The Maestro speaks out
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Wrestling
A wrestling traditionalist to his very core, Rob Kellum was shocked
when he learned that David Arquette would be declared the new WCW World
Heavyweight Champion. The decision to place the belt on a Hollywood actor
with no in-ring experience went against everything Kellum had been taught
about the business so he did the unthinkable, he asked for his release from
the company and walked away from a good salary and a high profile job
without a second thought.
"I felt it was the right thing to do because making a living is nice and
good but you have got to have honour too," Kellum told SLAM! Wrestling in a
telephone interview.
Trained by such traditionalists as Nelson Royal, Gene Anderson and Ivan
Koloff, Arquette's push was the last straw for Kellum, who has had an
unstable professional relationship with WCW during his stint there.
As one might expect, it wasn't an easy decision for Kellum to make. After a
lot of soul searching he came to the conclusion that he didn't want to be a
part of an organization that in his mind was "discrediting" what others had
worked so hard to achieve in the past. People like his legendary Great
Uncle, the original Gorgeous George. Kellum says he wasn't the only one in
the locker room who felt that way either. Other wrestlers both inside and
outside the promotion that he has stayed in contact with share his thoughts
and feelings on the matter too.
"It wasn't just the fact that they (Bischoff and Russo) were ignoring me,
it was that they were desecrating the business that I was brought up to
respect. When I found out that David Arquette was our heavyweight champion,
I freaked. Don't get me wrong. Entertainment is fine and good but they
crossed the line," said the out-spoken Kellum. "Honour to me is everything
and I have respect for every wrestler who gets in that ring and places his
body on the line each and every night. I don't care how experienced you are
or whatever, it takes a lot of guts to do what we do and to have a
comedian, a guy who just made a movie about wrestling and never paid his
dues or anything, become the world champion is disgraceful. That on top of
the other reasons I was going through with the company, I just figured it
was time to go."
Those other reasons, according to Kellum, include WCW tarnishing his family
name. Five years ago he was flown in from Puerto Rico at the invitation of
Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Savage wanted to take the "Gorgeous George" name
- a moniker Kellum was wrestling under to pay tribute to his Great Uncle -
and give it to his brother, Lanny Poffo. Kellum was tentative at first, not
wanting his family name and the legacy left behind by his Great Uncle to be
degraded in any way. Savage assured Kellum that his brother would treat the
name with the esteem that it deserved. The deal itself fell through but
Kellum was brought in to WCW on a limited schedule. His status with the
company in limbo for a year and a half, Kellum got a unexpected phone call
one day.
"The next thing I know, I get a call and I find out that a girl is using my
name. It turns out Savage gave it to his girlfriend at the time but then
WCW endorsed it! I was really freaking out! I was calling the office but no
one returned my calls," says Kellum.
Eventually, he did get the meeting he wanted with Eric Bischoff. Through
their conversations he came up with the Maestro gimmick which played on
Kellum's extensive background in the arts. As fans know, Savage's valet and
former girlfriend went onto a small-time career in the porno industry.
After everything that's happened, Kellum surprisingly bears no ill will
towards Randy Savage.
"I am willing to let bygones be bygones. I think he's suffered enough as it
is with this girl splitting from him and her doing what she is doing now.
So, what goes around comes around, right? I am not one to hold grudges. I
wish him all the best wherever his endeavors lead him."
Notwithstanding how and why he left WCW, Kellum hopes the federation as a
whole does well too.
"Even though I am leaving these guys, I still wish them all the best and I
sure hope they can come up with a winning formula to get them back in the
game. Competition is good for the wrestling industry as a whole."
At present, Kellum's future in the squared circle is uncertain. The
ten-year veteran is fielding offers from various organizations and
continues to keep in the best shape possible while exploring his options.
"I will definitely let my fans and everybody know which direction I will be
going because I have a very good relationship with my fans and I do
appreciate them very much. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be where I am
at today. It is the fans that kept me going through the hard times. They
kept me motivated."
Editor's Notes:
