By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with Mike Chioda
Host: JP John Poz
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
On breaking into WWE: “Broke in started doing ring crew when I was a teenager, 15, 16 years old doing, uh, that’s when Gorilla had his own little territory from (Vince) Senior and he had a ring and, and Victor Quinones used to run the ring crew. And Joey Marella used to work with Tony Chimel and I, and we used to make good money. We used to make 300, 400, 500 bucks a night working, selling programs and doing the ring crew and robes and all the other stuff. And I went back full time when I was about 18. Gorilla just had his own territory. He, he worked for Vince Sr. for the World Wrestling Federation, but it was just, he did like Spectrum wild with New Jersey every Monday at the convention center on, on the boardwalk there every Monday in the summer times, he did Salisbury, Maryland. We kind of had like the, a little Northeast territory, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and all that. So he just had his little territory and he used to work all the ring crew, that’s before Vince McMahon took over.”
On Vince McMahon [the interview was conducted prior to McMahon’s retirement from WWE]: “He is not a scary guy. He’s a business man. And he is a strong business man, he’s stern and he loves what he does. He loves what he promotes and he likes to see it done his way. And, um, you know, and that’s why I was just like, you know, I would talk to him and, become quick conversations. ‘How, how are you, sir?’ ‘How are you, Mike?’ Good. You know, this and that. And in gorilla position, if he wanted anything, you know, he would let me know what he expects aead of that match or, and he wants to make sure the referees don’t get buried or they don’t stupid. And, um, you know, he would, uh, just, and he’d be yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, sir. No problem. Get it done. It’ll be done. At times he flies off the handle, like any boss, you know, especially cuz you know… when you’re on TV and you’re, you’re trying to run your, your, your product. And your entertainment, even though it’s, you know, he thinks of it as just professional and entertainment business, you know, he wants it done the way he thinks it should be done. And he’s got a great mind for the business. Cause I mean, look where, I mean, I’ve seen this business from holding microphones to boom boxes for the music at arenas and you know, and to go into like these luxury stages now and stuff like that. So it’s, it’s a big difference from where we, we started in the eighties and in 2021.”
On The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan: “When you look at it now and you look back at the match, now it’s like, man, I’m glad to be a part of that match. You know, icon against icon, Hogan took the business for so many years and just, you know, and the way that the crowd in Toronto in Canada was, they’re unbelievable. Their fan base is just a lot of respect for wrestling, you know, with the Harts coming out of Canada and so many good wrestlers like Edge and Christian and so forth. So, uh, you know, it was just, um, it was just a one, you know, it was one of the most experiences in my life with the crowd reaction, just on an entrance and a shoulder tackle, you know, and just a big push off. It was like, whoa, we’re doing some old school moves here. And we got ’em, you know, like they got ’em. I mean, the place just went nuts that night, though. It was. It was, it was one of, uh, you know, I’ve been through many, many matches and many crowd reactions, which are phenomenal, but that, that one stands out top five that’s for sure.”
On his WWE release: “Tony Chimel was 38 years in the business. I was 35. Um, John Damico was 32. When I got the call, I thought it was gonna be more of a pay cut. And then when it happened to Tony Chimel and, and John Damico, and I just moved to Tampa, knowing that I was close to, to the PC, that you wouldn’t even have to pay for my flight to come. I could, cause I was driving down there helping training the refs. I was working my shoulder out. I was injured for about six, seven months, but I was ready for WrestleMania. And then the pandemic hit. I mean, it was a great thing. It was like, wow. WrestleMania is in Tampa. I just moved to Tampa. And so, I mean, it was all like, uh, it was just a complete shock. I thought it was gonna be about more of a pay cut… You know, they, they really just, they just said, oh yeah, we’re losing so much here. But then you’re hearing a company who did its best revenue and just its best things. And they’re selling, you know, the network and just recently, but a year ago, I think they did, they had their like best quarter ever, you know? Yeah. And they released like guys that were with the company for thirty something years.”
Edge and Randy Orton wanted him to be the referee for their Backlash match: “They did call me for a match a month or two later after the released me, for Edge and Randy Orton, but I was on my way to Texas so there was no way I could make it. They thought I was still in Tampa. They [Edge and Orton] wanted me to be the referee of that match. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. The company’s releasing me but the boys still want me to referee their matches…which is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but I thought I might be able to go out strong and retire soon.”
Other topics include breaking into the business, entering the WWF, Vince McMahon, Steve Austin, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, what is the real role of the referee, and more.
First quote should read,” Spectrum, Wildwood, New Jersey.”