 Cinderella has a song called "The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same." Never has that been more true than with the latest news from The Interactive Interview.
After a heated altercation between James and his former host, James has taken The Interactive Interview's archives and created a web site that will hopefully become a force in the wrestling media world. That site's address is www.WrestlingEpicenter.com. And, more dedicated to The Interactive Interview than ever before, James Walsh, with his new CO-host Erik Clancy, are proud to bring you a long biographical interview with a man that simply does not do a lot of interviews. James and Erik are proud to bring you "The Bird Man" Koko B. Ware!
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"THE BIRDMAN" KOKO B. WARE
-- The show opens with James explaining the "State of the Union" of TII and introduces the new CO-host of the show, Mr. Erik Clancy. Erik briefly introduces himself as a wrestling fan that tries to dwell upon the positives of the business and proclaims himself a huge Shawn Michaels fan. The two then banter about high flying wrestling and why psychology is needed instead of random high spots.
-- James and Erik then go to a break playing "Piledriver," the title track of the WWF record released in 1987 sung by none other than Koko B. Ware.
-- James welcomes Koko to the show.
-- Koko is doing great. He now runs his own painting business where he travels much like he did when he was wrestling. He also mentions that he is now pleased to be following God's plan. He adds, "I just thank God I'm still alive." The two then share a few words about the many we've lost from his generation.
-- "That's the way you go out if you're going to go out," said Koko about Moondog Spike who passed away at one of the before mentioned Memphis shows. Koko explains he died doing what he loves, professional wrestling. "He went out in style," adds Koko.
-- "I still love the business," says Koko. But, he does not feel he is the same wrestler he was back in the High Energy days because he doesn't do it every day. He adds, "things get old" and explains how a championship football team can win championships several years running but eventually players will start to fall apart and be replaced.
-- Going back to his initial Memphis run, Koko is asked about his role as part of the "Pretty Young Things" or the "PYT Express." Koko says the gimmick was a play on a Michael Jackson video. The funny part of it, though, was Koko's partner, Norvell Austin, was, in Koko's words, "related to a gorilla."
-- Because Norvell looked like he was, again in Koko's words, "backed over by a mack truck" with coneflower ears and such, calling he and Norvell the "Pretty Young Things" really got over all over from Mid South with Bill Watts to Dallas, Texas with the Von Erichs.
-- "We lost every match but we had to fight our way back to the dressing room."
-- When he went to the WWF, Vince McMahon gave him a bit of freedom in terms of his gimmick. In a meeting, Vince asked what Koko would like to bring to the gimmick. Koko showed Vince a picture of Frankie, the bird, and expressed interest in making that a part of his character. Vince loved the idea because the British Bulldogs had a bird, Jake Roberts had a snake, so Koko having a bird was a good tool to put him up there with the rest of the guys even at his size.
-- "I'm getting choked up. I can hardly talk about that," says an emotional Koko when asked about the loss of Frankie. Koko's house burned down while he was at church one day and Frankie did not survive the fire. This was about 4 years ago.
-- Koko remembers many nice people coming forward and offering to get him a new parrot. But, no one ever followed through. Koko adds that it is okay that no one did come through but again says he loved Frankie greatly and values his loss almost as much so as losing a child.
-- "Wrestlemania III was good, man. I mean, it was real good. That's one of the best Wrestlemania's you could have today. That's one of the times you never want to forget... You'll never forget that moment." Koko then walks us through the day of Wrestlemania III, pulling up to the arena and seeing a sea of people just sitting outside the arena waiting to get in. He also discusses getting on the cart that took the wrestlers to the ring that night and being between those 93,000 fans. "I'm getting goose bumps right now just talking about it," adds Koko.
-- Koko respects what the new generation have done in recent Wrestlemania's tremendously but says his generation holds a record that nobody has broken yet, the 93,000 attendance record. "Nobody! I'm talking about all sports!"
-- James mentions that many on the Internet attempt to deny the turn out of Wrestlemania III and claim it was really only 70,000 people. Koko immediately shoots down that theory. "Go back and look at the tapes because the tapes do not lie," says Koko. He continues, "If someone wants to get deep enough, they can open the records and take a look at how many tickets they sold."
-- James, who agrees with Koko that it was 93,000 fans, brings up the point that the Pontiac Silverdome holds 70,000 seats. Koko says that is for an NFL football game but a wrestling ring is a lot smaller than a football field and as such there was floor seating that is not traditionally there for other events. A wrestling ring is 18 feet, 6 yards. A football field is 300 feet, 100 yards. There is why it was 93,000. Lets put that one to bed, shall we?
-- James mentions that Koko sang his own theme songs, both "Piledriver" song played earlier in the show and the "Bird Man" song that served as his theme song throughout most of his WWF career. He then asks if he has any background in the music industry. Koko says he has been singing his whole life as a part of the Church an now that he's not wrestling full time and is "back to reality," he has once again found his roots in the church and is singing as a part of the male choir. He adds, "I'm doing a fantastic job!" James joshes him about staying humble after that remark. Koko says he's always been humble and again makes it clear that he has such a high regard for the business both past and present.
-- "Owen Hart and I joked around a lot, we road together, we stayed at hotels together... I've been to his house. Been down to the Dungeon, oh my God! I didn't get stretched because I convinced the dad that I was already a half shooter... He kind of loved that! But, Owen Hart and I, we had a great time together... What a great guy he was. God knows, I miss him."
-- Koko then mentions he did a few shots for the WWF in 1999 when they were doing the Blue Blazer gimmick with Owen. Koko wore the same Blue Blazer suit Owen passed away in one night when he came out and hit Shamrock with the guitar.
-- About the quote from Vince McMahon in Beyond the Mat concerning the reasons for Koko's release being a fight with an official in Europe, Koko says he was sent home after that incident but brought back. But, he thinks the fight did lead to his eventual release.
-- Explaining the fight, Koko explains that he was slapped by an official and he turned around and retaliated on the guy. Koko says, "I was right but I was wrong too."
-- Taking a step back, the fight started because the official spit in Shawn Michaels' face and was "slapping him around" and Shawn wasn't really fighting back. So, Koko went over to try and break them up "and then I got slapped." Koko adds, "I couldn't turn the other cheek. I wasn't God."
-- "If the truth hurts, tell it. I'm telling it."
-- Koko has nothing bad to say about Vince McMahon at all. In fact, he mentions he would love to sit down and talk to Vince McMahon one day so he can see, "This is not the same Koko B. Ware I knew from way back yonder."
-- Koko would consider returning to the WWE one day for an appearance. But, he says he would not come back to embarrass himself or be squashed by someone. He'd do it if it was something respectful.
-- Koko mentions how he has seen Shane and Stephanie grow up in the business and would love to see them again.
-- "I feel I still owe Vince something for making me who I am today."
-- If Koko were to ever appear in the WWF again, his dream would for it to be in Madison Square Garden.
-- "We go back a long, long time. I kind of started Hulk Hogan out back when it was he and Beefcake. It was Eddie Bolder and Terry Bolder. We go back way before he was the Hulk and I helped him out and stuff like that. I'm so glad he got a break in life because he was playing the bass guitar down in Florida and came up to Memphis, Tennessee and he didn't know anything. Someone took his money, trained him, and didn't show him anything. But, Koko B. Ware came in and showed him some things I knew." Koko then shares a story about when Hulk saw him in Hartford, Tennessee when Koko was first ready to debut and how Hulk screamed and hugged him and said, "This is the guy that helped me in Tennessee when nobody would show me anything."
-- We then roll into some word associations including Rick Martel, Bobby Eaton, Vince McMahon, and many more!
-- "The Ragin' Cajun" Lash LeRoux brings James and Erik back from the break where the two examine the state of wrestling today including why they feel the WWE may be booking too quickly. The best example is how back when Randy Savage and Jake Robers were feuding, everybody wanted to see them get it on in the Rumble match itself. Now, when that same anticipation for the Rumble match could exist, they put matches like Edge and Michaels on before the Rumble even though they are both slated to be a part of the actual Rumble match. That and a whole lot of intellectual wrestling banter that wrestling fans will love. Indeed, it is a new Interactive Interview!
** We welcome all fans to check out the new site, www.WrestlingEpicenter.com which now houses all the past TII archives including interviews with Sting, Ric Flair, DDP, Chris Jericho, Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, and nearly 100 other top wrestling superstars past, present, and future. You can listen to them all, for free, by clicking over to www.WrestlingEpicenter.com. The NEW Online Home of the Interactive Interview!
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