A Legend Joins From The Bathroom And Still Steals The Show

He pops on camera from the bathroom, cracks a joke, and then reminds everyone why he’s a legend. We’re joined by pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter for a live, unpredictable ride that starts with music and nostalgia and somehow turns into a real look at legacy, wrestling history, and what fans think they know about the business. 

We talk about Bill’s Cauliflower Alley Club Hall of Fame recognition and the very real pressure of picking the right person to induct you when you’ve built decades of relationships across WWE, territories, and the wrestling magazine era. Bill explains why the old days of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and print journalism mattered so much, because magazines weren’t just coverage, they were the only link between fans and the wider wrestling world. 

From there we jump into today’s wrestling questions: Jake “The Snake” Roberts and the power of a comeback story, CM Punk versus Sami Zayn and what it means to be the “face of the company,” and how AEW and WWE serve different crowds. We also get into kayfabe and the internet, why “behind the scenes” still doesn’t equal understanding, and why small independent wrestling shows can feel more real than ever. If you like wrestling stories with heart, humor, and sharp opinions, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review.

Transcript

Music, Nostalgia, And Welcome

SPEAKER_03 2:48

Yeah, great music. Great music. That's a new one, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:51

That's a brand new one. I was gonna surprise you with that tonight. In fact, you can tell. I mean, I just put that together with the the the just the stuff behind it, just that there was something to see. Uh, but yeah, that uh that was uh just about the middle of the afternoon that uh that finally got done, and I was like, yeah, I like that sound. I'll be honest with you, there's like a jazz, kind of a breakdown in there, kind of a good beat jazz beat in there. I miss, and people think I'm crazy, I love the blues and jazz. And you used to be able to go down like on River Street in Savannah, uh Savannah, Georgia, and you could go down there and listen to these blues bands and jazz bands. And I mean, just sit around, have drinks, and enjoy music. Man, I miss that. I really do. There's a lot to be said about music and the impact it can have on your life. But I mean, how many times, how many things can you think of where you can hear something and it immediately takes you to a moment in time? Uh, much like you know, maybe a wrestling moment, you'll see something going, man, that takes me back to when I saw this. You know, music's the same way. But anyhow, hello everybody. Welcome to Road Trip After Hours. I'm your host, Mac Davis. That of course is WWE Hall of Famer, my tag team partner, Mr. Teddy Long. Uh Teddy, how you doing, brother?

SPEAKER_03 4:02

I'm doing great, man. Just living the life.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Man, I'm I'm we've already got a ton of people leaving messages in here. And by the way, if you want to be on the show, it's really simple. Just leave us a comment in the comment section. It doesn't cost you a super chat. Nothing else is absolutely free. And we have a special guest

Ice Cream Debates With The Chat

SPEAKER_01 4:20

with us that we'll get to in just a moment. Uh, somebody that uh we used to work with on a rather regular basis. Uh, we'll get to him in just a moment. And that, of course, is legendary pro wrestling journalist, Mr. Bill Actor. You can ask him anything as well. Uh, let's see. First of all, let's get some of the uh the chats in here before we get started with Bill Chaz Harlan going whoop whoop, good to see you, Chaz. Why do you mock all these people? National ice cream sundae day, Teddy and Mac. Well, thank you, Zach. I'm gonna tell you, I do have a thing for I love ice cream. It doesn't love me back too well, but I do love ice cream. Man, every time I go to Dairy Queen with my wife, she loves to get their onion rings, so I have to go in there. That strawberry sundae just screams my name every time. Do you have a Sunday that you like, Teddy? Is there I mean, are you an ice cream person?

SPEAKER_03 5:14

Uh, sometimes. Not not a big ice cream person. You might like I like the one uh the Hagen Dogs makes. It's called rum raisin.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Oh, that sounds good.

SPEAKER_03 5:26

It's really good, and they've got one that's uh green tea. Hagen dolls makes it. It's a green, yeah. I've had that and I've had the rum raisin, and I got the rum raisin, but back in the day, that uh uh God rest his soul, Bobby Eden is the one turning me on to uh rum raisin. He would eat that all the time. And one night I would ever get, we was in Florida, and so I he he had a couple of them. He had Balto, he'd give me one and I tried it. The guy I've been eating it ever since. I don't eat a lot of it, but when I decide to cheat, I'll go. I like that rum raisin and the green tea. Hagen Doss makes that too. That's really good.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

One of my grandbabies uh had some ice cream they left in the refrigerator. Bad move if uh papa's around. Uh, but uh they left some ice cream in there. It was caramel ice cream with a caramel swirl. Now, I have never heard of anything like that. Well, I've heard of it, it's got about 5,000 calories. Oh, yeah, and you can taste every bit of it too. It is so good. Uh, but yeah, that's uh just some of the stuff that I do enjoy. Teddy Long is the best GM ever, uh, according to the Chaz. And uh, I gotta agree. I don't know of any other GM that's been as popular as Teddy. Teddy, is there anybody in your mind uh that would be a runner-up to you as far as GM uh over the years?

SPEAKER_03 6:39

No. I'm just me, the only one. I mean, there's no there's only one Teddy Lone. You might you might get a little close, but that's as far as you'll go.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Saying he likes the new song, and uh appreciate that. There's actually we actually have a couple of songs, uh, so we'll have probably have another one to listen to next week as well. Uh Dave Crome popping into the room saying good evening, and uh let's see what else we got here. Pretty classy lady. I see her in the room as well. She's saying favorite show of the week, and pretty classy lady. We appreciate that. Thank you, Michael. Uh is saying uh good evening from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Oh boy, I bet it's hot down there. Oh, brother, man. It's just blistering. I'll be glad when the fall gets back around. I don't like going out and sweating, man. It ain't coming. No, yeah, I don't think so. Dave saying, Teddy, did you get your royalty check from uh Donovan for use of the skyscraper's name?

SPEAKER_03 7:44

I so uh here's what they told me. It's on the way.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Jets in the mail. Yeah, uh somebody else, Dave saying he digs the new music. Uh let's see. Also, uh Ellen saying hello, Teddy and Mac. Buddy says, What's up? Hey, we love you, buddy.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Thanks for thanks to both of you guys, Ellen. Thank y'all for joining the show every week.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah, and I've seen some pictures lately. Buddy uh at the uh the horse farm, and uh look like he was having a great time. Uh let's see. Uh, we also have Kodiak saying, Much love. Uh and Kodiak, we appreciate that as well. Uh Scotty Warren is in the room. He actually sent me a message today, and uh, I've been wrapped up and we were going to try to do lunch, and I just didn't have the time. But you remember Scotty, I believe, uh, Teddy. Uh he's from the Vidalia area, ball-headed guy, kind of uh, but he's just a mean, tough character. Uh he worked with he worked with us over in uh Larry with Larry in that uh Oh, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Yeah, yeah, I know what you're talking about now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Scotty, it's good to see you in the room, uh, man.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Yeah, Scotty. Great guy, man. Really nice guy.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

I I've known Scotty since I first got into wrestling, and uh I think that he and I, maybe one or two other guys from that time are still active in wrestling right now. Uh, and uh, and he's always been really good about his shows. He does run shows down the Vidalia area from time to time. Uh and he always has a great turnout when he does that. So uh good to see you in the room, Scotty. Uh, also we have, I got to get to our guest in a minute. He's probably wondering where the hell we are. Uh Snow Cloud Cloud Quicksilver saying hello. Uh, we also have Pee-wee in the room saying, uh, what up, Mad? What up, Teddy? Uh okay. I tell you what, we got so many still lined up. I'm gonna bring our guest

Bill Apter Joins And CAC Honor

SPEAKER_01 9:30

in. Uh, and our guest is somebody that uh, like I said, we have worked with in the past. As a matter of fact, if you want to get a feel for what it was like uh back at the time when we worked together, here you go.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

What we're gonna do right here is go back. Wait back at the time.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

What do you say? Because I didn't sign up for this. This is the judge that told me to come here, okay? I didn't sign on here to be no hero. I didn't sign up for this.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

I did not sign up I didn't sign up for this I didn't sign up for this. I did not sign up for this, and it's always me. You know what? When the door's closed, just take care.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

I'm I'm gonna be busy, honey. I I gotta go to the bathroom. I don't know. Uh they never called. So oh man. I don't know when they were gonna call.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Yeah, you you're uh you're live, Bill. You're you're live.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

I'm alive, pal. Um I'm in the bathroom. Are you in the toilet? He's in the toilet. Well, I'm not in there, but I'm in the room with the toilet.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

Well, you should be in there if you're in there.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

With the toilet. I thought I was gonna be on at seven o'clock.

SPEAKER_03 11:28

So when you're it's 11 minutes after seven.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Well, I've got to be honest with you. We have gotten so many chats uh in the last several weeks uh here that this show is just blowing up. We still got tons of them to get to. Guys, I have not forgot you. Uh, we will come to you, I promise. Uh, but our guest this week is none other than legendary pro wrestling journalist, Mr. Bill Actor. And Bill, I do want to mention right off the bat, just recently, the Cauliflower Alley Club has now decided to put you into the Hall of Fame, and you've got to find somebody that puts you into that hall of fame. Now, have you figured out who that's gonna be yet?

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Well, they're they're gonna give me the Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award, which I am so thrilled about. There's two Hall of Fames that are kind of left for me that I'm not in. And Cauliflower and WWE and Cauliflower is gonna happen this August, and the pressure, not just from people in the business, but even my family is enormous. I'm getting wrestlers that have actually sent me videos and stuff and saying, Willie, you promise. Austin Idol, Willie, you promise. Told me years ago if you ever get induction in there. Um my god, uh Tommy Dreamer, um Salvatore Sincere, Bruce Pritchard. These are some of the people that are kicked off at me. I could say something else since you're a juggle all officially.

SPEAKER_03 13:03

Um pissed off edgy?

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Yeah, I was gonna say pissed off, but I didn't want to say that. So uh so yeah, so I've got a list right now. I cut it down from 67 to 35 at this point. And I just you know what it is? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Yeah, I have people that say that uh that I promised them and everything, and if I don't pick you two know Herb Simmons very well. Oh yeah. People are saying Herb would be perfect for it. He would, but then again, I've got 34 other people now to consider.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Well, I'm I I'm sure that uh Teddy and I were on that list too, right? Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

As a team, as a pandemic. Oh absolutely. Absolutely, you were 37 and 38.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Yes, but I thought that was somewhere probably on that list.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Absolutely, absolutely. I mean it's a it's a long list, so Brian Blair, the president of Cauliflower, has put a little pressure on me, saying we like to put out publicity and press releases and stuff. And it's traditional that we know who is going to present you and who is gonna and I told him I said I'm gonna break tradition. I can't I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say probably until I don't know, maybe the day before, maybe even just that day at the at the banquet.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

Now, as a fan, just from as a fan perspective, Bill, and this is not me, you know, knowing you anything else, just as a fan perspective, if I'm thinking about who would be the best person to put you into that, I would think Jerry Lawler with your connection with him and and you know Kaufman, it just makes sense to me uh that it would be Jerry, but I guess I you've promised a lot of people over time. But Teddy, what would you think?

SPEAKER_03 15:08

I'd like the Lawler pick. That's a good one, but I think we should put him as George Napolitano.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Interesting. Interesting. He was my uh my compadre for all those years. We worked for different magazines. Right.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

You know, I know I was back there with y'all. I I know.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Yep, but a lot of people are saying the entire staff of PWI, Stu Sachs, Craig Peters, um, and all those people should induct me as well, and that's a possibility.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

Oh damn, that's that'd be a lot of talking going on right there. I mean, by the time you got up there, they'd be tired.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

No, I I just I'm I'm so uh again, I'm so flattered by this honor because this is a philanthropic group that's gonna be celebrating their 60th year. 60 years. I remember reading when I was a kid about Iron Mike Mizerki and all these other wrestlers and boxers that that uh created this thing to help wrestlers and boxers that were down on their luck. And uh Brian Blair thought I had been conducted in this thing years ago. And when I he said what year was it? I said year zero. I was never in there.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

And that's he went and uh he decided it was time to fix that up, huh? Yeah. By the way, if you want to be a part of the show, ask Bill questions, ask Teddy questions myself, whatever you want to do, just drop them in the chat section. We'll throw them up on the screen. Mike Harold on the uh in the room right now saying, Teddy, your thoughts on Jake the Snake and WCW.

SPEAKER_03 16:44

Oh, Jake the Snake has always been a great competitor, uh, great guy. You know, I had a chance, me and Jake had a chance to talk, you know, you know, on the low on the down low. So Jake is a real nice guy to talk to. He's not a bullshitter, you know, he tells you just like it is. Uh, and and that's what I like about him. You know, he's a man, he's for real. So I love Jake, and uh just more power to him, and God has really blessed him. You know, Jake went through the struggle with the drugs, just like myself, all

Picking An Inductor Without Drama

SPEAKER_03 17:10

of us, you know, we've been there. So uh a lot of the lot of people didn't make it. So Jake is still around. So, you know, Jake understands now that God has blessed him, and so he's got his life together, and uh, you know, I can't wish him, you know, nothing but the best of love.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Bill, I believe I saw the video with you and Jake, did I not?

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Matt, go ahead. Just a quick add here. I interviewed Jake three weeks ago, and it's on One Wrestling Video on YouTube. Not dot com. Just go to YouTube One Wrestling Video, and uh we did I did a brand new update with Jake, and like Teddy said, he's been he's he's been through hell. He's and he's come out so perfectly wonderful. Just when I hear that voice, this is what we're gonna do tonight, you know, like the Harley Race type of cadence. It's just man, it's so good to see he and Cheryl back together again.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Yeah, now I will say this. I have seen him with Cheryl uh the last couple of uh little uh you know conventions and things there, and he does seem much happier now that he's with her, not to mention that his sobriety has lasted this long, to the point where Diamond Dallas Page has said to not even be concerned that he'll ever fall back again. Uh, he seems to be enjoying time with his grandkids, which I think is wonderful. And I do know that I think if I just read this right today, Bill, and you may know more about this, uh, that he's gone from AEW now. He's no longer uh one of their full-time roster members.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

That is correct. He is not, but uh he talked about on the interview, he talked about Tony Khan and what a wonderful person Tony Khan was to him and the entire roster of AEW. And in his prime, I had asked him who would it be on the AEW roster that he'd want to wrestle, and it was MJF.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

That'd be the person I'd pick too if I were if somebody gives a chance. Yeah, that would be the one. Leon, uh, I see that you're in the room saying, Hello, legends from Jacksonville, Florida. How was the sushi at St. Augustine after River City Wrestling Con? We didn't get to go this year, and so we missed out on the sushi. Uh, I'm looking forward though when we go back over there because that is a great little restaurant that Teddy and I go to every time we go there. Yeah, man. And the sushi is good there.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

I tell you that.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

I don't eat sushi. I don't like seafood. Deal, I only like two kinds of seafood chicken of the sea and bumblebee. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

And they come in pouches now, which makes it easy to eat some of them. Michael Steele, hey Michael, saying hello, uh hollow player. Can't wait to see you in Monroe on August 1st.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Oh, yeah, yeah. My man Michael Steele, I love him to death, man.

Jake The Snake Then And Now

SPEAKER_03 19:55

He's a real great guy. I've known him so many, many years. And uh Michael always looks out for me in my old school truck, and uh he give me some stuff to clean it and everything with it. So I've used it all up now. But Michael, I still got that truck and I still drive it every other day to the gym.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

The artist returns saying, Teddy Long. Connor also in the room saying, What up, Mac? See you soon, Connor. I'll see you up uh in Ohio in just a couple of weeks. Also, Snow Cloud Quicksilver uh popping in saying, Does Teddy have a favorite wrestler or group that he was a manager for?

unknown 20:30

Doom.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

Yeah, yeah. I don't want to just I don't want to leave out this too. You know, I know he just asked for one, but Butch and Run, Doom were great. But also Dan Spivey, uh uh Sid Visser, God Ritch of Soda, Sky Scapers, you know, they they I I had those guys run it before I got with Butch and Run. So they were really good. So no, and uh uh one thing I do regret, uh during my Hall of Fame speech, I forgot to mention them, and I thought about it after it was all over. So I want to apologize to Dan Spivey. And like I said, and Sid, you know, I forgot to mention them, but they were a great tag team.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Bill, I know that uh during that time you were hot and heavy running around and uh covering these shows. Do you have any memories of Doom? Uh anything that uh you pops into your mind?

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Oh yeah. Also when they were with um Nancy Benoit, uh Nancy when she was with them, but what they were such a perfect tag team because they just they had this this rhythm in the ring of when one comes out and one comes in, and just it was it was so good. They were they were just the right kind of tag team, and anytime I wanted to pose either one of them or both at the same time, they always agreed unless Teddy came and said no, no, Teddy always Teddy Teddy always all three of them, and when Nancy was there too, of course, they were always so cooperative. They appreciated you know, back then our magazine. magazines were the internet. That was no internet back then. So I remember you, Teddy, one time coming over to me and saying how much you appreciated that, you know, people know who you and Ron and and everybody was because of the of the magazines from back then. And you know, when I go to the conventions now, I feel like with PWI especially, and you know, we did thirteen different wrestling magazines and five boxing magazines, but it's like the singer who has this one huge hit and people will go and sit two hours at a concert and all they want to hear is that one song that they remember. It's the same thing with me at the conventions. All they want to do is talk about the magazine days of PWI.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

We were talking about ice cream a while ago and uh Teddy and we've got our gig back on that these are the comments coming in.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Chocolate chip chocolate chocolate chip yes my favorite ice cream in the whole world you can get them in the supermarkets for a buck and a half in Dixie cups hug and chocolate chocolate chip the best ice cream in the whole world well the uh the artist returns and saying rum raisin that's an old folks flavor along with butter macum what's that got to do with anything and a lot of people are commenting about the ice cream snow cloud quicksilver saying uh straws ice cream is a good Dutch creamery i do like a good creamy ice cream too wait wait wait wait beer looked like he's wiping himself what is he doing no no no i'm i'm getting i'm getting up i'm going somewhere now you're not gonna wipe yourself you didn't even flush no i'm getting oh my god i'm going to queen so i'm going to flushing yeah hang on i got a surprise for you here we have uh beewe also in the room saying what up uh man uh what up teddy what up with you elijah is saying that he likes caramel candy uh and let's see who else we got here i'm trying to see if we have anything else uh what uh teddy this is coming from the artist that returns as well what's your biggest regret in the business or a missed opportunity um i don't know i don't think i really have any regrets you know what i mean uh thanks to Vince McMahon and God I mean you know they made it all happen for me you know what I mean so I just appreciate everything that's been done so I don't I some of the regrets I have is you know with the you know and I hate bringing it up you know with the people with the racism and bothering me for no reason you know but you know here's here I am trying to do my job and you're bothering me for doing my job you know what I mean so that's that's the only problem you know that I had but I mean it but that's that's what it was and like I said I don't worry about it no more you know I was I I had a great run and you know and like I said thank you Vince hold on hold on that's who uh that's the same company that made the caramel caramel that uh I saw my grandbaby left and it was so good.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

This is the best I I've got like six of these here but you know the problem with those is that that little carton of ice cream that was in the refrigerator I saw the the sticker on it it was almost five bucks for that little pint of ice cream a dollar fifty well I'm going to cup and you know let me show you something and I don't work I don't work for these guys but you act like it no look at this inside the lid is a spoon well yeah I got one in my drawer oh excuse me by the way that you keep saying you keep saying that your grandkids put the ice cream in the refrigerator it has to go in the yeah well in the freezer I'm sorry yeah the poor kids are gonna be in such trouble later on yeah that man on the on the on the youtube said put it in the refrigerator I got a question for both of you I got a question of rest of all say hello to Herb Simmons he's in the room too Herb Simmons what it is player great to see you Herb Simmons one of my favorite people in the whole world so here is my my question to the two of you okay did they take the belt off Sammy Zayn too too much too short of a time with him and um what do you think of the choice of Sam Punk coming out of nowhere now with Chicago and putting the belt back on him like I said I I I I have no comment about it you know I try to really I I've watched some of it you know but I don't get a chance to watch all of it because of the Netflix I'm cheap I'm not gonna pay Netflix okay I I'm not doing it so that's okay that yeah so if if they want to you know give me a subscription or something like that you know I'll be with it I didn't have a problem with it uh I this sounds bad I like Sammy I like his character I like what he's done but oh I love Sammy's hand I just didn't I just didn't see him as the face of a company kind of champion I really didn't and uh that's the only issue I had with it I think that CM Punk represents the company much better as a better name uh you know especially if they're using it in uh promotional material and stuff like that more people are gonna be watching it if CM Punk's name is attached to it over Sammy Zayn and that's not a knock on Sammy Zayn it's just you know it's just how it is I'd have to go along with that I mean you know CM Punk sells tickets yeah yeah and and that's then at the end of the day that's why it's called a business it's about dollars and you're right because I saw him outside the All State arena selling tickets you want to buy one come on over here so three three hundred and fifty dollars come on saying hi you Mac and Tenny how are you guys fourth of July

CM Punk Vs Sami Zayn Talk

SPEAKER_01 28:05

and and Bill don't get don't get hurt by this some of these are just that far back because we're trying to catch up with these questions at all I'm really Jimmy people's going uh hello fellas uh Elijah is saying hey I have a question do you think these big time sponsors could sponsor something like I'm doing next year like Autism Acceptance Month concert I've been trying to find sponsors but it's hard uh yeah it is hard you have to shop around you just got to get out and get you do some footwork and and knock on doors and talk to people who may be able to help you out that's the only way you can get a sponsor is not going to sponsor you unless he can make his money back. Correct that's the bottom line son right Leon in the room good to see you Leon saying hello Bill from Roku TV's Rebel TV and best friends with Marty and Dory Funk Jr.

SPEAKER_03 28:57

They say hello hey tell them we said hello to Spad Marty and Dory God they've always been so nice to me everywhere I've seen them I've met them there and like I said God rest the soul Terry Funk Terry and I were really good friends.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

He told me he I learned so much from him and he set me down one day I'll never forget and he talked to me for about two hours a lot of people don't even know that you know but I can tell I know I can speak about things now because he was one of the guys told don't ever let them know you know yep you know the uh terry funk you know I do in Teddy long I love you come here let me talk to you but no one imitates Dory except I can do a two-word imitation of Dory Funk Jr. You ready? Go ahead Mr. Haptor that's it okay med man bick is saying Bill actor is a legend I understand it's hard to choose but does Bill have a favorite photo or show that he's worked well this show of course yeah of course yeah but I you know it's so hard after being in this business from 1970 to pick a favorite show it might have been uh the show with um see it goes year by it goes by decades I can't do I can't you know be Jack Briscoe Dory Funk Rick Flair um Ricky Steamboat Hulk Hogan against the rock just so much great stuff yeah so it's a hard question to to uh to ask you know a lot of the people that are on my list unfortunately and Terry Funk's one of them have passed and you know I would have loved for Terry Funk and Dusty Rhodes and Bruno San Martino that I was so close with that all of them you know if they were here I just would love them there in tandem to you know I I don't know what Terry Funk would have said and oh just wow wonderful Willie you belong in this is why we're putting you in if you will I don't know I just Herb Simmons saying uh Mr. Bill after the CAC Hall of Famer thank Herb you're on my list yeah that's what he told us too Herb yeah you're number 38 the artist is saying Bill freaking after question has K Fay been officially killed because of the internet I will tell you what has killed K Fe and here's what's bothering me currently killed K Fe it took me 20 years to not just figure out but for boys and every and girls in every territory to trust me and tell me how things work.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

Now you watch WWE Unreal one episode and you got it all figured out you'll never figure it out I don't care I don't care how many episodes you watch if you hadn't been a part of this business you will never figure it out because there's some people right now that are in this business and been in it 40 some years and they steal marks oh no no I understand that but what I'm saying is the typical fan that watches this show they're gonna mark away they're giving but they're getting more information is your point they're getting more information today about our business than they ever did back in the 70s and 80s.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Yeah yeah it's in and that and that information and what and I will say this and I think this is what you're trying to say Bill it does take away from the product for me when you know the the magic trick uh and I think we've talked about this too Teddy man well I don't go to a magic show I don't want to know how the trick is done because otherwise I'm gonna be looking for how you did it and which I rather be doing actually I'd rather try to figure it out on my own or I want to be amazed by the performance. If I know what you're gonna do it means squat.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

I'm gonna tell you something I'm gonna tell you something there's a uh flea market 45 minutes from here called the Q Mark in Quakertown and guys wrestle for like $25 a night the place seats 50 to 60 people and I went once maybe two months ago and I was back in the 70s because the fans there at the flea market they're watching it live they watched it and it I'll use that thing but it's still real to them it was really it was going back and I know there's a lot of independent shows that you two attend where that mentality is still same thing with herbs SICW shows the fans that go there are wrestling fans.

SPEAKER_03 33:46

They don't go oh look that was fake or no it's not that's not the way it is but in the bigger and not AEW unfortunately

Sponsors, Promoters, And Hard Truths

SPEAKER_03 33:55

I'm just pointing to WWE that they've given away so much of the secrets but again they're a bigger organization now that TKO took them over than they ever were and they're making more money than they ever were so why change it is you know I've been saying for a long time for me I think it's a money grab they're gonna get that money as long as it keeps pouring in and once it starts going in a different direction uh they'll find that exit strategy and they'll be in and out they'll be gone and they'll move on to something else but Leon it's good you mentioned that too because I was last night I had the opportunity to watch the thing with Jeff Jared and Dixon Carter and uh there were a lot of things I learned last night I didn't even know you know I did too you understand I understand your money grab you you you you hit it right on the head.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

Yeah Leon uh saying the man that brought us all the real wrestling news and stories for decades such a uh such a legend never will be replaced and he's talking about you of course Mr. Bill I thought you were talking about me okay no come on you know he was talking about me thank you thank you I really I really do I really do um appreciate the kudos from actor I'm sorry actors and duck d should be either uh Tommy Rich or Austin Idol both those guys were actor staples in his magazine no no tommy rich cannot be because he can't pronounce my name hey Bill Abner what you doing there today keep calling me Bill Abner here you go Leon also saying McMahon should be the uh do the induction himself oh my god can you see that oh right here here's your plaque and you're fired yeah I could see that real easy uh chritten saying hello gentlemen good to see you chritten uh also uh leon is saying the highest industry award the pinnacle of a hard working career congrats Bill well thank you so does I listen people say to me when are you gonna when when is it over with you know I juggle this in a job as a uh job coach during the day where I help people with disabilities to find real employment not you know go to a workshop or just wipe tables so they say you juggle two careers every day when are you going to retire? Never because this is why I'm not gonna get old yep I mean why have you got something that you enjoy the drive you keep driving it to the wheels fall off that's how I treat everything in my house that way I mean I'll drive it I'll I'll ride that lawnmower until the wheel comes off and then I can't put it back on again back in the day people turned 60 65 and oh what's on TV what are we having for dinner what's on TV what are we having for lunch what's on yeah I don't want to be that guy Jake is uh I'm sorry Dave Crohn is saying

Kayfabe, The Internet, And Indie Reality

SPEAKER_01 36:45

uh he wants Jake the snake at Fan Fest five I know Herb Simmons is in the room so uh he's probably listening to that pretty classy lady I saw where you had asked about Sammy Zayn losing the belt we just talked about that a few minutes ago just kind of roll it back and you'll find out what we said about that and uh let's see we're gonna talk a little bit about pizza now Bill whose pizza slice you eating up there in Jersey when you're there when I'm in New Jersey well first of all you you had mentioned just something about what was the thing you just said that somebody asked a question I had wanted to about Sammy Zane losing the belt yeah they should call him Sammy Inzane like he's called Sammy Inzane.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Uh pizza I'm in the Philly area and my favorite pizza joint is a place called Mr.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

P's in Flowertown Pennsylvania they have about five different spots and I like my pizza burnt crunchy burnt white pizza with sausage and green pepper and no pineapple no no no no no no fruit on pizza I'm a big fan of no fruit on pizza I let's see Mike Harold saying uh well actually that's Skyward Davis good evening gents can't wait to see you next year at the fan fest for SICW we uh look forward to doing that again next year always fun to be there with Mr. Herb Simmons and the gang there. Bill do you have any standout memories of working in St.

SPEAKER_00 38:11

Louis from Mike Harold uh when Sam uh Muchnik retired I was at the show the retirement show and the retirement dinner and oh my god Gene Kiniski Rick Flair Harley Race Joe Garaggiola they were all there every time I went to St. Louis Larry Matisek and Sam Muchnik treated me so well and you you felt that it was the pinnacle that territory was the pinnacle of the wrestling business because where you had a lot of loose things going on in a lot of different federations when Sam Muchnik was there and he put the gavel down so to say you listened Sam Muchnik was the man that created that feeling of real professional wrestling in St. Louis guys and Herb Simmons is continuing that.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

All right guys we have about five minutes left in the show I'm gonna try to get as many questions as I can because I still see them coming in so I'm gonna get as many as I can in here uh and keep that in mind with our answers too so we can kind of maybe fire through these pretty quick Michael saying Bill what was one story you published in the magazines that got you heat from a promoter oh from a promoter never very very uh no Vince McMahon senior we had uh gotten a set of pictures of Jerry Lawler against um andre the giant and I asked the photographer who who won and he says uh Lawler found a way to throw him over the ropes so we ran a story called A Midget Defeats Andre the Giant because next to Andre Lawler was a midget Vincent Mann Sr.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

when that came out called me used four letter words I have never heard out of his mouth and Lola got in trouble Jerry and I couldn't didn't talk for two years we finally put out the next cover Andre the giant the only undefeated wrestler in the world and Vince calmed down and it took a while for him to calm down for me I didn't write the story but our editorial staff did but it was always Bill's here he's the guy yep yep and I I can understand that I mean you were the face of that of that magazine basically to those wrestlers that you were the you were the guy yeah I mean if you get my book is wrestling fixed I didn't know it was broken there's a story in there about uh the night the few nights that Randy Savage wanted to kill me literally literally Herb Simmons saying can Bill get out of character and tell us his heartfelt thoughts on the CAC induction I did that earlier um in the show here the CAC again they're celebrating the 60th anniversary and for me to be part of it on the 60th anniversary of such a wonderful philanthropic company I'm over the moon.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Yeah all right uh we also have uh character wait a minute I'm always like that saying good day gentlemen I hope you're all doing well I've got a question for the greatest GM of all time Mr. Teddy Long Teddy can you please share any memories that you had with the legend James Brown uh yeah um I was working in radio then and that's how I ran what started uh working with James Brown.

SPEAKER_03 41:57

Uh James was pretty strict. Uh if you ever watch the movie that they did with uh Bozeman I think the guy that played him um you could see that one song there they he James didn't have no education so James but he knew music yeah so they would be on the stage and they would be performing and say some guy over here is playing the guitar, he hits it and it's the wrong note. But a lot of people never pick up on it but James would pick up on it but he would never quit performing he would look over at that guy that missed a bad note and he started doing this to him while he's dancing. He just threw this and he's letting him know this is how much we're finding you he'd do it right on stage. So a lot of people never even knew that part about it. And um James had another part about him if he he he you had to have on a tie and uh you had to always say Mr. Brown and if you didn't have on a tie you might get fried or you might get chewed out is just how James felt did you and James get along well though did you ever have any did he ever get on to you about something no no well I learned him real quick too so you know you learn what you can do and what you can't do. Yeah well I uh yeah I learned him real quick so I always had my tie and Mr. Brown

St Louis Stories And James Brown Lessons

SPEAKER_03 43:10

oh I'm sorry that's all Charles the third of course everybody knows our count and uh one of the best referees in the business I don't think Bill will ever pick a presenter and yeah I know it's been going on for weeks hasn't it mark also Ryan Brown saying hello fellas what did y'all think of the dark side of the ring last night with Jeff Jarrett and TNA we talked about that earlier too guys yeah I just mentioned that man I really uh I thought I thought it was really great I mean that I learned something last night that I didn't even know you know for the Dixie Carter involvement how she got involved and all that so uh it was really interesting.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

Do we get the second part of that next week there was one person left out. Who's that and I watched most of it uh Jeff his father and Bob the late great Bob Ryder it was the three Of them together that came up with this idea. I don't Bob Ryder should not have been ignored, but I didn't hear Jeff mention him. I remember Bob Ryder. I remember him. Did he rem did Jeff talk about it him on the show? I don't remember. I don't recall him bringing that up.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Yeah, I don't recall him bringing that up either. And uh yeah, unfortunately we lost Bob, you know, several years ago. Uh yeah, I love that. Uh yeah, yeah. In fact, I had the opportunity at the uh before he passed that I was working uh for him with Bill uh on uh the uh thing.com. Sure did all right. Uh let's see, we got a few more we can sneak in here. I think uh we got my ice cream is melting. Two and a half minutes, and that's all we got left, and it'll cut us off if I don't do that. So let me see. Uh I'll try to go through these real quick. Uh, this is uh the artist saying to both Teddy and Bill, is AEW killing its brand by not leaning into the kids factor that made wrestling what it is.

SPEAKER_00 45:01

No, no, I don't think so. No, not not at all. I think I think I've mentioned this in the past that the AEW fan is what the current ECW fan was like. I think it's a more mature audience, they put on a more mature show. Should they do something for the kids? Yeah, maybe. You know what I want to see? I want to see uh one company, and I know there are several touring companies of the mighty midgets, but I would love to see that was when I was growing up as a kid. Boy, I used to love what the midgets match made. The kids just sit up and love it. And I think AEW, since they bring back so much of what ECW was and some of the other federal companies, bring back some of the mighty midgets.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

Yeah, I have seen uh there is a midget touring uh group that goes around. Teddy and I know one of the midgets uh here in Georgia that uh uh we mess with all the time. Uh and and and he's a super guy. I think he even works for that company and sometimes even goes to Vegas because they have a normal place, actually, a facility somewhere in Vegas where you can go and watch midget wrestling. Uh, and it is entertaining, and kids do enjoy the midget wrestling because the kids can relate to people that are that size, and that's why they love those midgets.

SPEAKER_00 46:21

Go ahead and also they're funny, they do funny stitches, yeah, they're real entertaining. Yeah, imagine garden when they had these huge shows stacked with the best talent in the whole world, they'd have a midget match right before intermission, and uh Frenchie Lamont would bite Sky Lolo Low on the buttons. Sky Lolo Low would run around crying, and the whole audience, 21,000 people were hysterical, they loved it.

SPEAKER_01 46:49

All right, well, I see we got uh we have you're getting close here. This is a midgets back. This is a funny question. Have you guys ever thought about starting a wrestling company before? Like get together, and and you know, like us three and do a wrestling company. Hell no. Not a chance. I would never risk my money for that whatsoever. Uh let me get one more in here and then we are out of time. Uh, this is from Leon saying Bill should do a meet and greet at River City Wrestling Con next year. Well, y'all need this

Midget Wrestling Memories And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 47:20

picture in our collection.

SPEAKER_00 47:21

He had they've not booked me. I talked to them two two years ago or three years ago, and they said we'll let you know, and I never heard from them again.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

So well, I guess that means no. And I'm not sure. If they're watching right now, and some of those guys actually do watch this show, I know that. So if they're watching right now, there you go. You got somebody asking about having Bill at uh River City Wrestling Con. Uh, Teddy and I, we'd like to come back too because I gotta get some of that sushi. And uh, guys, I hate to say this, but we're out of time. Bill, it's been a pleasure having you in here.

SPEAKER_00 47:53

All three of us. So, which one's Mo, which is Larry's, which is curly? You know what I want to do, Teddy?

SPEAKER_01 48:00

I want you to do it. I know you do. And and and here it is, Bill. You always give us a good song, a good karaoke tune that you'll sing us out. When we were doing the old show, you would try to sing us out every time. Uh and the clock's running. So uh, let's do some Elvis. Take my own.