WrestleRage interview with Bushwhacker Luke

Hosts: Corey, Stan, and Mike
Available at WrestleRage.com.

Q: In 1964, you started out in New Zealand with NWA New Zealand. Tell us a bit about how you broke into the business seeing as the business was so protected so long ago.

A: “Well my next door neighbor was a body builder. He won Mr. New Zealand in 1950 and then became a wrestling promoter. My neighbor was in the body building contest and was invited to come to his gym in Wellington, the capital city. And my neighbor started going to this gym. It was an old gym with a wrestling ring and a boxing ring and a steam room.

“It was a real old gym like the ones in the old time movies, with the old steam rooms, it was one of those gyms. Of course I started going to the gym with my neighbor and I was about 170 pounds. In those days, mate, promotions would only open up when they brought an American or European wrestler over. I had never been in a wrestling match, but the first time I went, I was in the ring. And I can’t even remember the match, mate. It was European style wrestling: no kicking and punching. It was forearms and uppercuts, the English style.

Q: What was your first impression of Stu Hart when you met him? And could you tell us about your time working for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling?

A: “I had heard of Stu Hart. I knew he had 12 kids, but that was it. The first night, we were at the taping. The first night, we worked against the tag champions and got disqualified. Next minute, these kids were getting thrown in the ring. Some were bloody and some weren’t. They were from the ages of 10 or 12 to about 16. We didn’t know who they were. We were told to kick the hell out of them. Ya know, it was our first night there so we kicked the hell out of them cause we wanted to get over as fast as possible.

“We came back to the dressing room. Stu, I had only met him an hour and a half or two hours ago, and he’s asking me ‘what the hell are ya doing?’ I said, ‘They threw us these kids and told us to beat em up.’ Then I found out these were Stu Hart’s sons. Keith, one of the oldest, wasn’t there. It was all the other ones: Owen, Bret, Ross and the rest of the kids. They were sitting in the ring and we just took the boot to them. And on Sunday, we came back in the Corral, the bigger arena. It was a double shot weekend: TV on Friday and back on the Corral Sunday. We came out Sunday to instant heat after only three days in the territory.

Q: You went from working with Stampede to working in the Mid-Atlantic territory. Tell us about your time there and working with Stan Stasiak.

A: That was my next move. The first tag team we worked with there was Dutch Savage and Stan Stasiak who had won the belts in Madison Square Garden. I guess Stan was nearing the end of his career. It was completely different than working in the Hart territory. Stan was about 6’3 and Dutch was about 6’6. It was a different style of working altogether. It was a hell of a territory. Most of the crew made it all the way to WWE. For over a year, we worked with Rick Martel and Roddy Piper. Jimmy Snuka was on his way out as we came in. Everyone in that territory made it all the way to WWE at that time.

These questions make up the first 15 minutes of the 50 minute interview with Bushwhacker Luke. Other topics include comparing his days teaming with cousin Butch as the Sheepherders vs. the Bushwhackers, transitioning from the territories to the national stage of the WWE, his more recent work with ROH, and much more. Visit http://www.wrestlerage.com for the full 50-plus minute interview. Tune in every Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET for more exclusive WrestleRage Radio interviews.