TMPT Feature Show: Tommy Angel

0:00football is back and this is believed your home for NFL and college football news and analysis all season long now let's start the show hey folks today I want to talk about prize pick rise picks is the best place to get real money sports action with over 10 million members and billions of dollars in awarded winnings price picks has made a daily fantasy sports accessible to all you just pick more or less on at least two players for a shot to win up to 1000 times your cash run your game all season long on price pick very simple very easy for instance if I want to pick steak on bar clay he's gonna have one or more touchdowns if I want to pick a day notes he's gonna have over 230 passing arts yes or no very simple more

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3:01hello and welcome to the two-man power trip of wrestling I'm your host JP Ajahn Paz with me Dave Erie special guest he was a star in the NWA Jim Crockett mall Japan for wrestling he's been everywhere he's done a lot of wrestling mr. Tommy Angel Tommy welcome in how you doing hey John thanks you're having me I appreciate it what is going on in your world what have you been up to that's a great question let's see it's a for the last year I had just gotten out of the beer business after about 15 years and the sales management side kind of just semi-retired now looking at September to be fully retired I got a 18 year old boy beautiful wife we've been together 22 years so I'm acting my age and just kind of a very quiet life anything wrestling related lately or no just

4:05doing some of the you know shows like yours but fanfests or any kind of autograph signings but just minimal you know I'm just humbled that all these years later people like you and other people remember guys like me from that era yeah absolutely that's a great error maybe one of the best errors ever I don't know if you keep up with current wrestling or not but I know so many people say oh today's the best but I don't I feel like that era is probably the best ever ever in wrestling I think so it's some in the I got into it right at the height of it 86 it was like at its peak and it was strong we were selling out arenas all over the southeast with NWA big arenas and just being new to the business I was just overwhelmed but thankfully the guys that trained me were Nelson Royale and Gene Anderson so they kind of walked us through they were with us kind of explain the the biggest of it so we wouldn't freak out but man it was a lot of fun what's going on there was going on with Gene Anderson I

5:05was here stories about him but like was he a good trainer was he a good guy always here like to kind of a different thing I guess opinions of where he was when they met them in the business yeah him and the only not related only was the one that it was a jerk everybody hated him Gene was a sweetheart but as far as his personality on television persona he was the rough guy the meat the Minnesota wrecking guy he's the heavy but to work to learn from him and the work he had he was actually an employee of Jim Crockett promotion so Jim and his talent pool dust you know then decided they needed to beef up their television ratings because they were dropping way off they're trending down and they needed to come up with a talent pool that was more competitive so he got Nelson and they started school and it was probably around the beginning of 86 to start advertising but the whole intent was us to be us in the very first class to be groomed to be able to go on there and give it a show and make it

6:08look competitive to a point because people tuned out because when you watch superstation back then you know Rick's there come out boom boom boom 30 seconds the guys down next next match same thing same thing you know a few interviews so it was the next generation of young talent they call it the unalienz you know it was pretty fun but they gave us a chance and as we grew and matured into the business guys long to trust us and give us a little more matches we started doing house matches for Crockett and it was just a great time Nelson and Gene taught us the psychology of the business you know good versus evil how do you draw people in a arena into the story of what you're trying to tell physically with a heel on a baby face and that was just so fascinating to me because when you learn how to do that in a big building you get 10 15 20,000 people and you can feel the emotions going back and forth just based on what you're doing and people like the Rock and Roll Express me were perfect they could draw women in think they were dying they emotionally just crying holy Anderson and great

7:12heel he got stabbed here in Greenville where I live now you know walking back to the ring people hated him so that was the the psychology of you you're drawing people into what you're doing the storytelling now Gene the only real Anderson right I mean he was the only real deal Anderson of the bunch right that's what they say yeah his son his adopted son Brad his son he he broke in the same class I did he was a high schooler but a top wrestler in his state and just a very these a great guy but tough I mean we thought he's like as my kid but he's come along and whip your ass and we went to the tryouts and we had a tying style in Brad and I think it was it and we after doing all these calisthenics and run up and down these cow fields at Nelson's property in 90 90 plus degrees he just got a military as I was in great shape so the intent was to wear a

8:12South and get in the ring and see what we could do and tying when try to pin everybody or Brad would Brad was he was tough as nails but that's after that that tryout they basically said or it's like 30 as everybody go stand over here we'll be back in a couple minutes well you know who stays and they're pointing guys off and they're all going over and the got the side I was on getting small it's more I'm thinking man if I just went through that and then make him be so mad he's like jeans like okay all you guys over here the shits you're you're not gonna make it you guys you made it I was like oh thank god but that was neat and you know after four months of camp we were on television crazy question but did they tell you was a worker did they tell you was a shoot because sometimes you hear different things we went all the way up to the fourth month and we're like come on they're like oh you're gonna get your ass kick we're just trying to help you understand how to protect yourself that's why you're teaching you all these right these moves and bumps and all this

9:12stuff and like oh back in my mind my mind you know we're like there's a something going on here but you know we just went with it and like about a week and a half before you're sorry we're gonna you're scheduled for TV so here's the deal you know one act professional stick together do what you're told but it is a work and just kind of smartness up and pretty much set it's up for success you know we went down to Kepper Malsha they were told we're tired we kept training and it was really neat it was the old turn of studios the pipe and drape you know this techwood drive was probably like 30 or 40 people in the backside of that little curtained off room hard cam with Tony Shavani and David Crocket point right at it's in the ring and literally on the side of that pipe and drape was all the guys sitting in chairs in a little dressing you know wow it's not so magical now you know now you think about it yeah yeah so we remember it's it was like a wall that separates so the fans

10:13couldn't open the curtain seat but it was early like we could hear each other's clear as we do now and but you're you're gonna match as they got a monitor and you're watching but it was just a but for me being a young guy just out of the military all of us young guys and I can't sit in a room full of these guys we've seen TV it was just it was like surreal like there's a flare holy cow right so when they do have you doing that how come they don't like tell you it's a work like right away like to me that's crazy but why do they do it like that back then I think the biggest thing was to protect the business I did get a little bit of trouble a day when I was dating a girl just getting out of camp and you know trying to impress a young girl about how much I knew about the business and it got back to the office and they weren't very pleased I didn't work for a couple months on television Nelson said that's we protect the business you know we've just reason why we we kept it the way it was as much information as

11:15you had you know it's a slow growth into the business we wanted to be a sustainable career we don't want you to run until everybody it's work it's work you know respect the business respect everybody else so it was a tough lesson for me and all the other guys that were in my class understood you know this this is a business you protect it and you can make a good living did you get along with the stallion Gary say ball did you get along I didn't I didn't see him in a long time we used to do some shows for him in George South but you know his nickname was meatball but yeah oh hey brother you know yeah but he was he was well respected on the television ranks as far as all the top guys I knew he could work they trusted him I was talking to a guy a little bit older than me but he actually was a reality TV star at one point Joe millionaire he was on that that Fox show but he used to live in the area of like Virginia West

12:18Virginia like he would see shows and he said get Gary Stallion or Gary say ball the time the time stay one of his favorite wrestlers I was like shocked by that but I was like as he actually he was really good but I think favorite restlessly it's pretty good if it was in the West Virginia area it's stallion and George South pretty much own West Virginia as far as independent circuit they had a guy that owned an Italian restaurant very successful I want to say in Charles and West Virginia or somewhere around there but he was the source of the money to do all these towns so we were all over West Virginia we weren't going to television so that you know he was you know he was the top guy in that circuit that independent stuff and we had a lot of fun in West Virginia we always eat for free at Marios it's a lot of pasta and some beer it's just something you don't hear all the time like oh Italian Stallion was one of my favorite like what about Rick Flayer you know what about Dusty like nope stallion I was like wow interesting so it's probably because he grew up in that area probably so much top a lot yeah we were in West Virginia four or five

13:20days a week it's not far drive from Charlotte you know just up 77 so we'd go up there Friday Saturday sometimes Sunday come back and almost heaven West Virginia yeah yeah as I say yes so when you do like kind of break in how long before you have your first match so when you like when you started training and then get it your first match probably from the first day camp it was about four four half months roughly and we were all nervous we drove down the Techwood dry they we had to be at the studios down there probably about seven they started taking they take four shows the first two at air that nights 605 705 so my very first match was Baron von Rasky very unexciting but then second match I tagged him with the Rock and Roll Express nice what did you think like when you have your first match and you know it's going dead you think like oh this is like something I want to do or I'm gonna make so much money

14:23like what's the thought ball process or you just love that you're on TV I mean it's like I was in a military prior to the going into wrestling you know it was an airborne jumping airplanes oh now I say you you've never remember your first jump because you go out the door with your eyes shut and it's like the on TV it happens so fast I didn't really only just for a little item was the mechanics of what I was I was taught so you go out there I knew the finish I was a little miff because I was 22 years old you know gasped up and here I am Baron Barbara I'll get the back side of his career you know my friends back at the base have to go like a home a number of foot with your ass that's hilarious but he's a sweet guy but his he was in his his day Baron Barbara asked you was something else when you do right go from the military to wrestling were you in like crazy shape or like to do when the wrestling stuff didn't like body or

15:24or no oh god I was in the best shape in my life I was gonna treat me told I was either gonna go in a Delta Force or be a helicopter pilot I was gonna they want me to they always want you to reenlist after my into my four years but I was working out with a bunch of power lifters and bodybuilders at this local gym Iron Dan and Fayetteville and and we watch wrestling weekends like that seems like a lot more fun my dad was a more a career marine officer and he's like you should stay in you know at 20 years you'll be you know 37 year tire and you get double dip I was like can't but I can be on TV and get girls and so obviously I chose wrestling and but yeah we would that's what separated me from everybody else at Nelson's camp you know I was used to run in five 10 miles a day and working out all the time all the guys were in you know blow it up we know I'm like you guys are still weak you soft so that that can do the conditioning I had certainly gave me an advantage when you do like leave the

16:28military and you go to wrestling did was you ever any like regret in your mind like I should estate or not not at all now that I'm older yet it says like that bright had been smarter but you know things happen God makes he doesn't waste anything good things happen in your life so that was still the funnest time of life I can't you know it's what I've realized that most guys wish they could do stuff like that on television with you know but I was we kind of forced dumped our way and we were virtual nobody's next thing you know we're on television world wide television every weekend and even my buddies in the military this all you'll never make it you're that's you're nobody and next thing another same TV every weekend in my family and stuff so it was really cool doesn't translate well in the resume but you know right that fun but it is so interesting it's like why you're on TV more than someone like the bigger name guys you know to make sure like always on it's like a good constant almost for a while yeah that was a give us some good good mileage yeah because a lot of

17:31top guys they may not wrestle every show right but they all started out that way and we all had aspirations to be a marquee talent but obviously that didn't work out we we knew our role and we were there to make those guys look good and we're we're proud of doing that even like like look at the VF right like iron Mike Sharp or Barry Horowitz like if they were on TV more than anybody but they were just constantly on TV just I think it's a good thing and it's an assert aspect yeah that's kind of what Krockett was trying to do make the television show appealing that you know there wasn't just a certain groom of talent they would have all these different things I love working with Barry and Mike when we went to the WWF both great guys and so it's just that it just it was better programming it helped the ratings you know it was it was watchable product people really good here we go again so what did you think of rocker role like you said they were basically your second match we know about Albrecht Fudder but what about rocker rock's press oh gosh there to me either

18:35the top baby face team ever who mean they they were over everywhere they were loved and when they were selling man women even guys get they were just you could see the emotion you could feel the emotion in those arenas such and that's what's intoxicating about it and I think that's if you watch that movie with Ricky Mickey Rourke the wrestler you know guys go back through the curtain and dressing but trying to fill that high that you get when you're you go out and you're in that crowd you feel all that you go back in your place with drugs sex whatever it is trying to keep that high going because it's created this intoxicating so that's the difficult part of the business it's just adjusting to the fame some some guys don't do do well that you know that's just a job you're doing some guys become that person unfortunately so you mentioned the stallion so you got to mention George South what do you think about George George South George has always been a great friend we did a lot of traveling together I've

19:35seen him in a few years he's up in the Denver Charlotte Denver area North Carolina I'm seeing occasionally in some of the shows but you know he wrote a book he said dad you don't work he wrestle and he takes it around sells it all his gimmicks but he's a he's a Christian as well so he's always compromised faith I'm a Christian as well got Yahweh Emma Hizc he grew spelling for God nice with George South obviously Rick Flair we says I was like his one of his favorite opponents right I mean it's like just showed shows the level of worker he is a flyer it's kind of really put them over yeah and Georgia whatever reason out of all the guys I were underneath talent worked him quite a bit but that's that's the kind of the badge of honor that most of us walked away with the other respective your your peers especially the top guys it made it all worthwhile you know we didn't get the marquee name or the money but you know even the other respect to those guys to me it made it worthwhile you know I

20:37didn't waste my time I worked hard at my craft and to have their respect and you'd say with George you know you just like you know thank you that means a lot it's crazy like WBF basically when you're there 86 87 I mean that's kind of like really when WBF ramps it up and they start really beating up NWA and but NWA's roster is so damn good it's like almost insane the road warrior's midnight express rock and roll express player the Anderson's Luger I mean right I mean just and you wrestled Ronnie Garvey you wrestled all those guys I mean it's just like that roster was insanely good yep and thankfully we we stayed there I don't think our first trip to WDF was probably about 88 I think and that's when we made that move you know Vince saw the talent level go up as far as underneath you know and the product and television looked a little better so he enticed us away and you know we paid we made more money it was a better a better deal and Nelson told us hey hey boys you know this you might be burning

21:38their bridge I'm like I'm care because the guy that I watched on the weekends when I was in army was Carrie Bonnare I wanted to be like him long hair buff and just like I want to be that guy and that one of the first guys I saw in the dress room when I got there was him and I was like a little kid he's like oh my gosh but he had just had a motorcycle accident he had that special boot on but also Andre was there he had just finished a princess bride movie like the year before Jesse Ventura's or he just finished a predator movie so we're I was all geeked up oh my god this is it we've made it we made it oh yeah big time you're marking out big time did you see the iron claw did you see that movie the chic know the iron claw the the von Ewerk movie oh yeah I did yeah but man that whole story just understanding that story outside it was that family but I thought they they depicted each each guy really well as far as the personalities and so well Carrie you know was it was a bit small if you compare

22:41the actor to oh yeah I don't think you're just gonna find a actor that big I feel like they're like let's just get a good actor you know isn't necessarily it to be you know six three two you know two seventy five let's just get an angle make them stand on boxes and stuff make them look bad but they did with the kid but um but yeah that was to me he was he was everything it's just what's it the whole family just a dumpster fire unfortunately it uh crazy crazy so how did Devon Baffley get in contact with you guys and say hey we want to start using you how does that occur how does that happen well I think we've we've heard several different things we went Nelson took care of us so we we got booked through Nelson but George South was one of the first guys of that level he somehow got himself up there and I guess Nelson talked to George but you know because Nelson he always if he booked us he always got a booking fee so we all went up there with George was

23:41there too and uh you know the interesting thing is it wasn't probably after you know I don't remember how long but Arn and Tully had left and they came up there and uh the cool thing was that me and a guy from my first class with me Bob Emery we were there the match with Arn and Tully and it came out was like boys we're so happy we got you because we've worked with you you know how we work we know you guys are going to take care of us he is but we're here up against seven other tag teams we got to we got to look good and I said brothers you know that's what we're here for to make you look good so they modused down but they were they couldn't have been more pleased and that was the whole our role we knew our role you know it wasn't about me it was about getting them over and they were very very happy about that so what do you call yourself like as far as that because I was talking to one wrestler he doesn't like the term enhancement talent they talk to one wrestler they're like I'm not an underneath guy I'm just a you know a guy you wrestles on TV like everybody has some guys to hate the job or term you know I don't ever use that term like so what would you say how would you refer to it

24:43well I got this I got the enhancement talent mafia at friend of ours Bill Knight he's the guys up in Philly area good friend we've met online and he came up with that idea he loved us he said and you guys you know jobbers whatever you want to call it I'm playing as enhancement talent mafia you guys were you knew what to do you went out there you worked you look good and so I'm very solid because I'm like a lie I mean that's that's what we were my ego is not that big I mean but I have a respect of the top guys across the board you know I'm carrot you call me I got paid it doesn't know that was hundred years ago so I don't have an ego so I don't care yep is that a Vince McMahon term enhancement talent where did that actual term come from that's a great question I know that Sherry Martell what did she go champion makers I think Arnhead one is like you know something about construction or carpenter carpenter's that's it yeah carpenter's business but

25:47the expression I heard from them when they reference us as if they were a good hand so if you heard your name associate with like they say John's a good hand or a great hand you knew you you were over that was all the thing so you know they it is what it is you're there to make them look good no matter what you call it I come some guys have a problem with it like with with like you know some of the terms I don't like it hands for tell I'm not an hands for tell like how come guys I don't know that's that's I guess per per person they never bother I mean if we're trying to pick up girls in a bar back in the days and like no no no where one of the guys we're not we're not but hey you can see me on TV every Saturday morning you know hey sometimes it works most times it don't so with Nelson Rowe getting like you said he's getting a fee if you will is that like a no no or not because we've heard through the years it would literally because of Italian stallion and George South we've heard some

26:47guys complaining like oh they shouldn't be getting a booking fee remember the the Hardy Boy situation where the Hardy Boy's decided to get themselves booked without telling the stallion and that caused it like some heat and and stuff so what's like to the protocol are like what are you supposed to do it's kind of a general's agreement I mean you know Nelson said we get he got us on TV we otherwise we would have gotten there but the thing that it was he and I took a different path after that is when Lany Poffo got hurt and he was out for couple weeks in the the office approach me and said hey are you going to be available to work for a couple weeks I'm like yeah absolutely and I got back I was all excited Nelson says we got to give me a percentage of each one I'm like well you didn't book me for that I booked myself he said but if you wouldn't have been booked by me you would never got the opportunity so I agreed that those terms and after that he and I I moved away I was living with him and I moved into Charlotte away from Moore's room but you know those things do hurt

27:48relationships but you know it was kind of a general's agreement so that caused a little bit of heat because technically he did get you the original booking but you got yourself all the other bookings after that so he wasn't really entitled to it so that's the riff there between you yeah it's kind of the impression I had and explained to him but you know we I still love them you know he's he's my mentor but you know just like when families experience loss you know the family's fight over money you know he and I were same thing you know who I earned it not you so right the love of money is the root of all evil that's true and like the stallion hearty boys think it's kind of the same thing like they wouldn't have been no they wouldn't even know the hearty boys were if it wasn't for stallion bringing them in so yeah it's it's interesting it's a different dichotomy but you know you live and learn you grow through it and yeah when you do get booked who do you start like working with

28:51over there was that bold dogs or who do you start working with when you first get there WWF WWF yeah and my first match was Bruce de Barber v. Kake and I had the bold dogs second match but they came up to me and said hey kid we want to put you with Bruce I said that's great he goes but you know as gimmick he's gonna cut your hair I'm like wait like just pretend he goes they're like no no he's gonna it'll just cut off a little bit but we're gonna give you some extra money for the you know if you do it and I was like okay how much and uh so they could be get out there and we're working and he gets British get out he always get out geeked up you know the crowd going he just and he cut a little bit of hair and I fell back I'm thinking sweet I didn't feel like he cut much and I'm laying there and all of a sudden he picks me up and he slaps me on the back and he's he's getting all goofy with those big cheers and he grabs my head and starts cutting more I'm thinking oh my god I'm I wanted to just roll out the ring but I was supposed to be out you know send my conscience you know get my hair up I said god almighty

29:52and I went back and they said go see the girl in the uh there the makeup artist she also cuts hair she'll help you out in the beginning of handful hundreds you know I went back there and I'm thinking okay she goes honey I'm sorry I'm just I'm just going to cut it all the way up to here because I just got the military finally you're my hair yeah yeah yeah but you're reminding me who girl back you'll go back but if I had a known then I'd have been like right cut it yeah exactly can't wait you back what's the next match in the I go back out in the arena you know it's it's lied but we're taping four shows so my hair is a lot shorter so the second week after television you come down wrestling the bulldogs and my hair is obviously shorter and people are wondering what's going on but if that match they go to do a big suplex off the top rope down to my grass me I can't remember it was David boy down to my butt you know we were taught to get on the top rope and push off you know don't don't be dead way and he almost lost me it could be

30:52watching the taping eats my hands and his hands were barely on and I went way across the ring bounce and get a good on top make it back and grills like hey kid hold on a second you're right this again fine he goes hold on I'm thinking man I'm in trouble what did I do he goes hey that was a great bump go back and get to Pat Patterson or whatever and they gave me like 500 more bucks that was a big payoff they gave me wow on top of all that so we knew if we you went out there and worked hard then they rewards you for it so another guy that we were with Trent night he took a great clothesline from Jake over the top rope they gave him a bunch of fine you know 100 bills we were like man this is gonna be awesome yeah that is awesome that is great and I love that you get extra money for getting a haircut too that's great yeah it kind of ease the suffering right right like demon I got I didn't want him to cut that much oh this much okay nice I'll take that that's great so yeah they were truly treated you well at the BF

31:54oh absolutely I remember the first day we went there and we're walking in and it sees us we see him first and he sees us and he's walking towards us and we're like you know church mice that's the big guy it's like hey Tommy hey George hey David you guys need anything we're like no we're good and he said god you guys are here and we're all like holy cow he knows our name and the only reason I said that's because Jim Crockett Jr. We you can say good morning sir how you doing hi you know hi Jim he would just look at you and turn the other way he was a social misfit he didn't have to talk to people and he just felt like my bother and minceg man is you know the brinkling brothers and Barnabella circus and Nelson said hey he knew he you guys where he wanted you there he watched tape he knew you guys had talent and but it just gave me a lot of great great respect for a guy that's got so much on his plate he would know us enhancement talent job guys or whatever yeah did you have any interaction with him after

32:55that or much interaction with him over your time they're not really not really it's kind of you know 50,000 foot view he's kind of this roaming around and telling them that of the agents you know talking with them and stuff and he'd hear all the other insular things that are happening but Nelson said keep your nose out of it boys go do what you're supposed to do and leave that's what we did did you work and W and WBF at the same time or once you do WF you don't do W and WA like do you do you work both well we went to WWF and we were like 88 89 and well by the time we went back to work it already turned to WCW so we went back we kind of went back and forth after a while because WCW they were they were missing out I think Mike Jackson had his group of boys yeah underneath talent come up from Alabama and they were like you know you guys were a little bit of hidden shoulders above those guys want you to come back we're going to pay more they started doing buffets too the Vince McMahon would have buffets all day long

34:02all during the tapings and some of the drink we're doing TV tapings with the NWA down Turner Studio and the other Peachtree Drive we'd always have one guy knew where the 711 was we'd give him a pocket full of change and he'd go and buy a bunch of microwave burritos and sodas but that was you go up to Vince McMahon and you got you know steak and salad and desserts and like good Lord and he's paying this more so WCW kind of transition back took care of all the talent you know just you know I remember being so thirsty beyond TV tapings but you know we'd bring bottles of water and our bags and stuff but it was it was just a night and day difference between NWA and NWA when you're at WWF and you're working like who you working uh iron mic sharp and valentine and like a bunch like basically everybody yeah through the time I was there pretty much um do you know bravo

35:04Rick Martell gosh I had to go back on YouTube all the people put in there I guess probably the only guy I really never wrestled was uh Hulk Hogan but I was in a run-in in one of the houses with him but uh it's pretty much everybody I mean it was a blessing who was your favorite cat of work right? Devita that flys I would say Kurt Henning he was a good friend he was a good mentor and he always give me a you know he'd watch my matches and tell me you know hey he needs to do this and that but when I work with him even when he was interconnel champion he would give you stuff in the ring so my my best matches on television were always with him and Bobby he would criticize him but he's like hey man you know get this kid a break how's he gonna get any anywhere in the business if we don't show what he can do and he said I'm not in my tarnishing my international my interconnel champion status by you know taking a bump for this kid so but it was always good but a lot of those most guys were there's only maybe a small

36:05percentage in either company that would not really do much with you is this nice thing is as we learned we got to respect trust mostly that they would we wouldn't hurt them that we could do things and that was them you can see our progression I can watch all the tapes and see oh gosh I was green here you can see I was a little better and but that was the similar students of the business and that's why I moved in lidwood Nelson because I would work work out with all the upcoming classes just refined what I knew I hope and teach and that's what kind of the knowledge of that school is just you know it's a continuous thing you don't learn the skill and then you you never train again so you'll be the conditioning in the gym but working out in the ring and just stay in active and learning new moves and understanding different things how long do you think it takes you before you get a quote unquote get it like before you really get good a couple years I guess everybody's a little bit different I say for me it was probably about 18 months when things started making sense for me where you know it was more fluid I can you know anticipate guys

37:09if I've had worked them before getting a little couple minutes before the match before you out in your match you know the finish and kind of what they're I what they're thinking and just you know it's the first few months may you just like they're in that way this way it's hilarious when I watch it I can see all the mistakes but fans may not but that's just part of the growing pains of the business and we'd always help each other and then thankfully a lot of those guys were patient yeah that's good so then you go back to that be stepping so how do you go back to that be stepping because you're not talking to Nelson Royals so how do you get back there we we still were I mean he just you know hey guys but at that point it wasn't a fee but it usually by that point too a lot of them they call us directly so we had established ourselves they had our contact information so but it was like a burn to bridge with Nelson but we just the the money part is no longer associated with that relationship what did you think of like the

38:17the W. Stebih Tallah and we talked about some of the WF guys what about some of the WCW like staying in the Steiners and Luger what did you think about working those guys well they're fabulous Lex and Nikita are two close friends of mine still they're both in ministry they have a man camp down in Georgia in twice a year and I see them but you know it's just in the office side of things was a little bit different but the talent was there it was a good nucleus of guys it was just still fun to be there you know yet chill man stone cold Steve Austin Z-Man gosh I'll just stop and think how many different guys Terry Taylor I mean getting out but Steiners they were big those guys are fun to be around did you like working the Steiners though I know you know not that they're quote unquote stiff but you know sometimes they might have herpitation of being able to throw anybody around whenever they wanted to throw them around oh god there's they were unbelievably strong if they if they graduated you one of those suplexes you you better prepare for

39:21your reentry into earth you know I know his intentional Scott was a more stiff I had a dark match with him when he first got there and dusty crab me said angel you go out with uh Scott there you gonna do about uh seven eight minutes dark match I want to see what he can do you know do what you can you know I'm still kind of green he's real green you know it was ugly you know he he closed lying me in the face and pretty sure broke my nose I was bleeding everywhere so I dropped kicked him in the face and he's like go is that with the shit you know he told um Scott we were going to send him out in Memphis get some more experience and he's probably about 185 and but he was still just cut stuff like that but he made a reference about putting on some way and Scott came back bigger than life and he never never got small but him and his brother were just they could put on a clinic if I'd wrestle so they were their gimmicks were real solid team I mean

40:23both are good dudes and uh Kevin Sullivan was telling me great story about when Steiner was wrestling the giant in WCW he told the giant not to leave his feet and he said little literally he said nothing he could do Steiner got a hold of him and suplexed him over his head and he's like I told you not to leave your feet what are you doing and he's like what can I do he's like he's like I tried to dead weight I mean I go he's still threw me over and that's the giant I weighed 450 pounds so it just shows you he could throw anybody if you wanted to strengthen Kevin Sullivan was always fun to work with he worked him a bunch yeah I was looking I saw you had a match with him was on TV it was like a long match too it was like eight minutes or something with with Sully I think WCW was doing their matches were a little bit longer than the VAs and uh having uh they they'd paired like Barry Windom was another guy that it always uh helped me look good he was a great mentor and work with but you know they those matches they would pair you up in the back as far as it you know the the great minds the book and all that you

41:27know what's what's gonna fill seven eight minutes let's put Barry with Tommy or Barry with Ricky Nelson whoever try to get that time out so you know yeah better they realize over the course of time short matches don't keep the audience interested in that this day and that day and age but nowadays people should short attention span so they're thinking what about a guy like Sid did you like working a guy like Sid yes and no I mean he was kind of scary I remember one match we had he had uh they brought out a gurney he was gonna try to throw it on me and he was just he'd get all excited need be a little stiff and they normally should I liked him but I was just like you know I'm gonna let you kill me on that was we're doing center stage so he threw me out of the ring and he was over the gurney was over by the hard camera but we're uh the desk was and uh I just kept running around I jump in the ring I go out of the

42:31ring I jump in when I was trying he's getting pissed off like dude you're gonna hit me with that thing and finally you get tired but I went over there and he he threw me out that side and he just pushed it over on me but that was one of those giant ambulance gurneys that weighed like 500 pounds oh my god wow he was crazy but um I saw that the video of him when he broke his leg that was horrible he jumped off the top rope and snapped his leg yeah horrific I was watching that live and I was like what in that I know oh so gross oh man and then the the next night on nitro they they replayed it I'm like what are you doing don't never show this again are you nuts don't show uh different era but yes it's all sensationalism ratings yes yes it's a lead that leads so so crazy and you work black bar too I which I was thinking about because obviously that bar just passed away would you think about old black bar here's a here's a good guy it was I didn't get a lot of conversations with him but just the the respect he had amongst everybody else

43:35is what I I noticed him admired um he made one of the wrestling mag coverage when he was had me over the second rope but his leg over my head pulling pulling up you know I'm choking but gosh he's a strong Christian man just passed away but uh just following him on social media last few years it's just his faith you know he was very humble guy and I mean to me he was he was up there as far as heels and respect and you know well known and he was a big star in his own time did you think W. W at that point was like being mismanaged you know we always hear stories what many years later like Jim heard didn't know what he was doing and Turner wasn't involved enough here at bitch uh yeah what did you think about W. C. W. just based on uh Nelson gene was still working for a little while through some of that and he finally retired just hearing their their insight and it was mismanage there's there's egos

44:37with the wrestlers there's also egos in the office side you know the smarter he's better who does this and that that's still a problem with the business it's just all egos um but they were you know who can who can put themselves over so just at that point by 94 is when I got out of the business my father was uh never really a big fan of me pursuing this you should thought I should say the military and you know committing suicide 94 Nikita was a good friend his wife had passed away from Hodgkin's in the coma and so in the end of 93 he left the business right before went into tens of millions of dollars for those guys and the beginning of 94 around end of January February is when I walked away you know he he walked away from millions I walked away from thousands that was a joke right but right this my heart wasn't in anymore and it was trending down and just all the big ring and all the you know people just wanting to be over all the people bus

45:38all the people that died from the time I got in the business to all the boys from 94 I mean seeing it happen was just enough for me I was 31 and I flew back from Dominican Republic on a trip I went down there with Jimmy Snooka barbarian chief William McDaniels oh yeah um gosh shame on me I'm your drone of blank axel dug and that's what had to work down there and I just had the worst worst time I was uninspired I called both offices and said hey I'm done I had to see you need to call me a book me where this is your share I said yeah it was a very un-sermonious very anti-climactic and but I stole that was it and thanking for letting me to to work for all those years so wrestling in Dominican Republic was that popular or was that something big it seems like you don't hear much about that yeah it was a 94

46:43red in January and uh but you know it was that at that time there was there under martial law and they said whatever you do don't mess up don't do anything wrong because of three in jail you might not get a call for six months and I work in axel and he's he's you know snot's coming out his nose he's chucking it with block of wood around and he threw me out of the ring and I it took a good bump but I slid across the floor and took took a couple of military guys off their feet and then just later thinking oh man I'm in the fans I can hear him laughing and I looked up at those guys and they're they're smiling me like hey we're part of the show and I was like get back in the ring like in the restroom yeah now obviously it's that's 94 you're retiring before that though I'm interested in just just randomly a couple promotions that I didn't realize that you were a part of like smokey mountain wrestling with Cornette like so how did that come about how did he get there same thing with

47:44um Nelson but Jim knew us from NWA and you know we went there and worked there and it was a you know Jim Cornette to me as the brightest mind and wrestling he was he knows everything inside now still to this day and we had a lot of fun I remember I worked the key to there Randy did the gimmick where he was like the overalls with the the bone on a leather strap what was his neck got's gimmick I can't remember uh Moondog oh Moondog yeah the Moondog yeah Moondog Rex yeah Rex yes he told him starting to not remember things as well as I said yes um yeah no he meant Randy Colley yeah yeah yeah Randy Colley yeah he's um but it was the fans were excited they were just as good as I guess they also crossed over the Southern NWA so they knew who we were um so I don't recall many times when but I always had a good time and that was a good crowd heavenly bodies to you guys you worked yep yeah heavenly bodies great team yeah

48:51what about you WF with her babrooms because I don't remember that either like how did how the heck does that come about same thing Nelson I remember I wrestled Barry Horowitz and uh Mr wonderful Paul Orn d'Orfe yep um he was he was great to work with he would tell you right up the bat when he first saw as he said if you don't do anything when the barrier so you know let's let's work on which you can do kids so he you did some he let you do it you know he would sell and uh but you know he's he's one of those guys to me was like man you're over I mean I remember he was he was doing those uh California like the tonight show and stuff like that I mean they were over especially when you came man him him versus Hogan was like the you know the thing basically yeah yeah so it was really neat to do that and uh and obviously I think you mentioned Japan I was probably the highlight of everything I've done the highlight of just being at that level to be

49:52flown over in Japan and wrestled those guys I tagged with Danny Spivey most of the time I did some singles matches but um pair me with him and wrestling their top guys I mean it was just such a great experience how does that happen like how do you get the tour over there again is that Nelson getting you that tour in ultra-paint? That wasn't um so Johnny Ace you know he was one of the guys that he came and worked out in our camp and getting ready to do the gimmick with the she-perters and uh but he went over there and he was so over they loved it belong here and um so he became like Bob's guy and Stan Hanson was another one he was a he was a big fan of us younger guys you know getting an opportunity so David Isaac went over there and he became good friends with Stan he's like hey you got any other young guys you want to recommend so they gave him our names and you know eventually I got over there in 92 and uh wow that's just so much fun and wrestling some of like the best Japanese town not only the best American guys but wrestling some of the best Japanese

50:55talent like Kentikobachi one of the old time great yeah Kabachi uh yeah yeah it was the you know went to the you know as I grew up as a teenager a cheek chick and Budacan was one of the albums I had we get the wrestling the Budacan and I'm yeah and it's an old gem I'm thinking this is it is the Budacan this is a cheek chick play here you know Tokyo egg dome and all the other stuff you know we'd ride a bus around all the around the island we get to see Hiroshima Nagasaki Mt. Fuji I mean just the culture the everything in Japan um one of the first nights they wrote a sound to the Playboy Club and I got on remember we was but I guess he was like the guy that he that gives a few bucks and he'd take him around and make sure they got in the clubs and all that stuff and he was high energy I was just like stay away from him and he'd come up and they tell me angle they they couldn't say angel they're an angle anyway the recess shake my hand but he grabbed my thumb and twisted around he thought it was funny like hey I know wrestling move too and it started to really hurt so I hope them into fireman's carry slam them in the wall behind me and drop them

52:00like what do you do an angel I'm like dude he's broke my thumb I'm here to work and they pick him up and they're like oh he's sorry sorry like dude angel get out of here like dude he's trying to break my thumb so that was hilarious give it a little bastard come on what do you would you get bastard yeah so no more Japan I just won trip and that was it or did you make multiple tours it was one trip all of us just made that one trip but man we we made a lot of money I'll tell you that and well treated right like as far as like they didn't job you out or anything like that like you were well treated you know there was yeah those matches over there there's one thing Nelson told me get ready for Japan don't touch the weights to cardio that's all I did because those matches 30 40 50 minutes and those big guys go over there and so that that saved my life um but yeah every where we went to bus we get off and the fans you know they're they're just like over here back then they mean they'd wait for us but they'll be bowing and one autographs

53:02and they ain't stuff like this is really cool do they picture like royalty now then you come back and you do some more wcw basically or do you do wcw and you do wf like you basically kind of can do both yeah it was by that time was wcw and wwe and then eventually ww was the whole thing so I've done a mixture of all of them what did you think just as far as like the differences like when you go there because obviously it's like you're not made eventing or anything but what do you think where the difference is is it just how you got treated and and just the way Vince they handled the business versus ww like you said a little bit of mismanage was that basically the big difference between them well I think for my painage point my perspective is that you know at that point that I was treated as who I was and who I worked you know mutual respect all the the noise in the office didn't really affect me I didn't really care but you know it was I think overall

54:03wwf wwe was more professional just from my perspective what I thought the way they conducted themselves um but you know they're both very successful companies but just the guys that I relate ships with in each company I go and work either they have mutual respect I hope I'm I'm glad to you angel let's go out and we're gonna do this in this in this and so but that point I was just I'm you know I'm going to make a check but I want to make it a good effort so if I was working you I'd be like card john let's let's do this right let's have a good match so you look good and you know that was all I cared about really wwf wcw and w a smokey mountain um you know you wf randomly uh all Japan where was your favorite place to work was it all Japan I think so just because of the magnitude I mean it was that the culture they embraced it was so big to them and I never seen it before in my life and then when you go over to those the arenas and you know we we watch all the matches so like when

55:04Stan Hansen and Steve Williams and Terry Gordoba they they told these ribbons down and it would just be all these ribbons coming out as a way of showing respect for them and by the end of that the tour that I was there they started throwing ribbons for me and I thought man I'm here was it was only like a little bit compared to those guys but I was starting to get it but just the way they treated you like you were something really special you know and it was just it was just cool experience being so far away from home doing what we do here just it seemed so much bigger to me and but it was all it was all fun I don't regret any of it I don't regret all the smoke shows I've done up and down the east coast west Virginia just you know given the fans a good experience that's what it's all about just making an event where they enjoy themselves it doesn't matter one or last I get that all the time I'm going to match you in this miss you know I got paid everything one of them so I'm gonna tell you that's all about the money yes yeah so who was your

56:06favorite like to work with because if you really look at like all the guys you wrestled it's crazy it's like a who's who like literally everybody undertaker staying Steve Austin diesel I had actually had undertakers first TV match so that was kind of a wow another gauge I had because you know we didn't they picked me and Bob Emery for Arn and Tully for their first match then undertaker and the only reason I think that Vince picked me because my name Tommy Angel because when you watched the tape he goes and who's undertaker going up again serves our first look at the undertaker who's his opponent mr. Tommy Angel maybe he'll fly with the angels tonight you know kind of a play on words but it was to me it was a respect I knew that I could go out there and allow you know this this new talent to really go over and mark as a super talent anyway he didn't need be put over but I wanted to make sure you look good so who would you say some of your your absolute favorites just not

57:07eat not just of the bad but just overall I would say obviously Kurt Henning very one named Harn Anderson another guy that was overlooked his whole career I thought should have got a huge push his Brad Armstrong what I was he was fun to work Tim Horner another guy was overlooked but yeah this probably those top three Zarn Tully Barry and Kurt you know that that seems like I got a lot more matches with them and it's just easier to put in high level high water mark on them do you watch any current wrestling do you still pay attention or follow the business at all I know unfortunately but I see some stuff every once well I just noticed that the these guys are tremendous athletes almost like acrobat gymnasts more than wrestlers but you know I don't want to take away anything that they do because I couldn't do it but you know I come I come from a different era but so I just I don't really have an interest I hear from my friends

58:10who watch and tell me about it and you know I'm not opposed to it just just not me do you regret not staying in the business longer or no no it's not a pretty young age you're pretty young when you left yeah 31 and the same way I forced come my way into the wrestling business I did in the radio business I got out and you know I was trying to figure out life for myself when dad just passed away living in Charlotte and I saw a local broadcast in school and it was about the same thing I ran a conifer four months and then by the end of the four months of learning how to do the broadcasting and radio and television they're like okay so we're gonna you're about ready to figure out what you want to do I was obviously all the kids in that school are 17 to 22 there I am 31 almost 32 so I'm an older and they're talking about the genres in the market and I said I'm a classic rock guy and they're like well we don't really have a relationship with the classic rock station but we

59:12got all these other hot AC contemporary you know just sports sports talk and I said well you know we'll figure that and I was bouncing on the front of my bar rocks rock bar and they came into a promotion and I was working the front desk and they all come in like we're the radio station and I just find stand over there I get you in a second and I'm finally get over there and I could tell they're annoying I'm like who's the boss like yes I am I say well here's the deal I'm in a student at the local broadcast and it's called an internship give me a card oh what do you want to do this dude you want to get in the club he goes yeah so give me a card so he gave me his business card they go inside do their thing and I call them Monday I think he's like uh who's this I said I'm on the bounce of the bar one internship oh that big sum of the you know this yeah he goes come on down uh Wednesday whatever when down and he hired me as an intern he goes I'm gonna keep you with me big sum of a bitch you know you'll protect me and uh by the grace of god

1:00:13that internship turned into a full-time job where I eventually became the promotions director as on air talent and the morning show was uh it was the home Charlotte was the home of John Boyne billi which is 138 affiliates at one point a monster show and Charlotte uh 99.7 the fox was a monster radio station so the we were on fire they were we were making money I was making money so I was like man I'm you have to do bumps I'm making more money than I was in radio in the wrestling business so I was in there for about 15 years just where I met my wife she was in a radio business and uh after about the 15th year you know we're gonna have our second child our first one had passed away and uh put a boy and I remember being a meeting taking the the guy that was gonna be over me he was uh we were in a meeting with it's with one of our clients and my wife called her my my water just broke I said oh I'll be right there and then

1:01:15tag your it so I'm out I already put my tweaks notice so and so this is so and so uh he's he's your guy come out and I went in the nonprofit world after that and uh so that's about 2008 the economy collapsed and I found myself out of work so I was at home with my boy who was two at the time and just kind of hung out with him and then up in the beer business and that's you know the same thing is just like products sell themselves I'm naturally outgoing so sales is easy so that was I made a lot of money in the beer business and sales and management and uh you know it's everything's lifestyle so if you look at my resume it's like it's just this guy just found things that were fun to do that's what he did yeah wrestling radio beer yeah can't beat that holy crap yeah ready beer so I get out uh out of the beer business last year uh January 24 and uh this kind of been summer retired and so September I hope to

1:02:21completely retire and we're gonna move back to the Charlotte area where we came from and get a little place on the lake and it's gonna do nothing in the real life I love that as we start to wind it down here head towards the finish anything up next for you like anything wrestling related coming up now the only I just do um if there's autograph signings you know I haven't done any comic cons I'm not that guy but you know um but there's one in July up in Monroe North Carolina July 12th or 15th I can't remember but he's promoted did all the NA fan fest his name's Greg Price and okay for a few years they were monsters there are three day events so he's doing something up at the ag center up in Monroe that's kind of a big deal sub-right go up there should be living in Charlotte by then um so but other net opportunities to speak with people like you it's blessing that's kind of all you I'm just under the radar

1:03:22just Tommy Barrett the old guy that some people know he's the Russell some people though and did you do social media at all is there anywhere where anybody can find you or do you kind of just stay under the radar no that's my regular name Tommy Barrett B-A-R-R-R-E-T-T I'm a Facebook Instagram TikTok X so I'm there I just your your average guy nice love it Tommy Angel appreciate all time another tonight thank you so much well John thank you for having me and the blessings see you in your family this is been a john pos power trip production in conjunction with the two man power trip of a wrestling you could follow us on Instagram and Twitter at two man power trip you get check us out on facebook you get subscribed on youtube you can go to patreon.com slash TMPT empire to become I'm Patron and also check out the website TMPTEMPIRE.com and buy a shirt at prowrestlingtees.com

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