"You epitomise the lowest elements of humanity"

[Gene Okerlund, Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan are backstage.]

Gene Okerlund: "An underdog in the battle royal perhaps, perhaps an underdog in this title bout."

Nick Bockwinkel: "Well I have to respect my intelligence because I predicted that one of the smaller men, not that 240 pounds is small, would come out the victor in the battle royal. Now Mad Dog Vachon, you stand up here and you epitomise the lowest elements of humanity. You talk about coming out of garbage cans, and you've got something to be thankful and grateful for on this day, and this is the opportunity of your lifetime. I want you to know something: I am very grateful but that I worked very hard for what I have. I've maintained it, I represented the Heavyweight Championship of the World with the class and the dignity that it deserves.

Now there's one thing about the human-animal: If it has class it has it. If it doesn't, you cannot give it to them. And as far as you are concerned, you cannot come to my level of class and sophistication, you cannot come to my wrestling ability but I can see that the human animal has always been able to go down the ladder. Back. Retrogress into the gutter. And I hate to say it, but on Thanksgiving Day I guess that's exactly where we're gonna have to go, and see what kind of bones and carcass is gonna be left over, because we're gonna have to scrap and kick and bite and scratch. I, the heavyweight champion of the world, the most sophisticated respected athlete in our sport, will have to, for one day, get down at your level and it'll be a very denigrating day, but I have every intention of coming out of this the Heavyweight Champion of the World."

Gene Okerlund:"You know Nick Bockwinkel, [Nick Bockwinkel: 'What?'] it's just possibly conceivable that all of us on Thanksgiving have a lot to be thankful for, past, present and future. Bobby Heenan-- "

Bobby Heenan: "Well I'm gonna change the course of history: Thanksgiving Night, we're not gonna have turkey, we're gonna have dog. And you know how you prepare dog? Well, you don't put cranberries to it, you don't put stuffings to it, you put the boots to it! So when the dogs down there on the mat and he's getting his teeth kicked out-- both of them. And he's rolling around in pain, he's gonna know he's in the ring with the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Now, for the question of the day: How's the Vikings [see Note 1] gonna blow it today, huh? Figure that one out! The same as Vachon: They're outclassed!"

- Note 1: The "Vikings" are the Minnesota Vikings, the local American Football team in the area where AWA was based. The Vikings finished the 1983 NFL season 8-8, losing six of their final eight games and finishing second-bottom in their division.