Interview with “Playboy” Pete Huge

This article was interview was originally done for and posted on Examiner.com by yours truly, but it was too good not to share with my friends and colleagues at Pulse Wrestling.

To continue my celebration of the American Wrestling Association 50th anniversary, yours truly had a chance to sit down and talk with local Minneapolis independent wrestling star “Playboy Pete Huge. Huge started wrestling in February of 1999 and was trained by well known Minnesota trainers Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox, men who were responsible for training Austin Aries, and many other stars. He is currently a regular in numerous Midwest independent organizations, most notably F1rst Wrestling, which operates out of the historical First Avenue Nightclub in downtown Minneapolis.

I had a chance to sit down with Mr. Huge outside the wonderful Herkimer Pub in uptown Minneapolis on Sunday night to learn more about him, his career, his thoughts on the AWA, the current pro wrestling product and a whole lot more.

What got you into pro wrestling? Has it always been a lifelong thing for you?
Yeah, pretty much. Just after high school and I didn’t really see myself going to college. It was right in the wrestling boom. I graduated in 1998. I thought there was a really big career in wrestling for me. Just a fan as a kid growing up. Didn’t really want to go to college so I decided to go to wrestling camp instead.

Is this is something you realistically see keep going as a long term goal?
Initially it was a long-term type of deal. But reality tends to set in after awhile. I’m not the biggest guy in the world and I’m not on steroids and they tend to like that. I do think it’s awesome, and I do love what I do, and that makes it all worthwhile. It’s cool to do what you want to do; to do what you dreamt of doing. To be able to do this in front of 7-800 people and have them boo the crap out of you it’s a great feeling.

What was the biggest crowd you have worked in front of?
One of my first matches actually was at the North Dakota State Fair, in either ‘99 or 2000. There were maybe 2500 – 3000 people there. That was a long time ago. Recently though our F1rst shows tend to draw, I mean we had our Dog Collar match, me and Brody Hoofer, and on that show was Jerry Lynn and someone else, and we still drew almost 800 people there.

Do you have any favorite matches or matches you look back upon fondly?
Oh totally. I think my favorite match that I probably had was probably had was “The Genuine Article” retirement match in 2007 at First Avenue. It was a “loser must retire hardcore match.” It was probably one of the most brutal, entertaining matches I’ve had in my life. The fan reaction from it was amazing. It wasn’t the biggest crowd in the world because it was the second ever F1rst Wrestling show, but we set the mark for it.

Kind of set the tone on what to expect on future shows…
Yeah, I bled like a stuck pig for that match. It really sucks because there was a problem with the videotape. So the most brutal parts are gone. Half the match is there. A quarter of it is gone, and then it comes back. There used to be a upper Midwest poll for the year, and we won Match of the Year or something like that. So that made me feel good.

That’s kind of cool, to be recognized a little bit…
Yeah, yeah. I felt like it was great. Are you familiar with what we were before?

Not really. No. I just moved up here in 2007.
Oh, well me and Chris Jordan, “The Genuine Article,” were The Junk Squad up here. We ran the tag circuit all around the upper Midwest for about 4 years, and then he decided to retire and start his family and whatever.

So you did the whole break-up angle and everything?
Yeah, that whole deal. That was fun.

The first show I saw at First Avenue was the one where The Iron Sheik was the guest. After that show I knew right away this would be good stuff.
First Avenue is by far the best spot…

Love the atmosphere…
It’s amazing. You know indys kind of suck on a whole depending where you are. But every once in a while Cannon [Arik Cannon, F1rst Wrestling promoter] will bring those guys from Iowa or Wisconsin in, and they are just in awe. I take it for granted because I live literally 8 minutes away.

Who are your major influences growing up?
It’s the lame generic answer, but you know, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect, Ric Flair, all those blonde haired cocky heels. I always hated the babyfaces even growing up. I couldn’t stand Hulk Hogan, even as a little kid. I enjoyed the technical aspect, and never thought the big dudes were all that great. The cruiserweight style wasn’t really around, but I liked quicker guys like Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty and Steve Austin when he was in WCW and Brian Pillman.

With the AWA’s 50th anniversary just two weeks ago, did you grow up watching the AWA?
I did…

We are kind of that same age in that we were there for the dying days of the promotion unfortunately…
Exactly. It’s funny when you brought it up because I don’t really have that many good memories. I remember liking “The Trooper” Del Wilkes. Do you remember when they switched into the studio because hey wanted to ‘eliminate interference’? Even as a 10-year-old kid I knew it was because they weren’t drawing anymore. And I remember the Million $ Challenge thing with the three teams…

Watching the reruns on ESPN Classics you can see how things fell.
Yeah completely. Curt Hennig was around there for a while. He was way cool.

The Rockers started there…
Yep. Exactly. Pretty much anyone who moved onto WWE was there at some point. But like you said when we were growing up it wasn’t at its peak by any means.

We actually came up during the great Attitude era of the late ‘90s with the WWF-WCW war.

What, was ’90, ‘91, ‘92, when they [AWA] ended?

It was in 1990 when they ended and ran the last tapings.
Oh I remember Kokina Maximus (Yokozuna) when he broke Greg Gagne’s leg. I was happy because I hated Greg too.

So now in the indy circuit have you run into or worked with any of the older AWA guys who are still around?
I ran into Greg Gagne at a show like 6 months ago. Jim Brunzell. Nick Bockwinkel. All those guys appear every once in a while. That’s another thing I take for granted; I’ve met all these guys I’ve grown up watching. So many different people have been at shows, or I’ve been on shows with them. So that’s kind of cool, you know. One of my first memories after I started training Nord The Barbarian [Robbinsdale, MN native John Nord] held a benefit show for his kid’s high school in some suburb out here, but Jake “The Snake” Roberts was the main attraction. It was like the glass wall was shattered. I’m only three weeks into camp. I hear this loud raspy voice screaming and yelling. I’m like who the heck is that and I walked back there and it’s just Jake drunk off his ass. I had hear rumors but I really didn’t know for sure. I was like oh my God, he’s scary. I was 19 yrs old, doing “security” for the show. I’ll never forget during the intermission. I had to go wake him up because he was passed out on a bench in between some lockers. That welcomed me to the world of pro wrestling.

Well now someone like The Iron Sheik has become a running gag in pro wrestling circles, but just seeing a couple years ago at a first show…
Where you at The Sandman show [at First Avenue]?

Yeah…
Okay, I had to work with Sandman. Just insane. (laughter) We all got there at like 5 and he was already drunk.

So he lived the gimmick huh?
Oh, very much so. He cornered me and wanted to talk to me and kept wanting to change spots. And he talks like this (imitates Sandman’s trademark voice) ‘Hey, hey, kid, come over here.’ And he’s just rambling on about all this stuff, and I’m like dude all you’re doing is a run-in at the end of the match, you’re going to cane me, pour beer down someone’s tits. It’s fine. Don’t complicate things. Like I said, that was one of the weirdest experiences, watching Sandman, thinking this is cool. I marked out huge because I got to be in the ring when he came out to his entrance. [Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”] I was like sweet. But you people don’t know what I have to deal with here. I was like cool, I get to take a cane from The Sandman, but you don’t know what led up to it.

Do you still follow the current product?
I fell off watching like when I started [training]. I got the pompous attitude like I was too good for this. I know inner workings. I was always an insider before but now I’m really insider. I still follow a little bit. I DVR all the shows. I fast forward through most of them. There are a couple guys I might watch their matches, or I’ll watch just to see how stupid it is. TNA I will watch just for pure humor. Ring of Honor I started watching too. Their TV show is not good at all. It’s not worth it in my opinion. I know a lot of guys on that too, but their TV product comes off so cheesy

Speaking of ROH, have you crossed paths with Tyler Black, who just recently signed with WWE?
Yeah, he worked a couple F1rst shows. But that’s the only time I met him.

Do you have anything coming up yourself you would like to give a plug to?

Yeah, on September 11, I’ll be at Biff’s Sports Bar in Spring Lake Park for MIW [Minnesota Independent Wrestling]. And then on October 23 in Chanhassen at the American Legion again for MIW. That’s a cool spot. It’s just a dumb American Legion but the fans there are so rabid and so easy. I love that spot. They love me. I sell more merch in Chanhassen, and I’m a heel. I don’t know why or how it happens, but they love me our there. Maybe that’s why I like it out there so much.

You’re Chanhassen’s favorite son, huh?
Yeah. I’ve dubbed myself the mayor of Chanhassen.