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CAGEMATCH: Joe E. Legend, which role do you prefer in the ring: The good or the bad guy?
JOE E. LEGEND: I enjoy being the bad guy because I do not like many people (smiles). The Legend character works better as a heel.
CAGEMATCH: What is the history behind the Legend gimmick?
JOE E. LEGEND: When I started to wrestle I had a couple of lame gimmicks – as everybody, I suppose. The Legend character came into being when I worked in a bar in Toronto. You must know that I hate bars and I do not drink - so I killed my time by bothering my colleagues.
CAGEMATCH: In which way?
JOE E. LEGEND: I aggravated them permanently and when they asked me why I always replied: “I am Joe Legend, I do whatever I want!” After a while, the guys I worked with became really angry and told me to stop that Joe Legend thing – I did not listen to them, of course. Instead I decided to use Joe Legend’s ability to drive other people mad in the wrestling business and earn money with it.
CAGEMATCH: Most of the German fans are not too mad at you: They cheer for you, even if you use unfair tactics…
JOE E. LEGEND: … (ironical) I would never do that, I am a nice guy!
CAGEMATCH: Do you think you are doing a bad job when fans do this?
JOE E. LEGEND: No, I am in good company: The fans also cheer for The Rock and scream “Whoo!” for Ric Flair when they play the heel. The most important thing to me is that I get a reaction from the fans.
CAGEMATCH: Which one is your favorite promotion in Germany?
JOE E. LEGEND: That is a tough one; there are many promotions that treated me well: wXw was phenomenal because of its great fans, but GSW was tremendous too. I also liked PWA, EWP, EPW and ACW. I cannot pick one that is better than the rest: They all have their own plusses and negatives.
CAGEMATCH: Will the great fans of wXw get the chance to see you more often in the future?
JOE E. LEGEND: I hope so. Unfortunately, I had to refuse various offers from wXw because of my obligations in Japan. But I would love to appear there more frequently: It is just two hours away from my home in Hannover and I love this promotion.
CAGEMATCH: Why do the fans of Ring of Honor have not seen you there yet?
JOE E. LEGEND: The biggest obstacle is that it would cost them a bundle to fly me from Germany to the US: Ring of Honor is a smart promotion that counts every penny – they only spend their money for the right people at the right time to get the right payoff.
CAGEMATCH: And when will the right time be come for you?
JOE E. LEGEND: Actually I talked to Ring of Honor a few times and I might be going there this year. I would love to wrestle Alex Shelley at RoH: He is one of my best students and buddies.
CAGEMATCH: Speaking of buddies: Are you still in contact with your former partners from Thug Life - Edge, Christian and Rhino?
JOE E. LEGEND: Yes, mostly Rhino and Christian. I talk to them every week.
CAGEMATCH: Do you think that they are/were sold under value by the WWE?
JOE E. LEGEND: (sighs) Yes, especially Rhyno. I have no idea why WWE wasted his talent in the undercard. He could have been worth millions to them.
CAGEMATCH: In contrast to them Edge is getting a good push right now - deservedly?
JOE E. LEGEND: Absolutely, he is a talented, hard-working guy. In addition he has got that certain star quality: His presence fills the room when he walks into it. But he is not yet the money draw he could be.
CAGEMATCH: Is he World Championship material?
JOE E. LEGEND: He definitely deserves the belt: He has way more talent than most of the WWE locker room. But perhaps he does not have the right amount of muscle mass that WWE wants to see on a World Champion.
CAGEMATCH: When you and Edge teamed as “Sex and Violence” in the Indies, you torched the American flag in the ring...
JOE E. LEGEND: ... we have caused 14 riots in Detroit and one in Liverpool with that (laughs).
CAGEMATCH: Why did you do run this controversial angle?
JOE E. LEGEND: We had to do something to outdo the Hart Foundation. We had started the “Evil Canadian“ gimmick three weeks before Bret Hart did it, but Bret had the huge WWF marketing machine in the back. Thus, our gimmick ran in danger to look like a second-class copy of the Foundation, so we had to do something more over the top to get attention.
CAGEMATCH: Were you going too far with that?
JOE E. LEGEND: I do not think so. There have been other things in wrestling that went way out of line.
CAGEMATCH: What would you do if the WWE offered you another contract?
JOE E. LEGEND: If WWE liked to sign me once again they would have to deliver a whole lot of money and a certain amount of creative control over my gimmick.
CAGEMATCH: Bad memories of your Just Joe character?
JOE E. LEGEND: I hated it: Just Joe was absolutely pointless – the most stupid gimmick in wrestling history. I cannot get rid of the feeling that the guy that was responsible for my character was annoyed with me and did not have the guts to tell that to my face. I enjoyed the money and the travelling in the WWE but everything else was awful. I regret ever being involved with it.
CAGEMATCH: Are you watching the current WWE programs?
JOE E. LEGEND: Only to see how my buddies – Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle – are doing. But I am unhappy with the whole direction of WWE today: The short matches, the foolish dress code – there is not much I like in the company. But I might be in the minority with my opinion since they are making a lot of money.
CAGEMATCH: Does the fact that you are a former WWE Superstar open more doors for you?
JOE E. LEGEND: No. Everything I achieved after my WWE was in spite of being there, not because of it – and I am proud of it. When promoters asked me to wrestle as Just Joe, I always shot down that idea. I completely dissociated myself from the Just Joe character. This is the reason why I had my hair grown long again after I left WWE – even though I used to make fun of long-haired people in my age when I was younger (laughs).
CAGEMATCH: Sounds like your WWE run was the worst experience of your life.
JOE E. LEGEND: There were many more, being a wrestler is an ugly road. The worst thing I ever went through was moving halfway around the world only to be screwed and lied to by Jeff Jarrett. Going to TNA Wrestling and trusting in Jarrett’s words was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I am sick of his nonsensical attempts to get himself over at other people’s expense – including mine. Jarrett is a lying sack of crap and I wish nothing but bad things on him.
CAGEMATCH: What is the biggest problem of today’s wrestling in your opinion?
JOE E. LEGEND: The biggest problem is that it is too easy to become a wrestler. I see many improperly trained people who watch some videotapes, get a funny costume and get in the ring – without having learned to work.
CAGEMATCH: Are you referring to certain WWE superstars?
JOE E. LEGEND: No, becoming a WWE superstar is a tough job. But the main problem of the major leagues is that the guys there do not develop anymore. Many things are going wrong in WWE’s farm league OVW.
CAGEMATCH: For example?
JOE E. LEGEND: First of all, many wrestlers are brought there just because of their impressive body – regardless if they have any skills. The wrestlers do not learn how to regurgitate, instead they get an agent who tells them what to do and they do it. They do not learn how to develop for themselves - just how to follow orders.
CAGEMATCH: What else is going wrong in the “Big Two”?
JOE E. LEGEND: They take their fans for granted and treat them like dorks – especially when they do not stick through storylines. This is fatal: The only thing that happens if you appeal to idiots, you draw idiots.
CAGEMATCH: Many wrestlers complain about the internet fans…
JOE E. LEGEND: I cannot hear that anymore: The internet fans are the ones who actually care about the wrestling business. When my colleagues lament that today’s fans have too much input I answer: They pay money for us, they deserve that input! The wrestling industry should listen to the fans instead of dictating them what they should want to see.
CAGEMATCH: Before it is getting all too negative: What was the greatest event of your wrestling career?
JOE E. LEGEND: My first trip to Germany where I met my wife – that should cover my bases (laughs). From the professional point of view it was winning the World Title in Japan. But there also was an unforgettable moment on “Celebrity Wrestling”.
CAGEMATCH: Celebrity Wrestling?
JOE E. LEGEND: It is a reality show on British television: D’Lo Brown and I were training celebrities like Victoria Silvstedt, James Hewitt or Michelle from the band “Liberty X” to work a wrestling match. The show is hosted by Rowdy Roddy Piper – one of my first favourites when I began to watch wrestling, I am his biggest fan. When he announced my name in front of a full house, I had the biggest mark out moment in my life.
