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Missy Hyatt Interview From DeviousDiva.com

Posted: Sep 21st 2010 By: CMBurnham

Q: What company did you enjoy working for more, WCW, WWE or ECW?

A: I technically never worked for WWE. I only had try outs for WWE with the Missy?s Manor segments. They were more like dress rehearsals in front of a live crowd. The material that was expected for me to deliver didn?t match my character. I was green at that point in my career to be doing interviews. My character as a babyface was the wrong role for me. When you add up all of those variables, it?s no wonder on why the Missy?s Manor segments flopped & never made it on the air. Ironically WWE never bothered in looking for another girl to replace me after we both decided that the segments & character was not working out. I?m very sure that a green Missy in 1987 was possibly better then some of the wooden interviewer girls that come & go from WWE. But once again, I never considered myself a WWE employee. Maybe if I actually did work for WWE, I might have a Legends figure or receive the generic letter that WWE offers to send any former workers to rehab. I have known Paul Heyman since 1987 when Eddie Gilbert met him on an indy show in Georgia . Paul & I have remained friends for over 23 years & still keep in contact to this day. Paul first used me on a WWN TV taping pilot after I left WCW in 1994. I managed Shane Douglas as his head cheerleader for that one night. I thought both characters actually had a decent fit in gelling together. Keep in mind that Shane had a decent track record for getting a valet over from myself for that one night, Sensational Sherri, Francine, & even Lizzy Borden. By the time Paul brought me in to ECW was in January 1996. I started taking more indy bookings at that point. The TV was cutting edge despite the limited production resources. The talent was in their prime or just entering their prime years. The booking was better then WWE at the time, since they were still family entertainment. I honestly didn?t like working with Sandman. Sandman was over enough without me. I would had been better off being paired off with somebody that I could had hopefully elevated or somebody who needed help to get over at the time. If I had it my way, I would had loved to been paired off with Chris Jericho. I saw him as the next Shawn Michaels in 1996. Instead Chris did one even better; he was just himself that didn?t need to be modeled off after anybody. Chris got over in ECW with his own hard work. I could have added something to The Pit Bulls, we were pretty decent when we worked together for NWA in New Jersey in 1998 I actually pitched the idea of managing Brian Lee to Paul, since Brian needed help in having somebody carry his promos at the time. Eventually Paul & I had a parting of the ways in September, 1996. I took a gamble and worked the failed AWF TV tapings that had national TV exposure. Paul told the ECW crew that they were prohibited from working AWF. Since I worked the taping, Paul had to stop booking me to make an example to the locker room. There was never any animosity between us about that decision. I actually made out better financially by being able to work indys at the time. In retrospect, I sort of regret not sticking it out a little bit longer in ECW. Paul had a great track record in creating new stars and repackaging older stars that would get noticed by WWE or WCW. Plus the TV was picking up momentum by airing in more markets & was on the verge of going on PPV. WCW was the best of times & the worst of times. I?m grateful that my 4 years of TV exposure with WCW would give me the most notoriety for my career. Plus I worked with some of the greatest talent in the wrestling business from Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Steve Austin, Paul Heyman, Jim Ross, & others The booking and direction of the company was constantly changing. Some of the bosses were incompetent. There were times when I hosted the WCW Main Event show on TBS that they couldn?t decide if I should be a baby face or a heel on the wrap arounds during that particular week. WCW would send me home from September, 1989 to February, 1990 with nothing for me to do. This was due to office politics & I became a casualty in the cross fire. The person that saved my career in 1990 was Jim Ross. He went to bat for me to have a spot for me by having me co host the Main Event show with him from 1990 to 1991. When you work with a professional like Jim Ross or Tony Schiavone, they can only make you look better. The best way to gauge how talented they are was by comparing them to the time that I worked with Eric Bischoff in doing wrap arounds for the WCW Canadian syndicated show. Bischoff would take a million retakes, blow his lines, & not hit his cues. A pre taped 45 minute show would take hours to tape with Bischoff. I could normally get it done within an hour or two by just working with Jim Ross. Maybe that?s why Jim Ross is the greatest announcer in the business. I learned so much from Jim Ross & considered him a mentor to myself. Working with Jim Ross was a major highlight of my career. My most memorable angles were done in WCCW, UWF, & Memphis . WCW instead made me a superstar. I prefer to look back at my territory days more fondly. WCCW would be my favorite company that I ever worked for. WCW made me the most amounts of money & notoriety. But WCCW was the best times of my wrestling career. No politics, instead talent was measured on how high on the cards that they could be used.. I was paid decently & worked near the top during the height of The Von Erichs. I will forever be grateful for Fritz, Ken Mantell, & everybody in WCCW for giving a girl with no track record in wrestling the spotlight. That?s why I try to help out Lacey Von Erich anyway I can when ever I see her. I wouldn?t be anything in wrestling if it wasn?t for her family & it?s the least I could do for her.

Q: If you got the opportunity to go to WWE or TNA would you take it?

A: Sure, for the right amount of money & a wrestling figure. Plus my career goal is to be the Gobbledy Gooker & be tombstone by Undertaker at a Wrestle Mania. In all seriousness, I had my time & it would not be fair for me to be the veteran that is taking a spot away from somebody who can be more of an asset in the ring. My dream job in WWE would probably be as an agent to the Divas to help them out on promos or having a better understanding of their character.

Q: What is your opinion on WWE's Current Women Division?

A: I think the Division was better when WWE hired actual wrestlers over lingerie models & fitness. It takes too long to smarten up a novice on ring mechanics, psychology, & promo ability. I still subscribe to the mentality that I believe a wrestler that started out as a fan will have a better grasp in understanding and appreciating the business. Keep in mind that the best Diva?s like Mickie James, Nattie Neidhart, Trish Stratus, Melina, Gail Kim, Jillian Hall, etc were wrestling fans prior to WWE. I wish WWE would recruit women that had a background in working on indys. A.J. Lee will be the next big Diva in my opinion. I remember watching her as a rookie on indy shows & I thought she was a veteran when she was only a rookie. I still can?t understand why WWE doesn?t focus on the girls that can actually work in Gail Kim, Nattie, Serena before they released her, Beth Phoenix, & others. I?m not a big fan of watching models try to have a cohesive match that looks too choreographed in comparison to actual ring technicians. I think TNA got a better grasp on womens wrestling. Unfortunately they don?t have the booking to maximize the strengths of the talent.

Q: Have you been working with any other wrestling promotions lately?

A: I slowed down on wrestling for 2010 to focus on outside interests. I have been taking bookings more for sight seeing purposes as my main incentive. I?m going to Germany in November for DWA. I?m a big history buff & my main interest in history is World War #2. I can?t wait to visit some historical sites on my trip. I have the upcoming Jim Cornette Roast [www.ringroasts.com]. I made myself a promise to steal the whole F?N show. It?s the only night out of the year that I can do stand up comedy work that is wrestling related. I have been working on my set, since June. I did well at the Terry Funk Roast, but I only spent 2 months writing my set that year. Hopefully the extra months will help me mode a better set. My goal is to be the Lisa Lamponelli of the Wrestling Roasts circuit.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about your website (missyhyatt.net)?

A: My website has been in operation for over 5 years. I have tons of reality video in which I record my wacky wrestling trips, behind the scenes at the shows, interviewing other wrestlers. I also have video reviews. I have a new column up several timers a week in which I don?t hold back concerning wrestling. I have live chats in which I chat with my members while watching wrestling. Plus I have tons of pictures with myself & other models.

Q: Who was your favorite person to manage and why?

A: John Tatum, hands down. We had the rich-dumb jock with his bitchy girl friend down pact. We had great timing together & our personalities worked out so well on TV promos. I?m forever grateful that Tatum sheared the spotlight with me. People forget to realize that Tatum was such an underrated heel in UWF & WCCW.

Q: If you could wrestle/manage anyone who would it be?

A: I would love to wrestle Hornswoggle in a light tube death match. I would also love to wrestle Gentle Ben The Wrestling Bear. I always dreamed of working in the Tokyo Dome against Mecha Mummy & Shockwave The Robot in a Interplanetary Death Match. Just kidding. My best match ever was against Sensational Sherri, so it would have to be against a person with similar skill to carry a stiff like me to watchable match. Ric Flair could have a great match against anybody, but that dynamic wouldn?t work. I guess it would have to be against Awesome Kong by having her destroy me in order to hide my weaknesses. I would love to manage The Beautiful People. Unfortunately Angelina Love & Velvet Sky are talented enough to not need me. They are so good that others blatantly copy them without giving them their credit. I guess imitation is the best form of flattery. I guess I would manage Awesome Kong, The monster heel with the annoying manager that hides behind her talent would still get over.

Q: Do you have a favorite WWE Diva or TNA Knockout?

A: My favorite Knockout?s are Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, & Madison. I want to see what Becky Bayless is like in TNA. I?m also a big fan of Sarita & Hamada, despite them not being focused enough by TNA. I think the best WWE Diva?s are Gail Kim & Nattie in the ring. I like Kelly Kelly, since she reminds me on how I looked in my 20?s [let me live in my fantasy world]. I?m a big fan of Tiffany. She was the greatest GM ever!!!!! I guess my favorite Diva is Vickie. Awesome heel. The girl gets mega heat in which makes her number one with me. I?m a big fan of genuine heels that the fans vehemently dislike & Vickie pulls it off with just the mere words of ?excuse me?

Q: Do you have a message for all your fans and supporters reading this right now?

A: Thanks to anybody who ever took the time to watch me. I was a wrestling fan growing up. I?m still a wrestling fan to this day. I?m forever grateful for the wrestling fans & wrestlers that allowed me to live out my dreams in being in wrestling, My career will never be complete without getting a wrestling figure. You can follow me at www.missyhyatt.net

Tags: Missy Hyatt, WCW, WWE, ECW, Eddie Gilbert, Shane Douglas, Brian Lee, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Jim Ross, , Jim Ross, WCCW, UWF, Von Erichs, Fritz Von Erich, Ken Mantell, TNA