1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: What's up, everybody. I'm Freddie Friends Jr. And Welcome to 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: Wrestling with Freddie, the brand new WWF. We're gonna talk 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: about my career that I had as as brief as 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: it was with the w w E, my passion for 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: wrestling as a kid, and the love and respect that 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: I still have for it, uh to this day. Um. 7 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: My time is limited to w w E, but with 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: wrestling being in the shape it is now and wrestlers 9 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: sort of becoming free agents and going to other places, 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: I can actually talk a lot about other brands too, 11 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: because it's all shared now. UM. So you're gonna hear 12 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: a lot of stories. Some of them are gonna be 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: kind of crazy, some would be super funny. Some of 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: them are even kind of sad. But I feel like 15 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: I have a good perspective on them. I'm not here 16 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: to bum anybody out. Um. In today's episode, we're gonna 17 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: talk about how I got introduced to wrestling, which was 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: the craziest way possible. Then we're gonna discuss the moment 19 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: I fell in love with wrestling, and then we're gonna 20 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: discussed the ridiculous circumstances of me being in Orlando Florida 21 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: at Ric Flair's retirement match, being in the room right 22 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 1: next to Snoop Doggs, so you know what that smelled like. 23 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: And then getting offered a job for the w w 24 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: E and for some reason I said yes, So that's 25 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: what we're going to get into. And uh, now it's 26 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: time to start the show. Now stuffing up to the 27 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: mic the host of Wrestling with Freddie Freddie Prince Dunyah Okay, 28 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: so uh for those of you who don't know, I 29 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 1: gotta take you back in time a little bit. My 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: father was a stand up comedian named Freddie Prints hence 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: the Junior, and he was a big time stand up 32 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: comedian and he was so big time that gave him 33 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: his own show and it was the number one show 34 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: in the country for a very short period of time. 35 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: And uh he he died in nineteen seventy seven, so 36 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: he couldn't make any more TV shows. But the Puerto 37 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: Rican part of my heritage, my grandma mainly has always 38 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: been obsessed with professional wrestling. My grandma will call it 39 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: luchad And so my mom wanted me to understand my 40 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: father's side of the family and the culture there, and 41 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: she would send me out to Puerto Rico every Christmas 42 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 1: break and everyone uh and every summer break. H. It's 43 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 1: also a good time for her to find herself and 44 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: got a vacation from her pain in the butt only child, 45 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: so she sent me out to Puerto Rico. And back then, 46 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if they still do it, but they 47 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: would put like a little tag around your neck that 48 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: says I'm flying alone, and you would have, you know, 49 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: a flight attendant help you on the plane and get off. 50 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: And I landed in San Juan, uh, Puerto Rico, and 51 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: my Papo William picked me up. He was a butcher 52 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: and he was big and buff like a pro wrestler, 53 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: and uh. He drove me to Bocron, Puerto Rico, where 54 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: my grandmother lived. And my grandmother had posters on her 55 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: wall of old school matches at the Carlos Cologne Arena 56 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: in San Juan, and we would watch American wrestling and 57 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: lucha wrestling pretty much every day. That in a weird 58 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: tune called silver Hawks, which got me into anime too, 59 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: But other than that, it was wrestling, and she, as 60 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: did many back then, was fully convinced that wrestling was 61 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: a hundred percent real and that these fights meant something 62 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: and they were important, and the Puerto Rican fans really 63 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: believed in in their person winning because their person was 64 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: the good guy. They hated the heels, and those will 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: be some terms you hear me use sometimes heels and 66 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: baby faces. Heels are bad guys all like the hardcore 67 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: wrestling fans are like, dude, we know, but there's some 68 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: that aren't. And all the good guys are called baby faces, 69 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: whether you're men or women. So uh so the baby 70 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: faces have to win in Puerto Rico, at least back then. 71 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: I don't know how it is now. And uh we 72 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: started watching it on TV, and I asked if we 73 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: could go to uh to see a match live. I've 74 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: never I've never been to one. And she goes, yeah, okay, okay, 75 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: so we get tickets. And my grandma was like a 76 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: baller in Puerto Rico. Okay. Her son was Freddie Prinz. 77 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico really claims him even though he was only 78 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: half part Ricon, which makes me a quarter quarto rican. Um. 79 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: That's what a comic name. Paul Mooney called me when 80 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: I was like twelve years old. He's like, you ain't 81 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,839 Speaker 1: even Puerto Rican. You're you're you're a quarto rican um. 82 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: But anyway, Uh, so she drives up to San Juan. 83 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: She had this great Cadillac, right and she gets a 84 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: treatment man. And I didn't know anything about my dad 85 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: at this point, so I just thought my grandma was 86 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: like the governor of Puerto Rico or something. So she 87 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: gets to park right up front, and uh, this guy 88 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: sits outside and he says, I'll watch the car. I 89 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: didn't know that, man, he was gonna sit there the 90 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: whole time. When we came out, he was in the 91 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: same spot. And the dude watched the car. It was 92 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: she had. She had cloud. So we go and we 93 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: get right up close and uh, we're there really early too, 94 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: by the way, and they're putting a cage around the ring. 95 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: And I'm, you know, eight years old, a third grader, 96 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: and I asked my grandma said, oh, it's a steel 97 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: cage match. You didn't tell me it's a steel cage match. 98 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: She said, no, that's to keep the wrestlers safe. I said, 99 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 1: what do you mean she goes to keep them safe 100 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: from us? I said what? And I didn't really understand 101 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: until the show started and the fans, I mean a 102 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: lot of you'll remember the story like Yankees fans or 103 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 1: whoever it was, they were like throwing batteries at that 104 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: picture John Rocker, Um. And I think that's who it was. 105 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: That's how it was here, Like any food that was 106 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: brought was thrown all over these guys. And all they're 107 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: doing is walking to the ring and it's not even 108 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: a steel kid. They didn't, not one wrestler used the 109 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: cage as a weapon, like there's any regular matches. But 110 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: I'm watching the crowd almost as much. I'm like excited 111 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: just talking about this right now, like shaking for real, 112 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 1: like adrenaline. Um, I'm watching the crowd as much as 113 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: I am the matches because this was it was a 114 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: little scary for me. And uh So we go back 115 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: home and we're watching wrestling, and said, did you like it? Oh? 116 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 1: I loved it. I loved it, and I would wrestle 117 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: with her. She was the first person ever hit me 118 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: with a with a Rick Flair chop and she hit hard. 119 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: And she's a tough Puerto Rican girl. Grew up in 120 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico and moved to New York. Had to be 121 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: tough out there too, so she was no joke. And 122 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,799 Speaker 1: uh I would watch wrestling with her every single week. 123 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: And then I went back to New Mexico where I 124 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: was living with my mom, and uh there was a 125 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: wrestling match that was coming. The WWF was coming to Albuquerque, 126 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: New Mexico, in this little place where they had the 127 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: rodeo called Tingly Colosseum. And when I say it had 128 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 1: dust on the floors, I don't mean dust, I mean 129 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 1: dirt because it was actually a rodeo and they didn't 130 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: put hardwood floor in in there in between the rodeos. 131 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: It was just dirt. So there's a wrestling ring, bleachers 132 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: and a dirt walk up basically with some rolled out, 133 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, tarp for them to walk down. And it 134 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: was it was you know, New Mexico wasn't the richest 135 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: state in the country. So so we go and our 136 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: seats are awful, so the smaller place, and there were 137 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: a lot of pillars holding it up. And I'm not joking. 138 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: Our seats are right behind the pillar and uh so 139 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: I can't see anything. And I sneak down, uh, towards 140 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: the railing where all the wrestlers are coming out, and 141 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: it was like a battle royal, I think, is is 142 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: what it was. Because there was multiple wrestlers already in 143 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: the ring, and then all of a sudden, here he 144 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: comes and it's the Ultimate Warrior and he's running down 145 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: the ring, and right when I see him, like come 146 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: out of the backstage area, this security dude catches me 147 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: right and he knows I'm not supposed to be down there, 148 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: and he puts his hand on my shoulder, and the 149 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: Warriors like running down and I'm not resisting, you know, 150 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: I'm I can't. I think I'm nine now, maybe maybe 151 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: maybe ten, and uh, but I want to, you know, 152 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: I want to see the Warrior. And the Warrior veers 153 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: to the right, like close to the rail, and he goes, 154 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: it's okay. He puts his hand on the security guard 155 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: and he goes, here's with me. Now, I wasn't, but 156 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: he was being good to the kid, right, And it's 157 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: not like this place was sold out, like he was 158 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: just having this moment. I remember what he smelled like. 159 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: It was a mixture of baby oil, sweat and dirt 160 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: from the from the rodeo and the tassels around his 161 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: arms like the things you will put on your bicycle 162 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: in the eighties if you were like, you know a 163 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: little girl on your bike with a basket. I felt 164 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: him on my face and because of the baby oil, 165 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: they're like stuck to my cheek and slid off as 166 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: he like ran to the ring. And I'm looking at 167 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: this guy and it was still real to me, and 168 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: he was a superhero. And the security guard obeyed he. 169 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: He listened to it. He did what he said. And 170 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 1: the Ultimate Warriors in no position of power over this 171 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: guy and his job. The guys doing the right thing, 172 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,359 Speaker 1: but he obeyed him, and so they became these magical 173 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: characters to me. And I watched the brand and then, um, 174 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: here's where all the hardcore fans will hate me. Then 175 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: when it became the the Attitude era was when I 176 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: started to tune out a little bit because I didn't 177 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: like a lot of the storylines. They just played more 178 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: more goofy to me. That said, I watched all the 179 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: matches because those were some of the greatest matches that 180 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: I ever saw in my life. Still to this day. Um, 181 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: they had so much time to work and you would 182 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,719 Speaker 1: really commit to the character that was built up, so 183 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: that when they had a match, they didn't have to 184 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: have a lot of time on the microphone. You could 185 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: just get to it um or get to it. Get 186 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: it's because I'm from New Mexico and that's close to Texas. Anyway, 187 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: they became these like sort of special, magical, magical characters 188 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: to me, and so I kept watching. I kept watching. 189 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: I kept loving it. My grandma, God rest her soul. 190 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: It was so real to her. My wife, Sarah Michelle 191 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: Geller made a movie with the Rock years ago called 192 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: Like south Land. I don't know, it wasn't it wasn't 193 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: the best movie, but they made a movie together. And 194 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: for those of you who know the Rock wind from 195 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: being the People's champion, he was a baby faced champion 196 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: to becoming a heel champion, meaning a bad guy, and 197 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: he became the corporate champion. My grandma hated him. He 198 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: was her favorite. He was handsome, right he still is. Uh. 199 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: He was great on the microphone. He could wrestle and 200 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: bounce around the ring like he weighed a buck sixty. 201 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: But he looked like he was sculpted from stone, like 202 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: Aries or some other Greek god. And he had the 203 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: people's eyebrow, which if you don't know about the people's eyebrow, 204 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: you just need to YouTube that. There's literally like three 205 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: minute montages of it. It's the most powerful eyebrow in 206 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: the history of sports entertainment, and he can just do 207 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: the one where I've never been able to do it. 208 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: And I'm telling you, I like this guy so much 209 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: that it was something I actually practiced and didn't even 210 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: succeed once without taking my finger and just pushing it 211 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: up um the same way you would do your biceps. 212 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: But she loved this guy and it was it was 213 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: real man, because he genuinely hated his boss, right, And 214 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: that's why Vince McMahon was so smart. He gave the 215 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: working man an opportunity to live out the fantasy of 216 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: slapping your jerk boss across the face when he speaks 217 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 1: out the side of it, and that is so satisfying 218 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: to see as an audience member and not to get 219 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: to like psychological. But that's why we love John McClean 220 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: from the die Hard series so much, because he is 221 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: the most relatable protagonist of all the eighties and nineties protagonists. 222 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: His body is the most attainable, his hairlines the most attainable. 223 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: His karate skills are the most attainable because there are none. 224 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: He's just gonna out average Joe. You you know, we 225 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: had to. You can't relate to Rambo that much unless 226 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: you're super Jack. You can't relate to Commando or the 227 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: Terminator because you're not super buff. But we can relate 228 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: to the John McClean care her, which is I think 229 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: white fans try to push the smaller guys so much 230 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: in wrestling, because we can relate to that more. But 231 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: we'll get into that episode down the road. So she 232 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: turns on the rock, turns on the people. My grandma 233 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: turns on the rock. My wife and my grandmother, her 234 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: name was Maria. They'd met. She loved her. My wife's 235 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: very very sweet um as John Leguizamo told me smart 236 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: Puerto Rican's married Jews, so I'm smart, uh and and 237 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: she's always taking taking care of me. So my grandma 238 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: loved her and they got along great. And then about 239 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: three months after that Christmas that we spent out there, 240 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: my wife books this movie and I get a phone 241 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: call from my grandmother Mary. I called her Mary, and 242 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: she's really upset, and she has this heavy Puerto Rican 243 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: accent and she says, your wife, Sara Mitchell, your wife 244 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: Sana Michell. Yeah, what's rock? Grandma? She goes she's working 245 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: with the Rock and I go, yeah, yeah, she's working 246 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: with Rus. She goes, hey, Thorn, this back on the people. 247 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: He's the call for a champion. Bleep him. But I 248 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: don't know if I can curse you, if if I 249 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: can buy episode three, I'll be cursing. Like a story. 250 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: But I'm trying to keep it together. When dealing with 251 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: my grandmother. It's very hard not to laugh at her accent, right. 252 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: Like my dad even had a joke about it because 253 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: he introduced her to uh to Peter Falk, the great 254 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 1: actor Peter Falk, who played Colombo, and I got to 255 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: one of my first movies was with him, and I 256 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: told him the story and he actually confirmed it and 257 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: told me it's true. My grandma wanted to meet Peter 258 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: Falk and my dad said, okay, just don't call him Colombo. 259 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: He freaking hates that. Please don't do him. She goes out, 260 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: don't worry, I'm not going to embarrass you. Don't work. 261 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: And so he goes, Peter, this is my is my mother, Marie, 262 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 1: and she goes, Colombo, I love you. After they made 263 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: he goes, my, don't I told you, don't call Colombo. 264 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:46,319 Speaker 1: He hates that she goes with his last name and 265 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: my accent. I contact that kind of chance because it 266 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,839 Speaker 1: sounds like the effort, which I don't know if I 267 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: can say it um So anyway, I'm trying not to laugh, 268 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 1: but I know she's upset, but she's upset about pro wrestling. 269 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 1: And then it all clicks and I remember, oh, yeah, 270 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 1: he he turned his back on the people. So my grandma, 271 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: I don't hear some of the stuff in the middle 272 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: because she's pretty upset. But the call finishes before I 273 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: say I love you, and she hung up before she 274 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: said I love you too. By the way, she says, 275 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: you'll tell Sada she takes that movie. She's dead to 276 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: me too. I'm not joking, and I'm not joking when 277 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: I say this. They never spoke again, she never and 278 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: the movie didn't do that well, and my grandma like 279 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: checked to like make sure, and she was happy when 280 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: the movie died. It didn't even really I don't think 281 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: it got distribution. I think it was like released in 282 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: like independent theaters, and she was happy and pleased. Did 283 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: the Rocks movies failed? Meanwhile, today she's rolling in her 284 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: grave because the Rocks the most successful dude on the 285 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: planet is probably gonna run for president one day, that 286 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: I'll get her to come back from the dead. But 287 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: that's how hardcore, that's how serious the connection for her. 288 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: And she passed that passion to me, and then I 289 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: interpreted it in my own way. Now in I'm twelve 290 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: years old, and uh, you know, the secret is out 291 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: on wrestling right for the out. But there were a 292 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: lot of us that were still holding on even though 293 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: we knew. And I'm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at my 294 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: second school in one year. I was going through puberty. 295 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: I didn't have a dad. My godfather's Bob wall Uh. 296 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: You can google him if you want, or I'll tell 297 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: you about him on another episode. But needless to say, 298 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: I was getting in a lot of trouble. So I'm 299 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: at this private school send you a preparatory academy, and uh, 300 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: I was doing really well. I even I made it 301 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: on the chess team as a sixth grader and this 302 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: was like sixth or twelve, um, and they let me 303 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: be on their high school chess team. My heads were good. 304 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: I didn't always get good grades. Kids, if you're listening, 305 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: work harder than me. Um. And there was this dude 306 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: named Ray Garcia, and Ray, I'm sorry for saying your name. 307 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: I love you wherever you are and whatever you're doing, 308 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: and I wish you the best. But on this day, man, 309 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: you crossed the wrong wrestling fans. So we're at lunch 310 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: and uh, I'm talking to my cousin, my he was 311 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: my best friend. I called my cousin, Chris Sandoval, and uh, 312 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: this fool Ray comes up and he he hears us 313 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: talking wrestling, and he says, you know it's fake, right, 314 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: And it was like someone saying, like, you know, your 315 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: dad shot himself, right? Like that was the kind of 316 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: visceral emotional reaction that I couldn't help but have. And 317 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: then he said, I got a curse on this one. 318 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: He said, Rick Flair ain't shit, and I like, lost it. 319 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: I don't I lost it, right, because I all these 320 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: guys were heroes to me as a kid, so and 321 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: I always like the bad guys because the bad guys 322 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: always won. Rick Flair, he cheated. That's how we want. 323 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: The iron cheek cheated, that's how he wants. And I 324 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: would literally look at my mom and be like, Mama, 325 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: look and she hated it. Right. I started pulling for 326 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: the bad guys in movies. Because of that, I never 327 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: liked Paul Cogan Andre the Giants my favorite wrestler ever. 328 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: So this guy spoke against one of the great villains 329 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: who I think is a hero, and so I punched 330 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: Ray right in his face. And this isn't the funny part. 331 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: And he falls on the ground and I legit grabbed 332 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: his left his right leg, and I stepped over it, 333 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: spun around, put it over his other leg like the 334 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: number four, and I applied what we all now know 335 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: as the figure four leg lock. Now I had never 336 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: done this before, but I had seen it done a 337 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: thousand times, so the technique was flawless. I get on 338 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: the ground and I execute the what's what you need 339 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: to execute in the figure four? You put pressure on 340 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: the leg that's bent over the other, a leg like 341 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: the angle part of the four, not the straight line 342 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 1: of the four. And I've seen, you know, Ricky the 343 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: Dragon Steamboat reverse this, so I gotta be careful if 344 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: it gets reversed. I've seen the pain on on Ric 345 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: Flair's face and it's no joke. Um. So I pressed 346 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: down hard with my right leg and I just hear 347 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: and I let go right away. Almost threw up, and 348 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: I nobody said anything because it was loud, and then 349 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: Ray just starts screaming, dude, and don't worry, I'm not 350 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: gonna tell everybody. You were crying. Ray, I said, screaming, UM, 351 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: but he's crying, and I knew right away. I was like, 352 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: oh my god, I sproke this guy's ankle, and I 353 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: freaked out. I got so scared. I ran and got 354 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: a teacher, who bust themselves. By the way, it's such 355 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: an idiot. I just ran home, but I win got 356 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: a teacher and he had a legit broken ankle had 357 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: to be in a cast for however long you're in 358 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: a cast, six eight weeks or twelve weeks, whatever it was. 359 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: And I felt so bad, so shout out to Ray Garcia. Um. 360 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: But now you're kind of getting where the crazy comes from, right, 361 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: Like my grandma didn't talk to my wife even on 362 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,639 Speaker 1: her deathbed. She had time. She was diabetic, UH and 363 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: just refused to to let that go. Ray trash trash 364 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 1: the nature boys. So he got his ankle broke, which 365 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: leads us to UH Orlando, Florida, and it was Rick 366 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: Flair's retirement match, and he was wrestling against Shawn Michaels 367 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: and we went out there early. It was me, Um, 368 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: Macaulay Culkin and uh a lot of the wrestling shows 369 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: I go to her usually with a Culkin brother. Um, 370 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: one of them has been thrown out for throwing a 371 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 1: beer on the big show. By the way, I'm not 372 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: gonna rad him out though, But it was me and McAuley. 373 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: We were sharing a hotel room and our hotel room 374 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 1: was right next door to the Snoop Doggs and uh, 375 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: they brought like a garbage bag of marijuana into there, 376 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: by the way, I'm not exaggerating. Uh. So we're there 377 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: and Saturday was the Hall of Fame speech and this 378 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: was when everyone hated John Cena and uh they booted 379 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: him while he was like trying to give this speech 380 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:13,880 Speaker 1: about somebody who was going into the Hall of Fame 381 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: because a poor showing on the fans part. But they 382 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: were mad, you know, John Cena represented a different kind 383 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: of ww than what they were wanting at that time. 384 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 1: But he had to because the company was p G. 385 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 1: We'll get into the business of w w E in 386 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: a in another episode. Um, because actually a ton about 387 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: that from Vince from the Horses mouth, so to speak. 388 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 1: So we go to that, we meet a bunch of 389 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 1: the wrestlers, and I meet this lady who works there 390 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: who kind of helped UH do the invites and and 391 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: she tries to book celebrities and things like that for 392 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: w W events. And we we chatted up at like 393 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: the Hall of Fame party or whatever it was, and 394 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: then everybody goes home, goes to bed, and the next 395 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: day is WrestleMania, and UH, we're there and we're watching 396 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: the final match and it's the whole I'm sorry, I 397 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: love you superkick to the face right, and everybody goes crazy, 398 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: and I think we had a bet on another match. 399 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: And Mac every wrestling match I've ever bet McCauley on, 400 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 1: I've lost. He always knows who's gonna win. He could 401 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: write wrestling in his sleep. He never has. He should, um, 402 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: but he literally, but he's donna one and we've got 403 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: a hunter bucks of match. That's what we would do, 404 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: and Uh, I would you know, the end of the night, 405 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: you're out, you know, eight hundred to a thousand bucks 406 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: anytime that you go with him to a wrestling match anywhere. 407 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: So I'm talking to UH, to this nice lady and 408 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if shoants me to say her name, 409 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,120 Speaker 1: so I was gonna keep it out. And uh, she says, wow, 410 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: you should. You should uh talk to Stephanie McMahon. You've 411 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: got some some really cool ideas about wrestling, because we 412 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: had talked about like the old school versus the new 413 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 1: school and where the happy medium is? Is there a 414 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: happy medium that kind of stuff, and uh, I wasn't. 415 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: I was kind of done acting. I was like, yeah, okay. 416 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm staying in New York with my 417 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: wife and I had an apartment out there then, and uh, okay, 418 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: I'll take the train up and I'll come. I'll sitting. 419 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: I'll mean, I'll meet Stephanie McMahon. That would be cool. 420 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: I think it's uh Wednesday, because they had a Monday 421 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: night raw and they shot smacked down on Tuesday nights 422 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: back then. Um, so on Wednesday, I take the train 423 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: to Stanford, Connecticut to Tighten Tower. And this is the 424 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: building that had the same gym with the pink and 425 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: purple neon lights that Vince used to work out and 426 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: where he blew out like both his quads or something 427 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: like that. So it's the same building that I saw 428 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: as a kid. So I'm already like getting kind of 429 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: tingly right because I just remember the old days. And uh, 430 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: I was kind of like, what's the word disenfranchised with 431 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 1: my business, if that's the right word, but you know 432 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,199 Speaker 1: what I mean. And I was wanting to retire all 433 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:56,439 Speaker 1: the way if at the very least I had a 434 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: foot and a half out right. And so I go 435 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: and I sit with Stephanie and we just start talking 436 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: wrestling and characters and you know, characters who maybe seem 437 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: stale and couldn't get over, and they would challenge you 438 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 1: with like, well how would you get this character over? 439 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: And and really just on the spot kind of thinking, right, 440 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: So you gotta be quick and fast, and my improv 441 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: skills are good and we're going to get into that 442 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: in an episode where we did acting class with professional 443 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: wrestlers and we did literal like acting techniques and things 444 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: like that, and there's some really great stories in there, 445 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: and they shine like the stars they are. It was amazing. 446 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: But so I'm in there with steph and we're talking 447 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: about this stuff, and we start talking about acting workshops 448 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,919 Speaker 1: and things like that and techniques and stuff to make 449 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: people feel things. Uh, little cheats you can do here 450 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: and there. Our meetings not over. And she says, you 451 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: have to talk to my dad, And I said, what 452 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: do you mean? And she goes, you have notes, you 453 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: have notes on on the brand, but you're not crapping 454 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: all over it. And you come to the table with ideas, 455 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,239 Speaker 1: not just oh that sucks, Well what would you do? 456 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: I don't know, but it sucks like I would have 457 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,719 Speaker 1: three or four ideas for everything. So she would say, hey, 458 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: what would you do with Kane? And say oh this, 459 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: Oh how about this? Oh what about this? And just 460 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: try to, you know, build it up. And then all 461 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 1: of a sudden you have you know, five, six, seven ideas. 462 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: So I'm like, I can't. I'm seriously gonna meet Vince 463 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: McMahon right now, Like this is crazy. So this all 464 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: happens in a day, you guys. So um. I shake 465 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: hands with Steph. I haven't met anyone else. I go 466 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,199 Speaker 1: into Vince McMahon's office. He has this dude outside on 467 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: his desk, is cool guy named Jimmy. I think he 468 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: was like ex Army X. He's ex military for sure, 469 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,880 Speaker 1: and serious dude, but cool cat. And he looked out 470 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: for me when I was there when not everyone did. 471 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: And we'll get into that, but uh, yes, I go 472 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: into Vince's office and I have a very similar conversation 473 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: that I had with Steph. You know, we're just talking 474 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:50,400 Speaker 1: about the characters and and the reason to people will fight, right, 475 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: that's the story. And so he hits you with like, 476 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: you know, wrestler X is John Cena wrestler? Why is 477 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,360 Speaker 1: is Randy Orton? I want him to wrestle at WrestleMania. 478 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: Get me there in a way that we haven't gotten 479 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: there before. And so we would start talking about stories 480 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: things like this. Bringing these other guys in is like 481 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: red herrings, which is like a decoy. Right, And uh, 482 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 1: I grew up. I told you the part with my 483 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: dad earlier for two reasons, once you understood the Puerto 484 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: Rican connection, but also not growing up with a father. 485 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 1: I'm a sucker for him, Okay, I'm a I want 486 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: to please my boss. I want to please people that 487 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: I looked up to when I was younger. Right, It's 488 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: just it's just something anyone without a father or a 489 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: mother can relate to. This. Um. So I'm sitting in 490 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: there and he calls me son, and he says, well, 491 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 1: I think we could really use you here, son, and 492 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,679 Speaker 1: he puts out his hand and I'm like, well, in 493 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: my head, I'm like, hold up, I don't I haven't 494 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 1: even like seen a contract or. We haven't spoken money, 495 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: and this guy is putting out that lesson make a 496 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: deal hand. But because he says, son, that's that's crimpt tonight. 497 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 1: And he did it to me twice, that son of 498 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: a gut. He got me to come back with the 499 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: same technique. Um So that one's a shame on me. 500 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,239 Speaker 1: Um So I shaked the man's hand. I haven't even 501 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: spoken to my wife and she was in l A 502 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: and uh. He goes, all right, so we'll send you guys, 503 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: We'll send your your people whatever they gotta get to you, 504 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: and we'll start you next week. Next week. Okay, it's 505 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: a Wednesday. So I get on the train. I may 506 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: have spoke with Stephanie again after I don't remember. I 507 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: get back on the train and I go back to 508 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: my apartment. I called Sarah and I say, hey, so 509 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: I just took a job working for the w w E. 510 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: And she says, well, you're gonna be a wrestler. I 511 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: said no, um, I think I'm gonna write, and I 512 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 1: think I'm gonna teach him how to act. She goes, no, 513 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: you're not, You're an idiot. I'm Sarah I met with 514 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: Vince McMahon today. Because she didn't meet with Vince McMahon today. 515 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: I said, Sarah, I shook, I shook his hand. I 516 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: said yes in the room. She goes, why would you 517 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: do that? And I told her the son thing and 518 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: she's laughed because, oh my god, just a stupid She's like, 519 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: but I support you. That's what you that I told you. 520 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: My wife's the cool that. She goes, that's what you 521 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 1: want to do. She was like, try it out. She said, 522 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: don't get fired. I said, that's why Steph wants me 523 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: to to uh to take the job, because she thinks 524 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: I'm not afraid to get fired. So I'll kind of 525 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: speak my mind more. Um. I think everyone has some 526 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: fear of job termination. But for whatever reason, the longer 527 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: I was there, the less I worried about it. But 528 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 1: in the beginning I was still a little nervous. And 529 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 1: so so Sarah goes, Okay, she goes, so you're write wrestling, 530 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: and she goes, when are you coming home? I said, 531 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't. I don't know what they 532 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 1: want me to do. So here was the deal. Hey 533 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: send me a contract, and uh, I don't want to 534 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: throw out like exact numbers because I don't know if 535 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: their business is public or not. So we'll say it 536 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: was We'll say it was two and to write for 537 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 1: them per year. And it was a number that they 538 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: weren't in a budget from. And so I said, you 539 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: guys can keep all that money and just give me stock. 540 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: I'll just take stock in the company and and bet 541 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: on myself off right again because I was just dumb, 542 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: and so against my manager's advice, that's what I did. Um, 543 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: and signed the contract. And the deal was for me 544 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: to travel to every single Monday night Raw and every 545 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: single shot on Tuesday, but airing on Thursday, I believe 546 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: was the date of SmackDown back then, so we would 547 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: shoot Raw and smack Down. I would be at all 548 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: of those tapings and I would be in the office 549 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: every single week. Um, And that was the job. I 550 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: took it, and I went in stormy and we'll finish 551 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: with this story because it's awkward, horrible and really funny. 552 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: So I get to work. I get to work. I 553 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: wanted to bring like a lunch box. I didn't have one. 554 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: I took the train to work. I've never done that 555 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: in my life. New Mexico there's no trains taking new places, 556 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: so I'm uh. I get there to tighten tower. They 557 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: take a photo so I can do my badge, so 558 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: you know, I have full access to Titan Tower. I 559 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: can go to the gym if I want. They have 560 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: a cafeteria in there where they're serving food. They have 561 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: like the media department where they were doing like not 562 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: magazine stuff, but whatever, like the digital stuff was at 563 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: that point. Then they have like the writer's room, then 564 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: the writer's floor I should say creatives floor. Then they 565 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: have the executives floor, and then on the very bottoms, 566 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: like the merch floor right where you can get like 567 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: old DVDs, which I grabbed everything I could and just 568 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: watched and studied right away. Um so I get there, 569 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: I'm super excited, and I meet my superior, Michael ps Hayes. 570 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 1: And yes, the PS stands for Pier six D dude. 571 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: So Michael, who's seen it all now has to deal 572 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: with this Hollywood guy coming into his writer's room and 573 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: he's supposed to teach me the wrestling business, right, and 574 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to, you know, write better scripts. And nobody 575 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: has been told anything about the other person. So I 576 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: get in there, I have my meeting with him, and 577 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: he's awesome. Okay, he couldn't have been cooler to me. 578 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: He had just been in some trouble at the company, 579 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: is what I was told, so he was kind of 580 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: humbled a little bit, and maybe that's why it was nice. 581 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: But Michael and I, by the time I left, were 582 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: really really tight. So he kind of breaks it down 583 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,479 Speaker 1: for me and he says, here's what's gonna have to do. Uh, 584 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: here's how many wrestlers you have on the TV roster 585 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: that are going to be working, um, and you have 586 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: to give me stories four weeks of stories for all 587 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: of them. And most of the time it's not gonna 588 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: go through because there's not gonna be enough time in 589 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: the show. But that's your job, no matter what I said, Cool, 590 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: that's my job. That's my job. While I'm having the 591 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 1: meeting with him, they knock on his door and they 592 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: say Vince wants to see Freddy uh in his office, 593 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: and Michael's like, you need to go. So I get up. 594 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, what the hell is this? And uh, I 595 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: go into Vince's office and there's this other dude sitting 596 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: in there named Brian, and uh I sit on the 597 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: other side and Vince shows me the Monday Night Ross 598 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: script and he says, Brian fred hey Man, nice to 599 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: meet you. Brian, hey hey, nice to meet you. And 600 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: Brian's looking warily at me. All right, He's it's like 601 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: all side ie, He's like, what is what is going well? 602 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: Who is this guy? And I'm sitting in there like 603 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: what what am I doing in here? Who am I? 604 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:25,479 Speaker 1: So Vince shows me the script and he goes, Brian 605 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: Freddy's here to help out with all the scripts and 606 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: the dialogue. I'm gonna have to send you back to 607 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: the drawing board on this one. He hadn't even read 608 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: it yet. Okay. Brian visibly and audibly snaps a number 609 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: two pencil in half upon hearing this, he snapped a 610 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: lot of pencils, um and uh he goes okay, and 611 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: his big side just and he grabs the script and 612 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: Vince looks at me and kind of smiles, and I'm 613 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: literally like he's this is a test, like he's trying 614 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: to see he's gonna pit me against these guys and 615 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: see if I can freaking take it. This is who 616 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: this guy is, right, and uh so I'm like all right, 617 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 1: and I don't mind the challenge. So I walk out 618 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: and uh, Brian is not waiting for me, by the way, 619 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: He's already like halfway down the hall. I catch up 620 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: to him and I say, hey, man, that's a that's 621 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: just a terrible way they have to meet. I'm so sorry. 622 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not here to rewrite your stuff, dude, 623 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: because this is because of you. Man, just straight up 624 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: all cards on the table right away. And I was like, 625 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: oh no, this guy hates me now he did, But 626 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 1: by the time I left, Brian and I were really 627 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: tight to We're not I wouldn't. We're not like friends. 628 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 1: We don't send each other Christmas cards or anything like that, 629 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: but if we ever see each other or randomly like 630 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: or on the same chain on the social media thing, 631 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: it's always all love. And I always check in on 632 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: him and he's he's a good dude outside of his 633 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: sports team affiliations. Um So I'm sitting there like they 634 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 1: just and he literally threw me in the fire day one. 635 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: So I go back in to the writer's room and uh, 636 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: Freebord goes, how's your meeting? And he has this huge 637 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: grid because he knows, he knows, like this is a 638 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: routine for Vince. He just any of all because I 639 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: wasn't the first Hollywood writer they had there. They brought 640 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: writers from like USA TV shows in there all the time, 641 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: and we're gonna get into some of those in future episodes. 642 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: But now I go, I go, yeah, everything's fine, and 643 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: he goes, so are you ready to work on some 644 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: storylines that are gonna get cut every week or not? 645 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: And I literally was like I sat there, I sat down, 646 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: I opened my computer, and I just started writing. Um, 647 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 1: we're gonna get into the process of writing at w 648 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: w E, the pain of getting your ideas killed, the 649 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: glory of getting your ideas over. I'm gonna talk about 650 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: some wild pitches that were given to me by wrestlers, 651 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: some really great pitches that were given to me my wrestlers, 652 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: some crazy on the road moments. I have one. I've 653 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: told this story before to two friends, but the suitcase 654 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,959 Speaker 1: at Terminal Velocity during a nice storm is still one 655 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: of my favorite stories. And I'll share that in greater 656 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 1: length because this isn't someone else's podcast, That's my podcast. 657 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: That's all for this episode. I want to thank all 658 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: you guys for for listening, and remember, if you want 659 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 1: to support what we do, please share, please subscribe. That's 660 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: all for now, but I'll see you guys in the 661 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: next episode of Wrestling with Freddie. This has been a 662 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio is Michael Tour podcast Network. 663 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for My heart Radio, visit the I 664 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:34,200 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 665 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.