DON WEST TALKS ABOUT TNA, NFL, SCARY MOMENTS AND MORE
- 01/14/2007 (4:11:02 pm)
- Press Release
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Show: The Piledriver courtesy of www.WrestlingEpicenter.com
Guest: TNA Announcer Don West
Date: 1/14/07
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & Chad Perry
Produced By: Chris Furguson & James Walsh
A show likethe Piledriver really is by wrestling fans for wrestling fans. It is a refreshing way to get a fans perspective on the business in its current state. From the great mind of Patrick Kelley who has a sensational knowledge of pro wrestling's past and a unique perspective on it today to Chad Perry's knowledge of the modern independent wrestling scene and a unique perspective in his own right, the Piledriver really does leave few stones unturned.
This week, the guys bring you an hour with TNA announcer Don West. While other shows only give you clips of this teleconference, the Piledriver brings you the whole thing. Why? Because that's what they'd want to hear. And, since they want to hear it, you will. Again, by the fans for the fans.
Date: 1/14/07
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & Chad Perry
Produced By: Chris Furguson & James Walsh
A show likethe Piledriver really is by wrestling fans for wrestling fans. It is a refreshing way to get a fans perspective on the business in its current state. From the great mind of Patrick Kelley who has a sensational knowledge of pro wrestling's past and a unique perspective on it today to Chad Perry's knowledge of the modern independent wrestling scene and a unique perspective in his own right, the Piledriver really does leave few stones unturned.
This week, the guys bring you an hour with TNA announcer Don West. While other shows only give you clips of this teleconference, the Piledriver brings you the whole thing. Why? Because that's what they'd want to hear. And, since they want to hear it, you will. Again, by the fans for the fans.
To listen, go to www.WrestlingEpicenter.com and click the 'Interviews' tab. Also be sure and check out the forums to discuss TNA Final Resolution as it happens and our brand new store with hundreds of DVD's at the lowest prices on the Internet!
DON WEST
- Don said her prefers calling the live PPV events as opposed to the taped Impact shows. On the live PPVs he says he can kind of settle down and tell more stories. Where as on the taped 1 hour Impact shows where you don?t have as much time you can?t really do that since your trying to get over so many things including the next PPV all at once.
- He said getting on primetime TV was always their goal.
- Don mentioned that there were times back in 02 and 03 that they would be off for a few weeks and they would all wonder including himself if the company was dead or not. So to see how far TNA has come is just amazing to him.
- He didn?t see last nights Raw because he was watching the BCS game. He read about how bad Raw was online and hearing that the fans chanted TNA during the show makes him smile. He said it not only sends a message to the WWE but it makes fans who have yet to discover TNA ask questions and wonder just what exactly is TNA.
- He was pulling for Florida last night because he got sick of how biased ESPN was being towards Ohio State.
- He said The Rock N Wrestling era in the 80?s is when he started getting into wrestling. But what really got him into it was the Monday Night Wars in the late 90?s. He said when he worked at Shop At Home they had their own cliques there behind then scenes. One for WWF and one for WCW and they would all argue back and forth about which brand was better. Whenever he would watch wrestling before he was involved in it his wife would always make fun of him.
- He called Kurt Angle the MVP of the WWE for the last 4-5 years that he was there.
- He thinks the Chicago Bears have a good shot at making it to the Super Bowl.
- He says he was literally scared when he did the angle where Scott Steiner attacked him once. He knew it was all a work but he had heard so many stories from the boys about how nuts Scott is and he let all of that go to his head. He was also scared the time when Ken Shamrock broke from the script after being eliminated from a battle royal and started going nuts tossing chairs and trying to dismantle their announcers desk.
- His favorite moments in TNA history are Elix Skipper walking the cage at Turning Point 04, Jeff Hardy?s dive off the set onto Abyss at Bound for Glory 05, AJ Styles dive off the cage at Bound for Glory 06, and the reaction that Sting got when he made his return at last year?s Final Resolution. He said the reaction to him was so loud that it sounded like 20,000 people were in the Impact Zone that night.
- He said Ed Ferrara left the TNA announce team because he was very skeptical about the companies future. Ed did a lot to help him as an announcer but him leaving was better for the announce team.
- He loved the moment in TNA when Brian Urlacher tossed Johnny Fairplay out of the ring so much that he could watch it on a reel that plays it over and over again.
- The guys who directed and produced the James Bond commercials that Don did were huge fans of Don?s work on the Shop at Home network. They actually came in and pitched the idea of using him for the commercials having no clue that he worked for TNA and Spike TV.
- He laughed and said his ankle is still a little sore from being put in the Ankle Lock but he?s tough and refuses to show pain.
- He has no idea if Scott Steiner will be back in TNA or not but he hopes so. He has been a big fan of Scott for a long time and really enjoyed the Steiner/Joe feud back over the summer.
- There are still plans to hold a PPV event in the St. Louis market.
- The screaming that Abyss did in front on the prison on last week?s Impact really creeped him out.
- He would love to see Christopher Daniels become a top player in TNA.
- He?s really excited to see Jerry Lynn back in the ring on Sunday.
- He says Vince Russo 2002 and Vince Russo 2007 don?t even seem like the same person. Russo was a big fan of him on Shop at Home and actually got him his job in TNA.
- He loves the story telling that has been going on in TNA since Russo was re-hired.
- When announcing they have the freedom to do as they wish. They don?t have anyone shouting in their ear telling them what to do and say.
- He really enjoyed last week?s Impact. He said it was the prefect balance between wrestling and story telling.
- He thinks TNA can improve on advertising and getting their name out there to those who don?t even know that TNA exists.
- He loved the 3 way match at Unbreakable 05 between Joe/Styles/Daniels. He says he will remember it for a long time to come.
- Vince Russo tried to bring him into WCW but it didn?t work out. He?s glad it didn?t for many reasons but mostly because he had no idea what he was doing and going straight in calling a company that big would have been a total fiasco. He was then contacted right before TNA started by Jeff Jarrett and was offered the job as color man. He turned Jeff down numerous times but he just wouldn?t take no for answer so he finally accepted. He tried to quit during the first month because he knew he was awful but Jarrett wouldn?t let him.
- He would love to see Chris Benoit in TNA. He?s been a huge fan of Benoit since his days in WCW and can picture in his mind AJ Styles and Chris Benoit facing off in an Iron Man Match. He would also love to see RVD, Edge, and Rey Mysterio in TNA.
- His favorite matches he called in 2006 were Angle/Joe 2 from Turning Point and LAX vs. Styles/Daniels from Bound for Glory.
- Don said he had no idea that Kurt Angle was coming to TNA. He said 3-4 people knew and he was not one of them. He found out about 5 minutes before they made the announcement.
- He can?t imagine anyone who?s a true wrestling fan not ordering the PPV on Sunday. He thinks Joe/Angle will be amazing and he can?t wait to see it.
- There is talk of doing a live TNA event in the UK.
- He?s not sure how or if the VKM skits can and will go on now that Triple H is injured.
- He said Kurt Angle explained to him personally how awful the WWE schedule is and he just can?t see how they do it.
- He says being a part of a company that is growing and being a big part of that is so much fun and he thinks that?s a big reason why Angle is really glad to be in TNA.
Don't forget to check out TNA Final Resolution TONIGHT on pay-per-view!
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