Taz | AEW Unrestricted Podcast

[Music] we have really a special guest at this time I know he's gonna laugh when I say it but he really really is we we are talking with one of the great champions TAS and I and I say that honestly but as and I give each other a hard time a lot but his if you followed pro wrestling you know his his accolades ECW World Champion twice TV champion CW tag-team champ many times a color commentator for the WWE in ring performer for TNA and a broadcaster now part of the AAW broadcast team not only that successful podcaster radio host anything you haven't done no we miss anything I think we're good thanks for joining us I never know when you're sincere real probably I know she's sincere okay but you yes exactly no I appreciate the love but you know I'm really happy to be here yeah that'd be part of this this is awesome yeah well it was really exciting when when you hooked on with AAW on a full-time basis because the story goes and I'll tell the story again as I was working WCW I never watched ECW and then started doing my podcast and we started watching ECW and I'm thinking this stuff kicks ass man it really did and you were you were one of the main men that kicked ass I mean you had you really had a great career I mean in in to me when you walked in the ring it was real yeah you know it really it was too broad like I I never played wrestler right not plate as I did not play the human suplex machine where I am you know born and raised in New York if you couldn't tell from my accent I can tell but once I the level of the house for the airport when you get in the car and drive I became tasks right and some guys as you guys know can turn it on and off right before I go through the curtain rate that's on me so when I was an in-ring competitor especially during those years in ECW I couldn't turn it on and off it was on all the time I was not playing wrestler I believed what I was saying I believed what I was doing it was a part of you it really was and I'm so proud of that that opportunity because that ECW thing we all knew at the time believe it or not that it was lightning in a bottle who knew how special it was sure it was so unique and we had so many unique characters and it was not a teat there was no rider as it was one rider was Paul Heyman as ran the ship and we were a bunch of driven guys and girls that were told no told you can't do it told you no hey AWA jehan you a double w FS not han you're a the NWA is not ha yeah that's how it was back then before was dub dubby and we were a bunch of angry pissed-off people right and y'all just saying it and just do exactly what it was and and that was the the mindset every night no matter if there was a hundred people the crowd ten people crowd or three four five thousand people in the crying it didn't matter we were angry we were driven I was probably the most angry I wasn't right and you know I I was a sort off mean right and you know I still have that guy in me yeah I know I know you they can't do what I did cuz my injuries but right in my mindset it's there I feel like part of that comes through with your broadcasting at all absolutely because as an in-ring competitor I was very always very proud was very hard like I was always an athlete in football I was judoka I was an amateur wrestler I did all these things as a young guy that were very difficult but when I got trained to be a professional wrestler it was literally the hardest thing I did it was very difficult it was a little bit different years ago the way you got broke in and how you got broke in I broke in in 1986 and I debuted 80s 1987 that's a long time ago and I got broken in by an old-timer guy named Johnny Rodz and he you know real Brooklyn guy WWF guy through all those years underneath guys we would call it but a respected guy you know very respected and he broke us in hard-ass his like he was just we didn't learn Connie we didn't learn words like kayfabe we didn't know we learned in a locker room we learned the hard way he just kept us dumb so we learned now today it's different obviously I know that but and that's just evolution and I and I think that's great so for me to answer your question I'm I was always very proud to be a professional wrestler and I'm still proud that's part of my history and my legacy so now it's a broadcast all the years I've been broadcasting no matter if it was double W EE or TNA or now you know with aw I'm very proud of that because I'm proud of what the men and women do in the ring including referees and and all broadcasters and in-ring competitors I'm very proud to be part of something like this with young folks I love young vision I love the young exuberance I love love the young energy you know because so like we talk to ECW so years ago during those ECW years the whole company as I laid out was pissed and we're angry we were driven but we were also told you guys suck you got by the old-timers we heard you guys are killing the business today I know so when I dance when I start again I see the same but I know that stuff is like you know take with a grain of salt I mean these are people that never a lot of these people just never never thinking about never sacrifice never been away from loved ones never been never been miss birthday parties miss weddings miss you know to her had fights with this their their their significant other on the phone while you're 2,000 miles away right they don't understand that see so they don't stand that that's a whole nother podcast right that just axe me think I was getting that was like the ECW thing like so we were told just like aw by a lot of ah you guys are doing too many spots all you guys don't sell that guy he's going through tables and this too much blood you guys are juicing that guy Plus that guys you yeah okay that's how we were those old-timers right and I feel the same what you get with a lot of the aw talent you know these guys are not big enough to I was told my whole life I wasn't big enough huh my whole career so that to me it just drives this locker room the CW locker room all the guys and girls I I can that synergies there for me from the way it wasn't ECW and when we were told back then to you know fast forward all these years - now the rank would be the same some people saying twas eww old-time wrestlers right old-time rescue personalities right not not just social media right you know well you you guys what you did back then I stood the test of time right yes sir I mean it did its what kind of what we see today yeah absolutely and and I don't know you got to be proud about with that in you you talked about being an announcer but you're more than just that I mean you you help these young kids you really do yeah I try to hang out by the ring right ah I don't mean this egotistical because I don't want to come throw away but they come to me right like we're sitting on a kind which I I appreciate that they they appreciate me but I appreciate them right being humble enough to say hey would you think of this move I hate should I change this hey do you have a mind set on this Taz with you I love that I look I'm a coach at heart I so I love them you know I love to give back because I didn't have a plethora of veterans who helped me years ago right but I did have a couple of a couple of them that really were very helpful to me and taught me a lot so I always remembered hey if I ever make it per se I want to help I want to help guys and girls you know if I ever get to that level so I I'm blessed and I got to that level and I love to help these guys are girls here I love to help them on the microphone as a broadcaster I don't I'm not a play-by-play guy I mean Tony you know I look at you as your traditional play-by-play guy that was never me I'm warning collar analysts you're more than a more of a color analyst and color commentator right and just if I could say I don't want to jump ahead you guys might want to get to the color commentary stuff but we're just organically shooting the that's going down yeah I mean like that's what I'm having so much fun right now as we record this you know I'm doing commentary with xcalibur on dog I love it you know because um it's a lot of the younger people that are a lot of them are chomping at the bit to get on dynamite in races hmm and I love that so my job no one's told me this but I know my job is to help get though guys and girls over right we're dead doing in the ring and accentuate that right so like all year like a lot of my commentary work unum tiene some people didn't like my commentary work some of it because when I was a heel character and I was with this aces in ACE group I had a beat they wanted me to be a heel commentator right so I was acting like an on here and not really getting everybody over it cept the heels I hated it sure but as you know you have to play right w/e a lot of my cops not a lot but some of my commentary was haha fun that's what the boss wanted you know what I'm doing as a commentator in this company I love was I get to break down the physicality and that's my my dream gig as a color commentator whenever I gotten a chance all the years I've been doing this to break down action I'm at my happiest mm-hmm and here like I'm not micromanaged know just a little bit you know obviously framing stuff you need that you need that you know internet a break with graphics or whatever and stuff like that but no you you have your own creativity and what you're what you're sitting at the table for us to get talent over and to get the storylines over and push things forward you know so I'm having a blast right now I mean maybe the others should drop and I'll be pissed off here and the times have changed they really have and you know we talked to some others like Dustin Rhodes and about how great it is backstage to be here there doesn't seem to be any agenda right and that what's makes it a great place to work you went through the politics Oh Russell jeez I mean it was yeah absolutely saying you know it's just one of those things where it's like we're all just here to have fun yeah and it's it's so cliche when we say it because everyone's literally saying it's it's like not a kool-aid we're drinking it's not literally like I agree with that cuz okay the politics thing mmm that's horrible yes and that's a major part like I know in your you know throughout your career Tony you're you've witnessed experience I have or we maybe not you as much not so much no hopefully you never do hopefully yes it sucks and I do think like Tony was saying like Tony was saying it's things have changed right and I gotta be on just shoot like I think here the reason is it you have to be and they are the front office here is very careful on who is brought into this company mm-hmm now no matter if you're a wrestler or broadcast a referee backstage coach whatever you are because there are a lot of piranhas and scumbags and in this nation and unfortunately a lot of them are from my generation I gotta be honest that's your phone yes I'm telling you I I and and look this this heads all over the place obviously every industry every industry absolutely I agree but I just maybe cut this closer to me cuz I am I understand my generation of professional wrestling right very well and I think here it's the right people the right people and like orbit you said about as far as it's fun here it should be fun it's wrestling it should be fun it should be fun here's the but there's got to be accountability yes and I do think that happens here you can't I'm not saying you said this I'm not putting words I'm just saying it's got to be fun but it's work to its business it's you we got to make money 100% agree with you yes right like we're here to do a job for what like sure we're here to have fun and grown up but at the end of the day we're doing a live television product that's exactly how to make money laughs absolutely it's fun god we want to keep doing this sure it's a job it's like Kevin Sullivan not not the Kevin Sullivan here gotcha the devil he was one of my few mentors who helped me very much right and he told me a line I'll never forget it years ago Tony you might heard this one this alone ok he said Pro Wrestling is high school with money yeah most people had fun in high school right I feel like Shyvana he got beat up in high school I'm not surprised at all he knew was tousle wanna be you know we would've up recently in production meeting oh I wanted to beat them up very recently but this is one of me yeah well I'll tell you real bring people behind a curtain like it so in these production meetings somebody help me here it's like a massive meeting we all met in catering Tuesday night and there's a head table Cody I heard this happened I'm turning on EVP and Cody starts reading through the card correct kind of telling us a little bit of the show and wrong that's all true but what's at the table in front of those men oh the little signs with their names little signs of their names Little Chute name right right which means real right so we go into a meeting recently here all right aw and I'd mind my business I see in the back of the room and there isn't look at Shivani he's act like well tell me he goes the whole he knows it everything I heard this story yeah and I have my own sign I have it did you see your sign you have a sign I didn't make the song I said and somehow this sign showed up it said tez was on the funny the bigger rip would have been if you would have moved Tony concept oh my god before the beating I put mine there and not told Tony Kahn Tony with a laugh that is well I do that out of out of great affection oh great respect you know and you know when you when you teach these kids in the ring and you have them throw each other's to blixem themselves out of the ring and hit the chairs and get hurt I'm saying Taz has been here I want to talk about you mentioned Kevin Sullivan well that was part is anybody else was part of you know they're helping me helping you yeah Tony Atlas rubber Tony out oh yes Tony Tony helped me a lot years ago on the North East independence before they were called independence he helped me a lot like I said Kevin Sullivan you don't my trainer Johnny Rodz to be honest he trained the right way and I'm very happy I went to him but I really didn't get you know after that much chicag I said he kind of let you kind of let you go on your own but I give you a couple basic yeah that was it I I didn't have many more guys that helped me much at all mm-hmm you know so I kind of found my own way and I don't and I believe in that I don't think Russell's need to have their handheld no you don't but I do think you need one or two or three veterans to help you and guide you mmm I'm doing that here at aw were a couple of young talent somewhere company said hey can you help my god these guys look great and they're very receptive and and it's cuz you know you guys don't you need you need to help you know sometimes Russell's of their own can hurt themselves out of the ring it's not just in the ring they're just doing the wrong thing or acting in wrong way or coming across the wrong way that's the only thing got to be careful you can get heat rank what I was trying to get heat so sometimes you the veteran and say hey be careful of that and that's not the right way to date you know so yeah that's kind of what I do also so we're talking with Taz and coming up we're going to talk about some more about these days in ECW - you made your wrestling debut in San Juan Puerto Rico in June of 1987 yes and now wasn't all bad that wasn't always the easiest place to work all right [Laughter] it was very dangerous and that's where to start in the business I didn't want to go but Johnny Rodz who trained me as I said he you know he was from there he's from Puerto Rico and he had a lot of contacts in the business obviously all the success in that beautiful part of the world and I part of the country was beautiful there but God that first match I'll never forget it going we were in like some rundown old baseball stadium mm-hm and it had rained like stormed earlier so the locker room had no it had to be at least 3 inches of water throughout the whole backstage area oh my god yeah no lie and you know they they were trying to push me which I'll even know what that meant back then gave me of a push we're gonna have you work work a squash match oh my god Rome you know I had no idea what that meant right I know I did I had no I a squash match man so I knew they had a I was out the time I weighed about probably 245 250 and I know it's gonna win the match mm-hmm so I had to connect that later learn that squash you're going to way I'm gonna win the matches and beat this guy yeah and you know they said he's gonna get no offense I'm like oh this is pretty good so then then they said we're gonna shoot three weeks of TV here and I had no idea what that meant I had no you're going in blind yeah people think I was really dumb no I wasn't dumb at all we're all learning on the flight we're just we're just better at hiding it right exact then it was like there was no way to it was no internet no I'm not going online learning stuff and learning these inside terms and the veterans wouldn't say these terms in front of a young green kid no because I was real correct exactly I walk in a lot for a while I thought my name was like k-fed I walk a lot that night so we would have like three weeks two weeks wherever the hell it was it was miserable I read they did this in the rain forest and some house not a hotel great we had no electric we had no phones you know all it sucked but you know I wasn't gonna complain I was happy I was wrestling but it anyway back to that night so what happens is at the last week of TV they did this big paws in a ring a big running where the heals hit the ring and beat up this babyface tag-team and then all the babyface is gonna come in the ring and then the heel is gonna stop powder in it take the pump of powder so we're going over to sting with us in the back and I'm green and like I said right so they got idea and then the heels that come I'm sorry baby face I was heel the baby faces will come in and then you guys just powder just take a bump of powder right again I don't want to show my hand I'm a real Brooklyn New York kid right I don't want to show that I don't know what the is happening right now so boom I know when I go to Ryan I know the guy I'm gonna get on a beating the out of him here the good guy said baby faces and all of a sudden one of them Ted patty you remember teddy X right yeah dad rest his soul right he was under a hood I came in he was working this cheetah kid probably okay I was working around and I loved him and he pops me I pop him back he was taking pumping powder he pops me I take a bump I get up I hit him back oh he'll take a powder Oh narrator Tommy says take a powder like three times he's hitting me harder and harder and he could take a powder and he basically punched me in my cheek as hard as he could on my holy I had to get out the rig as it hurts so much and when I got in a locker room that's what one of the veteran guys said he goes well why didn't get out of the ring I go I had no idea what powder man because you learned now you get some Mike's face yeah and the teddy came in he hugged me cuz I'm sorry bro is that he was veteran apologize I didn't know what a medical side you didn't know what powder med they can oh wow that's how I learned yeah well how crazy imagine today yeah on Twitter Oliver teams that got punched that guy for real there's a shoot brother oh my god talk about your relationship with Paul Heyman because I know you traveled with him and Tommy Dreamer yeah no years ago like thrown at ECW deal like so Tommy had a really good car like he had a nice like I think wasn't got new a blazer blazer I had a shitbox so he wrote a Tony yeah so I I used to drive I lived on I live on Long Island still but at that time I moved to Long Island I started making a little money and then I was gonna buy a new car but anyway I would drive to Tommy's house in Yonkers New York and Paul lived in scars now which is close to Yonkers so then we pick Paul up so the three of us would drive to a lot of the early years of ECW to the rails together but my relationship with Paul to this day is still very good right I do you guys still chat yeah occasionally yeah well texts we keep up with each other I I'm always very thankful for what he did for me give me the opportunity you know there was as you know there was all the stuff with so many guys were owed money and checks bouncing all that right I I got to be honest with you he's never with me a dime he still I never had a check bounced right never happened to me and that's the gospel truth he always treated me great we've had our ups and downs and when I gave notice I was leaving you know to go to double w/e that was rough we had some downs and he was being he thought we had an agreement for me to stay right we shook hands on agreement I never had a contract all my years I've never had paper I was a man of my word there well that's interesting in wrestling like how much that loyalty yes like it's almost more than the actual ink on paper correct correct but my wife just given birth to a son he bring an infant and the deal that Paul and I worked out verbally was like amazing deal and then I'm quickly like two weeks a week so whatever after this we made this agreement I'm starting to hear stuff about the TV deal it's not what we think it is and all this that kayfabe and I might be and then I'm realizing he's not gonna be able to pay me what he's always done in his heart he feels he's gonna be able to afford to pay me but I I am starting a young family and like I we had just bought a home you know so I'm you know you got a do you yeah and then when I had the opportunity and hearing from double w/e at that time I was probably it was mmm it was probably September of 1999 that we started talking I signed with WWE I techne saw my contract I think it was November of 99 but I didn't debut until 2000 so the deal was like it was it would take place once I saw it but I gave you know I could I said to Vince McMahon you know when I I said yeah I was ECW Champion so it was kind of like you know it was a little dirty business but I didn't bail with the belt I did jobs on the way out for two months right I told Vince right before I sounded the I go you know Paul's gonna have me put guys over left and right I go I have to do it Vince Vince said to me you're damn right he goes do it you would ever he acts that's your job that's business leave what you know leave the right way and leave leave the place in a good spot and that was old-school ethics by me by Vince Paul knew I wouldn't I would do the right thing but I mean for those couple of months on the way out the door I mean he had me loose to everybody which I had no problem with but it was like there was a strain with our relationship right it just and that was hard he believed in me when no one else believed in me I remember the the event and I'm not gonna remember the name of the event where you came out as a champion and you who did you put over as and the fans were kind of turning on you because they knew you were leaving but by the end of the night they were with hago and they were with you again because the way you did business that's right that was quite a moment it really was thank you it was a three-way match I believe right with Mike Awesome Masato Tanaka and myself right and it was in Chicago right so basically was elimination whoever left with the title ever won the match had the championship I was eliminated first and I went in as the champ everyone was like holy so the title is gonna change my leg correct it was like a huge sting and we got a packed house in Chicago and and people knew that I was living the internet just started to become a thing right and the dirt sheets all that mmm and then Paul Heyman and the locker room surprised me they were all waiting on the ramp for me right in front of the audience right and like I got emotional my right to say goodbye to me that was a great moment yeah a moment to say goodbye but then I stay for not too much tune shops so TV moment and then we're gonna beat the out of your web to talk about you the human suplex machine the catchphrase beat me if you can survive if I let you yeah I mean that's there's things you you came up with and those things that resonated yes ECW yes sir those are things that um I I at that time I kind of had a vision of branding before branding was like a things you're not not bragging but okay I understood the game I did I did cuz as a street kid like I was you know I didn't have I didn't go to Yale with a degree or Harvard or something like that but I I was literally the cliche of the school of hard knocks I knew the street and I knew how to get over I knew how to hustle yeah you know without being a at but that's what you have to know how to do in wrestling damn right especially then especially then so I started thanks to Paul and ECW allow and to help that machine and the guys who put me over like the orange and black attack that was another moniker I had right I always wore orange and blacks who are people think I love the color orange I have no I don't give a about the color arms but the thing was at that time Bret Hart was were pink and black and I saw it got over and I'm like man I everybody at that time was wearing red and black or blue and black like the dudes right I'm like I want to be different so I wouldn't wear orange or black so I stand out correct no wore a towel on my head and my inspiration for wearing a black towel on my head was from Mike Tyson Mike Tyson at that time was in his prime he used to wear a white towel around his neck like a poncho mm-hmm he would just take a like a hotel towel cut a hole in it and just put it on and we're from not far from each other areas of Brooklyn were from so I had a connectivity within without even saying his name throughout my prime so I was inspired with the towel by him well that's one of those little things defense not may not realize but it makes it feel more like a shoe absolutely absolutely and it's I'm not a big fan of when young guys and girls steal gimmicks and still I think you need you need to take things and make them your own being yes saying them a commentary I hear lines that people say that they're hacking commentators like myself or Tony or jr. that have been doing this for a long time and and that pisses me off get a thesaurus okay and get creative right you know what I mean and put some time in I get a little hot when it comes to that stuff you don't say so you apologize human suplex machine was it just worked I just I had a obviously a big vast array of throws and defects that I worked on for a long time perfected them for a long time I kind of had a version of that name Paul Heyman had a version and we came up with yumen suplex machine beat me if you can survive if I let you was more of a Paul Heyman and I together but more Paul he more or less came up with that catchphrase right and I loved it a lot of the he came up with I loved because each guy from ECW then can tell you you felt like you had a bond with him he's really a unique you just he still is yeah he deals with talent yeah and you know you know Paul I know and yeah and you know there's a lot of things about Paul people hate right I'm telling you someone who worked closely with him his passion his heart the type of person he is he's a he's a good man right he's a good man and each guy will tell you they had a special bomber Paul most of them because he turned into you when he talked to you strange dude but that's what made him so just talented he knew he had a connectivity with each character that he was pushing yeah so he knew and and you know so it was everything all those monikers all those catchphrases uh I'm so proud of people still know them today yeah you know is great and I'm blessed I love it yeah you had great rivalries in ECW Bam Bam Bigelow was one of them yeah I love working with Scotty you know he's he was one of the greats he really was you know it just has a big man how athletic he was type of guy he was I'm sure you knew him pretty good very well yeah I loved Scotty I miss him man we worked physical with each other and there were times you didn't like me he didn't like me much in matches and I felt it we would go man but you know he understood like Paul wanted to get me over and there were times where he made me earn it that was old-school like during a match sure you know you you want me to sell for you you're half my size well you're gonna have to make me sell right and so I'm telling it was yeah but it was rough right it's some nights but I I love them I like my and we we had a lot of fun work with each other and and I learned a lot from work with him earlier in my career yeah he was great I don't think I've seen it but there's a moment where he went through the ring yeah we both did you have to see that yeah Oh Lord guys Oh what shows do you remember this is from Asbury Park New Jersey Scotty's hometown right Bam's hometown I believe it was living dangerously was the pay-per-view okay I don't remember the year I may be 90 I'm dad what the years maybe 90s 1990 99 yeah you have to okay just see that my god no you have to like it not just cuz I was in it like it was insane yeah the pop was because because it was crazy it was dots and I'll never forget I gotta tell story okay please so I was beating everyone was a TV champion unbeatable mm-hmm 5/8 sawed-off pissed-off Paul Heyman pushed me to the moon just no one beat me pushed like an animal just craziness now we're in his hometown we're having this match in bam-bams hometown Paul says to me about two weeks before he rose what do you think we should do I got to lose here I go the people I mean you know I it's just it's making it so a problem I have to lose a match I'm getting heat with the boys right okay about the boys why I share cause and and beers and hotels with these guys I actually do care than your face I do at that time I cared you know I go down over that Agora I think that I think for my character and for the persona me losing would help with the audience cuz so let's take the belt off you let's do it in Scott and I took cool he goes we can't just have him Beach I go why not he goes let me think of something the next day he calls me that's from cell phones to started in popular mm-hmm Paul calls me it had to be 2:00 in the morning which my wife which she was so used to that him call it like that's his Paul yeah he would do his best work for Midnight's about 5:00 a.m. and it just calls me who should wake I don't know I've never stopped you what's up he goes you want to go through the ring I go now what are you talking about it goes at the pay-per-view I know how the you gonna do it because we used to like kind of like rig things up we kind of but we weren't like really our wardens the right way we weren't like really profession we didn't have like professional guys doing stuff guys like Chris you know knows how to build a trapdoor and are we doing incorrect right yeah so that's what I'm thinking well I'm gonna go through the ring what a 400-pound man attached to my body right and I'm gonna one I'm I know I'm gonna be one taking the brunt of this I have to lose yeah I go how do you want to do it he goes what do you think I probably got to put the choke on him and he throws me backwards and we go through the ring goes perfect who's I'll talk to you tomorrow who's gonna who's gonna do this like and and you know so that's what I was worried about me getting hurt mm-hmm not bambam getting hurt because I knew the logistics of the physicality I'm gonna be on his back with the choke on him my head's gonna be higher than him mm-hmm so when we go backwards I have to clear the whole right right that's the thing sure and I don't I really I love the company at that time and the fans I did not want to die no no so at that time Chris Candido God rest his soul who worked for the company he had had worked for WWE for quite some time he knew somebody without naming names his name still kept kayfabe okay who worked with WWE part of their stunt coordination and part of their special effects team right and he worked for us for that show he built the gimmick on the cafe he built the trapdoor yeah and yeah there was other things which I'm still so old-school I won't I don't wanna get into what was going on under the ring understand you know but you know I kind of stuff it's fun just yeah yeah yeah I mean I'll tell you guys once all this shit's off you know but you know it was yeah it was insane yeah when you watch it yeah it was the spot no one expected this spot so then I go through the ring with him right places chanting holy insane right and then he comes out of the hole first I don't spoil you're gonna watch it and they pop for him right and he's hometown boy and then he pulls me out and it gets the win yeah so and then I got more heat with the boys because they had to break the ring to beat me never fails we're talking with tears and the director will go next is your time with Vince and the WWE talk a little bit about history paul heyman you mention before you've left november 1939 and then no we went to WWE why Dave Buell in WWE January 2000 right so talk about that a little bit your debut is with Kurtz correct right yeah yeah at match Square Garden yes no you called matches were gone but you're somebody for might have heard of it was my beer in Brooklyn it's a big deal yeah man it was yeah that's I had just a few goals in my life in my career I never thought I'd end up like that that time level of double w/e but I always wanted to hold a championship at one point I wanted to make a living make a living in the business I think how much it was and that right I did that and then wrestle one time at master square garden right and stretch Kurt Angle I think that's okay so I never thought I figure out two out of three is not bad I'm going to work another God and you know right and then once we work things out with over the buoy and then the Vince had told me that I was in debut at the garden I was like oh there's number three you know so right out of the gate man and I told Vince the story he goes ah that's great pal he really did give a yeah so no but so so anyway um yeah that night was amazing I mean and I've told the story before I'll tell it again for any young listeners we her and this is you know so that night on the way to the arena on the way to the garden I only lived like 40 minutes away to drive I was season where I live on Long Island so I man so many thing I was in traffic like bumper-to-bumper which I'd on the Long Island Expressway which normally the obvious would piss you off during the traffic I actually didn't mind it you know cuz I was I'm not normally like at that time I was not normally like a deep thinker type guy but then like all this is going through my mind like my whole career and like what's this about to happen here tonight kind of like culmination of things now a little bit man so I called Paul Heyman and I thanked them you know and I said you know what he knew what I was you know even though it was kayfabe but you know he knew that I was debuting there right right so I I just thanked them I just said you know my whole career and everything and everything we did in ECW and I just I know you pissed off at me and I know you're angry and he he said nah man I love you he goes you're gonna kick ass and I'm proud of you you know it was it was like closure for me sure I mean weird I sound very soft but I don't give a yeah so I'm like in traffic at the time so I love you Paul right exactly it was weird you know I got the building you know and it's like I'm excited but I'm no selling it you know and and I knew Kurt you know I knew Kurt pretty good and I was friends with Kurt you know his first taste of professional wrestling was actually not WWE a lot of people don't know that it was in ECW mm-hmm see people don't know that right so double double you won't tell you that right no that's not no so he never heard he did call a commentary for one match right up in 1996 he won the gold medal in Atlanta on my match against little Guido in ECW him and Joey Styles mm-hmm Shane Douglas who's from Pittsburgh was had mutual friends with Kurt who's from Pittsburgh and Shane was the reason who he got Kurt to the ECW show in Philly and that was his first and last ECW show Kurt Angle and that was the first taste of pro wrestling for him which I guess he liked or whatever and then something happened with Raven in the Sandman and a crucifix in the arena Kurt Angle saw that he got very offended and stormed out of the building and now me and Shane Douglas didn't know that was gonna happen and we're yelling at Paul and poor Shane Kurt see on that means Shane and like don't we didn't know and like we're apologize it was a mess Wow we got mad at RIT was a whole big craziness yeah you know but anyway well there goes a gold medalist out the door because of some stupid so when I wrestled occurred at the garden when I came out like when I heard that pop I knew I was I knew I was doomed I knew it I knew it because it was massive and again it was before the big craze of the internet and all that and people didn't know I was gonna be there this is legit it was a legit surprise and a legit pop in the world's most famous arena and the reason why I knew I was doomed is because that pop did not come from double-double Yui I was a made guy before I got to the double-double Yui right and WWE at that time they'll never they never would admit it then and they won't admit it now all right they'd you know where I'm going and know exactly later they don't they didn't want me guys yep that's what happened right so as I'm walking out towel on my head looking bad as a I'm saying to myself oh my god shut up don't cheer don't pop just boo me do something just don't say nothing right even though wasn't awesome feeling I knew I was yeah at the beginning in the end so then the match happens and we had a German suplex deal we did in there where I was gonna release German suplex Kurt Kurt I've wrestled Kurt a lot I love Kurt at that time Kurt was green man he was very he was very overzealous he always wanted to make his opponent look great right like very unselfish guy and like super it's just type of person he is he's a good man you know and I hit him I go to him with his German suplex and he goes to like jump you know just help me with the throw and that's not how I suplex right you don't jump I do it right I'll protect you I'll take care of you just got to trust me mm-hmm so I put him back down and did the throw and he cleared his head it was close but he cleared his head because he was like you know if he's used to jumping yeah all of a sudden just so tight our timing was right so I did the right thing by putting him back down to protect him I don't care for the garden or some high school gym I'm gonna protect him that wrinkle that's my job right and that spot I guess helped some of the piranhas backstage yeah you know bury me that's what I've heard from a few very credible sources very credible that they will run an events and Vince sword and was freaking out oh my god oh my god he is dangerous oh my god he's gonna hurt somebody in and then I was just but I had a long-term deal it was making a lot of money so that stuff was all positive but I felt like that night as great as it was it it just Vince got the wrong idea you know I knew I was really right its first match of the Royal Rumble massive pay-per-view as you guys know at the garden right I walked through the gorilla mm-hmm there's nobody there when I'm done with the match they stretch at Kurt Angle out mm-hm he was gone thank you as you guys know that's not that's not see me or talk to me nobody no nobody I'm like even though it was my first night in the company I know how things work right and then I was there for another nine years yeah he moved into the the announce table and taught there was an angle with junior and Lawler yeah got you there talk about that yeah it was so we did a did add the garden we didn't I think the angle started at the garden with junior and I that's when the angle started ass because I had this idea I think I was I remember who I worked with was actually in Dallas on a pay-per-view and I was a heel I beat him I might have been house no I just think it was out snow and on a pay-per-view match and as I was walking through the curtain after after the match I look back hill as a heel sinister heel and jr. had a great line that buried me I got that look on his face he got Kurtz you know son of a bit whatever you know jr. was indignant on Barry as a heel you don't need this job and I heard a packing catering mm-hmm roar the next day and who sees that mana there were two boys have watched the pay-per-view man I'm like why I was a good line by Jo ha man and the timing was great with my face and I went right to Vince mm-hm I go Vince I you hit outlines I was great I I got it I got it get back at you all right say something I gotta get in his face you know something let me think about the only thing about and then like I think was the week later and then they came up with a thing where I went up to jr. at the garden and got in his face and stuff like that and and he slapped me and then I hit him with a I said a very insulting lying to jr. you know which I wasn't proud of but as a heel and jr. knew the line was coming like repeat the line but but it was a nasty nasty line if he slapped me and it was in the garden I had to get he right yeah I'm in my hometown and I'm old school I gotta get heat my hometown as a heel okay and that line worked and I cleared the line with Vince I cleared the line with jr. ji was a pro it's no problem and then I kept egging junior to hit me hit me and then Lawler came across and nails me oh yeah what a great shot and and then we did a real legitimate pull apart and that's the angles segue to me and Laura that's what'll happen it was great I had a lot of fun working that angle recently on social media Jarrell Hall was saying - and then the message mean we're going back and forth a little bit like that like our feud we had as a now not announced he was in an ounce of time I wasn't it's segwayed me into the announce desk but it was a really really strong but we worked well we had good chemistry together it wasn't pushed though you know because Lal I think was at the announce task they weren't pushing me as a main eventer so it was just kind of like a good filler angle but it could have been much more but I had a lot of fun working what would King and doing the stuff for junior - do you think when when Vince acquired ECW that Gary did on purpose you mean the rebirth of his rebirth because because it wasn't what it was it was horrible exactly it was horrible yeah and I tried to make it work he did a rebirth just to put his foot on it no he I really and I ended up leaving the Smackdown desk to do color commentary on the rebirth of ECW see ECW guys call it the rebirth we don't call it ECW and all right chill with styles and I you know it it was horrible and I don't think Vince did that on purpose I can really know I've known since over I'm just being honest right I really believe that that was Vince's vision for what it should be in would be and it's not what do you CW was no big he didn't give a he wanted to be what he wanted to be right his business guy that's a billionaire so that's what some of those not the billionaire we have you know he has we love him but here's the thing like I knew that thing was where we did the rebirth of ECW we were in Newark New Jersey doing a TV and the announce desk was not gonna be the regular announced test it was gonna be just a folding table with hands right there with the box wires and all exposed that's the like the first one or two we did and then we were in I think it was Newark or Trenton New Jersey I came in with a with town and I remember Kevin Dunn saying to me and Joe Stiles yeah we're gonna change the table up it looks like I mean Joe we're like well no that's kind of a look like that it should look that vibe now yeah yeah he's a WWE should W it's not gonna look like that I'm like major on a lot of stings dent right exactly yeah the one step is like what's known he's right yeah yeah you left WWE on your own terms in 2009 which was great yeah so I'm so proud to be able to do that right because at that time a teacher would people get future endeavor you know like so if they would release someone they would get future endeavored they would yeah we wish to Joe Blow the best his future endeavors which is like if we just release you what we're gonna zinger we're out the door how much of a deal deal is that at risk oh yeah what happened was man I just had enough I just had enough I was under I was working smack down I was working technically working once a week yeah I was flying on Vince's plane Michael Cole and I yeah back to New York every Tuesday night after TV not because they like this because we had to go into vo yeah so we had to get back to Connecticut so commercially it had been a so we still fly all - my point is they wind and diamond they treated me great I mean financially and every act everything everything I had a new deal in front of me a new three-year deal they wanted to keep me and then I remember telling Kevin Donna I said I I think I got to pump the brakes he I just I just need to think I just I don't think I want to stay here's what he was shocked sure yeah I mean I'm shocked yeah it came out of nowhere to them but my mind I had enough I was tired of the vibe there and and so another way for saying politics not just a politics knows is the way you feel going to work every day correct yeah okay my I would sit in the rental car and show prep I didn't want to be in the building I didn't want to be around it clear saying any of them yeah and there were one or two other guys that would do the same thing I don't name their names because one of them still works there so I don't want to bury him you know but you know I just didn't want to go I just went on for no lie at least three months I just didn't want to go I didn't want to be that I want to hit Vince on my ear I know it's a leapfrog dude I mean I know it's a dropkick you don't have to tell me it's a bulldog yeah no right ready pulled those have you taken how many have I taken shut up okay yeah so I like you know really like that kind of like the micromanaging got to a point where he was not just in my ear but like the play-by-play guys were getting it on Telecom they were getting hammered right and still do and still do right correct you know so yeah that was a big part of it just being around at that time and I'm gonna say and they gave me an opportunity to leave the ring and being a commentator and I've um my podcast but it was going full-time I've thanked them publicly I emailed Vince privately when I got my gig with CBS Radio I emailed them and I thank them without you turning into a broadcast I never would have had this but I'm gonna tell you right now I never I just never said it anywhere else I'll say right I'll say it right here uh Stoney throws up on the air but I'll tell you this I didn't want to be around anybody named McMahon at that time right they were annoying mm-hm and it was just the Papas the arrogance I think days have changed instead a little bit we at that time I think a little bit it has I don't know thank God I'm here but the arrogance not politics the arrogance the the and that's where I keep saying it that's the adjective that keeps jumping out to me the just the the disposition of that elitist attitude it got to the point where it's like you know what off drag Mouse yeah and then I even said to Kevin I said look one side the follow he said take a week chill out think about it talk to your wife about you know I knew that an opportunity to go TNA at that time I knew I'm not dumb that's how to work here and I'm just gonna wait and see if someone else calls me so I said the cabinet's listen I'm not signing this Kevin sorry I said you've been very helpful to my career I appreciate you I need a break here's okay alright I understand he goes you have to talk to Vince and you know I guess he's gonna want to talk to your purse I don't know I'd want to talk to Vince I of course you won't become a TV the Swedish yeah we were in Dallas again bad so oh my god so I did say to him because WrestleMania was the next week hopeful I said I don't want to leave you in a lurch I said I'm not gonna sign the deal my deal was up my deal was up right I said you didn't like show to show at this point for one week I went to show the show I said I'll go to mania don't pay me just take care of my trans I told Kevin I'll come in I don't wanna leave an alert those Taz I appreciate that let me talk to Vince we might want to go different direction and being that you leave and that's no problem they did they went a different direction but I know I rest my head on my pillow at night knowing that I did the right thing on the way out I gave notice the right way I gave ample time you know and I offered to go call that biggest show for free mm-hmm you know so just take care of my transportation and we're good but they didn't do that and then you know what saying goodbye to Vince was tough because you know he's done a lot for me and you know I didn't tell him I'm tired of hearing in my ear right I didn't say that I just said I just need a little break I just need and he goes you sure use you know you're part of the family here and allow me answer yeah I wanted only peel like part of the family but you can say Oh so but whatever I just said I'm good I got again well yeah here you are and they we're all better for it really yeah you know we're not well I don't think that I appreciate you saying that I don't it's it's great for me it's great for my mind no being in podcasting so long and in radio so long I quasi left the business move out of four or five years and now being back with in the industry to this level with aw and the way this ball rolls is great I'm blessed so I you guys make me better you know so I'm throwing each other yeah that's the beauty part of this place that's sounds crazy but it's just so cliche that like we're literally just every day it's great I know getting on planes every Tuesday oh man oh god tabs one of them true great performers of all time thanks for your time buddy did you read that line yeah you think he said it [Laughter] scribe do a subscribe the word subscribe right be sure to get aw yes I know yes for free and you get it for free wherever you get your podcasts and tune in aw dynamite Wednesday's 8 o'clock 7 o'clock central and TNT and I'm Tony Schiavone I'm audio and I'm Tess you sure are thoughtlessly unrestricted [Music] [Music] you

Channel: TNT

Views: 99,489

Rating: 4.9443893 out of 5

Keywords: tnt, tnt network, comedy, tnt shows, AEW, all, elite, wrestling, dynamite, All elite wrestling, aew on tnt, all elite wrestling on tnt, aew wrestling, pro wrestling, aew dynamite, wednesday night dynamite, aew features, aew interviews, aew highlights, aew double or nothing, aew fight for the fallen, the young bucks, cody rhodes, brandi rhodes, nick jackson, matt jackson, chris jericho, tony kahn, jon moxley, kenny omega, dean ambrose, jack perry, Taz, Taz Unrestricted, Podcast

Id: AFdojeiKtWU

Length: 54min 42sec (3282 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 13 2020

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[u/fellongreydaze]

One of the highlights to me was Taz acknowledging the toxic locker room behavior/culture in wrestling and that his generation is the one that's perpetuating it. He doesn't shy away from it or claim that they didn't know any better. Taz points out that when HE was wrestling, he was the one being told that he's too small to wrestler, or that he takes unnecessary risks, or that he's killing the business. That very topical connection makes his support of AEW sound like the most obvious thing in the world. He doesn't want the new generation to have to deal with the shit he dealt with, and that warms my heart.

[u/Steenerico]

Damn. Did not expect that level of honesty from Taz.

All the stuff on his deciding to leave WWE... "I didn't wanna be around anybody named McMahon at that time. They were fucking annoying." (around 50:20)

Kudos to those working on commentary in WWE. Between Foley and Taz, it sounds like a hellish job.

Also great to hear his POV on his WWE debut and why it was pretty much over for him after that night.

[u/ratazengo]

The referee Aubrey has the unnerving habit of trying to finish other people's sentences/talking over them whenever they make a small pause