Justncredible818 sent along the following:
Cody was welcomed with The Big Mosh & Blade for his most revealing & candid comments since parting wars with TNA Wrestling several weeks ago. Once Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff both signed with TNA, many skeptics & critics began to say that "The Hulkster" could very well keep who he wanted around, and anyone else would end up going to the back of the line. In his exclusive interview with The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network last week, Bischoff said publicly that no matter how long someone was with the company, they would be observed, and if they were not with the new TNA model, they could be let go. Mosh asked Cody what were the reason(s) he felt why he was let go from the company. "I've got a lot of e-mails from fans defending me, saying how they can't believe that Hulk Hogan said my gimmick was 'low-budget' & 'low-class.' As far as that rumor goes, I don't take that rumor to be true, because that's not what I was told by TNA. There's no reason the management of TNA would lie to me; that's not the reason they gave to me for as to why I was released. It was kinda' the case that Cody Deaner had kinda' run his course in the company, in the sense that with the new guys coming in & the new regime you're talking about, I was a victim in that in the sense that there was a lot of guys coming in, and there was not room for me on the TV show for the character I was playing." He went onto say that it was a very professional release, and the door is always open for him to return by Dixie Carter herself.
Blade asked Cody that if he was able to speak to Bischoff & Hogan publicly, what would he tell them about the character & what he can do as Cody Deaner? "I heard that the wrestlers would actually have a sit-down and talk to Hogan & Bischoff. I really wished I would have gotten the opportunity to do that before I got released, because what I would say to them is there's so much more that I could offer the company than what I was offering. I was offering the comedic element to the show only because that's what I was asked to do, and that's what the company wanted me to do. I was told by Vince Russo that I was almost 'too good' at what I was doing, because it was going to pigeon hole me into that role. I really wished I've could have shown what I could do between the ropes & presented the character in a more serious light as opposed to a goofy, stupid redneck, because I think a redneck character who's serious & whoops ass, is really gonna' get over, especially to the Southern fans that make up a large part of the wrestling audience."
When it came to Deaner vs. the TNA Knockouts, Deaner did his research, and actually looked back at tapes of Jeff Jarrett against Chyna back in late '90's in the WWE, but there was one big difference in his fights against the Knockouts vs. other men who fought women in the history of professional wrestling, including the legendary Andy Kaufman. "The main difference between me & Andy Kaufman (and a lot of people don't know this) is that I wasn't allowed to touch the women I was wrestling on Spike TV. What ended up happening is that due to some things that went down in the media, Spike TV told TNA they didn't want the angle to go as planned. I wrestled two matches, and they were both supposed to be competitive matches, and I think I could have had a lot of fun with those matches & had more of an Andy Kaufman feel to it. Unfortunately when I got to the tapings that day, they said I was no longer allowed to touch my opponents, I couldn't even lay a finger on them. So I had to wrestle matches where I wasn't even allowed to get an offensive maneuver in. So I think the matches could have been a lot better, but I was still very proud of how the matches turned out."
Kurt Angle & the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, have been in the middle of a series of matches that have been rec eiving praise from fans across the globe, essentially bringing the roof down every time they get together, but Angle has been battling with some personal demons, in addition to the injury bug throughout his career (including his years performing in TNA). Many of Cody's long-time fans know that one of his first televised appearances was against Angle in the WWE (as Cody Steele), competing against Angle as a "hometown hero" for Angle's Olympic gold medal. Deaner was asked about Angle & how focused he is to not let anything stand in his way of success. "It's funny, I've heard people call Kurt Angle a 'cyborg.' As far as his wrestling ability & toughness, the guy can just go & go. He has a broken neck, busted up knees but nothing phases him...he is amazing in the ring. But he is misunderstood because when you meet him, he can be a really intimidating guy. His eyes are very intimidating, and he could look right through you, but when he opens his mouth & you get a chance to talk to him, you see what a great heart the guy has. How kind he is, and he's very humble. If you're just looking at him from afar, you might be intimidated, but if you just sit down & talk to him, he really is a great guy."
So what's next for Cody Deaner in 2010? "My career is far from over. Getting released from TNA was just a roadblock in my career, and it's not a dead end. I'm gonna' just over this hurdle & move upward. 2010 is gonna be even better than 2009 me, I know it. As far as bookings, I've been getting overseas calls from England & Australia, so I'm hoping to do some overseas stuff in the new year."
More is contained in this interview with the self-proclaimed "King Of The Knockouts," including Cody's insight into his partnership with ODB & the TNA Knockouts, how he studied Chris Jericho & Chyna's battle & on-air relationship from their feud in the late '90's in the WWE & what he took from that feud for his run with ODB, his history in the "Ballpark Brawl" independent shows held in Buffalo several years ago, along with the differences of wrestling in the Western New York/Southern Ontario areas. For more on "The Deaner," log onto his official MySpace page (located at www.MySpace.com/CodyDeaner).
