Scotty Riggs wird vielen WCW Fans sicherlich noch ein Begriff sein. Neben Marcus "Buff" Bagwell mimte er die "American Males", war Teil der originalen ECW und später auch Teil des berühmten "Raven`s Flock" neben Talenten wie Billy Kidman, Raven, Perry Saturn, Hammer etc. Scotty erzählt über diese Zeit, äussert sich zum Untergang der WCW, Russo, Hogan, Bischoff und vielem mehr...

WF: We are pleased, that you’ve taken some time to do this interview with wrestlingfever.de. How are you doing? In April 2011 we heard of a hospitalization in Georgia?

Scotty: DOING FINE ... THE HOSITALIZATION IN GEORGIA WAS FROM BLEEDING ULCERS & AN ERRODING ESOPHOGUS, PART ENHANCED BY A DIET OF TOO MUCH RED MEAT OVER THE YEARS (NOT ENOUGH VEGGIES) AND TAKING ALOT OF IBRUPROPHEN/ NSAIDS TO DEAL WITH THE INJURIES OF MY CAREER ... MUCH BETTER NOW

WF: Can you tell our readers more about your first steps into the wrestling business and your trainer?

Scotty: I HAVEPLAYED SPORTS MY ENTIRE LIFE ... FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, GOLF, BASEBALL, WIEGHTLIFTING, ETC AND HAD GONE TO COLLEGE TO PLAY FOOTBALL ... WHILE STILL IN COLLEGE, I WENT TO A INDY WRESTLING SHOW ... HAPPENED TO MET TED "THE NIGHTMARE" ALLEN, TED HAD TRAINEDTHE LIKES OF ARN ANDERSON, BIG BOSSMAN, REFEREE RANDY ANDERSON, TRACEY SMOTHERS AND MORE ... SO, BEING A FAN OF WRESTLING SNICE I WAS 8 YRS OLD, I TOOK HIM UP ON HIS OFFER TO BE TRAINED ... WE WORKED OUT FOR 6 WEEKS & HAD MY FIRST MATCH FEB 6, 1992 AND NEVER LOOKED BACK.

WF: If one with you and your career is occupied, then probably the WCW filled one the largest capital. In 2001 were sold it for little money to McMahon and the WWE. How did you experience of it and which thoughts do you have to that?

 Scotty: I WRESTLED FROM 1993 TIL 2000 IN WCW AND WHEN IT WENT UNDER, CLOSE & PURCHASED BY WWE, I WASN'T SURPRISED ... EVERY FORMER WWF WRESTLER, EMPLOYEE & WRITERS (RUSSO & FERRARA) HAD TRIED TO TURN WCW, AN ESTABLISHED SOUTHERN BASED WRESTLING COMPANY, INTO A LWER VERSION OF WWE ... WCW WAS WRESTLING BASED, WWE WAS ENTETAIMENT/ CHARACTER DRIVEN ... FANS STOPPED WATCHING & PAYING THEIR MONEY TO WATCH THE GARBAGE WCW HAD BECOME ... I WAS IN ECW AT THE TIME AND ECW WAS DRAWING LARGER PAID AUDIENCES THAN WCW, AND PUTTING OUT BETTER TV/ PPV ... IT SUCKED TO SEE MY FRIENDS GOING THROUGH THE HELL THEY DID, BECAUSE THEY BUILT IT AND SOMEONE ELSE DESTROYED IT.

WF: The WCW had a long time clearly better ratings as WWE with RAW. Thanks to the nWo and the Cruiserweights. How wasn't it to be been part of this grouping?

Scotty: I WAS VERY HAPPY TO NOT BE A PART OF NWO , THEY STARTED OFF AS A RELIVANT IDEA THAT GREW INTO A MIX OF CANCEROUS EGOS THAT DID MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD ... WHAT SHOULD HAVE REMAINED A VIABLE ENTITY OF ITS OWN BECAME WATERED DOWN WITH WCW DEFECTORS & RERUNS OF ITSELF ... KINDA LIKE THE ORIGIONAL 4 HORESMAN CAN NEVER DUPLICATE THE FIRE AND POWER OF IT, BUT WHEN CHOOSING NEW MEMEBERS AS TIME WENT BY, WHETHER BY PERSONAL OR BUSINESS CHOICS THE GROUP BECAME FORFRONT BACKGROUND NOISE -- ALWAYS SEEN BUT NOT REALLY BEING IMPACTFULLY HEARD .... THE CRUISERWEIGHT CLASS WAS THE SMALLER EXTREMELY TALENTED MEN WHO DID INCREDIBLE HIGH FLYING STUNTS& I WAS TOO BIG FOR THAT .

WF: It admits a public, honest opinion of you to Hulk Hogan, Vince Russo and Easy E?

HOGAN ... WAS AN ICON AT THE TIME BY BECOMING A HEEL, BUT NEVER EMBRACED IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE A COOL HEEL LIKE STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN ... FANS BOUGHT THE HEEL CHANGE BUT THEN BARFED ON THE REMAKES OF HIS WWF FEUDS WITH WARRIOR/ PIPER, ETC ... INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE WCW STRONG TALENTS OF STING, FLAIR, LUGER

RUSSO ... HE FORCED HIS WRITING STYLE UPON THE TALENT THAT WCW HAD & THE FANS THAT WCW HAD ... INSTEAD OF CREATING SOMETHING NEW TO FIT HIS TALENT ROSTER, HE RERAN WWE GARBAGE OF THE "ATTITUDE ERA" IN WCW THAT THE WRESTLING FANS NEVER BOUGHT INTO ... HE'S HORRIBLE FOR WRESTLING

EASY E ... ERIC WAS A GREAT BUSINESS MAN AT THE START AND GAVE ME MY FIRST CONTRAT AFTER BEING HIRED BY HEAD BOOKER KEVIN SULLIVAN TO TAG WITH BAGWELL, ERIC THEN GAVE ME A VERY WELL PAID3 YEAR DEAL THAT I EARNED ... DURING THAT TIME ERIC BECAME A TV/ WRESTLING PERSONALITY THAT CLOUDED ALL HIS BUSINESS DECISIONS ... THAT LED TO HIS DEMISE BY BEING LITERALLY FIRED FROM THE COMPANY, ONLY TO BE REHIRED TO WATCH THE COMPANY DIE ... HE STILL THINKS HE KNOWS WRESTLING FROM A PERFORMERS STANCE, NO HE DOESN'T ... BUSINESS MAYBE.

WF: We saw you a time long with Marcus Alexander Bagwell as the „American Males“. Many refer to Bagwells ego, how did you feel about that? Do you believe that the „American Males“(without a Split) a chance would on a long-term basis have had?

Scotty: MARCUS WAS GREAT TO BE A PARTNER WITH, TRAVEL WITH, TRAIN TOGETHER, GOLF TOGETHER & PARTY TOGETHER ... I HAD NO EGO CLASH AS PARTNERS WITH HIM EVER ... IF, THE AMERIAN MALES HAD BEEN USE AS A HEEL TAG TEAM, WE COULD HAVE HAD A LONGER RUN AS A TEAM ... THE AGE OF THE PURE BABYFACED TEAM HAD GONE, WE HAD MIXED CROWD REACTIONS WHERE EVER WE APPEARED .... MARCUS'S EGO CAME INTO PLAY AFTER HE BECAME "BUFF", THAT'S WHEN MOST OF HIS OWN ISSUES CAME INTO PLAY. BECAME A TRUE FRIEND AND WAS TELENTED IN THE RING IN MAKING HIS MATCHES STRONGLY BELIEVABLE.

WF: How are there really many friends in this Business and do you have some friends maybe in WWE or TNA?

Scotty: I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT WITH MANY OF MY FRIENDS SUCH AS STING, RVD, ALEX WRIGHT, LUGER, SICKBOY, SCOTT NORTON, BAGWELL, LODI ... I'VE MET MANY WWE PERFORMERS WHO WERE VERY RESPECTFUL TO ME, AN OLD FRIEND TRIPLE H IS STILL TALKATIVE WITH ME TODAY IF WE PASS EACH OTHER IN TRAVELS.

WF: Every time we heard from the Backstagepolitcs in the WCW! Which one has to do, in order to keep its job quietly and look good in the TV possibly?

Scotty: THE WCW BAC STAGE POLITICS WERE NEVER BAD AT FIRST ... YES, THEY WERE THERE BUT STILL THE BOYS WORKED TOGETHER TO KEEP THE COMPANY COOKING WITH FIRE ... IT WASN'T UNTIL THE RUSH OF FORMER WWF TALENT CAME IN ALL GARNERING HUGE MONEY GUARENTEED CONTRACTS & NOT WANTING TO WRESTLE BUT OLY DO PROMO'S OR HAVE "CREATIVE CONTROL" IN THEIR CONTRACTS, WHICH BASICALLY MENT, I'M ONLY GONNA DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME ATTITUDES AND ONCE THAT CANCER HIT, IT SPREAD LIKE WILD FIRE ... EVEN THE WRITERS HAD EGOS & PUT THEMSELVES ON CAMERA ... THEN THE BIGGEST POLITIC PLAYERS BECAME FORE- FRONT MATERIAL ... THAT EGO DRIVEN CULTURE DESTROYED MANY FRIENDSHIPS.

WF: After you left the WCW for some time, we saw you at your comeback in the Raven`s Flock. Many fans like that stable at this time, do you remember how do you become a part of that? What do you think today of the Stable?

Scotty: I BECAME THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE "FLOCK" THAT HAD TO FIGHT HIS WAY IN BASICALLY ... RAVEN & I HAD BEEN FRIENDS SINCE LATE '93 & BY THE TIME HE CAME INTO WCW HE HAD EARNED TREMENDOUS CREDIBILITY IN THE SPORT ... HE WANTED TO ENHANCE MY CAREER & GROW THE "FLOCK" WITH CREDIBLE TALENT ... HE RE-ENERGIZED MY CAREER AND GAVE MANY GUYS A BOOST, AS IN KIDMAN, SATURN, HAMMER & REESE PLUS GAVE CAREERS TO SICKBOY & LODI, 2 YOUNG UPSTARTS FROM WCW POWER PLANT ... THE "FLOCK" WAS THE ONLY TRUE HEEL FACTION AT THAT TIME, WE DIDNOT WANT TO BE LIKE AND WHEN WE WERE GIVEN CROWD APPLAUSE, WE IGNORED IT AND HEELED FURTHER ... THAT IS WHAT MADE THE "FLOCK" GREAT WAS BEING THE ONLY REAL BAD GUYS LEFT.

WF: A young Billy Kidman was also a part of the Flock. After a few years he beats Hulk Hogan, a really rare scenario. How do you remember on Kidman?

Scotty: KIDMAN WAS A RARE TALENT I ACTUALLY MET IN 95 IN THE USWA ... HE GREW INTO THE STAR THAT HE DESRVED BY NOT BEING POLTICAL, BUT BY ACTUALLY HAVIG SO MUCH TALENT THAT HE COULDN'T BE HELD DOWN.

WF: Can you tell us something about Raven?

Scotty: RAVEN IS AN INNOVATOR IN WRESTLING UNTIL HE HIMSELF TRIED TO CONFORM TO THE BUSINESS ... WHEN HE TRIED TO OVER DRASTICALLY CHANGE HIS PERSOONA & LOOK INSTEAD OF FINDING HIS CREATIVE WAY TO EVOLVE, THAT'S WHEN HE LOST HIS MOJO

WF: Perry Saturn was also a part of the Flock, how are your memories on him?

Scotty: SATURN WAS A QUIET PERSON THAT YOU LOKED AT AND THOUGHT HE MIGHT KILL YOU ... THEN, WHEN YA GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER, HE BECAME A TRUE FRIEND AND WAS TELENTED IN THE RING IN MAKING HIS MATCHES STRONGLY BELIEVABLE.

WF: A current Shoot DVD from Saturn is on sale now. He talks about a internal list of dead on there he and Raven right at the top stood due to their lifestyle! Do you know of it?

Scotty: HAVEN'T SEEN SATURNS DVD AND DON'T KNOW HIS COMENTS, SO I CAN'T REMAKE ABOUT WHAT HE STATED

WF: Many of your former WCW colleagues are passed away. Do you think better control a possibility would have been to prevent? Saturn says he was controlled and nothing happened?

Scotty: MANY FANS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REALNESS OF BEING A PRO WRESTLER, THE MATCHES, TRAVEL, WORKOUTS, PARTY SCENE TO RELAX, BEING AWAY FROM FRIENDS & FAMILIES, THE POLTICS OF THE SPORTS ... IT ALL MESSES WITH YOUR HEAD UNLESS YOU HAVE A STRONG SUPPORT GROUP THAT KEEPS YOU FROM GOING OVER THE EDGE ... DURING THE CRAZY LATE 90'S INTO EARLY 20'S, BEING A WRESTLER WAS LIKE BEING A ROCKSTAR ... YOU WORKED & PARTIED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE WAS NO WAY TO CONTROL THE CRAZINESS THAT ENSUED ... IT WAS A BIT SELF DISTRUCTIVE BUT YOU EARNED FAME & FORTUNE FOR THAT ... IT'S HARE TO PUT INTO WORDS, IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAD TO LIVE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND.

WF: Why are in your opinion drugs and alcohol constant determiner of some Wrestler?

Scotty: AGAIN, DRUGS & ALCOHOL ARE PREVELENT IN ANY BUSINESS OR SPORT ... LOOK AT NFL, NBA, BASEBALL EVEN GOLF ... EVEN THE REGULAR WORLD HAS IT'S ISSUES WITH THOSE ABUSIVE SUBSTANCES ... WRESTLERS ARE MORE WIDELY KNOWN FOR IT BECAUSE WE ARE SO PUBLICALLY NOTICED, WERE ARE NOT A SPORT OF JERSEYS OR NUMBERS ... WRESTLERS ARE FACE, BODY & NAME RECOGNIZED ... SO, INLIGHT OF THAT, MORE KNOWN FOR PERSONAL DEMONS THAN ANY OTHER PERSON

WF: After your time in WCW you perform still from time to time. How do you keep yourself fit today?

Scotty: I KEEP MY SELF FIT NOW FROM KEEPING THE SAME TRAINING LIFESTYLE AS BEFORE WHEN I WRESTLED FULL TIME ... ONLY NOW IT'S AT A EASY MAINTAINED REGIMENT OF TRAINING, NOT HAVING TO BE 240LBS ANYMORE, STAY'N TRIM AT 210 NOW

WF: Randy Savage passed for a short time away. Which memories do you have with him and there is maybe a story which you can tell us?

Scotty: RANDY WAS A TREMENDOUS PERSON AND VERY TALK-A-TIVE IF HE LIKED YOU ... RANDY LIKED ME, I WAS BLESSED BY BEING ABLE TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM ... ONE NIGHT IN A RESTRAUANT, HIS OLD GIRLFRIEND/ VALET HAD ME DO MY "MACHO MAN" IMPERSONATION THAT WAS DEAD ON ... RANDY CAME BACK TO THE TABLE, I DID IT AND WIT EYES WIDE OPEN RANY LOKED AT ME & SAID, " I QUIT, YOU'RE NOW ME" ... HUGE POP OF LAUGHTER.

WF: It would be nice to hear a funny roadstory from you…

Scotty: ROAD STORY ... SHORT & SWEET -- RAVEN AND I RETURNED A 4 DAY ROAD TRIP RENTAL CAR WITH 4 DAYS OF FAST FOOD CONTAINERS, BEER CANS, NEWPAPERS & OTHER GARBAGE IN THE BACK SEAT ... IT WAS OVER FLOWING SO BAD WE HAD TO PUTTHE FRONT SEAT ARMREST UP TO KEEP IN BACK THERE ... JUST A CRAZY STUNT

WF: What would you differently have made in the WCW?

Scotty: I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THE MIRROR GIMMICK ... THAT WAS AN OFFICE DECISION TO CHANGE ME BACK INTO A PRETTY BOY INSTEAD I WANTED TO KEEP THE EYEPATCH AND DO A SNAKE PLISKEN PERSONNA FROM THE "ESCAPE FROM NY/ LA" MOVIES BY KURT RUSSELL ... BUT OFFICE HEAD TERRY TAYLOR WANTED ME TO CHANG BACK TO A HEEL TYPE AMRICAN MALE ... IT STUNK.

WF: Which time was the greatest in your WCW career and what was better, Flock or Males?

Scotty: THE MALES STARTE ME BY WINNING THE WCW WORLD TAG TITLES BUT I ENJOYED THE "FLOCK" BETTER BECAUSE IT DEFINED ME AS WHO I REALLY WAS ... SOMEONE WHO DIDNOT WANT TO CONFORM TO THE ESTABLISHMENT, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO KEEP THE SAME PERSONNA AFTER THE "FLOCK".

IN A TAG TEAM SETTING, MY FAVORITE OPPONENTS WERE STING/ LUGER & HARLEM HEAT .... AS A SINGLES I LOVED WRESTLING CHRIS BENOIT, HE KEPT EVERYTHING REAL & BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN ME AS A WRESTLER ... CHRIS WAS A TRUE FRIEND.

I WOULD ENJOY WRESTLING WCW, THE LATE 90's VERSION WHEN NITRO FIRST BEGAN & WRESTLING WAS HOT ... GREAT TIME TO BE IN WRESTLING BUT I ENJOYED BEING IN THE REAL ECW (BEFORE VINCE DESTROYED IT) ... THAT ECW WAS TREMENDOUS TO WRESTLE FOR, HAND'S DOWN FROM 2000 TIL LATE '01 WHEN IT CLOSED, ECW WAS OUT DRAWING WCW IN ATTENDACE, PV BYRATES AND RATINGS ... THAT WAS JUST A COOL TIME TO BE THERE.

WF: Who was your favorite opponent and against whom you would like to take a match?

FAVORITE WRESTLER TO STILL WATCH IS RVD ... BUT, THE NEXT BIG STAR WILL BE TNA's BOBBY ROODE -- HE HAS THAT IT FACTOR -- THE LOOK, MIC SKILL IMPROVING, PLUS, HE CAN FLAT OUT WRESTLE.

WF: Which activities are there for you besides the Wrestling?

Scotty: I LOVE PLAAYING GOLF ... OUT IN THE SUNSHINE & FRESH AIR, PLUS BEING COMPETATIVE WITH FRIENDS, IT'S WAY COOL ... YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT WRESTLING KEPT YOU IN A CAR, AIRPLANE, ARENA, HOTEL ROOM ATLEAST 80% OF TIME ... SO TO GET OUTSIDE IS THE BEST

WF: We assume, tomorrow ends your Wrestling life! What would Scotty Riggs do?

Scotty: RIGGS AWAY FROM WRESTLING WOULD MOVE TO AN ISLAND, LIVE ON THE BEACH & ENJOY LIVE MUSIC DAILY ... WAIT A MINUTE, I DO THAT NOW ... LIFE CAN BE GOOD.

WF: Thanks for your time

Scotty: THANKS WRESTLINGFEVER.DE IN GERMANY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH YOUR WRESTLING FANS ... I ENJOYED WRESTLING IN GERMANY EITHER WITH WCW OR ST. CLAIRE's CATCH WRESTLING ... KEEP IN CONTACT WITH ME ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE ... PEACE & THANKS

SCOTTY RIGGS