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Koko B. Ware talks about WWE, His New Bird, His Career and more

Posted: Sep 18th 2006 By: CMBurnham

Koko B Ware was the guest this week on www.inyourheadonline.com with your hosts Jack and OneInchBiceps. IYH can be heard live every Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern, and all our archived interviews free at http://www.inyourheadonline.com.

Koko was plugging the upcoming Dream Reunion: Night of Legends October 7th in Kokomo, Indiana. Featuring the meet and greet that afternoon including autographs and Polaroid's. That evening is a big a wrestling card featuring a WWF Hall of Fame match, Greg The Hammer Valentine vs Tito Santana. Other stars on the show include King Kong Bundy, Sunny, Molly Holly, Brutus the Barber Beefcake, Kamala. Axe from Demolition, Dr Tom Prichard, Ricky Morton and many more including just added Jimmy Hart. Get your tickets today at www.wcwarulz.com or call 765-319-0322.

The Interview opens with Jack welcoming Koko B. Ware, ?The Birdman?, to the show. Koko wants to know if everyone?s ready for the show because he?s looking forward to it.

Koko talks about the October 7 show that he?s going to be doing. He?s very excited and wants to get the crowd to ?Do the Bird.? Koko has a rare passion for wrestling and he's very excited about getting out there and seeing the crowds.

After being asked if he thinks there?s any particular benefit to be found in going to a live show, Koko says it?s a rush to see a live show. Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Koko B. Ware. . . a few of some of the legends that are going to be performing. . . they?re all going to be putting on a good show. Even Kamala is going to be flying in from Uganda. Kokomo, Indiana is going to be rocked by the Legends. It?s going to be pandemonium. Larry Zybszko is going to be there. . . being pumped up more there than on TNA. Perhaps even more pumped up than Kamala (who, in fact, MIGHT be found dining on raw meat in any number of the fine Kokomo establishments). Jack interjects with a question about Larry and his newly shaven head. Koko replies with infectious enthusiasm,

?That?s okay, man, but the thing about it is he?s a legend. It won?t matter if he comes there naked. The people love him.?

Brutus ?The Barber? Beefcake will be there, and somebody?s going to be getting a haircut, probably not Hammer, because he?s particular about his hair. . . but maybe not MORE particular than his old lady. King Kong Bundy is going to be at the show as well, shaking the earth with his footsteps, and signing autographs at the show. Jack states that you can visit www.wcwarulz.com for more information on this event.

Koko then mentions that the promoter?s father has passed away and he asks the fans to give their thoughts to him. IYH offers their condolences too.

Koko then goes on to talk about an upcoming appearance with Greg Valentine at a local flea market. Koko invites us all out to the flea market for some wheeling and dealing. He also says that we?re bound to have some junk in our trunk that we could sell.

Koko goes on to talk about how he enjoys meeting the fans at shows and conventions. He also says that if it wasn?t for the fans, and WWE as well, there wouldn?t BE any Koko B. Ware. . . there wouldn?t be wrestlers. He also said that he enjoyed the WWE homecoming show because he enjoyed seeing the people that he?s not seen for awhile.

This segues into a story about how he also enjoys seeing fans that recall earlier events where Koko was featured. He likes going over past times with them.

Ricky Morton should also be at the Indiana event, Koko said. He then talks a little about high flying with Ricky Morton in the past. He has some insightful comments about the decline of aging and how, in some ways, the wrestlers that you might be seeing can?t move and groove the way they did in their younger days. . . their prime. . . but they?re still the legends that you remember in their hearts and in the fans? memories.

Jack brought up Koko?s dropkick and how he would be able to land on his feet. Koko starts talking about how that was a pretty big move for him and it was owed in part to his time spent training Tennessee walking horses. He was motivated to learn that move after watching the way they would kick their legs.

Koko talks about how it was Vince and his idea to bring the bird to the ring. This segues into how a lot of wrestlers had animal companions at the time and Jack asks about if they maybe went overboard. Koko didn?t think it was such a problem because, if you really loved the animal, it would mesh more with your character -- it was also a nice way to show a sort of softer side to the wrestler. . . people could tell that there was a reciprocal love between master and animal.

Koko is asked if he was ever offered a spot in WCW. Koko said he never got any offer better than front row at a show. They never put him on a good contract, and he didn?t want a night to night contract. He basically just stepped out of that picture because of that.

Jack then asks why he originally left WWE. Koko said his time was up. Vince had a meeting and the talent was changed around. He was there from 86 til 95. . . that was the end of the road for him and it was done. Jack asks if Koko thinks he could have maybe gone farther if he had been around in the Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero era when people with his skill set could make more of a name for himself (as opposed to when Koko was in the ring and it was mostly the bigger wrestlers that got their time in the spotlight). Koko counters by saying that he thinks he did well while he was there considering what he had to work with at the time.

Koko talks about his tag team experience with Owen Hart. Koko said he was one of the best partners you could have. Owen never had a cross word and he enjoyed the times he got to spend getting ribbed by Owen.

Koko is asked from the boards if he?s ever signed a WWE Legends contract. Koko says that he has and he is on the roster now and Vince can bring him out when he needs to (sort of like Hacksaw Jim Duggan -- who?s currently on television).

Koko says he has a new bird as well: Franky Jr. His house burned down and he lost his first bird (who he loved like a kid).

Koko was happy to see his action figure out as well. He loves and appreciates getting a good shot in the arm. He doesn?t mind that someone may make some money from his image. He doesn?t pinch pennies and ask for a cut. He?s happy to know that his name?s on people?s lips. Basically, it?s free promotions for him.

Koko talks about how he got the ?B? in his name. When he was in Mid-South wrestling, Jim Ross was an announcer and Jim Ross stuck the ?B? in there to rib him. It stuck and he gives him credit.

Norvell Austin was retired by Koko (from the Pretty Young Things). He was a tremendous athlete and great worker. He decided to go for more distance in wrestling.

Jim Cornette said that the idea for the idea for the original Gangstas in Smokey Mountain Wrestling was Koko and Tony Atlas. Koko said, ?That?s Jim for you.? He doesn't seem to have a lot of knowledge about what may have been intended, but he has faith in Jim's expertise despite not knowing the details of this occurrence.

Koko talks about enjoying being both a face and a heel, but when he got a little overweight, he liked being a heel -- not a lot of high flying being a heel. He didn?t mind the fans booing him, but didn?t particularly enjoy it.

Piledriver. . . . a song that he sang. He enjoyed it.

TNA. It?s secondary to the WWE. . . and he?s glad that the guys have a place to go when Vince fires them. He feels like they?re maybe hand me down guys that don?t have any place to go. He doesn?t feel it?s quite the quality of WWE, but it?s somewhere to be.

Koko?s asked about the X division and whether or not they do too many moves. He says you have to sell wrestling. . . but if you do 90 ?Mexican High Spots? then you?re not telling a story. It?s more spectacle than content.

Koko is asked if he can remember any of Owen?s ribbings. Koko can?t.

They sign off from the interview with Koko letting the fans know that they?re going to have a good time. He extends his sympathy to the promoter?s father again. He then promotes the upcoming shows. Finally, Koko thanks John from Cincy. He then tells the kids to stay away from damaging behavior (specifically drugs) and to do something with their life.

To hear the 40 minute Koko B Ware and BLK Out Sabian and Joker interviews please visit http://www.inyourheadonline.com. And join us next week at http://www.inyourheadonline.com starting at 6:00 PM Eastern for special guest Baby Doll.