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http://www.kayfabememories.com/Stories/mickkarch/mk8.htm

It took a long time for me to get my television break and work for the
AWA on ESPN, back in 1987-88. I had done publicity for them, taken
pictures at ringside and written for the programs and magazines, but
for nearly 15 years, I couldn't convince the hierarchy that I deserved
to be behind the microphone.
When I finally got the call from Greg Gagne back in July of '87, I was
surprised and pretty happy to finally get the shot. Greg called out of
the blue to tell me that the AWA was looking for a ring announcer, and
asked if I would be interested in going to the Las Vegas Showboat
Hotel & Casino on a monthly basis to handle the ring announcing
duties. I jumped at the opportunity. Though Greg had seen my work on
some other videos from the Winnipeg promotion, he still wanted me to
come down and do an on-camera audition for the AWA.

Little did I know what was in store. When I arrived at the KMSP
Studios in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Greg was there, but not Verne (for
some reason, I felt a sense of relief.) Nick Bockwinkel was there, as
were TV producers Al DeRusha and Mike Shields, a handful of the
wrestlers who were there to cut promos, and I don't remember who else.
Even Eric Bischoff might have been there. I don't recall.

The first thing I had to do was a 30-second "hard-sell" of an upcoming
show. I was given the date, the site, the time and the ticket outlets
and basically I just barked out a half-minute commercial in front of
the camera. So far, so good. Seemed to go OK.....no glitches.

Then it was on to my first AWA interview. No script, no subject
matter, just cut a quick on- camera interview with Nick Bockwinkel,
who "graciously" volunteered. A dream of a lifetime was about to take
place!  I was going to interview the man, my idol, the Bock himself.
And damn, I was ready........I thought.

I mistakenly assumed Nick would help carry me through the interview
and do most of the talking. I figured I would introduce him, and he
would take over and ramble from there. Not quite. I gave him the grand
intro, "now, ladies and gentlemen, my guest at this time, the former
heavyweight champion of the world...Nick Bockwinkel!!" I stuck the
microphone in front of his face, and he looked at me. Didn't say a
word. The beads of sweat formed on my brow as he smirked and said,
"Well, Karch? Aren't you going to ask me anything?"

Damned if I didn't forget that I would probably need a follow-up
question after my dazzling introduction. After the laughter had
subsided in the studio, I gathered my thoughts, put together some
inane questions, re-cut the spot, and made it through Take 2
relatively unscathed.

But the assault wasn't over. I was asked to do one more solo promo for
an upcoming event. As I started to talk, out of the corner of my eye,
I could see my "friend" Jim Lanning, who was working as "Soldat
Ustinov"at the time. I could see he was waving his hands, and I
assumed it was to try and get my attention. Maybe I was standing in
the wrong spot. Maybe I was holding the microphone too close. He was
my pal. Surely he was trying to help me. As I looked over at him, he
turned around and dropped his sweat pants to his knees. He was mooning
me.

I did not let the sight of his big fat ass faze me. I completed the
promo and got the job, at least for the next 8 months. Was it all
worth it? Sure it was! After all, like Greg Gagne said...I got to fly
to Vegas once a month!


--- Internet Rex 2.29