The similarities between pro wrestlers and mixed martial artists go well beyond combat entertainment. It seems that both of these groups are gaining the reputation for doing the dumbest things while being interviewed by the national media. The things these athletes do and say is often ridiculous and worth raising the proverbial "Spokian" eyebrow. Such was the situation yesterday when Chuck Liddell appeared on "Good Morning Texas." It seems that Chuck may have been out partying the night before his appearance on the popular morning show as he did the unthinkable. HE FELL ASLEEP ON LIVE TV.
Host of "Good Morning Texas" on WFAA-TV Gary Cogill wrote on the station's web site, "Liddell showed up in our green room a few minutes before the interview around 9:30 a.m. I was immediately informed that he was mumbling and not terribly coherent". It seems that Chuck forgot he wasn't on "Bubba The Love Sponge" where guests are more than welcome to appear in this state.
Cogill goes on to describe how it happened, "In the middle of another question, Chuck Liddell fell asleep on the air. He closed his eyes, breathed a little sigh, and I asked him if he was OK". Dana White and the P.R. department over at UFC must be doing cartwheels right now. Maybe they can have Tim Sylvia show up on "Good Morning Oregon" drunk and shouting profanities while wearing the heavyweight title.
Liddell is not the only man who has made some less than stellar public appearances recently. Kurt Angle has been acting as senile as Hulk Hogan in recent interviews. The lowest point came in a recent appearance where he claimed to have seen Trish Stratus naked. Very classy for a married man with children to go on national radio and speak that way about another married woman. Add this to Kurt's constant claims that he could be the top MMA fighter in the world and you have a certifiable lunatic. Kurt is becoming the shoot version of Bob Backlund.I understand why certain stars need to appear in the public arenas. Both MMA and wrestling are star driven industries and those high-profile figures need to be the public face of their respective companies. However if Kurt and Chuck keep doing interviews like the ones they've had recently then no one in the national media will want to interview wrestlers or fighters.
TNA would be better served sending Samoa Joe in the place of Kurt for ALL his media appearances. Joe is very well-spoken and is the perfect person to represent modern professional wrestlers in the media. As for UFC, Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin are both exceptionally bright men who won't be as tempted to nap while on television. How wrestlers and fighters present themselves in these public settings play a large role in the perception of their respective industry. Those in positions of authority need to choose those representatives carefully.
5 comments: on "Sorry To Bother Your Nap"
Joe should be the new face of wrestling... ive heard nothing but positive things about the guy personally...
wrestling needs a new face... because, in a America at least, wrestling is still linked with "low-breeding"... to tell a non-wrestling fan that you watch pro wrestling is a hassle, not worth the funny-looks that you get... to explain one's interest for the art and the industry, would only fall on deaf ears...
Man I had so much listening to the show, i missed this column. good job fuckin frank
Kurt also stated several times that he would draw 1,000,000 buys in his FIRST MMA fight, and that he took something like 18 painkillers to get out of bed, and that he was an agent in TNA as well as a wrestler, and that he would bring in Big Show and Show would be undefeated. Not to mention that he said RVD told him personally that he had no clue how to work, only to do highspots and point to himself and let the crowd chant his name. Maybe he isn't on painkillers anymore, acid must have been a good replacement.
My personal favorite comment of Angle's was the one in which he stated that he thought Vince Russo was a genius.
If not acid, something strong.
Somedays however I'm sure we'd all like to get ahold of whatever it is Angle is on. Russo a genious...maybe in 98.
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