Kevin Sullivan on Former Champion Not Putting Over Chris Benoit, Hogan’s Heel Turn & beating Goldberg

In Dave Penzer’s “Sitting Ringside” interview with Kevin Sullivan, Sullivan discussed “The Monday Night Wars”, what it was like working with the WCW talent, the NWO, Chris Benoit and more.

The following interview are highlights:

Sullivan on Hulk Hogan signing with WCW and making Monsters to face him :

“I fed (Hogan) monsters because it made (Hogan) feel secure with me. We didn’t become ‘characters’ until Hogan got there. It was the worst time in my life professionally coming to the ring because I felt like I was coming out of the clown car”.

Sullivan tells the story of the night before the infamous “Bash at the Beach” when Hogan Turn heel and his agent was at Sullivan’s house before (Hogan) turning heel and joined Scott Hall and Kevin Nash:

“Hogan’s agent Peter Young cried; actually, cried to me that I couldn’t turn him [Hogan] heel until 2:30 in the morning. Everyone was telling (Hogan) not to turn heel because it wouldn’t work and hurt Hogan sells…. it worked great.”

The moment when he knew Hulk Hogan needed to turn heel:

“One night in the old Chicago stadium idk which one, (Hogan) did an interview with ‘Mean Gene’, and they were booing (Hogan) out of the building. I told (Hogan) he needed to turn heel, Hogan said, ‘Absolutely Not’! And storm off I knew he had to turn heel but he didn’t want to turn. The pop wasn’t there. He [Hogan] didn’t look the same. (Hogan) was a bald man, who was thin at the time.”

How difficult it could be when trying to convince talent to put someone else over:

“David, you know this story. I walked into a room with Sid Vicious, 6′ 9″, with a babyface that was 5′ 8″ at best and asked him to put Chris Benoit over clean. (Sid) b—hed and moaned and said, ‘why am I putting a midget over’? Sid said, ‘What is wrong with you?’ Sometimes it not as easy as it sounds.”

His feelings on when he first saw Bill Goldberg, and his feelings on his push in WCW:

“I beat Bill Goldberg on Nitro with Steve McMichael when he wore the Falcons Jacket and the red tights and red boots. After that I kept (Goldberg) off TV for eight weeks, shaved his head, gave him the Mike Tyson short boots, the black tights breathing fire like a dragon, and put him on the winning streak!”