here on the
South out there in Hawaii, Idid miss Texas. I sat because people
(22:26):
are really not like they are herewhen you might hear it talking on the
media about racism, racism, racism, because I think it's that's how these
people get elected. I think theyget money off of that somehow, because
if you watch Texas when a hurricaneor a torneo guns to, look how
the people help each other. Givea crap about skin color. People help
(22:48):
each other and it's a homent.They do losing in and they do all
the places I go. I justfeel like there's some kind of entity in
our government that wants people to believethis, so that didn't keep their machine
going when when I see you logo, I see the same thing Kevin,
(23:08):
thank you so much for your time. I feel like we get it done
this forever. And I know you'revery busy man, but it is a
true honor to meet you and beable to talk to you. So thank
you again so much. Well,it's my pleasure. I'm glad to do
it. You call call back andwe'll do it again sometime. Perfect.
Okay, thank you, buddy,Thank you. Sir Ches like this ess
(24:02):
will do you now at we disappeased bus old even Wes the Transmont Wess
(24:23):
the Transman teams take a chance likethis smoke for July fourth night, forcing
(24:52):
seas folds see the dance nights.The Recluses foot was scusion, not as
a disappears of brunstables. These wentthe Childs band to table, the dessent
(25:22):
reseat, the jazz band constant toits reasons. The shows plant it is,
(26:21):
Bess, The shows plants costs asThanks so much to Kevin von Eric
(27:23):
for being on the show again.What an absolute legend he is. And
do not forget aew will be atthe Esports Stadium every Saturday until August seventeenth,
and this Friday is Ring of HonorDeath before dishonor you are not gonna
want to miss it. Absolutely amazing. Also, thank you so much to
zachly the Last Name. You justheard his song Spirits in the floor and
(27:44):
on top of the show we hadChloe Clemente with her song This Time Love.
Absolutely amazing. Definitely check out ourlocal music. It is amazing.
And while you're doing all the things, make sure to eat local, drink
local, and rediscover your city.Tag us and send those picture is over
to us on Facebook Arlington Citizen Media, Twitter a t X Citizen Media.
Tag us on Instagram Arlington Citizen Mediaand send us send those pictures of the
(28:08):
old fashioned way email Arlington Citizen Mediaat gmail dot com. Also go to
our website www dot Arlington Citizenmedia dotcom. Don't forget to subscribe and give
those five star reviews of the downtownat Apple Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts,
and also hit us on SoundCloud,iHeartRadio and YouTube. A bogle of
(29:02):
doctor Boy at Bart and the otherApple of antipoppopp
Welcome to the Downtown, brought toyou by our lincens Hitus Media. I
am Rody John and today we talkto the wrestling legend Kevin von Eric.
Aw will be at the Esports Stadiumevery Saturday until August seventeenth. Do not
miss these shows. They are somuch fun. And this Friday Ring of
Honor Death Before Dishonor is one oftheir biggest pay per views of the year,
and you are not gonna want tomiss it. Those shows are absolutely
(00:48):
spectacular, so definitely make sure toget on over there. I was there
this past Saturday, and I willdefinitely look forward to being there even more
almost every Saturday. Also on thisepisode, we will hear local music from
A. Zachary last Name with hisnew song Spirits in the Floor. But
first here is Chloe Clemente with hersong This Time Love Sing George Song to
(01:34):
Hate the Field. The Battlusion isa battle fielding songs on and there yourself
to bite when it so we remainedlast night the record winning the sun us
(02:05):
Susie standing at this time the SunWay Sun down the well, No time
(02:32):
now see yourself Cat look sapling thegrounds. Second consant Sweech Cat turning upside
down with everyone up be come thatsweet street. He love it, coping
(02:53):
back the pan your far s,that's like the the world. And then
I sat fum this time queens andso sorry Will seems done with three dots
(04:15):
doping sat at the STA. Iwould like to welcome the show a true
(05:04):
not only a DFW legend, buta pro wrestling legend and a life legend.
Really, Kevin van Eric, thankyou so much for being here.
How are you doing to day?My pleasure? I'm so glad to be
here. I love it in Dallas. Yeah, I mean, welcome back.
I know you have been living inHawaii for a very long time,
and you do. I mean,I've heard you and the boys have come
back on some of this family aswell. What's it been like being back
(05:24):
in the DFW area. That's great. They kind have a big show where
I think the boys are gonna behere. What the twenty first does get
there? Yeah? Yeah, they'redoing so much or so busy, but
it's gonna be a great time maybeor so well. So. I always
ask what's your earliest memory of prowrestling? But you grew up in a
wrestling family, what is the actualfirst memory that you have like vividly of
(05:45):
pro wrestling, well, do youknow, Like to me, it was
just another normal life I kind ofstuff. Everybody's dad got in the ring
and beat up beat people, youknow, but it was way different.
It was like guy, and oh, my brothers, we love my dad
so much, you know, weare We're a really close family. And
(06:06):
so when the matches will be on, you know, we when we couldn't
stand and see dad getting beat,you know, we'd get and when the
crowd was cheering, we knew dadwas being beat and we just couldn't look.
So we delegate one brother to watch, you know, and Dad's winning
star watching again, you know,And it was it was just you know,
(06:30):
I think my dad was like me, it's you realize after being in
the business a while, that isa it is a widow maker the businesses,
you know, and uh, thewives suffer and the children's suffer when
the dad's not there. And andso I didn't want to be like that.
But I've seen a lot of wrestlers. I did grow up in the
business, and my dad was areally sharp guy and he could see that.
(06:56):
You know, life goes on,but with and and your family.
It's just not with you. It'sjust another day, another day, another
day, and it's just a cyclethat's you have to break it if you
want to be a man that youknow, put your family cars true.
I mean, it's in wrestling.It's it's hard a lot of times because
you're low on money and all.But but we just made it happen.
(07:21):
We stayed in cheap hotels, youknow, and just as we would stayed.
I tried to take them with youas much as I could so that
we'd have to have that time.And I'm glad we did, and I'm
glad my boys look at it andthat way too, because life is happening
fast. And maybe it's more realto me than other people because I've seen
so much death amongst my loved ones. But life is happening fast, and
(07:45):
it's going to be over soon.That beautiful baby you're looking at right now,
it's going to change. And Ijust try to tell people live enjoy
every minute, don't wish time arguingand fighting forgive each other and we love
each other, see the best ineach other. And because these days are
not coming back. Yeah, Andit's just it's just something you learn and
(08:07):
now it's something I want to tellpeople won't know if you haven't, if
you've been fortunate enough to not havepeople that your love die like this,
well, just no, enjoy everyminute because it's bleeding. It's going fast.
Yeah, tomorrow's I promised you.That's right. Yeah. Now AW
is here in the Metroplex for thisweek, for basically the next month.
Every Saturday you got something going on. Next Friday is obviously ring of honor
(08:28):
as well. Now that you've comeback to the Metroplex growing up here,
what has it been like seeing thegrowth and like, like we kind of
talked about before we start recording,everything is just so busy and bigger here.
How are you enjoying just the growththat the Metroplex have been. Wow,
it's something else, you know whenI think about how much it's changed
(08:48):
just since I lived here. Youknow when when I was a little boy,
do you have w Airport wasn't hereyet? You know it was love
Field. Yeah. In fact,I can give you a little history here
that you know, when somebody diesin wrestling, they ring the bill ten
times. You know, it's areal respectful thing. You know, my
dad started that really. Yeah,we were come. He was coming out
(09:11):
of love Field to work in SaintLouis and uh, his was the last
flight out when Kennedy got killed andhe was declared dead at one o'clock,
right, and so my dad flewonto Saint Louis and they got there and
they had to sell out crowd andSam much and it comes to the back
and the promoter comes to my backkills my dad. He said, Fritz,
(09:31):
we'n't have to cancel the show.The president was assassinated. A little
while we'd go with, Dad said, and it was it was devastating to
everybody, you know, the president. But Dad said, Sam, I
think it would be show more respectby instead of just canceling the show if
we all have a moment of silenceof prayer and we bring the bell ten
(09:52):
times slowly when we're thinking about Andit was a great idea and it was
respectful that came up. So wellit's still to this day they do that.
Right. Well, I think inthe back of my mind, my
brother the brothers and I knew thatmy dad really was uh, he was
a smart man, but he wasalso didn't have to give that money back.
(10:15):
Yeah, there's a lot of moneygive back, especially in Saint Louis
back to the day. Yeah,Now, speaking of things you guys started,
you guys were the first ones todo music for entrances, which now
if you don't have a music forentrance, it's actually the opposite of normal.
Now everybody has got I mean,especially now that we things are so
(10:37):
like the Glass Break for Stone Cold, the Ultimate Warriors, the everybody's got
their their music that they just werelike boom identifiable with them who really kind
of came up with that idea andobviously it took off bigger than anybody ever
thought it would. Well, thisis a little more crazy wrestling history.
But Michael Haysen I used to bea tag teothart wow WTVS in Atlanta and
(11:00):
we were coming to the ring andhe was free bird Michael Hayes and I'm
just Kevin Bond Eric. You know, I don't wear silk scarves and swish
around like that, you know,yeah, you know, but uh he
played free bird going to the ring, and it was just as going to
(11:20):
the ring with Michael and seeing Ijust pictured what we could do if we
Because my brothers and I were hadthis unique situation where we were young guys
in this world of old men.It was. It was. And as
far as we wanted to change theentrances, we wanted to be like a
(11:41):
concert, you know, with thelasers and the good sound, and then
the NFL we like those slow motioncollisions, you know, and show that.
So we wanted our show to havesome of these groundbreaking new things that
happened in television that people didn't reallyhave. And and so we were able
to do a lot of things thatwere first because we were young kids that
(12:01):
were hungry and we loved making agood TV show and watching that rating go
up, and it was going upevery week. And our syndication a new
market or three new markets, fournew markets, and we had so many.
It was we became innovators. Itwas wrestling had been the way.
Actually, my dad is the guythat had started studio wrestling in Columbus,
(12:26):
Ohio, where we started, wherethe format that lays out the matches,
the interviews and all that. Mydad did all that because he was the
president of the NWA back when whenwe were in high school, in junior
high he was the n w Apresident and it was just like an offer
(12:48):
for us to be able to Okay, you think you can do something different,
Okay, let's do it. Andwe could because the other wrestlers,
a lot of wrestlers were old menback then and now archives were young athletes.
You were the new generation coming.Yeah, and it was made for
great TV. And we also laidthem in. We hit each other hard,
you know, because you know we'repaid. Well, let's aren't it.
(13:11):
You know, when we got outthere and had a good match,
and when you put all of yourselfinto something, well then you're able to
get more out of it. Youknow, you only get out of suff
what you put into it. Andwe were just really pulling our guts into
those matches, and the ratings wereclimbing and going up and up, and
we uh and then with the fansand the girls, they just kicked it
(13:33):
over the top. You know.Now, music is to a lot of
people a time machine. You canhear a song and it takes you back
to a certain place, It bringsfeelings back, it does you know,
it does all kinds of great things. What does the song stranglehold? Where
does that take you? What isthe first memory that kind of comes back?
Well, it's got a really goodsolo in it. It's amazing.
(13:58):
The gym yesterday, it was awesome. That's where that's what I really wanted
to come to the ring to thatsolo, you know, that was so
good. But uh, but that'sthat's between. I heard the song and
I thought, you know, Ihad a hold at the time where no
one else did. My body strangleholdhad gone the roops, and I'd catch
him on the run and clamp mylegs around him and squeeze, and every
(14:18):
time you next sale, I'd holdit and hold it where you know,
I could really put the hurd onyou, you know. And so I
was calling it my body stranglehold inthe name of the song of Stranglehold.
So kind of work easy about that. And I kind of picked the music
for for my brothers, but uh, Carrie picked his own. So that
(14:39):
was Tom Sawyer had a great song. It's so awesome. I love that.
And now Dave, Dave didn't havea head for music, you know,
and so he put that song on. When I die, I mean,
I go ahead in Dave, notthat one is because you know you
(15:00):
need it. They kind of havelike a contained energy, kind of light
usually within like the first five tosix seconds. If you haven't really got
them, you've got it. Thefirst pro is an interesting sound, and
then the crescendo final an explosion ofmusic, and then spotlights kicked. It
will open, you know, it'sa great opening, you know, but
not win. I die. SoI just said, I said, let's
(15:24):
there's a song by Fin Lizzie calledCowboys Slung Babe and it's I'm Just Cowboy
and once Along Betrayal and then theyyeah, I love it, Kevin all
that country tell you we want thepeople to be excited and you know,
jazzed when you hit the ring andhe goes, yeah, you do your
way. I'll do man, Isaid, all right, Which is funny
because that song is now played atevery Texas Rangers game. So is it
(15:46):
really every game Texas Texas Rangers?Every time that I believe it's every time
they win? Cowboys the first oneand I die, Yeah, Chuck,
we're going to play it every time. I think day have met Tanya Tucker
and they were in the town togetherand they called along or sometth I think
(16:06):
that's why he did it. Oh, I mean, I imagine that would
be so much fun. Now wekind of touched on Michael Hayes earlier.
Can you did you even imagine thatMichael Hayes would be one of the most
important people in pro wrestling when youwere teaming with him back in the day
or even going against him back inthe day. Michael Hayes is like a
h he's a he's a real artist. He is. He lives life wi
(16:29):
a different drummer, you know.I mean, he really does. He's
his own man, and I don'tknow anybody else like him, but he
is. He was just made tobe a free bird, made to take
care of those other two. Andhe can talk. And what an interview
he put out there. He wasjust so good and uh but the thing
(16:51):
was, in wrestling, you wanta guy that can talk like that but
is also an athlete and can dazzlepeople. Well, Michael had the He
had those one really good gift.He was really talk but he didn't have
the athletic ability for the Terry Gordyor a Buddy had really eating. Both
of them were agile and strong andquick, and but Mike could talk.
(17:14):
And when you take those two guysand put him with Mike talking, it
just made for a great for agreat show. In fact, like after
the Free Birds we wrestled up orI Mike and I Kerry got hurt and
so Michae and lust on the ChrisAdams and Geno. But we had some
(17:34):
great matches. And even though Ginawas the talker, Chris was such a
good athlete, and Gina was reallya better athlete I think than Michael athlete.
I mean, but Michael the wayhe could talk, and and he
was violent too, and so butuh so he was Chris. Michael Hayes
(17:55):
was just great for us at thetime. But you know, it was
like just a perfect time of life. It was just we were young,
they were young, and we justwanted to put the best show we could
out there. And we didn't mindhurting each other song, you know,
And so that was what makes itgood. Nobody complained, you know,
if we knocked a couple of teethout, you know, good shot,
(18:18):
good nuts, you know. Itjust it's a good show. We know
what we're doing. So I lovethat now as much as things, I
mean, things will always get betterand progress and the way the businesses progressed,
and obviously the partying has gone wayfurther down and people are being a
lot more safe and the concussions arebecoming taken care of. Is there something
that you kind of see in thecurrent product that you kind of wish would
go back to the way it wasback when you were wrestling. Yeah,
(18:44):
well that has changed a lot,because it was a lot different when there
were so many girls and little kidsin the wind. Yeah, I mean
you kind of realize how different itwas. You know, they smoked,
but oh yeah, everybody smoked.And I'm we're going to the ring.
And when you're on television, andwhen you're you've been on TV a while,
(19:04):
when people see you, you're kindof not real from it, and
they kind of lose themselves. Theycan kind of forget what they're doing.
And everybody smoked that you and thoselittle kids, little toddlers would be in
the crowd and they're standing right eyelevel with those cigarettes. Yeah, and
so I picked the kids up,you know, And and I've tried to
always. I saw a little kidget burned when I first got started,
(19:26):
and I saw that the people up. I came up, Kevin, Kevin,
Kevin. Then we're talking and they'renot thinking, and little girls I
got burned. So now and I'mgonna I'm gonna watch out for that,
you know. And and you cansee me go into the ring sometimes see
me pick up a little kid,you know, out of a group of
grown ups, you know, getaway from little cigarettes until until I'm out
(19:47):
of there and they can start thinkingstraight again. Because it's it's something about
that television builds you up to awhere no man should be. Yeah,
you know it's not real. It'sTV. And it's like, you know,
the TV always talks about your yourgreat points, how high you can
jump, how fast you can run, how good you were and all that.
(20:08):
But you got to remember it's it'sTV. It's made for entertainment.
You can't no man should be liftedup that eye. You know, we
were men. And when I goto the ring and I see and I
was like, the so and sois God. You know that I would
have never seen that back in thoseold days. You know, I think
(20:32):
by having girls and children and kidsin the crowd, we were more of
a morally conscious you know, wedidn't want to see dirty words and bad
things. We say yes start ofthe announcer and all because a lot of
our audience were what they used tocall latch key kids. Their parents both
work. The kids get off fromschool, they get off the bus,
and they locked the door when theyget home because mom and dad's not home,
(20:56):
right whoever, no more dad,And so we had to think about
kids or you know, we arekind of bom bubbles, you know.
So we want to say yes ora nosa and try to you know,
make our show be you know,conducive to raising a healthy ward. Yeah,
teach the manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. They
(21:18):
teach the manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. I'm sorry.
Teach those manners that they may notbe getting taught somewhere else. That's
right. Consider each other. Andyou know you never hear things like if
you can't say anything nice, don'tsay anything at all. And that used
to be here. Your mom saidthat a couple of times a week,
you know, but you don't hearthose kind of things anymore. We anybody
(21:41):
knows when you go to school orwith other children and you'll see one little
kid be single to out be embarrassedby the teacher and all the kids will
laugh at them. It can dosomething to you. It can make you
never want that to happen, soyou stick up for the week, stand
up for people that are can bepushed around. Well, you see it
(22:03):
happen, and you don't do anythingabout it, and the next time it's
easier to ignore and easier. Andthat's the way people seem to be behaving
and treating each other. When Ithink that's a change, that people weren't
so cooled each other right now,I want to say down here on the
South out there in Hawaii, Idid miss Texas. I sat because people
(22:26):
are really not like they are herewhen you might hear it talking on the
media about racism, racism, racism, because I think it's that's how these
people get elected. I think theyget money off of that somehow, because
if you watch Texas when a hurricaneor a torneo guns to, look how
the people help each other. Givea crap about skin color. People help
(22:48):
each other and it's a homent.They do losing in and they do all
the places I go. I justfeel like there's some kind of entity in
our government that wants people to believethis, so that didn't keep their machine
going when when I see you logo, I see the same thing Kevin,
(23:08):
thank you so much for your time. I feel like we get it done
this forever. And I know you'revery busy man, but it is a
true honor to meet you and beable to talk to you. So thank
you again so much. Well,it's my pleasure. I'm glad to do
it. You call call back andwe'll do it again sometime. Perfect.
Okay, thank you, buddy,Thank you. Sir Ches like this ess
(24:02):
will do you now at we disappeased bus old even Wes the Transmont Wess
(24:23):
the Transman teams take a chance likethis smoke for July fourth night, forcing
(24:52):
seas folds see the dance nights.The Recluses foot was scusion, not as
a disappears of brunstables. These wentthe Childs band to table, the dessent
(25:22):
reseat, the jazz band constant toits reasons. The shows plant it is,
(26:21):
Bess, The shows plants costs asThanks so much to Kevin von Eric
(27:23):
for being on the show again.What an absolute legend he is. And
do not forget aew will be atthe Esports Stadium every Saturday until August seventeenth,
and this Friday is Ring of HonorDeath before dishonor you are not gonna
want to miss it. Absolutely amazing. Also, thank you so much to
zachly the Last Name. You justheard his song Spirits in the floor and
(27:44):
on top of the show we hadChloe Clemente with her song This Time Love.
Absolutely amazing. Definitely check out ourlocal music. It is amazing.
And while you're doing all the things, make sure to eat local, drink
local, and rediscover your city.Tag us and send those picture is over
to us on Facebook Arlington Citizen Media, Twitter a t X Citizen Media.
Tag us on Instagram Arlington Citizen Mediaand send us send those pictures of the
(28:08):
old fashioned way email Arlington Citizen Mediaat gmail dot com. Also go to
our website www dot Arlington Citizenmedia dotcom. Don't forget to subscribe and give
those five star reviews of the downtownat Apple Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts,
and also hit us on SoundCloud,iHeartRadio and YouTube. A bogle of
(29:02):
doctor Boy at Bart and the otherApple of antipoppopp
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