Former WWE Superstar Blue Meanie has opened up about his childhood heroes – naming Dr Death Steve Williams before recalling the incredible advice he received from the late, legendary Bam Bam Bigelow.
Speaking with Inside The Ropes’ Lead Writer Gary Cassidy for Issue 17 of Inside The Ropes Magazine, Blue Meanie answered our 20 Questions and
“Through the magazines, I fell in love with ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams and Mrs. Meanie just recently found some of my school stuff where I would practise my autograph, I was going to be Dr. Death.
“I didn’t know what the name was going to be. And then, through Dr. Death, became a big fan of Bam Bam Bigelow. So I would probably have to say Bam Bam Bigelow because you see Dr Death, and he’s just this machine.”
The ECW legend went on to say how he instantly admired Bam Bam Bigelow, and saw something that he could aim to become in the legendary tattooed wrestler.
“Then I saw Bam Bam, I was like, ‘He’s a big guy, but he’s agile.’ Agile big guy. I was like, ‘That’s something I could try to attain to be.’ And then I was fortunate enough when I got into ECW, I got to work alongside Bam Bam, and he wound up giving me some good advice.
Blue Meanie revealed how Bigelow gave him solid advice from the get-go in order to improve his in-ring stamina.
“He’s like, ‘Hey, man, I know your gimmick’s your gimmick, you know, but always have a strong set of wheels,’ which means make sure you got a strong set of legs.
” ‘You know, you don’t have to go and lose all this weight and kill your gimmick. Just go to the gym and just make sure your legs are good because there’s nothing worse than being, you know, 10 minutes into a match and your legs feel like rubber bands.’
“He didn’t have to say that to me. He could just be like, ‘Oh, let me see this kid fail.’ You’re fighting, and he gave me practical advice.
Blue Meanie went on to say the advice was extra special because of the admiration he had for Bam Bam Bigelow, and that the advice wasn’t a one-off.
“It was cool because he’s somebody that inspired me to want to become a professional wrestler. And then once I became one, he gave me further advice between that and, you know, encouraging me to to approach Paul about getting a raise, which I probably wouldn’t have thought of.
“But he’s like, ‘Yeah, I think you’re worth about this much, go ask for it,’ and then I did, and Paul gave it to me.
“He didn’t have to do that. You know, he didn’t have to do that at all. Because of that, he made my life a little bit better.”
Good mail day!
Be sure to pick up the latest issue of @Inside_TheRopes Magazine, where I put our 20 Questions to ECW legend @BlueMeanieBWO!
Available online now, and in WHSmith stores in the UK and Barnes & Noble in the US shortly.https://t.co/yWS3TqDkS2pic.twitter.com/q92VMaOm7A
— Gary Cassidy (@TheGaryCassidy) January 22, 2022
Blue Meanie also spoke of the one wrestler he’d have loved to have wrestled – but didn’t get the chance.
“I would have loved to have worked with Beautiful Bobby Eaton.
“Yeah, my high school mullet was called the Bobby Eaton special. So, yeah, Beautiful Bobby. I would have loved to have taken one of his punches.
“Everybody’s had a stinker of a match. I can’t think of one stinker.”
The former WWE Superstar added how he learned to do Eaton’s trademark punch in school.
“In high school, a couple of my friends were wrestling nerds and I would do the Bobby punches. I throw the Bobby Eaton punch and I’d figured out how he made the sound. I would do that and I did that, and my friend sold it perfectly.
“Somebody went, ‘Oh!’ Like, they thought I really punched the guy, but I was like, ‘I was just doing the Bobby Eaton!’ ”