J.J. Dillon

WrestlingClothesline.com is honored to present our 350th edition of "10 Questions With". Today's 10 Questions interview is with the leader of the premier and most legendary wrestling "family" in the history of professional wrestling, the Four Horsemen, the one and only, J.J. Dillon. From fan to referee to wrestler to manager, JJ Dillon has done it all in the wrestling business and WrestlincClothesline.com is thrilled that Mr. Dillon was able to take time out of his busy schedule to answer 10 Questions for us and our readers.
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1. During your wrestling career you were a referee, wrestler, manager, booker, agent, and almost anything else one could imagine. Which of these did you enjoy doing the most? Is there any aspect of the business that you didn't do that you would have liked to?

1. As you point out, I pretty much did everything connected to the wrestling business at one point or another along the way. I derived a sense of satisfaction from being a referee, wrestler, manager, booker, promoter and agent, but I loved being a wrestler the most. It is such a challenge to become a proficient wrestler, and I believe it has become a lost art. As a manager I also wrestled on occasion, but I had to learn to work differently once I was established as primarily a manager. Bobby Heenan once said that he managed like a wrestler, and wrestled like a manager. The Brain was right as usual. You perform either role by trying to live up to the expectations of the fan of you depending on the situation in any given night. Again, it too (the manager) has become a lost art.

2. In the eyes of many, there was only one "Four Horsemen" (Flair, the Andersons, Blanchard, and yourself). Do you feel any of the reincarnations of the Four Horsemen could compare or could ever achieve the success of the original, had they been given the chance?

2. As you look at the Horsemen, Flair, Tully, Arn and myself (as The Leader, or manager) were the four constants during the glory years of The Four Horsemen. Ole was one of the original four, and will always be special for that reason alone. Ole's position became a revolving door. Lex Luger was next, followed by Barry Windham and many more, including Ole coming back for a brief period. Once Tully and Arn moved on, it was never the same. Often imitated, but never duplicated is a very accurate statement. It certainly applied to The Four Horsemen in my humble opinion.

3. Four Horsemen aside, of all the men that you managed, who do you feel was the best in ring performer? Who were you closest to outside the ring?

3. I managed so many great wrestlers that I don't think that I can pick one that I could say was the best in-ring performer. The Mongolian Stomper (Archie Gouldie) phoned me in 1975 to ask if I had ever considered being a manager. Up to that moment, I hadn't, so that call dramatically changed the direction of my career. The Stomper, Abdullah the Butcher, Moondog Mayne; they were all great performers and each unique from the other. I loved working with Ric Flair. As I state in my autobiography "Wrestlers Are Like Seagulls", Flair had, and still has an admirable work ethic. His critics claim that he had a routine and was predictable, but trust me when I say that no one loved the business or worked any harder than The Nature Boy. He was a joy to watch, and to travel with and to be around him. His track record of success speaks for itself.

4. How have the politics in wrestling affected your career?

4. Politics does, and always has existed in the world of professional wrestling. The same applies to all walks of life. First you have to learn to recognize the political climate within your environment. Then I learned early to ride with it and not to fight the politics. I am not saying that one should compromise ones principals, because that leads to an eventual dead end. You can maintain your personal integrity and still succeed in a political climate. It requires a lot of hard work, but if you are honest and consistent, you can succeed. You can be honest even in the wrestling business. I always adopted a walk a mile in my shoes philosophy, and because I had been on the talent side myself for so long, I could be honest, but sensitive to the feelings (and the situation) of the other party. It worked for me, and my personality allowed me to be able to conduct my business in that manner. To me that was the secret of my longevity in the wrestling business.

5. What do you think is the most positive influence wrestling has on its audience?

5. The positive influence of wrestling, or at least professional wrestling, is tied the essence of what wrestling is all about. As in life, there is some good, and some bad everywhere. In wrestling, the roles are usually pretty clearly defined among individual wrestlers. Once you identify the characters there is usually a conflict, or series of conflicts, and in the end good triumphs over evil. That is very reassuring. I call it the Walt Disney syndrome. There is a similarity with Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White, etc., etc., and professional wrestling, if you get my gist.

6. Does the adage of wrestling having up and down cycles still apply? If so, where is wrestling today?

6. I always felt that wrestling was cyclical. In the old days, some territories were hot while others were cold. Promoters would usually change bookers to try and break a territorial cycle, but it really was all about changing talent. Wrestling is a talent driven business and always has been, just like all forms of entertainment. The business has changed so dramatically, that I am not sure where we are today. Without a large number of wrestlers having an opportunity to wrestle different opponents with differing styles night in and night out on a regular basis, there is no place for new talent to learn their craft and to eventually replacing the aging stars. Again, wrestling is talent driven. Unfortunately, those that have the understanding a also possess the ability to share it and teach it are becoming fewer every day. As I said earlier, wrestling is becoming a lost art. There will always be a WrestleMania, but the performance level and content will continue to deteriorate. A market for nostalgic DVD's will always exist for this reason. There is a reason why The Four Horsemen still have fans some twenty years after the glory years.

7. You have seen it all, good and bad. What do you feel has been the most memorable angle in the business (that you have seen or been a part of). What has been the worst?

7. There have been many great angles. I can go back to when Killer Kowalski was going to test the iron stomach of Pepper Gomez, but instead of jumping on his abdomen he delivered a knee drop from the top rope to the throat. The angle on the Tonight Show with Jerry "The King" Lawler and Andy Kaufman would be hard to top. The time where the Horsemen attacked Dusty Rhoads in the parking lot outside Crockett Promotions in Charlotte is still talked about today.

8. In your book you discuss your feelings regarding "dirtsheets". What is your opinion of the plethora of websites (good and bad) dedicated to pro wrestling and do you think they have a positive or negative effect (or no effect at all) on the wrestling business?

8. The "dirtsheets" became a fact of life in the business. In the beginning because I was brought up with kaye fabe, I resented the "dirtsheets" like most others in the business. I also soon understood that they weren't going away and you had to adjust your thinking accordingly. I always loved the movies and was fascinated by magic, and my early thinking was that it was wrong to give away the ending of the movie, or the secret of the illusion. Dave Meltzer told me that once you do something at a live event for all to see, it is then public knowledge even if the intent was to air whatever took place at a later date presented as "live" at the later date. Dave told me that if he didn't report it as it happened, someone else would. He had a responsibility to his subscribers, and he was right. I have to say that Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller (and their respective staffs) along with many other journalists that have been around awhile all do a great job. More often them not they tell it like it is. Even someone like Vince McMahon can have more than his share of "yes men" that often don't tell him the truth. Most of the "dirtsheets" don't have a hidden agenda, and if some of the things written were taken to heart the wrestling business might be in better shape than it is today. We live in an electronic age of information and opinion, and in this great country lots of people have an opinion (some good and some bad) and they have a right to express it.

9. In recent years you have worked for several indy promotions including ROH (where you had a very memorable angle with Jim Cornette and Homicide) and ECWA (at the 2006 Super 8 events). How were those experiences and do you have any plans on doing more work with indy feds or conventions in the future?

9. I have worked with ROH and with ECWA. I loved having the opportunity to work with Jim Cornette again (someone that I admire personally and professionally) and we were able to do a sit down DVD chat that same weekend. I have also known Jim Kettner at ECWA for many years. He understands the business and runs a quality family promotion. I always felt that my career wouldn't be complete without being involved in a Jim Kettner show. I also made a couple appearances for Keith Krockett at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in Virginia. It was good for me to go back to my roots, and I like to think that I contributed something positive to the direction of this fine promotion. I don't do many appearances, but you never know when I might show up. I became a lifetime member of the Cauliflower Alley Club and I am honored to be receiving an award at the 2007 Reunion in Las Vegas in April. I am also committed to the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Amsterdam, NY. Every true wrestling fan needs to check this place out and to plan a trip to see the museum. Words cannot properly describe it. I am the host for the induction dinner for the Class of 2007 which includes Ted DiBiase and Rowdy Roddy Piper among others. Many old-timers will appear at this event on Saturday, May 19th.

10. Looking back at your career and everything you have done (and are currently doing), if you had to do it all over again, would you change anything?

10. As I said in my book, looking back I have no regrets and wouldn't change a thing. I hope the fans will check out www.jjdillon.com and enjoy lots of old pictures. I owe everything to the fans. Without the wrestling fans, the most loyal fans in the world, there wouldn't be wrestling as we know it, and I wouldn't have had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful career. I am a very lucky person, and living proof that dreams can come true. Thanks for spending this time with me.

For more information on JJ Dillon or to purchase his book, visit his website at http://www.jjdillon.com/

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