By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with Italian Stallion
Host: JP John Poz
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
On being paid while training to become a pro wrestler: “I really was the first guy who was paid to train. I came from the amateurs and didn’t really have interest in pro wrestling, but Ole Anderson said how would I like to be a pro wrestler and that they would pay for my training. I know that happens a lot nowadays with the WWE, but back then I don’t think it was very common at all. They gave me a little money to live, kind of what they did with the NFL players. So they paid me to train, got me a car, and I learned the craft on the road and in the ring every night. I would setup the ring with Klondike Bill and get in there before the show started and try to learn everything I could. Finally I got a break and it took off from there.”
The Hardy Boys controversy: “Well, they paid to train at my school, but I gave them a break and got them noticed by the WWF. Without me bringing them in, they never would have been seen by the WWF. The agents from WWF would tell me to bring 15 guys with me when I would go up to New York or wherever for some shows. Some did real well and some did real bad, but I would hear about from the agents either way. I would get most of the heat.”
Taking a fee for bringing them to the shows: “I gave them the opportunity and opened the door for them. I asked for part of their money, I didn’t just take it. I had to pay for the van to drive everyone to the show, I had to for the gas, and pay for the hotel rooms, so I took a small fee from everyone. It was George South and I running it, but I took all the heat, I guess. For them to be in the same locker room as the ‘Macho Man’ [Randy Savage] and guys like that, is because I brought them down to the show. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened for them. What it was, was bad communication. They showed up to a town I wasn’t at and talked to some agents about me taking a booking fee from me and made a stink about it. Not knowing it was common to do that and not telling the agents I was the one bringing them in with me. I really wish they didn’t write what they wrote in their book about me. I think it was just unfair the way they labeled me.”
Other topics include his run in NWA with Jim Crockett Promotions, the PWF, George South, Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, Ole Anderson, Dusty Rhodes, 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, Taskmaster Talks with Kevin Sullivan, Pro Wrestling 101 with Justin Credible and the University of Dutch with Dutch Mantell.
Powell’s POV: For a refresher course of what Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy said about Stallion’s booking fees, check out their 2005 interview with Jim Varsallone at TampaBay.com.
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