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"Fit" Finlay - Simply The Best! |
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Tuesday, 02 May 2006 |
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As Fit seems to be back in full swing for WWE I thought it might be a good time for me to give you my thoughts about this exceptional man. I first met him at the start of the 80s for All Star,but as he wasnt really getting that much work I recomended him to Max Crabtree. Max liked him straight away and so I didnt see much of him until about 5 years later. By that time Fit had developed into what I can only decribe as the most talented Pro-wrestler I have ever met,he has everything,timing,agility,ring craft and most of all the ability to lead a match. He can get a match out of just about anyone,no matter how good or bad they are,in fact one promoter once said to me you could put him in the ring with a rusty old bike frame and Fit would get a match out of it. The amount of stars from all over the world who share my opinion is amazing. People like Chris Benoit, Terry Funk, Bam Bam Bigelow,Bret Hart,Big Vito,Vader, and nearer home Robbie Brookside, Drew Mc Donald and Doug Williams are all in awe of him. I remember talking to Terry Funk in 1993,when it looked like he was about to become the booker for WCW. I asked him what he would do if he got the job. First of all Id get that tough son of a bitch Finlay on contract he said, Then Id book you to work with him That was a great compliment from the Funkster and made me feel proud. Finlay and I were at the peak of our feud in Germany at that time and were packing houses in all the German tournements,but even so it is nice to have someone of Terrys standing say such a thing. Needles to say Terry didnt get the job, Fit went to WCW anyway,even though it was 5 years later, and I stayed in Germany. During our feud ,which lasted about 10-12 years we did just about every kind of match that was possible,street fight,chain match,ladder match,you name it we did it,and in all honesty we beat the crap out of each other. That was what the people wanted to see and that is what they got,and neither of us ever complained,we were pulling houses and getting well paid for it ( the first cage match we did in Hannover turned 500 people away ) When Fit hit me with a chair or a Kendo stick or whatever else, he hit me,and hard,and I did the same back to him. We both felt we would be short changing the crowd if we didnt. Sometimes I could hardly get out of bed the next morning,my body ached so much, and my wife ( at that time my girlfriend ) hated him and I did my best to keep them away from each other, which wasnt hard as Fit and I never socialised together,maybe Im old school in my thinking,but I have never believed in going out drinking with people I have just had a battle with. I dont know who won or lost the most matches but it didnt matter, I know Fit thinks the same as me on this subject ( unlike many of todays so called Superstars ),its not winning or losing that makes you a star,its the quality of your work. I also had my hardest match ever against him in Bremen,wrestling a 15 round Championship match the night after Larry Cameron had died in the ring while wrestlig me. As I said Fit and I were never the greatest of friends outside the ring but when I heard about his dreadfull accident in 1998 I called him straight away at his home in Florida. His wife, Manuela, answered and broke into tears as she explained to me that he had gone through a table during a street fight with one of the Nasty Boys and that the table had shattered,cutting into his lower leg and severing all the nerves. He may end up crippled and not able to go back in the ring she told me and I can only say the shock of that hit me like a hammer, Fit lives for his wrestling and the thought of him not being able to go in the ring again was dreadfull. Even so,weeks later when I eventually got to speak to him he hadnt lost his hope or sense of humour and he challenged me to one last match saying If my leg doent get any better well have to make it a wheel chair match And so the next year when I decided to retire from being a full time wrestler I called him to see if he would come to Germany for my retirement match. Im not sure he said My leg is only 80% and I dont want to let the people down,especially on your last match but I manged to talk him into it,my god, Finlay at 80% is better than most. The match was billed as an Irish Street -fight and as he was already in Germany as an agent for WCW I went to pick him up in Dortmund two days before the show. At his hotel he introduced me to Dave Penzer, WCW ring announcer. Fit had told him all about our days gone bye and Penzer amazed me when he said he would be prepared to come and be the announcer for our last match. When I told him we already had an M.C and couldnt pay for a second one he said it would be an honour to do it and would not accept any fee, I,just had to pay his hotel. Dont think your paying me either said Finlay laughing,this time Im going to beat you up for nothing !! And so we went to Hannover and the rest is history,the crowd were electric,the match went about 20 minutes with Fit getting the win,taking his cheers and leaving the ring without shaking my hand ( no real suprise as he had never shaken hands with me in all those years ) Dave Penzer gave me the mike and I started to say my thank yous and my goodbyes when all of a sudden my ring music Simply the Best started to play and Fit made his way back to the ring. My first thought was hes going to attack me with a plank or something, I can honestly say I had no idea what was coming or what to expect as Fit got back into the ring and took the mike from me. St.Clair, nobody ever hit me back like you did,now its over,good luck . I was genuinly shocked as he offered me his hand and we hugged each other as we fell,both crying,to the floor. The biggest and final shock came about an hour later at the after show party, when for the first time in my life I sat down in public with Fit at the same table and we started to talk about old times when all of a sudden Dave Penzer came over dragging my wife behind him. Fit and Tony have shaken hands, now its your turn he said to her go on ,give Fit a kiss I dont know which one of them looked the more scared but Fit kissed her on the cheek at that was it. We sat there until daylight,drinking and talking,and the next afternoon I took them both to the airport,and that was it, I was an ex-wrestler. I will be forever greatfull to Fit for making my retirement so memorable,like I said at the start he was and still is Simply the Best Yours in sport, Tony
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