Road Warriors Animal & Paul Ellering Talk WWE HOF, Who Should Be Inducted & More
WWE Hall of Famers Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis & Paul Ellering were two of the featured guests on last week's edition of Monday Night Mayhem. Here are some interview highlights courtesy of Paterson, MNM's associate producer & official correspondent:
Why Animal classifies his experience at WrestleMania weekend and the induction of The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering into the WWE Hall of Fame as "an eye opener" & why he believes the WWE "did it right": "It definitely was one of the highlights of my career. The WWE did it top notch. We had red carpet treatment. Everything was carte blanche, and for us, it was a culmination of our career. You hear about the Hall of Fame and you don't know, but I'll tell you what, if there is any other sports-entertainment Hall of Fame comes closer, I'd be surprised. It was definitely an eye opener. They did it right, they acknowledged us right, and it was definitely a good evening."
Paul's biggest & most prideful moment during WrestleMania weekend: "Just being there with the tremendous collection of talent at that level of the sport. Every one of them is a compelling symbol of what our sport is about. The biggest players that play at the highest level, and they were all there."
Which tag team is the most deserving to be inducted next into the WWE Hall of Fame: (Animal) "The Midnight Express probably needs to be the next team, because they were excellent wrestlers, and they were around for a long time. Maybe The Steiner Brothers. Whether or not the fans think they're Hall of Fame caliber or not, that's up for the fans to decide or the office to decide; I can't decide that." (Ellering) "There's a lot of good tag teams. It can go even farther back and go to Crusher & (Dick The) Bruiser, or Harley Race & Larry Hennig. They were a great tag team back in the AWA days."
Why a post-Hall of Fame collaboration with the WWE is not likely to be in the works for Ellering this year: "I run my bar/restaurant (The Historical Rock Tavern & Eatery) here on the lake in Minnesota, and we're just coming into the busy season, so my summer's pretty busy. I have a hard time getting away. But then, next fall, things slow down, and I get into my dog racing with them and spend more time away from the business. It's a nice deal for a family, because we all work together. I work together with my kids & my wife, so I really enjoy that."
More is contained in Animal and Ellering's exclusive interview, including their candid thoughts on how the overall finished product of the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremonies came across on television, what gave Paul the idea of showcasing the Hawk action figure on stage during their induction speech, Animal's planned collaborations with the WWE, and more. You can check out the full interview at MondayNightMayhem.com by clicking here.
Source: Monday Night Mayhem