Barry Darsow Wrestling News: WWE, AEW, Hall of Fame Update
okay,here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways from the interview excerpts,organized for clarity:
1. Demolition & Early Career:
* Facial Expressions: The tongue-wagging during promos wasn’t about heat, but a way to pass the time while seeing themselves on the monitor. Thay just made faces to do something.
* Heel Preference: Bill Everson (Smash) strongly preferred being a heel. He felt Demolition was so good at it, fans started cheering them, which led to an unwanted face turn orchestrated by Vince McMahon.
* Andre the Giant: He considered wrestling Andre at WrestleMania VI a huge honor, especially knowing it was Andre’s last match (though Andre never indicated this). They were friends and often played cards together. They also wrestled Andre and Giant Baba in Japan.
2. Learning & Mentorship:
* Ivan Koloff: Everson credits Ivan Koloff with taking his wrestling to the next level. He had experience, but Ivan taught him how to structure and pace longer, more compelling matches. Ivan helped him learn when to use moves, not just how.
* ivan Koloff – Funny Story: A humorous anecdote about Ivan claiming to feel “like a million dollars” while falling asleep at the wheel on a road trip, forcing Everson to drive from the passenger seat.
3. The Repo Man Character:
* Enjoyment of the role: Everson loved playing the Repo Man. He was comfortable not being a main event star and appreciated being involved and working with top talent.
* Strategic Gimmick: He believed the Repo Man gimmick was well-executed and possibly could have turned him face. He intentionally portrayed it in a way that made it work. He understood he wasn’t going to be the next Hogan, Warrior, or Hart.
* Physical Conversion: He intentionally lost weight (from 320lbs to 260lbs) to differentiate the Repo Man character from his Smash persona.
4. Competition & Industry perspective:
* WCW Competition: He felt WCW became a real competitor to WWE when the nWo was gaining popularity.
In essence, the interview paints a picture of a seasoned, adaptable, and appreciative wrestler who enjoyed all phases of his career, valued mentorship, and understood the nuances of character work and the wrestling business.