IGN interviews Diamond Dallas Page - May 2000
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Under: WCW Interviews
Interview: Diamond Dallas Page
DDP talks with IGN about the Triple Cage at Slamboree, Owen Hart, and Jeff Jarrett!
May 4, 2000
Interview - DDP on SLAMBOREE
by Al Isaacs
IGN Scoops Feature - 05/04/00
On May 7, 2000 WCW presents SLAMBOREE from the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The main event is a 3-way dance for the World Title between current champion David Arquette, Jeff Jarrett, and Diamond Dallas Page. The match will be held in a three-story high triple steel cage, developed for the Warner Brothers movie READY TO RUMBLE. Here Diamond Dallas Page discusses his thoughts on the match and other relevant topics with Al Isaacs.
AL: Tell me about the triple cage.
DDP: Warner Brothers designed it for the movie and Chris Kanyon was involved in the initial layout. It's an impressive cage and once you get up there it's scary as hell. It starts out like a 'Hell in a Cell' cage on the bottom level. Then you go to the second level, which is like a regular sized steel cage. Now if you get to the third cage, it's used mainly like a ladder to get to the belt.
AL: Any ideas on how to approach it as a match rather than as part of the movie?
DDP: Not really, because it's never been done before. In the movie we literally went through all the sequences right up to the point where we lock up at the top, and like I said it's scary as hell. I blocked it out and just went out there and did it. But when you move around, you do it with caution. Because if you don't, you're three stories up.
AL: And it's all the same as the movie?
DDP: Well we made the second cage a hardcore cage for the show. It was hardcore for the movie, but a lot of it was edited out and there's stuff that nobody got to see. I really don't know how we're going to handle that next level. I won't know until we're up there.
AL: You actually have the advantage over Jarrett because you spent time in and on this thing already.
DDP: The one thing that's really cool is…you know how there are beams running through the 'Hell in a Cell'? And then there's mesh and there's more beams. Like where Cactus Jack fell through the mesh area? This is all mesh. And what it is, it's interwoven with wires that pulls it together and makes it taut. I've never seen anything like it. WB patented the whole thing.
AL: What kind of weapons can we be looking for in that second cage?
DDP: Everything…including the kitchen sink. I look at that part almost like THUNDERDOME, you know, Mad Max? The original hardcore cage!
AL: There's the three of you, and weapons, and the floor is chain link fence. What kind of weight can this thing hold?
DDP: I don't really know. When I was up there it seemed really sturdy. It's all the same kind of cage fence. The beams are all on the side, so there's nothing but fence under you.
AL: At the first screening of the movie you didn't seem too excited about getting into that thing for a real match. What changed your mind?
DDP: For starters, Jarrett said in a promo that there won't be any stuntmen this time. Well, there weren't any for the movie either. It was all me. When I fell through the three cages the producers wanted to be able to see my face. So they asked me to do it. They hooked me up to two wires on either side and I fell through three breakaway cages. Of course you'll never be able to get that effect here. There's no 'cut' and do it again. The difference here is that it's all one motion. No changing camera angles and stopping. Just a hardcore triple-cage match. I have an outline of a lot of things that I want to do. But again, I really won't know until I get there, get up and get in it.
AL: Has Jeff Jarrett had an opportunity to climb into it yet?
DDP: No, but he's seen films on it and stuff. I'm sure he'll get to the arena plenty early to get in it and feel his way around.
AL: I'd hope so. It's intimidating as all hell and there are a million different dangerous spots on it.
DDP: Without a doubt! I've been thinking about it every minute.
AL: Has anyone brought up the fact that this is taking place in May at the Kemper Arena? Last May in the very same venue Owen Hart was killed at the WWF's PPV, and you're stepping into a dangerous match with the man who used to be his partner.
DDP: It's been discussed. Jeff was there, you know. There has been no greater tragedy in our industry, or in life as far as I'm concerned. For what we live. Believe me, we think about him all the time. Especially going into this. There's not a moment that I don't think about what happened in Kansas City. And to be coming in with this cage that's three stories…and to be on top of the thing. I'm going to try to block it out of my mind as much as possible. Just get into the moment and where I am. I will be praying before and after, and hopefully everything will work out.
AL: When did you find out about the accident last year?
DDP: You know, I don't remember. But I do remember that the first thing I said was I hope this is all a work. That's the first thing I said. And I know some people did think that. You prayed it was. There are so many things that you don't know in this business, and that's what makes wrestling work. But obviously this wasn't. This was horrible. You can't say enough. Everybody has said it, everybody's felt it.
AL: A few weeks ago Sting started dropping from the rafters again. Do you take that as a sign that the business has gotten past the tragedy and is moving on?
DDP: I think it has to move on, but I don't think it'll ever forget though. The first day that Sting was going to drop I walked up to him and I hugged him and told him he was going to be fine. He repelled down the other day. He's really good at that. I don't think Owen really wanted to do that, but I don't know. I wasn't there. But that's the opinion I've formulated from what people have told me. I know that I didn't want to get hoisted up in the air when Sting took me in the Fleet Center. But I did it. I actually had a passage about it in my book that sort of made light of it with me. Then Owen's accident happened. Thank God I was able to pull it out of the book before it went to print. It happened right at that time. He was not only one of the greatest wrestlers ever, but a guy. You know? A great guy that everybody loved. The only guy out there that I can think of who is loved as much as Owen is Bobby Eaton. Just the sweetest guys on the planet. Same kind of make-up. Very real. I'm sure Owen will be there watching out for us. That's how we look at it. I definitely think that.
AL: There's no way that WCW would have Sting do the stunt there.
DDP: I don't even want to think about that. I don't see it happening.
AL: All that aside, how much are you looking forward to the match itself?
DDP: Straight shoot…I love working with Jarrett. If I knock the hell out of him he comes right back and knocks the hell out of me, I come right back. Nobody bitches. This isn't checkers. This will be brutal and we'll be doing everything we can to pop the crowd. When it's all said and done hopefully the people will have been entertained and no one will be seriously injured. There's no question that we'll both be in a lot of pain afterwards once the adrenaline rush goes away. You've got two guys heading in there that couldn't work any harder with or against each other. I'm looking forward to it. The entertainment value is there, and if I can become a four-time champ, so much the better.
DDP talks with IGN about the Triple Cage at Slamboree, Owen Hart, and Jeff Jarrett!
May 4, 2000
Interview - DDP on SLAMBOREE
by Al Isaacs
IGN Scoops Feature - 05/04/00
On May 7, 2000 WCW presents SLAMBOREE from the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The main event is a 3-way dance for the World Title between current champion David Arquette, Jeff Jarrett, and Diamond Dallas Page. The match will be held in a three-story high triple steel cage, developed for the Warner Brothers movie READY TO RUMBLE. Here Diamond Dallas Page discusses his thoughts on the match and other relevant topics with Al Isaacs.
AL: Tell me about the triple cage.
DDP: Warner Brothers designed it for the movie and Chris Kanyon was involved in the initial layout. It's an impressive cage and once you get up there it's scary as hell. It starts out like a 'Hell in a Cell' cage on the bottom level. Then you go to the second level, which is like a regular sized steel cage. Now if you get to the third cage, it's used mainly like a ladder to get to the belt.
AL: Any ideas on how to approach it as a match rather than as part of the movie?
DDP: Not really, because it's never been done before. In the movie we literally went through all the sequences right up to the point where we lock up at the top, and like I said it's scary as hell. I blocked it out and just went out there and did it. But when you move around, you do it with caution. Because if you don't, you're three stories up.
AL: And it's all the same as the movie?
DDP: Well we made the second cage a hardcore cage for the show. It was hardcore for the movie, but a lot of it was edited out and there's stuff that nobody got to see. I really don't know how we're going to handle that next level. I won't know until we're up there.
AL: You actually have the advantage over Jarrett because you spent time in and on this thing already.
DDP: The one thing that's really cool is…you know how there are beams running through the 'Hell in a Cell'? And then there's mesh and there's more beams. Like where Cactus Jack fell through the mesh area? This is all mesh. And what it is, it's interwoven with wires that pulls it together and makes it taut. I've never seen anything like it. WB patented the whole thing.
AL: What kind of weapons can we be looking for in that second cage?
DDP: Everything…including the kitchen sink. I look at that part almost like THUNDERDOME, you know, Mad Max? The original hardcore cage!
AL: There's the three of you, and weapons, and the floor is chain link fence. What kind of weight can this thing hold?
DDP: I don't really know. When I was up there it seemed really sturdy. It's all the same kind of cage fence. The beams are all on the side, so there's nothing but fence under you.
AL: At the first screening of the movie you didn't seem too excited about getting into that thing for a real match. What changed your mind?
DDP: For starters, Jarrett said in a promo that there won't be any stuntmen this time. Well, there weren't any for the movie either. It was all me. When I fell through the three cages the producers wanted to be able to see my face. So they asked me to do it. They hooked me up to two wires on either side and I fell through three breakaway cages. Of course you'll never be able to get that effect here. There's no 'cut' and do it again. The difference here is that it's all one motion. No changing camera angles and stopping. Just a hardcore triple-cage match. I have an outline of a lot of things that I want to do. But again, I really won't know until I get there, get up and get in it.
AL: Has Jeff Jarrett had an opportunity to climb into it yet?
DDP: No, but he's seen films on it and stuff. I'm sure he'll get to the arena plenty early to get in it and feel his way around.
AL: I'd hope so. It's intimidating as all hell and there are a million different dangerous spots on it.
DDP: Without a doubt! I've been thinking about it every minute.
AL: Has anyone brought up the fact that this is taking place in May at the Kemper Arena? Last May in the very same venue Owen Hart was killed at the WWF's PPV, and you're stepping into a dangerous match with the man who used to be his partner.
DDP: It's been discussed. Jeff was there, you know. There has been no greater tragedy in our industry, or in life as far as I'm concerned. For what we live. Believe me, we think about him all the time. Especially going into this. There's not a moment that I don't think about what happened in Kansas City. And to be coming in with this cage that's three stories…and to be on top of the thing. I'm going to try to block it out of my mind as much as possible. Just get into the moment and where I am. I will be praying before and after, and hopefully everything will work out.
AL: When did you find out about the accident last year?
DDP: You know, I don't remember. But I do remember that the first thing I said was I hope this is all a work. That's the first thing I said. And I know some people did think that. You prayed it was. There are so many things that you don't know in this business, and that's what makes wrestling work. But obviously this wasn't. This was horrible. You can't say enough. Everybody has said it, everybody's felt it.
AL: A few weeks ago Sting started dropping from the rafters again. Do you take that as a sign that the business has gotten past the tragedy and is moving on?
DDP: I think it has to move on, but I don't think it'll ever forget though. The first day that Sting was going to drop I walked up to him and I hugged him and told him he was going to be fine. He repelled down the other day. He's really good at that. I don't think Owen really wanted to do that, but I don't know. I wasn't there. But that's the opinion I've formulated from what people have told me. I know that I didn't want to get hoisted up in the air when Sting took me in the Fleet Center. But I did it. I actually had a passage about it in my book that sort of made light of it with me. Then Owen's accident happened. Thank God I was able to pull it out of the book before it went to print. It happened right at that time. He was not only one of the greatest wrestlers ever, but a guy. You know? A great guy that everybody loved. The only guy out there that I can think of who is loved as much as Owen is Bobby Eaton. Just the sweetest guys on the planet. Same kind of make-up. Very real. I'm sure Owen will be there watching out for us. That's how we look at it. I definitely think that.
AL: There's no way that WCW would have Sting do the stunt there.
DDP: I don't even want to think about that. I don't see it happening.
AL: All that aside, how much are you looking forward to the match itself?
DDP: Straight shoot…I love working with Jarrett. If I knock the hell out of him he comes right back and knocks the hell out of me, I come right back. Nobody bitches. This isn't checkers. This will be brutal and we'll be doing everything we can to pop the crowd. When it's all said and done hopefully the people will have been entertained and no one will be seriously injured. There's no question that we'll both be in a lot of pain afterwards once the adrenaline rush goes away. You've got two guys heading in there that couldn't work any harder with or against each other. I'm looking forward to it. The entertainment value is there, and if I can become a four-time champ, so much the better.
In : WCW Interviews