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Loser Leaves Town Podcast 11/7/09 w/ Ross Hart


Bix

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Here is a question for him and I'm not so sure if it's a good question to roll with given what you can cover and what not but since he's the defacto Stampede/Hart historian

 

What exactly are the origins of the Ladder Match, Obviously the WWF got the idea from Bret who had at least one ladder match in Calgary. Did Dan Krofatt come up with the idea? How was the Hart Family/Stu's reception to it, etc.

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Guest Iron Chad

Isn't Smith dead? I'm thinking he was the one with the worst drug issues and it fried his kidneys.

 

There's a hilarious story from Buck Robely in Matysik's new book about Smith reffing when Buck was booking. Buck was in the ring destroying a jobber (Robely had booked himself as a heel against the Stomper). Smith was the ref. Buck was laying the boots to the jobber when Buck noticed someone else was kicking the jobber. It was Smith. Buck yelled at Smith "What the hell are you doing?". Smith said, "Hey, I gotta get my heat too!". Buck threw up his hands, laughed, walked out the ring and went home.

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Guest Iron Chad

Dean's the one who died of kidney problems. Smith, the oldest brother, is still alive.

 

What territory is the Robley/Smith story from?

Thanks, I mix Smith and Dean up in my memory. The story was from Stampede. The Funks asked Buck to help book Stampede in the late 1970's, I think this was before Buck started booking for Watts.

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This also may be a touchy subject depending on whatever the current family dynamics are, but I wonder did the kids realize Vince was only interested in buying out Stampede as a way to get the talent he wanted for a discount. It seemed like based on stories from various Hart related books that Stu was under the impression he could carry on running shows.

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This also may be a touchy subject depending on whatever the current family dynamics are, but I wonder did the kids realize Vince was only interested in buying out Stampede as a way to get the talent he wanted for a discount.

That's a myth. Vince was only interested in buying out Stampede as a way to get their TV and a monopoly on promoting wrestling in western Canada. Any jobs given to the various Hart family member and hangers on by Vince was as a favor to Stu to sweeten the deal. It will be interesting to hear Ross Hart's take on Vince buying the company only to renege on the terms of the deal, but I think Bix should frame the question more neutrally.

 

I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on Pain and Passion by Heath McCoy. Is it a fair portrayal of the history of Stampede wrestling? Anything he disagrees with in the book?

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  • 2 months later...

I guess the obvious one would be how does he (and the family) feel about Bret returning to WWE? I would assume they'd be generally OK with it being a carny family and all that, but I always forget who was on which side in the Bret vs Martha fiasco.

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I know it's not about wrestling, but could you ask him how his stage career is going? Also, what did he get started in showbiz (what schools did he attend, etc.)? A little background on that would be interesting (to me, anyway). Can't remember if Bret covered any of that in his book. Also, any differences/similarities between theatre world and wrestling world.

 

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/05/17/1584353.html

 

Also, since he got Stampede going again with Bruce in 1999, ask him if there's been much change to working with Bruce, or if he's still the same ol' Bruce as far as operating a wrestling company.

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- Who was responsible for all those UK guys who appeared in Stampede over the years

Something like that is definitely on my list. I've always wondered why Stu/Ross/whoever was the only person with power in a territory that kept up with the UK scene.
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I'm still curious about the whole origin of the Ladder Match that I mentioned a couple of months ago here like who in their right mind came up with the idea? and how did they convince Stu that it was a good idea

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http://www.loserleavestown.net/?p=225

 

The foremost historian on all things Hart family and Stampede Wrestling, former program seller/TV producer/booker/wrestler/TV interviewer Ross Hart joins me for a fun look at everybody’s favorite prairie territory. We talk about his first memories of wrestling, producing the TV show, Stampede leaving the NWA, the British and Japanese wrestlers who went through Stampede, wrestling in Hungary and England, the origins of the ladder match, and much more. A really good show.

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