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Yesterday, PWInsider Elite subscribers began listening to a 97 minute interview conducted by Mike Johnson with Jim Cornette on a number of topics, including the WWE Hall of Fame honoring the late Ray Traylor aka The Big Bossman. Before his run as the Bossman, Traylor was best known as the silent but deadly Big Bubba Rogers, Jim Cornette's on-screen bodyguard for Jim Crockett Promotions.
In this exclusive excerpt from the discussion, transcribed by Sam C., Cornette talks Rogers, his WWE HOF induction and more.
To hear the entire conversation, subscribe to the Elite section at www.PWInsiderElite.com. For more on all things Jim Cornette, visit www.JimCornette.com.
Mike: One of the reasons I wanted to set this up and have a chance to talk to you is WWE did announce Big Bossman, who of course was Big Bubba Rogers, is going to be honored and put into their WWE Hall of Fame this year. I wanted to get your thoughts on them honoring him and memories of working with him because he was a very important part of the Midnight Express act in Jim Crocket Promotions.
Cornette: Well he was the fourth Midnight Express member for acouple of years and I wrote quite a bit about it in The Midnight Express Scrapbook and I've done some columns for Fighting Spirit Magazine. I encourage everybody I do a monthly column for Fighting Spirit Magazine in the United Kingdom. You can also read them on my website JimCornette.com, but I did a column about Bubba once. He was one of the fastest learners and if you go back and look through recent wrestling history over the past fifty years I think he was probably the quickest main event star, even quicker than The Rock. The quickest main event star in professional wrestling at that level, literally three months after he debuted on television he was main eventing with Dusty Rhodes, and in six mans with The Midnight Express against guys like The Road Warriors and The Rock N' Roll Express. He set an attendance record in Pittsburgh in February of 1987. He hadn't even been a pro for a full year yet and set an attendance record in Pittsburgh at the Civic Arena with Dusty that still stands. He picked things up incredibly quick he had the advantage of working with, you know, the best in the business at the time but Dusty saw something in him on that original time he came to TBS and did jobs as Ray Traylor one time and he took him off TV three months and brought him back as Big Bubba Rogers and he told him what has gimmick was and then let Bubba figure out how to portray it in the ring, I mean obviously gave him advice but you know Bubba figured that sh** out, and he figured out how to be that mysterious bad man that never spoke and he would sell but nothing could hurt him. So a lot of people say, "Well he didn't sell some things right when he wasn't supposed to" but in a match he learned how to sell as a huge giant monster and it was action but still be strong. It was incredible for a guy at that experience level, and he just, you know, by the time he was working really in Japan in what the early 90's after he was Bossman and left the WWF he was the best big man in the business.
Mike: You know, it's amazing to me. I can still remember he worked Hulk Hogan in a pretty big program I think in around '88 or '89, and they were doing superplexes off the top of the steel cage.
Jim: Well wait a minute now Hogan was doing it and Bubba was taking it (Laughs).
Mike: Point taken. Well they both went down thanks to gravity but I mean that was, I remember it being I think it was in the Garden, Madison Square Garden and I remember sitting there thinking like even in my young age going, "That was crazy!"
Jim: Well you know as a matter of fact Bubba had called me when he got that run with Hogan. I was obviously still living in Charlotte and he called me one day and he said, he told me about the superplex because he was really proud about that and he was also proud I think he had a twenty thousand dollar week, and this was in what, 1988 like you said working with Hulk Hogan. So, what would that be today, fifty grand on payoffs, no guarantees?
Mike: Yeah, probably
Jim: But you know to answer your question I'm thrilled about this one that he's going in the Hall of Fame, and I have, I have somewhat poo-pooed the Hall of Fame in the past, even though in the past several years they've made it such a huge ceremony, it's a big deal to the people involved and I think it'll be great for Bubba's wife Angie. I mean, we never called him Ray. Bobby, Stan, Dennis, any of us will still call him Bubba. But it will be a big deal for his wife Angie and for his fans and family and I'm all for it.
Mike: You're not going to be attend the Hall of Fame, correct?
Jim: Well they probably have my picture up at the back door, you know, along with the ugly guy with the hoodie over his head and the sunglasses with the you know, suspicious package.
Mike: (Laughs) I was going to say like Scott Steiner last year.
Jim: (Laughs) They got my picture up next to Scotty so it looks like i'm his manager.
Mike: I'll never forget that. I'm walking into the Hall of Fame, the security guys holding a photo and I'm like "That photo kinda looks like Scott Steiner." Then about four hours later, I get a phone call and I'm like "Oh it really WAS Scott Steiner's photo they were passing around!" Amazing.
Jim: Scotty is another guy who followed the example "I can't make you believe wrestling is real but I can make you believe I'm real."
Mike: Isn't that the case.
Jim: But I do think it's going to be great i'm looking forward to, I will watch that whenever they air it, or wherever I can see it I will definitely watch that induction. I have no idea who's going to induct him.
Mike: Well that's one of the things I was wondering because if there was anybody who was perfect for inducting him in my mind, it should be you.
Jim: Well now here's the thing. I have no relationship, not relationship, I have no responsibility I have nothing to do with Big Bossman, and that's who they're inducting.
Mike: That's true.
Jim: Big Bubba Rogers, in my opinion, I always liked Bubba as a gimmick better than Bossman but he made more money as Bossman. But I really don't know who comes to mind as the perfect person to do it because as somebody mentioned acouple of his best friends also were Curt Hennig, up there, and Rick Rude and they're gone. My Twitter lit up, a lot of people. I said, 'No they did not ask me because they're not nominating Big Bubba Rogers also because I wouldn't think if they were drowning they'd ask me to throw them a rope!' You know the annual letter...I told this story but the annual letter supposedly I guess ex-talent gets telling people about the drug rehab and you know if you have any problems, let us know we'll take care of everything, I worked there as the manager of all of their champions, at various times, I even wrestled acouple of matches, but was a manager, was a talent, was also an announcer, was also a member of the creative team, and was also a general office gopher and flunky. So by any of those jobs, I've never gotten a letter! (Laughs)
Mike: (Laughs) They just can't find you Jim!
To hear the entire conversation, subscribe to the Elite section at www.PWInsiderElite.com. For more on all things Jim Cornette, visit www.JimCornette.com
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