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Friday, January 29, 2016

The time Sid went sycho on me

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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When I worked in Alabama as a TV reporter and anchor I had a couple of opportunities to meet a handful of wrestling greats.  In 1998 I interviewed a handful of wrestlers at a WCW Thunder event in Huntsville.  Buff Bagwell, Goldberg, Bobby Heenan and the late Ray "Big Bossman" Traylor all spent some time with me.  



About a year later, a local gym owner and wrestling promoter were hosting a show with Sid Vicious as one half of the main event. Because he knew I was a huge fan, the promoter extended an invitation to me to attend the show.  I took a chance and asked if Sid would be available for an interview for the newscast.  I was excited to learn that he was.

Sid in action 
Sid wanted to do the interview before his match.  I was ushered back to a hallway where Sid was pacing back and forth.  We shook hands and exchanged hellos.  My intent was to ask Sid a few questions about his career (this was after his championship run with WWE but months before he showed up in WCW and won their title).  

Meeting the big man
I mounted the camera on my shoulder and held the microphone up to the big man.  Before I even finished asking my first question, Sid snatched the mic out of my hand and proceeded to cut a wrestling promo for me.  He did this at the top of his lungs, screaming until his face was beat red. Bottom line, the "interview" was nothing I could use for the newscast, but it was quite awesome being in the presence of the wrestling legend.

When he returned to town a few months later, Sid came into our studio for a sit down interview on the newscast.  This time he was much more subdued and didn't yell.  It was one of the most surreal moments of my career.  Those encounters with Sid were some of my favorite memories working in "the Shoals." 


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