You find out that WCW is going under.
>> Yes. >> What's the mindset like for you?
And what are your memories of that time in the business?
>> Corey, that was a sad day in Panama beach.
>> Yes sir.
>> I show up thinking everything's great.
WCW is great.
I knew that they were struggling.
>> Right.
>> Because our houses were way down, but
there was talk of Eric Bischoff buying the company.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And so that's what I thought we were gonna do.
We're gonna be WCW, we're gonna carry on under Bischoff's reign.
And we show up, and, by God, there's Shane McMahon and
Pritchard and Brisco and all these other guys.
And it was sad,
because no one knew if they had a job- >> Right.
>> The next day.
They said, hey, everybody's good, but they don't need a whole roster of referees and
wrestlers- >> Sure.
>> To come over to the WWE.
>> Right.
>> It's just not needed.
And we did that show, we cried.
I did the last match, which was so historical.
>> Right, it sure is.
>> I'm so lucky to be able to do that.
And I went home and I got a manual labor job.
>> Really?
>> I was digging ditches and digging holes for posts to build decks with.
Because I didn't know where my next paycheck was coming from.
I had bills to pay.
>> Yeah. >> I had a new wife, so
I had to make sure that things were taken care of.
And WWE called me up the last week of June and they said we want you to be in Tacoma,
Washington on July the second to start up with us.
And the only reason I remember that date is because that's my birthday.
So it was a great, great birthday gift.
>> Yeah, quite a quite a birthday gift.
Now, what was it like walking into the hallowed halls of WWE,
coming from WCW, especially as a referee?
We've heard a lot of superstars about all this.
But as a as a talent, you have a certain cache about you.
You're established on television.
There's Charles Robinson, the referee, what's this transition like for you?
>> Well, I've only been on TV for four years, so
that's really new in the business.
>> Absolutely. >> I was coming over to WWE.
I was terrified.
I didn't know if I would be accepted.
Because when someone comes in from the outside, everyone else is thinking hey,
he's trying to get my job.
>> Exactly, that's that's the old school wrestling talent.
>> Exactly.
Fortunately, the group of referees that we had, Jack Doan,
Chad Patton and Mike Chioda, all these guys, they were so fantastic.
And they taught me to do things the way that WWE wants it done and
they made me feel part of the family right away.
>> Was it a culture shock at all for you as far as how things are done?
Because it's been pretty well documented.
I mean WCW and WWE, two completely different ways of doing business-
>> Completely.
>> Was it shocking, anything stands out to you?
>> It was just so organized when I got there.
I would show up at at noon or whatever and
they would tell us then what we're going to be doing for that day,
and sometimes maybe even for the next week, which was amazing.
I said, hey, we're thinking down the road about this and this.
So, that didn't happen in WCW.
Now we would have a lot of changes before the show and
during the show, even after the show.
So there's a lot of confusion in WCW near the end.
And I loved my time there.
They gave me a lot of great opportunities.
That people always tell me on Twitter they're like, man WCW rocks.
No, my home is WWE.
Don't be putting down WWE for WCW, they're out of here.
>> We own them now.
[LAUGH] >> Yeah, yeah, so you see what I'm saying?
>> Yes sir. >> So WWE, they'e home but the referees,
they just brought me in, they would do practical jokes on me.
I don't know if you heard the story how they introduced me to The Rock.
>> No, I need to hear this story.
>> Yeah.
The guys, they were playing cards.
>> Okay.
>> I never learned how to play cards, I'm just not good at it.
But for some reason I had a cup of water in my hand.
I think it was Jack Doan, said something to me and
I acted like I was gonna throw water on him.
And he goes, you won't do that, you're the new guy here.
Okay, [SOUND] so I'll throw the water on him.
All the referees, they get me, they tape me to a chair, they tape my mouth shut.
They tape my finger in a position that you would-
>> [LAUGH]
>> Only the middle fingers is showing.
>> Okay.
>> Then they put a sign on me that says The Rock who?
>> [LAUGH] >> They pushed me up in
the chair to meet The Rock that way.
So, it was a lot of fun and- >> [LAUGH]
>> They made me realize don't throw water.
>> Yeah, what was Rock's reaction to that?
>> He does this whole thing with his eyebrow, I don't know if you've noticed.
He did that to me.
>> [LAUGH] That was the organic reaction.
>> That was it.
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