“The Patriot” Del Wilkes recently spoke with Marc Madison of The News Hub while promoting his new documentary, “Behind The Mask: Del “The Patriot” Wilkes.”
Wilkes talks about how he broke into wrestling, his biggest feud, getting away from wrestling after dealing with injuries and addiction, his new documentary and being reintroduced to the wrestling community, and much more. You can read a few excerpts below:
What was his favorite feud?
I would say the one with Bret because it was on the biggest stage. I was proud of the things Bagwell and I did together in WCW working with great tag teams like Harlem Heat, Nasty Boys, Pretty Wonderful with Paul Roma and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff and being able to work with tag teams like that. I thought we had some great matches with them. A series of good tag team wrestlers were there but to working for the WWF you’re on the grandest stage you could be on. I was working with their top guy so without question that was the biggest angle of my career.But then unfortunately because of my failing health it was something that we couldn’t get a lot of life out of. I think wrestling is always good for that by having the American hero, the patriotic character against that evil American hating, American bashing guy throughout history that has always proven to be a pretty tried and true angle to work in wrestling. It has always worked.
Would a patriotic character like his still work in today’s wrestling world?
I’m going to be honest with you. How its booked today’s wrestling I’m not really sure of. While I respect the many men and women that are in the business today, I know what they have to go through today and I know the hard work, the sacrifices, the long hours of travel, the training and being away from your family and everything that it requires to be a superstar in this business I’m just not a fan of the product. I don’t watch an awful lot of the product today. As a matter of fact, I watch very little of it. Its totally different from when I was in the business. I don’t want to sound like some old foggie.I hear it from a lot of people that weren’t in the business and were fans watching the shows. That is has changed and not always for their liking. I think that it has always proven that patriotism has always out of character against the guy that rant against the American, I think there is always a place for that. It can be booked and it can be used in a proper way.
Turning his life around / getting reacquainted with the wrestling world:
It’s reintroduced me to the wrestling business. As I say, I had totally walked away from it. When I got my life back together and walked out of a South Carolina prison on Valentine’s Day 2003, I’ve not been that old guy since. I’ve had a completely different life. I’ve been clean, so my life has been good. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I had reached out or maybe the wrestling business reached out to me and with the opportunity to start making some personal appearances. To get more involved in the business in that capacity.To take part in a documentary on my life, my career that has opened up doors for me to make more personal appearances and get back out there in front of the fans. I can see that continuing to get even better. This is a great business. It was a business that I worked so hard to become a part of. I worked so hard to develop ever character whether it was The Trooper or The Patriot and actually sacrificed good health for this business. I struggle today physically getting around and dealing with the injuries that I’ve had to deal with and the surgeries that I’ve had to deal with for the business but it’s a good business, a unique business and a fun business. It’s a business that I love and I’m glad that I’m a part of it again, in the capacity that I am.
