Raven: Interview with Game Informer
GI: Do you own a game system? If so, what are some of your favorite games?
Raven: No, never have. Some friends, when I was young, had an Odyssey, but because of my horrible childhood, I don't play games.
GI: Of all the wrestlers you battle, who do you feel brings out your greatest inner talent?
Raven: Saturn, because he knows all my strengths, all my weaknesses.
GI: Who's the greatest wrestler of all time?
Raven: As far as the greatest wrestler, I really couldn't say, theres too many that I think are at that level. I'd hate to single somebody out.
GI: How about all the greatest Tag Team partnership?
Raven: The Freebirds where the greatest tag team partnership.
GI: Tell all the aspiring grapplers out there how you got your start in Pro Wrestling.
Raven: I went to the Monster Factory, Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory, and sweated it out there, then went to Tennessee, to Memphis, starved to death, went to Florida, starved some more, went to Portland. starved a little less, and then kept moving from small territory to small territory, till I finally found my niche.
GI: During a match, you guys come in pretty close contact with each other. So.. who is worst smelling man in WCW?
Raven: Ron Reese
GI: Do the Nitro Girls like guys who play video games?
Raven: I imagine the Nitro Girls like guys who play with anything.
GI: Do you feel wrestling is more popular than it in the late '80s?
Raven: Absolutely, it's a much bigger deal now. It was different though. It's bigger now, but it's different now, in that it was, I think... it's hard to explain. It's kind of like in the 70's you had Evil Knievel and stuff like that which you could never do any other time, and even if you had somebody to become another Evil Knievel, it would never have the impact like he did in the '70s. It was just the time for it. I think the early '80s was that time for wrestling, but I think in general, it's much bigger now. I think why it may have seemed bigger then, was because then it was an isolated niche, whereas now it's not as ostracized by the main steam, it isn't as spectacular a thing. Before, because it was such a looked down upon product, and it was viewed upon with such disdain, that when it finally became big, it was bigger than it actually was whereas now, I think it's actually more popular, but it doesn't seem as big. It seems almost as big, but doesn't seem as grandiose. And also, back then you didn't have a PPV monthly and frankly, I prefer having to have a big show monthly and a big live show weekly because I want the big show to be all the time. I hate when you gotta wait 3 months for the big game. So I prefer it this way, but when you had less, they seemed like more, even if they weren't, just like our childhood seems to be.... we have this golden age view of our childhood, when for most people, like mine, it was pretty miserable.
GI: When did you become a wrestling fan?
Raven: Since I can remember. I remember watching Chief Jay Strongbow, he was my hero as a kid.
GI: If fans offered you a a bat, stop sign, half a table, chair or a garbage can, which would you choose?
Raven: I'd have to go with the cheese grater. I'd like to go off the board and say cheese grate to the forehead.
GI: After a night of wrestling, do you hang out with any other wrestlers?
Raven: Well, I hung out with Saturn for a long time, but obviously I don't anymore. But, mostly Lodi. Of course I need Lodi to attend to my needs, to fetch me women, I need Lodi to fetch me women.
GI: Who has the weakest theme music in WCW?
Raven: I'm gonna have to go with half the company, because I'll tell ya', other than a few select pieces of music, mine included, most are pretty much .... there not distinctive whatsoever. You know, you don't even know one from the other when you hear the music, but you have a few like mine that stand out and you know that's me.
GI: What is you opinion of Raven's Rules?
Raven: I don't necessarily agree with the entire Raven's Rules they were implemented. I believe in a general bending of the rules, but a complete or anarchy I don't agree with. But sometimes you have to ask for everything just to get something and I got more than I wanted and I find that it's actually detrimental to my matches and I would rather see just an occasional bending of the rules, like if I'm gonna to use a steel chair or not, as opposed to a complete disregard for rules.
GI: How do you feel the split of the nWo from within? Has it weakened wrestling?
Raven: I couldn't care less. Has it weakened wrestling? I don't think its diluted it one bit. In fact I think it was an inevitable thing to occur, so I think it's more a product of Darwinism than anything.
GI: You always say "What about me?" So...what about you?
Raven: I deserve what I can take. It's a basic law of Darwinism, survival of the fittest and the brutal childhood I had prepared me for a life of taking what I want and I'm more than willing to reap what I sow.
GI: Which is your most memorable victory?
Raven: That would be winning the US Title
GI: Through all of history, if there was one person you could wrestle, who would it be?
Raven: Chief Jay Strongbow
GI: Think you could take him?
Raven: Absolutely
GI: What's the worst injury you've ever sustained?
Raven: The worst I've ever sustained wasn't an injury, it was Pancreatitis and I suffered that from excessive alcohol abuse. It was December 7, 1997. I spent about 10 days in a hospital bed with no food.
GI: What is the most painful move someone has performed on you?
Raven: The Death Valley Driver sucks, your whole lower body just drops into your midsection, it's absolutely the most god awful finishing move to take on a regular basis.
GI: Did your background in ECW help you when you came to WCW?
Raven: Certainly it helped, being that I perfected that style and my style in ECW stood out on its own. It wasn't so much my background there that helped me when I came here, it was my style that I brought from ECW to here, so my style is my style and I won't change it for anybody.
GI: Is it tougher wrestling in ECW than WCW?
Raven: Absolutely, the matches are, but the travel here makes it much worse, so it becomes a toss up. And the fact that you only have to wrestle twice a week there is much better than having to wrestle five, six nights a week here.
GI: What caused the rift between between you and Saturn? Will the Flock come back together?
Raven: His ineptness, his frustration in not being able to realize it was my organization, not his. His jealousy, his ego, his sanctimoniousness. Will the Flock ever come back together? No, I don't want 'em. I can do it on my own. I have Kanyon, and eventually, I'll have Lodi back and that's all I need.
GI: Does it bother you that you are perceived as "lazy" by the wrestling fans of America?
Raven: I would resent that if I actually thought they perceived me that way. I've never thought that I was perceived that way. Would you like to cite any sources?
GI: Well, general fan talk, of how you're perceived to be a Gen-X wrestler, that you don't work as hard as others.
Raven: If I can get others to work for me, then isn't that the whole concept? You know, if i can get others to do my work for me, I would perceive that as intelligence, not laziness. It's capitalism.
GI: What draws you towards Kanyon? Is he that good of a wrestler?
Raven: Absolutely. All he lacks is a bit of polish, but his arsenal of moves is quite singular in the business and nobody wants it more than him.
GI: You trained with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. What was the best piece of advice he ever gave you?
Raven: He told me a story. He told a lot of people this story. This guy finds a snake out in the desert. The snake's dying and he brings it into his house and heals it. They became best friends. After a couple of months of the snake and him living together, finally the snake bites him. The guy goes "I took care of you, healed you, you bite me and now I'm dying, why did you do that?" The snake goes "I was a snake when you got me."
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