Shoot Interviews, Fan Conventions... ... & Other Talk-Type Things

Dory Funk Jr. Shoot Interview January 10th 2004 £7
The shoot interview is the only aspect of wrestling that Dory isn't a veteran of, and this first-ever session corrects that oversight. Not that he bothered to dress up for the occasion. Like the interviews with a certain other Funk brother, the scope of this discussion is amazing - Dory has 40 unbroken years of experience, and an excellent memory by wrestling's bump-addled standards. Dory's story begins with his father (that's Dory Sr.) guiding his career from college football to professional wrestling. Dory debuted in Texas at the same time as his brother Terry, Bob Backlund and AJPW legend Jumbo Tsuruta, and was soon the favoured Funk in the eyes of NWA officials. Dory's run as NWA champion is discussed extensively: his classic series with Jack Brisco (and why Jack never won the title); why he was the first NWA champ to visit Japan in 12 years; the match with Antonio Inoki that made Dory Funk Jr. an international name; dropping the belt while injured to Harley Race; and how his schedule (and pay) changed after that defeat. The infamous 'ticket booth robbery' in Detroit is explained, as is Ole Anderson's assessment of Dory as 'a good worker, but a bad booker'. After a forgettable run as 'Hoss' Funk in the WWF, Dory travelled back to Japan, where he, Terry and Bruiser Brody became the country's biggest foreign stars. Dory remembers the two finest matches of his career: the one singles match against his brother, and the 1977 Real World Tag League Final pitting the Funks vs Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik. Dory's insight into 70's and 80's Japanese wrestling is probably deeper than any other westerner as he served as AJPW's foreign talent booker. He talks about secretly organising Stan Hansen's jump from New Japan to All Japan, his involvement with Brody, Flair, DiBiase and all sorts of other luminaries. Dory also discusses his move into training in the late 1990's - 'Funkin' Conservatory' training camps in Florida have already nurtured the careers of Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, Lita and the illustrious Adam Windsor. Also includes match footage vs Abby, Sheik, Jack Brisco and more!

Keiji Muto & Kaz Hayashi Shoot Interviews December 26th 2003 £7
Two separate shoot interviews, conducted during All Japan's one-night 'tour' of Ring of Honor. Muto and Hayashi both speak English, but Muto is more outspoken than his younger stablemate. He also has a lot more to speak about, including wrestling's most famous alter-ego (the Great Muta), stints in the NWA, WCW, World Class, Puerto Rico and Florida, an outstanding 18-year career in New Japan, and a new lease of life as President of All Japan. Muto can be a bit hazy at times, but he's a real character. He blames his famously knackered knees on the thousands of Hindu squats he endured as a New Japan trainee; is remarkably frank about his take-over of AJPW, his strained relationship with Toshiaki Kawada, and bringing Goldberg to Japan; and, when discussing his various business agreements, he gives Shinya Hashimoto a classic backhanded compliment (that Hash is a great booker for keeping Zero One afloat when the organisation has 'no stars'). Hayashi's interview is relatively brief, touching on his start in Gran Hamada's Universal, his run as Shiryu in Michinoku Pro, emigrating to work for WCW, being hired and fired in rapid succession by WWE, and his desire to see a revitalised junior division in All Japan. Following the interviews there's an hour of bonus matches, including Keiji Muto & Jinsei Shinzaki vs Satoshi Kojima & The Great Sasuke from Michinoku Pro (24/3/2002). Needless to say, this is one of the most unique shoot tapes on the market.

Fan Slam Convention 2003 December 6th 2003 £7
Fan Slam is one of the best-known fan conventions in the US. The latest event featured Ted DiBiase, Michael 'Virgil/Vincent' Jones, Dewey 'Missing Link' Robertson, 'Dr. D' David Schultz, Chief Jay Strongbow and Gary Michael Capetta (hugely respected former NWA/WWF ring announcer). A good-humoured, 90-minute Q&A session is followed by a series of serious sit-down interviews, including an emotional talk with the Missing Link. The tape is capped off with some remarkable old footage of each participant, including David Schultz giving a 20:20 reporter a verbal earbashing (and a vicious slap) in the 80's; an NWA angle in which DiBiase juices a gusher at the hands of Dick Murdoch; and an absurd 'shark cage' match featuring Chief Jay Strongbow, in which all the 'action' takes place inside a 4-foot by 4-foot shark cage.

Terry Funk Shoot Interview September 21st 2003 £7
A brand new interview with wrestling's greatest coffin-dodger. Funk himself seems amazed to still be wrestling in 2003 (let alone in 2004), and he recalls all his recent adventures here. Matches spliced into the interview include a gory gouge-fest with Abdullah the Butcher (23/3/2002) and a new encounter with Jerry Lawler (12/4/2003), both from Jersey All-Pro Wrestling. However, most of this tape is dedicated to 'The Funker's wise words on recent events in the wider world. He talks about the emergence of NWA:TNA and MLW, the demise of XPW, turbulent happenings in All Japan and the possibility of a comeback in the promotion, Mick Foley returning to the ring (this was taped just before the comeback occurred), how he would have handled the WWE 'brand extension' exercise, and how his relationships with Sabu and Paul Heyman are holding up. He also reels off yarns about his favourite promoters, discusses injuries and illness, tackles a potential resurgence in old-school wrestling and the obligatory much, much more.

Stan Hansen Shoot Interview August 27th 2003 £7
Few wrestlers can boast a CV that includes breaking Bruno Sammartino's neck, ending Antonio Inoki's five-year title reign, secretly defecting from New Japan to All Japan (famously appearing for both groups in one night), forming a legendary tag team with Bruiser Brody, working for every big American promotion from the 70's to the 90's (WWF, WCW, AWA and more), wrestling ***** matches well into his 40's, and retiring at a dedicated Tokyo Dome show - but Stan Hansen is the man that can. 'The Lariat' recorded this interview in 2003, talking about many recent developments in his adopted home of All Japan, from the arrival of Keiji Muto to the possibility of Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada reuniting, and his memories of everyone from Giant Baba to Andre the Giant. He also answers the inevitable question: would he return for one last match?

Jeff Hardy Shoot Interview July 19th 2003 £7
This is one of the most eagerly-anticipated shoot interviews in years. Jeff is an open book when discussing his career, from backyard wrestling to the big time and out into the wilderness again. He starts discussing his early years in OMEGA, and his responsibilities (or lack thereof) within the promotion that gave the world Shannon Moore, 'Hurricane' Shane Helms, Lodi and - of course - the Hardy Boyz. From there Jeff traces his career to IWA Puerto Rico, the ECWA and the WWF, recalling his and Matt's days as badly-clad squash boys, and how it felt to finally sign a full-time contract. After a while training at the Funkin' Dojo, the Hardys went straight into the spotlight, and Jeff gives his thoughts on all the big matches in 1999-2001 - including the TLC train wrecks with Edge, Christian and the Dudley Boyz. Did anyone exploit his willingness to take insane risks? How much pressure was there to top every match? Then, why was the Hardys' feud with HHH & Steve Austin cut short? He then deals with the Hardys' heel turn, their return to facedom, their brief split and then the permanent one. Next comes Jeff's singles career, and the lows (injuries, painkillers) start to outnumber the highs (his ladder match vs the Undertaker). He's frank about his reasons for missing house shows and being suspended, his return to TV while being taken off the road, and finally being released from WWE. He assesses his current physical condition, and doesn't hide from the fact that he wasn't welcomed with open arms in ROH. Also includes Jeff's thoughts on his extracurricular interests (music and motocross), his and Matt's official 'autobiography' and plenty more besides.

Harley Race Shoot Interview Summer 2003 £7
This interview is invaluable for those interested in US regional wrestling, as the former seven-time NWA heavyweight champion discusses each and every territory he worked in and, of course, the death of the territorial system in the 1980's (with a tale of Harley confronting Hulk Hogan backstage at a show in Kansas City). He then goes on to talk about his experiences with Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, the Funks, the Briscoes and all the names of the NWA, his run as the 'King' of the WWF, and his managerial role in WCW - including the night Vader powerbombed Cactus Jack all the way to hospital, the Arn Anderson/Sid stabbing incident in London and more besides. Thankfully, he keeps those famously manky tattoos underneath his shirt sleeves. Also includes clips of classic Harley matches.

Roddy Piper Shoot Interview May 20th 2003 £7
Recorded on the eve of his umpteenth falling out with Vince McMahon, this interview found Piper at his rambling, revealing best. The man with the most famous mouth in wrestling talks with remarkable candour, even by shoot interview standards - going so far as to criticise his employers, colleagues and career direction at the time of the interview. Some colleagues ('Mr. America') get it worse than others. Piper also deals at great length with the prevalence of drugs in wrestling, the absurd choices posed by injuries, being 'blackballed' twice in one career, his dealings with the McMahons (he has an interesting story about young Shane) and so much more. In his lengthy meditation on the idea of a wrestlers' union, Piper sums up the pitfalls of the wrestling business as well as anyone. Somehow he still finds time for a few funnies.

Raven Shoot Interview (Volume 1) March 21st 2003 £7
One of the most long-awaited shoots, here in its entirety. This first session covers the first half of Scott Levy's career, including his initial stints in WCW (as Scotty Flamingo), the WWF (as Johnny Polo) and, of course, ECW (where Raven came to life). Levy begins by talking about the development of his first character, 'Scotty the Body'; he's frank about his drug abuse at this time, and his early reputation as a womanizing prat. He talks about meeting his hero, Michael Hayes, in the GWF; impressing Dusty Rhodes to get a job with WCW; his legendary matches with Brian Pillman; travelling with Steve Austin; his unceremonious dumping at the hands of Bill Watts (his views of Watts would make Jim Ross pull his hat over his ears); how he got a job in TV production with the WWF; his wild parties with Shane McMahon, and how the locker room (and Vince) reacted to this; getting unceremoniously dumped once again, and moving on to ECW. He discusses the creation of Raven, the feud with Tommy Dreamer, the introduction of Beulah McGullicutty, and her introduction to the piledriver. The feud with the Sandman gets plenty of discussion, especially the involvement of the Sandman's family and the infamous 'barbed wire crucifixion' angle (which Raven never wanted to apologize for). He explains his role in developing the Dudley Boys, why his match with Terry Gordy was so special, how he no-showed the ECW Arena to check into rehab, and what led to his exit from ECW. Also includes a previously unreleased fancam of Raven vs Big Stevie Cool from Scranton, PA. Picture quality is poor for the first few minutes of Volume 1, but is fine for the remainder of the interview.

Raven Shoot Interview (Volume 2) March 21st 2003 £7
The second session of this shoot deals with everything from Raven's arrival to WCW in 1997, to life working for TNA, ROH and other indies in 2003. There are some real gems here, as Raven discusses almost every move he made in WCW, explaining how his creative influence fluctuated throughout his stay (mainly fluctuating in a downward direction). He isn't bashful when discussing WCW's party scene, including happenings at the legendary Gold Club - the Atlanta strip joint where WCW employees, including Eric Bischoff, got their jollies. He talks about his feud with Diamond Dallas Page, picking members of the Flock, his 24-hour run as US champion, those great matches in 1998/1999 (with Benoit, Malenko and Saturn), and the meeting where he quit WCW. How did Bischoff try to keep him on board, and why did he fail? Raven explains why he chose to return to ECW, talks about the differences between his first and second run, and responds to Paul Heyman's opinion that he treated his second stint in Philadelphia as a 'paid vacation'. He talks about what led him back into rehab, what led him back to the WWF, and how Vince McMahon reacted when he was rehired. What did he make of the WWF's hardcore division - not least his Wrestlemania match against the Big Show and Kane? He talks at length about the failed WWF vs WCW feud, the 'reformation' of ECW, and the joys of being exclusive property of Sunday Night Heat. Following his unceremonious dumping from the WWE, Raven again finds himself discussing where it all went wrong. There is a happy ending, as he enthuses about his surprise debut in NWA:TNA, facing the Sandman again in 3PW, wrestling CM Punk anywhere there's a wrestling ring, and gives his thoughts on AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Vince Russo, the Jarretts and more!

American Dragon Shoot Interview November 12th 2002 £7
You might not expect much from a shoot with a 22 year-old, but Bryan Danielson's youth and mild manners are no obstacles to an interesting interview. He was trained at Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Academy, in a class that also produced Paul London, Michael Shane and Brian 'Spanky' Kendrick. Danielson talks about his initial impressions of Shawn, his first and favourite matches for the TWA, and what it was like travelling to FMW. He soon got a WWF developmental deal, and gives his thoughts on working in Motor City Wrestling under the guidance of Steven Regal. He recalls his MCW matches with Jerry Lynn, and the 'lost' bout against Low Ki - before his developmental deal was unexpectedly cut dead. How did the other TWA trainees find out? He explains how they reacted to the news, and how he felt about Lance Cade being kept under contract. From there Dragon moved on to Jim Kettner's ECWA, where he made his name in the 2001 Super 8 tournament (also in this update) and the subsequent rematch vs Low Ki, with Ricky Steamboat as special referee. What advice did Steamboat give them before the match? From there Dragon travelled to All Pro Wrestling, replacing Donovan Morgan and Mike Modest as trainer at the APW school and wrestling Low Ki again in the astounding King of the Indies tournament (featured on the August list). He talks about the formation of ROH, the reaction to his match with Low Ki and Christopher Daniels on ROH's debut show, and their surprise at being the main event ahead of Eddie Guerrero vs Super Crazy. Dragon has since travelled to New Japan, and he talks about working at the Tokyo Dome, wrestling the likes of Jushin Liger, El Samurai and Yuji Nagata, and staying at the NJPW dojo. Plus he muses on CZW, TNA, Spanky's deal with WWE and more. Matches include Dragon vs Low Ki, Dragon vs Reckless Youth and Dragon & Spanky vs Board of Education (cage match from Shawn Michaels' TWA).

Jerry Lawler Shoot Interview January 15th 2001 £7
Countless wrestlers claim to have 'done it all' for the benefit of shoot interviews. 'The King' of wrestling is one of the few who not only live up to that description, but actually exceed it. Lawler has been a star wrestler, respected announcer, successful promoter and national celebrity. There aren't many people with perspective in the wrestling business, and Lawler is at least four of them. Amongst other things, he discusses his 'outlaw' beginnings, balancing his duties as promoter and performer, fending off the mighty wallet of the WWF, having a son follow in his footsteps, working the media with Andy Kaufman, working with Jerry Jarrett, Eddie Gilbert, Paul Heyman, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan, and - of course - Vince McMahon. This was recorded within weeks of his departure from the WWF in 2001. While his walkout proved to be temporary, company loyalty wasn't a factor in this interview. (Picture quality is good, rather than great - hence the reduced four-hour price.)

Bobby Heenan Shoot Interview September 19th 2001 £7
One of the most charming, entertaining shoot interviews ever. Bobby approaches everything with the likeable humour that made him one of the best managers/announcers of the modern era. He discusses his inspiration for becoming a manager, wrestling for a while then returning to managing, producing interview segments for the WWF, announcing with his dear friend Gorilla Monsoon and so much more. His dissertation on Hulk Hogan is fascinating (and perhaps the best defense you'll ever hear of the orange goon), his thoughts on the direction of wrestling are startling (he believes the industry is in an irreversible decline) and his philosophy of 'wrestle like a manager, manage like a wrestler' is given a convincing explanation. Also includes lots of stories about Andre, Vince, Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and a wonderful put-down to the Ultimate Warrior. Highly recommended.

Jerry Lawler Shoot Interview January 15th 2001 £7
Countless wrestlers claim to have 'done it all' for the benefit of shoot interviews. 'The King' of wrestling is one of the few who not only live up to that description, but actually exceed it. Lawler has been a star wrestler, respected announcer, successful promoter and national celebrity. There aren't many people with perspective in the wrestling business, and Lawler is at least four of them. Amongst other things, he discusses his 'outlaw' beginnings, balancing his duties as promoter and performer, fending off the mighty wallet of the WWF, having a son follow in his footsteps, working the media with Andy Kaufman, working with Jerry Jarrett, Eddie Gilbert, Paul Heyman, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan, and - of course - Vince McMahon. This was recorded within weeks of his departure from the WWF in 2001. While his walkout proved to be temporary, company loyalty wasn't a factor in this interview. (Picture quality is good, rather than great - hence the reduced four-hour price.)

OTHER SHOOT INTERVIEWS: I haven't had time to give these tapes the usual 'treatment', but most of them should speak for themselves. For those interested, I now have this little lot: Ken Shamrock Shoot Interview (2002, excellent picture quality - £9), Eddie Guerrero Shoot Interview (2001, excellent picture quality - £9), Bret Hart Shoot Interview (2000, passable picture quality - £7), Road Warriors Shoot Interview (2000, good picture quality - £7), Steve Corino Shoot Interview (2000, poor picture quality but the funniest shoot interview ever - £7), Vader Shoot Interview (1999, good picture quality and eight hours long - £18).