Last week the world lost a wrestling legend when James “The Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig passed away from heart failure. Shortly after The Warrior’s passing, pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page went on the Nancy Grace show to talk about his friend passing and honor his life. What Page got was a series of accusations about steroid abuse. Check out the interview for yourself:
Needless to say, Grace’s interview angered many wrestling fans. Some diehard wrestling fans even started a petition to have Grace’s show canceled.
We had the chance to speak to a true wrestling professional about his take on the controversial interview. Micky Byggs is a former wrestler-turned-journalist with over 23-years in the business. Byggs has worked with promotions throughout his career, including NEPW, NEWA RWI and NWA-NE just to name a few. As a wrestling journalist, Byggs has interviewed some of the greats, including: Gary Wolf, Blue Meanie, and the legendary Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Byggs currently runs the Youtube channel Wrestling Spotlite, where he recently railed against Nancy Grace. Now Byggs has given us his take on the on the controversial interview.
Classicalite: Did you watch the Nancy Grace interview live or did you catch it afterwards?
MB: I did not watch the live interview, I caught bits and pieces of it, but as I heard some of the comments being made I became furious, why would Nancy make such comments about people whom first she does not know and second if she had bothered to do the research, she would have found out that the information she was reporting was completely inaccurate.
CL: What was your reaction when you first saw the interview?
MB: Again I was furious, this was surreal, I could not believe what was being said, the list of people she was naming and not to mention, The Ultimate Warrior, the man had not even passed away 24 hours before she was on her soap box spreading lies.
CL: We know not all the wrestlers on the list died from steroids, as it was seemingly implied. Can you give us a few names on the list and tell us how they really passed?
MB: Andre The Giant passed of a heart attack in his hotel room while attending his father's funeral. Owen Hart died of a horrible fall, a stunt gone wrong and JYD, The Junk Yard Dog, died of a horrific motor vehicle accident. All 3 died a far cry from the drugs and steroid abuse as claimed.
CL: The graphic that Nancy Grace put up was titled “Wrestlers Who Died Young.” However she immediately started on the subject of steroid abuse. Do you feel that Nancy intentionally tried to mislead viewers into believing that the wrestlers on the list succumbed steroid abuse?
MB: Of course she did. She set her promos up much like a National Enquirer cover page, get the readers, or in her case, the viewers, hooked on something that they are passionate about and then give them the story, bait and switch. Does wrestling do that, of course, but when we do it in wrestling it is usually not intentional and is not done to hurt anyone in any way.
CL: Do you think D.D.P did the best the he could to defend Warrior and the industry?
MB: This is a question better not asked, many people in the business and not in the business alike will have different views on this, as a RESPONSIBLE JOURNALIST unlike Nancy, I must say that DDP is a professional wrestler, a professional actor, a professional trainer and, more importantly, a professional business man. Because of THESE FACTS, DDP has to have a bit of humility, has to be classy and, at all cost, DDP must remain professional. I believe that DDP handled the situation on air in the absolute best possible way that he could and remain professional, but once the camera was off, who knows how he dealt with it, none of us were there, none of us know for sure, so yes DDP handled the situation exactly the correct way in my opinion.
CL: The stigma of steroids is likely to stick with pro wrestling for a long time to come no matter the steps that the industry has taken, and will take, towards regulation. However, if you could draw attention to any other aspect of the sport that you wish would change, what would it be?
MB: Yes, stop focusing on the negativity, the negativity only draws more negativity, instead focus on the fact that us in the wrestling business are both athletes and entertainers, we are actors and trained athletes, focus on the wow factor, focus on the fact that some of us, not all of us are on the road sacrificing themselves, their families and their lives to be out there 300 days a year to entertain the fans. A wrestler must be in top shape to be able to go out every night and do what we do, focus on this, the positive, the entertainment put forth by each and every wrestler, commentator and referee.
CL: You made a Youtube video where you called out Nancy Grace. You even offered to debate the issue on her show. After posting this video on the Nancy Grace Facebook page, what kind of reaction did you get?
MB: After posting the the original message on her Facebook, nothing happened, however when I recorded almost the same exact message for my Youtube Series Wrestling Spotlite and posted that, I was blocked from her page.
CL: The controversial interview is (at the time of this interview) still up on the Nancy Grace Facebook page. Meanwhile, other posters who have commented on the story have claimed that their comments were also deleted. Did you ever think that your post and others like it would be removed?
MB: As I said in the previous question I cannot say for certain my comments or video was deleted, however I can say for certain that the very next morning I went to go see my posting and I found that I was completely blocked from her page and as of the time of this interview I still am. Now, as a journalist, you need to be able to accept critics as well as the accolades, not act like a 2 year old child and block someone from your page because you do not know how to act professional, or cannot handle someone having a difference in opinion other than that of your own.
CL: Do you have anything else that you would like to say to the millions and millions of wrestling fans out there?
MB: Yes, go out and support good independent pro wrestling, never mind all these backyard, trampoline wrestling promotions where none of them have been properly trained and going to end up hurting someone or themselves severely, maybe even killing someone or themselves.
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