Landrum: Thinking back,
another angle that really drew a
lot for a while was Malenko and
the cigar in the Mighty Igor’s
eye. That went for quite awhile.
Chappell: It really did…for
nearly a year.
Landrum: It sure did. Igor
was a strange character! Even in
real life!
Chappell: (laughing) He
surely came off as that way!
Landrum: But he played the
role well.
Chappell: When I talked to
Bill Eadie, he said Igor was
pretty unique. A real intelligent
guy, which didn’t track with his
wrestling persona!
Landrum: That’s very true.
Chappell: After we got into
1982, we didn’t see Rich Landrum
on World Wide Wrestling anymore.
After four years of coming into
our living rooms every Saturday,
you were gone. What happened?
You said earlier that leaving
wasn’t your idea.
Landrum: It was as much of
a shock to me as it was to the
fans.
(pauses) I’m not exactly sure what
prompted it. I’ve had my own
thoughts, but to this day I’m not
exactly sure what prompted it.
The excuse I got was not the
greatest one I’ve ever heard.
Chappell: Tell us what
happened, if you will.
Landrum: Some other things
played into it, with who was
booking at the time. And I think I
challenged that a little too much
one time.
But, I just finished doing the
show one night…the TV show in
Charlotte at PCQ. Part of my deal
with the Crocketts, and with any
promoter, you pay me that night
when I finish…and you pay me in
cash.
Promoters, generally, have their
hand in your pocket all the time.
So, you always want to make sure
you’re getting what you’re
supposed to.
Chappell: For sure…
Landrum: So, David Crockett
came up to pay me, and he said,
‘Oh, by the way, this is your last
show.’ And I went, ‘Excuse me??’
We’re in the hallway of the TV
station on the second floor, and
he’s got his back to the men’s
room. When he tells me that, he
starts backing up. And I’m
thinking, does he think I’m gonna
kill him or something?
Chappell: (laughs)
Landrum: I said, ‘David,
what did you just say?’ He said,
‘Well, you’re too expensive…we
can’t afford you anymore.’
And I told him, ‘Well, that’s real
strange, because if I had wanted
to quit, you would have wanted me
to give you two months notice.’
I said, ‘Thanks David, you know my
mother died last week…I really
need this on top of that.’ He
mumbled something like, ‘I didn’t
know that.’
So, I went
downstairs and Steamboat, Jay and
Jimmy Valiant were there. I said,
‘Guess what just happened?’ And I
told them what happened. They
couldn’t believe it.
Chappell: So, Rich, you
never saw the end coming?
Landrum: Never saw it
coming. Valiant, bless his heart
whether he meant it or not, said,
‘We ought to boycott ‘em, they’re
getting rid of the best announcer
they got!’
Chappell: At the end of
your run, I seem to remember Ray
Stevens doing some announcing with
you?
Landrum: They were coming
in and out with people then…it
wasn’t a constant. It was kind of
in and out.
Whether or not they were truly
cutting their expenses, I don’t
know. After I left, they brought
in some red headed guy…and for the
life of me I don’t even remember
who he was. He didn’t last very
long. And then eventually, came
(Tony) Schiavone.
I tell you, David, it was as much
a shock to me as anything could
possibly be. And you know, it
didn’t set in until I flew back
into Richmond. And my wife picked
me up, and I was real quiet so she
asked what was going on. And I
told her…through tears I told her.
Chappell: Hearing you tell
this Rich, there’s no question how
much being a part of Jim Crockett
Promotions meant to you.
Landrum: And my wife knew
how much that business meant to
me. She told me to pull off the
side of the road, since we were on
the Interstate. She said don’t
worry about it. I said, ‘RIGHT,
how long have I been doing this…my
whole professional life.’ She
calmed me down, and told me some
of the things I had always talked
about doing…I could now do.
Chappell: When they let you
go, did you envision being an
announcer for Jim Crockett
Promotions for the foreseeable
future?
Landrum: I didn’t see it
coming to an end the way it did.
Just out of sheer courtesy, I
would have at least expected some
notice. Here was a guy that went
out and did everything that was
asked of him over a number of
years…not that I was the greatest.
But, hey, if you wanted to make
some changes at least give me some
notice.
But, you know, I got to thinking
about it…they did the same thing
to the guy I replaced in 1978!
Chappell: That’s right…they
were consistent!
Landrum: (laughs) You know,
I really think David Crockett
thought I was gonna whip his ass
that night!
Chappell: (laughs) Couldn’t
blame you if that thought crossed
your mind!
Landrum: He wasn’t worth
it.
Chappell: Who did you hear
from after they let you go? That
is the time when you find out who
your friends really are.
Landrum: I heard from some,
and they said they would go to the
office and talk to them.
And Crockett did call me back with
a counter offer…
Chappell: They did? Really?
Landrum: Yeah, and I almost
took it. But it was so much less,
and I had to pay my own
transportation. By the time I did
that, with what they were paying
me, I wouldn’t have made any
money!
Chappell: You mentioned
Tony Schiavone coming along later.
And then Jim Ross came around even
later. Did these later guys
measure up, in your opinion?
Landrum: Well, it became a
different show…which went way into
the WCW days.
Chappell: And, of course,
the World Wide show was taped in
the arenas not too long after you
departed.
Landrum: Boy, if they had
done that back earlier…whew!
Chappell: As you mentioned
earlier, they did a few test runs
with that when you were around.
Landrum: We did some of
that in Charlotte…
Chappell: At the time, did
you think that might be the wave
of the future?
Landrum: I think Crockett
saw it coming, and that they
needed to do it…because it added
big credibility to the show.
They knew Vince (McMahon) was
doing it, and that it was coming.
They just didn’t know how to pull
it together at that point.
Chappell: While you were
there, were you privy to any plans
Crockett may have been making
headed in that direction?
Landrum: I do recall them
talking about negotiating with WBTV
about using their mobile
facilities, and this sort of
thing.
We did a couple of the remote
broadcasts, but they wouldn’t keep
doing it because it was too
expensive to do. See, TV was still
a liability then…and they just
didn’t want to put the money into
doing it.
On-site production can really be
expensive. Even when we do it now
with a TV truck, it’s
$2,000-$3,000.
Chappell: Do you regret not
coming back to Crockett later,
because the next year after you
left there was Starrcade 1983 and
the national Pay Per View era was
not far behind?
Landrum: Well, George Scott
had left by the time I left, and
Ole (Anderson) was booking. Ole
didn’t conceive of Starrcade…I
think that was Dusty (Rhodes).
But sure, David, being a national
wrestling announcer would have
been great…hey, I have an ego! It
would have been nice; it would
have been fun to do…it really
would have.
But I enjoyed the business the
whole time I was in it…other than
a few minor things.
Chappell: No disrespect
intended to the announcers that
were around when Crockett started
to go national, but to me you
seemed to have all the attributes
to do well in that new
environment.
Landrum: Well, thank you. I
kind of felt that way myself. And
I was disappointed I didn’t get
that opportunity.
Despite what my wife says, I’m not
a perfectionist…but I strive for
excellence in what I do. And
that’s the way I was then. There
were times I was so sick and
didn’t feel like doing the show,
but you mustered up and did
it…that was just part of it.
Chappell: And if you’re not
at 100 percent, for whatever
reason, that camera is
unforgiving!
Landrum: It is…but I wore a
lot of makeup! (laughing)
Chappell: (laughing) So
THAT’S how you pulled it off!
But, in your position as an
announcer, it’s a little harder to
hide it if you’re really not
feeling well. That camera doesn’t
lie!
Landrum: Joe Murnick got on
me one time, when I really should
have been at the hospital rather
than doing the show. Joe said,
‘Don’t ever do that again. First
you call me, then you go to the
hospital. If you get sick like
that again, don’t do this!’
Joe was a very caring person. He
looked after all the boys, much
better than Jimmy did. I know when
Bill Eadie got stabbed and we had
to call him and tell him, Joe said
to send all the bills to him.
Chappell: I’m glad you’ve
told us a little about Joe
Murnick, the person. A lot of fans
only knew him as the TV ring
announcer with the great voice!
Landrum: Right, and as
we’ve said he was the local
promoter up here in this area for
Crockett. It was C & M Promotions
up here in Virginia.
But, he really was just a prince
of a fellow.
Chappell: Do you think the
territorial system was going to
collapse about when it ultimately
did, regardless of Vince McMahon’s
activities?
Landrum: I think Crockett
was trying to grow into bigger
things, to be competition to
Vince. When Vince worked out that
deal with Dick Ebersole for
‘Saturday Night’s Main Event,’
once a month or so…that was huge.
And that was a George Scott deal,
too.
It was gonna happen, it was just a
matter of time. It was get in the
game and play, or step aside
because they’re gonna run right
over top of you.
Chappell: Did you follow
the breakup of Jim Crockett
Promotions after you had left the
promotion…much later in the 80s?
Landrum: Couldn’t help but
do that.
Chappell: Looking back,
could you see it coming?
Landrum: Looking back, with
darkening the towns that had been
big towns for him---that was the
biggest mistake they could have
ever made.
Going to the mid-west and the west
coast…hey, they were the new kids
on the block---you better keep the
[towns] you got that are
moneymakers.
Chappell: Yeah, I think Ric
has said that once they tried to
go west of the Mississippi, they
just got swallowed up.
Landrum: Sure they did.
Chappell: Just a couple of
general questions as we start to
wind down.
What to you constituted a good
show from an announcer’s
perspective?
Landrum: (pauses) If an
interview went bad, that made me
feel bad. Either I didn’t lead him
in right, or I could have done
something better to get him going.
Generally, if I felt good coming
into the show…then I felt good
about what I was doing through the
show until it was over.
Chappell: I’ve heard sports
officials/referees say that their
best games are the ones that
nobody really realized they were
out there. Did you think the same
way as an announcer?
Landrum: Yeah…if I didn’t
have to say a whole lot, that was
for the better. I tried not to
talk through matches much…just hit
the high spots, or focus on
something that was about to
happen.
They can see it on their TV
screens…I don’t have to tell them
everything!
Chappell: (laughs) That’s
exactly what drove me nuts
sometimes with David Crockett!
‘LOOK AT THAT…DID YOU SEE THAT!’
Yeah, David, I’m watching my TV
set….that’s how I’m able to hear
you!
Landrum: (laughs) David
Crockett also had a tendency to
forget, that he had to do the
stuff off the monitor. Not what he
saw himself in the ring…
Chappell: Ain’t that the
truth!
Landrum: Johnny and I both
had a monitor, and we were doing
it off the monitor. But there were
times we looked up, of course we
did.
Chappell: That had to be an
adjustment for someone who hadn’t
really come up as an announcer,
like Johnny.
Landrum: Oh, Johnny fell
right into it. After the first
couple of shows it was like, ‘Hey,
we’re a team.’
And that’s how we generally got
introduced in places…as partners.
‘My TV partner, Johnny Weaver.’
(laughs) Got time for a quick
blooper involving my TV partner?
Chappell: Absolutely! But
remember Rich, we’re still trying
to get Johnny to do an interview,
so don’t be too hard on him!
(laughing)
Landrum: (laughing) One
night, I never will forget
this…Bill White was working under
a mask as the Scorpion---I believe
it was the Scorpion. Bill was a
real tough guy. And he’s hammering
away on some guy, and Johnny got
excited and said, ‘There’s White
with a terrific punch!!!’
Chappell: (laughing)
Landrum: I froze, and I’m
looking at Johnny…I’m speechless
at this point!
Well, we had a box that our
headsets were plugged into that
had a kill switch on it…so we
could cough or whatever. I hit
both switches and I looked at him
and said, ‘WHAT DID YOU SAY?’ He
goes, ‘Huh…what?’
Chappell: (laughing)
Landrum: I said, ‘You
called him BILL WHITE!’
Johnny’s face just went ashen! We
finished the show, and we went
back in it and I told George we
needed to edit it. George said,
‘Why?’ I told him Johnny called
the masked man Bill White. George
said, ‘Ohhhhh.’
So we went back real quick into
the post-production, and they just
kind of blipped it out!
Chappell: Oh, even back in
those days, they could fix it
before we saw it?
Landrum: Yep, just blipped
it out. So, that was it.
Chappell: Johnny was bailed
out, and Bill White wasn’t
exposed!
Landrum: (laughing)
Chappell: Bringing this
full circle, after you left
Crockett, you indicated that you
spent about a year in the WWF. How
were you treated there?
Landrum: It was fun, and
Vince paid well. He looked after
everybody.
I just kinda wondered what they
were doing sometimes, because I
wasn’t used to the way they did
things.
Chappell: It was different?
Landrum: It was. But I was
treated very well.
Chappell: You said earlier
that your health is what really
drove you out of the business
about this time…in the mid 1980s.
Tell us what was going on with you
health-wise.
Landrum: I ended up with a
ruptured colon. I was home when
this happened. I thought I was
getting the flu one night; I
really wasn’t feeling well.
It was an off week anyway, and I
went to bed that night thinking I
had the flu. I got up in the
middle of the night, and about
passed out and hit the floor. I
told my wife I tripped over the
dog.
I felt better the next morning,
and went to work at the rescue
squad. I got there, but I only
lasted about two hours. I thought
I was going to die…one of the
women on duty said, ‘What in the
world is wrong with you…you look
green.’
Chappell: Unless you are
from Mars, that’s not good!
Landrum: Yeah! So they took
me to the hospital. At first, they
treated me for appendicitis with
antibiotics, but I didn’t get any
better. So, the surgeon came in
and told me they were going to
open me up and see what was wrong.
(laughs) I remember the last thing
I said to him was, ‘Whatever it
is, I don’t want a
colostomy.’ I
don’t know why I said that, but I
did. And I woke up…and I had a
colostomy! They had taken out
about 18 inches of my colon, and
fortunately, it was only
temporary.
It was not easy to deal with, but
I went ahead with it…they had a
lot of good support systems built
in with the hospital I was dealing
with to help you through it. So I
went home, and knew it was only
going to be temporary, and I’d
come back in six or eight weeks
and have everything fixed. I did
that…and God, it was worse than
the first time!
Chappell: That’s rough
stuff, to say the least.
Landrum: I got a staph
infection while I was there, and I
was SO ill. I went from 210 pounds
to 145 pounds in three weeks…
Chappell: Unbelievable.
Landrum: Initially, they
wouldn’t treat me for the
infection, so I told them I wanted
to go home…I told them I could be
that sick at home. Soon after I
went home, I ended up right back
at the Emergency Room.
Another doctor from the same
surgical group looks at me and
says he’s going to readmit me. I
told him, ‘No you’re not.’ And I
argued and I argued with him. My
wife got the doctor aside and
talked to him out of earshot. He
comes back and says, ‘I’m gonna
make you a deal. We’ll load you up
with stuff, but if you’re not any
better by Monday morning you’re
coming back.’ I said, ‘Trust me,
I’ll be better Monday.’
Chappell: Did you find out
what your wife told the doctor?
Landrum: I asked her,
believe me! She said, ‘I just
explained to him how you are, and
what kind of life you’ve led…and
that you’re used to controlling
your life. And that you couldn’t
control things now, and that it
was killing you.’
And she was right. I got over all
that eventually…with the help of
my family doctor. But come
November, I get a kidney stone…and
they did surgery for that, too!
But, anyway, all those health
problems made me get out of the
business.
Chappell: Sounds like you
were looking pretty rough,
particularly considering you made
your living in front of a camera.
Landrum: I couldn’t work; I
couldn’t even go out. I didn’t
want anybody to see me. I didn’t
look ANYTHING like what I had
looked like. First time I looked
in the bathroom mirror after I got
out of the hospital bed…I couldn’t
believe what I looked like.
(laughs) And I lost my curly hair,
too!
Chappell: (laughs) Yes, you
mentioned that earlier.
Landrum: But all that is
what got me out of the business,
and I never got back in.
Chappell: Did you ever try?
Landrum: Well, the business
never soured me. I’ve always loved
wrestling. Despite the way
Crockett treated me at the end, it
didn’t sour me on the business.
I’m not bitter towards it.
The WWF did call me later about
coming back…
Chappell: For real?
Landrum: Yeah, it was about
seven or eight years ago. They
said, ‘How’d you like to get back
in the business?’ I said, ‘Hmmm,
what are you offering?’ They said
‘$100,000 a year guarantee, but
you’d be on the road 21 days a
month.’ I said, ‘Hmmm…sounds like
the old days.’
Chappell: (laughs)
Landrum: I said, ‘Let me
think about it.’ I was very
tempted…very tempted. And I talked
to my wife Pam about it, and she
said, ‘You really want to do it,
don’t you?’ I said, ‘I could do it
for two years and we’ll take the
money and run…I’ll quit after two
years.’ She said, ‘Yeah, but what
are we gonna do while you’re
gone.’ She said my step kids were
going to have to get to know me
all over again, every time I came
home. I said, ‘No, I’ll be just as
mean as I am all the time!’
Chappell: (laughs)
Landrum: We talked about it
some more, and I decided not to do
it.
Chappell: Had you talked to
Dave (Hebner) about it?
Landrum: Yeah, I was
talking to David and Earl about
it…
Chappell: Do you think the
Hebner’s had something to do with
you getting that offer?
Landrum: I think David
played a big role in it. He said
it was a lot better than it was
back when.
Chappell: So, you were real
close to announcing with the WWF
pretty recently…that would have
been something!
Landrum: I was close…I was
ready to go. But then I got to
thinking, ‘I can fall back into
some old habits that maybe I don’t
need to fall back into!’
But I almost took it.
Yeah, but I like doing it now like
I did with the show in Colonial
Heights. And I’m working on
another one, hopefully in October
in Richmond.
Chappell: Yes, I definitely
want to talk about that upcoming
show shortly.
PART TEN
|