Though its competitors aren’t nearly as big as their WWE counterparts, midget wrestling is a big deal in Micro Championship Wrestling. With a custom-sized wrestling ring, unique entrance music for each competitor and an overall production value that rivals larger promotions, MCW has every reason to call itself “the greatest little show on Earth”. Led by former wrestler Johnny G, who serves as owner, booker and the chainsaw-voiced ring announcer, among other things, MCW has already had its own truTV reality show, its own comic book and received the endorsement of Hulk Hogan. After recent shows in Florida, MCW returns to The 120 Tavern in Marietta for an event that will have lasting repercussions on the company as its first champion Blixx wrestles what he says will be the last match of his career. As Johnny and his pint-sized companions make their way to Georgia, Wrestling with Pop Culture talks to some of them about the future of MCW.
Hillbilly Bob, you’re the current champion. When did you win this title and how long have you held it?
Bob: I won it two days ago in Bradenton, so I’ve been champion for just a few days. This is my third time holding this title.
You’ll be at the show this Saturday at 120 Tavern, so I assume that title will be on the line.
Bob: Buddy, the title is on the line every night.
Who did you defeat to gain the title this time?
Bob: It was a battle royal and came down to me and Angel, the Flamboyant One. I hit him with the spear, came off the top with a big frog splash and threw him out of the ring. That’s how I won the title.
Where is this Flamboyant One at the moment?
Bob: He’s getting his beauty sleep, putting on his makeup and all that stuff. Fixing his hair and stuff.
Angel: I’m brand new to the company. They just pulled me down from the heavens above and I came down as a savior of the world.
You almost won the title list night, so I would assume that puts you in line for a title shot sometime soon. Do you know when your rematch will be?
Angel: I’m not worried about titles. I’m just worried about… the world!
You’re an awfully mysterious addition to the MCW roster. How did you get involved with wrestling and what is your goal in MCW?
Angel: My goal in Micro Championship Wrestling is to make everybody feel happy. It’s a very complicated thing, but I will make it happen because I will get everyone close together with open arms! Hillbilly is happy to have won the title and I got to partake in a battle royal. Unfortunately I came up a little short.
No pun intended there, right?
Angel: No!
Do you know who you will be facing this Saturday night at the 120 Tavern?
Angel: Whoever puts the name on the line, I will drop down from the heavens. It don’t matter. I will spread my wings and we will all get together!
Well, I appreciate you taking time away from doing your hair and makeup to talk to me for a few minutes.
Angel: It’s a mighty long task, and you interrupted it!
If you need to get back to that, please do.
Johnny G: I know he might sound a little strange over the phone, but that was “The Flamboyant One” Angel from the heavens above. He’s different from all the other guys in MCW. When all the other guys in MCW were little kids playing Little League baseball, Angel was playing with his dolls. While the other kids were playing pee wee football, Angel was at home trying on his mother’s makeup. So he is definitely a little bit out there and different from all the other guys.
Hillbilly Bob is from the middle of nowhere Kentucky. He’s known for his possum stew, his moonshine and I found out he not only has the skills in the ring to be a champion, but he also has rapping skills. He recently sold over 10,000 copies of his latest CD “The Hillbilly Rap,” which is his theme song when he comes out to the ring.
Is Bob still on the line?
Johnny G: Hillbilly’s standing outside signing autographs now. When these guys go anywhere from Walmart to Disney World to walking down Hollywood and Vine, you’ve got eight midgets wearing MCW colors of black and green. We stop traffic, bro. The paparazzi go nuts. Wherever these go, they get stopped. Our TV show had more than a million viewers a week here in the United States, not including the other 62 countries we were in. The best way to describe how we do our thing is the MCW superstars can do anything the big guys do, probably better in many cases. But we add a flair of comedy to it. We get out there and kick ass and take names, but we also throw in a good time for the fans. When you come to an MCW show, it doesn’t matter if you’re 12 or 125, you’re going to have a good time, brother. You’re going to enjoy the wrestling, the hard rock action and the comedy.
I’ve been to two of your shows, including your last show at the 120 Tavern. So I can attest to the entertainment value of the shows. Speaking of your TV show, is there any chance of seeing MCW on TV again in the near future?
Johnny G: Yeah, bro. We just had some really interesting talks with a former executive from WCW. We’re putting together a Saturday or Sunday morning television show for kids, kind of like the Harlem Globetrotters style comedy, that will lead into a cartoon for us. Last year we had our first comic book come out and we’re working on the second edition with some new characters. We also just announced a merchandise line that includes dolls, stickers, hats, shirts, toasters, the works. We’re just taking baby steps and trying to do everything right.
Hulk Hogan was involved with the first MCW show I attended, which was recorded for the TV show. What is his current role in MCW?
Johnny G: Hulk Hogan has been a friend of mine for 25 years. We’re old gym buddies because I used to be a bodybuilder. But Hulk’s an incredible businessman, so when MCW was running wild at night clubs all over the country and the reaction was great, the next logical step was to go to TV. So I talked to Hulk Hogan, he said, “Johnny, I see what you’ve got here. Let me see if I can talk to somebody about pitching it as a reality show.” So he talked to Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey, they got ready to shop it and the first place they took it, truTV, bought it. The deal we have with Hogan is pretty simple. I handle running the show and calling all the shots inside the ring. But when it comes to TV, the Hulkster takes care of that because that’s his forté. I’m not going to pretend I know the TV world the way Hulk does. He’s obviously done very well with Hogan Knows Best and things like that.
Do you have any insight when it comes to his status in the wrestling world? It seems as though he is done with TNA, there’s speculation he’ll be involved with WrestleMania XXX, but no one really seems to know anything for sure.
Johnny G: I can’t really comment on Hulk’s career or his decisions because I don’t want to become a liar. As you know, the wrestling world, especially with Vince McMahon, takes twists and turns every day. Today he may have plans to be part of WrestleMania, tomorrow he might have plans to never wrestle again and go to Japan.
I do want to say one thing, brother. Our first MCW Champion was Blixx. He’s the world’s smallest professional athlete at 38-inches tall and 75 pounds. This is his retirement tour after 17 years in the ring. He’s still got the talent, the smarts and the gift of gab. But his little body is just not able to push the limits the way he used to. By anyone else’s standards, he’s a main evener. But his standards are so high in MCW that he doesn’t want to do it unless he can give the fans 110 percent. Just out of pride he’s hanging up his boots and his last match is on Saturday, Jan. 18. It’s very emotional for everyone at MCW because Blixx has been here since day one, he’s the original MCW Champion and he was presented with the first championship belt by Hulk Hogan himself. If it was up to me it would be at Madison Square Garden, but we’re going to give him a proper sendoff at 120 where people can show their respects. Wherever he goes, he’s the most recognizable MCW superstar we’ve ever had in the company. He’s a prick, he’s an asshole, but the fact is, he is one talented individual and he gets the job done like I’ve never seen anyone get the job done. So this is a big week for MCW letting Blixx go, but he’s in talks about doing some movies, his own reality show and lots of other things.
Do you know who his opponent will be for his final match?
Johnny G: I’m not sure because I’m going to let Blixx pick his final opponent. I want to give him the respect of choosing the person he thinks will put on the best match for his retirement match. I will tell you this, he will have just as much of a shot at winning that belt as anyone else that night. He came in as the first MCW Champion and it wouldn’t surprise me if he walked out of that door with it. But that’s up to him and how he wants to play it. When that man puts his mind to something, he’s unstoppable. As a matter of fact, here he comes now.
Blixx, any parting words regarding your retirement match this Saturday?
Blixx: My body can’t take it anymore. It’s one of those things where I have to, but I don’t want to. There’s going to be a lot of surprises Saturday night. I just want to be able to go out there and give 110 percent and give the fans what they want one more time. Hopefully my body will hold up for the rest of this week and Saturday night we can go out with a bang when I say goodbye. I’ve got a few people coming out, so it’s going to be a very special night. I’m ready for it. It’s surreal right now and I’m sure the emotions will be really high this Saturday night.
What’s next for you now that you’re leaving your wrestling career is ending?
Blixx: I’m working on a couple of things with some producers. I’ve also had some offers to do training seminars and a couple of other things that will keep me in the business. It won’t be the last time you see my face on television or at a show. I’m not going to be a professional wrestler anymore, but I’ll still be around.