Chuck Palumbo Talks WWE - Inside

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Former WWE/WCW World Tag Team Champion, Chuck Palumbo, was the special guest on this week's live edition (04/13/09) of Monday Night Mayhem, hosted by The Big Mosh & Blade.

Here are some of the highlights of Chuck's interview, provided by Mayhem listener, Paterson from New Jersey:

Chuck was welcomed by The Big Mosh & Blade for some of his first post-WWE comments since being released this past November. As many long-time Mayhem listeners know, "Your Home Of Wrestling Radio" was one of the programs that began airing shortly after the WWE's purchase of World Championship Wrestling, as well as the closing of ECW. With the rumors abuzz of the WWE potentially working on a WCW-themed DVD for the summer months ahead, more fans are clamoring about the days of the "Monday Night Wars," and even some fans who wish WCW were still around to provide some competition. Chuck was asked by The Mayhem Crew how often he receives those type of comments from wrestling fans. "I get that a lot...people who talk about WCW. I miss it myself personally, out of all the years I've been in the business, I really think my best years & my most fun years were with WCW."

On the heels of World Wrestling Entertainment buying out WCW, just several short months later we saw the failed "Invasion" angle, that unfortunately only lasted several months. Blade mentioned that many fans are still upset over the botching of that angle & the possibilities it could have brought to many talented performers & superstars. Many WCW wrestlers were pushed to the "back-burner," and Chuck wished to give his open thoughts on the storyline from his perspective: "Who was the main beneficiary out of that 'Invasion' angle? It was Vince, the WWF(E), & his talent. There was nobody who was enhanced coming from WCW especially or ECW who really got enhanced by that angle."

This past Monday night saw the face of the WWE change, with the 2009 WWE Draft. Chuck is very familiar with how the Draft operates, as back in 2004, he was drafted to RAW after being involved in the highly-talked about "Billy & Chuck" angle on SmackDown. Mosh asked Chuck what was it going from a huge storyline on one show to having to transition to another show. "If you noticed, it's not hard to figure out both times 2004 & 2008 when I got drafted to RAW, I got released pretty quickly after that. One might say the writers had nothing for me, but I'll tell you what, anything happens four years apart, and you got the same writer on RAW (Brian Gerwitz), who wasn't a fan of mine & didn't utilize me. But that's how the business, I got no hard feelings."

For many "old-school" fans of the business, the tag team division within the WWR has been a forgotten entity. However, in the early part of this new millennium, it was at aforementioned "Billy & Chuck" storyline. Chuck has been a part of several successful teams (both in WCW & the WWE), and had some very candid feelings about the shift from mainstream tag team wrestling: "Honestly, the tag belts haven't meant anything for a while...Like all belts, all championships are just a prop, and they are used to enhance talents. He went on to add, "When we (himself & Billy Gunn) had them, it was entertaining, people were digging it.." Vince McMahon's view on tag teams/tag team wrestling, according to Chuck: "Vince is not a big fan the tag team. He doesn't believe that there's money, as far as merchandise, or giving that guy that push for a Pay-Per-View buy they draw. Vince just doesn't believe in tag teams...never has."

Just last year on SmackDown, one of the hottest on-camera feuds was involving Chuck Palumbo & Jamie Noble fighting over former WWE Divas Champion, Michelle McCool. Many fans across the globe were hopeful this angle could lead to two of the most underrated talents finally getting some well-deserved TV time. However, it was cut short. The question many fans have been left wondering was why? Jamie became an agent, so what happened was he wanted to enhance himself more, so the next thing you know, he's pitching storylines in the meetings for himself. You know, how many times you're gonna' have me lose to Jamie Noble? The kid wouldn't last two seconds with me on the street if it was real." He continued on by saying, "I'll be honest with you, Arn Anderson's not a big fan of mine...he's one of the main producers. He hated seeing me come back, so he was doing everything in his power to let Vince know that I wasn't going to be the next guy to make him money."

With all of what has been reported about TNA signing two former champions & with the very good likelihood those talents may debut at Lockdown this Sunday night, the names begin to be bantered about....Taz, Victoria...what about Chuck Palumbo? Mosh & Blade asked Chuck that on a scale of 1-10, what are the chances of him heading to TNA before the end this year. "I say the chances are very good...they are very good. I've been talking, but I'm in no rush. If we do it, we gotta' do it right."

More audio goodness can be heard in this 40-minute interview with the man known within many circles as "Chucky P," including his uncensored thoughts/comments on this past week's WWE Draft, his feelings about working with Billy Gunn (Cute Kip) & (Little Guido/Nunzio), the chances of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat continuing to wrestle for the WWE, & much more.

While the WWE changed before our very eyes, while the company celebrated the debut of "WWE Superstars" on WGN, & while we count down the days to the forthcoming Backlash PPV in less than two weeks, we want to hear from you, The Mayhem Nation. The Mayhem Crew wants your feedback, thoughts, & comments on what went down @ The Philips Arena. E-mail your post-Draft comments/thoughts to the show (at MondayNightMayhem@hotmail .com), or interact with The Mayhem Crew via MySpace (located at www.MySpace.com/MondayNightMayhem). You can score yourself some post-Easter wrestling goodness. While feeling the fallout from the 2009 WWE Draft, check out the official website of Chuck's latest business venture, CP Kustoms ("Chuck Palumbo's Hot Rod Choppers"), located at www.ChuckPalumbo.com. Take part in the "CP Kustoms Cross-Country Chopper Giveaway," as Chuck is currently in the process of building one special motorcycle, and will ride it cross-country with some of his famous friends. By purchasing raffle tickets (for only $25.00), you have the chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime prize! Proceeds will go to "Fueled By The Fallen," a charity that supports our troops returning home from Iraq & Afghanistan (with a mission to financially assist our heroes who voluntarily keep our country safe).

[DUKE NUKEM]

thanks for the post Tom