Before the Rock N Roll Xpress, The Fantastics, Road Warriors and the New Age Outlaws there was a tag team that was put together from one of the brightest minds in the business, Jerry Jarrett. They were to pave the way for the future of tag teams in the business as they set the barometer. For the first time ever in a very rare special shoot interview The Fabulous Ones Stan Lane and Steve Keirn sit down for a exclusive candid interview with RFVIDEO!!! You will learn how the two first met in Florida working for the great late Eddie Graham. Both men have amazing stories to share during their time in the Florida Territory.
You will hear all about the conception of the Fabulous Ones tag team in Memphis and how it got off the ground. Who’s idea was it to be paired with Jackie Fargo. How over did the team get and did the other babyfaces in the locker room get jealous. Steve and Stan talk about all of their major feuds in the Memphis territory with all the great tag teams like the Moondogs, Sheepherders, Original Midnight Express. How instrumental was Lance Russell in getting them over as a team. Why did Steve Kiern get into a heated locker room fight with Jerry Lawler that lead them to leaving the company. How crazy was the ring rat scene there in the 80’s. Did they ever think looking back on their music vignettes and videos that they looked a little bizarre. You will hear stories on Bull Dundee, Dutch Mantell and all the greats of Memphis wrestling. If you loved Memphis wrestling you will love hearing their stories on the territory.
Some of the best stories also took place during their run in the AWA. How out of touch was Verne Gagne? Did he even know what he had with the tag team. The best part of the interview is when Steve and Stan tell their stories on their infamous run ins with The Legion of Doom the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal. What happened in the locker room when they had a meeting for them to win the belts from the LOD in their hometown in Chicago. Steve and Stan tell their versions of what happened in the ring with Road Warrior Hawk and how they had to go into business for themselves, including Steve getting a steal chair and stiffing Hawk and running for their lives. They had to go back out and face them again the same night in a battle royal and wait until you hear what happened during that match. They also talk about meeting them again in Puerto Rico, but this time the tables were turned and Steve and Stan tell us how they got back at the Road Warriors for not doing business with them in Chicago. This was a crazy story that also involved the Sheepherders during one of the biggest shows for Carlos Colon’s company WWC.
We talked about all the top talent in the AWA locker room. They had stories on everyone under the sun from Heenan, Bockwinkle, Steve Regal, Larry Henning, Ray Stevens and more.
They also jumped around from Memphis again back down to Florida as they were there during the mid 80’s when Florida Championship Wrestling was a wrecking force. You will hear amazing stories on Kevin Sullivan, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and BlackJack Mulligan. The BJ Mulligan stories include some very vicious street fights that took place outside of the ring.
This interview gives you every story that you would have ever wanted to know about the Fabulous Ones told by Stan and Steve unedited!!!
What are your first memories of meeting each other?
What led each of you to coming to Memphis?
Talk about what made the territory work vs. other places? What was unique about Memphis as a territory?
Talk about your dealings with Jerry Jarrett at the time and what he was like as a booker
Same question for Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett would trade the booking back and forth every six months – do you think that was a good strategy?
Which of them do you think was a better booker?
First memories of wrestling each other?
How would each of you rate the other as a worker at that time?
When did you learn that they were going to be put together as a team?
What was your initial reaction to the pretty boy gimmick with the sequin tuxedos?
Music videos were used to help get the team over – any memories of shooting those and why they clicked so well?
Thoughts on WWE making fun of those videos decades later with their show Are You Serious? show on YouTube witht Josh Mathews and Road Dogg’s tag team?
Who came up with the idea of having Jackie Fargo endorse you?
Was Fargo receptive to the idea at first and what was it like working with him?
Any major lessons you learned from Jackie? Any funny stories?
Memories of your debut feud against Jimmy Hart’s team of “Dream Machine” Troy Graham and Rick McGraw?
Is it true the initial plan was to get the team over, then turn the Fabs heel and be managed by Jim Cornette?
If so, when did the bookers realize they needed to abandon the plans?
Memories of working with The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose and Norvell Austin) in Memphis
When was the first time you knew the act was getting over to a ridiculous degree?
Did you feel any jealousy from others in the locker room because of how over you got, or did guys look at it as good for business?
How do you keep your egos from going haywire with all that popularity
Favorite stories and memories about interactions with female fans in that era?
Ever have any stalkers?
Ever fight over the same girl?
Memories of October 25, 1982, defeating Bobby Eaton and Sweet Brown Sugar to win the Southern Tag Team Championship?
At this point, you are a massively over team. Memphis has always been the land of Jerry Lawler. Did you ever feel any resentment from him about how over you were?
Memories of your feud with Luke Williams and Jonathan Boyd (The Sheepherders), who you feuded with for years. In a lot of ways they were the perfect opposition for you – prety boy babyfaces vs. brawling heels.
After the Sheepherders, the Moondogs – Rex and Spot were brought in, memories of that feud?
Talk about what a week was like working in Memphis at the time?
What other towns beyond Memphis were your favorite to work in?
Let’s talk about the live TV show on WMC-TV – with new episodes being broadcast every week, how much work was it trying to keep up creatively and always do something new and different so you didn’t lose the interest of the audience?
Talk about how powerful that TV show was in that era, because it’s probably lost on fans today how Memphis Wrestling really was the hometown team in Memphis
Favorite memories of working and dealing with Lance Russell and Dave Brown
Stan, you later did commentary for WWF when Jerry Jarrett suggested you – was there anything from Lance’s work that influenced you as an announcer there?
Memories of Andy Kaufman coming to Memphis and what your interactions were like with him backstage?
Did he keep kayfabe behind the scenes?
Did anyone in the back believe Kaufman was really hurt?
Memories of Bill Dundee?
Memories of Dutch Mantel?
Memories of the following teams and working with them:
Bobby Eaton & Duke Myers
The Grapplers (Tony Anthony and Len Denton as Grapples #1 & 2)
The Bruise Brothers (Troy Graham and Porkchop Cash)
The Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem & Kareem Muhammad)
The Interns (Don Bass & Roger Smith)
The Assassins
Your act got so hot that Memphis created a second team that was very similar to you in the Rock N’ Roll Express – when that happened, were you ever concerned about your spot or did you see it as a compliment?
Who were better at playing a verson of the Fabulous Ones – Rock N Rolls, Midnight Rockers or The Fantastics?
You do have at least one match against the Rock N’ Roll Express at the Mid-South Coliseum – given that you were both babyface teams, what was the circumstances behind that
What leads to the decision to leave Memphis – are you being brought down the card – is it a booking decision that its time to go, what?
Was there ever an effort to try and go to WWF? By the end of 1983, Hulk Hogan is the WWF champion and the national expansion has begun – you are one of the hottest teams in the world – were there ever any talks?
Memories of your run in Southwest Championship Wrestling from San Antonio, Texas
Compare how SCW ran vs. Memphis and which was, in your mind, the better way?
Memories of Joe Blanchard as a promoter?
They immediately put the tag belts on you to give you instant credibility. Talk about getting your team over in a new territory after you’ve already been stars in Memphis – is it easier or harder to try and replicate the success?
You come in for a run with The Sheepherders, now Butch Miller and Luke Williams – compare them to the team you faced in Memphis
Beyond the Sheepherders, any favorite opponents or matches there?
Why was the Texas run so short?
You come to the AWA in lase 1984. How does that come about?
Memories of Verne Gagne as a promoter.
Compare Verne to Blanchard and Jarrett.
Memories of the following:
Nick Bockwinkel
Billy Robinson
Ken Patera
Mr. Saito
Bobby Heenan
Greg Gagne
Jim Brunzell
Crusher
Curt Hennig
Baron Von Raschke
Jesse Ventura
Thoughts on Venturas political career
Larry Zbyszko
Steve Regal
Jerry Blackwell
Jake Milliman
Larry Hennig
Talk about the AWA trying to work with the NWA and other promotions against Vince and why it didn’t work
Talk about your issues with the Road Warriors and them not dropping the AWA belts to you as Gagne
In an interview in 2013, Road Warrior Animal said this about the situation: “You guys know our gimmick, we are street fighters. They wanted to do a finish called the ‘switch-a-roo.’ I kept looking to Paul, we were in the locker room and I said, ‘man, that ain’t right. It just doesn’t feel right.’ They give us the finish in the locker room, we say, ‘ok, we’re gonna do it, we go to the ring.’ First thing Hawk says to Keirn and Lane, he says, ‘We ain’t doin’ the finish. Listen to us and nobody will get hurt.’ We came back to the locker room and Greg Gagne is yelling. Verne come down to the locker room and says, ‘Jeez, nobody has changed a finish on me in 25 years.’ I said, ‘Well Verne, first time for everything, we just did.” – Any response or thoughts
What’s it like being in the ring with a pissed off Hawk and Animal during that time period?
Memories of your AWA action figures? Were there royalties?
Favorite AWA venues and cities?
Do you consider the AWA run a success?
Memories of going to Puerto Rico to work the Road Warriors at the 1985 WWC Anniversario event – how does a match like that come about getting booked given that you arent regulars there. Do they call the AWA and book the match?
What leads to you deciding to head back to Memphis?
How had the territory changed, at all, during the time you were away?
Memories of facing:
The Nightmares
Dirty White Boys
Rick Rude and King Kong Bundy
Don Bass and Roger Smith aka the Interns
PYT Express (Koko Ware and Norvell Austin
The Kiwi Sheepherders, now Rip Morgan and Jonathan
You lose the Southern Tag titles for the last time to Bill Dundee and Dutch Mantel. Did you realize then it was an end of an era?
Memories of working the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in 1986?
What is shocking is you were booked to lose to The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) in the first round – any insight into why you were brought in just to be beaten?
Memories of working the “AWA WrestleRock” event at the MetroDome in Minneapolis, MN against Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham.
You made a few appearances for Bill Watts’ UWF. What’s the story behind those appearances and why didn’t the Fabs have a longer run?
Memories of working the Guerreros for Watts?
Thoughts on Watts?
Memories of your run in Championship Wrestling from Florida?
Memories of working the Sheepherders again – did you feel like you were in a time warp?
Memories of working The Sheepherders at Battle of the Belts III?
That show was syndicated live around the country, was there a different pressure becuase it was live tv?
Memories of the following from Florida:
Kevin Sullivan
Mike Graham
Blackjack Mulligan
Cuban Aassassin
Ron Bass & Masked Superstar
Maha Singh & Purple Haze
The Rising Suns (Kendo Nagasaki & The White Ninja)
The Shock Troops (Ed Gantner & Kareem Muhammad
What leads to the end of Florida run?
You return to Memphis for one last feud with the Sheepherders, which you finally win. Memories of that final win?
Memories of working with Doug and Eddie Gilbert in 1990?
Steve’s thoughts on Stan taking the spot in Jim Crockett Promotions as one half of the Midnight Express?
Memories of returning to Memphis in 1990 as the Fabulous Ones.
Memphis was now the USWA, how had things changed business wise for the territory.
Was it fun being the Fabs as heels with Cornette as mananger?
Memories of feuding with Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler?
Thoughts on Jarrett as a worker?
You came to Philly in 1991 to work for Joel Goodhart against Al Perez and Buddy Landel – any memories of that?
The team disbands when Steve is signed to be Skinner in WWF – was there sadness knowing this could have been it?
Why no talk of Fabs going to WWF together?
Is the WWF offer had not come, was there any talk of Stevie working for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, which Jim was about to start?
Memories of the Fabs reunion for the Best of Memphis tournament in 1995?
Memories of returning to Memphis in 1999 to work Lawler and Dundee?
Why do you think Memphis survived so much longer than the other territories?
Memories of working for OVW as a special attraction in 2000?
After the Fabulous Ones, you each had a chance to team with Bobby Eaton – favorite memories of your runs with him?
How did Bobby as a partner compare to Lane or Keirn?
Are you aware Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie did a parody of the Fabulous Ones in ECW?
Let everyone know what you are each up to today?
Stan, Steve had a chance to work as a trainer for WWE – would that ever be something you’d be interested in doing?
WWE has inducted a lot of talents who were never full time performers for them into their Hall of Fame – while you worked for the company in different capacities, what do you think of the idea of the Fabulous Ones being inducted as a team into the Hall?
You must have been witness or party to some great ribs – what are your favorites that you’ve seen or been involved in?
What do you think the legacy of the Fabulous Ones is for fans today?
Any final words for your fans across the world?