Audio: William Regal talks WWE Network, WCW, winning the WCW TV title, and more

garymehaffy@hotmail.co.uk
@gmehaffy

I conducted an interview with WWE wrestling legend William Regal on March 27th, 2014, and we talked for 45 minutes about NXT, the WWE Network, his upcoming spoken word/Q&A UK tour and his early career in America when he signed for WCW. (I apologise for the slight audio issues in areas of the recording.) Among the highlights were:

His thoughts on the WWE Network:

“When I came to America I was always working. So there’s such a lot of stuff from the WWE — most of the time I only saw about it in magazines when I was younger……..It’s good for me, I love it. I’m really interested, mostly, in the more they put up of the territory systems. That really interests me…………I’m just going back and watching stuff I’ve never seen before…….I know this sounds silly, but I do not go back and watch any of my own stuff!…..At the end of the day I’m a wrestling fan……For any wrestling fan, it’s fantastic!”

How he came to join WCW:

“I was getting a latter every year from the WWF to my house in Blackpool…….and the following year, 1992, I was in Germany…….We found out that Bill Watts and taken control of WCW. ….i sent a letter off — five days later I phoned my wife from a phone box and she said can you phone this number right away. It put me straight through to Bill Watts and he said “We want you to come in, we’ve heard great things about you from Grizzly Smith……Can you come in now, this September?” I said “I’m sorry, I can’t come……….I’m booked for Otto Wanz until Christmas………..I’ve no contract, but I’ve give him my word.” It went silent for about a minute on the phone……..and then he said “You’ve definitely got the job now! Most people would have quit on the spot. I like that – it shows you’ve got character.””

Winning the WCW TV Title from Ricky Steamboat at Fall Brawl 93:

“That was a big deal for me…….It was June when I started doing the Lord thing, and straight away I was in a program with Ricky Steamboat, who I was a huge fan of…….RIc Flair and Ricky Steamboat were my favourites…..It was a big deal to be the WCW TV champion. It meant you were going to be on every TV show……..Luckily we got to wrestle each other a lot.”

The importance of working as a proper tag team:

“If you’ve got a partner and you don’t tag out when you’re getting beat (up) what’s the point in having a partner? It’s just basic stuff like that!”

NXT Arrival and the backstage nerves:

“It’s their WrestleMania, wasn’t it?…………It was a big deal for all of us……….Nobody showed any (nerves) to me. The WWE production crew — they come in and do their stuff brilliantly. The talent know all they need to do is go out there and perform. It’s a great atmosphere down there.”

In the rest of the interview we talk his British wrestling style, how he used to do top moves when he was a younger wrestler, teaming with HHH, Bobby Eaton and Steve Austin in WCW, training to RIc Flair and Ricky Steamboat’s one hour match, trying and failing to get into Calgary in the mid 1980’s, almost joining the WWF before WCW, how Lord Alfred Hayes set it up, WWF dark matches, upsetting Booker T, the supposed “WWE wrestling style”, defining the WCW tag division, good workers versus bad workers, admiring Arn Anderson’s ring style during matches, why he hates heels being cheered, his plans for his spoken word tour and much more. It’s a great listen!