Gilberti Interview

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Alex Marvez interviews Glenn Gilberti

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Disco is dead for Glenn Gilberti, as he is now perfoming under his own name in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. In the following interview, the 36-year-old Gilberti discusses the Disco character as well as other thoughts on his 12-year wrestling career.

Q: How well do you think things are going in NWA/TNA?

Gilberti: "I love it. We're finally hitting the growth period everyone has been looking for [on Fox Sports Net]. We've got our foot in the door and gotten our opportunity. This can be something big. I've been with the company almost from the beginning, so to see it grow and get our chance, I feel we're accomplishing something special."

Q: How do you like the character you're playing now as opposed to Disco Inferno? It seems like a good mix because you're able to showcase your skills while also looking strong as a wrestler.

Gilberti: "Here's the thing: The Disco Inferno character always was basically looked at like a joke. I always thought there was a place for humor in wrestling, but you can't be funny all the time because your character won't grow. It's kind of like when we started the SEX (Sports Entertainment Xtreme) thing. I was just trying to be myself. Each week the question is what my character will do based on the situation he is given. That's how I run with it. It's not what Disco would do or a heel wrestler would do but what I would do. That's how the character grew. I still like to do funny stuff because people remember it. There's not a lot of good humor in wrestling these days. There used to be a lot of funny stuff."

Q: I think that's one of the reasons the Eugene character is so popular in WWE.

Gilberti: "People are intrigued by this whether you think it's lousy or good. Eugene is intriguing and what they're going to do with it each week captures the audience's attention. And the guy does the character really well. It's a new character and people want to see where they're going with it. They've pushed it the right way. There's always been a thing in wrestling where a lot of guys are jealous and don't want to see a new guy come in. But the success of a TV show is introducing new characters and making sure they're important right off the bat. You don't want to introduce somebody like they're nobody because the fans will perceive him as someone they don't want to see. Now, you can beat a guy every week as long as they're involved in a story. But you need to take new characters and put them in storylines right off the bat. If won-loss records are real important, give me the won-loss record of one wrestler. It's the drama and storyline that are most important. The goal is to reach the point where a win means something so you reach the next level."

Q: Throughout your career, you've had a pension for playing some eccentric characters. What is it about your personality that has leant itself to you using those gimmicks?

Gilberti: "I'm kind of a goof. I like to see how far people can take my humor. I've got a real off-the-wall sense of humor. I know not a lot of people comprehend it or like it, but I’m entertained by their reaction whether sometimes somebody takes me too seriously or does not take me seriously enough. I’ve always drawn the line between real life and my TV character. I’m a T-shirt and jeans guy in public and I don’t try to draw attention to myself. People who meet me say I’m real different than my TV character. Plus, since day one I’ve never been nervous out there. Even in my first match, I was never nervous. I like being in front of people.”

Q: Where was your first match and who trained you?

Gilberti: “It was at the Alpharetta (Ga.) Auction Barn. That was 12 years ago. Steve “The Brawler” Lawler trained me. It was actually Bill Eadie’s training center but Steve did the training. I trained for five weeks, two days a week for two hours each day. Once they got my money, they said, ‘Ok, you’re ready.’”

Q: What were the origins of the Disco Inferno gimmick that you later picked up and why did you get rid of it?

Gilberti: “Me and Raven came up with it nine or 10 years ago. He basically stole the gimmick from Jonathon Holiday, who was doing the gimmick up in Calgary in the 1980s. He didn’t do the character well, so I give it a shot. At the time, I knew in pro wrestling you needed something that made you different. I met some people, made some connections and WCW loved my tryout. I did that, but I got away from it when debuting in TNA. Jeff (Jarrett) didn't want to bring in all the old WCW guys in their old gimmicks and have the stench of what turned out to be bad TV. I don't care. As long as they pay me the same, I can do anything you want me to do and be whatever you want.”

Q: How long do you think it took for you to not only feel comfortable with a new gimmick but also getting fans to forget the Disco character?

Gilberti: " Fans still chant 'Disco sucks' at me even though I've been a different guy for years. I can be Disco again some day, but there are a ton of things I want to do before then.”

Q: You've been used in different capacities besides a wrestler during your career like managing, announcing and even helping in booking. In what ways has that diversity helped you in the business?

Gilberti: "My true passion in business is more on the booking end. I'm more like [ex-Los Angeles Dodgers manager] Tommy Lasorda. I was never that great a player, but I can figure stuff out to help everyone else's character. I always just like to help people grow. A lot of the X division guys wrestle the same and look the same. I tell them they have to do stuff to separate themselves from the pack. The bottom line is that I’m not the most over guy, but people still recognize me because Disco stood out as a character. I’m trying to install in some of the guys that they have to do stuff to separate themselves from the group. A lot of young guys do not get it. They’re more interested in seeing three or four stars when people write about their matches instead of getting over with the audience. That’s great, but the key is being diversified.”

Q: How much are you still involved with booking of the TNA show?

Gilberti: “Dutch (Mantell) and Jeff and Vince (Russo) book the show. When I was doing it, we had five guys in there. There were too many chefs in the kitchen. I don't mind stepping out of the booking in my storyline. Tell me what to do, but most of the boys then put a twist on it.”

Q: There has been some internet rumors that Johnny Swinger is unhappy with how the storyline with Pat Kenney has unfolded and that he would like to reform their tag-team. This angle also has taken a while to unfold. How do you feel about this?

Gilberti: “That’s the thing. If you watch it for six or seven or eight weeks, it’s been very slow to develop. But now every week … This is my contention – The storyline is the most important thing. Every week, Pat is getting a better reaction. You don't get a guy over in two days. Sometimes, it takes time but you get the story over. Swinger is fine with everything. And as long as everyone in the story is involved, there won’t be any problems.”

Q: What is condition of back at this point and how much is it limiting you in the ring?

Gilberti: “It’s the weirdest thing. It’s all about adrenaline. My chiropractor says I have a bulging disc in my back, but I’m fine now and can take care of that. I had a disc problem when I herniated a disc eight or nine years ago. On the day of the show, I’m sore. But as soon as I warm up and get ready, the adrenaline kicks in and the pain goes from being a seven on a scale of one to 10 to zero. Even the next day, I’m fine. It’s two days after that I start feeling sore again. If I were working a regular schedule, my back would be fine because the more I wrestle, the less I hurt because your body becomes used to that stress. But it doesn’t hinder me. I originally blew my back out in a tag-team match with me and Shane (Douglas) vs. Raven and Jeff. It’s weird because I had originally hurt myself playing softball. For a month, I couldn't do anything but stand.”

Q: What are your goals at this point?

Gilberti: “To make as much money as I possibly can. That should be what everyone’s goal is. I’m going to milk this for all it’s worth until I find another source of income that’s more profitable. Until then, I’m going to stick around as long as I can.”