1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: What's going on everybody, as Freddie Prince Jr. Welcome back 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: to Wrestling with Freddie. Thanks for all the episodes you've 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: listened to so far, and thanks for tuning into this 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: week's episode, which is searching for a Hearty or looking 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: for Jeff. This was when I was given the Jeff 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: Hardy assignment by Michael Hayes, which was make Jeff a champion. 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: This is gonna be his one and only chance, or 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: so he thought at the time. So we're gonna get 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: deep into that. I'm sure there'll be a couple side 10 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: quests as well at some point, So let's start the show. 11 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: Welcome to Wrestling with Freddie. Now stuffing up to the mic. 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: The host of Wrestling with Freddie Freddie Prince June. Yeah, 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: if you look up on YouTube or any better wrestling 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: historian than me, there's a lot of them out there. 15 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: But this is the time when Jeff Hardy became the 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: world's heavyweight champion for the very first time, and I 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: was given the task of of of accomplishing this which 18 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: most people thought was impossible and crazy. That's the cool 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: part that I'll take credit for. But as far as 20 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: the storytelling and the creativity behind it. That was a 21 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: group of people that I would love to get credit to. 22 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: And uh, like I said, I'm sure there'll be some 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: side quests. I've been writing for a little while. I 24 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: had done an Undertaker promo that Undertaker said, uh, he 25 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: didn't change a single word too, and to my knowledge, 26 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: at least from what they said, I don't believe that 27 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: had happened in a very very long time. Um. And 28 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: so I started getting bigger guys. I started getting Kane 29 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: and some other top talent there, people that Vince is 30 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: very particular with as far as certain words they can say. 31 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,559 Speaker 1: Kane wouldn't say destroy, he says obliterate things like things 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: of that nature. I get the hearty story, and I 33 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: know about a lot of what's going on, And just 34 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: so you guys know where we're at timeline wise, Jeff 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: was even with m v P and Jeff's like he 36 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: had this like an airstream trailer on the Hardy property 37 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: and it burned down and Jeff's dog passed away, and 38 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: they were all wondering if they could bring that up, 39 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: and Jeff was like, yeah, if you if you have to, 40 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: you know you can. An m VP really respected Jeff, 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: and Jeff knew that. So uh, m v P talks 42 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: about his reckless and wild behavior and it even, you know, 43 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: getting your your little dog killed, and Jeff like cracks 44 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: and they have this fight. And so this is just 45 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: after that. Jeff had a lot of positive energy behind 46 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: him and m v P had gotten a lot of 47 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: like mean nasty heat off of Jeff. And Michael calls 48 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: me into his office and he's he says in his 49 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: ps in his pure sexy voice, all right, here's what 50 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: we're gonna do. I need you to come up with 51 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: a way, and we're gonna get the belt on Jeff. 52 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: Don't call it a belt, We're gonna get it on him. 53 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: And so I'm sitting there like, yeah, okay, no problem. 54 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: I don't know about Jeff's history. I don't I didn't 55 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: know about a dirt sheet until a couple of years ago. 56 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: And I'm forty five. You know, my dad was in 57 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: this business and uh died violently, and he was in 58 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: the tabloids a lot. So maybe I avoid that on 59 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: like a pre programmed, subconscious level. And that's why I 60 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: always kind of looked the other direction because it felt 61 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: like gossip. Maybe I don't know. I've never self analyzed 62 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: that decision. I get into it with this guy Chris 63 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: to Joseph, we called him DJ, and he's he's laughing. 64 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: He's like, it's never gonna happen. Like what you mean, 65 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: It's never gonna happen, and he starts breaking down a 66 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: lot of Jeff's issues in the past of rejecting rehab, 67 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: having drug issues, things like that, and those were perceived 68 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: speed bumps or in in this case, a brick wall 69 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: to get through. But for me, I connected hard with it, 70 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: which I'll tell you about in a minute, and the 71 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: episode that we're trying to talk about serious stuff in 72 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: this episode. It won't be all jokes, but I connected 73 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: hard with it, and I saw opportunity. So my father 74 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: was a stand up comic in the seventies. For those 75 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: who may just be tuning in, I broke this down 76 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: for you in the very beginning, I think, and he 77 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: was a big He was a he was a big 78 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: time deal man. Richard Prior discovered him. My dad had 79 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: the number one show in the country in like nineteen 80 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: seventy five or seventy four or something like that. Drugs 81 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: were a big part of his life. In the seventies 82 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: and tore my entire family apart because of it. And 83 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: on January twenties seven, nineteen seventies six, he put a 84 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: gun to his head and he had about six coludes 85 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,559 Speaker 1: in his system and UH pulled the trigger and he died. 86 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: And it just wrecked my family. And so I had 87 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: a lifetime of experience with drugs. Why people do him? 88 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: I had gone through the anger of that you have 89 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: as a young man, not having a father. I had 90 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: gone through the part of my life for it. If 91 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: you even did drugs, you weren't in my circle of 92 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: friends straight up, like you were just ostracized. And then 93 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: as I got older, I started to have more understanding 94 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: and and the more knowledge I got of what addicts 95 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: go through, it gave me a much clearer perspective. It's 96 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: it's a way of self medicating. It's your brain knows 97 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: it needs something, it just doesn't know what. And that's 98 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: the easiest and unfortunately worst thing you could turn to. 99 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: A lot of times they say, you know, the addict 100 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: isn't taking the drug. The drug is taking the drug. 101 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: This isn't just me telling you this, This is doctors. 102 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: A vault from from medical doctors to psychiatrists, everyone in between, 103 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: and I've just taken knowledge from all of them. So 104 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: I definitely had a sensitivity toward the addict towards drug users, 105 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: but still understood at a certain point you gotta stand 106 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: on your own two damn feet and and get your 107 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: life together, or you can end up like my pops 108 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: and rip a family apart. So this was the approach 109 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: that I took towards the promos and the storyline that 110 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: we were going to do while Edge was champion with 111 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: Vicky Guerrero and Jeff was going to have to climb 112 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: this ladder, and instead of shining away from it and 113 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 1: running away from it, I leaned heavy into it and 114 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: I almost made Jeff well. I made him a baby face, 115 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: using drugs as the means to do it without I 116 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: feel to this day, without making drugs look cool. We 117 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: portrayed a an artist who was tortured, who had self 118 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: hate in abundance, and who used art to get that 119 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: hatred out, whether it be in Jeff's real life art, 120 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: he was painting a lot at the time. I don't 121 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: know if he still does through his wrestling and now 122 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: through his promos, and the first one I wrote him. 123 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: He changed one word um and he he inserted the 124 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: word image I nation, which was something Jeff came up with, 125 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: and that word inspired every promo I wrote for him 126 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: all the way to the championship, and I wrote every 127 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: single one of those. And again they're all on YouTube. 128 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: You can check them out. You can let me know 129 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,239 Speaker 1: if you love them or if you hate him, which 130 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: everyone you're allowed to feel. However you feel, get hit 131 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: me up on social media and and say, hey, did 132 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 1: you write this crap? Or hey did you write this gold? 133 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: I love it. But that was the That was sort 134 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: of the spark that kind of lit the fire, and 135 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: from that I just really tried to go into what 136 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: do addicts suffer from the world is not I repeat, 137 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: the world is not black and white. In fact, the 138 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: black and white parts of this world are the smallest 139 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: parts in comparison to the large area that gray encompasses globally. 140 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: Most of us, I would say, aren't good or bad 141 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: people were just people trying to get by right. And 142 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: then there's incredibly good people. And when I say good, 143 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: I don't mean the guy who lets you an entract good. 144 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: I mean like the people who are selfless and give 145 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: a lot of themselves away for the greater good. So 146 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: you might call that great, you might call that the rare, 147 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: the select few. I call them the good. Right. Then 148 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: there's the bad, the people that are only out for 149 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: themselves and will smash and step on anyone to get 150 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: what they want and they don't care what the collateral damages. 151 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: And then there's you and I is we're a bunch 152 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: of decent people who sometimes do wrong, we feel bad 153 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: about it, sometimes do right, we feel good about it, 154 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: and we're just trying to get by. And the gray 155 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: area is where the addict is no longer allowed to exist. 156 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: Once they're publicly known as an addict, then it's just 157 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 1: black and white for these people. It's oh, they're junkie, 158 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: they're drug addict. Now you can't trust them all. I 159 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: can't do this. By the way, all that criticism is 160 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: completely justified. And that's why we showed Jeff fail and 161 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: fail again. And if you look at the promos in 162 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: this light, which was what I tried to do, I 163 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: styled them after or his matches. Jeff is a crash 164 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: and burn wrestler. It's builds your hopes up, Build your 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: hopes up, Get up, to the highest most dangerous point possible, 166 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: the only place possible where if he jumps off, he 167 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: can end the match. And then he fails because the 168 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: guy gets out of the way, or he gets betrayed 169 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: or whatever the issue is, right, And so we tried 170 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: to write the promos in that same sense. And I 171 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: wrote these alone in New York, where I just was. 172 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: So it was very kind of I was making a 173 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: movie out there, and so it's very surreal to be 174 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: in the same city. And honestly, the last time I 175 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: was there was when I was writing these Jeff Hardy promos. 176 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: A lot of these images are are fresh in my mind, 177 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 1: or at least the philosophies behind them. You know, I 178 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: don't have the the promos memorized like I used to 179 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: have to do back then, so that I could kind 180 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: of demonstrate how I think it should be performed. And 181 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: so I would want to be off book for that 182 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: and then say, look, everything you see me do that 183 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: you like, steal that and make it your own, and 184 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: everything I do that looks like crap. Just throw it away. 185 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: They You're not gonna hurt my feelings the word for word, 186 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: That's what I said to a lot of wrestlers. So 187 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: that's what I was doing with Jeff and I would 188 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: sit in my apartment in New York all by myself, 189 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: and usually I would just have music going on the TV, 190 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,719 Speaker 1: like your satellite TV as music channels. You don't use 191 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: these anymore because it's but I would put on one 192 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: of those channels and I would just sit there and 193 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: I would try to make my dad a sympathetic professional wrestler. 194 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: And that's what each and every one of these were. 195 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: And he would talk about the world just sees me 196 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: in black and white, but I am the gray, meaning 197 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: he could not never possibly be on either side of 198 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 1: that argument. He it's impossible for him. You guys won't 199 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: let him. So he's an outcast. And that's what his 200 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 1: fans were at the time. They were the outcast fans. 201 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: They were the ones that rooted for the guy that 202 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: was never going to be champ, and they knew it, 203 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: and they bought his merchandise anyway. And this was a 204 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 1: key component to the whole pitch that I made. When 205 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: I made it was I asked if I could see 206 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: the merchandise numbers for a bunch of the wrestlers, And 207 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: this was before I was assigned the Jeff Hardy pitch, 208 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: and I saw that Jeff's arm bands were like I 209 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: think at the time, either the I want to say, 210 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: I pitched him as the top seller. They may have 211 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: been the second top seller, or at least for a 212 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 1: week they were the top seller. So maybe I used 213 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 1: that as like my example. But he sold a lot 214 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: of freaking arm bands, okay, And they were like the 215 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: Spider Man webs that went up each arm and and 216 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: these things went and Jeff Hardy merchandise and his T 217 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: shirts they were they were selling like crazy. So I 218 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: put together this whole pitch, and I pre wrote every 219 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: promo that you guys saw. I presented to Vince on 220 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: the same day. Everything was written. Now, some thing's changed. 221 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: The Taker promo didn't when they went to London, the 222 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: Taker Jeff promo and then a couple like Jeff. Things 223 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: would change here in there. But the other people edged 224 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: stayed enjoyed staying locked into what I wrote. Vicky enjoyed 225 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: staying locked into what I wrote. It was a little 226 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: bit of Hunter. He wrote his own stuff. He kind 227 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: of did his own thing, and we'll get into that 228 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: at the end. This was when Hunter, I don't know 229 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 1: if he ever liked me, but he was always respectful, 230 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: but this was when he was kind of like done 231 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: with me. And I respect Hunter, but he was for 232 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: sure done with me, and I get it. We're doing 233 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: these promos and I'm talking about the Gray Area, and 234 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: I'm talking about what it's like to be judged every 235 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: single day of your life, and the promos are really 236 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: getting over with the audience. And the trick to these, well, 237 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: first the trick was finding Jeff in order to shoot 238 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: the promo. So we get there early, at like nine 239 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: ten am. Sometimes a little later earlier was better. Most 240 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: people hated it. But the earlier we got there, granted, 241 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: the production meeting was longer, but I had more time 242 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: to email people what I needed to email, which gave 243 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: them more time to learn their stuff or at least 244 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: understand the philosophy, and it benefited everyone. He got there 245 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: usually around ten AM for most of these, I feel 246 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: like I would get to sign my crew. A lot 247 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: of my stuff was pre approved, but his championship was 248 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: not approved. Just this storyline of the Gray Area was approved. 249 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: We're all getting our assignments, and the best way I 250 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: think to find Jeff is to find Matt right, and 251 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: I was cool with Matt. He had punched me in 252 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: the eye on accident one time, gave me a black 253 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 1: eye while he was warming up, so he was always like, 254 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 1: he's always been very sympathetic and kind for nearly fracturing 255 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: my head. And I finally go, hey, man, where's your brother? 256 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: And he goes, good luck with that, and so no, 257 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: there's no panic, but I gotta find him. It's a 258 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: big promo. It was very deep. I never I emailed 259 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: Jeff a lot of promos, but I never received an 260 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: email back, so I don't know if he ever saw 261 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: any of them until the day of until the day 262 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: we shot them. But I said him a lot. I 263 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: said him a lot of emails. So I'm looking all 264 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: around the arena, I do a full lap. I don't 265 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: see him. I find I think it was drough McIntire 266 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: and I say, hey, man, have you seen Jeff? He said, yeah, 267 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: he's back by Catering, which is on the complete opposite 268 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: side of ore. I man, So I go all the 269 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,239 Speaker 1: way back to catering. He's not there. I'm like, Natalia, 270 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: this is Nattie Nidhart, say Natalia, have you seen Jeff? 271 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: Because I think he's back by the buses. I run 272 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: back to the buses. Nobody there, not even someone to 273 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: ask have you seen Jeff. I get back, I find 274 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: Matt again, or I don't find Matt. Matt finds me. 275 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: He goes, hey, man, I saw Jeff. He's back by 276 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: the locker rooms. I go to the locker rooms. He's 277 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: not in there. I go to into the stairwell next 278 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: to the locker rooms on pure Jedi instincts, and Jeff 279 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: sitting on the stairs and he's he's not his head's 280 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: not down, but he's just sitting there and I go, oh, hey, hey, man, 281 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: with What's what's going on? He goes, oh, hey, sorry, man, sorry. 282 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: He's got this like cool Carolina drawl when he when 283 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: he speaks, and I say, we got this promo to day. 284 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: It's all approved. I said, you know, I emailed it 285 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: to you. I don't know if you got it. Goes 286 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: oh yeah, right on, right on, But he doesn't say 287 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: whether he got the email or not. And he starts 288 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: looking at it and reading through it. I say, take 289 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: your time. I say, I'm gonna stay right outside the 290 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: door though, so that if you have any questions or 291 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: anything that you wanna, you know, work on we can 292 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: work on it together, and uh, he says, no, it's okay, man, 293 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: I just I wanna. I really want to learn these 294 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: I like, I like your promos. I want to memorize it. 295 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: And I see that, so I'm like, I'm gonna leave 296 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: him alone. I'm gonna leave m alone. So I leave 297 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: him alone on this first one. We get to a 298 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: backstage area where we're gonna shoot this because I didn't 299 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: want him to do it in ring yet. And we 300 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: start filming and he's not happy with the vibe of 301 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: it because he doesn't get enough time to memorize. That's 302 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: still the biggest issue with the w w E. If 303 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: you're not going to give him time to learn it, 304 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: let them write for themselves, or don't write for them period. 305 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: Just give him a starting place, a midpoint, and an 306 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: endpoint and let him flow. But we didn't have that. 307 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: We didn't have that option. He's not to and it. 308 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: I know it's not where it needs to be, but 309 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: I know it can be better, right, So I say, 310 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: all right, hold up, dude, and I literally write the 311 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: promo out on que cards, on a lot of them 312 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: because we didn't have paper. Big enough to do the 313 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: whole thing on one and so it doesn't look like 314 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: he's reading off a que card. I tell him, hey, 315 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna move it around two different parts of 316 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: the camera. We won't move the camera. It'll just be 317 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: me moving with the que cards. And you can kind 318 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: of let your face move when you feel pain and 319 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: that will sort of motivate the move to where you 320 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: can see the card again. He's like, all right, all right, 321 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: And this was a quick hustle that we had to do. 322 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: You only get so much time to get these done 323 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: and then approved and then edited into the show. This 324 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: was SmackDown. This wasn't on Monday Night Row. We're doing 325 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: our thing and it's working, and it takes us like 326 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: two or three takes and then it's really flowing and 327 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: he nails it and he's almost hardly even looking at 328 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: the cards now. He said it so much, and we 329 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: get it done, I get it in. It gets on 330 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: TV and the crowd pops big for it, and for SmackDown. 331 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: Then that was rarer because it wasn't the more popular show. 332 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: And they would literally put canned applause in because the 333 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,479 Speaker 1: reactions were never as as good. Maybe people knew it 334 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: wasn't live. I don't know. It was like canned laughter 335 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: on a sitcom, which you do not pull, or maybe 336 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: some actors do. Maybe maybe they don't like it. I 337 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: don't know. We're outside questioning yet. The pop is so 338 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: real that Vince literally says on the headphones. So that 339 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: was a real pop. And I'm like, oh, we're good, 340 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: We're good, We're good. The storyline starting to develop. He's 341 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: going after Edge, nobody trusts it, and we're a week 342 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 1: out from pitching him as champion. Edge still has the 343 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 1: belt and Hunters like right on the edge of the 344 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: of the championship picture. At that point, the promos are 345 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: all going well. I got Jeff his promo early that 346 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: morning because he was there with his brother, so like 347 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: nine or ten o'clock, and then, uh, they went to 348 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: the locker room to go to sleep, take a nap. 349 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: Our Truth was already in there taking a nap, but 350 00:17:58,200 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: we had to be there early for some reason. So 351 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 1: he and the wrestlers did we go that night. Jeff's 352 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,959 Speaker 1: got his promo completely memorized. He doesn't do it for me, 353 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: but I know he does. You could just kind of 354 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 1: see it in his eyes, right so we're gonna shoot 355 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: this thing. We're getting ready to rock and roll, and 356 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: all the power goes out and we can't We can't 357 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 1: record anything. Now. Our camera can record, it's on battery, right, 358 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: our sound can. They don't have to be plugged in, 359 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: but we have no lights. Now it's time to start 360 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: giving credit to other people. This was well before we 361 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: get into that. Let's give credit where it's dude. The 362 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 1: London Show, which I skimmed over. I didn't go to. 363 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: I didn't want to fly all the way to London. 364 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: I was living in New York at the time and 365 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: taking the train to Stanford every week. And so they 366 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: went and Krista Joseph was the one who shot that 367 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: whole segment and fought for the segment when people in 368 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: the room wanted to change a lot of it. He 369 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: fought for it. Free Bird fought for it. I don't 370 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: know who else did. I'm sure someone else did. I 371 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: wasn't there, so I can't give you credit, but I 372 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: know for a fact they did, as my buddy who 373 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: did go told me so h So that promo goes 374 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: off without a hitch. They say it word for word 375 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: how I wrote it, and DJ shot it well, and 376 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 1: he had to. You have to understand he had to 377 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: cut back and forth from undertake her in ring to 378 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: Hardy backstage on a pre written thing that I wrote, 379 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: and the writer's not there. So this it's a challenge 380 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 1: to pull that off. So credit to the trucks as 381 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: well for for editing so quickly, because they have to. 382 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: So we're back. We're now getting ready to shoot the 383 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: promo and the power goes out and Stephanie McMahon comes 384 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 1: by and she's like, what the hell is going on? 385 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't know what the hell is going on? 386 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: We have no power. We can't shoot. She goes, the 387 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: cameras work, don't they go? They do? She goes, then 388 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: we can shoot. We're not going to be able to 389 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,959 Speaker 1: see anything. She goes, hold up. She starts looking around. 390 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: We're literally in like a suite at a at a 391 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: basketball arena, and she's literally frantically looking around, opening cabinet stores. 392 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: I start looking through cabinets and drawers. She finds a 393 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: pen light, a green pen light. I grab a highball glass. 394 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: She show finding it at me. Right, I grab a 395 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: highball glass, like, shine it through this glass. She grabs 396 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: the glass and shines it through. One of the guys 397 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: had a flashlight on him and so he does the 398 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: same thing. One of the crew guys. Of course they would, 399 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: And we use this kind of just ghetto light slash glad. 400 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: We're like MythBusters, like creating new ways to to to 401 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: shoot things. And steph McMahon, the daughter of the owner 402 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: of the company, she's literally holding a glass and a 403 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: green light and lighting Jeff Hardy and so is one 404 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: of the other crew guys. And I'm holding que cards. 405 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: That's where the flashlight came from. He gave it to me, 406 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: and I'm holding it on the que cards so Jeff 407 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,360 Speaker 1: can read the que cards even though he's he's locked in, 408 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: but we we need to be there. It helped him. 409 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: So we shoot this whole thing and Vince freaking loves it. 410 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: And I'm looking at Stephanie and and we didn't see 411 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: I I on a lot of stuff, but this is 412 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: where she really earned my respect because she was willing 413 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: to get her hands dirty and there was no way 414 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: we were going to fail. It just wasn't an option. 415 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: And I, uh, you know, I'm sitting there going like 416 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: we're screwed. What what can I do? I gotta I 417 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: gotta find a generator or wait for the power to 418 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: come on. She came in and there's no wait. No, 419 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: we're not waiting. We're gonna get this. We're not gonna 420 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: get screwed. If the power comes back on, we'll shoot 421 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: it again. But we're getting this, and we're getting it now. 422 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: Not only do we get it, it looked way cooler 423 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: than it would have looked if we had full power. 424 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: Maybe not to you, but in the moment and the 425 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: adrenaline that's going on these shows, it's a big it's 426 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 1: a big deal, and they put a lot on the line. 427 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: It's their families. It's not just their company, it's their 428 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: family's name that's on the line every week. I know 429 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,239 Speaker 1: a lot of you know fans will say, well, they 430 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: don't seem to worry about that too much, the way 431 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: they booked things. I get that. I get that, And 432 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: there's a lot of stuff in the w W E 433 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,959 Speaker 1: that I can't stand. All right. I love carrying Cross. 434 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: When they brought him up to the main roster, I 435 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: literally was like, he's done and that's it. And then 436 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,719 Speaker 1: they released him. So I'm with you. I get it. 437 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: I love Bray Wyatt too, I'm with you. But they 438 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: do take pride in their name, and they do take 439 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: pride in their company. And this is just an example 440 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: that's not on a gossip column somewhere where I can 441 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: legit tell you. Home girl rolled up her sleeves, Doug 442 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: a foxhole, got a gun, figuratively took post and was 443 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: not letting anybody get over that line like it was. 444 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: I loved her for that. I literally loved her for that, 445 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: and it helped us accomplished the story that we were 446 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: trying to accomplish. So we're kicking, but with the promos. 447 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: I'm in here by the way, by the way, you guys. 448 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,199 Speaker 1: I was in New York the first time I've been 449 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: in New York since I worked for w w E. 450 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: I was making this We're on a side quest making 451 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: this movie. This is how crazy Manhattan was. I literally 452 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 1: moved to Brooklyn halfway through. So the first like five 453 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: days I'm there, there's this homeless dude outside that either 454 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: was massively hooked on drugs or straight up had sponti 455 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: biffo like the way he was talking like, I was 456 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 1: worried about this guy. Every day. It would get real 457 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,679 Speaker 1: cold at night, there were some nice days, but at 458 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: night it would get real cold. One night, he's standing 459 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: outside the apartment that they set me up in to 460 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: where like you can't get in the apartment unless you 461 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: step over, and I'm this is kind of a sad story, 462 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: but I'm looking at the guy. I'm like, man, this 463 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: man he looks dead, right, So I climb over. I 464 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,880 Speaker 1: literally step over the dude. Tell the doorman. He's like, no, man, 465 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: he's out there every night. I come down the next 466 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 1: morning nine hours later. They called a forced call. When 467 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: you don't get twelve hours off, everyone's like, you get 468 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: twelve hours off, bro, screw you not all the time. 469 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: I come downstairs and my driver was this nice Puerto 470 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: Rican lady named Janetta, and she's crying and I'm like, 471 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: what's wrong and she goes. When I got here, they 472 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: took the poor man in the in the ambulance. He 473 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: was dead. It was like messing with my head. I 474 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: was talking to the hair and make up people and 475 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: a trailer that that morning at work, I'm like, yo, 476 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 1: it was like Manhattan, so different, and it's like messing 477 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: with me and the producer her and he's like, dude, 478 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: what a dead body? I was like, yeah, he goes, 479 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: You're going to Brooklyn. So I went to Brooklyn and 480 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: everyone had a smile on their face. Everyone had a beard. 481 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: Not the girls, y'all didn't have beards, but the guys 482 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,880 Speaker 1: had great beards. Everyone had dogs. They let me pet 483 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: their dogs. I didn't steal any of their dogs, which 484 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: was hard. People walk around with like sushi and coffee 485 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: with real sugar because there's no artificial sweetener in Brooklyn. 486 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: They don't allow it. And thank you Brooklyn, because uh, 487 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: I was very It was very this l A boy 488 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: was very unequipped for Manhattan this time around. So anyway, 489 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: we get to the pay per view and this is 490 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: the match where we have pitched that Jeff Hardy is 491 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: gonna go over. Now all the top dogs know this 492 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: is where the story is going. Vince knows this, Kevin 493 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: Dunn knows this. Bruce Pritchard of course, Freebird, it's his idea. 494 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: I don't believe the agents know until the moment that 495 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: we're about to speak of, and Hunter for sure knows, 496 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: and Stephanie for sure knows. We get in there and 497 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: I believe it's Armageddon was the name of the pay 498 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: per view, and we sit down and we make our 499 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: or I don't do it, but Michael makes his pitch 500 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: for the match. The finish with Hardy going over for 501 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: the championship, nobody says anything. It's super quiet, and Vince goes, 502 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,719 Speaker 1: anybody have any thoughts and a couple of the agents 503 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: speak up and they you know, they're pro, They're pro Jeff. 504 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: He's been working hard. We even did an angle. I 505 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 1: get mad at the way the media treats wrestling, but like, 506 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: I just always hated it. So we even pulled one 507 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: on them where we took that Jeff storyline of him, 508 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 1: you know, being this the screw up that the w 509 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: W we had him, and we leaked a story that 510 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: wasn't even true with Jeff's permission to uh like CNN 511 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: or somebody, and they bought it and so CNN, here's this, 512 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: I've got you suckers deal with that, and uh, it 513 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: wasn't even true, and it was gonna help us, hi Jeff, 514 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: so that he could be this like surprise his entrance 515 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: and make this match like a triple threat, I think 516 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: is how the story was going to go. But but yeah, 517 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: they ran with that story and we got to burn 518 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: them on it. Later and Vince like that we got 519 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: to give them the middle finger because the media has 520 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: never been good to the w w E or WWF. 521 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: I remember specifically, Kevin Dunn did not want Jeff to 522 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: be champion, and he kind of like shrugged his shoulders. 523 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: He goes, you gotta be kidding me with this, and 524 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: Vince doesn't say anything. He regards the opinion. He hears 525 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: some other agents like speak up and they say good thing. 526 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: I remember arn Anderson said good things. Pritchard hasn't said 527 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: anything yet. And then Hunter speaks up and goes, are 528 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: we seriously I'm going to do a triple agent pressure? 529 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 1: Are we seriously gonna fucking trist this guy? And that 530 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: was like a sniper bullet taking you out at the leg, 531 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: an honest bullet, but a bullet just the same. I 532 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: was nervous that someone might say it because they would 533 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,919 Speaker 1: be right. But I believed the story we were telling, 534 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: or we're trying to tell, was was worth the risk. 535 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: I genuinely did. I thought we were telling an honest, 536 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,640 Speaker 1: interesting wrestling story, and I don't think that's the easiest 537 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: thing in the world to do, and I don't think 538 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: you can just stick it on anyone. I think it 539 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 1: has to fit the talent, and this story fit. And 540 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: so I've been preparing the whole time, and Michael was 541 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: gonna let me take any more bullets, for sure, because 542 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:40,360 Speaker 1: it's just he just wasn't He brought these guys in. Man, 543 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: he fought for the hearties more times than anyone in 544 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: the company, and he knew the foundation we were standing 545 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: on better than anyone. And I knew that's why he 546 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: put it on me because I was smelling good to 547 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,919 Speaker 1: the boss at the time. I always smelled good to 548 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: the bus, thank you very much. And uh so I'm like, 549 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: all right, this is gonna be this is gonna be 550 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: my argument. And I know d Jail speak up. But Hunter, 551 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: if he wants to smash on dj he can smash 552 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 1: on him. And Vince can smash on anyone. But the 553 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: only one who could really smash on me was Vince, 554 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: because anybody else I could speak to on at least 555 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: an equal playing field, maybe not as far as like 556 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: wrestling knowledge, but as far as like confidence and what 557 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: I knew I brought to the table, and the fact 558 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: that I could walk away. So those are my only cards. 559 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: So I start pitching why this is a good idea, 560 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: and I'm telling this is an honest story. We've done 561 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: nothing but tell the truth. I said, if he has 562 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: a relapse, if he goes down again, you take the 563 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: title off him. I said, you've taken it off and 564 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: before for stuff like that on smaller belts. I said, 565 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 1: we've taken it off other people in a day. I said, 566 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: we can pull this off. I said, you gotta you know. 567 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: I'm giving him this passion plea. It's about five minutes long. 568 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: And then Hunter starts shooting it down again, and I 569 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: don't you know, I don't want it to be a fight. 570 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: I don't want it to be an argument. I don't 571 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: want to have any He's in the company, but I 572 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: don't want this whole story that we built up to 573 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: let the fans of Jeff Hardy down again. And it's 574 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: my idea. There's some pride and there's some ego there 575 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: that I believe is worthy of this brass ring, so 576 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: to speak. Right, So we're having our creative argument back 577 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: and forth. Hunter starts challenging the merits of the story, 578 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: but that's hard for him to do because I had 579 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: this thing plotted out. So I got an answer for 580 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: him at every stop, and then he brings up the 581 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: reliability again, and I say, I'm a kind of out 582 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: of options, so I just hit him. Would look as 583 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: unreliable as this dude has been. He's the number one 584 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: selling merch guy that we have in the company. And 585 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: I threw out his numbers from whatever week I saw it, right, 586 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,719 Speaker 1: I go, that's off those armed bands and his T shirts. 587 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: I said, these fans believe in him more than any 588 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: other wrestler in the company, and that includes you, which 589 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have said, but I did. I wanted Jeff 590 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: to go over in this freaking match. It gets kind 591 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: of quiet, and I'm looking at Vince and I go, 592 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: we came all this way. If we don't make him 593 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: champ now, we're never gonna do it. And if he 594 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: screws up, it's on me, and uh, Vince kind of 595 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: sits there for a moment, and then he says, all right, Uh, 596 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: everybody get out, and everybody means everybody except Bruce, Kevin 597 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: and Hunter, right, So that means I have to go. 598 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: So I'm gone, Freebird's gone, DJ is gone. We're all 599 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: waiting outside. We don't like go to our stations. We're 600 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: waiting outside. We want to know the answer. The production 601 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: meeting on this day was on the same floor as 602 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: like the V I P. Cafeteria, So there's this like 603 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: empty cafeteria behind us, a lot of free space. We're 604 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: sitting there and I'm looking at Freebird and I go, 605 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: what do you think? And he goes, I don't know. 606 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: You know, you did your best. He's like trying to 607 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: prep me for failure. So now I'm like, shoot, Ben, 608 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: it's just not gonna happen, Like, is it seriously gonna 609 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: get get killed right now? And listen again, Hunter was 610 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: proven right at the end of the day. I mean, 611 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: Jeff got in trouble. I think less than a year 612 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: after this happened. They gave him the other belt after that, 613 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: the other championship, and then he got in trouble and 614 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: then got a bigger trouble and had to leave the 615 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: company for a while. So at the end of the 616 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: day he was right. But all of a sudden, the 617 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: door swings open and only Hunter comes out, and he 618 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: doesn't even look at me right, and he walks by. 619 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: And so this now means two things. One, this dude 620 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: doesn't like me anymore, and it's probably gonna work against 621 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: me now, which is what happened, and to just gonna 622 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: be the world heavyweight champion, which is the whole point 623 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: of this in the first place. And so I'm willing 624 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,959 Speaker 1: to take these bullets and I'm willing to get him 625 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: the champion or to you know, to get this story 626 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: through so he can be the champion. And I watched 627 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 1: the match from like the back, like a side, like 628 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: a side entrance, right, and Hunters not involved in the 629 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: finish because he did not believe in the idea and 630 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: I respect that. And Jeff comes in and he gets 631 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: it on on edge. I think Hunter was out of 632 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: the ring at the time. And then he climbs up 633 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: the scaffolding and which is psycho dangerous, but he did 634 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 1: it before the match, did at once, just to show 635 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: that he could. And he holds the belt up there 636 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 1: like the highest point in the arena, which speaks volumes 637 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: to who Jeff Hardy is, dude still wrestles today, who 638 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: he is as a professional wrestler, and who he's always 639 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: been as a professional wrestler. And we got that storyline through, 640 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 1: and it was definitely it wasn't the most proud of 641 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: a story because I had another story that we'll talk 642 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: about on another episode that I was more proud of, 643 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: but it just didn't get as much love because it 644 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: wasn't it wasn't Jeff, and and it was something that 645 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: me and the talent manufactured as opposed to bringing real 646 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: stuff out from my own life and the history that 647 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: I had with my father and Jeff's trials and tribulations 648 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: during that time as well. Um with consent and with 649 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: permission of course, but there are there's a smaller one 650 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: that that didn't. They didn't last, but I have more 651 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: pride than that. But it definitely, you know, it gave 652 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: me a lot of latitude which you don't normally have 653 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: as a writer there after after Jeff, to work with 654 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: younger talent and to kind of spread my wings a 655 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: little more. But it caused problems as well. They had 656 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: a wrestler that he looked like the rock Um, not 657 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: as big, and he could speak English, Arabic, Hebrew and 658 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: something else man and he and I had this cool 659 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: kind of idea that we had worked out. And I 660 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: remember this was maybe like a couple of weeks after 661 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: the Jeff thing, and Hunter came up to me and 662 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: he was like, hey, man, I'm working with in a 663 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: month something, so you don't need to work with it. 664 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:49,719 Speaker 1: He didn't say stay away from him, but he's saying amen, 665 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: like I want you around the guys that I like. 666 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: And so that's when I was kind of like, ah, 667 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: that sucks, man, Like you know, I was just trying 668 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 1: to you don't do right by the company. And Jeff's 669 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: sales went through the roof even more after that, and 670 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: the storyline lasted pretty strong. We gave Jeff an entering 671 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 1: one with Edge that went a little sideways because it 672 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: was entering and not in a controlled environment, but he 673 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 1: still got over and the crowd started chanting with Jeff, 674 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 1: which was, you know, the goal anyway, just it went 675 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: a different way than I wanted. But I'm a dungeon 676 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: master in Dungeons and Dragons, so I'm prepared when things 677 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: go off the rails. But yeah, man, it was that 678 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: was a bittersweet moment in the company, and it was 679 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,720 Speaker 1: the first time I really started considering, like is it 680 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: is it worth it? There's so many egos here. I'm 681 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 1: gonna hurt someone's feelings every time they lose a match. 682 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: It was true. I mean I had dudes come up 683 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 1: to me and say, hey, man, if I lose another match, 684 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: I feel like they're gonna let me go. I'm not 685 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,879 Speaker 1: trained to do anything else that resonated with me. It's 686 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: a humbling it's a humbling moment for anyone to go to. 687 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: I'm not saying the dude's name. But he followed it 688 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: with like, I don't want to be packing groceries if 689 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: I get released, and I was like, man, I gotta 690 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: get something. His student wasn't even on my on my 691 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: list of people are supposed to be working for. And 692 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: I started writing for him and his valet, this you know, 693 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: twisted sick thing that might work on the w W 694 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: E S version of E c W, which they still 695 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,359 Speaker 1: had at the time. I probably worked on it for 696 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: I think two weeks and they released him ten days in. 697 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 1: I didn't know, And I found out on the SmackDown 698 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: that they shot E c W on the same day 699 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 1: a SmackDown on Tuesday back then, that they let Homeboy go. 700 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: And I was just like, dang, he knew he saw 701 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: it come in. Show business in general is real cutthroat, 702 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: and a lot of people talk about luck and I'm 703 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 1: here to tell you there's no such thing there is 704 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:55,320 Speaker 1: being prepared for opportunities, and there has been unprepared for opportunities. 705 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 1: The son of a gun in this group is the 706 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: opportunit unity because we never know when it's gonna come, 707 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 1: and far too many of us, far too often are 708 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: unprepared when those opportunities present themselves. So if you have 709 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: a passion, you have to be ready because you never 710 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: ever know when it's going to present itself. I'm telling you, 711 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:25,359 Speaker 1: when I was an acting class, you hear actors talk about, 712 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: oh I got an audition tomorrow, Oh what time I'm 713 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: at ten? I gotta be there early at nine, And 714 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: then you hear that same actor say, you know, hey, 715 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: let's go drinking after class. Well, you know where my 716 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: head's going. I didn't party until I made it right, 717 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,319 Speaker 1: So in my head, I'm like, this dude ain't making 718 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,839 Speaker 1: his nine am meeting, But you know who is met, 719 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: and those are the opportunities I would bust my ass 720 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: on the scene. I wasn't even supposed to be in 721 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 1: on go with. I'll even tell you a name, because 722 00:36:56,239 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: Brian knows I did. It was Ryan Philippi and uh, 723 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: he wasn't gonna make that meeting. And I showed up 724 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 1: and they said Ryan, and I walked straight in. The 725 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: assistant knew I wasn't Ryan, and I gave the read 726 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 1: and the director goes, that's a that's a great job. 727 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: I said, oh thanks. He goes, who are you? And 728 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 1: I just like checked my shoes right away, right like 729 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:21,400 Speaker 1: eyes to the floor and shame. And the casting director 730 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,359 Speaker 1: knew the jig was up, and I look up. I go, yeah, 731 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: I'm Freddie, and before they could say anything, shout out 732 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,400 Speaker 1: but she wouldn't see me otherwise, and the director starts laughing. 733 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 1: He goes, you did great, man, you did great. He goes, 734 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 1: give me your last name. I say, friends. He goes, 735 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: all right, I booked this job. The casting director never 736 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:42,439 Speaker 1: sees me again. So I don't know what you want 737 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: to take from that. Either take advantage of the opportunity 738 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: and lose out on others, or lose out on all 739 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: the opportunities. But I knew if I studied my ass 740 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: off and gave the best audition, I would have the 741 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: best opportunity to book that job. And I've seen wrestlers 742 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 1: do it. I've seen them get their chance and and 743 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: have that match where maybe they weren't supposed to or May, 744 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,320 Speaker 1: even though they were gonna lose, it was going to 745 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: be an eight and they're on the twenty side as 746 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: far as who's going to get over, and then the 747 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 1: other wrestler, the veteran, it's like, hey, we're gonna make 748 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: this sixt and they give this other wrestler a shot. 749 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,879 Speaker 1: I watched Edge do it with Dolph Ziggler early on 750 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: and he came backstage. I'll never forget this. Vince goes, 751 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 1: how do you do? And Edge goes that dude can work, 752 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 1: and that was all it took, and all of a sudden, 753 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: Ziggler had had Vicky and Ziggler became a champion. And 754 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: it's he was prepared for the moment. And when you're 755 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: prepared for that moment, opportunity has no choice but to 756 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: roll out the red carpet. If you're unprepared, it's it's 757 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: a crappy road that hasn't been paved in forty years 758 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: and you're a Porsche. You're a Porsche driving on this 759 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 1: horrible street. Why are you doing that? So always, always, 760 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:59,080 Speaker 1: always be prepared. This isn't really connected. This is just 761 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 1: another side question. But especially if you're an artist, work 762 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: that craft. Be ready to present it to people. If 763 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 1: you're a painter, have a have a portfolio ready to go. 764 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 1: If your sculptor, don't give them all the way, save 765 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: some so you have something to show people. If you're 766 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,759 Speaker 1: a writer, you better be writing as soon as you 767 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: turn this podcast off. And if it's a wrestling movie 768 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:22,919 Speaker 1: and that nobody thinks it's gonna get made, screw them. 769 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:27,760 Speaker 1: Write it anyway, right, what you want, not what people 770 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: tell you to write. That's a good message for all 771 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 1: you streamers out there that stream video games or whatever. 772 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: I see you at. What should I play? No, no, no, no, no. 773 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: Play what you want to play. That's what's authentic. Anything else, 774 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: you're gonna burn out. Maybe that's why I didn't last 775 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 1: in the wrestling business. I tried to write for everybody, 776 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 1: and I burned out. All Right, you guys, thanks for 777 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,759 Speaker 1: tuning in. I'll see everybody next week with a brand 778 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: new episode of Wrestling with Freddie. This has been a 779 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,280 Speaker 1: production of I Hearts Michael podcast Network. For more podcasts 780 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:00,640 Speaker 1: for my Heart Radio. Is it the I Heart Radio app, 781 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows? 782 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:09,120 Speaker 1: H m hm mm hmmmmm.