RF VIDEO sat down with one of wrestlings better announcers from the 80’s and 90’s as Ken Resnick took the RFVIDEO hot seat. Ken has worked with all the top names thru out the 80’s and 90’s and has called some of the best matches from the AWA during its prime. He was with Verne Gagnes AWA during its peak and also got off the sinking ship before it was to late and jumped ship to the WWF.
During his tenure in the AWA Ken has worked with all the big names of the AWA from Zbyszko, Bockwinkel, Stan Hansen, Ventura, Blackwell, Rick Martel, Vader, Brody, Hogan, Heenan and everyone in between. He has stories on all of these names!!! Ken also worked inside the AWA office and told us a lot of inside scoops that even we never knew until this interview.
Ken talks about what it was like to work for Verne Gagne and how Verne was out of touch with his own product during the wrestling boom. Ken also has amazing road stories with a lot of the guys and talks about some major ribs that he witnessed in the AWA. If you love locker room stories and behind the scene stories, Ken has many unforgettable ones during his time in the AWA. Wait until you hear who Ken feared to do interviews with and why Stan Hansen was not one of his favorites to be around.
When Ken got hired by the WWF, Vince made him do something in his office that Ken will never forget. He shares it with us during this shoot and tells us how by doing that he landed his job. Ken talks about the travel schedule that he had to go by in the WWF and what it was like to work so many crazy hours at TV tapings. Who were guys that were fun to be around with and who were the guys that were not good at doing promos. Ken worked with all of the top names while he was in the WWF and has tons of killer stories on many of them. Ken also shares with us what a typical work day consisted of when he had to work TV tapings for the WWF.
Ken also talks about locker room fights that he witnessed with Dan Spivey and Adrian Adonis as well as the infamous Dynamite Kid fight with Jacques Rougea. You will hear what it was like to do interviews with Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan in the WWF and what Randy Savage was really like outside of the ring.
Ken has so many amazing locker room stories from his time in the AWA and WWF that he shares during this shoot. If your a fan of the AWA or the WWF during the 90’s this interview will be one that you do not want to miss. Here are just a few of the questions that we asked him:
Were you a wrestling fan growing up
Memories of watching as a kid
What is your broadcasting background pre wrestling
How did you get into the business
Howd you get started
Initial memories of meeting Verne Gagne
Memories of Greg Gagne
Did you ever sit in booking meetings
Was there anyone specifically who showed you the ropes
What was the hardest thing about being a wrestling announcer
What was it like when fans first started recognizing you
Did the boys kayfabe you early on
Who did you travel with
Curt Hennig was a big ribber, did he ever rib you
Memories of Curt’s ribs
Was the AWA your full time job
Did any of the boys resent you feeling you didn’t pay dues
Did anyone help you develop your style
Who were your favorite guys or girls to interview
Who were your least favorite
What was the party scene like
What was the travel like
How involved was Verne with you and television
Memories of Nick Bockwinkel
Memories of WrestleRock
What was the morale like around WrestleRock
What was the morale like when you came in and Gene, Hulk, and Bobby left
Memories of the Road Warriors
Memories of Paul Ellering
Were you ever ribbed during a promo
Memories of Madusa
Memories of Larry Zbysko
Memories of the Rockers
Memories of Jim Brunzell
Memories of Sheik Al Kaissey
Memories of Jerry Blackwell
Memories of Bruiser Brody
What was he like to interview
Memories of Kevin Kelly
Memories of Jimmy Garvin and Precious
Memories of Scott Hall
Was there someone in the AWA that you thought would be a bigger star than he or she became
Memories of Crusher and Bruiser
Memories of John Nord
Memories of Leon White
Did you ever see any fights in the locker room
Memories of the Freebirds
Memories of Rick Martel
Memories of Stan Hansen
Were you ever afraid of interviewing Hansen
Memories of Jerry Lawler
Memories of the Nasty Boys
Did you enjoy backstage interview or play by play more
Memories of the Long Riders
Memories of Jimmy Snuka
Memories of Sgt. Slaughter
Memories of Buddy Rose
Memories of Sherri Martel
Memories of Ray Stevens
Memories of Mad Dog Vachon
Memories of Tom Zenk
Memories of Baron Von Rachke
Did you work with Bischoff at all in the AWA
Memories of Larry Nelson
Is it true that he drank a lot back then
Memories of Diamond Dallas Page
Memories of Rod Trongard
Memories of Stanley Blackburn
Memories of Lee Marshall
How did you wind up leaving for the WWE
What was Verne’s reaction
Initial impressions of Vince
Did you know that Vince was trying to buy Verne out
Do you think Vince would have kept you if he bought Verne
Were you surprised to get a spot
How was Vince to work with
What was the locker room like in comparison to the AWA
Did you travel with anyone specifically
What was Hulk Hogan like back then
Thoughts on Randy Savage
Thoughts on Andre the Giant
Thoughts on Jesse Ventura
Did you feel more pressure in the WWE
Can you talk about the long promo days
Did anyone ever rib you in the middle of a promo
Good rib stories
Memories of the British Bulldogs
How soon were you accepted by the boys
Favorite matches you called as an announcer here and AWA
Was it different for you being a celebrity now with the WWE
Did you feel a good sense of job security
What was the party scene like here
Were promos scripted at all
Memories of Roddy Piper
Memories of Adrian Adonis
Memories of Bobby Heenan
Memories of Gorilla Monsoon
Memories of the Iron Sheik
Memories of Magnificent Muraco
Memories of Junkyard Dog
Memories of WrestleMania
How come you think you didn’t stay long
Do you think you got a fair shake
Are you surprised fans still remember you
What was the highlight of your time there
In the WWE today, Vince talks to the announcers on a head set. What are your thoughts on that?
What are your thoughts on scripted promos today
You wound up with the LPWA after that, how did that come about
Did you like it
What was it like being one of the few men there
How was the girls locker room as compared to the way the guys were on the road
Was there a party scene there?
Why do you think girls wrestling never took off in the US
You did some acting in some movies, how did that come about
How did you wind up on Roller Jam
Did you like it
How comparable was it to pro wrestling
Have you ever done any booking
You were appointed to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, how did that come about
Thoughts on Jesse as governor
How much prep work do you do before an event
Do you miss announcing
Do you think you could step in today in the WWE and do it
Do you still watch wrestling and if so, thoughts
Favorite announcers
Least favorite announcers
How come you never went to WCW
Are you surprised at Eric Bischoff’s success
What is the key to being a good pro wrestling announcer
Are you surprised Verne folded
Would you ever write a book
Favorite guys to interview and why
Least to interview and why
Compare Verne and Vince as bosses
Did you ever want to wrestle
What do you miss most about the business