Radio Interview Recap with Indy Wrestler Kevin Knight
Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Thursday, December 16, 2004 at 11:15 PM EST







• TripperDude3 sent in the following:
  
  Radio Interview Recap
  Station: WMSC FM 90.3 Upper Montclair, New Jersey
  Guest: Independent Wrestler Kevin Knight of IWF camp, WWE extra
  Host: Dave
  Date: December 16, 2004
  Time: 3:00 to 3:45 pm
  By: Rob Hayes, Wayne, New Jersey
  
  Kevin Knight was introduced as the owner and head trainer of the Camp IWF wrestling school in northern New Jersey. When asked about the school, Knight said it opened in 1999 and this month marks the sixth year of the program and they have about 35 to 40 current students. He said that so far 13 different IWF wrestlers and graduates have appeared in either WWE or TNA.
  
  Knight was asked about the IWF appearances in WWE, and how the WWE contacts Camp IWF whenever they come to the Northeast to book the top graduates as extras for matches and vignettes. He said that himself, current champ Roman, ex champion Fred Sampson and others have wrestled, appeared in television commercials, and in skits on Raw and Smackdown over the past few years
  
  Dave asked Kevin about the IWF wrestlers in Wrestlemania XX. Knight said that himself, Roman, Sampson and wrestlers from Chaotic Wrestling in New England were the druids for the Undertaker during his big ring entrance for the match with Kane. Knight said how he and Brian Black were both momentarily on fire as they walked through the curtain onto the ramp while holding the flaming torches used for the ring entrance. Knight said if you watch the tape, you can see the stagehands come out of the curtain with fire extinguishers and blast the druids. Knight was asked what that experience was like, and he said even though the IWF guys were a very small part of the performance, it was very memorable but is glad that he was not on the 11 o'clock news as the man who burned down Madison Square Garden during Wrestlemania.
  
  Knight was asked if he ever had any interactions with Vince McMahon and if he was as mean in real-life as he comes across on TV with his character. Knight said that he was in a skit as a police officer with Vince in 1999, and that Vince produced the Undertaker's ring entrance at Wrestlemania and was very professional and even joked around with everyone. He also said that McMahon had produced some of the other skits that IWF wrestlers appeared in, including Sampson on Smackdown as the detective with Eddie Guerrero last year.
  
  Knight was asked about his career and said he's been wrestling for nine years, and now has been doing Camp IWF over 5 years. Dave joked how Knight went to the rival college of Montclair, William Paterson University, and was on their radio station for four years. Knight said it took him forever to find a parking spot on campus before the interview and said he doesn't miss college at all.
  
  A question was asked about yesterday's wrestling versus today's wrestling, and the fact what made wrestling great in the past was the great heels. Knight agreed, and said in the big WWE expansion in 1984 and 1985, Hulk Hogan would not have been as popular as he was had he not had a great heel in Rowdy Roddy Piper to play off of as the antagonist. Same with the other big boom in 1998, Stone Cold was so popular because he was feuding with a great heel in the Mr. McMahon character. Knight said it's the same with any TV sitcom or drama, as the really successful programs that stand the test of time are the ones with a great heel lead character, and mentioned how great JR Ewing was on Dallas as a hated villain for 13 years, and the host Dave said he still watches the reruns.
  
  Dave asked Kevin if he teaches more than ring skills to the students at camp IWF and Knight said yes, and that with his background in the entertainment business as well as the wrestling business he tries to explain the performance aspect of pro wrestling, including how the wrestler is a product, and the audience is the consumer and how the wrestler's name, music, wardrobe and persona must mesh and be believable or the crowd won't buy it. Knight then asked Dave how many CD's their radio station gets each week from unsigned local bands, and Dave said hundreds. Knight said out of those hundred CD's, one will get noticed and stand out from the crowd because of that intangible it factor about the band's sound and that hook the grabs the listener right away, and that those other 99 CD's will end up in the trash. Same with pro wrestling, as the first notes of a wrestler's theme music are very important to hook the crowd, then how you look, your tights, and persona and how you walk down the aisle if your first impression with the crowd and you only get one chance to make a first impression. Dave asked Kevin what his entrance music was, and he said it's the newest Van Halen song Its About Time because the first 5 seconds of the song grabs your ear and the lyrics match Knight's current babyface character.
  
  Dave asked Knight how long he was a heel, and he said 5 or 6 years, but there's only so many ways you can make children in the crowd cry before it gets old. Which is why its important for any performer to mix-up their routine.
  
  The importance of amateur wrestling skills in pro wresting was brought up. Knight said that Kurt Angle really opened the door for amateur wrestlers to be taken seriously by the pro wrestling audience and many others have followed in his footsteps, including Brock Lesner, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, etc. Knight said WWE is getting back to a more mat-based style and the door is open for amateur wrestlers to make the transition into the pro ranks
  
  A co-host, who said he's done some MMA training, asked about the importance of MMA in pro wrestling. Knight said athletes with a MMA or UFC or amateur background are now welcomed by WWE as their style is more reality based and fits with the current WWE direction. They asked about Ken Shamrock's appearance in the IWF in 2002 and Knight said he hosted two Lions Den Dojos at IWF camp and taught everyone some great submission holds.
  
  Knight was asked about his biggest match, and he said it was wrestling in Madison Square Garden in a TV match at the Smackdown taping in against A Train. The hosts laughed and said A-Train reminded them of George the Animal Steele with the hair all over his body. Dave asked what that experience was like and Knight said it was a thrill, and extra special because Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper also wrestled on the same card (and they were both fired after their matches). Knight said he got dressed in the same lockerroom right between Hogan and Piper. Dave asked Knight if he took a peek at Hogan and Knight said he did not get a glimpse of the little Hulkster. He said Hogan was very nice to him.
  
  Talk turned to the IWF Tournament Weekend for December 18th and 19th in West Patterson. Knight said it was the fifth annual tournament and Roman, Sampson, Biggie Biggs, Arch Cincaid and himself are entered in the 16 wrestler competition. Dave loved the Biggie Biggs named and asked if he could rap like Biggie Smalls.
  
  In the final segment, Knight's was asked about his most memorable moment and he said wrestling in Madison Square Garden. Was asked about the biggest stars he's wrestled and said Bob Backlund, Honky Tonk Man, Iron Sheik, Nicole Bass, Chris Candido, Patriot, etc. Asked about his injuries and he said a cracked ankle, torn knee, bad back, bad neck, broken noses, broken fingers, etc.
  
  Dave asked Kevin about Dawn Marie, who appears on Smackdown. Knight said towards the end of ECW, Dawn trained at Camp IWF with Simon Diamond to prepare for her in-ring pro wrestling career, and not just be a valet. Knight said her first pro wrestling match was in February 2001 at the IWF Arena and she was Knight's partner. Knight said she was very nice.
  
  Was asked about out of anyone past or present, who he'd like to wrestle. Knight said he's been very lucky to have wrestled a ton of legends and personal idols, but mentioned Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.
  
  They plugged the IWF camp wrestling school in NJ again as well as the IWF tournament event for this weekend, as well as the wrestlingiwf.com website.
  

  
  

  
  
  

  *NEW GALLERY* Very HOT and Up Close Shots of the WWE Divas! WOW!

• Quick Links -
  [Back to LOP] [News Archives] [Results] [Columns] [Forums]