Chuck Palumbo is looking back on his time in the wrestling business with fond memories.
Chuck Palumbo recently spoke with WrestleZone about his run in WCW, including his work with Mark Jindrak, Sean O’Haire and Sean Stasiak during his tenure. Following a run as “The Main Event” against Lex Luger, Palumbo worked as the “Perfect Event” (with Stasiak) before joining the Natural Born Thrillers stable. He still teamed with Stasiak in the group, but soon saw himself teaming with Sean O’Haire.
Palumbo said he wasn’t really affected by the quick switches between partners, and really fed off of the energy of just being on television and learning in front of a live crowd. He added that the group of talent that he worked with was very athletic and worked a hybrid style, and could’ve excelled even more in a different era.
“It was a fly by the seat of your pants time. So, honestly, we didn’t care [about switching partners]. We were learning on TV, we were young, energetic and so excited to be there. We’re talking about guys who were in the Power Plant, had to fight to get out of the Power Plant and onto TV. We’re not talking about Goldberg and those guys who were handed contacts and never really paid their dues. Not a knock on those guys,” he noted, “but they came in a different way. Very successful and good for business and those guys are all great guys, but you’re talking about guys who struggled to get their way into a business that didn’t want us because at that time. Before social media and the internet and the digital world, you had to fight your way into a business that was closed unless you were second-generation or knew someone or were family or friends with someone or worked the independents for years and earned your way.
“So, we basically came on the fast track through the Power Plant, I respected all those guys because their work ethic was incredible. We all shared the same struggles, we all faced the same adversity, so to get to that point when we were on TV and facing the likes of, whether it was Kevin Nash or a top guy like that, getting a push, we didn’t care,” Palumbo said, “we were just happy to be out there. Ya know, we loved it, that was such an incredible time to be in the business. It’s sad that a lot of people knock that time in the business, but that was a time in the business that’ll never happen again. It was a special time, that transition was real. When you think about the style that we started, the speed came up, the athleticism stepped up, it was actually, I believe that group was ahead of its time. I think we could’ve, would’ve, should’ve [continued], but imagine we if had the digital world of social media behind that group at that time? Because we were a taste of what we were going to get and nobody knew this, we’re talking about it now, obviously but we were a taste of what they’re getting now.”
Asked if he had a favorite match from that era (or in WWE), Palumbo said he didn’t really look back at his career in that respect but did have some memorable ones that he had admiration for.
“Matches, as far as favorites, I never really get into favorites but memorable matches. [But I was] fortunate enough for Billy & Chuck, fortunate enough to work with Hulk Hogan, with Edge at the Boston Garden got to drop the tag team titles to them. The fact that I was working with Hulk Hogan, I come from a very middle-class family, humble beginnings,” he explained, “so to be on TV with Hulk Hogan, from where I come from, that’s a very big deal.”
Palumbo said he also looked back on his matches with Kevin Nash, Undertaker and Brock Lesnar in a positive light, adding that overall, the matches themselves didn’t stick with him as much as the camaraderie and the bonding experience in the locker rooms they shared.
Palumbo can now be seen on his new “Chuck Of All Trades” series on YouTube.
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