New Age Outlaws [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good

Tandem shoots are dangerous and while these two share talking time, they seem to be really goofy.  The Road Dogg (B.G. James) is admittedly high and absolutely hilarious in his comments about his own financial state, Bret Hart calling them "midcarders" and so on.  Billy Gunn (Kip James) is a goofball and plays off well with Road Dogg, who enhances this interview with his humor.  The issues I had with the Billy Gunn solo shoot are still there, but either not to the same level or Road Dogg's stoned joking is able to compliment it well.  This is a really fun interview and if you like these two guys or are really interested in the Attitude Era, I would recommend this one.

The Bad

Billy Gunn's shoot interview done a while before this, drove me up the wall.  He was bitter, angry, arrogant and laughed off legit questions.  This one is not quite as angry, but the goofiness that permeated throughout is just as present here.  It might be even worse because he and Road Dogg feed off one another.  While they rightfully knock the interviewers as being poor, they don't exactly carry the load.  This is fun in many ways and I enjoyed it, but found the lack of depth to be very frustrating.

The Rating: ***3/4

The Outsiders [RF Video Shoot Interview]
The Good
Scott Hall's shoot a month prior to this is one of RF's best and Kevin Nash's wasn't too shabby either. When you combine the two, you get a very different, but very enjoyable product. Hall, who was really reserved and respectful in his, is pulled into a Nash-influenced that is a stark contrast. They bury people, they bury companies, they bury poor booking, they take the blame for nothing, all while admitting that they're too of the biggest pricks around. I wonder Hall's different candor here is more or less authentic to his true persona as these two admit to having almost split personalities. They have a million road stories from their "gay rib" first meeting to their chronic drunken escapades during WCW TV tapings. They explain how the Kliq changed the WWF, how the nWo developed, how it fell and they get into all the characters from WCW's glory days. You will get what you expect with these two.
The Bad
Based on the nWo's presence in my "Pro-Wrestling in Georgia & The Carolinas" video being thoroughly despised by numerous posters, I know that many people don't like the nWo, they don't like Hall & Nash, they blame their influence on ruining WCW and their feelings are very much in line with Jim Cornette's infamous rants against them on Raw. Those people might want to avoid this one. These are two disrespectful, self-important and seem to not have much regard for the health of pro-wrestling itself. Certainly their role in WCW was key in the company's surge and the boom known as the "Monday Night Wars," but many people cannot stand them and believe the bad outweighs the good in this situation. They make no apologies here.
The Rating: ****1/2

Mike Graham [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I had never heard Mike Graham talk much more than the pieces on the Florida DVDs that were released years ago, but I just knew he'd be an excellent shoot interview. On those, he seemed laid back and personable with a good sense of humor that makes for an enjoyable shoot interview. I also had heard from many of his peers (Kevin Sullivan being most notable) that he was very smart about the business and so I expected he could get into some of the booking and psychology aspects as well. Moreover, Mike Graham grew up as a second-generation wrestler and his father, Eddie, is regarded as one of the best bookers in the business. Finally, the peak and fall of Championship Wrestling from Florida was something Mike lived through and was inarguably impacted by. All of these factor made this the definitive shoot interview about the peak and fall of pro-wrestling in Florida. Yes, I have heard many legends of Florida talk about it from Dusty Rhodes and Jack Brisco to Kevin Sullivan and Sir Oliver Humperdink, but Mike Graham just has that in-the-bubble mentality that provides for deep insight, passionate comments and an overarching view that those others lacked because of their extensive careers elsewhere. The angles, the booking, the characters, the hot periods, the cold periods and all the rest of it are covered here. Mike also peppers this with great road stories about Dick Slater, Terry Funk and other legendary characters who passed through Florida. This shoot interview reaches a climax of sorts when Eddie Graham's suicide is covered. People have attributed Eddie's decline to poor business decisions, the change of the pro-wrestling scene, the departure of Dusty Rhodes and many of his top stars, problems with a mistress and perhaps his own body breaking down, Mike gives credence to all of these to an extent. He gives an emotional remembrance, but also gives the details. While you may not have enjoyed Mike Graham as a performer and might find some his claims (see below) to be a bit much, one has to admit that he does a great job here and delivers one of the best shoot interviews I've ever experienced.

The Bad
Mike Graham grew up in and became a central figure in Florida like Greg Gagne, the Von Erichs, the Harts, the Fullers, Captain Ed George and many others did in their respective territories. Like many of those aforementioned talents, he never really left home until he had to. Now some people might see Mike Graham's claims as lofty. He credits himself for giving Eric Bischoff the formula that took WCW in a more successful direction in the mid-90s. He says he called out Sid Vicious, Chris Benoit and such, but they backed down. He seems to allude to some admittedly outrageous stories that he can't get into because it would hurt certain parties, which seem to be tales of pro-wrestling wild side. I suppose much of that could be true, but many of his more grandiose comments have never been told by others (that I've heard) and while he is generally well-regarded by his peers, I'm frustrated that many of his eyebrow-raising statements are being heard for the first time. I am not going to say that Mike Graham is a liar and is just focused on putting himself, his father and Championship Wrestling from Florida over, but his comments certainly do that.

The Rating: *****

Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'
Director: Chad Schaffler
Released: 2011



Featured Talent 
Jim Blake, Jerry Calhoun, Guy Coffey, Bill Dundee, Jack Eaton, Jackie Fargo, Ron Hall, Jimmy Hart, Jerry Jarrett, Rocky Johnson, Jerry Lawler, Herman Mitchell (fan), Sputnik Monroe, Len Rossi, Jimmy Valiant, Buddy Wayne, Billy Wicks

The Good 
I first became of the ¨Memphis Heat¨ project in 2009 when one of the producers e-mailed me trying to track down footage. It sounded like a great project with excellent potential as it was such a colorful territory and so many of the key players were still alive (the inclusion of the now-deceased Sputnik Monroe really brings up the quality). While I was not able to help provide footage, I offered some names and some opinions. I was actually slow to buy this one, but did get it eventually. Amazingly only a couple week after buying it, the director and his wife met my own wife in an unlikely story of happenstance. Aside from enjoying "Lipstick & Dynamite," my wife has never had any interest or enjoyment in pro-wrestling. She brought that up and Chad Schaffler (who does documentaries and is not just some crazed pro-wrestling fan) expressed liking it and I can definitely see some of the same aesthetic elements here with the retro visual effects, rockabilly music and quick-cut editing. It is really a great approach that fits beautifully and is a great change of pace from the formulaic WWE documentaries. I've heard comparisons to "Heroes of World Class," which is fitting. While this has more appeal for its look and feel, "Heroes" has this beat in sheer length and depth (and has the nice WWE complimentary documentary). Neither is one I'd highly recommend to a non-fan (like my wife), although of the two, "Memphis Heat" has more mainstream appeal and parts of it (the Sputnik Monroe segment especially) could get over with anyone (and has as NPR did a story on him in 2001). "Heroes" also had the disadvantage of so many of the key players being dead (which fit into the story), "Memphis Heat" though had most of the key players, including Sputnik, Billy Wicks and Jackie Fargo. Just as Memphis was the last territory, this may be the last independent pro-wrestling documentary of this nature as WWE recently bought up the Mid-South library. Portland seems to have the same potential and could be a lot of fun with a similar approach.

The Bad 
By my estimation, there are three key strikes against this documentary that probably most "overview of a pro-wrestling company" would have. First and foremost is the absence of certain talent and inclusion of other talent. The most notable is Lance Russell, who was unavailable because of living in Florida, but would have added a whole other layer of insight. If you have ever heard an interview with him, you can imagine how much he could've added. Other stars like Dutch Mantell, Honky Tonk Man, Lanny Poffo, Jim Cornette, Robert Fuller, Bill Bowman and Joe Turner are names that come to mind as tremendous interviews who all had varying degrees of success and experience in Memphis (and/or Nashville). They certainly had budget limitations, so it seems they mainly focused on the biggest names or locals. Second is the choice of angles and stories, which is largely a matter of preference. Jerry Jarrett has always mildly resented the attention that the Lawler-Kaufmann angle is given in Memphis's overall history and here it is played up again and sort of plays into swansong of the territory along with the departure of Jimmy Hart (the third man in the storyline). I was not brought up on Memphis wrestling, so I cannot speak to the best angles through a young fan's eyes, only through looking back. The angles chosen seem to logically coincide with a narrative and with the personalities interviewed. Third is the 1985 cut-off, which is approximately a decade before Memphis went down. I can appreciate wanting to avoid that whole USWA era (1989-1997), but obviously some fans would feel that period was important. Overall, the knocks against "Memphis Heat" are few and the same types that any documentary of this nature have.

The Rating: *****

Art of Wrestling [Weekly Podcast]

The Good
A few years ago, Colt Cabana began concentrating his efforts on developing his brand following his WWE release. For those of us who remember watching him in IWA Mid-South a decade ago, he seems like a completely different character. Cabana took his goofball personality and made it a commodity that people not only enjoy, but will check out and hopefully pay for. Part of his branding process included starting this podcast, which in its first 100 episodes developed a reputation as being one of the most enjoyable and distinct. Cabana not only gets himself over, but provides a forum for a wide variety of pro-wrestling personalities to share their stories, experiences and wisdom. Although he predominantly features his peers on the indy circuit, Colt has managed to interview people that I have never heard interviews with before. As his buddy CM Punk revealed on the 100th episode, the show is very formulaic and after a while that becomes part of the charm. Colt's cadence is distinct and he has a number of phrases that might irritate some, but gives the show a feeling of familiarity that creates a loyal audience. Colt usually shares some funny anecdotes or thoughtful reflections about his current situation and some plugs to open the show and ends the show with some closing thoughts and some more plugs. His song-of-the-week is a nice feature and it provides some more frivolity that is the show's trademark. The meat of the show though is Colt Cabana sitting down and interviewing someone else from the world of pro-wrestling. The variety is a positive, but the best interviews are those with people he has a good rapport with because they're friends. It is cool to hear him chat with Johnny Saint, Kentaro and Alejandro, but it is the interviews with guys like Cliff Compton, Bull Pain and Chris Masters that really stand out as the best. Those that are the most comfortable with him, tend to let their hair down the most and it lets him dig a little deeper. In comparison to interviews with more highly regarded people, Cabana is able to get more out of certain people like Dolph Ziggler, Jimmy Jacobs and Pac. The Art of Wrestling is one of the best pro-wrestling podcasts out there and one that everyone should at least sample a few times.

The Bad
If I was recommending this podcast to other pro-wrestling fans, I would probably suggest that they listen to the interviews with wrestlers they know first. The show's structure is a strength of the show, but it takes some time to internalize that aspect. Colt's personality is another dimension and he may simply be a turn off for a great many people. He admittedly loves fun and that comes across. If you prefer the RF Video's red-eyed marathon shoots, Kayfabe Commentaries' in-depth and well-researched shoots, then you might feel this series is lacking. Colt interjects a lot of humor (or tries to) and typically that enhances the interview, but it is largely a matter of taste. While he provides a great deal of personality and often personal connections to the interviewee, he is not a hard-hitting journalist, well-studied newsletter writer or an enthusiastic super-fan. He does have a sound knowledge base and grew up as a fan and follows the business pretty closely. Colt tries to keep his interviews friendly and sometimes lightly steps into some heavy topics, but generally does not to. That levity is nice, but it can lead to disappointing interviews. Colt's goal is not to present breaking news, but he sometimes stumbles across some without trying.

The Rating: ****1/4

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

LAW (Live Audio Wrestling) [Weekly Podcast]

The Good

I recall first stumbling across the LAW in 2000 when I was really clamoring for more free online content.  Back in those days, it was Jeff Marek and Dan "The Mouth" Lovransky.  At that time, they were covering three companies in the US and had pretty well open access to everyone.  They also had an amazing archive of interviews and Dave Meltzer making regular appearances.  If you fast forward a few years, the LAW had dramatically changed in a number of ways.  "The Mouth" was now joined by Jason Agnew, the landscape of pro-wrestling was in the gutter and there once impressive archive was no more.  Fast forward another few years, John Pollock was playing a more active on-air roll, they were affiliated with the Fight Network and were expanding the LAW brand significantly.  In 2012, they're on TSN Radio and have a firmly established product complete with regular segments, callers and the like.  I honestly only listened to the LAW sporadically between 2007 and 2010 as I tended to opt for other audio options, but was pleasantly surprised when I picked back up per recommendation.  I think for a single weekly show that gives a nice package of "news, opinion and interviews," the LAW really delivers, furthermore it is very nicely produced and has a level of energy and quality that other podcasts do not.

The Bad

I fell out of listening to the LAW for a reason.  If one is listening to several podcasts during the week, you can only hear reviews of Raw, pay-per-views and such so many times.  The show needs to offer more and for a time, I didn't feel like the LAW did that.  I enjoyed aspects of the show, but felt much of it was tedious and uninteresting.  The quality of calls, because they are such a part of the show, really determines its overall quality and I've never thought these are worth it.  The "Title Bout Trivia" segment is more often than not painful.  The interviews are usually very good, but if they are largely edited down and a full version is available on their website, then I'll opt out.  There are many times when I simply stop after "Wrestling Observer Extra."  I can also understand people not caring for the hosts as can be the case with any show.  I'm not sure when this trend began, but Jason Agnew tends to be curt (sometimes downright mean) with callers to the point that I almost wonder why they have that part.  It gives the show such a negative element.  The shows without him are not much different in quality and avoid that bad taste.  If you don't like your callers - don't have them.  Most of the regulars offer little in the way of fresh perspectives or worthwhile commentary, so it seems like a lose-lose situation.  The LAW offers a lot of substance for those who are not heavy consumers of pro-wrestling podcasts and great style, but this Canadian offering might be an acquired taste for some - brother!

The Rating: ****