By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

On the new "Rise & Fall of WCW" DVD, Bill Watts downplays what he said in the 1991 "Torch Talk" interview that has often been credited, ironically, with influencing him being hired to run WCW and later being fired.

Watts said the story about the "racial deal" is the "biggest crock of sh--" he ever heard. He said it was taken from an interview where he talked about Lester Maddox. He framed the comments as being about the free market deciding what they can do business-wise.

He said his track record showed he wasn't racist. He pointed to pushing Ernie Ladd, Junkyard Dog, and Ron Simmons as top attractions.

He said "some idiot who writes for a newspaper in Pittsburgh" (PWTorch columnist and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Mark Madden, who would later do color commentary on WCW Nitro) wrote a letter to TBS executive Hank Aaron. He said Bill Shaw was going to use that against him, so when they called him into a meeting, he had already told Bob Dhue he was quitting and he had it.

For the record, here are highlights of what Watts actually said in that 1991 "Torch Talk" interview with PWTorch editor Wade Keller. In the context of speaking out against steroid testing, arguing that it's an infringement on individual rights, he said:

"If you own a business and you put the money in it, why shouldn't you be able to discriminate? It's your business. If free enterprise is going to make or break it, you should be able to discriminate; its your business. It should be that by god, if you're going to open your doors in America, you can discriminate. Why the f--- not? That's why I went into business, so I could discriminate! I mean really. I want to be able to sell to who I want to and be able to serve who I want to. It's my business, it's my investment. So they come in and say no.

I can't tell a fag to get the f--- out. I should have the right to not associate with a fax if I want to. I should have the right to not hire a fag if I don't want to.. I mean, why should I have to fire a f---ing fag if I don't like fags? Fags discriminate against us, don't they? Sure they do. Do Blacks discriminate against Whites? Who's killed more Blacks than anyone? The f---in' Blacks. But they want to blame that bullsh-- 'Roots' that came on the air. That 'Roots' was suck bullsh--. All you have to do if you want slaves is hand beads to the chiefs and they gave you the slaves.

What is the best thing that has ever, ever happened to the Black race? That they were brought to this country. No matter how they got here, they were brought here. You know why? Because they intermarried and got educated. They're the ones running the Black race. You go down to the Black countries and they're all broke. Idi Amin killed more Blacks than we ever killed. You see what I mean? That's how stupid we are. But we get caught up in all this bullsh-- rhetoric. And so it's ridiculous what's happening to our country. Lester Maddox was right. I fI don't want to sell fried chicken to Blacks, I shouldn't have to. It's my restaurant. Hell, at least I respect him for his stand. That doesn't make me anti-Black."

He went on to site his record of pushing black wrestlers and having black friends. He added that every group that came to this country was discriminated again from the Jews to Irish to Italians and the Cubans.

Keller's Analysis: In Bill Watts's book, "The Cowboy and the Cross," and in this new documentary interview, he leaves out some key details, including the liberal use of the derogatory slang word for gays, and at the very least his poor choice of wording by saying he got into business so he could discriminate. If you're a TBS executive who put Watts in charge of hiring and firing a major division in your company, and that interview was published before you hired him, and now it's been brought to the attention of other Turner executives including an advocate for racial equality in Hank Aaron, you might get understandably nervous.

I just wish Watts, rather than ignoring the reality of what he said in my interview with him, would apologize for it and acknowledge that in the midst of a libertarian rant about individual rights, he spoke in the first person when he didn't intend to and used inflammatory language that doesn't reflect his actual views and how he's lived his life. By not acknowledging at all that he really went too far with his wording and did express extremely controversial points of views that might get anyone who hired him in trouble, he comes off as disingenuous and dishonest.

It's very difficult to defend words that include saying the best thing that ever happened to Blacks was being brought to the U.S. in shackles and chains and held captive as slaves without voting rights for generations and decades. It's also very difficult for him to act outraged that a publicly traded corporation didn't want someone in a hiring and firing position who used the term "the f---in' Blacks!" and "I should have the right not to associate with fags" and "Why should I have to hire a f---in' fag if I don't like fags?" and "Fags discriminate against us, don't they?" At some point, all Watts can do is perhaps chuckle and say he can't believe the corporate suits hired him in the first place.

This interview is available to listen to in its entirety at the PWTorch VIP website in the Audio Interviews library, available by subscription only. To get info on becoming a PWTorch member including a list of unmatched exclusive benefits, click here: VIP SIGN-UP PAGE

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