• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Steve Williams Interview Recap

Posted: Feb 11th 2007 By: CMBurnham

James Guttman starts the show by welcoming everyone to the show. Today's special guest in part one will be Mike Johnson, the news-reporting animal of PWInsider.com, and the part two guest will be Steve "Dr. Death" Williams. Guttman explains that Dr. Death's part two appearance is the edited down version of his 55 minute shoot with ClubWWI.com earlier in the week. He covers a ton of topics on the Club from Andre the Giant to Hulk Hogan, he holds nothing back.

JG also announces that we're halfway through the debut of the four new audio shows/hosts on ClubWWI.com. When Dr. Tom Prichard left the Club to return to WWE, James moved Prichard's 19 audio reports to the archive section (still available to Club members) and began debuting four new audio shows by former WWE names. The first new host was former Raw Co-Host Kevin Kelly. Kevin's report, "The Big Picture," debuted two weeks ago. Now it's Orlando Jordan joining the Insanity with his audio show, "Club OJ." JG explains that since Jordan was in WWE so recently as U.S. Champion, he's able to offer a unique perspective on the business that you won't hear anywhere else. Guttman says that there's two more shows hosted by former WWE names on ClubWWI.com, with a new one debuting this week. James promises that the next host will be another former titleholder in World Wrestling Entertainment and someone people will be talking about.

On that note, James welcomes Mike Johnson to the show. Mike is a strong part of the news breakers over at PWInsider.com. What follows is an in-depth, off-the-cuff talk about today's wrestling industry.
For 30 minutes, JG and Johnson discuss all the features over at Pwinsider and the current state of wrestling today. Topics include WWE action figures, getting weird looks at K.B. Toys, the death of VHS tapes, the new ECW, Vince McMahon's current stance on the product, WWE 24/7, XFL, and much more. James thanks Mike for appearing, does the weekly Moment of Insanity, and then takes us to part two for Dr. Death.

Before Part two begins, JG announces that despite Raw being pre-empted in the USA Monday night, there will be real time coverage of the live Canadian broadcast with ZAH on WorldWrestlingInsanity.com

Part two starts off with the music from Club OJ and the voice of its new host:

"This Orlando Jordan and I've just joined World Wrestling Insanity with James at ClubWWI.com. It's simply the greatest."

James Guttman follows that by explaining the current situation with debuting audio shows. Orlando Jordan and Kevin Kelly have debuted and there's still two more former WWE names on their way. However, there's more you can find at ClubWWI.com, like shoot interviews. Aside from over 50 other shoot interviews, you can hear the full version of today's guest.

Dr. Death Steve Williams spoke for 55 minutes on a ton of topics. His uncut shoot is up on ClubWWI and includes talk of Andre The Giant, Bam Bam Bigelow, WCW, disrespectful developmental stars, and so much more. If you love shoots, you don't want to miss it.

With that, JG cues up the interview.

James Guttman welcomes "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to the show and asks him to fill in the listeners on how things have been in his life. Steve says that he was diagnosed with throat cancer in September of 2003 and literally died three times. Luckily, the Doc is still here and able to spread the word of God. On March 1st, his new book will be hitting stores. Williams wrote a book about the people he worked with and stories he lived. Jim Ross and Barry Switzer penned the forward for it, which Steve calls a blessing. Doc thinks that people will enjoy it as its truthful and not out there to "hurt anybody." It's the story of when "wrestling was wrestling." Steve is home in Colorado right now taking care of his mother, but went to Allentown for a fanfest on Thursday, and then to Deep South and OVW to help train. You can find out more at www.oklastamped.com/- Dr. Death's website.

JG asks about DSW and mentions how Dr. Tom Prichard, the head trainer there, was once part of World Wrestling Insanity. Steve says he's been doing the training job for half a year now and calls it a blessing. He loves working with Tom, but reminds him who "the real doctor" is. Williams adds, "With both of us together, we can' t lose."

Guttman tells Williams that he became a hardcore Dr. Death fan during his teaming with Terry Gordy. James says that the duo was so no-frills that it was a breath of fresh air in early 90s WCW. Doc says that Gordy was probably his best partner. He calls Terry his "brother" and part of his family. After working together so long, they knew how to work together and watch each other's back. Williams has nothing but praise for Gordy's work and credits him for making the Freebirds what they were. He was also there during Doc's first 60 minute match in Tulsa. He calls Terry a "first class guy. "

"I tell ya what, James. We controlled the ring when we were in the ring. Look at what we did to the Steiner. Everybody thought the Steiners couldn't be beaten. We went in there and destroyed them. Matter of fact, the finish that we beat them with was so simple. I saw Scott Steiner getting ready to belly-to-belly Terry Gordy and I came in a clipped him in the back of the leg! Now that's unheard of. You gotta beat somebody with doggone 12 chairs or you gotta do a gainer of the top rope or a ladder match. It's unbelievable. But what a simple way to beat a guy. You clip the back of his leg and your own man pins him. 1,2,3."

Guttman references World Wrestling Insanity: The Book and Tom Prichard's quote in it about match finishes. Doc says that the business has changed and wonders what happened to a school boy or cross body. He brings up last week's RFI guest, Harley Race, and his suplex as an example of simple moves that are being forgotten.

-break-

James asks about Doc's famous WWF Brawl For All loss. It was supposed to be a legit fight and a way to introduce Williams to fans. However, Steve lost to Bart Gunn in round one and it shocked many fans. Steve responded.

"Hey James. The Brawl For All was fake. I went down. That was all fake. I'm telling you. That was all faked. That was all rigged...NOT! Come on, man. I have never, never been knocked out in my life until that Brawl For All."

He says that idea was to introduce the Doc character and then have him feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. He says that the idea for Brawl For All made no sense. He's not a boxer. Williams is a street fighter. He points to UFC and says that they don't let guys up when they take them down, but the rules of BFA were different. He takes his hat off to Bart Gunn, but says that he wasn't a boxer.

"Look what Butterbean did to him. He looked real bad in the ring."

Williams says that his loss in Brawl For All lead to "everything changing in my career," but says he won't cry over spilled milk.

"I was one guy who never cried about anything."

Guttman asks about Jim Ross. He brings up the "heel-announcer" angle in WWF and asks about Steve's feelings on it. He says that it was a bad idea because J.R. is not a heel. "Even though he wears a black hat, he's the best commentator in the business." He knows that Ross wasn't comfortable with the angle and says it's sad because it would have made money. But J.R. is a baby face and always will be.

"Even though I went in WCW, we did that skit with (Oklahoma Ed) Ferrara. That wasn't against him, brother. They took my contract away from me in WWE. I had to make a living. I had a family to take care of. I wasn't trying to badmouth or take down Jim Ross. The company was. The writers were. I was trying to make a payday and feed my family."

JG says that there's in-ring wrestlers who would kill for J.R.'s following. He asks Williams if the company was ready for the backlash. Steve says that writers think they know everything, but have never been in the ring. "They all think they can make the match. Only a wrestler can make a match! Yeah. They got the backlash because J.R. was the best commentator there was." He says that you can look at Jim today and, despite all his health problems, he's the best he's ever been.

Guttman gives Dr. Death a chance to talk to all his fans out there. Williams thanks his fans and says that they are the great ones. They've supported the business and watched the guys work even when they were hurt. He thanks them for all the great times he's had and all the neat things he's owned because his fans came to support him. He says, "God Bless you, man. I really enjoyed doing what I love and I'm still doing it." He tells fans to come see him when they come to his town because he wants to meet them.

James reminds listeners to check out Dr. Death's book and thanks Steve again. Williams tells JG that if there's anytime he's like to rap again, he'd love to.

Remember, Dr. Death's full 55 minute interview is up on ClubWWI.com and includes talk about Bam Bam Bigelow, Ted DiBiase, Andre The Giant, WCW and much more. Also on ClubWWI.com, you can hear over 50 exclusive interviews with wrestling's top names including Kevin Nash, DDP, Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Rhino, Earl Hebner, Ivory, The Steiner Brothers, Nidia, Christy Hemme, Chris Daniels, A. J. Styles, Vince Russo and dozens of others. Plus new audio shows from Kevin Kelly, Orlando Jordan, Tom Prichard, and two more on the way!

JG's Radio Free Insanity is always free and always on the air each weekend at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com, with extended interviews and show archives available on ClubWWI.com. James Guttman's book, World Wrestling Insanity, is available at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold.