Jerry Lynn
Against All Odds, He’s Winning on His Own Terms
NW: Where did you grow up, Jerry?
JL: I’m from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NW: Were you a wrestling fan as a kid?
JL: Oh, yes, I watched roller derby and Verne Gagne’s AWA wrestling on the
family TV every weekend. The Los Angeles Thunderbirds was my favorite roller-derby team.
In 1983, cable television became available in my area, and I watched the NWA and World
Class from Dallas, Texas. The cable stations were filled with wrestling, so I watched
everything.
Although I loved the sport so much as a kid, I never imagined that I would ever pursue a
career in professional wrestling.
NW: Who were some of your other mat favorites
from the American Wrestling Association?
JL: Let’s see, Mad Dog Vachon was a favorite of mine. I enjoyed watching the
Crusher work, and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens was another class act in and out of
the ring. I had the opportunity to spend some time with him the summer before he passed
away. Ray had an incredible mind for the pro-wrestling business.
NW: How old are you?
JL: My birthday is June 12, 1963.
NW: What is your height and weight?
JL: I am 5 feet 10 inches and I weigh 200 pounds.
NW: What was the deciding factor that made you
choose wrestling as your career?
JL: I met Soldat Ustinov before he joined the AWA and he introduced me to Eddie
Sharkey, who trained a great many top names like Rick rude and the Road Warriors. I told
Eddie that I was fascinated with wrestling, but I thought I was too small to give it a
try. Eddie convinced me that the talent was more important than size alone. Talent
determines who makes the grade and who doesn’t. In spite of his encouragement, I knew
I wasn’t ready to begin training yet. I was 25 years old at the time.
NW: When did you get involved with wrestling?
JL: After a couble of years of working out, I felt I was ready to begin my
training. I contacted Brad Rheingans and signed up for his training camp in March 1988.
Besides knowing all the ins and outs on the professional level, Brad was also an Olympic
wrestler. I figured he knew more about the business than anyone I had come across, no
offense to Eddie Sharkey, who is also a tremendous trainer and creator of champions.
NW: Do you remember your first wrestling
match?
JL: It was a TV taping in 1988. I wrestled for an independent promotion called IWA
in Minnesota. I had three matches that day. On of the tag matches involved The
Terminators, which my partner and I lost. The last match was a six-man tag tussle. My
opposition was Tom Zenk, Derrick dukes and Steve O.
I was very nervous that day, but it was a great learning experience for me. To this day I
still get nervous when I leave the dressing room for the ring, and I continue to larn
something new just about every time I wrestle, especially if it’s against an opponent
I’ve never faced in the ring before.
NW: What do you think of the squared circle
after wrestling for 10 years?
JL: I have many mixed emotions about it. People may not realize how competitive it
is, but I’ve learned pro wrestling is a very cutthroat business. At the same time, I
have no regrets. I have been able to travel the world, and I would never have had these
opportunities and experiences if I hand’t become a wrestler.
NW: How did you get your first break with WCW?
JL: Brad Bheingans spoke on my behalf to Paul Orndorff, who works in WCS’s
front office. I had been wrestling for seven years at that point in time, and I had worked
with Global Wrestling Federation in Texas and the United States Wrestling Asociation down
South.
I asked Brad for advice on getting my foot in the door with WCW. He told me to come up
with a visual gimmick that would work for TV. I figured the kids would like me if I made
up an outfit that was similar to what the Power Rangers wore. I put on a mask and billed
myself as the Mysterious Mr. J.L.
NW: What are your memories of WCW?
JL: I was with WCW a little under two eyars. They put me under contract after a
couple of months. During my time there, I broke my arm. It wasn’t all that terrible
or miserable, it just wasn’t good for my carreer. The way WCW is run, you can’t
learn anything new.
What makes wrestling the greatest sport in the world is that it takes strength, timing,
balance, coordination, everything the other sports require, as well as one other important
ingredient -- psychology. That’s why I’m in wrestling. I love the psychology of
it, and this is what I wanted to learn.
In WCW, I felt my career as digressing. They were draining all the heart out of me.
NW: Which championships have you held?
JL: I held the GWF light-heavyweight title. I beat the "Lightning Kid"
Sean Waltman (now known as X-Pac in the WWF) in the Global Dome on December 27, 1991.
Originally, I lost to "The Kid" in the light-heavyweight tournament when Global
just began its promotion on July 13, 1991. I also captured the Pro Wrestling America
light-heavyweight belt, and "The Kid" and I wore the PWA tag belts in 1993.
NW: You joined ECW in September 1997. How do
you like wrestling with this promotion?
JL: Joining ECW has been a rejuvenating experience for me. I have my drive and
motivation back again. ECW has given me the opportunity to go into the ring and learn
something new. There isn’t any office politics to contend with as ECW appreciates
wrestlers for their work and not just for who they know.
NW: What was it like working for GWF? You were
with them from the very beginning.
JL: Global Wrestling Federation was a great promotion in the beginning, but then,
in order for them to survive financially, the company began cutting back on their
expenses, so they were unable to fly in the top stars anymore.
While I was with Global, I crossed paths with the late Eddie Gilbert. He eventually
brought me into the USWA. Eddie saw something special in my work and gave me the
opportunity to showcase my abilities. Eddie was one of wrestling’s all-time greats,
so this was an incredible compliment to me. I am forever grateful to him. I am also
thankful to Terry Taylor in WCW. He also has a great knack for the wrestling business.
NW: As a wrestler, how has your personal ife
been affected by your constant traveling?
JL: Well, I’m divorced now. I think there was a little bit of jealousy from
her end. The life of a professional wrestler is not as glamorous as many fans are inclined
to think. There’s a great deal of traveling, which requires married couples to be
apart from one another for incredibly long stretches of time. It’s hard to build a
healthy marriage under these circumstances, especially if you add children into the mix.
Because you’re never there during all the important formative years, you become
something of a novelty when you do come home.
Having said all of this, I must also say that wresting is the kind of job you look forward
to when you wake up in the morning. Many people in life are not fortunate enough to enjoy
their work. When I’m on the road, I enjoy what I’m doing. I’m making decent
money and having a good time. I believe all the wives and girlfriends are jealous because
we have fun. They also get tired of us moaning and groaning about our physical aches and
pains. Their answer to our complaints is to get another job, but it’s not that cut
and dry. Unless you’ve experienced it yourself, it’s difficult to give an
accurate account on the pluses and minuses of wrestling.
NW: Do you hae any advice for aspiring pro
wrestlers?
JL: Don’t do it! [Laughs] Seriously, be the best athlete you can
possibly be, and don’t let the setbacks and business politics get you down.
NW: Thanks, Jerry, for being so open in this
interview. Lots of luck to you in and out of the ring.
JL: It’s always a pleasure to talk with people who like and respect
professional wrestling.
