On the latest episode of “Wrestling Reality” presented by Ticket King, I was joined by David Penzer.
He spoke about his time as the No. 1 ring announcer for WCW from 1995 until they closed in 2001. He also discussed Vince McMahon asking him for him to be on RAW and why it didn’t happen. Plus, his time in TNA. Here’s some highlights:
ON BECOMING No. 1 RING ANNOUNCER FOR WCW:
I was on top of the world. I was living my dream. I started at WCW not as an announcer but a booking agent for the enhancement talent. I’d start in South Florida and drive up all over Florida picking guys up. We drive to Georgia to the show. I didn’t even get paid by WCW. I got $25 booking fee for each guy I got booked. WCW paid for my rental van. That was about it. All the sudden I’m getting plane tickets to places instead of driving. For me, it was like the promotion of the century. The fact I was part of Nitro and all of that it was a pinch me I’m dreaming situate.
SCOTT HALL WCW DEBUT:
It was one of my two favorite moments in Niro history when Scott showed up in Macon, Georgia. Now everyone knew Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were coming to WCW. They had the big curtain call in MSG. To the best of my recollection I knew Scott was going to be walking in on that match. I wasn’t surprised by that. But what nobody knew except for a few was how they were join to be used and called. When Scott started with the Scheme Gene and using WWE’s attack against us, it kinda hinting that he was sent there as part of that angle. I was blown away. I thought it was one of the most smartest things I’d ever heard. To this day I still think it’s one of the greatest angles in professional wrestling. I was sitting there at ringside forgetting about being ring announcer, I was a total fan.
MICHAEL BUFFER BEING BROUGHT IN FOR MAIN EVENT MATCHES:
Gary [Gary Michael Cappetta] didn’t like it. Started with him. He didn’t like it. It wasn’t the reason but one of the reasons he said he was done. He was tired, traveling and worn down. I think he thought it was an insulting to bring a guy in to say one line and do the main event. But it didn’t bother me at all. That’s not a shot in any way to Gary. He has the right to his opinion, I respect that and I even understand it. But to me the American Dream is to come up with one line, make it popular and become a multi-millionaire. I didn’t come up with a line and become a multi-millionaire, but I got to live my dream and make decent money doing it. I didn’t care.
David also talked…
- His thoughts and meeting of his WWF counterpart, Howard Finkel
- The final Nitro
- What WWE management told him when they bought WCW
- The episode of RAW Vince McMahon wanted him to ring announce and why it didn’t happen
- His time in TNA
The full interview can be heard from the 17:45-43:25 mark of the podcast which is free to download and subscribe to on any audio platform.
David is also trying to get over 1,000 Twitter followers and asks to give him a follow @DavidPenzer.
