In My Corner featuring Ivan Koloff

[Music]

Captain Carnage, Dr. Tweed the Mask, Miss Linda and Adrien Street, the human

bomb shelter. Jake take the snake as Mad Dog know if it's real or fake. Golden

Greek Taurus, the giant groom tick off. El Toro, the grue.

The wild got something crazy going. They're going to be going after you.

You, you. Wrestling tonight.

Everything is bigger than life. Wrestling tonight.

Rock and rolling wrestling tonight.

Flying drop kick suplex man stomping on the throat pulling on the hair. Take

your ball scissors back me down for the count and it's a one two interview time

between each match. Stay tuned. The hell of you might die. Why? Look what dropped

in just to see how to get a sticky murdock and it's going to get loud.

Yeah, you kid. You think you're so beautiful noting every day up. Look at

this neck. Look at my look at my shoulders. Look at my head.

Gorgeous joy. Woo! A friendly also classy

set the stage for the occurren

[Music] everything is bigger than life.

All right, this is me and Mark Ash with the Wednesday night podcast and I believe I have my co-host J.R. Jackson

on the phone. Jr., how are you doing tonight? I am hanging in there. A little bit under the weather tonight, but I'm I'm

hanging in there, bud. All right. And of course, you you're well aware. Um and anybody that's tuning

in, uh we have Ivan Koloff on deck for tonight. Uh we're going to discuss a few

things with Ivan. Um he's got a new DVD. Uh he wants to promote, of course, we're

going to talk about Ivan's book, Is That Wrestling Fake? Um we're going to touch base.

Very good book, by the way. and we're going to talk to him. You know, we're going about the WWE Hall of

Fame and his thoughts on that. And I spoke with Ivan a little bit earlier and we're going to address the um thing with

the royalties that Bobby Fulton has got stirred up right now a little bit as well. Oh, okay. Sounds like a should be a good

show. Should be a good show. And if uh we're also planning to get the beast, James

Beasley on sometime during our second hour. Um, so he's on standby as well.

I I remember him uh from um doing a few shows with him uh myself.

Yeah, because he he's worked various gimmicks. Um I think he was doing Night Breed in my promotion when when you were

around him. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he was. He was doing Night Breed when um I was down there doing working for you in your

promotion in ICW. So yeah, I um I haven't uh he told me there's a couple

DVDs um that he's got he's got a somebody's got a 20 match compilation that they're putting out is not by WWE,

but it's by somebody else I've been putting out and um that he's wanting to talk about too. So I mean should be

interesting. And um I was going to ask you, Mark, uh since I got you here, did you did you happen to hear his podcast

with Stone Cole? I did not. I missed that. Okay. Well, Stone Cole put Ivan over

like a I mean like like he should be as because he is Uncle Ivan, you know what I mean? But uh it was it was pretty cool

to you know I didn't I did not know that Stone Cole is such a big fan of uncles like he is but he's a huge fan of his.

Absolutely. Well, I mean who's not been exposed to Ivan Koloff over the years? I mean like him like him or hated.

I I I mean I can remember going to the North Scope as a kid growing up and

sitting there in my my you know sitting up in the rafters and in my chair and screaming and yelling and telling him

how much I hate him. I hope he you know you know I hope he died and I hope that whoever you know Magnum would beat him

or whatever. And you know here it is years later and I've got I got the referee a chain match of his. got the

referee for him quite a few times and I mean he's an awesome individual and and a great guy all the way around.

Absolutely. But like I said, love him or hate him, I mean Ivan has been everywhere. He's done everything. Um he

was the second WWE champion if I'm if I got my numbers correct. Yeah, you are. I absolutely correct. The

WWF champion. Absolutely. I'm going to try to uh go ahead and call Uncle Ivan with our uh

web face here. I have given Ivan a specific call in time if he has not heard from me in case we have some bugs

to work out here. But let me go ahead and let me go ahead and see if I can't get him on the phone.

Okay, I can't do it. He's gonna have to call in at 9:15. He's gonna have to call in at 9:15.

Listen to me and you babble on here for the next 10 minutes, right?

Absolutely is what it definitely looks like. Actually, hold on. It says dying. We're going to see

It looks like we may have to wait for Rob to call. Yeah. If he doesn't recognize the number, he

may not answer it. Hello. Hello. Hello.

I call Hey, how you doing? All right. This is me, Mark Ash. Uh,

you've got you on our podcast where I'm here with co-host J.R. Jackson.

Yes, sir. How you doing? How you doing, fellas? Hey, Jr., how you doing? And uh Bark, I know that you're uh ready to go

there. Are you sparring off? You guys are beating each other up or what?

No, we're actually in different states. I'm in North Carolina and he's where about whereabouts are you in Virginia

at, Jr? I'm in North to be, you know, the given roundabout area. Yeah. So,

I'm in Northern Virginia. I'm sure Uncle is quite familiar with Northern Virginia, aren't you? Yeah. I suppose that far away, it would

be hard to have a fight, right?

Mark, there. Yeah, that's great. You guys doing all right tonight?

Yeah, I'm doing good. How about you, Mark? Yeah, I'm doing great. I know I know J.R.'s a little under weather with the

flu, but he's gonna try to tough it out. But Oh, was that right? Yeah. Going around a

bit is supposed to be Yeah. little touch of it, right, brother?

But um So, so I have a quick question for you here. We got I mean, you know, everybody

as a wrestling fan, everybody's gearing up for Wrestlemania weekend getting ready to come up. Um do you have any big

plans coming up on Wrestlemania weekend? Are you going out to California for anything or what's going on?

Yeah. Yeah. had me come out for the uh uh wrestle con they call it. Uh they're

going to have a bunch of uh guys out there to sign autographs. Ric Flair and

oh a whole bunch of uh top wrestlers of the past type thing. Oh, I guess they call them leg legends

or something. But yeah, I'm excited about it because I really think that uh

I'm going to see a lot of guys that I haven't seen and some that I have seen in the last year or so. But, uh, man,

it, uh, it's going to be a treat just to be able to see some of my friends and, uh, Tobago and some of the California

fans and, uh, and fans from around that area. I'm sure people are going to be

coming in from all over from, uh, Canada. Uh, Ben, last one I was on, they

had people from Japan or was at the Wrestle Con were doing autographs from all over the world, Europe, England. I

mean, uh, It was great. It was great. It was just a lot of excitement and you know

whenever you get that many guys that people are excited about, you can just feel it in the air, you know. So, uh

happy to be part of I turned into a Mark again. I'm not a Mark Ash, of course,

but I I turned into, you know, like a fan. And I want to end up uh you know

it brings back the memories of the old days of uh not only before I started

wrestling and being a big fan of it but whenever I started wrestling and uh man

just excited about different arenas I was at and that's what's going to give

me the feeling of the memories of you know and I think the same thing with the fans are going to be excited about uh

you know uh remembering some of the matches these guys were in maybe against each other that thing but of course uh

we're not going to be demonstrating no uh I hope anyway no old matches out

there guys uh continue your feud from 20 30 years ago I hope not anyway

I mean I'm sure there's a few of you guys these days y'all could still play school some of these kids that are out

there so you could that um

I'll tell you uh I've heard about Wrestle Con. I've never actually been able to go. I've never even been to

Wrestlemania myself, but um I've heard it's quite the spectacle and and a sight to behold. So, I mean, one day before I

die, I do plan on going to WrestleMania and uh I mean, I'll make a deal with

you. Good Wrestlemania when we can induct you into a Hall of Fame final, which you

well deserve. Well, I was hoping I'd get the call uh for this year, you know. I thought that

uh maybe my turn come around, you know, type thing. But uh maybe they're holding

me off or something. I don't know. But uh I hope it's uh going to happen. It's bound to happen one of these years, I

suppose. But uh uh at least I'm going out there to be around some of the the guys and uh doing some uh autographs and

such. I'll be there like on the Friday. Uh I think the one on Friday is like

from 1 to 5 I'm doing autographs and the one on Saturday 10 to 2 or something

like that. So 3 or 4 hours of doing autographs each day and uh I hope the

fans show up to I'm sure they will because they got some some uh real big

names from the past out there and it's going to be exciting. You know, and the

reason why I mentioned the idea of the years ago the way it was, you never knew if uh memories went back in time and the

guys are still holding grudges. I don't think there's a lot of guys in that way. Certainly not me, that's

for sure, because uh I found out the hard way that uh continuing matches like

at wrestle cons and that were not the way to do it. Well, I do want to jump in

and say, you know, it was kind of a surprise and I'm actually glad to see it that Larry Zabiscoco did get the call

this year. Yeah, I guess you're inducting him. Yeah, it does. Congratulations to Larry.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was surprised to see getting in, too. But, um, I mean,

you know, I I think that that I think by Bruno getting in, it kind of smoothed over, you know, the waters for even

yourself, Uncle, I'm sure, um, helped a little bit with, uh, Bruno going in. I mean, as far as any kind of

you had heat with WWE at all, but, um, as far as any feeling that you may have had as far as, you know, different

things in the past, you know what I mean? Yeah, I think that uh well, Bruno was

very instrumental in Larry getting started because I understood that Larry Seabiscoco lived not far from Bruno when

Bruno uh first became champ and uh uh I guess Larry's a youngster, you know, uh

a liken to the wrestling and uh really followed and admired Bruno, you know.

So, so much so that uh the story goes that uh Larry considered himself uh like

a Bruno. He copied him the way he walked, the way he talked and uh everything. And that's why whenever he

attacked Bruno and left him laying, sort of surprised him one time that the

people, you know, it really got over. He was more or less saying that uh he's the

real legend that Bruno San Martino is not that he's the real legend was more

or less the first guy to come out with that fledging killer type thing that Randy Orton did later on and uh uh I

think that's what really propelled him into getting you know inducted. So Larry

really deserves I'm glad for him. I think it's great. I know Bruno uh would

agree with that, you know, because it did it did tremendous business up there in New York and uh that territory the uh

WWE, you know, extended all up the eastern northeastern part of United States and

uh I know they had a big big show in uh the dark I think in one of the ballparks

up there. Yeah. So she

big crowd. So good for Larry. I'm glad. Now

go ahead J.R. Now I did hear um I haven't seen where it's been confirmed or anything, but I did hear that Bruno

San Martino is going to be the person to actually induct Larry this year. Yeah. And Oh, it couldn't be a better

one. Yeah. I mean, I I've read that, too. And I I couldn't agree with you more on that one either. I mean, uh I

mean, who Okay. I mean, speaking of the Hall of Fame and we got you here, and you know, we know we definitely agree that Uncle should be in there. Who would

you want to have induct you, Uncle? Would it be Bruno? I know that you and them are are really close and you guys

do have that bond of you being the one that took the title off and everything. Yeah. Well, yeah. you know, because uh

you know, Bruno was the most significant thing in my career as far as the belt uh

wrestling Bruno, a lot of people don't know it now, but he was like more um

well, I think to a lot of people he was like a hero to him and for me just being

a few years u after him, a little younger like type thing, I ended up watching him when he he became champion

in 63 and admired that. I really think that a lot of guys uh were the same

thing like you know fans that that really admired that's why he was is a legend today and was so popular back

then for me yeah definitely Bruno but there's a lot of other guys too I guess

because I had a lot of tanking partners such as Nikita uh some of them are still around John

Pubal and that uh of course uh I was tag teaming partners with my uh friend Ryan

Piper and uh California. So that I thought, you know, if they ended up

doing it this year, he'd be an ideal guy, especially him and some of the

movies out there over the past. And uh also, he lives not far from there, right

in Oregon there, the Portland area.

Is he gonna be Is he gonna be there?

rowdy. I I certainly hope so. I think so. But matter of fact, I got to call through to him now to ask him if he's

going to be there, you know, because I didn't see an advertisement on everybody that's going to be there. So, I know

Rick is going to be there, Rick Flair and a number of other guys, but uh I was especially uh excited about the idea of

Rowdy was going to be there. But yeah, so many guys could induct, you know, from Nikita to Bruno to Rowdy. I mean

there's like Don Koodle is Jimmy Valiant I had a big thing with still around you

know I mean I honor of any of them he would do it

a little bit history about everybody in the business I mean you could even say Ricky Morton could induct you because I

mean uh without Rock Express never would have you know pride in Crockett you know

you got to put them over like y'all did so um

Uh yeah, I was going to I got another quick question for you. Um you got a new

DVD put out by uh I who put that out and

tell us about it. Okay. I got

I've got one of the DVDs pulled up um made by Elbow Productions, the two DVD sets.

Yeah. Yeah. That's uh Yeah. Mark uh uh Elliot. Yeah. Uh ended up

making it. Michael Elliot from the Charlotte. He did uh one on Rock and

Roll Express and did a real good job. So he asked me about it and yeah, I was all for it. Uh yeah. Uh he has Mo on Elbow

uh uh his uh website elbow press I guess they call it. And uh

you can get them from there or you can get them from me from hyphenol.com and I'm glad to autograph them and uh

you know uh they're like two two disc uh documentary and it goes back I think

you'll really enjoy it because they got a lot of guys on there that talking about giving their opinion about me from

Bruno to Bill Aer to Nikita to the rock and roll and a number of guys Don guys

that were you know uh that I ended up wrestling against and was kind of close

to it. Crusher is on there, one of my partners and Nikita. So, uh, and I

really like the way they ended up ended up doing it, uh, as far as, uh, having

all these interviews in there and more or less having talking to me like, and

we're missing back about the past and Oh, man. It was it was great. I think people enjoy it. Yeah. a two-part

documentary and definitely uh helped me in my ministry too to get some orders of

that going out. I'm excited about it. I got a hundreds of them here. So, people

uh like to get them. What I'm doing is just uh get got a special on them like $25 and uh send them out to you, you

know, and uh autograph them if you specify that you want a personal

autographed or what. And of course, the other uh DVD I got is uh of uh matches

of the past, you know, uh 22 different matches on it. And uh it goes back over

my whole career pretty well and covers that. And I think I got them out for $20

like type thing. And uh people are really enjoying them or or you get the both of them together for like $40. So

you get to save a little bit, you know, that way. But I hope you left all the matches.

I hope you left all the matches with me and Mark ass off of it.

Yeah. Uh, of course I just put the matches on that uh where I won, you know.

And of course I beat Mark Ash. He's one of those cheater guys, right? He probably cheated me, you know. Yeah.

Jr. Jackson, you know, when he was blind, he didn't see what happened.

I'm sorry. What was that? Couldn't hear. I said referee J.R. Jackson had his eyes

turned. Yeah. I didn't see what happened. He cheated you. Yeah. Yeah. You could have been

instrumental there. Yeah. And refereeing it or something. Yeah. That's right.

Because you've done that a few times, right? Some refereeing. Yeah. Yeah.

All right. Let me uh let the fans that are that may be listening know we do take callins on this podcast and our

call-in number is 914 338348.

So if you have any questions or comments for Uncle Ivan feel free to call in and we'll be glad to talk to you.

Yeah. Give me that number again. It's 914.

Yes sir. All right. The number is 914

3380348. Like I said, we do take callins on this

podcast, so you can speak with Ivan if you have any questions you would like answered, comments to make, anything

that's on your mind. Right. Oh, that's right. I'm already on the full cause. I don't have to take the

number down. Right. Absolutely. Usually when I take a number down, that's I get to repeat it about three or

four times, you know. I had too many of those suplexes and pile drivers.

Right. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That seems to be another hot topic in

that seems to be another hot topic in wrestling right now. And of course, especially since the whole Chris Ben tragedy, you know, the concussions that

we've all sustained over the years and the effects took.

Yeah. But I was very fortunate in the sense that I didn't have nothing that

really uh ended up permanently disabling me as of yet. But uh I've had enough,

man. I I need a right knee right now. Makes me limp to walk around. Left

ankle. Uh several guys had to get that operations. A lot of jumping off the top

rope. It causes your usually your left ankle. Uh, it's been broke about four

times. So, spurs grew up on it. I got a big spur on the uh ankle itself and then

a spur on the bottom of my or the side of my foot towards the end of the foot.

And a little uncomfortable to say the least, but I'm still able to walk around. Uh, both shoulders been broke.

One has been operated on, but it needs another operation. So, I got a knee, an ankle, two

shoulders. The back is probably the worst. But uh man, I I'm so fortunate to

be even talking here to be even here because uh I've had a couple serious car

accidents total of cars. I walked away with like 24 stitches in one of them and

the other one uh unfortunately wasn't quite as uh lenient. I ended up breaking

six ribs, my sternum, and uh hurting my max more to the extent that I had to be

laid up for a couple months and uh and slept in a recliner because, you know,

broken ribs, I don't know if you ever had them, but they're real tender to get to lay down. It's just about impossible.

You have to set up uh because the pain in your rib area. But, uh, man, you

know, being a 39year-old guy, you know, with all these injuries, I can't

complain at all. I was going to say they're going to put it back together, get another one.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, like, you know, yourself, Park, you know, just even a

few years in the business, you you can end up acquiring some some injuries that will bother you for a

long time. Most guys end up getting the same injuries I got. Plus the neck, you

know, you get a lot of uh head trauma and uh even from accidents, but a lot of

it is just uh there's a lot of nerves in there and everything. So, it doesn't take a lot to mess up your neck. And uh

fortunately, mine I exercise it every day and uh it pricks some cracks, but

it's all right. Yeah. No, trust me, I trust me. I have daily

aches and pains. I'm on medication and about to have some surgery on my feet, too. So, I know exactly where you

of course I do. Yeah. You know what they tell me? They tell me

now, look, uh, a lot of guys go through this. So, what you got to do is wait until you're old before you get these

done. But don't wait too long. But nobody ever told me how old you got to be to be old. So, I'm 72 and I figured

well uh you know how it is when you get uh when you're young like you say, "Oh

man, I can't wait till I get older." You know, be do this, do that. As you get older, you say, "Man, this time is

flying by." And then and then pretty soon you're like saying, "Well, I'm not that old. You know, 60 is not that old."

And then you get 70. No, 70 is not really, you know, a lot of guys still live. I just seen a lady in the paper

today earlier 103 years old. So I think

I still got a lot of time yet. I might have, you know, another 40 years yet. 30

40 years yet. So after the plane

I put in my notice that Yeah, I put in my notice the other day

and that was my 20-year notice. So I still got 19 years to go.

Okay. I feel we we talked we talked a little bit

about the WB Hall of Fame, you know, a few minutes ago, but I mean I do remember um it's probably been three or

four years ago now. You were inducted into another wrestling hall of fame, I believe, out of Amsterdam, New York.

Yep, that's right. Exactly. Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Yeah. Gave me a nice ring and uh it was really

they're really high class is really treated us real good. Yeah. I was uh

inducted into that same year that uh they inducted Bruno into it and uh and

uh also Vince Jr. Vince McMahon, they had him as uh inducted him as the

promoter of uh the decade or whatever they they do

lifetime promoter type thing. And uh it was really something nice to have

attended. the fans were really responsive and uh just to hear the guys

talking and visiting with them was great. But uh of course the WWE believe

even though uh there's the process of putting the building together and all that there now that's going to be

something that'll be uh I guess looked at in the in the future as being

the Hall of Fame, you know, although this is right now looked at by a lot of people as because it's got a building

and everything and displays and different uh I guess uh things to remind

you of the uh the wrestlers like you know uh whether it's a cape or wrestling

trumps or something that the people remember about them but uh and that's something that's unique

and that like I said that's something that's kind of unique with wrestling that's something that's kind of unique in wrestling because if you look at professional football and basketball

there's one hall of fame but you look at professional wrestling right now you've got you know the pro wrestling hall of fame of course you're

a member of already you've got the WWE hall Hall of Fame. Uh Dave Meltzer and Wrestling Observer got their Hall of

Fame. There's just there's multiple Hall of Fame. So it comes out,

right? So it comes out to be a matter of Right. And it comes out to be a matter of opinion as it comes out to be a

matter of opinion as which is the official Hall of Fame, which is the real deal.

Yeah. Well, I guess uh looking at the the older people probably look back and say

that they like the idea that uh they are distinguishing the different uh halls

halls of fame because they were unique in that area or unique in that time

because of uh you know that's where that's the wrestling they watched like

whether it's NWA, WCW uh and of course uh I guess being that

Vince's uh WWE is still running and very

successful is the one that uh will be looked at as being uh the elite of the

whole thing in my mind because uh you know even back in 70697

when I was there and then later on the 70s I went back and wrestled uh Bruno

returns and uh back to later on in the 80s uh it was

gradually being shown around the country, you know, whether it was

starting off like cable uh because I remember California used to get the

cable way back then uh promoter uh eaten

label and eaten down there. They had a hookup where uh when the uh Master

Square Garden sold out, it would automatically go the

be tabled out there to California. So the people were educated to seeing that

and uh also years went by the pay-per-views. Vince really I think even

Crockett admitted to that that he should have had better people behind it,

experts type thing in that and Vince is sharp enough to realize that in there to

to push it along and uh to make it the success where to outdo the other guys,

you might say, and take over by himself. And well, you still have some leagues out there like uh uh Tennessee that's

going, you know, uh but uh not nothing to the stature of what uh Vince has got.

So, I think that'll probably be looked at uh later on as uh the the elite of

it, you know, because Vince covered the error when we're trying to knock each

other's head off right up until they changed it to more entertainment. But

still, man, some great athletes involved in it today. And I'm really amazed at

some of the stuff that they do. Uh even though that there's a lot of

charisma in it. So, uh, I guess it depends on who's watching it, judging

it, but to me, I I love to be part of anything with wrestling.

That brings me Well, that brings me to uh, you know, another question. Um, like next week,

I've got a We're going to have a debate. I've got Bob Cook who loves the current

wrestling scene and I have Cubal Carmichael who despises the current wrestling scene and thinks everything

from 20 years ago is great. So, they're going to debate their difference of opinion. That leads me to ask you, what

what style of wrestling do you prefer of the presentation?

Uh, well, I I prefer like I suppose if you're a movie star and you're uh going

in there and you didn't have a stunt man and uh you did it both ways, you ended

up going in being your own stunt man. you had uh swinging a rope or getting in

the ring with a a professional boxer and the skit uh concerned about having a

couple rounds and the guy was punching you in the the nose in the face. I'd rather have uh that era of uh today in

that sense because of it uh being more entertainment. But on the other side, I

think some of the stuff they're doing today is more high-risk moves than years

ago. Now, years ago, the talk that in this defense, man, uh the first time I

got in the ring, for example, with Vern Ga and locked up with him, he reached out, slapped me in side of the head, and

busted my eardrum. And uh I couldn't figure out why. You know what the heck?

What's going on? What do you do that for? I mean, if you ever had your eard drum busted, you know what I'm talking

about. It really hurts. And uh I was a 300 pounder and, you know, lifting a lot

of weights and I didn't consider myself maybe a great fighter, but uh I knew I

could hit hard and kick hard and I laid into him with it as much as I could. And

uh after the match came back, the the the comment that he had about it was

great to do it like that every time. And I said to myself, "Oh man, I gotta

wrestle like what have I got myself into here?" Because, man, I felt like I was

in a thrashing mill. But that was the way it was back then. I mean, you wrestle guys like Eddie Graham, uh, uh,

Carl Gotch, uh, Danny Hodgej or any of those guys. Uh, and I even found out

later on Ken Shamrocks and that because he did a little bit of pro uh wrestling

too and got in the ring with him. man. Uh you understand that uh I wish I would

have got a a better amateur background now because those guys can go and not

only can go but do go, you know, and uh as the years went by, I guess they

figured the wrestlers weren't uh their health wasn't staying long enough for

them to compete more than 20 years or something. Uh some of them were unique

and they lasted longer than that. But uh a lot of them had to put it aside because of their uh injuries to their

body. And uh as we know because you ask any of these guys, Iron Cheek I know had

to go through the ankle thing. Nick Bach went through the same thing. And uh I mean even Vince had to he got in the

ring a couple times. Junior had to have some surgery. goes to show you that whenever you you go out there with the

intent to lay it in and uh be aggressive, you're going to get hurt,

you know, and uh maybe that's why Vince went the entertainment route after he

got beat up a little bit himself, got hurt, you know, cuz if you get hurt like that and you're just trying to put it uh

trying to, you know, just take it easy on each other, uh man, it goes to show

you that us guys that did it back in the day and that's most of the old-timers

that's still around today could say that uh whether or not the guy was taking it

easy on you or thought he was because he didn't hate you and he was you're still getting hurt cuz uh coming off the top

rope breaking your ankle four times you got to be getting hurt shoulder I ended

up having a match against Ric Flair for example Columbia South Carolina and uh I

went to do my move off the top which is uh get up on top, have him softened up

and grab by the hair, put my knee in the back of his head and push him off. Try to ram my knee into his back, finish him

off. And uh my foot started slipping on the the table uh the rope and uh did a

like a split type thing while he reached up to counter me, grabbed my wrist and

went to flip me off and I landed right on the left shoulder and uh tore the

rotary gun and I mean messed it up. It was the match came to an end pretty

good. Although we finished the batch, the time limit uh I forget it was 12 15

minutes or something like that that we went after the injury and uh

Rick Flair was punishing me I think even though he was an expert at it

shortarmmed scissors and stuff like that just simple like that I had to give I

had to give it up. I had to say hey that's enough because I won't be able to get my shoulder fixed. And I remember

the dressing room after trying to pop it back in and uh the boys trying to help and that uh I'm sure Rick remembered uh

the that uh call because you hate it when you hurt somebody else uh that bad

especially, you know, when you respect him and you like him. It's just the idea that you're out there to win your match

and sometimes uh stuff like that happens. So well that's another way Russ

Yeah. I'd like to if to participate today and have a choice. I'd rather be

successful at it today. Not only for the idea not get hurt so bad, although you can uh but the money is much better, you

know, because another way another way Russ has changed over the years though. I mean, trust me,

I never was a superstar, but even on the indies, it worked this way. I mean, if you got hurt and you couldn't work

through it, you lost your spot. And now, yep. Go on the shelf and they bring you back.

Yeah, I I was even told several times uh because I said, "Hey, man, I just uh hit

the the the turnbuckle and broke my shoulder hairline fracture uh take time

off." I mean, my whole shoulder just turned black and I mean it because of the bruise. It was hurt and uh no, don't

even think of it, you know. So, you just don't I never thought of it. I never asked your time off or nothing. I just

work through it and uh but about two years later uh it the spurs are growing

in it because it's not set right and end up uh having to get surgery done on it.

I asked uh I told him I got to go in for surgery. Uh he said about this okay

schedule some time there went in and come back and told him doctor said I should be off three months. Three months

not three months. I tell you what, three weeks while you're in the sling, uh, and

you'd be back in the ring in three weeks or we're going to have to put somebody else in that spot. And that's just the

way it was. And as far as taking time off to be sick, like a pole or something like that, uh, back in that those days,

this is what they told me anyway, is if you're in the hospital, we we'll take it, okay? In the hospital for three

days, get back in the ring when you get back. Uh but if uh you're not in the

hospital, we expect you to be on the job. That's the way they told you.

Whether it was Georgia Championship, New York, or if it was uh down in Florida,

wherever I went, that's was the understanding, you know, that to they expect you in the ring. And now

uh speaking of today's current product, is there anybody out there I mean I know I know you don't really watch that much,

but is there anybody who you've seen who you think uh you know you would say probably you know you kind of get behind

that you like? I mean as far as wrestlers you mean? Yeah. Yeah.

Oh man. Yeah. Most of them man the got talent these guys. I mean, not only

talking skills, but uh obviously I was always told talking was important. The

way you look and the way you wrestle makes a all around good wrestler uh

successful wrestler. But uh I think that u

I mean I think that you got like you know you got you got

you know your young talent out there. You got Roman Reigns, which is uh if I'm not mistaken, that's someone who's on

the rise right now. Um very talented kid. I don't know if you know who he is or not, but um he is very good. You got

Blackjack Mulligan is our grandson in there doing his thing. Both of them actually. Um I mean, it's just an

amazing time right now, I think, honestly, to to sit there and watch what what these guys are doing, you know, and

and but without you, you guys paved the way for these guys to get there, you know.

So yeah, in that sense, I know what you mean. Yeah, it's uh I mean I don't know. So I mean I

know there's another hot topic uh letter.

Yeah, I think any one of them I think just about any one of them out there Roman Reigns. I mean it got Jack

Mulligan's Kin there. The uh they what do you call him?

Bray Wyatt uh Bray Wyatt trying to say Bae Bray Wyatt. Uh yeah, I mean all all

of those man. Uh I can't think of all the names now, but some of them not only

look the part, but they can they're real strong and everything. I mean some of this feature schol

exhibit in the champion exhibit at just about all these guys. He's a guy that

takes a guy by the legs and swings him from around and around.

Yeah, he's like a 220 lb guy and he's taking guys 300 lb. I mean that takes

strength to do stuff like that. Come off the top. They're real agile. There's a

number of them really to say. So, it's hard to pick one, but just to talk about

Rouse there, uh, he's got everything it takes. uh and uh and then some uh I

really think that the sum and some would be uh if they would have just listened.

I've tried to call up there about three or four times and talk to couple triple a talk to somebody in control to the

extent that I just had a suggestion for something that uh would put Rusev over

the edge a hold type thing that I really believe that u he could beat the

champion with that and I can't even get anybody to return a call. So, uh, yeah,

I think that a lot of the old-timers would have their opinion just like I have too about, uh, any one of these

guys, you know, as far as, uh, the thing. But I just happen to think with this Rusef with this particular hold,

uh, would really, uh, really put him over the edge that people would really want to see him get beat

and everybody have trouble beating them, including the champ. strong and

devastating as he is. Well, they're going like that right now with

recent. I mean, they're making a big deal out of the fact that he is undefeated. They got him heading in against John Cena. And I mean, this past

Monday, it almost made flashback to 1986 between Magnum and um and Nikita when

they brought out the the whole lawyer and they're doing the contract signing. I was just waiting for John Cena's mom to be right there and you know and here

comes Uncle going you stupid American now you listen to

but u it was it was pretty you know I personally I I think Bruce I mean he's

amazing he's really good I will say

I will say I do think Triple H is trying I do think Triple H is trying to listen to the fans a little bit because I was

reading I don't want to quote the website because I can't remember at the moment that being they they did manage to get

Brock Lesnar ressigned and being the crowd is not responding to Roman Reigns

like they wanted it want him to that Triple H is actually pushing to McMahon

to have Brock retain the title at Mania

I mean I think I think Triple H is trying to listen to somebody but I mean I'm not sure it's you know the right

place Well, I mean, we could go off on a whole side subject

there. I mean, because you got Black Wesler who's the champion who isn't even seen on TV. I mean, and the word paddle

to me, I've always been used to seeing player coming out there every Saturday and and having that title. And that made

that title mean that much more. And for it not to be seen, they're using as a special attraction. Special attraction

was Andre Giant, not only a title. Yeah. Yeah.

So, yeah. Yeah. I I I really like Brock Lesnar in the sense that uh he looks apart. Uh you

couldn't create another face or uh body type thing, I think, to be more

intimidating as far as looking. And uh as I think that's why it comes across

he's undefeable because uh uh I think that's him. I

think that he goes in there with the intention with the mindset that uh he

relates back to the MA days or whatever like he I'm gonna rip this guy's head

off, you know, and uh that comes across to the people. Uh and I think that's why

they really like to see him uh or like to see him somebody be able to be tough

enough to beat him. John Ced did did a great job as far as uh rush to get

anybody to talk about a guy that's obviously a very strong guy and being able to do just about everything. I

really like him. But there's a lot of guys there that I think that uh we could

have as champion if the right thing was done including the guy I'm just talking

aboutsefuse too. But uh that'd be something different. But uh I think

that's what it takes is something extra to put him over the edge a guy like Rusev. But uh I they'll figure it out. I

know that it's really hard. All right guys, I think All right, guys. We got We got a call.

All right. We've got a caller. Uh caller, are you on the air? Yes, I'm on here.

All right. Uh this is uh Joe Joe Pollock, I believe.

Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, sir. What did you want to say to Dr. Lavin tonight? Hello, Mr. Koff. How you doing?

I'm doing great, Joe. How you doing tonight? I'm pretty good.

Are you still fine? Are you still wrestling?

Oh, I'm sorry. Uh that it's really strange that you asked me that question. Uh I had pretty well uh put it up all

together 10 years ago, but I ended up uh once in a while here and there, you

know, maybe three or four times a month. And then uh I ended up uh pretty well

not doing anything uh about six months ago. And then I had done some up in West

Virginia and then I said, "Well, that's it. I better not, you know, injuries and get that age, you know." So I ended up

saying, "I don't take anymore." But then they called me up to have a match this

past Saturday in Shelby, North Carolina because that's where the Rock and Roll

Express had ended up winning the bells for me and Crusher Cruette back in 84,

83, whatever it was. 85. Uh we they said it was a fundraiser for

the high school for the team like you know. So I said I'll get in there. They wanted me to have a chain match against

George South. I know George a good Christian man and uh he did he's easy

like that thing. So we just go out there and you know entertain the people and take it take it easy. And uh pretty well

that's the way it happened. But man, you don't realize afterwards you get out there that uh uh

what shape you're really in because you're thinking, "Wow, I can still do that." But uh you you find the mileage

is the speedometers went around a couple times. But uh yeah, they got me involved

in uh one again here in Clayton coming up first next month. Uh they call it the

Ivan Olaf tag team tournament in Clayton. and they got me uh at one end

of a chain uh with Kevin Sullivan at the other end outside the ring and uh and I

think it's uh uh let me see now the guys wrestling in

the ring uh against each other. Shane Douglas um

Shane Douglas. That's right. And Shane is against who?

That's right. Yeah. So that should be a great match there if they just wanted something to so Kevin Sullivan wouldn't

interfere in the match and that's the way they did it to that be outside in the tight at the other end of the chain

to Kevin Sullivan. So uh I hope Kevin doesn't have flashbacks when he was one

of these good guys back when he started and I beat him up uh go out there try to get revenge against me now. So uh but I

I'll I'll stress him before the match. I'll tell him that if he gets too smart with me, I'll bleed all over him.

I've got I don't know if I answered your question there, Joe. I've got a poster pulled up for it.

I've got the poster pulled out for us. It's the Alvin Koff tag team tournament, Saturday, April 4th. Cameron, excuse me,

Clayton Fitness in Clayton, North Carolina. On the poster, he's got Kevin Sullivan, Buff Bagwell, Jimmy Boogie,

Woogie Man, Valiant, Ming the Barbarian, Gunner, Shane Douglas, and of course,

Uncle Ivan advertised on the card. Wow, they got a lot of talent there. Yeah, I just didn't have my information

in front of me here. So, uh, I'm also the commissioner. They named me the

commissioner a couple years ago. And uh I ended up uh I'm glad you refreshed my

mind about that. That's that's a great card. I went last year uh to the the tag team

tournament last year that they had down there and I I'll tell you what, that crowd is amazingly hot.

Um for the the place where they put it on, I mean that crowd is just I mean on

fire from Yeah. Is is our caller still on the line?

Yes, I'm here. Hey, brother. I uh I just wondering what part of the country you from.

I'm in Wilmington, North Carolina. Oh, Wilmington. All right. You're within

distance of going up there. I was just going to say if you make it to the matches, don't forget to come up to me and uh remind me. I talk to you on the

phone. And uh yeah, it it's definitely worth it to go up and see it because

that that kind of talent with Ming and those guys there uh Gunner, he was a big

Sar too on the the TV and everything. So there's a lot of guys there that we'll

be happy to see, I'm sure. And you'll definitely get some uh memories of wrestling there that night.

I think uh I would I think you and I had a match or two in Clayton, North Carolina.

Oh yes. Yeah, I did. Yeah. over the years that they have to I I should have

marked down all my matches or something, you know, but you know, my back in those days it's like you're wrestling just

about every night and uh someplace, you know, and you end up uh having that

mindset of when you wrestled with the large organization WCW or WWE up there

that you're uh wrestling every night. you know, you have trouble keeping up to

get to the towns and get the workout in and being able to and build your

strategy against your opponent, who whoever it is. But I hope I didn't uh

get you too uh too mad at me and hope to get some revenge there, Mark.

Oh, no sir. No, sir. I I remember I promotion. I used to wrestle stuff with Clayton and I'm I'm pretty sure I

brought you one of one of those cards, man, because we've wrestled so many times over the years.

All right. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. Ask you know, Uncle M is very well known

in this business for being the legit tough guy out of the locker room. He has quite a few uh urban tales or real tales

actually to be told. Do you know of any good story meaning story out there?

Meaning story. You mean something that was like crazy

like between the boys or some something to do with one of the boys and that? Oh yeah. I got a lot of stories, man. I had

the pleasure of of wrestling against guys like uh Luz, which is uh uh one of

the great champions of the past. Uh champion many times and

I believe mostly. Oh yeah. He he could tie up in a knot, untie and tie another

without you being able to do anything about it. Danny Haj, of course, the elite to me, undefeated AAU champion,

become pro. I met him the first time 1967 in Japan. And uh I was even tagging

Parkers with them against some of the Japanese guys. And I realized that man I'm glad he's my partner because he

could I mean really he put a guy in a hole the guy put to reverse it or something by the time the guy reverse it

he had to reverse again you know like boom boom like man he was really good

stories about him a lot of stories I feel like squeeze an apple with his

right impression right oh yeah yeah

Um and well I was saying the wrestler Haku man whatever his name is he's

concerned he's got business and I don't know if he was film

yeah see those those guys really uh just tough guys wrestling but they're uh just

tough guys you know what I'm saying they're like the guys like Hawk or the Road Warriors

these guys are the the Samoan guys or uh uh to this day that they're just big

burly guys and they've been in a lot of fights and they know how to fight. Uh that's they're the guys you don't want

to tangle with. But uh uh you know I've had the pleasure of getting in there

with some real tough guys, but there are tough guys with wrestling like the Billy Robinsons and Veras

Carl Ges Luth and that man. And uh whenever you get in there with just a

rough and tough type of guy that uh is big and strong, the sweet Hansen's the

guys that uh could throw a punch and knock you out. uh just like I thought

those was the kind of guys I liked as a partner cuz I could just walk behind them going and and back, you know, from

the ring because uh the fans would try to hit stick a swing at yourself and they'd just be popping them out knocking

them down and it' be just like a a bodies going back and forth in the ring

from the ring to the dressing room because uh they'd end up trying to hurt you the fans because they're uh over the

years there was a lot of booze at the r and the arenas are allowed and those fans that get a little brave with the

alcohol and come up to try to sucker you or something or get even throw a punch

at you and uh was always nice to have guys like Dick Murdoch or Ray Stevens or

Sweet Antita Crusher guys that ended up you know the

people doing enough not to mess with you but whenever you had to get in the ring with these guys and end up having to

fight them, you know, you were happy then to to have them as your partner

rather than to go against a man. I could just imagine, you know, like guys like I

had like Vladimir Petra, 310 lbs, solid

muscle, and you could just tell by looking at the guy who's something like the champ today up there. He was uh the

type of person you didn't want to mess with. You only take so much and you had to fight him. You know what I'm saying?

But that's the way this guy was. the Nikita that was so intent but they had a

great athlete that whenever I so I told him whatever you do lay it in that

sickle I didn't have to tell him twice I mean he would charge him like he was in

a football game but he'd hit him with that sickle that do they do a double backflip

I'll see if I'm g see if you remember somebody uh I worked with this guy when I was uh doing some uh wrestling in

California. Um, guy by the name of Alex Knight. He used to work with AWA a lot. I do know that.

I think I heard the name, but I don't believe I've ever met Alex Knight. No,

one of those. I know he did some AWA work and I know he did some WWE work and it was mostly

undercard, but I mean I would he was one of the toughest guys I've ever been in the ring with, but I mean he knew his stuff inside and out. He was he was a

great guy, too. Uh yeah. Oh man, this uh a lot of guys

that's a like a Billy Robinson or something like I put him in a hold a 20minut match. I mean you felt like you

were in a 20minut match and more like an hour match but uh but he never was

worried. I mean, no matter what hole you put them out, that the Carl Gotches and that uh Danny Hodes, I mean, they they

come right out of it. They don't have to hesitate or uh and they make it look like it was a contest. They're like

playing with you. You know what I'm saying? And that's uh kind of embarrassing, but I'd rather have

wrestle those guys than some of these uh guys that uh is uh out there to knock

your head off. And uh that's why I always like to have them as a as a partner type thing. Uh guys like uh Buzz

Sawyer. Let me tell you a quick story and I know I've told it before on the some of these podcastes, but uh I was

tag team with uh uh Sawyer Buzz Sawyer in uh Georgia. And

one week we'd wrestle in the Georgia area. Next week we'd go up to the Ohio uh area, Cincinnati, uh all those towns

up there, Cleveland, that and uh of course we do the TV out of Atlanta. And

uh we'd end up uh being in a a match where one uh particular night

Waversburg, West Virginia and uh ended up uh after the match we had a street

fight against Stan Hans and Tommy Rich and uh you know blood all over and kind

of a wild match and uh we stopped at the store after to get a bag of uh you know

beer or pretzels whatever uh to make our trip back. We had to drive to like

Cincinnati to get a a flight back to Atlanta or whatever. Uh and uh we ended

up uh I got the bag and I got the stuff in it and I'm walking to the door and this one guy obviously a fan says

street fight. You guys don't know what a street fight is. You're in a street fight with me. I'd show you how street

fight. And I said, "Oh, is that right?" I was blown up to the door, right? And I

went through the door and I was watching them. They did try to sucker punch me or something. I was put the bag down, still

keep an eye on him. By the time I straightened up, that guy was like Buzz

Sawyer came through the door like a bullet and picked him up and in one move

he was out in the parking lot and Buzz was slamming him on the pavement was

picking him up like a rag doll. And matter of fact, the police officer drove up and uh jumped out of his car like

Barney F. He had his gun out over the top of the car and he said he was

saying, "Drop that man." That's the way he said he says, "Drop that man." Buzz

threw him down and the cop says, you know, went to arrest Buzz. And I told

him, I said, "Hey, that guy would ask for it. He was going to jump me in street fight. He was going to show me

how to street fight." He asked for it. So, uh, I guess Buzz was, uh, jump in.

He's my partner in tag. Anyway, Buzz had to put up a, you know,

a retainer type thing to come back to court, but ended up paying the fine and it was all all right. But, uh, the guy

really asked for it. But that that was the case there. Having a good partner. And, uh, I I've had to do the same thing

myself, protect my partner at times. And uh matter of fact when Rowdy ended up uh

one time getting stabbed and uh it was during my match. He was watching my match and he got stabbed and I came back

from the match and he's all bloody and I man what happened? This guy uh ended up

uh I was just watching the match and he went to jump me and uh he didn't know he

had a knife and he was able to stick the knife in his stomach but didn't stop

rowdy. He still went out for his match after he just wrapped himself up. Tough guy and

when you situations like that, man. And I had to return to favorite uh Rowdy one

night. Ended up going up to the match. Me and Rowdy at the Mid-Atlantic

champions against Wahoo and Ric Flair. Rick Fire beat the good guy at that time. Two out of three fall. We ended up

going out there and uh looked like we're winning the match and uh got disqualified at the end, but uh so they

won the match and we still ended up having a big riot on the way back out of

the ring. Rowdy even had to fight his way to the ring because a guy didn't like Rowdy, I guess. Rowdy threw me the

bag pipes and uh I caught them and he fought this guy down, took him down.

thought the cops took him out, but he was there at ringside when we got out of the ring at the end and he came up to

Rowdy nose to nose and Rowdy did it so neat brought a knee up to his groin and the guy went fell back into the audience

type thing. We just walked right on by. But I kept an eye on the guy and he went around made a big circle and he came up

to sucker shot route and I ran in caught him. I broke his jaw. The guy they had a

big lawsuit against it. Turned out he was a soldier off the at the leaf and

when we came back for the court date uh this same guy was a police officer. It

was in Sumpter South Carolina this all happened. So we see we didn't have much of a chance but the the Crockets took

care of it at the time but I guess the lawyers and everything you know the guy

obviously we had some witnesses and the guy went to attack us and we're defending ourselves. So, but that goes

to show you, you know, your partner is so important as he didn't have to always be a big big guy either to to be a

scrapper. Rody Piper could fix it up with any of them. He was a good boxer,

Golden Gloves boxer, and uh could really wrestle. Yeah.

I just had to tell you a couple stories like that. I'm sorry. Well, I would ask I would ask I want to ask you about another match. Now, I

don't to my knowledge, nobody got attacked. I mean, I wasn't there. Um, but this just the I'm curious about the

crowd response on this because I imagine it was, you know, tremendous. Um, take

it back to Georgia Championship Wrestling. Uh, it was a cage match. You and Jean

Anderson were special referees because each team wore their own referee. It was the Assassins versus Dusty Rhodess and

Oie Anderson. And of course, Anderson did the infamous he turned on Dusty in the match.

Yeah. As big as as over as everybody was at that point in time, what was the crowd response in the arena like when that

happened? Oh man, they they went crazy. Yeah, there I mean for him to have done that

uh uh to turn on him like that, man. It was uh it was really because Dustin was

really over, you know, no matter where he went, he seemed like he's over. He had a charisma and the people big guy

could really do the rap and get in the ring. He could really move around the ring good. Uh I know I've known Dusty

since 196. So uh I got to be around him quite a bit

and down to Florida. Wrestled him in Houston. I wrestled the Atlanta area here in Georgia and here in the

Carolinas. But uh yeah uh man that night the the people uh talk about getting

close to riot you know that's the way would get much closer because I've been

in a few riots where the people went crazy and fill the ring up with chairs or you had to fight your way back

u you know just different situations and that night was as close as any night to

doing that uh for them to you know to to riot

Absolutely. And a lot of people are aware of this because they all when they think of casket matches, they automatically think the Undertaker. But

uh correct me if I'm wrong, I weren't you in the very first casket match.

Yeah, I believe so. I I never heard of it before. And uh Dusty came up with

that uh idea, I guess, and put the bug in uh uh the promoter's ear out in

Houston, Texas. And uh Paul Bosch was uh the uh the um promoter in the Houston

area and I guess he liked it cuz I was going out to the ring with the idea of the the Russian, you know, and I had to

that was the time I had the the red shovel, right? I was burying all these

uh uh Americans. I put a small mark on if it was an insignificant guy. If it

was like a main event, I would put a big mark on my shovel and I had the shovel, you know, just about filled up with

marks and I go out there bragging about uh this is what I was going to do with him. I was not only going to beat him,

but I was going to hurt him so bad. I was going to bury this American. And uh

that's what I had said about this Dusty Roads that I was uh going to do to him.

and Dusty had convinced a promoter to come up with this idea that we'd have a casket in the ring and uh anything goes

uh matter of fact falls uh were taken but they'll that you couldn't determine

the winner by Falls. It had to be determined by whoever could get the other guy in the casket first and they

pick up the casket and take him out of there out of the arena in the casket.

Well, uh, it was, uh, well taken. The people really seemed to, uh, to get a

hold of it that, uh, wanted to see it and they came and I, uh, a reaction to

it. I mean, it was the type of thing with that casket in the ring and falls inside, outside the ring, any place, no

disqualification, and uh, could do about anything. We had falls outside. you want to fall or two

outside I did the same thing get in the ring the same thing and matter of fact I had one fall with the knee drop off the

top but I had beat Bruno with and uh ended up the people figured that was it

and then uh later on I ended up having him nearly into the casket and they just

couldn't quite get them all in there and his head was hanging on the casket like

you know I went to the top rope to jump on him and he moved away or fell off the

casket type thing and I hit my knee on the side of the casket and hurt my knee and he did his move,

you know, the I don't know what he called it, the the the boxing thing where he made his

ground. Okay. Yeah. And uh people went crazy. They

loved it. They put me in the casket and started carrying me out of the ring and

uh I broke out of the casket. Tore the casket all up and chased those guys away. They were carrying me, you know.

Uh it was it was good. I don't even know if that's on tape, but I'd love to have seen it. I wish that somebody could get

that. It's on tape. It is on tape. I actually have it somewhere in my collection. They did release it as part of the wrestling

videos. Yes, sir. Um, oh wow. Yeah, I do have it somewhere in my

collection. I'm g have I have to hunt it down, but they it is it is on video. I'd love to see that. I haven't seen it

since then. I'd love to see that. That'd be entertaining to say the least.

I was ask question. I'm gonna go back. Uh you mentioned a name about 15 minutes

ago, I know, but uh Vladimir Petrov, he was only in the business maybe about a year and then he disappeared.

What happened to him? I understood that he was involved in some stuff that uh uh you know maybe

wasn't totally legal. some people that uh up there where he come from and that

he ended up uh coming to wrestling and uh

I guess they had caught uh the big guy and uh he had to go back because he was

implicated in it or they thought he was and evidently he ended up I guess you

call it taking the fall as I understand for the the big guy and he did two years

and Uh but they set him up in a grocery store I guess after that because I tried

to get him to come back after that and uh he said no. He said I don't need it

now. He said he got set up in this I guess very profitable uh uh grocery

store like big store you know. So yeah, but he was intimidating

to look at something like the the the guy today that's a champion

uh Brock Lesnar. Yeah. Yeah. He I mean Vladier to me he was actually bigger and thicker

than Nikia and and because I mean I' I've been watching old uh WCW stuff I

had on from 1987 when you you brought him in. I mean that man was a beast. I

ain't going to say he could work real well, but I mean what we the clock is giving you the green horse.

We give you the green guy real quick.

You know, I know what you're saying, but uh he was the only one, Nikita, and I must say for

a guy that never had any uh lessons, you know, in wrestling like a wrestling

school or learn any olds or any like that. I knew that he was a big guy, 290

when he came in in good shape and because he had played uh football and uh

that he was educated and I figured anybody and his temperament seemed like you know he's a laid-back type of guy

that the extent that you know uh could work with him and he would listen and

stuff like that and he was right man he I don't think he could have found a better guy under the circumstances he

got it done you And uh because he he would lay he do what he sold and I was to my best

interest that he was become a star because that was more or less my intent

like you know bring him in as a partner and uh the more he got over and I made sure that uh I was you know they're

going along with those lines like that thing and and it it worked because the key laid it in and that each day we show

him some things. I think Don Kernoodle was very instrumental to the idea of trying to inject some good stuff in it

because Dodd was a good friend and he ended up because we're partners before you know ended up that uh Nikita carried

it off couldn't be better right on through to the end until this dream

touched the road took my nephew away from me and became the superpowers.

I was actually getting ready to ask you about that, Uncle. Um, but you were I mean, of course, you were there that

night in in uh Greensboro or wherever it was that that took place an infamous Charlotte.

Charlotte. Okay. Um, what do you recall? I mean, did they tell you ahead of time? I mean, did you

know what was coming? I mean, uh, and the atmosphere like when when

when Nikita turned, how did the fans react? I mean, you were there live. So,

yeah. Uh, we're in the dressing room like uh that I remember. Were we either on earlier? I don't think we're on yet.

We were supposed to go on later. I think that was it. I'm pretty sure. Maybe I'm

wrong, but uh we're coming up in a while. But, uh, turned out was uh cuz I

was there maybe we had to be in a match. And I didn't know nothing about it. They

even told at the time that you're going to go out with Dusty and Tag Team to say

that to anybody that this is what they wanted. And uh the when a booker says

something like that, a guy wants to wrestle that territory. And I already told Crusher and Nikita, if an

opportunity comes up that you feel is going to be better for you, go for it because I didn't want to hold them back

in their career type thing. And uh uh I'm going back from uh you know the

shower type that day to the you know the room and looking at the monitor and uh

and all of a sudden I come out and the monitor uh is having I think they're

resting against uh the four horsemen that a couple of the four horsemen and

uh I see Dusty come out and And they announced Dusty's partner because the

fans knew that Magnum TA had been injured in a car or some of them did.

And uh so they announced uh TV the surprise partner or something to that uh

for Dusty Roads uh teams were dropped like Andre the Giant stuff like that.

But anyway, enough to make the people think that, hey, Gus is gonna have an all right, gonna have a good chance

against these four horsemen type thing team. And uh all of a sudden, I see the

guy coming out the key. I'm saying, "What's going on here?" And it didn't take long to put a two two together,

right? That uh uh the key was going to be the

Dusty's partner. So, but I was lying for him. I was lying for him. little concerned about don't care where I go

now. What do I do now? But pick him up though with the idea of maybe uh wrestling Paul Jones and the the uh

Russian assasses turning on me. I I think we still carried us off pretty good and

this is the end of your WCW run. I mean, they had turned you baby face and um I

think they were leading towards you and Nikita maybe teaming again or whatever, but um I think Nikki lost at that point

and then you left and it was just uh you know all around.

Yeah, they had never really uh came back for a while. They had me wrestle against Nikita and uh even in a chain match type

thing and he cheated me out of it. But not too well, I guess.

I'm gonna change the subject. I'm gonna change the subject a little bit because I want to talk about something else kind of early in the 70s. Um, correct me if

I'm wrong and and tell me the story. Um, but when the IWA with Eddie Einhorn came

about, um, I know some guys went to work for him and you were one of them. Did you not get blacklisted over working

that promotion? Yeah, I guess that's what they call it. Uh, but I wouldn't say totally. Uh, I

know that they're hesitant about having me come back because I guess uh when you

go against the established uh organization like the NWA back then and

and Vince type thing, it uh I guess it makes them a little upset. But, uh, I I

didn't look at it the way I looked at it, well, we're independent contractors where, you know, they have two drugstores on the same block or

something. And I just figured uh I made it for the money. I'm a self-contractor. So, they promised me more money. So, uh,

that's the idea. And a contract started off with six months and some money. So,

I said, "Okay, see what happens." After the 6 months, it was like uh uh

negotiations for try to get me to come back, but uh I uh ended up going through

with the deal that I had promised, you know, because I just has a notion that

that was up there in New Jersey close to New York and I was supposed to leave

them and go over for events and I did the last minute thing. It was just uh I

said that uh I couldn't I'm a conscious the idea if I left one of the main guys

of the organization maybe it would fall apart and it' be my fault type of thing and I didn't want I guess I was down

deep a good guy at heart. So I ended up staying. And it was a mistake because uh

they ended up uh letting me go the IWA and uh like fire me type of thing

because I had told Lynd they wanted to negotiate longer contract but less money

and I said no. He said you negotiate with that's not negotiating when you give me an offer that's less than I

already got. So I just told them uh they told me I guess that just you're fired

then if you don't and then I started calling around what do I do you know like as far as u wrestling. So I ended

up even going to Memphis for a couple of weeks uh wrestling around independent

shows around Charlotte area with Rip Hawk. He ended up putting on some shows and we did that together. Then we ended

up uh I think I ended up getting into uh

Indianapolis. I think the Bruiser ended up using me there. Was

that territory then? I guess they started seeing that the other uh promoters were using me. So

they ended up uh using me also in Florida uh and uh then sending me to

Houston. And it was, you know, they let it go and and the Vince, I guess,

stopped it out by having me come back there in the late later 70s, like the

that was 75 with the IWA by this time. I don't know, 77 or something like that. I

went back and wrestled uh against uh Bruno again. And uh I had a lot of trips

at Japan. And I know that about 12 tourists just ended up messing up a few times and they'd send me over to Japan.

So that was I got a question for you. Uh Uncle um Uhhuh.

in 1983 when uh you you were there in WWF in 1983.

Um getting getting ready to go to Crockett if I'm not mistaken. And was

there any ever any talks of maybe you being the one who took the title off of Bob Backward instead of Iron Chic or

I mean I was just Well, it never really came out never really came out said that but I did my

little stay up there in New York. I had lost a lot of weight trying to do some running and stuff and uh because I

figured wrestling was going more faster pace type thing in the ring and did that

and so I wrestled against Bob back when I really enjoyed that. He was a very

wrestler and then after that I was supposed to was going to come back had a trip to Kuwait and uh ended up that's on

the flight that's when I ended up getting a little drunk on the vodka ended up having a fight with the Iron

Chic and he bite me in the neck and uh we ended up uh but I got the tour in

over uh in Japan and came back. I had finished up in New York about a few

weeks and a month or so and uh uh then going back to Charlotte area and uh I

ended up uh being asked by the office if I would consider staying longer and I

had torn my knee uh cartilage of my knee and I had the

surgery out uh a year before that and it had another cartilage is caught up.

Matter of fact, even when I was wrestling Bob up there, uh the the leg

is locked up, you know, and you you had to really relax to get it uh to unlock.

And uh they asked me to stay. Junior asked me, "Vun." And uh I found out

later I I told him that I have to go back and get this knee taken care of. So

uh but I would definitely like to come back after I get it fixed, you know. And uh but they I guess wanted me for

that deal, you know, that the belt and uh I uh ended up goofing up on that and

they didn't really come out and say that, but I found out later that that's what they did. So I figured two and two

together that's probably what they wanted me for, but I uh ended up going back and get the knees taken care of. As

it turned out, I couldn't get it spoke out again because had pseudo goat in it.

Had to wait to get that cleared up. So, but that was just one of the things of

wrestling. All right, let me Jr. We got one more guest we need to add to the line. So,

let me go ahead and try to call him in. Uh the beast be talking about earlier.

Get try to get him on before we run out of time tonight. Okay.

Would

you hang up on us, Denny? He's He's calling somebody else.

Oh, okay. But I'm guess he's not coming. You have reached the voicemail box of 9

1 03 528. Guess guess he's not. Let me try one

more time. If he don't answer this time, I'm going to give up on him and go back to what we were talking about.

Okay. All righty. So, he better answer. I know where he lives. Absolutely.

Whoever he is.

[Music] You have reached the voice mailbox of 91. All right. All right.

Yeah. Text. Okay. Um,

I got a quick I have one question for you.

Um, would would you ever make an appearance down here in Wilmington or No.

Yeah. Did What about Wilmington? I'm sorry. Would you make would you make a um

appearance here in Wilmington or No. Uh yeah, I just uh was there a couple

weeks ago. They did uh they had a autograph thing down there. Uh Harley Re

was there. Uh you didn't hear about it as a

man. They had quite a few quite a bit of talent there. Yeah. Yeah. Jim Cornet, a tribute to Kim

Cornet, I guess it was. And uh they had about seven or eight guys there, I guess, maybe in one of them. And uh Ted

Deiasi uh whole bunch of guys, man. I can't even remember all the guys were

Yeah, it was Postline Convention Center, I think they had it at. So enjoyed that. Seen some of the

best. Yeah. By the railway tracks down there. Yeah, that was the last time I was there

just a couple weeks ago. Yeah. But yeah, I love coming back to Wington and that.

Yeah. Well, I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, let's let's go to

Mint. We We've kind of evaded something I did talk to you about earlier. Um, of course, we know what Bobby Fton was

making around about the royalties on all the old footage that Vince is using on the network. And

what is what is your opinion on that? Do you feel you owe royalties off of off of your appearance or you know you're

satisfied with the paid for your appearance on the TV tape and what are your feelings on it?

Well, I kind of feel that uh you know whenever you know movie makers, actors and actors

and that end up uh doing a movie or something uh a a book or a record is

being made or whatever. Uh usually you have to you know the rights to it. uh uh

to know the the whole legal aspect of that. I guess you have to have a lawyer and all this, but to me, you know, there

should be some kind of uh compensation for somebody if somebody else is making

money on something your effort and when you got paid for that effort, let's say

wrestling for uh another organization and you ended up uh get paid for the

wrestling part of it, but now that uh matches that you wrestled

that organization has been sold to somebody else uh and that they're making

money on it. To me, it seems like the fair thing to do is to give the person

the people that's on that some kind of residual because uh that's the way it's

set up with actors and uh athletes. uh

you know backed up by uh copyrights where you get a fine or in jail type

thing if you break that. So, I know that we don't have copyrights as wrestlers

type thing, but you think we'd have some rights, you know, because we busted our bodies up whether it was 30, 40, 50

years, 50 years in my case, and uh you ended up uh having a career where they

end up now put together DVDs or whatever or movies on it or uh some kind of

dolls, action figures, whatever it may be. If some

it's necessary to get your permission for the action figures to me, it seems

like they should be obliged too to to give you some kind of compensation for

those uh things they sold to make money. Yeah. So in that sense it would be nice. I

mean I know for me here I am now arrested has been beat up and everything you know and consequently if I didn't

make it that by investments here I'm sitting here in either case whether I made it or not I'm not getting paid for

something that's being put out there and they're making some even if it's a little bit you know

I mean you get into the discussion of having a wrestler's union which has been discussed for many many many many years

they're the only professional put it out there that does not have a union. And I mean, if there was one, then then

everybody could I mean, at that point, take them up on it. Now, I'll make the argument, not not that I agree with it

or disagree, but I'll make the argument that Bob Cook did. He said this McMahon

spent millions and millions of dollars for the tape libraries that he has. And

in order to trans that footage, it's another millions of dollars that he's got to go through, too.

So, if he's making money on it, yes. But is it, you know, I can see it. I mean,

I'm sure if he put out a best of call DVD, you're going to get well

compensated for it. But because I mean, like, you know, I I I guess maybe like I

maybe should be like the value of the match. Like for me personally, you beating Bruno San Martino would be worth

me buying a DVD and you should be compensated for it. But if it's just you versus Randy Monkey,

I mean, you know, I think I buy a DVD for that. You know what I mean? Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. If it was some

something that is they're not going to try to put something together either that they're going to market that that's

not sellable like that's not going to be popular with the fans because they want

to make sure that they can sell it. So they're only going to put out something that's good whether it's an action

figure or DVD of matches or or some what t-shirt or whatever it may be. It's

going to be something that they feel is going to sell. So that they're going to if they're using like me as a character

in that then they put together I suppose a bunch of uh matches or something that

they would highlight me like the more documentary type thing or Yeah. I would love,

you know, and and give the guy something to I mean, to me, if you're making millions on it and uh even if you put

out millions to purchase this, you put out millions and you get millions back, but you're now dealing with quite a few

guys that's on these tapes. So, you know, take 20% or something and split it

up among the boys would be really uh nice.

remark something guys appreciate. Well, what I was going to say is I think that that Vince kind of did this to

himself in a way because with him being the only game in town and him being the

only face and the only promoter and everything, he wrestled from from the older guys and

the legends, which you guys deserve something, you know, did and and to to now everybody's turning

the vents and going, "Take care of us. you know, and he got so much money, you

know, but uh I know he's a billionaire, but you know,

there I mean, you know, there's only so much money to go around and there's I mean, tons of tons of restaurants out

there, you know. So, yeah, there was but sure I agree. It's it's

the idea that uh okay uh probably they're going to sell a lot more of the

current guys like John Cena the champion something that that they remember in the

last 20 years probably more popular than maybe some of the old ones but there's a

lot of old fans out there that would like to maybe uh see that some of these

guys that they remember back when they were a kid. So it'll all work. It works itself out probably to to sell 100

million marketing of uh the guys that's out there right now, the popular guys.

That's great. But okay, it's a smaller scale. If you end up uh having other

guys, it's maybe uh you only do 10 $10 million, say for example, still if you

take uh whatever it is they're giving those guys now, which I understand they get some uh pretty good royalties from

the the current guys, if they took that same percentage of whatever sold of the

guys that's in the past, uh it would be a nice little gift for the guys to to

have a little retirement type thing coming in and it would be uh more fairer. You know, it' be I think a

little bit more fair on that standpoint, but you can't make an organization like

Vince McMahon has got the WWE uh can't force him into it. I mean, it's

got to be something he's going to want to do cuz I've asked all my myself and

uh I suppose if you had millions of dollars to throw away and challenge it,

maybe you end up winning something. But uh who's who's got that kind of money to

be able to challenge Summers? Whole room full of lawyers. Pretty boy Doug Summers tried this. I

want to say it was about two, three years ago and the whole thing was thrown out of court because there were no contracts in place where he, you know,

retained his rights. So the fact that he appeared on a TV taping knowing it was a TV tap and that's implied consent.

So I mean that's that's the thing, you know, I mean morally does he owe you? Yeah, I agree

he does, you know, but you know legally I just don't think it's there.

Yeah, they can get, I guess, around the law enough to to be able to, you know,

show that they they don't have to. I mean, but it would be nice. It would be really

encourage the guys to want to come back and and do stuff to be part of it today, you know.

Well, I think that Vince is doing his part though to reach out to the legends now.

I mean, as best he can to to reach his hand out to you guys. I mean, like when he extended the olive branch to Vero, I

mean, that was on Triple H, right? I mean, he takes all credit for it. Um,

you know, I think it's good, you know, because so many of you guys were hurt by what he did by what Vince did, you know,

by swallowing up all the territories, you know, and I think it's kind of good. And I think with Triple H at the getting

ready to be at the helm of the company, I mean, I see that he he respects the legends and who paved the way for him.

So, who's to say that he ain't going to come up with a compensation package or something for y'all?

Yeah. Being that he wrestled himself, he knows what it's like. Yeah. Where senior

or junior hasn't wrestled, so they can't appreciate maybe as much what you have

to go through. And uh I don't know if Triple H wrestled some of these territories where you had to jump in the

car and drive three or 4 hundred miles each night or 200 miles or whatever it

was and then still go to the gym and still have your match wrestle and that's talking about every day of the week,

Saturdays and Sunday. I know there was a a time uh two-year period that I I did

get one day off for two years. So, uh, you know, Christmas and everything goes by, your kids, uh, birthdays and, you

know, your own birthday or whatever, and you just work right on through. It's like above and beyond the Call of Duty,

but it would be nice. It would be nice if they could do something like that. Just

Well, you brought up the action figures a couple minutes ago. Um, I know there was

an independent company, Legends of Wrestling, did a figure of review, but has Did Vince ever do a figure review

through WWE? Jax did. Um, but yes, Uncle did have one

with the classic superstar um of the two pack.

No, I didn't. Yeah. I don't know if uh I guess it was

WWE put that out or whether it was a self-contracted thing like to turn it over to somebody else to put it together

like uh Yeah. You when you got that toy figure deal, did you? I mean, didn't you

negotiate with the toy figure company? You didn't negotiate with Vince, right? No, not Vince or the Not directly. What

they do is they they would probably uh have another company like uh Toys R Us

or whatever another I don't know I can't think of the names of the companies now that put the figures together but they

have the company contact us and negotiate with us and you know uh uh do

it that way and then sell it through their marketing uh system. Yeah. But uh

you can't I guess you can't stop them from doing that. really nice when you get something and it and I have and I have gotten some as

far as uh action figures concerned which was real nice. Uh, but as far as I knew,

I it was just them marketing and not um WWE,

you know, even to this last one, this pack with Nikita and I, but uh more or

less. Yeah, I think that like that. I think that uh Jax the company that put

put them out and Mattel I mean the way that it works is they more or less they they pay this for the license of the WWE

name and all of his character and character likenesses and that's the way they work. You're right that's the name of the

company Jacks. Yeah. And and so I mean so I mean I noticed

the legend figures that you were talking about Mark because they came out of one that was plain Ivan and Bloody Ivan.

Yeah, that was the Legend of Fig I used to sell. Yeah, there was about four different

four different companies I think over the years besides uh Zach and there's

about three others I think maybe maybe one of them did it twice with action figures. I remember the first one was

quite a while ago one and then they did another one. Then they did one with Nikita and I and I understand there's

another one out there now. WWE. But, uh, hey, that's, uh, that's why I

don't mind them doing that. I just like to, you know, be nice to get a little bit, you know, when it's up front, uh,

pay off to sign it over or if you get it in the long run. So, uh, I believe that

Vincent does that. He already does it with some guys. So, uh, be nice to have

a little package put together for some of the guys that's maybe not involved today. maybe that uh would encourage

them to to be involved like like when I tried to call up there to give advice be

open to listen to stuff and if it's not good then just don't use it you know to me it's uh take u I think it's good

business to take uh at least listen to opinions of people that been in the

business that you're in for 50 years and just say hey like it or just listen to

it and if you don't like it just throw it away. They don't even give you don't even give

you the chance. Well, let me ask you this. I I do remember when they did the best of Madison Square Garden DVD. They did

bring you in for, you know, because you you were telling stories about your matches with Bruno and of course they

showed one. I mean, how did they put that? And who contacts you for that

production side of their company or, you know, does like Vince and his people call you? Well, just the last time I

went up there uh for they invited me to come up three years ago uh when uh Bruno

was inducted the Hall of Fame in Massachusett Square. They had me come up as a guest, my wife and I. And uh that

was the time that they ended up uh interviewing me and asking me about they wanted to put this the history of the

Master Square Gardens or something. had a little input, but that's all I ever heard about it. Never heard anything

about it, you know. So, that'd be nice when you do, you know, be part of

something like that that, you know, you get something back out of it.

They used you for that. I'm sure they compensated you for your time um to shoot that uh nice old footage there for

that. No, they all all they did with that was they ended up paying me for the trip up

there. They just said that off the out but we'd like you to have come up with your guest. We're going to give you this

much like you want to pay your trans up here pay up here and that was it. You know that they say that for that where

you're going to have to do an interview or and all this that was asked after you got up there but it's all right. I mean

you know it's part of it I guess. So, well, I I'll tell you, you don't you

don't don't come across as bitter as like some of the other older guys that, you know, you may see these shoot interviews with or podcast or whatever.

Um, you don't blame Vince for every problem that you have in your life like a lot of

them did. Um, now I got a quick question. How's your daughter doing with her singing career?

Your daughter? Yeah. Oh, man. I'm so proud of her and the grand babies. Yeah. She had two grandb babies. The youngest

is eight, the other one's 12. Big girl and talented. The kids are talented, too. The the grandb babies singing, you

know, they sing with the their bum once in a while in the the church. They're out every weekend. Uh daughter Rachel

Marley and uh husband Philip. Uh man, they got a good group. Uh Highway

Revival is called. If you go to highway revival.com, you can hear them singing. and uh and uh if you get a chance at

this area especially in North Carolina around the coast here man in Virginia

and that South Carolina out this way u if you want to come to your church to

sing uh they do it every weekend also uh go to their site they got uh

some cassettes you know some not cassettes but DVDs back a few years in life here. Yeah, I'm

very very proud of uh the life the lifestyle that they're living and what they're doing. It's really makes me

proud to see uh my daughter out there doing this and uh uh they're really

good. They're really really good. Not to brag too much, but uh she obviously got

her talent from her mother. I do claim the hair. She beautiful blonde hair is

to go to Highway Revival. I claim well actually I go claim in her voice and her

hair because I don't I don't have either one of them anymore. I was going to say and thank God she uh

took took after her mom in the whip side too, right? Yeah, that's right. Yeah, I think so.

Yeah, but that's that's good. The kids are really uh you know seem to love it

and they're in church every day cuz like they say the doors open. I keep them in there the weekend and Wednesday.

You can see the difference. They're both straight A students and doing good. But I would encourage people just go to the

website highway revival.com and if you like uh gospel music and tab at your

church or whatever and of course my site is ivcoloff.com and got my books on there and the DVDs

documentary and the wrestling do uh DVD it's like 22 matches on it my

career and and people come on there get my autograph picture of the book or the

DVDs or they contact me if they want me to come to the church. I speak at

churches uh and uh Lord has been very patient and gracious with me went

through the years and uh with became a drug addict, alcoholic and all that. not proud of that fact, but that's where it

took me and uh found out uh towards the

after when I quit the WCW back there in the early 90s around that 1990, I was a

mess. Uh, I realized that I had to get off of his drugs and alcohol and I really tried hard and couldn't do it and

realized uh from my nephew Nikita when he called me and said that he knew what

I needed in my life was Jesus. And I said, "Nikki, what are you talking about? Uh, I was raised in church. I

know who Jesus is." He says, "The devil knows who Jesus is, too. That don't make him a Christian." He got my attention. I

said, "Man, he's right." you know, and uh you know, he says, "Oh, you got to ask him your free will and realize that

he is the son of God, that he died for our sins and no sin enters into heaven

and that that Jesus had paid the price for our sins and that was the only way I'd get there." All those years, I

thought, "Well, too bad. God's not going to nothing to do with me. Drugs and alcohol and hurt people and all this

stuff." And uh but I was wrong. the Lord loved me and uh ended up uh I realized

when I went to the church and heard the word and uh I asked him to come into my

heart and they turned it around all all around for me. It wasn't magical or anything like that. I did what they told

me got into the word and my faith grew from the word which is Jesus. the word

is Jesus. And ended up uh making me strong enough to faith uh God blessed me

to be able to put the chewing tobacco, the the marijuana, the alcohol, the

cocaine, the pills and man uh really put a big change in my life

and now I can enjoy life to and appreciate the fact that I got a good wife. uh and uh

she's an amazing woman and I'm proud of it and uh I'd recommend

it for anyone that they're not content in their life to turn it over to the

Lord and and uh work with that because uh God is good and he loves us.

I'll tell you, um, if I can give a personal recommendation on your book, I I've read it, um, uh, actually a couple

different times. Um, very very well written in and Renee even has a section

in there too if I'm not mistaken. Um, where she gives a um, talks a little bit

in there too. And it's an amazing book. It's a very good read. It's very easy. It's an easy read. So, I mean, you know,

if you're a young young guy who's just getting into the business and you want to read about Ian's career, it's a great

way to start. If you, you know, been in the business and you want to read about it, it's a great, you know, great book

to have. And I know I Yeah, I call.com. He will autograph your

book, too. And, uh, you never know, he's, you know, doing all these shows now. You know, you may be able to catch

him at a show and he can autograph something for you, too. Yeah. I really enjoyed going out and making appearances, too. I appreciate

you mentioning it, J. Because it's something that uh I guess once he gets

in your blood, you can't get it out. You got to keep going at it.

You and Mark will all agree. I mean, you know, once that bug bites you and you get in that business, it it never

leaves. And no matter how hard you try to shake it, it just doesn't leave. So I I remind I'm I'm reminded by a lyric of

the old song Hotel California when it comes to be trying to step away from wrestling is you can check out anytime

you like but you can never leave you. Yep. That's right. Exactly. Yeah. It's

still in your mind. You still enjoy it. But I think that's the way the the fans are too. You know, you get gets in your

blood a bit and you enjoy doing it. But uh yeah, uh

I guess I'll one day grow up and I I'm not in a hurry cuz I got a bad habit of eating. So makes it good that I I think

God's got a way of just leading us along. And if you're obedient to it, it works it all out. Yeah. So today I'm

really happy about the way things are going. But I I think it convinces us get

soft off one day and forgive me for being such a a mean guy and maybe have to be inducted

in that Hall of Fame up here. I'll tell you why. I I was telling Mark,

I said, I went from as a kid going to the North Stoke and standing in a seat and booing you and and hoping you would

die, you know, against Magnum TA to actually wrestling one of your chain

matches, which is probably one of my all-time favorites I've ever done. Quite an honor, by the way. Um, yeah, it it it

just it to me it's an amazing feeling as a fan. I'm somebody who grew up as a fan and and you know it was it's I can't

describe it, you know. Um so thank you Ivan. I I guess I guess is what I want

to say to you. I appreciate that. Yeah. Well, I've enjoyed talking to you guys and uh I

appreciate the plugs and looking forward to going out next week to San Jose, California to do some

autographs at Wrestle Town and that uh maybe seeing the guys down the road

here. I'm sure of that in the future one of these matches and that both the JR and Mark. Yeah, the

treat for sure. Yeah. And uh Oh, man. just look forward to that. You know,

that's what's so great about this wrestling and you're retiring or retired type thing now. You don't have to go out

there and convince them that you're going to beat somebody up or be mean to the fans. I can even shake your hands

and sign their autographs. So, I look forward to doing that to each and every one of them. And uh just uh don't be

afraid to come up to me and and and speak. you'll find that I'm uh I've been

civilized for a little while now. My wife has beat me up enough. I haven't

done the the honeydew list uh just right since she had to put me in my place a

few times. Now I've learned my lesson. That's what I like to tell people. I

like to tell people when they talk to me about wrestling. I said I'm not a tough guy. Just played one on TV.

There you go. Yeah. Yeah. If we're wrestling wrestler very

long, we end up being pretty tough or you don't exist, right? Yeah. Absolutely.

Right away. All right, guys. Wrap it up here. Well, I'm gonna wrap it up here.

So, I was going to tell one more time. The club uh tag team tournament coming up in Clayton, North Carolina at the

Clayton or Clayton Fitness Center or whatever. Clayton on Saturday, April the 4th. Then

Ivan Koloff, Kevin Sullivan, Buff Bagwell, Ming the Barbarian,

Gunner, Shane Doug, I'm sure Shane Douglas, that's who I was forgetting. Uh, it's going to be a great

card at Clayton Fitness on Saturday, April the 4th. Hey, let me uh mention

too, if I could, guys, uh, uh, Friendly Box Breaks, he's a

a good friend of mine, Joey. Uh if you ever have a chance to listen to his

podcast too at night. Yeah. He spells uh he sells sports.

I can't say podcast. That's a English word. Yeah.

Football to boxing to hockey. I mean all of the sports. So you might be but check

him out to friendlybox.com. Yeah. And uh All right. Of course visit Ivan Kola. Thank you so

much, uh, Mark J.R., appreciate you guys. Thank you. Having me on here tonight.

All right. Thank you for being on, I got to wrap it up because I'm really running out of time now, but tune in next week.

You bought Carl Michael and Bob Cook. God bless. All right. All right. Good night. God

bless. I'll call you in a day or two. All right.

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