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Lucha Underground’s Konnan discusses his time with the US Navy, working with Kevin Sullivan and his experience with Lucha Underground

TJR Wrestling

Lucha Underground’s Konnan recently took some time to participate in an interview with me. Konnan reveals his work with Kevin Sullivan, the faction that he felt was that was the most underrated in WCW, his role in Mexico and what he looks forward to with Lucha Underground. Check out excerpts of the interview below and the complete interview here:

On his time in the U.S Navy:

I started to question what am I doing out here? When I started to investigate, you know actually in the Iran/Iraq war to make sure that the Strait of Hormuz which is very narrow channel where a lot of oil came from the Arab states to get to the United States. I didn’t join the service to be protecting big oil companies interest. I just began to become very disillusioned with it. Even though I was given the choice to go there and spend time in jail, I was very patriotic and I left there very disillusioned at the way our country had lied to so many of its citizens. There was just no way I could be there anymore.

Working with Kevin Sullivan:

It was excellent because Kevin was the one that had originally called me because Woman (Nancy Sullivan) was working at the time which you remember was his wife at the time. I think that she was the one that told him, ‘look, this Konnan’s I believe you can do something with him especially since you don’t have any Latino’s’. He called me and when I got there he really helped me out a lot. I was actually going to do a program with Hogan at one point for Mexico and the United States. I think what happened and I’m not sure, I have ask him about this and it is something that I want to ask him the next time I see him is, this is what I really think happened.

I got there and they really had big plans for me, but I don’t think they thought I didn’t know how to wrestle the American style which Paul E made that same mistake. When I went in there, he put me in there with some American guy and we had some terrible match and I told Paul E, I don’t know how to wrestle American style. They think just because you speak English, that you could also wrestle the style and I think the same thing happened with Kevin. So I had to be deprogrammed. I had to learn how to wrestle American style. By the time, I learned I think my stock fell in their eyes. But Kevin was always like a mentor to me there.

On his time with Lucha Underground:

It’s incredible because you know what Rey Mysterio and Juventud and Psychosis and all those guys did, Hector Garza did back in 1997 in WCW to me was the forbearer of what we are seeing here today in Lucha Underground, fifteen years later. This is what happened and the most beautiful part for me is when I came to WCW and I talked to Kevin Sullivan and Eric Bischoff about bringing in Luchadores it was an all Mexican thing. They were all Mexicans and when you look at Lucha Underground you have Puerto Ricans, Blacks, and White Boys you’ve got everybody now doing Lucha Libre. That is so beautiful to me. The thing is Chris DeJoseph Eric Van Wagenen, John Fogelman, the guys that run the show, I don’t think they have ever done anything Lucha related and they aren’t latino, which was a huge concern for me. But unlike, Bischoff, Dixie, Jarrett and Vince, they have a profound respect and pride in the Mexico heritage and lucha libre and they are very open minded and great to work with plus I would be remiss if I did not thank the behind the scene latinos who support this 100% Dorian Roldan, Antonio Cue and Alex Garcia.

What we do is straight Lucha in Mexico. What I do is straight Lucha in Mexico. What they are doing in Lucha Underground is a hybrid and they are taking chances. These are things that we don’t’ even do in Mexico. They have taken chances. If you don’t take one foot forward you are always going to be in the same place. If you don’t ask that questions, the answer will always be no. They have gone out there and done a lot of cool different things that has never been seen before and you have an incredible cast of wrestlers and of course the production staff by El Rey. It’s just a product that’s never been seen before.

For more of Konnan’s thoughts, check out the complete interview here.

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As a wrestling enthusiast for over 30 years, my love of professional wrestling explores the irrational in a rational way. He will explore the details inside and outside the ring. I can still look back at watching my favorites The Dynamite Kid and Ricky Steamboat and smile. However, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards have done an incredible job today mirroring the efforts of those that came before them. I’ve been fortunate to write online for some time and look forward to adding one-on-one interviews along with opinion columns to TJRWrestling.