Don Muraco Talks About Working MSG For The WWF, This Year's HoF And Mania
Mottola/w Snakes On A Plane And Mickie James
FAME CLASS, THIS YEAR'S MANIA AND MORE
by Ernie Green @ 12:10:00 PM on 3/26/2006
Former two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE Hall Of Famer, Don
Muraco, was the special guests on this past week's live edition
(3/20/05) of Monday Night Mayhem, which can be heard in streaming audio
every week (and live from 7-9PM ET every Monday night) exclusively on
The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com,
www.WrestlingMediaNetwork.com, www.ObsessedWithWrestling.com, &
celebrating its 10th Anniversary, www.AudioWrestling.com -- your
official home of "The Spring Break Incident" Video-On-Demand, featuring
WWE RAW Diva & the hottest member of this past season's edition of
ABC's "Dancing With The Stars," Stacy Keibler).
The interview with "The Magnificent One" is now available to hear for
FREE in Real Audio!
Here are highlights from the interview provided by the show's senior
correspondent, Ernie "BCW" Green.
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The Big Mosh & Blade welcomed Don "The Rock" Muraco to the program.
Nowadays, Muraco is promoting in his native state of Hawaii, with
Hawai'i Championship Wrestling (which you can check out at
www.808hcw.com). Don said the promotion is small, and he wants to give
the younger guys an opportunity to get into the business. He wants them
to have the chance to get going and learn how to take part in angles.
Even though Muraco had a more integral role in the WWE & prior in HCW,
but does not have a huge role in Hawai'i Championship Wrestling today.
"The Rock" says he likes to give back in the business, and the WWE Hall
Of Fame not only gives him a chance to reflect on his career, but it
also puts over his opponents as well.
Madison Square Garden was the "Mecca Of Wrestling," and Muraco said it
was an honor anytime he got to wrestle in the venue. He strongly
believes that the WWE needs to resolve their issues with MSG management
and get back to running there as often as they can, as the pulse of the
business still comes from The Garden. He did enjoy going back there as
a member of the WWE Hall Of Fame, and disagrees with "Mr. Wonderful"
Paul Orndorff's claim the HOF was a "sham" (as heard exclusively on
Monday Night Mayhem).
Muraco talked about his feud with Tito Santana over the WWE
Intercontinental Championship in the mid '80s, and he said that was a
great time getting into the WWE Hall Of Fame with his friends &
colleagues (especially Tito), but the fact that he competed against a
lot of his fellow inductees made it even more worthwhile of an
experience. Muraco said all of the guys deserved to make it this year,
especially in the case of Bret "Hitman" Hart. They talked about "The
Montreal Screwjob" incident -- and Muraco said that as long as it would
draw business, it could still be used in angles successfully today.
Mosh asked "The Magnificent One" about his role with Jonathan Coachman
in Hawaii, and said The Coach "did a pretty good job doing his role" in
their program when the WWE came to his home state for a Supershow.
Muraco said that WrestleMania (as a whole) was a great production, but
he never got any of the top matches, except for his part in the
WrestleMania IV WWE Championship Tournament. He honestly believed that
the first 'Mania would always be hard to top -- and still feels that
way today. Mosh & Blade informed Muraco of how the WWE showed the
Saturday Night's Main Event incident where Muraco & Hogan hooked up
back in 1986, when King Kong Bundy attacked Hogan at Veteran's Memorial
Coliseum in Phoenix, AZ -- setting up WrestleMania II. Muraco said in
the days of reality television, the wrestlers have to be more
realistic, and that it was "a big thrill" to be a part of the NBC/WWE
experience, known the world over as WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event.
Several years ago, there was a brief time when the WWE Intercontinental
Championship was not used. Mosh asked Muraco of his thoughts on that
controversial decision, and also for his takes on recent titleholders,
such as "Mr. Monday Night" Rob Van Dam & Shelton Benjamin. Don said
that some of the current superstars on the roster would have great
matches with former IC Champions like himself & Tito Santana. Muraco
got some exposure to the Mexican style with his trips to Japan years
ago, and that personally, he would have loved to work with Chris Benoit
or RVD.
Blade brought up Muraco's role in Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW
at its inception). Surprisingly, he meant on to call Paul Heyman a
"jerk." He didn't think Heyman was a respectful guy to the business and
did not have a great personality. Muraco worked a program with The
Sandman during his time in ECW, and he enjoyed the matches he had with
The Sandman. He said he didn't see "greatness" out of him, but noted
that he had the desire to make the sacrifices necessary to have what it
takes.
The Mayhem Crew then transitioned the famous Muraco/Snuka Steel Cage
Match at MSG, where Snuka jumped from the top on the cage onto Muraco.
"The Rock" said that both men put a lot of work into that match, and
said that match was the catalyst to bringing the WWE into the
superpower it is now in professional wrestling & sports-entertainment.
He is very flattered that superstars, such as Mick Foley & Tommy
Dreamer, keep the memories of this match alive for the fans today.
While discussing the upcoming & soon-to-be-released WWE of the greatest
managers in the history of the business, Muraco said that he worked
well with both Mr. Fuji & Captain Lou Albano, and said that neither
tried to take away from his heat with the crowd & with others on the
roster. He said that he is still good friends with Fuji, and he will
always remember him ribbing the guys backstage, in the bars, and
anyplace that he could get away with it. "There was never a dull moment
with Fuji."
Blade & Mosh asked Muraco about his time in Stampede Wrestling & his
time working with the legendary patriarch of Canadian wrestling, Stu
Hart. Muraco said the Hart family were extremely important to the
business, with being in charge of one of several big areas in the day
-- that of the Alberta, Canada territory. Muraco said each promotion
out there, including Stampede Wrestling, had a different style, and
Stampede's one was good for the fans.
Muraco then talked about his son, Joe, who is training to be a wrestler
and addressed the pressure of how "he might have to follow in the
footsteps of his father." He said that he has the potential to be a
good wrestler down the line, but his heart is not in it right now.
Muraco wrapped up the interview by saying that he wants his fans to
remember him as somebody who was & still is a "beach bum," as he was
called by the fans "up north." He defended his way of life so much in
promos that his verbiage to the crowd was almost like a "shoot."
Other interesting topics of discussion in this fantastic 35+ minute
interview include: Muraco's thoughts on working with "Superstar" Billy
Graham & Bob Backlund, how important it is to get both yourself & your
opponent over (even today), how Don would stack up in a battle of "Rock
vs. Rock" (Dwayne Johnson vs. himself), and an interesting road story
involving Mr. Fuji, a hotel room, and hickeys.
The March 20th edition of The Mayhem also included a spectacular &
absolutely hysterical interview with former WWE & WCW World Tag Team
Champion, The Nasty Boys. For their first joint interview together in
quite some time, both Knobbs & Saggs held nothing back -- covering
everything from season II of "Hogan Knows Best," their thoughts on
WrestleMania 22, and the current state of the business (including an
interesting breakdown of the WWE vs. TNA). The Nasty Boys have not done
very many interviews since officially retiring from the business, so we
strongly encourage you to listen to the entire 3/20 show. Time well
spent, as you (the wrestling fan reading this) count down until
WrestleMania goes "Big Time."
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Tune in to this Monday night's show (3/27/06):
We are now only one week away from "The Showcase Of The Immortals"
becoming a reality! While gearing up for the big event & staying on
"The Road To WrestleMania," we encourage all fans throughout the world
to Feel The Mayhem this Monday night, starting at 7PM ET/6PM CT.
*Legendary WWE manager and member of the MNM & WWE Halls Of Fame, Bobby
"The Brain" Heenan will join The Mayhem for the second consecutive year
for our last show before WrestleMania 22.
Bobby will be breaking down next Saturday night's WWE Hall Of Fame
Ceremony (which he will be a part of, inducting The Blackjacks) & all
of the nominees that will be enshrined, in addition to his takes on
this year's WrestleMania. Heenan will also give his thoughts on the
upcoming WWE-released "Greatest Managers" DVD, what it's been like
working against Jim Cornette throughout the past year
(ROH/WrestleReunion, 605: The Reunion, etc), in addition to a whole lot
more!!!
*In addition, the man whose name will be on the hearts & minds of
wrestling fans throughout the world this week returns to The Mayhem.
Former WWE & ECW superstar, Lance Storm, is slated to compete against
"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Heavyweight
Championship this Saturday night. Before that happens, Storm will break
down his return to the business with The Big Mosh & Blade -- along with
his future plans for the next ECW One Night Stand Pay-Per-View & any
chances of seeing him inside a six-sided TNA ring before the end of
this year.
E-mail your questions for Heenan & Storm to
MondayNi...@hotmail.com, post them on our brand new MNM My Space
(www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem), or on the MNM Uberfun Message
Board (located at www.MondayNightMayhem.com).
Your last stop on "The Road To WrestleMania," goes through Monday Night
Mayhem -- "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio." We encourage you to tune in
LIVE (starting this Monday night at 7PM ET/6PM CT), for all of the
action, as March Mayhem closes out in style!