By Greg Parks, PWTorch columnist

Very few wrestlers can say they were there part of the first several WrestleManias, being a part of the show before it became the PPV that it has become. Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake was one of those wrestlers. I was able to talk to Beefcake about those first WrestleManias, among other subjects, at the "Legends of Wrestling Night" event on Saturday, August 24 at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida.

"At the first WrestleMania, we didn't have a clue," said Beefcake about what the event would become. Beefcake gave Hulk Hogan and the other wrestlers a lot of credit for making WrestleMania what it has become, but also gave credit to Vince McMahon. "Vince mortgaged everything, he kind of really went far out on a limb to make it happen."

Brutus noted that by WrestleMania III, with the major crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, it was at that point that many realized Vince McMahon and WWE "had the right formula" for the big show. He made sure to give credit to his fellow wrestlers for making WrestleMania would it was: "WWE gave individuals a chance, we were the talent that made it happen. Couldn't happen without us," he said.

Beefcake also mentioned the toll making WWE and WrestleMania profitable has had on his colleagues in the business. "Here's the problem: They (WWE) forgot about us," said Beefcake. "We have no insurance, we have no retirement, we have nothing. We made the guy (McMahon) a billionaire, and he forgot about us."

"The WWE is a billion-dollar industry," Beefcake continued. "The guy (McMahon), today, could make an effort and call us all up. 'We're going to do a group thing, give you some kind of benefits,' something. Half of my friends are dead now because they probably could've used some help and they didn't get it."

Beefcake said WWE could be recognized for their humanitarian efforts were they to go the extra mile and offer some kind of benefits to the wrestlers who helped WWE become what it is today. "It would help the people that made them (WWE) rich. And it's not happening. I just wish it would."

Asked to compare WWE at one of its pinnacles in the '80s, and WCW during the Monday Night Wars, Beefcake, who was a part of both organizations at those key times, said that WWE paid well, but the wrestlers paid a lot of their own expenses. "WCW was a different entity, but it was kind of along the same lines. There wasn't a lot of pressure, things were easygoing, it was a comfortable situation. We worked miracles for WCW. Hulk was one of the guys who came in and turned the organization around," Beefcake said.

Despite being around when WCW became profitable for the first time, Beefcake again went back to the lack of help the wrestlers got from the industry. "We never got any benefits, anything back from them. It was the same old story. We made them millions of dollars, but they forgot about the talent. They cancelled everybody's contracts and sent us down the road," Beefcake said.

Asked to give his favorite opponents, Beefcake first listed Hulk Hogan. Deceased star "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig was another one. "He started in the business right after I did," said The Barber. "He should be here with us right now. He wasn't able to get the help when he needed it. Our business suffers because guys like him should be with us right now."

[Torch photo credit Greg Parks (c) PWTorch.com]

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