PCO Shoot Interview

What was life like growing up for PCO in Montreal? What pro wrestling was broadcast there at the time and how do you first discover the business? What was it about pro wrestling you loved? What made you decide you wanted to train to get into the business? Were you involved in other spots before professional wrestling? How do you first go about getting trained, as it was a different world in the 1980s in regard to finding your way into the business? It’s been credited online that you were trained by Eduord Carpentier, Steve Strong, Dan Kroffat and Pat Girard, so what were your experiences with each of them as trainers?  What was a day of training like for you? What part of the business was hardest to figure out as you were learning the business?  The in-ring content or the psychology? Who would you credit teaching you the psychology of the business?  What were the best lessons you were taught in that realm of the business? Memories of wrestling as one half of The Super Bees with Evil Eddie Watts in Canada? Memories of wrestling for Emil Duprix’s Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling? Who were some of the veterans that helped you along the way? You traveled a lot international traveling early in your career - what were some of the favorite experiences traveling early on? Memories of working for Otto Wanz in Austria? Memories of working for WWC in the early 1990s? How did you first get offered your WWF tryout? First memories of meeting Jacques Rougeau? Did you know him before or after the tryout? How did it feel when you found out they were hiring you? Memories of recording the Quebecers theme song? Did you like the song? How was the Quebecers gimmick first pitched to you?  Did it change over time? How was Jacques as a partner?  Would you say he was a mentor to you? Thoughts on being paired with Johnny Polo aka Raven? How was he as a creative mind back then? Initial memories of Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson etc.?  Who were the creative team and the agents then? What were the differences between the WWF locker room vs. Canada, Europe, etc. Who would you say were the locker room leaders in 1993? What was the atmosphere like working the early Raws in the Manhattan Center? You were right into a program with the Steiners, memories of them? Memories of the night you and Jacques won the Province of Quebec Rules match on Raw? What did it mean to have the company trust you so early on in your run? Did pay go up with the title belts? You went into a program with Men on A Mission, memories? You and Jacques were a big part of setting up the Bret Hart-Owen Hart program at the 1994 Royal Rumble?  Memories of working with them? Thoughts on that match? Walk us through the day you made your Wrestlemania X debut at Madison Square Garden? Memories of working and sharing the locker room the following during the Quebecer Pierre run: Headshrinkers Razor Ramon Duke Drose Bushwhackers Lex Luger Smoking Gunns Bam Bam Bigelow. Adam Bomb 123 Kid Marty Jannetty Mr Perfect Jerry Lawler Tatanka Sparky Plugg aka Bob Holly Virgil Typhoon Bob Backlund Aldo Montoya Memories of going to Israel for WWF? You had a chance to work with Shawn Michaels a bit right before the Pirate gimmick came about.  There’s been a lot said about Shawn during that time period - what were your dealings with him like?   What leaves Jacques to exit WWF and are you worried at that point your role is in jeopardy?   How long until Jean-Pierre Lafite is created?  What’s the origin of that character appearing on WWF programming? You wrestle Undertaker in a dark match shortly after the character is created - memories of Undertaker and how he carried himself when you were there? What’s the reaction among the wrestlers when WCW Nitro launches and is rapidly successful on TNT? At what point does the Kliq start to change the company and really get Vince McMahon’s ear? How does this change the locker room politically for the average talent? Thoughts on the Bret Hart feud where you stole Bret’s jacket and glasses? How do you rate Bret as a worker compared to other stars you’ve been in the ring with? Memories of the In Your House 3 bout with Bret, which saved the show that night? Memories of the following during the Jean-Pierre run:   King Kong Bundy Man Mountain Rock Yokozuna Doink the Clown (Ray Apollo) Henry Godwin Savio Vega Let’s talk about the Kliq run-in that ended your WWF run at that point. You are slated to challenge Kevin Nash/Diesel for the WWF title at a house show in Montreal.  The story is the match is supposed to have you win via DQ.    Allegedly Shawn Michaels politicked the match into instead ending with you doing a clean job.   You turn down doing the job: Do you think they just wanted to embarrass you in your hometown? How does the company react?   Who do you tell?   Why do you turn down doing the job? How does Nash and Shawn react? Who tries to change your mind to get you to do the job? Did you trust Nash when you stepped into the ring that night? Depending on the source, it was either a DDQ or you losing to Nash that night - what was the finish? How do you all come to an agreement on that finish? Looking back, do you think you should have handled the situation differently? Looking back, do you blame Nash and Michaels? Were you surprised when the company let you go? What was their reasoning? Did you try to plead your case? You leave the company, what do you do after? You debut in WCW in September 1996.  Nash is there now - do you ever have any discussions about the Quebec incident?   Looking forward, are you shocked that a year later, WWF pulls what they do with Bret Hart given the political issues you wenr through?   You and Jacques are back together again.  What's the differences in the WCW locker room vs. the WWF locker room? Thoughts on how Eric Bischoff ran the company vs. how Vince McMahon ran WWF? Memories of working with the following:   The Nasty Boys Scott & Steve Armstrong High Voltage Harlem Heat Bobby Eaton Chavo Guerrero Jr. American Males. The Public Enemy   How was Robert Parker (Fuller) as a manager?   Memories of working and sharing the locker room in WCW: Hulk Hogan Ric Flair The Giant Alex Wright Arn Anderson Big Bubba Rogers Bunkhouse Buck Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Dean Malenko Diamond Dallas Page Disco Inferno Eddie Guerrero Hugh Morrus Ice-Train Jeff Jarrett Jim Duggan Kevin Sullivan Konnan La Parka Lex Luger Lord Steven Regal Meng Rey Misterio Jr. Scott Norton Steve McMichael Jimmy Hart Memories of wrestling Arn Anderson in Arn’s last match? Memories of the Sherri Martel-Robert Fuller storyline as part of the Harlem Heat-Canadians feud What led to your WCW exit? After WCW, you head to CWA in Europe - memories of the following: teaming with a Young Rhino Osamu Nishimura Franz Schuuman TonySt. Clair Robbie Brookside Rasta the Voooo Mon Ulf Hermann You and Jacques return to the WWF in 1998 - what leads to that return? How had the company changed since you were last there? You fought Steve Williams in the Brawl for All tournament - who approaches you about being involved? Why would you willingly fight in a shoot with one eye? How did WWF handle the tournament in your opinion?  What mistakes were made? Vince Russo said on Dark Side of the Ring that he created the entire tournament in order to see JBL get knocked out - how do you feel knowing you were put into a shoot fight just so Russo could try to see JBL get KO’d? Memories of wrestling Terry Funk and Cactus Jack on Raw?   Thoughts and memories of working the following during the 1998 run: The Headbangers Bruise Brothers Boriquas Godwins Nation of Domination Legion of Doom Edge Vader Flash Funk Steve Blackman D-Lo Brown Mark Henry The Rock 'n' Roll Express The Truth Commission (Recon & Sniper) Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor   What leads to WWF sending you to Memphis as Khris Kannonball? What was the gimmick for those who never saw it? Were there any talents there you thought would break out that didn't? Why do you think we never saw Khris Kannonball on WWF TV? WWF sends you to All Japan - thoughts on working there and that style? Any favorite memories of that run with AJPW? AJPW memories of working with: Akira Taue? Kenta kobashi? Jun Akiyama? Gary Albright? Memories of wrestling in the WMC-TV studios? What makes you decide to leave WWF? How do you end up booked for ECW? Memories of the ECW title bout against Justin Credible in philadelphia? Why are you never seen in ECW again after that performance? You return to WCW at the New Blood Rising PPV - the company is being run by Vince Russo at this point - how different was it from your previous time with the company? Did it seem like Russo knew what he was doing? Memories of Team Canada with Lance Storm? Memories of being awarded the WCW Hardcore title and then losing it to Norman Smiley? What led to your quick WCW exit? Memories of working the Andrew McManus WWA tour in Australia? Did you think that company was going to take off or was he just a money mark? Memories of wrestling Alan Funk on that tour? How do you end up in TNA as X? Memories of working for TNA as X?   Thoughts on the atmosphere at the Nashville Fairgrounds? Thoughts on how jeff Jarrett ran the company at the time? Memories of working the following for TNA? Chris Sabin Jonny Storm Sonjay Dutt Christopher Daniels Shark Boy Low Ki Don Harris What led to that run ending? You were doing the French commentary for the series and did an angle with comedian Jean-Rene Dufort that was supposed to lead to a match - what happened that the match never happened? You have a WWF dark match vs. Tommy Dreamer in October 2007 - what led to that match happening? Memories of working for All Star Promotion in Great Britain? You get to finally beat Kevin Nash while working for IWS in Montreal.  Was it a surreal moment after everything that happened? You make the decision to retire in 2011 - what made you decide that was it for pro wrestling and PCO? What were you doing during the five years you were off before deciding to return to the ring in 2016? What was the moment that made you decide it was time to come back? Where does the French Frankenstein gimmick come from?  What made you come up with the idea? What’s your favorite thing about the gimmick? Were you even a Frankenstein fan? One of the hallmarks of the PCO character is his insane workouts online - where did you come up with that gimmick?  How important is Destro to creating it? How had the business changed since you had last wrestled?   Memories of wrestling WALTER at Spring Break 2 in New Orleans? Were you shocked at how that match gave you a ton of momentum with the fans? How do you think your life would have changed if you didn’t take that booking? Memories of working the 2018 PWG Battle of Los Angeles, losing to Brody King? Thoughts on King and how do you think he will do now that he’s signed with AEW? When did ROH reach out to sign you? Were you surprised? As we film this, ROH has just shut down and there’s no way to know whether it returns - what do you think went wrong with the company? How do you rate Hunter Johnston as a booker and do you think his creative took the company down the wrong path? Was it a case of a corporate environment hurting ROH’s creativity and flow as a company? Thoughts on being put together with Marty Scurll and Brody King as Villain Enterprises? Did you enjoy working with Marty? How do you feel about him being all but expelled from the business? Do you think he would have been a good booker for ROH? Thoughts on how Joe Koff and Greg Gilliland ran the company? When did you find out you were winning the ROH title at Final Battle 2019? What did that moment mean to you? What are your favorite memories of the title run? What did the Madison Square Garden show mean to you? Memroies of winning the crockett cup? Memories of working with and sharing the locker room with following: Briscoes Jay Lethal Dalton Castle   Silas Young Juice Robinson David Filay TK O'Ryan & Vinnie Marseglia Matt Taven Jeff Cobb Kojima Shane Taylor Yuji Nagata Rush Flip Gordon Mark Haskins Moses & Kaun PJ Black Tracy Williams EC3 Bandido The Bouncers Flamita Dan Maff Rey Horus Cheeseburger Eli Iso, Kenny King Danhausen Brian Johnson Sledge What made you decide to give notice to Ring of Honor? Could you see signs the company was going to go on hiatus? Did they try and get you to stay? What do think your time there means to your legacy overall in wrestling? How would you like to see the company remembered? They claim they will return in April 2022.  Would you want to go work for them again as an independent, unsigned talent? What made you decide to commit to so many GCW dates going forward? How much longer would you like to continue to wrestle? Any thoughts on what you’d like to do after your time in the ring? Do you think you have a big AEW or WWE run in you? How are you feeling physically after all the punishment the last five years? Would you ever want to work as an agent or booker or another behind the scenes role? Would you ever want to write a book about your time in the business? What were your favorite arenas to wrestle in? Is there anywhere you ever wanted to wrestle but didn’t get the chance? What was the worst travel day ever for you? Favorite ribs in the locker room? If you had to pick one final PCO opponent, who would it be? What do you think are the biggest misconceptions of you the person given the PCO public persona Any final messages to your fans?