Tracy Smothers is one of the most respected and well traveled members of the wrestling fraternity. He is a true a veteran of the business, and has worked in almost every major territory for almost every major promoter against most of the biggest names in the business. Smothers also is one of the few in the business who understands the meaning of the word ‘loyalty’, and his willingness to remain loyal to those who came before him and helped him along the way both helped and hurt him in the business he loves so much. Tracy is one of the most passionate performers in the industry, and loved, and continues to love being in front of crowd today as much as he did during his first day more than 30 years ago. He’s been everywhere and seen it all, and for the first time ever, Tracy Smothers sat down with RF Video for an interview that spanned more than 5 hours, and will leave you on the verge of tears from laughter, and at times speechless over the stories that this veteran is sharing for the very first time. Here are just a few of the topics and stories that we covered in this groundbreaking interview…
– Stories about sneaking out of his parents house during middle school to attend the local wrestling events
– his training and time with Stan Lane and Steve Keirn
– his amateur wrestling background and collegiate experience
– his first matches and road trips and stories about both
– “chasing the black girls” in high school and the trouble it got him in
– early career stories from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas
– the road trip where 3 guys tried to rob him at a gas station in a small town in Georgia
– who took Tracy under their wing and looked out for him throughout his early career?
– memories of paying his dues in the wrestling business back when it mattered
– what was his training like?
– early stories of the Barbarian
– the night backstage in Louisiana when Dick Slater beat up Sting and flushed his head down the toilet
– early matches against Dr. Death Steve Williams and Rick Steiner and “fighting for his life”
– the night Tracy saved a man on the highway from a burning car
– his experiences with a young Shawn Michaels and how it followed him his entire career
– his early memories of New Jack and Mustafa (the Gangstas) and relationship with them today
– his relationship and admiration for Bob Armstrong and the entire Armstrong family
– how he got paired up with Steve Armstrong and became the ‘The Southern Boys
– the night the ‘Southern Boys’ became the ‘Young Pistols’ and who’s idea it was
– memories from the Continental Wrestling Federation
– memories of matches with Robert Fuller
– memories of his matches with The Rock n’ Roll Express – Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson
– what did he think of “The New Breed’?
– memories of Ric Flair and what he was really like to the younger talent
– memories of the Four Horseman and what they were really like backstage
– memories of Dusty Rhodes and his relationship with Dusty through the years
– his thoughts on the management in WCW during his stay and the bookers he worked for
– what happened when Ole Anderson took over the booking at WCW?
– memories of a young Mark Calloway aka The Undertaker
– memories of his matches with ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin and his relationship with Stonecold Steve Austin
– memories of his matches with Doom, the Steiner Brothers, and the Freebirds
– memories of working with the Midnight Express
– what does he think of ‘Beautiful’ Bobby Eaton?
– memories of his matches with Terry Funk and his relationship with Terry over the years
– the night when PN News was forced to work with Stan Hansen as punishment and what happened
– memories of Cactus Jack and his relationship with Mick Foley
– memories of Lex Luger
– what was the environment like when it came to drugs and steroids at WCW in the early 90’s
– which stars did he witness doing drugs backstage and in the hotel rooms?
– how and why he was released from WCW, and his feelings about it at the time
– how did Tracy end up in Smokey Mountain Wrestling
– what was the heat like for the heels at SMW?
– memories of his long feud with ‘Dirty White Boy’ Tony Anthony and his relationship with Tony
– what did Tracy do for the heels at SMW that no other babyfaces did at the time?
– what was the road schedule like at SMW and who was in charge?
– memories of his Ladder Matches at SMW and his thoughts when the WWF did one at WM X?
– his thoughts on the differences between working singles or tag team, and his preferences
– thoughts on the transition to working singles at SMW and did he like it?
– what did he really think of his matches with Chris Candido?
– what was his relationship like with Chris Candido over the years?
– his relationship with Tammy ‘Sunny’ Sytch and what he witnessed between Tammy and Chris
– his thoughts on ‘Primetime’ Brian Lee
– his thoughts about the collapse and closing of SMW?
– Tracy talks about the investor he found for SMW and what happened with the deal
– memories of working for the USWA in Memphis
– memories of working with and for Jerry Lawler
– memories of his trips to Japan and working for, with, and against The Giant Baba
– his thoughts on the Japanese culture
– him memories of working as Jason The Terrible
– thoughts and memories of Mr. Pogo
– how did Tracy end up in the WWF and who called him to set it up?
– memories of his first trip to WWF HQ in Stamford and who went with him
– who told him he was going to be called ‘Freddy Joe Floyd’ and what did the name really come from?
– Tracy tells what went through his head as he stood in gorilla about to go thru the curtain for the 1st time?
– his memories of a young Justin ‘Hawk’ Bradshaw aka JBL aka John Bradshaw Layfield
– his memories and relationship with Bret Hart at WWF and what Bret was like to the undercard talent
– his thoughts on Shawn Michaels as HBK and how he changed from when he had first met him
– his thoughts on Bruce Pritchard and who ran the WWF under Vince when Tracy was there
– his interaction with the Undertaker and how he had changed over the years
– what happened on Tracy Smothers first night in the WWF and how it almost ended before it began
– what happened when Bob Armstrong confronted HBK on Tracy’s behalf and HBK’s reaction
– Tracy was there in Kuwait when Vader was detained by Kuwaiti police, and what did he see?
– the reaction from Vince and WWF Management when the Vader situation was unfolding
– his favorite matches from his time at WWF
– who treated him well at WWF and who treated Tracy poorly at WWF?
– how did Tracy’s WWF run come to and end and was he dissapointed?
– how did Tracy end up in ECW and what were his first impressions of South Philly?
– Tracy’s thoughts about Paul Heyman and relationship with him over the years?
– his thoughts on the ECW Arena and working for that crowd
– his thoughts on being a part of the FBI and who’s idea it was?
– his thoughts on Little Guido and the other members of the FBI
– memories of Sabu and RVD
– memories of Taz
– memories of Tommy Dreamer
– memories of The Dudleys
– memories of The Sandman
– memories of Shane Douglas and his relationship with him over the years
– memories of Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten
– memories of Stevie Richards, the Blue Meanie and the bWo
– memories of his road trips in ECW and his favorite venues and cities
– what was the party scene like in ECW and some of his favorite stories
– what was the attitude like in the locker room when it came to WWF and WCW
– his thoughts on the passing of Chris Candido and what it meant to him
– his thoughts on the passing of Brad Armstrong
– thoughts on the early passing of so many top names in the business
– his memories of Hardcore Homecoming
– what happened backstage at WWE’s ECW One Night Stand
– what was the relationship like between the WWE workers and staff and ECW crew at One Night Stand?
– how was the One Night Stand Battle Royal set up and was there tension between the sides beforehand?
– what was JBL like backstage at One Night Stand?
– what happened between JBL and the Blue Meanie and what did Tracy personally witness
– the reaction backstage after the brawl happened at One Night Stand?
– did anyone from WWE address the situation? What was JBL’s reaction backstage afterwards?
– his thoughts on JBL today and how JBL changed over the years
– what would happen if Tracy Smothers bumped into JBL backstage at a show today?
– Tracys thoughts on all the ECW Reunions and shows today? Should they all end?
– memories of working for TNA and their ECW reunion show
– what was the environment like backstage at TNA?
– memories of Dixie Carter and his interaction with her? what does he think of Dixie Carter?
– what does Tracy think of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s involvement with TNA?
– does Tracy think TNA has a chance to compete with WWE?
– what does the future hold for Tracy Smothers?
– does Tracy Smothers have ANY regrets from his lengthy career?
– what would Tracy have done differently, if anything?
These are just some of the topics we covered in more than 5 hours of sitting down with Tracy Smothers. This was Tracy’s first time sitting down with RF Video, and we didn’t edit a single thing!