Bam Bam Bigelow, JJ Dillon, Sean O'Haire Speak Out

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Bam Bam Bigelow, JJ Dillon, Sean O'Haire Speak Out

 

What are these three up to?

 

Credit: Adam Martin & www.WrestleView.com

 

This week's GIR Radio was a jam packed edition featuring Bam Bam Bigelow, J.J. Dillon & Sean O'Haire! Bigelow talked about life after wrestling, Dillon gave his opinions on the comparions between the Four Horseman & Evolution and Sean O'Haire went into detail about the altercation that has made headlines recently in newspapers & the internet. You can listen yourself at www.getinthering.tv and every Sunday 540 AM WLIE @ 7pm in NY/NJ, and live off www.getinthering.tv.

 

- Bam Bam Bigelow joins the show. Sir Adam brings up to Bigelow that before he came on, he was having a debate with The Phantom on what grade they should give the intern for Get in the Ring. Bigelow asks what he has done for them and The Phantom jokes, saying he hasn't done anything and deserves an F. The GIR intern, Shawn, then reads a list of things he prepared that he feels need to change in wrestling from now on to make it better. He said that he feels people with strong mic skills should only be the ones to hold wrestling championships. Bigelow said what he thinks and what the guy with a billion in the bank is two different things. He said in order for guys to become a success, they need other talent to help them get there. Bigelow said you can categorize people in the business in two ways - if they are over no matter what they do and those that are marketable. He said even though he jobbed to a lot of guys, his character was still over even if he won or lost where as guys like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and others were the "marketable" talent that could sell the merchandise and so on and so forth.

 

- The GIR intern adds that he also doesn't want to see characters like Eugene in the business anymore because it isn't believable. Bigelow quickly responds, saying he could never be a promoter because he doesn't understand that it is "sports entertainment". He said people love storylines that they can get behind and basically love to hate a guy. The intern added that he doesn't think storylines should go away, he just feels stuff that isn't believable shouldn't take place. Bigelow said when you are a guy like Vince McMahon who has been in the business for 40 some odd years, you run out of new stuff to do. He said the biggest thing to learn about wrestling is that it truly is a business after all is said and done. Bigelow said anyone involved in the business is a robot because you are in a different city, arena and hotel pretty much every day.

 

- Sir Adam brings up how everytime he comes on GIR he impresses them with his vast knowledge of the wrestling business. He mentions that now Bigelow is venturing into a new business as he just recently opened up a Deli. Bigelow said the Deli is located in Hamlin, PA and he is going to be opening up another one soon in Florida. He added that two new places should be up and running by the end of October as well. Sir Adam asks him some of the stuff you can get at the Deli. Bigelow said they have a beef burger and if anyone can eat the whole thing, they are known as the "beast master" and they get a picture taken with him that gets put on the wall.

 

- The Phantom asks how he has been doing since he made the decision to leave the wrestling business. Bigelow said he has been doing a lot better than he has in a very long time. He mentions that he had back surgery in March of 2003 and that it put him out of commission for a while. Bigelow said he is able to get back in the gym now and has been feeling great lately. Talk turns to his last match ever taking place on August 29th. Bigelow said he is going into the ring for one last time to raise money for the Sweeney family as they lost their father who was killed overseas in Iraq. He said that family has helped out the community for a very long time and feels it would be nice to give something back to them in return. Sir Adam asks what he will be feeling like when he walks into the ring for the last time ever in his career. Bigelow said he doubts he will be taking too many bumps during the match due to his current condition. He said the whole point of the match is just a nice way for him to say goodbye and thank all the fans for the support they gave him. Bigelow said he is just glad to leave while he can and doesn't want to turn into another Ric Flair who doesn't know when to call it quits.

 

- The Phantom asks Bigelow if he read Ric Flair's book. Bigelow said he wouldn't read that trash and feels there is a time to quit when it comes to the wrestling business. He said he doesn't mind if guys leave the ring and get involved in the promoting side of it because it makes sense since that is all they know. Bigelow said the best way to leave in his opinion is to leave when you are on top instead of prolonging it. Sir Adam brings up how many guys who are still in the business are doing it because of a paycheck where as a guy like Ric Flair really doesn't need the money. The Phantom asks Bigelow if he was ever scheduled to work a program with Flair. Bigelow said something was planned, but he was obligated to work for New Japan at the time. He said he likes Flair and means no disrespect, but puts him in the category of a guy like Hulk Hogan who should have left the business years ago. Bigelow said the longer Hogan stayed in the business, the worse he started to look. He despite his opinions, he loves all of them and they have been a great inspiration for him to get into the business in the first place.

 

- Talk turns to learning when is the right time to walk away from the business. Bigelow said a lot of guys just don't want to accept that their time is over and feels they have a hard time transitioning to reality. The Phantom asked Bigelow what separtes him from guys who still stick around in the business by starting up wrestling schools or still staying active on indepedent cards. Bigelow said a lot of guys are afraid to face reality and get a real job like he did. He said it is a hard transition when you are appearing on TV every week and all of a sudden you are a normal guy again. Bigelow added that what you do with the first 40 years of your life is great, but you also have to think about what you are going to do with the other 40. The GIR intern asked Bigelow who he feels should leave the business that is still active right now. Bigelow goes back to Flair and also mentions that Terry Funk shouldn't be wrestling anymore. He said they need to just hang it up and accept that they have to move on. The Phantom reads a question from the Forums on the GIR website asking Bigelow about the heat Vader had with Doom. Bigelow brought up first of all that he and Leon never really got along in the first place, but they were put together as a tag team. He mentioned the tag team match from 1992 in Tokyo, Japan when he teamed with Vader against Doom and how Vader was upset that he was only tagged in during the last five minutes of the match. The Phantom brings up how they heard a lot of bad stories about Vader during his career. Bigelow described him as a "red headed stepchild" because he never wanted anyone to invade his territory.

 

- Talk turned to Bigelow's time in ECW and how it played a major factor in his career ending sooner. He mentioned how he crushed his spine badly during a match in Asbury Park, New Jersey against Taz. Bigelow said that caused him to lose two inches in height and knew after that happened it was time to call it quits. The Phantom wondered why he didn't get the same neck surgery like Steve Austin and others did. Bigelow joked that he didn't have a small neck like those guys. He said he worked a lot harder in his matches, always giving 110%. Bigelow said he went that extra mile in his career, comparing himself to a guy like Mick Foley. Sir Adam asks what he feels about Ric Flair calling Mick Foley a glorified stunt man. Bigelow said few people have a love for the business like himself and Foley. He said "old school" guys like Flair have the same match for their entire career. Both Sir Adam & The Phantom thank Bam Bam for joining them on the program and Bigelow invites anyone to come down to his new Deli.

 

 

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- After a short commercial break, J.J. Dillon joins the show. The Phantom mentioned that when Dillon didn't think he was going to be able to make the show and gave him a plan of when he could, he felt like the fifth member of the Four Horsemen. Sir Adam added that Dillon was great at laying out a battle plan for the group and that it was just great to get instructions from him no matter what the topic may be. Dillon laughed, thanking them for the comments and said he always lives up to his commitments.

 

- Sir Adam asks Dillion if he is amazed that people still talk about the Horsemen like it was yesterday. Dillon said it has been about 15+ years and is still surprised to hear people still talking about them to this day. He said when he did a fan festival for Greg Price last year he was amazed to see an overwhelming response to guys like himself. Dillon said it was great to see a lot of the fans that use to come out to the cards back in the day and talk about the memories they have of certain matches they saw live. He said overall it was a great thing to be involved with.

 

- The GIR intern, who was still trying to earn his grade at this point in the program, asked Dillion if he feels the line-up of Evolution in the WWE right now compares to the Four Horsemen in any way. Dillon said there is no comparison, mentioning that the history of wrestling has shown that you can often imitate but never duplicate.

 

- The Phantom reads an e-mail question from a listener asking Dillon what he really feels about Ole Anderson. Dillon said he first met Anderson during his wrestling days in the early 1970's when he worked for Jim Crockett Sr. He said during that period of time he got to know Ole very well. Dillon said he has the utmost respect for Ole and knows he is the kind of guy that will always speak what is on his mind. He said he thinks it is unfortunate that Ole didn't have more success in WCW and blamed the "big wigs" at AOL Time Warner for not taking the opportunity with a guy like Ole. Dillon said they really didn't get the wrestling business and thought anyone could do it. He said they needed a guy like Ole Anderson to help run WCW because he understood the business and feels it could still be alive today if they went that route.

 

- Sir Adam mentions that Dillon was Vince McMahon's #2 for quite some time and asked what it was like to be that close with him since most people don't get the chance to do so. Dillon said he had actually worked for Vince Sr. before working with Vince Jr. during his early days in the business. He mentioned how well respected Vince Sr. was during that time period and how great of an opportunity it was to work with him. Dillon said to make a long story short, he got a call informing him that Vince Jr. and Pat Patterson were becoming very busy booking all the shows, keeping talent in order, etc. and that help was needed. He said he was eventually offered the job after meeting with Vince, Patterson and Linda around Christmas. The Phantom asked if the job ever included an on camera role. Dillon said it was basically a deal to be an employee and not an entertainer, although he did make a few cameos here and there during contract signings and other segments.

 

- Talk turned to his decision to leave the then-WWF. Dillon said he went to Vince himself and explained that he had some philosophical differences and felt that the day he quit he should do it to his face. The Phantom asked why he made the decision to walk away. Dillon said he took issue with some things that concerned the responsibility of his job that he didn't agree with. He said it all came down to a big disagreement between the two and although he doesn't feel the need to talk about it in detail, it made him lose respect for Vince and didn't want to continue a business relationship with him anymore after that point. Dillon then made a bold statement, saying he would rather flip burgers for a living then ever call Vince back and beg for a job. He said Vince is the kind of business man that will embrace you with open arms, but you will always be on guard because you are unsure if today is the day he wants to get even with you for something that took place in the past.

 

- The Phantom asks Dillon if he can believe that Eric Bischoff now works for Vince McMahon. Dillon feels it is almost like poetic justice that Bischoff is being reduced to something that he was quite frankly suited to do from day one and that is be an on-air talent. He said it is almost funny to imagine Vince giving a guy like Bischoff a job in his company after all the insults he was given about how he was going to put the then-WWF out of business. Dillon said he wonders if Vince wakes up every morning with a smirk on his face knowing he can get Bischoff to basically do whatever he wants. The Phantom asks who he dislikes more - Vince or Bischoff. Dillon said that is a hard question. He mentions that despite the experience, he was grateful that Vince gave him an opportunity and feels the McMahon family is great. Dillon said Vince surrounds himself with good people such as Linda and Pat Patterson. He said Vince was never one to take vacation time and probably never will. Sir Adam plugs that Dillon will be at the Legends Fanfest in Fayetteville, North Carolina on August 14th and 15th and thanks him for coming on.

 

 

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- After another short commercial break, Sean O'Haire joins the show. The Phantom brings up recent rumors that O'Haire has been in Las Vegas recently wanting to become a K-1 fighter. O'Haire confirmed the rumors and said he is working out a deal right now to work for a promotion that is a minor league of K-1. Sir Adam said he can't believe O'Haire would want to do that stuff. O'Haire said he was the baddest man in WCW and WWE and has no fear of getting involved in the "real stuff" as people call it.

 

- Talk turns to how O'Haire has been involved with martial arts for a long time. O'Haire brings up how he has been practicing the sport since he was 10 years old and is undefeated in 17 matches called Hook and Shoots. He said no one went more than three minutes with him ever. O'Haire said he eventually got into pro wrestling and felt he was able to bring a new aspect to the business with his style. He compares his style to a martial arts movie and wanted to bring that aggressiveness to the ring at all times.

 

- The Phantom asked O'Haire if he thinks he got pushed too fast during his time in WCW. O'Haire disagreed and said he enjoyed working for both WCW and WWE. He brought up how he was one of the fastest students to graduate from the WCW Power Plant next to Bill Goldberg. O'Haire said he really didn't learn the psychology that great, but had all the moves down perfect. He said as time went on and he went to the WWE, he was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling and got to learn the psychology of wrestling more. O'Haire said he feels he is the best at whatever he does and truly felt he was on his way to becoming one of the best wrestlers ever. He said he feels that many times in his career he was pushed fast and then it basically stalled. O'Haire added that he never wanted to ask the question "why" because it would drive him insane.

 

- Talk turned to how the WWE began developing really unique vignettes about his character and The Phantom asked why nothing really came of them. O'Haire said nobody really knows what is going on half the time when a decision is made in the wrestling business. He said he could be wrong, but that was the impression he got during his stint with the WWE. O'Haire said many were in favor of the vignettes he was doing because it was constantly asking the "why" factor in terms of what society feels is acceptable. He said Vince liked it as a good heel move, but saw how the character would be both a babyface and heel. O'Haire mentioned Steve Austin, saying he isn't comparing himself to him at all, but brought up how he would go back and forth as a babyface or heel when he was just being himself.

 

- The Phantom mentioned the whole situation with Roddy Piper and how it really didn't work. O'Haire agreed it didn't work and said it really pissed him off. The Phantom asked if he let any higher-ups in WWE know he was upset. O'Haire said he did and feels that may have contributed to his eventual downfall in the company. He mentioned that he loved working with Piper, but was told by officials that he was the kind of guy that would say what he wanted, whenever he wanted. O'Haire said he never saw the HBO special that caused Piper to get released and never really cared to. He said when that took place though, his career stalled and never got the chance to further from that point on. O'Haire said he has nothing bad to say about the WWE as he never lost a singles match upon his return to the main roster from OVW. He said when people ask him why the WWE stopped using him he never really has an answer for them because he doesn't know himself.

 

- Sir Adam brings up how O'Haire's name has been in the headlines recently and asks if he can give his version of the story. O'Haire said his lawyer told him not to talk about it, but he said "screw it" and that he will talk a little about it anyways. He said all those reports he read never mention the other four guys that was with those girls at the time the altercation took place. O'Haire said the two girls started the fight with him and what was reported was false. Sir Adam mentioned that the newspaper reports said he flicked the hat off one of the girls and kicked the other. O'Haire said he did knock the hat off one, but never touched them. He added that one of the girls hit him so hard in his mouth that he thought she was a professional fighter. O'Haire said after that point he tried to get them kicked out, but was confronted by five to six other guys - some with the girls and some security. He admitted to kicking a few of those guys in the leg when they tried going after him, but said he never touched any of the girls at all. O'Haire said he had left the following day and got a call that there was a warrant for his arrest and was very surprised. He added that he has a great lawyer and knows the girls involved did their best to stretch the truth as far as possible. Sir Adam mentioned that they were out of time, but would love to have him on next week. O'Haire said he would love to and thanked them for having him on.

 

* GIR Radio CD Volume 1 is now available with interviews from Bret "Hitman" Hart, DDP, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Michael Hayes, Vampiro and more. Visit www.getinthering.tv for more information