In the Olympic trials, about two-and-a-half months before I competed in the
1996 Games themselves, I fractured two of my cervical vertebrae, pushed two
discs out of place and pulled four muscles. There wasn’t time for
rehabilitation, there was nothing I could do except fight on.
Surely that must have been dangerous. Didn’t the doctors warn you that you
might end up completely paralysed?
A lot of the medics wouldn’t permit me to wrestle. But I wanted that medal so
badly I kept on trying different doctors until finally I found one who I could
convince to let me compete.
You must’ve been in incredible pain?
Yes. I was in agony all the time. The only way to deal with it was to get
shots of novocaine directly into my neck before each match. After that, I
couldn’t feel anything for about an hour. But then, once it wore off, it was
very, very painful.
Most other folk would have given up and begun thinking about the next
Games.
Maybe. But I knew it was my time. I didn’t want anything to come between me
and that gold medal. Even a broken neck. Winning the Olympics was something I’d
dreamed of as a kid and I never quit.
How did it feel on that podium as they put the gold medal for heavyweight
freestyle wrestling around your neck?
A lot of emotions go through your mind. You feel everything. You’re happy
you’ve won, you’re sad it’s over. In fact, you’re more relieved than anything.
There’s so much pressure on the athletes because you only get one chance every
four years and you don’t want to blow it. At that level, just one tiny mistake
and you lose. I thought I’d wrestled well enough to win the gold, but I didn’t
wrestle my best because of my neck. The injury kept me from doing certain
things.
Where do you go after winning the highest accolade in your sport?
All my life, until that point, the gold medal was all I’d focused on. I woke
up the next morning thinking, ‘What do I do now?’ and got depressed because I
didn’t know. In the months after that, I did some motivational speaking, became
a sportscaster for a year and then Vince McMahon, boss of the World Wrestling
Federation (later World Wrestling Entertainment) came calling.
You became one of his biggest stars, winning title after title and earning
a reputation as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. How was it for
you?
It was a lot of fun, but hard work. It was very difficult both physically and
mentally. During the seven years with Vince I didn’t have a lot of time to do
anything else. In a single year, I was on the road, travelling and taking part
in matches for 304 days.
Notoriously, during that period, you got addicted to painkillers, taking
up to 80 extra-strength Vicodin every day...
Yes. Initially I was working so hard that my body didn’t have time to
recuperate and the painkillers were necessary just to keep working. But they’re
very powerful and it’s incredible how fast you become dependent on them, long
before you even realise it.
Is it true that, because you were so busy, there was no time for you to go
into rehab so you just went cold turkey on the road?
Yes. It wasn’t easy — the side effects were terrible — but I always had an
inner strength and determination that thrives on challenges.
Kids here are more likely to begin their sporting career kicking a ball
around. What made you take up wrestling?
I was very young, probably around five years old. I have four older brothers
and they always picked me to wrestle them. It was just an excuse to beat up on
me, but it made me tough. I give a lot of credit to them for making me the
person I am.
You could also have played at the highest level in American football — you
tried out for the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t you?
Yes. I could have played pro football if I’d wanted. Life would have turned
out very different. But I’m glad I chose the path I did. I don’t think I’d have
excelled as much in football — I’d have been a good player but I don’t think I’d
have been one of the greatest players of all time.
You’ve had to cope with some terrible tragedies too. Your father Dave died
in a construction accident when you were just 16 and, just months before the
Olympics, your coach Dave Schultz was murdered. How did those events affect
you?
I’ve had a lot of terrible things happen, it’s true. There have been times
when it’s been a difficult road. But that’s no different than a lot of other
people. You have to hope that these people you love have gone somewhere better.
Having gone through these things, are you conscious of being a role model
for fans all over the world?
I think it’s important for anyone in the public eye. You want to have a good
impact on people’s lives rather than a bad impact.
There’s been a lot of talk about you following your wrestling buddy The
Rock onto the big screen...
Actually I just finished making a movie called Endgame. I’m doing an
action-thriller called Escape From Hell too. Filming begins in March.
For the past two years, you’ve been wrestling for Total Nonstop Action
along with stars like Samoa Joe, Abyss and Jeff Jarrett. Apart from that unique
hexagonal ring, what are you enjoying about TNA?
It’s a lot different than WWE because we were all hired as wrestlers rather
than actors. We have the best wrestlers in the world on our roster and rely
heavily on those skills. We know fans pay their hard- earned money to see us put
our necks on the line and that’s exactly what we do.
In a recent match with Tomko you pulled off some amazing moves including a
simultaneous clothesline that sent both of you rocketing through the air. How
long does it take to prepare for all that stuff?
In reality, wrestlers train very smart. We don’t spend too much time in the
ring because you get worn down by practising a lot of that stuff. You try to
protect your joints so a lot of training is done in the gym, doing cardio-
vascular work and weights. We hardly ever practice. Instead we rely on our
athletic skills. At most, Tomko and I might have talked it over a bit but that
stuff is nearly all done out in the ring. That’s the art.
You’re one of the stars of TNA Impact, one of the biggest hits in computer
gaming. How do you enjoy seeing yourself as a digital wrestler?
It’s really neat. I’m so impressed by what the people at Midway Games have
created. All the TNA wrestlers helped — they put sensors on our bodies and we
did all our moves, showing them the way we do everything. It was very
complicated and we put in a lot of time to make sure it was as good as it could
be. I really think that’s why it’s the best wrestling game so far.
Now you’re bringing the whole TNA team to Scotland. What can fans
expect?
They’ll see some of the best wrestling ever. This is a very important show
for us so there will be a lot of competition among the wrestlers to have the
best match of the night. Our wrestlers really do have a lot of incredible skills
but, for our first time in Scotland, we’ll be wringing out a little more than we
would normally. I can guarantee it’ll be a night to remember.
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