Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio
Guest: Manny Villalobos
Date: 05/05/15
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley and James Walsh

Texas wrestling's history runs deep and our guest this week worked for the major promotions that helped to shape pro wrestling as we see it now. This "Tex Mex" style wrestler brought a unique blend of Lucha and technical wrestling to the ring. He didn't always win. But, you remembered his name. He is Manny Villalobos.

This 44 minute interview discusses everything from Southwest, Texas All Star, World Class, and Global and beyond. He even was real close to a WWE run before some of that "Hard Luck" kicked up again and sidelined him in 2002.

A fantastic interview.

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MANNY VILLALOBOS

On his favorite territories to work: Manny says he had a lot of fun in a lot of different places but does point out the Southwest Championship Wrestling promotion as one of his favorite to work. It was one of his first chances to shine.

 

On working World Class: Manny says working World Class and the Sportatorium was extremely epscial. He says the building had magic in it. Manny says if World Class were still around, they'd be kicking the WWE's ass because Texas wrestling is better than what is out there today.

 

On his major run and TV title win in GWF: Manny says the GWF was a lot of fun. He was given a gimmick as "Hard Luck" by Gary Hart and Skandor Akbar. He says they played on a lot of stereotypes but it really got over.

 

On the destruction of the car: Manny laughs saying that when he was held back and then cried in front of the car that the dealership, in story, had given him that the heels beat up and made him watch, he was given a standing ovation in the locker room for his acting performance.

 

On Manny Fernandez: Manny says Fernandez was a mentor to him and he has not a bad thing to say about him.

 

On "Maniac" Mike Davis: Villalobos worked Davis both in World Class and Global. He says Davis used to see that he'd be working Manny and say, "Night off". Manny says there was one match where Manny threw the most perfect superkick he's ever seen thrown. It was not the night in Global that he won the TV title but instead a World Class match.

 

On leaving the GWF: Manny left due to an injury suffered at the hands of Axl Rotten. Rotten had slipped off the ropes and really injured Manny's shoulder. Manny told him he couldn't take more and to pin him yet Rotten insisted on delivering a piledriver. Manny fought it, saying you can even see on the tape that he punched him to stop it but Rotten did it anyway and that didn't do his shoulder any favors. When Manny got to the dressing room, JBL offered to kick Axl's ass. Manny had grabbed his gun. He was furious over it. But, in the end accepts it was an accident. Still doesn't sound happy with Axl, though.

 

On "Hard Luck" following him: Manny says in 2002, he was in the best shape of his life. He was doing so well, Michael Hayes asked him to come up to the WWE despite being in his 40's at that point. He was getting ready to go up but did a show in Mexico and tore his back up on a loose board on the ring. That ended that.

 

On what he is doing now: Manny was in a horrific car accident last year that sidelined him.. He is in his 50's now so his body doesn't recover like it used to. But, he's now getting back in the ring and trying to get back to what he was before. He also is training guys by request. You can find him on Facebook if you are a perspective wrestler and want to be trained by him. He's in the San Antonio market.