Ringside Chat With Tracy Smothers
Written by Phil Allely
Tracy Smothers is a true grappling legend having worked all over the world and for every major promotion in the US at some point in his 20+ year career. From his early days in Florida to the NWA/WCW, WWF/WWE and as part of the FBI in ECW. Smothers still plies his trade today most recently on an Irish tour where yours truly got to see the ring general work a crowd to perfection. This sit down interview from Highspots Home Video from 2005 covers everything form his first meeting with long-time tag team partner Steve Armstrong and their fallout with promoter Dusty Rhodes, to his solo career and travels around the globe honing his skills and reaffirming his reputation a true hard-hitting wrestler. This is a very relaxed and informative interview that is all the more amazing because Smothers although never a headliner has more to tell than many top level stars and seems more willing to offer young up and comers his vast experience and help to aid the business he just can’t seem to leave. This is a wonderful two hour trek through early WCW experiences, hard-hitting stints for Japan’s W*ing and All Japan promotions, Smokey Mountain Wrestling, ECW, XPW and his return to ECW as part of the Hardcore Homecoming and One Night Only shows, the differences between the Shane Douglas and WWE organised events, his first hand knowledge of the JBL and Blue Meanie altercation, his involvement in it and how JBL is not likely to appear on his Christmas card list anytime soon. Tracy Smothers is one entertaining guy that unlike so many other veterans seems to have weathered the hard-living 1980s-1990s periods well and still has so much to offer the sport even when his body is giving up , here’s hoping we see him get a behind the scenes post for the WWE or TNA where his skills and experiences can benefit the young talent the promotions need to stay alive and in business.
This is one shoot style interview that is well worth tracking down.
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