Show: The Interactive Interview (Courtesy of ProWrestling.com)
Guest: Madusa
Date: 9th January 2003
Your Hosts: Daniel Edler & James Walsh
Recap by: James Walsh
The Interactive Interview has been honored to interview some of the most beautiful women on the planet over the past year. From our initial show with Trinity on to Jasmin St. Claire, Francine, and Missy Hyatt, we’ve seen our share of beauties. In this interview, we have someone who is not just a beauty but a legend in her own time. The one and only Madusa!
James and Dan go over an hour with the former AWA, Japan, WCW, and WWE superstar. We also discuss her new book, current position as a monster truck driver, her relationships, and all points in between. One of our best interviews to date, for my money, and one you simply must download as well as read the transcript of!
Madusa
— Madusa is keeping active as always. After a long career in the entertainment industry, she still keeps going because she finds a way to reinvent Madusa. She feels many stay stagnant in their career. She hasn’t.
— Madusa’s always been a “motor head.” She rides motorcycles and such. So, Mike Webber who used to work for WCW and was working with “clear channel entertainment” called and asked if she’d be interested in driving monster trucks. Her response was “why me? I used to beat people up for a living, now the truck beats me up.”
— Mike said it was because she is different and she’s “got balls, no fears.” So, she checked it out and ended up really falling in love with it.
— “It’s a whole different way of abusing your body. In professional wrestling, it was the opponent’s life in my hands. Now, it’s my own life in my own hands.”
— The monster truck is red, white, and blue. “It’s Madusa, M. A. D. U. S. A! Just like it’s been my whole life.”
— Madusa is proud to own the rights to that name. She had the name her entire life and the reason she didn’t go under the name Madusa in the WWE was because Vince wanted to buy the name and she wouldn’t sell it. That’s why she came up with the name Alundra Blayze.
— After 17 years in wrestling, Madusa finds herself leaving wrestling, a man’s sport, and entreating monster truck racing, a man’s sport. She says more females are needed in the sport “so c’mon!” To find out more, check out http://www.madusa.com if you are a female interested in getting your foot in the door of monster trucks.
— Madusa was a nurse prior to getting into wrestling. “I used to mend bones before I broke them.” She originally was to be a stunt woman. But, she then was turned on to pro wrestling. She didn’t want to at first but then she watched it and she got very interested in it.
— She started training with Ed Sharky in a 24 by 24 foot room. She quit her nursing job 2 weeks later and “here I am!”
— Candi Divine is someone her heart goes out to because she worked so hard and never got the “big break.”
— Madusa seems impressed that we asked about her initial title victory in the AWA over Candi Divine. Madusa then admits that she has been looking back at a lot of her career because she is working on her autobiography which she hopes to release in November of 2004.
— The reason she left the AWA was to go to Japan. Vern Gagne got wind that she was going to be going on the tour of Japan so he had her drop the belt to Wendi Richter. Madusa ended up getting injured on that match, she remembers it well.
— Madusa then went to Japan. “That’s where I got my ass kicked!” Madusa never had brothers or sisters nor did she really have a dad. That, she feels, is why she was so determined to “get up and do it.” So, she had heard the bad stories about how stiff they were in Japan. But, she did it. She was the first woman to go to Japan and be offered a contract.
— In Japan, she was a “pop idol.” She had action figures, merchandise, and everything. She was putting on concerts and had a music CD out. “What the hell, I can’t sing!”
— Ultimately, the Japanese promoters were great to her and never missed an opportunity. So, when she was ready to leave to go back to the United States, she was instead sent to train for boxing. She ended up loving boxing and was in line to face Christy Martin. “I would have beat her ass!”
— In terms of training, Madusa ran miles on the sugar sand along the beach to get ready for boxing. She feels both wrestling and boxing are both very physically demanding.
— Madusa found out when she came back to the states that the reason she was rarely on TV at times was because her matches were outshining the male matches.
— Madusa does not know where people can buy the CD of her singing but some fans have it and whenever someone tells her they do have it, she says “Oh shit! Burn it!” She has one copy for herself and “it’s not getting out of my hands!”
— Going back to other things she is doing recently, Madusa is doing color commentary for speed boat races and such. When asked about doing color for wrestling, she said she wouldn’t mind it but she won’t entertain an offer unless it is very well planned out. She won’t return just for a one shot deal that means very little.
— When asked about Rick Rude, “I just got chills. Rick was full of tricks! He was a showman. You could watch his matches and not get bored. I was very honored to manage him and I miss him, as I’m sure we all do.”
— Regarding Missy Hyatt’s recent remarks on the Interactive Interview, Madusa isn’t sure what the heat was. “Missy Hyatt is a beautiful woman. I always thought she was the most beautiful woman in WCW. I always thought she was the most beautiful girl in the business! I don’t remember speaking with Missy after Eddie Gilbert died. I think we may have spoken once just to say “Did you know Eddie passed? I’m so sorry.” It was very brief and that was it. I’m the type of person that if I have something to say, I don’t have to say it in an interview, I will say it to their face. But, that’s the only discussion I remember with Missy Hyatt.”
— It was Eddie Gilbert and Madusa teaming up against Luna Vachon and Mick Foley. They ended up hitting it off and got married shortly after that. “Eddie just had things to take care of in his own life before he could carry on with anything else. Being his wife and supporter, we both chose the best thing to do would be to get a divorce so he could clear things up.”
— When asked about Eddie’s death being drug related. “A truth is what a truth is when proven. If that’s the truth, then there were things he needed to clear up.”
— “It was a very hard business as a woman. I never reverted to drugs. I never had to get on my knees and do sexual acts to get ahead in the business. I’m very proud to say. I’m one strong woman in the business that has done well. Am I blowing my own horn? Yeah. Thank God I never had to revert to the drugs.”
— Madusa was dating Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and they were doing indy shows. Greg said he knew Pat Patterson and she should consider going to the WWE. Madusa didn’t think the WWE would want her but Greg gave Pat a call and she still remembers sitting in the office debating what she would be called because she “would not sell out Madusa.” So, Alundra Blayze was born.
— Alundra Blayze has no hidden or special meaning to her. Herself and Vince just wanted something different and that is what they came up with together.
— At the time Madusa was there, the WWF was in the downward spiral. There were changes left and right and people were being cut. She said it was a lot like today. She says it goes up for a few years and as high up as it goes is as down as it goes. So, Vince now monopolized everything. She holds no grudges against Vince for that, though. “Vince is a very generous man, but he doesn’t let you forget.”
— “I was still the WWE champion when they let me go! I’m still the champion as far as I’m concerned and I still have the belt! Eric Bischoff called and asked if I’d be interested in a job and I said sure.” Eric said, “How would you like to come in, cut a great promo, and throw the WWF title in the can? Hello! Wrestling is acting! Vince is responsible for it being entertainment!” She then goes on to say that she threw the belt in the can only because she was told to and she didn’t enjoy it because she respected the belt.
— She was really saddened by Bertha Faye’s death. She loved working her. Her and Harvey were a great pair. She feels some thought it was stupid but she thought it was cute!
— Bull Nakano is a legend of wrestling as far as Madusa is concerned. Her matches with Nakano both in Japan and the US are her favorite matches of her career.
— Madusa laughs at the question about being Col. Parker’s “Fried Pie.” She wonders if we knew what that meant and to be honest neither Daniel nor I James. Madusa asked, “How about Apple Pie of his Eye?”
— The run with Parker and Sherri was great. Sherri was responsible for teaching her the ropes in the AWA. She was tough on her because that is how you learn.
— “This last time I left WCW there was some heavy turbulence I have good instincts. I had a feeling it was going to come to a head and Vince was going to buy WCW. My contract was coming up and thank God. I was already racing for the last year. I was wrestling and racing. I was a bit unhappy. Instead of being bitter and angry, I left. I thought Vince was going to buy it so I got out of my contract.” She goes on to say that the reason she didn’t let her contract roll over was to avoid Vince buying the contract and as such obtaining the rights to the name Madusa.”
— Madusa is running through the timetable in her mind from when she lost the retirement match. Debra, Elizabeth, Mean Gene, and Madusa went to a bar after a TV taping. She saw this tall, dark, and handsome man across the bar and she told the girls “he’s mine!” So, someone bought her a beer. She assumed, as everyone did, that it was the guy she liked that bought her the beer. So, she walked over and thanked him and the man told her he had not bought her the beer. She ran back to the girls and Gene and was embarrassed. Gene Okerlund made fun of her about it for a while and somehow they ended up actually talking and hitting it off.
— Daniel demands to know who bought Madusa the beer. “It was probably some fan or maybe Mean Gene,” she said while laughing.
— We ask if she has memories of Elizabeth, “Oh my God, I just can’t believe it still. Her and I got real close in WCW. I mean Elizabeth and Debra got real close. Man, it’s tragic. It’s a loss. I’m angry, I’m upset. It should have never happened and it could have been avoided.” She says she has great stories and photos of Elizabeth in her book.
— She returned in 1999 with “Team Madness.” Things were “hectic” at the time and Daniel and James laugh saying “Wow, that’s a nice way to put it!” She really seemed to enjoy the angle because it was three different women from different walks of life and the Macho Man. So, it worked.
— Madusa knew Vince Russo in the WWF. He’d make her laugh. But, sometimes things changes when positions change and “you get a little bit too macho” and it goes to your head. So, her opinion changed.
— When asked about Meng, “Oh my God! I’ll never forget that! My butt showed on TV!” Her fondest, or funniest memory of that was punching Meng in the stomach and how it felt like a steel wall. So, the next week at Nitro, Meng confronts Madusa and lifts his shirt and says “Hey Madusa! Check this out!” (An impression that simply must be heard to appreciate) His stomach was bruised up. She said “Woah! This is supposed to be working punches!”
— Wrestling men was a nice way to twist things. She always felt she had to be one up on the bookers and the “friggen committee.” So, she realized they weren’t pushing her as she deserved so reverse psychology was used. She said she hated wrestling men so they made her the men’s cruiserweight champion. “I should’ve been on the committee!”
— When asked about training the women in the WCW Power Plant when Russo demanded they be able to wrestle, “Nora Greenwald {Ms. Madness/Molly Holly} was the only one that had any talent.” She goes on to say that Nora was convinced Madusa was trying to kill her. “One time I was backing up in my car and Nora was like, right there! So, she started running and screaming “MADUSA’S TRYING TO KILL ME!” She thought I had it out for her or something and it was hilarious. What the whole scene reminded me of was what Sherri Martel did to me. She wanted me to excel. She was hard as nails. She was freakin’ brutal!”
— “I had a lot of girls that were good looking. Some with no brains … Some that should have just been models.” She feels you can’t force girls that don’t want to wrestle to wrestle. If their head isn’t in it, she feels they will get hurt. And, many got hurt.
— She feels it was a drill sergeant atmosphere but it was still not half what the women in Japan were put through. She says no woman in the business today would last in Japan.
— When asked why the feud with Elizabeth was cut short in 2000, Madusa remarks “I don’t know. I think it was the booking committee. I don’t think they had a clue. I really don’t.” She goes on to say she was in favor of the feud and told them it was something she was enjoying. This proves reverse psychology worked. If she had said she hated it, it would have kept going and they would have stayed on TV.
— When asked about the scaffold match she had teaming with Billy Kidman against Shane Douglas and Torrie Wilson, “Torrie Wilson was scared shitless.” Madusa says she can’t blame her but it was obvious she was scared. She doesn’t know what they were thinking putting her up there. And, “I was too friggen high… In the air that is!”
— As for entertaining offers from Playboy, she already has. Actually, in 1987 she posed but she never signed a release so the photos never made the magazine. Back then Playboy wasn’t an “opportunity” as it is today. There was no machine behind you that gets you in the magazine to get your name out there. She did her own press kit and biography for the opportunity and actually got to party at the mansion. But, it was either that or Japan and she chose Japan and didn’t want that over her head. If they came to her today, she doesn’t know.
— Madusa asked us to put this in big letters. SHE DIDN’T MEAN TO OFFEND ANYBODY BY THROWING THE WOMEN’S BELT IN THE TRASH! Madusa didn’t mean to burn a bridge there, she did what she was told.
— She didn’t know of any anger from Vince towards her until recently when she called to get clearance for some match clips to release a “Best of Madusa” video. The secretary asked her to call later and when she did, Vince told the lady Madusa spoke to that they couldn’t assist her with footage not photographs for her autobiography which she didn’t even mention. Madusa was almost crying on the phone trying to explain that she didn’t do it to spite Vince but just was doing what she was told.
— Madusa stresses that the book is about her and not everybody but her. She has a title set but won’t share it until it’s registered and copyrighted. But, it’s a great book she feels and she is just putting the finishing touches on it. Things like her relationships with some of the wrestlers that she originally wasn’t sure she would put in but now wants in the book. There are three publishers interested and she is sure it will be out soon!
— As far as the Madusa video, it may have to be just the Best of Madusa in Japan since Vince owns the WWE and WCW libraries and seems mad at her. She isn’t sure who owns the AWA library.
We then go into Word Associations with names like Sherri, Misty Blue, Elizabeth, Peggy Lee Leather, Rick and Scott Steiner, Curt Hennig, Eric Bischoff, Vince McMahon, and many more!
To listen to the show, see the below website.