In his first interview since being released from the WWE, John Heidenreich joined the Voice of Wrestling with Chris Cash and Nick "The Man of 1000 Names." John discussed the real reason he believes he was fired, what it was really like behind the scenes at the WWE, what he plans on doing now, the possibility of going to TNA, and much more. Plus, in a first-ever bonus interview that rolled immediately following the live broadcast, John discussed steroids within the wrestling business, whether he personally uses/used them, and he went more in-depth about life in the WWE, including money and travel difficulties. You can listen to the interviews at the following link, plus be sure to catch the Voice of Wrestling live tonight, from 7-9 EST, leading into Raw, at WrestlingRadioNetwork.com!

To Listen to the Interviews: Click Here!

The interview started with John talking about working independents since being let go from the WWE. He's worked mostly in the south, including working with Rodney Mack and Jazz' promotion, Down South Championship Wrestling. He's staying fairly busy, but he definitely knows he wants to wrestle, whether it be TNA, Japan, and/or staying busy working the independents.

Talk changed to Heidenreich being let go for the second time, after being tag champs with Animal, and John struggled for the right words to describe it. John said it's frustrating when people ask him why he left wrestling because he was released "out of the blue". He had just got done with a weekend loop of house shows before being let go and then he explained one specifically in upstate New York. His ear was hurting him after one of the shows. He tried driving to the next one, but he couldn't and he slept in his car during a snow storm. The next morning, his ear started bleeding. He drove himself to a convenient store and had 911 called.

He was in the in the hospital for a day and 1/2, causing him to miss a house show. He tried to work the very next show, but they took him off the road for a week. They didn't bring him to TV that week either and then they released him the next week. They told John he wasn't reliable and that was the reason they were letting him go. John doesn't think anything could be farther from the truth and explains how he didn't miss any shows during Hurricane Katrina, despite his family being extremely affected by the storm. He couldn't get a hold of his mom, his dad, his wife, or his kids for two weeks. Through all of this though, John claims he didn't miss any shows at all.

John describes how this incident was a lot like the first time he was let go. He was working for UPW in California when he got the call to go up to WWE. He went to OVW, did well, and was told he was going to be put on the road, but then he messed his shoulder up in a practice and had to have four operations on it. He rehabbed and was coming back to Louisville when they called and said they were releasing him. They had told him practically the same thing they told him this latest release saying he needed time to get everything straight before coming back. Within 8 or 9 months, they resigned him again and he was back in Louisville.

"Little Johnny" came up. Chris had heard that the storyline of who "Little Johnny" actually was played out on Heat, but John said they never told who it was. "They ended up turning it into something sexual, like they do everything," John said as he explained what it was supposed to be. That storyline was actually his idea and it was supposed to be his inner-child that was pissed off at the world for being teased about being fat (supposedly a shoot story from John's childhood too). Little Johnny was going to be the voice in his head telling him what to do. John wanted fans to think he was psychotic, but the gimmick was never given a chance.

The poem gimmick was then discussed. John said he was writing poems on the plane one trip, sitting next to Paul Heyman. Heyman asked if he could really write those and after John responded "yes", Paul went to Vince with the idea. John said that it was going real well with Paul beside him, but then they took Paul away from him and turned him babyface. Nick mentioned that he didn't really notice a sudden change from heel to face, but that it was almost like the fans turned him because he was getting over real well. John said that as long as he was on television, he was cool with whatever direction that had him go in, but he does wish they would have kept him heel a little longer.

After his big angle with Undertaker, John got into the tag-team with Animal. Again, John felt the gimmick was really getting over and in a way, it was a remembrance of Hawk and a good thing. John goes on to say that looking back on the LOD gimmick now, he thinks it was a way for WWE to push DVD sales for the Road Warrior DVD that came out. Why else would they pair two people together, them get over well, and then take them apart so quickly. John also states that the tag-team was promised quite a bit from offices, including winning the titles back at Wrestlemania.

John comes up with an impromptu poem to end the show, reciting exactly what he wants to say to the WWE.

BONUS AUDIO FOOTAGE

In a Voice of Wrestling first, Chris and Nick rolled tape after the live show and talked with John for nearly an extra hour. Head over to WrestlingRadioNetwork.com and hear John discuss steroids and drugs within the WWE. What drugs did he use? Why did he use them? Were they ever pushed on him directly or indirectly? Can you make it to the top of WWE without some sort of enhancement drugs? John also discussed traveling and life on the road in the WWE, in addition to money issues. How much does a wrestler have to pay while traveling on the road? If you're making 100,000 a year, what that actually is after expenses are taken out. A great extra for wrestling fans as John really opens up about everything. He's in the process of writing a book as well and more details will be put out as they become available.

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