TNA'S FATHER JAMES MITCHELL DISCUSSES BEING PRAISED AS AN OLD SCHOOL STYLE MANAGER, ABYSS, BREAKING IN THE BUSINESS, ECW, STRANGE AUTOGRAPH REQUESTS & MORE
By Neal Jones on 2008-04-05 10:47:36
“Father†James Mitchell was the guest on In Your Head Wrestling Online
Radio hosted by Jack, OneInchBiceps and Barbie Richards. Listen live every
Wednesday 8:00-10:00 PM EST at
http://www.inyourheadonline.com
and check out our full FREE archive section with over 3 years of archived
interviews.
James is welcomed to the show.
James talks about working for Greg Price (NWA Legends) on the Indy scene
before he got his big break. James mentions he will be signing 8x10’s,
taking pictures and they will have a limited number of the very rare TNA James
Mitchell action figure.
James talks about getting to meet up with some of the wrestlers he hasn’t
seen for a while like Bill Alfonso, Nikita, Tammy Sytch and Sabu. James talks
about seeing Tammy recently and she is looking very good again and has her
life turned around.
James talks about Sabu being a legend in his own time. He says he learned from
his uncle The Sheik to keep a mystery about him.
Jack asks what the strangest thing anyone has asked James to sign. James says
a “marital aidâ€, a motorized device that ones usually find at a bedside
drawer. James says it was a huge one as well.
James talks about guys that got him into wrestling. James says Abdullah the
Butcher and The Sheik were the over the top heels he loved. He also was into
Johnny Valentine, Ric Flair, Blackjack Mulligan in Mid Atlantic. He also
admired Dick Slater from Georgia. James says his all time favorite manager was
The Grand Wizard, he also admired Gary Hart and Freddie Blassie.
James says the 1970’s was a very colorful time for the wrestling business.
He talks about the Apter mags in the 70’s. Once he got into the business he
was insulted by them, then years later he revisited them and found a certain
charm to the, James talks about the sleazy ads in the old 70’s magazines
like chest hair toupees. James likes the over the top crazy stories that the
Apter magazines would make up, and the bloody colorful pictures you’d see.
Before the internet and dirt sheets this was where you got your information.
Jack asks if James collects wrestling memorabilia. James says here and there,
he collects all his articles from magazines or newspapers. He will collect
something if it has sentimental value to him. James talks about losing some
eBay auctions for The Sheik turbans.
James talks about Jim Cornette’s house and his collection in the museum
wing. James says Cornette is one of the great minds in the wrestling business,
and historian. He would put Cornette neck and neck with Bobby Heenan as best
managers of all time.
James talks about his first big break on TV was for Greg Price in 1990 or
1991. Then he moved onto SMW with Jim Cornette. He says that’s where he
started getting a buzz about him.
Jack asks if James always wanted to be a manger or if he ever thought of being
a wrestler. James says as a kid he wanted to be a wrestler but learned early
that he didn’t have the size and his strength was verbal not physical.
James talks about his collection of human oddities and how that is a shoot
collection that became part of his wrestling character. He has things such as
mummified hands, Fiji mermaids, pickled punks, misshaped fetuses and many
other things such as Freak show banners.
Jack mentions a recent interview Paul Bearer where he considered James
Mitchell an old school manager. James says he felt rather touched by that.
James says Percy is a wealth of knowledge. James talks about guys riding with
someone like Percy and learning so much about the business. Old school is a
compliment to James he says. Many people are only worried about putting
themselves over not their talent.
Jack asks what guys James managed that he had the best chemistry with. James
says he had a great time with Abyss. James says Judas will be back, and
expects big things from him. James says Mortis was very underrated and had a
great mask that the lucha wrestlers were jealous of. James says Abdullah the
Butcher was one of the first guy he got to manage, and he was dumbfounded by
the experience. James jokes he just stood there like a mark next to Abby.
James says him and Abyss was catching lightning in the bottle. Abyss was a top
notch wrestler needing icing and he was icing needing of the cake. James says
Abyss is a wonderful performer who has “itâ€. James mentions they want to
kill each other on and off screen. James puts over Abyss working with AJ
Styles.
Jack says people say a good little guy can carry a big man, but does it take a
good big man to make a match with a small guy look good. James says he
doesn’t have time to go into the intricacies of working. James says there is
an art form to it, and he does agree. James also says the very best can change
their style to suit someone else. He brings up the famous saying of how Ric
Flair can work with a broom.
James mentions having good times with The New Church and Jack remembers the
“Catacombs Are Filled With Souls†song fondly.
James thanks the IYH crew, lets everyone know to check out TNA Wrestling
Thursdays on Spike TV and to visit their Youtube page which is one of the top
rated and subscribed. For more information on TNA please visit:
http://www.tnawrestling.com
For information on seeing James Mitchell in person at Signamania April 5th in
Levittown, Pa. please visit:
http://www.signamania.com
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