Former WCW Performer Kid Romeo Talks About Paul Orndorff Being Difficult
Former WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion Kid Romeo joined “In the Room” on VOC Nation to talk about his career, coming up in the WCW Power Plant, the day that WWE took over, and more. Here are some highlights:
On the WCW Power Plant: “(Paul Orndorff) was awesome, but he was a little bit bipolar. We would have a great match on TV and then when we showed up he’d (say) ‘you guys suck’; then he’d have us doing squats, running, and bumping for no reason. They want to make you pay those dues…he was on us, he never wanted us to get too relaxed. Jody (Hamilton aka Assassin #1) was very relaxed. He never yelled or anything, he just talked. Sarge (was very animated); he couldn’t help but to spit on you when he talked. That was his gimmick.”
On his past as an exotic dancer: “WCW loved it. I was told that whatever I did, do it tenfold. I came in with my own name, my own gimmick, and they let me do it. When I came in, I already had a gimmick before I even knew how to take a bump…I was always taken care of in WCW; I was given the star treatment there.”
On who gave him his push: “Jimmy Hart is the one that saw me, pulled me aside, and I just tickled his feathers. He was behind my push, and we got all the way to the top.”
On the day WCW was sold: “Shane (McMahon) came in, went around the room, picked and chose who’s hand he was going to shake, and we just got a nudge with a hand on our head and he just kept going. If I would have broken in three years earlier, my chances would have been different I think…I wasn’t the greatest wrestler, I wasn’t a breakthrough innovator, but my character carried me through. I always got a response from the audience.”
On Today’s product: “You look at the guys and they don’t look like wrestlers. It’s completely changed into just regular guys. The physique, (especially) on NXT…They don’t have standards anymore like they did. You have to have big guys and stuff…A lot of the guys (now) just look regular. I personally think physique is important, but you have to have character too. A lot of jacked up guys have come in and just bombed because they couldn’t connect with the audience.”
On his run in TNA: “It started off good, but somewhere down the line I must have (ticked) somebody off. They turned me into a jobber when they used me. They wouldn’t let me do any of my moves, none of my patented stuff…nothing. Communication wasn’t the best in TNA.”
On whether he has regrets: “You know how the business is, you look at one person the wrong way and your career could be done. I didn’t expect wrestling to be like that. (If I could change anything) I would have kept quieter about my past and stayed away from girls…”
In the Room airs live on VOC Nation every Tuesday night at 9PM ET with Pro Wrestling Illustrated contributor Brady Hicks and crew, legendary guests, and listener calls.
Featuring guests from wrestling personalities such as Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Joey Styles, Matt Hardy, and Mick Foley, to entertainers like Lou Ferrigno, The Insane Clown Posse, Roberta Flack, and Kristy Swanson, VOC Nation has given listeners insightful programming for nearly 10 years.
Visit us online at: http://vocnation.com
Link to the interview here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/vocnation/episodes/2019-11-12T21_36_50-08_00
Find us on Stitcher, Spotify, and Itunes: VOC Nation Radio Network
Follow us on twitter: @vocnation
