South Floridian poses questions, answers
2004 by Scott Fishman

South Floridian poses questions, answers
Interview by Scott Fishman

Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven published in 1845 exemplified the genius and madness this tragic literary figure led.

Scott Levy parallels those same sediments and created one of the most innovative, unique and enigmatic characters in the world of sports entertainment. It is a difficult feat in a business where a performer often goes through an identity crisis ranging from disaster to a long-lasting profitable career.

Since the character hatched in Paul Heyman's ECW nest almost a decade ago, Levy kept Raven fresh and established a solid following of dedicated fans.

Levy, a consummate performer, left WWE during his first stint as wrestler/manager Johnny Polo after being offered an office position. He regrouped in ECW, and the Raven character was born.

The Raven persona is a culmination of years of colorful and somewhat comedic gimmicks which only masked the darkness and barricaded the real Scott Levy inside.

Shortly before a TNA show at the Asylum -- an appropriate name -- Levy spoke candidly on a variety of topics.

HERALD: I wanted to start with the Raven cruise in December. How did it formulate?

RAVEN: I was at a comic book convention as one of the celebrity guests, and a lady approached me that did celebrity cruises. Some big-time race car driver did one. I forget who, and some other actors had one. I guess they wanted wrestlers to do it.

HERALD: This has nothing to do with TNA. Right?

RAVEN: Right. It's actually a pretty lucrative deal. For every 'x' amount of people that go on the cruise, I will get 'x' amount of dollars. Plus, I get to take a free cruise, but it turns out to be incredibly lucrative, though.

HERALD: Did you grow up in South Florida?

RAVEN: Yeah

HERALD: What part?

RAVEN: Lake Worth. I went to Lake Worth High School.

HERALD: Growing up what made you decide to become a wrestler?

RAVEN: I always wanted to ever since I was a little kid. Once I graduated college, it became a matter of how do I accomplish it.

HERALD: How did the whole Raven persona develop?

RAVEN: Out of a scarred and tumultuous childhood. I just took the emotional baggage and turned into fodder for my career. It became very cathartic. Sort of having my own psychoanalytical couch sessions but only in front of eight million people.

HERALD: Looking at WWE now do you see yourself fortunate working on the independent circuit, as far as becoming lucrative?

RAVEN: Yeah. I'm much happier now. I'm making three times there and working half the dates. So it worked out incredible for me. I've been very, very lucky and very, very grateful.

HERALD: I know you wrote an issue of Spiderman, do you have anymore future plans writing anymore comic books.

RAVEN: Yeah, but you know I'm really lazy about that. My time is so limited as it is. I love reading comics and couldn't just turn in crap. I would have to put a lot of thought behind it. In fact I'm working on a project now, but I never seem to have the time to finish it. I just don't want to half-$@% something. If I do it half-#%$, I'd rather not do it.

HERALD: Besides comic books did you ever consider writing a novel, an autobiography maybe?

RAVEN: Autobiography. I'm actually looking for a publisher now for an autobiography. I don't want to do it just to do it. I want to make a lot of money at it. But I think the difference between me and everybody else that did one, that will make mine unique and will make mine sell more, is that I'm willing to discuss in-depth of depravity that I sunk in minute and glorious detail. The women I slept with, the sex and drugs.

HERALD: Everything that goes along with the wrestling business?

RAVEN: Yeah, but in-depth. It's going to be like reading a rock star biography. I don't think any other wrestler has ever touched on the depths of decadence and debauchery that surround this business if you're looking for it. I think most people have a very high and mighty view of themselves and don't want to look bad on a written page. To write a book and make them look like a jerk, but to me if you're going to write, I think it's a much more interesting story when you find out what a sad and unhappy childhood I had which led to the drugs and eventual salvation of redemption at the end of the page.

I think it's a more interesting story then just some guy saying, 'I was a star athlete. I was a star this. I became a star wrestler and made a lot of money.' There's no character development and growth as a human. I don't think your going to find that interesting. I think as a wrestling fan you're going to want to read about it because you like wrestling, but I don't think you're going to appeal to anybody outside the professional wrestling market.

I think that's why Mick Foley's book sold as well as it did because he told a much more interesting story. I think mine, in fact I know, I've had Mick live vicariously through me at different phases of my career. I know mine is much more fascinating than his, but whether I can write as well as he can is another question. I definitely know my life is about a thousand times more interesting than his was, and his was pretty interesting. That's not a slight on him, but I grew up wanting my life to be like the movies I saw going to the theatre. So I made my life, if there was an adventure to be had or drug to take or women to sleep with I was going to do it.

HERALD: So it's more about Scott Levy than Raven?

RAVEN: They're so inextricably intertwined. One is the extension of the other. It's not like I just created a whole different persona because like I said I created this persona out of the ashes of my childhood. So it was very much apart. Just like The Rock is an extension of who he is and like Austin is an extension of who he is.

HERALD: That's why their so successful, it's closer to themselves.

RAVEN: I don't want to play a character that I'm not, it's too much work. It's too much work to go into character. This I don't have to go into anywhere. I just channel different emotions than I would, but I don't have to go looking elsewhere for inspiration.

HERALD: Being in the wrestling business so long does any wrestlers like a CM Punk come up to you for advice, and what advice do you give them?

RAVEN: Yeah, but it depends on what their asking about.

HERALD: For example how to be successful or more successful? How to move up another rung on the ladder?

RAVEN: Respect is one way to get up the ladder. You know I've burned so many bridges it's amazing I was able to keep jobs. One great thing is talent always does shine through. For wrestling skill, the first thing I would tell anyone is to watch as much wrestling as humanly possible. Whether it's good or bad because you're gong to learn as much from watching the bad wrestling as you would from watching the good. You learn what not to do, which is sometimes more important than what to do.

HERALD: Do you have any regrets looking back on your career?

RAVEN: Oh I got a lot of them. I would do so many things differently.

HERALD: Anyone in particular?

RAVEN: No, but that's a part of life. Anybody that says they wouldn't go back and change things is a liar because they might not want to change things. If things wouldn't have been the way they were, I wouldn't have ended up who I am, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have rather saved the heartache and pain and done it a completely different way.

HERALD: When you retire from wrestling do you have any plans of opening a wrestling school?

RAVEN: Once I'm done, I have no interest of being behind the scenes. I'm a performer. I want to perform. When I'm done with this, I'll go into something else I can perform. I got a movie, a horror movie. I would like to pursue that or at the very least my back-up plan is talk radio. Ultimately, though, I'm a performer, and I want to stay a performer and not a behind the scenes person.

HERALD: If you do a talk radio would you do sports or a Howard Stern type show?

RAVEN: Howard Stern type show. I'm not a sports fan. I'd rather do that or Loveline like with Adam Carolla or Dr. Drew. I like to give advice, anything like that.

HERALD: What's your opinion of guys like Howard Stern being kicked off along with different people?

RAVEN: It's a bunch of crap. I think freedom of speech. You should be able to say what you want, and if it doesn't apply to everybody then the law doesn't work.

HERALD: What else do you want to accomplish in the wrestling business as a whole?

RAVEN: I want to beat Jeff [Jarrett] for the world title and make more money. Those are my two short term goals right now.

HERALD: Any long-term goals?

RAVEN: Hope my body holds out for long-term goals.

HERALD: Has the family situation gotten any better over the years?

RAVEN: Yes. Actually it has.

• Raven returns to TNA after a rib injury he sustained at an IMPACT! taping in Orlando coupled with a case of pneumonia. He is scheduled to appear in the Asylum where he will continue his program with Sabu on Wednesday, July 14 on pay-per-view.

• Raven's Caribbean cruise and wrestling seminar is Nov. 20-27 boarding in Miami with stops in the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and San Marten along with San Juan, Puerto Rico. There are two full days of exclusive Raven events.