As written about yesterday on WrestleZone, Bully Ray was the special guest on Jim Ross‘ The Ross Report this week and the WWE Hall Of Famer covered a great deal of fascinating topics. Bully Ray talks how his character is a “wrestling 101 heel,” who his influences were, why SmackDown is currently better than RAW, the potential and misuse of Drake Maverick and why WWE would be in good hands with Triple H and Road Dogg as the main filters for the product if Vince McMahon were to change his focus to the XFL. Quotes are below (transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo at WrestleZone):
Bully Ray on Drake Maverick & what WWE creative is missing:
“I think it just goes back to too much entertainment and not enough sport.”
“And I agree with you, especially when it comes to Drake Maverick. I remember the first time I saw him in TNA. My exact words to Jeremy Borash who now works down in NXT was ‘that kid has it’ and you’re right, if he was 6’4”, 250 he would be a gazillionaire right now, but I agree with you.
“There are so many things that don’t make sense and when I watch I try to watch as the professional, but I also try to watch as the fan because I have to talk about it on Busted Open and the things that don’t make sense I find often are insulting my intelligence. And I’m wondering are other people feel that way? Does a 13-year-old in Sheboygon, WI really know if their intelligence is being insulted? No, but the 40-year-old man in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago knows that it is. However, when the WWE looks at its numbers, JR, I think everything points in a positive direction for them, so why should they change their product?”
On Vince potentially focusing on the XFL once the league kicks off:
“That makes guys like Triple H and Road Dogg the final filters and I have no problem with those two guys being the final filters. I think Hunter is doing a tremendous job with NXT. I know the mind that Road Dogg has and in my opinion, Road Dogg is the most valuable asset to WWE creative right now. You got guys like Michael Hayes there. You know, there’s an abundance of good wrestling minds there who book wrestling and are creative in a wrestling way the way we enjoy. So if Vince were to go to take care of his XFL duties cause it is his baby, God bless him cause I think that’ll be great for the XFL. I also think it will be great for both brands.”
Bully Ray on being a “true heel” and who his influences are:
“I think the two guys that were most influential but an indirect way were Freddie Blassie and Terry Funk and the reason why is I believe that a true heel should never elicit the emotion of joy. There should be no happiness surrounding a heel. There should be no emotion that can be happy, excited, joyful. I should never smile when watching a heel and when Blassie and Funk were working I don’t think that they did anything that made you smile.”
“As a performer I watched those guys and I’m like man, everybody hates them. There’s nobody in the arena cheering for them and that’s what a heel’s job is to do. Nobody should be cheering for me when they’re out there. If I’m out in the middle of the ring and I see people cheering me, I’m pissed off at myself. I’m not working hard enough.”
“And I don’t want to be the entertaining guy. I want pure hatred, JR because the more you hate me the more you’re going to love the other guy.”
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