1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,640 In 30 years, I have never seen more exciting match. Well, down for the 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:15,520 One, two, three. In 1990, the Universal Wrestling Federation appeared out of 3 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,440 nowhere, ready to make a major impact on the wrestling world. 4 00:00:21,020 --> 00:00:22,300 UWF was a dream. 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,400 I'll tell you, we have some of the finest talent anywhere in the world. 6 00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:30,140 The UWF brought together a roster of all -time greats and future stars. 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,360 It was an ambitious dream of an outsider. 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,600 a man named Herb Abrams. The purpose of this federation is to have wrestling go 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,720 back to basics, the way wrestling used to be. I really believed that I was 10 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,140 stepping into something new and cutting edge with Herb Abrams and the UWF. 11 00:00:48,340 --> 00:00:50,340 UWF, number one, baby, number one! 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:57,180 While his lofty vision put the UWF on a path to success, Herb's dream became 13 00:00:57,180 --> 00:00:58,700 everyone else's nightmare. 14 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:02,560 I am going to get you once and for all! 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,080 Right from the get -go, the show was a joke. 16 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:06,640 The money wasn't legit. 17 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,120 Herb had squandered millions of dollars. 18 00:01:09,380 --> 00:01:12,240 All hail broke loose. 19 00:01:14,220 --> 00:01:18,380 Herb was like a ball of fire, just looking for oxygen. 20 00:01:18,820 --> 00:01:22,480 SWAT teams are going to be knocking down the door here in a minute. I couldn't 21 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,000 even fathom it. I heard that he was covered in Vaseline and cocaine. 22 00:01:26,380 --> 00:01:27,380 It's crazy. 23 00:01:27,390 --> 00:01:31,330 You've got to start from the bottom and work your way up. Herb started at the 24 00:01:31,330 --> 00:01:32,570 top and worked his way down. 25 00:01:33,310 --> 00:01:38,610 Now, for the first time ever, it's a true story behind the monumental 26 00:01:38,610 --> 00:01:45,170 of Herb Abrams. You can't get any darker than the story of the UWF and Herb 27 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:46,590 Abrams. You can't. 28 00:01:53,890 --> 00:01:59,360 By the end of the 1980s, The WWF dominated professional wrestling. 29 00:01:59,660 --> 00:02:05,700 Powered by the vision and expertise of Vince McMahon, no other organization 30 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:07,380 close to its mainstream popularity. 31 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:14,520 But in 1990, an unknown wrestling fanatic came from out of nowhere to 32 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,700 slay the WWF monster. 33 00:02:17,620 --> 00:02:23,220 I mean, I see him so clearly in my mind like it was yesterday, and I cannot... 34 00:02:23,790 --> 00:02:25,370 Talk about Herb without smiling. 35 00:02:25,630 --> 00:02:30,070 I am Mick Foley. I am sometimes known as the hardcore legend. 36 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:38,290 Herb was the little guy with a big personality. 37 00:02:38,770 --> 00:02:41,410 His enthusiasm was contagious. 38 00:02:42,830 --> 00:02:47,030 I believe I was at one of John Arezzi's weekend of champions. 39 00:02:47,270 --> 00:02:50,870 John was one of the first guys who was putting together wrestling weekends. 40 00:02:51,790 --> 00:02:55,530 My name is John Arizzi, and I've been in and out of the pro wrestling business 41 00:02:55,530 --> 00:03:00,410 really since the early 1970s. There was a gentleman who was looking to start a 42 00:03:00,410 --> 00:03:03,910 wrestling promotion, and he was a little eccentric. 43 00:03:04,290 --> 00:03:06,470 He had really big aspirations. 44 00:03:07,050 --> 00:03:11,070 He wanted to launch at the Wrestling Fan Convention. He mentioned a lot of money 45 00:03:11,070 --> 00:03:13,890 being pumped into the organization, but when he mentioned the names like Bruno 46 00:03:13,890 --> 00:03:16,330 Sammartino, I mean, to me, that was legitimacy. 47 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:21,380 For most of the 20th century, Bruno Sammartino was the face of professional 48 00:03:21,380 --> 00:03:24,480 wrestling and one of its first true icons. 49 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,980 And I called Bruno to verify it, and he said he was going to be getting involved 50 00:03:28,980 --> 00:03:33,980 with Herb. So I certainly gave him the time of day and welcomed him to my 51 00:03:33,980 --> 00:03:34,980 wrestling fan convention. 52 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,640 The Wrestling Fans Fantasy Weekend event is one of the first fan conventions of 53 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:46,580 its kind and a convenient arena for Herb to approach talent looking for new 54 00:03:46,580 --> 00:03:47,580 opportunities. 55 00:03:48,470 --> 00:03:53,510 There was a lot of the guys from the Northeast, the Cactus Jacks, Sunny 56 00:03:53,510 --> 00:03:57,590 and Herb made a point to introduce himself to almost everybody there. 57 00:03:57,970 --> 00:04:01,270 I know he was trying to, you know, look for talent at the convention. He was 58 00:04:01,270 --> 00:04:02,270 there, I guess, recruiting. 59 00:04:02,670 --> 00:04:06,830 My name's Rick Allen, formerly known as Sunny Beach in the wrestling world. 60 00:04:08,130 --> 00:04:12,250 He was, you know, looking to do big things. And he goes, Sunny, my boy, 61 00:04:12,250 --> 00:04:15,190 going to make it big one day, you know. Just be there for the ride. 62 00:04:15,770 --> 00:04:19,410 I didn't inspire to become a professional wrestler, to be honest with 63 00:04:19,410 --> 00:04:22,470 saw something in me that I didn't even see. 64 00:04:23,710 --> 00:04:25,890 He's a hell of a wrestler, this guy. 65 00:04:26,330 --> 00:04:32,410 The brand name is Wild Thing Stevie Ray. He said, Stevie, my boy, I'm going to 66 00:04:32,410 --> 00:04:34,030 turn you into a big star. 67 00:04:34,910 --> 00:04:36,750 I can't wait to be around this guy. 68 00:04:37,610 --> 00:04:42,690 Herb had never wrestled. He had never really experienced anything in the 69 00:04:42,690 --> 00:04:44,590 wrestling other than really being a fan. 70 00:04:45,050 --> 00:04:49,170 My name's B. Brian Blair, and I've been wrestling for a long time. 71 00:04:50,330 --> 00:04:55,430 I knew Herb Abrams from the very beginning. He asked me if I wanted to 72 00:04:55,430 --> 00:05:01,150 for him. I thought, well, you know, this is a great way back to kind of the WWE 73 00:05:01,150 --> 00:05:04,970 without the pressure of wrestling 67 days in a row. 74 00:05:05,210 --> 00:05:07,070 It was perfect for me. 75 00:05:08,570 --> 00:05:14,480 With the exhilaration of an obsessive fan, Herb officially launches the UWF at 76 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:19,280 the convention with a press conference laying out his grand plans for global 77 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:20,280 domination. 78 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,840 his vision, and announced some of the performers that were going to be 79 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:27,920 associated with him. 80 00:05:28,180 --> 00:05:32,920 But it turned into more of a circus, and there was an angle between Dan Spivey 81 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,180 and B. Brian Blair. 82 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,560 There were tables torn. There were glasses thrown. 83 00:05:36,780 --> 00:05:41,780 He introduced as his booker Black Jack Mulligan, who at the time was 84 00:05:41,780 --> 00:05:46,620 incarcerated. And he mentioned that he was going to be using Bruiser Brody as 85 00:05:46,620 --> 00:05:50,500 one of his top stars, but Bruiser Brody had been murdered a year ago. 86 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,520 It was far -fetched. 87 00:05:52,890 --> 00:05:58,370 But it wasn't because the entire wrestling business is far -fetched. His 88 00:05:58,370 --> 00:06:01,930 in his own words made people around him want to believe. 89 00:06:02,230 --> 00:06:06,070 And, you know, when he's telling you this is going to be one of the greatest 90 00:06:06,070 --> 00:06:11,790 wrestling promotions, I thought this is the man who's going to mix Hollywood and 91 00:06:11,790 --> 00:06:15,110 sports entertainment in a way that not even Mr. McMahon had done. 92 00:06:16,070 --> 00:06:19,830 Exploding out of the convention, Herb's pure force of personality. 93 00:06:20,510 --> 00:06:25,350 has bought him a roster of eager wrestlers, each with the high 94 00:06:25,350 --> 00:06:27,310 man who is a complete mystery. 95 00:06:28,270 --> 00:06:33,450 I didn't know a whole lot about who Herb Abrams was. 96 00:06:33,770 --> 00:06:39,270 I knew that he was a businessman of some kind. He was working with the stock 97 00:06:39,270 --> 00:06:41,490 market. He told me he was in the clothing industry. 98 00:06:41,830 --> 00:06:45,570 I have no idea what Herb Abrams did. I really don't know. 99 00:06:46,010 --> 00:06:50,390 Herb owned clothing companies in New York City called I'm a Big Girl Now. 100 00:06:50,650 --> 00:06:54,590 It was all these beautiful dresses that you wouldn't have thought would have 101 00:06:54,590 --> 00:06:56,590 been for these oversized women. 102 00:06:57,010 --> 00:06:58,230 My name is Lane Duke. 103 00:06:58,490 --> 00:07:03,810 I worked at NBC for 24 years as head of post -production and quality control. 104 00:07:04,170 --> 00:07:07,410 I always wanted to get involved with professional wrestling. 105 00:07:07,730 --> 00:07:13,390 When you're a fan, you have that deep desire to want to be on the inside. 106 00:07:13,910 --> 00:07:14,910 Herb Abrams. 107 00:07:15,310 --> 00:07:16,450 was my best friend. 108 00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:18,270 We were kindred spirits. 109 00:07:18,650 --> 00:07:23,570 Herb was in a pair of jeans, cowboy boots, and he was going from the minute 110 00:07:23,570 --> 00:07:28,030 met him. He let me in so quickly because he didn't have a me. 111 00:07:28,550 --> 00:07:33,290 He didn't have someone that could do what I did. He believed so much in what 112 00:07:33,290 --> 00:07:35,570 was doing and in what he was selling. 113 00:07:36,750 --> 00:07:41,110 Herb Abrams' greatest dream comes to life on October 1st, 1990. 114 00:07:42,060 --> 00:07:45,580 when the UWF Fury Hour debuts on cable television. 115 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,240 There's excitement in the air throughout this capacity crowd. This is the 116 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,120 premiere of the UWF. We were in Reseda, California. 117 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,560 It was a nice setup. It was a small venue, but it was sold out. We were 118 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,560 believing in Herb's vision. I didn't know where it might take us, but I 119 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:07,280 to enjoy it. To these two guys, this is Captain Jack, and I would rather hurt a 120 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:08,280 man. 121 00:08:08,550 --> 00:08:14,850 He had guys that had recently parted with WWF, and so they were fresh and hot 122 00:08:14,850 --> 00:08:15,609 the television. 123 00:08:15,610 --> 00:08:21,910 Herb Abrams had what I thought was arguably more star power than WWE at 124 00:08:21,910 --> 00:08:26,130 time. Guys like Paul Orndorff, who'd drawn an enormous amount of money. Then 125 00:08:26,130 --> 00:08:31,930 had Steve, Dr. Jeff Williams, Captain Lou Albano. Danny Spivey and Bob Orton. 126 00:08:31,930 --> 00:08:36,429 brought instant credibility to the UWF, having these big names on board with us. 127 00:08:36,570 --> 00:08:37,730 It's coming, wrestling fans! 128 00:08:38,090 --> 00:08:39,429 The on -door pile driver. 129 00:08:39,950 --> 00:08:40,950 Boom! 130 00:08:41,289 --> 00:08:45,970 Taking a hands -off approach, Herb empowers his talent with creative 131 00:08:45,970 --> 00:08:47,230 they'd never had before. 132 00:08:47,710 --> 00:08:52,190 It was a lot looser in Herb Abrams' territory than it was in Vince's, where, 133 00:08:52,190 --> 00:08:55,430 know, you had to walk like you did in the Army. I went from feeling like I'd 134 00:08:55,430 --> 00:08:59,170 been wrestling with handcuffs on to feeling like I had total freedom. 135 00:08:59,690 --> 00:09:03,010 I thought it was something special. I thought I got into the ground floor, the 136 00:09:03,010 --> 00:09:04,170 empathy of the show. 137 00:09:04,530 --> 00:09:07,250 I knew that I was heading for... 138 00:09:08,150 --> 00:09:10,950 You know, I knew that Herb was going to give me that big push. 139 00:09:11,250 --> 00:09:14,410 Everybody was happy and things were good. 140 00:09:15,130 --> 00:09:20,130 With his dream of becoming a big -time promoter within reach, Herb seeks to 141 00:09:20,130 --> 00:09:24,490 align with the one man who could fast -track his success in the wrestling 142 00:09:25,110 --> 00:09:29,430 Herb met with Vince McMahon and said to him, you want the East Coast and the 143 00:09:29,430 --> 00:09:30,990 Central and it's all yours. 144 00:09:31,450 --> 00:09:34,750 What about if I promote the West Coast for you? 145 00:09:35,010 --> 00:09:36,710 And Vince McMahon blew him off. 146 00:09:37,290 --> 00:09:43,310 Rejected by Wrestling's King, Herb's attitude towards the WWF evolves into a 147 00:09:43,310 --> 00:09:44,970 desire for utter domination. 148 00:09:46,050 --> 00:09:50,930 In order to compete, he looks to expand the UWF roster. 149 00:09:55,570 --> 00:10:02,470 I'm Marty Yesberg. 150 00:10:02,610 --> 00:10:04,470 I'm from Gaffney, South Carolina. 151 00:10:05,500 --> 00:10:10,380 And back in the 80s, I was branded the colonel by Jimmy the Boogie Woogie Man 152 00:10:10,380 --> 00:10:16,960 Vagant. In the dressing room, we kept hearing about this Mark out in 153 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:23,480 California who had tons of money and was putting together a TV show 154 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:24,880 called the UWF. 155 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,160 He flew us all out to California. 156 00:10:28,620 --> 00:10:33,780 He set me up in this two -bedroom estate. 157 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:36,480 Hotel Beverly Hills. 158 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:44,120 And it was all that and a bag of chips. And we wasn't working for him. 159 00:10:44,300 --> 00:10:48,020 Understand, we was just going to meet him. You know, I'm like, wow. 160 00:10:50,020 --> 00:10:56,360 That night, he knocks on the door, and he has two 161 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,500 high -end call girls. 162 00:11:01,500 --> 00:11:03,320 We're not talking about South Carolina. 163 00:11:04,580 --> 00:11:10,200 snaggletooth call girls. We talking about Hollywood honeys. 164 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:17,300 He brings these girls into my suite that I thought was my suite. 165 00:11:18,180 --> 00:11:22,680 And I'm drooling all over myself because, I mean, I'm thinking, I don't 166 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:27,980 to see women like this, much less, you know, have this delivered to my room. 167 00:11:28,940 --> 00:11:32,820 And in the process, he broke out a little mirror. 168 00:11:34,199 --> 00:11:37,280 and he had his nose candy with him. 169 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,780 The only thing I can think of is, you know, SWAT teams are going to be 170 00:11:42,780 --> 00:11:47,720 down the door here in a minute, and we got two high -priced hookers and cocaine 171 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:48,720 everywhere. 172 00:11:49,140 --> 00:11:53,000 I didn't know how to get out of the room. I really and truly wanted out of 173 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,660 room. I'm in California. 174 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:56,080 I'm on his dime. 175 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,460 I can't call the police. 176 00:11:58,860 --> 00:12:00,440 Hell, the room's in my name. 177 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,280 So I kind of just sat over in the corner. 178 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:09,640 And, you know, I mean, it was like a live pornography session. 179 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,140 And it was a very long night. 180 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:26,240 This is my pride and joy. This is the original television championship belt 181 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,520 Sports Channel. It says UWF on both sides. 182 00:12:33,949 --> 00:12:35,310 Fuck you to Vince McMahon. 183 00:12:36,110 --> 00:12:40,410 That's what the FQ was standing for. So when he would hold it up, Herb would 184 00:12:40,410 --> 00:12:45,990 hold it up. He knew that he was telling Vince McMahon to F himself. 185 00:12:46,790 --> 00:12:50,990 Herb's vision for the UWF was to put the WWF out of business. 186 00:12:51,550 --> 00:12:55,570 I mean, he was that cocky. Herb was doing everything in his power to 187 00:12:55,570 --> 00:13:00,930 intentionally needle McMahon and to piss him off. He wanted a squash fence. 188 00:13:01,450 --> 00:13:05,730 He wouldn't even be happy with peaceful coexistence. I think he just wanted to 189 00:13:05,730 --> 00:13:06,730 put the guy down. 190 00:13:07,250 --> 00:13:13,610 With rival WWF far out of view, Herb Abrams takes the opportunity to launch 191 00:13:13,610 --> 00:13:18,330 first attack, bringing in one of Vince McMahon's most prized attractions. 192 00:13:20,290 --> 00:13:22,690 Herb calls me and he's so excited. 193 00:13:23,150 --> 00:13:25,930 He goes, Lenny, get here as fast as you can. 194 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,400 I'm not going to tell you who's sitting here, but this is the best thing. Now, 195 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,280 when I came out here before, I said I had a surprise. 196 00:13:33,980 --> 00:13:34,980 Something special. 197 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,260 Something that only Universal Wrestling Federation can handle. The 12th wonder 198 00:13:40,260 --> 00:13:44,040 of the world, here he is, Andre the Giant. 199 00:13:45,610 --> 00:13:50,650 Yes, this is true. Andre the Giant has signed a long -term contract with the 200 00:13:50,650 --> 00:13:51,710 Universal Wrestling Federation. 201 00:13:52,210 --> 00:13:55,150 Well, he's not in his prime anymore, as everybody knows, but... He will be 202 00:13:55,150 --> 00:13:56,009 wrestling, John. 203 00:13:56,010 --> 00:13:57,010 He will be wrestling. 204 00:13:57,070 --> 00:13:59,390 He will be wrestling. They had Andre the Giant. 205 00:13:59,990 --> 00:14:05,170 Andre the Giant had come in. It was just colossal to have him walk down the 206 00:14:05,170 --> 00:14:10,110 ring. Even though we maybe had 200, 300 people in the audience, they were all 207 00:14:10,110 --> 00:14:13,530 standing. And they knew that we had... 208 00:14:13,790 --> 00:14:15,850 hit. But Lou, I want to ask you one thing. 209 00:14:16,350 --> 00:14:18,790 Why is he, what does UWF mean? 210 00:14:19,030 --> 00:14:24,170 After Andre made the appearance for UWF, Mr. Mann got on the phone and called 211 00:14:24,170 --> 00:14:25,350 him and brought him right back in. 212 00:14:34,410 --> 00:14:39,670 The embarrassment of losing Andre the Giant is an enormous blow to Herb's plan 213 00:14:39,670 --> 00:14:40,670 for dominance. 214 00:14:40,730 --> 00:14:46,590 Without McMahon's riches, Herb responds by throwing every gimmick in the book to 215 00:14:46,590 --> 00:14:48,010 gain the attention of fans. 216 00:14:49,090 --> 00:14:53,310 Herb would think of things on the fly, change things on the fly. 217 00:14:53,630 --> 00:14:55,850 Ladies and gentlemen, this is a disgrace. 218 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:57,330 I'm reversing the decision. 219 00:14:57,670 --> 00:14:59,870 As long as it entertained Herb. 220 00:15:00,190 --> 00:15:03,270 He thought it was entertaining the world. The fighting is back. 221 00:15:03,490 --> 00:15:07,830 I told you I'm going to hurt every pencil neck, every pitch pick. I want a 222 00:15:07,830 --> 00:15:09,950 match! Indian strap match! 223 00:15:10,170 --> 00:15:15,030 Indian strap match! I don't think he had the knowledge, you know, to... 224 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:16,800 really take it to the next level. 225 00:15:17,740 --> 00:15:23,620 If you don't understand the psychology, if you don't understand how each guy 226 00:15:23,620 --> 00:15:27,080 works, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, how to put them 227 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,760 together, who they work the best with, then you are never going to be 228 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:31,760 successful. 229 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:37,420 Running out of ideas, Herb turns to yet another new strategy to invigorate the 230 00:15:37,420 --> 00:15:39,760 UWF. What made you come to this? 231 00:15:44,980 --> 00:15:48,400 I said, who is this overgrown smurf asking me questions? 232 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:54,020 It's interesting what happens to a promotion when the boss becomes the star 233 00:15:54,020 --> 00:15:54,619 the show. 234 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:58,440 Welcome back to another night of the Fury Hour. I'm Herb Abrams, and again, 235 00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:00,140 we've got a powerful show for you tonight. 236 00:16:00,380 --> 00:16:03,980 He was writing the checks so Herb could do anything that he wanted to do because 237 00:16:03,980 --> 00:16:08,600 it was Herb's world and we were just living in it. You think about it. You 238 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,920 about it. Because you're the one that wanted it, and now you've got it. All I 239 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,000 saw was money. 240 00:16:14,630 --> 00:16:20,610 I was open to anything to get the exposure that I was after. 241 00:16:21,630 --> 00:16:28,450 He saw a way to get heat and actually be on camera and have a 242 00:16:28,450 --> 00:16:33,130 feud between the colonel and the owner of the organization. 243 00:16:33,470 --> 00:16:34,470 What's Herb doing? 244 00:16:35,450 --> 00:16:36,690 Herb took him down. 245 00:16:37,170 --> 00:16:42,410 Herb Abrams may have a new career, folks. I knew as long as he was part of 246 00:16:42,730 --> 00:16:43,770 He would keep me around. 247 00:16:43,990 --> 00:16:44,990 Herb A. Regan. 248 00:16:45,270 --> 00:16:47,270 He hit him right in the head with that speed. 249 00:16:47,490 --> 00:16:48,490 And another one. 250 00:16:48,710 --> 00:16:54,310 Colonel Rendon has ever done something like this to me. I am going to get you 251 00:16:54,310 --> 00:16:55,730 once and for all. 252 00:16:56,090 --> 00:17:01,210 Herb attempts to get one over McMahon by emulating one of WWF's most lucrative 253 00:17:01,210 --> 00:17:03,330 ventures, merchandising. 254 00:17:04,349 --> 00:17:06,650 Everybody's buzzing over the UWF merchandise. 255 00:17:07,030 --> 00:17:08,210 Call the UWF. 256 00:17:10,399 --> 00:17:13,359 Introducing the UWF Superstars cookies. 257 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:20,460 We've got the Steve Ray Wild Thing cookie, the Steve Williams cookie, and 258 00:17:20,460 --> 00:17:22,579 coming soon, the Herbie cookie. 259 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:23,900 Herbie cookies. 260 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:26,920 Herbie. Let me repeat that for you. 261 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:28,440 Herbie cookies. 262 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,040 He also wanted the ice cream bar, but the cookies, they were great. 263 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,860 And let's not forget the B. Brian Blair cookie. 264 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:37,540 It's honey flavored. 265 00:17:38,110 --> 00:17:42,030 Herb is in desperate need of a power play when his television contract starts 266 00:17:42,030 --> 00:17:43,030 slipping away. 267 00:17:43,630 --> 00:17:44,150 When 268 00:17:44,150 --> 00:17:54,310 I 269 00:17:54,310 --> 00:17:57,730 heard that Herb was putting on a pay -per -view, it seemed like the 270 00:17:57,730 --> 00:18:01,910 moment. And it was proven by the WWF. It was proven by WCW. That's where they 271 00:18:01,910 --> 00:18:05,710 made the majority of their income was through their pay -per -view events. And 272 00:18:05,710 --> 00:18:10,590 for Herb to step into that arena, maybe he was expecting to roll the dice, get 273 00:18:10,590 --> 00:18:13,690 lucky, and then finance the whole operation. 274 00:18:14,070 --> 00:18:19,190 High expectations for the UWF's inaugural pay -per -view weigh heavily 275 00:18:19,350 --> 00:18:24,930 Instead of holding the beach brawl in a largely populated area, Herb lands on 276 00:18:24,930 --> 00:18:25,930 Palmetto, Florida. 277 00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:29,280 over an hour away from the closest major city. 278 00:18:29,780 --> 00:18:34,260 Palmetto Manatee Civic Center was a nice venue. I mean, WWF does TV tapings out 279 00:18:34,260 --> 00:18:34,739 of there. 280 00:18:34,740 --> 00:18:36,900 I think that's one of the reasons why Herb picked that place. 281 00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:41,960 Herb said that he had every newspaper, he had every radio station. Everyone was 282 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:43,560 going to give it a push to help him. 283 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:47,820 Chris, we're real excited about the beach brawl, and I would highly suggest 284 00:18:47,820 --> 00:18:53,000 people call to secure beach brawl right in their living room because it will be 285 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,160 just that, a brawl at the beach. 286 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,620 Hopefully millions of fans watching the show. 287 00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:02,460 I go and I look at this building and I know that there's no way in hell we can 288 00:19:02,460 --> 00:19:04,780 sell this building out. The building was immense. 289 00:19:05,220 --> 00:19:09,520 The building was bigger than any building I had ever seen in my entire 290 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:15,140 And I knew damn well that we didn't sell this building out. 291 00:19:15,620 --> 00:19:16,760 Somebody screwed up. 292 00:19:22,250 --> 00:19:28,090 With the UWF's first pay -per -view event just days away, promoter Herb 293 00:19:28,090 --> 00:19:32,590 indulges in Florida's nightlife scene, letting it get the better of him. 294 00:19:33,490 --> 00:19:36,970 They talk about those people that work hard, play hard. That was Herb Abrams. 295 00:19:37,210 --> 00:19:38,730 What was your drug of choice, would you say? 296 00:19:42,150 --> 00:19:43,150 Obviously, 297 00:19:43,530 --> 00:19:44,530 it was cocaine. 298 00:19:45,710 --> 00:19:49,890 There were more drugs back in the late... 299 00:19:51,110 --> 00:19:55,610 early 90s than any other time in the history of pro wrestling. There was 300 00:19:55,630 --> 00:19:59,630 like, debauchery down there. They were staying up around the clock, partying. 301 00:19:59,630 --> 00:20:01,390 was like one big party for some of the guys. 302 00:20:02,030 --> 00:20:08,050 When I got to Florida, he was in his hotel room, and he had been partying. 303 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,800 I found Herb to be in really, really bad shape. 304 00:20:12,220 --> 00:20:16,480 I said to him, you've got to straighten yourself out. We've got this goddamn pay 305 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:17,419 -per -view to do. 306 00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:19,880 You're going to kill yourself while you're doing this. 307 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,920 You know, Len, it's the stress I'm under. 308 00:20:24,180 --> 00:20:27,480 I said to him, Herb, when we're finished with this, we've got to get you into 309 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:28,459 the rehab. 310 00:20:28,460 --> 00:20:31,320 If you don't go to rehab, I can't do this with you. 311 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,760 Herb's distractions from the beach brawl comes to a head. 312 00:20:36,250 --> 00:20:39,790 as he arrives to find thousands of empty seats at the arena. 313 00:20:40,250 --> 00:20:46,710 They had to cut the auditorium lights down to do the TV show, so nobody knows 314 00:20:46,710 --> 00:20:47,710 there's nobody there. 315 00:20:48,210 --> 00:20:49,250 That's pay -per -view. 316 00:20:51,150 --> 00:20:52,730 That was a pay -per -view. 317 00:20:53,650 --> 00:20:57,610 When I saw how few people were in the audience, I'd say to Herb, how can this 318 00:20:57,610 --> 00:21:00,470 be? And he'd say, somebody screwed up. 319 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,680 He tried to keep upbeat, and he was in there doing the ring -a -dancing and his 320 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,800 thing, but I think that really hurt him. Brian, I'm going to go with the doc. 321 00:21:07,580 --> 00:21:11,260 I'm going to go with the doc. So Herb Abrams going with Steve, Dr. Death 322 00:21:11,260 --> 00:21:15,080 Williams. He was running in and out of the bathroom a lot that night, so 323 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:16,700 obviously he was doing a lot of cocaine. 324 00:21:17,860 --> 00:21:20,620 It was the worst pay -per -view, I think, in pay -per -view history. 325 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:26,040 He got like a .01, you know, buy rate. 326 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,160 That equates to maybe 100. 327 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,060 It's either 100 or 1 ,000 people. 328 00:21:31,380 --> 00:21:35,720 It was a financial loss, a tremendous financial loss. Nobody was happy. 329 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:40,440 All the guys were talking, you know, between themselves, and they thought it 330 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,360 might be the end of, you know, the promotion. 331 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,460 I was a glass -half -full guy. I would see those empty seats, and I would think 332 00:21:46,460 --> 00:21:48,620 that it was a way to do cool stuff. 333 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:55,220 It was really clear that most of his best intentions were not going to come 334 00:21:55,220 --> 00:21:56,220 fruition. 335 00:21:56,460 --> 00:22:01,260 With the event a financial disaster and checks for the talent starting to 336 00:22:01,260 --> 00:22:05,320 bounce, the UWF wrestlers confront Herb face to face. 337 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:12,140 I go knock on his hotel door so I can get my money. And the door opens and 338 00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:12,999 there's these... 339 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,360 two naked girls so not like i hadn't seen a naked girl before but this was a 340 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:22,900 little unusual and then i look and i see herb on the bed he's naked and he's 341 00:22:22,900 --> 00:22:26,940 laughing and i look over and he's got two big old piles of cocaine on each 342 00:22:26,940 --> 00:22:31,880 nightstand it's a picture that's forever etched in my mind so he tells those 343 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,020 girls to leave and as they're getting dressed 344 00:22:34,730 --> 00:22:37,110 Herb writes him a check for $2 ,000 each. 345 00:22:37,670 --> 00:22:39,990 I thought, golly, $2 ,000. 346 00:22:40,570 --> 00:22:45,910 This guy's crazy, blowing money on cocaine and hookers. I mean, how long is 347 00:22:45,910 --> 00:22:48,470 promotion going to last? 348 00:22:49,130 --> 00:22:53,150 I had a guy tell me one day, you know, this is a runaway train. I said, no, 349 00:22:53,150 --> 00:22:54,570 brother, this is a train wreck. 350 00:22:55,050 --> 00:22:58,170 And all they're trying to do now is just figure out if there's any survivors. 351 00:23:00,270 --> 00:23:03,770 Herb Abrams' connections in the wrestling world start to dry up. 352 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:09,280 Many of the wrestlers stiffed on pay are refusing to work while Herb's vices are 353 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:10,280 taking hold. 354 00:23:10,740 --> 00:23:15,360 I kept in contact with Herb even when I did not work for Herb. You could see the 355 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:21,080 wear and tear on his face. I mean, between the drugs and the failing 356 00:23:21,420 --> 00:23:24,120 it was really taking a toll on Herb. 357 00:23:25,220 --> 00:23:27,260 I don't think he was keeping up with money. 358 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,320 I don't think it mattered to him as long as the party continues. 359 00:23:33,260 --> 00:23:37,640 In Spartanburg, South Carolina, he pulled a fast one. 360 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,380 So the day of the show arrives. 361 00:23:43,540 --> 00:23:45,540 TV crew gets there about 12 o 'clock. 362 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,000 Herb's there. 363 00:23:47,460 --> 00:23:53,500 And they said, we need to get a check from you for tonight's show. Herb says, 364 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,620 let me get everything set up and I'll cut you a check. 365 00:23:56,940 --> 00:24:00,060 So we get up to about 4 .30. 366 00:24:00,670 --> 00:24:07,130 TV crew came back and said, Mr. Abrams, if you don't give us some money, 367 00:24:07,330 --> 00:24:10,070 we're packing up leaving. 368 00:24:10,670 --> 00:24:14,370 Herb says, okay, let's go up to the office. 369 00:24:15,230 --> 00:24:16,810 They call Herb's bank. 370 00:24:17,630 --> 00:24:23,550 Mr. Abrams has multi -millions of dollars in this bank account. 371 00:24:24,230 --> 00:24:25,230 Confirms it. 372 00:24:26,070 --> 00:24:28,030 TV crews look at each other. 373 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,140 He definitely got the money. 374 00:24:32,340 --> 00:24:33,700 He had two bank accounts. 375 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:40,120 He had one that was filthy rich, and then he had the other bank account that 376 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:42,860 cut this check on that had no money in it. 377 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,900 Herb worked something out to where they accepted a check. 378 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,940 And I told them, don't accept a check if you don't want to accept a check. 379 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,600 And they accepted a check. 380 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,800 All hail broke loose. 381 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:04,220 Some of the guys that had worked that show threatened to throw Herb off the 382 00:25:04,220 --> 00:25:05,640 fifth floor balcony. 383 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:12,580 And that's when reality hit me upside the head. I was hiding out. I had people 384 00:25:12,580 --> 00:25:18,020 calling my phone. I mean, they were wanting to kill me for being associated 385 00:25:18,020 --> 00:25:19,020 the company. 386 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:32,380 As UWF leader Herb Abrams is now forced to promote shows in smaller towns, his 387 00:25:32,380 --> 00:25:38,240 party lifestyle grows more intense, and his grasp on reality begins to flip. 388 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:44,060 He would get into this paranoia state where he would swear that there was 389 00:25:44,060 --> 00:25:46,400 someone with a bug, you know, in his hotel room. 390 00:25:46,740 --> 00:25:50,340 I've seen him paranoid several times, and I'd ask, what's wrong? 391 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,260 He'd, like, just stare around and look around and say, I think they're outside. 392 00:25:54,620 --> 00:25:55,620 I said, who? 393 00:25:55,630 --> 00:25:59,450 goes they're watching us i said who and he would never tell me who it was i 394 00:25:59,450 --> 00:26:03,250 don't know who he felt was recording him whether it be the police whether it be 395 00:26:03,250 --> 00:26:08,650 the hookers whether it be the pimps i'm thinking no one's spying on her it's the 396 00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:14,610 drugs talking he would go through the furniture and look for 397 00:26:15,949 --> 00:26:20,510 microphones or cameras, and he'd tear the furniture up just to tear it up to 398 00:26:20,510 --> 00:26:25,490 bits. For some reason, he had a fascination with cushions. And if there 399 00:26:25,490 --> 00:26:30,950 zipper, he'd open them up, and he'd just start ripping through them. I mean, 400 00:26:30,970 --> 00:26:34,530 he'd just rip them out, and, you know, and then when that was ripped out, he'd 401 00:26:34,530 --> 00:26:38,410 go to the next one. All the feathers would have been all over the room. I 402 00:26:38,490 --> 00:26:40,350 you know, he wanted everything. 403 00:26:41,430 --> 00:26:44,230 That paranoia thing, uh... 404 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,200 It concerned me because there was some truth behind some of that. 405 00:26:49,420 --> 00:26:54,900 He would go over to the door and the people, 406 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,760 and he would look to the people like this right here. 407 00:26:59,140 --> 00:27:04,860 Now, you've got to understand, here's this five -foot -tall little naked 408 00:27:04,860 --> 00:27:06,660 fellow with cowboy boots. 409 00:27:07,260 --> 00:27:09,800 That's the one thing he didn't take off was his cowboy boots. 410 00:27:10,180 --> 00:27:11,220 And he's going. 411 00:27:15,150 --> 00:27:16,230 I said, what's wrong, Herb? 412 00:27:16,870 --> 00:27:17,870 They're coming. 413 00:27:18,370 --> 00:27:20,490 They're coming. You hear them? They're coming. 414 00:27:22,970 --> 00:27:23,990 Now, what are you thinking? 415 00:27:24,710 --> 00:27:25,710 Oh. 416 00:27:28,070 --> 00:27:29,690 Yeah, they're probably coming. 417 00:27:30,850 --> 00:27:35,630 Herb's problems escalate further when he tries to put one over on the wrong 418 00:27:35,630 --> 00:27:36,630 people. 419 00:27:36,710 --> 00:27:40,870 Here he is. He's with this girl who he's supposed to pay off. And he's doing 420 00:27:40,870 --> 00:27:43,990 this, oh, I'll give you a check type thing. No, you're supposed to give him 421 00:27:43,990 --> 00:27:46,440 cash. She's not falling for it. Boom. 422 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:47,980 Door breaks down. 423 00:27:48,740 --> 00:27:49,740 Doug's there. 424 00:27:50,260 --> 00:27:51,760 Herb's popped out. 425 00:27:52,100 --> 00:27:54,780 He goes and throws himself through a window. 426 00:27:56,180 --> 00:28:00,360 I literally got a phone call from him in California. He's running through a 427 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:01,319 neighborhood naked. 428 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,440 And he's like, what do I do? What do I do? 429 00:28:03,820 --> 00:28:09,940 I said, make yourself visible. I don't care. Make people see you. Get arrested. 430 00:28:10,380 --> 00:28:11,380 Go to jail. 431 00:28:12,510 --> 00:28:15,490 And that probably wouldn't have been a smart thing because you probably had 432 00:28:15,490 --> 00:28:16,970 contacts in there as well. But anyway. 433 00:28:18,030 --> 00:28:22,690 Herb's excessive lifestyle has finally reached its limit and his activities in 434 00:28:22,690 --> 00:28:23,649 wrestling cease. 435 00:28:23,650 --> 00:28:27,210 Any comeback for the UWF seems near impossible. 436 00:28:27,930 --> 00:28:33,810 Meanwhile, his old rival Vince McMahon stages one of his most flamboyant events 437 00:28:33,810 --> 00:28:39,570 yet. The spectacle of WrestleMania IX shows Las Vegas casinos. 438 00:28:40,060 --> 00:28:41,960 that wrestling can be a huge draw. 439 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,980 For Herb, it opens the door to a golden opportunity in the city of second 440 00:28:47,980 --> 00:28:53,220 chances, his first event in over a year, the Black Jack Brawl. 441 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:59,240 What better way to showcase your product than in one of the preeminent 442 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,500 locations in Las Vegas, or in the world, for that matter? 443 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,300 For Herb to pull off the MGM Grand, it's a... 444 00:29:08,730 --> 00:29:13,150 It's a wager city. It's a betting city, so obviously he got somebody to take the 445 00:29:13,150 --> 00:29:16,390 bet. That was his deal. That was his motif. That's what he did. 446 00:29:16,670 --> 00:29:21,230 He would go for the biggest freaking bite he could get, and he'd take it. He 447 00:29:21,230 --> 00:29:26,390 spending an enormous amount of money on the talent that he was bringing in for. 448 00:29:26,450 --> 00:29:32,870 It was a loaded show with big, big names, and it just seemed like a party. 449 00:29:33,170 --> 00:29:37,910 The night before the show, Herb brings me up to his penthouse suite. 450 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:44,160 When I saw the suite, I believed that MGM was going to be packed. I was 451 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:49,280 17 ,000 people packed to the rafters. And this overlooked the whole city. 452 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,680 And Herb goes, wait till you see this. 453 00:29:53,180 --> 00:29:55,680 People are going to lose their minds. 454 00:29:58,090 --> 00:30:04,570 He proceeds to pull out a pair of yellow ostrich skin cowboy boots that have 455 00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:10,250 UWF burnished into the leather. The fact that he thought people would lose their 456 00:30:10,250 --> 00:30:14,670 minds over a pair of cowboy boots was an indicator that there were issues. 457 00:30:15,890 --> 00:30:22,390 Making their way into the luxurious MGM Grand, UWF talent discover once again. 458 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:27,700 that Herb's reach is leagues beyond his grasp. It was a gorgeous arena, and that 459 00:30:27,700 --> 00:30:29,940 night it was a gorgeous, empty arena. 460 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:34,260 It was, like, sad to wrestle in front of, you know, a couple hundred people 461 00:30:34,260 --> 00:30:38,600 again. You know, my first match was in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and we had 462 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,100 people, but we were at the Clarksburg Armory. 463 00:30:41,940 --> 00:30:46,980 He didn't seem bothered by what was going on, almost like it was part of 464 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:48,219 grand plan. 465 00:30:48,220 --> 00:30:52,320 Like, okay, those 300 people are going to be checking out my ostrich skin 466 00:30:52,700 --> 00:30:56,960 It was just a bundle of energy running from here to there and he was involved 467 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:01,480 everything. It really was an embarrassment and, you know, he was 468 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:04,800 outrageous during that show. He might have been coked up. 469 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,140 Throughout that entire show, I mean, when he takes the microphone and he just 470 00:31:09,140 --> 00:31:10,720 screams into it, let's hear it for the Jews. 471 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,860 I mean, in front of the crowd, I mean, it was kind of hilarious. It was sad. 472 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,180 All in the same way. It was kind of weird. 473 00:31:18,700 --> 00:31:22,180 He was acting very strangely. 474 00:31:22,420 --> 00:31:24,260 His mannerisms were different. 475 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:25,980 The showdown will take place. 476 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:27,600 Steve, Dr. 477 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,940 Matt Williams, puts the panel on the line against militia. Steve! 478 00:31:40,460 --> 00:31:42,180 Not making too many friends tonight, John. 479 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:48,460 He was twitching and jumping and such, and so they all knew he was high. 480 00:31:48,740 --> 00:31:53,020 On that night, I had a chance to wrestle my idol, Jimmy Snuka. 481 00:31:53,380 --> 00:32:00,080 And when Jimmy Snuka and I start heading into the stands, you know, 16 ,700 482 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:04,560 empty seats, I remember Brian Blair going, what are you doing? I said, it's 483 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,660 Herb's show. We can do whatever we want. 484 00:32:07,100 --> 00:32:09,680 Ladies and gentlemen. 485 00:32:10,250 --> 00:32:12,590 We have a double disqualification. 486 00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:16,570 The downside is that check did not clear. 487 00:32:16,970 --> 00:32:18,210 He wrote me a check. 488 00:32:19,590 --> 00:32:21,910 It bounced. 489 00:32:23,030 --> 00:32:28,770 It was a failure. And, you know, that's got to hurt. He had the weight of the 490 00:32:28,770 --> 00:32:29,770 world on his shoulder. 491 00:32:30,470 --> 00:32:34,650 I would never have wanted to be Herb Abrams in his position. 492 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,640 When he came back, he told me how successful it was. 493 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:42,780 I had the MGM, Len. Yeah, you drew 200 people, and it was a total clusterfuck. 494 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,480 And he says, yeah, but I had the MGM. 495 00:32:52,820 --> 00:32:57,600 Emotionally and physically defeated by his failure in Las Vegas, Herb's dreams 496 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,600 of a wrestling triumph may finally be over. 497 00:33:00,820 --> 00:33:03,460 The lifestyle took a toll on Herb. 498 00:33:03,930 --> 00:33:09,230 He didn't have the spunk that he had, that electricity, constant, constant 499 00:33:09,230 --> 00:33:10,990 that made the room glow. 500 00:33:11,190 --> 00:33:13,990 You know, it was like he aged ten years in two years. 501 00:33:14,270 --> 00:33:20,430 It was such a big deal that he left L .A. for good and came back to New York. 502 00:33:20,430 --> 00:33:23,530 thought he was really cleaning himself up. 503 00:33:23,930 --> 00:33:29,050 So I get a phone call from Herb, and he goes, Len, big things are happening. 504 00:33:29,530 --> 00:33:33,830 I go, Herb, are you sure you're straight? He goes, Len, I'm perfectly 505 00:33:34,970 --> 00:33:41,970 On July 17, 1996, a longtime friend visits Herb at his office in New 506 00:33:41,970 --> 00:33:46,350 York City. This is the last known recording of Herb Abrams. 507 00:33:46,950 --> 00:33:47,950 Hey! 508 00:33:49,630 --> 00:33:50,630 Herbie! 509 00:33:51,050 --> 00:33:53,270 You want to look around here first? 510 00:33:53,570 --> 00:33:55,090 Yeah, we're looking. 511 00:33:55,350 --> 00:33:56,350 Wow. 512 00:33:57,230 --> 00:33:58,230 Get out. 513 00:34:14,420 --> 00:34:19,239 Herb appears to have turned a corner on his sobriety, but his friends are left 514 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,139 in the dark as he suddenly disappears. 515 00:34:22,170 --> 00:34:26,330 In 96, when I was working in the offices with him, sometimes, you know, he'd 516 00:34:26,330 --> 00:34:29,270 come in the next day all hungover. Sometimes he wouldn't even come in at 517 00:34:29,469 --> 00:34:32,090 Sometimes you wouldn't see him for a couple of days or hear from him for a 518 00:34:32,090 --> 00:34:33,029 couple of days. 519 00:34:33,030 --> 00:34:34,870 So that was just Herb being Herb. 520 00:34:36,290 --> 00:34:40,690 I was working at NBC, and I got a call from Stacy, my wife. 521 00:34:41,330 --> 00:34:44,030 And she says, Lenny, I have some really, really bad news. 522 00:34:44,389 --> 00:34:47,830 Sunny Beach called, and Herb's passed away. 523 00:34:48,790 --> 00:34:49,790 Herb's dead. 524 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,920 It was Sonny's crying on the phone. 525 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:56,880 So I called Sonny Beach, and I go, what is going on? Nobody knew what happened. 526 00:34:57,180 --> 00:35:03,440 And then his mother called me up, and it was just like a blur after that. I must 527 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:04,760 have cried for like two hours. 528 00:35:05,540 --> 00:35:11,360 And it was just the hardest thing to call those men, and then to hear them 529 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:12,360 start to cry. 530 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:18,260 These super gargantuan, strong men that you saw fly across the ring. 531 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:24,300 I'll cry over Herb dying and me not being able to almost talk. 532 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,560 On July 23, 1996, 533 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:33,760 officers respond to an unbelievable scene at the office of Herb Abrams. 534 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:38,800 were sparse, and those closest to Herb would hear varying accounts of the 535 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,180 disturbing event as they unfolded. 536 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:45,680 It was kind of like how someone would say if they walked into his hotel room 537 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:50,420 saw him, you know, naked. That's a real shock to some people, okay? 538 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:55,260 To me, that was part of his process of what he was going through. The night 539 00:35:55,260 --> 00:35:59,080 I guess he passed away, he was partying and drinking. He had a couple of escorts 540 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:03,040 up there with him. And I heard that he had done so much cocaine that he was 541 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:08,040 whacked. And he found a baseball bat and started tearing up the room that he was 542 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,620 in and just went absolutely berserk. 543 00:36:12,110 --> 00:36:16,110 I heard that he was covered in either oil or Vaseline and cocaine. 544 00:36:16,830 --> 00:36:17,689 It's crazy. 545 00:36:17,690 --> 00:36:20,710 And he was chasing around hookers with his baseball bat. 546 00:36:21,330 --> 00:36:24,710 Somebody told me that escorts tried to rob him, too, and that's why he grabbed 547 00:36:24,710 --> 00:36:25,308 the bat. 548 00:36:25,310 --> 00:36:26,930 That's a sight to see, I'm sure. 549 00:36:27,290 --> 00:36:32,110 So I call Sunny Beach, and I go, what is going on? And he says exactly what it 550 00:36:32,110 --> 00:36:38,550 says in the tabloids, that Herb was running around naked, smashing a 551 00:36:38,550 --> 00:36:40,750 bat on the walls and in the office. 552 00:36:41,710 --> 00:36:47,090 chasing a couple of hookers with coke all over his body. He had baby oil all 553 00:36:47,090 --> 00:36:50,390 over him, and I guess somebody called the police. I heard somebody called the 554 00:36:50,390 --> 00:36:51,249 police on him. 555 00:36:51,250 --> 00:36:56,110 There's rumors like he got sodomized by police with a baton. I mean, I heard 556 00:36:56,110 --> 00:36:57,610 that. I'm going, what the hell? 557 00:36:57,830 --> 00:37:01,590 I guess one of the girls ran out of the office and shut the door behind him, and 558 00:37:01,590 --> 00:37:04,130 I think he ran into it. I think that's how he passed away. 559 00:37:04,450 --> 00:37:08,350 When the police showed up, I heard he had a massive coronary and died. 560 00:37:10,730 --> 00:37:15,910 And what I'm told is that he took his clothes off in the jail and he had a 561 00:37:15,910 --> 00:37:18,130 seizure and they killed him. 562 00:37:18,790 --> 00:37:22,670 Nobody knew if he was robbed. Nobody knew if he got beat up with a baseball 563 00:37:22,910 --> 00:37:26,290 So there was all kinds of stories going around at the time and nobody knew the 564 00:37:26,290 --> 00:37:27,149 true story. 565 00:37:27,150 --> 00:37:30,750 Still, we don't know because I wasn't there. So, you know, you never believe 566 00:37:30,750 --> 00:37:31,750 everything you hear. 567 00:37:32,390 --> 00:37:38,330 Chasing hookers around and, you know, all greased up and died in the back of a 568 00:37:38,330 --> 00:37:39,330 police car. 569 00:37:40,590 --> 00:37:47,450 The one thing I know is that Herb Abrams left this world 570 00:37:47,450 --> 00:37:51,630 doing what he loved, cocaine and hookers. 571 00:37:57,970 --> 00:38:04,070 The wild and conflicting circumstances surrounding Herb Abrams' death 572 00:38:04,070 --> 00:38:08,830 his already extreme life and reach urban legend status within the wrestling 573 00:38:08,830 --> 00:38:12,360 world. It kind of became folklore. 574 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:14,940 Everywhere we go, you get a Herb Abrams story. 575 00:38:15,340 --> 00:38:19,560 Some are better than others. Some are true. Some you don't know what to 576 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:24,820 When they told me he died, I said, no. 577 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:28,520 He's faked his death. He's left. He's left the country. 578 00:38:29,180 --> 00:38:35,040 And I hate to talk ill of the dead, if he's dead. But I had a 579 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:37,100 promotion. 580 00:38:37,820 --> 00:38:42,720 that was down in Union, South Carolina, that ran under UWF. 581 00:38:43,460 --> 00:38:49,580 And this promoter swore to me that the night of his show, this little fella 582 00:38:49,580 --> 00:38:56,480 came to the show in blue jeans and cowboy boots and 583 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,740 asked him what the name of the organization was. 584 00:39:01,220 --> 00:39:02,240 And he swore. 585 00:39:03,540 --> 00:39:06,940 He said, I'm telling you, he said, that Herb Abrams showed up at my show. 586 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:13,540 And because it said UWF, this person gave them the riot act, that he would 587 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:17,000 them. And it was as if Herb was legitimately alive. 588 00:39:17,820 --> 00:39:20,420 And I said to Marty, Herb's dead. 589 00:39:21,580 --> 00:39:22,800 Uh, question. 590 00:39:23,380 --> 00:39:26,640 Herb Abrams couldn't keep quiet for 30 years. 591 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:31,260 Maybe he went under witness protection. I don't know. He would find a way to 592 00:39:31,260 --> 00:39:33,600 resurface. No, I find it completely... 593 00:39:34,990 --> 00:39:38,970 that Herb Abrams is alive and not seeking the limelight somewhere. 594 00:39:39,330 --> 00:39:43,450 And I know that if he was still alive, he would have come and found me. 595 00:39:43,890 --> 00:39:46,770 He would have let me know that he was alive. 596 00:39:47,550 --> 00:39:53,110 He would have done everything he could to send a message somehow. 597 00:39:53,930 --> 00:39:56,110 He wouldn't have stayed away 30 years. 598 00:39:58,450 --> 00:40:00,490 He wouldn't have stayed away 30 years. 599 00:40:02,799 --> 00:40:03,799 Herb, we miss you. 600 00:40:04,340 --> 00:40:05,780 Wish you were still here with us. 601 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:10,900 You know, it could have been a great thing. 602 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:19,860 You know, the UWF and just what he was doing. If we would have had a 603 00:40:19,860 --> 00:40:23,240 little bit more backing, a little bit more support, I think it could have went 604 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:24,240 long way. 605 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:27,420 And now I'm visiting Herb in the cemetery. 606 00:40:30,860 --> 00:40:31,860 We deal. 607 00:40:32,170 --> 00:40:33,490 We cope and we go on. 608 00:40:37,130 --> 00:40:40,250 I actually inherited Herb's dog after he passed away. 609 00:40:40,590 --> 00:40:41,590 What was the dog's name? 610 00:40:42,430 --> 00:40:43,430 Cokie. 611 00:40:43,630 --> 00:40:48,750 It was Snow White the dog, and it was laying in the coke. Herb called it 612 00:40:49,930 --> 00:40:51,390 Herb loved that dog to death. 613 00:40:53,250 --> 00:40:57,190 Herb's style was always to be a generous guy. I picked up the tab for 614 00:40:57,190 --> 00:41:00,210 everything. But again, that's easy to do with other people's money. 615 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,540 If it was his hard -earned money, he would still do the same. 616 00:41:05,460 --> 00:41:08,560 I think he was just always trying to prove himself or always wanted to be 617 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,220 or always wanted to be somebody to be respected. 618 00:41:11,660 --> 00:41:14,040 But we all respected him and we all liked him. 619 00:41:14,580 --> 00:41:16,060 How did you feel after he passed? 620 00:41:19,500 --> 00:41:25,380 It was a loss of someone who... Someone who 621 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:31,140 believed in me. 622 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:55,300 I'd say that he truly brought life. 623 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,020 He brought it out of me. 624 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:04,800 Without their fallen leader, the UWF faded out of existence and into the 625 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:07,260 memories of those who fought to bring it to the top. 626 00:42:07,940 --> 00:42:12,840 I think Herb should be remembered as a person who tried to do something special 627 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:13,840 in the wrestling industry. 628 00:42:14,220 --> 00:42:17,060 I think Herb Abrams was this bizarre character. 629 00:42:18,350 --> 00:42:23,110 who wanted to become a major player in the pro wrestling business, and he was 630 00:42:23,110 --> 00:42:26,990 never able to succeed if he got in his own way, from his personal demons to the 631 00:42:26,990 --> 00:42:28,370 way he ran his business. 632 00:42:28,730 --> 00:42:33,130 The worst thing that Herb Abrams did, whether you hear about that he was 633 00:42:33,130 --> 00:42:39,450 involved with hookers or coke or this or not paying people, the worst thing that 634 00:42:39,450 --> 00:42:41,170 Herb Abrams ever did to me was die. 635 00:42:41,530 --> 00:42:45,430 It's haunted me for the entire time of this 30 years. 636 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:49,580 And this is the only reason that I've ever talked about, the first time I've 637 00:42:49,580 --> 00:42:51,820 ever, about the secret of the UWFL. 638 00:42:53,140 --> 00:42:56,600 And you have it, the best that I could give it to you today. 639 00:42:58,180 --> 00:43:03,720 He had the enthusiasm and I think the courage to try to live out his dream. 640 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:08,820 He was such a diehard fan that that was his downfall. 641 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,700 He would love the negative that's on the internet. 642 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:13,320 He would love it all. 643 00:43:13,620 --> 00:43:14,620 Why is that? 644 00:43:15,310 --> 00:43:16,730 Because he was Herb Abrams. 645 00:43:17,190 --> 00:43:19,910 He was a thing unto himself. 646 00:43:20,430 --> 00:43:26,250 I have to believe this is the way Herb would want it. Maybe he got in death 647 00:43:26,250 --> 00:43:30,470 he didn't have in life, and that is he became a legend. 648 00:43:31,590 --> 00:43:34,370 Last question. If he was alive today, what do you think he'd be doing? 649 00:43:37,130 --> 00:43:38,130 Time. 650 00:43:44,190 --> 00:43:48,910 Yeah, there's no way Herb's going to keep his taxes. I just think he'd be 651 00:43:48,910 --> 00:43:54,970 bars. He would have hurt no one except himself, and I'd be visiting him, 652 00:43:55,030 --> 00:43:59,030 and we'd be toasting with a glass of milk and Herbie cookies.