Post by Steve Orbit on Feb 18, 2014 22:01:00 GMT -5
The following interview is used with permission from Playboy magazine--
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"THE MACK" STEVE ORBIT - PLAYBOY INTERVIEW
IN EARLY 2012, the world of professional wrestling was at a turning point. The big name performers who had dominated for years were falling aside and giving way to a new generation of young, fresh superstars in the making. Of this new crop of athletes, one of the easiest recognizable names is that of "The Mack", Steve Orbit. After a few years in the Southwestern independent circuit, Orbit arrived in the Wrestling Championship Federation-- taking the wrestling world by storm, and not looking back since.
Orbit wasn't your typical pro wrestler. In fact, he was the opposite of almost everything we expect a professional wrestler to be. First, and most obvious, he's a black man, born from Jamaican parents. In a sport where men of color can typically only hope to achieve moderate success, Orbit has thrived, exceeded expectations and crushed stereotypes. He wasn't a born and bred athlete like many others in the business-- growing up in East Oakland, in the notoriously rough Lockwood Gardens housing projects, Orbit was incarcerated in San Quentin at a time when many of his current peers were playing college football. Like so many before him, Orbit was heading down a path that would lead him to prison or an early grave.
So how did this man who was seemingly destined for failure, both in life and in his chosen profession, earn himself so much success? That was what I had hoped to find out when I met "The Mack" himself, Steve Orbit.
I arrived at his club, "Club Violet"-- named after his deceased mother, Violet Domino-- a little before noon on a Saturday. I was fifteen minutes early-- he was fifteen minutes late. I had expected that the man behind "The Mack" would be as cool and collective as his image suggested. Instead, I met a jittery, seemingly pre-occupied man who drank cognac from a beer mug at noontime. He told me that he was exhausted, but fine-- and I was pleasantly surprised that he answered my line of questions in a professional manner. Gentlemen, meet... "The Mack".
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Playboy: Your career with WCF began in April of 2012. 2012 was a great year for you, but most would agree that 2013 was the year that your career really took off. How have the first couple of years been for you, and what do you think 2014 has in store for "The Mack"?
The Mack: You know, that's a question I get asked a lot. The first couple years, you know what I'm sayin', there's been ups and downs. I feel like I've been from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I won a lot of big matches, I won a lot of titles. I broke the record for the longest reign with the United States title. I won the World title. At the same time, I've had some rough moments. Last month at Payback was my first win on Pay Per View since the middle of 2013. It's been a dry stretch as far as me winning any championship gold lately, but I'm confident in my abilities, in my talent. I believe in myself. The fans believe in me.
Playboy: In wrestling, there's a high rate of turnover as far as who's popular and who's in the main event. Who's getting "pushed" to use an insider term. Some would say that you've cooled off since your brief World Title reign. Are you afraid of falling into obscurity like so many wrestlers before you?
The Mack: Absolutely not, but I hear what you're sayin'. It's like I'm at a crossroads right now. I'm at a fork in the road. I can either continue to be successful and build on the brand that I've, you know, established for myself-- or I can go the other direction. I'm not interested in being anything less than a top name in the business. I'll fight for my spot at the top as long as I have to, I'll do whatever it takes. That's what I'm about, that's what Steve Orbit is all about. Fuck anybody who said I'm cooling off. I ain't even started yet. I've shown flashes of what I'm capable of. The best is yet to come for me. That's my word.
Playboy: Alright, we'll get back to that. I want to explore who you are, personally. I want to give the readers some background on Steve Orbit the person. You grew up in East Oakland, what was life like for you growing up?
The Mack: Shit... how far back you want me to go?
Playboy: [laughs] As far as you remember, I guess.
The Mack: Well, it's like this. My mom came to the United States from Jamaica when she was pregnant with me. I was born here, in NYC. Obviously I don't remember any of that, but from what I know, what she told me, she worked some jobs here and there-- housekeeper, cashier, whatever. She wasn't very educated as far as, you know... any trades, or anything like that. So she took what she could get, but it was a rough time for her as a single mom, in a new country, tryin' to provide for a newborn baby boy. The government wouldn't help her because she wasn't a citizen-- that was when Reagan was crackin' down on the welfare and shit, you know all that "welfare queen" bullshit. Really some racist, class warfare shit in disguise.
Playboy: That must be around the time she met "Golden" Joey Carlson.
The Mack: Right. The story I heard is it went down like this-- she's standin' out in the rain, waitin' for the bus, and here comes Golden Joey rollin' up in his Caddy. He's got the jewelry and toolery out, he's got the long mink, lookin' fly as a mother fucker. And he must have spit some beautiful, wonderful game at my mother because that NIGHT we flew out to Cali and she went to work.
Playboy: As a prostitute.
The Mack: Yeah.
Playboy: So, if she was working the corner, who took care of you?
The Mack: The girls, man. The ladies. And Joey, to an extent. But mostly the hoes. I remember I called all of 'em "Aunty". [laughs] But they took care of me, though.
Playboy: You truly were raised in the game, then.
The Mack: Oh, it was all around me, man. They didn't try to hide nothin'. I was exposed to... a lot of stuff, at a very young age. Let's just leave it at that.
Playboy: From what I've gathered, your mother moved up the ranks with Joey quickly. How did things change for you as she moved up, what do you remember about that?
The Mack: She was home a lot more as I got older. It turned into more of a... it's crazy to say this, but more of a family type of household. Joey was the man of the house, my mom was the lady. She cooked, cleaned, whatever. The hoes brought home the dough and we had a nice life. I never needed or wanted nothin'.
Playboy: And then, when you were... what, eight years old? That all changed. Your life turned upside down.
The Mack: Yeah. I was outside playin' in the neighborhood, with the kids, and I heard the shots. BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP. I walked in, saw my momma... saw her bleedin' out on the floor. Saw Joey. Thought he was shot up, but come to find out later, that was some special effects mother fuckin' studio shit. You know the story. Joey set it up, come to find out all these years later. Anyway, back then-- yeah, it all changed. The state took me and I went into the foster care system.
Playboy: What was that like?
The Mack: I fuckin' hated it. I moved all around Cali-- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno... couple more places. I don't really remember any of the families. I'm sure they were nice people, I'm sure they meant well. But I wasn't into it. I wanted my mom back, and nobody could give me that. So after a few years, I just... I fuckin' ran. I was tired of it. I just wanted to be by myself, I guess.
Playboy: What age were you when you started living on the street?
The Mack: I guess I was twelve. Around twelve. I stopped going to school, everything. I went back to Oakland, back to the Gardens. I found some of the kids I used to play with when I was little and they were doin' some crazy shit. Stealing cars, selling drugs-- twelve, thirteen years old. I told them I needed a place to stay and I needed to make some money, and that was that. I jumped right into the lifestyle and never looked back.
Playboy: Did you join a gang?
The Mack: I had to. It wasn't a choice, really. I needed the protection, I needed the resources. I needed the mother fuckin' respect. So I joined at a very young age, yeah. I was never really interested in the gang heirarchy or any of that bullshit. I could have moved up, but I wasn't really interested in that. I just wanted to make some money.
Playboy: Wasn't there pressure to move up within the gang?
The Mack: Oh, sure. I was a good earner, they loved kids like me. But I wanted to work for myself at the end of the day. I didn't want to get involved in the mother fuckin' politics. So I didn't.
Playboy: Most gang members have run-ins with the law.
The Mack: [laughs] Shit, man. I was always in Juvi. I was in there more than I was on the street. But I didn't care. It was a roof and three meals a day. It was a safe environment-- safer than the streets. Most of the time I ain't even want my sentence to end. I didn't wanna go home. I didn't say that to nobody, but yeah. I woulda stayed in that mother fucker if they let me.
Playboy: During that period of your life, were you in contact with Joey?
The Mack: Nah. I hated him. I blamed him for my mom's death. Obviously I didn't know the truth yet, but in my mind at that time, I just associated him with her death. I didn't want nothing to do with his ass.
Playboy: But that all changed at some point, didn't it?
The Mack: Yeah, it did. I was nineteen, doing my first real bid in prison-- I got popped sellin' some H to an undercover. They had like, fifteen mother fuckin' buys on me or something ridiculous like that. They wanted me to give up my connect, but fuck that. I was raised better than that. So I'm in my cell one day and they tell me I got a visitor-- I'm thinkin', fuck, I hope I didn't get some bitch pregnant or somethin' like that. But here comes Joey, wheelin' his ass in on his fake wheelchair. Which I didn't realize at the time, but I just have to laugh lookin' back on it. He's tellin' me how sorry he is about my mom, he wants to help me, and so on. I told him to go fuck himself, but he came back. He came back every week. Sometimes I talked to him, sometimes I didn't, but he came. And when I got out-- he was there, with one of the baddest bitches I ever seen in my life. He told me to take a ride with him-- he knew I couldn't resist. So he took me to his crib, I dug that bitch out for about an hour and a half, and then I sat in his kitchen and we ate some chicken and talked shit over.
Playboy: What did you two talk about?
The Mack: All kinds of shit, man. The gang, my mom, what's goin' on in his life... what had happened over the last few years. He told me how his massage parlors were really takin' off, and how that was my mom's idea. He told me he don't put girls on the street anymore and how he's makin' real money now without any of the bullshit. Then he told me that he was about to open Club Violet and he wanted me to help out.
Playboy: What did you think when he told you he named the club after your mom?
The Mack: To me, that was like... the point where I realized that this mother fucker is for real. He really wants to help me, you know what I'm sayin'? He's guilty about the past, he's tryin' to fix things and make things right. So I realized that I had two choices-- either go back to the gang, and end up goin' back to prison, or dead, or whatever. OR, I could stay with this nigga and try to learn the game, have a place to live at, have whatever I want.
Playboy: So I take it that was an easy choice.
The Mack: [laughs] Not as easy as you would think. I was hard headed. I didn't really want no help, but at the end of the day, I took it. I looked at it like, here's an opportunity for me to really learn the pimp game and maybe try to, you know, apply it in my own life. I didn't plan on stayin' with Joey for long.
Playboy: But you ended up becoming very close with him.
The Mack: Yeah. He was like a father to me, man. He was my main mother fucker. My best friend.
Playboy: Had you ever tried your hand at pimping before then?
The Mack: [laughs] I tried, yeah. It's not as easy as it looks. These girls are out of their fuckin' minds.
Playboy: So you stayed with Joey, you worked at the Club. You learned the pimp game. How did wrestling fit into all this?
The Mack: Well... Joey was a wrestler, too, man. Never got too big, just kind of a local guy. He'd work shows at local gyms and whatever. Used the pimp gimmick, since that's who he was. He was Golden Joey inside the ring and outside. He was good, though. And some of my best memories from my childhood was goin' to watch Joey wrestle. I really looked up to him, man. And I was always a wrestling fan, it was always an interest of mine. When I was locked up, we had a whole group of us who would watch wrestling on TV. We signed up for the TV every week to watch wrestling. It was the only show we cared about, and then we'd talk about the show all week. But when I was working for Joey, I started training at his old gym on my days off. I'd just go in and fuck around for a few hours, run the ropes, you know, learning the basics. I remember I wanted to go do my first show and it was all the way the fuck out in Nevada, but I went. And I got my ass kicked. [laughs] I thought I was the shit, too. I fucked around for a year or so before I really got serious about it.
Playboy: Did Joey encourage you to pursue wrestling as a career?
The Mack: Nah. He thought it was bullshit. He said I'd never make it.
Playboy: Why do you think he said that?
The Mack: Well... a couple things. One, he wanted me to stay and work for his ass at the Club. Two, I think he was afraid that I would do it and I'd do it better than him. Which is exactly what happened in the end. But he was happy for me when my career took off. He was there when I signed with WCF-- he was my manager for the first year or so. He taught me a lot.
Playboy: Alright, here comes one of the big questions I want to ask you. Pimping or wrestling? If you had to pick one or the other, which one?
The Mack: ... Shit. [laughs] That is a good mother fuckin' question right there. I've never really had to choose. When I was training, I was still workin' with Joey full time. When I was in the independent circuit, I was workin' with Joey on the weekends. By the time I made it to WCF, I had learned the pimpin' business through and through-- I had ran Golden Spa II by myself at one point. I knew all there is to know. And now, obviously I own Club Violet, so I'm still in the game, even if I'm not as hands-on as I used to be.
Playboy: But if you had to pick?
The Mack: Fuck. Wrestling, man. I'd pick wrestling.
Playboy: I think a lot of people will be shocked to hear that.
The Mack: Why? They shouldn't be. I'm as dedicated as anyone else to the sport. I train just as hard as anybody else. My wrestling career is just as demanding as the next guy's, if not more.
Playboy: I know. I just think people would look at pimping and say it's an easier lifestyle.
The Mack: [laughs] It's not as easy as it looks, believe that. These bitches will take a toll on your ass, mentally and otherwise. Anyway, that ain't the mother fuckin' point. Wrestling is what I'm passionate about. I got enough money in the bank. I'm not one of these new guys. Between my wrestling career and the money I've made elsewhere, I never have to do another match in my life if I don't want to. But I do want to. I have a lot more to accomplish in the ring. A LOT more. So I would have to choose wrestling, man.
Playboy: Thank you. My next question is another big one. Since you arrived in the public eye, people have debated whether or not you are actually a "pimp". You look the look, you talk the talk-- you obviously have a history of making money off of women. Yet when people hear the word "pimp", they think that you have to be one of the street guys, putting girls on the corner and taking all of their money.
The Mack: Let me stop you right there. I'm a MOTHER FUCKIN PIMP, homie. You said it yourself, I have a history of making money off of women. That's what a pimp do. Your boss, Hugh Heffner is a pimp. Larry Flynt is a pimp. Some of these guys who own modeling companies, they be pimpin' like a mother fucker. Shit, some of these record labels-- they sellin' sex, man, they pimpin'. They findin' a fine ass sister and puttin' her in the studio with their producers and creating hit records, and givin' the artist 2 percent. If that ain't pimpin', what the fuck you call that? Do I have girls on the street? No. I ain't put a girl on the street corner since I was a teenager. Once in a while, if I'm traveling, I'll bring a bitch with me if I have somebody lined up who is interested in her services. But that ain't even something that I do on a regular basis. The extent of my pimp game, at this point in time, is this club that we sittin' in right now. That's it. And Joey was the same way. Joey made his first pimp dollar with a hooker on the street. So did I. But Joey taught me to bring it inside. Put it behind closed doors. It's more profitable, it's safer, it's controlled. It's "classy". If you go to a massage parlor or an upscale gentlemen's club like Club Violet and have some fun, you just a regular guy tryin' to have a good time. If you pick a girl up on the street, you a "john". You a fuckin' sex addict or some kinda criminal. That's the society we live in. I ain't make the rules. It's like, uh, Jay-Z had once said. I ain't invent the game, I just rolled the dice, tryin' to get some change. That's real talk.
Playboy: I feel you. I'm sure our readers will appreciate that.
The Mack: It's nothin'. The people need to know the truth, I want the truth to be out there.
Playboy: Alright. Let's switch gears a little bit and talk about what's going on right now. A bit earlier, we talked about the future of your career and the opportunities you'll have in 2014. Coming up at the next Pay Per View-- Timebomb, you'll be in the main event in a World Title match. Care to talk about that?
The Mack: Sure. It's gonna be wild, it's a six-man match. Big names, too-- all former World champions. It's gonna be me, Oblivion, Logan, Waylon Cash, Jayson Price and the current World Champion, Jonny Fly.
Playboy: Shit-- let's talk about Jonny Fly for a minute. Can we?
The Mack: Of course.
Playboy: Jonny Fly and yourself put on an instant classic at the One Pay Per View last year. Universally regarded as one of the best matches of all time. Besides the match itself, there was so much... for lack of a better word, drama, surrounding the match. You two we friends, and then he framed you for some criminal stuff, then you flipped on him, then you both beat the feds-- it was pretty amazing stuff to see unfold. And now, you two have seemingly buried the hatchet and are actually on the same team once again. How does all of that happen in a matter of months?
The Mack: [laughs] It's a fast pace in this business, man. If you slow, you ain't gonna make it.
Playboy: Right, but just a couple months ago, you and Fly swore to kill one another. Now, you're friends. I can understand Jonny Fly wanting to right a wrong, but how you do forgive somebody who willingly put you in that type of position?
The Mack: Well... in life, man, things ain't always black and white.
Playboy: [laughs] No pun intended.
The Mack: Heh. For real, though. It's the same situation I had with Joey. I found out he was responsible for killing my mom, and the circumstances surrounding it-- yeah, my first instinct, I wanted to kill his ass. But he came to me and he redeemed himself, he ended up saving my life from some South American gangsta ass mother fuckers. What I had to do was really put myself in Joey's shoes, in his position. Really see through his eyes and ask myself the question-- what would I have done? And the truth is I might have done the same fuckin' thing he did. Not ME, Steve Orbit, but if I was Jonny Fly and I was in his predicament-- I might have done the same shit he did. It's a point where you really have to, you know, take yourself out of the situation, completely. Remove yourself. It takes a lot of humility and... it's hard, man, but it's necessary. Because if I was walkin' around carrying that shit around with me, that resentment, it would destroy me. I'm a positive guy. I don't want that shit holding me back.
Playboy: On a professional level, do you see this match as an opportunity to redeem your loss at One?
The Mack: Yeah, definitely. This match is a lot more than that, but that's part of it. I know I can beat Fly. I beat him last year. He knows how fuckin' close it was at One. This time it's a whole different ball game. This match is all about the title. This is six mother fuckers scrambling for the World championship. Fly can lose without getting pinned, and I know that's weighing on him.
Playboy: Another team mate of yours, Jayson Price, is also in the match. I know you've been on the same side with Price for a long while, since the Cryogenix days last summer. He's also the only other person in the WCF who's pinned Fly. He's gotta be, along with yourself, a favorite to win this match.
The Mack: Oh, for sure. He's definitely a favorite to win. When it comes down to it, the match is either mines or his. I'll admit that. I don't have this shit in the bag. It's too much chaos in a six-man match. There's too many factors, too much going on. I can be on the other side of the ring and somebody else makes the pin and the match is over. That's the worst part about being involved in a match like this. That's why, like I said, it's a scramble. You just tryin' to be the one to get that mother fuckin' pinfall before somebody else gets it. Friends, or no friends-- Pantheon, or no Pantheon-- I'm just tryin' to get that pinfall. If I have to pin Price or Fly, I'll fuckin' pin them in a second, and I know they'll pin me, too. I wouldn't have it any other way. We all professionals. We all wanna be the fuckin' best. That's why, collectively, we ARE the best.
Playboy: You say that like you're discounting the other men in the match.
The Mack: I'm sayin' it because it's the truth. Nobody else have a chance against us. Waylon Cash? A joke. Oblivion? A has-been. Logan? A mother fuckin' joke has-been.
Playboy: They're all former World champions. Logan and Oblivion have held the belt multiple times-- more than you.
The Mack: They also been around longer. I been sayin' this lately, my theme lately is I'm just gettin' started. People feel like I already had my peak, or that I've shown everything I'm capable of. Please. These last two years, they been a warm-up for me. I been training, adapting... learning how to be the best in the business. I may not have won every fuckin' match but I've ESTABLISHED myself in the WCF. That's my goal from day one. Make my name. My name is out there. I climbed to the top-- I've arrived. You know how they say when you on top, there's only one way to go? There's only one way for me to go. It ain't down. It's FORWARD. I'ma be here for as long as I want, in the main event-- in the mother fuckin' spotlight. Watch what I do with it.
Playboy: Before we go, let's get some individual comments on your opponents. I'll say the name, you give me some feedback. Word association. Ready?
The Mack: Sure.
Playboy: Oblivion.
The Mack: Oblivion is a guy who... he really isn't as much of a threat as he's made out to be. Don't get me wrong, the dude is dangerous-- to an extent. He's dangerous to a normal, common, fuckin' citizen. He ain't really that dangerous to a man like me. He's a very typical case of, yeah, he's a maniac. Yeah, he's hardcore with the fuckin' mask on and what have you. He's a big guy, a strong guy. I just am not really afraid of Oblivion. The spooky shit don't really scare me like that. I'm confident that I can out perform Oblivion in every category. I'm a better wrestler, period, at the end of the day. In this business, there's a lot of mother fuckers like Oblivion who run with the theatrics and they supposed to be some kinda supernatural force or somethin' like that. He ain't bigfoot, yo. He ain't the abominable snowman. You feel me? He's just a guy. A guy who I can beat, though.
Playboy: Logan.
The Mack: [laughs] Logan is a living legend. Aight? I'ma give him that. He calls himself Mr. WCF or the God of WCF or whatever his nickname is this week. Who cares? I'm Mr. Right Now. Steve Orbit is the hot shit right now. Logan is a mother fucker who is drowning but he comes up for air once in a while. He had his little Hardcore title for a minute, he had his little moment. He is the odd man in this World Title match, he's the one who doesn't belong in it. He's got no business in the ring with guys like me or Fly or Jayson Price. I'ma tell you, I still owe this guy some payback for some shit that I ain't even gonna bring up right now.
Playboy: He was a big fan of yours for a while, wasn't he?
The Mack: [laughs] Let's leave it at that. He was like a fuckin' obsessed fan. He probably still is. Logan will show up and he'll be outclassed, outperformed-- outwrestled. I'll be lookin' at him when I'm tryin' to pin somebody. He's the weak link, yo.
Playboy: Waylon Cash.
The Mack: Another one who I got some history with. Some unfinished business. This is gonna be a lot of deja vu for Waylon Cash-- it was a triple threat match when I won the World Title, he was in it, and I beat him. I didn't pin him, but I won the fuckin' match. I got the job done. Waylon Cash don't have what it takes to go over me. It's gonna be the same as last time. Steve Orbit with his hand raised and a title in his palm while Waylon Cash lays on the mat wondering how it happened. I might not pin him in this match either, but I'ma make sure he ain't gonna get the winning pin. And I'ma make sure he gets a Pimp Slap at some point. I been needin' to check this mother fucker. I owe him a reciept for Helloween, and he's gonna get it-- with some change. Waylon Cash ain't been goin' nowhere and that ain't gonna change in this match. He'll show up, he'll fight, he'll get put in his fuckin' place.
Playboy: Jayson Price.
The Mack: My homeboy. It'll be a fine line in this match, between tryin' to watch Jayson's back and watchin' my back from Jayson, you know what I'm sayin'? He's been hungry for this World Title. He's been dyin' for this shot-- and he deserves it. I'll be the first to admit, he deserves to be in this match. He deserves to compete for the World Title. All I can say is-- when it comes down to it, I was born alone and I'ma die alone. It might sound like a cliche thing to say but this is business, it ain't personal. If it's me and Jayson Price left standing at the end of the match, I'ma do what I gotta do to win this World Title. And I don't think he's got what it takes to get me on the mother fuckin' mat and pin me for the 1-2-3. I don't see it happening. And if it comes down to the line and I see Jayson Price going for the pin, and there's somethin' I can do to stop it, I'll fuckin' stop it. And I appreciate the fact that he will do the same to me. We are both competitors, both warriors-- we are both WINNERS. And we're both Pantheon. But I'm Steve Orbit before I'm Pantheon, and I need that World Title. I'll gladly defend it against Jayson somewhere down the line-- that goes for any of the mother fuckers in this match. After I win, I'll fight any of y'all mother fuckers one on one, if there's any doubt that I'm the best in this company.
Playboy: Finally, the current World Champion. Jonny Fly.
The Mack: Jonny Fly has what it takes to win this match. More than anybody else-- myself included. I can't deny that. Ultimate Showdown, WAR-- he's won them. He's dominated this company since he arrived. He's been World Champion FOUR mother fuckin' times. He's owned the God damn company, before it was the IN thing to do. I got the utmost respect for Fly as a competitor-- not because of all of that, but because of what he's done in the ring against ME. That match at One, Fly took me to limits I didn't know I had. Every time you're in the ring with Fly, he challenges you to be the best you can possibly be. He pushes you. Knowing how fuckin' unstoppable this guy is, that drives you to be the one to put a STOP to his fuckin' reign. And that's what I'm tryin' to do. I said it before, he don't have to be the one who gets pinned to lose the title in this match. And honestly, I'm tryin' to win this match-- I ain't tryin' to pin Fly. That's not good strategy. Don't get me wrong-- if the opportunity arises, I'll pin him in a fuckin' heartbeat. But I'm not gunning for Fly. I'm not gunning for Jayson Price. I'm gunning for the mother fuckin' World Title, period. I want it. I'm comin' to get it. You want me to talk shit about Fly? What can I say? The mother fucker does what he wants. If he wants to win this match, he'll win-- but if I can stop him, I will. I realize that me and Fly are on some kinda weird terms right now-- we're cool, but we know each other. We've seen the best and the worst of each other... I don't know, man. He's lost the belt in a match like this before. It's not impossible. It can happen. And if I can happen, I'ma be the mother fucker to take it. And I'll bring it home to Pantheon and we all win.
Playboy: Mack, I want to thank you for inviting me to your Club and talking with me for a while.
The Mack: I'm happy to do it, homie. Love the magazine. I been readin' Playboy since... [laughs] well, before I learned to read I been lookin' at Playboy.
Playboy: What are your plans for the rest of the day?
The Mack: I'ma finish this cognac, smoke a cigar, have sex with a young bitch and then get some mother fuckin' SLEEP.
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"THE MACK" STEVE ORBIT - PLAYBOY INTERVIEW
IN EARLY 2012, the world of professional wrestling was at a turning point. The big name performers who had dominated for years were falling aside and giving way to a new generation of young, fresh superstars in the making. Of this new crop of athletes, one of the easiest recognizable names is that of "The Mack", Steve Orbit. After a few years in the Southwestern independent circuit, Orbit arrived in the Wrestling Championship Federation-- taking the wrestling world by storm, and not looking back since.
Orbit wasn't your typical pro wrestler. In fact, he was the opposite of almost everything we expect a professional wrestler to be. First, and most obvious, he's a black man, born from Jamaican parents. In a sport where men of color can typically only hope to achieve moderate success, Orbit has thrived, exceeded expectations and crushed stereotypes. He wasn't a born and bred athlete like many others in the business-- growing up in East Oakland, in the notoriously rough Lockwood Gardens housing projects, Orbit was incarcerated in San Quentin at a time when many of his current peers were playing college football. Like so many before him, Orbit was heading down a path that would lead him to prison or an early grave.
So how did this man who was seemingly destined for failure, both in life and in his chosen profession, earn himself so much success? That was what I had hoped to find out when I met "The Mack" himself, Steve Orbit.
I arrived at his club, "Club Violet"-- named after his deceased mother, Violet Domino-- a little before noon on a Saturday. I was fifteen minutes early-- he was fifteen minutes late. I had expected that the man behind "The Mack" would be as cool and collective as his image suggested. Instead, I met a jittery, seemingly pre-occupied man who drank cognac from a beer mug at noontime. He told me that he was exhausted, but fine-- and I was pleasantly surprised that he answered my line of questions in a professional manner. Gentlemen, meet... "The Mack".
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Playboy: Your career with WCF began in April of 2012. 2012 was a great year for you, but most would agree that 2013 was the year that your career really took off. How have the first couple of years been for you, and what do you think 2014 has in store for "The Mack"?
The Mack: You know, that's a question I get asked a lot. The first couple years, you know what I'm sayin', there's been ups and downs. I feel like I've been from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I won a lot of big matches, I won a lot of titles. I broke the record for the longest reign with the United States title. I won the World title. At the same time, I've had some rough moments. Last month at Payback was my first win on Pay Per View since the middle of 2013. It's been a dry stretch as far as me winning any championship gold lately, but I'm confident in my abilities, in my talent. I believe in myself. The fans believe in me.
Playboy: In wrestling, there's a high rate of turnover as far as who's popular and who's in the main event. Who's getting "pushed" to use an insider term. Some would say that you've cooled off since your brief World Title reign. Are you afraid of falling into obscurity like so many wrestlers before you?
The Mack: Absolutely not, but I hear what you're sayin'. It's like I'm at a crossroads right now. I'm at a fork in the road. I can either continue to be successful and build on the brand that I've, you know, established for myself-- or I can go the other direction. I'm not interested in being anything less than a top name in the business. I'll fight for my spot at the top as long as I have to, I'll do whatever it takes. That's what I'm about, that's what Steve Orbit is all about. Fuck anybody who said I'm cooling off. I ain't even started yet. I've shown flashes of what I'm capable of. The best is yet to come for me. That's my word.
Playboy: Alright, we'll get back to that. I want to explore who you are, personally. I want to give the readers some background on Steve Orbit the person. You grew up in East Oakland, what was life like for you growing up?
The Mack: Shit... how far back you want me to go?
Playboy: [laughs] As far as you remember, I guess.
The Mack: Well, it's like this. My mom came to the United States from Jamaica when she was pregnant with me. I was born here, in NYC. Obviously I don't remember any of that, but from what I know, what she told me, she worked some jobs here and there-- housekeeper, cashier, whatever. She wasn't very educated as far as, you know... any trades, or anything like that. So she took what she could get, but it was a rough time for her as a single mom, in a new country, tryin' to provide for a newborn baby boy. The government wouldn't help her because she wasn't a citizen-- that was when Reagan was crackin' down on the welfare and shit, you know all that "welfare queen" bullshit. Really some racist, class warfare shit in disguise.
Playboy: That must be around the time she met "Golden" Joey Carlson.
The Mack: Right. The story I heard is it went down like this-- she's standin' out in the rain, waitin' for the bus, and here comes Golden Joey rollin' up in his Caddy. He's got the jewelry and toolery out, he's got the long mink, lookin' fly as a mother fucker. And he must have spit some beautiful, wonderful game at my mother because that NIGHT we flew out to Cali and she went to work.
Playboy: As a prostitute.
The Mack: Yeah.
Playboy: So, if she was working the corner, who took care of you?
The Mack: The girls, man. The ladies. And Joey, to an extent. But mostly the hoes. I remember I called all of 'em "Aunty". [laughs] But they took care of me, though.
Playboy: You truly were raised in the game, then.
The Mack: Oh, it was all around me, man. They didn't try to hide nothin'. I was exposed to... a lot of stuff, at a very young age. Let's just leave it at that.
Playboy: From what I've gathered, your mother moved up the ranks with Joey quickly. How did things change for you as she moved up, what do you remember about that?
The Mack: She was home a lot more as I got older. It turned into more of a... it's crazy to say this, but more of a family type of household. Joey was the man of the house, my mom was the lady. She cooked, cleaned, whatever. The hoes brought home the dough and we had a nice life. I never needed or wanted nothin'.
Playboy: And then, when you were... what, eight years old? That all changed. Your life turned upside down.
The Mack: Yeah. I was outside playin' in the neighborhood, with the kids, and I heard the shots. BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP. I walked in, saw my momma... saw her bleedin' out on the floor. Saw Joey. Thought he was shot up, but come to find out later, that was some special effects mother fuckin' studio shit. You know the story. Joey set it up, come to find out all these years later. Anyway, back then-- yeah, it all changed. The state took me and I went into the foster care system.
Playboy: What was that like?
The Mack: I fuckin' hated it. I moved all around Cali-- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno... couple more places. I don't really remember any of the families. I'm sure they were nice people, I'm sure they meant well. But I wasn't into it. I wanted my mom back, and nobody could give me that. So after a few years, I just... I fuckin' ran. I was tired of it. I just wanted to be by myself, I guess.
Playboy: What age were you when you started living on the street?
The Mack: I guess I was twelve. Around twelve. I stopped going to school, everything. I went back to Oakland, back to the Gardens. I found some of the kids I used to play with when I was little and they were doin' some crazy shit. Stealing cars, selling drugs-- twelve, thirteen years old. I told them I needed a place to stay and I needed to make some money, and that was that. I jumped right into the lifestyle and never looked back.
Playboy: Did you join a gang?
The Mack: I had to. It wasn't a choice, really. I needed the protection, I needed the resources. I needed the mother fuckin' respect. So I joined at a very young age, yeah. I was never really interested in the gang heirarchy or any of that bullshit. I could have moved up, but I wasn't really interested in that. I just wanted to make some money.
Playboy: Wasn't there pressure to move up within the gang?
The Mack: Oh, sure. I was a good earner, they loved kids like me. But I wanted to work for myself at the end of the day. I didn't want to get involved in the mother fuckin' politics. So I didn't.
Playboy: Most gang members have run-ins with the law.
The Mack: [laughs] Shit, man. I was always in Juvi. I was in there more than I was on the street. But I didn't care. It was a roof and three meals a day. It was a safe environment-- safer than the streets. Most of the time I ain't even want my sentence to end. I didn't wanna go home. I didn't say that to nobody, but yeah. I woulda stayed in that mother fucker if they let me.
Playboy: During that period of your life, were you in contact with Joey?
The Mack: Nah. I hated him. I blamed him for my mom's death. Obviously I didn't know the truth yet, but in my mind at that time, I just associated him with her death. I didn't want nothing to do with his ass.
Playboy: But that all changed at some point, didn't it?
The Mack: Yeah, it did. I was nineteen, doing my first real bid in prison-- I got popped sellin' some H to an undercover. They had like, fifteen mother fuckin' buys on me or something ridiculous like that. They wanted me to give up my connect, but fuck that. I was raised better than that. So I'm in my cell one day and they tell me I got a visitor-- I'm thinkin', fuck, I hope I didn't get some bitch pregnant or somethin' like that. But here comes Joey, wheelin' his ass in on his fake wheelchair. Which I didn't realize at the time, but I just have to laugh lookin' back on it. He's tellin' me how sorry he is about my mom, he wants to help me, and so on. I told him to go fuck himself, but he came back. He came back every week. Sometimes I talked to him, sometimes I didn't, but he came. And when I got out-- he was there, with one of the baddest bitches I ever seen in my life. He told me to take a ride with him-- he knew I couldn't resist. So he took me to his crib, I dug that bitch out for about an hour and a half, and then I sat in his kitchen and we ate some chicken and talked shit over.
Playboy: What did you two talk about?
The Mack: All kinds of shit, man. The gang, my mom, what's goin' on in his life... what had happened over the last few years. He told me how his massage parlors were really takin' off, and how that was my mom's idea. He told me he don't put girls on the street anymore and how he's makin' real money now without any of the bullshit. Then he told me that he was about to open Club Violet and he wanted me to help out.
Playboy: What did you think when he told you he named the club after your mom?
The Mack: To me, that was like... the point where I realized that this mother fucker is for real. He really wants to help me, you know what I'm sayin'? He's guilty about the past, he's tryin' to fix things and make things right. So I realized that I had two choices-- either go back to the gang, and end up goin' back to prison, or dead, or whatever. OR, I could stay with this nigga and try to learn the game, have a place to live at, have whatever I want.
Playboy: So I take it that was an easy choice.
The Mack: [laughs] Not as easy as you would think. I was hard headed. I didn't really want no help, but at the end of the day, I took it. I looked at it like, here's an opportunity for me to really learn the pimp game and maybe try to, you know, apply it in my own life. I didn't plan on stayin' with Joey for long.
Playboy: But you ended up becoming very close with him.
The Mack: Yeah. He was like a father to me, man. He was my main mother fucker. My best friend.
Playboy: Had you ever tried your hand at pimping before then?
The Mack: [laughs] I tried, yeah. It's not as easy as it looks. These girls are out of their fuckin' minds.
Playboy: So you stayed with Joey, you worked at the Club. You learned the pimp game. How did wrestling fit into all this?
The Mack: Well... Joey was a wrestler, too, man. Never got too big, just kind of a local guy. He'd work shows at local gyms and whatever. Used the pimp gimmick, since that's who he was. He was Golden Joey inside the ring and outside. He was good, though. And some of my best memories from my childhood was goin' to watch Joey wrestle. I really looked up to him, man. And I was always a wrestling fan, it was always an interest of mine. When I was locked up, we had a whole group of us who would watch wrestling on TV. We signed up for the TV every week to watch wrestling. It was the only show we cared about, and then we'd talk about the show all week. But when I was working for Joey, I started training at his old gym on my days off. I'd just go in and fuck around for a few hours, run the ropes, you know, learning the basics. I remember I wanted to go do my first show and it was all the way the fuck out in Nevada, but I went. And I got my ass kicked. [laughs] I thought I was the shit, too. I fucked around for a year or so before I really got serious about it.
Playboy: Did Joey encourage you to pursue wrestling as a career?
The Mack: Nah. He thought it was bullshit. He said I'd never make it.
Playboy: Why do you think he said that?
The Mack: Well... a couple things. One, he wanted me to stay and work for his ass at the Club. Two, I think he was afraid that I would do it and I'd do it better than him. Which is exactly what happened in the end. But he was happy for me when my career took off. He was there when I signed with WCF-- he was my manager for the first year or so. He taught me a lot.
Playboy: Alright, here comes one of the big questions I want to ask you. Pimping or wrestling? If you had to pick one or the other, which one?
The Mack: ... Shit. [laughs] That is a good mother fuckin' question right there. I've never really had to choose. When I was training, I was still workin' with Joey full time. When I was in the independent circuit, I was workin' with Joey on the weekends. By the time I made it to WCF, I had learned the pimpin' business through and through-- I had ran Golden Spa II by myself at one point. I knew all there is to know. And now, obviously I own Club Violet, so I'm still in the game, even if I'm not as hands-on as I used to be.
Playboy: But if you had to pick?
The Mack: Fuck. Wrestling, man. I'd pick wrestling.
Playboy: I think a lot of people will be shocked to hear that.
The Mack: Why? They shouldn't be. I'm as dedicated as anyone else to the sport. I train just as hard as anybody else. My wrestling career is just as demanding as the next guy's, if not more.
Playboy: I know. I just think people would look at pimping and say it's an easier lifestyle.
The Mack: [laughs] It's not as easy as it looks, believe that. These bitches will take a toll on your ass, mentally and otherwise. Anyway, that ain't the mother fuckin' point. Wrestling is what I'm passionate about. I got enough money in the bank. I'm not one of these new guys. Between my wrestling career and the money I've made elsewhere, I never have to do another match in my life if I don't want to. But I do want to. I have a lot more to accomplish in the ring. A LOT more. So I would have to choose wrestling, man.
Playboy: Thank you. My next question is another big one. Since you arrived in the public eye, people have debated whether or not you are actually a "pimp". You look the look, you talk the talk-- you obviously have a history of making money off of women. Yet when people hear the word "pimp", they think that you have to be one of the street guys, putting girls on the corner and taking all of their money.
The Mack: Let me stop you right there. I'm a MOTHER FUCKIN PIMP, homie. You said it yourself, I have a history of making money off of women. That's what a pimp do. Your boss, Hugh Heffner is a pimp. Larry Flynt is a pimp. Some of these guys who own modeling companies, they be pimpin' like a mother fucker. Shit, some of these record labels-- they sellin' sex, man, they pimpin'. They findin' a fine ass sister and puttin' her in the studio with their producers and creating hit records, and givin' the artist 2 percent. If that ain't pimpin', what the fuck you call that? Do I have girls on the street? No. I ain't put a girl on the street corner since I was a teenager. Once in a while, if I'm traveling, I'll bring a bitch with me if I have somebody lined up who is interested in her services. But that ain't even something that I do on a regular basis. The extent of my pimp game, at this point in time, is this club that we sittin' in right now. That's it. And Joey was the same way. Joey made his first pimp dollar with a hooker on the street. So did I. But Joey taught me to bring it inside. Put it behind closed doors. It's more profitable, it's safer, it's controlled. It's "classy". If you go to a massage parlor or an upscale gentlemen's club like Club Violet and have some fun, you just a regular guy tryin' to have a good time. If you pick a girl up on the street, you a "john". You a fuckin' sex addict or some kinda criminal. That's the society we live in. I ain't make the rules. It's like, uh, Jay-Z had once said. I ain't invent the game, I just rolled the dice, tryin' to get some change. That's real talk.
Playboy: I feel you. I'm sure our readers will appreciate that.
The Mack: It's nothin'. The people need to know the truth, I want the truth to be out there.
Playboy: Alright. Let's switch gears a little bit and talk about what's going on right now. A bit earlier, we talked about the future of your career and the opportunities you'll have in 2014. Coming up at the next Pay Per View-- Timebomb, you'll be in the main event in a World Title match. Care to talk about that?
The Mack: Sure. It's gonna be wild, it's a six-man match. Big names, too-- all former World champions. It's gonna be me, Oblivion, Logan, Waylon Cash, Jayson Price and the current World Champion, Jonny Fly.
Playboy: Shit-- let's talk about Jonny Fly for a minute. Can we?
The Mack: Of course.
Playboy: Jonny Fly and yourself put on an instant classic at the One Pay Per View last year. Universally regarded as one of the best matches of all time. Besides the match itself, there was so much... for lack of a better word, drama, surrounding the match. You two we friends, and then he framed you for some criminal stuff, then you flipped on him, then you both beat the feds-- it was pretty amazing stuff to see unfold. And now, you two have seemingly buried the hatchet and are actually on the same team once again. How does all of that happen in a matter of months?
The Mack: [laughs] It's a fast pace in this business, man. If you slow, you ain't gonna make it.
Playboy: Right, but just a couple months ago, you and Fly swore to kill one another. Now, you're friends. I can understand Jonny Fly wanting to right a wrong, but how you do forgive somebody who willingly put you in that type of position?
The Mack: Well... in life, man, things ain't always black and white.
Playboy: [laughs] No pun intended.
The Mack: Heh. For real, though. It's the same situation I had with Joey. I found out he was responsible for killing my mom, and the circumstances surrounding it-- yeah, my first instinct, I wanted to kill his ass. But he came to me and he redeemed himself, he ended up saving my life from some South American gangsta ass mother fuckers. What I had to do was really put myself in Joey's shoes, in his position. Really see through his eyes and ask myself the question-- what would I have done? And the truth is I might have done the same fuckin' thing he did. Not ME, Steve Orbit, but if I was Jonny Fly and I was in his predicament-- I might have done the same shit he did. It's a point where you really have to, you know, take yourself out of the situation, completely. Remove yourself. It takes a lot of humility and... it's hard, man, but it's necessary. Because if I was walkin' around carrying that shit around with me, that resentment, it would destroy me. I'm a positive guy. I don't want that shit holding me back.
Playboy: On a professional level, do you see this match as an opportunity to redeem your loss at One?
The Mack: Yeah, definitely. This match is a lot more than that, but that's part of it. I know I can beat Fly. I beat him last year. He knows how fuckin' close it was at One. This time it's a whole different ball game. This match is all about the title. This is six mother fuckers scrambling for the World championship. Fly can lose without getting pinned, and I know that's weighing on him.
Playboy: Another team mate of yours, Jayson Price, is also in the match. I know you've been on the same side with Price for a long while, since the Cryogenix days last summer. He's also the only other person in the WCF who's pinned Fly. He's gotta be, along with yourself, a favorite to win this match.
The Mack: Oh, for sure. He's definitely a favorite to win. When it comes down to it, the match is either mines or his. I'll admit that. I don't have this shit in the bag. It's too much chaos in a six-man match. There's too many factors, too much going on. I can be on the other side of the ring and somebody else makes the pin and the match is over. That's the worst part about being involved in a match like this. That's why, like I said, it's a scramble. You just tryin' to be the one to get that mother fuckin' pinfall before somebody else gets it. Friends, or no friends-- Pantheon, or no Pantheon-- I'm just tryin' to get that pinfall. If I have to pin Price or Fly, I'll fuckin' pin them in a second, and I know they'll pin me, too. I wouldn't have it any other way. We all professionals. We all wanna be the fuckin' best. That's why, collectively, we ARE the best.
Playboy: You say that like you're discounting the other men in the match.
The Mack: I'm sayin' it because it's the truth. Nobody else have a chance against us. Waylon Cash? A joke. Oblivion? A has-been. Logan? A mother fuckin' joke has-been.
Playboy: They're all former World champions. Logan and Oblivion have held the belt multiple times-- more than you.
The Mack: They also been around longer. I been sayin' this lately, my theme lately is I'm just gettin' started. People feel like I already had my peak, or that I've shown everything I'm capable of. Please. These last two years, they been a warm-up for me. I been training, adapting... learning how to be the best in the business. I may not have won every fuckin' match but I've ESTABLISHED myself in the WCF. That's my goal from day one. Make my name. My name is out there. I climbed to the top-- I've arrived. You know how they say when you on top, there's only one way to go? There's only one way for me to go. It ain't down. It's FORWARD. I'ma be here for as long as I want, in the main event-- in the mother fuckin' spotlight. Watch what I do with it.
Playboy: Before we go, let's get some individual comments on your opponents. I'll say the name, you give me some feedback. Word association. Ready?
The Mack: Sure.
Playboy: Oblivion.
The Mack: Oblivion is a guy who... he really isn't as much of a threat as he's made out to be. Don't get me wrong, the dude is dangerous-- to an extent. He's dangerous to a normal, common, fuckin' citizen. He ain't really that dangerous to a man like me. He's a very typical case of, yeah, he's a maniac. Yeah, he's hardcore with the fuckin' mask on and what have you. He's a big guy, a strong guy. I just am not really afraid of Oblivion. The spooky shit don't really scare me like that. I'm confident that I can out perform Oblivion in every category. I'm a better wrestler, period, at the end of the day. In this business, there's a lot of mother fuckers like Oblivion who run with the theatrics and they supposed to be some kinda supernatural force or somethin' like that. He ain't bigfoot, yo. He ain't the abominable snowman. You feel me? He's just a guy. A guy who I can beat, though.
Playboy: Logan.
The Mack: [laughs] Logan is a living legend. Aight? I'ma give him that. He calls himself Mr. WCF or the God of WCF or whatever his nickname is this week. Who cares? I'm Mr. Right Now. Steve Orbit is the hot shit right now. Logan is a mother fucker who is drowning but he comes up for air once in a while. He had his little Hardcore title for a minute, he had his little moment. He is the odd man in this World Title match, he's the one who doesn't belong in it. He's got no business in the ring with guys like me or Fly or Jayson Price. I'ma tell you, I still owe this guy some payback for some shit that I ain't even gonna bring up right now.
Playboy: He was a big fan of yours for a while, wasn't he?
The Mack: [laughs] Let's leave it at that. He was like a fuckin' obsessed fan. He probably still is. Logan will show up and he'll be outclassed, outperformed-- outwrestled. I'll be lookin' at him when I'm tryin' to pin somebody. He's the weak link, yo.
Playboy: Waylon Cash.
The Mack: Another one who I got some history with. Some unfinished business. This is gonna be a lot of deja vu for Waylon Cash-- it was a triple threat match when I won the World Title, he was in it, and I beat him. I didn't pin him, but I won the fuckin' match. I got the job done. Waylon Cash don't have what it takes to go over me. It's gonna be the same as last time. Steve Orbit with his hand raised and a title in his palm while Waylon Cash lays on the mat wondering how it happened. I might not pin him in this match either, but I'ma make sure he ain't gonna get the winning pin. And I'ma make sure he gets a Pimp Slap at some point. I been needin' to check this mother fucker. I owe him a reciept for Helloween, and he's gonna get it-- with some change. Waylon Cash ain't been goin' nowhere and that ain't gonna change in this match. He'll show up, he'll fight, he'll get put in his fuckin' place.
Playboy: Jayson Price.
The Mack: My homeboy. It'll be a fine line in this match, between tryin' to watch Jayson's back and watchin' my back from Jayson, you know what I'm sayin'? He's been hungry for this World Title. He's been dyin' for this shot-- and he deserves it. I'll be the first to admit, he deserves to be in this match. He deserves to compete for the World Title. All I can say is-- when it comes down to it, I was born alone and I'ma die alone. It might sound like a cliche thing to say but this is business, it ain't personal. If it's me and Jayson Price left standing at the end of the match, I'ma do what I gotta do to win this World Title. And I don't think he's got what it takes to get me on the mother fuckin' mat and pin me for the 1-2-3. I don't see it happening. And if it comes down to the line and I see Jayson Price going for the pin, and there's somethin' I can do to stop it, I'll fuckin' stop it. And I appreciate the fact that he will do the same to me. We are both competitors, both warriors-- we are both WINNERS. And we're both Pantheon. But I'm Steve Orbit before I'm Pantheon, and I need that World Title. I'll gladly defend it against Jayson somewhere down the line-- that goes for any of the mother fuckers in this match. After I win, I'll fight any of y'all mother fuckers one on one, if there's any doubt that I'm the best in this company.
Playboy: Finally, the current World Champion. Jonny Fly.
The Mack: Jonny Fly has what it takes to win this match. More than anybody else-- myself included. I can't deny that. Ultimate Showdown, WAR-- he's won them. He's dominated this company since he arrived. He's been World Champion FOUR mother fuckin' times. He's owned the God damn company, before it was the IN thing to do. I got the utmost respect for Fly as a competitor-- not because of all of that, but because of what he's done in the ring against ME. That match at One, Fly took me to limits I didn't know I had. Every time you're in the ring with Fly, he challenges you to be the best you can possibly be. He pushes you. Knowing how fuckin' unstoppable this guy is, that drives you to be the one to put a STOP to his fuckin' reign. And that's what I'm tryin' to do. I said it before, he don't have to be the one who gets pinned to lose the title in this match. And honestly, I'm tryin' to win this match-- I ain't tryin' to pin Fly. That's not good strategy. Don't get me wrong-- if the opportunity arises, I'll pin him in a fuckin' heartbeat. But I'm not gunning for Fly. I'm not gunning for Jayson Price. I'm gunning for the mother fuckin' World Title, period. I want it. I'm comin' to get it. You want me to talk shit about Fly? What can I say? The mother fucker does what he wants. If he wants to win this match, he'll win-- but if I can stop him, I will. I realize that me and Fly are on some kinda weird terms right now-- we're cool, but we know each other. We've seen the best and the worst of each other... I don't know, man. He's lost the belt in a match like this before. It's not impossible. It can happen. And if I can happen, I'ma be the mother fucker to take it. And I'll bring it home to Pantheon and we all win.
Playboy: Mack, I want to thank you for inviting me to your Club and talking with me for a while.
The Mack: I'm happy to do it, homie. Love the magazine. I been readin' Playboy since... [laughs] well, before I learned to read I been lookin' at Playboy.
Playboy: What are your plans for the rest of the day?
The Mack: I'ma finish this cognac, smoke a cigar, have sex with a young bitch and then get some mother fuckin' SLEEP.
