Chris Featherstone from The Pancakes and Powerslams show recently spoke with former WCW/TNA announcer David Penzer. The two talked decades of wrestling, highlighting famous announcers and commentators, the final days of WCW, and much more. Below are some highlights:
On the passing of Dusty Rhodes:
He was one of my heroes growing up, and I got to work with him and for him. Out of all the deaths we’ve had in this crazy business, that one kind of hit me the hardest.
On Jerry Lawler’s backstage demeanor:
Jerry Lawler, if you know him, is not the kind of person to rub pleasantries in your face. He’s kind of about Jerry Lawler, and I don’t mean that as an insult, that’s just how he is.
On the final days of WCW:
The way I learned about the end of the company is that somebody called me at home and said turn on the (WWE) website. I turned it on, and it was the [WWE] logo, right in the middle was “Purchases”, and on the bottom right-hand corner, it had the WCW logo. My heart sank, and I had tears in my eyes, I ain’t gonna lie to you. When you get to live your dream and possibly get it taken away, it’s not a fun thing. I went to Nitro in Panama City, and I decided to do the best that I could do. We didn’t know at the time that Shane McMahon was going to be there, we found out at the production meeting. I decided that I was gonna lay it all out on the table and let the WWE guys that were there see what I could do, and hope for the best. If it was the swansong, I was gonna enjoy it, and I did that.
Thoughts on the current state of TNA:
With TNA, it comes down to how you pay the guys. You’re not making any money on house shows, you’re not making any money on the pay per view, so the only legitimate way is to find a partner that’s gonna pay you in order to sustain your talent and do your TV. When Destination America, which certainly isn’t one of the top cable networks, are not happy with you – even though you’re the highest rated show – because you’re not appealing to their advertisers? How do you go and sell that to a different network? How do you say, “Well it’s just Destination America?” If you’re not getting the desired viewers as it is, how do you sell that?
Penzer had many stories to share about Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Perry Saturn, Curt Hennig, Lance Russell, Gordon Solie, Tony Schiavone, and much more.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
