Wrestler

I held the title for almost eight years the first time and then I lost it at the Garden. But, then I came back and took it again for another four years.

I was in the business for almost a quarter of a century, and I'm very proud of my career.

For my fans around the world, I am pleased to be joining the WWE Hall of Fame, especially at Madison Square Garden.

I had a lot of my success due to appearing at the Garden. I wrestled there over 200 times, it's where I won the title, and it's where I picked up 630-plus pounds of Haystacks Calhoun.

I was never a fan of Hogan because I was never impressed with his quality of performance in the ring.

I'm very violent in the ring. I don't know if it's the Italian temper, I can get very nasty in there. But outside, I'm the easiest-going guy in the world.

In my day, I, myself, in my prime, in the late-'50s-mid-'70s I was about 270-275. After I broke my neck and I was in the hospital for a month or so, I dropped the weight to about 250 and I kept that weight until I retired.

We hid from the Nazis in the mountains. Sometimes there was nothing to eat but snow.

My jaw has been wired and rewired. It's incredible to think people would fake that.

I didn't care for Steve Austin because of his mouth. He was a very, very vulgar individual and anybody who is like that I can never be a fan of. So, any of his positives were overshadowed by the negatives.

I like a match that shows strength, stamina, scientific technique.

People have no clue how demanding my schedule was back in the day. There were times when I might be home for just one or two days a month.

I really don't understand because I love opera, because I respect the Michelangelos and da Vincis, that it should be shocking because I am a wrestler. Because I am a wrestler does it mean that I am some kind of a robot who only knows to go into the squared circle and pound on somebody?

What the heck did people see in me?

Everything that I am, everything that I've done, everything that I hope to be is because of my mom.

I would be a fool to tell you that there was no fixing. You ask if wrestling is for real? Well, I think my own body answers that question.

Throughout the '60s and '70s, I saw many operas in New York and Philadelphia. When people found out about that, they were always shocked, because I was a professional wrestler. Why are athletes any different than any other profession? People have many other interests.

In talking to Paul Levesque, I made it clear, I've had issues with WWE and wrestling in general, because there were other organizations. I didn't like the direction they had taken. It was bothersome to me.

When it came to the Hall of Fame, I've been very critical of the direction they've taken and I'd feel like a hypocrite if I just accepted this Hall of Fame while I'm so against what they're doing.

I think people saw me as someone who was real, and not somebody subject to the criticism and ridicule given to my profession.