from Here
Alan Wojcik: Off tape you mentioned you grew up in New Jersey. Where in the Garden State did you reside and was wrestling part of your childhood?
D-Lo Brown: I grew up down near Philadelphia and we used to go to the old Spectrum for WWF and NWA/WCW shows. There were some indies around like TWA before it became ECW. A friend of mine that would later become known to fans as Reckless Youth would go to shows with me.
AW: What led you to attend the University of Maine and what did you major in?
DLB: I majored in accounting. One of my football coaches was friends with someone up there. I was real good in math and thats why I chose accounting. Thats the bottom line I got to play and gain an education.
AW: How long did you work in the accounting field before wrestling came back into your life?
DLB: About a year. Ive been an athlete all my life and sitting in a cubicle wasnt for me. The itch came back so some friends and I got a ring. We would do a PPV style event. Larry Sharpe ended up seeing the tape and said, Youre pretty big you ever think of doing this for a living? He said he would put me on a show if I sold 50 tickets. So I sold 4 and bought the other 46 myself. I got on the show and that began my career. Four months later I was wrestling for Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
AW: What were you impressions of SMW and their booker Jim Cornette?
DLB: I didnt know much about SMW since we didnt get their TV program on our cable system. But going down there his operation reminded me of a little WWF. Jim is a genius and a dear friend. He drove from Louisville to South Florida for my wedding.
AW: At what point did (real name deleted) become D-Lo Brown?
DLB: For my first match in SMW I wrested as (real name deleted) on their Bluegrass Ball in 1993 or 1994. I wrestled an opening match against Tracy Smothers. Afterwards Jim came to me and asked if I had another name because he wanted to put me with the Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa Saed) and (real name deleted) just doesnt sell tickets. Ill give you a week until TV airs for you to get a name and well edit it into the show. Thats where D-Lo came. The transformation of (real name deleted) was from the name and I let myself go out there and be something I wasnt. That guy you see in the ring is 180 degrees of me.
AW: You werent in the business long and from the pairing with the Gangstas you wrestled teams like the Rock n Roll Express.
DLB: That was an education. I tell people I got a PhD in wrestling from SMW because there was so much knowledge to be learned from the Rock n Roll, Tracy Smothers, Dirty White Boy and Jim Cornette. If you cant learn anything from them you need to leave wrestling. I got so much in the way of psychology, selling, timing and technique. It helped me out when I got the WWF because I didnt have to be broken in. There is a difference between the regional level and the national stage. Jim prepares you to be in the WWF, he ran a true minor league and I use minor loosely. Its like being with the AAA Columbus Clippers. Thats one step from being a member of the New York Yankees. You get to believe you are a Yankee and Jim lets you believe you are WWF material.
AW: When did WWF decide to bring you up and what was your reaction to being part of the Nation of Domination?
DLB: That came about in a weird way. I was with SMW for a year and Cornette told me to gain some experience. So I went to the Midwest and worked throughout Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. Then I went to Puerto Rico for six to eight months and that was the best thing I ever did. During that time the WWF tried to contact me to be part of a batch of job guys with gimmicks like Dirty White Boy as TL Hopper and also there was the Goon. So they went on without me and they petered out. A month or two later I called Cornette since I heard he wanted to talk to me. He told me the whole story and I gave him my number to reach me. So I went home for a winter break. January 3rd he called and told me to be in New York City for the first taping of Shot Gun Saturday Night at a night club and be in a suit. I got there, got introduced to Vince McMahon and I made my TV debut as Ahmed Johnson gave me the Pearl River Plunge on top of a car. After that I came to the back and I had a job. It was the most out of the blue thing to ever happen to me. It was a dream come true. I went back to Puerto Rico for one match and gave my notice. After that I was a WWF wrestler. They needed a guy in the Nation that could bump around instead of standing there taking up space .I did the same role in the Gangstas. I would slide in front of the guys to keep them out of harms way. After three months they saw I could bump and I began working matches on house shows. About six months later I got the European title for the first time. It all happened so quickly.
AW: What were your impressions of Ron Simmons?
DLB: Then and now it is the same, he is a mentor. I affectionately call him grandfather as he took me under his wing and showed me what a professional is all about. He told me just because you get paid it doesnt make you a professional. Its the way you conduct yourself in business matters. It was little things that prepared me for the future. He was there the night I met my wife, which there is no words to describe. He has been an integral part of my life for ten years.
AW: Another Nation member that had a little success in wrestling is Dwayne the Rock Johnson. How was he back in the day compared to now where he makes millions to be in movies, has he changed at all in your eyes?
DLB: Not from my standpoint. For the better part of a year we were travel mates, roommates and work out partners. We saw each other more than our wives. It was cool to be around him when he was taking off and all the Rocky Sucks chants began to turn him face. To have seen it from its infancy to now it is phenomenal, he has stayed the same.
AW: What was your reaction when Owen Hart came over and said guess what Im the newest member of the Nation?
DLB: Actually it was good because Owen was such a cutup so you knew you would be laughing all the time. A little inside joke for your readers, we used to call Owen Mr. White Folks. It meant Owen was in the Nation because he made the white folks mad. At least that what Ron Simmons said and it stuck to Owen for a long time.
AW: You were part of the part of the tag team battle royal that opened up WrestleMania XIV. What is the WrestleMania experience like?
DLB: Electric. It is the Super Bowl, the biggest show no matter which promotion you work for. I was part of two of them but that first one was amazing. You walk out and a wall of applause hits your body and the adrenaline is rushing so hard you forget your name or where you are. All you see is the ring and the lights. Its all in slow motion even though you are doing your character. You watch it on TV and you think is that me doing that? I wish I could bottle that feeling up and sell it because I would be a zillionaire. I have some acquaintances that have played in the Super Bowl and they describe it the same way I just did to you. I have hung out with Shaq and he said its like that when you are in game 4 of the NBA Finals and you know the sweep is coming and you will be the World champions. Even though I tried to its real hard to describe (laughs.)
AW: Speaking of electric, what is the feeling like when you walk down the aisle inside Madison Square Garden?
DLB: Bret Hart once said MSG is not a church but its hallowed ground. That is the hardest place to wrestle. The fans love you or hate you there is no in between and they will let you know. If you can get over in MSG you have done something special. When you walk that aisle youre not wrestling your opponent, youre wrestling all the ghosts of MSG like Muhammad Ali, the great NY Knicks and NY Ranger teams, the St Johns University basketball teams and all the boxers and wrestlers that preceded you to that night. That is your competition that night. You are walking alongside legends. When you main evented in MSG you have a place in history.
AW: Lets move to championship talk. You brought up winning the WWE European Championship from Triple H on July 14 of 1998. What goes through your mind when you are told that tonight you are the new champion?
DLB: It was weird. I saw my name on the board and I saw Trips was my opponent, I thought Im gonna be taking the pedigree. Then a road agent saw me looking at the board said we need you for interviews go grab the European title. WHAT!?!?!?! I called home immediately to tell me wife to watch and tape Raw. Later that night I sat in my hotel room and stared at the title for hours. Yeah its a work and the belts are props but when you get one then the feeling is genuine. Thats not a character selling the victory thats a guy celebrating that the company has faith in him to help carry the company.
AW: During this time frame you traded the title with X-Pac AKA Sean Waltman. Did his ring style ever throw you off your normal ring rhythm?
DLB: Sean is one of those guys that would be on my favorite opponents list. We never had a bad match, Ive had stinkers but he doesnt come close to that list. We could try to have a bad match and it wouldnt happen. We blended like peanut butter and jelly. That was my best feud in the business because we traded the title so many times in a year and a half almost two years. You throw that into the DX-Nation feud where you had Hunter and Rocky wrestling, it was really good business.
AW: At WrestleMania 15 you teamed up with Test to take on Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart for the WWE World tag team titles. What goes through your head when one of your opponents is a legendary ribber?
DLB: First you are scared out of your skull because its a title match at WrestleMania. Second you are in the ring with Owen thinking is he gonna try to unlace my boots or tights. Owen could have great match and be joking around the entire time. It was a scare but its an enjoyable scare.
AW: What happens when they tell you that yes you have the European title now we want to give you the Intercontinental title as well?
DLB: That was surreal. I had just gotten the European back that Sunday and Im at Raw and the same thing happens, D-Lo go grab the I-C title we need you for a promo to set up a two month feud with Jeff Jarrett. I thought it was a candid camera style rib. This time I didnt call home and to them it was a complete shock. It didnt sink in until the match was over. That night I stared at two title belts on the bed in the room. I was the first person to hold both belts at the same time. I sat there thinking I have am the equivalent to a World champion. To this day both belts are in my office in glass cases.
AW: Your last title reign ended on October 26, 1999 at the hands of the late, great Davey Boy Smith.
DLB: I remember him coming in and thinking its natural that he was going to take the belt off me since he is the British Bulldog. That was a time where styles did clash but it was a fun match.
AW: The time frame we have been discussing has come to be known as the Monday Night War between WWE and the now defunct WCW. Was there a point that WCW ever approached you and looking back what was that time like working on Raw and trying to compete with the NWO and other WCW storylines?
DLB: That was an amazing time. When you went to the ring on Monday night you werent competing against your opponent you were competing against who was on in WCWs time slot. If I was wrestling Val Venis in segment three on Raw I knew it was Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell on WCW. We would have a better match than them. Overall it made the product better for each show. There was lots of pressure when the red light came on. At the end of the night you sat back knowing you had a good night. If you beat WCW in your segment you were going to get another shot on Raw. It was the best time in the business and Im sure when you talk to other people they will say the same thing. I had offers to work for WCW but I had a year left with WWE and I couldnt get out of it then WWE subsequently re-signed me. There was an offer made but nothing solid.
AW: What went through you mind in March of 2001 arriving at Raw and being told Vince bought WCW?
DLB: We all said HOLY S#$T! No one knew what to think, if it was a good thing or a bad thing for business. We all knew one thing for certain; with no competition things could change for the bad.
AW: Did you feel you were put in the background by the office during the WCW/ECW invasion angle and did you voice your feelings to Jim Ross or Mr. McMahon?
DLB: You knew some people would get passed over. But I didnt think I would be put that far away on the back burner. I thought I made a great contribution over the years so why couldnt I help now. I voiced my opinion but they had their plans for everyone and thats the way it was going to be.
AW: How long after that did they approach you to be a commentator on Sunday Night Heat and was that something you enjoyed?
DLB: Before it happened they sent me down to Puerto Rico and Louisville to train the younger talent. Then for a while they brought me back to work in the ring. They wanted me on the show but couldnt figure out how to use me. They were trying guys out for Heat and it was supposed to be a one week thing as each week Coach would have someone new commentating. Well the first week it was Jackie, the second week it was me, the third week it was me. It was fun, Coach and I had good chemistry. After a while I thought this is much easier than bumping I could do this professionally and follow in Tazzs footsteps.
AW: One of the last storylines you were involved in was being paired with Theodore R. Long and being Down with the Brown. Whose idea was it and what did you think about being another white hating character?
DLB: There was a combination of people behind it. To me its part of the job and you do what you are asked to do by your boss. I wasnt particularly fond of it but I did the best I could with it. If you are given a lemon you go and make lemonade you dont sit there and pucker your lips saying its sour. I thought if the gimmick fails theyll move me into something else. Just like the Nation the racist thing is so far removed from (real name deleted.)
AW: What led to WWE not renewing your contract and how long after did NWA: TNA contact you?
DLB: The whole WWE contract situation was a complete shock because we were in a renegotiation at the time. Out of the blue everything got swept away and to this day I dont know what went wrong. It was last January when this happened so I had to sit home the entire month of February. On March 1st I could begin talking to groups. At 1201am my phone was ringing and it was promoters from all over the country. Some friends that worked for TNA called and told me that I was wanted. That was nice to be wanted after basically divorced from the WWE after seven years I became the athlete colleges were recruiting. The phone rang more that night in the seven years I worked for the WWE.
AW: What made you decide TNA was the place for D-Lo Brown and what did you think when they told you TNA is a weekly PPV instead of TV on Monday and Thursdays?
DLB: My initial impression was its a good fit. I was close with Vince Russo and had a good working relationship with Jeff Jarrett. Second it was conducive and they allow the boys to work weekends with other promotions. With Vince in place it was a good fit. A year later I am going back and I have a working contract with them.
AW: The night you debuted in TNA you made a speech in the ring about your time with the WWE. How much was from the heart?
DLB: It was I felt at that time. Every bit is what I feel to this day. Vince and Jeff told me D-Lo just go out there and talk about whats on your mind. To be honest the people and the fans of TNA appreciated it. I didnt badmouth or curse bomb anyone. I got it off my chest and moved on.
AW: What do you think about working in the Tennessee State Fairgrounds recently rechristened as the TNA Asylum?
DLB: When you drive up to it the place isnt much to look at but once you are inside its electric. The people are right on top of you. Theyre not as smart as the Northeast fans but theyre very passionate about wrestling. They are like the MSG crowd in respect to showing their feelings about you right away. I really enjoy wrestling in front of the Nashville crowd.
AW: During the first few weeks in TNA you were part of a tag team with AJ Styles and then when he won the NWA World title you were one of his first challengers. What was he like to partner with then wrestle?
DLB: I think AJ is the future of this business. The kid is his nickname, he is phenomenal and that doesnt do him justice. We had great team chemistry, so much so that it was scary as opponents how good it was if that makes any sense. I love working with AJ and I want to work together in the future. He is a great person outside the ring that I invited to my home. That means a lot; if I invite you to my house it means you have done something right and have a place in my heart. He sat down and broke bread with my family and it showed me he is a great person.
AW: While teaming with AJ you faced the now former NWA World tag team champions Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger. How much did you know about that duo going into the match?
DLB: I knew Swinger from working the Midwest indies before my stay with the WWE. I didnt know about from Simon but I knew they were a good team and when I saw a tape I knew what all the hype was about. I thought we had some great matches the fans liked. They are a great tag team. (Interviewers note: Hopefully you know that the Diamond/Swinger team is no more in TNA)
AW: You guys also wrestled XXX (Elix Skipper, Low Ki and Christopher Daniels.)
DLB: It amazes me it took Christopher Daniels so long to be signed with a national group. He is one of the best overall workers I have ever been around. Elix is phenomenal some of the things he does in the ring are indescribable. Low Ki is Mr. Intensity, he kicks like a mule. Any combination of them was a challenge because you had to keep pace with them. To me thats a good challenge and if I could keep pace I knew I had a good match.
AW: Besides letting you go, was letting Raven go the dumbest thing the WWE ever did?
DLB: Yes. There was a series of mistakes made by WWE and that was one of them. Raven and I talked about it and think someones ego or politics led to us being out of the WWE. Raven is a money maker and so am I. In a time when you need guys and the fans know who the good wrestlers are. It amazed me that you would let go two recognizable moneymakers.
AW: During this time TNA brought in former IWA-Puerto Rico booker Dutch Mantel. How do you think Dutch has done since joining TNA and what do you think he brings to the table?
DLB: Dutch has a really good mind for the business and he does bring years of experience to the table. I have been out of the country so I havent seen the product recently but the guys have told me the pace has slowed down almost to an old-school style. Dutch brings another view to the booking meetings and that helps out Vince and Jeff. Another set of eyes cant steer you wrong. Hopefully they find the right combination to make TNA the success it should be.
AW: Before you left to go tours with All-Japan Pro, you feuded with the man known as Ace in the Hole or Cocky Siaki or just plain old Sonny Siaki. What was it like working with him and any memories of a casket match the two of you wrestled in?
DLB: It was weird but fun. I thought the casket match was just for the Undertaker. I got to the building that day saw the casket and thought cool Undertaker left WWE and he is here with TNA. Wait a minute Im in this match (laughs??) It was different than anything I had ever done. Sonny has lots of upside and he might not like the comparison due to their looks but he reminds me of a young Rock. Once he gets it all together he has superstar written all over him.
AW: Do you think TNA needs another TV program besides Xplosion to be able to fully compete with the WWE?
DLB: I think TNA can survive but they need a TV deal. The best barometer is what has been done before. Vince McMahon has shown you need to operate with PPV and weekly TV programming of some kind. Once TNA gets that deal there is no determining how big it will be. I think they need that combination. People that havent seen the PPV and only get a taste of Xplosion might find it hard to drop 10 bucks for the PPV. They see the new show on regular TV and Wednesday comes around they might buy the show. 10 bucks a week isnt that much, its the cost of one WWE PPV telecast. You get TNA that one time and you wont turn it off. But getting people to buy the initial PPV is the main obstacle.
AW: You mentioned the freedom TNA gives you in the ability to accept other bookings. You have worked for groups like Border City Wrestling, how does it compare to other groups?
DLB: BCW has been around for years and they are true professionals. There are other promotions like MPXW who moved down to Florida from Michigan; USA Pro of New York is also a good one Raven and Shane Douglas work with them. Harley Race runs WLW out in Missouri and you can tell the wrestlers have been trained by Harley because even the opening match can work; theyre not ticket sellers in jeans and sneakers. They are groups I will continue to work with on a regular basis.
AW: You mentioned All-Japan. How did you come to work for them?
DLB: I guess it pays to be kind to everyone. About six months ago Taka Michinoku came into All-Japan with this invasion angle and he wanted to bring in some of his friends from the WWE. So he brought me over after talking to the office telling them I was a good worker. Im part of this group called ROD; dont ask me to translate it because it doesnt translate to English. Its me, Bull Buchanan, Gladiator, Jamal and Taiyo Kea who was raised in the All-Japan dojo and up until two months ago was one of their big babyfaces. I guess Taka told them about me and he had them bring me in quicker than they were going to do. It was supposed to be a one month thing. Now I am over there more then here.
AW: What goes through your mind when you see the booking sheet and it says youre wrestling the Great Muta??
DLB: Let me break it down for you. My first time to All-Japan I took a 20 hour flight into Osaka, then a train for 2 hours to the town, I get a cab to the building and its ten minutes before the show begins. They take me down to the locker room and on the sheet it says D-Lo Brown is working the Great Muta and Im going over with the frog splash. Oh my god!! I wasnt tired anymore. I could have run to Japan if I knew that was the end of my day. Since then I have only been involved with the higher echelon guys on shows at Korakuen Hall. I work with Kawada, Kojima, Muta and this last tour Jamal and I teamed to take on Muta and Bob Sapp who is the huge K-1 star. I am very lucky to be where I am in All-Japan.
AW: I have to ask you about the many deaths that have recently occurred. Im sure some of these people were friends with you: Mike Lockwood (Crash Holly), Jerry Tuite (Malice), Mike Hegstrand (Road Warrior Hawk) and Curt Hennig among others. Do you have any memories you wish to share with the fans?
DLB: Crash struck me hard because he was a real close to me. Matter of fact I talked to him about three days before he died and I will dearly miss him. (D-Lo pauses for several moments) Hawk was another guy I got to wrestle and he was also a person my wife met. When Brian Pillman was in the WWE I was too young to the business but his friends I know now said he was a good guy. I was real tight with Jerry; we were on the same All-Japan tour when he died. It hit real hard because the night before we hung out in my room for a while talking. The next morning he was gone. In this business you know with the high turnover rate you will lose friends but you dont expect to lose them t an untimely death.
AW: Lets talk good news, you recently became a Dad. Does her being part of your life change the way you accept bookings?
DLB: It makes me wonder do I want to go to Tennessee and fall on my head. You have this little girl and you are her world. But in order to provide the life for her that I never had I need to do my job. Once I am in the door I am all about my wife and her. Tomorrow is the first time I have to travel since she was born (D-Lo appeared on NWA: TNA) and it weighs heavily on you thought of leaving her.
AW: Who designed www.d-lobrown.com and what can the fans find there when they log onto the site?
DLB: The site was designed by a great group called Ellusions based out of Indiana. Due to my All-Japan trip I havent been able to update it recently. I am hands on to what you see. They can change things immediately. I consider it one of the best sites. It has my schedule, photos and other tidbits.
AW: How would someone book D-Lo Brown for their indy show and do you have a set criteria they need to meet?
DLB: If you want me for your event you can find my e-mail info on the website. I like to work for companies that put on professional events. I give my all and I hope the promoter does the same in booking the show and getting it publicized. You can also call my booking secretary at 561-383-6298. As long as Im not booked for All-Japan or TNA we can talk.
AW: What is the dumbest thing a fan has ever said to you?
DLB: Do I know the Rock?
AW: Hopefully it isnt one of mine but what is the dumbest thing an interviewer has asked you?
DLB: What are the groupies like has to be the dumbest one especially since my wife was in the room listening to the conversation.
AW: Is there anyone you havent wrestled that you might consider a dream opponent?
DLB: We would have to go back to 1985-1986 it would be Ric Flair during his days in NWA. Wrestling Ric Flair would be the goal when he was the World Champion in Charlotte. I also think Ricky Steamboat would be on the list.
AW: If the WWE called tomorrow and said come back to work for us would you go or are you happy working with TNA and All-Japan?
DLB: I enjoy TNA and Japan right now. I work a third of the dates and I can live a comfortable life with my family.
