They Shoot Interviews, Don't They?
Before the preeminence of the wrestling podcast, the shoot interview was king.
A version of this article appeared in FSM magazine.
Stop us when this sounds familiar. So you’ve got Dave Ba(u)tista or John Cena or Roman Reigns giving a ‘no holds barred’ interview… except they aren’t really giving anything away. Drug problems? Nah, just high on life. Squabbles with other guys on the roster? Never happened because everyone in the locker room is such ‘an asset to the company’. And what about knocking heads with the boss? Unlikely, given that he/she is ‘phenomenal’ and a ‘visionary genius’.
Welcome to the world of the WWE/AEW/Impact* documentary interview, a world that even I’ve been drawn into on occasion due to what with most face-to-face interviews being overseen by ferocious PR people.
Thankfully, not every wrestling conversation - on camera or otherwise - is like this. There are others that tend to take place in hotel rooms at 3am following major conventions and in these, the bleary-eyed subjects rarely pull their punches. That guy with the strap? He didn’t want to do business with anyone. His wife-cum-valet? She was ‘valeting’ everyone on the roster. And drug testing? Yes, it’s really important that the drugs are tested before you take them. This, dear reader, is an alternative interviewing world… the world of the independent shoot interview.
Shoot interviews have been a part of the wrestling industry for eons. Given a major boost by the Montreal Screwjob (leading companies RF Video and Highspots went to great lengths to get Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Earl Hebner’s sides of the story), it used to be rare for someone to leave a company without immediately signing a shoot contract the next.
Hugely popular with those so-called ‘smart’ fans who love to look behind the curtain, it’s important to point out that these conversations are a world away from the slick offerings that have made Vince McMahon an even richer man the he already is. Love high production values? You’re unlikely to find them here. And if consistency’s your thing, you’re better off spending your entertainment pounds elsewhere. You see, for every shoot that’s compelling, engaging and well produced, there are plenty that are cheap, amateurish and about as much fun as a Quaker pub crawl. So be warned: while fascinating revelations can be found in the shoot world, so can impossibly tedious discussions with the likes of Mike ‘Virgil’ James, a man incapable of completing a sentence without twice using the phrase ‘great talent’.
The greatest surprise about independent shoots is also the greatest disappointment. For did you imagine Ric Flair, Lex Luger and/or Christian Cage would be fun people to spend a couple of hours with? Man, you couldn’t be more wrong. Though there are exceptions, for the most part, the top guys are either too smart or have too much at stake to say anything earth-shattering.
The mid-2000s Luger shoot is a great example of the shoot interview-as-job application problem. His career on the skid following the tragic death of Miss Elizabeth, Lex uses his two hours with RF Video to make himself seem an amiable, open company man - three things pretty much everyone knows he isn’t. Of course, the tactic didn’t work and we now find Lex on the church TV circuit talking about his encounter with the Almighty, an experience even more uncomfortable than hearing him say how much he loved putting over the Natural Born Thrillers.
The ‘Total Package’ isn’t alone in playing such games, mind you. Why, even Jim Cornette - who buries foes with the frequency most people breathe - has done the occasional bit of politicking in shoots. Just look at the first Guest Booker episode he recorded for Kayfabe Commentaries during which Corny spends a few minutes explaining how much he was enjoying working with Vince Russo, a statement one imagines he took back the day TNA put him out to pasture. The lesson then is simple: just as you shouldn’t believe anything (seriously anything) that comes out of the mouths of Hulk Hogan or Kurt Angle, so you should be prepared to treat much of what you hear in shoot discussions with an Everest-sized pinch of salt.
So, if the top guys usually aren’t worth listening to, which workers can be guaranteed to give good shoot? Much of the time, retirees are a pretty reliable source. Whether it’s the late, great Gary Hart, the humble Magnum TA or the legendary Bruno Sammartino, it’s the men who have nothing to lose who have the most to say. Likewise, job guys who never troubled the mid-card - let alone the main event - can be relied upon to have loose lips.
For prime examples of this latter phenomenon, look no further than AIW’s chat with the erstwhile Scotty ‘Colt Cabana’ Goldman and RF Video’s interview with the far-from-boring Danny Doring. Of course, both these guys have been big deals outside of the major federations but it’s what they have to say about their time with said majors that turns these interviews into must-haves.
In Goldman’s case, we get a three-hour account of every aspect of WWE life. The developmental territories, the 20-odd minutes he spent in the ring on primetime television; the strange day that ‘Dr Dreath’ Steve Williams set the development class a quiz on his autobiography; the time our hero got to spend half-an-hour with Vincent Kennedy McMahon… it’s seriously good stuff, made that much more entertaining by Mr Colton’s sense of humour.
Doring, on the other hand, delivers a three-hour diatribe that would sound bitter if it wasn’t so funny. Mikey Whipwreck, Jasmine St Clair, Paul ‘Fucking’ Heyman - no one is spared Doring’s wrath. No one that is, except for the people he loves (he has a ton of time for Tommy Dreamer) and the industry he adores. The Doring shoot also features a nice audio cameo from Stevie Richards - talking about how he once bedded a woman by pretending he was a virgin, the artist otherwise known as Michael Manna interrupts Doring with the observation that he’d “have a hard time pulling that off at the age of 38!” - and a nice plug for RF Video’s Tom Brandi/Salvatore Sincere shoot which is another required release.
There are plenty of other essential undercards shoots. Never heard of Brickhouse Brown? You’ll be his biggest fan if you watch his adults-only Highspots discussion. And if you’re one of those sad people who couldn’t stand Chris Kanyon on account of his sexual orientation, his fascinating four-hour RF shoot will convince you that this underrated wrestler was also an exceptional human being.
Lance Storm’s RF and Ring Of Honor shoots are also excellent. Of course, this proud son of Calgary (dramatic pause), Alberta, Canada, was a bona fide wrestling star. But having been on top doesn’t deter Mrs Evers’ little boy from talking honestly about the abysmal booking of Messrs Russo and Ferrara, his four WrestleMania disappointments, and his difference of opinion with JBL. He also tells a revealing story about Bill Goldberg and the frustration that comes about when a major star is unwilling to work. More impressively still, over the course of his two, three-hour shoots, the great man rarely repeats himself. As at home with an anecdote as he was in the ring, you could do much worse than invest in the Storm shoots.
Alas, for all these great interviews, there are countless tired encounters with guys who couldn’t find a sentence even if they had a dictionary and ready access to Stephen Fry. Aware that not everyone’s a great talker, the production companies have found interesting ways to spice up the format. Take Highspots and its ‘Full Case Of Tales’ series in which Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens - formerly TNA/Impact’s The Naturals - become increasingly loquacious with each new brew (apparently, Chase is Andy’s “bestest mate ever…”). RF Video, on the other hand, has the On The Road strand which has allowed fans to tour the US with the colourful likes of April Hunter, Raven and The Sandman.
The real master of shoot innovation, however, is Kayfabe Commenatries. From the Guest Booker series (legendary figures are given the chance to rework pivotal storylines, such as Jim Cornette rebooking the WWF/WCW invasion) to the My/Side stand (workers give their own takes on a celebrated feud before being brought together to consider their different opinions), KC has given shoots a long-overdue shot in the arm.
One of the few companies to put a strong emphasis on productions values, KC also benefits from having a gifted frontman, actor and wrestling fan Sean Oliver who’s as comfortable talking to old hands like Kevin Sullivan and Roddy Piper as he is being molested by an over-refreshed Jamie Dundee.
Of course, perpetual evolution is a must in an industry such as pro wrestling. And since shoots are expensive things to produce, it’s no surprise that the form has been eclipsed by the pro wrestling podcast.
Still, as long as there are people wetting themselves to hear what the Harris Brothers have to say about their storied career (not a lot, as if happens), you can be sure that the archives of KC, RF Video and Highspots will be crawling with fans who like nothing better than when the boys stop being polite and instead take aim at the grapple game.
Ten Of The Best
’Facts’ I’ve gleaned from years of watching shoot interviews.
i) Danny Doring has a very interesting home movie collection.
ii) Father James Mitchell’s had a helluva lot of sex.
iii) Chris Kanyon liked training Jay Leno for WCW but absolutely hated training Dennis Rodman.
iv) Kevin Sullivan got the idea for Goldberg’s original angle from jobber Jerry Flynn.
v) CW Anderson is a legend in the S&M dungeons of Japan.
vi) Sabu can roll a joint in 19.21 seconds.
vii) Lodi thinks that Billy Kidman is the funniest man in wrestling.
viii) Raven thinks that he’s the funniest man in wrestling.
ix) Vampiro really hates RF Video founder Rob Feinstein.
x) Raven and The Sandman know an awful lot about aqueducts.