Marc Mero

One year later at 31 years old is when I signed my first contract.

But being at Malenko's school now, and I got to tell you, remember, I boxed, played football, hockey, lacrosse, all physical sports.

Boris Malenko had me get in the ring and they kind of have you just cross your arms and just fall backwards I hit that mat and I sound like a seal from SeaWorld I was like I couldn't catch my breath I couldn't believe I thought to myself how do these guys do this night after night and land on their backs like this you know because I didn't know how to fall at the time you know

Of course, he trained me and taught me and got me ready to get a tryout.

When I went to the tryout, I was a job guy that would drive nine hours from Venice, Florida, to center stage here in Atlanta, hope to get picked on television.

And that's when they picked me to be on television.

And after my match is when Dusty Rhodes came up to me and said, hey, kid, anybody ever tell you you look like Little Richard?

And I thought to myself, I thought he was talking about a wrestler.

You know, I go, I never heard of Little Richard.

He goes, you don't know Little Richard?

I go, oh, the singer?

I go, yeah, no one's ever told me that.

He goes, oh, I think I got a gimmick for you.

That's how you became... That's how I became Johnny B. Bad.

Wow.

Yes.

From going to making from $23,000 a year, digging swimming pools, you know, to, you know, becoming a multimillionaire in wrestling was because Dusty Rhodes said, kid, anybody I'm telling you, you look like Little Richard.

So that gimmick changed your life.

It changed my life, man.

And not only that, it opened the doors to meeting so many people.