Gary Michael Cappetta

1. How did you get involved in professional wrestling as a ring announcer?

I was at a WWF show in Wildwood, NJ. They didn’t have an announcer. I volunteered. And all of a sudden I found myself in center ring. I know it sounds unlikely. It was. And today it would be impossible.

2. You worked for both the WCW and WWF (now WWE). What were the major differences between the two companies during your tenure there?

My exposure to each organization was very different. When I worked with the WWF it was a part time job. I was a moonlighting Spanish teacher, who happened to be the weekly television announcer. When I joined the WCW broadcast team I left the world of education behind and ultimately signed a full time contract. So while my tenure in the WWF was longer, my association with WCW was more involved.
In each, I worked as many as 180 shows per year. With the WWF I did no more than announce from center ring. With WCW I was on the road all of the time except when I hosted the WCW Event Center and when I served as the play by play broadcaster for the WCW Spanish language edition of the weekly syndicated show.

That being said, the WWF told everyone what to do, no questions asked. On the other hand, WCW attempted to treat the talent as professional athletes, the way Turner treats his sports teams. Many of the guys took advantage of a good thing, which caused infighting and a weak administration. The WWF wrestling product was better organized than that of WCW, but I have no complaints with the way that I was treated by the Turner organization. The suits in WCW allowed me to grow beyond my ring announcer role. The production team was generous to me and very easy to work with. Whether we were taping the weekly shows or broadcasting live with a “Clash Of The Champions” or a pay-per-view, there was little need for pre-production meetings. We always had them, but they were unnecessary for the most part. Everyone on the production side of things meshed. It was the booking for the in ring product that sometimes was lacking and we’d have to cover for it whenever possible.

3. What did you enjoy most about being a ring announcer? What did you like the least?

I enjoyed the travel, the thrill of performing before appreciative audiences, the camaraderie with fellow performers, meeting people all over the world and the WCW paychecks.

In the WWF, I didn’t enjoy management’s attempt to intimidate the talent in order to keep everyone in line and the low pay that was doled out. They were confident that a performer who was made to feel insignificant wouldn’t dare ask for a raise. In WCW I didn’t appreciate the constant covering for the mismanagement of the Turner executives, as it was my job to spin tales from center ring to cover for no shows and why we wouldn’t be delivering to the fans what was promised.

4. Of all the interviews you have conducted, which people stand out as being the easiest to interview? Does anyone stand out as being difficult (maybe they just didn't have the knack for public speaking or weren't quite fast enough on their feet.)

Easy interviews were Flair and Cornette in the NWA/WCW, Larry Zbysko and Nick Bockwinkle in the AWA and Paul London and CM Punk in Ring of Honor. Tough interviews were Paul Heyman and Michael Hayes in the NWA/WCW (because at times it was their job to give me a hard time). For instance, the night Paul wrestled Madusa on a “Clash of the Champions”. Another “dangerous” interview was Stan Hansen, the night he won the AWA title from Rick Martel at the Meadowlands Arena. He inadvertently jammed the microphone into my mouth causing me to swallow my words.

5. What do you think of the current state of professional wrestling?

I couldn’t begin to give you a complete answer to this question in this limited format, but I’ll speak in generalities and anyone who wants my more specific thoughts on today’s pro wresting product can read my book, “Bodyslams!” or come out to see my “Bodyslams & Beyond” stage show.

Before I start, let me say that there’s never anything that’s all good or all bad. And you will never hear me say that pro wrestling during “the old territory days” far surpassed pro wresting in 2003 in every way. I don’t believe that to be true. So with that being said, first a few negatives, then a few positives, according to GMC.

NEGATIVES: It is sad that those who are running the national wrestling companies are either so ignorant or so creatively bankrupt that they need to resort to portrayals of masturbating midgets and necrophilia to gain attention. How desperate is that? Of course, they do gain a certain amount of attention. But when the attention doesn’t turn into ratings (business growth), why in the world do they continue? Why is it taking so long for them to realize that the athleticism, the drama and the suspense of a well booked wrestling show has been and always will be the answer? As far as I’m concerned, they can “out-vulgar” each other into oblivion. But my objection is the way in which this kind of product impacts the entire industry. First it sends the wrong message to those rookie wrestlers who don’t know any other way, thus risking the continuance of this ilk. And perhaps even more damaging is that we are losing an entire generation of young fans who have tuned out, or who are not allowed to watch wrestling on TV any more. I don’t have a problem with the production and the consumption of vulgarity. Just don’t call it pro wrestling. Label it whatever it is and offer the sludge on adult only outlets. That’s just the most obvious problem of one segment of the wrestling scene. My editorials on www.bodyslams.com address many of the others.

POSITIVES: Please don’t confuse my indictment of the national promotion’s management decisions with the impressive talent that each can boast. The wrestling styles of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, for example, are worthy of emulation by today’s up and coming wrestlers. And most gratifying to me are the incredibly talented and athletically gifted wave of indie workers that have a heart for the business and a willingness to learn. There are so many impressive young workers today, that I just hope they can outlast the current trend of national programs that espouse the “vulgarity sells” ideology. I want to see them work for a promotion that can showcase their athleticism and knowledge of wrestling psychology when they get their opportunity with a national company. Today, Ring Of Honor is the closest to my ideal North American promotion.

6. In recent months you have done some work for Ring Of Honor. How did that come about? What do you think of their product?

The Ring of Honor story follows the answer to your last question perfectly. Here’s what happened. Last July I attended my first ROH show in Philadelphia. Without knowing beforehand, I was announced as being in the audience. That’s something that I don’t like to have happen, but the commissioner never bothered to check with me. Anyway, I was so impressed by the quality of the talent that I called Gabe and Rob and told them that they had created something special and I wanted to work with them, but I didn’t want to ring announce full time. They have a fine ring announcer anyway. They wanted to use me for the in ring and behind the scenes interview segments for their home video and DVD collections. I started with them last September and am having a great time with a great group of professionals in a great promotion.

7. Other than ROH, are there any indy promotions that you have had the opportunity to see that have caught your attention or that you enjoy?

I have a couple of buddies who are working the independents who call me to take a ride with them from time to time. Ace Darling and John Walters are really fun to hang out with. So I’ve taken trips with them to Jim Kettner’s ECWA and a variety of New Jersey promotions. I honestly couldn’t list them because I can never remember the New Jersey promotions’ names. Aside from that, I’ve had the opportunity to promote my book at indie shows in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Boston, Green Bay, Newport News, Virginia and somewhere in Iowa. I think it was Spirit Lake, Iowa. I’ve always enjoyed those promotional visits.

8. How did you come up with the idea of the "Bodyslams & Beyond" Live Stage Show? How many have you done thus far? Do you plan on doing more across the country?

The stage show came about because I’ve had too much time on my hands. While I enjoy meeting people on the book tour and while I am trying to get my screenplay, “Fall For The Dream” produced, those two undertakings do not satisfy the creative side of my personality. If I’m not creating, I get bored. So I decided to create an event that would be a dream night out for wrestling fans, yet an event that isn’t a wrestling show. I thought wrestling fans would enjoy hearing some of the inside stories that I write about in my book and others that are not in the book (hence, the name “Bodyslams & Beyond”). So, we put together 20 video packages that serve as a background to my behind the scenes stories, add a little music, throw in a little of my warped humor, invite a guest star that I interview live on stage and that the audience can question as well and . . . BINGO . . you have “Bodyslams & Beyond”!

The next time we will be on the road with the show will be on Friday, June 13th in Methuen, Massachusetts. I’ve been invited by Chaotic Wrestling to bring the show to New England for the first time. And since Ring of Honor is running the next night in Cambridge, it will be a full weekend. For your readers to get all of the info they can check out www.chaoticwrestling.com.

As far as future plans for the show, it is possible that you will see it on DVD. And in order to bring the show out on the road, all you have to do is to invite me. I’m easy to find at bodyslamsbook@aol.com or www.bodyslams.com.

9. What do you do when you are not doing any work in the wrestling world? What do you do in your spare time?

At the moment I am preparing for the June 13th “Bodyslams & Beyond” show. I keep updating it and I like to come up with new ways to present the most popular stories that people always want to hear. Also, I’ve got to keep my book distributor stocked in order to keep them happy. And I am currently working with a few up and coming wrestlers who have a great deal to offer to the wrestling world and are willing to sacrifice in order to make that happen. Anything I can do along those lines is an investment in the business that has been so good to me. It’s time for me to give back to the pro wrestling business and mentoring deserving talent who have gotten in touch with me is my way to do that.

Away from wrestling I like to get to the gym, read biographies and watch movies on videos. There is a chance that I’ll be going back to the classroom. I recently had an offer to do that but decided to pass on it for now.

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Five years? If things go as I’d like in the next two or three years, then in five years you’ll be seeing the sequel to my wrestling based flick, “Fall For The Dream”. And if the national products don’t wise up and get back to the three key elements that has always been the basis for a successful wresting product (athleticism, drama and suspense), then I just might round up the talented wrestlers who deserve to be seen by larger audiences and give them the opportunity to shine. It is more likely though, that in five years, Ring Of Honor will already be providing that high profile showcase for these impressive young athletes. If so, I’d like to be a part of that.

Thanks for inviting me to participate in your Ten Questions feature. I encourage the readers of your web site to drop me a line with any additional questions.

When using any of this information give proper credit to Cactusb and the Wrestling Clothesline at http://www.wrestlingclothesline.com

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