RF Video finally sat down with Butch Reed on 10/22/04 in Long Island, NY for a complete shoot interview on his life and career.
Here are some questions we asked Butch.
-How did you get inot the business
-What was your athletic background before you got into the business
-Did you ever use steroids
-How did you wind up goin from Bruce to Butch
-Memories of working for Bob Geigel
-Thoughts on Sam Muchinik
-Memories of Jesse Ventura from your match in St Louis
-Memories, thoughts on working for and with Harley Race
-Memories of working with Bob Sweetan early in your career
-Memories of Jim Duggan from Central States
-Any good road stories from the area
-Memories of Bruiser Brody, thoughts
-Memories of working for World Class
-Thoughts on the Von Erichs, drugs
-Memories wrestling Kerry
-Memories of Iceman Parsons
-Memories of Gino Hernandez
-Was Jake Roberts already a hardcore drug addict at this time
-Memories of the Freebirds
-Thoughts on Fritz as a booker
-Memories of your run in Florida
-Memories of Eddie Graham, thoughts on him as a booker
-Memories of your first matches with Ric Flair
-Memories of your match where Flair was accompanied by David and Kerry
-Memories of your matches with David Von Erich
-Thoughts on Dusty
-Memories of Big John Studd
-Thoughts on Angelo Mosca
-Road stories
-Did you encounter any racist old timers early in your career
-Thoughts on working for Georgia and Ole Anderson
-Memories of Randy Savage back then
-How did you wind up in the Mid South
-Thoughts on Bill Watts as a booker and a boss
-Any good Watts stories
-Do you think Watts was a bully
-Memories/thoughts on Buddy Landel
-Memories of Andre The Giant back in the territories as compared to the WWF
-Memories/thoughts on Ted Dibiase
-Memories of teaming with Jim Neidhart
-Memories of Steve Williams’
-memories of your matches with Magnum TA
-memories of Mr. Wrestling 2
-Memories of Terry Taylor
-Memories of your babyface run in Mid South
-How crazy were the crowds back then
-Memories of Dick Slater
-Memories of what some call the greatest angle of all time between you, Flair, and Slater – neckbrace angle
-Do you think Watts was racist
-Memories of your turn against JYD and your series with him
-Rate JYD as a worker
-Fav matches or moments
-Talk about how hot the feud got
-Do you think if Watts kept his TBS time slot he could have been a success nationally
-Memories of your run as champ
-What was the road schedule like
-What was it like when JYD left for the WWF
-Did Bill Watts blame you and JYD for the lower crowd at the Superdome in November 83
-Memories of Eddie Gilbert
-What lead to you finally leaving Mid South and returning to Central States
-Whos idea was it to bleach your hair blonde in Central States
-Memories of first meeting and working with Slick
-Memories of your matches with Brody
-What did you know at that time of Harley Race confronting Hogan at a WWF show
-How did you wind up in the WWF
-Were you and Slick a package deal
-How were things different there then any of the territories you had worked previous
-Was there any jealousy when you came being that someone was going to lose their spot
-Initial thoughts on Vince Jr
-Memories and thoughts on Hogan
-Memories of your series with Koko
-Memories of Wrestlemania 3
-Why do you think you never had a major pay per view or tv run against Hogan
-Who did you ride with in the WWF
-Memories of matches with Steamboat, rate him?
-How bad were drugs in the locker room during this time
-Memories wrestling Bruno Sammartino on a Toronto house show
-Did you feel Harley had sold out by going here
-Memories of the Dynamite Kid
-How different was it wrestling Duggan in the WWF compared to Mid South
-Memories of your matches with Superstar Graham
-Honky Tonk Man said , “The Natural” Butch Reed was in line to win the title from Ricky Steamboat, but no-showed” What happened the night you no-showed and were supposed to get the IC title from Steamboat?
-Did your relationship with Vince change forever with that
-Were you afraid youd be fired
-Do you think he punished you in anyway by doin jobs or working certain people
-Memories of your series with Muraco
-Memories of working with the Ultimate Warrior
-What was he like in the locker room
-What did the boys think of him
-Were you disappointed you only had a 4 minute match with Savage at Mania 4
-You pretty much disappeared after the match, did you know your run was up around that time
-How did things finally end
-Fav matches, least fav during your run here
-What was the travel schedule like
-Have you talked to Vince at all since this time
-How did you wind up in WCW
-Thoughts on Jim Herd
-Was Ric Flair any different around this time, in his book he talks about being very anxious due to the pressure
-Was it different wrestling JYD here then the other places? Was he different
-How did the party scene differ from WWFs
-What were your expectations coming into WCW
-How did the Doom gimmick come about
-Did you find it silly wrestling under a mask since most people knew who you were
-Memories of your matches with the Steiners
-Is it true Rick punched Scott to give him a real black eye after one of your angles
-How stiff were your matches
-Memories of Terry Funk
-Were things more difficult with a booking committee
-What were the politics like
-How come you guys were buried in the Starrcade finals after such a strong last few months of the year against the Steiners and Road Warriors
-Were the Road Warriors hard to work with
-Memories of your series with the Horseman
-Thoughts on Arn, Barry, and Sid
-Was it any different working with Flair during this time as compared to others
-What was it like for morale when Flair left
-How did you feel as an employee when you saw Flair bring the NWA belt on tv and what was the reaction from everyone else
-Thoughts on Sting
-Memories of matches with the Freebirds
-Were you and Ron against the turn on each other
-Thoughts on Ron
-Memories of Oliver Humperdink
-Do you think if you were in WCW at the time that Bill watts would have put the WCW Title on you
-Fav matches, least fav during your run here
-How did you wind up leaving WCW
-Were you worried thinking you had two bridges burnt
-Was it hard to adjust to making a living off of USWA payoffs as compared to WCW and WWF
-How did you handle things mentally
-How weird was it once again feuding with JYD
-How did you find out that JYD had passed away, final thoughts on him
-Did you think working USWA would get you back into the WWF
-Thoughts on Lawler and Jarrett at this time
-Memories of Global
-Did you think that it would take off
-Who did you think from that place would make it
-Why did you just pick up and leave as champion
-When did you get into the Pro Rodeo tour
-Compare being on that tour to being on tour in the business
-Is it true that were you considered to be a part of the Nation of Domination with Farooq
-What do you think of some of today’s African American wrestlers
-Thoughts on New Jack
-What do you think of the overall product today
-Are you surprised at Austin and Foley’s success
-Do you think its time for guys like Flair from your era to step aside
-How involved are you with Harley’s company WLW
-Do you miss the business
-Who are some of the guys you worked with that you thought had great potential that never realized it
-Fav opponents and least overall
-Ribs
-Good road stories
-Any regrets
-Do all of the recent deaths over the last 3 years in wrestling scare you