Ever thought  "you've seen one Ric Flair match and you've seen them all"  - and wondered why everyone else thinks he's so good ........

Tom Zenk's comment on Chairshots.com, reported in The Daily Lariat on 1wrestling.com and in Pro-Wrestling Torch that "Ric Flair sold more for Vince Russo then he ever sold for me" prompted at least one listener to challenge Ric Flair's heretofore unquestioned wrestling credentials. 

The same listener also queried collusion by the wrestling media in creating and maintaining Flair's 'credentials' - notwithstanding the evidence, culled over 30 years, of backstabbing and dirty politics by the Nature Boy to maintain his spot in the major promotions. 

For the high priests of wrestling, this is, of course, pure heresy. Which is precisely how it was received, in particular by Wade Keller of Pro-Wrestling Torch.

The heresy is reprinted below, followed by Keller's response, and a riposte that Keller refused to publish.  These are followed by an account of the original interview between Tom Zenk and Chairshots' Brent Fuscaro.

Currently, the sum of these comments represent only a hairline fracture in Flair's wrestling reputation. But watch as the fracture becomes a gaping hole.  As WCW collapses, expect the full story to emerge of how a few old wrestlers and their buddies squandered Turner's millions and, in the process, killed wrestling's best hopes of professionalization in a generation.
 

The heretic asks...

1. PWTorch.com reader Raymond Stanley asks:

"I read about Tom Zenk's opinion of Ric Flair in an interview article on your website when he said that "He sold more for Vince Russo than for him." Why is it that Flair never seems to be criticized for this? I remembered Dean Malenko in his worst match against Flair on WCW Saturday Night a couple of years ago. Scott Steiner and Shane Douglas also complained about him over the past couple of years, yet internet websites such as yours have nothing negative to say and instead write articles that say he was a godsend (Bruce Mitchell). Please explain."
 

The keeper of the flame replies...

2. Wade Keller, editor of Pro-Wrestling Torch, answers: [NB - although Stanley talks about Steiner, Zenk and Douglas criticising Flair, Keller for some reason reads this as Steiner, Zenk and Douglas criticizing Keller.)

"If Tom Zenk, Shane Douglas, and Scott Steiner were my top critics, I'd be proud. All three are known for getting themselves over through making "shockingly honest" comments about others, but often not disclosing the full story. That aside, some of their criticism is valid, but it is also criticism that has been pointed out many times over the years in the Torch. At times, Flair has been the "whipping boy" of the Torch, but that usually came during a time when he was part of management or was a top star, not during recent times when he has been completely underutilized."
 

The riposte ....

Raymond Stanley's question asking why Keller, Meltzer et.al., continually fail to see through or criticize Archbishop Flair's work, is fascinating but not nearly as intriguing as Keller's reply. Stanley's question goes right to the heart of the old hierarchies in wrestling that Keller and Meltzer genuflect to daily. But rather than deal with Stanley's penetrating question, Keller's tactic is to 'shoot the messenger' - in this case, Scott Steiner, Tom Zenk and Shane Douglas. Says Keller "If Tom Zenk, Shane Douglas, and Scott Steiner were my top critics, I'd be proud." That sounds like a VERY weak defence to those of us who respect these men, their work and their straightshooting more than we credit wrestling's 'journalists'. In my opinion, you rate yourself too highly Wade! (When were you a wrestler on the road? How effectively do you balance the need to stay on the good side of inside sources while also respecting the public's right to know ? And what justifies two attacks on Zenk in two weeks? Is there a hidden agenda here? Is Wade Keller, in fact, the one "not disclosing the full story.")

Zenk, and to a lesser extent Steiner, with their straightshooting have been invaluable in publicly disclosing the nepotism, cronyism and incompetence that have brought WCW to its knees. Personally I'd have thought that sort of disclosure was the job of wrestling journalists.

Historically it may be argued that more timely analyses and disclosures by the Torch and Observer might have made Anderson, Rhodes, Watts, and Bischoff more publicly accountable and maybe staved off the now inevitable collapse of WCW. That is, Wade, maybe WCW would now be in better shape if you and Meltzer had championed its critics instead of trying to discredit them?

The irony is that with the disappearance of WCW,  to be replaced possibly by a wrestling monopoly, it's going to be a lot harder to get 'news' out of WWF that hasn't been previously 'spindoctored'. What will become of wrestling journalism then? It is surely in everyone's interests that wrestling journalists demand answers to the hard questions, not try and discredit those who are drawing attention to them. Keep up the good work Z-Man!!

Marc Heatley
New Orleans
 

The interview ......
 

October 14, 2000
Chairshots Radio
88.1 FM WBLQ in Westerly, R.I.
Report by B.J. Bethel.
 

Tom says he started out as a bodybuilder before becoming involved in pro wrestling. He was Mr. Minnesota and Mr. Twin Cities. At one event, Animal from the Road Warriors was there judging and said something to him about giving pro wrestling a shot. He saw how well guys like Rick Rude, Road Warriors, Barry Darsow, and other Minnesota guys were doing, so he gave it a shot.

He wrestled in Bill Watts's Mid-South promotion for ten days to start. He had to leave due to a situation with his family. He then went to Verne Gagne and talked to him about wrestling in the AWA. The AWA worked him hard at the start, wanting to check his attitude. A lot of people had a false idea that he was a prima donna, but he proved them wrong by showing respect for the business.

Talked about the Can-Am Connection days when he and Rick Martel were paired together as a tag team in the WWF. Says Martel lied about the reasons he left the WWF and called him a quitter. Zenk says he left due to money and contracts, as well as problems with the road agents. Says he was the first guy to ever say no to Vince. He only met Vince McMahon twice while he was there and that he couldn't believe how bad the money was for the size of the promotion.

Talked about how the road agents gawked at him, such as Terry Garvin and Pat Patterson. He decided to just leave the company instead of punching them in the mouth. Said he never felt more uncomfortable in his life and treated so "sh**-ily".

Says that Vince only started paying money when he had to, because Bischoff was giving guys all the money they wanted.

Talks about his experiences in Japan working with Danny Kroffat, Ace and others. Says he was happy over there. He then went to WCW, where he ran into the "Southern clique." Talks about Ric Flair and the other older guys in control, and how bad they got treated by them, and how it affected his career as well as Douglas, Pillman, Ace, and others. He only worked one match with Ric Flair, when he was a babyface, and Flair sold more for Vince Russo then he sold for him.

Talked about Brian Pillman and said he was fantastic in the ring and out of it. He teamed with Pillman and the two were known for their great highspots, but Ole Anderson was named booker, and broke them up. Said he doesn't believe Pillman would want to be remembered as some kind of cult hero like he is now. Wondered why WCW and the WWF doesn't take care of Pillman's family instead of the HWA doing a show for them once a year.

Talked about a WCW official in Australia on Oct. 9 telling someone in the press that "no one in WCW uses drugs." LOL

Says that maybe the WWF was covering its tracks concerning Pillman and his problems when they interviewed his wife on Raw the day after he died.

Is currently managing production of a mutlinational company in Minnesota. Is very happy with what he's doing and likes not having to deal with the backbiting and arsekissing in the wrestling business, even though he very much enjoyed wrestling.

Says that the wrestling business is currently entering a cyclical downward spiral.

Believes that Brad Seigel and Vince McMahon are "tweaking" Bischoff about the whole WCW buyout.

Says he was a mark for Rick Martel's ring work, and all the athletic ability back then. You couldn't see through it like you do now. Says that athletic ability is currently missing in much of wrestling. 

Chairshots Radio, with Rod Siciliano and Brent Fusaro, is broadcast live on 88.1 FM WBLQ out of Westerly, R.I. weekly on Thursday nights from 6-7:30 p.m. You can listen to the show's entire archive on Real Audio later that night. You can check out their website at chairshots.com. 

 {This story  ran in The Daily Lariat, 1wrestling.com, in Pro-Wrestling Torch and Scoops Wrestling)