So here we go. Jeff is in the ring cutting a promo, and out of nowhere, I hit and take him down HARD. I tackle Jeff to the mat with all I’ve got. The both of us roll out and I’m nailing Jeff with body shots. Jeff gets the upper hand on me and walks off for a second. Here’s the hysterical thing – at this point, I’m already winded!
I can’t get my breath. The treadmill thing didn’t work out the way I expected. So, as I’m sucking wind, I believe that Jeff comes back with a chair. Now remember – none of this was laid out. It was totally improvised. I knew where and how the fight would end up, but that was it.
So, again, from what I can remember, Jeff wallops me with the chair. Now, to me, Jeff really “looks” pissed, but I’m not sure if he is because this IS wrestling. Anyway, Jeff just continues the assault. At this point, I’m thinking – I’ve got to make my way back to the other side of the arena because either one of two things is going to happen – I’m either going to have a heart attack…or…Jeff is going to kill me!
So I get to my feet and start making my way to the back of the Asylum. Jeff is following me the whole way, beating my !@#$%. Finally, we get to the spot – Jeff now hog ties me to a beam above my head, where I can’t protect myself now. At that point, as I’m defenseless, he continues his barrage. Honestly, I can’t exactly remember what type of a weapon Jeff was nailing me with…but…I do remember that he was giving me the beating of my life – as a shoot.
Now, I don’t want to sound like a sissy-Mary, but at this point, I want this to be over. Unfortunately, Jeff doesn’t! So . . . he continues.
This video does exist somewhere in YouTube land. I remember because we all watched it together at a later creative meeting. There is a point in the end where you can see the expression on my face, and I’m clearly saying: “WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU DOING? OK – I GET IT – I WILL NEVER QUESTION THE IN-RING WORK AGAIN.”
And, I didn’t – not for a long time anyway.
I remember it finally being over and walking to the back and just crumbling down against the cold, cement wall. My friend Jeff had just beaten the !@#$% out of me. At 40+ years old, I had never received an @$$ whoopin’ like that from anybody – not even my own father when I was a kid. Jeff never even came up to me afterward, never said a word – because he wanted to make a point of letting his actions speak. And they did.
I was never mad, or bitter, or held a grudge towards Jeff after that, simply because I understood why he did what he did. I wanted the wrestling to be “snug”, so Jeff himself showed me what “snug” was. He took me to school and taught me a lesson I’d never forget. But, you know what? At that time, I needed it because I really didn’t understand.
That night, I drove home from the Asylum in Nashville to my home in Atlanta – about a 3 hour jaunt. All the way home I thought about what Jeff did, and why. When I got home my wife Amy was asleep. I think I just crashed on the couch. I woke up the next day sore as heel, but what did I expect?? I just got my clock cleaned about 6 hours ago. I went upstairs to take a shower and I took me shirt off. My entire upper torso was covered in bruises. I remember my wife Amy walking in and seeing that. Her reaction was to just break down and cry. She could not believe that my writing career had turned into that.
I’ll never forget that night – ever. However, I fully realize that without those types of lessons, given by those who perhaps loved the wrestling business – perhaps more than their own families – I would have never acquired the respect that I had for every man and woman who dedicated their lives to it.
And for that, I will be forever grateful to my friend, Jeff.
Be sure to check out past editions of “Russo’s Road Stories” by CLICKING HERE!
