THE WRESTLER - THE MOVIE & THE BUSINESS * Special Interview Feature with Ex-Pro Wrestler - Johnny Powers
If you had told me a year ago, that I would be doing an interview with "the" - Johnny Powers on the "Business of Pro-Wrestling" - I would of said you were "wacky!". But, as an educator - how can I ever say "no" to a great interview? Why not?
Special Thanks go out to - Dale Barker of Hamilton, CANADA * Owner of the "Movie Palace", which - according to sources - is a "great, revamped back-to-the-classic-time * movie house - where Johnny Powers was a guest one Sunday nite. Powers's thanked Hamilton as the hometown were his pro fighter and wrestler career all started - back in 1958. He was only 15 years old! Johnny Powers was "formally" introduced to the movie theatre audience. http://www.themoviepalace.com
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: Tell NEW FRONTIER READERS, in your opinion - How did this movie reflect the "real" business side of this "spectaclar" sports business?
A: First of all, my era was 1960 to 1980 and the movie showcases another time - somewhere in 1983 to 1989.
Some life and business situations were done very realistically and very well done. Examples include - the respect among your fellow wrestlers and the toughness of the business on the body and relationships. It also presented the "realistic business concern" that the show must always go on through whatever circumstances, and then there is the scene about the loneliness on the road.
Of course there were differences such as the presentation of the "drug culture", which was near a blatant level. And, the extremely weird non-athletic matches, which incorporated the use of glass and barbed wire were never that extreme. Sure, we had barbed wire and broken bottle matches , but only once in awhile in order to "shake up the natives"
Q: Emotionally - How were you affected by this movie ?
A: At times it really did effect me - especially when I realized how much I missed the "dressing-room banter" and the "energy" from "working the crowd"! I still miss the family-value wrestling with a lot of real-deal wrestling, which we produced in the 1940's to mid 70's pre-WWE / McMahon soft-porn potty-mouth soap opera stuff.
Watch: We debut our own back-to-basics, strong-style, tough-guy show - coming this summer in Ontario then Ohio and eastern states * http://www.thewrestlingguild.com
Q: Likes & Dislikes ?
A: I liked the acting of Rourke, the 2 key female principals. And, I like how the film showed the "toughness" of the game.
I disliked the drug culture scenes. Maybe they were realistic for that era - but I didn't see it.
Q: Plastic Surgery?
A: NO plastic surgery. I had normal surgery for a broken nose, kicked teeth, and torn up knees as wrestlers get lots of physical injuries. Other injuries include back fusions, torn ligaments - but plastic surgery was not in vogue. In my day, it was tough looks on tough guys with cauliflower ears not cantilevered faces - "we was rough and rugged men !". jp
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