By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with Bull James
Host: JP John Poz
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
On his father’s legacy: “The reason there was an Ultimate Warrior is because there was a Paul ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Orndorff. The reason there was a Mr. Perfect was because there was a ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff. There always has to be somebody that sets the baseline and the precedent. And, you know, my dad drew heat that I think, and I could be wrong, but just from the glimpses I have of wrestling that I watch, that people will never, ever, ever repeat, not unless you reinvent the wheel. And people start seeing the wheel differently.”
Paul Orndorff’s feud with Hulk Hogan: My dad and Roddy [Piper] said the most horrible things about Hulk and Mr. T. I remember him calling him fat and ugly and bald… you wouldn’t see that today. It’s just different. But those of us who were at the beginning will always say we were the greatest generation of wrestling. And I’m not saying that we’re right, but it’s different. And I can’t compartmentalize and unattached myself from the emotions that I saw. Like when my dad turned on Hogan, it still hit me and I had to hear it at school the next day. So it was still an emotional ride, even if I knew dad was coming home and taking me a tee-ball game. But when I got there, guess what everybody was asking him about. My dad told me, and many people, you have to have the right horses to pull the carriage. And Vince [McMahon] found the right horses.”
On his new podcast: “So I had an older brother, and he made a lot of mistakes, and it was such a unique childhood. I always joke that, and it was a true question, somebody said, you know, what’s it like to be like the son of a professional wrestler? And I was like, I don’t know. What’s like to be the son of a plumber? It’s just my dad. And then I realized there was a lot of people I could ask that question to that would understand where I was coming from. And so when my dad passed, I just felt a calling, if you will. I saw a need in our community that all of us have a story to share, and it’s a little different. But you guys can watch Dark Side of the Ring, and that’s to me, jaded. It’s a great show, but it’s an hour long episode of all the bad stuff versus I want the emotional context as well as as the perspective of the individual I’m talking to.”
On getting heat for posting video of his dad: “Yeah, that (getting heat) would be an understatement. Like, I got threats, and everybody was pointing to different people saying, Your dad would never want his legacy to look like this. And, you know, you’re disrespecting him and, what they didn’t know and what they didn’t care about and which… it’s social media. They all jump to conclusions. And, look, I understand. I was in a situation where they would not allow me to access my father. Grady wouldn’t let me in because of COVID, and I had to go to extreme measures because I didn’t even know where he was. He had been moved three times, and when I would call the facility, they wouldn’t tell me anything. So when I finally got in and saw him, I was so mad. I don’t care what you think, but if you walked in on that, what would you do?”
Other topics include the legacy of Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff, growing up around the business, Hulk Hogan, the new podcast, getting heat for posting a video of his dad, and more.
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