ECW original Tommy Dreamer recently spoke with WrestlingNews.co on a number of topics including how he got the opportunity to host Busted Open After Dark.
Dreamer said, “Bully Ray really set the tone doing it for Dynamite on Busted Open After Dark on Wednesdays, the channel with our leader Dave Lagreca. And the boss is behind it, Eddie Borsilli. And everyone moving forward has been really pushing for 24/7 and their own channel. And this was just another step. Of course, Monday Night Raw is the flagship show for WWE. Flagship for television on Monday nights. So they had asked me if I was interested in doing it, I have filled in for a few times for Bully Ray on Wednesdays. And I was like, sure, I’d love the opportunity to get that initial, you know, feedback from Raw right after Raw goes off the air.”
On wanting to be known as Tommy Acid and becoming influential to young talent like Dusty Rhodes was:
“I had thought of this original name because I was a big fan of Sting and The Great Muta and I wanted to paint my face. My first match is October 28, 1989. And I wanted to paint my face and blow acid and I wanted to be Tommy Acid and Johnny Rodz, my trainer before my first match, he’s like that name is stupid. He goes – you’re good looking. I’m not going to cover up your face and I’m not gonna get paint and that sh*t all over my canvas. And he was like so think of another name. And he’s like, if you don’t think of another name, in about 10 minutes I’m gonna call you Tommy d**khead. And I was like, I don’t want to be Tommy d**khead. So Tom is my first name and the American dream Dusty Rhodes is my hero, my idol. And so it was like Tommy Dreamer there it goes. I was Tommy Dreamer throughout the first time you saw me…I actually went in as Tommy Dreamer. And then they changed me to TD Madison because there was a guy there who was tag team partners or he was a good looking guy we kind of just gelled, 90s babyfaces. And I played his younger brother. We won the tag titles. It was a bit of a short run. We did have local television all throughout with the Savoldi’s. They were great and very gracious to me. Mario, Angelo, and Tommy Sovaldi were all awesome helping me in my early days. And then Tony Rumble was the Booker and I was Tommy Dreamer throughout. And then here comes ECW and I’ve been Tommy Dreamer throughout….I have been on television nonstop since 1991. There hasn’t been a year I haven’t been on television, which is quite insane to think about that. I’ve been blessed to for no reason whatsoever, Terry Funk helped me. Terry Funk talked to me, and helped me get over in the early days of ECW. Paul Heyman did not have to do the things he did for me or for many people. Mick Foley didn’t have to do and help this unknown pretty boy, as Joey Styles once said. [He] kind of took me under his wing and tutelage, he was my tag partner, then he turned on me. Terry Funk was my mentor for real. This business has a lot of me, a lot of great mentors, and people to help guide me, and then kind of always paying it back. I was blessed to find a lot of wrestlers in the industry and give them their first opportunities. From ECW. And then even to WWE. Even when I was a talent. I’m never afraid of Oh, somebody’s going to take my spot or never afraid of my abilities in front of the camera or behind the scenes. Then I ran the WWE developmental system. I was able to hire a lot of men and women. I have a few Hall of Famers under my belt, and then they bring back ECW [and] I’m doing all the stuff there as well. And then, you know, my time in TNA has been very, very blessed. Yes, I have been hard on people because I want perfection. I would come back from my matches and Paul Heyman would tell me do this, do this, don’t do this. Here’s why. Terry Funk. This is what you did good. This is what you did bad, correct the bad. I always say this to people…I look at this as a sport, as a sport mentality. And then the entertainment factor kicks in. There are just like sports, a bunch of people – if you don’t continue to perform at your ability that’s going to take your job. From the entertainment aspect, you don’t have to be the greatest wrestler. But you could also entertain the best and keep that position. There are holes in people’s games, and I like to point them out. So they have no more holes. And that’s why people do become Hall of Famers. Not every performance is great…I’m also super happy and proud when when wrestlers have great performances. I think that just came across with Slammiversary. I haven’t been more excited for an event that I have been heavily involved in since ECW. Between ECW One Night Stand 2005, the first one or Hardcore Justice in TNA, but I was super proud of everybody’s performance in Slammiversary…everybody was hitting on such strides.”
On if he thinks about being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame:
“Of course. I mean, it’s a great benchmark for your career. I thought if there ever was a place, Philadelphia would be a great place. I always say, my real name is Tom Laughlin and I was born in Yonkers, New York, but Tommy Dreamer was born in Philadelphia. And I thought it would have been a great button of a career, I probably would have announced my retirement if it happened. Not that I want to ever stop wrestling. But if I could have had a perfect circle moment, I probably would have done that. And when I say I’m never gonna wrestle again, I’m never gonna wrestle again. It’ll be hard for me because I love wrestling. I just wrestled last night. I have five shows in a row coming up this week. And then we’re off to TNA. I love wrestling. I do about 200 shows a year. And I love connecting and meeting fans and people and people sharing their stories with me…I marked out so big when I saw Dusty Rhodes show up at the Tabernacle in ECW. And Paul, he comes running up to me, like two fans he’s like…and this is Tommy Dreamer in his prime. And he’s like, I have something for you. And I’m like what. He goes – Dusty Rhodes is here. I’m like, wait, what? And he’s like, do you want to meet him? I was like, Oh my God. Yes. And then I’m like, Oh, wait, I gotta like kind of be cool, like the Fonz. And I’m walking over. And this is when I first meet Dusty Rhodes. And if anyone has ever met Dusty, Dusty had such, he had the perfect smile and the perfect way to greet you. He just turned to me and was like Tommy Dreamer, so nice to meet you. And I said, You’re the reason I do this. I said you’re the reason I took my name. And I was just like, you’re my idol. And he just like looked back. And he was like, thank you so much. Like, I’m, I’m a fan of your work. And I was just like, but you’re the reason I do this then like, then we became superduper close. Anyway, what I’m saying is, I get those fans reactions. I get all that to have my name where my mentor, Terry Funk, my hero, Dusty Rhodes, the guy who helped me and saw something in me when no one else did. Paul Heyman. Of course, it would be an honor, it’s one of the greatest honors that you can have in your career to being inducted into any Hall of Fame.”
You can check out Dreamer’s comments in the video below.
