IN THE ROOM

On Being a Young Guy with ECW:
“I was young, single, with money in my pocket, and I got to see the world. I was brash.”

On WWE’s Treatment of the ECW Brand:
“It didn’t sit right with anybody, but I think I was one of the first to really come to grips with it. I think a lot of the guys were just sitting around waiting for it to [change]. Once that reality came into play, I kind of got depressed. I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have.”

On Speaking Up About Some ECW Peers’ Mistakes:
“I’ve seen these guys mess up chance after chance after chance. I’ve seen these guys mess up every opportunity while others never really got that opportunity. Somebody needs to say something about that, and I think it was me.”

On Being a “Paul Heyman” Guy:
“We weren’t viewed as ECW guys. We were viewed as Paul Heyman guys. It is what it is. Would I have liked to be viewed as a WWE guy? Yes. We were perceived as we would follow [Paul] to the ends of the earth. I grew tired of covering for all of Paul’s lies and douche-baggery over the years. When I was there with WWE, I was basically the opposite of a Paul Heyman guy.”

All that, plus Doring’s thoughts on Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore and Shane Douglas’ Extreme Rising promotions, teaming with Roadkill, looking like Bret Hart, and so … much … more.

But before any of that, though, Brady, Derrick McDonald, Mike Bessler, and Ray Bogusz are joined IN THE ROOM by a good friend of the show, Stacy “The Kat” Carter. Carter is a former WWE Diva, and the ex-wife and good friend of Jerry “The King Lawler … which gives her a very good perspective on the Lawler nightmare from Raw this week. Stacy hopped on the phone with Jerry’s girlfriend tonight … then called IN THE ROOM to update the fans on how he is doing. Excerpts below:

On Jerry Lawler’s Condition:
“Right now he’s stable, being responsive with a tube down his throat. He’s squeezing people’s hands, nodding his head. He can point out where he’s hurting, stuff like that. The next step is to wait for the test results  to comeback tomorrow, the scan on his brain to see what – if any – brain damage he may or may not have. And that’s pretty much it. He’s still critical but stable. He’s strong and he’s stubborn, so if anybody can pull through its him.”

On The Amount of Time it Took for CPR to Work:
“WWE’s doctor was there when Jerry collapsed and fell out of his chair. He started CPR. From what I’ve been told is Jerry did not regain consciousness there. They did revive him there, but it took a long time – 15 minutes. It took a long time to bring him back. But he’s back now, he’s lightly sedated, and they’re taking him off the ventilator. He’s not in the heavy sedation that they had him in.”

On it Happening on LIVE TV:
“Jerry would be dead right now if it did not happen where it happened. Stuff like that just keeps running through my brain. Jerry normally grabs something – some food – on the way back to the hotel … fast food or if the bar is open, and he eats, then he’s there by himself. But this could have happened just two or three hours later and nobody would have been there with  him and he wouldn’t be here right now. Or he could have been driving to the arena or flying to Montreal. If it had to happen, I’m very thankful that it did there.”

This week, Brady Hicks, DJ, and Anthony Sarlo are joined IN THE ROOM by a very special guest: former WWE and ECW star AL SNOW! Take it all in as the former WWE star (and current TNA agent) plugs his upcoming Mondo Wrestling A Go Go show at the Danny Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, 6/24 and 6/25. Plus, check out Al’s thoughts on WWE and TNA renaming their product, what wrestling needs to be big once again, and how the developmental system could be and should be fixed. A must listen for fans of any wrestling promotion!

How TNA is Positioned For the Future:

I can tell you this … I have been impressed with just how hard everybody seems to work there. It’s just impressive. From the talent down, everybody really busts their hump and really puts in the time and the effort and the passion when it comes to those TV shows and pay-per-views … Sitting in those meetings, nobody ever says ”Let’s just do this.” Everything is agonized over. Every single person works really hard, I couldn’t single one out.

On WWE and Impact Wrestling’s Recent Name Changes:
WWE taking it out? I don’t care. They can call it whatever they want. They can call it farming. At the end of the day, it’s professional wrestling. That’s what they’re selling. Tell me one completely brand new thing that is now fake that is different or unique from TNA, from Mexico, from All Japan Pro Wrestling, from New Japan Pro Wrestling, wherever.

The Difference Between Setting Up Independent Shows and Doing Similar Work for TNA:
How is [anything] different than TNA? Not really. Different perspectives or ideas, different talent, and that’s a BIG thing … Wrestling as a whole is and should always be entertainment. The reclassification that it’s no longer wrestling and that it’s entertainment is really just an attempt to say they reinvented the wheel and made something different. But I was there for 13, 14 years … and when the pyro stops, the music ended, and the bell rings, I’m really curious about what is done different in the one place than in the other.

Why Wrestling Has Become Less Popular:
Everybody has played other sports growing up. You connect to it. That’s why hockey has got a bigger following in Canada, more people have played it. That’s why soccer is more popular in the rest of the world, everybody has played it. That’s why it’s going to continue to grow in the US, more kids play it. That’s why more men like sports than women. What happens with wrestling is that people are attracted to the characters and to the personalities. The only thing that has changed between 1911 and 2011 is that the crowd has gotten more sophistocated.

On His Mondo Wrestling A Go Go Show:
It’s an adult circus, that’s the best way to describe it. It’s a combination of burlesque, aerial acts, circus acts, fire dancers … drag queens, drag KINGS – the lesbian equivalent of women that dress up as men – …, got a guy who has a fire whip … very intriguing, and then wrestling matches, the way I can best describe it is very old-ECW-like where the referees are just there to count the fall.

All that, plus Al Snow compares wrestling to the UFC, his thoughts on Tough Enough (and compared to The Ultimate Fighter), Brock Lesnar, the future of Impact Wrestling as it continues to grow, and recreating territories.

Photo by JimmySuperflySnuka.com

Join Brady Hicks and Kevin McElvaney RIGHT NOW for a special, Friday edition of IN THE ROOM, with special guest and WWF legend JIMMY “SUPERFLY” SNUKA, as he takes a look back at his glorious past and what he has going on in the coming days and weeks. Snuka is then joined by a special surprise guest – and FELLOW WWF LEGEND – MATT “DOINK” BORNE, as the two talk Snuka’s appearance tomorrow (Saturday, April 9th) in Freehold, NJ for FAZOO CREW!!!

Photo by Mike Tartaglia

This week, upcoming WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch comes IN THE ROOM to talk with Brady Hicks about being the youngest inductee in WWE’s history, plus her thoughts on becoming somewhat involved with WWE once again, and her hosting duties for April’s ECWA Super 8 tournament. All that, plus Brady and the gang talks WrestleMania and Christian’s possible involvement, other WrestleMania/Hall of Fame news, and Jeff Hardy’s current situation. Check it out at thebradyhicks.com!

Show Notes

• DJ’s Scumbag link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puIFKxVxAww
• Kevin’s Scumbag link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRmLoIsGq2A

Photo by World Wrestling Insanity

This week, former WWF, ECW, WCW, and USWA star – and PG13 member – JAMIE DUNDEE steps IN THE ROOM with Brady Hicks and the gang to address Joey Styles’ recent comments toward him on WWE 24/7. Find out Jamie’s thoughts on everything from his past, present, and future, some of the enemies he has made in his career, and why in the world Styles would ever target him in such a manner. Special thanks to Young John, who stepped in for the sick DJ. Check it out at thebradyhicks.com.

On Joey Styles’ Comments:
I’m not gonna attest that I’m a saint. I’m not even here to say the things he said aren’t true. I’m just here to say that it’s not his place to say that. When a clown like that calls me out in my name, I am the one to answer. I feel like I have to step up and say I accept your challenge. He’s got all those billion dollar cameras there but nobody knows who Joey Styles is, I guess he needs fifteen minutes to ride on Jamie Dundee’s shoulders. That’s just what I have to say about this whole issue.

On Learning from His Father, Wrestling Legend Bill Dundee:
Everybody knows that my father and I butted heads my entire career.

On His Own Image:
Everything that I did – right or wrong – I accept the consequences for it. I’m just a redneck guy, I never claimed to be anything different. It’s just crazy ass Jamie Dundee. He’s nuts. Everybody knows that. Take him or leave him. I’m not the type to go behind your back.

Plus, Dundee’s shocking comments about Jim Ross, working for the WWF, and the strange, concluding confession that he’s really left a lot of his past anger behind him.