Paul Jones [Highspots Shoot Interview with George South]

Paul Jones  [Highspots Shoot Interview with George South]

The Good
I've always enjoyed shoot interviews conducted by other workers because there is a natural camaraderie that comes through and that usually makes up for the lack of hard-hitting questions (which does not really exist in the pro-wrestling shoot interview universe). George South, a veteran journeyman of the Mid-Atlantic area, admits that Paul Jones was and is his favorite wrestler of all-time and he marks out continuously throughout this interview. The upside is that South is a really insightful person into the business and he is able to conduct a solid interview with the kayfabing Jones that I don't think others would have gotten. In addition to having a long-time relationship, South knows the career of Paul Jones very well and that makes this better than a great many RF Video shoots. This was a very different kind of shoot interview, even different from those I've heard Jim Cornette, Raven and Steve Corino conduct. This is good and I think most people, especially fans of the Mid-Atlantic and JCP days, would really enjoy this.

The Bad
Kayfabing in shoot interviews never plays well. Paul Jones does not seem uncomfortable in discussing things, but he does not use any lingo ("booing" instead "heat," "matchmaker" instead of "booker" as a few examples), never really gets into the backstage details and talks in vague terms quite a bit. I question if this was conducted by someone other than George South (I'd never heard of a Paul Jones shoot before this) whether or not this would have any value. He is not out to bury anybody and avoids openly wielding arrows toward Dusty Rhodes, Manny Fernandez and a couple others than he had issues with. He puts himself over quite strongly and while I don't question his popularity in the Southeast, you want to question some of his claims here. Overall this was worth a listen and while I was disappointed, it could have been much, much worse.

The Rating: ***1/2

Tommy Young [Highspots Shoot Interview]
The Good
I've caught a couple shoot interviews with referees, announcers and interviews and they tend to be very good. These people tend to have had multiple roles in companies, have experiences with almost everybody and have this half-outsider perspective that is quite different. Tommy Young might be remembered as the main referee during the glory days of Jim Crockett Promotions (i.e. the NWA of the 80s), but he worked Detroit, the IWA (Eddie Einhorn's group) and WCW. His voice cadence is oddly similar to Lanny Poffo and he is just a good a storyteller, although not as eccentric. I found him to have most of the key qualities you want in the subject of a shoot interview. He was honest and reflective. For example, he found Abdullah the Butcher difficult to ref because of the gimmicks and carelessness in using them, however as a young guy breaking in, Abby took care of him up in Detroit. He shares those thoughts and more often than not has positive things to say about people. He is insightful in that he understands a referee's role and explains it very well, he understands match psychology and he has some good thoughts about how the business has changed. This was so different, it really set it apart from others.
The Bad
Like many people, Tommy Young had his favorites (Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Gene Anderson, etc.) and he puts them over. He also has people he had issues with (Paul Jones, Tommy Rich, Tully Blanchard, etc.) and he tries to be straightforward about those issues without totally burying the person. I imagine some people would find that obnoxious (that has long been the biggest knock on the Dynamite Kid's autobiography) and they would not enjoy this as much. While Tommy does not bury people like others might, he has his own perspective and shares it. Sometimes, he seems a little to nice guy because he does not want to really tear into anyone. Paul Jones, often labelled as an office stooge, seems like that one guy and we get a "no comment" response. I'm sure many people simply don't care for shoot interviews with people who were not "stars" and Tommy Young, although a top referee, was not a top star in pro-wrestling.
The Rating: ****1/2

Honky Tonk Man & Missy Hyatt [RF Video Face-Off Shoot Interview]


The Good
RF Video's Face-Off series features many interesting combinations, some good, some not so good and this is somewhere along that same continuum. The Honky Tonk Man is always entertaining, although perhaps has been overexposed like the Iron Shiek, New Jack and Missy Hyatt. Missy, seemingly prompted by RF Video, interviews Honky for the opening segment and that is fine. Then they get into the Honky rhythm and RF pops in a few questions and there off and running. Missy gets in some comments, but the talking is mostly done by Honky. They wax nostalgic, they bury people and they talk about how the business has developed into the current product. Some of this is very good, interesting stuff.

The Bad
I think I've said that once you've seen one Missy Hyatt shoot, you've seen them all. She has a core of people she hates (Eric Bischoff, Jason Hervey, Kevin Sullivan, Dark Journey and such), she has a core group of people she puts over (Eddie Gilbert, Jim Ross, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch and such). Honky Tonk Man is not all that different, but his career was much longer, fuller and he has more to share. I wondered if Missy would drag Honky down or if Honky would pull Missy up. I tend to think more of the former. Honky takes most of this, which is fine by me. This is what it is and it is not the best interview involving either of them, the best Face-Off interview or anything like that.

The Rating: ***3/4

Missy Hyatt [Wrestling Universe Shoot Interview]

The Good
Missy Hyatt is one of those rare people who despite having little or nothing to do with pro-wrestling anymore, not supplying much insight and a less than legendary career keeps getting brought onto radio shows and asked to do shoot interviews? The reason being that Missy Hyatt loves to fling mud and loves to talk about all the sex and drugs in the business. Shockingly, Missy never entirely comes across as bitter, but rather as someone who will dish the dirt and makes no bones about who she likes, who she dislikes and what opinions she has of everyone else. The WrestlingUniverse shoot series is exceptional and they largely throw softballs at Missy, so she can hit jaw-dropping homeruns (if you've never heard Missy Hyatt before). She says who screwed who, who she screwed, who she did not screw and who she owes favors. You'll learn about certain pro-wrestler's abilities, inabilities and adequacy. You'll learn about valet's drug problems, man problems and attitude problems. It is a free-for-all with the only caveat being she does not want to spoil her book (which was about what you'd expect).

The Bad
If you've never heard Missy, than you'd probably dig this. If you've heard her on WOL or a tame radio show, you'll probably notice she's a bit more colorful. If you've heard her YouShoot or some other shoots (RF Video, SmartMark Video, etc.) than this will probably seem like more of the same. She puts people over, but rarely specifies their good qualities usually just that they were "nice" or "smart." Conversely, she often buries people like Kevin Sullivan, Tony Anthony and Jeff Jarrett for no apparent reason and does not validate her thoughts with examples of being wronged. In the overall scope of her shoots, I'd rate this as "above average." I must insert though, you have to enjoy listening to the kind of interview she does.

The Rating: ***1/2

Jackie Gayda [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Other than trainers and brief interviews with Tough Enough participants, I've never heard an in-depth look at the show. Jackie, who was a co-winner of Tough Enough II, proved to be a decent talent, but simply never worked that much. The look at TE from a participant's perspective was really different and with a fifth season in the works, it was interesting to think about the production and storytelling that actually goes on. Jackie seems like a very down to Earth person who got curious about pro-wrestling because she was athletic and interested in broadcasting and production. It makes sense that she, a fitness model type, would be brought up too soon, but for whatever reason she was simply dumped after a year and a half on the main roster (along with new husband Charlie Haas). Although her time in business was brief and her actual knowledge is limited, Jackie Gayda's distinct entrance into the sport is one worth exploring.

The Bad
Jackie Gayda career was the proverbial "cup of coffee." From the time she was on Tough Enough II to when she ended her regular involvement with TNA is only five years! Yes, she won the show. Yes, she had a couple runs on WWF TV. But is she really worthy of an extensive shoot? A large portion of this focuses on her experiences with TE2 and even her try-out for the first Tough Enough. Very little TNA is discussed. OVW is talked about as a training ground and there is not much focus on angles or things along that line, which is typical RF Video lack of knowledge.

The Rating: ***1/4

The Gangstas [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
A brutally honest shoot interview with both of the Gangstas. Both New Jack and Mustafa are basically retired, so they are a little more reflective and not so hung up on current events as can happen with active wrestlers. As with any New Jack project, this was entertaining in its own way. Jack talked his usual sh*t and acted the way he usually does. I know there are people out there who love that and I can say those people will probably enjoy this. Mustafa however, who I'd never heard before, made a good showing. He came across as a straight-up guy with integrity as well as a loyalty to New Jack as the team's mouthpiece. I thought he tempered New Jack's rambling well and it was a different kind of New Jack shoot.

The Bad
I don't really care for New Jack shoot interviews. He is repetitive, rambling and ridiculous. This lacked depth because not many questions were posed. New Jack talked and did his schtick, Mustafa put in his two cents when he could. This meant the answers to those few questions were actually vague and lacking insight despite the length of the "answer." Typical New Jack stuff. If you like that, you might actual think Mustafa's serious presence takes away from the New Jack show. About what I expected, but disappointing considering New Jack has been heard before and Mustafa did not get a great deal of talking time.

The Rating: ***

Eric Embry [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Every once and a while, RF Video pulls off a real coup. They either score a guest who makes an exceptional showing (sometimes people who have been tight-lipped or dull elsewhere), they giving someone the time of day and they really deliver the goods or, in this case, they bring in someone who never does shoot interviews or has been MIA for years. Eric Embry has not been much seen or heard from in nearly 20 years and like Dave Schultz, Austin Idol and several other people who have done shoot interviews in the past few years, he has a lot to say! I am always a sucker for those laid-back Southerners who use the same phrases over and over ("sonuvagun worker") and put themselves over like a million bucks. Eric Embry certainly has his critics and if you believe much of what he says here, you'd think he had the "quickest mind for pro-wrestling in the business" (which apparently Jerry Jarrett stated), to here him talk about causing riots in Mexico, bringing Dallas back to life and keeping Puerto Rico rocking and rolling after Luke Williams' famed tenure. Embry details his whole career in good detail and seems to be fairly straight-forward. He has people he dislikes, did not see eye-to-eye with and developed heat with, but he does not really bury people out of spite. Even Jerry Lawler, who he admits to disliking more than anyone, he credits as one of pro-wrestling's greatest performers.

The Bad
I recall seeing Eric Embry in the Apter Mags as a kid and wondering what all the fuss was about. To look at him, he seems like a short, chubby generic heel. Once I saw him actually work though, I could understand how he amassed as much power as he did. He is an excellent worker, talker and entertainer. He has his critics still, but after hearing his perspective, I tend to feel he is unnecessarily blamed for killing World Class, ending wresting in Texas and overly pushing himself (he claims that Jerry Jarrett told him to push himself as the top babyface). Embry really needs to get some more media (KFC Guest Booker, perhaps?). I did feel that he embellished his accomplishments a tad, but not so much that I'd say this shoot interview is laden with with lies and falsehoods.

The Rating: ****