Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com
Monday Night Mayhem DVD Review: “YouShoot: Perry Saturn”
Produced By: Kayfabe Commentaries
DVD Review Written By: Shawn “The Angry Hero” Marek
“The Summer of YouShoot” continues from the mighty Kayfabe Commentaries, as they roll out an in-depth interview with someone who has battled back from drug addiction & obscurity: former WWE/WCW/ECW star Perry Saturn.
To kick things off, our host Sean Oliver asks Perry the obvious question: Where the hell have you been? Save for a brief interview with Bill Apter late last year, the fans have no idea what’s been going on. Saturn admits that the last ten years of his wrestling career were clouded by drug abuse, to the point where he was just going through the motions while in a haze. He recalls getting hooked on opiates while in WCW, followed by painkillers, and finally crystal meth once his career was over. He went from nice cars & big houses to living under a bridge and collecting debts for dealers just to score some drugs. Perry explains that his face tattoo was not a conscious choice, due to always being high.
How did the former five-time World Tag Team Champion get clean? It was only by the grace of willpower and getting fed up with being high all the time that forced his hand. It took five years of detox & relapse to get to this point. Once he was clean enough, he reached out to Dean Malenko and made an appearance backstage at the 2010 WWE Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View. Perry feels he still has some wrestling left in him and implies that a comeback is in the works.
Saturn also goes in-depth about the 2004 Atlanta shooting incident that occurred when rescued a woman from a sexual assault in an alley. After fending off the attackers, Saturn thought he was punched and couldn’t understand why the paramedics were forcing him to go to hospital. It took him two days to realize that he’d been shot multiple times, leading to the rumors that Saturn “no-sold bullets.” There were also accusations that Saturn addresses here that the shooting didn’t actually happen, which he disproves by showing the scars on his neck and where the bullets took out a piece of his collarbone.
Some of the more specific topics discussed here include Saturn’s infamous match with Mike Bell that broke down into a shoot. Saturn describes how Bell accidentally dropped Perry on his head, leading to a freak-out in the ring. Saturn stiffed Bell quite a few times as a result and was chewed out by Vince McMahon. Nonetheless, Perry emphasizes that he takes full responsibility and has no excuses. This leads to some good tales of the WWE agents ribbing Saturn, by egging on local jobbers to take some liberties in the ring because Saturn is “old school” and would appreciate it.
Of course, no “YouShoot” would be complete with extensive discussion about the debauchery caused by sex & drugs, something that Saturn was not only a participant, but also practically an innovator. He goes into how he & Raven were on everyone’s “death pool” backstage in WCW, bolstered by their Ecstasy trafficking amongst the boys. Saturn would freely abuse steroids & painkillers and was rarely caught or tested, as he tried to be sober for his matches. Some of the great stories come from Saturn’s sexual exploits, such as: the “Heat Rat” in ECW, using Billy Kidman as an apparatus, and “The Rhino.” Oh, and Moppy in the bedroom, can’t forget that (apparently Vince McMahon also loved hearing about it).
Clocking in at taut 100 minutes, this is one of the shorter “YouShoot’s,” as Saturn gives succinct answers to a lot of questions. However, the ground covered here, ranging from drug addiction to his on-screen partnerships with Terri Runnels & former Eliminators tag team partner (the late John Kronus), is wide & fulfilling. Saturn, despite all he’s been through, seems happy and comes off as an easy-going fellow. He doesn’t have much heat with anyone (at least not from his perspective), save for a few ex-WCW bookers & “Team Extreme” members. We even get Perry’s takes on some of his favorite television shows & films, something that I had yet to see in the “YouShoot” series.
If you’re looking for some crazy stories & sobering tales of a wrestler who has cheated death and come back from the brink of despair, pick this up. Saturn was always one of my favorite wrestlers dating back to his ECW days, and it’s great to see him on the road to recovery and willing to share his life with us. Get on over to www.KayfabeCommentaries.com and purchase this all-new DVD, along with the other fantastic releases available.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me right now on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/AngryHeroShawn), and check out my official blog (located at www.FutureEndeavored.tumblr.com). Enjoy “The Summer of Mayhem 2011,” and remember: Above all things — be a man!
