Dr. Tom and Josh welcomed HBK to the show [on the phone] and asked him how he's been feeling.
HBK said he's trying to get over the stomach flu, but other than that he's feeling ok. Doc said he sounds like hell and HBK laughed and said thanks.
Doc asked HBK how he feels about his upcoming match with Ric Flair at Bad Blood.
HBK said he was feeling fine about it before this week, and now he's hoping to just get through it [laughs]. He's looking forward to getting out there with Ric. He said he's wanted a match with Ric for a very long time. He said he thinks they can have a good 30-35 minute match with a combination of old school and new school, and when it's all over he hopes it'll be something people will remember for a long time.
Doc asked him about his back, and how it's holding up aside from the normal aches and pains.
It's holding up good according to HBK. He was concerned about flying over to Europe for Insurrextion, but he was able to strecth out on the floor (I didn't get all of what he said here), and it was fine. He said he's taking better care of it than he used to; he gets regular massages and so on. Considering everything he's put his body through it's holding up really well.
Doc then asked him about the fundraiser he's putting together to benefit the families of soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq.
HBK said he grew up in a military family. He said he was talking to Bill about it yesterday, and he's a big Fox News watcher. He saw Clint Black out there raising money for families and thought they could do something like that. So he talked to a buddy in the office to see if they could get something together with a couple of big names. He didn't want to be critical, but he wants to get some of the main guys out there. It's hard to get something like that together, but they're gonna get Austin, Goldberg, Hunter, Kev, Flair, himself and Trish and do it in around 5 cities over the next month or so to raise money to send to the families. Doc noted that it's a very worthy cause.
They went to the phone, and a caller asked how HBK feels about the upcoming Hell in a Cell between Triple H and Kevin Nash.
HBK said it's gonna be brutal, and with Mic Foley out there...He said with every one of these matches you're gonna see something you've never seen before, because everybody ups the bar and this one won't be an exception.
Doc asked how does it feel for HBK to come back after the layoff, having the chance to work with former friends and Clique members Triple H, Kevin [he said obviously the only one missing is X-Pac - my question is have they forgotten SCOTT?!?]. He said it's gotta feel good to be able to come back and still be able to get in that mix, but how is it working out for him in the locker room and back on the road?
HBK said he thinks it's fun. It's obviously fun to be with your friends. But again, one of the most enjoyable programs he was in was with Chris Jericho. He had a lot of fun getting to know Chris. He said there's a lot of good guys in the locker room, and it's taken him the last year to get to know some of them better than just a first name basis. He feels like they have a good locker room with a good bunch of guys who have their hearts in the right place. He said it's just a matter of getting a main goal, and he doesn't think it's a locker room problem, it's higher up than that. They need to figure out what they're trying to do, and he thinks the locker room can get the job done.
They went to an email, and it asks if HBK wants [his son] Cameron to follow in his footsteps.
HBK said he's just 3 1/2 right now, and the coolest thing in the world to him is the guy that's riding a bulldozer. He doesn't know or care right now what his daddy does. He wants his son to do whatever his little heart desires, and right now that's getting dirty and driving around with little power wheels pick-ups and a bulldozer. He said he's got some time before he'll have to worry about that.
Doc mentions the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, and how there were some guys to graduate from it to be proud of. What are his thoughts on Spanky?
HBK said he gets regular updates on him, and aside from his talent, which he always knew was there, he knew the crowds would love his attitude and personality. Brian is a fantastic young man, and that's the first thing everyone comments on when they talk about him. He could just go out there and be himself and the world would love him. He's a very special person, and he's good at what he does. He's having fun, and he loves to perform. He's out there being who he really is, and he's very deserving of where he's at.
Doc asked HBK if there are any plans for him to write a personal biography.
HBK said it's something he would like to do. A part of him would want to be upfront and truthful about what's hapened in his life and his career, but he'd have to figure out what line he'd want to walk considering that he has a child. He wouldn't want his son to hear certain things from a stranger on the street; there are some things he would want to tell him about himself. So he definitely wants to do one, but what he'd want to put in it is still up for debate.
They went to the phone again, and Bethany (who happens to be a regular visitor and poster on this site - *waves to Bethany*) asked if it's true that he'll retire after Wrestlemania XX.
HBK said he has no plans to as of right now, but for what it's worth, he didn't plan to retire the first time. He doesn't have any plans concerning retirement right now. He said to asnwer the question, no it's not true [laughs]. Barring something physically really going wrong with his career, he plans on sticking around as long as they'll let him.
Doc said he's going out on a limb here, but he would think HBK has accomplished everything he'd wanted to accomplish with his career in World Wrestling Entertainment. So now that he's come back and turned his life around, he would think that he'd have a lot of advice and experiences he could share with the younger talent. Maybe he could share some of the mistakes he made, some of the right moves? Would he be interested in being an agent for WWE after he retires?
HBK said yeah, definitely. He's totally commited to the company. He said at one point he went through this thing, like a lot of the guys do, where he thought he was more than just a wrestler. But he said you know, I'm not. He's very proud that that's who he is. He's a wrestler; that's what he does for a living. When the time comes that he or the office decide this is it, you've done all you can do, it's time to step aside, he will definitely do that. And at that time if there's anything he can do to contribute to WWE, he'll do it. He would be honored to do any type of job they would give him. His intention when he came back the first time was to contribute, and that's still his intention now. Whenever they feel like he's given as much as he can from a performance standpoint, he'd love to contribute from a mental and creative standpoint.
Doc asked him how he feels about Bad Blood with it being the first Raw only PPV. How does he think the brand expansion has gone so far, and is Bad Bllod the measuring stick for future events?
HBK said he imagines it will be. There's nothing to compare it to, so they'll just have to find out by doing it. He said they had to seperate the shows because there are so many guys, and it's hard enough for the younger talent just on Raw to get air time, so he can't imagine trying to jam them all on one show. So from that perspective it's working. But there's always room for improvement. He honestly doesn't know what the improvement is, but the powers that be will continue to be innovative and figure out new ways to get the talent out there.
Doc said it all remains to be seen. He said the Raw crew will put out 100%, and they'll do all they can to make the show successful. He said being back in Texas has to be a special feeling for HBK. Does he run into a lot of people from back home that question his faith and sincerity?
HBK said so far the response he's gotten has been postive. There are other Christians in the locker room, but they aren't as outgoing about it as he is. He hasn't really run into people knocking him...other than the people that would be knocking him anyway [laughs]. He stated when he first came back; he understands people having reservations or whatever about him. He's aware of that. People are gonna say what they're gonna say, and he just accepts that.
Doc and Josh wished HBK luck at Bad Blood, and thanked him for being on the show.
HBK said thanks as well, and left the show.