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

Jacques Rougeau [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I inexplicably have vivid memories of where I was and what I was doing when I first heard a shoot interview, unless it is something totally mundane like driving in the car or washing dishes. I suppose this all began with WOL back in the day and I can remember where I was, what time of day it was and the anxiety I was feeling as Jacques Rougeau told the story of his confrontation with the Dynamite Kid. It was a famous backstage incident that was elevated by Dynamite's own account in his autobiography and has been brought up in numerous interviews, especially by RF Video. I'm not sure if the WOL version was the first public telling by Jacques, but I would speculate that could be the case. Here, Jacques spends about a 1/4 of the shoot interview detailing the build-up, the events and the fallout. While it was only two weeks in his twenty-five years or so in the business, it was a career-changing and life-altering event. It is an intense segment (not as intense as the WOL version, if I remember correctly), but it is one of those must-hears in RF Video shoots. I actually think they should splice together people's accounts and opinions about that incident and some others (Spivey-Adnois, Haynes-Sharpe, Haku-Jimmy Jack Funk, etc.), although it can be difficult with deceased parties involved. As for the overall shoot, I found it to be very good. Jacques is pretty personable and has some unique perspectives as a third-generation star. Personally, I wished there had been more exploration into the Montreal territory, the war with the Vachons and some of those things, but you can't expect everything from RF Video (he'll ask about an injury that caused Jacques to miss a couple shots in `88, but leaves out things from Montreal that are truly historically significant - ugh). In terms of if Jacques Rougeau got himself over or not, I would say "yes." He did admit to being a prick of sorts in his younger years, but seems pretty humble about who is, who he was and what he really did. He put over people (ranging from Jimmy Hart and Greg Valentine who are generally liked to people like Hulk Hogan and Terry Taylor who are somewhat unpopular) and he had select comments for a long list of people: Bret Hart, Eric Bischoff, Raven, Roddy Piper and others that you probably would not be entirely surprised by. A very good interview that most anyone would like.

The Bad
If you're offended when people take the Lord's name in vain - avoid this one! For whatever reason, Jacques responds to countless questions by bringing up Jesus…it is almost comedic after a while. He also incessantly claps, snickers obnoxiously and gets giddy and excited about numerous questions. Those quirks aside, this is one an example of why I cannot stand Rob Feinstein, although many interviewers make mistakes, he comes across as such a goof because he cannot remember common facts (Hulk Hogan was "Thunder Lips," not "Thunder Bolt" in Rocky III, he cannot remember Johnny Valiant, he forgets that Frenchy Martin was called Frenchy Martin in the WWF, etc.). Although those are really minor things in the broader sense, they really slow down and damper the interview and undermine his credibility. Say what you will about Dave Meltzer's on-air talking ability, he is rarely at a complete loss when it comes to facts. As someone who lives amongst Franco-Americans, it is painful to hear Rob's utter ignorance of French pronunciation of places and names. Do some research! It's not "Jose LeDuc," he's not some Spanish Quebecer…sheesh. This was a really good interview, but I think Jacques Rougeau has the potential to do an amazing interview, although I've not heard that one yet.

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

Who's Who in Professional Wrestling
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Dave Meltzer
Publisher: n/a
Released: 1986

The Good
I bought a copy of this because I was intrigued by Dave's opinions during this time period right before the territories starting collapsing. Some of his comments are unbelievable as he talks up Chris Benoit in his rookie year, talks about the potential of Randy Savage as the "the hottest act" around and so on. I've always thought highly of Dave's work and opinions and this convinced me he's been a smart guy for a long time. For what it is, this is a worthwhile book that provides the information that I want to bring to the masses as well.

The Bad
Obviously in `86, a serious book about pro-wrestling getting a quality publication deal was unlikely, so we get this shabby version. This is an ugly book, plain and simple. I wish Dave had covered more people, but I guess with limited time and resources in those days, this was about the best he could do. Realistically, he could have written short profiles (as he does in the end) for a good 200 additional wrestlers, but he really shortchanged Mexico and Japan (he didn't even cover women). It is unfortunate he didn't make a greater effort to alert people to good workers unknown to mainstream fans, but Dave had his reasons.

The Rating: ***1/4

   

Killer Brooks [57 Talk Shoot Interview]

The Good
Detroit was such a strong promotion for so many years and it has not been covered in great detail. Here, one of its greatest stars gets into the nitty-gritty of the Sheik's promotion, its successes, its failures and its numerous top stars. Brooks had an insight that was excellent to here after Captain Ed George (the Sheik's son) and his understandable glamorizing of the promotion because Brooks was a little more measured and was able to explain the promotion's decline to an extent. He detailed his departure from the Sheik for a short-lived rival, his deep regret and his emotional death-bed reunion with the Sheik. Aside from that, Tim Brooks had some funny anecdotes about breaking into the business in Amarillo, tales of being blackballed (after leaving the Sheik) and having his own pro-wrestling school. I found this to be a great interview in its limited scope and this could have been part of an excellent series by 57Talk.

The Bad
I can only think of a handful of shoot interviews where technical problems drastically impact the quality of the interview, but this is one of them. Killer Brooks' poor cell phone simply cuts out a few times and they have to restart it. The instance where it really kills things is where he's just getting into the details of his leaving the Sheik in Detroit and starting a rival promotion and it goes dead. I would also say that this was hindered by its length. The bulk of the interview was spent on Detroit, but Killer Brooks had success all over the place. I am sure this interview was only intended to be the first in a series, but it never came to pass. This is a good, although incomplete (by my estimation) shoot interview.

The Rating: ***3/4

Lex Luger [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I cannot say much positive about this. Lex Luger is asked questions, he answers them, he passes on some (mostly rumors that he does not seem to know about) and he keeps most of his answers concise and straightforward. He is not angry, bitter or obnoxious, all qualities that can give an interview entertainment value at the very least. He seems to not want to say anything too controversial, which is a testament to him. He does not really come across negatively here, unless you think he is being overly political and evasive in his answers, I tend to think he is just being thoughtful. My favorite part, in all its briefness, was his thoughts on steroids. An admitted user, Lex explains convincingly that steroids do not work alone, they need to be combined with hard work to be truly effective. He has some strong views and that topic pulls some fire out of him. It seems like talking about his gym, training regiment and views on health could have been really fascinating because that seems to be where his passion lies. Oh well.

The Bad
This interview falls in between the death of Elizabeth in 2003 and the physical ailments that Lex Luger had in 2007, so he is in the middle of his tragic fall here. In pro-wrestling, most everyone has some heat with someone somewhere, but Lex Luger has this reputation as a heat magnet that is probably based mostly on his personality and the perception that he is a prima-donna. He tries to dispel some of those ideas and in doing so reveals something. He is a well-educated and was even considering law school before pursuing pro-wrestling, he does not seem to want to talk bad about anyone, he does not want to be self-deprecating and he does not feed into the rumors and gossip about him, therefore his answers seem very calculated. This is probably him just being thoughtful, but it could be him riding the fence so to speak. He does not want to knock Vince McMahon, despite the fact that the WWF/WWE has been only negative toward him and his contributions to the business since buying WCW in 2001. Lex Luger has been a target since breaking in and has understandably learned to not read the "dirt sheets" and "internet," so he seems as if he does not really care about the business or even his legacy. It is odd. That aloofness really prevents this from being riveting. They go over his career, address some of good and bad parts, but you go away feeling like you spent almost three hours listening but that not much was said. Even the Elizabeth controversy is poorly approached (in typical RF fashion), washed over and practically dismissed. Lex Luger saw and did so much and this just seems to not be the interview to capture the good or the bad about his career.

The Rating: ***

RF Roundtable - Iron Shiek, Missy Hyatt & Kanyon

The Good
RF Video coordinates putting together three controversial characters and it is largely a trainwreck and not a particularly entertaining one. They mainly talk about current events (Tiger Woods' divorce, Barack Obama's presidency, Sarah Palin's rise to fame, Michael Vicks' dog-fighting, gay marriage and so fourth) and it does stimulate some interesting comments. Missy Hyatt dominates the conversation here, so if you enjoy hearing Missy be Missy, this is a treat. She expresses her political and moral views, which seem to have some inconsistencies. Sheik, for all his gay-bashing in the past, seems extremely moderate although practically asleep through much of this. Kanyon is largely quiet and makes a good showing during the gay marriage debate.

The Bad
When you have someone putting over Hitler in the first leg of a shoot interview, it's hard to get behind it. Missy Hyatt, who is often funny, comes across as frustrated and stupid on a level I've never seen before. I am sure some people would be disappointed by Sheiky's low-key showing here, but I thought he did his thing and did not make a total ass of himself. I was mostly disappointed by Kanyon, who always comes across a thoughtful person, yet he bowed out of much of the conversation and let Missy take over. Between Missy and the constant attacks on Eric Simms, this was amongst the most annoying and obnoxious roundtables ever.

The Rating: **3/4