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Interview Recap - Tod Gordon

Posted in Interview Recaps by Jack at 17:36, Jun 08 2007

by Norrin Radd

June 7th, 2007 IYH Tod Gordon Interview Recap
by Norrin Radd

Tod Gordon, founder of Eastern Championship Wrestling, later Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a guest on the June 7th, 2007 edition of the In Your Head radio show hosted by Jack, OneInchBiceps and Barbie Richards at http://www.inyourheadonline.com

Gordon was there to promote Pro Wrestling Unplugged?s Crazy 8 2007 show on June 16th at the New Alhambra Arena, formerly known as the ECW Arena, in Philadelphia. For more show and ticket information visit www.prowrestlingunplugged.com.

Gordon discussed the special atmosphere of the New Alhambra Arena, which they can no longer call the ECW Arena because of obvious legal reasons, and how it?s become arguably the second most well known wrestling arena after Madison Square Garden.

The origins of the Crazy 8 match were explained to be a match created by Johnny Kashmere approximately two years ago involving ?ropes hanging from the ceiling, trampolines, steel cages that are hung from the guard rails, and some of the most insane and ridiculous spots you?ve ever seen in your life,?

Gordon mentioned that ever since he and 2 Cold Scorpio watched the 2006 Crazy 8 show together at his home, 2 Cold had been wanting to do this match and will be this year after his recent release from his ECW/WWE contract.

Asked if it?s difficult to create new and innovative match concepts, Gordon stated it?s hard to create anything innovative, but it can be done and the Crazy 8 is an example.

Gordon said that 2 Cold is in tremendous shape, down 25 lbs and still working an incredible work rate. When asked about his feelings concerning how 2 Cold was handled by ECW/WWE Gordon said he believed 2 Cold was given a raw deal when he was hired to reprise his role as Flash Funk by ECW/WWE, being paid for 9 months to sit at home and then being told that ?creative? had nothing for him.

Caller, Chris Da Crusher, asked whether he was ever contacted to be involved in the ?Rise and Fall of ECW? DVD, and his opinion of it. Gordon said that he was never contacted by WWE except for legal matters. He also felt that since so many people integral to ECW like Shane Douglas, Joey Styles, and himself had no involvement with the DVD that the true story of the rise and fall of the federation couldn?t truly be told properly. Unless you were a WWE employee you weren?t involved and that made it hollow.

Regarding the new direction of ECW on television after the success of the first two One Night Stand pay-per-views, Gordon said he wasn?t surprised. He believed Vince got what he wanted which was to kill off the chants of ?E-C-W? by morphing the company into something more like the WWE, and make ECW something light. It became a joke by putting people like Kurt Angle and Eric Bischoff into ECW shows.

When he was asked what made him want to become involved with wrestling again and the PWU. Gordon said he actually had come back to wrestling working for Jasmine St. Claire?s 3PW, but wanted to own his own company again and not work for someone else, which led to his involvement with Pro Wrestling Unplugged.

Gordon spoke highly of Johnny Kashmere?s work ethic.

He also talked about the PWU Tailg8 Party before the show. The first 150 fans to arrive at the Tailg8 Party will receive a free comic book from Ontario Comics and a free Tailg8 mug. The fans get to meet up close and personal people like the Nasty Boys, Mercedes Martinez, Johnny Kashmere, Annie Social, 2 Cold Scorpio, Joey Matthews (Joey Mercury), and all the stars of PWU. Along with music provided by DJ Ryske and food and drink. It's a summer barbeque atmosphere for the fans to interact with Pro Wrestling Unplugged.

PWU tries to be a fan friendly organization like ECW was, according to Tod Gordon. Part of that fan friendly approach is PWU?s Commissioner Idol contest in which the fans can send in their videos to audition to be the next Commissioner of Pro Wrestling Unplugged. Whoever wins will seriously become PWU's next Commissioner.

Riren asked what would be Gordon?s favorite moment in PWU. Gordon said the possible choices for him might be the S.A.T. and All Money Is Legal matches, Trent Acid and Devon Moore with a scaffold, or Johnny Kashmere and the Sandman. He said he really couldn?t pick a favorite moment.

Caller, Riren, then asked who got the idea with bringing in Burt Ward (Robin from the Batman television series). He said that Johnny Kashmere, after months of wearing a utility belt to the ring and thinking of himself as Batman, actually called up Burt Ward and said what?s Batman without Robin. Kashmere called Gordon and told him that he is Batman and he?s bringing Robin to be in his corner.

Gordon then mentioned the Iron Man match between the S.A.T. and All Money is Legal at the Crazy 8 show, along with Joey Matthews (Joey Mercury), Sunny, The Nasty Boys, and many others. This is PWU?s WrestleMania according to Gordon.

He also mentioned being a part of the XFC and having student tryouts with ?The Pitbull? Gary Wolfe and the XFC Academy.

Gordon also said that his goal was to have something for everyone to be interested and drawn to in PWU.

When asked about whether he always tries to have a good mixture of younger unknown talent and older more established faces, he spoke of how no one really knew of Shane Douglas or Sabu until Terry Funk and Paul Heyman made them and that he?s always tried to do that.

Jason then asked about the background of the TWA, to which Gordon asked if he was 90 years old. He then elaborated more on the Philadelphia promotion run by Joel Goodheart.

A story was then told about Abdullah the Butcher and the Head Hunters in which the Head Hunters went through an arena wall into the dressing room during a show and on the other side Abby was standing in his underwear exposed to the crowd.

Gordon then segwayed into talking about PWU talent like T.J. Cannon, Lucky, Bruce Maxwell, and J.C. Ryder and their upcoming 4 Way Dance match at Crazy 8.

When asked whether he has had any recent problems with TNA since they now no longer allow their talent to appear in other promotions? DVDs, Gordon said they?re not currently using any TNA talent, but they?ve had guys like Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels in the past. PWU is developing their own talent now and have guys who can hold their own like Aramis, Devon Moore, Detox, and ?The Complete? Pete Hunter.

Many of their new guys come from the XFC Academy with ?The Pitbull? Gary Wolfe which he helps out with sometimes.

On the subject of his book ever being released, Gordon said he pulled the plug on his book because the publishers waited too long to publish it, along with the fact that he spoke about Paul Heyman in the book and now that he?s sitting at home he doesn?t want to kick Heyman while he?s down. He said that the book contained all sorts of sordid details involving Sandman, Bill Alfonso, Scorpio and himself.

Gordon was asked to tell a road story that would have been in the book.

Before getting to the story ECW?s wellness policy was mentioned and Gordon stated that ECW had a wellness policy and if you could pass a drug test you couldn?t work for ECW.

Gordon then briefly described walking into a room one night on the road and discovering Sandman, Scorpio, and someone blindfolded and handcuffed naked to a table in a hotel room, music playing, guys drinking and smoking.

Tod Gordon then recapped many of the things he had mentioned about Pro Wrestling Unplugged and the upcoming Crazy 8 show. He also spoke about working with the Insane Clown Posse, who were great and a pleasure to work with.

TC Anderson, asked whether Gordon still speaks to Paul Heyman and what Heyman thinks about the new ECW. He said he speaks to Paul maybe every 10 days, but that they rarely talk wrestling, usually talking about family instead.

He then spoke about how ECW was one of the first to respect the fans and tell the truth to the crowd when they made mistakes.

Gordon said that those that remember the original ECW will never lose what they saw and experienced, and those that only know the new ECW don?t know any better. You can?t find the same kind of passion among the fans of a promotion today that was in ECW.

Riren, asked what went wrong with PWU and Raven. Gordon said nothing went wrong, and that it was a very amicable parting. TNA simply made Raven choose.

Finally, Gordon very amusingly said that the original ECW gang is still very tight and still talked all the time, and thanked everyone for their support of Pro Wrestling Unplugged.

Pro Wrestling Unplugged?s Crazy 8 2007 show on June 16th at the New Alhambra Arena, formerly known as the ECW Arena, in Philadelphia. For more show and ticket information visit www.prowrestlingunplugged.com.

Check out the actual interview in it's entirety at In Your Head radio and join the show live every Wednesday at 8e/9c pm at www.inyourheadonline.com and join us this week for "Sunny" Tammy Sytch.

Credit: Norrin Radd

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