Play Fair

0:00 all right everyone welcome to another episode of what you know with Joe I've got a legend in the midst here um talking about a man Johnny Fairplay uh for those who don't know Johnny's been on a couple shows uh got to start with Survivor a little bit of wrestling we're gonna learn all about him but Johnny thank you so much for joining me man hey thanks for having me of course it's gonna be good so just a couple minutes ago we were chopping up we talk about where we're from tell us about you know where you grew up you know little about your childhood growing up uh I know you eventually went up to VT um very curious about that my uh sister brother went there so like you know got some ties there so tell us a little about growing up in in Danville you said right yeah I grew up in Danville Virginia it's the the last Catholic Confederacy they're the first to remind you of that scary scary place every Saturday they have the

0:45 Confederate soldiers or I guess not the real ones or they'd be dead uh guys dressed up in the stupid outfits and and they they they they have their Flags in front of uh our Museum and I like to ride by I stop but I'm just like look man I get it right you know you got you got your pride and you got your your your history and you know and and and you got your your little flag that you're so proud of and I'm just like but you know like let's just go with the little little recency bias here just just for me personally just why don't you Hold up the last flag you guys what was that that white surrender flag why don't you Hold up that one I mean it's the last one they had I mean right you got to tell the correct story you got tell they they don't they they do not find the humor in that I I don't know why I don't know why they can't it's

1:31 pretty funny objectively it's hilarious yeah so no I got uh I got I got beat up a lot when I was a kid mostly by girls uh it it it toughens you up and you know uh I I uh I I say that the downfall of society as a whole uh uh at least in America in a lot of places I think is the the invention of the uh of the bicycle helmet because uh because when I was was a kid you know we didn't have bicycle helmets you rode your bike and you fell off your bike and you got hurt and you learned what it was to get hurt you know that or you know your your parents just beat you because you know that you had to you know you had to I I grew up in a time where you had to you

2:16 had to pick your own switch oh wow that's the wor you know and you get like the real skinny one they're like yeah that's you go back had to get another switch rightly just mad right right exactly so it just more to the end of it when picking the wrong one so I I uh I wish I was a little smart because I I always pride of myself as a smart kid I wish I'd come back with this this giant log that they couldn't pick up and it's like ah but I didn't uh so uh so yeah so uh uh uh I you know I I relied on Comedy back then to avoid fights sure to avoid getting getting beat up and uh I guess you know I it worked out I I got I got

3:02 beat up less there you go there you go that's it's all about numbers and so you know they're going down yeah yeah so and then uh I mean just growing up like uh When I Was Here Also also that's not fun to get beat up and all that that sucks yeah no no uh yeah no I remember this one time I think I was in like third or fourth grade waiting for the school bus and this this girl named Tiffany I don't oh man she sounds tough she she was she was a foot tall than me because you know like girls H their gross Spurs they're used to I don't with with what they put in our food now who's to say but uh but back then you know girls would hit their grow Spurs first and and so she was in the same grade as me she was a foot taller and I I remembered just shoving my head in the snow in the snow just turning solid red just her just pounding

3:48 my face in the snow and yeah that was a fun one and and I used to I uh uh I used to wear under Roos I was a kid and uh my favorite my favorite under RS were the robin like Batman and Robin sure and and so uh I would put on my my Robin under Ros and and I had a you know a towel as my cape and a and a little paper mask and I would pretend that I wasn't me that was really Robin there you go uh the girls in my neighborhood called me Robin gay and they would beat up damn brutal brutal that cuts damn yeah so but uh but fast forward to uh to to win uh you know classes are split up a little

4:35 bit between the smart kids and the dumb kids uh you know I was uh you know I was in you know all AP classes I had five years of Latin and you know Junior High in high school I was Latin club president Club president junior class vice president senior class president so you know [ __ ] kind of changed there yeah and then you know fast forward uh uh Virginia Tech uh I uh I had a band when I was there I was lead singer for a band so that that helped life considerably sure I mean it's all you know band music's tight you know you can't everyone loves music yeah who doesn't like the lead singer I mean right exactly the bass player front and center Johnny's up there briefe a little bit you talk Ski Club did you guys just go

5:22 like to like close by mountains or something we go a winter green I think may I think uh we went to like winter green like twice a year and then maybe winter place possibly I don't I don't think we went to Snowshoe I I remember going that was like that was like the big trip going to sow good yeah I like snow okay so like I've got in those place so it's in so couple listeners are gonna hear that and be like damn that's dope um so anyways you're at Virginia Tech you're in a band when when did you like you know kind of think all right what am I going to do at like you're going through school right things are going well how things going like through your career at school and then what do you think in like after school what do you what what's what's the plan potentially well when I was a little kid everyone asked me they're

6:07 like what are you gonna what are you gonna be when you grow up and my answer was always I'm gonna be famous okay that was it always knew yeah that was it I I always knew that's awesome yeah so uh no uh I I went to uh Virginia Tech for marketing and so you know I good choice go I kind of feel like I'm I'm still marketing myself so so that worked out but uh yeah I I just I didn't know how I just always knew I was going to be famous and so uh after Virginia Tech I moved to Greensboro North Carolina and then I moved to Washington DC Silver Spring Maryland yeah yeah yeah and uh and then I met a girl and uh I moved to Portland OR so she had one year left at

6:53 lisis and Clark University and so I I moved out there for a year and then when she graduated she was like okay we can either go we can either move to New York or La she was like that and I was just like well LA's closer yeah that's a very true point we don't got to go all the way back that's a very true point so I moved to Los Angeles and uh I pretty quickly became Rowdy Ry Piper's personal assistant and and so that kind of you know paved the way for for everything else I mean Rody Piper was was doing you know a lot of those straight to DVD movies and uh and he was going to Ivana Chuck's uh acting classes so so he would pay for me to go to her his uh acting classes with him so you know we could run lines you know afterwards so huge that's like a huge

7:38 like piece to like pick up I feel like that probably did a lot of good things for you sidebar to has has pamlin or any of the business schools ever asked you to come back and talk that's an outrage guys come on he would love he just said it to yourself you're already marketing yourself all uh let's see the only thing I've gotten from uh I got free tickets to the concert for Virginia Tech after the shooting so it was uh uh it was NS and some country guy I don't remember like like you know ien I didn't listen to country music then I listen to country music now so it was a Nas some country guy and then John Mayor and then Dave Matthews finished and then John Mayer came back out with uh with with with uh Dave So Co that's we used we used to see Dave so the cycle back then he's from

8:25 Virginia Dave's from Virginia he's from Charlottesville so the cycle back then so I was at Tech 992 to 96 so uh back then um like 92 93 at 92 hoodie would come through like every few months okay and so we we'd see hoodie and then Dave would play uh I think he'd play uh tracks in Charlottesville like every month that's cool and then he would play a fraternity at Virginia Tech like every two two months what we we'd have uh we'd have Dave Dave would come through every two months we'd have Gib droll banned every two months everything you know and then

9:10 fast forward uh uh I remember when Dave Dave signed to RCA records and uh his first show he did signed with RCA records They had dve Matthews Band opening up for uh God I just had a Rusted Root oh wow good call and so they play like a like a a horse stable in like Lexington Virginia and so so a big Tech uh went there and uh you know we cheer Dave out of you know he's the opening band and you know we cheer like and then get and then Rusted Root and we just booed them off the stage [ __ ] yeah we we need we came for Dave yeah that's and the crazy thing fast forward I think I want to say like 2018 2019 rusted route was at Blind

9:56 Tiger in greensbor North Carolina and I went to go them and afterwards I'm talking I'm just like I was like Hey do you remember when and I told and he was like oh yeah [ __ ] that show RCA's like oh we're hooking you up we got this guy Dave he's gonna bring the crowd and and we and he did but like get F like we just want Dave though that's all we want yeah so that's crazy so like and so now you're in LA right you're you're being you have a good assistance job so like how did like when did the press was the idea we're going to shift into it like when did the IDE like when did you first hear about like Survivor I'm sure being in La maybe you heard something not heard something but like maybe you you know heard like they were doing the show or something and like

10:43 what kind of draw you in none of that I uh I remember I was living in LA and I remember my girlfriend at the time uh that that I was still living with from from Portland Oregon uh I I believe we watched I don't know probably two minutes of the first finale you know because it was like you know 50 50 plus million viewers yeah and so we watch and and I'm just like these people are stupid and that was it that that was my entire context of Survivor up one side down the like none and uh Thunder D the guy did the gr the dead Grandma lie with me I met him in Portland Oregon and he used to watch every week and he was just like you know like hey he's like I can't do it I'm watching Survivor I'm like oh my God that's so lame so I yeah it was not on my radar at all so I had been Piper's personal assistant and then after that I was working at tomorrow

11:28 Bang gallery and uh I was selling the original paintings from um uh Olivia she does like the Betty Page stuff and the de Devon and stuff so I was working at the gallery there and a buddy of mine had called me up and he was just like hey do you want to go to this Von Dutch party in uh uh Manhattan Beach he he was living in Venice Beach and uh and I was living in in Hollywood and uh I was I was poolside at my my apartment pool I was like was like a Saturday or Sunday I want to say like a Sunday like around 2 pm I'm just like dude I'm like eight course lights deep I can't drive anywhere and he was like well that girl I've been talking to uh she lives down the street from me let me see if she can she can pick you up and then you know

12:14 swoop by pick me up we'll go to the party like all right cool so uh so she picks me up we stop in Santa Monica uh for her to get gas and so she goes to pump gas I go to the corner to have a cigarette and don't smoke kids it's a horrible nasty happy to be a noner and uh so uh so this white Volvo Drives By and she locks up the brakes and she was like hey do you mind if I ask you a crazy question I'm like you're hot why not she goes you ever watch Survivor I go no they're a bunch of [ __ ] losers she goes I'm the casting director I go it sucks for you she goes I'm you one in 16 chance and a million dollars I'm like whatever she goes I think you'd be perfect I go tell me something I don't know honey she go you're on that's crazy what so two weeks later I'm at the hotel uh for the

13:01 finals and uh and I literally go to the final interview and we're at CBS and I look in the room and there's two of every single person in that room but me there's there's two ruperts there's two Burton there's two Austin there's two of every single per the other Christa was Victoria Fuller who was who was uh on uh The Amazing Race like the next season Baker damn so uh so so I go for my final interview and you know that's Moon Bez and they're just like you know why do you think we're uh why you think we're going to put you on the season I'm like because there's only one of me and they're like well there's only one I'm like no no no no no I'm like in that room there's two of every single person but me exactly and I I think that speaks more volumes about me and how you couldn't find anyone likes me and so

13:46 like about that process like is it a multi-step kind of interview or like what do you like or like how do you like how many pools of people do you start with and then like you said it gets finally boiled down to like all the play like players that going to be starting God I think back then they were re they were receiving like 50,000 videotapes holy so yeah I bypassed all that like I had to make it after I was cast I had to make a video and send just to put on the website right and my video was so obnoxious and you it's just like I'm Johnny Fairplay I'm 5 foot eight 115 pounds uh and I got uh uh 12 inches of dangling Fury that says I'm winning a million dollars or something I love it love I love it so you get on you're going you know you

14:33 find out did you meet who did you meet who you were going to play with before you guys like came on like before you know kind of that first episode started or like when you get on the boats or like when you're going in is it all really like for the first time you're like all right who are these people well I mean uh so the the the finals of the audition process as I said you know it was two of every every person one of me and we would go in groups to you know to eat you know and and the the the hotel restaurant area and then like you know we grow go in like groups of two or three to to swim and stuff uh so like and there's there's you know a no communication Rule and all that so you know you give like little you know whatever and uh but but prior to that like you know once I did the finals I

15:18 knew I was going to be on um I was doing runan Canyon like two three times a day I was trying to gain weight so sure I started uh I I think I was 116 PB i' got up to 116 PBS okay I mean some of those challenges that could pay off were like they start with your starting yeah so I got up to 100 so like right now I'm like 151 but back then I you know I was 30 you know 20 202 years ago 21 years ago anyway so I was 100 I'd gotten up to 116 pounds and uh I I was doing running can every day I was uh I was drinking metric shakes like crazy I was pound Guinness beers I was eating McDonald's Pink's Hot Pink Pink's Hot Dogs uh I went down to

16:05 Catalina I became a Skin Diver and scuba diver certified and so like like I I I I paid for a private instructor I was just like look I can't I can't say what I'm doing sure but you know can you teach me what to do if say I was stranded on an island and doing challenges against you know 15 other people not tell you exactly what I'm doing but like this is just a scenario like just my idea um I got that so so uh so so I I I did all that and then uh uh my season is the first season where they did the uh the marooning so you know we jumped off the ship and the game has begun so typically what happens when you play Survivor you get there and uh uh you know everyone's on no talking and you do your press for

16:51 four days and you have Survivor school and they tell you the things you can't eat you can't eat you know they show you how to make a fire they show you how to catch crabs you know they do all that stuff so well for my season uh and it's always on location you know wherever you're doing it whatever so on on uh on Pro Islands we did uh all of our press stuff in Miami at the hotel interesting so so like the the uh the the the shot of the entire cast you know that's Miami it's not even Pro Island interesting because we have different clothes and all that so uh and during that process uh that was like a three-day deal and we still had our phones and so I was calling Thunder D every day and I'm just like all right there's this mullet guy

17:37 with with tiedye I don't know he seems like an idiot uh there's a uh there's this athletic guy with like a short brown afro he wears blue button-up shirts and khaki pants every day I'm sure he played lacrosse at Duke just drawn a picture for everybody yeah so you know so and it's funny because when Thunder D came out for the the dead Grandma AE deal uh there uh uh they they flew out you know the the people that that could have competed including one other that got voted up the night before and that was Rupert's wife right exactly so they're all hanging out and Rupert's wife has explained to everyone she's like well my husband's gonna win this whole thing oh and uh and th is just like uh does your

18:23 husband uh uh wear tie dye and have a mullet and and she's like how do you know that and he was like because I'm pretty sure my friend's going to take care of him oh damn and I literally voted him out that night Thunder D oh my God talk about pairing so like you alluded to it for those who haven't seen it it's it's what people have called arguably what most crazy plays of it's the greatest moment in the history of real life television so walk us through that when did you and thunder D start planning that what happened and like I I was very while I was doing my research on this and like thinking about everything I I was really glad to that you and Jeff probes are tight now right and because I saw that post you had where he was like no Johnny F play is not on that list yeah we yeah so

19:09 but anyways so like tell us walk us through all the way through Beginnings talking about with thund d was it in like Portland OR like where did it start and then how did we get to where we are all right so I I I mean I grew up a wrestling fan when I was four years old my dad used to take me to the greensbor Coliseum and even at the age of four he's like roote on the bad guys the good guys are [ __ ] that's like the foundation play so I've always you know I was a Four Horseman kid you know yeah so I liked the NWO like you know like the bad guys and so my heroes as a kid were uh Ric Flair Rody Piper and and Andy Kaufman oh great Tria yeah and so uh I I uh I created the character of Johnny Fairplay actually in like

19:55 199 uh 1997 and on in the wrestling uh independent wrestling circuit in the Carolinas uh I was a bad guy manager Johnny fair playay I don't play fair it's a misn right right right and uh so anyway so I brought Johnny Fairplay to Survivor and you know so you know I got I I do this you know I do the Ric Flair strut uh I I I I say whatever I'm thinking like like Rody Piper and uh and and I want you know the world and and my competitors to be my punchline and cman and uh so I had never seen Survivor before us cast except for like those two minutes during during the first finale so I had gone on eBay I ordered uh some guy had every episode and every Early

20:41 Show interview in which they explained why they felt they were voted out on VHS okay and so I bought that entire collection and and I watched every season twice and then uh uh and like and I'm sitting there watching I'm just like oh my God and and like you know the the woman that cast me L spilman she was just like hey have you have you got up to Boston Rob yet I'm like no and she was like well where are you up to and I'm like you know I'm on this season she's like what do you think and I'm like I hate it I like the real world I don't like Survivor like I want to have a threeway in a hot tub sucks which is so insane like literally 10 minutes before I talked to you I was talking to trelle from The Real World of mine yeah we're doing a we're doing a charity event in uh in Orlando uh the beginning of December I'm just say small world so

21:27 uh so I didn't like the show and so I'm watching and so I finally get to boss here Rob like what do you think it's like he didn't even make the merge this guy sucks right exactly they're like they're like well play like that but stay in the game and I'm just like can you and then I got to uh to uh s Amazon and I felt Rob Siege up from Alliance to Alliance without consequence and I was just like okay here's my blueprint let me do this but turn it up to 11 and and and that's that's that's what Johnny Fairplay is so but but going out there uh uh once again Survivor Amazon uh well every season like when when when watching the seasons like you know I'm you know I'm a quote unquote bad guy but you know I'm I'm a real person at the same time so when the loved ones episode would come on I would cry every time watching it I'm just like oh my God like

22:14 this is this is good TV like you know I like your show's kind of boring but like this loved ones thing's pretty good so I was just like oh my God how could I use that to my advantage and so on uh on Amazon it wasn't actually the loved ones challenge it was actually the auction everyone let Jenna win at the end so she could get a letter from home because her mother wasn't doing well healthwise so that's when I I was just like well what's more sympathetic than a dying mom a dead Grandma so what you don't see is uh when I first like so like I don't know if it's night one or night two you know we're all sitting by the fire and they're like you know who's your loved one you know and they're like oh my husband's coming you know and they're like you know right play I was like well

23:00 my person is my grandma I was like but CBS they're [ __ ] they made me a list of backup you know it's my buddy uh my buddy Dan but [ __ ] that I don't want to see my I want to see my grandma because if if he shows up that means my Grandma couldn't and they would pray at night for my grandma oh damn oh man so oh man so so so I set it up there but uh but but prior to that like I you know I thought of the move and uh I had three friends interesting I I had three friends that I thought would be good for the spot but I I was I uh I knew it was a big moment and I and I and I and I and I had to count on them not chickening out in that exactly exactly and the

23:48 crazy thing so I went with thunder D because he's big into wrestling and I was just like all right this this dude doesn't care like you know my other two friends they they would have seized the TV moment and kind of and [ __ ] up everything else right but Thunder D just understood the assignment and so Thunder D he he comes out there he does the little Jeff Jarett uh strut and he hugs me and when he hugs me he goes Rody Piper got fired from Smackdown and I'm like I don't give a [ __ ] tell me my grandma died like oh yeah and so then you so then you see the the like the kind of like the push off it's like did you get the letter I'm like no we don't have [ __ ] UPS [ __ ] like no right right right right right and he was just like dude she died dude I think he threw in 18 dudes so but it worked it worked it it did and so I mean it's it

24:36 it is well arguably the the best moment on television so talk a little bit about and you were on Survivor again I really want to get into your wrestling career as well but like wrapping up on Survivor you know tell us about like your experience after everything after that first season going on again um kind of being in a moment where you were like hey everybody vote me out because I want to go be with you know but that's not true wait what do you mean well yeah that's not that's I mean that's that's what has shown but that's not what happened at all we're gonna we're definitely going to dive into that but like talk about yeah all right so I do Survivor and uh it's the number uh it's the number one we went against the final season of friends and beat them in the ratings which is crazy so uh my finale had I think 33 million

25:21 viewers uh which which is insanity um that's a lot I uh I mean I was I was you know I'm a I'm I'm an answer to a trivia question you know I'm a I'm a it it's crazy because that final three was Me Lil and uh well F I guess that episode's Final Four Is Me Lil Dara and Sandra and and you know Sandra's the queen and and I'm not throwing any shade but but at that moment uh Sandra's not the TV that Sandra has has become you know since then uh I'm I'm I'm the rating STW they were literally watching the finale to see me lose right exactly

26:07 is Johnny gonna make it all the way yeah and uh and that you know sorry folks I uh I had three goals going in I was like I want to create the character of Johnny Fair playay have creative control over that character and keep him on television for as long as possible I should have had four I should have said win the million dollars I guess hindsight's 2020 but at the same time like you still checked all three of those before so like yeah so keep going so so I'm famous uh life is good people are sending boxes a feces to CBS attention Johnny fair playay I'm just like do they overnight it or there's stories of people throwing bricks through their television you know because of like not the not actually the dead Grandma lie but the swearing on the

26:52 dead Grandma later you know with against their favorite people and uh I I can I I can say I have woken up in three separate emergency rooms and three different states from being sucker punched from behind and knocked unconscious holy crap yeah so I had to change my number three times I was getting death threats my God uh I I I had security with me a lot of times rightfully so I mean not all the time apparently right couple times where we got Sucker Punch but Dam three three three different three different states so which is wild to think about too the statistical anomaly that is and it sucks because like I think you said it really

27:39 well before like if if you understand like going into it like being like obviously there's Johnny fair play and then there's you and so like for like that to kind of be take like I get it people see what they're seeing on TV but you gotta take it for what it is at the same time it's a TV show so to hear reality that's the problem when you call it reality they're like well it's real he must be an [ __ ] need to sucker punch him even though I don't know this person I don't know who he is at all as a person and what he does in the past but that's crazy so like okay and so so that's that's that's nuts uh uh so around the time of the finale I'm uh uh my my management team uh they're approached by WWE and TNA Wrestling that's awesome and so wweb offered me it was a 4month

28:24 deal uh for $80,000 a and there were two different options I I don't know if I got to choose or if they got to choose but the two different scenarios they threw out there because it was it was going in you know from January to uh to to April for Wrestlemania so one of them was uh it was going to be like a a Divas Battle Royal and it was like me versus the divas and uh I don't think I was gonna win uh and then the other one was I was going to be revealed as Trisha's sleazy boyfriend in the Christian Chris Jero Feud okay so but uh the the big so that was that was 80 grand four months I'd get to do WrestleMania and but they wanted me to sign over my name and I was just like o i i uh I feel like I feel like this this

29:11 chiny fair playay thing has some traction I like to hang on to it yeah so once again like we uh it I don't know if we could have worked any of that out because TNA's offer was 300,000 for two years I Had Creative control one bump a year first bump uh wasn't going to be for six months uh first class airfare uh five star hotel um insurance offer insur insurance and a cell phone so it was the first wrestler to ever ever have insurance ever really and then you it's funny how far they've come and like I would love to get you take on a few things but like at the same time I don't they have insurance now huh I don't think they have insurance now I think you pay your own that's crazy like and also it's a

29:58 great deal so obviously like tell us about a little bit of their I have some like I'd love to get your take on did you I just recently watched it just because people were telling me about the Vince McMahon documentary kind of diving into it what was your take on that well I mean it wasn't news for I mean I I right I'm uh I do I do 11 podcasts a week most of which are reality television but you know uh wrestling after show.com I do a wrestling podcast uh the uh the Monday after after uh pay-per-view aw pay-per-views or ples I'm on with Jason pal of PR wrestling.net I do the uh the pr wrestling boom podcast yeah so uh um I you know I've been a torch subscriber you know since 1999 I think so so i' I've you know I've

30:45 I've known about the inner workings of wrestling and then you know doing the Indie wrestling as you know as early as 97 you know I I I kind of know the the you know as I said the inside baseball stuff wrestling so the Vince thing like I mean I don't know how they were going to surprise me but they didn't surprise you know because I knew all the stuff everything was coming when the uh the the uh um the Miss Grant uh walk suit against Vince you I think it was a 60 60 page doc like I read that the day the day she she submitted it oh wow okay so you when it became you know public record right yeah so I mean so so yeah so no like I mean I guess the only thing that really surprised me was uh because I've always I'm I'm friends with with

31:31 Hulk Hogan and like you know and Hulk's like I didn't know if Andre was going to do the honors brother and I'm just like oh my God please St I'm just like you knew and the fact that Vince was like ah we didn't know I'm just like oh my god did he did is has he tricked himself into believing this too or or is there this much of credibility that that that actually happened but there's no way you know yeah right so but uh yeah no I I thought uh I thought they did a good job but at the same time like you know I there was there was a part of me that that was you know I just wanted you know to be surprised I was like uh but I think for people outside of that wrestling bubble I I think it was extremely educational if if you could make your way through I mean like what was it like Eight Episodes it is it's it

32:17 was I thought it was one long like movie when I first started it and and it's and it was a lot more after I was like oh this is like a like I think it was like seven like you said or something like that it was you had to like strap in for a little bit be like this take some I think it maybe May whatever it was like like all the all the inside they're like just wait till the last episode and then like the last episode was the Grant S was like yeah I know all this like right right so I I have so many questions because I also know you're dad but like um so anyways thinking like of each one let's do it so like I would love to know from across your career Two Survivor players you would like to play with two wrestlers you wish you could have wrestled with and then uh we'll go on to the next one but give me those two on each

33:02 side uh two survivors I'd like to play I mean I would love to I'd love to send home Boston Rob and parvy that would be cool that would be cool I hear how great they are but you know but they've never they've never played against me right exactly so there's always that bit of you know what if you know what so I think those are two you know I I uh you know I'm not one to toot my own horn but toot toot I uh I think I'm one of the greatest ever and I would put you up there I think I think if you go back and actually analyze uh you made it to top four that's that's I think a top three top three sorry pardon me it's one of those things where like because the reason they changed it to a final three right exactly it's one of those things where like I think you

33:48 take away right you take a play the the arguably the best like crazi thing that's happened in television but you pepper in the fact that like you played a Strate like you didn't play a bad game like I think that's one of the things controlled every like that I get I get so angry watching the new era Survivor they literally say on there it's just like you know I I just need one big move for the resume I'm like hey you need a bunch go go [ __ ] yourself with the resume I just hate that word on on uh and B uh how about all the moves I mean I was literally responsible for every single vote that I had the position to be responsible right EX all but two in the history of Survivor I have the most rewards enjoyed by a single person in a single season of all

34:35 time the only two rewards I did not enjoy were uh the the Morgans got the shower reward but when I rided their [ __ ] [ __ ] I uh they they offered me the shower and I just I just took the shampoo conditioner to the to the ocean so I got I technically got that and then Berton and Lil got the breakfast reward and Burton came back from that he's like oh my God fair play goes it was [ __ ] Dairy based my butthole is a soft serve ice cream right now he was like so but other than that I got every single reward on that season damn and I think that goes and one I'd love to get your uh take on it like have you do you watch the have you watched the current season are you caught up with all the well me I do a I do a weekly podcast at Survivor after show.com so what what surprises me what I'm

35:22 watching so far of this season is I've never seen a season where this many people who are voted out are genuinely seem just shocked that they were vot out they deserve it like it's just one of win the show and and you should like why would you even say their name it's just one of those things where they're just like what I'm like it's I've never seen so many people consistently be like I just didn't see that coming it's it's that generation's entitlement okay I it's just it's just it was it it blew my mind because like the first one you're like okay maybe she did get Blindside um and then the next one I was okay with the uh oh my God what was her name not Tasha what she was on the tuku tribe Tiana Tiana that was pretty recent that was

36:08 like two episodes ago yeah she just started crying and and it was a Twist on top of a Twist that that went to that yeah I'll allow that one okay but the entitlement of of the the other three I'm like go [ __ ] yourself like like just because you like a I wouldn't have last half of you fair fair point Fair Point fair play but it's one of but like I agree because like I and maybe I was like maybe just I'd love your perspective on it just because like maybe just not playing I don't know there's maybe a level to that but like it does just seem like there's a lot of players who are genuinely just every time there's a vote they're shocked and like I've never seen that so consistent like over so many one in particular on the new era like I they're just hatable it's just

36:54 like your your your entitlement is just palpable that just like I I would love to play with that person and and let them see what a first boot feels like exactly I I agree I I I would love to watch that's what that's what they're entitled in my mind to receive right I would like to longest Ponderosa stay possible I would love to uh I would love to see you just planted in to like a new season like up that would be that would be something else um last little thing about then I want to talk about some dad stuff as well as me let me clarify my my return on Micronesia okay go ahead okay so eight days before I went out from Micronesia I was at the fox reality Awards oh yeah and bonuchi threw me over his head he knocked out my front four

37:39 teeth I had H that night I had uh 7 hours of emergency surgery they did a root canal in front of me and then placed that tooth back in the next day I went back for eight additional hours of D surgery actually Rhino from Pro Islands held my hand I stopped counting novacaine shots at 18 because I was just eating through the novacaine because my my my anxiety and fear was so high good and uh so and uh my my jaw was shattered so uh if you're if you actually look closely on Micronesia uh my jaws wired I did not notice that yeah uh here you can see

38:32 the picture they always use you can see the uh the braces on there with the with the wire so uh I uh so that happened eight days before filming and there and so they called me up you know because of course you know I made TM and all and they're just like fair play can you make it make it I'm just like yeah I'm just like because uh because you know people people they're just like you know you can't have your medication I'm just like and and back then you know I was partying you know a big weed guy or whatever but I was never a pill guy like I knew so many guy like I I hung with plenty of bad guys in Hollywood and they're just like oh my God I gotta I gotta I got a deal where I can get uh Xanax for $4 dollar a pill or

39:17 I don't I don't even know the right I'm making up numbers because I'm just literally not and have never been a pill guy and I'm just like dude you're [ __ ] famous just ask like people give you free [ __ ] yeah and they're like I'm like yeah people give me pills all the time I just give them to my other friends I'm just like I don't want this you know right exactly but I'm not you know but I want to be cool balance there's a balance so but uh uh I was just like you know you know can you you know I'm just like yes uh I was like I was like all I ask is if I have a a doctor's note can I have a mouth guard for challenges and they said absolutely yes so I had a white one and a neon pink one for challenges two good colors yes so uh so when they when they start Micronesia Jeff's like there's a the

40:03 game has begun there's a hdden idle right now right and so I find it first I'm going towards it ya man sees I'm going for it and and for the record my plan I was gonna throw it in the [ __ ] ocean I hate [ __ ] Idols can't stand them so that so I'm going for it yam comes behind me shoves my head into the side of the boat to grab the idol so immediately I go to production I'm like I'm out yeah I'm [ __ ] and they're like are you sure they're like uh I'm just like I am in I I have this is the most amount of pain I've ever been in my entire life they're like well we can't give you anything I'm like okay and so the next day I see James the gravedigger and he's eating a Nicorette pill and I'm like what's that he goes oh I couldn't stop smoking time so they gave me I'm just like so let me get this straight you got we got a Greek god that gets a

40:49 Nicorette pill I am literally [ __ ] dying for my head being shoved in and they're like yeah and I'm like I'm out and they're like what are you going to say bonad DUI knocked uh knocked your teeth out I'm like no I'm not going to put him over on the show I'm like I'm going to say I'm I'm I'm quitting for love because my uh my uh uh my girlfriend was pregnant and they're like well who's gonna believe that I'm like the same [ __ ] that believe the dead Grandma lie exactly day you believe that I was about to say I like I just said um and I think it's one of those things where like you know I one you could look at that aspect what you did and you did you did a good thing and what you know not pulling him over the call because you could have but at the same time like I think you know it I did did you say it maybe I missed it why couldn't you have the pills like just because like it's a narcotic and like

41:35 they couldn't give you and okay yeah but here's the crazy thing so the the main producer that literally started on day four because he was finishing up another project so it was a young a young producer that told me that so so you know I uh get voted out I get asked to be voted out I'm voted out not a quit and so Dave for the the producer from Pro Islands you know one of the he comes in he's like fair play what the [ __ ] happened I he's like why wouldn't they give you a [ __ ] aspirin and I'm like I literally said the same thing like you could have had an aspirin yeah that's crazy that's wild also I would have been so pissed because it's like I like if you just give me something like and I even like I'm not like you know what I mean like that's yeah no I like once again I didn't want a perco set or a

42:22 Xanax or right I'm not right after the surgery I was given those and like I mean I'm just like ibuprofen is more than okay right so as I said like I don't want a b like a buzz from a pill it's just like I like to I like to control me like I'm My Own real quick exactly I I give myself my like yeah like uh what you call uh uh God what what was it um oh what's those I don't even know what they're called they're uh they're the hardcore pills like uh no uh oh my God once again like my drug knowledge is so anyway it's uh people um people like to crush them up and and snort them they uh their no no uh I

43:12 don't know way too many any whatever it is I I had to take one time for something I literally could not walk violently threw up and I was just like and yet another reminder folks I do not so yeah I'm just I'm I'm just not have never been and never will be you know a pill another twist not the pill part but like The Twist on the actual what happened um last thing also because I love to get into what you're doing now like you keep mentioning the podcast also like your life is a dead but like um you know one last thing I guess oh two two wrestlers that I uh yeah yeah so I was fortunate enough when I was in TNA um I got so my first night in TNA so my contract is I have creative

43:58 control so I can say no to whatever that's awesome I don't take a bump for six months I take one bump a year and you know so you build up the heat you know whatever so so I get there and Jeff jer's like a firepl man you ain't gonna believe that access Hollywoods here inside editions here Entertainment Tonight you got to take a bum man he just like we we know there be here this I was just like impation like well what are you thinking and they're just like uh um I don't know maybe Power Bomb from AJ Styles look pretty good you know so uh I'm just like geez so well the day before I showed up for my first day on the job at TNA my salary leaked out so everyone there [ __ ] hated my guts I mean because like I mean like I don't

44:45 think anyone there was making more than probably like $40,000 and I'm I'm getting 300 Grand yeah right exactly that would piss a lot of people off yes oh they were they were very pissed and and you know and a lot of them knew didn't had no clue that I I did have independent experience a couple did but they they won't they won't vouching for me right right right so anyway so uh so I call my manager and I'm just like uh yeah so my contract leaked out and everybody hates me she's like that's fine I was like well for you right right right exactly I was like they want me to take a they want me to take a Power Bomb she's like I don't know what that is but the answer is no and I was just like look I think it's GNA be a long two years if if I don't do this so we do the uh the rehearsal that afternoon and uh uh so the gimmick is uh AJ has Don

45:32 Callas in the corner and I come up with a chair from behind and nail AJ and then um uh uh he uh he throws down Don Callas comes up to me kicks me in the stomach I drop the chair uh picks me up Power Bomb boom you know that's it and so uh so we're practicing and I grabbed the chair and and I grabb the chair the wrong way and Don call is like this [ __ ] guy doesn't even know how to hold the chair damn and uh and Jeff Jarrett's there for the for the rehearsal and I look over at Don call I'm like this [ __ ] is not supposed to know how to hold a chair I'm a [ __ ] Outsider remember right exactly how would I know what to do I would I'd probably find myself how just like kids got a point I purposely I know

46:19 I know how to [ __ ] grab a chair and [ __ ] wrestling but I didn't want to grab it like a [ __ ] wrestler does yeah exactly I'm a [ __ ] Outsider exactly and I think think that's play like I think you were bringing a lot of creativity to the scene and they bringing a lot into it and I think he probably saw that so that's I that's good on you so wait who pick you still I don't know did you give me an answer who are the two that you would pick well hold on hold on so we get so anyway so uh so AJ kicks me in stomach boom gets me up I'm selling like crazy boom Power Bomb stiffs me on purpose he'll admit it got a concussion I get to the back Terry funk's back there and cuts a promo it's just like this little kid right here so hard than anyone of you did oh godamn night I'm just like Terry you're not helping they they already hate me right

47:06 so but uh the next week I came in there Brian erer threw me over the top rope to the floor one of the best non sports moment of the year with Brian at Chicago Bears so next week uh uh Simon Diamond Stomps my hand the next week's uh AJ Styles gives me the Styles Clash I manage abyss and Lex Luger as tag team champions for some we so anyway so I do all this and then and then Jeff Jeff Jarrett calls the owner Dix car is like I can't do nothing with him I'm let's just pay him to stay at home what and I'm just like well you can't beat me up anymore I mean like i' literally like one a year you You' you know I've taken like eight [ __ ] moves you know it's fine so uh they they pay me to stay at home fine uh Jeff Jared's out of power

47:52 Dusty rhods gets the book and he goes who's this Johnny Fe day why does he make more money everybody else we had our names and our salaries and they're like oh that's the kid from Survivor Jeff Jared didn't like him he's like he's the more famous than AJ Styles I'll take him that's awesome so dusty brings me in he comes there he's like he's like dny f he's what we're gonna do he goes uh you're gonna be in my office I'm gonna come in and you gonna say something I say something then you say something you we just G to do little movies it's gonna be fun Daddy and I was just like [ __ ] yes so I got to uh I got to I got to work with with Dusty and that was one of the cool I love Dusty you know even though I like the bad guys them bad guys beat the [ __ ] dusty

48:38 road he's and then uh fast forward my next year uh so then Dusty was out of power and Jeff's like hey you know where you're going back home I'm like I know uh they did this uh they had signed a deal with Fox Sports and they had done like the the the the best damn week ever or whatever and they did the the wrestling D week ever with with cross promotion deal and so they did a deal with a Rody Piper did a piper pit and me and Chris Rose were his guest and he did the the Fire EX singature thing like he did with Morton Downey Jr uh so nice so uh so yeah so it's far as who I'd like like you know like I I kind of got my my dream with with Dusty and and Piper uh but uh you know uh I mean I

49:23 guess you know Hulk and uh uh that's a good one Hulk and flare I mean you know that would be yeah those are two good picks yeah but I'm I'm content I'm content I mean I'm I'm beyond content with life like I I have Survivor winners that come to my house and they walk you know like like this you know I'm not I'm not hanging out an arcade I'm at my house this this is my podcast studio and uh uh and I they're like dude you won Survivor and I'm like [ __ ] yeah I want Survivor right exactly look at life grand scheme of things too and so yeah right exactly right better look at it um so kind of like right let's pivot so that's that's Johnny over there tell me a little about I I my daughter my my first daughter she is a year just turned

50:09 a year and a half so like just start being dad tell me about your family what it's like being a dad like and you know also just outside like you know tell me a little about what you do you know now and you know what do you day-to-day what does it look what does a week in in your life look like right now sure I mean I I have a 16-year-old and a seven-year-old and uh my my 16-year-old she's fully aware of Johnny Fairplay the character gotta and to some degree uh like like uh we went to Galaxy con past year and uh and and she was like uh you know we get there and she was like you know I want to do I want to see this person this person whatever and I'm just like all right I was like well

50:55 I know the you know the president president of Galaxy KH yeah I was like uh whatever you want just let me know and I give right no no I don't I don't want to hang out with you and I'm like all right well you know like a lot a lot of these Ops are uh like $200 a pop sure I was like I get these for free right so and and you know and there the long it's just like whatever you know I just want to just like I was like well who what do you really care about she's like I want to meet the flash you know Grant Gustin okay I was like not a problem I was like uh and so I told the he was like be here at 1:00 okay like okay so or no at like 5 till 1 whatever so anyway so we're there and so she gets there she's got her friend with her and and you know and

51:41 she was just like you ruined it Dad and I'm just like right like uh I think we're a minute early like you know what's she like the line is all the way down it's a two-hour line they've already said no one else they they they're sold out of Ops we can't you know and I was just like we're not waiting waiting in that like what like everything's fine so anyway so we uh president comes up and he's just like how many you got and I had Jesse from Survivor and his kids and so it was like eight I'm like H I think it's like eight of us like come on come on so we go back to the uh to the thing where they do the Ops and and the president he goes I need to borrow your dad for one second he's like just give

52:26 me know and uh they're like What's that he's just like it's fine just so he takes me over to the op thing right and he's just like uh you want to meet Billy D Williams and I was just like [ __ ] yeah that's awesome so I just have a private just one of you know me and Lando carissan [ __ ] Colt 45 it's [ __ ] great so you know so we do you know and so we go I go back and uh he was like uh uh he's like hey Grant can you go and he was like Grant he goes uh uh uh this is Johnny fair play family and and his friend and he's like he goes Johnny Fairplay big fan oh my God who who's your people yeah and my kids just like who are you the the the flash knows who you are knows who you are and I'm just like yeah I'm you know fairfly you know

53:12 power Dynamic was like they all of a sudden turned it shift in their head they're like who's my dad like it shifted in their head and and so uh so from there uh you know she's just like she's like you know I want to you know so like what you call it blu's Clues is like oh my God Johnny fair play and and then of course every you know I got I got Ric Flair and Mick Foley they're like fair play you know that's awesome and you know and she's like well there they're they're they're wrestlers they don't count they're not famous and I'm just like oh my God you just said Ric Flair's not famous I was just about to say Ric Flair has a song written by by MOS like Ric Flair's like a a cultural kind of like yeah people Johnny fair play right right exactly right like I get it and and like that's the thing too who like I was brought into Survivor like by my wife like she watched it growing up hadn't really watched it growing up got

53:58 into it in college started from the beginning if anyone who's going to get into it needs to start at the beginning because you'll see just the progression of the show but like that's oh man so like it's it sounds like it they made that connection they're like oh [ __ ] my dad's you know I gotta find who Johnny fair play is well but but here was the biggest pop so uh so we're doing all so uh there's there's the the chick or sorry the woman uh I I I don't I don't say chicken and derogatory 50-year old guy relax okay uh there's there's the the the lovely young lady that does the voice of Zelda on the the video games yeah yeah yeah you know the the new you know Nintendo switch games so anyway so uh there's a line for her and you know it's not a long line

54:44 but it's still a line but you know it's a it's a it's a 20 minute line sure anyway so she's like Dad I want to do this right and she was like uh we're not skipping line and I was like okay fine fine you know hey get we can just sit here and talk and she like oh my [Laughter] God right so anyway we're we're in line for about five minutes and uh the manager of uh uh the the talent manager for for the uh the the Zelda lady go there's like holy he goes Johnny Fair play's in your line and she's like oh my God Johnny fair play get up here and she was just like you know my dad she's like

55:32 your dad is incredible and I'm just like holy [ __ ] am I cool today right right exactly this is a like the biggest moment for dad like Dad's getting all the points right so oh she drew a whole thing because uh uh my my 16-year-old has has the the the zelic special collector's edition and the special case and all that she Drew whole thing and and then did the secret thing oh yeah that was that she probably loved that oh you were you walked out there on top that day you're like I mean it lasted one day like the next day like oh my god dad you're the worst so but my my my uh my seven-year-old on the other hand uh oh like she L my dad's famous and I'm

56:18 pretty sure he's Rich hey F brother don't tell your mom right exactly right on the downlo keep it on the downlo that's doing okay but like just keep it on the download I love it yeah these all you know can you get me free stuff here it's like easy easy but maybe maybe yeah probably probably nothing nothing major but like we see what we can do maybe yeah just just relax kid so I love that and so now so you're doing so like you know moving into like what you doing a dayto day like day dayto day I uh I I have a a podcast where or well it was a I I started a podcast Network or I started a podcast uh five years ago uh

57:07 myself and Conrad Thompson who you may know from something to wrestle with Bruce Pritchard and what happened will with Tony Shani and uh and you know and he started a podcast Empire now we we we've been friends for a while and and five years ago it's just like hey do you want to do a Survivor podcast I was like sure yeah and so we did a podcast together for season uh 37 okay uh it was uh the hustlers Heroes healers season okay got out your mic That season and Ben who served our nation's military which he may have mentioned in a confessional or tip so uh so we we did that uh that season and after the season Conrad was just like uh all right I've got this all set up for

57:54 you I did not enjoy Survivor I would never like to watch an episode ever again if you'd like to continue the podcast everything set up enjoy and uh he gave me Matt [ __ ] who who had done a lot of stuff for for the uh for the network and and did the podcast with he's done podcast with uh uh Dutch mantel and um uh FTR and other people and uh so so uh myself and Matt [ __ ] started doing the podcast and so it started survivals the fairest but that name was kind of too cute by half for search engines because you're not finding a Survivor or fair play so uh so we changed it to Survivor NSFW so we were we were the Survivor podcast where we use bad words ah there

58:40 you go and I got a I got a cease and assist from CBS Are you seriously yeah so uh so then we changed it to reality NSFW oh so so any so it was me and maton and I was just like hey I want to go do live shows like Conrad and Bruce were doing and Conrad and Eric bishof were doing yeah and so uh so he's like oh I don't want to I don't want to do that and I'm like okay so uh so he stopped after one seat so I got Matt bishaw from Survivor car moan he was like uh I'll do that and and so he got there he's like well I'll do the podcast but I don't feel like doing live shows either so I have been touring for I've been doing the podcast for five years I've been touring for four years go to Survivor tix.com that's survivor.com

59:26 and you get tickets but uh um I uh I've been doing a Survivor podcast and and then you know uh with Matt bishof we branched out and we've covered uh big brother and The Amazing Race and some other shows and uh as of I believe uh five months ago we are now a a uh broadcast network uh we uh we film we use Riverside everything is done in 4k and and uh so no more 1080p uh it it does it does uh does subtract the the live streaming component okay you know but being this big uh massive company that I've produced uh most of the TV shows semi screeners and so so I I I I

1:00:14 get to record the uh the broadcast during during the afternoon and then you know we have them drop you know as soon as the episode is over uh you know at like you know 9:30 p.m. or or 10 p.m. Eastern you know whatever according to the show so uh so yeah so now I I have uh uh for Survivor myself and Matt Bishoff and stand up comedian Wayne mimt we do a Survivor after show uh it's on you know Wednesday nights at 9:30 pm uh after the episode uh I have a challenge podcast uh with Paulie califur uh who was actually on season 40 they're talking Challenge season 40 Wendell Holland uh who won Survivor ghost Island wend and Bryce Isaiah and Joey hatch to a challenge breakdown podcast and have Rachel Riley who won Big Brother she does my big brother podcast I have Jen

1:01:00 Hoffman from The Apprentice we do a House of Villains podcast we have a Love's blind podcast me and my buddy he we we do it do we uh we do a we just did a wrestling pod we do a wrestling podcast every Tuesday we talk about SmackDown and Raw and and the pl and then every week we have a Crockett uh uh Crockett classic match of the week and and we try to pick something that like whether it be the Finish or the angle or the storyline that has something to do with something in in current wrestling so so we kind of Mel those worlds and so that uh so everything is available video wise at youtube.com aftershow and then the uh the audio version just search reality after show on Apple podcast Amazon music Spotify or

1:01:47 wherever you you know you listen so but uh uh yeah it's uh it's it's it's been crazy I said like like I'm looking at 10 podcast past a week there and then my viewing parties have have just started back uh this uh tomorrow night I don't know when it comes out but but uh but wed Wednesday November 13th I will be in Durham North Carolina at uh um at Clouds Brew Cade used to be clouds Brewing they actually made this beer hold on I got I got a little show and tell folks give him a little plug give them a little plug I love clouds by the way as a as a person lives next to in Raleigh I've been to clouds I've been to clouds Brewing when did it switch to a barket uh a few uh a few months back but this is they they made this last this is the

1:02:33 merge sour me Sandra and Jesse on the label I love it oh I've had I've had I think six beers named after me now blo did a juicy Fair playay IPA and a hob whisper with me and Mike Turner and then a Three Notch Brewing did a Johnny sour play and then a Johnny sour Play Pink Lemonade sour damn uh so I'm I'm working on a on another IPA now so I got a my brother is the head Brewer at Jacqueline Hy in Charlotte I gotta hit you guys up maybe we can get one for them too maybe I would love a villain IPA I I want a West Coast because of villains all right a we got it West Coast villain IPA easy we can make Johnny fair play doing the doing the gimmick I'll I'll have his people touch

1:03:19 you and everything would be perfect um awesome it all right so last so but I'm doing so I'm doing I'm doing parties I have during this week Survivor ticks.com and then uh first week in December I'm at over theedge uh over the edge weekend it's 130 reality stars and wrestlers we're all raising money for our individual Charities I just ran a half marathon a few weeks back I've raised over $2,000 for Homer Trails Animal Rescue that's awesome in Virginia um Dan Virginia has a our animal shelter has a kill rate of 83% the national average of 13 that is not good the higher the numbers not better uh so uh so I'm doing what I can to to help where I where I grew up and uh so uh so I'll be there

1:04:04 it's like myself Boston Rob uh trelle from The Real World uh uh uh Mariah from uh from The Challenge so many people we're raising a ton of money for each of our own individual Charities super excited about that and uh starting there I'm filming a new show uh myself and King George from Australian Survivor and they will be following us on the road from over theedge weekend all the way to

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