Chris Featherstone from the Pancakes and Powerslams show recently interviewed former AWA Tag Team and Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, “Jumping” Jim Brunzell of the High Flyers and Killer Bees. The following are some interview highlights:
On today’s wrestling being too scripted:
What I see now with the WWE is a total commercial product that has been created by Vince and his writers, and [wrestlers] are told exactly what to say. They have a script, everything is scripted, their matches are scripted, the timing in their matches and what they do. Even though they do so many good things in the ring, but it really doesn’t mean anything because there’s no consequence. You see all these suplexes and all these high-flying deals, one, two, and the guy kicks out. These guys are gifted, they do a lot of good stuff in the ring, but it doesn’t mean anything because they do them so regularly. Consequently, people are watching this, one high spot after another, bing-bing-bing-bing-bing, and there is not real pitted interest within the audience in terms of any contest.
The hardest wrestler he’s ever worked with:
The hardest guy I’ve ever worked with was Jim Neidhart. Because he was so unorthodox in the ring. He’s very strong, and very moody in the ring. So, he was just hard to work with. He was a bull, he was like 5’9″ and a half, 270. Bret Hart was really masterful. I used to love having single matches with him, but it was funny because when Brian Blair and I, the Killer Bees, used to work with the Harts, it was just like pulling teeth with Jimmy Neidhart because basically he wasn’t as skilled as Bret, so it was a little harder to work with him.
On Hulk Hogan being a racist:
I’ve known Terry since 1982, and he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. I’m sure that it was said out of frustration over his daughter not complying to his wishes, and I believe that Vince McMahon took an opportunity to get rid of a guaranteed lifetime contract that he had with Hulk. I wish Hulk would’ve right of the bat apologized right away. You know, last week he finally comes on and apologizes. That’s too long. You can’t wait [two or three] months. You gotta jump right on that and say, hey, I said something I shouldn’t have said, everybody screws up, and I apologize. But I’ve known him since 1982, 33 years, and he’s never said anything racist.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
