Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: “Fabulous One” “Skinner” Steve Keirn
Date: 03/31/2023
Your Host: James Walsh
The Keirn Cronicles Volume 1 is on store shelves now and is a book that has gotten a lot of attention from all over the wrestling world including in mentions from CM Punk who wrote the forward. The first in at least 2 books telling the life story of a true wrestling legend, this book is an education on pro wrestling that all must read! This interview is an education as well!
This interview, one of our favorites in a long while, goes over an hour long. So, we’re going to send out a few different press releases with some of the key points as we go along. A fun trick is to read the whole conversation because even if the subject was CM Punk, Mr. Keirn gives golden nuggets about Vince McMahon and other legends in his answer which all makes sense in its own way. As I said, this book and, to a lesser level, interview, is an education!
You can pick up Steve Keirn’s new book right now on Amazon.com by clicking here!
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STEVE KEIRN:
On why this was the right time for the book:
“Well, I have had people say that I should write a book for years because of my career and the many ways I’ve been involved in the business. I mean, 44 years from the time that I started wrestling until the time I ran the WWE Developmental territory FCW and then retired – There’s a lot of history there! So, first of all, the young guys and girls that I taught wanted me to write it because they wanted to read it! They wanted to know more about me! And, of course, friends saying I should write it too. But, one of the biggest obstacles for me wasn’t my memory… I think I’m pretty sharp for 71 years old… I think! I keep telling my wife to let me know if I start doing anything weird because I don’t think you really know if you go crazy. I have a few friends who are a little borderline! (laughs) I’m not going to name any names. But, my career has spanned 4 generations. But, I’ll say Brian Blair is a real close friend of mine. And, when WWE comes to down and we go down to the arena just to see the talent, Brian is amazed at just the gaps of generations that come up to me and say hello and give a hug. He’s like, “How do you know them?” I go, “I taught those guys!” (laughs) Or, a lot of them… A lot of them are second generation wrestlers. That is something I was blessed to deal with because a lot of my close friends, their kids came through me! I’ve known some of the kids since they were in the 3rd grade and they are on their family’s CHristmas cards. So, I would threaten to bring out the old CHristmas cards if they don’t listen to me! (laughs)”
On the challenge of writing his book:
“You know, I looked at it like a challenge. This is my first book. And, I didn’t graduate in the top of my high school class. (laughs) There were so many people in my class that ended up in the wrestling business, we were lucky to just get through! But, I accepted the challenge. People want to hear the stories! But, it is almost impossible to fit 44 years worth of wrestling in one book. 400 pages sounds like a lot. But, I’m amazed at how many people have told me that they breezed right through it or that they couldn’t put it down and wanted to just keep reading. I was like, “Well, it isn’t like a genius was in the process of having it written. So, try to keep it simple!”
On Ian Douglass’ help with the book:
“He’s incredible! I’m looking forward to finishing the second book! When I say he’s incredible, I mean that he’s a smart man. I don’t mean “smart” as in like a mark – I mean he’s an intelligent man. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would have helped me write my autobiography. But, what I was looking for is passion. Not passionate about the idea of writing about wrestling or writing for a wrestler but someone who is passionate about wrestling. THe only thing I can say is I can tell when someone is getting excited while I’m dictating them the stories. For those who don’t watch wrestling and haven’t watched wrestling which a lot of my trainees were in FCW… The only wrestlera lot of them knew in FCW was John Cena and I was like, “… Really?” But, to take stories about wrestling and make it make sense for everyone and not have people go, “WHat the heck are they talking about?” (laughs) So, he’s a heck of a writer. I’m trying to have Jerry Brisco help get him nominated for an award that he has some pull with.”
On having Stan Lane and CM Punk write the forwards to his book:
“There are a few variables on that. My objective was not to be the main event but to get along with my peers so nobody killed me out there. Amd tje second variable was to help people when it became my time. CM Punk and I have known each other for years. I watched him on the indies and I watched him grow and into the WWE system. I was in the position to have different people write forwards for my book. Of course, Stan Lane was a given. Stan was one half of the “Fabulous Ones” and that is where the book ends – It goes up to about the end of the Fabulous Ones where Stan goes off to WCW and the Midnight Express and I sort of kick around Florida trying to become a promoter and trying to make things happen… Some good times, some bad. It is more than a wrestling story. But, the reason I chose CM Punk – And I had to explain it to him… I could have name dropped in some friends. “Oh, he had so and so write the forward to get attention and say nice things about him.” Instead, I wanted someone who would write the truth and not blow it out of proportion. That is what he did. I had to explain to him, “You know me. But, you don’t really know me. We didn’t ride together on the road for hours, you’re not as old as I am, we didn’t experience some things at the same time. But, you have a passion for the business. You don’t really know me but you can know mroe about me. You can Google me. Wikipedia has quite a history on me. You can use a lot of the tools that are available now to do research. You (Punk) are a young, intelligent guy, and you’re kind if in my category. You don’t have a family name attached to you. You’re not tied to anybody politically. You’re a guy who got into the business to get what he could get and be happy with what you had… And you succeeded! And so, I would rather have a forward from someone who has a passion for wrestling and might have an opinion on me rather than have someone who is going to suck up to me because they have to see me all the time. (laughs) I mean, I wouldn’t be like, “I can’t believe what you wrote about me! Do you think I’m really going to print that?” (laughs) But, my friends would put things in there that would be overly embellished. It would be almost sappy. I knew tat. Everybody that is in the business is my friend… That is because I have respect for more people than most because I respect anybody that comes through that front door and wants to be in the business. You’ve got to be a little nuts to want to try and do this in the first place. And so, what happens to you really is not in your position to predict or dictate. Yours is just to get a job and do whatever you’re told and you hope you get something good but sometimes you don’t. That is kind of a long story about CM for ya, James. But, I didn’t want you to think, “Oh, I just picked him out of my butt!” (laughs)”
On if CM Punk quoting from the book in terms of his current drama with AEW helps the book:
“I hope so! I mean, I didn’t pick him because he’s the most over guy or the most popular in terms of fans – I’m allowed to call them fans again! The day Vince McMahon had me and a bunch of us older guys in a room and told us, “We’re not going to call them fans anymore!” We all looked at each other and said, “Boy, this is gonna be good!” I mean, there is nothing negative about being a fan! THere are all kinds of fans! Baseball fans, football fans! Vince said, “They’ll get insulted. We’re going to call them the Universe!” Well, that’s gonna take some getting used to for me, Arn Anderson, Fit Finlay, and Mike Rotundo who were all sitting there looking at each other in the production meeting. (laughs) “OK! Man, you’re gonna have to help me with this one!” I mean, I already got myself in trouble when they assigned me to the midgets and hen I said “midgets”, Vince hit the ceiling on me! “They’re not midgets! They’re little people!” “Ok Vince. I’m not insulting them. I’m just saying since I was a kid and I went to see them, I was going to see the midgets wrestle! Now you’re telling me to go out and teach ’em little people high spots… Not mdigets! (laughs) I got it! I got it!””
On not taking pot shots at people in the book:
“I’m not a loose cannon. I’m not interested in taking shots at people. I have no regrets and no remorse about my career. I knew it as a business from day one and I was always appreciative of those who contributed. You don’t always get along with your boss and I had a lot of bosses! You can either stand up and keep getting a U-Haul! (laughs) Or, you can accept it and do the best you can to get over with them.”