Matt Borne [SmartMarkVideo Shoot Interview]

The Good

At the time of this recording, about ten years before his passing, Matt Borne was seemingly pulling himself together.  He had long been a notorious drug abuser who never lived up to his potential.  In this fairly standard shoot, Borne goes over his career, the characters in it and seems pretty honest about his failures.  While he had some good runs in World Class and Mid-South, which he talks about, most remember him best as the original evil Doink.  The gimmick was over-the-top, but he really did it perfectly for the short time he was working it.  Borne definitely had a dark side that he tapped into to play the role.  Ultimately, his demons spoiled that run and he never quite got another chance as he slipped into a deep depression and his personal and professional life were in shambles.  This is lengthy interview that flows pretty quickly.  Borne has some great anecdotes and worked a number of territories, so this was interesting for an overview of the pro-wrestling scene of the 1980s.

The Bad

It seems like ripping on a shoot interview that is not full of vitriol is a bit unfair, but it certain can make them dull and uninteresting.  Borne seems at peace during this and does not want to say much about people like Rip Oliver, Buddy Rose, Bill Watts or others that he had issues with.  Thankfully, Borne is honest about his personal problems and gives the impression that he recognizes how they harmed his life, career and opportunities.  Understandably, he still had issues as his death was linked to pain medication.  This shoot is not going to blow anyone away with its insight, controversy or humor, however, it offers a glimpse into that period of the early 1980s through the mid-1990s when pro-wrestling was probably its wildest with all the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll that you could expect.

The Rating:  ***1/2

Nick Bockwinkel Shoot Interview [Smart Mark Video]

The Good
It would be an exaggeration if I said the interviewer here was top-notch, but he had clearly done his homework and simply gave Nick Bockwinkel softballs to lob out of the park again and again.  "Slick" Nick is one of my favorite promos of all-time and his eloquence and his personality both shine here.  He is not the arrogant braggart of AWA fame, he is instead humble and honest.  Very rarely do I find excuses to get away so I can listen to more of a shoot interview, but this was truly one of the greats.  Bockwinkel has seen so much and done so much that to capture it all in three hours seems like a lofty goal, but so much ground is covered, so many great tales are told and so much wisdom is shared that one cannot feel cheated by this.  From his failed college football career and early days in LA to his experiences in Hawaii, Georgia and, of course, the AWA, Bockwinkel details so much and makes it all fascinating and often funny.  Only people like Bobby Heenan, Gary Hart and Bill Watts have done enough interviews that have been able to show other sides to revered legends, which is always a treat in quality shoot interviews.  Whether he's putting over Red Bastien, Jim Barnett or some other under-appreciated name from yesteryear or giving honest criticisms of Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen or Bill Watts, Nick Bockwinkel does not come across as a politician, a blow-hard or a bitter old man.  You, as they say, want all of this!

The Bad
My version had pretty crummy audio quality, which is always a bummer, but it was not unbearable like some other shoot interviews I've heard.  While most of Nick Bockwinkel's career was covered, his run with the WWF was not.  The questioning was really probing, but it was better prepared and organized than a typical RF Video shoot.  I received SMV's Missy Hyatt shoot as a gift and figured SMV shoots were nothing special, but this proved me way wrong.

The Rating: *****