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SID VICIOUS INTERVIEW ONLINE |
 Our second show on
the "Road To Our One Year Anniversary Show", Sid Vicious was a guest on TII
back in June of 2003.
After initial troubles with the recorder, we decided
that such a big name interview would be just PERFECT to fit onto our "Road
To Our One Year Anniversary Show". And that he is. In his best interview
online to date, Sid holds just, well, nothing back. And if you can't hear
him, check out the transcript below for more detail!
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"PSYCHO" SID VICIOUS
-- As a kid, Sid was a big fan of Jackie Fargo, Tojo
Yamamoto, and others. "I always thought Memphis was the only territory when
I was a kid," said Sid. Later, he discovered wrestling magazines and found
out more.
-- When the Memphis territory was hot, Randy Savage,
Hillbilly Jim, and a lot of the top stars came through. They all worked out
at the same gym as Sid. Randy Savage asked Sid if he ever thought about
wrestling. Randy hooked Sid up with Tojo Yamamoto. But, when he went to train
with Tojo, he had not been a big wrestling fan for 8 years.
-- Jerry Lawler came up with the name Lord Humongous
for Sid. Terry Funk was supposed to come in for a show but something happened
and Terry didn't show up. So, Sid was called in under a mask and for a few
other spots.
-- Sid was happy to be in the ring with guys like Nick
Bockwinkel. Actually, he was "freaking out" to do so. He had been a student
for just a short time and all of a sudden he found himself working with veterans
like Lawler and Bockwinkel.
-- Paul Heyman managed Sid while in Memphis.
-- Sid took an offer from Continental Wrestling where
Eddie Gilbert was booking. Bruno Sammartino managed Sid while down there
and he later teamed with Shane Douglas. "That was where I really got to do
the character," said Sid.
-- Working with Danny Spivey was a learning experience.
He had a lot of fun with him. Then, teaming with Vader, he learned even more.
He feels Vader was earning experience on how to make money.
-- The name Sid Vicious did not come from the Sex Pistols.
The name came as a joke by his friends. Sid had gone on vacation and returned
and his friends got him a shirt that said, "Welcome Back Sid Vicious." It
was a joke, of sorts, because Sid was so mellow, "the opposite of vicious."
Sid never was a fan of the Sex Pistols' music and the most he had done to
play on the name was he used to spit and do other "bad habits" that the other
Sid did. But, he cut that out quickly.
-- When asked if El Gigante was difficult to work with,
Sid had a one word answer. "Yeah!"
-- At the time Sid originally went to the WWE it was
the place to be. So, once Sid realized he could go there and make money,
it wasn't a difficult choice.
-- When asked about Vince, Sid spoke about broken marriages
and death of wrestlers. Sid, at the time, was preparing for an interview
with USA Today to talk about why wrestling doesn't take care of the
boys.
-- Sid spoke very openly about guys he was around who
passed away. Sid always turned a blind eye to the things he may have seen
and people who no longer are here. He says so many of them were such young
men and should not have died so young. Also, he speaks about marriages and
how so many wrestlers have marriage trouble because of the business. He then
says Marc and Rena Mero are the only two that stuck together. James then
chimes in with the fact that they have since split up. Sid seems shocked
and says what a "coincidence" it is that Sable returned to the WWE right
after she and Marc split.
-- Sid likes change. He feels wrestling has changed a
lot since he started and change is a good thing. If you don't like what you
see today, wait a little while. It will change and maybe you'll like what
it changes into. But, he doesn't want to see guys wearing the same tights
every night and out of shape from not having worked out.
-- Sid liked being a heel more than a face. "When you
get boo'd as a face, it's heartbreaking," said Sid. He did enjoy being a
heel and being boo'd because the heel holds the key. When it's set to explode,
the heel sets it off. He feels being a heel is more fun for the guys as well
because of the heat of the moment.
-- "Hulk is a real nice guy: Had his own style. Probably
the easiest guy I've ever wrestled, he really was," said Sid.
-- The only time Sid ever saw Hogan angry was at the
Royal Rumble in 1992 because the bookers had "set Hogan up to be boo'd."
That is the only incident he can recall seeing Hogan getting mad.
-- Sid left the WWF because it was not working out as
well as he had hoped. He spoke to Vince about it who told Sid to stay and
he'd "make him the biggest heel in the business." But, Sid felt it wasn't
time for him to be there.
-- Sid does not feel Vince can create a big heel. Sid
feels Southern men make the best heels. He feels Vince prevents the heels
from saying the things that could really make them super "bad guys."
-- One thing that bothers Sid is the way guys worry about
who you're working with and putting them over. Sid says he doesn't really
care who he works or who wins as long as he gets out okay and can go home.
He also does not play politics very well.
-- Sid was trying to help with the office at WCW. He
feels that is Vince's strength and that is why WCW, in 1993, was not catching
on like the WWF was.
-- When asked about the Arn Anderson incident with the
scissors, Sid said, "The thing about that, man, is it's over. Arn and I have
sat down, talked about it, and hashed it out."
-- Sid feels most people in the USWA realized it was
going to be closing at some point in the near future. But, they did good
business. Sid calls it "the last of the territories." He has fond memories
of his mid 90's run there with Lawler.
-- Even now, when Sid sees a shot of Madison Square Garden,
he says "Man, I'd do anything to get back there again." He loves the Northern
fans.
-- Winning the WWF title from Shawn Michaels in Madison
Square Garden was a great experience. "That was probably one of the best
nights of my career," said Sid.
-- Sid doesn't know why he was the face in that match
from the New York crowd but the fans were certainly at least split. James
says he was in the Garden that night and it was probably 70% for Sid and
30% for Michaels. Sid says it is cool to be cheered like that as a heel but
it didn't happen anywhere else. Another match that Sid considers one of his
best was when he dropped the belt back to Michaels in San Antonio because
he was such a "straight up heel."
-- Sid has fond memories of Owen Hart. Sid feels Owen
was the kind of guy that would drive five hours to a different airport if
it meant he'd get home five minutes earlier to spend time with his family.
He also says Owen was one of the funniest guys in the business. He said a
running joke was Owen never rented a car.
-- Sid loved wrestling Bret Hart. "He's old school but
knows how to turn it up," said Sid. It is an honor to have taken the strap
from him in the WWF. The only thing Sid does not like about working with
Bret was "that damn finisher of his." Sid says, "I'm just a tiny bit
claustrophobic and he liked to put that thing on tight. Finally I had to
push up out of it because I couldn't breathe. Bret would say "Hey, stay down"
and Sid would say "Lighten up!" I think that was a joke that everybody had
in the back, too. Like, "Oh shit. I have to get that shooting sharp shooter
tonight!" But, other than that he was great."
-- Sid was playing a lot of Softball between 1997 and
1999. Sid had broken his neck in a car accident in Ottawa Slowly, Sid started
working independent shows and the next thing he knew, Paul Heyman
called.
-- His stay in ECW was fun. He liked playing the monster
character. It was while he was with ECW that Eric Bischoff called and offered
him the job with WCW.
-- When Sid returned to WCW, he saw how things had changed
and how things were in a perpetual change. "There were new bookers every
two weeks," said Sid. "Then one day the booking committee was Dave Penzer,
Disco Inferno, and a couple other guys. So, I said, "Well, this company's
finished!" Can you imagine those guys actually coming up with stuff?"
-- Kevin Nash came up with the idea to hire a surgeon
to cut Sid's forehead prior to a match with Goldberg. Sid said it ended up
looking pretty gory. "I called home that night and my wife was just in tears,
man." He liked that angle with Goldberg.
-- Souled Out 2000, the night of all the changes with
Vince Russo leaving, was just another example of the constant changes for
the company. It wasn't good for the fans because things weren't
consistent.
-- WCW's booking committee got to the point where no
one was in charge. There was no "one guy" that everybody listened to. Instead,
guys would refuse to job to certain people and they would bring the camera
crew over to take a vote on who should win. Sid asks, "What do you mean,
camera crew?" It was the same thing with the Radicals. "If you don't hire
this guy or use this guy, we're all walking out," said Sid. Sid said the
best strategy to use in the business is to sit back and let the promoter
do with you what he wants. He has an idea in mind so let him do what he wants
to do. Also, Sid feels you shouldn't refuse to job because it confuses
things.
-- "Too many people are walking the middle of the road,"
said Sid. He thinks people who play half heel and half face characters are
not taken seriously because the fans don't know how to react.
-- For legal reasons, Sid can't talk about his shoulder
injury after handing Eric Bischoff the belt. All he will say is they forced
him back too early once. He had stitches in his shoulder, which explains
the T shirt he wore, and that made the injury worse. Then, he was sent to
Australia to promote the upcoming tour and was tackled by a Rugby team. So,
he just couldn't win injury wise.
-- When Sid returned in late 2000, he was shocked at
how bad the company was. He told Don Harris, "Man, it's only going to be
a couple of days." Sid knew the company would fold in one way or another.
He wasn't surprised when Vince bought it.
-- Working for the WWA was fun but tough on him. He was
still using a cane to get around and it was difficult to move around a lot.
He really has a high regard for Andrew McManus and says he hopes he runs
more shows like that because he feels it was a good product.
-- Sid has been told "it's over" several times by doctors.
About returning from this one, "I don't know man. I just don't know. I'm
feeling a lot better but I just don't know. Once I'm able to run again, I'll
make my decision."
-- Sid's favorite gimmick is Sid Vicious.
-- Sid is now writing independent films and such. At
least one of his creations can be purchased on Home Video on
http://www.fright-fest.com. Ever since he saw the way movies were made when
he was in Ready to Rumble, he enjoyed it and thought he might know how to
do this.
We then roll into word associations with names like Hulk
Hogan, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Jeremy Borash, Vince McMahon, and many
more!
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