Former TNA personality Larry Zbyszko recently appeared on WGD Weekly with Steve and The Scum, and they spoke on a number of topics, including TNA's financial issues, the creative team, Vince Russo, Hogan, and much more. The following are highlights:
On TNA's financial issues, Zbyszko said, “Half the guys wrestling there are on food stamps…”
Zbyszko touched on all points of his four plus decades in the wrestling industry, including many topics involving the current state of the sports entertainment world. The “Living Legend” tells Steve and the Scum about:
The financial state of TNA: “…They just made wrong decisions…from what I hear, Bob Carter…he had a hard time saying no to his daughter, Dixie…Finally, they blew so much money with no real results after ten years that Bob resigned and I think the mother took over and she is controlling the purse…From what I hear…this guy is now fired, this guy is now fired and if you wanna stay there you get a pay cut. Half the guys wrestling there are on food stamps. I was shocked when I heard that one…”
Where TNA has gone wrong creatively: “…If you look at TNA today, I mean like ten years ago they had some great matches, AJ Styles vs. Chris Daniels, now ten years later, like six or seven months ago, I’m flicking through the TV and I stumble across TNA…and what’s the main event? AJ Styles vs. Chris Daniels, they’ve been wrestling each other for ten years. I couldn’t believe it…don’t these people understand…”
Hulk Hogan in TNA: “…Instead of guys who can do something, they are blowing their wad on Hulk, god bless him, but he can’t walk anymore…”
Eric Bischoff in TNA: “….Eric, who listened to a couple guys, pulled something off, then took credit for it, but everything he’s been involved in since sinks because he doesn’t know and won’t listen…”
Sting being “lucky”: “…Sting who was one of the luckiest men who ever lived, Sting couldn’t do a good interview, he couldn’t work good. We had to drop him from the ceiling for a year and dress him like the crow and not let him say a word to get one big match out of him…”
His relationship with and thoughts on Vince McMahon since once again working on occasion with WWE: “…I haven’t bumped into Vince…I’ve been doing some things, like at ‘Mania, but I was running around doing Axxess, and signings, and filming DVD’s…when they tape the NXT shows they film that right down the street here…but, I haven’t bumped into Vince yet. I haven’t seen him since 1981. I can’t wait to see him, it will be very nostalgic…He looks great, between you and me, he’s one of the best characters he’s got…Vince is a classic, he would die for his creation and his fans, you can’t take that away from him…”
Vince Russo coming to WCW in 1999 and the dying days of WCW: “…Eric and his buddies were gone, so Bill brings in this idiot Russo who was writing for the WWE…as far as I’m concerned, he’s a cancer…So, this goofy Russo comes in and by the time he came in…it went back to stupid nonsense with some idiot who has no idea what he is doing…So, they move me to Thunder…I was pissed…I knew the biggest, hottest wrestling ever was about to die…Russo just kept doing stupid stuff, the worst part is, we had a guy that was the next Bruno, Goldberg, people loved him, he was hot…but instead of Goldberg being champion, the new champion was Russo and some idiot little, skinny puke, David Arquette…the whole thing just turned to absolute manure…you had this slob, Mark Madden on Nitro, picking his nose and god knows what else…it was horrifying…”
This is just a tiny fraction of this near two hour interview with Larry on WGD Weekly with Steve and the Scum. He also speaks about, sneaking into Bruno’s yard as a young man, having to defend himself from unruly crowds after turning on Bruno, his reasoning for leaving the WWWF in 1981 and not returning until WrestleMania 29 weekend, “buying” the Georgia National Championship, the art of “stalling,” Ric Flair being ‘scared’ of him, a planned AWA/NWA Invasion angle that never was allowed to play out, him creating the idea that led to the birth of the nWo, and so much more…
WGD Weekly with Steve and the Scum presents new material every Sunday, where they sit down with a different figure from the “glory days” of wrestling. All of they past shows, as well as their new ones when they debut are available at WGD Weekly’s Facebook page that can be viewed here https://www.facebook.com/WGDWeekly. All of their shows are also available on their YouTube channel and iTunes.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
