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PWINSIDER Q&A: RIC FLAIR, ROAD WARRIORS, STEEL CAGE MATCHES AND MORE

I was watching the Road Warriors DVD, and Animal seemed legitimately annoyed at Hawk teaming with Kensuke Sasaki while Animal was hurt.  I don't get it.  Sasaki and Hawk were called the "Hell Raisers" and while Kensuke dressed like a Road Warrior and all, they never called the team the Legion Of Doom.  After Hawk's death, Animal teams with freakin' Heidenreich and dares call the team the LOD!  I don't get it.

There definitely seems to be a bit of a double-standard there.  I didn't see the issue with Hawk and Kensuke teaming together, since it was a different team name, and in truth, Animal later teamed with Hawk and Kensuke in six-man tags.  As for the Heidenreich thing, I didn't have a problem with the team, but using the LOD moniker was a bit awkward to me, although I guess it could also be seen as a tribute.

When do you think Ric Flair will wrestle again?  And please, don't tell me he never will.  Unless someone is physically unable to, the great ones always come back.

Well, if his son Reid decides to dedicate himself to wrestling (and there are questions about that), I definitely could see Flair working a bout as a partner with his son. 

To your knowledge, when and where did the first cage match take place?

I always credited Fred Blassie for the first cage match, a chicken wire and wood cage that was called "Blassie's Cage" and used to end his legendary feud with The Sheik in Los Angeles in the late 60's. However, there apparently was a cage match (again, chicken wire was used) in 1937 in Georgia between Jack Bloomfield and Petro Rossi.  

Regarding cage matches, the "Last Battle of Atlanta" between Buzz Sawyer and Tommy Rich seems to get a ton of recognition. I realize there is no known footage of the match, but what made this cage match live in infamy the way it has?

I think it can be attributed to a number of factors.  First, it was a red-hot feud in the territory, with Rich being the ultimate babyface and Sawyer being the despicable heel.  Second, it was reportedly a very good match, and got a lot of play in the wrestling magazines (which were very important in the industry at the time).  Third, because there is no footage of the match, it has taken on an almost mythical stature in the minds of fans. 

Was Uncle Elmer really related to Hillbilly Jim?

Nope, Uncle Elmer, who also wrestled as Plowboy Frazier, Tex Frazier, Giant Hillbilly, and other names, was not related to WWF tag team partner and "nephew" Hillbilly Jim.  Probably best known for getting married during an edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Elmer (real name Stan Frazier), passed away in 1992 at the age of 61. 

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