MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM INTERVIEW WITH RICK MARTEL
- 09/02/2006 (4:27:48 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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WWE legend, Rick "The Model" Martel, was one of the special guests on this past week's live edition (08/28/06) of Monday Night Mayhem, which can be heard in streaming audio every week (and live from 7-9 PM ET every Monday night) exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.WrestlingMediaNetwork.com, www.ObsessedWithWrestling.com, www.Dory-Funk.com, & www.AudioWrestling.com -- your official home of "The Spring Break Incident" Video-On-Demand, featuring former WWE Diva & the newest star of ABC's "The George Lopez Show," Stacy Keibler).
The interview with this former WWE World Tag Team Champion is now available to hear for FREE in Real Audio!
Here are some of the highlights from the interview, provided by the show's senior correspondent, Dan "Ho-Ju" Kriegbaum.
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The Big Mosh & Blade welcomed "The Model" to the show, as Rick was delighted to be aboard the program for the second-to-final week of "The Summer Of Mayhem: Part III." Mosh started off the interview by going down "memory lane" back to SummerSlam 1989 (which was actually 16 years to the night of this interview), to the first show that he remembered in detail, with Demolition & Tito Santana teaming up against The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers & Martel himself, along with other matches, and asked Rick his memories from that night's event at The Meadowlands and other SummerSlam's that he was a part of. Rick said that SummerSlam to him was always a good time (including that six-man tag team match), but the one that sticks out the most to him was against "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels in 1992 at the jam-packed Wembley Stadium in London, England in front of 75,000+ fans.
Mosh & Blade then asked Rick for his personal takes on HBK still wrestling today at such a high performance, despite being out of action for several years, and competing at his age. Martel said that he expected Shawn to be the "huge star that he became" years after the SummerSlam match he had against him. Rick mentioned that it was “no doubt, right from the start,” that Michaels had the ability to do it. Martel added that he likes Shawn, loved working against him, and that he deserves all the recognition & credibility he’s received. Rick went on to talk about Michaels' major back injury a few years back, but he still goes out now and performs like he did before the injury, holding nothing back.
Blade & The Big Mosh mentioned the recent induction of "Sensational" Sherri Martel into the WWE Hall Of Fame, and Rick jokingly together dispelled the "rumor" that there is no real-life relation between the Martels, even though the 1992 storyline between he & Shawn Michaels was based around her. Mosh then asked Rick for his thoughts on working with Sherri, and he said that working with her in that storyline was perfect -- with Shawn being the “cocky good- looking guy," and him as “The Model," made it all click together the way it needed to go. Martel added that "it takes everybody to make something work," and she was an integral part of making it happen in the end.
With a good number of the wrestling greats/legends from the 80’s or 90’s now being involved behind the scenes, The Big Mosh asked Rick if he would ever go back to professional wrestling in the role of a Road Agent, member of the Creative Team, or other position in either World Wrestling Entertainment or Total Nonstop Action. Rick mentioned that he has turned down two offers in the past year from the WWE, with the most recent one being a few weeks ago, because he’s happy with his life now working in real estate & a five-year old daughter, and at 50 years old, after 25 years on the road already, he doesn’t feel like going back -- although the “flame” is still there, and it was a hard decision to make.
Mosh also asked Martel about his time in the AWA, part of which spent as AWA World Heavyweight Champion -- something which even "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan never accomplished. Mosh mentioned the recent happenings of the AWA on WWE 24/7, the Gagne's at the 2006 WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremonies, and now Greg Gagne being on the WWE payroll. Rick strongly believes that, despite that, in today’s world, he doesn’t think the AWA would last -- mainly because of the huge "old-school" mentality of Verne, a mindset which he never really changed.
In closing, The Mayhem Crew brought up Rick’s time in World Championship Wrestling, as well as all of the WWE stars that were brought over to WCW in the mid-late 1990’s. Mosh & Blade asked Martel if he had any regrets for going to WCW, as it turned into the "sinking ship" a short time after Rick’s time there was up, or if he would change anything he did. Rick said that it was a business decision that he had to make, with no regrets. He also remembered asking Vince McMahon if he could team up with Don "Cyrus The Virus" Callis as “The Supermodels” in the WWE, but the contracts were not what they were looking for or interested in. He was happy with capturing the WCW Television Championship though in the process, and being able to work with someone as talented as Booker T.
Other topics discussed in this fantastic 40-minute interview included: the past rumors of heat between himself & his former partner, Tito Santana, his thoughts on all of the current legends conventions (including who he was able to "break bread with at the recent Capitol Legends Fan Fest), what was really in the "Arrogance" container, tag team wrestling today vs. that of 15-20 years ago (and how today's "teams" would fare against Strike Force or The Can-Am Connection), the now infamous "Montreal Screwjob" at the 1997 WWE Survivor Series that took place in Martel's home province of Quebec -- just how rabid are those fans? In addition, Rick discussed in detail the injuries that ended his career, & so much more!
The August 28th edition of Monday Night Mayhem also features an in-depth preview of the upcoming 2006 NFL Season, as member of the NFL's All-Time Team & current CBS Sports' commentator, Steve Tasker, joined the program. Check out www.SportsPublishingLLC.com for Tasker's latest venture, his brand new book, "Tales From The Buffalo Bills." Wrestling & football in one show -- who would have thought of that one?
*From "The Franchise" Shane Douglas & Chris Jericho to Bret "Hitman" Hart & Konnan -- with a little dose of Screech, "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" has brought you the very best & most diverse guests/programming throughout the summer months, along with the most comprehensive WWE & TNA coverage. It's hard to believe that September is finally here, and sooner than we know it, the leaves will start changing colors. Join The Big Mosh & Blade LIVE this Monday night, September 4th, as we put the finishing touches on "The Summer Of Mayhem: Part III" with "Labor Day Live."
Other shows may tend to slack around the holidays, but not us, as another jam-packed show is headed your way!
The Mayhem is headed back on the road once again, as The Big Mosh & Blade will be at The Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada LIVE for the WWE Unforgiven PPV. So, we thought we would give an "early-bird" preview of the big RAW Pay-Per-View, with the help & assistance of the author of "The Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame: The Tag Teams" book & Slam Wrestling's own, Greg Oliver.
The card is starting to formulate from top to bottom, and man it is stacked -- John Cena will get one more chance at Edge’s WWE Championship at Unforgiven. But it will be in a match that Edge has never lost, and one that Cena has never been in -- a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match. And to make matters even tougher for Cena, the match will take place in Edge’s hometown of Toronto. Did a deranged Mr. McMahon pronounce D-Generation X’s death sentence when he ordered Triple H & Shawn Michaels to compete in a Hell In A Cell Match against himself, his son Shane, & ECW World Heavyweight Champion, The Big Show? And former six-time WWE Women's Champion, Trish Stratus, is set to retire from in-ring action following Unforgiven next month. Will she go out victorious in her final match? Just 24 hours before "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" kicks off the new fall season (w/new timeslot), you will lay witness to a blockbuster Pay-Per-View!
We strongly encourage all who are attending the event in Toronto to come out for the second-ever "Monday Night Mayhem International Tailgate Invitational," sponsored by Big Time Burgers. Click here for more details -- www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/august2006/bigtimeburgers.pls.
Triple H will be there, "The Dr. Of Thuganomics" will be in the house. Well, maybe not -- but watch out Vince, because Mosh & Blade are coming your way (starting at 2PM ET in the main parking lot of the ACC), and we look forward to seeing everyone there!
And with the huge success of the "Heroes Of World Class" DVD, and of course, Kevin Von Erich selling the WCCW video footage to the WWE a few months ago, World Class Championship Wrestling has definitely been in the news as of late. That will continue this Monday night, as the legendary voice of WCCW (Bill Mercer), along with the promotion's Executive Producer (Mickey Grant), will step into The Mayhem squared circle together to give some insight & analysis into what really made the World Class Championship Wrestling promotion a world-wide success. As we have been doing throughout "The Summer Of Mayhem: Part III," we strongly encourage all fans to purchase a copy of the "Heroes Of World Class: The Story Of The Von Erichs and The Rise & Fall Of World Class Championship Wrestling" -- available at www.RightHerePictures.com.
E-mail your questions/comments for Greg, Bill, & Mickey to [email protected], post them on The Mayhem's official MySpace page (located at www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem), or on the MNM Uberfun Message Board (located at www.MondayNightMayhem.com).
We'll see all of you fans LIVE this Monday night, September 4th, starting at 7 PM ET/6PM CT, as 'The Summer Of Mayhem: Part III" concludes..."
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