Old School WWF Veteran ‘Wildman’ Marc Mero was interviewed by WrestlingInc, where he talked about his time in Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling as Johnny B. Badd, as well as joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1996, where he became the very first professional wrestler that ever received a guaranteed contract in the history of Vince McMahon’s promotion.
Below are the highlights from the interview:
On joining WCW in 1991:
“You know, here I am making $23,000 a year digging in-ground swimming pools, and here is a six-figure contract, you know, you weigh them out and go, ‘You know what? That isn’t too bad’.
Not only that, Dusty Rhodes was the brainchild behind that character, and I worked with Dusty so much on that character. He taught me how to walk, how to talk, and, you know, ‘Say it like this!’.
Some of the greatest memories I have was working with Dusty and learning the character Johnny B. Badd. Because, here I am just really out of wrestling school, I was so green, you know? And here I am wrestling guys like Sting, Cactus Jack, Ric Flair, and guys that have been around the business for years.
I remember being so nervous, and going out there and not even knowing what you’re doing.
But Dusty worked with me and helped me make it more into the character, where I could have my wrestling catch-up to the character, so to speak.”
On Dusty Rhodes:
“I was so blessed, like I said, some of the greatest memories I have were working with Dusty Rhodes. Losing him was terrible for the industry, but more on a personal level it hurt.
Some of us were devastated when we lost The Dream.”
On joining the WWF in 1996:
“Well, you know, there were two times I was offered to go to the WWF, each time my contract was up with WCW I actually met with Vince to structure a deal.
I told them the first time, ‘I get a guaranteed contract with WCW, and I’m not going to come here without one’.
So, we parted ways with no hard feelings, you know, it was like, ‘That’s what we do here’.
The next time around I said, ‘Vince, I want a guaranteed contract, I want a signing bonus,’ and I had different stipulations in my contract, and he met them all.
He wanted me really bad at that time. And it was an honor. I always felt like I needed to go to the WWF, because going to WrestleMania was like going to the dance.
It was like the Super Bowl of wrestling. So having that opportunity to work WrestleMania was an honor.
I enjoyed the character of Johnny B. Badd so much more. It was so opposite of who I am and was real fun.
And ‘Wildman’ Marc Mero, I never really connected with and the fans didn’t connect with it. It was very difficult. But I wouldn’t change anything.
I have no regrets, I’m glad I did it, and I had a really good career.”
WATCH: Sables’s (Marc Mero’s Ex-Wife) Most Revealing Moment In The WWF:
