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[Cheering continues]
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00:00:09,593 --> 00:00:13,472
♪
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My opinion is, Junkyard Dog
was the most prominent
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00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:19,937
Black wrestler to ever
lace a pair of boots.
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Overcoming incredible
odds, a young,
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Black wrestler rose from
humble beginnings to become
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a generational superstar,
achieving unimaginable
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heights in a sport dominated
by white performers.
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Yes, he did, he paved
the way for all of us.
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You feel you're gonna
be wearing the crown?
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Just as sure as
I'm Black and the
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day's sunny,
Mean Gene.
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His charisma and, you know,
his personality
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is what got him to
where he was,
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'cause he was a
fan favourite,
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00:00:46,046 --> 00:00:47,297
no matter how
you looked at it.
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00:00:47,297 --> 00:00:49,216
JYD was on top,
selling it out.
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I mean,
it was incredible.
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If you guys could
just hear the crowd,
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they just loved him.
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And couldn't
nobody stop him.
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He's invincible!
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[Junkyard Dog] There ain't
nothing else all I can do
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00:00:57,891 --> 00:00:59,768
no better,
and that's fighting.
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I seen the stars for him,
because at that time,
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there were no
Black superstars.
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Bill Watts,
he saw dollars.
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I saw his charisma,
and named him.
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Gave him music,
and did everything,
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and he was so dynamite.
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The unlikely friendship
between promoter
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Cowboy Bill Watts and
The Junkyard Dog
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was tested when the Dog
defects to the WWF.
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I think Dog went because
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00:01:22,291 --> 00:01:24,042
there was a better
opportunity.
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You know, there's
more money and then
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he was gonna be a
big star there.
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But JYD's dreams of
achieving superstar status
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in the big leagues
fell short.
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Vince McMahon didn't
use him like Bill did.
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I wish he had because he
could have been
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one of the biggest
stars in the WWE.
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Yeah, it broke his spirit
because he went there to be
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that big hero again,
and he didn't get it.
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How can Vince McMahon
put everything on JYD?
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'Cause you don't know if
he's gonna show up or not,
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you're not dependable.
Untrustworthy.
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Dog forgot one thing-
you can't do
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what the white man do
and keep your job.
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♪
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♪
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When you're trying
to become a star,
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and on your way to stardom,
you can figure out a lot of
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things to be successful
as a wrestler-
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you have to put
the time in.
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You have to become
known by the fans.
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You have to be able
to sell your product.
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You have to be able
to have some dialogue.
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When Junkyard Dog came to
Mid-South, he had dialogue,
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he had style, he had
physical attributes.
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These things turn
into box office.
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These things
turn into money.
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Sylvester Ritter was
probably the greatest star to
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come through the
state of Louisiana...
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they ever had,
in terms of wrestling.
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[Announcer]
He represents the people.
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They all love him.
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Dog had a great following.
He was universally loved.
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That gleam in his eye,
his little smile that he had...
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was infectious.
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Man, he just got over.
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The people in
Louisiana loved him.
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You know, he'd get to
the ring, you know,
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and he'd grab that top rope
and lean back and
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shake his legs
and his butt,
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and the people would
just go wild.
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I'm lacing up the boots,
and the whole building's
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going, "Who that?
Who that?
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Who that gonna beat
The Dog? Who that?"
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Boom, boom, boom.
"Who that?!"
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I'm lacing up my boots,
going, "Holy smokes!"
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[Chuckling]
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More than just a wrestler,
Junkyard Dog is a hero to the
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working class, a beloved
figure in the city of
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New Orleans who became
a superstar to fans
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across the Southeast...
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transcending the sport
to become an icon.
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The Junkyard Dog,
brother,
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nobody messes with the
damn Junkyard Dog.
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I'm Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
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Hall of Famer, and I can
still kick your butt.
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Mid-South, I am tired
of you ripping me off,
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and playing your
stinking games with me!
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New Orleans was
his town, man.
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By God, if you were
wrestling him, brother,
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00:03:57,779 --> 00:03:59,573
you were scared
to death...
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00:03:59,573 --> 00:04:01,283
because you didn't know if
you were gonna make it
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00:04:01,283 --> 00:04:03,201
out of that arena back to
the dressing room.
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00:04:03,201 --> 00:04:05,579
Police usually had to
carry the guys out that
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wrestled Dog, because
if you parked your car
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in that parking lot,
they would destroy it.
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"Who that gonna
beat that Dog?"
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Nobody, that's who.
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Before becoming one of the
most popular wrestlers the
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south had ever seen,
The Junkyard Dog was
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a rookie named
Big Daddy Ritter...
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Searching for his big break
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Well, Dog tried to get into
wrestling several times.
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They were all
short-term deals.
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He wasn't on everybody's
most wanted list
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because then, A,
he was Black.
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And, a lot of the
white promoters-
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00:04:36,818 --> 00:04:39,863
and they're all white-
had a quota, seemingly...
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00:04:39,863 --> 00:04:42,407
unwritten, unstated,
but it was there.
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And so, he didn't
fit their quota,
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they already had
a Black babyface.
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I ain't gonna
hire another one.
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It's sad to say.
It's coarse, it's hurtful.
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I am Jim Ross.
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Been into wrestling
since 1974,
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and along the way I got
to meet The Junkyard Dog,
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become friends.
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It's great to have you
back, Junkyard Dog.
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JYD, when I first met him,
was all-
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seemed like he was
always smiling.
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And his skillset
was limited.
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But my God, the charisma
and the love that
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he created
with fan base.
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Well, you can't
coach charisma.
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You either got it,
or you don't.
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Despite Ritter's charisma
and size, only Bill Watts,
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00:05:18,527 --> 00:05:21,279
the owner and promoter
of Mid-South Wrestling,
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decides to take a chance
on the young brawler.
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Cowboy was bigger than life.
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He was a disciplinarian.
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00:05:27,494 --> 00:05:28,829
He was kind of like
the head coach.
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You know, I never met
Vince Lombardi,
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00:05:30,622 --> 00:05:33,542
the famed football coach of
the Packers that won multiple
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Super Bowls, but some of my
older peers said that Watts
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00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:39,381
was Vince Lombardi-like.
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"My way or the highway.
Here are the rules.
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There are not many of them.
I expect you to adhere to them,
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00:05:45,220 --> 00:05:46,847
and there's no negotiation."
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00:05:46,847 --> 00:05:50,976
Bill Watts gave him the
biggest break for a Black man.
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[Phone playing song]
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00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:55,772
Oh, I'm gonna turn this off.
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Hey, this is "The Birdman",
Koko B. Ware.
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Man, you know me flying
all over the place
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00:06:01,027 --> 00:06:02,571
in the wrestling business.
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[Announcer] "The Birdman"!
Koko B. Ware!
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I mean, wrestling is a
white man's sport.
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JYD, well, he wasn't
a wrestler at all.
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He couldn't put you in a
leg lock or a chicken wing.
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He don't know nothing
about all that.
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He was a street fighter.
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Bill Watts gave
him a chance...
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to draw some money,
and you know what,
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he bust Louisiana
wide open.
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[Jim] Mid-South Sports was
based on realism.
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So, athleticism,
realism,
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making it more easy
to suspend your disbelief of
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the art form that
is pro wrestling.
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Watts had a rule-
if you go to a bar,
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or you get into any kind of
scuffle and you
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get your ass whipped,
you're fired.
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The booker for Cowboy
Bill Watts was Ernie Ladd.
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00:06:46,823 --> 00:06:48,992
Ernie Ladd was
a philosopher.
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He was 6"9 and
300 pounds.
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So, Ernie was always
looking for talent.
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Somebody along the way
told Ernie that, "Hey,
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there's this Black guy,
big, muscular powerhouse.
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Kind of guy you'd like,
Ernie,
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that you ought to
take a look at."
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So, Ernie brought
Dog in and,
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he had a rough start because
Cowboy didn't know that
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Dog was not a great
technical wrestler.
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He brought that big, fine,
Black specimen
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of a body down that aisle.
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Some young gals started
screaming and hollering,
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and we would
excite the crowd.
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He was so statuesque,
and he looked great.
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Turn your head,
you wouldn't forget him.
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Dog just clicked with
the wrestling fan,
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so he knew how to connect
with the audience.
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This is "Mr. USA",
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WWE Hall of Famer,
Tony Atlas.
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So all you boys
in the Mid-South,
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get ready for yourself,
because I got trouble here,
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and I got trouble there!
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And I got trouble coming
your way, to the Mid-South!
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We gonna boogie,
baby!
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00:07:46,383 --> 00:07:49,719
So, I have to give credit for
this to Cowboy Bill Watts.
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Bill Watts came up
with ideas.
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Dog was a hell of
a football player.
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He was a hell of a street
fighter, he was a brawler.
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So, what Bill Watts did
was create matches
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00:07:59,521 --> 00:08:01,564
that fit Dog's style.
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00:08:01,564 --> 00:08:05,610
Bill wanted Dog to do a
few things really well-
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00:08:05,610 --> 00:08:08,947
clothes lines, thumps,
body slams, tackles.
200
00:08:08,947 --> 00:08:11,616
And so, those things, based
on his football background,
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00:08:11,616 --> 00:08:12,909
those things could be
translated
202
00:08:12,909 --> 00:08:14,285
very easily into
pro wrestling.
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[Announcer]
Boom, power slam!
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00:08:16,162 --> 00:08:18,915
To boost Junkyard Dog's
star power,
205
00:08:18,915 --> 00:08:21,626
Bill Watts and Ernie Ladd
know they need to find the
206
00:08:21,626 --> 00:08:25,130
perfect villain for JYD
to face in the ring.
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00:08:25,130 --> 00:08:26,381
[Announcer]
Which, wait a minute!
208
00:08:26,381 --> 00:08:27,966
What's he doing?
209
00:08:27,966 --> 00:08:30,135
There's nothing that he
couldn't do in the ring.
210
00:08:30,135 --> 00:08:32,762
You know, if he was in the
ring with the right guy.
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00:08:32,762 --> 00:08:34,556
I am Ted Dibiase.
212
00:08:34,556 --> 00:08:37,350
Towards the end of my career,
I was known in the WWE as
213
00:08:37,350 --> 00:08:38,810
"The Million Dollar Man".
214
00:08:38,810 --> 00:08:42,522
[Announcer] Ted Dibiase!
[Audience] [Booing]
215
00:08:42,522 --> 00:08:45,316
-1, 2, 3!
-[Match bell ringing]
216
00:08:45,316 --> 00:08:47,485
1, 2, 3.
Alfred nearly raises a hand.
217
00:08:47,485 --> 00:08:49,154
He put something
in that glove!
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00:08:49,154 --> 00:08:51,072
[Ted] And the thing that
I did was,
219
00:08:51,072 --> 00:08:54,951
I always highlighted
in the ring
220
00:08:54,951 --> 00:08:56,661
what he did best.
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00:08:56,661 --> 00:08:58,413
I mean, Bill Watts
coached me.
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00:08:58,413 --> 00:09:00,248
The Funks coached me.
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00:09:00,248 --> 00:09:02,959
They would say, "Teddy,
you gotta basically put him
224
00:09:02,959 --> 00:09:05,128
in the middle of the ring
and work around him,
225
00:09:05,128 --> 00:09:08,256
and emphasize or highlight
the things that you know
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00:09:08,256 --> 00:09:11,718
he does very well, and stay
away from the things that,
227
00:09:11,718 --> 00:09:13,303
that he doesn't do so well."
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00:09:13,303 --> 00:09:16,639
He had enough trust in me
to know that, you know,
229
00:09:16,639 --> 00:09:19,142
I wasn't gonna make him
look bad out there.
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00:09:19,142 --> 00:09:21,186
I was always gonna
make him look good.
231
00:09:21,186 --> 00:09:24,105
The Dog just thumped him,
and there's the count.
232
00:09:24,105 --> 00:09:27,025
Well, you talk about an
action-packed duo, they are.
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00:09:27,025 --> 00:09:28,526
[Ted]
We became friends.
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00:09:28,526 --> 00:09:31,112
We traveled together a lot,
and so much so that
235
00:09:31,112 --> 00:09:34,574
when we got married,
JYD was my best man.
236
00:09:34,574 --> 00:09:36,743
That's how close we were.
237
00:09:36,743 --> 00:09:38,953
That chain around his neck.
238
00:09:38,953 --> 00:09:41,414
Put that music on, "Another
One Bites The Dust".
239
00:09:41,414 --> 00:09:43,082
And he came back
in with the thump,
240
00:09:43,082 --> 00:09:44,626
the rest of it is history.
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00:09:44,626 --> 00:09:46,711
[Announcer] There he goes
with that big thump.
242
00:09:46,711 --> 00:09:48,838
He just put him
about 6 feet under.
243
00:09:48,838 --> 00:09:52,801
Bill Watts is the first
wrestling owner, promoter,
244
00:09:52,801 --> 00:09:55,637
who ever featured as
245
00:09:55,637 --> 00:09:59,390
one of his very top stars,
a Black guy.
246
00:09:59,390 --> 00:10:01,434
This last year has kind of
been the year of the Dog.
247
00:10:01,434 --> 00:10:03,311
I don't know if it's a
Chinese year of the Dog
248
00:10:03,311 --> 00:10:04,729
or not, but in
Mid-South Wrestling,
249
00:10:04,729 --> 00:10:06,272
it was the year
of the dog.
250
00:10:06,272 --> 00:10:10,401
Bill Watts took JYD and
made him "thee" star.
251
00:10:10,401 --> 00:10:11,986
When you get
awards like this
252
00:10:11,986 --> 00:10:15,240
it's because you're
doing so many good things.
253
00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,951
[Tony] They had a very, very
close relationship.
254
00:10:17,951 --> 00:10:21,704
Anything that Dog needed
or wanted, or disliked,
255
00:10:21,704 --> 00:10:24,082
he would never talk to
the wrestlers about it.
256
00:10:24,082 --> 00:10:27,127
He would only talk
to Bill Watts.
257
00:10:27,127 --> 00:10:30,046
I don't think anyone
in the business
258
00:10:30,046 --> 00:10:32,507
did more for an individual
259
00:10:32,507 --> 00:10:35,301
than Bill Watts
as he looked at
260
00:10:35,301 --> 00:10:37,470
mentoring and helping Dog.
261
00:10:37,470 --> 00:10:39,472
Bill looked at him
like he was family.
262
00:10:39,472 --> 00:10:41,182
You always go out
and give 100%
263
00:10:41,182 --> 00:10:42,851
for the people
and for yourself.
264
00:10:42,851 --> 00:10:45,687
A lot of people were just
astounded that Cowboy
265
00:10:45,687 --> 00:10:47,689
was so friendly with
a Black person.
266
00:10:47,689 --> 00:10:50,358
And, Cowboy said, "I want you
to know one thing," he said,
267
00:10:50,358 --> 00:10:52,277
"my favourite colour
is green."
268
00:10:52,277 --> 00:10:53,736
And, at that time,
269
00:10:53,736 --> 00:10:56,614
JYD was selling tickets,
lots of 'em.
270
00:10:56,614 --> 00:10:59,158
Junkyard Dog's
captivating presence
271
00:10:59,158 --> 00:11:01,703
draws capacity crowds
night after night,
272
00:11:01,703 --> 00:11:03,830
inspiring his fans to
stop at nothing
273
00:11:03,830 --> 00:11:05,498
to defend their hero.
274
00:11:05,498 --> 00:11:08,501
The fans not only looked up
to him, they worshipped him.
275
00:11:08,501 --> 00:11:10,003
I'm Jim Cornette.
276
00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:11,713
I've been involved in
a variety of ways in
277
00:11:11,713 --> 00:11:14,591
professional wrestling over
the last 40-something years.
278
00:11:14,591 --> 00:11:17,969
Because that's all you are,
is a yellow, dog-faced liar!
279
00:11:17,969 --> 00:11:19,512
You know what he just did?
280
00:11:19,512 --> 00:11:22,307
He just wrote a cheque that
his rear end won't be able to-
281
00:11:22,307 --> 00:11:27,020
[Cheering]
282
00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:29,147
The downtown Municipal
Auditorium was
283
00:11:29,147 --> 00:11:31,983
the Dog's house every
Monday night.
284
00:11:31,983 --> 00:11:36,321
And The Freebirds come in,
and they want to take over.
285
00:11:36,321 --> 00:11:40,116
The Freebirds had hair cream
that could remove your hair.
286
00:11:40,116 --> 00:11:43,077
And, they said they were
gonna use it to take the hair
287
00:11:43,077 --> 00:11:44,579
away from one of
their opponents,
288
00:11:44,579 --> 00:11:46,623
but when Junkyard Dog
came in,
289
00:11:46,623 --> 00:11:48,833
and tried to do
something about it,
290
00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:52,170
"accidentally",
according to The Freebirds,
291
00:11:52,170 --> 00:11:55,089
the cream wound up
in his eyes.
292
00:11:55,089 --> 00:11:57,383
I mean, this is supposed to
be a solution to remove hair.
293
00:11:57,383 --> 00:11:59,010
The agony he's in.
294
00:11:59,010 --> 00:12:01,596
My God, that moment
right there...
295
00:12:01,596 --> 00:12:03,306
----!
296
00:12:03,306 --> 00:12:05,308
The Freedbirds were dead men.
297
00:12:05,308 --> 00:12:08,561
When the word got out that
JYD had been blinded
298
00:12:08,561 --> 00:12:10,480
by The Freebirds,
and then
299
00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,565
when JYD went on
television and said,
300
00:12:12,565 --> 00:12:15,443
"My daughter, my baby
daughter is about to be born
301
00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:16,945
and I'll be able
to hold her,
302
00:12:16,945 --> 00:12:19,197
but I'll never be
able to see her,"
303
00:12:19,197 --> 00:12:24,035
the people wanted to kill
The Freebirds, literally.
304
00:12:24,035 --> 00:12:27,538
As the highly-anticipated
Dog Collar match with JYD
305
00:12:27,538 --> 00:12:29,958
against Freebird Michael
Hayes approaches,
306
00:12:29,958 --> 00:12:32,335
Dog plays his
part at ringside,
307
00:12:32,335 --> 00:12:34,837
until one fateful night
when the line between
308
00:12:34,837 --> 00:12:37,799
fiction and reality
really blurs.
309
00:12:37,799 --> 00:12:40,343
JYD, himself,
told me this story!
310
00:12:40,343 --> 00:12:42,470
Others have disputed it.
311
00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:45,265
But it sounds very typical
of New Orleans and
312
00:12:45,265 --> 00:12:47,350
the wrestling scene
at that time.
313
00:12:47,350 --> 00:12:49,602
They're in the downtown
Municipal Auditorium.
314
00:12:49,602 --> 00:12:52,188
And Dog is sitting
at ringside.
315
00:12:52,188 --> 00:12:54,274
He's blind,
but he's in the corner.
316
00:12:54,274 --> 00:12:56,818
The Freebirds look around
and they see Dog
317
00:12:56,818 --> 00:12:58,653
sitting in the corner,
and all of a sudden,
318
00:12:58,653 --> 00:13:00,947
some guy comes
over the railing and
319
00:13:00,947 --> 00:13:02,740
is right there at
Dog's shoulder,
320
00:13:02,740 --> 00:13:05,326
and the guy pulls out the
biggest gun he's ever seen,
321
00:13:05,326 --> 00:13:09,122
and said, "Don't worry,
Dog, I got him!"
322
00:13:09,122 --> 00:13:12,083
And for two seconds,
Dog is conflicted.
323
00:13:12,083 --> 00:13:15,795
"Do I grab this guy's gun
and save their lives,
324
00:13:15,795 --> 00:13:18,756
but expose
that I can see?
325
00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:22,844
Or do I sit here and
let him shoot him?"
326
00:13:22,844 --> 00:13:24,721
And while he
was conflicted,
327
00:13:24,721 --> 00:13:26,264
the cops came
over the rail and
328
00:13:26,264 --> 00:13:28,057
grabbed the guy
and took him down.
329
00:13:28,057 --> 00:13:30,643
[Jim Ross] In our little world
out there in Mid-South,
330
00:13:30,643 --> 00:13:32,562
he became bigger
than life.
331
00:13:32,562 --> 00:13:34,897
Sometimes you wonder
when success comes
332
00:13:34,897 --> 00:13:36,149
somebody's way...
333
00:13:36,149 --> 00:13:38,943
is it truly a
blessing or a curse?
334
00:13:44,741 --> 00:13:47,035
[Announcer]
JYD, JYD...
335
00:13:47,035 --> 00:13:49,787
he transcends race,
colour, and creed.
336
00:13:49,787 --> 00:13:52,957
He's everybody's champion.
337
00:13:52,957 --> 00:13:55,043
Under the guidance of
legendary promoter,
338
00:13:55,043 --> 00:13:58,504
Bill Watts, The Junkyard Dog
has emerged as a main event
339
00:13:58,504 --> 00:14:01,215
superstar in Mid-South,
drawing record breaking
340
00:14:01,215 --> 00:14:02,717
crowds for the company.
341
00:14:02,717 --> 00:14:05,928
He was the Black Hulk
Hogan down there.
342
00:14:05,928 --> 00:14:08,765
Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Arkansas...
343
00:14:08,765 --> 00:14:11,100
I mean, he had all those
towns just sewed up.
344
00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:12,977
Let me tell you something,
"Buzza Wuzza",
345
00:14:12,977 --> 00:14:14,520
it ain't but one Dog.
346
00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,022
Well, there wasn't many
Black wrestling stars
347
00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:17,648
when I broke in
the business.
348
00:14:17,648 --> 00:14:20,651
I'm WWE Hall of Famer,
Teddy Long.
349
00:14:20,651 --> 00:14:24,822
You will go, one-on-one,
with The Undertaker!
350
00:14:24,822 --> 00:14:26,449
[Cheering]
351
00:14:26,449 --> 00:14:28,618
Dog was a big draw.
He had that charisma,
352
00:14:28,618 --> 00:14:30,244
so he brought
the Blacks out,
353
00:14:30,244 --> 00:14:31,913
and then also, he brought
the whites out.
354
00:14:31,913 --> 00:14:33,748
There were whites
that loved JYD, too.
355
00:14:33,748 --> 00:14:36,542
So, Bill Watts knew
that was money, okay,
356
00:14:36,542 --> 00:14:38,336
so that's why
he pushed Dog.
357
00:14:38,336 --> 00:14:40,546
[Announcer] Oh, the crowd said,
"Who that? Who that?"
358
00:14:40,546 --> 00:14:42,090
[Audience chanting]
Who that? Who that?
359
00:14:42,090 --> 00:14:43,216
[Announcer]
"Who that?
360
00:14:43,216 --> 00:14:44,801
Who that gonna beat
that Junkyard Dog?
361
00:14:44,801 --> 00:14:46,052
Who that?"
362
00:14:46,052 --> 00:14:48,304
You know, in Mid-South,
we stop at a restaurant,
363
00:14:48,304 --> 00:14:50,098
we stop at a gas station,
364
00:14:50,098 --> 00:14:52,141
people recognized us
where we went.
365
00:14:52,141 --> 00:14:55,853
We got a letters at Mid-South
asking that the Dog and the
366
00:14:55,853 --> 00:14:57,563
different stars can drop
by and visit 'em.
367
00:14:57,563 --> 00:14:58,981
I know we got a
nice letter from a
368
00:14:58,981 --> 00:15:01,234
kindergarten teacher
in Lecompte.
369
00:15:01,234 --> 00:15:03,528
Well, the Junkyard Dog
found time,
370
00:15:03,528 --> 00:15:05,530
and when word got
out in that town,
371
00:15:05,530 --> 00:15:08,449
they had Junkyard Dog Day,
and I'll tell you,
372
00:15:08,449 --> 00:15:09,575
it was great.
373
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:10,993
After he got his,
374
00:15:10,993 --> 00:15:13,496
he wanted to reach back
and help others.
375
00:15:13,496 --> 00:15:15,998
He got more pleasure
out of helping you,
376
00:15:15,998 --> 00:15:18,000
talk to the kids,
give them money.
377
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,086
Very generous,
not just with his money,
378
00:15:20,086 --> 00:15:21,379
but with his time.
379
00:15:21,379 --> 00:15:22,713
You know, you get
fame and stuff,
380
00:15:22,713 --> 00:15:24,757
you get very well-known,
and then forget about
381
00:15:24,757 --> 00:15:26,134
the way that
you grew up.
382
00:15:26,134 --> 00:15:28,177
That's why I like to go back to
the schools and visit.
383
00:15:28,177 --> 00:15:31,097
Long before the bright
lights and roaring crowds,
384
00:15:31,097 --> 00:15:34,058
Sylvester Ritter, the man
behind The Junkyard Dog,
385
00:15:34,058 --> 00:15:37,061
grew up in a small
North Carolina town.
386
00:15:37,061 --> 00:15:38,479
What a lot of people
don't understand or,
387
00:15:38,479 --> 00:15:39,730
don't know about it is,
388
00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:41,941
it's a true rags to
riches story for him.
389
00:15:41,941 --> 00:15:43,276
My name's
Jarvis Woodburn.
390
00:15:43,276 --> 00:15:44,652
I'm the nephew
of Junkyard Dog.
391
00:15:44,652 --> 00:15:45,903
I called him Uncle Dog.
392
00:15:45,903 --> 00:15:48,948
That's what he was to me.
393
00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:52,618
This was the- God, this was
the old, old one, I believe.
394
00:15:52,618 --> 00:15:54,912
Yeah. He grew up
without a dad.
395
00:15:54,912 --> 00:15:57,415
My great grandmother,
which is his grandmother,
396
00:15:57,415 --> 00:15:59,292
is the one that raised him
and my mom.
397
00:15:59,292 --> 00:16:00,751
True southern upbringing.
398
00:16:00,751 --> 00:16:02,962
Family first,
treat all people equally.
399
00:16:02,962 --> 00:16:05,339
And, that's just the kind
of person that he was.
400
00:16:05,339 --> 00:16:08,259
This is the home where...
401
00:16:08,259 --> 00:16:10,344
Sylvester grew up,
he and my mom.
402
00:16:10,344 --> 00:16:12,805
My grandmother,
great grandmother.
403
00:16:12,805 --> 00:16:15,349
Ah, great,
great grandmother.
404
00:16:15,349 --> 00:16:17,018
It was old school.
405
00:16:17,018 --> 00:16:18,811
Wake up in the middle night,
gotta go to the bathroom.
406
00:16:18,811 --> 00:16:20,730
Gotta do a number one,
you go in the bucket.
407
00:16:20,730 --> 00:16:22,398
Gotta do a number two,
either you hold it,
408
00:16:22,398 --> 00:16:24,859
or you're coming outside
and use an outhouse.
409
00:16:24,859 --> 00:16:26,360
There we go.
410
00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,572
Ah, there's the source
of heat right there.
411
00:16:29,572 --> 00:16:31,282
♪
412
00:16:31,282 --> 00:16:34,827
And this was kind of like
the living room area.
413
00:16:34,827 --> 00:16:37,371
This was a bedroom,
here.
414
00:16:37,371 --> 00:16:41,083
It's very cramped.
I mean, when I-
415
00:16:41,083 --> 00:16:42,460
I remember, when I was
growing up there
416
00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:44,879
was actually two
beds in here.
417
00:16:44,879 --> 00:16:46,672
♪
418
00:16:46,672 --> 00:16:50,134
There's that wall with all of
the, like, photos and stuff.
419
00:16:50,134 --> 00:16:51,677
There's actually a...
420
00:16:51,677 --> 00:16:56,015
a real, real young
picture of him over there.
421
00:16:56,015 --> 00:16:57,975
If these walls
could talk.
422
00:16:57,975 --> 00:17:00,478
But I grew up just like
everybody else, with nothing.
423
00:17:00,478 --> 00:17:02,772
I grew up hard,
back down in the South.
424
00:17:02,772 --> 00:17:04,232
North Carolina.
425
00:17:04,232 --> 00:17:06,275
But I fought, and I'm
stilling fighting,
426
00:17:06,275 --> 00:17:08,903
trying to build on myself.
427
00:17:08,903 --> 00:17:11,614
I saw him one time
give the fans,
428
00:17:11,614 --> 00:17:14,408
he took the dog chain
off his neck and
429
00:17:14,408 --> 00:17:17,078
gave it to a kid with
a family there.
430
00:17:17,078 --> 00:17:19,914
They just loved it.
431
00:17:19,914 --> 00:17:21,374
He still stayed humble.
432
00:17:21,374 --> 00:17:23,751
You know, he wasn't a guy
that you couldn't talk to.
433
00:17:23,751 --> 00:17:26,045
Dog never changed,
he never changed.
434
00:17:26,045 --> 00:17:28,923
He was the same guy,
each and every day.
435
00:17:28,923 --> 00:17:31,592
Though fame didn't change
The Junkyard Dog,
436
00:17:31,592 --> 00:17:33,886
life on the road,
and the days and weeks
437
00:17:33,886 --> 00:17:37,098
away from home begin
to take their toll.
438
00:17:37,098 --> 00:17:38,724
He would always try to
come home around-
439
00:17:38,724 --> 00:17:40,893
especially the holidays,
when my mom cooks.
440
00:17:40,893 --> 00:17:42,353
But then after that,
it's just kind of like just
441
00:17:42,353 --> 00:17:44,021
hanging out with the family
for as long as they can
442
00:17:44,021 --> 00:17:46,440
before they gotta
get back on the road.
443
00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,609
He had a daughter,
Latoya.
444
00:17:48,609 --> 00:17:50,778
His daughter was with us
since she was two,
445
00:17:50,778 --> 00:17:51,862
going on three years old.
446
00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:53,281
He loved her to death,
she loved him.
447
00:17:53,281 --> 00:17:54,865
She was definitely
a daddy's girl.
448
00:17:54,865 --> 00:17:58,494
He was a great father, he was
just on the road all the time.
449
00:17:58,494 --> 00:18:00,746
Being on the road
all the time is...
450
00:18:00,746 --> 00:18:04,166
[Sighing] Well, I mean,
it can take a toll.
451
00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:07,253
It taxes on your body,
it taxes on your mind.
452
00:18:07,253 --> 00:18:11,173
It taxes mostly on
your relationships...
453
00:18:11,173 --> 00:18:13,259
with your children,
with your wife...
454
00:18:13,259 --> 00:18:15,303
with your family.
455
00:18:15,303 --> 00:18:17,263
You know, an average week
was 1500,
456
00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:19,932
2000 miles a week.
So, you're in a car a lot.
457
00:18:19,932 --> 00:18:21,934
And, you're away from
your family a lot.
458
00:18:21,934 --> 00:18:26,063
And sometimes, a big, old,
fat joint was your solace.
459
00:18:26,063 --> 00:18:27,315
And of course, for Dog,
460
00:18:27,315 --> 00:18:30,234
this created more
of an appetite.
461
00:18:30,234 --> 00:18:32,111
[Jake] We both were
experimenting with
462
00:18:32,111 --> 00:18:33,696
drugs at the time.
463
00:18:33,696 --> 00:18:36,615
I remember JY showing me
a jar that he had
464
00:18:36,615 --> 00:18:39,577
over 1000 hits
of Speed in it.
465
00:18:39,577 --> 00:18:41,620
You know, and...
466
00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:42,705
of course,
when he came South,
467
00:18:42,705 --> 00:18:44,206
it came with him.
468
00:18:44,206 --> 00:18:46,917
Yeah, he was already
into the Speed,
469
00:18:46,917 --> 00:18:49,837
into the downers,
and sleeping pills.
470
00:18:49,837 --> 00:18:53,007
Ah, I hadn't gotten
into that yet, but...
471
00:18:53,007 --> 00:18:55,259
I was soon to start.
472
00:18:55,259 --> 00:18:57,470
There was a couple times
on the road with him,
473
00:18:57,470 --> 00:19:00,681
he would always keep his
pinky nail a little bit longer.
474
00:19:00,681 --> 00:19:03,100
And I'd look over and
see him, you know,
475
00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:04,226
and he was just
about to do it,
476
00:19:04,226 --> 00:19:05,728
and he looked over at me,
and he goes,
477
00:19:05,728 --> 00:19:07,772
"If I ever see you
doing this, I'll kill you."
478
00:19:07,772 --> 00:19:11,025
"Alright. You don't need
to tell me twice."
479
00:19:11,025 --> 00:19:15,404
[Laughing] Kind of like
rock 'n roll, I mean...
480
00:19:15,404 --> 00:19:18,658
I didn't know
wrestlers had groupies.
481
00:19:18,658 --> 00:19:20,201
Found that out.
482
00:19:20,201 --> 00:19:21,494
It's kind of like you
see on TV with
483
00:19:21,494 --> 00:19:22,953
these rock stars
and stuff.
484
00:19:22,953 --> 00:19:25,331
It was just like
anywhere they went...
485
00:19:25,331 --> 00:19:26,916
restaurants, bars.
486
00:19:26,916 --> 00:19:28,542
When you got fame
like this, he said,
487
00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:29,794
"You can actually
make money."
488
00:19:29,794 --> 00:19:31,962
I said, "What are you
talking about?" He said,
489
00:19:31,962 --> 00:19:34,256
"I'm not gonna sleep with
them for free."
490
00:19:34,256 --> 00:19:37,510
I mean, some of these
chicks would pay.
491
00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:39,637
[Tony] I started hanging out
with Dog 'cause I got
492
00:19:39,637 --> 00:19:43,140
free beer, free food,
and I got laid.
493
00:19:43,140 --> 00:19:46,727
[Laughing]
494
00:19:46,727 --> 00:19:49,230
And they paid for it!
495
00:19:49,230 --> 00:19:51,565
We was in Little Rock,
Arkansas,
496
00:19:51,565 --> 00:19:53,693
and I was low on money
'cause at that time,
497
00:19:53,693 --> 00:19:56,862
unfortunately, I was
involved with drugs, and...
498
00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:59,073
Dog said, "I can get you some
money." I'm like, "Okay."
499
00:19:59,073 --> 00:20:00,449
Said, "I got some
girls coming over."
500
00:20:00,449 --> 00:20:02,785
"Oh, thank you."
501
00:20:02,785 --> 00:20:05,955
The door opened, and these
three girls came in.
502
00:20:05,955 --> 00:20:09,667
And each one of them
gave Dog $100 apiece
503
00:20:09,667 --> 00:20:12,294
to get laid by
the wrestlers.
504
00:20:12,294 --> 00:20:14,463
So, anyway, Dog said,
505
00:20:14,463 --> 00:20:16,590
"He don't do no screwing.
He like your feet.
506
00:20:16,590 --> 00:20:17,967
So, he gonna play
with your feet.
507
00:20:17,967 --> 00:20:19,218
You let him play
with your feet."
508
00:20:19,218 --> 00:20:20,970
So, I'm playing with
the girls' feet.
509
00:20:20,970 --> 00:20:22,388
Dog getting ready
to do the girl,
510
00:20:22,388 --> 00:20:23,848
and then we hear another
knock at the door.
511
00:20:23,848 --> 00:20:25,641
[Knocking]
512
00:20:25,641 --> 00:20:27,226
He thought it was another
one of the wrestlers.
513
00:20:27,226 --> 00:20:28,727
It was the girl's husband.
514
00:20:28,727 --> 00:20:31,272
You know, he wanted to
fight Dog so, he did.
515
00:20:31,272 --> 00:20:33,357
It didn't last long.
516
00:20:33,357 --> 00:20:35,151
Dog beat the hell
out of him.
517
00:20:35,151 --> 00:20:38,112
The girl stayed.
[Laughing]
518
00:20:38,112 --> 00:20:39,530
♪
519
00:20:39,530 --> 00:20:41,449
Dog was one of the highest
paid guys in pro wrestling
520
00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:42,533
at that time.
521
00:20:42,533 --> 00:20:44,785
He never made under
a grand a week.
522
00:20:44,785 --> 00:20:46,579
I think he was probably
averaging more like 2 or
523
00:20:46,579 --> 00:20:49,165
$3,000 a week, and in
a territory that size,
524
00:20:49,165 --> 00:20:51,208
that was pretty
extraordinary.
525
00:20:51,208 --> 00:20:54,545
Bill, he did nice things
for him, including a car.
526
00:20:54,545 --> 00:20:55,921
You know, when he
pulled up to an arena,
527
00:20:55,921 --> 00:20:58,507
you got noticed,
in a positive way.
528
00:20:58,507 --> 00:21:01,051
As one of the biggest
draws in the territory,
529
00:21:01,051 --> 00:21:04,263
The Junkyard Dog catches
the eye of WWF promoter,
530
00:21:04,263 --> 00:21:05,890
Vince McMahon.
531
00:21:05,890 --> 00:21:07,558
In the summer of 1984,
532
00:21:07,558 --> 00:21:09,894
McMahon makes
JYD an offer
533
00:21:09,894 --> 00:21:13,147
that's more than double what
he's paid under Bill Watts.
534
00:21:13,147 --> 00:21:15,983
Vince McMahon was starting
the national expansion...
535
00:21:15,983 --> 00:21:17,943
that he started in 1984.
536
00:21:17,943 --> 00:21:21,238
And Vince was trying to
suck up all the talent.
537
00:21:21,238 --> 00:21:23,240
Unfortunately, the thing
happened that
538
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,576
I never believed
would happen...
539
00:21:25,576 --> 00:21:27,328
and that was,
Dog walked out.
540
00:21:27,328 --> 00:21:30,581
He walked out on his
professional saviour,
541
00:21:30,581 --> 00:21:32,833
and he went to
WWF for the cash.
542
00:21:37,421 --> 00:21:39,340
Oh, hoo...
543
00:21:39,340 --> 00:21:41,634
[Laughing]
544
00:21:41,634 --> 00:21:43,719
Ah, I'd loved to
have seen him
545
00:21:43,719 --> 00:21:45,554
when he got
that phone call.
546
00:21:52,228 --> 00:21:55,231
A lucrative offer from the
WWF proves too strong
547
00:21:55,231 --> 00:21:57,316
for The Junkyard Dog
to resist,
548
00:21:57,316 --> 00:21:59,360
as he suddenly
departs Mid South,
549
00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:01,737
sending shockwaves
through the territory
550
00:22:01,737 --> 00:22:04,990
and leaving promoter
Bill Watts stunned.
551
00:22:04,990 --> 00:22:07,201
The big topic of conversation
is The Junkyard Dog and
552
00:22:07,201 --> 00:22:09,620
what's happened to him
and, we don't really know.
553
00:22:09,620 --> 00:22:11,831
We do know that he's
left the Mid-South area.
554
00:22:11,831 --> 00:22:15,459
When Dog left Mid-South,
it broke Watts' heart...
555
00:22:15,459 --> 00:22:17,920
'Cause he had never
been as kind...
556
00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,382
and as giving to
anybody in his career.
557
00:22:21,382 --> 00:22:23,259
Bill went on television,
558
00:22:23,259 --> 00:22:25,886
had a little verbal tirade
directed at Dog.
559
00:22:25,886 --> 00:22:28,097
I want to comment one
minute on The Junkyard Dog,
560
00:22:28,097 --> 00:22:30,724
because I watched him come
to Mid-South as a youngster,
561
00:22:30,724 --> 00:22:32,768
and a lot of people
watched him grow to
562
00:22:32,768 --> 00:22:34,520
become truly a superstar.
563
00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,856
But then JYD walked out,
not only on Mid-South,
564
00:22:37,856 --> 00:22:39,483
which really hurt me
personally 'cause
565
00:22:39,483 --> 00:22:41,026
I considered him
a great friend-
566
00:22:41,026 --> 00:22:43,028
he walked out
on all the fans.
567
00:22:43,028 --> 00:22:47,032
I mean, to see a
white man cry...
568
00:22:47,032 --> 00:22:50,244
over a Black man
back in the day...
569
00:22:50,244 --> 00:22:52,663
I saw tears come out
of Bill Watts' eyes.
570
00:22:52,663 --> 00:22:54,915
This has hurt him bad 'cause
Bill Watts did everything
571
00:22:54,915 --> 00:22:58,043
he could to keep him there.
572
00:22:58,043 --> 00:23:01,881
And it just looked like
overnight, he was gone.
573
00:23:01,881 --> 00:23:04,466
But in the aftermath
of his departure,
574
00:23:04,466 --> 00:23:07,511
rumours circulate that his
sudden exit from the company
575
00:23:07,511 --> 00:23:10,472
is motivated by
factors beyond money.
576
00:23:10,472 --> 00:23:12,057
Dog told me this story,
577
00:23:12,057 --> 00:23:14,059
the way he went to the WWF.
578
00:23:14,059 --> 00:23:16,895
Dog was in the bathroom,
and he was in the stall.
579
00:23:16,895 --> 00:23:19,648
Bill Watts and Grizzly Smith,
they came in the bathroom,
580
00:23:19,648 --> 00:23:22,401
and they didn't know
Dog was in the stall.
581
00:23:22,401 --> 00:23:24,653
Grizzly Smith went to tell
Bill Watts, he says,
582
00:23:24,653 --> 00:23:26,697
"Well, I think we're gonna
lose Sylvester.
583
00:23:26,697 --> 00:23:29,825
I hear he's going to the WWF,
he's going to New York."
584
00:23:29,825 --> 00:23:32,077
The next thing Bill Watts
said to Grizzly Smith, said,
585
00:23:32,077 --> 00:23:33,245
"Ah, don't worry about it.
586
00:23:33,245 --> 00:23:35,205
That nigger ain't
going nowhere."
587
00:23:35,205 --> 00:23:37,333
Dog heard that.
588
00:23:37,333 --> 00:23:40,252
♪ [Suspenseful music] ♪
589
00:23:40,252 --> 00:23:42,004
And so, that's when he
made up his mind
590
00:23:42,004 --> 00:23:44,006
to leave and go to Vince.
591
00:23:44,006 --> 00:23:47,051
♪
592
00:23:47,051 --> 00:23:50,471
♪
593
00:23:50,471 --> 00:23:53,015
After The Junkyard Dog
leaves Mid-South
594
00:23:53,015 --> 00:23:55,059
in the summer of 1984,
595
00:23:55,059 --> 00:23:58,020
Bill Watts begins a
search for his replacement.
596
00:23:58,020 --> 00:24:02,066
Brother, it scared him to
death that his territory
597
00:24:02,066 --> 00:24:04,068
was gonna just collapse.
598
00:24:04,068 --> 00:24:05,736
So desperate...
599
00:24:05,736 --> 00:24:07,988
that immediately
he tried to
600
00:24:07,988 --> 00:24:09,865
slide in another
Black superstar.
601
00:24:09,865 --> 00:24:12,034
Bill made a,
I think, a...
602
00:24:12,034 --> 00:24:13,994
mistake, in the sense that,
603
00:24:13,994 --> 00:24:15,788
we started trying out every
604
00:24:15,788 --> 00:24:18,582
African American wrestler
that we could bring in.
605
00:24:18,582 --> 00:24:19,958
George Wells...
606
00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:21,210
You can't run this dog out.
607
00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:22,419
I'm here to stay,
and I'm here to
608
00:24:22,419 --> 00:24:24,213
whip a whole lot of behind.
609
00:24:24,213 --> 00:24:25,714
Brickhouse Brown.
610
00:24:25,714 --> 00:24:27,800
[Announcer]
Brickhouse Brown!
611
00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,970
-[Cheering]
-The Brickhouse is styling.
612
00:24:30,970 --> 00:24:33,639
They brought another guy in,
called him "The Snowman".
613
00:24:33,639 --> 00:24:35,641
I had the pleasure
of wrestling him.
614
00:24:35,641 --> 00:24:37,810
Jake The Snake,
he tried to take me out.
615
00:24:37,810 --> 00:24:40,396
These thunder cookers,
he can't do nothing with it.
616
00:24:40,396 --> 00:24:42,272
Did not work.
617
00:24:42,272 --> 00:24:44,191
I want the sucker right down
here in the middle of this ring
618
00:24:44,191 --> 00:24:45,401
right now!
619
00:24:45,401 --> 00:24:46,694
[Jake] Butch Reed was a
very good wrestler,
620
00:24:46,694 --> 00:24:48,320
but he wasn't the Dog.
621
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:49,697
He was a bodybuilder.
622
00:24:49,697 --> 00:24:51,740
He was too pretty-
not that big, ugly,
623
00:24:51,740 --> 00:24:55,369
bad son of a bitch that
people could identify with.
624
00:24:55,369 --> 00:24:56,995
And on and on.
[Sighing]
625
00:24:59,123 --> 00:25:01,041
No, none,
forget about it.
626
00:25:01,041 --> 00:25:03,460
[Jim Ross] They were
good guys, they tried.
627
00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:05,337
But,
replacing a legend...
628
00:25:05,337 --> 00:25:08,173
that's like hiring the next
cowboy to replace John Wayne.
629
00:25:08,173 --> 00:25:10,384
How the hell you
gonna do that?
630
00:25:10,384 --> 00:25:13,846
The fans of the WWF
welcomed JYD with
631
00:25:13,846 --> 00:25:16,724
open arms and
thunderous applause.
632
00:25:16,724 --> 00:25:18,642
[Announcer] This place has
gone bananas!
633
00:25:18,642 --> 00:25:21,812
He certainly has his legions
of fans here, by the thousand.
634
00:25:21,812 --> 00:25:25,024
And these fans are
with him all the way!
635
00:25:25,024 --> 00:25:26,567
He is something!
636
00:25:26,567 --> 00:25:29,028
McMahon did a phenomenal
job of marketing JYD
637
00:25:29,028 --> 00:25:30,988
when he hired him.
I will give him that.
638
00:25:30,988 --> 00:25:32,948
You have become one of the
most popular athletes
639
00:25:32,948 --> 00:25:35,200
in the World Wresting
Federation, perhaps in,
640
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:36,994
in the most shortest length
of time than anyone
641
00:25:36,994 --> 00:25:38,370
ever to enter the ring.
642
00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:40,289
You know, I've been
very fortunate.
643
00:25:40,289 --> 00:25:41,749
A lot of help
come from...
644
00:25:41,749 --> 00:25:42,875
just understanding
the people,
645
00:25:42,875 --> 00:25:44,251
getting along
with people.
646
00:25:44,251 --> 00:25:45,878
It don't make no difference
what race or colour is.
647
00:25:45,878 --> 00:25:48,797
Financially, it was the
best move Dog ever made.
648
00:25:48,797 --> 00:25:50,424
He told me one time,
he was making
649
00:25:50,424 --> 00:25:53,844
six figures a quarter on
his action figure.
650
00:25:53,844 --> 00:25:55,596
That's the third time
my junkyard's
651
00:25:55,596 --> 00:25:57,014
been burgled this month.
652
00:25:57,014 --> 00:25:59,433
There's only one way to
protect this place, amigo,
653
00:25:59,433 --> 00:26:01,727
you've gotta get
yourself a Junkyard Dog.
654
00:26:01,727 --> 00:26:03,437
I thought that was cool,
seeing the cartoons on
655
00:26:03,437 --> 00:26:05,481
Saturday mornings,
his action figure.
656
00:26:05,481 --> 00:26:06,940
The music video,
all that stuff,
657
00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:09,109
that was pretty cool
as a kid to see.
658
00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:12,654
Ah, "Grab Them Cakes".
659
00:26:12,654 --> 00:26:14,281
He couldn't sing
for shit though.
660
00:26:14,281 --> 00:26:15,699
[Laughing]
661
00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:16,950
♪ GET YOURSELF
STARTED. ♪
662
00:26:16,950 --> 00:26:17,951
♪ IT'S HARD TO STOP. ♪
663
00:26:17,951 --> 00:26:19,077
♪ YOU JUST GO FOR
YOUR PARTNERS ♪
664
00:26:19,077 --> 00:26:20,037
♪ YOU KNOW WHAT. ♪
665
00:26:20,037 --> 00:26:21,455
♪ AND THEN YOU
G-R-A-B ♪
666
00:26:21,455 --> 00:26:23,832
♪ T-H-E-M C-A-K-E-S! ♪
667
00:26:23,832 --> 00:26:26,418
♪ AH,
GRAB THEM CAKES! ♪
668
00:26:26,418 --> 00:26:27,878
♪ OH! ♪
669
00:26:27,878 --> 00:26:30,088
And his dreams were
all being fulfilled...
670
00:26:30,088 --> 00:26:31,715
and he was
making money.
671
00:26:31,715 --> 00:26:34,760
He was doing it, man,
he was doing it.
672
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,888
Junkyard Dog, and
World's Heavyweight Champion,
673
00:26:37,888 --> 00:26:39,389
Hulk Hogan!
674
00:26:39,389 --> 00:26:42,810
Longevity-wise, you know,
it's hard to stick around.
675
00:26:42,810 --> 00:26:44,561
Extremely
competitive business,
676
00:26:44,561 --> 00:26:47,189
everybody wants Hogan's
spot, the spot below that.
677
00:26:47,189 --> 00:26:48,649
A lot of hungry guys.
678
00:26:48,649 --> 00:26:51,235
And, hard to
stick around.
679
00:26:51,235 --> 00:26:55,113
As The Junkyard Dog joins a
WWF roster packed with
680
00:26:55,113 --> 00:26:57,241
some of the biggest
names in wrestling,
681
00:26:57,241 --> 00:27:00,869
his magnetic presence can
only carry him so far.
682
00:27:00,869 --> 00:27:04,164
Despite his best efforts,
he fails to recapture the
683
00:27:04,164 --> 00:27:07,709
towering heights of his
glory days in Mid-South.
684
00:27:07,709 --> 00:27:12,297
I don't think the industry
was ready to go that route.
685
00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:15,384
Um, how can I say it?
686
00:27:15,384 --> 00:27:17,177
With a...
687
00:27:17,177 --> 00:27:19,429
Black wrestler.
688
00:27:19,429 --> 00:27:21,473
That's just my opinion.
689
00:27:21,473 --> 00:27:24,768
I really believe that JYD
thought that Vince McMahon
690
00:27:24,768 --> 00:27:28,188
was gonna push him the
same way as Bill Watts.
691
00:27:28,188 --> 00:27:29,898
And, it didn't happen.
692
00:27:29,898 --> 00:27:33,402
He figured, well, I done
let Louisiana down.
693
00:27:33,402 --> 00:27:35,320
I done let my family down.
694
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,991
I done let Bill Watts down.
He was just heartbroken.
695
00:27:45,998 --> 00:27:48,500
Having left the Mid-South
territory behind for the
696
00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:52,254
promise of even greater fame,
The Junkyard Dog fails to
697
00:27:52,254 --> 00:27:55,757
reach the same level of
prominence in the WWF.
698
00:27:55,757 --> 00:27:58,093
Me and Dog wanna be
climbing up mountaintops!
699
00:27:58,093 --> 00:28:00,012
We want to go to
the promise land!
700
00:28:00,012 --> 00:28:02,014
We want to be with
Hulk Hogan, brother!
701
00:28:02,014 --> 00:28:03,765
They pushed some
Black wrestlers there,
702
00:28:03,765 --> 00:28:07,352
but as far as putting the
Black man in the money spot...
703
00:28:07,352 --> 00:28:10,314
No...
Not at all.
704
00:28:10,314 --> 00:28:12,065
They didn't go there.
705
00:28:12,065 --> 00:28:14,318
So, I gotta put this Black
and white thing together
706
00:28:14,318 --> 00:28:17,613
all the time, 'cause that's
the only way I see it.
707
00:28:17,613 --> 00:28:20,490
From 1980, to...
708
00:28:20,490 --> 00:28:24,661
I would say '86, 80% of the
top wrestlers were minorities.
709
00:28:24,661 --> 00:28:26,413
In the Vince Sr. era,
710
00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:29,124
Vince McMahon Sr.
figured that
711
00:28:29,124 --> 00:28:31,418
you have to have a person
representing every
712
00:28:31,418 --> 00:28:34,755
nationality of people,
and that was his idea.
713
00:28:34,755 --> 00:28:37,633
Pedro Morales,
Bruno Sammartino,
714
00:28:37,633 --> 00:28:40,469
Rocky Johnson,
The Wild Samoans,
715
00:28:40,469 --> 00:28:43,513
Mr. Fugi,
Bob Backlund.
716
00:28:43,513 --> 00:28:46,308
In that whole list, I named
how many white people?
717
00:28:46,308 --> 00:28:47,726
One.
718
00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:49,436
But right now, let's begin
the festivities without
719
00:28:49,436 --> 00:28:51,355
further ado,
let's go up to ringside.
720
00:28:51,355 --> 00:28:53,231
When Vince Jr.
took over, well,
721
00:28:53,231 --> 00:28:56,234
there wasn't as many
minorities on top.
722
00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:58,278
He came with the Hulk Hogan,
723
00:28:58,278 --> 00:29:01,490
Roddy Piper, Bret Hart.
724
00:29:01,490 --> 00:29:04,618
Well, he had a
pecking order for Dog.
725
00:29:04,618 --> 00:29:06,495
He needed a Black
wrestler, but that,
726
00:29:06,495 --> 00:29:08,622
he had to push the
Caucasian wrestler.
727
00:29:08,622 --> 00:29:11,124
It's not racism, it was
a business decision.
728
00:29:11,124 --> 00:29:15,045
He wanted to get the
white fans to come more.
729
00:29:15,045 --> 00:29:19,925
Vince McMahon didn't
use him like Bill did.
730
00:29:19,925 --> 00:29:22,302
I wish he had,
because if he'd a...
731
00:29:22,302 --> 00:29:23,887
opened that door, I think
he could have been
732
00:29:23,887 --> 00:29:26,974
one of the biggest
stars in the WWE.
733
00:29:26,974 --> 00:29:29,142
Do I think it affected
him? Absolutely.
734
00:29:29,142 --> 00:29:31,228
And I think that was when
735
00:29:31,228 --> 00:29:34,773
the drugs got really bad.
736
00:29:34,773 --> 00:29:37,275
[Tony]
Dog started off with pot.
737
00:29:37,275 --> 00:29:39,361
And, that led to cocaine.
738
00:29:39,361 --> 00:29:42,906
He just smoked it.
Y'all call it "crack" now.
739
00:29:42,906 --> 00:29:44,866
[Jake exhaling sharply]
Once he got into the coke,
740
00:29:44,866 --> 00:29:46,868
the coke took him.
741
00:29:46,868 --> 00:29:49,162
He had to have it
every day.
742
00:29:49,162 --> 00:29:50,664
JYD didn't care
where he was at.
743
00:29:50,664 --> 00:29:52,874
He'd just pull
it out and do it.
744
00:29:52,874 --> 00:29:55,794
On airplanes and
everything, man.
745
00:29:55,794 --> 00:29:57,879
He got me in
trouble one time.
746
00:29:57,879 --> 00:30:00,674
They were doing a TNT thing
that Vince used to do.
747
00:30:00,674 --> 00:30:02,801
He said, "I want you to make
sure he gets there."
748
00:30:02,801 --> 00:30:05,512
They got a Learjet
for him, a nice jet.
749
00:30:05,512 --> 00:30:07,389
So, when Dog landed,
750
00:30:07,389 --> 00:30:08,807
they got the guy with
the limousine to
751
00:30:08,807 --> 00:30:10,726
pick us up at the airport.
752
00:30:10,726 --> 00:30:12,769
Dog sent the limousine
out to the ghetto
753
00:30:12,769 --> 00:30:14,896
to get some dope.
754
00:30:14,896 --> 00:30:16,398
So, they're driving around.
755
00:30:16,398 --> 00:30:19,026
"Dog, we gotta get
to the building. Dog!"
756
00:30:19,026 --> 00:30:22,237
Finally, he found somebody
to sell him his dope.
757
00:30:22,237 --> 00:30:25,115
The limousine driver had
no idea what was going on.
758
00:30:25,115 --> 00:30:27,617
So, Dog asked, "Is it
okay if I smoke?"
759
00:30:27,617 --> 00:30:29,619
The limo guy, he thought
he means cigarettes.
760
00:30:29,619 --> 00:30:32,873
Dog said, "Yeah." He
takes out his crack pipe,
761
00:30:32,873 --> 00:30:35,167
and he started smoking
crack in the car!
762
00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:36,668
All of a sudden,
the limo driver's like...
763
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:41,465
[Sputtering] He don't know
what the hell to do!
764
00:30:41,465 --> 00:30:44,217
We finally get Dog there,
but we late.
765
00:30:44,217 --> 00:30:46,261
Which means I
missed my match.
766
00:30:46,261 --> 00:30:49,056
Dog forgot one thing that
Thunderbolt Patterson
767
00:30:49,056 --> 00:30:51,308
was trying to teach all
of us Black wrestlers.
768
00:30:51,308 --> 00:30:52,976
Thunderbolt used
to always say,
769
00:30:52,976 --> 00:30:59,107
"You can't do what the white
man do and keep your job."
770
00:30:59,107 --> 00:31:01,902
By the late 1980s,
The Junkyard Dog
771
00:31:01,902 --> 00:31:04,696
is consumed by a
devastating drug addiction,
772
00:31:04,696 --> 00:31:06,364
and its consequences
are felt
773
00:31:06,364 --> 00:31:08,617
far beyond the
squared circle.
774
00:31:08,617 --> 00:31:11,286
He didn't look good.
He would talk, but...
775
00:31:11,286 --> 00:31:15,165
he wasn't that cheerful
Dog that we knew.
776
00:31:15,165 --> 00:31:16,708
He just wasn't
the same person.
777
00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:18,502
He didn't care
what happened.
778
00:31:18,502 --> 00:31:22,631
He didn't care at all.
I mean, he just...
779
00:31:22,631 --> 00:31:25,509
[Jake] Oh, my God, yeah,
he was out of control.
780
00:31:25,509 --> 00:31:30,889
I remember him sitting there
in Madison Square Garden.
781
00:31:30,889 --> 00:31:32,516
And loading a pipe up,
782
00:31:32,516 --> 00:31:34,768
and hitting it right in
front of everybody.
783
00:31:34,768 --> 00:31:36,812
I go, "JY, what are you
doing, man?" He goes,
784
00:31:36,812 --> 00:31:38,188
"---- them,
they don't even know,
785
00:31:38,188 --> 00:31:39,564
they don't even
know what it is."
786
00:31:39,564 --> 00:31:41,149
[Groaning]
You know?
787
00:31:41,149 --> 00:31:44,903
He was just-
[Exhaling sharply] Burnt.
788
00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:47,906
Oh, yeah, the Dog came
out of his hiding place.
789
00:31:47,906 --> 00:31:49,950
Started to begin to move
up and down
790
00:31:49,950 --> 00:31:51,493
that ladder once again.
791
00:31:51,493 --> 00:31:54,079
And like I said,
time and time again,
792
00:31:54,079 --> 00:31:57,541
if a Dog needs a
bone to chew on...
793
00:31:57,541 --> 00:31:59,167
Of course, he had
a drug problem.
794
00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:00,961
Everybody was
taking drugs back then.
795
00:32:00,961 --> 00:32:02,379
I can't throw no stones.
796
00:32:02,379 --> 00:32:04,256
I- A to Z- I just
never had that
797
00:32:04,256 --> 00:32:05,841
addictive type personality.
798
00:32:05,841 --> 00:32:08,301
But Dog,
he struggled with that.
799
00:32:08,301 --> 00:32:11,304
He sank into it. It was
more and more, and...
800
00:32:11,304 --> 00:32:13,974
You know, there was no
talking him out of it.
801
00:32:16,685 --> 00:32:18,937
No-shows, the way
I understood it.
802
00:32:23,358 --> 00:32:24,609
But when you
miss shows, you,
803
00:32:24,609 --> 00:32:26,653
you scare 'em
when you do that.
804
00:32:26,653 --> 00:32:27,988
[Koko] I didn't have
no idea that he was
805
00:32:27,988 --> 00:32:29,573
leaving or
anything like that.
806
00:32:29,573 --> 00:32:30,907
And that's the way the
wrestling business,
807
00:32:30,907 --> 00:32:32,033
it was like that.
808
00:32:32,033 --> 00:32:33,285
They didn't give you
two weeks' notice.
809
00:32:33,285 --> 00:32:35,537
Tell you, "Hey, leave."
810
00:32:35,537 --> 00:32:37,789
A guy can't go
buy groceries.
811
00:32:37,789 --> 00:32:39,791
He don't have
any money.
812
00:32:39,791 --> 00:32:41,793
And you haven't
seen your family.
813
00:32:41,793 --> 00:32:43,753
It's disheartening.
814
00:32:43,753 --> 00:32:45,839
He definitely
had a great soul.
815
00:32:45,839 --> 00:32:48,675
If JYD's story isn't
a cautionary tale,
816
00:32:48,675 --> 00:32:50,760
then people aren't
paying attention.
817
00:32:58,101 --> 00:33:00,437
Fired from the WWF,
818
00:33:00,437 --> 00:33:02,397
and struggling to
make ends meet,
819
00:33:02,397 --> 00:33:05,317
JYD turns to the
independent circuit,
820
00:33:05,317 --> 00:33:07,444
performing in small
high school gyms
821
00:33:07,444 --> 00:33:10,280
for diminishing crowds.
822
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:14,159
After hitting rock bottom,
JYD's fortunes change with
823
00:33:14,159 --> 00:33:16,786
an offer to join World
Championship Wrestling,
824
00:33:16,786 --> 00:33:19,331
where his old friend
and mentor, Bill Watts,
825
00:33:19,331 --> 00:33:21,041
is now in charge.
826
00:33:21,041 --> 00:33:23,043
And Bill Watts came in, and
he knew that he could make
827
00:33:23,043 --> 00:33:26,296
his mark if he recaptured
that Black superstar.
828
00:33:26,296 --> 00:33:27,923
He was likeable as hell.
829
00:33:27,923 --> 00:33:29,507
Everybody there
was happy to...
830
00:33:29,507 --> 00:33:32,177
try to resurrect him,
shall we say.
831
00:33:32,177 --> 00:33:34,387
I knew that his days of
working on the top were over.
832
00:33:34,387 --> 00:33:35,722
He didn't know that.
833
00:33:35,722 --> 00:33:37,557
He didn't seem like he
wanted to admit it, but...
834
00:33:37,557 --> 00:33:40,101
you ain't the same guy.
835
00:33:40,101 --> 00:33:41,603
And, you look bloated.
836
00:33:41,603 --> 00:33:43,897
You're not JYD right now.
837
00:33:43,897 --> 00:33:46,399
And at some point, you hold
out hope that somebody that
838
00:33:46,399 --> 00:33:49,319
you love and respect, well,
they'll see the light.
839
00:33:49,319 --> 00:33:51,780
But let me tell you something-
as my daddy would say,
840
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:55,033
"They gotta carry
their share of the water."
841
00:33:55,033 --> 00:33:57,410
I get mad when I pull up
stories about it.
842
00:33:57,410 --> 00:33:59,704
First thing people say,
"Drugs this, drugs that."
843
00:33:59,704 --> 00:34:02,791
You got a, a guy that
came from nothing,
844
00:34:02,791 --> 00:34:04,918
and they pulled him out
of that environment...
845
00:34:04,918 --> 00:34:06,503
give him all this money.
846
00:34:06,503 --> 00:34:09,297
I'm not making excuses,
but yeah, he did drugs.
847
00:34:09,297 --> 00:34:13,260
Whoopee. I mean,
everybody got demons.
848
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:16,805
I'm pretty sure the last time
I seen him was like 1995,
849
00:34:16,805 --> 00:34:19,349
and I came in and he
was just mumbling.
850
00:34:19,349 --> 00:34:21,309
[Mimicking mumbling
incoherently]
851
00:34:21,309 --> 00:34:22,769
That was about it, man,
852
00:34:22,769 --> 00:34:25,021
and I went back to where
he was sitting, they said,
853
00:34:25,021 --> 00:34:27,274
"He's in the ring."
I went out to watch,
854
00:34:27,274 --> 00:34:28,942
they were ringing the bell,
it was over.
855
00:34:28,942 --> 00:34:30,986
Lasted about two minutes.
856
00:34:30,986 --> 00:34:33,321
That's all he gave 'em.
And he came back,
857
00:34:33,321 --> 00:34:36,700
grabbed his money and
walked out the door.
858
00:34:36,700 --> 00:34:40,161
Didn't say bye, didn't say hi,
didn't say nothing, man.
859
00:34:40,161 --> 00:34:42,330
And I know exactly
where he was at.
860
00:34:42,330 --> 00:34:44,749
He was wanting to get outside
so he could get high again.
861
00:34:44,749 --> 00:34:46,167
Been there.
862
00:34:46,167 --> 00:34:48,086
I've been there.
863
00:34:48,086 --> 00:34:50,463
If he had his drug fix,
he was perfectly happy
864
00:34:50,463 --> 00:34:53,091
to go into isolation until
he needed the money.
865
00:34:53,091 --> 00:34:54,467
Then he'd work a show
866
00:34:54,467 --> 00:34:58,263
for some independent
promoter for the cash.
867
00:34:58,263 --> 00:35:00,265
[Jake] You see the pain
that you get
868
00:35:00,265 --> 00:35:02,392
from the cocaine is because
869
00:35:02,392 --> 00:35:04,602
you look in the mirror
every now and then,
870
00:35:04,602 --> 00:35:06,855
moment of clarity, and
you'll look at yourself and
871
00:35:06,855 --> 00:35:09,733
you'll see just how far
down you've gone.
872
00:35:09,733 --> 00:35:14,446
That's painful and,
it's also shameful.
873
00:35:14,446 --> 00:35:18,366
And those two things,
man, will kill you.
874
00:35:18,366 --> 00:35:20,327
In just over a decade,
875
00:35:20,327 --> 00:35:23,747
JYD goes from
headlining the Super Dome,
876
00:35:23,747 --> 00:35:27,417
to working a part-time
job at a local Wal-Mart.
877
00:35:27,417 --> 00:35:29,919
Dog is used to being
treated a certain way for
878
00:35:29,919 --> 00:35:32,547
a long period of time,
from his football career
879
00:35:32,547 --> 00:35:34,966
to his wrestling career.
And then all of a sudden,
880
00:35:34,966 --> 00:35:36,593
all that is taken
away from him.
881
00:35:36,593 --> 00:35:38,928
You have to get used to
being treated...
882
00:35:38,928 --> 00:35:41,848
like shit, pretty much.
883
00:35:41,848 --> 00:35:45,560
When I hit that spot,
I tried to commit suicide.
884
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,103
I was homeless for
a year and a half.
885
00:35:47,103 --> 00:35:48,521
I slept in the park.
886
00:35:48,521 --> 00:35:50,440
Didn't shower, or bathe,
or brush my teeth,
887
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:52,275
or comb my hair for
a year and a half.
888
00:35:52,275 --> 00:35:54,110
That was right
before Saba Simba.
889
00:35:54,110 --> 00:35:55,820
So, Dog was going
through the same thing.
890
00:35:55,820 --> 00:35:56,905
He didn't save his money.
891
00:35:56,905 --> 00:35:58,406
Dog was very
careless with money.
892
00:35:58,406 --> 00:36:01,785
He was making 8,
$10,000 a week!
893
00:36:01,785 --> 00:36:03,244
It just came so easy to him,
894
00:36:03,244 --> 00:36:04,788
and all of us
felt the same way-
895
00:36:04,788 --> 00:36:07,248
not just Dog-
that it would never end.
896
00:36:07,248 --> 00:36:09,250
We figured this
would never end,
897
00:36:09,250 --> 00:36:12,379
that we always gonna
be making money.
898
00:36:12,379 --> 00:36:14,339
We always gonna
be big stars.
899
00:36:14,339 --> 00:36:17,050
This would never end.
900
00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:20,428
So, the phone rings one day
and I get a call from JYD.
901
00:36:20,428 --> 00:36:22,806
I hadn't talked to him
in quite a while and,
902
00:36:22,806 --> 00:36:25,100
he knows by now that,
you know,
903
00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:27,477
I've had this change in
my life and that I'm now,
904
00:36:27,477 --> 00:36:29,521
not only doing school
assemblies, but I'm,
905
00:36:29,521 --> 00:36:31,272
I'm speaking at churches.
906
00:36:31,272 --> 00:36:32,690
If you're a wrestling fan,
you may have
907
00:36:32,690 --> 00:36:34,192
remembered the
Million-Dollar Man.
908
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:36,611
How many in this room would
say you remember that guy?
909
00:36:36,611 --> 00:36:38,321
[Audience]
Yeah! Woo!
910
00:36:38,321 --> 00:36:40,573
And he said, "I want you to
encourage those kids
911
00:36:40,573 --> 00:36:42,325
you're talking to...
912
00:36:42,325 --> 00:36:44,869
not to do what I did."
913
00:36:44,869 --> 00:36:49,165
And I was just like, "Wow."
914
00:36:49,165 --> 00:36:51,209
I did what he
asked me to do.
915
00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:54,462
That sin, that one that goes
away for a week or a month,
916
00:36:54,462 --> 00:36:56,923
and then it rears its
ugly head and it's back...
917
00:36:56,923 --> 00:36:59,884
or maybe even worse,
it's there every day.
918
00:36:59,884 --> 00:37:02,345
Drugs, alcohol, addiction.
919
00:37:02,345 --> 00:37:05,640
Here's a guy who was
the biggest name.
920
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,101
And, succumbed
to drugs.
921
00:37:08,101 --> 00:37:09,436
And of course, yeah,
it was probably
922
00:37:09,436 --> 00:37:12,939
one of the last
conversations we had.
923
00:37:12,939 --> 00:37:14,315
The last time he came home
924
00:37:14,315 --> 00:37:16,276
was for his daughter's
graduation.
925
00:37:16,276 --> 00:37:18,778
He was coming
from Mississippi.
926
00:37:18,778 --> 00:37:20,780
Dog was real proud
of his daughter.
927
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:22,198
He wanted to make sure
that he was at
928
00:37:22,198 --> 00:37:23,825
his daughter's graduation
because,
929
00:37:23,825 --> 00:37:25,326
I mean, she would
want him there, too.
930
00:37:25,326 --> 00:37:27,829
I mean, that's- you gotta
feel real proud if your dad
931
00:37:27,829 --> 00:37:31,332
is The Junkyard Dog and he
walks into your graduation.
932
00:37:31,332 --> 00:37:33,501
[Laughing] It don't get
no better than that.
933
00:37:33,501 --> 00:37:37,881
So, he was certainly
determined to get there.
934
00:37:37,881 --> 00:37:39,632
[Jarvis] From where he was
living out in Mississippi
935
00:37:39,632 --> 00:37:41,259
to Charlotte,
North Carolina
936
00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:43,636
is about a 9-hour
drive one way.
937
00:37:43,636 --> 00:37:45,430
He misses the graduation.
938
00:37:45,430 --> 00:37:47,056
We're all at my mom
and dad's house.
939
00:37:47,056 --> 00:37:49,058
He shows up. Of course,
he apologizes,
940
00:37:49,058 --> 00:37:50,769
you know,
that he was late.
941
00:37:50,769 --> 00:37:52,520
He holds my son
for the first time.
942
00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,314
My son was six months old,
but he looks like
943
00:37:54,314 --> 00:37:57,025
a little miniature baby
doll in his hand.
944
00:37:57,025 --> 00:37:59,444
And he held him for a while,
but that was
945
00:37:59,444 --> 00:38:02,405
the last family photo
taken of him.
946
00:38:02,405 --> 00:38:04,574
♪
947
00:38:04,574 --> 00:38:06,409
And then, later on,
you know, he said,
948
00:38:06,409 --> 00:38:07,827
"Well, I'm gonna get
back on the road."
949
00:38:07,827 --> 00:38:09,454
So, I met him at
this gas station,
950
00:38:09,454 --> 00:38:12,290
and there's something on
the driver's side door.
951
00:38:12,290 --> 00:38:14,542
I'm like, "Dude, what's that?"
And he goes, "Puke."
952
00:38:14,542 --> 00:38:16,586
[Laughing] "Boy,
so you had a long night,
953
00:38:16,586 --> 00:38:20,757
last night." So, I didn't
think nothing else about it.
954
00:38:20,757 --> 00:38:22,258
And I said, "You gonna
drive all the way back home?
955
00:38:22,258 --> 00:38:23,885
You're not gonna pull over
to sleep or anything?"
956
00:38:23,885 --> 00:38:25,553
He said, "Nah, I'm just
gonna go ahead and drive on,
957
00:38:25,553 --> 00:38:27,931
you know,
make it straight home."
958
00:38:27,931 --> 00:38:29,182
I didn't know that
was gonna be
959
00:38:29,182 --> 00:38:31,059
the last conversation
I had with him though.
960
00:38:39,526 --> 00:38:41,611
On June 1st, 1998,
961
00:38:41,611 --> 00:38:43,696
after leaving a
celebration of his
962
00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:45,990
daughter's high
school graduation,
963
00:38:45,990 --> 00:38:48,660
The Junkyard Dog sets out
on the long and
964
00:38:48,660 --> 00:38:51,037
fateful journey home.
965
00:38:51,037 --> 00:38:53,456
We talked 10, 15 minutes,
right before he was getting
966
00:38:53,456 --> 00:38:55,750
ready to go, he's done
gassing up and everything,
967
00:38:55,750 --> 00:38:57,377
and he's...
968
00:38:57,377 --> 00:38:59,295
I said, "Well, man," I said,
"when you coming back down?"
969
00:38:59,295 --> 00:39:00,880
He said, "Man, you know,
I'll be back on the 4th.
970
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,966
Be back on the 4th." I said,
"Alright, well, cool, man,
971
00:39:02,966 --> 00:39:05,718
I'll see you then," you know,
dapped each other up.
972
00:39:05,718 --> 00:39:08,346
He gets in the car, and
he drives away, I go home.
973
00:39:08,346 --> 00:39:11,182
The next day, I get
the call at work,
974
00:39:11,182 --> 00:39:14,936
and it's my mom.
And, she's...
975
00:39:14,936 --> 00:39:17,522
you know, very upset,
and I just- she said,
976
00:39:17,522 --> 00:39:19,357
"Sylvester got
killed last night."
977
00:39:19,357 --> 00:39:23,194
I was like, "Wait, what?"
And, she...
978
00:39:23,194 --> 00:39:25,196
rambled something, and I
could barely make it out.
979
00:39:25,196 --> 00:39:27,198
I just heard, "Car,
he got killed,"
980
00:39:27,198 --> 00:39:29,117
and she hangs up
the phone.
981
00:39:29,117 --> 00:39:31,828
♪
982
00:39:31,828 --> 00:39:33,496
And, according to
the authorities,
983
00:39:33,496 --> 00:39:36,416
the accident happened
that morning.
984
00:39:36,416 --> 00:39:39,002
So, he drove all through
the night, all night long.
985
00:39:39,002 --> 00:39:40,878
He fell asleep, there was
no skid marks.
986
00:39:40,878 --> 00:39:42,171
You can see where the
car veered off the road,
987
00:39:42,171 --> 00:39:43,798
and it flipped
several times.
988
00:39:43,798 --> 00:39:45,300
There's no way he could've
been wearing his seatbelt
989
00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:47,010
'cause he was too damn
big for that seatbelt.
990
00:39:47,010 --> 00:39:48,803
He shouldn't have been
in that car anyway.
991
00:39:48,803 --> 00:39:51,014
And, it was head trauma.
992
00:39:51,014 --> 00:39:53,558
According to the autopsy.
993
00:39:53,558 --> 00:39:55,393
A lot of time when you're
on the drugs, you know,
994
00:39:55,393 --> 00:39:57,729
you're up three or
four days sometimes.
995
00:39:57,729 --> 00:40:00,106
You don't get no rest until
sometime the body just says,
996
00:40:00,106 --> 00:40:02,734
"Hey, I don't want no more.
I'm shutting down."
997
00:40:02,734 --> 00:40:04,527
So, that's what the
body has to do to you
998
00:40:04,527 --> 00:40:06,154
for you to
really go get rest.
999
00:40:06,154 --> 00:40:07,864
So, I think Dog just
hadn't had no rest,
1000
00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:09,824
and the body
just shut down.
1001
00:40:09,824 --> 00:40:11,534
It broke my heart.
1002
00:40:11,534 --> 00:40:15,038
And I'm sure it broke
the world's heart.
1003
00:40:15,038 --> 00:40:17,957
He loved Ted Dibiase.
They was like brothers.
1004
00:40:17,957 --> 00:40:20,168
And, I know it
broke Ted's heart.
1005
00:40:20,168 --> 00:40:23,755
I was very hopeful then that
he was gonna get better.
1006
00:40:23,755 --> 00:40:27,175
Next thing I know,
he's, he's had a...
1007
00:40:27,175 --> 00:40:28,801
car wreck.
1008
00:40:31,721 --> 00:40:36,768
I got a phone call when
he had the car wreck.
1009
00:40:36,768 --> 00:40:41,272
To tell you the truth,
I was happy for him.
1010
00:40:41,272 --> 00:40:43,566
'Cause I was still caught...
1011
00:40:43,566 --> 00:40:46,235
in the trenches.
1012
00:40:46,235 --> 00:40:49,113
And I knew that
he'd escaped.
1013
00:40:49,113 --> 00:40:53,159
I knew that the
pain was over.
1014
00:40:53,159 --> 00:40:55,828
I started crying 'cause I
realized I never got to tell him
1015
00:40:55,828 --> 00:40:57,330
how much I loved him.
1016
00:40:57,330 --> 00:40:58,748
The period of time
I was around him,
1017
00:40:58,748 --> 00:40:59,749
he was such a
dynamite human being.
1018
00:40:59,749 --> 00:41:01,959
The fact of how we ended
1019
00:41:01,959 --> 00:41:04,545
our relationship was
not near as important
1020
00:41:04,545 --> 00:41:05,880
as the time
we spent together.
1021
00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,508
JYD was a neat,
special person.
1022
00:41:08,508 --> 00:41:10,968
And then you also see
the terrible battle
1023
00:41:10,968 --> 00:41:13,388
that's fought when guys get
something that
1024
00:41:13,388 --> 00:41:16,391
gets a hold of them that
they can't whip.
1025
00:41:16,391 --> 00:41:20,103
Alright, so, this is
his grave site here.
1026
00:41:20,103 --> 00:41:21,979
One of his last
wrestling pictures.
1027
00:41:21,979 --> 00:41:25,650
And, just below him,
this is his daughter.
1028
00:41:25,650 --> 00:41:29,445
What actually, what it was,
was a ruptured heart valve.
1029
00:41:29,445 --> 00:41:31,489
It actually
literally exploded.
1030
00:41:31,489 --> 00:41:32,907
There was nothing they
could've done anyway.
1031
00:41:32,907 --> 00:41:35,993
And then, she passed away,
a few minutes after that.
1032
00:41:35,993 --> 00:41:38,663
And she was 31 years old.
1033
00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:41,457
My mom comes and she puts
flowers and everything.
1034
00:41:41,457 --> 00:41:43,751
Never misses a
holiday, birthday.
1035
00:41:43,751 --> 00:41:45,586
My mom finds it
very difficult
1036
00:41:45,586 --> 00:41:47,171
to talk about Sylvester...
1037
00:41:47,171 --> 00:41:50,174
because she was so
close to him and,
1038
00:41:50,174 --> 00:41:52,635
she raised Latoya
as her daughter.
1039
00:41:52,635 --> 00:41:56,055
It's just traumatic for her
to go back down memory lane,
1040
00:41:56,055 --> 00:41:59,016
so to speak.
I think it just opens up...
1041
00:41:59,016 --> 00:42:01,602
too many wounds that probably
haven't fully healed.
1042
00:42:01,602 --> 00:42:03,521
He was a trailblazer, man.
1043
00:42:03,521 --> 00:42:04,772
I'm sure a lot of those
young guys
1044
00:42:04,772 --> 00:42:07,191
appreciate the path
that you laid for 'em.
1045
00:42:07,191 --> 00:42:09,277
[Teddy] Yes, he did, he paved
the way for all of us.
1046
00:42:09,277 --> 00:42:12,822
I mean, any time he came out,
you always remember JYD,
1047
00:42:12,822 --> 00:42:15,324
and you will remember him
when you left that arena that
1048
00:42:15,324 --> 00:42:18,202
night so, Dog's legacy is
he's just one of the greatest
1049
00:42:18,202 --> 00:42:20,747
Black stars in pro wrestling.
1050
00:42:20,747 --> 00:42:25,752
JYD did more to
create awareness...
1051
00:42:25,752 --> 00:42:29,005
and acceptance within
the closed world,
1052
00:42:29,005 --> 00:42:31,674
very prejudiced world
of pro wrestling.
1053
00:42:31,674 --> 00:42:33,468
He stepped to the
front of the line,
1054
00:42:33,468 --> 00:42:36,471
and he stayed in the front of
the line for many, many years.
1055
00:42:36,471 --> 00:42:39,891
The charisma was natural,
and real, organic.
1056
00:42:39,891 --> 00:42:42,101
And that's what separated
him from the pack.
1057
00:42:42,101 --> 00:42:44,103
Oh, the crowd saying,
"Who that? Who that?
1058
00:42:44,103 --> 00:42:45,563
[Audience]
Who that, who that?
1059
00:42:45,563 --> 00:42:47,106
"Who that gonna beat
that Junkyard Dog?
1060
00:42:47,106 --> 00:42:50,526
Who that?"
This guy is a true hero.
1061
00:42:50,526 --> 00:42:52,862
So, I prefer to remember
him in the happier days.
1062
00:42:52,862 --> 00:42:54,906
And not anything else.
1063
00:42:54,906 --> 00:42:56,407
He broke the barriers.
1064
00:42:56,407 --> 00:42:58,242
I mean, the fans are
just all over you, Dog.
1065
00:42:58,242 --> 00:43:00,661
It gets pretty hectic at times,
but I enjoy it, man,
1066
00:43:00,661 --> 00:43:02,371
I love it. But see,
in this business,
1067
00:43:02,371 --> 00:43:04,081
I let them get close to me.
1068
00:43:04,081 --> 00:43:07,543
He always had a moment
for a kid, or a grownup.
1069
00:43:07,543 --> 00:43:10,463
He had that charisma that
made him a god to those that
1070
00:43:10,463 --> 00:43:12,298
loved him, and there
were so many people
1071
00:43:12,298 --> 00:43:15,009
that loved him,
Black and white.
1072
00:43:15,009 --> 00:43:18,095
Yeah, hard to find anybody
say something bad about JYD.
1073
00:43:18,095 --> 00:43:20,348
He was a stand-up guy in a
business where
1074
00:43:20,348 --> 00:43:22,642
there's not a whole lot of
stand-up guys.
1075
00:43:22,642 --> 00:43:25,228
...An honour to introduce
Sylvester Ritter,
1076
00:43:25,228 --> 00:43:28,898
The Junkyard Dog, to the
Wrestling Hall of Fame.
1077
00:43:28,898 --> 00:43:31,943
I'm hoping that he's
remembered for
1078
00:43:31,943 --> 00:43:34,028
good stuff that he did
in the industry.
1079
00:43:34,028 --> 00:43:37,406
LaToya Ritter will be
the recipient of
1080
00:43:37,406 --> 00:43:39,325
the award for her dad.
1081
00:43:39,325 --> 00:43:41,953
While I'm standing here,
it's important to me-
1082
00:43:41,953 --> 00:43:43,788
and I know it would be
important to him-
1083
00:43:43,788 --> 00:43:46,499
to introduce his sister,
Christine Woodburn.
1084
00:43:46,499 --> 00:43:48,709
He called her "Big Red".
1085
00:43:48,709 --> 00:43:52,630
I didn't get to speak to
JYD very much at the end,
1086
00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:56,342
but again, that last
conversation when he said,
1087
00:43:56,342 --> 00:43:58,135
"Tell my story...
1088
00:43:58,135 --> 00:44:00,221
when you're talking
to those kids."
1089
00:44:00,221 --> 00:44:03,432
That told me, I said,
"The guy that I knew is back."
1090
00:44:03,432 --> 00:44:05,977
♪