QUESTIONS!

[nbpsfc]

Answered on 9/11

What's your take on Kanyon's supposed publicity stunt at the WWE house show in Tampa?

First off, for those show didn't read the site over the weekend, you can catch up with what Kanyon did and why he says he did it by clicking here. OK now to the question. I don't think that there is any truth to his claim that Vince McMahon released him because he found out he was gay. Vince has employed a number of gay men in the past. Hell, Pat Patterson was Vince's right hand man for years. I think Kanyon was let go because he had an average body and was a below average interview and they just didn't have anything for him. They even tried to redo the old Mortis gimmick for him to get him on the shows but it didn't work so they let him go. So, I think Kanyon is wrong here and is just trying to get noticed, much like I think he did when he publicly came out as being "wrestling's first openly gay wrestler". I don't think it has any chance of getting him back on the national scene and I think it comes off as desperate to me. I also think it was really lame of him to bring signs to ringside. That is the way a fan would act, not someone who worked in the business for years. I think he embarrassed himself.

What exactly is Dusty Rhodes' job title with the WWE? When they hired him I thought he would be a GM or some sort of on air type personality, but he has remained behind the scenes. Is he an agent? Or did WWE sign him just to keep him away from TNA? Does he have any sort of influence in the WWE?

Dusty is basically a creative advisor for the product, helping with the storylines. WWE signed him to be involved in creative and he got a better deal to go there than he was getting from TNA.

Originally, he was slated to be the GM on Raw after Eric Bischoff was taken out of the spot but Vince McMahon decided that he liked being on charge on Raw and Dusty was taken out of the spot.

What would happen if a new wrestler stood up to locker room hazing? Would it be tolerated, respected, disapproved of? If someone who's a legit bad-ass like Turkay got in the face of someone hazing him and let it be known he wouldn't stand for it, what would be the locker room reaction?

The thing that you have to consider here is that locker room hazing is generally done by bully types, who by nature are cowards and pick on the weak, not the strong. They don't go after the big, tough guys because they are, well, cowards and only pick on the easy targets. If they picked on a legit bad ass, and the guy stood up to them, I think he would make some friends while others (generally the bullies who endorse hazing to begin with) would whine about how he went against the, in my opinion outdated, code of locker room mores.

Why does WWE keep showing old insane footage of ECW when they advertise the new WWECW? Don't get me wrong I enjoy WWECW more than Raw or Smackdown but I feel by showing that footage they are misleading people and if they want to distance themselves from what ECW used to be than don't show that footage.

That is exactly why they do it, to get you to think that is what you will see on Tuesday nights. Plus, Vince believes since he owns the footage, he can do whatever he wants with it, which is the truth unfortunately. Everyone needs to just accept that ECW is now WWECW and not the company of old.

What do you think of the indy organization CZW? Do you think it can compete with the WWE and TNA? It is a different type of wrestling organization with its ultra-violent style and the technical junior division. Could men like John Zandig, Necro Butcher and Nick Gage be mainstream stars?

CZW's violent style makes it a niche product. Given how violent it is, its workers couldn't do those kinds of matches on a weekly, WWE-like schedule. Even if they could, the style is such that it will almost attract a smaller fan base because it's not "family friendly" (and yes I know WWE is often not family friendly either, but a lot of parents don't seem to realize that). Plus, it would take huge money to even think about competing with WWE and CZW just doesn't have it. So, enjoy it for what it is. The fact is, if they ever got bigger they would come under more scrutiny and would probably have to tone down the product anyway.

 

[nbpsfc]

Answered on 9/9

I never understood why Sabu wasn't pushed when ECW debuted on TNN. Given the departures of the Dudleys and Taz, Sabu was by far their biggest name at the time on a national level. However, he was "banned" because of Justin Credible, then jobbed to him at a PPV. Why? I know they wanted to build new stars, but they hardly even put Sabu on TV, then he eventually walked-out. Given Sabu's latest run (which has been awesome) don't you think Heyman made a huge mistake by not pushing him back then? A lot of us longtime wrestling fans who don't live on the East Coast never got to see him before TNN, except on pay-per-views.

I never liked that decision either, but in a way, I understood it. The idea was to push Mike Awesome, Rob Van Dam and others on TV, while using the "Sabu is banned" storyline as a way to create an air of mystery around Sabu, playing off the idea that new ECW viewers would be curious about him (and thus order PPV events or go to shows to see him). However, Sabu then had his falling out with Heyman and his failed attempt to go to WCW, which led to the end of his ECW run. As for Sabu's current run, I think it has been amazing, and Sabu is right up there with Fit Finlay for "Comeback of the Year" in my book.

What do you think it says about the state of the RAW roster where a guy who just recently lost a match to a 50-plus year-old part-time wrestler and a guy in just his 2nd week back in the WWE got to wrestle a number one contender's match for the I-C title on RAW (Aug 28)? And why is Jeff Hardy in the title picture while someone like Carlito is now stuck in a feud with Randy Orton, someone he'll have to probably carry to good matches?

First of all, you have to put things in perspective. Yes, Orton lost to a "50-plus year-old part-time wrestler", but that wrestler was Hulk Hogan, the biggest star in the history of the business. As for Hardy and Orton wrestling for a title shot, I think WWE just wanted to shake up the Intercontinental title picture, rather than having Carlito or Shelton Benjamin wrestle Johnny Nitro for the umpteenth time. As for Carlito feuding with Randy Orton, I actually look at it as a final step for Carlito before he gets a chance to have a program with Edge.

With your observance of WWE panicking last night on Raw by adding two big gimmick matches to a single-brand PPV, do you think they will admit to themselves any time soon that the way they go about is wrong, and go back to what made them successful in the late 90's up until 2001? If they don't do this, do you think they will end up going the way of WCW, not necessarily dying but drawing in (comparatively) pitiful ratings by the end of their run?

I don't think WWE will ever admit they are wrong, but hopefully they will start making some changes in how they do things. One good sign for the future is that WWE actually established and announced seven matches for the Unforgiven PPV this week, rather than waiting for the "go-home" edition of Raw to hotshot angles for the undercard. WWE, despite some poor creative decisions (too much McMahon), is still far away from falling apart the way WCW did.

This probably wont get answered. But if say HHH and Taker had a massive fall out and HHH told Vince about it would Vince fire Taker?

I don't know why you think this wouldn't get answered. If HHH and the Undertaker had a massive falling out, and it had nothing to do with Vince, he wouldn't fire him. Undertaker is the most successful gimmick character WWE ever created, and he has been one of the biggest merchandise sellers in the history of wrestling. Vince would probably just keep the two apart (which would be pretty easy, since they are on separate brands anyway, and Taker only works a part-time schedule). Also, Triple H is smart enough to know that having Undertaker around is good for business, even if he hated him.

On a recent PWInsider article, it was indicated that Jeff Hardy arrived with Edge and Lita and has no heat with them. My question is, since Edge and Lita are still on the road together, are they still romantically involved or just friends? Also, how is Matt doing with his heat on Edge and Lita, have things been patched up a bit?

I try to avoid the personal life questions, but since this bunch made it all public themselves, I guess it is okay for me to write that Edge and Lita are friends. As for Matt, he obviously isn't around them much, since he is on Smackdown, but when he was on Raw, they all worked a series of matches together, and I never heard of a single problem between them. Remember, some are still of the belief that a lot of what went down was a work. Me? I could care less, I just want to see good matches.

 

[nbpsfc]

9/10/2006


I just read something on the site about Hulk Hogan saying that he sometimes hangs out with Ric Flair. Is this true? I always was under the impression that these two stayed miles away from each other due to professional rivalry. Do you have any insight into what their off camera relationship is and what they really think of the other?

I think when they are together, they likely treat each other with respect but outside of the business, I have never heard of them being close social friends. You have to remember that anytime Hogan is talking to the media, he's spinning everything to be as large and as memorable as possible to get himself the most publicity. The Flair comment was likely a by-product of that mentality.

I heard that Trish is leaving the WWE to be with her longtime boyfriend and get into acting. I was wondering, do many of the other divas like Torrie Wilson and Mickie James have boyfriend and if yes, who are they?

Yes, many of the other women in the company have boyfriends. I don't feel its proper to go into the social lives of the performers in the business unless it effects the business. Among the women you've names, I can tell you that Wilson is married to former WCW star Billy Kidman and James is engaged to Kenny of the Spirit Squad. I make those mentions only because they have been disclosed publicly in a number of media outlets.

I was wondering, do you see them moving John Cena to Smackdown at Uunforgiven? Cena moving might result in increased ratings for Smackdown into their "CW" debut but Cena's movie is also better advertised with him being on Raw. Finally if Cena goes to Raw, I don't think there are a lot of heels that can carry him and make his limited moveset look good (possible booker). They could always put the top babyfaces against each other (batista vs. cena) but that would be a train wreck.

I think the best thing for John Cena long term is for him to go to Smackdown. It would give him a long-term goal to fight for towards Wrestlemania, returning for revenge against Edge. It would also help Smackdown as it debuts on the CW Network. In regard to promoting his movie, if they are pushing it on ECW, it's going to get pushed on all the TV shows, regardless of whatever brand Cena is on. Also, don't forget that Cena started out on the Smackdown brand, so it's not like he's going to be a fish out of water in any aspect. In fact, it may help him a bit since they can post-produce his matches with editing.

In your opinion, do you think we'll ever see a female referee in the WWE? I don't mean like Stephanie, Stacy Kiebler or Trish Stratus. I mean like Tommy Young, Earl Hebner and Nick Patrick.

No, I don't see it as the role of women in the WWE is to be eye candy first, legitimate personalities second. That's just the nature of what they want creatively for their female performers at this time.

Is Trish Stratus really getting married, or is this just part of an upcoming storyline which will lead to Trish being seriously injured to the point where she will be out of action for a long time? Is that the plan for Trish?

Stratus is legitimately taking time off to get married and there is no set plan for her return, or if she indeed, will return. This is not a storyline.

 

[nbpsfc]

Answered on 9/11

You recently answered a question on ECW's future by stating that if they continued to do a solid 2 they'd have a home for sure. What would it take (or is there NO CHANCE) for ECW to be given more time? I don't know if 2 hours is the answer, but I'd say at least 90 minutes is needed to give the show more time to build to something, develop more characters and give the "wrestling" fans one extended match a week.

At the moment, I don't think there is much chance of it. Both sides are happy with ECW having an hour show. If they went longer, that would mean that the Smackdown or Raw taping where they show was filmed would go longer, which WWE doesn't want. Plus, with WWE only doing two ECW PPVs a year, there isn't much need for them to have more time for the TV show. Also, Sci Fi doesn't have a huge budget to spend on the show, so I think it will stay at an hour for now.

I was just wondering, since there is an ECW brand, Why not introduce Eric Bischoff to the show accompanied by a familiar WCW face (Sting) and create a brand inside the brand. I call it WECW. Would this not work? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Eric still under contract until the late fall? And don't think for a second I think it sounds kinda dumb, but it's no more dumb than having a brand named ECW and having ZERO resemblance to the original.

Well, Sting is under contract to TNA, so that won't happen. Bischoff is working on many projects outside of wrestling so I don't see him having much desire to appear on a secondary WWE project after being in a high profile position on their number one show. Plus, I really don't see the need for him on ECW. With ECW having only an hour of time, it makes sense to spend that on wrestlers, not figures.

Is there one true, plausible, logical way to rid the art of professional wrestling Of "World Wrestling Entertainment"? asides from the turning off of your television and hoping others follow.

Yes, find someone with a half billion dollars that is willing to let you spend it and put your plan in place. Otherwise, you are pretty much screwed.

Let me state that I love the cruiserweights in WWE and I feel they are grossly misused. With that being said what are your feelings ton the fact that 4 cruiserweights hold belts (Mysterio, Helms, London, and Kendrick) in the company that loves big men? Is WWE trying to get more use out of there cruiserweights or are they just running out of their so-called options?

I think it's a mix of both. With so few options on the rosters, it's giving the smaller guys a chance. I think if they had larger options to work with, the smaller guys would get less of a push. With that said, Mysterio got a push because of his connection to Eddie Guerrero. The tag team division is an afterthought, so while these guys are getting some push, the WWE world hasn't turned completely.

Just one question for you. I've noticed that most professional wrestlers past and present are Republicans and I also know that The McMahon family have tended to lean that way too. Are there any pros that have connections to the Democratic Party? I've Heard that Mick Foley is a Democrat but that's the only one I know.

Foley is a Democrat. Ric Flair is a Republican. Val Venis is a Libertarian. They are all on the record as stating their party preference. I don't know of anyone else stating what they are and frankly, that is how it should be in my opinion. Politics and religion are two topics I don't think belong in wrestling.

 

[Smitty]

The questions these people ask are pretty pathetic.

 

[nbpsfc]

The questions these people ask are pretty pathetic.

Sometimes they are, and by the questions asked you can tell some of these people are pretty pathetic themselves, some are good some are bad

 

[2-0-NINE]

Where do these Questions come from, do you answer the questions we ask from this website?

 

[Smitty]

Sometimes they are, and by the questions asked you can tell some of these people are pretty pathetic themselves, some are good some are bad

Yeah I wasn't trying to talk shit about posting these, I actually enjoy reading some of the smart ass answers they're given. A lot of these could be answered by using Google, like "I was wondering, do many of the other divas like Torrie Wilson and Mickie James have boyfriend and if yes, who are they?". Only a 5 year old wouldn't know that Torrie Wilson and Billy Kidman are married, and have been together since they were in WCW. It must be frustrating for the writers to have to sort through so many questions, and have 80% of them be something that could be answered by a 2 minute search on the net.

 

[GHP]

Only a 5 year old wouldn't know that Torrie Wilson and Billy Kidman are married, and have been together since they were in WCW.

shit i didn't know that. kidman is a lucky bastard, not as lucky as CM Punk though

 

[nbpsfc]

Where do these Questions come from, do you answer the questions we ask from this website?

they come from pwinsider.com, not too many people ask questions on here, if i knew enough about wrestling to answer questions like this i would take my ass and try to get a job with them instead of doing my boring ass job right now,lol

 

[nbpsfc]

Yeah I wasn't trying to talk shit about posting these, I actually enjoy reading some of the smart ass answers they're given. A lot of these could be answered by using Google, like "I was wondering, do many of the other divas like Torrie Wilson and Mickie James have boyfriend and if yes, who are they?". Only a 5 year old wouldn't know that Torrie Wilson and Billy Kidman are married, and have been together since they were in WCW. It must be frustrating for the writers to have to sort through so many questions, and have 80% of them be something that could be answered by a 2 minute search on the net.

it's cool, i agree with you about some of these questions, i feel for the writers cause i'm sure they gotta read alot of bullshit, but some of the writers sound like idiots themselves

 

[nbpsfc]

shit i didn't know that. kidman is a lucky bastard, not as lucky as CM Punk though

haha i bet kidman dosen't give a flying fuck if he never won a major championship or if he goes to the hall of fame, if all he got outta the wwe was torrie wilson then it's well worth it

 

[GHP]

Kidman is hella talanted, i think he deserved alot more than what he got. Maybe if he didn't take a gay name like Billy Kidman he would have gotten a bigger push

 

[nbpsfc]

Answered on 9/13

I read the Chicago Sun-Times and every Sunday, I run into Blackjack Brown's column. Beside reporting either old news or material that is already obvious, he is wrong! A good example was back in December when he said expect Bischoff to pull a trick out of his magic hat and retain his GM job (next night, he was fired). The following week, Brown reports to expect Bischoff to make a few appearances and stir the pot (never happened). I have come to expect through the years to take his column as a joke. My question, who the heck is he, does he do anything on the Internet, and why the heck is he always wrong!!??? The Sun-Times should fire the guy, seriously!

He's a wrestling photographer who has a full time job in a factory. I don't think he has an internet presence (though he and his column would be well-served if he read sites like this one). He is just lucky enough to have gotten a column and the people he submits he work to obviously know nothing about the business because you are right, there is a lot of incorrect info in his columns.

I was wondering how does Johnny Nitro hold on to the I.C. (Intercontinental) title on his belt like that. I was trying to wear my replica belts like that but I keep ripping my jeans.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but this is one of the scariest questions I have ever received. The visual of you trying on your replica belt and tearing your pants just really freaks me out. To answer your question, I have no idea how he wears his belt. When he's around, I am always looking at Melina, not him. Maybe you should throw away your belt and buy a replica of her.

This might come off a little rude, but why does Ric Flair still pretty much wrestle a full time schedule? Seems to me like he should be more like Hogan and only have like 2-3 matches a year. Does he need to money THAT badly? Surely he made a lot of money in to 90s from Bischoff like all the other big name stars.

A wrestling fan? Rude, never! That couldn't ever happen. Flair works the schedule that he does because while he has made a lot of money, he spent a lot too. Yes, he does need the money that badly. On top of that, he has a number of expensive debts to pay. He owes the IRS for back taxes and also has alimony payments to his ex-wife to pay. That's why he keeps on working.

Hi guys great site. My question is about Matt Striker's comments from ECW about Steve Irwin. Didn't John Cena do the same thing a few years ago because I seem to remember him rapping about something and he mentioned John Ritter and his heart attack a few days after he died. Would that be on the same level as the Striker comment and if not why?

I don't remember who did it WWE TV, but yes, someone made fun of John Ritter's death. I seem to remember it being on Heat. I also remember when Joel Gertner made fun of JFK Jr.'s death back in ECW. It was classless then and it's classless now. I know some people feel that celebrities are "fair game" but I totally disagree. They are also people too and just a simple matter of decency to show respect when someone passes away.

I like to know what happened to X-Pac in TNA. He was in TNA briefly and is gone. Plus do you see X-Pac going to ECW?

X Pac had a problem making his commitments for TNA so they stopped using him. He has had personal issues over the last few years which make him hard to depend on. At this point, I hope WWE sees that and doesn't bring him in. He was always a solid worker, but until he shows he can take the business seriously, he isn't someone I would sign. With that said, he is still friends with Triple H, as evidenced by his invited appearance at last weekend's Tampa Raw show, so he always has something of an in to WWE.

 

[Smitty]

X-Pac is under contract to MTV's Wrestling Society X, and also wrestles down in Mexico. Unless something were to happen with his contract, he won't be appearing on Raw any time soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling_Society_X

 

[Smitty]

Adding to your thread nbpsfc

From 411mania.com:


TIME FOR A SET OF QUESTIONS!

Mike asks: There's one question I have about something currently going on in the WWE, and i was wondering if you could provide me with an answer: If the tag team of London and Kendrick have it written on their ring attire, why don't they get announced or even referred to by the WWE as the Hooliganz? Is this a matter of copyright or something? Their characters seem very unexplained right now and it's been bugging me for some time now

ask 411: That is an excellent question. I know the IWC is referring to them like that, but never do you hear it on TV. I also have never read any report of that trademark being put in by the fed – so there may be a conflict. Other than that, I have no further info – maybe someone out there does?


Tarek asks: Now we all know that Vince likes the wrestlers big so how come mid carders and cruiseweights dont try to improve their bodies big time to get more noticed? I mean if I was Billy Kidman back in the day and I had no direction I would ask for some time off and get massive.

Second, why do the WWE hire talent who have a bad look? I see so many in OVW and Deep South and ones that debut now I know will never make any impact whatsoever.

ask 411: wow – that first question is a dangerous one in this age of WELLNESS~! I think the reason is simply that, in terms of the small guys, the reason why they got hired was their workrate, not their muscles. Look at the guys who ended up playing the Dicks – roid heads, but 5'5. They got fired very quickly. Simply put – small guys have to have the work, not the hulk, in order to get hired in Vince's world.

In terms of a bad-look, that's all relative. I would say that not all Hollywood actors have a good "look" per se – it's all about finding one's niche. Hell – Duggan is an ugly Mofo and always has been, but he got hired. Even Batista is a funny looking guy, but his unique look got him over. They all can't be Orton/Jericho types.


Gary asks: Read the site daily and I was wondering if you think that it is inevitible that Matt Hardy will be re-drafted to Raw to re-team with his brother Jeff,
because all I have read in several articles on WWE.com about Jeff looking forward to teaming with Matt again and think about the dollars Vince will make on Hardy Boyz t-shirts.

ask 411: I do think it is evitable – maybe even to put Lita back with them as well sometime in the future. That threesome does sell a lot of merch, so why not go for it? I think Jeff will have to start screwing up first, and eventually they'll add Matt back to his life in order to babysit him.


Danny C Asks: On Raw and Smackdown, do general managers do anything besides an on-air role? Like, Does Teddy Long help write the shows, or act as a road agent, or did Eric Bischoff write for Raw when he was G.M.?

ask 411: Very specifically, I think undeserved, Bischoff was told that he was not, nor would he be ever, part of creative. He's still got that WCW stink on him, so no one wanted him to be part of that side of the business again. I think he could have been effective as a brainstormer, as he did have some good ideas over his tenure, as long as he didn't have carte blanche control of anything. What could it have hurt??

Long is in the same boat – 100% performer, nothing else.


J.B. asks: is their any move that you consider to be too dangerous to attempt in the ring, like on Youtube their is a video of some idiotic fool attempting the Canadian Destroyer off of the top rope(and one off of a ladder) just curious.

ask 411: Yes. Anything stupid like deathmatch stuff that involves no "Work" and all pain. I find nothing entertaining nor viable about a move that can't be faked. So that opens up a huge among of stuff I guess!


Nelson asks: in 2002 Brock Lesnar was no doubt the hottest new superstar to come along in years. The very fact that The Rock CLEANLY jobbed to him at SummerSlam was enough to cement this idea. My question is, with all the steam Brock had going, why did they kill his heat and relegate him to Smackdown? Did he mess up somehow? Or was it that Triple-H really did not want to have to play 2nd banana to Lesnar and by creating two world titles he would never have to? Either way, I think this was the move that began the downfall of Lesnar as he was moved from the future #1 guy in the E to the #1 guy on the B show.

ask 411: I believe the answer to be 2-fold. Just like Batista today, the fed had faith that someone like Brock could be the "name" on that show. So you put someone you believe to be a strong draw there, and just let them run with it. The problem is, just like Batista is finding out now, is that when you don't have solid heels and faces around you, there is only so much one can do!

The other reason is simply that they wanted to keep him away from the real star of wrestling – Triple H. That would keep those two from having to feud, thereby saving up a bit feud for Hunter later on. So – why when that happens, does not Hunter go to Smackdown… mmmm?


Dabid asks: I thought that Hulk Hogan was the only man in WWF history to pin Andre the Giant, but a friend says he remembers Ultimate Warrior not only pinning Andre but GORILLA PRESS SLAMMING HIM. Did anything like this ever really happen? Is Hogan the only man in the WWF to pin Andre?

ask 411: Andre's last matches with the fed were him jobbing out on a regular basis to the Warrior. Oftentimes in under 2 minutes. A press slam though? I seriously doubt that. Andre was in worse shape than ever at that point, and was not happy about doing all the jobs. So he never went out of his way to put Warrior over in any huge way.


Cody asks: I was just watching the new Vince Mcmahon DVD and I watched the match between him and Austin in the cage at St. Valeintine Day Massacre. When Paul White(Big Show) threw Austin into the cage was the cage supossed to break? After Austin hit the ground and the ref raise his hand, he looks shocked. So if it was not supossed to break, then was was the original ending to the match?

ask 411: Yes – that was the planned finished. Lame? Oh yeah. When the Punjabi Prison finish was so bad, that's what I immediately though of. I guess the 7-year angle exemption had expired on that one! Funny that Big Show was involved in both!

Bryan asks: When the Highlanders come to the ring...they always announce their weight in stones. What does that convert to in pounds....and why do they use that anyway,..if the creative control wanted to hammer home that their from Europe, why not just use kilograms?

Ask 411: because Kilos are boring in the grand scheme of things. Using "Stone" is a very British Isle thing to do, so it does fit the gimmick quite well. Lots of people still use that system in England to this day. One stone is equal to 13.999999603167928 pounds.


Brendan asks: I love the video highlight packages that the WWE does for there feuds and they usually play them to hype PPV matches. I have only been following wrestling since late 96 and wanted to know what feud had the first music video highlight package to hype the match.

ask 411: I personally believe it all started with the Highway to Hell video spot hyping Austin vs. Undertaker at Summerslam 1998. Vince bought the rights to ACDC's song of the same title, and put together a strong video package hyping the match. It really did help sell the match (that unfortunately did not live up to the hype in the ring, but did well as a draw) and they started appearing more frequently from there, of course leading to the "Desire" phenomenon a few years later.

 

[nbpsfc]

^^^^^
thanks, i've been gone for a bit cause i got a tooth pulled i'll be back this tuesday...thanks for the help

 

[nbpsfc]

I was looking at new poll about best factions and my question is do you guys think WWE could use some factions? The closet thing to a faction in WWE is King Booker's Court and that seems to be dead already.

I have always enjoyed groups in wrestling and I think if they are done effectively, they add a lot to the product. It's a good way to get younger guys over as well. For instance, if they put say Carlito in DX, he could get the rub from the veterans. It also allows feuds to be booked where the groups have cohesiveness instead of random guys teaming to face other random guys.

I noticed on this weeks episode of Impact (09/14/06), during the "I Hate Jeff Jarrett" video montage, I saw a short clip of him hitting Hulk Hogan over the head with his guitar. When did this happen? Did Hogan ever make an appearance on TNA television?

Hogan was in talks of coming in to TNA a few years ago and went as far as shooting the angle with Jarrett when Jarrett was working in Japan. That is where the footage came from. TNA was moving forward as if Hogan was coming in to do a program, since that is what he told them he was doing. Before Hogan actually worked for TNA though he said he injured his knee. Shortly thereafter, he came back to WWE. Let's just say that a lot of people around the business felt that Hogan used "going to TNA" as leverage to get a better deal with WWE. No matter what, it certainly worked out that way since he now has creative control over all of his storylines in the company.

With the response from the fans that Lilian Garcia seems to get at each and every RAW, why doesn't the WWE involve her in storylines more often? They tease with the Viscera, and later the Viscera-Charlie Haas episodes, but it seems they could catch lightning in a bottle if they involved her more fully in a storyline.

It's largely because Lilian wants to limit her in-ring and storyline involvement. She doesn't want to get overly involved in storylines or with taking bumps. She also has no desire to do jello matches or the like.

My question is about John Cena and Batista. Both of these guys got the big push at the same time, yet now, some of the fans who were cheering Cena at the end of his babyface run are totally against him. Supposedly, this is because of his lack of in-ring ability, but Batista is just as poor a worker, and had arguably a quicker push to the top. Why don't the fans hate Batista the way they hate Cena?

I think the main reason that fans don't hate Batista as much as Cena is because there isn't a group that loves Batista the way that little kids and women love Cena. I think the vociferous booing that he gets is in direct correlation to the amount of cheers that he receives.

In your opinion, what is the minimum amount of time Trish would take off before considering coming back to WWE even as a part timer? Do you think they'll put her in the Hall Of Fame in 2007?

I don't think there is any chance we see Trish back in any kind of meaningful WWE role for, bare minimum, three months and probably much longer than that, if ever. She's getting married and taking time off after 10 years on the road modeling and wrestling. She is marrying a wealthy man and has made a lot of money herself so that will not be a motivating factor in a return to the ring. She also wants to try to break into mainstream entertainment. My hunch is that once she gets off the road for a while, she will really enjoy not having to live life out of a suitcase. As for the Hall of Fame, she is definitely going to get inducted, it's just a matter of when. Since she is only 30, I would wait a few years and see how her career progresses before inducting her if it were my decision.

 

[nbpsfc]

Answered on 9/21

As of today, what are the chances of TNA going from one to two hours television time?

I'm hoping they're really good, and that it is going to be TNA's "big announcement" on Sunday. I know SpikeTV has been happy with the show and the ratings it has gotten, so I would say the chances are better that they will get two hours, than not. Of course, whether that will be the announcement on Sunday is just speculation.

I've been watching Summerslam '92 on WWE 24/7, and while I haven't quite finished it yet, it's weird because Vince and Bobby Heenan (who were commentating that night) really don't mention the Bret-Bulldog match at all prior to it happening. They just keep talking about "whose corner will Mr. Perfect be in???" for Warrior and Savage. I know Warrior/Savage was considered the main event, but still, you'd think they would mention it. Is there a reason for this? Also, I find it interesting to watch the event because it almost seems like a bridge between the '80s era of wrestling with stars like Savage, Warrior, LOD, Rick Martel, Natural Disasters, etc. and the goofy mid-'90s era with guys like Repo Man, Crush, Bret Hart, British Bulldog, etc. Would you say this is a fair statement?

When the show was promoted in the U.S., the Warrior-Savage match was treated like the main event, even though they knew it was Bret-Bulldog that was drawing the crowd and would be closing the show. That is why the announcers harped on it so much. As for it being a bridge, I would say that is a fair statement, especially when you consider that a few months later Warrior, LOD, Smith were gone, and Hart and Michaels became the headliners in the company.

I recently attended the Capitol Legends Fanfest and the Q & A session with Bret Hart. The Bret Hart DVD came up a few times, and Bret even talked about things he saw on the original, the one they were going to call "Screwed." I meant to ask him this question, but I got to listening to his awesome stories and forgot. What is the status of that original concept? Obviously they went with what is on the market, but my question is, does that DVD still exist in WWE's collection, and could they release it if they ever decided to? Is it something they can hold over Bret's head or was it part of his agreement in working on the DVD that the original would never be released and did he get it in writing?

From what I understand, part of the agreement reached between WWE and Bret Hart for Hart to work on the DVD project with them was that "Screwed" would never be released. I don't know for certain if Hart got it in writing, although looking at his past relationship with WWE, I would imagine he did. If there is any footage of that release, it will most likely be remaining in the WWE vaults.

My question is regarding The Rock's big tattoo that stretches over his left shoulder, chest and upper arm. I heard this was some Samoan kind of ritual tattoo or something to that extent (?), but doesn't this severely limit the roles he can play in movies (for example if he would have starred in the new He-Man movie)? Granted, with today's technology they could digitally edit the tattoo out, but that sounds to me like a lot of work that could have easily been avoided by simply not having the tattoo in the first place.

I thought the tattoo was a bit crazy myself, until I found out the meaning behind it. Rock was anointed 'Seiuli, Son of Malietoa' during a trip to Samoa in 2004, and decided to get the ceremonial tattoo work done. And while you are correct about digitally editing out the tattoo, for most of Rock's film roles, he simply has makeup applied to it, something many Hollywood actors do to cover up their tattoos for roles. For Rock, it is worth the extra time in the makeup chair to honor his heritage.

We all know that when it came to wrestling, there are many era's that were different. WWF and WCW were about gimmicks, then WCW went into the WCW/nWo War, WWF/E then went into the Attitude Era (mostly inspired by ECW), WCW then went into the "Young Blood" Era I suppose you could call it which failed, and now WWE seems to be in an Era where there are many roads they could go into, but they can't decide which road to take. Do you think that these days, with the recent success of small companies like TNA and Ring of Honor, that perhaps fans now want an Era where it's not about gimmicks and storylines, but rather about really good wrestling? I've begun to watch Ring of Honor, and I have to admit that every show they put on is 50 times better than WrestleMania. And a lot of these guys I don't even recognize, or even knew about, and they put on matches that are incredible and better than the last 2 WrestleMania main events these past couple of years. I think now, the Era the fans want is an era where there's incredibly good wrestling, and it's not about gimmicks or storylines. What do you think?

I think there is a tendency to categorize eras based on the memories that stick with you, and not the reality of the situation. There was great wrestling in all of those eras, just like there were bad gimmicks and goofy storylines as well. Ring Of Honor, certainly from an in-ring perspective, blows away the WWE product, but their audience is also much smaller (and in a lot of ways, a great deal more loyal). I wouldn't say this is an era of fans wanting good wrestling, because there are always fans that want good wrestling, just like there are always fans who are amused by the gimmicks and wackiness of the business.

 

[The Genius]

never fear.....The Genius is here