The Great Debate `08 - Bruno Sammartino vs. Harley Race [KayFabe Commentaries]

The Good
Two huge stars from the 1970s, Bruno favors the 1960s a little and Harley worked well into the late 1980s, but regardless, two true legends. I think if you like listening to either of these two you'll find this enjoyable. Bruno Sammartino had such an amazing career and he is as opinionated as he is experienced. Harley's career perhaps had more variety and scope to it and while he has his views, he's not really abrasive. Since this was billed as a "debate," I expected questions that would put them on opposite sides of a topic. Largely they saw eye-to-eye, so there was little disagreement between them. So, this turned into a tandem shoot of sorts. If you accept that reality, then you can probably see this as a very good one. Sean Oliver is excellent at organizing questions and making things flow well and these two have so much mutual respect that it makes for good back-and-forth. The structure and specific questions made this a little different and I'd certainly recommend a one time listen.

The Bad
If you wanted a heated argument about the supremacy of the NWA versus the WWWF, why a champion should be a heel versus a face or what makes a good promoter, you won't get it. Bruno and Harley are largely in agreement on the issues raised and other than a few slight differences of opinion (that are usually played down as being relative to a region). Those agreements aside, these two are very respectful of one another and seem unwilling to even try to steal the spotlight here. While the Great Debate concept is a neat one, it simply did not happen here. This needed to be like Jim Cornette and Vince Russo, Jerry Lawler and the Honky Tonk Man or Billy Jack Haynes and a sane person to have a real debate. A nice shoot, but not an out-of-the-park-homerun.

The Rating: ***3/4

Face-Off 7: Terry Funk & Bob Backlund [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
A good solid interview where two guys with genuine respect talk about the past. I've heard the Funker half a dozen times and have never heard Backlund, so part of me felt like this was lacking because so much of the focus was on Amarillo. They respect for one another played well though and it was totally different than Terry with Shane Douglas, Steve Corino or Mick Foley. These two were much more contemporaries and had this long history and careers that never overlapped other than that brief period in the mid-70s. I think this was a good combination, but you feel like there is a whole layer missing as well.

The Bad
Tandem interviews are so hit-or-miss and this one could probably be called either based on your preferences. Terry Funk is fascinating interview and I've enjoyed hearing him several times in different places and sometimes paired with people. Bob Backlund, whom I'd never heard in a shoot before, was about what I expected. This was a pretty low-key type of interview where they put each other over, they put their glory days over and buried the current product a bit as well. Although I found this enjoyable and interesting, it just seemed to be lacking in some way.

The Rating: ***1/2

RF Video's "Behind Closed Doors" with JJ Dillon

The Good
JJ Dillon has always been a favorite of mine (in this capacity, not so much as a manager) because he is very insightful, very straightforward and has some good stories to share. As someone who worked all over the place, including with the Funks and Eddie Graham as well as the assistant booker to Dusty Rhodes in the mid-80s and as one of Vince McMahon's right-hand men as the Head of Talent Relations, JJ Dillon certainly has psychology to share. They spend a far amount of time going over his career, but it is the nuts and bolts of booking, working angles and such that makes this good. Talking about getting a break as a different type of heels up in the Maritimes, talking about his approach to interviews, talking about the Florida standard of big events, talking about simply why angles worked makes this excellent. This is quite an extensive shoot at roughly three-hours in length, but the thoroughness in his anecdotes are all parts of the lesson.

The Bad
Since I enjoy listening to JJ Dillon, I feel like I've heard some many of his stories already. While that does not totally kill the enjoyment, it is perhaps not as good as hearing his material fresh. He is certainly an acquired taste as he is not particularly bitter, humorous or crass. JJ Dillon has nice things to say about most everyone and even when he has an issue (such as with Abdullah the Butcher, Mick Foley or Dusty Rhodes), he can put it into perspective. That is probably a healthier attitude, but if you want over-the-top, you won't get it here. While contextualizing is important, I felt too much time was spent on the career of JJ Dillon. What made Jake Roberts' and Bret Hart's "Behind Closed Doors" shoots excellent was they really dug into the psychology, whereas this one, Paul Orndorff's, Stan Hansen's and many others seems like a regular old RF Video shoot under another name.

The Rating:  ****1/2
 

Ernie Ladd [Highspots Shoot Interview] 

The Good
Ernie Ladd is a well-spoken and sharp man whose athletic background and role as top star in pro-wrestling make him unlike anyone else who ever came down the pike. In addition to having an amazing career to talk about, Ladd had some interesting stories of racism in the Deep South, his political views which are interesting as a black man who is a long-time Republican and even his story of being "saved" was unique. I found Ladd to be a great storyteller and while not as over-the-top as his promos (he was in the latter stages of the cancer that would take his life), he really pulled you in. Initially, I was on the fence about whether or not the detailing of his extensive and impressive football career would be a huge addition, but he was so adamant about his greatness, so fiery about Grambling's and the SWAC's legacy of great football players and so passionate about describing the unusual cohesiveness (across racial lines even) of the AFL's San Diego Chargers that you had enjoy it. He even called the question of "how would Grambling have stacked up against the white teams that they couldn't play" out as being "stupid" because clearly they would have crushed anybody! You get some great insight into the greatness of the "Big Cat."

The Bad
I sometimes hold off on listening to a shoot interview in anticipation of it being really awesome. This was one of those and it was good, but it did not blow me away. Ladd is one of my all-time favorite promos and this was not a promo (not that it should've been), so much of his fire and humor were missing. He showed hints of both, but this was the musings of a dying old man, not the rantings of a man in his prime. Clearly Highspots had a two-hour time frame because they seemed to be limited in their depth and it could've easily been twice as long. I think if prompted appropriate Ladd might have delivered a little more strongly, but it was an average interview with an average interviewer and an above-average legend, so they is some disappointment there for me. Especially since Ernie Ladd is no longer with us.

The Rating: ****

Bruno Sammartino [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Eric Gargiulo's RF Video shoot interviews are so hit-or-miss. While I tend to think he is significantly better than Rob Feinstein, he is not as good as a number of other interviewers. This shoot interview goes nearly three hours and the advantage that Gargiulo has here is that he has interviewed Bruno Sammartino more times on his Pro Wrestling Radio show than anyone, so he has a good rapport with Bruno and knows which stories to get him to tell, which issues will make him bristle and probably which questions to avoid. That being said, Bruno is one of those people whose interviews I will always listen to because he is well-spoken, he is honest and he has a legacy that is second-to-none. Gargiulo is pretty familiar with Bruno's history, so he is able to direct things coherently and chronologically. The story of his journey from a sickly child hiding from the SS in the Italian mountains to a weightlifting standout and eventually one of the biggest drawing cards of all-time is remarkable. He goes into being blackballed early in his career, building a legacy in Toronto that led to his New York City return and all the amazing feuds and people he rubbed shoulders with over the years. Bruno has a million stories and he shares some of the best ones here.

The Bad
Interestingly, I would say if you can only listen to one Bruno Sammartino interview, I'd listen to this one. Although I personally prefer his shoot with Jim Cornette, this was a little more comprehensive. However, if you've heard a lot of interviews with Bruno (and he has definitely done a lot), you might find a lot of this redundant. It seems like Gargiulo's intent was to get that career overview interview while making sure Bruno tells some of his best stories along the way. This is the standard RF Video shoot in many ways.


The Rating:  ****1/2

Stan Hansen [RF Video's "Behind Closed Doors" Shoot Interview]

The Good
RF Video's second shoot interview with Stan Hansen is not much different from the first. It is a little more scattered, but that can be okay. Stan Hansen has a variety of experiences in both the US and Japan that could be explored. Rob goes more into the Japanese experiences than I would have expected, but ultimately his ignorance of the culture, product and legacy of Stan Hansen limit the depth of discussion there. Hansen explains how he grew to enjoy Japan, why the preferred that style and some of his experiences with different people in and out of the ring. Overall, he seems to understand the nature of this interview better than previous outings, so he is a little more open. I found this enjoyable, but it was certainly not all I would have hoped for.

The Bad
A notorious kayfaber, Stan Hansen even says, "What's kayfabe?" when asked about it. Rob takes the bait and tries to explain it before realizing how stupid he is. Hansen sort of knows what the score is and answers a fair number of question with "that's what I've heard, so it must be true" and perpetuates old angles with a grin (i.e. breaking Bruno's neck with the Lariat). While he was not as bad as I've heard, it got aggravating at times as he did not give the straightforward answer you'd hope for. Overall, it seems that Rob's inability to develop a narrative, ask follow-up questions or carefully ask more prying questions really hindered this. If Stan Hansen wants to play the kayfabing game, you've got to be a better interviewer to get more out of them. People like Arn Anderson, Jimmy Valiant and Stan Hansen will always be worthwhile people to interview, but it takes a quality interviewer to get them to really shoot.

The Rating: ***1/2

George Steele [RF Video Shoot Interview]





The Good
Sometimes I am baffled at how well an RF Shoot interview goes. I've heard a number of George Steele interviews on different shows, including 57Talk and Legends Radio, but none of them could even touch this one. First of all, he starts off with, "Do you want to
George or Jim?" Of course, the well-spoken and insightful Jim Meyers does the interview and really gives a lesson. He explains psychology, he explains leverage with promoters, he explains the logic of his career choices and he explains how he went from a serious heel to a cartoon character. All along the way, he throws is funny stories, yells at the dozing off crew and realistically sets himself up for a second shoot interview (about developing his George Steele character, his struggles with learning disabilities and his successes as a teacher/coach that ran parallel to his pro-wrestling career). RF's goofy trailers never made this seem like a top-notch shoot and it is certainly not Rob's doing, it is all the brilliance of Jim Meyers. This is a classic.


The Bad
I had thought Al Snow's second RF Video shoot was exceptional in that he really got into the meat and potatoes of psychology. While he has his own perspectives, it was enjoyable to listen to. This is along that line, but George Steele really explores his own career. The advantage he had is that his seasonal approach (summer runs when school was out for him) meant he did not have as many matches and therefore not as many angles, feuds, etc. Surely, some people would want him to spend more time on these and less on the psychology. Some people would probably prefer it the way around. Regardless, this is not hampered by all the usual RF Video flaws because the power of Jim Meyers' personality and his ability to talk and explain for hours.

The Rating: *****

Rocky Johnson Shoot Interview [RF Video]

The Good
If you take a well-travelled and opinionated ex-wrestler and put him in front of a camera he can generally produce a solid shoot interview. Rocky Johnson worked in most major and several minor territories in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, he saw great successes and some disappointments, so why should this not be a fascinating shoot? Even with RF's standard questions, constant name association and fixation on chronology, Johnson is able to pull the listener in with some great tales and bold thoughts. He is honest about those people he disliked, distrusted and disassociated from because they were crooks, racists or two-faced backstabbers. Without seeming bitter or angry, Rocky Johnson is able to tell much of his story. I also felt the parts involving The Rock were kept to a respectful level considering that Rocky has his own legacy.

The Bad
Sometimes these shoot interviews are just long and tedious with little new information, few stories of interest and nothing of great value. This was not one of those, but it did seem to fall short in a way. Rocky Johnson was pretty frank and while he was not the most entertaining interview, he certainly had plenty to say. I actually had pretty low expectations for this, despite Johnson's extensive and well-travelled career. It was, as expected, lacking in both direction and depth. Rob Feinstein was his usual self, all over the place with obvious holes in his(?) research and no follow-up to questions. You could tell that Rocky Johnson, if challenged and guided, could be an intriguing interview. Let's hope somebody of note gets ahold of him.

The Rating: ***3/4

Listen You Pencil Neck Geeks: "Classy" Freddie Blassie

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Freddie Blassie, Keith Elliot Greenberg
Publisher: First Pocket Books
Released: 5/03

The Good
The WWE books have been very hit-and-miss, this is a hit. It's tough to really do justice to a long, full life and a legendary and colorful career, but Keith Elliot Greenberg does an excellent job at both. Blassie's antecdotes are hilarious and Greenberg put them into a nice order and makes this story flow smoothly. Before he was "Classy" Freddie Blassie he was "Sailor" Fred Blassie and it shows in some colorful language. His stories are excellent and well-placed. The family and childhood is good enough for even the most impatient people, the love story is amongst the best parts of the book. Blassie doesn't short-change any part of his career and other parts aren't overblown, which is huge flaw in many recent books. He also seems to accurately portray himself and others, which is often a problem in wrestling books. A great book about a great career, period.

The Bad
I really can't knock this book all that much. It really exceeded my expectations in almost every way. I think some people might not be interested in a lot of it because they'd see his material as outdated and wouldn't know the many people he talks about from earlier times. This definitely reads like a WWE book because Greenberg has to get over the superiority of the product, which Blassie probably believed (but I doubt he closely followed pro-wrestling on a worldwide scale). This is a book for someone interested in wrestling's history, how it changed and one of it's legends. The stories are funny for non-fans or current fans, but I question if they could enjoyably read this whole book.

The Rating: ****1/4

Skandor Akbar [57Talk Shoot Interview]

The Good
An excellent three-part series conducted by Gary Cubeta that focuses on World Class (in part 1), Tri-State, Mid-South and the UWF (amongst other things in part 2) and everything else (in part 3). I enjoy how Gary narrow focuses his interviews and pumps in questions that are both pertinent and personally interesting throughout the interviews. Despite some technical difficulties, he and Skandor seem to have a good rapport that leads to an honest and insightful interview. They talk extensively about the demise of World Class, the sale of the UWF and fall of Jim Crockett Promotions and even get into some areas I'd not heard Skandor discuss much. Gary is quick to jump on Amarillo (in its last days under Dick Murdoch and Blackjack Mulligan), Australia (under Skandor's cousin Frankie Caine) and his brief runs in Florida and the WWWF. Skandor is just a torrent of memories and Cubeta is able to direct him into some great aspects that RF Video simply could not do.

The Bad
I feel like this is the tip of the iceberg. Skandor Akbar is a fascinating interview and I always enjoy him, but I always feel like there's a stone that's been unturned. Gary Cubeta uncovers some of the parts that RF did not, but some are not really delved into deeply. I think his experiences in Tri-State, which is so unexplored, and post-Barnett Australia would be excellent if given the time. Skandor is never at a loss for words and has a sharp memory, but basically sticks to the interviewer's questions. As great as this was I still want more.

The Rating: ****1/4

Bruno Sammartino - Straight Shootin' with Jim Cornette


The Good
Jim Cornette's run in Ring of Honor was perhaps highlighted by his involvement with the Straight Shootin' series where he interviewed legendary personalities.  I'd heard parts of the Bobby Heenan interviews, which were gold, but this was the first one I'd been able to really focus on and hear all the way through.  I'll be the first to admit, I'm a big mark for Jim Cornette and I tend to think any project he involves himself in is improved by his involvement.  Now TNA might be the exception, but whether its shoot interviews, documentaries, books, radio shows, audio commentaries on DVDs or whatever, he is a genius in the modern product with his old-school ways.  Bruno Sammartino is a great interview in my view.  He led a storied career, he's opinionated, he tells great stories, he has integrity and he is honest (although his perspective is his perspective), so why should he not be?  I'd seen Corny paired with Heenan (his idol), Percy Pringle/Paul Bearer (a colleague) and Bill Watts (former boss), but Bruno Sammartino?  This odd couple worked so well though.  Cornette did his homework himself, inserts comments, guides the interview well and builds respect with the interviewee (him being in the business certainly helps greatly).  I've heard Bruno with many good interviewers and many not-so-good interviews and this blew them all away.  These two had great chemistry and it spilled out in a way that I'd love to see more often.  Les Thatcher has the same knack although he's a less of a historian than Cornette, but has seniority, variety of experiences and extensive in-ring experience in his favor.  This was one of the best talkers paired with a respectable talker and only great results coming out.

The Bad
Bruno Sammartino's viewpoints are his own and he owns them inarguably.  Whether you agree with them or not, one must respect him for sticking to his guns.  He makes factual errors as you should realistically expect, but nothing that is completely ridiculous or offensively false.  Jim Cornette could have probably called him out on a few comments, but he kept it positive and keeping that rapport between he and Bruno was probably more important than doing a hard-hitting interview.  You could fault Corny for that, but I think his respect for Bruno Sammartino trumps his need to be a tough interview.

The Rating: *****

Mark Lewin [Highspots Shoot Interview]



The Good
When Mark Lewin seemed to magically appear after relative obscurity, I was intrigued about this man who is one of pro-wrestling's most unique and well-traveled individuals.  When I learned he was doing shoot interviews, I was overjoyed.  This really delivers the goods as Highspots appears to have hired an interview who does solid research, builds a rapport with the interviewee, conducts a flowing interview and makes almost everyone else seem second- or third-rate.  As great as the interviewer was, Mark Lewin was just the man I'd like to have in that hot seat.  His amazing career was covered in sufficient detail (for a two-hour shoot), he touched on psychology, booking, character development and even heavier topics like substance abuse and personality flaws were not left untouched.  Mark Lewin seems to be fairly open, but is certainly calculating in his responses.  It is funny because he looks remarkably like Johnny Powers nowadays (although both had very different looks during their careers), but the gum-smacking Lewin seems so much more laid back, honest and humble than JP (whose career I feel Lewin's is superior to in most ways).  This is one of those must-see/hear shoot interviews that happen every once and while.

The Bad
Two-hours was just simply not long enough.  If undercarders from the Monday Night Wars can get four-hours, how can Mark Lewin not get more time!  Actually, I suspect he'll be subject of several (guest booker, anyone?) and I cannot wait.  Mark Lewin's thirty-year career was so unbelievable and the surface is only scratched here.  His early career seems well covered, although a two-hour interview about just the "Golden Age" would work for me.  The part about Australia was what I was most looking forward to as a highlight, but it was not delved into as deeply as it might have been.  His notable runs in Florida, Detroit and Georgia are only briefly covered and others (San Antonio, New Zealand and San Francisco) are hardly mentioned if not left out completely.  I don't want to beat up on this too much because what is there is gold, but I'd take a Ric Flair-like marathon shoot interview with Mark Lewin anytime!

The Rating: ****3/4

Twenty Years Too Soon
Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 1/06 

Featured Talent
Brad Baker (pastor), Freddie Blassie, Gerald Brisco, John Cena, Christian, Valerie Coleman (Billy Graham's wife), Ric Flair, Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Hulk Hogan, Superstar Billy Graham, Steve Lombardi, Shawn Michaels, Gene Okerland, Randy Orton, Bruce Pritchard, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Ross, Triple H 

The Good
“Superstar” Billy Graham is a unique brand of pro-wrestler whose packaged presentation changed the sport as much as anyone else. Although his autobiography is one of, if not the best released by the WWE. However, the Superstar's jive-talkin' rap and his distinctly colorful appearance lends itself best to a production such as this. Aside from that he is such a great talker and storyteller that just himself and the clips is enough to make this top notch. Then there is the issue of his religious side, which comes across more vividly as well. The approach to some contemporaries of Billy Graham from Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund to Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura is largely fair although all have spotty histories with Vince McMahon. A lot of credit is given to Superstar's innovations, which is nice to see because old-timers do not always get the credit they deserve in this regard. Not surprisingly much focus is given to his fall. His drug abuse is depicted honestly, the discussion of steroids is interesting (although questionable in its fairness and accuracy), the burial of his later martial arts character is necessary and his grudge against Vince is handled much the way you would expect it to be. In the end, Billy Graham says bluntly, “I would do it again!” and believes the reward was worth the countless physical problems he's faced. All of that content aside, the production of this is excellent. WWE always puts out a decent product, but this has exceptionally good music and this neat reoccurring visual with images of Superstar Graham on a TV from that era. This is inarguably one of the WWE's few successes in that regard. 

The Bad
This documentary has the usual flaws - missing footage, missing personalities, missing interviews and a skewed version of history. Coming from a humble background, Graham's early life is limited to a handful of photographs. Unfortunately they are shown over and over again with these scrolling shots that grow obnoxious. There are similar limitations with his career before his AWA run because there is no footage shown and often later footage or photos are shown in lieu of more time-appropriate material. While many people are mentioned, many are not, or they are but in only as a passing detail. From Dr. Jerry Graham and Wahoo McDaniel early in his career to the Grand Wizard, Ivan Koloff, Chief Jay Strongbow and Ivan Putski later in his career, there are a number of people who get little mention, needless to say being interviewed. While its no surprise that Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund and even Jesse Ventura are not interviewed, why could they not get Pat Patterson? As for the historical inadequacies, there are several of note. The footage shown really makes Superstar Graham's in-ring work look good, although he was (by his own admission) a limited worker. Vince McMahon is put over strongly in this as a really nice guy who was taken to court by the Federal Government in a trial that was a sham, but it is widely known that Vince has a reputation as a tough businessman who rewards bodies that are often built with steroids. This documentary is too limited to scope to be considered “great,” but it is very good for what it is. 

The Rating: ****3/4

Larry Zbyszko Shoot Interview [Highspots]

The Good
Larry Zbyszko has always been a quality off-the-cuff interview and I've always thought his appearances on Wrestling Observer Live and elsewhere have been solid.  He is funny, has good stories and is enjoyable to listen to talk.  This 2-hour overview of his career contained all of those qualities, so if you've heard him before and liked him, you should enjoy this.  Larry has a sharp memory, great insight and can get over through talking in the same way he does here.

The Bad
Larry Zbyszko has always been a quality off-the-cuff interview and I've always thought his appearances on Wrestling Observer Live and elsewhere have been solid.  He is funny, has good stories and is enjoyable to listen to talk.  This 2-hour overview of his career contained all of those qualities, so if you've heard him before and liked him, you should enjoy this.  Larry has a sharp memory, great insight and can get over through talking in the same way he does here.

The Rating: ***1/2

Jimmy Valiant Shoot Interview [Highspots]

The Good
Jimmy Valiant is generally a good interview if you like his persona, his little catchphrases and understand that he tends to kayfabe.  He has led an interesting career spanning an amazing time frame and has been on top in some of the most noteworthy markets in the US.  All of this makes great fodder for a great interview.  I've heard him due interviews, usually radio shows, half a dozen times or so and he's never shocked me.  This shocked me.  He seemed to be out-of-character (as much as he probably is in real life) and was very honest about everything.  He is upbeat about everything from his career to modern pro-wrestling to his life in general, which is always nice to hear from a retired pro-wrestler.  While he's not the best talker (in contrast to his promos), Jimmy Valiant shows fascinating insight into how he created, developed and adapted his persona over the years.  Whether it was "Handsome" Jimmy, the arrogant bleach-blond heel, or the "Boogie Woogie Man," the kissin', huggin', dancin' bearded babyface, Jimmy Valiant understood how to be different, how to stand out and ultimately - how to get over!  If you clip those parts out, this is golden.

The Bad
I'll be honest, I've never cared for Jimmy Valiant.  His in-ring work, his promos, his whole presentation, it's never been my thing.  That aside, I respect the contributions he has made and have no desire to rip on him.  He was/is a great talker, he had a lot of catchphrases and integrated them to the delight of fans (much like the Rock, whose promos I generally don't care for).  That being said, when he's talking like a regular person, he seems to trip over his words and says "ya know" more than Dave Meltzer interviewing Lance Storm.  Overall, Valiant's happy-go-lucky approach plays well, but it seems like there is another side to his experiences that might be going unsaid.  If his book reads like this...well, hopefully it doesn't.

The Rating: ***3/4