Bruce Prichard On WrestleMania 2 Being Failed Experiment, Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy, Vince McMahon’s Thoughts On Bundy

In a recent edition of Something to Wrestle, Bruce Prichard discussed WrestleMania 2 being a failed experiment, Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy in Los Angeles, what Vince McMahon thought of Bundy, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Bruce Prichard on whether Vince McMahon looks at WrestleMania 2 as a failed experiment: “I think a portion of that is so. It was probably a good idea at the time from the standpoint of ‘This will be different.’ Well, it sure was different. Different doesn’t always equal good. But trying something new, yes they did do that and they were able to emanate from three different locations, but it was a failed experiment and not something you look back in hindsight and say ‘Wow, that was really an artistic masterpiece’ because it just wasn’t. And you have to take into account those people who paid money in New York who get their show done, and now they have to sit through Chicago and LA. It had to be brutal.”

On why Vince liked Bundy: “Because Bundy was fucking huge. Bundy was huge, and Bundy could move for a big man of that time. He was able to get up and get off his ass and move……that’s definitely what Vince saw in him that all of a sudden, here’s this guy – I don’t know how tall [Bundy] was, he was probably 6-6 or 6-7 at least – he was a tall guy. He was big, wide, and couldn’t walk into a regular doorframe. He had to turn sideways at times. Vince looked at this and saw that dome – but still, he looked at him and thought ‘Man, there’s something missing.’ And he had Bundy shave his eyebrows, which if you go back and you look, you’ll see a more menacing Bundy. I think it is something to be said when you shave the eyebrows of a bald-headed man like that, it added a little bit of intimidation. It just made him look scarier, and you had to look at him twice.”

On Bundy being picked to face Hulk Hogan in the WrestleMania 2 main event: “I think probably as they got closer to it, looking for a big nasty heel for Hogan to slaughter. At the time, even in wrestling circles, WrestleMania – by No. 2 – that was a big deal. Even the thought that he was gonna do three locations, people thought ‘This is ingenious’ and this is great – three times the houses. When in reality, all it was was three times the cost. The audience you’re playing to is a pay-per-view in a closed circuit, but it was three times the cost because you had three times the production in New York, Chicago, and LA. Yes, you got those three live event gates, but that doesn’t compare to the cost and everyone back and forth and as many people as you had to spread out amongst three different locations when you could’ve had it in one and been just as profitable, if not more because you wouldn’t have had the additional two production costs. But shit, I think looking at Bundy, you go ‘That son of a bitch is a big nasty heel I’d want my champion to conquer.'”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Something to Wrestle with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.