Personal memory of ‘The Animal’
In recent months, George 鈥渢he Animal鈥� Steele had made it known that he was not in good health. So, when word broke last Friday that the wrestling legend had passed away, it was not a surprise.
As a 22-year old kid, I had the pleasure of stepping in the ring with Steele on April 13, 1999, on an Allied Powers Wrestling Federation show in Tyrone.
One-half of its tag champs, I was supposed to wrestle Jake 鈥淭he Snake鈥� Roberts, but we were all on a show the night before and Steele requested to face me.
In the locker room, I went up to ask what he wanted to do in the match, as is the case where the veteran calls the match.
鈥淎re you a professional,鈥� Steele scoffed at me with his bushy eye brows slanted in borderline anger.
I told him I was and he replied, 鈥淕ood, we will call it in the ring.鈥�
Then he told me to not hit him in his midsection.
鈥淚 have a colostomy bag, and if you hit me here, there will be (crap) all over the ring,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that would stink!鈥�
That was all we discussed, and even the finish was not approached with the referee as we assumed Steele, and rightfully so as the legend, would win.
I was introduced first and cut a quick promo on the crowd as I was the villain.
Steele made his way to the ring with his stuffed animal 鈥淢ine鈥� from his WWE days and again admonished me for yelling at the fans and not at him.
So, the match starts and it was more about jawing than anything. Any punches or kicks I connected were to the head or chest as I wasn鈥檛 trying to cause a foul manner in the ring.
We roll outside and he picks up a chair and hits me with it.
Not knowing the finish, the referee called for the bell and proclaimed me the winner. Steele, while staying in character, screamed 鈥渢his is bull (crap),鈥� to the official and threw a chair in the ring.
I had since climbed on the ring, but Steele kept throwing chairs and fans started to as well. So, I rolled up in a ball under the bottom rope in one corner of the ring.
The referee eventually restarted the match and when I grabbed Mine and threatened to hit it, Steele backed off. I started choking the doll while playing to the crowd, and as I did Steele rolled me up for the pin.
He thanked me after the match, but the best was yet to come as the promoter offered to throw an extra $100 my way to drive Steele to Pittsburgh International Airport. I would have done it for free, but was more than happy to earn a bigger pay day.
The trip should have lasted about two hours and thirty minutes, but it lasted well over three hours and we stopped for dinner at the Eat 鈥楴 Park in Robinson. After Steele picked up the bill, I dropped him off.
The best part of the entire experience was hearing his stories on the ride from Tyrone.
I soaked the stories up like a sponge from how he got his green tongue to being a middle school teacher to wrestling Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden, among other places. He taught me psychology that day both in the ring and on the drive, and it is something that I try to pass along to those today trying to get into the business.
It was a once-in-a lifetime event that most people don鈥檛 get to experience, and for one day, I was able to call myself the Animal蘑菇视频 student.
Another WWE legend passes away
Ivan Koloff, who shocked the world when he defeated Bruno Sammartino to end the legend蘑菇视频 7-year, 8-month run as WWF champion, passed away Saturday.
While I am too young to remember him in his prime and only remember him from the tail end of his career, I still remember him coming across as a menace who could snap his opponent in half at any time.
Ken Jugan, known as the legendary Lord Zoltan in wrestling circles, talked about Koloff.
鈥淗e will always be remembered as the man who defeated Bruno,鈥� said Jugan. 鈥淗e was a top star in every territory he wrestled.鈥�
Reviewing Mania蘑菇视频 XII-2000
Mania XII saw Shawn Michaels win his first WWE title against Bret Hart in an Iron Man match that went into overtime. It was also the Mania debut of Steve Austin.
Speaking of Mania debuts, The Rock, known as Rocky Maivia, made his Mania debut at 13.
The Undertaker won the WWE title from Psycho Sid, but the match of the night, and year for that matter, was the I Quit match between Austin and Hart.
Mania XIV in Boston was the first one I attended as I was the guest of Killer Kowalski. Austin beat Michaels for the WWE title in a match that had Mike Tyson as the special enforcing referee.
I also attended XV in Philadelphia and the main event was the first of three Rock and Austin Mania classics.
WWE broke the mold of using the Roman number for Mania 2000, which would have been XVI, to go with the year. This was the only Mania to not have a single one-on-one match and is the last one that The Undertaker did not wrestle on.
The main event saw Triple H retain the WWE title against The Rock, Big Show and Mick Foley in what was only the fourth time up to that point that the heavyweight champ retained at a Mania.