The Steve Rizonno Interview
by Marty Goldstein on 2001-07-07

Gigolo Steve Rizzono has responded to a number of comments published on wrestling news sites and message boards about the burning of XPW wrestler Supreme in an angle gone wrong at the Olympic Auditorium Saturday night.

This angle has been developing since the February Death Match tournament where Rizzono, Tracy Smothers, Kronus and Jake Lawless put Supreme through a pile of bulbs. The feud between Rizzono's group, The Enterprise, and Supreme is supposed to elevate both the hardcore specialist and Rizzono into title contention.

Rizzono first wanted to tell the fans that Supreme was released from hospital yesterday with second degree burns, and is obviously sore but in good spirits recovering at home.

"I was never asked to quarterback the angle, and I don't have a lot of experience with fire spots anyway. Personally, I would rehearse it for 3 weeks in a parking lot till it was perfect,but that's not practical for XPW, and anyways, Supreme has done this before. He knew."

"I suffered a torn rotator cuff, barely got through my match, and did the run-in, but I was in a lot of pain. I'm waiting in the ring and Veronica Caine just barely got the fire going. But it wasn't her fault at all."

Ringside observers clearly heard Rizzono being urged to "go help her Rizzono,get it lit" and pour more lighter fluid on the table, and he did so despite his good arm being in a sling. However, citing his old school upbringing, Rizzono refused to confirm or deny that it was either the referee or as is now believed, Supreme himself, who called for help with the spot.

"The problem is not the stunt - personally I am a wrestler but Supreme is known for these things. The problem was not Veronica. It was the fluid. It was BBQ lighter fluid, that chemical is used to burn for hours, and not lighter fluid that burns off quickly. I didn't realize it till after, and neither did Veronica or anyone else. If the right fluid was used, there would have been no issue and everyone would have loved the finish."

On XPW's website, 2 camera angles were briefly streamed on Monday before becoming unavailable. They showed Rizzono squirting the fluid with his back to Supreme who was already being launched to the table.

"That's right, I never saw him coming. No one said "Steve, move". I'm waiting for the big fire to go up, then down, but TJ Rush and GQ just sent him. They are still green, I have to tell them where the camera is and stuff, I really don't know if they sent Supreme or if he decided to go, but it was bad, bad, bad...they tried to put him out but he hit the floor running... with the right fluid it would have been great."

The 10 year vet says the criticism of Rob Black and XPW is unfair.

" First of all, I think the shows are pretty evenly booked to balance wrestlers like myself and hardcore acts like Supreme. They are trying to get everybody over here. At the last show in May, New Jack dived 35 feet through 2 tables onto Grimes. That was way more dangerous in my mind than a stunt that Supreme has done a dozen times."

Are the XPW fans conditoned to expect too much?

"Yes, the fans expect violence, it is addictive, but our crowds are no worse than anywhere else, including ECCW. Suggestions Rob doesn't care about the workers are plain wrong. He wants what he wants on camera, but it is up to the boys to decide what we'll do. In CZW they use weed wackers on each other, at least our spots are tied into the storylines and make sense."