DDP on How Bischoff & Rhodes Nearly Had Him End Goldberg’s Streak at WCW Halloween Havoc ’98
– Inside The Ropes recently interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page (DDP), who spoke about his career, Eric Bischoff considered DDP ending Goldberg’s streak at Halloween Havoc 1998, and more. Below are some highlights.
DDP on how Bischoff and Dusty Rhodes considered having DDP nearly end Goldberg’s streak at WCW Halloween Havoc in 1998: “I never knew it until later. But Dusty Rhodes went to Eric and said… [Impersonating Dusty] ‘You know, E, this night tonight could be Dallas’ night.’ Eric didn’t drop the strap on me that night because Goldie was going to be on Entertainment Weekly, big magazine in our country, and TV Guide, when that meant something, wearing the title the next day. What would have been great as if I’d have heard that. Oh, my God, I would have… Because it made sense for me to beat him and it would have just bumped me up to that Austin level. It would have, really. Especially to beat him clean. It would have taken me to a different spot.”
On how it ultimately went: “Not that I’m not super happy with everything that happened in my life. The career I had was unbelievable and I’m super thankful for it, but if that would have happened, Goldie wouldn’t have had to get hit with a Taser and then the finish… That mortified him. It would have been a lot for him to swallow, me beating him, but the Diamond Cutter was so over at that time, you know, it would have really made sense – but that is what it is. To go back in time, it would have been fun but the match was still great. I always say, ‘it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you win or lose, on both sides.’”
DDP on how his AEW Bash at the Beach match appearance came about: “Cody is like my nephew. When Cody won both his state championships in wrestling, in shoot wrestling, I flew back from Los Angeles for both of them. We just interviewed Cody for a documentary we have coming out in about a month called Relentless. He talks in it about showing up, and when he first taught me about All In, I said, I know I told you I wasn’t doing any more Diamond Cutters but if you need me to do it, if it comes up, if there was a spot, I’ll do it. He just let that simmer, and about three days before All In, He said, ‘You still want to do that Diamond Cutter?’ I said, ‘If you want me to.’ He said, ‘I’ve got a spot.’ I was like, ‘All right.’ And then later on, we talked about me doing a match when they became AEW. I was kind of for it, then I started thinking about it, I called them back and I was like, ‘Hey, bro, I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I don’t know if I really want to do it. I feel really good right now, so maybe I won’t do it.’ I said, “Let’s just call it off.’ He said, ‘Yes, we’ll take it aside. Don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about it again.’ Then he asked me again at Christmas. We were talking about doing something, because I wanted to do that, if you told me, that interview, 19 years ago, that DDP would be back on TNT with a company called AEW, I’d have to say you’re smoking crack. Why would I think that? “The company’s been disbanded? Who the hell is AEW?”
DDP on Cody’s role in AEW: “19 years ago, if you’d have told me that… I wanted to do that interview and that segment because I love the AEW crowd. Not having them, and still to be doing as good as they are doing is a lot to say. Cody… Is one of the EVPs, but he is the Dusty Rhodes version – meaning he is the main guy with the ideas, the follow-through, the storytelling. The Bucks have a lot to do with it and so does Kenny – but they’ve never been involved, not until now, in the laying out of the show, and of course Cody has been around it since he was a kid. It gave him a big leg-up. When I first saw him do All In, and I was backstage, watching everything, and he was just having fun, and telling everybody, “Have fun.’”
