Hacksaw Jim Duggan talks Eric Bischoff vs Vince McMahon, winning the first Royal Rumble

Source: Wrestling 101

Wrestling 101 has an interview with WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. Here are a few highlights:

Winning the first Royal Rumble:

It was really exciting and that is kind of my claim to fame, something a lot of people always remember is the winner of the first ever Royal Rumble match. I was never World Champion, Tag Team Champion or Intercontinental Champion. Winning that first ever Royal Rumble match was a good spot for me, a nice place to hang my hat.

Highlights in WWF:

The pinnacle of my career was wrestling Andre ‘The Giant’ at Main Event at Madison Square Garden. There were over 20,000 people at the Garden, I grew up in New York State and as a kid I had been to the Garden to watch shows, so to main event at the Garden with Andre was a thrill.

Andre elevated me from a mid-card guy to a main event guy, I was also the only guy to knock him out, I hit him with my 2×4 and knocked him out on television and then all of a sudden I was in the main events. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t want to, that’s for sure.

His time in WCW:

I had a good time in WCW at the beginning until of course towards the end when Vince Russo came in and they made me the janitor of WCW and turned me against America joining Team Canada. What they were trying to do was push me out of my contract, but this is a business and it is the way I support my family but I wasn’t going to quit, I made it work. As the janitor, one of the highest rated segments was me cleaning the toilets. I would give it my all, they gave me a toothbrush to clean Russo’s toilet and I got my head down and was scrubbing with water splashing about, I made it a good little spot where people liked it.

Same thing with Team Canada, I would be wrestling with Lance Storm and he’s as vanilla as they come and I’m behind him being ‘Hacksaw’. They called me into the office and said that they were trying to showcase the kids and asked if I could turn my stuff down a little bit. I was like turn my stuff down, tell the boy to turn his s–t up, this is the big leagues.

Comparing Eric Bischoff to Vince McMahon:

There is no real comparison, that is like comparing a diamond and a chunk of coal. Vince McMahon is an absolute master, he is a brilliant man, you take a look at going up against WCW, Ted Turner and that whole organisation. Turner gave us all no cut contracts; Hulk Hogan, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, Bret Hart, and myself all went to WCW.

Vince then took all the cast offs like Triple H and Steve Austin and turned them into global superstars and once again he was on top. You’ve got to give Vince credit, he is not your friend, if you want a friend go buy a puppy, Vince is your boss. He will use you and make you money but when the time is right he will flush you down the toilet and won’t think twice about it, welcome to the real world.