You would get a booking sheet at the start of the month, with a list of every show you were on, the name of the arena, the phone number of the building, that sort of thing. Every night mine said Axl Rotten vs. P.N. News, except for one, which said Axl Rotten vs. Big Van Vader. I remember that night as if it were yesterday. Vader had just come back from New Japan Pro Wrestling, and I was his first match back. Now, in Japan, Vader didn't work with those guys at all, he beat the living s**t out of them. He came into the locker room while I was sitting there getting dressed, and I was instantly struck by how big he was. Not in a bodybuilder way, but thick and huge like a grizzly bear. Everything about him was massive; his forearms were like tree trunks and his barrel chest was the size of a steam engine. I had never seen anyone like him before. I had been around the likes of El Gigante, who was freakishly tall, but Vader was a monster. I introduced myself and he said, Oh, youre the kid Im working with tonight. They said they want six or seven minutes. Just go out there, tie up a few times, Ill push off dont bump because youre not real small kinda bow up to me and s**t like that. Then well tie again, Ill back you into the corner, and Ill start shooting some punches at ya. Put your hands up to block em. Well, this m**********r backed me into the corner and he started legit punching me in the ears with those MMA gloves as hard as s**t. I felt like I was being smacked with a bat. I was being rattled and he hit me with so much force that he shoot knocked me out of the ring to the floor. I didn't have a clue where I was or what had happened to me. I was seeing stars and shaking my head, trying to clear the cobwebs, when referee Nick Patrick walked towards where I was and started to count. Vader walked past him and said, When that kid gets back in here, tell him Im sorry and he owes me one. When I returned to the ring Nick relayed the message to me, but I didn't really process it because my head was still spinning. When Vader and I tied up again he said, Give it to me, you owe me kid. I raked his eyes and started clubbing him with forearms to the chests, I was laying it in stiff, bringing it as we say in the business, but I wasn't shooting. I was smart enough to know not to even try. The rest of the match passed without incident and Vader finished me off with his front powerslam gimmick. Afterwards he came up to me backstage and was all apologies. Hey brother, Im sorry I just got back from Japan and over there I beat the s**t out of those guys, man. I pretty much just bully those guys around. I haven't got back to working yet. I told him not to worry about it and that it wasn't a problem, and we both laughed when I told him he had pretty much knocked me out. When people ask me who in wrestling hit me the hardest, without a doubt the answer is Big Van Vader. It was ridiculous. When Ian (Rotten) learned that I had worked with Vader he was marking out big time and he kept going on and on about it. We were in a bathroom one time taking a whizz and he asked again, Man, what was it like to get hit by Vader? He was still zipping up his pants from p*****g when I launched myself at him and forearmed him full-force with a forearm across the face. Ah f**k! he yelled, moaning in pain. The poor guy sat in the stall across from us must have been wondering what the hell was going on.
The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart.
James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.
