Show: wrestleBREAKdown
Guest: Animal
Date: 30 October 2003
Host: Andy Steven and John Sivewright
Recap by: Scott Stover
Road Warrior Animal was recently interviewed on wrestleBREAKdown during what he called "a very trying week" because of the burial of his long time parter Hawk (Michael Hegstrand). Here is a recap of the interview:
-- Animal talks about the services that have been held for his partner including the one in Tampa where many of his former WWE co-workers payed their respects.
-- He talked about learning of his death and compares it to the death of a close relative and that they brought out the best of each other. He also briefly talks about other people using the names of Legion of Doom and Road Warriors and plans to take legal action if they continue.
-- He talks about his future and that many of his matches or upcoming events he is a part of could be tribute matches and that it will be very different for him.
-- He talks about Hawk being remembered exactly how he wanted to be with many hits (200,000 in 4 days! ) to their website and condolence e-mails, mentioning some of them in particular and to him that it is very important because of the recent downturn in the business and that its important to their fans because they associate with them very well.
-- He also mentions doing an upcoming episode of WWE Confidental to be taped right after that interview!
-- Animal goes onto to talk about how he got his start in the business and that it actually started during the old USFL days (United States Football League) and met Ed Sharky who trained other famous wrestlers while he was bouncing at a local bar. Sharky wanted to put together a wrestling camp and invited them to come because of his football background and diving experience. After trying it, Ole Anderson came to take a look at him right before his USFL tryouts and thats how the Road Warriors first started.
-- Then he talks about his time with the AWA and how they first started out ! in the main event spotlight and it helped them to learn from all time wrestling greats.
-- He then talks about starting with the WWF as they were looking at them as early as 1988 but couldn't because of a match offer from Jim Crockett Promotions. Eventually they met Vince in the early 90's and it was primetime for them to make their move.
-- He also talked about their run as the WWF Tag Team Champions and that Vince thought they would need to be introduced which lead to a bout (on Coliseum Video) with the Road Warriors against the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). He talks about how strong their gimmick was and that it was hard for people to buy their "human side" they got in the WWF but it never changed their popularity amongst the fans.
-- Animal then talks about the situation about losing the titles to Money, Inc. at a WWF house show and he said they never lost them and that the match never took place. There was a business disagreement and thats what led to their departure and return at WrestleMania VIII.
-- He then talks about the reason for their WWF departure in the 90's and they did not like the "darker, darker, darker" approach the WWF wanted to take.
-- Then he goes into talking about their time in WCW and they did not have a great working relationship with Eric Bischoff and says they they got screwed because the company wanted to buy their Japanese rights and they couldn't come to an agreement.
-- He said that the backstage atmosphere was alright but felt that there were guys who were making a lot more money than they should have been making by just sitting at home and beating the system. He talks about how many wrestlers are out for longer periods of time for lesser injuries than back in earlier days.
-- After that, he talked about their WWF return and felt that they should've beat The Headbangers on their return b! ut Jake Roberts (who was booking at the time) thought the Headbangers were the team of the future. He felt that they returned in a good spot but were not delivered promises that were made to them.
-- He talked about his feelings of the Attitude Era and hated it and thought it was stupid. He thought that the entire episode with Hawk acting drunk went too far.
-- He talked about his return to WCW in early 2001 and that the attitude was a lot better and was waiting for Hawk to return right before WCW was bought out by the WWF.
-- He also discussed the match on Raw against Kane and Rob Van Dam and thought that if business was done as it should have been done--they would have came in and wiped them up. The original plan was for them to do a dark match that night and were asked to do a match on tv at about 4pm that day and they said no--but the rumor got all over the internet and that many signs were made within that three hour period. They were going to get about a 10 minute match but only got about 2 minutes to wrestle.
-- He also talked about cheers being piped in but they got a standing ovation during their match and for their next match the next night, they got an even louder ovation. He attributes that to the Road Warrior gimmick withstanding time.
-- He talks about them wanting to go to the WWE to retire and thought their matches would lead to that return but the WWE never called them back and thinks they were trying to make people forget them being on Raw and they were supposed to be brought back but can't now due to Hawk's death.
-- He also talked about working with NWA-TNA but is not doing anything for them right now. He talked about selling out the Fairgrounds three weeks in a row and were not back since. He also mentions that they were a fickle company and that 99% of their show is devoted to Jeff Jarrett.&nb! sp; If asked to go back, he would have to consider everything before making a decision.
-- He talks about the future of the business and that it needs to change. He feels since September 11th that people want to see a change back to the old "good guy/bad guy" era and that a change of values and morality in the business would make a big difference.
-- He then went into talking about his and Hawk's book that will be coming out in 2004 called "What A Rush" and an upcoming autobiography that will be written after that.
-- He was asked about ribbing stories from the past and couldn't think of any off the top of his head but it made him think about the great time Hawk is having right now with Davey Boy Smith, Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Stu Hart and having the time of his life!
-- He closes the interview by saying he will carry on the name Road Warriors and wishes to thank all of the UK fans for their support and especially for delivering what he considers his favorite wrestling moment with the fans cheering for the Road Warriors at Wembley Stadium at SummerSlam '92!
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