An Interview With Diamond Dallas Page
The One That Started It All
Page 2
Date: September 1, 1996
by RichInKC

Rich: Speaking of Dusty...a lot of people give him a bad rap and start in on him when he starts talking about "the mothership" and "clubbering". What do you think about him?

DDP: He's probably one of the most creative guys in the biz. The people who don't respect him and what he's done are idiots because not many people have accomplished what he has. He was and still is one of the biggest names in our business.

How many people who are in the shape he's in can say they sold out the Garden and sold out all over the country for over 20 years? That's what it comes down to - can you draw money? And he drew huge money. I got a lot of respect for Dusty Rhodes. He brought me to Florida. I used to talk to him about whether I should go full time and he'd say, "Do it...you are gonna be a fire breathin' dragon manager."

Rich: Did he convince you to get into the ring?

DDP: He played a part. I just had to convince myself I wanted to do it. I said just "Screw it" and went into the Power Plant full bore and started working out. What it all came down to was being the first guy to get there and the last guy to leave there. That's what got me where I am today even though a lot of people told me I couldn't do it. That's why I love Mark Madden telling me how bad I am, it drives me nuts, makes me work harder.

Rich: Let's talk about Madden. Do you have any idea why he is going off on you so much?

DDP: He always gave me credit for my work ethic and stuff, but there are always people who think someone is not a top guy for one reason or another. Like Scott Hall taught me a long time ago, it's just their opinion. There are a zillion opinions in this business and there is no right way or wrong way to do anything. I got sick of hearing his (Madden's) little comments. They were double edged sword comments. He'd put me over, and just have his aside little bullshit comments.

What I really got sick of was people who are opinionated assholes who think what they say is gospel and the mark idiots just follow along with what he says. He just gets to say what he wants and not answer to anyone for it. That's the bottom line. So, when I came down on him and cracked on him hard, he popped, he cracked. Now he busts on me in every hotline and now I love it. I want to see how much he can sell it. Every time he tells people how bad I am, it shows what an idiot he is. He knows less than zero.