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Recap of Monday Night Mayhem Interview with Gary Hart

Posted: Nov 12th 2006 By: CMBurnham

One of the most-feared & most intimidating managers in the history of the business, Gary Hart, was one of the special guests on this past week's (11/6/06) live edition of Monday Night Mayhem (with The Big Mosh & Blade), which can be heard in streaming audio every week (and live at 9PM ET/8PM CT every Monday night) exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.ObsessedWithWrestling.com, www.Dory-Funk.com, www.AllWNYRadio.com. & www.AudioWrestling.com - your official home of "The Spring Break Incident" Video-On-Demand, featuring former WWE Diva, Stacy Keibler).

The interview with professional wrestling's "Playboy" is now available to hear for FREE in Real Audio!

Here are some of the highlights from the interview, provided by The Mayhem's co-host, John "The Big Mosh" Masiulionis:

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The Big Mosh & Blade welcomed one of the most integral parts in the history of World Class Championship Wrestling, Gary Hart, to the program. Leading into his interview on The Mayhem, Gary had the opportunity to speak to Kevin Von Erich to let him know he was going to be doing the program, and that the word about WCCW still continues to be making its way around the world -- just like it did over two decades earlier.

The Mayhem Crew started off the interview by asking Gary if he thinks that Kevin did "sell out," in making the deal to part ways with the World Class Championship Wrestling video library, and selling it to World Wrestling Entertainment. He is very glad that someone did purchase the tapes, especially because they have to be stored in the proper fashion & with the proper care -- the WWE has those financial resources, and is physically able to use their wealth to transfer the tapes to DVD, which is an expensive process. Gary strongly believes that Vince McMahon has the best market out there & the best PR machine to get the word out there amongst casual & hardcore fans to keep the word going into the future about what World Class was all about, not to mention treat it with respect.

"If you want a fresh start, you can't do it with people who have been there a long time."
"Everything bad happens in the morning."
"What took eight years to build took two years to take down."

All three quotes seen above are just some of the exact words made by Gary himself in the "Heroes Of World Class" Championship Wrestling DVD (check out www.RightHerePictures.com for more details). As you can tell, Gary is very opinionated in statements -- which is one thing he is glad that has not changed throughout his career. His work as a manager, and also as one of the bookers of WCCW stood for itself.

He spent most of his time with Mickey Grant & Bill Mercer, along with several others, making the company the success that it became. Gary feels that the Von Erich boys were vital to the promotion's popularity when he was there, and after he left, there were a few select people that "began to bastardize" the promotion -- that's when WCCW began it's downward spiral.

Did Gary's not-so-perfect relationship with Fritz Von Erich affect his relationship with the rest of the family -- including Kevin & David Von Erich? Gary is glad that to this day that was never the case, and is still not the case. Both himself & Fritz had their own "visions & ideas," and a great deal of the time, their egos & personas did clash. Von Erich "could not see what myself & Mickey Grant wanted to turn World Class into." Gary ran the day-to-day operations of the company, while Fritz was also into the real estate & cattle business, along with his duties as head of WCCW. All they had in common was wrestling.

Switching gears & talking about his time with The Great Muta in the NWA, Gary still has fond memories looking back on those times. He was looking for someone/something similar to The Great Kabuki, but someone/something that would not be seen as a "rip-off." Hart was excited to see how well over that Muta got in a brief period of time on TBS & on Pay-Per-View. He was not a big fan of Muta's legendary program w/the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Sting. "I didn't have any time for Sting. He was a very selfish & overrated guy." Hart does credit one-half of the current World Tag Team Champions, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, & Terry Funk for keeping the eyes of the wrestling world on the NWA at that time, and also helping to further the Sting/Muta feud.

From today's superstars, Gary feels that Triple H, Booker T, Randy Orton, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, & Batista could fit in today's version of World Class, had the company still been around today. Hart knows that all could complete in the "stiff" style that made World Class very noticeable & successful.

Blade & Mosh were also surprised to hear how Gary Hart is a huge fan of "the guy who wears the dress" in the WWE: The Mayhem's first-ever guest back in 2002, Vito!

More goodness is included in this 30+ minute interview with Gary Hart: including some of his candid memories of Bruiser Brody, his takes on Jimmy Garvin & Tully Blanchard leaving the WWE, how a wrestler should know when it's time to walk away from the business, the comparisons & contrasts between the then-WWF & World Class, & how he came very close to managing "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan early in "The Hulkster's" career.

Once again, check out www.RightHerePictures.com for all of the details on the "Heroes Of World Class" DVD if you have not had a chance to purchase a copy of what is being called the best wrestling documentary in years!

In addition, Pro Wrestling Unplugged's very own sexy & vivacious Annie Social will felt The Mayhem, was also aboard the 11/6 MNM to promote PWU's "Vendetta" event (this Saturday night, November 18th at The new Alhambra Arena -- log onto www.ProWrestlingUnplugged.com for more details) & the soon-to-be-released "Girls Of EyeCandyNY" 2007 calendar (which you can purchased at www.EyeCandyNYOnline.com).

*If you thought this week's show was already stacked in between the continuation of our "November To Remember" Prize Giveaway (where we will be giving away some exclusive Japanese wrestling programs, DVD's, & memorabilia, courtesy of one of our official show sponsors, www.GeorgeMayfieldMayhem.com -- and much more) & a full in-depth previews of this Thursday night's TNA Impact primetime special/Genesis Pay-Per-View with the coach of "The Funking Conservatory," Dory Funk, Jr., former X-Division Champion, Matt Bentley, will be heading into The Mayhem's squared circle for the third time in show history!

Plenty to discuss w/the man behind "The Bentley Bounce" -- including his new storyline w/Frankie Kazarian, the strong rumors of the return of Raven's Flock, where he sees the X-Division going into the future, his takes on the Impact primetime special, who he's got in Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle at the Genesis Pay-Per-View, & if he sees himself headed "up north" w/his blood relative, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels.

In the meanwhile, check out Matt's official website & his MySpace (www.OfficialMattBentley.com & www.MySpace.com/RealMattBentley), as well more info on his official wrestling school (the FXE), and the countdown to the two-hour Impact primetime special on Spike TV & the Genesis PPV (www.TNAWrestling.com).

The hottest video game of the year is coming out this Tuesday, WWE SmackDown vs. RAW '07 -- and "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" has you fans covered!

THQ's Bryan Williams will also join The Big Mosh & Blade LIVE this Monday night (show beginning at 9PM ET/8PM CT) to preview the all-new release for the PS2, X-Box360, & PSP formats.

In addition, starting tomorrow night & throughout the rest of November (as part of our "November To Remember" Prize Giveaway, we are going to be giving away three copies of the game (one for each video game system). How do you win your very own SD vs. RAW copy? It's definitely going to take some work, but anyone stands a damn good chance to win!

Call into the show @ (866) Mayhem-7 (the all-new Mayhem Line), e-mail your questions/comments for Matt, Dory, & THQ's Bryan Williams to MondayNightMayhem@hotmail.com, post them on The Mayhem's official MySpace page (located at www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem), or on the MNM Uberfun Message Board (located at www.MondayNightMayhem.com).

9PM ET/8PM CT is the time. The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network is the place! We'll see everyone then...

*The Mayhem also encourages all new & old listeners to check out some of the archived
interviews now available on www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.ObsessedWithWrestling.com, & www.AudioWrestling.com -- including: Y2J himself...Chris Jericho, Tyson Tomko (in his first interview since leaving the World Wrestling Entertainment), Charlie Haas, Chris Nowinski, WWE Hall Of Famers Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, Christy Hemme, Lance Storm, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques "The Mountie" Rougeau & Raymond Rougeau), former NWA World Tag Team Champions America's Most Wanted, "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, Tito Santana, Jeff Jarrett, & many more.

Remember, you can feel The Mayhem (live & worldwide) each & every Monday night on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, beginning at 9PM ET/8PM CT.