Booker, honestly, I think we're going to have to pivot
to finding the JYD collar.
Who do you think could have it?
If it's anybody that we could talk to,
it's going to be my guy--
player, player, player--
Teddy Long.
There's no telling what I might bring,
and there's no telling what I might do.
[laughs]
Well, where does Teddy live?
Oh, man.
It's Atlanta, G-A, man.
Atlanta, G-A.
Oh.
All right, well, today.
[music playing]
I don't see him.
There he is right there.
Always Dapper Dan.
Thaddeus!
Hey!
[laughs]
Booker T.
What's going on, kid?
Teddy Long has been around in the wrestling business since
the time of the Junkyard Dog.
He worked as a referee.
He worked as a manager.
We're going to go down the ranks
of the great Nelson Mandela!
He's done everything.
And that's why it's important for us
to potentially get a lead for the Junkyard Dog collar
that he used to wear out to the ring from Teddy Long.
It's an honor to be here, for real.
Firstly, as African-American in the wrestling business,
there's not a lot of guys that have done what
you've done in your career.
So it's really cool to just be here with you and, you know,
break bread with you a little bit.
Thank you.
That's why I respect Teddy so much
because you've got to think about the era
that Teddy came up in as well.
You've got to think about the companies
that Teddy was working for back in the day.
You've got to think about all of the crap.
I remember one time I drove from Atlanta, Georgia
to Richmond, Virginia.
I had to pay all this out my pocket--
my gas, everything myself.
Got there, walked in the door-- promoter at that time,
he looked at me and says, "What are you doing here?"
I says, "Well, JJ booked me.
Said I was refereeing."
And he says, "Ah, we don't need you."
And didn't offer me one dime.
So I had to get back in my car, drive
all the way back to Atlanta, Georgia, and on my own expense.
But that didn't stop me.
Seeing Teddy Long made me understand that all of these
early wrestling legends in the African-American community,
they dealt with so much so that future generations
could be given more.
I can't thank you enough.
I really can't.
Me neither.
You traveled with JYD.
You got any good JYD stories on the road?
JYD, what a great guy.
He was real funny too-- entertaining.
There are only a few guys that can hold this word "pioneer."
You know what I mean?
And that's what I consider JYD is a pioneer.
Yes, yes, he did a lot for professional wrestling.
Teddy Long, your referee for this one.
The reason that everyone loved Junkyard Dog was his energy.
I don't know that much about wrestling,
but I do know about street fighting.
[howling]
The Junkyard Dog.
You felt like you were a part of something special.
The JYD, the D stands for "dog."
So Junkyard Dog intentionally made the collar
a big part of his gimmick.
He would have the chain wrapped to it
and would dance down to the ring and spin it around.
Junkyard Dog was one of the biggest stars in a time when,
a lot of territories, the top guy was not
an African-American performer.
JYD was that popular.
He was that big.
He was that over.
He was that good.
He just had an aura about him.
Now it's time for the Dog to take a bite out of you.
After becoming the biggest baby face in the South,
the Junkyard Dog decided to take his talents up North
to wrestle at WrestleMania I, WrestleMania
III against Harley Race.
And he wrestled with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant.
He was a four-time North American champion.
He wrestled against Ric Flair for the world title in WCW.
He had a hell of a career.
He definitely let a kid like me who, at that point in time,
didn't even think about being a professional wrestler.
I saw that, and I go, wow, that's something
that's pretty cool.
Somebody's watching.
And there's not one day that I've been in this business
that I didn't think some young kid was watching me
and thought that perhaps one day that they
may want to be like Booker T.
That's funny that you say that because I
view you winning the WCW television title the same way.
Boom.
So I don't know what Booker told you,
but would you happen to know where we could
find the collar that Junkyard Dog
used to wear down to the ring?
BOOKER T: I was telling anybody that can help us find it,
it would be Teddy Long.
Ah, man.
There was one guy, he had some stuff that belonged to JYD,
and he hit me up on social media.
OK.
If you get that collar, you might
as well be sitting next to JYD.
Whoever's got that, that is a treasure.
But I guarantee you with my connection and stuff,
we're going to find that collar.
Just like the JYD.
Just nose to the ground, get it how you get it.
Another one bites the dust.
Hey!
Thank you, sir.
[music playing]
This is Teddy Long's guy.
Yeah, this is supposed to be the guy.
[knocking]
Hey, hey, hey!
- What's up, guys? - AJ.
Hey, I'm Vito. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you. - Booker T.
- Booker T. - [inaudible]
I know who Booker--
- Yeah, I'm Vito. - Nice to meet you.
Welcome to my home, guys.
Come on in.
Wrestling runs in my family in a way that-- you know,
we've watched it forever.
My brother and I have been watching it our whole lives.
And we really got into it.
That's why we started wrestling together after that.
The Thomaselli Brothers!
- This is the man cave. - For real, man.
This is the man cave.
Go through a divorce, you end up getting a man house.
[laughs]
It's true.
I've collected my whole life.
I make a little more money now, so I'm
able to spend it on some stuff you shouldn't
spend money on probably.
I'll show you guys what you're here for.
Awesome, man.
[music playing]
Oh, wow!
And this is the collar?
The collar.
Oh!
It looks like it.
So how did you come across this, man?
My grandfather was a big fan back in the day.
Wow.
Truck driver, you know, running around the South
and would pop in and out of shows.
And hung out at a diner one night, and the boys came in.
And he was shooting with [bleep] with them.
Struck up a conversation with him.
I never got the full story because my grandfather
had passed.
My grandmother had told me this.
So it's always been in our family.
And then when I started wrestling, she gave it to me
and said, "Your grandfather would be proud of you.
And keep this in your bag."
And I kept it in my bag for 13 years that I wrestled.
Wow.
It looks like it, man.
I mean, is there any--
There one way I can tell if it's authentic or not.
That's true.
If this fits me, this would have definitely been a collar
that he could have worn.
You might be a little too big.
A little bit too big?
He really wants that thing on, don't he?
Here it is. Oh!
There it is.
Listen to them, as Junkyard Dog matches power.
Let me see you do your best JYD.
No, that's your worst JYD.
Wait.
Do it with me then.
All right.
[music playing]
I see you.
All right.
[grunting]
Let me see if I can help you out here.
Wait a minute.
Any spikes missing? Any spikes--
- No. - No, man.
It's impeccable condition.
You got a photo with JYD--
With him with it, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
With this actual collar?
With this actual collar.
With this one right here?
This one right here.
I mean, it looks like JYD's collar.
It fits like JYD's collar.
It's so worn and so clearly old.
So I have no reason to not believe
that this is JYD's collar.
So what are you thinking, man?
No, you got to put it like this--
what is it going to take?
[chuckles] Well, I have a sales background
and the sucker speaks first.
So if I speak first, I'm already behind the eight-ball.
Correct.
Well, look, man, let's just lop it up.
$20,000. - What?
- Wow! - $20,000.
[music playing]
I was thinking more along the lines of, like, $4,500?
I feel--
I feel pressure here.
I feel very pressured.
[inaudible]
I keep backing up.
You guys are getting closer.
No pressure at all.
What about a smooth $7,000.
And that's more than I'm allowed to spend,
and I don't care because we're on camera,
and they can't make me not do it.
Smooth $7,000.
$7,000.
$7,500, it's yours.
You guys can leave now and go back to whatever
you guys were doing.
But $7,000 is already over my budget.
You're going to go back to chilling in just a few minutes.
Nice.
I'm just going to make a call.
$7,500, I'll do it.
You got a deal.
Thank you!
Love it!
Needed to win, brother.
- Oh, yeah, baby. - Needed a win.
All right. - You've earned it.
[music playing]