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Missy Hyatt Discusses Those Long Car Rides And Picking Someone's Brain

Posted: Mar 21st 2008 By: CMBurnham

It took me a lot of bad years in my personal and professional life for me to realize that I still love wrestling. A lot of workers forget what drew them to the biz. I grew up watching Georgia Championship Wrestling. I realized I wanted to be in the biz and learn how to work right from the start. I still remember watching my first angle as a fan. I was fortunate to be able to catch the tail end of the territory system [World Class, UWF, Memphis, WWC, Continental, and indies].

I learned the most by picking the brains of the veterans during the lengthy car rides. We would analize every aspect, due to the love of the biz and to stay awake during long car rides. On the car rides back home, we would analize what spots worked and didn't work. What spots needed to be tweeked, eliminated, or added to maximize our talents.

I was very fortunate to learn so much about psychology by being at ringside as a manager. You eventually get a grasp at what gets heat, when to get heat, and when it's your moment to shine. I watch some of the current wrestling. I enjoy bits and pieces. I still believe in classic baby face VS. heel story telling. I recently watched a match on television where the champion and the challenger hit every move in the book, too bad they no sold everything. No story telling. That's where the art of wrestling is missing. We need more story tellers who can lead a match.

I was very fortunate to be around Eddie Gilbert who lived and died for the biz. I remember how he would spend every moment thinking about story lines. How to format a television show. How to develop a new crop of wrestlers to carry the territory.

I remember Eddie would watch wrestling tapes all the time. He was always looking how to incorporate angles that were inspired from other territories in to his booking. He would look for new moves to incorporate in his matches. Eddie especially wanted to be up to date on current wrestling trends. I was also fortunate to sit through the WCW television production meetings and hearing how all the story lines would be outlined for the several wrestlings shows, specials, and pay per views.

I wish more wrestlers would watch some older wrestling for inspiration in story telling and psychology. I remember working a indy for SCW in Florida 2 years ago. There was a tag team match where the baby face was selling and desperately trying to make a tag [makes sense]. He than climbs to the top rope and does a dive on both his opponents on the outside [why did the heels stop getting heat and go to the outside?]. The face than gets back to the ring selling and tries to tag his partner [why do a dive, when you could have made the tag?]. My point is the baby face should have been selling to get a tag. Not sell, than do a highspot, than go back to selling. Unfortunantly some wrestlers don't know when to hit their big moves in the right context in a match. More emphasis should be on story telling. My advice to everybody, watch old tapes. There are hidden tricks in selling and getting heat by watching the top heels and faces in the 80's. Eddie Gilbert studied Jerry Lawler for interview and psychology.

I'm glad I still have passion for the business. My appreciation continued based on loved ones. I used to take my niece, a bigtime "Shawn Michaels Mark", to WWE shows at the Garden. I even tried to get HBK to come to her sweet 16. I took my guy to a indy show in Florida [We wanted to see Necro, but he no showed] and to a TNA T.V. taping. I would get on everybody's nerves, since I critique story telling, psychology, and crowd interaction. I don't consider non stop highspots, with lack of selling as a form of story telling.

I always appreciated the fans for their love and passion to travel to many different shows and conventions. I wish many wrestlers remembered their passion as a fan. Their desire to learn every facet about the business from the veterans. The anticipation and adrenalin rush when you make the long drive to a booking. The adrenalin rush that a rock star feels in the ring. The adrenalin rush driving home, while you recap the show in your head. If you never had any of those moments, than you never loved being in the business.

I'm glad that WWE uses some of the Florida old timers in teaching the wrestlers in developmental. Hopefully this will give the new crop of wrestlers a foundation in the fundamentals of psychology and how to stay fresh in front of the same weekly fans. But they still need some young blood that can integrate the modern moves and psychology.

Here is the unofficial Missy list for aspiring wrestlers on learning psychology and story telling from:

Rock-N-Roll Express/Fantastics: Text book classic baby face tag teams. Bobby Fulton and Ricky Morton were masters on selling and building towards the hot tag to their partners.

Midnight Express: Classic heel tag team. Can hit every flashy move, but still maintain their heat.

Jerry Lawler: Can hit every interview style. Heel, baby face, smart ass. He doesn't have to scream or have a script writer to get any of his points over. Total master of the interview.

Terry Funk: The greatest ever. I'm glad I told him that last year. Terry Funk is the master of being a crazy heel. His promos are a total contrast to him being such a great person.

Eddie Gilbert: Total master of heel psychology. He knew when to hit his bumps when the baby face made his comback. Promos and personality were so strong that he carried wrestlers who were weak promos and personality.

Jim Cornette: The greatest manager ever. He took a beating, but he kept his heat. He was such a great promo that he also carried wrestlers with weaker mic skills. He also knew not to over shadow his wrestlers.

Here is the unofficial Missy list of current wrestlers that I feel they tell great stories in the ring:

John Cena: I know all the hardcore fans are groaning at me. He knows how to get crowd interaction [cheer him or boo him, he draws $$$]. Decent promo. Classic baby face that draws the kids and women, he moves merchandise, tickets, and ratings. Average worker. He knows his strengths and knows how to maximize it. My personal favorite wrestler in WWE {I own a Cena figure and necklace]

Randy Orton: Great heel. Has great chemistry against almost all of the faces. So hated, that he can turn another heel face. Great psychology.

Jeff Hardy: Lets ignore his personal problems and focuss on the talent. For 11 years he still gets pops. Classic baby face teeny bopper. Crowd is in to all of his programs this past year. Gets the crowd behind him when he sells and builds towards his comback. Shows that the fans have emotional attachment towards Hardy.

HBK: No explanation needed.

I'm very sure every veteran has their own list of wrestlers that they recommend for required viewing. I'm just naming a few that I enjoy watching.

Over the last few years, I try to do as many wrestling conventions and autograph signings as possible. I love interacting with the fans and reliving memories with the other wrestlers. Luckily I was able to meet John Tatum last year at a UWF reunion for K & S and Bud Carson [great store]. I still keep in contact a year later with Tatum. I'm glad I met Gary Hart at a convention 3 years ago in Texas. His great booking mind was one of the many factors on why World Class was once the premire wrestling office. Gary was a great mind and a great person. I will definitely miss him. Gary was the brains behind Great Muta spraying me with the mist on WCW television in 1989. That angle got Muta big time heat. Very few man on women angles were done at the time. Many wrestlers from the World Class era would have never made it so big without the great minds like Gary, Fritz, and Ken Mantell who gave tons of fresh talent the forum to eventually become national stars at such a early age. I will always be greatful.

Tags: WCCW, UWF, Eddie Gilbert, WCW, Jerry Lawler, Rock-N-Roll Express, Fantastics, Bobby Fulton, Ricky Morton, Midnight Express, Jim Cornette, John Tatum, Gary Hart, Ken Mantell