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: ***

Ahmed Johnson ["Highspots" Shoot Interview]



The Good
If you take nothing else away from this interview, realize that for all his personal problems, Ahmed Johnson could've been a major player. While his work had its flaws, Ahmed had an unbelievable intensity that very few have. He certainly puts over that strength of his here and rightly so. While that factor did intrigue me during his WWF run, I felt people like Randy Savage, Goldberg, Sid Vicious and especially Chris Benoit were able to kick their careers to a higher level and became bonafide top guys as a result. Ahmed really could have been a top guy and this shoot interview gives perspective on why that did not happen. He does feel he was cooled off, miscast as a heel briefly and undermined by some people (he particularly targets Steve Austin as a racist), although ultimately he left due to his sister's health problems and never recovered from that life-changing situation. The interview does get into some of the dirt about him and he seems to respond with sensible answers to everything - his work being too stiff, him stealing the LOD's shoulder pads, his steroid abuse, his unreliability.

The Bad
Ahmed Johnson's legacy is certainly tarnished and he will probably be remembered favorably by a small number of people. Few of his peers say highly positive things about him, he was a rising star in the WWF when it was at its lowest point and he left before the boom. This shoot interview gives him the opportunity to clarify his place. He put himself over very strongly and leaves the impression that he is not highly regretful of leaving when he did. If he had stayed and kept his head on straight, Ahmed Johnson could have very well been a key component in the Attitude Era. The interview does not really take that corner though. There are also the tales of him dealing drugs, pimping underage girls and his membership in the Bloods (he has repeatedly confirmed the last issue) that go unexplored, but certainly are part of his story. This shoot interview is one that has been put over as great and it simply was not.

The Rating: ***1/4

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: ****

Iceman King Parsons [RF Shoot Interview]

The Good
"Iceman" King Parsons had a heck of a career and much of his success was as the token black babyface in World Class. I hate to put it that way, but it's true and he even presents it that way. Parsons gets into the racial issues he ran into with someone (by my records it was perhaps Rip Rogers) who buried him to booker Dutch Savage, he talks about Wahoo not wanting to book he an Porkchop Cash as a top tag team and little things like that. He was a good athlete, great entertainer and had something special about him that got over many places and especially in Texas. Parsons seems like a thoughtful guy who kept his nose clean, but was limited as a babyface in WCCW. He was really looking out for himself (as is the nature of the business) and he was able to get to a level that few blacks did and sadly he is not recognized for his accomplishments. This seemed like a solid shoot interview that most any fan who watched (or has later watched) the Iceman could enjoy.

The Bad
Parsons has a unique story and credits his family and those who helped him quite a bit. That humble attitude is not always so common to shoots, which means he might not be as entertaining as other blacks like Brickhouse Brown, New Jack or even his mentor Rocky Johnson . He is pretty honest about drug use (others, not his own as he apparently only drank champagne), racism he experienced and his own limitations. He did not seem bitter, but rather frustrated that he was not as savvy to the business and working while he was in it as he is now (I've heard this numerous times from people like John Tatum, Al Snow, David Sammartino and even Paul Orndorff to an extent). He was a semi-final babyface and had some hot angles, but will never be remembered alongside men like Ernie Ladd, Junkyard Dog or even Butch Reed who were top blacks in multiple places. I had to frame his career in terms of race, but unfortunately that was the norm when he was working.

The Rating: ***3/4

Straight Shootin' with Kamala

The Good
Kamala is one of those rare people whose shoots I would say everyone should check out once, but once might be enough. He has a particular charm that few people can get across in a shoot interview. He loves his family, he wanted to take care of his mother, he never wanted to cheat the people, he loved to perform and would go to great lengths to preserve the integrity of his character. Jim Harris is able to get himself over for that dedication and loyalty without coming across as negatively as others who had similar situations. I find him to be someone who understands that he was a gimmick wrestler and that's why he worked to protect the gimmick. While some of his approaches (i.e. "eating" a live chicken in a van for fans before the show) might not work in the post-kayfabe era, it makes you think how suspending the disbelief is helped by going to great lengths and when people do not commit - gimmicks, angles and even matches fail! Kamala also gets into a lot of perceived racism that he experienced, which is interesting. While he admits that most promoters will never be entirely fair with you, he felt many just took him as a dumb old countryboy who would be happy with whatever they paid him. He talks about his financial struggles quite a bit and even states that he wouldn't "do it all over again" because of all the hardships. While he is not broke and desperate for indy work like some others of his generation, Kamala is certainly not as well off as one might expect someone who worked for the WWF at their peak, WCW with their ridiculous contracts and was a maineventer in a number of territories. His story is fascinating and heartbreaking. As for the typical qualities that make for a "good shoot," Kamala is not one to hold back. He talks about confronting Andre the Giant with a concealed weapon, he buries Abdullah the Butcher and he has no regard for Eric Bischoff. Generally, Kamala was the type who tried to get along with everyone and did not get involved in all the drugs and carousing, yet he had nice things to say about almost everyone brought up, even people he probably could've buried!

The Bad
I've heard a few interviews with Kamala before, so this seemed to be largely the same stuff. He comes across as a really nice guy who had some ups and downs and the business that have made a him a little bitter, yet thankful for the opportunity he had to entertain people. I've stated this before, but Jim Harris can come across as a victim of the business, whether that is true or not. He was a fair worker who had great size, good athletic ability and kept himself out of trouble. However, he got started late and probably only "made it" because of the gimmick he landed. Kamala's money woes are more prominent in his interview than many others because others probably do not want to seem like failures after having made a fortune that they blew. He genuinely believes he was not paid what he was due (some places more so than others) and while he was able to take care of his family and buy his home, he really struggled after leaving Mid-South. He is very honest about numbers and while they might seem substantial to some, when you take into account all the travel expenses, you can understand why he ended up having to drive a broken down truck. Then again, maybe you can't.


The Rating: ****1/4

Bad News Allen [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
There a some things to consider when evaluating a shoot interview. One, is the person involved still alive (or still in their right mind)? Two, has the person done other shoot interviews before (even if they were brief radio interviews)? Three, are there any details about the time, location or circumstances involving this shoot that would substantially harm its quality? The first two questions are usually easier to answer, but that third question is often not. Bad News Allen, who I'd heard previously on WOL on Eyada, struck me as someone who would probably great every time out. He had an amazing career, he was funny storyteller, he was a no-nonsense bad ass and his judo background was fascinating as well. In any event, RF Video sat down with him and now that he has passed, the interview is a significant historical source. Allen has hilarious anecdotes, he shoots on people who he didn't like, he seems honest and thoughtful in his reflections and few have the kind of insight into New Japan that he had. Bad News was with the company for a long time as it was on its ascent and he talked about having Akira Maeda as a kohei (pupil), watching Fujinami come up, having issues with Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes and a few others. Allen also talked briefly about his stint with UWFi, which is curious. There are other experiences in his career that were interesting - working the unstable Randy Savage, feuding with Bret Hart, being "lied to" by Vince McMahon and his recollections of Dynamite Kid and Jacques Rougeau. This was just a top notch shoot and it was entirely because of the interviewee.

The Bad
Obviously, the New Japan stuff is gold for many fans. RF got into it some, but really did not push the interview in that direction as much as it could've been and probably should've been. Allen had great stories from his time there and interesting opinions on business and personalities, so that area should've been mined thoroughly. Does hearing about his short run in Florida, his inability to get into WCW or his time on the Canadian indies really need much time? Though that chronology is paramount in RF Video shoots, it is really a travesty here and took a little of the shine off one of the great shoot interviews.

The Rating: ****3/4

Slick [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Some people are just fun-loving types and when they do a shoot interview, they can relax and entertain you with stories from the road. While I'll never consider those the best interviews, they are enjoyable. This was one of those. Slick, who fancies himself as the kind of guy who could be friends with everybody, comes across that way. This is a man who is straightforward about his issues with others and does not come across bitter. It seems like the way he conducts himself here is very telling of why he found both success and adversity in the pro-wrestling business. He entertains. He voices his opinions. He probably both amused and irritated Vince McMahon, which is why he got a chance, but never got pushed as strongly as he might've been.

The Bad
This interview had so much potential, specifically because of the Slickster's strong personality, but it was hampered greatly by RF Video stupidity. Sometimes these shoot interviews are done late at night and usually it does not adversely affect the interviewee or at least not in a painfully obvious way. This was the opposite. Slick was dozing off toward the end and having a hard time staying focused. Secondly, the main issue that RF wanted to tackle was racism in the business. That was pretty obvious. Now I'm not saying that it was wrong to have that goal because here was a black man who worked in a few territories that have been or one would suspect are racist hotbeds. Slick is outspoken on the matter and he really got into here. The drawback was the poor questioning. When the idea of pimps "symbolizing the culture" was thrown out there (mistake or not), it revealed how poorly planned these interviews are. Aside from that this was a relatively short (not the standard two hours), focused on a relatively short career (a little over a decade) and did not include much psychology. Slick was entertaining and honest, but he did not get himself over a great talent in my view.

The Rating: ***1/2

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