Ring of Honor World Champion PCO (Carl Ouellet) says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the support of his colleagues in the industry like Bret Hart, Walter and Jim Johnston.
Just before he quit the WWE in 1995, PCO had a feud with Bret “Hitman” Hart which culminated with PCO stealing Hart’s signature jacket and a match at In Your House 3: Triple Header. At the time, PCO was playing the thieving pirate character, Jean-Pierre Lafitte.
PCO and his manager D Destro. Courtesy: RING OF HONOR/ Zia Hiltey.
“I never liked the characters but I tried to make the best out of the situation. I was trying to roll with things until I had the chance to do things that I felt good about doing, be myself in the ring,” said PCO about his time in the WWE.
Hart spoke with Ouellet following their In Your House match, praising him for his work during their feud, saying that even though he lost the match on the pay-per-view, PCO proved to everyone what he was truly capable of in the ring.
“That is one of the highlights of my career. I don’t know if Bret knows how much his words meant to me back then and what they mean to me still today,” said a thankful PCO.
Mounting his incredible comeback with the French-Canadian Frankenstein character PCO says the turning point was his match with Walter at GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2 in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 weekend.
Up until then he had never heard of the German powerhouse WALTER, just that his chops were the stiffest around.
“That was the big turnover in my career. Everything really started to explode for me. I became the poster boy for indie wrestling. I was being approached by every single company,” PCO recalled.
PCO and WALTER kept in touch after the match and were surprised the reaction it got from fans and the industry at large.
“After the match we were talking to each other and we were both receiving offers left and right. That match was great exposure for him and I,” he said.
PCO powers up before his match against Rush. Courtesy: RING OF HONOR/ Zia Hiltey.
While PCO would go on to be signed by ROH, WALTER would join and find success with NXT UK and become their champion.
PCO also acknowledges the contribution of Jim Johnston who created PCO’s theme music. PCO believes the song added that finishing touch to the character, took the Frankenstein persona to the next level. Johnston is the legendary composer who created the entrance music for everyone from The Rock to Steve Austin during his time in the WWE.
“Jim Johnson’s song took my character up a notch. Jim told me… Wrestling is not about wrestling. It is about the characters,” said PCO who is grateful for not only Johnson’s music but all of his advice for PCO persona.
Despite the fact that he is one of the veterans on the ROH roster, PCO often doesn’t feel like one since so much in the industry has changed during his five year absence.
“Sometimes I feel like a rookie around the younger ROH superstars. I am the one who is watching matches, seeing them stacking moves and not selling as much as we used to. They don’t really use the same terms that we used to. Real old-timers like Mad Dog Vachon I am sure are turning in their graves if they are seeing what is going on in the wrestling business these days. I am not against what is happening but sometimes I think the storytelling is different and the younger guys could use the knowledge of the people that have paved the way for them. It would help the product and the business,” said PCO.
With Rush is still intent on winning back the ROH World Championship, PCO is also keeping a close eye on anyone who might be gunning for the title, even his own allies.
“I get along with all of my partners in Villain Enterprises but I know that Marty [Scurll]’s New Year’s resolution was to become ROH World Champion so hopefully he won’t turn his back on me but it is hard to predict,” said a wary PCO.
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