Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy award-winning recording artist, & hip-hop legend Melle Mel, along with the President of the Urban Wrestling Federation Steve Karel were two of the featured guests on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem every Monday evening (at 7PM ET/6PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.AudioWrestling.com, www.Geekweek.com, www.Hybrident.tv, & www.iTunes.com). Join The Mayhem right now on Facebook (at www.Facebook.com/MondayNightMayhem), and follow The Mayhem on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/FeelTheMayhem).
Mel & Steve joined The Big Mosh & “The Chairman of the Board” Todd Vincent for their exclusive interview with The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (to discuss the launch of the Urban Wrestling Federation & the UWF’s first Pay-Per-View: “First Blood”), which is now available in Windows Streaming Media or via the official MNM Podcast on iTunes:
Melle Mel & Steve Karel/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Streaming Audio): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/051611.wax
Melle Mel & Steve Karel/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Podcast on iTunes): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/may11/051611.mp3
Interview highlights courtesy of Paterson, MNM’s associate producer & official correspondent:
What led Steve to the idea & concept of the Urban Wrestling Federation: “I started playing this series in my mind. One day, literally, I was out at a hip-hop club hanging out & having a cocktail, and this idea came to mind. I started doing some research, went around the country, started talking to a lot of major label music guys and to the radio stations. I then took to the street, started asking people if they liked wrestling, and if I could combine the two and turn it into what I’m calling ‘Grand Theft Auto in the wrestling ring.’ That’s where it came from.”
How Mel was approached to become involved in the UWF & the motivation he had to get back into the wrestling business after his WWE developmental experience: “I’ve always been interested in wrestling, way back in the AWA days and with Gordon Solie, when wrestling used to come on a UHF channel with The Briscoes & The Valiant Brothers. At one point, I came up with the idea of trying to break into professional wrestling. I even went down to Deep South Wrestling, the wrestling school they had for the WWE, but it seemed that it was a lot of politics involved in what the WWE was doing. I always held on to the point that I was going to keep myself in shape, and get my profile & numbers up, so if that opportunity came along, I could attach myself to it and do it. As soon as I got the call about this UWF thing happening, I though it was a perfect match, especially since they mixed it hip-hop with wrestling.”
The importance of mixing in established veterans & talents that have performed with name brands with regional independent talent that fit the urban culture persona to make the UWF what it’s “supposed to be”: (Steve): “My programmers & the guys who are doing the booking said to me ‘How do I want to approach this?’ I said on the wrestler side that I wanted to give guys the same opportunity who were willing to go the extra mile, to do the extra stunt, and take it all to another level like ECW did, but in a new direction. There are some guys who came out of the name brands, but are guys who are willing to put it on the line. As far as the regional indy guys, we did open calls around the country. We did a ton of research to put together guys that would fit into the urban culture persona. No matter what their gimmick is or whatever storyline they have, it would fit into this overall theme of what the UWF is supposed to be.”
Much more is contained in Melle Mel & Steve Karel’s exclusive interview with The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, including Mel’s candid thoughts & comments on what can be brought from the world of hip-hop into professional wrestling that will help the UWF become successful, what he believes is missing from the WWE that makes it “mundane,” the message he wants the Urban Wrestling Federation to send to the WWE with the launch of their promotion & their debut Pay-Per-View (“First Blood”), plus much more! Get the complete details on “First Blood” (including how you can purchase tickets to the June 3rd Pay-Per-View tapings at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City) by logging on to www.UrbanWrestlingFederation and by following the UWF on Facebook & Twitter (at www.Facebook.com/UrbanWrestlingFederation & www.Twitter.com/UrbnWrestlingFd).
