Post by OfLegend on Aug 3, 2006 19:24:16 GMT
The Champ shoots from the hip
By Dan Seltzer
So, it’s not long before Lance Leonard and Nathan Versus square off one on one at Summer Madness. The feeling backstage is that Versus will go over to resist the temptation of a screw-job, because the company obviously doesn’t want a Montreal-style incident, the likes of which Versus is evidently capable of.
Therefore, we at CCW Magazine petitioned the backstage staff to allow us to have the first shoot interview with the soon to be ex-CCW Champion, Lance Leonard, during his time with the company. Last Monday, the word from the top came via phone call that Lance was ready and willing to face our questions, free from his on-screen character. What resulted was one of the most frank and fascinating wrestling interviews in years…
DS: Thank you for agreeing to this, Lance.
LL: No problem.
DS: Now, far be it from me to stir things up, but how would you describe your relationship with Nathan Versus at the moment.
LL: Functional. We’ve sat down and ran ideas across each other, but we’re not the best of friends. He skirted over the issue in a recent interview, I believe, but I’ll give it you straight that I still think he’s a punk.
DS: This is still animosity left over from the Dojo Incident?
LL: Partly. The Dojo thing was me seeing a man who thought too much of himself and deciding to put him in his place.
DS: What exactly happened there, in your own words?
LL: Well, he was basically walking around the rookies like he was the man. It was a lot more obvious what he thought of himself than other reports make out: he was insulting people left and right, calling spots before the trainees pulled them off and really just sucking his own dick. I saw it, and decided to call his bluff and put the guy in his place. I’ll admit to it right now, it was one of the first times I’d performed the Fury Driver, and I meant to give him the shock of his life. As it happened, I accidentally dropped him on his head, and when he came to, he hit me with a cheap shot through a crowd of people. I’m not ashamed of it: I thought and I still do see it as me taking a stand for the little guy. He was the champion, and he couldn’t let it go that he’d been shown up by a rookie.
DS: Were you there the night of the Tokyo Dome Shoot?
LL: No, but it’s obvious what happened. He had been constantly whining about being held back, which was fucking rich coming from him, and him and Fujita decided to settle it like little children instead of doing what was best for business. Fujita wasn’t even the man making the calls, but Versus shot on him all the same. Then he tried to link it to me somewhere along the line, which was hilarious. Some people just like to link one shoot to another, like it’s all some kind of huge conspiracy.
DS: But that’s not the only reason you don’t get along?
LL: No way. When I came to CCW, I got to see how he did business. He got over by dodgy means and then booked himself to win the championship tournament, and from then on it was all about Nathan Versus. The fans wanted to see J-Man as champion, so he was dropped. The crowd started to get behind JD Wheeler, so he was shipped off to Onslaught. When one of the head guys finally stepped in and told him they’d decided to run with Adam Matthews, who was by the way a great talent, he booked the finish. Everyone saw how he tapped out. Everyone left the building at Hell Unleashed not giving a shit about me and [The British] Lion, or Adam Matthews winning the title. No, the next night it was all about Versus submitting, and he got real heat for a change. Then he shakes hands with Matthews, which was Hoganesque sabotage in my eyes. From then on, a watered down Matthews was destined to fail as champ.
DS: What’s it been like working with the man in the ring?
LL: Not a load of laughs. He’s sandbagged a few of my moves and thrown a few stiff shots my way, basically doing as much as he can get away with, but I give as good as I get. Unlike him, I’m a professional, and I won’t let his bullshit stand in the way of me giving the fans the best match possible.
DS: How’s this feud going to go, then?
LL: I can’t tell you that, but what I will say is there will be a lot of people surprised when the smoke clears, and a lot of wise-after-the-event cocks saying “I told you so”. You’ll just have to wait and see.
DS: Moving on, what are your thoughts on the Onslaught scene at the moment?
LL: I’m liking what I’m seeing. Obviously they were struggling for a while, and a lot of people thought Unleashed taking [Cowards] would be the killer blow, but they’re really pulled it together. The Revolution thing is fresh, just some guys feeling they’ve been held down taking on the company figurehead. You can tell the fans are split, which always makes it interesting.
DS: And how about Marcus Knight?
LL: I don’t really know him. His work isn’t half bad, though.
DS: Don’t you think he’s a twat?
LL: What?
DS: Huh?
LL: What are you getting at?
DS: Never mind. What are your thoughts on The Wh_?
LL: He’s good. He’s a good guy. We really got on backstage and it was good to work with him. It was just a shame we weren’t given more time. I said to the guys in the office that if I was going to go over, I’d have to cheat, because that’s how much I liked his style. If he keeps it up, he could be this generation’s Kevin Nash. I mean, the early Diesel Nash, the big bruiser who could be carried with minimal effort. Him having a stable behind him shows it’s clear CCW sees big things in his future.
DS: What other wrestlers do you see becoming break out stars in the future?
LL: Well, speaking of big men, I see a lot in Damien Johnson. I called him a hoss on CCW.Com to build tension for a future feud, but actually he’s much in the same vein as The Wh_. It’s a shame he’s been saddled with this stupid custody storyline. Matthews, obviously, should be a big star if he can get his character right. Macbeth… well, that just seems written in stone, doesn’t it? I’d like to say Cowards, Lion and Marnie, too, because I count them among my friends, but creative will probably see them as midcarders for now.
DS: I notice you didn’t mention any of Body Count there?
LL: No… well, at the risk of pissing people off, Body Count shouldn’t really be figuring so high up the card. [Adam] Machiavelli has talent, and his upcoming match with Paul Hill should show this, but collectively I’d list them as not bad. I believe they’ve had good things to say about me and mine, and we get on backstage, although I throw in more with Paul than them, so they should respect my opinion on this. Adam will have to be carried to great matches, the Joker I don’t rate at all, and Josh [Violence] needs a lot of work. He’s got a real attitude about him backstage, to be honest, and the sooner he realises that people watch porn for the action rather than the dialogue, the sooner his mic work will improve.
DS: How about Onslaught?
LL: Shawn Greene is already looking like this millennium’s Shawn Michaels. I hope Abass can pull his shit together backstage, because that’s talent right there.
DS: As a former trainer, how involved have you been in RMW?
LL: Not very involved. I mean, I gave The Dude a crash course back in the day, but all that lucha stuff is his own work. I hear he’s not happy down there, but maybe if they give him a longer leash, things could improve. Last week’s near-shoot was a good sign. I didn’t catch it, but people gave me the gist of it. I should give him a ring in the next few days. I’m not really interested in working as a part time road agent. I turn 27 on Sunday and I want to concentrate on my wrestling until I feel like I can’t work a full time schedule any more, so until then RMW will have to wait if they want me.
DS: Finally, what are your thoughts on Paul Hill?
LL: He’s the man. Absolutely, he’s an astounding worker at times. I see him and Max as the future of this company, Versus permitting. We get on backstage, and I’ve got a few Dynamite Kid tapes I think he’ll appreciate as a Chris Benoit fan.
DS: Well, thanks again, Lance, and good luck on Sunday. Keep your shoulders off the mat and don’t let him put you in a sharpshooter for too long!
LL: Heh, thanks for the advice. Be sure to tune in.
--
In other news…
- Sick of stables? Too bad. According to one source, CCW plans to bring in new wrestlers to form a team in the near future. It is unknown at present whether this group will be composed of RMW wrestlers or brand new talent. Conventional logic dictates they will show up on Onslaught, with Unleashed already having two high-profile stables. Stay tuned.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin was officially announced as the new GM of Onslaught a while back. Austin, who had to purchase the rights to his character from WWE to appear, is said to be excited about his new role, which will learn from the mistakes of his RAW GM character. Expect more hell-raising and less officiating.
- Abass is rumoured to receive a storyline suspension after his American title match against Chris Syxx and Shawn Greene at Summer Madness. Abass is unlikely to drop the belt, but the cover will be in place to explain any future absences. At the moment, CCW creative see him as a talented liability.
- More woe is in store for JD Wheeler in the storylines, as we are expected to learn of another fine personal mess the champion has got himself into away from the ring. This should drive more of a wedge between him and Amy Wheeler, which obviously points to some sort of heel turn by one of the two in the future. I, for one, would not be adverse to seeing a heel JD.
- The storyline feud between Marnie and Bret Hart has been dropped indefinitely. Marnie, who is a long term Bret Hart fan, is said to be hurt by the news. A report claims Hart was unsure about returning to the ring as expected, and this coupled with Marnie apparently being found in possession of marijuana backstage was the last straw for the feud that failed to excite fans’ imaginations in the first place.
- The company broke down negotiations with Carlito last week. Colon was said to be interested by the offer put forward by CCW, but opted to remain with WWE’s lucrative new offer rather than work for less money. The rumour that J-Man’s long term friend and former two-time World Champion Chris Jericho was being approached by the company has been shot down by both men as fraudulent.
‘Til next time.
By Dan Seltzer
So, it’s not long before Lance Leonard and Nathan Versus square off one on one at Summer Madness. The feeling backstage is that Versus will go over to resist the temptation of a screw-job, because the company obviously doesn’t want a Montreal-style incident, the likes of which Versus is evidently capable of.
Therefore, we at CCW Magazine petitioned the backstage staff to allow us to have the first shoot interview with the soon to be ex-CCW Champion, Lance Leonard, during his time with the company. Last Monday, the word from the top came via phone call that Lance was ready and willing to face our questions, free from his on-screen character. What resulted was one of the most frank and fascinating wrestling interviews in years…
DS: Thank you for agreeing to this, Lance.
LL: No problem.
DS: Now, far be it from me to stir things up, but how would you describe your relationship with Nathan Versus at the moment.
LL: Functional. We’ve sat down and ran ideas across each other, but we’re not the best of friends. He skirted over the issue in a recent interview, I believe, but I’ll give it you straight that I still think he’s a punk.
DS: This is still animosity left over from the Dojo Incident?
LL: Partly. The Dojo thing was me seeing a man who thought too much of himself and deciding to put him in his place.
DS: What exactly happened there, in your own words?
LL: Well, he was basically walking around the rookies like he was the man. It was a lot more obvious what he thought of himself than other reports make out: he was insulting people left and right, calling spots before the trainees pulled them off and really just sucking his own dick. I saw it, and decided to call his bluff and put the guy in his place. I’ll admit to it right now, it was one of the first times I’d performed the Fury Driver, and I meant to give him the shock of his life. As it happened, I accidentally dropped him on his head, and when he came to, he hit me with a cheap shot through a crowd of people. I’m not ashamed of it: I thought and I still do see it as me taking a stand for the little guy. He was the champion, and he couldn’t let it go that he’d been shown up by a rookie.
DS: Were you there the night of the Tokyo Dome Shoot?
LL: No, but it’s obvious what happened. He had been constantly whining about being held back, which was fucking rich coming from him, and him and Fujita decided to settle it like little children instead of doing what was best for business. Fujita wasn’t even the man making the calls, but Versus shot on him all the same. Then he tried to link it to me somewhere along the line, which was hilarious. Some people just like to link one shoot to another, like it’s all some kind of huge conspiracy.
DS: But that’s not the only reason you don’t get along?
LL: No way. When I came to CCW, I got to see how he did business. He got over by dodgy means and then booked himself to win the championship tournament, and from then on it was all about Nathan Versus. The fans wanted to see J-Man as champion, so he was dropped. The crowd started to get behind JD Wheeler, so he was shipped off to Onslaught. When one of the head guys finally stepped in and told him they’d decided to run with Adam Matthews, who was by the way a great talent, he booked the finish. Everyone saw how he tapped out. Everyone left the building at Hell Unleashed not giving a shit about me and [The British] Lion, or Adam Matthews winning the title. No, the next night it was all about Versus submitting, and he got real heat for a change. Then he shakes hands with Matthews, which was Hoganesque sabotage in my eyes. From then on, a watered down Matthews was destined to fail as champ.
DS: What’s it been like working with the man in the ring?
LL: Not a load of laughs. He’s sandbagged a few of my moves and thrown a few stiff shots my way, basically doing as much as he can get away with, but I give as good as I get. Unlike him, I’m a professional, and I won’t let his bullshit stand in the way of me giving the fans the best match possible.
DS: How’s this feud going to go, then?
LL: I can’t tell you that, but what I will say is there will be a lot of people surprised when the smoke clears, and a lot of wise-after-the-event cocks saying “I told you so”. You’ll just have to wait and see.
DS: Moving on, what are your thoughts on the Onslaught scene at the moment?
LL: I’m liking what I’m seeing. Obviously they were struggling for a while, and a lot of people thought Unleashed taking [Cowards] would be the killer blow, but they’re really pulled it together. The Revolution thing is fresh, just some guys feeling they’ve been held down taking on the company figurehead. You can tell the fans are split, which always makes it interesting.
DS: And how about Marcus Knight?
LL: I don’t really know him. His work isn’t half bad, though.
DS: Don’t you think he’s a twat?
LL: What?
DS: Huh?
LL: What are you getting at?
DS: Never mind. What are your thoughts on The Wh_?
LL: He’s good. He’s a good guy. We really got on backstage and it was good to work with him. It was just a shame we weren’t given more time. I said to the guys in the office that if I was going to go over, I’d have to cheat, because that’s how much I liked his style. If he keeps it up, he could be this generation’s Kevin Nash. I mean, the early Diesel Nash, the big bruiser who could be carried with minimal effort. Him having a stable behind him shows it’s clear CCW sees big things in his future.
DS: What other wrestlers do you see becoming break out stars in the future?
LL: Well, speaking of big men, I see a lot in Damien Johnson. I called him a hoss on CCW.Com to build tension for a future feud, but actually he’s much in the same vein as The Wh_. It’s a shame he’s been saddled with this stupid custody storyline. Matthews, obviously, should be a big star if he can get his character right. Macbeth… well, that just seems written in stone, doesn’t it? I’d like to say Cowards, Lion and Marnie, too, because I count them among my friends, but creative will probably see them as midcarders for now.
DS: I notice you didn’t mention any of Body Count there?
LL: No… well, at the risk of pissing people off, Body Count shouldn’t really be figuring so high up the card. [Adam] Machiavelli has talent, and his upcoming match with Paul Hill should show this, but collectively I’d list them as not bad. I believe they’ve had good things to say about me and mine, and we get on backstage, although I throw in more with Paul than them, so they should respect my opinion on this. Adam will have to be carried to great matches, the Joker I don’t rate at all, and Josh [Violence] needs a lot of work. He’s got a real attitude about him backstage, to be honest, and the sooner he realises that people watch porn for the action rather than the dialogue, the sooner his mic work will improve.
DS: How about Onslaught?
LL: Shawn Greene is already looking like this millennium’s Shawn Michaels. I hope Abass can pull his shit together backstage, because that’s talent right there.
DS: As a former trainer, how involved have you been in RMW?
LL: Not very involved. I mean, I gave The Dude a crash course back in the day, but all that lucha stuff is his own work. I hear he’s not happy down there, but maybe if they give him a longer leash, things could improve. Last week’s near-shoot was a good sign. I didn’t catch it, but people gave me the gist of it. I should give him a ring in the next few days. I’m not really interested in working as a part time road agent. I turn 27 on Sunday and I want to concentrate on my wrestling until I feel like I can’t work a full time schedule any more, so until then RMW will have to wait if they want me.
DS: Finally, what are your thoughts on Paul Hill?
LL: He’s the man. Absolutely, he’s an astounding worker at times. I see him and Max as the future of this company, Versus permitting. We get on backstage, and I’ve got a few Dynamite Kid tapes I think he’ll appreciate as a Chris Benoit fan.
DS: Well, thanks again, Lance, and good luck on Sunday. Keep your shoulders off the mat and don’t let him put you in a sharpshooter for too long!
LL: Heh, thanks for the advice. Be sure to tune in.
--
In other news…
- Sick of stables? Too bad. According to one source, CCW plans to bring in new wrestlers to form a team in the near future. It is unknown at present whether this group will be composed of RMW wrestlers or brand new talent. Conventional logic dictates they will show up on Onslaught, with Unleashed already having two high-profile stables. Stay tuned.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin was officially announced as the new GM of Onslaught a while back. Austin, who had to purchase the rights to his character from WWE to appear, is said to be excited about his new role, which will learn from the mistakes of his RAW GM character. Expect more hell-raising and less officiating.
- Abass is rumoured to receive a storyline suspension after his American title match against Chris Syxx and Shawn Greene at Summer Madness. Abass is unlikely to drop the belt, but the cover will be in place to explain any future absences. At the moment, CCW creative see him as a talented liability.
- More woe is in store for JD Wheeler in the storylines, as we are expected to learn of another fine personal mess the champion has got himself into away from the ring. This should drive more of a wedge between him and Amy Wheeler, which obviously points to some sort of heel turn by one of the two in the future. I, for one, would not be adverse to seeing a heel JD.
- The storyline feud between Marnie and Bret Hart has been dropped indefinitely. Marnie, who is a long term Bret Hart fan, is said to be hurt by the news. A report claims Hart was unsure about returning to the ring as expected, and this coupled with Marnie apparently being found in possession of marijuana backstage was the last straw for the feud that failed to excite fans’ imaginations in the first place.
- The company broke down negotiations with Carlito last week. Colon was said to be interested by the offer put forward by CCW, but opted to remain with WWE’s lucrative new offer rather than work for less money. The rumour that J-Man’s long term friend and former two-time World Champion Chris Jericho was being approached by the company has been shot down by both men as fraudulent.
‘Til next time.
