Grilling JR - IRS/Mike Rotunda [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Welcome to the next episode of Grilling JR where we’re discussing “The Tax Man” Mike Rotunda also known as Irwin R. Schyster...IRS.

Lawrence Michael Rotunda was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 30, 1958 before moving to Newark Valley, New York for his high school years. He was a wrestler & a football player before going to Syracuse and graduating there. He travels to Germany to train under The Destroyer Dick Beyer. Rotunda is getting trained by Beyer as both are from Syracuse University. Did you ever hear any stories about Dick Beyer training?

Rotunda debuts in pro wrestling in 1981 and works as an underneath wrestler for Lutte Internationale, Jim Crockett Promotions and Championship Wrestling from Florida. When did you first hear of Rotunda or meet him?

In 1984 Rotunda...who had his name changed to Rotundo for whatever reason...debuted with the WWF teaming with Barry Windham to be the US Express. Windham is also Mike’s brother-in-law as he marries Blackjack Windham’s daughter Stephanie. In shocking fashion...a wrestling marriage has survived as they’re still married to this day! Why do you think these marriages fail in the wrestling business?

Rotundo & Windham get a push very quickly and originally come out to “Real American” by Rick Derringer before Hulk Hogan ever did. They begin a feud with Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik playing off America’s issues with the Soviet Union & the Middle East. What did you think of the presentation of the US Express?

They won the WWF Tag Team Titles from Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch in late January of 1985 and then were paired with Captain Lou Albano. Do you think Lou added anything to them or was it a way to get a rub to go with the push?

They’re on the original WrestleMania card and they lose the tag team titles to Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik. It’s a big spot for a guy who’s only been in the business for a little over 4 years at this point don’t you think?

They won back the titles from Volkoff & Sheik in June before dropping the titles to Brutus Beefcake & Greg Valentine in Philadelphia on August 24th. Windham leaves the WWF and they attempt to replace Windham with Dan Spivey but not much later Rotundo leaves as well. Do you know why Windham & Rotundo left the WWF?

Mike goes back to Florida for Championship Wrestling from Florida and wins the Florida Heavyweight Championship. Rotundo debuts for JCP on March 1st, 1987 defeating Thunderfoot #2. Jim what is your favorite Thunderfoot #2 match?

You joined JCP in July of 1987 and right before that Ric Flair is working Rotunda for CWF. Do you know if that was the first sign of them thinking they had something in Mike?

Rotunda is working a lot with Dory Funk Jr. at this time. What did you think of seeing Mike in person work wise and personality wise?

It’s November of 1987 and David Crockett conducts an interview with Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan says, “the most nothing-happening athlete I’ve ever seen in the wrestling business.” Somehow this leads to Rotunda being paired up with Kevin Sullivan. This is quite the way to put the two together is it not?

The Varsity Club is formed of Kevin Sullivan leading the way with Mike Rotunda & Rick Steiner. What did you think of this gimmick and did it utilize everyone correctly?

Rotunda defeats Nikita Koloff for the TV Title in January of 1988 and gives his Florida Heavyweight Title to Rick Steiner. What did you think of the decision to put Rotunda over Koloff?

It’s weird to see Kevin Sullivan in this gimmick compared to the other past devil gimmicks right?

Rotunda and Sullivan start a feud with Jimmy Garvin & Precious which leads us to Clash of the Champions that went up against WrestleMania.

What did you think of this as the opening match on the show and the gimmick of amateur rules?

Great American Bash 1988 in Baltimore has a Tower of Doom match between The Garvins, Steve Williams & Road Warriors against Rotunda, Al Perez, the Russian Assassin, Ivan Koloff & Kevin Sullivan. What is a Tower of Doom match Jim for those who have never seen it?

Why the weird ending here with Hawk saving Precious and not Garvin...do you remember? Is this just an overbooked mess?

Rotundo begins a program with Steve Williams and a $10,000 bounty is put up to get Rotundo without Sullivan & Steiner interfering. What do you remember of the Rotundo - Williams matches?

The Sullivan feud with Garvin leads to Rotundo holding Garvin down and Sullivan dropping a cinder block on his leg breaking it. What do you remember of this classic angle?

Rotundo is also part of another classic angle where the Road Warriors turn on Sting in a 6-man tag match after Dusty Rhodes can’t make it. Mike is in a lot of these but isn’t the actual focus. Why do you think Mike was the bit player in a lot of these?

Steiner splits from the group and they feud. Is Steiner turned knowing Scott was coming into play and it was to get ready for them to team up?

Steve Williams now joins the Varsity Club to replace Steiner. Do you think Williams fit into the group well?

Mike drops the TV Title to Rick Steiner at Starrcade 88.

What is the fascination with people being in a shark cage in JCP Jim?

There’s a lot of promos around this time with Rick Steiner calling Mike Rotunda Mike “Retardo”. Not the best looking back at it but is that more a sign of the times?

The Varsity Club are NWA US Tag Team Champions and use the Freebird rule where Sullivan, Williams and Rotundo or any combo can defend them. What do you think of Freebird rules?

Dan Spivey joins the Varsity Club around this time. Was this let’s just stick some heels with a great talker in Kevin Sullivan and see if he’ll get them over type of thing?

Mike Rotunda regains the TV Title from Rick Steiner at Chi-Town Rumble.

Is Rotunda just the typical mid-card champion?

It’s announced by Kevin Sullivan that from now on Rotunda will only defend the title in the first 10 minutes of his matches and Spivey suggests Rotunda also puts up $10,000 of his own money. Sullivan deems Rotunda the Captain of the Varsity Club. Is this the beginning of what is thought to be a push for Mike?

Who is Chip Birman and why is he introduced as the Varsity Club’s personal accountant?

Sting pins Rotunda to win the TV Title and $10,000 at the first ever Center Stage taping. Is Mike the perfect heel to put over Sting and give him his first title win?

Right off of losing the TV Title at Clash of the Champions 89 Rotunda & Steve Williams defeat the Road Warriors for the NWA World Tag Team Titles after Teddy Long turns heel.

Lot to unpack here. Obviously it’s a big push for Rotunda & Williams to win over the Road Warriors and the tag team titles mean a lot still. Why the Teddy Long heel turn?

Nikita Koloff returns at WrestleWar 89 to be the special guest referee in the return match with the Road Warriors.

This is Koloff’s return after 6 months. This is a collection of talent involved in this match. Road Warriors, Paul Ellering, Steve Williams, Mike Rotunda, Kevin Sullivan & Dan Spivey. Lot of big hosses as you’d like to say JR. They also follow Flair vs. Steamboat in their classic NWA Title match. Is this one of the highest moments for in-ring back to back for the NWA?

The titles are stripped from Williams & Rotunda. Do you remember why that decision was made?

Scott Steiner debuts and is put on the loop with his brother Rick and takes on Mike & various members of the Varsity Club. Was it important to book Scott with these types of guys while he was still learning to get knowledge and to work with good workers?

From the Observer for the Great American Bash 1989:

A scientific wrestling 2 out of 3 match series is scheduled between Williams & Rotunda who are now not partners anymore. What did you think of this series and do you think it helped either one?

We head to Halloween Havoc 1989 where Rotunda takes on Tom Zenk. From the Observer…

The Varsity Club just kind of...ends. As our friend Hurricane would say...what’s up with that?

Do you think the stable and gimmick had run its course?

Rotunda is one of the early tag team partners Cactus Jack is given when he debuts and works a lot against him. Was this a trial run to see how Cactus would do?

Rotunda just kind of floats around after this until he reappears on WCW TV as...Captain Mike Rotunda. Yes a ship owner Captain. Jim what the fuck?

Did Mike ever stand up and raise his hand and be like...why am I a ship captain? Is this part of the unbelievability in wrestling back then where a guy goes from being this varsity athlete to all of a sudden a ship boat captain with really no explanation?

Norman the Lunatic is put with Mike Rotunda to be part of his “crew.” How ridiculous is this Jim and is it hard to call things like this with a straight face?

Ole Anderson is named as “booker” around this time.

This seems like a really long tag team match with two guys who aren’t normal partners against a formulated tag team don’t you think?

Do you know Ole’s thoughts on Mike and his work and what his future might be?

We were just putting everybody on pay-per-view back then huh Jim?

What do you think of what Meltzer says here and is it an accurate description of what the undercard was supposed to be at this point?

There is rumor and innunedo that a match between Mike Rotunda and a wrestler named Death Row on October 8th, 1990 turned into a legit shoot that needed wrestlers from the locker room to come out and stop it. Did you ever hear this and who was Death Row?

Rotunda teams a lot with Tim Horner putting over The Master Blasters (Kevin Nash & Al Green). Did you ever talk with Mike and how his career was going at this point?

The ship boat captain is no more JR as Mike Rotunda announces he’s changed his name to Michael Wallstreet and introduces Alexandra York. He discusses at a board meeting what to do with his millions of dollars while giving stock advice on the phone. They note that they’ve invested in computer technology that could determine exactly how to defeat any WCW superstar.

Jim...who comes up with this gimmick? How is Terri Runnels picked for the spot of Alexandra York and what were Mike’s feelings on the gimmick change...his now 3rd of the year?

At Starrcade 1990 Rotunda and Terry Taylor face off.

Michael Wallstreet pins Harley Race in St. Joseph, MO during which Race suffers a shoulder injury. It is the last match Harley has ever. Fitting end to Race’s career getting hurt in Missouri. Do you remember this or the story behind it?

Dusty Rhodes leaves WWF for WCW and returns as booker. Do you think this impacted Rotunda’s standing in the company?

Worldwide February 2nd, 1991 sees Michael Wallstreet defeat David Isley and it’s the last time Wallstreet is seen on TV as he exits WCW. Do you remember why he left? Tony Schiavone at the time said on the hotline that it was a contract dispute over money. Is that how you remember it?

Was Mike underutilized in your mind in NWA/JCP/WCW? Could he had been a top guy?

Rotunda goes from being the Wallstreet guy to being the Tax Guy as he signs with the WWF and is renamed Irwin R. Schyster...I.R.S. Get it?

What did you think of the gimmick when you first saw it?

IRS will be Rotunda’s longest time in a gimmick between the Varsity gimmick, Captain, Wallstreet and now Tax Guy. Did you ever talk to Mike about he felt about the gimmick?

His first real push in the WWF is during the Royal Rumble 1992 where he goes for 28 minutes for the 3rd longest run behind Roddy Piper and Ric Flair.

Your paths would cross again at WrestleMania 9 where IRS & Ted DiBiase, the WWF World Tag Team Champions known as Money Inc...defend the tag team titles against…Brutus “The Fucking Barber” Beefcake and Hulk Hogan. From the Observer…

“5. Ted DiBiase & IRS retained the WWF tag titles beating Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake in 18:27 via DQ. Hulk's left eye was shut. On TV they gave a cover story that he was working out in a gym the night before the match and was attacked. The story going around was he was involved in a boating accident on Wednesday night, although everyone who saw him up close said that it looked like someone punched him in the eye. The injury was legit, not make-up, although the reasons aren't clear and when asked after, Hogan said he didn't want to talk about it. DiBiase was just about as big as Hulk. Actually bigger frame, although Hogan had a lot better muscle mass and tone. Match was okay. They teased a walk-out count out finish 6:00 in, with the ref announcing that if they were counted out, the titles would change hands, which is ludicrous to change rules as they go along but this is the WWF. But it stalled a minute giving the guys a breather so they could go 18. They got heat choking Hogan with a rope and DiBiase put on the Million Dollar Dream on Hulk for 90 seconds. Beefcake behind the refs back put the sleeper on DiBiase so both Hulk and DiBiase were down. Hulk dramatically got up at the count of nine. Beefcake made the hot tag but was immediately hit in the back with the briefcase. Of course his metal face-protecting mask was then taken off. Beefcake made a comeback and put the sleeper on IRS but DiBiase made the save. Then came the third ref bump in five matches, followed, without the ref seeing any of this, a hot tag to Hogan. Hogan KO'd DiBiase and IRS with the mask. Hogan had DiBiase pinned while Beefcake had IRS pinned. Jimmy Hart then put on a referee jacket and counted the fall and handed the belts to Hogan & Beefcake, but the ref came to and disqualified them seeing Hart in the ring. Hart threw the ref out of the ring after the match. After the match the faces opened up IRS' briefcase and found money and were handing money to fans at ringside. **”

Is it odd looking back now that this is the last time Brutus Beefcake would ever wrestle again on WWF TV? This is all just hijinx for Hogan’s WWF Title win later on right?

They trade the titles with the Natural Disasters and the Steiner Brothers until Ted Dibiase retires after Summerslam 1993 and IRS is back on his own. Do you think at this point they were a better tag team or better separated?

IRS works a program with Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Title that sees Razor come out triumphant. What did you think of these two together in the ring?

From the Observer about their match at the Rumble 94:

“3. Razor Ramon kept the IC title pinning IRS in 11:30. Mainly restholds until the ref bump finish. IRS then went for the briefcase but Ramon got it from him and used it, but no ref to count the fall. Ramon gave IRS a backward superplex but the ref was still on the ground selling. Shawn Michaels then came out and hit Ramon with his IC title belt and the ref came to and IRS got the pin. Ref Earl Hebner then came out of the dressing room and told the original ref what happened and at this point Ramon got IRS in the Razor's edge for the pin. *½”

IRS rejoins up with Ted DiBiase as part of the Million Dollar Corporation and feuds with the Undertaker by repossessing the headstone of a child. I mean that makes sense right?

IRS and Taker wrestle at the 1995 Royal Rumble. From the Observer…

“2. Undertaker pinned IRS in 12:21. They had the same big ring entrance for Undertaker. They didn't do anything early. After IRS was getting no offense, Ted DiBiase went back to ringside and brought out two cloaked druids. When Undertaker went for a rope-walk, one of the Druids shook the ropes and he fell in, but immediately sat up. IRS didn't get any offense until 7:30 when he threw him into the ring steps, and used an abdominal stretch, flying clothesline, elbow drop and legdrop. After a collision, a Druid put IRS on top for Undertaker sat up again. Undertaker came back going for a tombstone but both Druids interfered so Undertaker dropped him. Undertaker finally won with a choke slam. After the match both Druids attacked Undertaker but he came back and ran them off. While this was going on, IRS stole the urn from Paul Bearer and King Kong Bundy came out and did a lame run-in with an elbow drop, kneedrop and splash on Undertaker and Bundy left him laying. Without the magic urn, Undertaker sold the beating and got up shakily. *¼”

Jesus a transition guy to a feud with King Kong Buddy. Not what a matchup with the Undertaker should be like don’t you think?

He finishes up with the WWF in 1995 by putting over Shawn Michaels at a house show in late July. Do you know why Mike left again? Was it a WWF decision or a Rotunda decision do you know?

The rumor and innuendo at the time was talk of transitioning him to a road agent role but he decided to move on. Funny that that’s the talk in 1995 and it actually ends up happening much later on.

He joins WCW and is part of the very first Nitro where he’s announced as VK Wallstreet...with the VK standing for Vincent Kennedy just like Vincent Kennedy McMahon. What did Vince think of this and how serious did he take things like this?

He’s in and out of the nWo during his time in WCW before he starts to mainly work for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He returns to WCW in 1999 as part of the Varsity Club (again) before he leaves WCW in 2000.

He goes to All Japan and is there until 2003. Did you have any communication with Mike during this point in time about coming in or what he’s got going on?

In 2006 he’s re-hired by the WWE as a road agent. Did Mike come to the WWE or vice versa? How did this all go down?

How was Mike as a road agent? Did the boys like him?

He would do odd appearances here and there but mainly worked backstage. His was furloughed in April of 2020 due to the pandemic and eventually released in September. He would return to do a backstage segment with Ric Flair on Raw Legends Night back in January.

Obviously Mike’s impression on wrestling is felt today with his two sons, Windham (Bray Wyatt) and Taylor (Bo Dallas.) How do these two compare to their father in terms of their work and professionalism?

What is your overall opinion on Mike and his career? Did he ever reach his full potential do you think?

If you could give advice to the wrestlers of today about something they can learn from watching a Mike Rotunda match what would it be?