Former WWE star Paul Roma appeared on Newsnation on Monday night to talk about the allegations about Vince McMahon. Roma is one-half of The Young Stallions team (with Jim Powers) and one-half of the Power and Glory team (with Hercules Hernandez).
On the ring boy scandal from the early 90s that involved Terry Garvin and Mel Phillips, Roma said the following:
“It was pretty regular, you heard it on a regular basis for the most part. Then you wouldn’t hear it for a while. Then it would come full circle. But it wasn’t so much Vince as it was the people that he had surrounding him. You talk about an industry where you have young, good looking, well-built men in the ring. Half naked, three quarters naked actually. It left the door open. He had a lot of people around him, Vice Presidents and bookers that were very much into that. They put you in a really bad situation especially once you start making some money and you kind of get comfortable with that and then you find out that your job’s on the line. Either do it or get fired. I witnessed quite a few that walked away…”
On the people who walked away, Roma said, “They were asked to do things. Sexual things with other men that they did not want to do. My former partner being one of them…”
Roma recalled being in a cab ride and someone next to him saying “It’s not worth the Benjamins” and the next day at a TV taping, that person was gone and never showed up to wrestle. He says that person had an “unfortunate accident” and passed away because he had a bleed on his brain after hitting his head.
Roma continued, “One of my former partners when I was part of the Young Stallions, he was propositioned. He said he went to one of the agents and told them what had happened. I said, ‘Why would you do that? You just ratted on both of us.’ He kind of threw us both under the bus just starting out.”
Roma said his former partner was offered money and drugs. Newsnation’s Ashleigh Banfield said she spoke with former WWE enhancement wrestler Mario Mancini and he said he’s heard about something even worse than what has been alleged by Janel Grant. Roma said he had heard this. He said, “I really shouldn’t right now but yes I do know what it is and it is worse.” When asked if he could characterize the incident in any way, he said, “Just that Mario and I are really surprised. We spoke about it. We’re surprised that no one has come forward but on the flip side, I think they’re of an age now they may be married and have kids and they don’t want to open Pandora’s box. I can’t blame them…” Watch the entire Newsnation segment below.
