Recaps of Eddie Guerrero, Vince Russo & Bradshaw on NHB Radio
Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Monday, July 28, 2003 at 4:45 PM EST


• No Holds Barred sent in the following:
  
  EDDIE GUERRERO ON NHB
  
  This past week "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero joined the No Holds Barred radio show to talk about Vengeance, the Smackdown brand, the involvement of latinos in the business and a whole lot more. We at NHB have relaunched our website www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com with a brand new look and better access to our audio library and from now on our audio content will be available only on our website. There is no charge to listen and any other site which tries to use our audio and charge for it will be prosecuted. We work very hard to deliver the biggest names in the business for your listening pleasure and we thank each and every one of you for your support of our show. If you'd like to hear the show in your home area you can help by logging on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and filling out the petition on the lower left side of our main page. Now that the business stuff is out of the way, let's move on to the highlights from our interview with Eddie Guerrero.
  
  Eddie started out by putting over his US Title match with Chris Benoit. He said that he really enjoys working against Benoit and joked that it must be his chops to the chest that bring the best out of him. He added that he feels it's very important for them to have a 5 star match whenever they face each other because it's expected to be that way by the wrestling audience. He finished his comments by saying it's also important for the two of them to prove to the company that they can carry the ball when given the opportunity to.
  
  He mentioned that he prefers playing the role of the heel but for some strange reason people continue to root for him. He said it must be the low rider that makes people want to pop for him.
  
  He stated that he does feel there is some competition between the two brands because it's natural to want to out perform the other show but still believes it comes down to the individuals own personal feelings on whether they view it as such.
  
  Eddie feels the WWE has finally put the right kind of focus on the cruiserweight division and feels it's thriving largely due to Rey Mysterio. Although he feels Mysterio has been great, he also pointed out that Matt Hardy added a lot ot the division as well because he helped add some needed entertainment to the division while not taking away from the in-ring performance.
  
  On the topic of the writing of the Smackdown product, Eddie feels that the locker room was thrown off for a while when Paul Heyman was demoted but everyone is now on the same page and clicking as one solid unit. He said that when someone like Heyman is not around they are sorely missed and he really respects Paul's mind for the business and misses having him around. Eddie ended the statement by saying that he feels things are coming around and the show has really picked up.
  
  He talked about Kurt Angle and his importance to the Smackdown program. Eddie feels you can always count on Kurt to come thru because he's a tremendous talent. He added that he's only been in the business a short amount of time and just came back from neck surgery and within the next couple of months he should really start to shine better then he already has because his confidence level will be improved due to not having to worry as much about his neck.
  
  Eddie joked about the spot with Tajiri saying that he had to pay for touching his car. When it was brought up that he never gave Chyna that kind of abuse for touching his vehicle in the past he said that's different because she was his mamacita and she can push his hydraulics anytime.
  
  We brought up the topic of latinos and their involvement in the business. Eddie said he feels that latinos do need to be looked at more in the business. He feels that latinos will be the overwhelming minority within the next 2 years and the wrestling business is missing the boat by not tapping into the latino market at the current time. He did say though that he notices the company is now paying more attention to the latino market and it probably has a lot to do with having the right people in place. He feels that talent like himself and Rey Mysterio have proven to the company that they can get the job done and as a result the company has shown more flexibility then ever to give latin wrestlers an opportunity.
  
  To hear the interview with Eddie Guerrero log on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com. The No Holds Barred radio show is hosted by Jason Barrett and George "The Animal" Farmer and airs every Sunday night on 101.5 WPDH in parts of NY, NJ, CT and PA.
  
  Also, NHB is in the process of putting together an event for our anniversary show in September and we're looking for feedback from the wrestling audience. We have a list of names available on our weekly poll question who are being considered for an autograph signing for the big event. Please help us with the selection process by logging on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and casting your vote.
  
  VINCE RUSSO ON NHB
  
  This past week Vince Russo joined the No Holds Barred radio show to talk about the progress of NWA TNA, the companies plans to work again with Sting, the strengths and weaknesses of the company, the WWE's TV product and a whole lot more. We at NHB have relaunched our website www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com with a brand new look and better access to our audio library and from now on our audio content will be available only on our website. There is no charge to listen and any other site which tries to use our audio and charge for it will be prosecuted. We work very hard to deliver the biggest names in the business for your listening pleasure and we thank each and every one of you for your support of our show. If you'd like to hear the show in your home area you can help by logging on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and filling out the petition on the lower left side of our main page. Now that the business stuff is out of the way, let's move on to the highlights from our interview with Vince Russo.
  
  Vince started off the interview by talking about the company's progress over the past year and change. He said that when they first created the product he would tell Jeff Jarrett constantly that every week they were on the air it was making them stronger and stronger. He felt that lasting 1 year was huge for the company and he thinks it's a reflection of the TNA staff and all the hard work they've done.
  
  He thinks the company's strongest department is their talent roster. He said that a company can have the greatest storylines in the world or the best characters around but if the in-ring work doesn't deliver then it doesn't make a difference. He feels the TNA roster is very young and hungry and as they gain experience they will become the stars of tomorrow for the wrestling business.
  
  As far as the companies weaknesses are concerned he says it's hard to say because they've only been around for a year and the company is trying to find out who their audience is. He said the company is trying to find out if the fans want more wrestling, better storylines, more things outside the ring or something else and as they get a better understanding of what their fans want then it will be a lot easier to critique the good and bad.
  
  Vince put over AJ Styles by saying his work in the ring is absolutely phenomenal and he is the best he's ever seen. He said there is not one person in the business today who can perform like AJ does inside the squared circle and it's his job to make sure AJ improves in the other areas where he needs help. Vince feels Shawn Michaels was the greatest the business has ever seen as far as the complete package is concerned and he sees AJ as having the same upside and he's honored to be paired alongside him in their current angle.
  
  He talked a little about the opportunity to have a few laughs at Jeff Jarrett's expense by coming out a few weeks ago on the show wearing Double J's horrendous attire and pulling off the fake Ha-Ha laughs. He said the idea was his and Jeff was a great sport about it and he expected that he would be because they are able to joke around with one another behind the scenes a lot.
  
  On the topic of hardcore wrestling and it's place in NWA TNA, Vince says he feels it is a good fit and he hopes to help the division develop similarly to how the X division developed. He said TNA is trying to innovate the business and lead it into the 21st century and it is a big reason why they experimented with the Hard 10 and the points system. He said The Sandman has been putting his body thru hell recently and a little bit of rest was needed but there are no plans to do away with the Hard 10 division at the current time.
  
  Talk shifted to the writing team for TNA. Vince said that when things go bad he usually is the one who catches the blame for everything but at the end of the day, the final decision is made by Jeff Jarrett since TNA is his baby. Vince added that Glen Gilbertti and Scott D'Amore are also part of the writing team and that things have been working out really well among all of them. He added that the writing team structure in TNA is very different compared to the WWE because in TNA they encourage the talent to contribute input and work with the writing team to make their angles and matches a lot more interesting.
  
  As far as the WWE product is concerned, Vince feels the WWE doesn't have the creative people on board to turn the company around. He said he met with Vince McMahon when there was talk of him returning to the creative team and he spent 6-7 hours meeting with the writing staff and felt at the end of the meeting that things would not improve if Vince didn't make changes to the creative staff. He said he had a few conference calls with the members of the WWE writing team following his meeting in CT and told Vince McMahon himself that he didn't have enough confidence in the creative teams vision for the company to turn things around. He stated that he doesn't watch the WWE product currently and the only way he would is if he was paid to do so and he doesn't mean it as a cheapshot to the company, he just doesn't find it enjoyable as a television viewer.
  
  Vince believes the possibility of him ever returning to the WWE is very slim. He said when he and Vince McMahon had success together a lot of it was possible because they were able to openly communicate but based on the way things are now, there are so many layers to go thru just to get Vince's ear and since the company went public the politics have increased and made for a less enjoyable environment. He finished his statement by saying that if things are still the same as they were the last time he met with them, there is no way he could go back to that kind of atmosphere.
  
  We discussed Sean Waltman and his future with TNA and Vince made it clear that he never had any problems with Sean despite hearing that Waltman was not a fan of his. He said he has always respected Sean Waltman's talent in the ring and feels when he's on his game he can be one of the best in the business. He added that Sean hasn't been back with TNA due to a few different reasons including his need for time to deal with personal issues as well as a shortage of passion. He said he'd love to see Sean back with the company but as long as he could be the old Sean Waltman.
  
  Vince announced that TNA has held conversations with Sting and are expecting to bring him back within the next month or so. He said a lot of that is contingent on Jeff Jarrett being able to work things out with Sting as far as financial terms are concerned but he expects that they will do business together again very soon. As far as the interview segments were concerned on the TNA program, Vince feels that things came across really well because Sting was and always has been very honest. He said he's always had a tremendous amount of respect for him because he is a sincere man who was not afraid to tell you the truth whether it was good or bad and because of those factors he knew the interview segments would work out well.
  
  He doesn't think TNA is delivering great show after great show after great show and feels a lot of it has to do with the fact that the company is built around a lot of talent which is very green. He feels that as the talent gain experience it will really help the company evolve and the first year should be viewed as a learning experience for most of the superstars who have been consistently performing for the company. He said that he truly loves working with the current roster and while some of the shows during year #1 may not have delivered what everyone wanted at times, most of it had to do with the fact that guys were just learning how to cut promos and raise their game on a larger stage. As the company continues to move forward Vince thinks there will be better consistency and the wrestling fans around the world will start to see the show gain momentum and become a very solid television program.
  
  Vince talked about those who bash him for putting himself in front of the camera. He said the main reason he does put his face on television is to help get the younger talent over. He feels a lot of people know who he is based on his experiences in the business and if he can use that to help increase the awareness of the other talents then he's accomplishing what he set out to do. He closed the statement by saying he's not waiting for a phone call from a hollywood agent to start a career in the movie business and when it comes to understanding what he's all about, sometimes he's just simply misunderstood.
  
  Vince closed the interview in a joking manner by promising to have Harley Race not take as long to hit Kid Kash with a punch the next time around.
  
  To hear the interview with Vince Russo log on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com. The No Holds Barred radio show is hosted by Jason Barrett and George "The Animal" Farmer and airs every Sunday night on 101.5 WPDH in parts of NY, NJ, CT and PA.
  
  BRADSHAW ON NHB
  
  This past week Bradshaw joined the No Holds Barred radio show to talk about his new book "Have More Money Now", the Vengeance PPV, the need for competition in the wrestling business and a whole lot more. We at NHB have relaunched our website www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com with a brand new look and better access to our audio library and from now on our audio content will be available only on our website. There is no charge to listen to our interviews and any other site which tries to use our audio and charge for it will be prosecuted. We work very hard to deliver the biggest names in the business for your listening pleasure and we thank each and every one of you for your support of our show. If you'd like to hear the show in your home area you can help by logging on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and filling out the petition on the lower left side of our main page. Now that the business stuff is out of the way, let's move on to the highlights from our interview with Bradshaw.
  
  Bradshaw started by talking about the abuse he's caught from Ron Simmons about his new haircut. He said that the two of them were over in Kuwait last week and a few military people were talking amongst each other to find out who he was. He said it was finally resolved as the military folks agreed that he was Bradshaw's son.
  
  He said that he was very excited to see the WWE give the go ahead for the bar room brawl. He said he's had the idea for a few years and was as excited for this particular brawl as much as any other match during his career. He finished discussing the brawl by joking about his conversation with Kanyon where he told him to cancel his cable appointment and get a satellite dish.
  
  He talked about his new book "Have More Money Now" and how it came together. He said that when he was playing football he did what most young athletes do, he had fun and spent his money. When his football career ended and he started wrestling he said he was making as little as $3 dollars per show. He said because of those circumstances he was forced to start learning how to manage his money. He said he would read every financial book he could get his hands on and would watch every financial TV show and he swore to himself that if he ever had money again he wouldn't screw up like he did the first time. He said the process was self taught and because of it he was able to learn the stock market and use it to his benefit.
  
  He talked about his luck on the stock market. He said companies like JakksPacific, Dell Computer, Oracle and Citi Group have been really good to him and his philosophy is to buy and hold rather then to sell and trade. He added that a lot of talent backstage ask him for advice and there main questions have to do with where he believes the market is headed. He said wrestlers in general know how to balance a budget because they have come up the ranks where they have made little to no money unlike a sports star who may have been handed a large contract right out of high school. He said that when wrestlers ask him if it's time to get into the stock market his simple reply is, It's not timing the market it's time in the market and he strongly encourages them to get involved.
  
  He said that a lot of talent keep their finances quiet amongst each other. He said even though wrestlers are contracted to the WWE they are still considered self employed. With that in mind, he says that talents don't have the safety net of a 401K therefore it's up to each individual to build their own personal pension or retirement and he has taken steps to explain the benefits to everyone by talking to them about at as well as by sending out company memos about the issue. As far as which performers are making the most he said wrestlers have a confidentiality clause in their contracts and they are not allowed to discuss their incomes with each other which he believes he is a good thing. Top wrap things end of this statement, JB asks Bradshaw how he'll react if he found out Nunzio was making double of what he was making and Bradshaw jokes that he'd be coming to see Nunzio to fix that problem.
  
  On the topic of the Kane angle, Bradshaw says he believes the angle has been fantastic. He said Kane had idled for about a year and when he first came in he was so over and they needed to get back to bringing the same kind of attention to his character. Bradshaw said that he felt that at times the company did too much to the Kane gimmick and they tried to make him a regular guy since it had worked for the Undertaker but Kane was at his best when he was a monster and he thinks it's fabulous that they are going in this direction with him because it has generated a lot of talk and excitement. He said the worst thing in the world is to have an angle or storyline that nobody cares enough about to either bash or praise and when you look back to this past week's Raw and the way Kane has been used over the past month, it's had people talking and waiting to see what will happen next.
  
  Bradshaw talked about the company's direction as it pertains to veterans and younger superstars. He feels you need to have an equal mix to make things work. He said that people love to see veterans because they're huge names and they have huge drawing power but it's just as important to elevate younger talent so they can take the torch and carry the company into the future. He feels guys like Brock Lesnar will be great for the company's long term plans and he feels Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin have the tools to be one of the best tag teams around.
  
  He said that the wrestling audience is still out there and while they may not be tuning in each week, a lot of it has to do with competition. Bradshaw said that WCW Nitro made the WWE a better product because it challenged them to be better each week. He talked about when Nash, Hall, Hogan and Bret Hart went to WCW and said those losses made the company really work hard to put together a great TV show and he feels they can do the same thing again with the brand seperation. He mentioned that there's a lot of competition between both shows currently and a lot of guys want to do better ratings then the other show and draw better gates then the other brand just to prove they have the better product. He added that once the writing teams are seperate and the crews are stabilized you'll see an even better battle between the 2 groups.
  
  When asked what would be more satisfying watching a stock he invested in take off and make him incredibly rich or becoming the top talent in the industry and the person everyone comes to see, Bradshaw surprisingly said he'd prefer being the guy people pay to see. He pointed out that when you die you leave everything behind and he's tried really hard to be a wrestler who fans would care enough to come and see and it would be more rewarding for him to reach the higest of levels in the business he loves because you can always make money doing something.
  
  In closing, Bradshaw gave some advice to those folks who want to learn ways to be better with their money and build towards a brighter future. He said the main thing is to stay consistent with your savings. Whether it's $10, $50 or $500 a week that you save, it's important to do it consistently and not try to live beyond your means. He added that over the course of time if you continue to save your money, you'll have a lot more then you think because the interest will add on top of it and you'll be glad you did it. He finished by joking that even though radio hosts aren't paid that well they should continue with their careers because they're performing all the time and as long as they're happy doing what they're doing that's all that matters.
  
  To hear the interview with Bradshaw log on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com. The No Holds Barred radio show is hosted by Jason Barrett and George "The Animal" Farmer and airs every Sunday night on 101.5 WPDH in parts of NY, NJ, CT and PA.
  
  Also, NHB is in the process of putting together an event for our anniversary show in September and we're looking for feedback from the wrestling audience. We have a list of names available on our weekly poll question who are being considered for an autograph signing for the big event. Please help us with the selection process by logging on to www.noholdsbarredwrestling.com and casting your vote.
  

  
  

  
  
  

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