Interview with Jim Fannin..
Vic: i'm sitting here with "The Esteemed" James Fannin, how are you tonight Jim?

Jim: Well I don't know how "esteemed" I am, but I seem to be doing alright tonight

Jim: I take it you are doing alright tonight or else we wouldn't be doing this interview, correct?

Vic: yes indeed, i'm doing fine my self

Vic: on w/ the show.... ok as in every interview i must ask, how and when did you first get in the wrestling business?

Jim: good good

Jim: Well I started going to IWA shows in January of 1997 while I was attending University of Kentucky I got to know Ian through the shows and he eventually needed someone to take over for Rico as promoter because Rico was tired of dealing with the commission and I happened to be in the right place, at the right time and starting in early 1998, I became promoter for IWA in the state of Kentucky

Vic: after breaking into the business in 1998, i know you also did other stuff such as manage, ring announce, wrestle, commentary, what would you say has been your most memorable thing done in the I. W. A. or wrestling in general?

Jim: Well that is a hard one to answer.

Jim: My one match will always be very memorable to me. Prazak/Fannin.....what the world always wanted to see ;-)

Jim: My time spent with managing Mean and Hard will never be forgotten either, I pretty much enjoy each and every day I get to be in the wrestling business as it is a dream come true, and I'll take it any way I can get it almost. I've gotten to meet a lot of great people and work with some great ones so it is all memorable

Vic: yes i understand.. the early days of Mean and Hard were very good

Vic: that's cool... what other Promotions have you worked for other then I.W.A.?

Jim: I'm IWA born and bred. The only times I have done anything outside IWA was at the request of Ian. So I did a couple of BBW shows during the short time we worked together and then I was a cop on a CZW show that arrested someone the night Ian wrestled Pondo

Jim: Neither was anything I wanted to do but since
Ian asked it of me, I went ahead and did it

Vic: i understand, that's cool... off of that, how long have you been a fan of the business we all love, Professional Wrestling?

Jim: My first memories of watching wrestling goes back to when I was 4 years old, My dad and I used to watch Georgia Championship wrestling every Saturday night on TBS and Tommy Rich was my favorite

Jim: So 1980

Vic: that's real cool, tommy rich was always a fav of mine too.....

Vic: i know as being a part of the wrestling biz, your also a fan (as you just said) so while sitting in the back or on the balcony while watching an IWA show, what match made you just say "damn i can't believe what just happened" or "that was a GREAT match"?

Jim: Well this is a no brainer

Jim: and since it is so recent, C.M. Punk vs. Chris Hero Saturday night, I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs to Brent to stop the match after the Russian Leg Sweep off the balcony because I thought they were both hurt

Vic: yes i was standing right there and that was a spot that was almost to sick... glad to know they are both alright....


Jim: well as alright as one can be that does the insane stuff those two do

Jim: As I said on the IWA message board, hands down, beyond a shadow of the doubt the best match I have ever seen

Vic: i agree very much so.. i was in shock at what those 2 guys did

Vic: yes exactly.. earlier you mentioned tommy rich as being and old school fav.. who else was somebody you looked up to while coming up?

Jim: Tommy Rich, Fabulous Freebirds of Gordy, Hayes and Roberts and The 4 Horsemen, mainly Flair, Arn and Tully were the ones growing up that I couldn't get enough of. World Class and Georgia
would come on at the same time in Chicago when I was growing up so I would flip back and forth to watch Flair/Arn or the Freebirds

Vic: that's cool.. now you were raised up in the chicago area, and i'm sure you went to alot of shows, does one particular show and/or match stick out in your mind?

Jim: I will always remember the first....Rosemont Horizon right after Wrestlemania III Main Event of Steamboat vs. Savage in a cage I had a George Loves Elizabeth sign and my George the Animal Steele doll with me

Jim: A Mexican from the crowd attacked Slick for interfering in the Butch Reed vs. Tito Santana match

Vic: damn sounds like a very memorable show

Jim: and I spit at the Iron Sheik when he came out to wrestle Jim Duggan when he was doing the USA hockpatooie deal, Iran Number 1 deal

Vic: that's cool.... how do you feel about finally taking the product that we all love I.W.A. to your hometown? for a good cause at that?

Jim: Ever since I got into IWA I have wanted to be able to take a show to my hometown, Sort of a Toby Keith "How do you like me now" kind of deal they all made fun of me for liking wrestling when I was a kid well now they are going to find out why and I played football for 4 years in high school and loved every second of it Morris Redskin football is like UK or U of L or Indiana basketball around here

Vic: and this is to help the athletic dept. correct?

Jim: so to take a show home and help the football team makes it that much sweeter

Vic: yes sounds like a good deal.

Jim: yes. The high school gets a share of the gate and all concession money

Vic: that's real cool.. so far the show sounds to be awesome, so i have to ask the question, will
IWA plan on running illinois like once a month or something? or a one time shot?

Jim: right now it is a one time deal, we would like to get to do something more with the school but right now it will depend on how this show goes and if it gets a great response, maybe look for a building to run regularly up there

Vic: that would be real cool... i'm gonna try to make the show

Jim: you should. It will be a great show and hopefully a great turnout and afterwards we can go to a great restaurant that we always go to up there called Romines

Vic: sounds good to me... i'm gonna try to make it.....

Vic: now off of that.. since IWA seems to be getting bigger and bigger, touring diff places (morris, indy, dayton..) where do you see I.W.A. at in the next few years?

Jim: hopefully running 3-4 shows a week in IN, IL, OH, TN, KY area and being a territory like in the old Georgia/Memphis/Florida/Central States territory days

Vic: yea that would be real good... so chances of running the ky is good chance once again? we need some good wrestling in E-Town for sure..

Jim: Well I don't like using terms like good chance......but I can see it happening

Vic: that's cool.. hope it happens... ok well since i'm pretty much out of questions (sorry can't think of much at the moment) we'll go to the "name game" part of the interview

Jim: ok

Vic: you know how it works, i say a name and you
talk about them..

Vic: Ian Rotten:

Jim: My best friend. Without him, there is no Jim Fannin in the wrestling business. Gave me a chance to live a dream and for that I will always be in debt to him, He always gets a bad rap on the net from people that have never met him. They should get to know him before they judge him

Vic: (former arch rival) Dave Prazak:

Jim: The best manager in the business today. I got to learn so much from him while doing the Superheroes gimmick with him. Mainly that I stink as a manager in comparison But a great guy that has taught me alot and encouraged me when I thought that I couldn't get any worse if I tried at doing what I do out there

Vic: yeah, i think prazak is one of the best as well..

Vic: promoter of CZW John Zandig:

Jim: A coward. He wanted no part of working Ian Rotten and was so scared to death of what Ian was going to do when he did his run-in. He backed out of the match and that is why Pondo was brought in the second time, so he wouldn't have to work Ian

Jim: Horrible product that I couldn't watch while I was there

Vic: Mark Wolf:

Jim: Great Friend. Great worker. Don't know of anyone more dedicated to getting better at wrestling than Mark He loves wrestling more than I do and has a tremendous mind for it

Vic: i agree.. i can't wait for the day Mark returns to the ring.

Vic: Corporal Robinson:

Jim: Loyal friend. Tough bastard. I don't believe there is anything that he wouldn't do in a ring as long as he had someone there to cheer him on and have the adrenaline flowing

Vic: "Mean" Mitch:

Jim: Great guy. He is the best guy to have in the dressing room, always knows how to cheer someone up and make everyone have a great time, another one that is a tough bastard that will do anything in the ring

Jim: Corp and Mitch almost gave their lives to IWA and no one can do anymore than that

Vic: yes i agree... they are both great in the ring (and out)

Vic: Brent Blades:

Jim: A great friend. Midnight Bingo, Midnight Bowling, he helped get me through a rough stage in life when I was angry with everything. One helluva ref. Loves IWA just as much as Me, Mark, Ian, Hero, Patti

Vic: speaking hero.. Chris Hero:

Jim: The true Innovator of Offense. Amazing in the ring. Great Guy out the ring. And a blast to
pick on ;-)

Vic: hehe C.M. Punk:

Jim: If Vince doesn't pick him up along with Hero then he is an idiot, Phenom in the ring would go 2 hours if you asked him Respect the straight edge life choice

Vic: i agree... both are excellent... Colt Cabana:

Jim: Great guy. Another great worker that should one day be in the WWF if they get their head out of their ass long enough to actually see talent, How they can look at Race Steele for developmental and not these guys shows that they just have no idea on some things

Vic: i agree 100%

Vic: here's a diff one.. the IWA fans:

Jim: ah a tough one indeed

Jim: Some of the best fans in the world, Never will find a bunch more loyal to a fed But we do have some that get on my very last nerve....chant we want blood etc during a great wrestling match. you have to take the good with the bad

Vic: i agree as we have been called i believe it was "a cult like following"

Vic: yes so true

Jim: but luckily for IWA the good outweighs the bad by leaps and bounds

Jim: yes IWA fans have been called a cult before
and I guess in a way it is a group of people that strongly believe that IWA is the best fed around and will drive any distance to watch it and support it I would have to agree with them

Vic: yes i agree.. i have had many long drives myself

Jim: On the same note, how many owners of wrestling companies take the time to get to know the steady fans on a personal level and talk with them and know their names? it is a family atmosphere between IWA and the fans

Vic: yes that is true.. that makes me and alot of fans feel good when we walk in and people like you or ian or somebody says "what's up vic?" or whatever

Jim: makes alot of fans feel good and we've had some say that it makes them feel weird or left out when they aren't but when you have a core of 50 people or so that have been coming for 5 years, you get to know them and talk with them and treat them as friends

Vic: ok i got one more for you and we have touched on this guy a few times.. Good Ol Vinnie Mac:



Jim: Vince McMahon......

Jim: I have to say that he has done something right he owns THE wrestling company and is a billionaire I can't stand his product today. Think it is horrible but people are still watching so maybe he knows better than I do but anytime that Stephanie wants to hook up with me.....I'd be glad to have a say in what goes on in WWF and change alot of things

Vic: yeah, he is still doing something right, how do you feel about what he has done for the wrestling business?? do you think he has pretty much killed it as of late, by buying out his competition?

Jim: Definitely. Competition makes everyone better He has no competition so it doesn't matter how bad WWF tv gets there isn't a WCW to turn the channel to as wrestling fans we are stuck with whatever he gives us or we have to find something else to watch and by looking at the ratings, alot of us are picking something else to watch

Vic: i know i am..

Jim: as am I.

Vic: ok well jim i guess it's about time to wrap it up, it was fun... is there anything you would like to say to the little fannin marks out there? and the IWA fans in general?

Jim: Well to the Fannin Marks out there I say.....It's been fun Vic.....to the IWA fans in general, I say: Find a way to get to the Indy shows and it will only be a matter of time before IWA is kicking ass in Louisville area again

Jim: it has been a fun ride so far but the best is yet to come and what would anything be written by me if it wasn't finished off with a big GOOD DAY

Vic: thank you and good night.