Former ECW World Champion Mikey Whipwreck joined SLAM! Wrestling live for a chat on March 22, 2001. Here’s the transcript.
Justin Pierrot: Hey Mikey, I think it’s common knowledge now that Yoshi Tajiri has signed a letter of intent with the WWF. If things go well, and he does sign, do you hope to make your way into the WWF to team with him again?
Mikey Whipwreck: No comment just yet. How’s that? It would be hopeful and very nice.
Justin “I love Molly Holly” Letto: Mikey with WCW basically dead, do you think [or want] to get back into the big leagues? I ask that because Vince isn’t so high on small wrestlers [the lightheavy weights] and I don’t want to see you be jobbed into oblivion like Tazz was.
Mikey Whipwreck: I really haven’t given it a lot of thought. I’m doing some side things, some indies. If it happens, great, if not, that’s great too. I hear Vince is buying WCW so that opens another door.
John Pollock: What was your opinion on your tenure with WCW in 1999?
Mikey Whipwreck: It was the sh*ts. You come in and steal the show with Kidman, you get buried and never get any kind of shot again. The crazy lunatic gimmick was mentioned to them, and they said, maybe but never gave me an answer. But God bless Jimmy Hart. He tried.
sting5: What is your opinion of ECW shutting down and do you plan on following Heyman to the WWF?
Mikey Whipwreck: It sucks that ECW went down. With all the money situations he’s been in the last 5, 6 years, it was just too much. As far as following Paul, it’d be nice, but if it doesn’t fine. I had a great 7 year run, well 6, we don’t count WCW.
John Pollock: With the shutdown of both WCW and ECW how tough will it be for up and coming wrestlers to make it?
Mikey Whipwreck: It’ll be real tough. The more companies there, the better it is for the boys. … With just Vince running nationally, it’ll be tough.
Johnny M: Who in your opinion is the best “technical” wrestler to ever work for ECW?
Mikey Whipwreck: I’d say, technical in a professional way, Dean Malenko. Amateur, the Steiners or Steve Williams.
Denny: Was Tajiri The Best Partner you have ever had?
Mikey Whipwreck: Either him or Cactus. Tajiri was better working with in ring because we could do more together. As far as learning and having fun, it was better. Cactus was better for learning and marking out for. It was a dream come true.
Jack from Montreal: What is James Vandenburg up to these days and would you guys sign together as a package since you compliment each other so well?
Mikey Whipwreck: I think Vandy is in Florida working indies. He’s big into Karaoke and doing that around Orlando. As far as signing with him, that would be a best case scenario. We do compliment each other well.
Amadeo from wood street: Were you happy to see Rhino and Spike debut on Raw this past week?
Mikey Whipwreck: Yes, very. Rhino looked tremendous. Spike was a pleasant surprise. I saw him Saturday and he was acting weird, evasive. I’m happy for him because he works his ass off and deserves it.
sting5: How many years have you been wrestling and how did you know that you wanted to become a wrestler?
Mikey Whipwreck: I’ve been wrestling 7 years. My first match was Jan. 1994. I still don’t know if I want to be a wrestler. I fell into it. It starting paying good and it came to paying me better than a regular job or going to school. It just happened that way.
Monica from NYC: Hello Mikey. Where do you see yourself in a year from now in the wrestling landscape?
Mikey Whipwreck: Either working for the WWF or WCW, I guess, if it’s still going or not at all. I’d actually like to get more into the theatrical stuff like special effect and fireworks.
rOb K: Mikey, On your website you talk of retirement in the upcoming years. You stated that your last match would hopefully be against Tajiri, but with his jump to WWF, what are you plans now? Same date, and opponent? PS. I plan to be at both of your indy appearances this weekend. Keep up the great matches.
Mikey Whipwreck: Allright! I plan on retiring May 13, 2002, or 31, can’t remember. It’s on my calendar at home. That was when my ECW contract was up and I hoped to get into the production aspect outside the ring. Right now that still stands. But, yes, I want my last match against Tajiri so we can beat the hell out of each other.
Ali Malik: Hey, Mikey I was wondering if ECW was going to have one final PPV. With Paul E. getting all the ECW legends. If yes will we see the return of Mick Foley in the wrestling ring? Thanks!
Mikey Whipwreck: I don’t know. I would like that to happen. At the current time, I can say probably not. You never know. Stranger things have happened
Roxanne_Tonys: Mikey, what went wrong in ECW in your view?
Mikey Whipwreck: I think perhaps we got too big too quick. If not, we got too big and didn’t expand the office aspects quick enough. I think TNN was a big contributing factor to the demise of us, because basically we got bumped without a backup plan, and we couldn’t negotiate with another network without knowing what the WWF was doing. I think the whole landscape changed and we had to sit tight and wait.
Peter Traverse, Newfoundland: You’ve been wrestling on the independent circuit for the past while. Has any wrestler or wrestlers caught your attention as future stars?
Mikey Whipwreck: Kid Red in Queens, NY who’s really, really good. Small, but can do any flying thing in the world and can wrestle. S.A.T. in Queens are really good. Guillotine Legrand who works for Corino’s group is probably my favoroutie indy wrestler of all time. He gets excellent heat on the mic. Samir and Joey Corman in Texas with Lenny Lane were really good too.
Daniel Bradshaw from Toronto, Ontario: What was your favorite ECW moment? Can you give us any thoughts about your participation of the ECW invades the WWF angle back in 1997?
Mikey Whipwreck: It was either the first showdown in Philly with Taz and Sabu — that was an absurd pop. Or the end of the first PPV. I had mixed thoughts at the time — we got exposure and the fans learned who we were. That was the good. The bad was that our fans started to watch the WWF and Vince started the whole Attitude thing with the new hardcore style.
Michael Plourde: Hi Mikey, You claim that you started wrestling without any real training, how can a wanna-be wrestler pull a stunt like that? Can I claim to have been trained to a promoter and he’ll take me?
Mikey Whipwreck: Probably not. If you use a real promoter’s name and you’re the sh*ts, you give that promoter a bad name. If you’re bad, you can tell. I wouldn’t recommend it. More power to do. Let me know what happens.
sting5: Would you ever consider opening your own wrestling school or wrestling organization?
Mikey Whipwreck: My own fed, probably not. Wrestling school? I’ve been thinking of it. The old ECW school is still there, with the ring, and it’s been crossing my mind. It’s not out of the question.
Peter Traverse, Newfoundland: I haven’t watched much ECW (only ECW-on-TNN) but all of your matches were great.
Mikey Whipwreck: It may have been with Kidman. Probably one of the tag matches with FBI with Tajiri
CP in Mississauga: With the recent announcement of a hiatus in the WCW and its possible subsequent demise what do you think that will me for Sports Entertainment as a whole…Do you see all of the other wrestling organizations folding into one giant conglomerate..And for the record…I hate WWF and especially Vince McMahon so I hope that he doesn’t not become the only “game” in town
Mikey Whipwreck: I hope not. It would be better if they had separate companies for diversity. I don’t know. I don’t see it happening. Maybe interpromotional angles.
Wes Wetanko: Whare are your interests outside of wrestling?
Mikey Whipwreck: Trying to get out of bed in the morning is a good interest. Music, I guess, more towards Ozzy, hanging around having a good time at the local tavern, and talking to the padre on the telephone.
Niko: Did Paul ever tell you or any other wrestler personally that ECW was done and are you mad if he didn’t?
Mikey Whipwreck: I still haven’t heard anything. I’m not mad because you could see it coming. If you know Paul, that’s just how Paul is. It didn’t bother me at all.
Roc: Being of a smaller stature than the typical wrestler, have you found that you have had to either 1) Try harder than other wrestlers to earn the respect from your colleagues? or 2) Respect was easier to come by because of your ability to take bumps? Thanks!
Mikey Whipwreck: I think a little bit of both. In the beginning, I would just get beat up and take it. That was part of my feud with Sandman because I didn’t have the muscle mass to take it. That got respect from the guys. As far as talent, I’m average at best. Attitude-wise, I just do what I can. For all the indy wrestlers reading this, do what you’re told, keep your mouth shut.
Moderator: How did you feel about Austin putting you over in ECW?
Mikey Whipwreck: I thought he was ribbing me. I said okay, we went to the match, Sunset whip, hold the tights, 1-2-3. I’m a huge mark for Steve. That was so cool. I couldn’t believe it.
Moderator: Last couple of questions
ed the man : Mikey, have you ever wrestled Hulk, or any other greats?
Mikey Whipwreck: I guess Cactus, he’s a legend. I haven’t wrestled many legends really. I wrestled Funk.
Keith Skimming: Do you feel with the amount of high spots that today’s wrestlers are doing they are hurting their career long term and after a while that fans will just expect this type of action?
Mikey Whipwreck: I think they expect it already. Longevity? Yeah, you’re taking it off. Flair and Funk are still around. The guys wrestling 20, 30 years are gone. I’m 27 and I’m pretty well shot. Marmaluke, he’s 25 and taken some real beatings already. Tajiri, Super Crazzy, Jerry Lynn are doing okay. It depends on the individual.
Moderator: Thanks for all of your questions. The last word belongs to Mikey.
Mikey Whipwreck: Thanks for keeping up with Whippy here. If you want me to answer more questions, email me at the web site, mikeywhipwreck.com Hopefully you’ll see me on TV. If not, it’s been a pleasure, a hell of ride.
EDITOR’S NOTE #: We apologize for the brevity of this chat. Mikey’s plane into Buffalo really did get cancelled, meaning that he took a later flight and we had to do the chat from a cell phone that only had limited time left. We have sent on the rest of the questions to Mikey’s attention at his web site, and hopefully he’ll be able to answer them later.
OTHER MIKEY WHIPWRECK STORIES
- Dec. 16, 2018: Mikey Whipwreck still getting plenty of breaks
- July 7, 2001: Whipwreck continues on road to retirement
- July 3, 2001: Nova, Swinger, Whipwreck reflect on life on the indy circuit