To Hell with the Devil - A READY FIRE AIM Exclusive Interview

It’s a warm, humid Summer night in New York City.  My flight arrived at Newark some two hours before.  But it has taken me most of the last two hours- and a terrifying cab ride with a driver who clearly believes that he is still driving in Madras- to get to this address in the meat-packing district near the opulence of Manhattan.  I am scheduled to meet Keith Voss for an interview.  But thanks to the two hour commute, I am late.  My cell phone is dead.  And the Devil is not here. 

“Shit.” 

My one consolation is that it’s not raining.  And that’s when the lights go.  A hood is put over my head and I feel several sets of arms around me.  I attempt to kick and scream.  I flail my arms about like a doll unable to raise them above my waist.  I can’t believe what is happening to me; I am being kidnapped like a reporter in Guatemala or Iran.  No one is going to pay a ransom for me.  I am going to die.  I came to interview the Devil and now I am going to meet my maker.

Somewhere between 10 minutes and an hour passed. I have no clue.  But I know that I was carried by the group and not put into a vehicle or anything.  So wherever I am, I am close to where we started.  There have been long alleys or hallways or something.  And at least twice there have been stairs; I know that much.  And now as I am placed into a seat, I know that the last part of my journey included many flights of stairs going downward.  I am in the catacombs of a building or even worse the true basement of ancient New York City where only the knowledgeable escape to the Sun.

My hood is removed but my hands and feet remain bound.  I struggle in the dim lighting to make out anything; figures wander around me.  It’s smoky.  There is a lot of incense burning. 

 

“Hello James.  My apologies for your transit.  But you were late.  And when a man is late, sometimes he must pay for his sins.”

“Keith?  What the – “

“Give yourself a moment.  Your senses will sync with the area. And then my sanctum will become full to you.  You are in no danger here.”

My racing pulse begins to finally shift down now that I know I am presumably safe.  But that doesn’t change my frustration with arriving.  But as Voss stated, my eyes did begin to focus in on my surroundings.  The darkness was very real with only torches lighting the huge room.  Incense of some sort wafted through the area and I could see Keith in blood red velvet robe across me at a table.  All about us, there were women, beautiful women barely clad seated, embracing or carrying food and drink.  I am certain that this is someone’s idea of paradise.  But it is not entirely my own. 

“James, would you like a drink?  I had Sonia prepare you three fingers of Jack Daniels already.  I know your temptation for Tennessee Whiskey.”

My hands are unbound and I drink the entire glass of whiskey with a single gulp.  I notice a smile o’er Keith Voss’ face and another whiskey is placed in front of me as if to say that he knew I would require more immediately.  Sonia, an amazing blonde woman wearing only black bra and panties, sets another glass in front of me and before leaving runs her tongue the length of my ear.   She can easily befuddle my focus for my task at hand.  I am interviewing Keith Voss.

“James.  Are you ready to interview me?”

“I do wish that you would call me Jimbo, Keith.”

“And in my sanctum, the underlings call me Dark Lord.  If you are to refer to me with the name given me by the fleshly, I will do the same for you, James.  Now you may begin.”

Immediately upon his speaking the words, my cell phone, freshly charged and my notepad and pen were in front of me.  This was different. It’s a wrestling interview. 

The Interview

“OK.  Question 1.  This is an interview based upon showing people the real you.  It’s a shoot.  It’s call Ready, Fire, Aim for a reason.  Why are you kidnapping me, making me sit in a dungeon like it’s a gimmick interview?”

“James, what exactly is it about me that would lead you to believe that I am gimmick?  This is how I live.  This is my sanctum.  And these women and boys are mine.  They want to be here.  And I am happy to feed their hunger for hedonism, for sex, for sin.”    

“Fine.  You are coming out of the HOF after being a ghost for neary ten years?  Why now?  And why Lone Wolf Wrestling?”

That's simple. Now… Now is the right time. No matter The Devil’s affiliations in days past, I was always...a bit on the outside, a lone wolf.  I was THE Lone Wolf before there was Lone Wolf Wrestling.  I heard the competition was some of the best superstars that the IWA has ever seen.   And when Pride told me about his experiences there,  I knew that I must be be a part of that and show the entire wrestling world that the Devil is still one of the very best anywhere and at anytime.  

“Pride?”

 “Yes.  Impeccable Damon Voss.  He is Pride.  How could it not be obvious that a man declaring himself flawless would not be the physical incarnation of one of my deadly sins? James, you disappoint me.”

“Uh yeah.  During your storied career, you have faced many stars especially while in the Yankee Clipper territory, who is your toughest opponent and why?”

“Yankee Clipper Wrestling was only one of the many territories that I terrorized.  But it didn't matter.  I was always all about taking my opponents apart any way I could, no matter where I was.  Every one of my opponents, whether I won or lost, always knew who they had just been in the ring with. And no one forgets The Devil.”

“I have found out over my long career that every man, every human being in this world....has something to fear. I was usually what they feared the most...The HARDEST of the hardcore. You ask anyone this same question and they will tell you that it is I, The Devil, who is one of the toughest opponents THEY have ever faced. And they KNOW why.”

The Devil circa 1996

“What is your greatest accomplishment?”

“Winning the IWA American Championship is certainly up there, but becoming the IWA "Ring of Fire" Specialty champion is near and dear to me, and one of the most personal of my accomplishments. I have the burn scars to prove it.”

“What do you hope to accomplish now after so long away from the ring?”

“To continue the legacy of The Devil. And Anarchy.”

“What have you been doing in your time off?”

“Preparation. I am the quiet, slow seducer. And it's time for this League to worry about not what I have BEEN doing, but what I will do NEXT.....”

“What does Keith Voss like to do when not being The Devil?”

“Oh, there's ALWAYS a bit of "The Devil" that stays with me...My life outside the ring is very private, and all you have to know is that I live a life like no other.”

“Clearly you live a life like no other.  (Hi Sonia.) What's on your iPod music list?”

“The first song on the list is by POP EVIL, "Deal with the Devil", which is my ring music....But I have lots of Film score music that fills up the rest. It helps me.....relax.”

“How have you stayed in ring shape all these years?” 

“One of the main reasons I retired after my Hall of Fame entrance was because of a serious back injury, due to my hardcore wrestling style. After my rehabilitation, I would still get together and train with family, like HOF'er "The Lord" John Voss, my old "Heaven and Hell" tag team partner, and of course Damon, and we've been training with each other for years. It was really Damon who convinced me that it was time to step back into that squared circle...”

“If your favorite movie is on TV, what is it?” 

“I don't own a TV, but If I did, I would never turn off any of the "Mad Max" films. A nice representation of just what "Hell on Earth" could be....And how could you not love Thunderdome?  Two men enter, one man leaves.  I like that philosophy.”

Manloaf- 2004

“What opponent never gave the Devil his due?  Who is your most hated opponent from the old days?”

“Every opponent I have ever faced has always given me everything they can. They had to. I had some wars with a very bizarre group of wrestlers back in the YCL days, named Manloaf and Marzipan. We had some bloody, nasty battles that I know neither I OR they will ever forget, wherever they are.”

“I did not prepare more questions, Keith.  I expected us to have a discussion over dinner and that would be it.  This has been eye-opening.”

With a wave of his hand, a plate with a huge filet mignon, asparagus and potato was placed in front of each of us.  His chalice was re-filled to bursting with blood red wine by another scantily-clad woman.  And Sonia returned with yet another Jack Daniels for me.  This time she lingered I think just so I could stare at her a bit longer. So strange. 

“James, we will have a discussion over dinner.  And you are welcome to stay as long here as you like.  Now that the interview is over, you can sample everything that you want to feast upon in my sanctum.  Everything.”