Chappell:
You used a devastating hold in many of
your matches…the piledriver. What are your
thoughts on that maneuver? And today, people
just jumping right up from a piledriver!
Hawk:
Well, they don’t jump up if it’s put
on right!
Chappell:
(laughs) You definitely looked like you
put it on right, Rip! Where did you get the
idea to use the piledriver?
Hawk:
The way I got the piledriver was from a
wrestler, Wild Bill Longson. He was out in
St. Louis a long time…he actually had a
partnership in that promotion. He used the
piledriver for years. I was in St. Louis one
night, and [Longson] said to me, ‘Why
don’t you use the piledriver.’ I told
him, ‘I wouldn’t know it if I saw it!’
Chappell:
(laughing)
Hawk:
He said, ‘Well, I used it here and
they outlawed it all over the
country…because it was such a dangerous
hold.’
Longson
took me in the locker room and showed me how
to use it. He said, ‘Go ahead and try
it.’ So, I did it in St. Louis…for the
first time. They hadn’t seen it there in
years. The Commission out there took the
match away from me, because the hold was
banned and they said I shouldn’t have used
it.
But…I
just kept using it from then on!
Chappell:
I remember in the Crockett territory,
there were periods when the piledriver was
banned…and periods when it was legal. I
think the ‘banned’ periods were the most
interesting…the thought that you might
defy the Commission and still use the banned
hold!
Hawk:
Some of those Athletic Commissions were
really strict…and pretty much every state
had an Athletic Commission.
Chappell:
And during those days, they really
regulated wrestling, didn’t they?
Hawk:
They sure did…
Chappell:
So when you speak of the piledriver
being banned, it REALLY was banned!
Hawk:
It was banned in St. Louis and
Indiana…all through there. All of Missouri
and Illinois. California and New York were
tough…big-time tough.
Chappell:
Yeah, I’ve heard some stories about
the New York State Athletic Commission!
Hawk:
California was just as bad!
Chappell:
Were you thinking of the dangers of the
piledriver when you put it on somebody?
Hawk:
Oh yeah…you could have broke their
neck.
Chappell:
Have you ever had anything go amiss when
you put the piledriver on somebody?
Hawk:
I’ve hurt a couple of guy’s heads.
You know, big guys who went down too hard
and I got the top of their heads. But
nothing terribly serious…they got over it.
Chappell:
One of my favorite moves that you and
Swede did, was what I call the ‘perpetual
tag.’ Do you know what I’m trying to
describe?
Hawk:
(laughs) Yeah…I sure do!
Chappell:
You all would have the opponent right in
your corner, and you both would keep tagging
each other immediately…almost in a
circular motion! One in and one out every
second or two. It was great…the guy never
got a chance to get a breath!
Hawk:
We did that often…I just started that
with Swede one night. We would just tag in
and tag out, tag in and tag out.
Chappell:
Yep!
Hawk:
I figured that would drive the people
crazy!
Chappell:
It did!
Hawk:
The people hated it…they wanted the
poor guy getting double-teamed to get a
break! I knew everybody would hate
that…and they did! (laughs)
Chappell:
Perhaps this question should have come
at the outset…but better late than never!
Your
fans know you as Rip “The Profile” Hawk.
How did you get that name? It’s a long
ways from your real name, Harvey Evers!
(laughs)
Hawk:
(laughs) Let’s start with ‘Rip,’
okay?
Chappell:
Good place to start!
Hawk:
My sister came up with ‘Rip.’ She
started calling me that when I was very
young.
Chappell:
It’s amazing how a nickname can come
about out of the blue…and stick with you
forever!
Okay,
then…where did ‘Hawk’ come from?
Hawk:
An early promoter I dealt with out in
the Midwest asked me what my name was, and I
told him ‘Rip Evers.’ The promoter came
up with the ‘Hawk,’ as he said my nose
was sharp and that I had movements like a
hawk!
Chappell:
(laughing) You move like a hawk? I guess
you swooped down on your opponents?
Hawk:
Apparently so!
Chappell:
Well, whatever, it’s a great name for
a wrestler!
So,
how did you become ‘The Profile?’
Hawk:
Well,
David
, this one will be harder to explain.
(laughs)
Chappell:
I’m ready! (laughs)
Hawk:
John Barrymore was ‘The Profile’ in
the movies years ago. I’m talking like the
1920s and 1930s. He died a long time ago. I
met John Barrymore, Jr. out in
California….and it dawned on me one
day---I could make a lot of people mad by
calling myself ‘The Profile’ too!
That’s when I started doing that…I’d
get up there and stick my nose up, and have
them take that side shot of me. And
everybody got mad! So, I just kept doing it!
Chappell:
It really stuck!
Hawk:
But that’s how it started. I loved
Barrymore, Jr.
I
remember one night in Hollywood, Barrymore,
Jr. and I were in a club. There was a
comedian there by the name of Jack
Carter…remember him?
Chappell:
Yeah, he was a real wise-ass if I
recall. I never liked him.
Hawk:
Yeah, he was a first class jerk. So,
we’re in this club in Hollywood
drinking…it was me, Cowboy
Bob
Ellis and Barrymore. And Carter said
something about us wrestlers…he got me
hot, and I said I was going to go up there
and kick his ass!
Chappell:
(laughing)
Hawk:
Barrymore said, ‘No, I’ll handle
him.’ I told him I’d take care of
it….I mean, he was just a little skinny
guy! But Barrymore was insistent.
Chappell:
What happened?
Hawk:
Barrymore went up to Carter and said,
‘These are my friends…you keep your
mouth shut, or you’re gonna get your teeth
knocked out!’
Chappell:
(laughing)
Hawk:
Barrymore was a good guy…we were real
tight for a while.
Chappell:
It’s really something that your
nickname ‘The Profile’ has those
Hollywood roots!
Hawk:
I know…it is!
Chappell:
I remember when you were doing your
promos as ‘The Profile,’ you would often
have a cigar in your mouth. What was the
significance of that? Or did you just smoke?
(laughs)
Hawk:
Yeah…I used to smoke cigars. I used to
go through about 25 in a week’s time. I
enjoyed them, but they smelled terrible!
Chappell:
(laughs) Did the cigars ever come into
play in the ring? You know, cigars have
certainly played their way into wrestling
angles over the years!
Hawk:
No, they didn’t. You know, a lot of
people didn’t like guys smoking
cigars…guess it reminded them of gangsters
or something!
Chappell:
I remember when Wahoo McDaniel first
came into the area in the summer of 1974,
you said you were going to make that
‘Cigar Store Indian’ hold your cigar!
Hawk:
(laughs) Then,
David
, that’s about as close as my cigars ever
came to the ring!
Chappell:
In the early 70s, the territory started
to move away from its emphasis on tag team
wrestlers. You said earlier that you
actually had a role in that. How, and why,
did that come about?
Hawk:
We were trying to get singles in there
then…
Chappell:
And, as you said before, you were
assisting with booking the territory for a
time in the early 70s.
Hawk:
Yes. But when George Scott was made the
booker, he really, really wanted to push
that…and it went all down that road from
then on. This was after Mr. Crockett had
died.
Chappell:
When did Jim Crockett, Sr. pass away?
Hawk:
In April of 1973.
Chappell:
So, that was the time when John Ringley,
his son-in-law, was in charge?
Hawk:
Yes…Ringley was running it. Then Jimmy
Crockett, Jr. decided he was going to run
it---and he ran it into the ground.
Chappell:
How would you compare Jim Crockett, Jr.
with his father?
Hawk:
Jr. was a nice kid; don’t get me
wrong. But he wanted be known as being
big-time, you know. He was going to run for
public office…state Senate I believe.
He
could be swayed very easily…
Chappell:
How so?
Hawk:
Someone would come to him with an idea,
and sometimes he’d go with that idea
whether he really liked it or not. It would
hinge more on who was doing the talking.
Chappell:
I’ve certainly heard that same
criticism of Crockett, Jr. from others, but
it was in the context of about a decade
later when Dusty Rhodes came in as the
booker.
I’ve
heard a number of people say that Dusty had
that sway over Crockett…and that led, as
you said, to the promotion eventually
drowning in a sea of red ink.
Hawk:
I never much cottoned to Dusty Rhodes.
He had a big head, and always thought he was
a lot better than he actually was. He was a
lousy worker.
Chappell:
I get the sense that a lot of wrestlers
that I interview still choose their words
carefully when talking about Dusty. Maybe
they can’t shake the control he had over
their lives years ago, or maybe it’s
because he’s still semi-active in the
business today. Whatever the reason, I have
a strong sense that many share the same
opinion about Dusty as you do---they just
won’t say it publicly.
Hawk:
A lot of the guys won’t admit it and
say anything bad about Dusty…but I don’t
care!
Chappell:
Around the time of the passing of
Mr. Crockett, Sr., you were embroiled
in a great singles feud with Jerry Brisco
over the Eastern Heavyweight Title. This was
a rare singles program for you. Tell us
about that feud and Jerry Brisco.
Hawk:
I actually brought him in
earlier…talked him into coming. Jerry was
in for a long time.
Chappell:
Jerry initially came in during the late
1970, early 1971 time period?
Hawk:
Right…I believe so.
But
Jerry and I were wrestling for the (Eastern)
Title around the time Mr. Crockett, Sr.
died, and we did good business. He was a
nice kid. I got along with Jerry real
well…never had a problem with him.
Chappell:
What did you think of Jerry’s brother,
Jack Brisco? Jack was also in the area
during portions of this same 1971-73 time
period.
Hawk:
I thought he was great…I still do.
Both Jack and Jerry were outstanding people.
Chappell:
In that same time frame, I remember you
teaming with Rock Hunter a little bit. It
seemed real strange to see you teaming with
somebody besides Swede!
Hawk:
Yeah…Rock Hunter. I haven’t seen him
in years…haven’t thought about him for a
long time. A lot of people probably don’t
remember it, but he and I went up to
Toronto, Canada one time and teamed up
there.
Chappell:
This was around the time the Royal
Kangaroos were in. I liked them,
particularly Jonathan Boyd.
Hawk:
They were different. But they were nice,
and I liked them, though I didn’t spend a
whole lot of time with them.
Chappell:
In the 1973-74 time frame, Jim Crockett
Promotions was really changing. As you said,
George Scott was given the book, and a
number of you mainstays from the 60s were
being de-emphasized. And guys like (Super
Destroyer)
Don
Jardine and Johnny Valentine were brought
in…
Hawk:
David
, let me tell you how that all started.
Chappell:
Okay…please do.
Hawk:
Ole Anderson got a hold of Jim Crockett,
Jr. He started in on Crockett, Jr., and kept
telling him, ‘We need a new booker, we
need a new booker.’ Well, Ole pushed it so
hard…that he got to Ringley and Crockett,
Jr. and Davey (Crockett). And that’s when
they got George Scott to come in (as
booker).
Chappell:
At the time, what was your reaction to
all this?
Hawk:
It didn’t bother me at all, because I
didn’t really care. You know, that took a
lot of problems off my plate…that I
didn’t have to deal with anymore.
Chappell:
So what you’re saying Rip, was that
Ole Anderson was the instigator to a lot of
the changes in the promotion at this time?
Hawk:
Yes. Ole called me a few years later and
said, ‘Rip, let’s bury the hatchet.’ I
told him that there was no hatchet to bury.
So,
he knew he was wrong. It’s that simple.
Chappell:
Any thoughts on why Ole pushed to get
you out of your spot?
Hawk:
I don’t know…maybe he didn’t think
he was getting enough Main Events. He wanted
to be a big superstar, I guess, and he
thought he’d get it that way.
He
was able to get into Ringley’s ear, and
Jim Jr.’s ear.
Chappell:
Very interesting. I’d like to get your
opinions on some of the new guys that came
in and were pushed by George Scott…really
at the expense of veterans like you and
Swede. What about
Don
Jardine, Johnny Valentine and Wahoo
McDaniel?
Hawk:
Yeah…Jardine first came in during
1973. He was in before George really got
going good. He got pushed, but you know, he
was good. He drew money.
And
Valentine…he was a big money maker. I
worked with Valentine a lot in St. Louis.
I
knew Wahoo from way back…when he was
playing pro football and wrestling in the
off-season. He was great…a nice guy.
All
those guys had a lot of talent.
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