ECW Original Accuses WWE Performer Of Racism, Recalls Beat Down By Fellow Wrestler

ECW Original "The Kingpin" Angel Medina, who was a member of the ECW faction "Da Baldies," appeared on The Hot Tag Podcast recently and talked with hosts Shaheen and Boxman about his career inside the squared circle and beyond. Discussing his start in the business, Medina recalled that he initially walked away from wrestling after an encounter with Big Vito LaGrasso.

"First time I got in , I was 17 years old, walked in Gleason's Gym," Medina recalled. "And the people who were there at the time [were] Mondo Kleen?Damien Demento at the time?Hugh Morris, Big Vito?Dances With Wolves Dudley?and, of course when you go into wrestling? when you're a kid, wrestling's fake. 'Oh, I want to be a wrestler.' It's just like being an actor? 'I want to play wrestle,' you know? I pretended I wanted to play wrestle and I got my ass handed to me by the big guys and I quit. Big Vito was the one. He beat me up, and I quit. And then, years later? in my 20s, he was in WWF with The Big Bossman and Vito put Big Bossman over, loses? Then I thought? 'That's that motherf?er I had that beef with! F?k that dude!... He can be beaten!' ?And I said, 'I'm going back.' And I went back to Gleason's and started training again. And to this day, me and Vito are good friends. We're the best of friends and I rib him all the time."

Asked about his time wrestling in Puerto Rico and some personal issues with wrestling legend Dutch Mantel?who has recently performed in WWE as Zeb Coulter?Medina initially shrugged off the chance to discuss the controversy, saying "that's all over the Internet." Shortly thereafter, he opened up about his heat with Mantel.

"I can't say we don't get along; I just don't like the motherf?er," Medina said. "I heard he got hurt when he was on Raw. F?k him. I hope he broke his back. I hope he can't walk.... He's a racist piece of sh-t and I'll tell him to his face."

Medina then recalled an encounter with Mantel that allegedly occurred when he worked in Puerto Rico after ECW folded. He said he shared a place with wrestlers Lobo and Anarchy as well as Mantel himself and after a heated disagreement over their living arrangements one evening, Medina's standing with the promotion began to wane. Medina blamed Mantel for sabotaging his work in Puerto Rico and added that when he had an opportunity to go to TNA some time later, Mantel prevented that from happening as well. According to Medina, Homicide offered him a spot as his tag partner for LAX and this was supported by Terry Taylor but Mantel?who worked in TNA's front office?vetoed the deal and Hernandez landed the gig. Medina ultimately explained that he thinks Mantel is a racist because he feels like Mandel lived off the Puerto Rican people while he worked there but nevertheless treated them badly.

"[T]he next time I see him, I don't care if it's Tennessee, the Hall of Fame, or at his own funeral, I'm going to punch him in his f?ing mouth and stomp a mud hole in his ass," Medina laughed. "He knows if he sees me, he's going to sh-t a brick. He knows I'm not hiding it on the Internet. I'm not hiding it on radio talk shows. So he's hearing this and he's listening in right there in Tennessee, drinking his f?ing moonshine? spitting it out? 'Oh sh-t! he's coming to get me, son!' "

You can listen to the entire interview at this link.