Wrestling Legend Rhino Talks AEW, Ghosts, Hall of Fame, and 30 Years in the Ring
When you’ve known a guy like Rhino for nearly 24 years, you don’t just talk wrestling. You talk everything—from ghost hunting to planting flowers and getting probed by aliens. (Yes,…
When you’ve known a guy like Rhino for nearly 24 years, you don’t just talk wrestling. You talk everything—from ghost hunting to planting flowers and getting probed by aliens. (Yes, we talked about that. Keep reading.)
Recently, Rhino and I went full circle—reminiscing on his 30-year wrestling career, his first match on my birthday (March 10th, 1995), and the road from ECW to WWE, TNA, and now AEW.
“I’ve had over 3,000 matches,” Rhino said. “More wins than losses—that’s all that matters.”
We dug into his early matches, including a loss to Hacksaw Jim Duggan that he still hasn’t forgiven me for bringing up on-air. And he laughed, remembering late-night meals with the likes of Edge, Christian, and a then-shirtless Chris Jericho looking like he was about to hit the ring—at Rams Horn.
“He hasn’t buttoned his shirt since,” Rhino joked.
MeltdownMeltdown with Francine and Rhino
Beyond the ring, we talked passions—motorcycles, mentorship, and ghosts. Rhino’s got stories about Eloise Psychiatric Hospital. He’s not full-time into paranormal stuff, but he knows what’s up.
“Ghosts can attach themselves to you and follow you home,” he said. “I try to avoid that. I have enough problems getting women to come home with me, let alone spirits.”
Rhino also touched on the TNA Hall of Fame induction—an honor he accepted on two hours of sleep, following a whirlwind schedule that included two shows, a flight, and a last-minute speech.
“They told me, ‘Just start with where you were born,’” he laughed. “So I did. And yeah, it meant a lot.”
We even got into aliens (Rhino made a full-on tinfoil hat for the eclipse), American Pickers (he totally marked out over Mike Wolfe), and why he finally threw his first birthday party last year at age 49.
“We didn’t have money for parties growing up. Birthdays were just cake, ice cream, and family,” he said. “But that one surprised me. Totally caught me off guard.”
MeltdownRhino and King Latimer doing battle in an IWR event in February.
He also dropped wisdom for up-and-coming wrestlers and fans alike:
“It’s not about me—it’s about giving someone the ball. If they run with it and score, it’s their hard work. But I’ll always hand them the ball.”
You can’t fake passion—and Rhino’s got plenty of it. Whether he’s mentoring talent like Dr. Britt Baker, running his own wrestling promotion, or dropping the Gore in an AEW ring for the first time, he’s all in.
Rhino—still goring strong. Still one of the most genuine guys I know.
And if you need help planting flowers, you know who to call.
— Meltdown 🎙️
