Guttman interviews Larry Zbyszko

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This week’s guest is "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko .

James Guttman begins the show by talking about this week's guest. He says that there's no one like Larry Zbyszko and he always shoots straight from the hip. Larry speaks to the show from Larry Land and holds nothing back. Guttman tells listeners that Zbyszko was a huge part of the industry and many people bring up the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match in 1980 at Shea Stadium. That card was headlined by Larry vs. Bruno Sammartino and it sold the stadium out. No matter when you watched the business, you know who Zbyszko is. He was the AWA Champion the in '80s, in the Enforcers with Arn Anderson, a member of the Dangerous Alliance, commentator for WCW Nitro, and TNA Director of Authority. JG says that Larry has consistently been a part of high profile angles in the wrestling industry for a number of decades and he's thrilled to have him on as a guest this week.

Larry Zbyszko's full 38 minute interview is just one of over 50 available on ClubWWI.com right now. Larry talks about the AWA Invasion of WCW, why it never happened, the star he was supposed to wrestle, wanting to kill himself during Nitro Commentary, Shiavone vs. Heenan, getting stiffed by Acclaim, Vince Russo as WCW Champion, Edge, John Cena, and so much more. Alongside names like Kevin Nash, DDP, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christian Cage, Nora "Molly" Greenwald, Vince Russo, and many others, Larry is just one of the many stars you can hear from on ClubWWI.com.

JG also talks about the four audio hosts that have joined ClubWWI.com. D-Lo Brown, Kevin Kelly, Orlando Jordan, and Lisa "Ivory" Moretti are all now hosting shows on the Club. Guttman was glad to bring them along and help to continue WorldWrestlingInsanity.com's mission to bridge the gap between fans and wrestlers. While James and other writers contribute audios to the Club, Guttman says that he's never been on Monday Night Raw, Smackdown, or worked for Vince McMahon. The new hosts have and it gives them a different perspective on the business that you won't hear anywhere else.

From there, James praises WWE. He says that the company has been on a huge upswing and shows that Vince McMahon knows this business better than anyone. It's almost scary to see how they can crank up the creative process in the clutch. Many readers have brought up "World Wrestling Insanity" the book. JG loved writing it and says it's a great way to look back at the weird period in this business's history where WWE had no real competition. This allowed them to do as they pleased. James says that the idea of the book wasn't to bash the company. In fact, he wrote it because he felt that they weren't pushing as hard as they could to improve their product at the time. Guttman has respect for Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie, and Shane and couldn't fathom that the 2001-2005 years were all accidental. The fact that they're doing so well creatively now just shows that World Wrestling Entertainment can turn it up when they want to.

Guttman then looks at the Lashley-Umaga angle from the last week and how World Wrestling Entertainment anticipated the poor crowd reaction and turned it around. James compares it to the Greater Power angle. Fans were unhappy that Vince was the Greater Power and people were let down by it. They thought ahead and did the Steve Austin as CEO angle right after. Things like this are what makes WWE the top promotion in the U.S. When they can anticipate a negative reaction and counter it before it ruins an angle, the company proves that it knows its fan base.

JG also talks about the time he wanted to stop watching WWE, the angle that was responsible for it, Lashley's promos, his buildup, how to know if you screwed up a segment, and more. After that, James does the weekly reader-voted Moment of Insanity…which involves the end of a screaming ring announcer.

After that, we head over to part two for the Larry Zbyszko interview.

Part two starts off with a clip of Lisa "Ivory" Moretti:

"Hello. It's Ivory…well, formerly Ivory of WWE. Now I'm Lisa Moretti - the Real Deal! And it's Smack Talk on World Wrestling Insanity. Catch us on ClubWWI. Become a member and get all the Smack Talk…with me."

James starts part two and talks about Lisa's new show. Alongside D-Lo Brown's "Lo-Down," Kevin Kelly's "Big Picture," and Orlando Jordan's "ClubOJ," you can hear Ivory's "Smack Talk" on ClubWWI.com. They're four successful names that have all done a number of things in the business. You have former IC/European Champion D-Lo, former Raw Co-Host Kevin, former U.S. Champ Orlando, and former Women's Champion, Heat Co-Host, and Tough Enough 1 Trainer Lisa. JG also reminds listeners that they can hear all 19 editions of Dr. Tom Prichard's "Tuesdays With Tom" show in the archives as well. He reminds everyone that there will be a brand new edition of Club OJ this Tuesday with Orlando Jordan on ClubWWI.

With that, JG cues up the interview with Larry Zbyszko .

James Guttman introduces Larry Zbyszko to the show. Larry tells James that he's been hanging out in Larry Land and Guttman asks what's been going on there. Zbyszko says that he's going into a few different endeavors. He has a deal with TNA and expects to be back soon regardless of Jim Cornette trying "to pull a fast one." Larry adds, "I'm the one that got them to prime time anyway."

Zbyszko says he has a few projects right now. He has a deal with ECW Press and is about ¾s of the way done with his book. Now, a media group wants to make a movie about the first part of the book. He tells listeners that they can be in his movie. Just go to LarryZbyszko.com for all the information.

Guttman says, "Oh yeah? Can I be Bruno?" But Larry doesn't hear him and continues.

He says that there will be lots of spots for extras and you can get all the info on his site. Larry adds that shooting starts in August. The movie is about his career and includes the story of selling out Shea Stadium with Bruno Sammartino. He says it's a "dream come true" story because he had wanted to be like Bruno and with all the promoters trying to stab him in the back, it made for a great tale.

JG asks about Bruno and says that it must have been great for Larry to be trained by a legend. Guttman adds that young fans don’t' realize how big Sammartino was in the North East, comparing him to Hulk Hogan of the 80s. Zbyszko says that it was the beginning of destiny for a kid that wanted to be like his hero. When Larry was 12 and first got into wrestling on TV, Bruno "was like God." He then brings up James's comparison to Hogan, but says that Sammartino did it solo. Hulk didn't do it solo because he had an ensemble behind him like "Jake the Snake, Honky Tonk Man, Roddy Piper, I mean it was 10 guys that had to draw what one Bruno would draw." JG adds that Bruno worked with newcomers and not just mainstays. People would come into the territory and Sammartino would sell out with them right off the bat. He uses Angelo Mosca as an example. Larry says people loved Bruno and wanted him to not get hurt.

"Today they yell and scream. Back then, they loved Bruno."

James brings up the name "Zbyszko ." Larry's real name is Whistler and his last name is derived from the old time wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko . He asks how this came about. Zbyszko says that back then things were more ethnic back then and his family had changed their name from "Zbyszko " when he was younger. He changed it back when he joined the industry because it was a famous wrestling name. People would take for granted that he was Stanislaus's grandson.

Guttman goes back to Larry's feud with Sammartino and how in the pre-WWF era, it was the big thing. He asks Zbyszko about getting to turn on his hero and work heel against him. Larry says it was incredible and calls it "beyond a dream come true." Overnight, he became the most hated man in the business. He had his "ass stabbed," taxis tipped over, shot at, and other attacks. He calls it a great time and says that it got his name big in the wrestling business. James says that fans trying to shoot you back then was like getting an Academy Award for being a heel. Zbyszko says that it was before metal detectors at arenas. Guys got stabbed, Freddie Blassie nearly lost an eye. Larry says that's why it needs to be made in to a movie.

James asks Zbyszk about the differences in the industry from when he started to now. Larry says:

"Today's wrestling, it's like the guys go at the speed of light. It's one constant , you know, they're into so much constant motion they don't realize that when the bell rings no one really remembers what the hell they saw. What character are you? They can't love you or hate you if they can't get into you. It kinda formed because everybody was so big on stupid TV Time, TV Time, and commercials. And they're having these stupid skits, but the match goes a minute. And you get one minute of 17 bodies flying thorough the air, they're gone. Now…let's go down to boobs!"

Zbyszko says that people say that the business has "evolved," but it's just stale and boring now. JG brings up young stars that put too much into their match and asks Larry why it is. He answers that everyone has their reasons, but no one knows what they're talking about.

"Five people alive who understand the business and how it works and none of those people are running any companies."

James brings up WWE DVDs next and asks Larry if he saw the AWA DVD. Zbyszko says that he doesn't watch those things. "I like to live in today." JG says that people have noticed a correlation between DVD releases and WWE Hall of Fame inductees. Now there's rumors that Nick Bockwinkel will be inducted. Guttman asks if Zbyszko will end up in the Hall. Larry laughs. He says he deserves to be in it because of all he did in the early days.

"I don't think the McMahons like me. I don't think so. I have nothing against them. I never worked for Junior. Let me put it this way, I would be surprised if it happened. And it may happen down the road because they'll be out of guys."

James laughs and says that by that time Larry could be in the class with Van Hammer and PN News. Zbyszko adds that he's in TNA now and it might affect things. Guttman wonders about why Larry never worked for WWE. He asks if he had ever been approached by them. Zbyszko says no. When you see the book and movie, you'll know why. It was "a pretty hairy story." Then again, he wasn't "WWE's cup of tea at the time." He calls his match with Bruno the end of the old school. "We didn't know it at the time." But when Vince Jr. took over, he just wanted "giant steroided up guys."

"And none of them could do anything, hence they invented the clothesline."

The audience loved it though. Back then people were into Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nowadays when they see a big guy, people say, "My God. I wonder how many steroids that guy is taking!"

-break-

Guttman's talking about high spots and how funny it is that guys are shortening their careers trying to get over like Mick Foley when guys like Larry lasted forever and never did that. Zbyszko says that it was wild when Mick did it because it had never been done before. "Like you said, after a year, everyone's falling off the table and it doesn't mean anything anymore." Larry's solution:

"Change the goddamn business, you idiots! It’s not brain surgery. Do something else."

James says that it's an example of how much things have changed now that writers are so involved. Zbyszko says it's a lot of people kissing butts and trying to get their fingers in everything. But "none of them with the fingers know what the hell their doing." While they're smart, they don't know what they're doing.

Guttman references a Russo as WCW Champion and says it's a way for people to live their dream without athletic ability. Larry calls Russo smart but says he doesn't know the business because he hasn't been in it 30 years. Guttman brings up the fact that many writers don't realize that most of their ideas have happened before. If you don't know history, you don't know how to not repeat it. Zbyszko says that wrestling's like a big car that's stuck in the mud and no one can get it out.

JG asks what Larry would do to get the car out of the mud if he were in charge. Zbyszko answers:

"I can't tell ya. I'd have to kill ya."

He says to keep quiet and not tell fans too much. He says it's like watching a movie and knowing the ending. Larry uses Jurassic Park as an example. You know the dinosaurs aren't real, but you scream and jump because it looks real. If the T-Rex came out in a ballerina outfit, people "fart at the movie." If wrestlers acted like wrestlers, they'd get a reaction.

Guttman gives Larry the chance to thank the fans and speak about how they can go to LarryZybszko.com and be in his new movie. With that, James thanks him for joining the show. Zbyszko ends the interview by saying:

"OK, James. I'm going back to Larry Land to gamble."

Gerweck

[PantiesTNA]

thanks interesting read..