Jim Duggan Compares WWE Superstars Going to WCW to ‘Rats Leaving a Sinking Ship’

– WrestlingInc.com recently interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan for its WINCLY podcast. Below are some highlights, courtesy of WrestlingInc.

Jim Duggan on Cody Rhodes becoming like his father: “Dusty was an office guy. He always was – NWA, WCW… It wasn’t a stretch for Cody to start promoting. Dusty was running Florida Championship Wrestling back in the day. I think Cody’s got it in his genes.”

“Anytime there’s another place to work, that’s great for the talent. If you have no negotiation skill, there’s no place to go and there’s only one place in town, then you’ve got to play that game.”

Duggan on wrestlers leaving WWE for WCW for the guaranteed contracts: “It was like rats leaving a sinking ship. Hogan left, I left, Macho left and Nash ended up leaving. Everyone went down [to WCW]. It was my second or third week down there that I beat Stunning Steve Austin so bad that he had to shave his head and change his name. HOOOOO!!!!!”

Duggan on Vince McMahon repackaging Steve Austin as a top star: “That shows what a master Vince is because he took the rejects from [WCW], brought them up to WWE and re-packaged them.”

Duggan on how wrestling has changed: “It’s changed a whole bunch. Back in the territory days where you were doing high school gyms, you could work the headlock for 20 minutes. Now they’ll run you out of the building if you’re in a headlock for five seconds. The kids now tend to be more high flyers than brawlers. They are also more professional and probably more athletic. But I think my generation of guys were more original. Ric Flair is Ric Flair. Bret Hart is Bret Hart – he’s not a conglomeration of a bunch of different characters.”