By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with Randy Rose
Hosts: Chad and JP (transcription by John Poz)
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
The origins of the Original Midnight Express: Yeah, it was in Southeastern Championship Wrestling out of Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. It was actually Ron Fuller, the owner who came up with it. He gets all the credit for that. Ron came to me and said that he’s got a tag team partner coming in for me from Georgia and his name is Dennis Condrey. We both had the long blonde hair at the time and got over pretty strong as heels. Then he stuck us together with Norvell Austin, which was like another version of the Fabulous Freebirds three-man team. He called us the Midnight Express which got over big. It kept getting stronger and stronger, the people really got with it, which was pretty cool.
His chemistry with Dennis Condrey: I had a bunch of different partners; Norvell Austin, Ron Starr, Ron Bass, Jimmy Golden, but Dennis Condrey and I just gelled together really well. I don’t know exactly why. I found out after they put me and Dennis together, that I felt I liked tag team wrestling better than wrestling in singles matches. I liked it better and I got over stronger as a tag team wrestler. There’s a lot more action in tag team matches, you’ve got four guys in there giving it there all, it’s just a lot better to me.
On the Original Midnight Express vs. Midnight Express angle not working: You know, I don’t know exactly what happened there. There was a lot of speculation that they were changing bookers, whether it was Dusty (Rhodes) or (Ric) Flair when he stepped in, but I think it was a political mess at that point. There was no denying that the feud with Midnights vs. Original Midnights could have been one of the biggest angles in pro wrestling. The whole situation there should have went on longer. If they really wanted to sell out the houses, that one angle with us six guys (Cornette/Lane/Eaton vs. Heyman/Rose/Condrey) could have done big business.
WCW dropping the ball: They were handed a real situation and they dropped the ball. How could you be handed that type of angle which was real, with the names involved, with four good in-ring workers, and two of the greatest talkers of all time and not make money off of it for years.
Other topics include Rose going even more in depth about The Midnight Express, Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane, Dennis Condrey, and Paul E. Dangerously, plus his complete career that included runs in NWA, WCW, CWA, AJPW, AWA, and more.
You can listen to other shows apart of the TMPT Empire including Shane Douglas’ Triple Threat Podcast, Taking You to School with Dr. Tom Prichard, Talking Tough with Rick Bassman, and the University of Dutch with Dutch Mantell.
The reason the feud with Stan and Bobby didn’t work is simple, Jim Herd took over in January 89 and killed the angle.