"The Patriot" Del Wilkes [One-on-One Shoot Series]

The Good

Japanese promotions brought in anyone who was anyone up through the 1990s, but very few had extended runs and even fewer of those people have done shoot interviews and talked extensively about their experiences in Japan.  Del Wilkes, in this nearly three hour shoot, talks about his career in an engrossing way.  An accomplished collegiate football player who broke in with the Great Moolah and had a few unique chances before hooking up with All Japan, this is a guy who can really pull listeners in.  He was a man with a dream and he worked hard to accomplish that dream.  That is one of the charming aspects of this shoot.  However, Wilkes is honest about the people he liked, disliked and worked with over the years.  Without coming across as bitter, he goes into his thoughts on people like Jeff Jarrett, Eric Bischoff, Bret Hart and Giant Baba and his justifiable issues with those people.  He talks about how Tom Brandi "stole" his Patriot persona and gives some very candid thoughts on the matter, which are among the more noteworthy parts of this.  While some of his anecdotes about WCW, the WWF and other American companies are interesting, the meat of this is his reflections on his time in All Japan.  From the workrate and workers to the hierarchy and cultural differences, Wilkes goes into all of it.  What is unfortunate, to an extent, is there is not a lot of specific questions and there is not much chronology.  Luckily, Wilkes is a good storyteller and does not need much direction, even better, they periodically stop so he can collect his thoughts.  Actual editing in shoot interview?

The Bad

I sometimes listen to interviews and realize that while I enjoy it, others might not.  The Patriot obviously had a more significant career in All Japan than in the States.  If you have little knowledge or interest in 90s All Japan, you might not think much of this.  There is also the issue that hearing about him breaking in through Moolah's camp, starving in Memphis, working as The Trooper in the AWA and becoming The Patriot in Global and some of those might be irrelevant to some folks.  If you were a Monday Night Wars fan, he has a some stuff about his WWF run, but it is limited.  Overall, this is great shoot, but it probably only has interest to a smallish group of hardcore fans.

The Rating: ****1/4

Sherri Martel [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Ladies in pro-wrestling have a different type of story that is tough to get at. While they are in the business and can become one of the boys (as Sherri Martel) did, they are separated, can be objectified and can get caught up in relationships that adversely effect their careers. Looking down the history, it is easy to find. Many of the early stars had relationships with Billy Wolfe (long-time promoter of lady wrestlers), Missy Hyatt went from one guy to another, Elizabeth was allegedly locked in closets and so on. Sherri Martel largely rose above all this. She was a very good talent that avoided getting in relationships with her peers, she avoided getting blackballed although she was never exactly one of Moolah's girls and she was never turned into eye candy only to be tossed away at the end of the month. In this interview, she was very candid that she was rebellious and let herself get caught up in the drinking and drug-using lifestyle that has become synonymous with pro-wrestling. Sadly, it is those dependencies that she was battling with up to her death.  Sherri is very honest and forthright in this interview, it really gets at women's wrestling and women's roles in wrestling in way no other shoot interview has (or at least none I've caught).

The Bad
A typical flaw of the RF Video Shoot formula is that they inexplicably leave out significant segments of a person's career. After her run with Ric Flair in 1994, it seems as if her career quickly fizzled out and she only came back to work a couple matches in 1999. However, she had a long run with Harlem Heat and a bizarre program with Colonel Parker (Robert Fuller) over the next few years that probably could have discussed some. That matched with Rob's typical ineptitude make this an unfortunate interview because Sherri was so honest and could have been challenged to push this interview to a height that I do not recall any female talent ever reaching. Although it was very good, it was disappointing because of how great it could have been.

The Rating: ****

King of the Ring: The Harley Race Story



Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Harley Race, Gerry Tritz
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Released: 11/04

The Good
The pro-wrestling book craze has led to many of the old-timers publishing their memoirs to make some money and each book has it's own account of a part of history. Harley Race's in-ring career spanned from the early 60s to the late 80s, a time period that saw power shifts in the NWA and ultimately their demise and the rise of the WWF. He was not only a top pro-wrestler during that time, he was a touring NWA World Champion, booker in numerous places, part owner of the Kansas City territory and one of many who joined Vince after a tough battle against him. He candidly covers all that and wraps up things by talking about managing, retirement, his school and his recent involvement with various people and companies. All of this is fine and well. He talks about his numerous accidents that has left his body shattered, the importance of his family and even his faith, which is really the material most original to this book. This is one of those brief autobiographies that you'll enjoy if you like the wrestler and maybe don't know their story very well and haven't heard their shoot interviews.

The Bad
Any book that mentions Lex Luger several times and paints him in a positive light can't be good, can it? Actually, the big fault of this book is it's length, less than 200 pages. The chronology is good, but Race's fast-life seems to have made for a fast-book. I read this in a 24 hour period, which I had never done with a pro-wrestling book and was never had that "I can't tear myself away" feeling. Tritz is not the best ghostwriter, since he lacks credibility in many ways and probably kept this from being the book it should have been. Race was just as important as someone like Ole Anderson, but he never explains running a territory, how to book or any of that. In fact, he seems like a mark for himself just like Ole said he was. There are plenty of bad wrestling books, this isn't one of them, but it's far from the best. Borrow it if you can, read it in a day or two and you should be mildly satisfied.


The Rating: **1/2

Scott Norton [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
On occasion it seems like someone who might have an interesting life story, career, etc. might not be the most interesting person based on their pro-wrestling persona. Scott Norton was a hulk of a man who had a solid career in the US and an often overlooked, but extremely impressive career in Japan. He was, however, never known for being charismatic. Norton kind of (and self-admittedly so) "barked" through promos and tried to get his point across. In the shoot interview atmosphere, he doesn't need to yell, he doesn't need to get over as a bad ass and he doesn't need to build up a match or angle. It works. Norton is reflective, funny, honest and is able to share a perspective on Japan that few could. He has anecdotes about native stars and gaijin alike that are rare gems for the puroresu fans. While Scott Norton worked a few places in the states, most notably WCW in their heyday, he did not have the level of success or length of time like he did in New Japan. Some might find his thoughts on WCW and the personalities there interesting, particularly on why some things worked and some things failed.

The Bad
If you look at the career of Scott Norton, you could pick several aspects to explore. However, it seems like covering his time in Japan should be the primary focus. There is definitely some detailed discussion of his New Japan career, but it seems like that would be the area to focus on. One of the key differences between talking about international wrestling and talking about American wrestling is that interviewers tend to just ask about specific wrestlers, some about the culture and the differences. Scott Norton could talk about Antonio Inoki, Keiji Muto and Shinya Hashimoto in isolation, but he had enough experiences over there that it seems like some deeper discussions could be going on. I have seen that approach attempted and often guys were not really aware of politics or were able to contextualize things, but Scott Norton seems like one who could have and would have done that. The absence of that potential depth really took away from what was a decent shoot interview otherwise.


The Rating: ***1/2

Sgt. Slaughter [Pro Wrestling Diaries - Shoot Interview]

The Good
I had heard a lot of positive references to the Pro Wrestling Diary shoot interviews and while it did not seem like they featured the biggest stars, I'll take a great interview with a mid-carder than a poor one with a superstar any day. Sgt. Slaughter certainly is no mid-carder and this four-hour affair drives that point home. Often pro-wrestlers who stick around can get pegged with weird legacies. He still shows up on WWE television, looks practically the same as he did during his bizarre early 1990s heel run and comes across very cartoonish. Back in the day, Sgt. Slaughter was one a helluva big bumping heel headlining against Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson in MSG, Steamboat & Youngblood in the Carolinas and delivering some memorable promos along the way. That five year run alone would have made him legend, but then he turned babyface and was one of the biggest around. This interview goes through those years in great detail and with funny anecdotes and sharp insight. The early years of Bob Remus are told as well and, in fact, him recounting about his father sending him off to follow his dreams rather than stay roofing in Minnesota is a touching story. The story of his showdown with Billy Robinson before entering Verne Gagne's camp is one I'd never heard before and there were others that when told by the Sarge himself were just priceless. His later WWF run and stints in the late 90s and beyond were covered, but thankfully not the focal point of this interview, a drawback of so many shoot interviews. By the end of this, I was convinced of Sgt. Slaughter's greatness and feel bad that he's become a cartoonish caricature of himself in the past few years.

The Bad
I had known that Sgt. Slaughter was a legit Marine and had been a drill instructor, but you'd expect that to be explored some more. While it is mentioned and he refers to aspects of that time and how it influenced his Sgt. Slaughter persona, it was not given the time or focus I expected. Many pro-wrestlers have had military gimmicks and his is legit and he is the quintessential military-gimmicked wrestler, but it is largely limited to his passing references. This could simply be an area that he did not want to discuss or it is not as defining a life experience as one might expect, but it was the glaring omission in this extensive and thorough shoot interview. Overall, this was great and I have few complaints about this and will definitely check out any PWD shoots that come out.

The Rating: *****

Gene Okerlund [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I've thought interviews with play-by-play announcers have sounded kind of unusual, like Lance Russell for example, it sounds funny because of his distinct voice being in this totally different context. However, listening to Gene Okerlund was kind of surreal. While I've heard only limited amounts of his play-by-play, his distinct cadence, vocabulary and style are so identifiable and listening to that voice talk about pro-wrestling in a kayfabe-breaking way is just bizarre at times. The content is great though. They talk briefly about his pre-AWA background in broadcasting and his transition into the company. Okerlund became most famous as an interviewer in the WWF in the Rock-N-Wrestling days, which is what much of this interview focuses on. Okerlund offers his two-cents on talent, usually an anecdote or two and is very willing to go through name-by-name. While I personally find this approach bland, it was very interesting with him and he knows how to command an audiences attention.

The Bad
For what this was, not many flaws stand out. As an announcer, Okerlund had a certain niche in the business. He interacted with everyone, but was tighter with some than others and worked more closely with some than others. The tendency is to ask him about the many big names he interviewed on TV, but "Mean" Gene was more than just that on-camera personality. It seems like getting into the nitty-gritty of WWF's production would have taken this shoot to the next level. In fact, Kevin Dunn, who is one of those unsung heroes of the WWF's success (although he's been blasted by Jim Cornette for being anti-wrestling and detrimental to the in-ring product) who Okerlund could definitely have talked about. This was a fun interview with someone who had an amazing career and is deceptively knowledgeable about pro-wrestling's history and one can enjoy it for that.

The Rating: ***3/4

Nick Bockwinkel [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
One of the best on the microphone, Nick Bockwinkel's trademark cadence and use of "50 and 75 cent words" plays so well in a format of this nature. While he's teased as being too long-winded, in this arena, that is what you often want. Despite his age, Bockwinkel is sharp as a tack and his memory and ability to work a story as good as he could work a match. Some of his stories are rehashed, some of his opinions are brought up again and some of his credentials are reexamined, but he manages to keep it fresh. Tales of Yukon Eric, thoughts on Verne Gagne, insight into how the WWF expansion differed from the AWA's show some of the variety that this interview brings out. The randomness of questions in RF Video shoots that drives me crazy provides some neat little bits of information that might not have been brought out otherwise.

The Bad
Compared to many other interviews that Nick Bockwinkel has done, this one was extremely disorganized. Other than the beginning and end concentrating on the beginning and end of his his career, this was all over the place. Smart Mark Video did such a stellar interview with him a few years back that anything else seems like it could not help but fall short.

The Rating: ****1/4

Straight Shootin' with Ken Patera

The Good
Over-the-top shoot interviews can be fun and they certainly gain the most notoriety. While not as wild as the Iron Sheik, Jamie Dundee or Billy Jack Haynes, Ken Patera certainly has some unique perspectives, candid comments and colorful language to say the least. He could be billed as angry, bitter and crazy based on this (and his drunken RF Video shoot), but he unquestionably had a stellar career and worked on or near the top in a variety of promotions for over a decade. However, he had some rough times in life and never quite reached the upper echelon. He was a top-notch Olympic lifter who is often seen as someone who blew it at the Olympics (he did get a bronze with a bad knee, so his "failure" was not quite like Mark Henry's). He was a great working heel with legit credentials, but is not mentioned in the same breath as many other "legends" he worked alongside. He is often remembered best for his low points - his pathetic babyface run in 87-88, his two years in prison, his wacky Shiek gimmick in the AWA. He is a man who really gave everything he had to a business that left him with numerous personal problems. I think he has some validity in his bitterness, but he goes about it in a much more entertaining way than many of his peers. In spite of some of the insanity here, Patera is able to really get into his greatness and if you can move past the bullshitting, mudslinging and name-calling, you can know that he is not obscenely overstating his legacy. All of that aside, he is a hilarious storyteller. He rambles, he stumbles over words, he swears incessantly and has incredible stories involving Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, Curt Hennig and many others known for their decadence. While he does have a filter, he is more wide open than a great many legends. He talks frankly about his own personal, professional, physical and martial problems. Even with all this, I am still not sure if I would call him "bitter."

The Bad
I really think this was tremendous shoot interview and rate as the best of interviews of the bitter, angry and possibly crazy crowd. Ken Patera is probably the biggest star of all those guys (Ole Anderson could probably stake a serious claim to that as well), yet he has plenty of nasty things to say about half the people he worked with and some unflattering stuff about many of the other half. While I don't think he is really delusional or a bold-faced liar, he certainly has some screwy stories that I simply cannot buy. Some seem to have no merit past his convincing telling of them - Jesse Ventura was a heroine addict, Bruno Sammartino cussed out Vince McMahon back in the day for coming in the lockerroom and he was the person largely responsible for getting Ric Flair in and keeping him in the business early on. He is quite a character and curses and spits through many great anecdotes, but I'd question some of the details in this one.

The Rating: ****3/4

Road Warriors [RF Video Shoot Interview]



The Good
I have to feel a little nostalgic about this one because this was the first shoot interview I ever heard and it was one of RF Video's earliest non-ECW shoots. I remember stumbling across RF Video's kiosk at Franklin Mills in PA and leaving with this as well as some All Japan. I was definitely impressed as this is an impressive interview. Hawk is over-the-top in calling Vince McMahon the most evil man ever and comes across as bitter and angry. Even Animal, typically considered the level-headed one, is angry in talking about being misused in their two WWF runs. I thought the WWE's Road Warriors DVD was much more organized and better produced, but this had the raw emotion and lacked the WWE revisionist history, so in many ways in was preferable. Listening to them wax nostalgic about killing everyone in Georgia and how over they were when they came to the WWF is one thing, but hearing them bury the New Age Outlaws, Bill Watts and others for being inept is another. The cutting honesty here is pretty incredible.

The Bad
I remember when I first watched through this over a decade ago, being blown away by it all. It had the stories right from the wrestlers themselves. It was full of anger and honesty. It was even supplemented with matches I'd never seen before. But when it was all over, I kind of felt like "I paid X amount of money for this?" because once you've listened to a shoot interview, it has drastically reduced playback value, so you feel a tad ripped off. I would say the exception lies in shoots that are just above-and-beyond entertaining or exceptionally insightful to the business. This was neither. The Road Warriors totally believe their own hype and while they were huge stars for the better part of a decade, they simply could not offer the same goods in `99, despite what they say here. I would give this high marks for its uniqueness and historical relevance, it also has the advantages of including someone who has since passed away, but this is not the best shoot interview.

The Rating: ****1/2

Sir Oliver Humperdink [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I'd listened to this one a couple years back and had it on my to-review list and felt obligated after Sir Oliver Humperdink's recent passing to bump it to the front of the list. One of the greatest, yet often most overlooked, managers of all-time, Humperdink was a staple in Florida for years and had significant runs in a number of other territories. His stories of breaking in are hilarious from crashing the ring truck with "Hippie" Mike Boyette on his first night as a referee (after being a long-time security guy) to getting legitimately suspended after interfering in his managerial debut in Quebec City. He was endless tales like those and is definitely a great talker and storyteller. His rise to prominence came when Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown became the Hollywood Blondes and headed into Quebec for the Vachons. The duo took this pudgy guy with long red hair, gave him a name stretching of English nobility (major heat-getter in French-Canada) and they popped the territory. Humperdink became a vital part of the act that traveled to Los Angeles, Florida and Mid-South before parting ways. Humperdink had established himself in Florida and remained there with periodic trips out for nearly a decade. Although he is really a nice guy and not looking to bury anybody, Humperdink gives some pretty honest opinions and has a hilarious way of getting his points across. Not surprisingly, he waxes nostalgic about the old territory days and expresses frustration with what the business became. However, he seems like a well adjusted person who periodically visits "the boys" when they're in town and was active in Cauliflower Alley Club and other reunions and fanfests up until his death several years later.

The Bad
If this was the first and only shoot that I heard with Sir Oliver Humperdink, I would probably count it as an excellent one that most everyone should check out. However, the "Art of Managing" shoot he did with Gary Hart is amongst the best shoots out there and this seems uninspired in comparison. There is the typical lack-of-knowledge nonsense that undermines what should've been one of the best of the best. It is very good and Humperdink is never disappointing, but this is not the best interviewer he's been paired with.

The Rating: ****

Guest Booker with Greg Gagne [KayFabe Commentaries]



The Good
Overall, I'd say I'm a fan of Greg Gagne. I thought he was a very good worker, I thought he was a solid babyface and I believe he really knows the AWA-style of pro-wrestling. In shoot interviews, he is enjoyable to listen to for sure. He is extremely blunt, he has sharp insight and he can be funny at times. His series with Gary Cubeta has been excellent, so I figured in the guest booker seat, he'd make a strong showing. He did bring many of the aforementioned good qualities to this and really explained the AWA method of booking, which is perhaps the closest we'll ever get to understanding Verne's logic for things. I recently heard Bill Irwin give his take on Verne's approach that I thought had great merit, but it was not discussed here. Basically, he felt Verne kept around the stars of his generation because he was in denial about the generational shift that happened. The Crusher, Mad Dog Vachon, Baron Von Raschke and others still had some steam, but seeing them 10-20 years past their primes going toe-to-toe with the Road Warriors, Hulk Hogan and other `roided up comicbook-like stars just turned off their audiences. Greg Gagne approach here is so revealing in regards to why the AWA machine failed to compete with the the WWF juggernaut.

The Bad
While guests on Guest Booker vary in their preparedness, Greg Gagne seemed completely unprepared and embarrassingly so at times. This series works if a booker comes in with some thought out ideas that they can explain, so as to expose their booking mind. When Greg tries to get Sean Oliver to book things, you know things are going poorly. He lacks the conviction and passion that is needed to get himself over as a great mind. He seems to cop out by saying that AWA basically on shot four angles per year, which I have a hard time buying. Regardless, it shows why their old-fashion style lost out against the booking of the WWF. Instead of making a case that more current pro-wrestling is over-booked and over-planned, it seemed like his generation under-booked and under-planned and that's why that style died out. Greg Gagne is not a bad interview, just like he was not a bad wrestler, but this one was an underwhelming effort.

The Rating: ***1/2

Paul Ellering [RF Video Shoot Interview]



The Good
Sometimes people who were around big stars can provide a level of perception that those big stars cannot or would not share. The Road Warriors did a fairly early RF Video shoot and it is one of the most famous, especially since Hawk's death has prevented anything like that from ever happening. Paul Ellering was a "shoot manager" like Gary Hart and a few others, who legitimately took a talent and molded it. Ellering managed a few different people, but it was the Road Warriors who he will always be identified with. They talk briefly about his experiences breaking in, his less-than-stellar runs in some well-regarded territories and the injuries that ended his active career. Then they get into his decade with the Road Warriors when they toured the world as a huge attraction. Ellering has so many interesting stories and pieces of information to share, but I think I prefer him in sound bytes than in a lengthy interview.

The Bad
This was an odd shoot interview. I've never found Paul Ellering to be the best interview in this capacity and when RF's questions get disorganized, Paul gets emotional about Hawk's death and things start getting too heavy, they rush to the wrap-up. This could have gone another 30 minutes, but it just kind of went to hell. Rob unexplainably confuses their WWF runs as he jumps from their departure from WCW to Paul's time with the DOA and back to working at Wembley Stadium and then to Hawk's pathetic drunk angle. It is all so muddled and pointless. When they get into Hawk's death, Paul gets a little upset and RF is unable to continue with clear and compassionate questions. They talk about his drug abuse, his self-destructive ways and it is all rushed. This was a decent interview that got worse at the point that it should have gotten better (so to speak). This revealed some of Rob's greatest weaknesses as an interviewer.

The Rating: ***1/4

Col. DeBeers [Figure-Four Daily Interview]

The Good
I typically subscribe to Figure-Four/Wrestling Observer Online now for several month stretches every year. Typically, I follow the shows faithfully, listen to back shows religiously and put any newsletters I want to read on my Kindle for consumption when I can find the time. When I have tedious work to do, I listen to hours upon hours of a single show. Last summer, I poured over hours of Figure-Four Dailies and found a handful of them to be so exceptional that I'll be going back and reviewing them for this blog. One that was a standout was Bryan's interview with Ed Wiskowski (aka Col. DeBeers), although this predated my listening to his RF Shoot, it convinced me that this guy was a shoot master. Wiskowski's vast experiences, great storytelling and sharp insight make him one of those individuals that I'll go out of my way to listen to talk wrestling. Bryan does the standard - how'd you get in?, tell us about your athletic background (football) and all that, but is able to pull in the follow-ups that Rob never can. Although it was brief, Wiskowski talking about his experiences in South Africa were captivating and that area is so rarely covered.

The Bad
Only an hour barely scratches the surface of such a full career. Wiskowski touches briefly on his numerous European tours, which is often left out in shoot interviews with pro-wrestlers. Since he and Bryan are familiar with one another personally and have lived in the Pacific Northwest, they had a great chemistry. The Colonel, who loathes Dave Meltzer, only briefly mentioned him in talking about how Dave did not not thinking his character drew money. Bryan had him back on after Buddy Rose died, but he could probably have him on as much as Paul Lazenby, Dr. Lucha and it'd never grow old or dull.

The Rating: ***1/2

The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect

Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 9/08

Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Eric Bischoff, Nick Bockwinkel, Wade Boggs [friend/baseball legend], Edge, Gerald Brisco, Ric Flair, Greg Gagne, Tony Garea, Bret Hart, Michael Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Larry Hennig, Leonisse Hennig (widow), Joe Hennig (son), Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho, Jerry Lawler, Brock Lesnar, Steve Lombardi, Shawn Michaels, Gene Okerland, Bruce Pritchard, Harley Race, William Regal, Brad Rheingans, Dusty Rhodes, Kerwin Slifies (WWF Director), Joey Styles, Triple H

The Good
Curt Hennig was one of the most respected pro-wrestlers amongst his peers and for the WWE to release a DVD with a documentary dedicated to him was a bit of a surprise. Like the excellent Brian Pillman DVD, Hennig's life story and his pro-wrestling career have fascinating twists and turns for a story. His legacy as a great athlete and technical workhorse in the ring and a fun-loving ribber outside of the ring is highlighted wonderfully here. It has a light-heartedness to the story that is fitting his personality. The commentary by Greg Gagne, Larry Hennig and Wade Boggs brings this alive and add a dimension to this that makes this similar to the Pillman DVD. The matches on this are also excellent and it is a fair look at a great career that peaked with the unforgettable Mr. Perfect character.

The Bad
As a WWE production, this has the typical WWE slant to it. It makes WWF history look like Mr. Perfect was a given this huge push and was a top guy. He was pushed, he was given a great gimmick and he had some tremendous matches, but other than a house show run with Hulk Hogan, Curt Hennig was always a upper midcarder. The WWF gave the big pushes to the Ultimate Warrior, Sid Justice and other roided up monsters and it was people like Hennig who had to put them over and make them look good. His WCW run mirrored that legacy and then he came back. When Curt Hennig returned in the Royal Rumble, he looked poised to be a top guy. He could have been and probably should have been, but he was not and this fact is not exactly discussed. The drug issues are mentioned briefly, but Hennig was a notorious for his partying. It is not surprising all these factors are omitted. Some of the minor faults are the absence of Bobby Heenan, Lanny Poffo and some of Hennig's AWA peers and the reoccurring presence of Jerry Brisco, Steve Lombardi and even “Mr. Kayfabe” Arn Anderson, which seems to detract more than it adds. If you expect more than a light piece, then look elsewhere because the WWE does not really do heavy material.
The Rating: ****1/2

Pat Tanaka [SmartMarkVideo Shoot Interview]

The Good
Sometimes you just get the feeling that shoot interview is going to be excellent with no real reason. Pat Tanaka had a somewhat uneventful career and I had no real reason to believe that he'd have some keen insight or hilarious road stories because I'd never heard him in a shoot or really mentioned for that matter. However, he did tour around a lot, he was the son of the legendary Duke Keomuka, he broke in over in New Japan and he and partner Paul Diamond were pretty successful for a time as Badd Company. What I did not expect was that Pat Tanaka was almost a carbon copy of his one-time best friend Marty Jannetty. He was a hellion who was more into wine, women and song than working out, developing mic skills or trying to get over with the office. Pat Tanaka was by his own admission, a "f**k up." He was the son of a legend, the nephew of a legend and in one of the hottest territories in the world, but screwed around too much to gain much from those advantages. He was a fun-loving guy who spent much of his time in Japan getting in trouble for excessive partying. He was a big ribber who tried to stay even with Curt Hennig and the Nasty Boys. He was a small guy in a big man's business, who was a great natural worker, but let poor choices stop him again and again. This was an excellent look into Tanaka's career and he seemed frank about himself and loved to put people over. Although brief, his recollections of his time in Japan are priceless. Obviously, there are not many gaijin who got as entrenched as he did with the native talent, so getting some perspective on them is unique. I found this to be a really positive and interesting shoot interview and it did not disappoint me.

The Bad
How many "what a fantastic guy," "he was a great worker" and "no comments" can you sit through. Although this did not reach Jimmy Snuka levels of vagueness, Tanaka certainly spent plenty of time dishing out these generic statements. The "no comment" crew was obviously intriguing: Scott Hall, Tojo Yamamoto and a few others. Obviously, the juicy details behind those were such that he just did not want to share them. This was not free of burials though. He knocked Konnan as a "nobody," Shinya Hashimoto as a "piece of sh*t" who took dangerous liberties in the ring and even his partner Paul Diamond as an endless complainer who enjoyed making moves on other guy's girlfriends/wives/etc. If Tanaka would go on about those people and not others, you have to wonder what the story is behind his "no comment" statements. The biggest question mark in this is the almost complete absence of discussing his Orient Express run in the WWF. He talks about getting the call, teaming with Akio Sato (mostly beforehand) and his departure (due to Diamond stabbing him in the back), but that is about it. No Mr. Fuji, no Rockers feud, no Sato being replaced by Kato (Diamond), it was just missing here.

The Rating: ****

John Nord [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I think anyone who is strongly associated with individuals in pro-wrestling who either don't do interviews or cannot do interviews (because they have passed away) are always going to have some interest no matter how marginal that person is.  If a guy who worked security for the Von Erichs in World Class or someone who worked as a referee for Killer Kowalski can make for an interesting interview than whose to say who is really deserving of interviews.  John Nord had some success as the Barbarian, the Berzerker and such, but what makes him really interesting is the people he grew up with, worked alongside and got to know in the business.  A childhood friend of Curt Hennig, a later friend of high school rival Road Warrior Hawk and a partner and close buddy of Bruiser Brody, John Nord has known some remarkable people who have passed on.  He is a goofy dude though and while I'm suspicious of some things he says, he certainly can tell some funny and interesting stories.  Whether it's Dusty Rhodes' "muffler," Curt Hennig's legendary ribs or the lockerroom brawl with Butch Reed that is well-known, John Nord had some fresh material for sure.

The Bad
John Nord could be the most sincere and honest person ever, but my gut thinks otherwise.  Not that he's necessarily lying, but if you'd never seen him or heard much about him, you'd be wondering why.  He was basically a midcard talent who got a few solid pushes here and there.  He was friends with a lot of people, he was an impressive looking big man with some athletic ability, he had several key chances to get over.  It never happened.  The few things I've heard people (Bill Watts, Gary Hart and a couple others) mention in other shoots have never been overly flattering.  This is a fun shoot interview to listen to, but I'd definitely take it with a grain of salt.

The Rating: ****

Mad Dog Vachon [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon is one of the mythical characters in pro-wrestling history and he is able to reveal much of how he got there in this interview.  His English is not perfect, he gets confused about a few things and this is, in fact, an RF Video shoot interview, but despite all those drawback this is excellent.  Vachon is a great storyteller whether he's talking about his father, recounting his early days in Texas or his telling of his experiences as a top star in the AWA.  That quality really makes this one of those shoot interviews that you just cannot stop listening to (until it gets really bad at the end).

The Bad
RF Video never fails at angering me in their inability to do their research, follow-up on questions, build rapport with the interviewee or try to hide the interviewee's weaknesses.  When Mad Dog gets tired and struggles to recall the names being dropped, the interview keeps rolling along and makes the last part of this worthless.    What is even worse than that is the lack of exploration into Vachon's Grand Prix promotion and pro-wrestling in Quebec in general.  This started so strong and was overall very good, but some of the same old issues prevented it from being great.

The Rating: ****

Bobby the Brain: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Bobby Heenan, Steve Anderson
Publisher: Triumph Publishing
Released: 9/02

The Good
Hilarious in parts, kind of funny in others, dull in other areas. Heenan's career is condensed greatly and he mostly delivers humourous little stories and puts them in some sort of order it seems. There are some great ones about ribs, wrestlers being dumb, wrestlers being funny and so on. The more serious parts are nice and his humor makes them more interesting than the typical rambling childhood/parenthood/family stories.

The Bad
This is light read and a fun one...that's all. Anyone can do this in an afternoon and not get much out of it other than a few laughs. Heenan doesn't give much insight aside from how he thinks things are flawed nowerdays, which is more being out-of-touch than being insightful. Everything is so here and there that it's hard to say any number of things add up to equal a sound argument. The WCW stuff could've been better as he'll say they did this and that and it's so stupid, but doesn't always provide an alternative. This guy KNOWS wrestling, he knows how to work a match and even better how to work the crowd, but you'd not get all that from this all too short story.

The Rating: ***

David Schultz [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
The shoot interviews that tend to pique my interest are those with very honest and out-spoken or those with people who I've never heard in a non-kayfabe setting. With David Schultz you know you're getting all that. Based on his reputation and even his Dr. D character, Schultz seems like he'd have to necessarily be highly enjoyable even if he's a fraction that personality he portrayed. Although he is more low-key and does not smack Feinstein around (or even berate him!), Schultz is not afraid to speak his mind at all. Without seemingly overly bitter, Schultz explains his distain for liars, wimps and `rasslers who can't work. He is really positive about many people in the business, especially if they can work. Even someone like Jerry Lawler, who is not a fighter, he can respect them as master of psychology. An unexpected highlight of this was the part about being a bountyhunter, which brought him more fame and success than pro-wrestling. I expected this to be really good and it pretty much delivered.

The Bad
I honestly expected David Schultz to be very bitter toward pro-wrestling and specifically Vince McMahon and the WWF. While he was not really negative toward the business, he was very negative toward the WWF/WWE and especially Vince McMahon who he feels lied to him. Most of this revolves around the John Stossell incident where Schultz slapped the 20/20 reporter around as part of an expose on pro-wrestling. Although he proclaims Vince put him up to it, he was fired soon after (although that could have just as well stemmed from an altercation with Mr. T) and has been kind of written out of WWF history. He tries to explain his legacy there - getting Hulk Hogan over as a white-hot babyface coming off their violent feud in the AWA, getting his manager Roddy Piper over and defending the business by smacking around Stossell for Vince. There is validity to all of that, but his brief run, lack of big main events and departure before the big pay-per-views have made it difficult to really substantiate his role. Obviously David Schultz is highly opinionated and some of his opinions you'd disagree with, some of his views on race you'd disagree with and some of the political views he shares towards the end you might disagree with. I try not to hold it against people in these shoot interviews, but there is certainly a couple parts that made me cringe.

The Rating: ****1/4

Road Warriors: The Life and Death of the Most Dominant Tag-Team in Wrestling History

Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 6/05

Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Animal, Eric Bischoff, Booker T., Jerry Brisco, Jim Cornette, Barry Darsow (Smash), Darren "Droz" Drozdov, Edge, Paul Ellering, Ric Flair, Michael Hayes, Steve Keirn, Johnny "Ace" Laurenitis, Jerry Lawler, Steve Lombardi, Jim Ross

The Good
The WWE had not really put a lot into their documentaries, but this was one of the first that was really a step up. This did an excellent job at detailing the career, qualities and successes of the legendary Road Warriors. Animal, proved to be a good storyteller and that really helped this considerably. The barbells and bouncing past of the Roadies was detailed and it built up how they were a jacked up and aggressive pair that when transformed, they just clicked. They were groundbreaking and influential and that aspect was explained here. From their distinct look to their one-of-a-kind promos (which are included on the DVD extras), the Road Warrior package made them a top draw when tag teams were not usually big draws. It covers the many teams they worked, rightly focusing on the Midnight Express and the legendary scaffold match. Not surprisingly, Cornette is excellent in this. Perhaps the most interesting aspect was the role of Paul Ellering, who truly was their manager, helping them learn the ropes, make their shots and manage their money. However, the Road Warrior story wouldn't be complete without the nagging substance abuse and personality of Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand and that component is a focal point through out and essentially their inability to return to prominence again after their `92 break-up is explained. Since the LOD was not known for their workrate, including their best matches was not hard to do. Instead, the focus is on variety and that works well. Seeing them in the AWA, Georgia, Jim Crockett Promotions, the WWF, WCW and even in Japan is what this largely needed.

The Bad
One of the real flaws of WWE documentaries is, like VH1's Behind the Music, they tend to be formulaic in their rise-fall-retribution approach. This has that perhaps more than any documentary since. Instead of digging deeper, Hawk's substance abuse problems are put totally on him and not at all credited to the hellacious schedule, grueling physical demands and personal strain that, one might argue, leads many down this self-destructive path. The WWF's desire to take the edgy and unique Road Warriors and try to WWF-ify them in the early 90s is not touched upon. They changed their name to the Legion of Doom, made their outfits more professional-looking, did not bring in Paul Ellering until later on and even gave them Rocco (remember that dummy?). Although the Roadies were way over in the WWF, the company certainly did not always do the best things for them. They do touch upon the WWF's repacking attempts in the late 90s with LOD 2000, Road Warrior Puke and the Hawk the abuser storyline, but none are really addressed as poor creative decisions. Lastly, there is the issue of Japan. The Road Warriors were huge in Japan in the 1980s and it would have been nice to see Jumbo Tsuruta on a WWF DVD. Secondly, Animal seems to bury Kensuke Sasaki. The fact is by the time he was teaming with Hawk, Sasaki was already well-established as Riki Choshu's protégé. Aside from those small details and broader issues, this documentary and DVD set are among the better ones the WWE has put out.

The Rating: ****1/2