Tom Zenk on WrestleThis
07/02/01
"Don't misconstrue me for a Philly crowd....."
Tom Brandi, Tom Zenk and Shane Douglas work against a hostile-to-faces Philly crowd at Halloween Havor, 1992 - see Tom Zenk Collection Vol 19
WrestleThis is heard on Monday between 7 - 8 pm on WNJC1360AM radio out of Philadelphia.
The interview can be heard streaming here"This was one of the wildest interviews we have ever had on WrestleThis! The show got out of control, Tom even called back because he felt the guys "hung up" on him early........"
Many thanks to the guys at WrestleThis (pictured here with Bill Alfonso)
Tom Zenk - "Philadelphia - City of Brotherly Love. I'm expecting a lot of love tonight... I want to talk with the fat guy with the bald head. He looks like he's a meat cutter, like Arn Anderson - he's the tough guy of the pack. Who's that dude?"
Psycho Mike - "I'm a pussy ...."
Tom - "This IS WrestleThis radio isn't it? Let me talk to the fat guy, the bald dude. I want to get to him right away......"
WT - OK dude, go right ahead.
Tom - Bring it on. What have you got to say....
WT - 'Bout what?
Zenk - You look like a guy who called me a "fa#" - as in "fa##ot" - a "bundle of sticks." - in Philly one time. I think it was you!!
WT - That sounds like a compliment ....
Tom - Get down to it!! Was it you? That's when I was wrestling with Pillman. And you called out 'Where's Martel?". I could swear it was you. Yes or No?
WT - That wasn't me!
Tom - Liar!!!
WT - No it was my twin brother by a different mother.
Tom - Aw geeze. You're part fo a dysfunctional family, eh?
WT - Tom, what are you up to these days?
Tom - Aw, just working. A working stiff, just like you guys. Nothing different. It's a bit different from working in wrestling - just 15 minutes a night. Wrestling was pretty easy. And I got to travel wherever I wanted.... It's a bit harder these days, with Vince in charge now. You're gonna see an awful lot of people buried - because that's how cheap McMahon is. He doesn't want to pay them anything. "Why pay them. They're on my TV." Wrestling promoters always say "You're on my TV. I made you a star." And people, with their egos, seem to go for that.
WT - I'm here with Jim Molyneux, the ECW referee.
JM - Yeah. Where else are they gonna go these days?
Tom - Yeah - where are they gonna go. "Tell your story, walking. Get outta here!!" I guess the point I'm making here, is that WCW blew away the best chance wrestling EVER had. Flair - he was the booker how many times? And Dusty Rhodes was a booker. Bill Watts was a booker. And Bischoff was the big shot. And they all blew it. They all took advantage of Ted Turner's deep pockets. AND THEY BLEW THE BEST CHANCE THAT WRESTLING EVER HAD!! And now you've GOT to wrestle for Vince McMahon. Now that's the story you guys oughta go after. Interviews with bitter - oh I shouldn't say "bitter "- guys who got screwed over by Vince that he won't use. And they'll be starting to spew their stories and telling about drugs and a lot of other things. This is what happens when people's lives are ruined - and they can't make their house payments - and they can't work a real job - or make the cross-over to reality.
WT - You wrestled in a tag team called the Can-Am Connection in Wrestlemania 3 and you won. That was the big Wrestlemania in Detroit, right?
Tom - Oh that's a long time ago. I'm a dinosaur. I'm an old man.
"Mr Socko is more credible than Mick Foley...he likes those checks coming in from Vince McMahon."
WT - That's cool. I'm anxious to find out what it was like wrestling in that arena?
Tom - It was fantastic. But you know how Mick Foley doesn't know anything about drugs in the WWF (refer "Foley is Good"). At Wrestlemania 3, I was the look out for a couple of guys snorting coke in the can. And you know what - they performed really good!!
WT - Really?
Tom - Yeah, really good. They didn't miss any spots I guess. Everything was on cue. And I saw WWF people smoking crack cocaine out in Oakland, California. One of them is dead now. But I was the look out for all these guys because they knew I was cool about it. I wouldn't say nothing. So this stuff was going on in WWF way back in 1987, whatever Mick Foley says. You know, Mr Socko is more credible than Mick Foley. He's done a lot of damage to his credibility.
WT - Now what's with the heat with Mick Foley? What's this all about?
Tom - There is no heat. He's a wonderful guy. But what I'm saying is that he likes those checks coming in from Vince McMahon.
WT - Are you saying you disagree with what he puts in the book? Is that what you're leading to?
"Why does an announcer need to take steroids?"
Tom - Yeah. Big time!! He says he doesn't know - what? He turned a blind eye to the stuff going on in WWF? How come they don't have drug testing? I believe Vince said with Bruno Sammartino on Larry King Live that he's against steroids. But Vince was taking them for when he was an announcer. Why does an announcer need to take steroids?
WT - You've got me? That's a good question.
Tom - Yeah. And it was illegal then. Felony drugs. So the guys are taking felony drugs and they're selling dolls and all the other marketing stuff to kids? That's right?
WT - Yeah.
Tom - Well how come you, me Killer Ken and Mad Man Mike - what's that Mike? - the bald fat guy, you know, the fat ass? - why don't we buy some WWF shares and show up at Vince's stockholders meeting? We won't be escorted out as owners of the company. We can speak our minds right? What do you say?
WT - That would be a fun night!! I understand you're not a big fan of DDP either... ?
Tom - DDP? Who's the guy there who's your big expert on wrestling. Mental Mike?
Psycho Mike - No it's Killer Ken. What, am I his whipping post? What's going on here?
Tom - Well Mental Mike or Killer Ken - how many times - two times, three times, four times - how many times will DDP be the WWF champion?
WT - How many times? I hope never!
Tom - His neighbor was Eric Bischoff. But I don't believe there's any real estate open next to the McMahons. So tell me, how many times will DDP be the champ in the WWF?
Killer Ken - Zero!!
Tom - Thankyou! Now why is that? Because they do business up there. Because it depends on the gate - on what you draw. It's not corruption, it's not politics, it's not bullshit.
.....Hey, I'm hooked on that Mental Mike. The bald guy. He reminds me of Arn Anderson.
WT - Thanks. I appreciate that by the way.... He's gonna be on TV tonight by the way.
Tom - Can I get it in here? What channel? I've got this satellite thing. What channel?
WT - Arn's gonna be on wrestling tonight.
Tom - Not Arn! I'm talking about Mike. I'm hooked on him.
Psycho Mike - What the hell did I do to deserve this?
"....don't misconstrue me for a Philly crowd. They called me names and hurt my feelings."
Tom - I'm hooked on this Mike guy. He looks like a meat cutter like Marty Lunde (Arn Anderson).
Psycho Mike - This guy is very perceptive. That is my job. I am a meat cutter.
Tom - Oh really.... well don't beat your meat!! In positive terms, you've got a good face for radio. Now don't misconstrue me for a Philly crowd. They called me names and hurt my feelings.
WT - What did you think of Philly crowds when you wrestled here?
Tom - Philly? You know where I liked the best. The bar at the Marriott out there by the airport. They were really cool. If they talked trash to me, I just grabbed my [crotch] and "Yeah - is THAT your girlfriend?" That's why I'm hooked on that Mike, because I saw a guy like him [in the Philly crowd] and it burned an image in my minds eye. And I thought it's got to be this guy. I'm kooked on him for good.
JM - We'll have to call Tom 'The Stalker" from now on. He's on to you Psycho. That was a really good bar at the Marriott.
Tom - It was great!! I never had a bad time going to Philly. The crowd was really something with Johnny Ace and Shane Douglas - (laughter)
JM - I know some Shane Douglas stories, yes. In fact when we were off air and you were doing your Ric Flair impression, it sounded more like Shane Douglas' impression of Ric Flair.
Tom - Thane Douglaf. Ric has problems with his l's and s'. Like DustyRhodes baby, if you weel. How come they don't bring Dusty's Rhodes' son Golddust back. And Bill Watts son, Erik Watts. All those people like Jim Ross were shills for these guys. Jim Ross - he's the biggest ..... he's the biggest [indecipherable] there is. He said Erik Watts was a great talent - " a vertical back to a vertical base from Erik Watts..." all baloney.
WT - Do you have any other impressions Tom?
Tom -"Bubba, I'm sick. Bubba - you got any gimmicks for me Bubba." [Iron Sheik].
WT - (laughter) I like that. What? A stand up comedian. Who else can you do?
Tom - I'm not gonna tell you.
WT - I'll send Psycho down there and he's gonna lay down the law.
Tom - I don't want him anywhere near this zip code. He can be anywhere - not too far away - but not too close to me....
WT - Well that's good to hear...
Tom - I know but I'm afraid of him (laughter).
WT - I don't know where we lost control of this. Probably somewhere around when we said 'Hi." What are your favorite memories of wrestling?
Tom - Favorite memory. I've gotta charge you for that. Let's just talk about the negative stuff so they can call me bitter. The good stuff? My match against Pillman? Who's the doctor there, Mental Ken?
WT - It's Killer Ken!!
Tom - Oh, right. Loser Ken.
WT - Loser Ken - right! (laughter)
Tom - Where was that match held Ken? Can you remember? C'mon.
WT - No answer.
Tom - Loser!! It was at Jacksonville, Florida, Who won that match between me and Pillman?
WT - Killer is thinking.
Tom - The match between Pillman and me for the Light Heavyweight title.
WT - Killer is thinking.... Pillman!
Tom - Yeah. And why did he win. Tell me that?
WT - Why did he win. You've got to tell us - why did he win, Tom?
Tom - Because that's the finish Mike Graham laid out for us in the locker room. [laughter]
WT - Tom what planet are you from?
Tom - The planet Zenk.
WT - You mentioned Pillman. What was Brian like to be with - to work against.
Tom - Well he don't "kiss like a fa#" like New Jack said (laughter). I know that's what you're getting at OK (laughter). Now listen. I know about you. I listen to all the shows you've done. And you're sarcastic. And you're a son of a gun. But Brian Pillman - he didn't "kiss like a fa#" - OK. So you go work with that. But listen. This isn't a laughing matter. Now Mick Foley says that Pillman was a good friend for 10 years and that he was "out of control" and "an accident waiting to happen". So how come he didn't stop it?
"Brian was on Prozac before he died. It's funny they didn't mention that..."
WT- I don't know. I'm not Mick Foley.
Tom - Listen. You're the guy who wears the Philly cap [in the photos]. If you had a friend who was out of control, and had a problem - and you're friends - wouldn't you intervene?
WT - I'll probably take my cap off and smack him.
Tom - Wouldn't you stomp your foot first, before you hit him with the chair?
WT - Probably not. Just give him a good whack.
Tom - Brian was on Prozac before he died. It's funny they didn't mention that or Dr Hackett who prescribed him drugs. Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, they're just shills, PR whores, and that's what Mick Foley has turned out to be. We make our own decisions. But then he says prescrition drugs are the real cause. Then Jim Ross says "No, no no." If you use felony drugs, illegal drugs, they won't put you through the $80,000 dollar rehab that Steve Regal had. And Eddie Guerrero.
WT - That's right.
Tom - So what kind of hypocrits do you guys want to be? Pillman, if he had a problem, WCW or WWF didn't catch it. Now if you had drug testing plus rehab it would be another story. If you're on the New York Stock Exchange, wouldn't you want to have drug testing? Wouldn't you want your workers to be drug tested - since the problems are common knowledge. Surely, if Jim Ross knows about it, then Vince has to know about it. If the guys are using felony drugs, or steroid bodies - just like Mick Foley says "The bodies look too good to be true." See what happened to Chris Benoit?
WT - Like we saw with Jerry Lawler's son. It's kinda like "There is no drugs problem - but if you get caught with them, you're fired!" I kinda think that's the way they're playing this out. They're looking the other way unless it gets public and then they pooh -pooh it.
Tom - Turning a blind eye - right.
WT - Yeah - that's the impression we get here.
Tom - Yes but they know there's a problem. So Vince has to know it - because all his stooges tell him, OK?
WT - Tom, I hate to do this but we are out of time for this segment.
Tom - You're raking my eyes. Right. Bye.
WT - Did anyone manage to get a question in......!!!!
