#van hammer

“Van Hammer has a “light snack” at the Rock Island Diner (left). Johnny B., looking to remain a light heavyweight, stays close to the juke box (right).” “Johnny B. Badd celebrates life in London as Van Hammer records the joyous moments.” “The wrestlers entertain First Independent executives (below) and then have some fun with the “bobbles” (far left).”

“VCR PR IN THE UK

“This city is awesome!” said Van Hammer as he spread his arms wide in the middle of London’s New Oxford Street. “The people are terrific and the food is great- what more could you ask for?”

“Oh, hush, Van,” said Johnny B. Badd, who was standing next to him, “we have a lot of work to do today.”

And so they did. Not only that day, though, but for a full week: Badd and Hammer recently traveled to London for a major publicity tour to help celebrate the First Independent company’s U.K. release of four WCW videotapes. Those titles highlight a quartet of major WCW pay-per-view events: Scarrcade ‘89, Starrcade ‘90, Capital Combat ‘90, and Halloween Havoc ‘91.

“We made so many personal appearances, the week was a blur of activity,” Badd explained. “One day it was a photo shoot at the Hard Rock Cafe, the next day it was a press conference with a couple dozen newspapers like The Daily Mirror and the Taxi-Globe, the day after that it was radio appearances on shows like The Richard Skinner Show, and the day after that it was a visit to a children’s hospital.”

“Man, they really kept us going,” Hammer added. “But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. The popularity of American wrestling is exploding in England, and me and Johnny, we’re happy to be a part of all that.”

Badd and hammer made the U.K. publicity rounds to inform British fans not only of the release of the videos, but of the arrival of WCW Worldwide on U.K. television.

“Now, U.K. fans can thrill to the greatest athletes anywhere in the world,” Badd said during one interview stop, “and enjoy my pretty face, too!”

“Oh hush, Johnny!” Hammer said in his characteristic growl, causing both grapplers to burst out in nearly uncontrollable laughter.

“It would be hard to imagine two better Ambassadors of Wrestling,” wrote What’s On magazine.

We wholeheartedly agree.”