Interview With: Steve Corino
Interview By: Andy Steven
Date: September 6, 2006
Former AWA, NWA, and ECW
World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Steve Corino managed to take some
time out of his busy schedule from working for Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX and
numerous independent promotions to take part in an interview with
www.PWMania.com.
Below is the full interview:
Andy Steven: Firstly I would like to thank you for taking time out
of your busy schedule to take part in this interview for
www.PWMania.com.
What inspired you to become a wrestler, how did you break into the
wrestling business and what have you been up to recently?
Steve Corino: Thank you. I was inspired to be a pro-wrestler after
getting a taste of Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1981. From there I
just fell in love with the whole sport. Recently I have just celebrated my
fifth year in Pro-Wrestling ZERO1-MAX in Japan.
Andy Steven: You have wrestled all over the world and for several
companies such as WWE, ECW and various companies in Japan, Canada, UK and
around the world. What memories do your career so far and which one tops
them all off?
Steve Corino: There are so many great memories. I would say that
the best ones are the heroes I have wrestled (Dusty, Windham, Hashimoto,
Choshu, Mr. Wrestling II, Blanchard, etc.) and getting to travel the world
with my family and get paid for it.
Andy Steven: You are a former ECW World Champion as well as AWA
World Heavyweight Champion among others. Which belt that you have won in
career has meant most to you and can you tell us a bit about you days as
ECW Champion?
Steve Corino: Being ECW champion was a great honor because it was
my first world heavyweight championship. I have been blessed to be the
only man in pro-wrestling history to win the ECW, NWA, and AWA world
titles and as small of a accomplishment that is to some people it means
the world to me. It is something I can tell my grand-children about.
Andy Steven: You had a brief spell with WWE at one point, can you
explain what deal you had and if there were any plans? What happened?
Steve Corino: I was just up there doing TV spots and tryouts. There
were never any plans for me.
Andy Steven: With the return of ECW, what is your opinion on the
product now and what did you think about the lead to it on RAW and
SmackDown?
Steve Corino: I think people are being too negative about it. Give
it six months and see how it devolps.
Andy Steven: A lot of readers sent in asking if we would see Steve
Corino in the new ECW brand?
Steve Corino: They haven't contacted me.
Andy Steven: How different would you say WWE is now to when it was
competing with ECW and WCW?
Steve Corino: I think the WWE needs competition. TNA is finally
getting to a point where they are on national TV and ready to compete on a
lower level with the WWE. With competition brings great wrestling.
Andy Steven: Moving on now to your time in Japan, can you tell us
some of your memories there and where do you enjoy most wrestling?
Steve Corino: I love wrestling in Japan. It has become my home for
wrestling over the last five years. Getting to wrestle guys like Takao
Omori, Shinjiro Otani, and Masato Tanaka ever night is a blast.
Andy Steven: What has been your favorite match you have wrestled to
this date and also if you could pick a dream match between your self and
another wrestler, who would it be and what type of match stipulation?
Steve Corino: My personal favorite was the AWA World title
tournament finals on 1/23/05 against Takao Omori. I felt like I was on the
top of my game that night. Hmmm, a dream match? I would say I would have
to go back in time and wrestle Eddie Gilbert.
Andy Steven: What is your opinion on WWE and TNA?
Steve Corino: I don't get time to really watch either one of them.
Andy Steven: Have you ever come across any heat or pranks with
anyone backstage or seen it? Anything worth telling us? (lol)
Steve Corino: You will have to read the book.
Andy Steven: What was the atmosphere backstage at ECW events in the
ECW days?
Steve
Corino: It was like a family. Everyone stuck together through the good
and bad times.
Andy Steven: If you could of changed anything you have done in you
career would you and what would you like to do after wrestling in the
ring? Still be involved as an agent or something?
Steve Corino: Yes, I would like a chance to book somewhere or be an
agent for the WWE/ECW.
Andy Steven: I would like to thank you very much once again for
taking this time to take part in this interview for
www.PWMania.com,
I wish you the best of luck in the future and do you have any messages to
say to your fans?
Steve Corino: My pleasure and I want to say thank you to all the
great pro-wrestling fans out there.
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