Listeners' Poll
Tom Zenk
Greatest Guest Ever
Final part
Dave Meltzer On 16 October, 2000 Wrestling Observer Live listeners voted Tom Zenk best guest in the history of the show. The final count was Tom Zenk 48%, Raven 22%, Jim Cornette 11%, Ric Flair 10%, Bad News Allen 10%. Announcing the poll results, Meltzer conceded that the vote was 'overwhelming' and a 'landslide' but chided his listeners saying "I wouldn't have voted for Zenk. I would have voted for Bad News Allen."
Zenk - So, can you imagine. I had a really great match with Pillman, I had a lot of good matches with Benoit and Steve Austin - but I could never advance. None of the bookers, with all of their knowledge and brain power could see that I could wrestle or said, "Hey wait a minute, we could use him to our advantage". It's just like they've been doing beating Luger around here in these shows in South Dakota or Iowa in front of 600 people.Meltzer - Right, right, right - when they were keeping him off TV but bringing him to the house shows just to lose to General Rection and Shane Douglas.
Zenk - Yeah, well I mean, what's the point in that ...
Meltzer - They're trying to make his life miserable and make him quit - but who is going to quit with that kind of money?
Zenk - EXACTLY. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!! I mean they shouldn't be copying my gimmick. I think I trademarked that!! They shouldn't be taking a page out of Z-Man!! Nah, you don't quit on that kind of money. It doesn't matter. What you should do is to beat them on TV. They should bring DDP in to do the favors that a lot of guys did for him. I had to lose to him. And when he was champion and he won the belt from Flair. What I want to know is how many kamikazes did it take Flair to get to sleep that night after he had to lose to a geek like DDP!!! (laughter) Joey Maggs called me, "Do you think he's going to pick names out of a fishbowl, like he did with you?" Do you remember that angle with his wife, picking names out of a fishbowl.
Meltzer - Yeah.
Zenk - Yeah. Yeah.... I mean there have been so many blunders and mistakes. It's unbelievable how they've ruined that company. And WHERE'S JOHNNY B.BADD?
Brian Alvarez - Managing Rena ....
Zenk - WCW gave him $330,000 a year...
Meltzer -That's right ... and he went to Vince.
Zenk - He went to Vince. And then they go "Oh no!! We bought a pig in a sack. He can't wrestle!!"
Meltzer - And then - oh boy ....
Zenk - What. Say it ... say it!!
Meltzer - No I mean - they made his wife into a superstar and used it to drive him out ....
Zenk- Can you imagine that..... Boy, I guess he had a lot of talent!!
Meltzer - We're going to (caller) Matt in Vancouver. Hey Matt, what's going on.
Matt - How are you doing tonight?
Meltzer - We're doing good. We're doing really good.
Zenk - Hey Matt. Is that Matt Burns ? [pun]
Meltzer - No, no. This is not Doink the Clown [Matt Bourne!!]
Zenk - (laughter) Very good - what's up?
Matt - Out of all your bosses is there any that you have any family relations with, like you're friends of?
Zenk - Family relations (laughter). No, no nepotism. No no no!! It's not an incestuous family here, no.
Matt - What did you think of Larry Zbyszko doing commentary when he was on Nitro?
Zenk - Oh, you know I think there was history there with Eric Bischoff. Because Larry was a pretty nice guy to Eric [in the AWA]. Eric could get along with pretty much everyone. Larry was kind of clever. It was Verne's territory and he married Verne's daughter and I think he was just kind of nice to Eric and Eric just kept him on and gave him a job. But Zbyszko was the guy who made a career out of one match with Bruno.
Meltzer - Yeah.
Matt - Larry's not really 'The Living Legend' - that's Bruno Sammartino. So isn't that copyright or something?
Meltzer - Well you can't copyright 'The Living Legend' . But Bruno may have trademarked it. I don't know.
Zenk - I think the gimmick there was like this. I saw Zbyszko in the gym and he could bench press pretty good. And I said "Oh I know your gimmick. You're a neighbor of Bruno and you sucked up to him and you were a bench presser and you had a lot in common and you were 'the son that he never had'" And he just kind of smirked and winked at me.
Meltzer - Yeah....
Matt - The guy who owns Mandalay Sports - is that the kid from 'The Wonder Years'?
Zenk - No he's just a partner, right Dave?
Meltzer - Peter Guber is the main guy but Jason Hervey, he's a big wig there, I know that.
Brian Alvarez - Hervey was the guy from 'The Wonder Years'.
Matt - He was at the first Clash of the Champions, right.
Meltzer - He was a judge at the first Clash of the Champions. And he got hit by Paul E. Dangerously's telephone on probably another Clash of Champions. And he did color commentary on a couple of Nitros.....
Zenk - ......which was terrible!!
Meltzer - which was terrible, yeah!
Matt - Tom! Whenever the shows come, do you go backstage and see any of the guys?
Zenk - No. Because if you do that, and you're just nice to visit like that, they think you're snooping around for a job. I'm not looking for work in wrestling. Well, not in the ring unless you offer me the same as DDP and these guys are getting - a million or a million and a half is fine. "And I'll do jobs, I can wear a mask, there's no trouble - I never question the finishes." Gee, I wonder what they'd pay for a guy like me now? ......
Matt - Half a million!
Zenk - ..... I have no injuries. I never got injured and I never injured anyone. I made all of my shots and look at the prima donnas now. If they came up with a million dollars, yeah sure. It would take me three months to get in shape cause I'm cut at about 205 right now. But you know, I don't see any motivation. It's cash. I just wanted money. That's what I was doing wrestling for. It's about the money.
Partying with Flair ....
Matt - Do you have any good road stories of you in the early 90s with WCW.
(laughter).
Zenk - Oh my gawd. Don't get me started!!
Matt - Like any groupies or something?
Meltzer - Oh gawd please, no!
Zenk - Yeah! Dave knows. ...Night after night . Talk about entertainment. Pillman and I - he was a blonde haired guy - I was a dark haired guy. And if he couldn't get one - well they liked either the blonde haired guy or the dark haired guy. Yeah, there's a lot of stories, a lot of stories. And we put heat on ourselves because the top guys, their favorite saying was, (impersonating Flair) "Don't you know who I am." Pillman and I didn't need to walk into a bar and say stuff like that to have people notice us. The long hair, the way we looked, and god bless our parents. I mean we could be losers [in the ring] and the guys would look at me as if I was some kind of a jerk, but we could pull girls out at a bar and they [the girls] couldn't care less [whether we were stars or not]. "Where can we have a good time? We're from out of town." And Brian would look at them with that choir boy smile, and the innocent looking face and the jewellery. (laughter) We dressed nice and we played the part, And I'm sure Flair, Sting, they just pulled their hair out - all the married guys. They don't like young, good looking single guys in the business. I remember one time emphatically. We were out with Flair, we were talking and girls were around and Flair told these girls that both Brian and I were married men but this girl came and stooged it off. And we went back and said "What are you doing. What do you mean. We're not married." And Flair goes, "I didn't say that!" And we said "But this girl told us - that you said you guys were married." And he said "Well, I'm Ric Flair. I'm Ric Flair, he he" and he did that little jig, that little dance "Whoooooa" (laughter). But he's the booker man and he was the most charming man that I ever met "God bless you sir, God bless you sir." He could overcome anything. I've never had so much fun. It's like Brian said (impersonating Pillman) "Tom I just like being around the guy. I don't care if he lies, or bull shits people. He's a lot of fun to be around with, and that's what I want to do, is hang with him." (laughter) And Flair is. I mean he said things, and I'm sure he put a few nails in my coffin, but the past is the past, bygones is bygones. He's the most charming, entertaining, fun guy going out, I've EVER met. He puts on a show. It's like Johnny Ace said "You've gotta go with Flair You gotta see the Ric Flair show". He spends money - I've never seen anyone harder on cash than Ric Flair. A lot of fun. No one can compare to him.
Matt - Are there any more Anderson brothers in the business?
Zenk - Ole got his son - just like Dusty and Watts - he got his son in the business. His name was Brian and I think he wrestled in Chattanooga, right Dave?
Meltzer - Yeah, he wrestled for Cornette for a little while, and then he never really wrestled after that.
Zenk - And why was that?
Meltzer - I think Gene's son wrestled for a little while, Brad Anderson
Zenk - Zan Panzer...
Meltzer - Yeah Zan Panzer ..
Zenk - He was a really nice kid. A really really nice kid! And so was Gene. Gene always looked after me when I was in WCW - just like Jody Hamilton. The old timers were the ones I always listened to. They'd been around and knew if you were being shafted - like Harley Race and different ones. But I always looked at the old timers and thought "Gawd - Am I going to look like this when I get older. Broken down or depressed". So I'm glad I got out. Glad I had the fun that I had. 10 or 12 years. The stories - I don't think I could tell them on Dave's show but yeah it was incredible - just incredible.
Matt - But none of the old timers really helped you? Is it just like, really, a fight to survive in the wrestling business?
Zenk - Well ...Brian [Pillman] he knew the deal because he'd been dropped in football. And he was damned if he was going to lose in wrestling especially given that it was a work. His feelings got hurt. I've seen the guy cry several times with the manipulating they do in wrestling. He got burned a few times by different people. But in WCW he took a shine to Mike Graham and Mike Graham helped him because he was a short guy too. So they had a common bond. And Brian was a good worker in and out of the ring. And Mike Graham, when you're a booker - well, Graham wasn't a booker, he was a road agent ......or stooge! Brian wanted a mentor and bookers and agents have a lot of knowledge but the problem is trying to get that knowledge out of them to help you advance. And Mike Graham was loyal to Dusty, y'know, they used to push Dustin. And I used to question it. I was very vocal, like I am now. Everyone knew that I was outsoken. Everyone knew where I stood. And the same things I say today were the same things I said back then. It didn't help me any but I just couldn't believe they ran the company like that. I said "Oh no they're going to run it into the ground!"
Matt - What do you think of WWF putting Dustin as a queer cartoonish character?
Zenk - IT REALLY WORKED GOOD!! That's the most over Dustin Rhodes will EVER be!! And like when I was in the Can-Am Connection, 6 months on [WWF] TV was like 3 to 4 years on WCW. People would come up to Martel and myself and say "Can we have your autograph?". Guys in suits and ties!! They were really into it back in 86, 87. It was popular. WWF is THE show for wrestling. The kind of wrestling I like was when I was a wrestler, you know. But it's NEVER going to go back to that and you have to swing with the times. I just want to see Stephanie McMahon in a T-back and stuff, like Terri Runnels. You know what I'm saying.
DM - Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhh h (laughter)
Stephanie McMahon
Zenk - YOU know what I'm saying!! I'm sure it's not a sexist thing at all but he should have his daughter do the same as he does to the other girls do, isn't that right?
Matt - the T and A is good.
Zenk - But the guys I work with want to see it nude. They want to see the shirts come off. They want to go one further on a pay per view.
Meltzer - Have you ever noticed on all those video shoots, the only one that doesn't have to do it is Stephanie.You know when they do all the bikini shots and calendars in the Bahamas.
Zenk - And why do you think that is?
Meltzer - Because of who her dad is. She doesn't have to do that. Her role is a serious character - the rest are window dressing.
Zenk - Now does she really date HHH?
Meltzer - At one point but now I hear HHH and Chyna are back together.
Zenk- Chyna. Isn't that that girl that beat up - now what's his name - the WCW Champion - eh ...Jarrett.
(laughter)
Meltzer -Yeah. .
Zenk - She beat him in a match right? Didn't she beat him in a match and then he left - but he held them up for a big payday.
Meltzer - Yeah he got $150,000 or $200,000 for the last match. His contract ran out the day before but he held them up, right.
Zenk - BUT HE GOT BEAT BY A BROAD. AND HE'S THE WCW WORLD CHAMPION, NOW HOW DOES THAT WORK? I never lost to a woman - but they made him champion. Now that's the double standard in wrestling. People ought to smarten up on that. Oh jeeze. Talent I don't think so. If they drew - well - but look at the gates. The gates are atrocious.
Meltzer - We've got to go to one more break and we're back for the last part of our show ....
Is Jason Hervey a Funk ....
Meltzer - There's an email here - I think you know the particulars - it kind of rang a bell for me...
Zenk - Yeah but Dave remember I'm a dinosaur. This was a long time ago. You've got a lot of knowledge on it but ... OK what is it?
Meltzer - OK well this person says that Jason Hervey on WCW Live said that Terry Funk is his uncle. Now I remember being with Jason Hervey and Terry Funk - and Jason Hervey told me that Terry Funk was his godfather or something.
Zenk- What - Were you guys nude or what?
Meltzer - No! No but I'm skeptical of it because where would there be that connection.
Zenk - Well all I know about Hervey is the letter that he sent to put Bischoff over to help him out because Bischoff was always a big mark for TV and always wanted to be somebody. One of those guys who likes to hang around big guys or whatever. But I heard his [Hervey's] mother was an agent. You should talk to Missy Hyatt. She has the history on it. You should get Missy Hyatton on your show!!
Meltzer - Missy Hyatt - we've got to get Missy Hyatt to do the show.
Zenk - Well if there's anything I can do to help you out. I'm sure that's what was my demise. There's a correlation between when I got my release from WCW and when I appeared on her [Missy Hyatt's] list of witnesses for that sexual harassment case.
Meltzer - Oh really?
Zenk - Yeah I saw her in Florida the night that Bischoff just trashed her - she came out crying and Bischoff was drinking - and I said "If you need a witness, I'll testify." You know what they did to her and how they humiliated her That's why it's always been a sealed and covered up settlement. But she's got a lot of history. She used to live with that Jason Hervey.
Meltzer - Oh yes, for years ....
Zenk - That's what I'm saying. She knows the whole deal. But she told me one time, if I'm not mistaken, that Jason's mom is an agent...
Meltzer - Jason's mom is an agent, I remember that now ...
Zenk - I'm thinking maybe that's the connection with Funk. I don't think he's the godfather (impersonating Funk) "I mean Terry's got a lot of stories and stuff like that - but I don't think he's the godfather of anybody - unless they're from Texas." No he's a great guy but I don't think there's a connection there, do you?
Meltzer - It didn't sound right but do you know what I think it was - OK OK OK - I think that Terry Funk, mid 1980s, was on a TV series called 'Wild Side' and I think that Jason was also on that show as one of the kids of one of the main characters. And that would probably be where they met and then Jason was always a big time wrestling fan. I got to tell you a Jason Hervery story that will probably get me in trouble since Jason is going to be in power in a few weeks time.
Zenk - Yeah, but how long is that going to last .... how long do you think they can take $8 million a month losses. Come on Dave you know better than that.
Meltzer - Yeah but I've got to tell this Jason story.....
Zenk - OK tell me, tell me. "And then I've got one for you."
Pillman whacked ....
Meltzer - OK. A couple of years ago they had this Convention - the TV and Radio Show were they sell programming to the stations. So anyway, WCW was doing a Clash in conjunction with it, so that they could get all the TV big wigs to go. So it was in Vegas. In fact this may have been the same day that Pillman met Vince McMahon. It's actually the story that changed Pillman's life. I'll get to that one in a second too. Anyway, I'm in there walking down the aisle and I've known Jason Hervey for many, many years - he's hung out at the independent shows, dated Missy Hyatt, hung around wrestling, read the Observer ...
Zenk - Sounds like a lot of fun to be with ....
Meltzer - I'm walking down the aisle and there's Jason. I hadn't talked to him in a couple of years. I said 'Jason, how're you doing." And he looked at me and points at me and says "You're uh...uh...uh". And like he knows me by sight, but he was doing that thing of pretending not to know me...
Zenk - Like a big shot ...
Meltzer - Yeah.... "You're u..uh... Dave...Meltzer!" And I went Yeah. And he goes "You don't still watch wrestling now do you?" And I said "Yeah, I still write about wrestling." And he goes "Yeah I USED to like wrestling." Kinda like it used to be fun, but I've gone on to bigger and better things. That night, he's back at the WCW show, kissing up to all the wrestlers. So anyway, Pillman shows up and Pillman is totally out of his mind in Vegas ...
Zenk - Clarify that. What do you mean 'totally out of his mind.' You mean whacked.
Meltzer - Yeah, he's whacked..
Zenk - OK I know that feeling.....
Meltzer - He was doing that think where him and Bischoff were 'working the world'. Remember that time period. So I'm leaving and he shows up. And you can't get in to the show without this pass. So I'm leaving and I hand him my pass and he runs in. And I hear the first thing he does is run up to Vince McMahon and he has someone take a picture of the two of them together. And Vince just thinks this guy is totally out of his mind and it took like Ross and some of the other guys who knew Pillman to talk Vince into it. Vince was like afraid to negotiate with the guy, he thought he was totally out of his mind but finally hired him.
Zenk - Brian was real clever. He knew Jim Ross was a huge mark for football. Ross always liked football players. I remember him saying (impersonating Pillman) "Hey Jim d'you have your game face on." He used to work Ross like you can't believe. And Jim bought into it. And Jim's a nice guy but he didn't ever do anything for me. A color commentator is told what to say and who to push. They can make or break you. Jim Ross liked Brian and he liked the football thing. These guys, Jason Hervey, Eric Bischoff, Jim Ross, they like to control big guys. That's why Jason Hervey was giving you the gaga "Oh do you still do that" and then, boom, he's back among the big guys. (laughter) But he's a little midget too. So here's my story on him. When we did Family Feud that one time, Stinger, myself, [Pillman, Armstrong] Jim Ross - Jim Ross was a mark for TV but they didn't want Jim Ross that's what they told me, they wanted a wrestler. Why would they want an announcer? And I know you can't say anything on-air Dave because you're probably close to him [Ross] - so let me trash him (laughter) - Jason Hervey was over at the Marriott by LA airport and he picked up Pillman - Brian had got his number and met him before - and they went around in his Porsche. And Brian said (impersonating Pillman)"Hey Tom, do you want to go out with Jason and me. He's coming by at 7 in his Porsche." And they wanted to run around Hollywod and show him a good time but I said "No no" I mean I think there was about an 8 to 10 years age difference and he was a wonder years kid.....kinda geeky. But Brian wanted to go out and I think they wanted to network. A lot of the guys think they're going to be Hollywood stars and have a movie career. It's not so. The actors are not going to let these geeks in - they're wrestlers. They're not movie stars.......
Meltzer - Johnston is going to make it. Duane - The Rock.
Zenk - Of course he's got charisma. And Steve Austin with that Nash Bridges and stuff like that. But I think wrestling is on a cyclical downturn now. When Austin gets back who are they going to run through the mill. They're getting low on talent I would think. I don't know but .....
Meltzer - WWF is doing a hell of a job developing talent in those little feeder territories though.....
Zenk - I've no idea about that.....
Meltzer - Yeah, they really are. That feeder territory in Louisville.
Zenk - Hows that doing?
Meltzer - I mean they've got some really good athletes. They've got this guy Dave Nelson. I mean this guy is a freak. One of those things where he's 6'4'', 6'5'', 330 pounds, bench press 720 and he's twice the size of Scott Steiner.
Zenk - Natural?
Meltzer - OH yeah TOTALLY natural. (laughter)
Zenk - Yeah I've got it! A freak of NATURE.
Meltzer - Yeah you know about those NATURAL guys that are benching 720.
The Ultimate Warrior and Sting
Zenk - Yeah he's got good cable hook-ups, tendons, ligaments and that's just the way it is. Just like Sting is supernaturally gifted a chubby mushy fat arse with a fat man's suit and he's been on top for 15 years?? He's not stooging behind the scenes right ...(laughter) He's hiding behind the mask and the good book.
Meltzer - Yeah. The one thing..... (laughter)
Zenk - Stop laughing ..you'll get into trouble ...
Meltzer - ....the one thing with Sting is that he had that tag ever since the match with Flair in '88.
Zenk - What tag?
Meltzer - The tag where Sting is going to be the' Superstar of the Business'. 'The Most Charismatic guy'. And he never quite got there but they always treated him like he was there - and then something!!
Zenk - Yeah. I saw all the houses he drew. And I want to say thankyou to all the top guys for all the houses in the early 90's. Really nice buildings but the people were all dressed like chairs like I said. I mean they didn't draw. Sorry.
Meltzer - Yeah.
Zenk - Yet they stayed on top - and THEY'RE STILL ON TOP!!
Meltzer - Yeah. (laughter) Let's go to Dave in Cincinatti before we've got to get out of here. Hey Dave what's going on?
Dave in Cincinatti - You brought up DDP. I was just watching a match between DDP against Johnny Gunn from Main Event...
Meltzer - Tom Brandi... huh.
Dave in Cincinatti - You were in a tag team with Buff Bagwell when he was first starting out. What was it like working with Johnny Gunn and Marcus Bagwell. Because Bagwell is known for having a big head but I thought he had a lot of potential back then.
Zenk - Bagwell?
Dave in Cincinatti - Yeah - and with Johnny Gunn, I thought they were trying to recreate the Can-Am Connection.
Zenk - Well Johnny Gunn sent in an 8x10 glossy and Bill Watts walked around the office asking the secretaries "This is a good looking guy, RIGHT. This is a good looking guy". And they all went 'Uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh." (laughter) and he hired him pretty much just on that. Johnny Gunn was a nice guy but he was boring. He didn't have any sparks, he's flat-footed and I hear he drives from Phily all the way to the Mid West to wear a mask in the first match, then he comes back in the main event as Salvatore Sincere. There was nothing there for me. Brandi's work rate or the way Brandi was - he didn't bring anything to the table. I signed in WCW as a singles. Pillman, yeah that was fine. We had a good deal going on. He could shine and do all his hotspots and I didn't have an ego about it. We traded off and they were good matches. Bagwell was too green - what was he going to do to benefit me. Where was the trade-off? It was just the look they were going after. Bagwell was green and I remember Dusty came in and said "We're going to put the US titles on you" - And Bagwell said "That's going to be good, we're going to get the belts." I said "Bagwell, the belts don't mean nothing. They're just extra weight in your bag. Dusty has nothing for us. He was giving you the gaga." And Bagwell said "You think that. Oh no Dusty wouldn't lie." And I said "Listen kid ..... (laughter) ...
Meltzer - Remember Kurt Angle, Brian?
Brian Alvarez - Uh huh."I trust Vince McMahon more than any other man."
Zenk - Yeah listen, I mean if Vince McMahon told me it was raining outside I'd go out and double check. Not that I don't believe him but I'd don't want to get wet. (laughter) Don't piss down my leg and tell me it's raining outside, c'mon. I conned to get into the business ... I knew the game - I just didn't sell. I learned that from Vince McMahon. Don't sell. When they told me I had to go and get beat in two minutes, I said "Hey, that's a good finish. Do you want me to lose in one minute. That will put him over stronger, right." And obviously they're just trying to fill out time in a card. ...Bagwell and Brandi were nice guys but Bagwell never developed. I mean what happened - they made him look like a goof. I remember Piper and Flair got the best of Bagwell. He didn't stand up for himself and they got over on him. The older guys put themselves over on him ....
Meltzer - Oh you mean when Piper, I can tell you ...
Zenk - Tell me!!
Meltzer - The Piper interview story. They were setting up the boxing match. And Piper and Bagwell were supposed to do a thing on Nitro where they would go head to head with each other. And Piper went to Bagwell to work it out so that Bagwell would look good. And then Bagwell said "It's OK we can do it live." And Piper just decided he was going to make the guy look bad. And even though Roddy may not be what he was in the 80s he was enough to make Bagwell look bad in a live interview, because he had all that experience.
Zenk - Yeah - they're clever at putting themselves over. It's a very selfish business. In WCW everything was always 'OK.' You could go out and stink out the house and [they'd say] 'Good match Z." And I'd say 'What?'
Brian Alvarez - I remember that interview well. The thing Piper said to make Bagwell look bad was in the middle of the interview. He goes "How many times have you headlined Madison Square Gardens." And Bagwell's response was - "I wasn't born yet."
The goofing of Marcus Bagwell -
how to kill a wrestler's heat.
Meltzer - Yes, that was the line that Piper was waiting for. Bagwell was going off on this and this and Piper turned to him and said "How many times have you sold out Madison Square Gardens."
Zenk - Are you serious?
Meltzer - You know that's one of those thing those old timers like to say.
Zenk - Oh sure.....
Meltzer - And then Bagwell came back with "I wasn't born yet." And it was just like "Oh my gawd". But the thing with Piper is that he just bush-leagues your company by saying Madison Square Gardens and your company can't even run a show there. Because WCW can't even get into that building - they never could.
Zenk - But what I'm trying to say is - doesn't ANYONE at Turner SEE that and say "No No No we're trying to BUILD things - we're not trying to cut each other's throat". But you see no-one steps in and runs it. No-one's got any kahones!!
Meltzer - How did you like that thing where Russo came in and they started talking about "Oh, when WE were in the WWF...". And I thought - "Gawd everyone knows that you're losing. Don't go in and say they're the major league and all us guys' glory days were in the WWF. That just kills your company."
Zenk - ....and what's Russo doing on TV anyway?
Brian Alvarez - He was doing it because they "needed someone to help the ratings."
Meltzer - And he had to do it himself "because nobody else could do it."
Zenk - Oh yes.That's why they call the wrestlers 'talent'. They couldn't build any young talent that could take bumps and wrestle, right? (laughter).
Meltzer - Russo said that he didn't want to go on TV but that everyone else on the booking committee said that they needed him to go on TV- so therefore he did.
Zenk - They were WORKING him ...
Meltzer - EXACTLY, EXACTLY - look who he surrounded himself with...
Zenk - with Yes men.
Meltzer - Yeah, exactly.
Zenk - The Committees have never worked. Like Kevin Sullivan said in a Wade Keller interview - if you get up to go to the bathroom - they trash you ....BROTHER!
Dave in Cincinatti - One of the things that makes WCW always bush-league to me is that Jeff Jarrett comes from the WWF mid card and WCW just shoves him down your throat as a PPV main event. So any mid carder can walk into the WWF and immediately you're a headliner.
Meltzer - Well that's because of the mentality. Look at Brian Adams. They thought that they had this coup because they were signing Brian Adams!! You know when Vince and Brian Adams had the falling out and they signed him, they thought they had signed a major talent, remember?
Zenk - Who was the guy with the singapore cane they signed from ECW and they paid him more than they paid me - $250,000 a year?
Meltzer - Sandman?
Johnny B.Badd
a white man pretending to be an African-American pretending to be Little Richard Zenk - Yeah imagine that. And then they found out he couldn't work. Just like Marc Mero - they paid him $333,000 and he was going to do the guy from the Little Richard Story and he was taking acting lessons and I was thinking "Oh my gawd....."
Dave in Cincinatti - But if someone in that spot from ECW were to come into the WWF and the WWF wanted to push him as a headliner, the first thing they would do is to beat him down and have him job to others guys. And then they would build him back up ...
Meltzer - Chris Benoit.... yip. Raven.. um??
Dave in Cincinatti - I agree with that philosophy because when Jeff Jarrett came in and began headlining all these pay per view events ...
Meltzer - yeah, that made the whole company look bad. Well now we're totally out of time. And we've got to get out of here. Tom I want to thank you very much. I'm sure we'll do this agin.
Zenk - Yes thankyou very much. It was a pleasure talking to you. I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you laugh because "it's a very serious business". Hey, you know this reality wrestling that Bischoff is cooking up .....
Meltzer - No tell me about it
Zenk - Well, you know what they're going to do with Mandalay. They want to have 'reality wrestling' like they do with those realty TV shows. Real matches. Well what about this - Sting and Flair in a 60 minute broadway to decide who is the WCW Franchise (laughter) - or they could have me and Kevin Wacholz (remember Nailz) against Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon in a loser gets sexually harassed match (laughter) or how about Kevin Nash and DDP wrestling in just black trunks and boots ............ and metal plates and knees braces and metal rods (laughter) or Sting versus Bagwell in Loser gets Born Again (laughter)
Meltzer - OK we've really got to go....
Zenk - OK buddy.
Meltzer -We'll see everybody Monday at 6.
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