Steve Keirn Shoot Interview

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When you hear the name Steve Keirn you think of one word and that word is “legend”. RF VIDEO sat down with Steve Keirn to discuss his entire career in world of professional wrestli ng and that career was a long one. Steve is one of those guys who has worked in every territory and for every major wrestling company out there. He has traveled the roads and shared the locker room with every major superstar in this business. Steve sits down with us to go into great detail on how he got started in the business down in FL breaking in for Eddie Graham to becoming one of the hottest tag team acts during the 80’s with his partner Stan Lane as the Fabulous Ones. Steve also became known in the WWE as Skinner and of course had a run as Doink when Matt Bourne got fired from the company. When we left the company he ventured off to the land of WCW where he did not want to play politics and eventually became the head trainer and owner of the WWE training facility in Tampa which created the biggest stars in the business today.Steve starts the interview talking about his time working the early circuit like most legends in this business. Steve broke into wrestling down in Florid and ended up working in Atlanta, Memphis, AWA, Japan, and everywhere in between. You will hear tons and tons of locker room stories from around this time period of the 70’s and 80’s. If you are a old school fan this is such a great interview because he has stories on everyone. He was not just Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from the Everglades. Steve Keirn really shined in this business when he teamed up with Stan Lane as the Fabulous Ones but they would also encounter problems in this business as well. What happened when they made their AWA debut and the Road Warriors did not want to do business with them. Steve has a great story on how he ended up shooting on Road Warrior Hawk with a chair and you will hear first hand what happened backstage after the match. Oh did I forget to mention he had to go back out and work him later that night in a battle royal!!! What problems did the team face in Memphis when Jerry Lawler had the book and was there problems being a top babyface with Lawler on top? We talk about all of their major feuds all over the country and their runs in Memphis, AWA and down in Florida. Steve goes into great detail of his runs in the WWE and WCW but to me the best part of the interview is talking about the golden days of wrestling during the 80’s. If you are a true long time fan like myself you will love all his stories on all of the companies that dominated our sport during the 80’s. Steve was also known as a big ribber and has so many funny locker room stories to share. When you watch the WWE today on TV you have to know in the back of your mind that Steve Keirn is responsible for turning out many of those superstars that you cheer for every Monday night on WWE Raw. Steve talks in great detail how he became the owner of FCW and we look into the schools history with the company from what the company looks for in new wrestlers just trying to get their big break into the WWE and so much more. Want to hear what guys go thru when they enter the training facility? What roles do Dusty Rhodes, Joey Matthews, Billy Kidman, Norman Smiley and Billy Gunn play in the school? Steve gives us a great look into the WWE machine like never before because not only is he one of the most well respected teachers out there in our business, but Steve has done it all in our industry and is just a sponge of knowledge. This is just one of those interviews that will have you on the edge of your seats because like me it was so fun to listen to and hear stories on the business when I loved it the most the 80’s. Don’t worry if you started watching in the 90’s to now there is plenty of current event stories as well. The Steve Keirn shoot interview is not only very informative but very funny with his humorous take on the business. When the camera was turned off, Steve told me that nothing he said could get him in trouble because it was all the truth and he would never go back and change a thing that he accomplished. One of our best interviews of 2013 for sure!!! Were you a wrestling fan growing upDid you go to high school with HoganWhat promotions did you follow.How did you break into the businessWho trained youWhat are your early memories of the FunksHow instrumental was Hiro Matsuda in your careerEarly memories of Jack and Jerry BriscoDid you start your early career in FloridaMemories of Eddie GrahamWho were some of the other guys in the territory at the timeEarly Memories of teaming with Bob BacklandMemories of a young Jimmy Garvin in FLMemories of teaming with Brian BlairEarly memories of Dusty RhodesEarly memories of Mike GrahamThoughts on winning the tag titles 9 times with MikeMemories of working with the ValiantsMemories of working with Chavo Guerrero SrMemories of Ric Flair coming into the territory and working with him in 1986Early memories of Dusty RhodesMemories of Bob OrtonMemories of Bob RoopMemories of Pak SongMemories of Bugsy McGrawMemories of Killer KoxMemories of Mr SaitoMemories of Ron BassWhat year did you leave Florida and what territory did you go to from thereMemories of working in GeorgiaHow was Ole Anderson as a bookerAny good stories on Jim BarnettWhat other talent was in the territory when you were in GeorgiaMemories of Stan HansenMemories of Tommy RIchmemories of Roddy PiperMemories of Baron Von RaschkeMemories of working Terry FunkMemories of Sullivan in GeorgiaMemories of Bruiser BrodyMemories of going down to MemphisEarly memories of Jerry Jarrett and what was he like as a promoterEarly memories of Jerry LawlerEarly Memories of Bill DundeeMemories on Dutch MantellMemories of Austin IdolMemories of Sweet Brown SugarEarly Memories of Bobby EatonWhat were your first impressions of Stan Lane before you teamed with him you worked himHow did the entire concept come up for the Fabulous Ones.Is it true the concept was for you to come in as heels and feud with the Fargo brothers but the gimmick got so over as baby faces they had to turn you as facesWho’s idea was it for Tuxedos and top hatsDid Jarret try to recreate the Fabulous Fargos with you guys and have Fargo with you and then you were supposed to turn on Fargo and become heelsYou were so over as a baby face is that why they never turned you guys as heelsMemories of the sell outs at the Mid South coliseumWorked Louisville drew 9000 fans in MemphisMemories of working the MoondogsMemories of working the AssassinsMemories of working with Rick Rude and King Kong BundyMemories of Koko B WareMemories of working the SheepherdersWhat was the travel like in the Memphis territoryHow crazy was the ring rat scene in MemphisWas Jerry Lawler easy to work with as a booker during the early 80’s some say he would not let any of the other baby faces get over as he always tried to keep himself on topAny good road stories from MemphisWhat was it like traveling the circuit with Stan in the mid 80’show much money did you guys make selling gimmicks in Memphis like 8X10’sWhat was your favorite company to work for in the mid 80’sThoughts on going to AWAWhat was Verne Gagne like as a promoterThoughts on Greg GagneDo you think Verne did not know how to use you to get you over, like Verne was out of touch with the whole music and wrestling connectionMemories of working with the Road Warriors doing a lot of double count outsIn our shoot they had mentioned there was a issue about doing a job to you because of the size of your team what are your thoughts on thatDid you know they were going to go in the ring and not work with youWere they stiff or did you ever get pissed that they would not sell for youHow did you wind up going back to FloridaHow different was the territory from the first time you were thereWhat talent was there around this timeMemories of Barry WhindhamMemories of BlackJack MulliganMemories of Mod SquadMemories of JJ DillonMemories of Kevin Sullivan and thoughts of his Devil worship gimmickEarly memories of Lex LugerMemories of Oliver HumperdinkMemories of Gordon SolieHow hot was the FL territory during the mid 80’sAny good Florida road storiesTHoughts on Eddie Grahams suicideHow did you find out that Stan Lane was going to leave and go to the NWAWhy did you never work for Jim Crockett full timeWHo were some of your favorite teams to work withBefore you went to WWE you worked for USWA teaming with Doug Gilbert thoughts on thatHow different was the Memphis TerritoryHow did you get called up to come into the WWE in 1991Initial impressions of meeting Vince and what was your meeting likeWho came up with the Skinner gimmick and were you for itMemories of working Bret HartMemories of working Virgil in King of the RingMemories of the WWE locker room in the early 90’sWho were the top guys there around this timeEarly thoughts on the UndertakerEarly memories of Curt HenningMemories of Rick MartelMemories of Scott HallMemories of working TatankaThoughts on jim DugganMemories of Survivor Series Hacksaw/Slaughter/vonErich/Santana defeated Mustafa/Hercules/Skinner/Berzerker..Thoughts on taking over as Doink when Matt Bourne left the companyDid you like doing that characterHow did you end up in WCWThoughts on Teaming with Bobby Eaton as Bad AttitudeMemories working with the Armstrong’s in 1994 at Bash at the Beach and Fall BrawlWhy did you retireWhat did you do for work after you left WCWHow did you get hired in 2004 as a road agent for WWEHow different was the companyWhat were your specific duties for being a road agent for SmackdownTake us thru a night of TV from the time you get to the town to getting to the TV tapings what did you have to specifically have to doDo you think the boys looked at you as office or one of the boysDid any of the workers ever give you issuesWho were some of the guys just coming up around this time that had the “it factor”Did you let the guys work more and have more fun on house showsEarly Thoughts on John CenaEarly thoughts on Randy OrtonHow did you end up getting so involved in the WWE training schools in TampaFind out his role in the WWE after he was a active wrestler Johnny Act wanted someone in FL to run the school President of FCWDo you think its good for WWE developmental talent not to train in different territories like the guys did in the 80’sWhat goes on down in FL once a guy gets signed take us thru the process that they go thruWhat do they learn firstWhat is your role at the schoolWho are the other trainers down there, Dusty, Norman, Joey Matthews, Billy Kidman, Billy Gunn what are their roles at the schoolWhat does the company look for in a new WrestlerWhen A guy comes to the school what is the first thing that stands out thatmakes WWE invest in themTake us through the steps that a wrestler goes through when they come to thetraining facilityWhat guys are you most happy about producing from the facilityHow long is it before a wrestler gets called up to TVDid you ever have to go on the road while doing the schoolWho would you have to answer to when they would call in to check on the status of talent To see how they are doingWhat are the benefits of the new WWE facilityDid you like the move from Tampa to OrlandoHow involved are you with the new facilityWhat do you miss the most about the businessAny crazy locker room fightsWhat do you think about the new revival in tag team Wrestling in WweBeing that you were a top tag team wrestler do you feel that there is no moneyin Tag teamsFavorite match in the businessAny regrets Show more