Source: WWE.com
How did the Immortal Hulk Hogan’s career in sports-entertainment start with a guitar? Did Rowdy Roddy Piper’s performance in They Live trump any of Jesse Ventura’s appearances in 1980s action films?
WWE fans can find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in this Monday to WWE 24/7 for the debut of a brand-new program starring some of the most revered names in sports-entertainment. On Oct. 9, subscribers of WWE 24/7 will witness the premiere of the extraordinary and controversial talk show, The Legends of Wrestling.
Hosted by RAW commentator Jim Ross, the panel consists of living legends such as Fabulous Freebird Michael Hayes, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes and the first-ever Intercontinental Champion and WWE Hall of Famer, Pat Patterson. In an unprecedented roundtable discussion, each Legend brings their own unique background in the business as well as charismatic storytelling of their time on the road with various Superstars, past and present.
“Part of what WWE 24/7 is all about is not just replaying old matches and old moments, it’s bringing a new perspective that some of the WWE fans haven’t seen or heard before,” said WWE 24/7 Managing Producer Steven Finkelstein. “We thought this would be a great way to discuss legends of the past and get some of the inside info you wouldn’t hear otherwise.”
According to Finkelstein, the goal of this new program was to allow WWE Legends to share their experiences with great Superstars of the past and hopefully create something new and interesting for current WWE fans, while arresting the interest of classic wrestling enthusiasts.
“If you really love anything, you have to go back to its origin to appreciate it,” said Legends panelist Michael “P.S.” Hayes. “These are stories that tell about the foundation of our business. You need to be able to appreciate where it came from and where it’s going.”
The premiere edition of the program will focus on hardcore legend Terry Funk as well as outspoken Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper. From details of Funk’s most recent cage matches with Dusty Rhodes to Piper’s exploits in bars on the road shared by the Freebird, The Legends of Wrestling promises to bring a unique perspective to the world of sports-entertainment.
“Everybody wants to get inside the locker room,” Hayes explained. “[In this new talk show], you get to see the Legends let their hair down…you get to see a different side of them. While they’re being themselves, you get to see why they are what they are. It’s almost like taking a car trip with those Legends – something fans of sports-entertainment always fantasized about, and now they can vicariously do that.”
With the subjects of the first series of shows being the greatest Superstars of the 1980s, the second episode is slated to air in November will feature arguably the greatest Legend of all time, Hulk Hogan. Finkelstein, however, claimed that future installments will expand on a myriad of topics – everything from ECW to Superstars of the 1970s to the NWA – an organization with which three-time World Champion Dusty Rhodes is quite familiar.
“Being a panelist on Legends was a great opportunity to look back at the past and talk about some guys that you either liked or didn’t like,” said The American Dream. “It was a chance to sit there with some good friends like Pat Patterson and Mike Graham and take a look back and tell some stories…both good and bad. A show like this is important,” he added. “Why do you go to school and have history class? To get caught up on how we got here – and that’s what this show does.”
Equally enthusiastic, Hayes believes that this new program will be unlike anything any WWE fan may have seen before.
“I have no doubt that it’s going to be a major success,” Hayes said. “I just hope that everybody watching appreciates [The Legends of Wrestling] and how fortunate they are to be let on the other side of the wall.”
“For me to even get in this business was a dream come true,” added a sincere Freebird. “To have sat with guys who were my heroes and legends, and guys who will go down forever with making the sports-entertainment business what it is today – I don’t think words can express how good it felt. I can’t wait to do it again.”
