THE PATRIOT DEL WILKES TALKS,GWF,BRET,SHOOTS ON TOM BRANDI,MORE
- 06/06/2016 (6:54:10 pm)
- Bob Mulrenin
…
Show:Interactive Wrestling
Radio
Guest: "The Patriot" Del Wilkes
Date: 06/03/16
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & James Walsh
Guest: "The Patriot" Del Wilkes
Date: 06/03/16
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & James Walsh
The man who stands for the values of the Red, White, and Blue! One of our favorite performers of all time, The Patriot stops by for his
first ever interview with
our show. Discussing everything from his inception into wrestling after football
to becoming the Patriot, his feud
with the Dark Patriot, all
the way through his WWF run including his feud with Bret "The Hitman" Hart...
This is a fantastic interview. While
the whole thing is great,
the most interesting part may well be his finally putting to rest the folk lore,
urban legend that implies
someone other than Del
Wilkes ownes the right to the "Patriot" persona. In fact, we name names. And, it
is awesome!
Del Wilkes has a fantastic new DVD out which you can purchase now through his official site, www.delthepatriotwilkes.com autographed by the Patriot himself. It is a 3 disc set featuring over 7 hours of action including a documentary, matches, and more. If you want to know his whole story, this is the place to get it! And, it is only $20 plus shipping, signed!
Del Wilkes has a fantastic new DVD out which you can purchase now through his official site, www.delthepatriotwilkes.com autographed by the Patriot himself. It is a 3 disc set featuring over 7 hours of action including a documentary, matches, and more. If you want to know his whole story, this is the place to get it! And, it is only $20 plus shipping, signed!
To download an MP3 or
stream it via a youtube video, visit http://www.wrestlingepicenter.com/ and click on the Interviews
tab.
"THE PATRIOT" DEL WILKES:
On his new DVD documentary featuring 3 discs and 7 hours of content:
"I had someone approach me about doing this, he had an idea - A guy named Michael Elliot who has done several documentaries on retired wrestlers. He did one on Crockett Promotions. He did one on Ivan Koloff. He did one on the Rock and Roll Express. He did one on Harley Race. And, he also did one on Magnum TA. He does excellent work and Michael is highly respected by people within the wrestling business. He actually approached my wife first. He contacted her through Facebook and later on that year, I was at an event in Winston Salem, North Carolina called WrestleCade that they have every November - A big event there. I met Michael there and we started talking about it, started making plans to get this done. We started a Kickstarter campaign to help us raise some money to finish the project off. We were trying to raise $3,500, we raised $6,000! That allowed us to do the third disc and include several more people on there. Man, we're very excited about it! Very pleased with it as well."
On the benefits of buying it through his official site:
"It is 3 discs, 7 hours. Listen, man. It has some very famous wrestlers on there, some guys I played football with in South Carolina including the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers. Greg Gagne, Stan Hansen, Bruce Prichard, Marcus Bagwell, Jackie Fulton, Bobby Fulton, Bill Apter... A lot of great people agreed to participate and be part of this. It is $20.00 plus shipping and handling and it will get autographed."
Writer's Note: www.DelThePatriotWilkes.com is the URL.
On being the Trooper in the AWA:
"You're correct. They were on life support. Their better days were far behind them. They were a struggling company that was basically doing TV, that was it. Wahoo McDaniel worked in the office there with Verne Gagne and Greg Gagne. Wahoo lived up there but he had a home in Charlotte. He came down to Columbia to work on a show that I was on. I met Wahoo. When he went back up there, he told Verne and Greg about me and then they contacted me. It was great. You know, when you're part of something like that you realize, I did at the time anyway, that the AWA was not what it once was. Even a young guy in the business like myself knew that... I grew up following wrestling and knew about wrestling. But still, it was an opportunity for me to be on TV 5 days a week. That ESPN time slot you mentioned earlier about Global, before Global had it, the AWA had it! We were on TV from Monday through Friday from 4 to 5 o'clock. When you have an opportunity to get nationwide and worldwide TV coverage because ESPN had started going worldwide... It is a big deal and it helped open up a lot of doors for me."
On adopting the role The Patriot:
"Well, they approached me with the idea. When the AWA folded and closed its doors for good, a lot of us in the business, there were rumblings about this new company that was going to start up, the Global Wrestling Federation. There was this very rich African business man that was going to come in and put millions into it. (laughs)" James mentions that has become something of comedy gold to those who know that story. Wilkes laughs and continues, "Well, it was a lack of gold too that hurt the GWF. But anyway, when they finally found some financial backing and some money to get started, they contacted me about coming out to Dallas where they were going to tape all their shows at the Sportatorium there. All they did was FedEx me a ticket and said "bring your gear". So, I brought my Trooper gear because I thought that was what I was going to do. We all stayed at the same motel there in Dallas. Literally just a few hours before we were to leave and go to the building, Joe Pedicino called and said "I'm going to need you to walk across the parking lot to my room. Boni (Blackstone) and I are here and Bill Eadie is here with us." Bill was also one of the brains there at Global. They let me in and they presented this idea to me. Now, I take you back to 1990, 1991. Patriot was at a really high level because we had gone in to liberate Kuwait. Hussein had sent his miliary in to occupy Kuwait and so George Herbert Walker Bush sent our military in to liberate Kuwait. So, when something like that happens, especially initially, patriotism is at a fever pitch. They said, "Look, we think we have a chance here to take advantage of the political climate right now." They started pulling the gear out of a costume box they had brought with them. Red, white, and blue mask. Red white and blue vest. Red white and blue trunks. And they pulled out this smoke-stack Uncle Sam hat, it was about 3 feet tall and they said, "We want to call it The Patriot and we think you're the guy to pull it off." I immediately responded. I said, "I'm all in! I'll do it! But, I'm NOT wearing that stupid smoke-stack hat! Take that out of the deal, I'm in!" That night, when I walked down that aisle at the Sportatorum, those people had never seen that character before and yet that crowd went nuts. It was obvious we were on to something."
On if he knew he'd forever be "The Patriot" after that:
"Well, I didn't know for sure but I thought we had a chance of making it something special. That was me. That IS me! I'm a very patriotic guy! I'm deeply in love with this country. I know it's not perfect - It's flawed. But, it is the best that we have ever seen. It is the best in the history of mankind. I am a true, true patritoic individual. I love our country. I love our military. I love what we are! So, I was very comfortable with doing that. I was very comfortable with promos. You know, these were thoughts I've had all my life. It was a very, very easy fit for me."
On if an "All American" patriotic character could work in the modern political climate:
"I do. I really do. I think there's always been a place for that in wrestling. I know the fans now are greatly more educated than they used to be. and I know they have a harder edge to them... Maybe not quite as white-meat babyface as I was but I still think there's room for a character like that, a patriotic character. Listen, with the election coming up and the political climate like it is... I certainly think it would work."
On the GWF:
"It was shorft lived. But, it was a great idea. It was a great concept. It mixed a lot of guys that were a little younger and some more seasoned guys, maybe on even on the downside of their career... But, even though it was short lived, the GWF had an impact on wrestling. Out of that group came Sean Waltman aka the 1-2-3 Kid, X-Pac... There came Marcus Bagwell who was the Handsome Stranger, Jerry Lynn, Chris Wright..."
On if he wishes there was a payoff to the Dark Patriot feud:
"Yeah, I wish it did. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a good story, smart booking. I know it was Doug Gilbert that did that character and it was Eddie Gilbert's idea. I'll tell you what made it run a little short. I had an opportunity to go to All Japan and work for Mr. Baba. The first time I went there was in '89 or '90. I went as the Trooper. I was not really prepared for what I was going to experience there. I did horrible. I was convinced I would never go back. You fast forward a year and a half later and I'm working as the Patriot in Global and I'm more seasoned in the ring... I'm just better at what I do because I have more ring time under my belt. All Japan called me back and asked me to come over for a tour. I thought it was going to be 1 3 week tour. Well, 2 nights into it, Baba offered me a full time job. So, that cut short my time in the GWF." James mentions that he always thought the Patriot just left with the rest of the original guard when Joe Pedicino left but he actually had left prior to Joe Pedicino leaving the promotion though the time frame was close.
On if he felt lost in the shuffle in WCW:
"Oh yeah, that's why I left. Eric, who was our TV guy for the AWA when I worked for Verne, was now running WCW. He called me, we met in Atlanta, we sat down for about 3 hours and I got a 3 year contract. At first, it was good. I was pleased with the way things were going. But once they signed Hogan and brought in all the other guys from the WWF... Savage, Beefcake, hogan... It was done. The focus of the company was about Hulk Hogan and Hulk Hogan's buddies. Or, Ric Flair or Ric Flair's buddies. I could see the hand writing on the wall. I was as miserable as I could be. I left, I went to Eric and said I had an opportunity to go back to Japan because Japan had contacted me. I said I'd be wrestling on the other side of the world, their TV does not air here. I'm not going to your competition. I had one year left on my contract. I said, "Can you let me out of it?" he said, "No, can't do it." I knew I was gone. I think we had a pay-per-view in Tupelo, Mississippi. I no showed them. I was done. I walked on them." He goes on to say, "The only other worst experience I had was when I was an infant in the business and was working for Mid South. I hated being there and this was equally as bad."
On if Eric Bischoff ever tried to sue:
Del says his wife got threatening letters from WCW and one arrived for him in Japan. He says he took it to Baba, Baba examined it and asked what he wanted to do about it. Del says, "I think if we ignore him, he'll go away." And, he did.
On comparing the atmosphere backstage in WCW to that of the WWF:
"It (WCW) was a toxic atmosphere, almost. Let me rephrase that. It was a very clickish atmosphere backstage at WCW. When we did TV, I dressed with what was called the "job guys" or the enhancement guys. I would always dress with those guys because there was no ego in that room. I'm not all blown up about myself. In the WCW locker room, that's all it was. You had to be in a click to be a part of anything, to fit in. I don't do clicks. I don't do that. I found it a lot more fun in the WWF locker room. Now, there were issues there too when I was there. This deal with Bret and Shawn Michaels was brewing. Of course, I'm working with Bret every night so Bret's bending my ear every night about how he doesn't like Shawn and hates the direction of the company. So, there were issues there as well. But, in general, I found it to be a mroe care free locker room."
On Bret Hart's book discussing his feud with The Patriot:
"I don't know where the cartoonish comes from. That's all that company has ever been is cartoonish in my opinion. It has been Lets Make a Deal on steroids for 30 years. That was a difficult time for Bret and I get it. They were pushing Shawn to be the face of the company and Bret's time was running out there. He was very unhappy about that. He was unhappy with a lot of the content of the program. He was very unhappy with Owen and how they were using him. He was just in a tough spot." He goes on to say that Bret has always been upfront and friendly to him.
On why he left WWE so abruptly:
"It was 100% due to injury. I was damaged goods when I got there. I had no grand illusion that I was going to be able to fulfill the terms of my 3 year contract. I had blown my knee out. I had smoked my tricep twice. Literally, the tendon of my tricep had ripped off the bone and rolled up the back of my arm twice. I just was a physical mess. I couldn't work out like I needed to, I couldn't train like I needed to. It affected the things I could do in the ring. I went there thinking, "Hey, I'm going to run this thing as long as I can." But, it was 100%, truly, my body let me down. "
On the power of the WWE and how they've treated him since leaving:
"Listen, to show you the power of the WWE, then WWF, machine. I haven't worked there since early 1998 and every quarter, I still get royalty checks." He also states he'd be honored to accept a WWE Hall of Fame nod if it was offered to him though he realizes his time there was brief.
On missing wrestling:
"I do. That was the great part of the business. The comrodory of the guys, you miss that first and foremost. But, you do miss getting in the ring. You do miss sitting down with a guy or 4 other guys and coming up with a match and going out and being able to pull that thing off, to hear the crowd clap and stomp their feet when you really have got a great match going. A great finish and just the satisfaction that gives you... Yeah! You miss that a lot. If you've ever done it only one time, it is in you forever, it really is."
On his college and NFL career injuries versus his wrestling injuries:
"The injuries I had in football and wrestling don't even compare. I had a shoulder surgery and one orthoscopic knee surgery. I've had 15 surgeries all together - 2 from football, 13 from wrestling. Wrestling destroyed my body." He goes on to say that in football, there is an off season to rest your injuries whereas in wrestling, there is no off season and even if you should take time off to nurse the injuries, you don't want to out of fear of losing momentum. He also mentions that his two long stings with All Japan Pro Wrestling and their stiffer style certainly had a major toll on his physical well being as well.
On the recent class-action lawsuits against the WWE over injuries and concussions:
"I was very briefly a part of it... I got to thinking, yeah my career did end because of an injury but I never suffered a single injury inside a WWF ring. I was working there when I had to retire because of injuries. Basically, this lawsuit is about 1 man and 1 man only... They're going after Vince McMahon. So, I removed myself from that lawsuit. Anybody else that wants to be part of that lawsuit, God bless you. That's your decision to do it. I want nothing to do with it."
On who owns the Patriot name:
"Honky Tonk Man does not own the rights to that. Tom Brandi does not own the rights to that. Listen, I found out a few years ago that it was all over the Internet that I sold it to him. That's a lie! I haven't talked to Tom brandi in 25 years. Tom Brandi didn't do it for a time, that is what Tom Brandi does today. That's what Tom does. He's a liar. He's a fraud. He's a thief. He sells pictures of me at events that he works and he tells people he's me. Some of the fans, and I talk to them every day, they've gotten smartened up to Tom. When they go to events that he's at, they ask him outright, "Are you Del Wilkes?" He says, "Yep, I'm Del Wilkes." He signs my pictures. The guy's just pathetic. He really is!" He goes on to tell a story about a lady who asked him to sign a picture of her son sitting in the Patriot's lap taken recently in Newark, New Jersey. The child had battled illness all his life and Del felt bad because the kid loved The Patriot but it wasn't really him that he met. "The guy has no morals about him. He was a mid-card guy at best. Sal Sincere, he couldn't make that work. He couldn't make Johnny Gunn work. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him!" As for Honky Tonk Man, "Let me tell you what Honky Tonk Man did. He claims he tried to get a hold of me. He took some guys years back and worked some overseas shows. He wanted a patriotic character. He claims he tried to get a hold of me, didn't know how to contact me. So, he took some guy over there, and it may have been Brandi, dressed him up as The Patriot, and that was the extent of it. He doesn't own The Patriot. Brandi doesn't own The Patriot. They just told this big lie. But, that's not unusual for Honky Tonk Man. He tried to do the same thing to Roddy Piper."
On his new DVD documentary featuring 3 discs and 7 hours of content:
"I had someone approach me about doing this, he had an idea - A guy named Michael Elliot who has done several documentaries on retired wrestlers. He did one on Crockett Promotions. He did one on Ivan Koloff. He did one on the Rock and Roll Express. He did one on Harley Race. And, he also did one on Magnum TA. He does excellent work and Michael is highly respected by people within the wrestling business. He actually approached my wife first. He contacted her through Facebook and later on that year, I was at an event in Winston Salem, North Carolina called WrestleCade that they have every November - A big event there. I met Michael there and we started talking about it, started making plans to get this done. We started a Kickstarter campaign to help us raise some money to finish the project off. We were trying to raise $3,500, we raised $6,000! That allowed us to do the third disc and include several more people on there. Man, we're very excited about it! Very pleased with it as well."
On the benefits of buying it through his official site:
"It is 3 discs, 7 hours. Listen, man. It has some very famous wrestlers on there, some guys I played football with in South Carolina including the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers. Greg Gagne, Stan Hansen, Bruce Prichard, Marcus Bagwell, Jackie Fulton, Bobby Fulton, Bill Apter... A lot of great people agreed to participate and be part of this. It is $20.00 plus shipping and handling and it will get autographed."
Writer's Note: www.DelThePatriotWilkes.com is the URL.
On being the Trooper in the AWA:
"You're correct. They were on life support. Their better days were far behind them. They were a struggling company that was basically doing TV, that was it. Wahoo McDaniel worked in the office there with Verne Gagne and Greg Gagne. Wahoo lived up there but he had a home in Charlotte. He came down to Columbia to work on a show that I was on. I met Wahoo. When he went back up there, he told Verne and Greg about me and then they contacted me. It was great. You know, when you're part of something like that you realize, I did at the time anyway, that the AWA was not what it once was. Even a young guy in the business like myself knew that... I grew up following wrestling and knew about wrestling. But still, it was an opportunity for me to be on TV 5 days a week. That ESPN time slot you mentioned earlier about Global, before Global had it, the AWA had it! We were on TV from Monday through Friday from 4 to 5 o'clock. When you have an opportunity to get nationwide and worldwide TV coverage because ESPN had started going worldwide... It is a big deal and it helped open up a lot of doors for me."
On adopting the role The Patriot:
"Well, they approached me with the idea. When the AWA folded and closed its doors for good, a lot of us in the business, there were rumblings about this new company that was going to start up, the Global Wrestling Federation. There was this very rich African business man that was going to come in and put millions into it. (laughs)" James mentions that has become something of comedy gold to those who know that story. Wilkes laughs and continues, "Well, it was a lack of gold too that hurt the GWF. But anyway, when they finally found some financial backing and some money to get started, they contacted me about coming out to Dallas where they were going to tape all their shows at the Sportatorium there. All they did was FedEx me a ticket and said "bring your gear". So, I brought my Trooper gear because I thought that was what I was going to do. We all stayed at the same motel there in Dallas. Literally just a few hours before we were to leave and go to the building, Joe Pedicino called and said "I'm going to need you to walk across the parking lot to my room. Boni (Blackstone) and I are here and Bill Eadie is here with us." Bill was also one of the brains there at Global. They let me in and they presented this idea to me. Now, I take you back to 1990, 1991. Patriot was at a really high level because we had gone in to liberate Kuwait. Hussein had sent his miliary in to occupy Kuwait and so George Herbert Walker Bush sent our military in to liberate Kuwait. So, when something like that happens, especially initially, patriotism is at a fever pitch. They said, "Look, we think we have a chance here to take advantage of the political climate right now." They started pulling the gear out of a costume box they had brought with them. Red, white, and blue mask. Red white and blue vest. Red white and blue trunks. And they pulled out this smoke-stack Uncle Sam hat, it was about 3 feet tall and they said, "We want to call it The Patriot and we think you're the guy to pull it off." I immediately responded. I said, "I'm all in! I'll do it! But, I'm NOT wearing that stupid smoke-stack hat! Take that out of the deal, I'm in!" That night, when I walked down that aisle at the Sportatorum, those people had never seen that character before and yet that crowd went nuts. It was obvious we were on to something."
On if he knew he'd forever be "The Patriot" after that:
"Well, I didn't know for sure but I thought we had a chance of making it something special. That was me. That IS me! I'm a very patriotic guy! I'm deeply in love with this country. I know it's not perfect - It's flawed. But, it is the best that we have ever seen. It is the best in the history of mankind. I am a true, true patritoic individual. I love our country. I love our military. I love what we are! So, I was very comfortable with doing that. I was very comfortable with promos. You know, these were thoughts I've had all my life. It was a very, very easy fit for me."
On if an "All American" patriotic character could work in the modern political climate:
"I do. I really do. I think there's always been a place for that in wrestling. I know the fans now are greatly more educated than they used to be. and I know they have a harder edge to them... Maybe not quite as white-meat babyface as I was but I still think there's room for a character like that, a patriotic character. Listen, with the election coming up and the political climate like it is... I certainly think it would work."
On the GWF:
"It was shorft lived. But, it was a great idea. It was a great concept. It mixed a lot of guys that were a little younger and some more seasoned guys, maybe on even on the downside of their career... But, even though it was short lived, the GWF had an impact on wrestling. Out of that group came Sean Waltman aka the 1-2-3 Kid, X-Pac... There came Marcus Bagwell who was the Handsome Stranger, Jerry Lynn, Chris Wright..."
On if he wishes there was a payoff to the Dark Patriot feud:
"Yeah, I wish it did. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a good story, smart booking. I know it was Doug Gilbert that did that character and it was Eddie Gilbert's idea. I'll tell you what made it run a little short. I had an opportunity to go to All Japan and work for Mr. Baba. The first time I went there was in '89 or '90. I went as the Trooper. I was not really prepared for what I was going to experience there. I did horrible. I was convinced I would never go back. You fast forward a year and a half later and I'm working as the Patriot in Global and I'm more seasoned in the ring... I'm just better at what I do because I have more ring time under my belt. All Japan called me back and asked me to come over for a tour. I thought it was going to be 1 3 week tour. Well, 2 nights into it, Baba offered me a full time job. So, that cut short my time in the GWF." James mentions that he always thought the Patriot just left with the rest of the original guard when Joe Pedicino left but he actually had left prior to Joe Pedicino leaving the promotion though the time frame was close.
On if he felt lost in the shuffle in WCW:
"Oh yeah, that's why I left. Eric, who was our TV guy for the AWA when I worked for Verne, was now running WCW. He called me, we met in Atlanta, we sat down for about 3 hours and I got a 3 year contract. At first, it was good. I was pleased with the way things were going. But once they signed Hogan and brought in all the other guys from the WWF... Savage, Beefcake, hogan... It was done. The focus of the company was about Hulk Hogan and Hulk Hogan's buddies. Or, Ric Flair or Ric Flair's buddies. I could see the hand writing on the wall. I was as miserable as I could be. I left, I went to Eric and said I had an opportunity to go back to Japan because Japan had contacted me. I said I'd be wrestling on the other side of the world, their TV does not air here. I'm not going to your competition. I had one year left on my contract. I said, "Can you let me out of it?" he said, "No, can't do it." I knew I was gone. I think we had a pay-per-view in Tupelo, Mississippi. I no showed them. I was done. I walked on them." He goes on to say, "The only other worst experience I had was when I was an infant in the business and was working for Mid South. I hated being there and this was equally as bad."
On if Eric Bischoff ever tried to sue:
Del says his wife got threatening letters from WCW and one arrived for him in Japan. He says he took it to Baba, Baba examined it and asked what he wanted to do about it. Del says, "I think if we ignore him, he'll go away." And, he did.
On comparing the atmosphere backstage in WCW to that of the WWF:
"It (WCW) was a toxic atmosphere, almost. Let me rephrase that. It was a very clickish atmosphere backstage at WCW. When we did TV, I dressed with what was called the "job guys" or the enhancement guys. I would always dress with those guys because there was no ego in that room. I'm not all blown up about myself. In the WCW locker room, that's all it was. You had to be in a click to be a part of anything, to fit in. I don't do clicks. I don't do that. I found it a lot more fun in the WWF locker room. Now, there were issues there too when I was there. This deal with Bret and Shawn Michaels was brewing. Of course, I'm working with Bret every night so Bret's bending my ear every night about how he doesn't like Shawn and hates the direction of the company. So, there were issues there as well. But, in general, I found it to be a mroe care free locker room."
On Bret Hart's book discussing his feud with The Patriot:
"I don't know where the cartoonish comes from. That's all that company has ever been is cartoonish in my opinion. It has been Lets Make a Deal on steroids for 30 years. That was a difficult time for Bret and I get it. They were pushing Shawn to be the face of the company and Bret's time was running out there. He was very unhappy about that. He was unhappy with a lot of the content of the program. He was very unhappy with Owen and how they were using him. He was just in a tough spot." He goes on to say that Bret has always been upfront and friendly to him.
On why he left WWE so abruptly:
"It was 100% due to injury. I was damaged goods when I got there. I had no grand illusion that I was going to be able to fulfill the terms of my 3 year contract. I had blown my knee out. I had smoked my tricep twice. Literally, the tendon of my tricep had ripped off the bone and rolled up the back of my arm twice. I just was a physical mess. I couldn't work out like I needed to, I couldn't train like I needed to. It affected the things I could do in the ring. I went there thinking, "Hey, I'm going to run this thing as long as I can." But, it was 100%, truly, my body let me down. "
On the power of the WWE and how they've treated him since leaving:
"Listen, to show you the power of the WWE, then WWF, machine. I haven't worked there since early 1998 and every quarter, I still get royalty checks." He also states he'd be honored to accept a WWE Hall of Fame nod if it was offered to him though he realizes his time there was brief.
On missing wrestling:
"I do. That was the great part of the business. The comrodory of the guys, you miss that first and foremost. But, you do miss getting in the ring. You do miss sitting down with a guy or 4 other guys and coming up with a match and going out and being able to pull that thing off, to hear the crowd clap and stomp their feet when you really have got a great match going. A great finish and just the satisfaction that gives you... Yeah! You miss that a lot. If you've ever done it only one time, it is in you forever, it really is."
On his college and NFL career injuries versus his wrestling injuries:
"The injuries I had in football and wrestling don't even compare. I had a shoulder surgery and one orthoscopic knee surgery. I've had 15 surgeries all together - 2 from football, 13 from wrestling. Wrestling destroyed my body." He goes on to say that in football, there is an off season to rest your injuries whereas in wrestling, there is no off season and even if you should take time off to nurse the injuries, you don't want to out of fear of losing momentum. He also mentions that his two long stings with All Japan Pro Wrestling and their stiffer style certainly had a major toll on his physical well being as well.
On the recent class-action lawsuits against the WWE over injuries and concussions:
"I was very briefly a part of it... I got to thinking, yeah my career did end because of an injury but I never suffered a single injury inside a WWF ring. I was working there when I had to retire because of injuries. Basically, this lawsuit is about 1 man and 1 man only... They're going after Vince McMahon. So, I removed myself from that lawsuit. Anybody else that wants to be part of that lawsuit, God bless you. That's your decision to do it. I want nothing to do with it."
On who owns the Patriot name:
"Honky Tonk Man does not own the rights to that. Tom Brandi does not own the rights to that. Listen, I found out a few years ago that it was all over the Internet that I sold it to him. That's a lie! I haven't talked to Tom brandi in 25 years. Tom Brandi didn't do it for a time, that is what Tom Brandi does today. That's what Tom does. He's a liar. He's a fraud. He's a thief. He sells pictures of me at events that he works and he tells people he's me. Some of the fans, and I talk to them every day, they've gotten smartened up to Tom. When they go to events that he's at, they ask him outright, "Are you Del Wilkes?" He says, "Yep, I'm Del Wilkes." He signs my pictures. The guy's just pathetic. He really is!" He goes on to tell a story about a lady who asked him to sign a picture of her son sitting in the Patriot's lap taken recently in Newark, New Jersey. The child had battled illness all his life and Del felt bad because the kid loved The Patriot but it wasn't really him that he met. "The guy has no morals about him. He was a mid-card guy at best. Sal Sincere, he couldn't make that work. He couldn't make Johnny Gunn work. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him!" As for Honky Tonk Man, "Let me tell you what Honky Tonk Man did. He claims he tried to get a hold of me. He took some guys years back and worked some overseas shows. He wanted a patriotic character. He claims he tried to get a hold of me, didn't know how to contact me. So, he took some guy over there, and it may have been Brandi, dressed him up as The Patriot, and that was the extent of it. He doesn't own The Patriot. Brandi doesn't own The Patriot. They just told this big lie. But, that's not unusual for Honky Tonk Man. He tried to do the same thing to Roddy Piper."
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