Axl Rotten Speaks On ECW, Paul Heyman, & More
www.PWMania.com caught up with Axl Rotten for an exclusive interview, below is the full interview:
Andy Steven: Firstly I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview for www.PWMania.com.
How did you break into the wrestling business and what have you been up to recently?
Axl Rotten: I started wrestling when I was 16. I had my 1st match in 1987. I trained at a boxing gym in Baltimore MD.
Andy Steven: In 1993 you started to work with ECW and you were a major part of the company. How did you and ECW get in contact and did anyone especially help you get in the company and give you your spot light?
Axl Rotten: Ian got us booked. Paul was who kept us around though.
Andy Steven: You and your Ian Rotten, known as the Bad Breed, were a tag team for a good few years in ECW, how did the Tag Team get started and who s idea?
Axl Rotten: It was my idea. I was going to Texas to wrestle and I didn't want to go by myself. I came up with the team idea.
Andy Steven: You and Ian were involved in several high-class ECW tag team hardcore matches such as the Taipei Death Match, which one was your favorite and who came up with the ideas?
Axl Rotten: Axl vs. Ian has become legendary in wrestling. We wrote the book on that blood and gore stuff. Taipei 1 was my favorite Ian came up with it.
Andy Steven: How different would you say WWE is now to when it was competing with ECW and WCW?
Axl Rotten: It's better.
Andy Steven: You have wrestled nearly all over the world and all over America, have you ever had a favorite place you came across?
Axl Rotten: I like Philly, NY, Boston
Andy Steven: You were involved in last years ECW One Night Stand, and you also participated at WWE shows before ONS and after it, how would you call that experience?
Axl Rotten: I loved everything about it. It was top notch.
Andy Steven: Was there any heat backstage at the first ECW One Night Stand?
Axl Rotten: None that I saw other than what everyone already knows about.
Andy Steven: What happened with that joke that Paul Heyman said that the Public Enemy would loose to the Bad Breed so the Bad Breed could become number one contenders?
Axl Rotten: No clue
Andy Steven: Recently on WWE programming there has been a lot of hype on ECW and also ECW type action on WWE RAW with more recently Terry Funk and Mick Foley having a segment and also Tommy Dreamer returning to RAW as well as Joey Styles quitting WWE, what are your thoughts on these storylines and do you think WWE can hype ECW in a better way, what do you think WWE s plans are for ECW?
Axl Rotten: I think it's all being done very well.
Andy Steven: Going back to your ECW days, you competed in the ECW heavyweight division as a singles wrestler in 1996, what did you prefer the tag division or singles action?
Axl Rotten: Tag team
Andy Steven: You formed a tag team with Balls Mahoney in 1997 known as the The Hardcore Chair Swingin Freaks, what are you memories on the experience?
Axl Rotten: We loved the fans and the fans loved us. We had fun every time we went to the ring.
Andy Steven: What did you prefer from the The Bad Breed and The Hardcore Chair Swingin Freaks?
Axl Rotten: Both. Balls and I had a lot more fun.
Andy Steven: I would like to thank you very much once again for taking this time to take part in this interview for www.PWMania.com you the best of luck in the future and do you have any messages to say to your fans?
Axl Rotten: Thanks for everything and all the support over the years.