ABSURD! w/ Joe Feeney

Episode 73 is with former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, and one of the most innovative and exciting high flyers of all time, Ruckus. It was great to have Ruckus on, as I was a big fan of his work all across the indies in the early to mid 2000s, including CZW and 3PW. We talk about his fandom as young man, his access to all sorts of different promotions, and who he enjoyed watching. We cover his backyard wrestling, and trading his tapes with another backyarder, Sonjay Dutt! He covers some of his early matches, including teaming with New Jack early on, and the match on a New Jersey indy that lead to his beginnings in CZW. We go through his lengthy original CZW run, including wrestling for the Junior Heavyweight title with guys like Sonjay Dutt and Trent Acid. We also talk about his feud with Rockin Rebel and how the NAACP got involved! We talk about the BLK OUT stable, how that came about, and how successful it was, including leading to a few CZW World Heavyweight Championship reigns. We go over his team with BLK JEEZ, and how successful it has been all through wrestling, including CZW and Extreme Rising. We cover his work in Ring Of Honor, and his World Heavyweight Championship match with Nigel McGuinness. We also go over the Wrestling Society X project, and what he thought of MTV's influence over the TV show. And we talk about what Ruckus is up to today, including his return to CZW, and future dates with Atomic Championship Wrestling, Billtown Championship Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling. All in all, it's a cool conversation with one of the chillest guys you'll ever speak to, one of the most memorable indy wrestlers of all time for Philly and Jersey fans, Ruckus.

Ruckus will be appearing for Atomic Championship Wrestling on July 9th, Billtown Championship Wrestling on July 30th, and Maryland Championship Wrestling on August 20th. You can follow Ruckus on Twitter at @BLKOUTRUCKUS

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Episode 72 is with former WWE referee and author, Jimmy Korderas. Jimmy was with WWE from 1987 to 2009, which basically encompasses nearly all eras! We talk about his youth, attending shows at the Maple Leaf Gardens, and how selling photos of the wrestlers led him to the path of becoming a referee! He tells us about his "on the job training," and what it was like to work with guys like Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant. We cover the rumors of Randy Savage and his overprotectiveness of his wife Elizabeth. We touch on Hogan passing the torch to The Ultimate Warrior, and how the locker room felt about it. I ask him about Ric Flair's arrival in 1991, and what his thoughts were on Ric's chances for success. We go over the first championship reign of Bret Hart, and how important he was to Canadians, which segue ways into the Montreal Screwjob, and what Korderas would've done in the same position as Earl Hebner. We also talk about The Undertaker, and his evolution over the years, and how Mankind's arrival helped Taker. Jimmy was one of the officials who ran down to the ring at Hell In the Cell 1998, and he tells us about his thoughts on Mick Foley's bumps that night, and the condition he was in afterwards. He also tells us about the time Vince McMahon caught him smoking (a big Vince no no!) We cover the tragedy that was Owen Hart's death, as Jimmy was actually in the ring when Owen tragically fell to his death. We also talk about the "referee strike" storyline in Fall 1999, the WWF scandals in 1992, the arrival of the Radicalz (Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko, Saturn,) and how he felt about the WCW referees coming over in the WCW purchase of 2001. Part 2 is coming, as we barely scratched the surface of Jimmy's career! You can find Jimmy's book "The Three Count" on Amazon, and Jimmy is on Twitter @jimmykorderas.

There is currently a huge summer sale on ProWrestlingTees! Go to prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney and use the code "AMERICA" to get 20% off your total order!

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Episode 71 is with an old friend (shout out to old school TSM,) Chris DePetrillo. Chris is living the dream, as a huge wrestling fan and fan of all things pop culture, as he is the Chief Marketing Officer for Figures Toy Company! FTC has the license for, and produces, Ring Of Honor action figures, as well as line for the "Legends Of Wrestling," and "Rising Stars Of Wrestling." We talk about how he landed a job with the company and climbed the ladder to his current spot. We talk about how FTC landed the ROH license, who is in the first line of figures (Kevin Steen (Owens,) Jay Lethal, and Mark and Jay Briscoe,) as well as who to expect in the future. We also cover the Legends and Rising Stars lines, which will include names like The Blue Meanie, Jim Cornette, Cliff Compton, The Young Bucks, Chris Hero, Kenny Omega, Joey Ryan, and more, as Chris elaborates on how hands on the talent is in the development of their figures. We go over some of the future actions figures to come, and some of his future plans for each of the action figure brands, as well as how he utilizes his own preferences as a collector to shape how the figures look, and who to select for production.

We also talk today's wrestling scene, and although this was recorded before the big Roman Reigns suspension news dropped, we cover the Dean Ambrose title win, and what the future may hold for each of the former Shield members. We cover the impending brand split and draft, Kevin Owens' run so far in WWE and what Chris expected, what he thinks about NXT, Brock Lesnar's return to UFC, as well as CM Punk's late summer debut. We also talk about TNA, the issues they seem to be consistently facing, and when each of us kind of jumped off the Impact Wrestling ship, as well as AJ Styles' shocking debut earlier in the year for WWE and how exceptionally he has performed so far.

Go to FiguresToyCompany.com to pre order the first series of Ring Of Honor figures, or to order the ROH wrestling ring, which comes with a Michael Elgin Figure. Also check out WrestlingSuperStore.com for all of your pro wrestling action figure, DVD, or clothing needs, as well as everything in between.

Please subscribe, rate, and review Creative Control on iTunes and Stitcher, and please check out prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney to check out the official Creative Control T Shirt store, including the new "Skull N' Mics" design, as well as the popular #WrestleCation and "Make Pro Wrestling Creative Again" shirts.

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Episode 70's guest is a former UFC fight, contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, and current pro wrestler tearing up EVOLVE and the indy scene, a Monster Factory product, Matt Riddle! Matt and I speak about his beginnings as a national wrestling champion in high school, to training MMA with the assistance of BJ Penn's book and a friend, to how he got into the Ultimate Fighter house and his memories from that time. Matt goes into his departure from UFC, and his time in MMA after that, as well as what led him to pro wrestling and The Monster Factory. We talk about his first few matches, including a submission match with Billy Damiana refereed by X-Pac! He talks abou wrestling tag matches with Punisher Martinez, and his thoughts on hardcore matches, like the one he had with Cliff Compton. From there, we get into his time at EVOLVE, how it began, and his thoughts on the crowd during his first few matches there. He talks about his experiences with opponents like Rhett Titus, Silas Young, Chris Dickinson, Clutch Adams, and more. We go in depth about his recent matches that carry a lot of buzz with them, matches with Chris Hero, Cedric Alexander, and Tommasso Ciampa. Matt also talks about how he felt main eventing an EVOLVE card for their heavyweight championship in Dallas during Wrestlemania weekend, and how he feels about high pressure situations like that. We go over his NXT tryout, and where he currently stands today with WWE. And finally, we talk a little about the latest UFC news involving CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, and Riddle's opinions on their chances of succeeding in their next fights.

Check out Matt Riddle on Twitter at @riddletuf7 and you can see him on TheMFNetwork.com for the MFPW, and on wwnlive.com for EVOLVE

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Kevin Kleinrock of Masked Republic and Lucha Loot returns to Creative Control! Kevin has a vast array of experiences in the wrestling world. In part one, we talked a lot about how he got into the business, his time with XPW, and the Wrestling Society project that formerly aired on MTV. On this episode we cover the post WSX years. First, we talk about his time working for Bischoff/Hervey on Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling, which aired on Tru TV. We cover the Urban Wrestling Federation, a concept with combined wrestling, rap, and some outlandish skits, that lead many to compare the UWF with today's Lucha Underground. We also talk about the beginning and unfortunate end of Extreme Reunion/Extreme Rising, and whether or not they were ever truly in position to have a TV deal. We go over the Masked Republic's "Masked Mania" show, that took place in Philly the weekend that Extreme Rising collapsed, his memories of the show, and more. Kevin discusses his current projects, including Lucha Loot, a monthly box/crate for Lucha fans, which usually includes a mask, autographs, DVDs, and anything and everything in between, including "Rudo Can't Fail," the Lucha Magazine that Kevin is behind.

You can follow Kevin and all his Lucha related projects on Twitter at @maskedrepublic, and if you are interested in a monthly Lucha Loot subscription, go to LuchaLoot.com

For a free month of the Highspots Wrestling Network, go to highspotswrestlingnetwork.com and use the code "CONTROL."

Please follow, rate, review, subscribe, to Creative Control on iTunes and Stitcher, and check out the Creative Control Pro Wrestling Tees store, at prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney

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It is Creative Control's second round with "The Notorious 187" Homicide! We cover some of the things we missed last time, but we immediately start by diving into the recent problems at TNA, and Homicide's take on them from someone who has worked for the company on and off for the past ten years. He explains at what point he believes the company began to start it's downward slide, and he also explains who his favorite bookers and agents were to work with at TNA. We step back in time to discuss "The Doghouse" a little bit, his favorite memories of that time period, and whether or not he sees himself training and running another school in the future. We talk about working with a young Jay Lethal in JAPW, and what his feelings were on Lethal at the time. We also cover working with and against Teddy Hart, including a highly regarded tag team cage match between Homicide & B-Boy vs. Teddy Hart and Jack Evans at the ECW Arena for JAPW. We get into the opportunities he had to work with Japanese legends such as Jushin Liger and Kenta Kobashi. We go over some of his memorable matches and feuds with names like Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, and Colt Cabana. We talk about the upcoming UFC fights for both CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, his thoughts on both men, and what he expects. Homicide also talks about some of the opportunities he has had around the world, working for IWA in Puerto Rico, and NJPW in Japan with Low Ki. Since he is so highly regarded as both a single and a tag team wrestler, we talk a little about some of his tag team matches and feuds in both TNA and ROH with teams like The Dudley Boys, AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels, The New Age Outlaws, The Briscoes, The Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money Inc., and the American Wolves, who his favorite teams are to work, and who his favorite teams are as a long time fan. We turn back the clock to his TNA release in 2010. his feelings on that as well as the releases of some other guys at the time, as well as his take on Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's impact on TNA. His joining the Beat Down Clan is talked about, and what went wrong with both the BDC and TNA at that time. We cover his feelings on a match with New Jack in the past, working for the Urban Wrestling Federation, and his feelings on Lucha Underground, including aspirations to work there. And finally, we talk about his shoulder injury which put him on the shelf nearly a year, how he is feeling now, where you can see Homicide over the summer, and what his plans are for the future, including his hopes for a possible spot at NXT.

You can follow Homicide on Facebook under his real name, Dee Erazo, to keep up with what he is up to, and where he will be appearing in the near future, including AIW.

And please support Creative Control on both iTunes and Stitcher, and check out the Creative Control t shirt store at ProWrestlingTees.com/ccwithjoefeeney

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On episode 67 we talk to the man with the best punch in professional wrestling, Bob Cook! Bob Cook is a name all fans of the NWA and WCW, and viewers of their television programs will recognize, as he was a regular on all of their TV shows from the late 80s to the mid 90s, wrestling names like Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Sting, Ricky Steamboat, The Road Warriors, The Steiner Bros., Lord Steven Regal, Brian Pillman, and more. We touch upon his stories about wrestling most of the above names, as well as being in Dustin Rhodes' first match, wrestling Scott Hall at the Orange Bowl, working with Cactus Jack back in 1990 and what his thoughts were, wrestling Ron Simmons numerous times, and more. We talk about how he got into the business, at the Malenko's school in Florida, and how his training was there. We go over the term "jobber," and his dislike for it, and what he thinks the guys in that position on the card should be called. We dispel an internet rumor regarding he and Arn Anderson teaming under masks, and Bob also tells the tale of a Butch Reed and Harley Race shoot wrestling match! Bob also worked for the WWF in 1995, and he tells stories about his time there, including being in the ring with Sean Waltman (1-2-3 Kid/X-Pac,) Bam Bam Bigelow, Lex Luger, and more. We also touch upon his outspoken position on social networking, regarding some of the lawsuits currently being pursued against the WWE, some regarding concussion damage, and some regarding licensing rights, and how his opinions have cost him some friendships. We talk about how he dusts his boots off yearly to compete in the Malenko Cup Battle Royal, and we also talk about his views on the WWE product today, including some of his favorite present day workers.

You can find and follow Bob Cook on Facebook, where he usually comments on all WWE programming.

And if you'd like to support Creative Control, please check out the t shirt store, on Pro Wrestling Tees, at prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney

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On episode 66, our guest is Wild Bill Wiles, also known as Bilvis Wesley of ECW fame. Bill is best known for his days as a member of the New Dangerous Alliance with CW Anderson. That tandem is responsible for some of the most memorable moments of the latter days of ECW, both on their television shows and on PPV. Bill talks about being a fan of wrestling when he was a young man, as well as his close friendships with Balls Mahoney and Chris Candido. From there, we cover the gamut of his ECW days including, dealing with Paul Heyman, his hand in the creation of the "Justin Credible" gimmick, working with guys like Danny Doring and Roadkill, "Nova" Mike Bucci, Chris Chetti, and more. He also tells stories about being in the ring with legendary figures like Dusty Rhodes, Bam Bam Bigelow, and New Jack. Bill also talks about his televised role in the infamous September 1997 in ring angle between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, and what is was like to participate as an extra in a WWE angle in those days. We also converse about his roles working in the early days of 3PW, working for Francine at Legends Of The Arena, and the Wrestling With Disaster project. We go over the various ECW reunions, and his dislike for them. And finally, we cover his role as a trainer for The MF Pro Academy, a wrestling school under the banner of The Monster Factory, LLC, where he himself trained. He talks about his favorite students, working on the MFPW shows, and the upcoming weekend long camp at the academy, that will feature guys like Bill, Danny Cage, Les Thatcher, Rudy Gonzalez, and more.

Please check out everything going on under the Monster Factory umbrella at monsterfactory.org

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On episode 65 we talk to one of the most respected and most highly regarded indy talents of the past ten years, "Greek God" Papadon. We start by talking about his fandom and experiences as a young man, and what led him to be trained by Homicide at the famous "Doghouse." We talk about his early days working for JAPW, in the tag team "The Solution," and working in the ECW Arena in 2001. We cover more of his tag team days, including a couple of matches at NWA TNA, wrestling James Storm and Chris Harris for CSWF, losing their CSWF tag titles to CM Punk and Julio Dinero, and more. I ask Papadon if he felt at that time, that Punk would ever make it to the levels that he did. Papadon ventured into more of the singles wrestling waters in 2006, and found himself at WLW working for and in front of Harley Race, and how that led him to a stint in England with Nick Aldis (Magnus.) We cover his experiences in the ring with Bryan Danielson, Tony Nese, and Alex Reynolds for NYWC. We move onto the ECWA where Papadon ruled the roost for a while, as both the Heavyweight Champion, and the winner of the prestigious Super 8 Tournament. We also cover, of course, Extreme Rising, and Papadon's experiences there, wrestling Sabu and Perry Saturn in the first few shows the company had, and his later experiences against Stevie Richards and El Hijo De Rey Mysterio. We get into Extreme Rising's closing and how that affected his career, including possibly costing him a run with EVOLVE. We wrap up talking about CZW and his feelings on his time there. And we talk about his love and respect for Homicide and Mikey Whipwreck.

Finally, we talk about his match this Saturday for ECWA in Woodbury, NJ, as he attempts to regain the Heavyweight Championship from Sean Carr. Papadon also talks about his thoughts on ECWA as a company, those in charge, and the talent in the locker room.

Please follow Papadon on YouTube, Twitter, and Pro Wrestling Tees at GreekGodPapadon.

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On Episode 64, we talk to the author of "Titan Sinking," "Titan Shattered," and the forthcoming "Titan Screwed," James Dixon of whatculture.com

James and I do our best to fit in all the major questions about the WWF/WWE from 1995-97 (the periods the books cover.) We talk about the major personalities of the time including Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, and many more. We talk about Nash's WWF title reign as Diesel, and the influence the Kliq had on Vince back in those days. We cover Vince's attempt to make celebrity the draw at Wrestlemania XI, with the Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow main event. We discuss the disastrous King Of The Ring win and main event run of Mabel, as well as the birth of Nitro and the jump to WCW of Lex Luger. When we cover 1996 we talk about the Iron Man Match between Hart and Michaels, the return of the Ultimate Warrior, the debut of Vader, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall's jump to WCW, Hulk Hogan's heel turn, the emergence of Psycho Sid as a main eventer and World Champion, the debuts of Mankind and Rocky Maivia, and of course the Austin 3:16 promo that set Steve Austin on a ride to the top of the card as well as pop culture significance from the King Of The Ring '96. When we talk 1997, we cover HBK and his lost smile, Austin vs. Hart at Mania 13, Bret turning heel and the New Hart Foundation, Ken Shamrock joining the WWF and their acknowledgement of UFC, the working relationship with ECW, and the appearances of guys like Rob Van Dam, Sabu and Tommy Dreamer on Raw, Vince Russo and his early days working in creative, Summerslam '97, Vince reneging on Bret Hart's contract and of course, The Montreal Screwjob.

Mixed in with the look back at the 90s are some comments on the WWE today, and how history always seems to repeat itself in McMahon Land!

James Dixon is the author of Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed. All are available on Amazon, except Titan Screwed, which will be released on June 6th. Dixon also works with whatculture.com

Thanks for listening, and to continue to support Creative Control, please subscribe, rate and review on iTunes or Stitcher, and check out the Creative Control t shirt store, at prowrestlingtees.com/ccwithjoefeeney

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