Mike Von Erich - 1 On 1
Inside Wrestling
December 1984
One on One
Mike Von Erich and Gino Hernandez
When Gino Hernandez announced that he was returning to professional wrestling, he boasted that he would quickly assume control of the Texas World Class area. Hernandez’s success in the World Class area came quicker than even he could have imagined: Within only a few weeks, Hernandez had captured both the World Class American title (from Jim Garvin) and the World Class Texas title (defeating Ric Flair in the final round of a tournament).
With a lock on both World Class singles titles, Hernandez was considering possible tag team partners with whom he could make a move on the World Class tag team belts, currently held by Iceman Parsons and Buck Zumhofe.
But before Hernandez, could find a suitable partner, Mike Von Erich destroyed Hernandez’s monopoly on the World Class singles titles by defeating him for the American heavyweight title on August 4 in the Dallas Sportatorium.
Hernandez has lodged a protest about that match with World Class wrestling officials, claiming that the match was contractually invalid - Mike was substituting for his brother Kevin, who missed an airline connection and was unable to make it to the arena on time.
With emotions running high between these two wrestlers, Inside Wrestling felt it would be appropriate to bring Gino Hernandez and Mike Von Erich together….”One on One”.
Mike Von Erich (MVE): I’m glad I’m getting a chance to talk to you. I took one title away, how about the other one now? If I beat you with no training, imagine what I could do with a little preparation?
Gino Hernandez (GH): Listen to me, you snot-nosed little punk. You were lucky, that’s all, luckier than anyone has a right to be.
MVE: The only lucky part for me was that the promoter asked me to fill in for my brother Kevin. I was lucky enough to get the match, but after that it’s all talent and effort. I just had more talent and put in more effort.
GH: Talent? You’ve got to be kidding me! You’ve got all the wrestling talent of a hog-tied bull. What a joke! You have the nerve to think you’re so good. The only reason you think you’re so great is because you have so many idiotic fans cheering for you. You’re brainwashed.
MVE: First of all, the fans aren’t idiotic. In fact, I think they show a great deal of intelligence by not cheering for you. They wouldn’t have any reason to, anyway. You’re the cheapest, most low-down, rule breaking scum I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around wrestling my entire life. Look how you won the Texas title. You cheated your way past every guy you wrestled, including my brother Kerry.
GH: Now, now, Mikey, “lowdown rule-breaking scum”? Is this any way for a nice young man to talk? Look, let’s face it. We can be honest with each other. You’re in over your head. You’re out of your element. This is the big leagues, boy, and you’ve got to stop thinking small time.
MVE: I’m not…
GH: You obviously are thinking small time if you’re stupid enough to think that all my victories and all my success has come through cheating.
MVE: You wouldn’t be the only one. There are a lot of guys out there who take shortcuts to success. The Von Erich’s don’t. We sweat for it. There are tapes that prove that you won the Texas belt by cheating, and the fans who have seen you wrestle will attest to it as well.
GH: Cheating? Let me tell you about cheating. You talk so high and mighty about the grand Von Erich tradition, sweating for success and all this crap. Then you work out a plan with your brother where you get me set to wrestle him, then you come in and take the match. Conspiracy? That’s a good work for it. And in my book, it stinks. It’s too bad you can’t be honest about wrestling me, and it’s too bad Kevin can’t fight his own battles.
MVE: Be serious, will you? First of all, my brother Kevin is much more experienced and more qualified to wrestle you, so if this had all been a plan to get the title away from you, Kevin would have wrestled, not me. Second of all, I was as unprepared for you as you were unprepared for me. If anything, this was the truest test of wrestling skill.
GH: Right. And if you believe that, I have some desert resort land in Nevada to sell you. I can tell by the sound of your voice that you’re lying right through your teeth. And you have the gall to stand up to the fans as a model of honesty and integrity? Ptui! I spit at your naiveté. “The truest test of wrestling skill.” What a joke! And you ask me to believe that Kevin missed his flight? That’s the oldest trick in the book, kid.
MVE: I don’t know any tricks. I leave them up to you and your friends. If you’d like to clear your sparkling reputation, why don’t you sign for a match against Kevin to prove that you can beat him? I can tell you right now, though, that ploy would backfire on you. If I could beat you, Kevin will have no trouble at all.
GH: Listen, I’ve wrestled Kerry, and I’ve beaten him. And he was a World champion. You can’t tell me I’d have any trouble with Kevin. And you? Ha! I’ll get me belt back from you. That’s a promise and a threat.
MVE: You beat Kerry with a foreign object. You even cheated past Ric Flair. I’m gonna be watching you, though. I’m gonna be watching you real hard, and I’m gonna have my brothers around to watch when my back’s turned. Don’t try any tricks. There’s strength in numbers.
