Jason Knight, who appeared for Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the 1990s as Jason, offered a critical view on WWE’s brand of hardcore years later with the relaunch of the promotion.
Speaking to In Your Head Radio, he reveals that he was scheduled to appear on the premiere ECW episode on Syfy, but left the venue in disgust after witnessing WWE’s product.
“The day that I was called to do the first ECW television…the first thing was that guy that was dressed like a zombie…and the guy walked out and Hak walked out with his imitation Sandman music and beat up that zombie guy and I just walked out, got in my car, and I left,” he said. “To me that was pretty much the day when wrestling died…it was almost like getting paid to do a cheap porn, and yet you were not allowed to participate. It was horrible.”
Knight feels a number of things are wrong with WWE and professional wrestling today.
“All the guys look alike. They all have the same moves, they’re all the same size, they’re all on the same steroids…It used to be back in the day…those guys looked like wrestlers; they acted like wrestlers… The guys can’t work anymore; they’re spot monkeys. It’s a shame; these kids have so much athleticism. If they could work, they could be such great wrestlers; but they’re spot monkeys, that’s all they are. They can’t wrestle, and they’re not tough.”
Knight was also asked whether ECW’s notorious party scene reputation is valid. He stated, “There were some guys and girls that partied…Paul Heyman, he did not run a locker room like a Nazi. He ran a locker room like…if you can do it, and if you can perform, and then come back tomorrow and do TV and interviews, then you were fine.”
Knight also offers his opinion on John Cena, which talent he thinks is “the biggest waste in professional wrestling,” the most memorable match of his career, the craziest thing he ever saw backstage, and more. The audio interview is available at www.iyhwrestling.com.
See photos of Kelly Kelly’s first days in ECW