The John Report FAQ – Updated Dec 30/09

I’m going to include some of the most common questions that I get asked. They’ll go here when I have the time to answer them. I will write up a section about how I got started in writing and things of that nature, but for now I’ll keep them wrestling related.

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The John Report FAQ – Part 1
I asked my friends on Facebook to ask me questions that I could answer on my blog and leave on the FAQ page so new readers can read my general opinions on various things in the history of wrestling. I don’t know how many questions are here. I didn’t throw many of them out. You ask, I answer. Feel free to add more if you want. I’ll tackle them another time. This is a tremendous time killer at work, I have to say. I actually love doing it.

Originally answered: December 18, 2009, which is also the birthday of my favorite woman in the history of wrestling: Trish Stratus.

Who do you think was a better performer, The Rock or Bret Hart?
They were different types of performers. The Rock was more of an all around entertainer that was known for his mic work just as much as his wrestling while Hart was one of the best technical wrestlers (or workers) ever. If Bret was in a match you knew it would be good. With Rock, he did develop into a good worker by 2000, but he only had a few years after that before he left the business. In terms of star power and being a draw. Rock’s better. In terms of career I’d go with Bret because he had nearly 20 years of a pro wrestling career while Rock had about six or seven years. I guess I’ll go with Bret although I love both.

What do you think was the Best Year in Pro Wrestling as a whole?
The two years that always pop into mind are 1997 and 2000. I loved 1997 because not only did the WWF have a great year with solid main event talent like Undertaker, Michaels and Hart at the top, but also emerging stars like Austin, Foley, Rock and HHH to name a few. They found their edge that year and while they didn’t overtake WCW in the ratings in 1997 they definitely planted the seeds. WCW had a pretty good year in 1997 too. They were still building up the nWo without overdoing it and the cruiserweights were on fire. I loved 1997. For 2000, it was WCW’s last full year, so they weren’t doing much. However, the WWF had an incredible run of great matches every week whether it was on PPV or TV. Once writer Vince Russo left in 1999, a bad year for in ring action in the WWF, they focused more on the in ring stuff in 2000 and the result was a tremendous year in terms of actual wrestling. The year 2000 was the best year for WWF PPVs. Not a bad one in the bunch.

Do you think it was a good idea to use wcw and ecw vs wwf? I know a lot of the stars from all three brands got a lot of air time together but I think that was the down fall of wwf. What are your thought on it all?
I think it was a mistake to put Vince’s daughter Stephanie out there as the face of ECW because she had nothing to do with the company. I didn’t mind Shane being with WCW as much, but it would have meant WAY more if they had Bischoff in the summer of 2001, or even Flair. They got Flair late in 2001 and Bischoff a year later. The whole invasion would have been better if they used the right people in certain spots. It also would have helped if they got guys like Goldberg, Hogan, Nash, Hall and Steiner (among others) in 2001 rather than later on. The biggest problem was Vince wasn’t smart enough to put WCW over WWF in ways that actually mattered. They killed the invasion story in only four months. It could have lasted four or five years easy.

If WWE and TNA would have a trade, who would you see come and go from each company?
From TNA I’d want to see AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle in WWE. I don’t know how many years Kurt has left as a wrestler considering he’s in 40s and I’d love to see him go out in a WWE ring. Styles is a fantastic performer who never has bad matches although I doubt WWE would use him right due to his height. Samoa Joe was used well in 2007 and 2008 in TNA, but 2009 he was used terribly and I wish he’d end up in WWE. Could be great as a heel monster type. Going to TNA, I guess I’d say any of the underused guys like Evan Bourne or Jack Swagger maybe. Do what Christian did. He went there, became a better worker and came back better than ever.

Who was the biggest failed investment by WWE in terms of talent? If you know, financial as well as hype etc.
Goldberg. I never thought he was that good to begin with. They paid him a lot and they didn’t get much out of him in terms of dollar value. If they brought him to WWE in 2001 to face off against Rock or Austin it would have been huge business. It didn’t mean as much in 2003.

Do you think if Vince had the chance, he would do the same thing he did to Bret with a current top star today?
No. There’s a reason why things like that don’t happen often. It did work out for Vince in that it launched his heel persona, but I don’t see a situation like that happening again.

Had Owen Hart lived would he have made a great world champion?
I don’t think he would have been the world champion. I also don’t think he would have kept wrestling until 2002 when they created a second championship belt. Should he have been the champion? Maybe in 1994, but I’m okay with him never winning it. He’s still a great wrestler that I’ll always remember and think fondly of.

Do you think TNA will surpass WWE?
Never. A company with only a 7 year history that has a fraction of the viewing audience that WWE has is not going to surpass TNA. They should be happy with being #2 and I hope they get more viewers once Hogan gets there. Nothing wrong with being #2. If you look at MMA a company like Strikeforce does okay, but it won’t be surpassing UFC either.

Who’s better wrestler Andre the Giant or The Bigshow?
In terms of matches I’d go Show because he’s more mobile than Andre ever was. However, Andre was a much bigger draw in terms of selling out arenas (and even stadiums) while having a presence that will live on forever. People will still be talking about Andre 100 years from now. It’s not the same with Show although I like him a lot as a performer.

Chyna’s breasts: Did they boost the ratings?
I hope not. And no more questions about Chyna ever again!

Who’s the greatest GM in WWE History?
Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman with Bischoff being the first choice. Both were good in the role because they legitimately had roles like that in WCW and ECW respectively. Great talkers and great heels. Eventually Bischoff’s act wore thin, though, which is why they cut him loose. It wasn’t a performance issue. The worst? Mike Adamle.

What’s the Best tag team of all time?
Tough one. I liked the Steiner Brothers so much as a kid in my early days of watching NWA/WCW when I had that chance and when they went to the WWF I was so excited. I loved the Hart Foundation too. Best all time, though, I’ll go with a recent one and say Edge & Christian. I know they really only teamed up for about two and a half years, but they were such a perfect combination of having good matches as well as being great characters. They really worked well together. They are at least the best fake brothers ever.

What is the best rivalry of all time?
If I said Austin vs. McMahon, Austin vs. Bret Hart and Austin vs. The Rock would you think I’m too biased towards Steve Austin or am I speaking the truth? I think I’m speaking the truth.

Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels–who’s the better performer?
I think most people would under 30 (I still qualify in that group) would say Michaels while most over 30 would say Flair. It depends on what you’re looking for. Flair’s impact on the business was huge because he was one of the first smaller workers to be a World Champion and he focused on having great matches with a variety of different opponents. Michaels looked up to him, patterned himself after him (even doing some of his bumps) and took it to another level. Michaels had a lot more gifts physically than Flair, so he was able to incorporate more bumping into his arsenal as well as his top rope moves. I think Michaels is better and I will write about it in a column coming in February just before WrestleMania. Yes, I shill even in my own FAQ.

Do you think Sting would have been a success in WWE?
Yes. Good look. Great energy. Likable guy. I wish they brought him in during that period in 2001 when they really needed a star (I know I touched on it earlier) because his debut would have really meant something. A lot of other guys worked for the WWF before. He did not. Sting showing up in the WWF in 2001 would have been a blockbuster thing. Now it’ll probably never happen with him in his 50s. I think him not working for WWE was a mistake on his part and WWE’s part.

Would Triple H be as big a star if he hadn’t married Stephanie?
Yes, because Hunter’s always been somebody that was driven to succeed. I know that’s a cliché, but I think it’s true. The guy grew up wanting to be a wrestler. He idolized Flair (he even had Flair hair in high school in his yearbook pic that you can find online) and he was going to get it no matter what he had to do. The fact that he married Stephanie has helped him in terms of his loyalty to Vince McMahon, no question about it. Vince can put him on the same level with Shawn and Undertaker in terms of being company guys first. He trusts them. If somebody pisses them off, they pay for it. Marrying Stephanie is going to help him more long term because he’s likely going to be the main booker whenever Vince retires or passes away, whenever that is.

what do you think is harming the wwe product more? a wwe product aimed at kids? poorly created wwe programing? or stale and stagnant main events? i know wwe are looking to address problems but to me it seems like a quick fix approach e.g. sheamus
All of the above, but the biggest reason is the creative direction. The PG issue isn’t that bad. I mean yeah, if you’re in your 20s or older you’re not crazy about it. I get that, but if the stories being told are good (like Orton/Kofi was when it first got hot) then it’s going to interest people. It’s always the stories that are the biggest reason for success or failure. The talent level, for the most part, is usually the same all the time although I will say that their roster probably peaked from that period of about 1997 to 2002 when they were loaded from top to bottom on every card.

Who were some of the most underrated performers of their time? Or, a list of what performers were misused/underused in some promotions but flourished in other promotions??
If you look at WCW a lot of the underused people ended up being World Champions in WWE like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio to name a few. That’s why WCW died, though. They didn’t elevate enough people. I think the most underused performer in WWE this decade has been Christian, which is why he left to TNA. He’s come back and proven to be a top five performer, yet I don’t know if WWE ever sees him as a WWE or World Champion. If we’re going more old school, I think Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig was underused. He should have been in the main event scene longer than he was and he should have been the World Champion. The guy could work and he had good charisma.

If The Rock had stayed around who would you like to see him feud with? (bar Cena)
Remember when Rock inducted his dad and grandpa into the Hall of Fame he said the three matches he wish he could do were Cena, Mysterio and Michaels. My first pick is Michaels. No question about it. I would have loved it. Granted they worked together in WWE when Rock first came up and then later when Shawn came back, but there’s never been a high profile match. I’d love to see Mysterio vs. Rock too just because I know Rock would try to make him look good like he made everybody look good. Another one is heel Edge (the 2006-2009 version) against babyface Rock would be epic. They’ve probably crossed paths, but never as main eventers.

Do you think wrestling is any better than it was in the 80’s?
Hell yes. Look, I grew up in the 80s and I loved a lot of things about the 80s including pro wrestling. However, let’s not go crazy and think it was better then. It was sillier then. Way more stupid gimmicks, a lot less quality in terms of matches (because the impacts of great workers like Flair, Michaels & Hart weren’t felt yet) and it was just cheesy. You know how they remake shows from the 80s into movies today like Transformers, GI Joe and the A-Team? It’s because the guys producing the movies grew up watching them in the 80s and they have this warped view that they were great. They were not great. The movies are not great either. They’re all special effects and they do a disservice to what the shows were. I’m off tangent, I know. The point is, pro wrestling has come a long way in the last 20 years and I think people that romanticize about wrestling in the 80s being great aren’t looking at it the right way. It was great when you were a kid because it helped shape you into the fan you are today. It’s not great looking back on it, though.

Macho Man or Ultimate Warrior?
Is this serious? Savage is the answer. Better worker by far, better talker and very charismatic. Warrior was a roided up dude that fit the image that Vince wanted at the time. Then Vince was in a steroid trial, suddenly Warrior was gone and he relied on the more talented workers like Savage, as well as Hart and Michaels.

Who is better on the mic: Dibiase Sr., Flair, Mr. Perfect, The Rock, Austin, Punk, Orton or Jericho? Better yet how do you rank them and why?
1) The Rock – The best combination of being able to capture an audience with the ability to be serious or funny when needed. The most multi-dimensional talker ever.
2) Ric Flair – Without Flair there’s no Rock in terms of promos. He changed how promos were done and could always be relied upon to deliver money promos.
3) Chris Jericho – He was already great before the 2008 heel turn. His work the last two years vaults him up in my eyes because he’s proven that he can be a serious heel after he already showed he could be a funny babyface.
4) Steve Austin – Good delivery, very impactful with his words and proved later in his career he could be funny when needed too. Check out his 2001 heel stuff before the “WHAT?” stuff got big.

Those four are better than the other four. I’d say Punk is probably the best out of the bunch with Orton, Perfect and Dibiase following. All very good heel promos, but maybe a level below Flair or Jericho.

What was a better era for tag team wrestling..The late 80’s-early 90’s (hart foundation, legion of doom, demolition, the rockers, etc) or the attitude era (hardy boyz, dudleys, edge and christian, etc)?
It depends on what you are looking for: quantity or quality. If you’re looking for quantity there were more actual teams in the late 80s, early 90s period. In terms of quality, I think the teams were better in the Attitude era, so I’m going with that. I remember the matches as well as the teams more. As much as we remember teams like LOD and Demolition for their looks, they weren’t exactly great in terms of having quality matches.

Who do you see as becoming the next guy to become as big as Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin?
Impossible to say. The Hogan thing blew up because it was the right guy at the right time with Vince McMahon at his peak in terms of being a promoter. In Austin’s case, it fell into their lap. He wasn’t supposed to win King of the Ring 1996, but he did. He wasn’t supposed to say Austin 3:16 (I don’t think he was anyway), but he did. He wasn’t supposed to get over as a babyface, but he did. The rest is history. It’s a case of timing and luck a lot of the time. It could be somebody that’s on the roster right now who we barely think about it. It could be somebody that hasn’t even started training to wrestle yet. It could happen any time too. There’s no rhyme or reason for it. It just kinda happens. The first boom happened in the mid 80s, the second boom happened in the late 90s. If the trend continues to happen every 15 years then it’ll happen again in the 10’s.

Who did WWE “drop the ball” on pushing and what could have been done better?
The biggest “what could have been done better” thing is always going to be the Invasion angle. Like I’ve written previously that storyline should have carried the company for the next three or four years easy, if not more.

What lessons could WWE learn from TNA to make the Divas division better?
It’s pretty simple. Hire women that are trained wrestlers rather than models first. Far too often they hire women that have no wrestling training who they think they can train at their own development camp. A lot of the time it doesn’t work out. Sometimes it does. Look at the current divas who are the better workers, though. The ones like Mickie, Beth, Natalya and Gail were trained before WWE hired them. Most of them spent at least three or four years training before they got in. In Michelle’s case they found her in the diva search, but she has adapted and become a pretty good wrestler because of her athletic background. Some of the others look the part, but they don’t wrestle like it.

In your opinion, which 2 Divas could you see main eventing a major WWE PPV (I would go with Natalya and Beth Phoenix)?
Will never happen. It’s a male dominated business. Always will be. However, HHH and Stephanie will be running things when their daughters are adults, so the two Paul & Stephanie Levesque daughters might be the first in about 20 years or so.

Which is your favourite royal rumble match and who deserved to win the rumble the most out of everyone who hasn’t?
The 1992 Rumble is the best booked one. I don’t know if it’s my favorite. My favorite was the 2004 one when Benoit one, but I’ve since changed my tune for obvious reason. I like the 1997 one a lot. The Austin/Hart story was tremendous and they carried that match.

Your favourite “Wrestlemania moment”?
I could give you 50, but I’ll give you three in order of when I first saw them: 1) Randy Savage winning the world title at WM4. 2) Owen beating Bret at WM10. 3) Austin shaking hands with Vince after turning heel at WM17. I don’t know why I picked those three. They always seem to come to mind.

If you could bring one dead wrestler back for one match who would it be and what would the match be?
Easy. Shawn Michaels vs. Eddie Guerrero with Eddie as the heel. I would throw in Kurt Angle vs. Owen Hart (a technical classic) and The Rock vs. Mr. Perfect (battle of the egos) as well.

If the time machine was invented for a one time use (for wrestling) which WWE/F moment would you go back in time and live in person?
Mickie James kissing Trish Stratus under the mistletoe! Okay, I’ll pick a real one.

Dink the clown or Hornswoggle?
Dink the Clown because he wasn’t pushed as much as Hornswoggle is. Midgets are fine in small doses (see what I did there?), but they use the Horny one way too much.

Those are all the ones completed by December 18, 2009.

I will answer the rest of these at a later time. I’m not sure how many I answered, but it felt like 40 or more. If you want to count have fun. I’ve made a promise to answer them all before the end of 2009 and I will keep that promise. I’m sure you guys will want to add more, though. You’re more than welcome to.

Thanks for reading.

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Here’s batch two: Posted December 30/09

Why does the WWE complain about not being able to create new young talent but whenever they get a potential star they either bury them (i.e Jack Swagger, MVP) or release them from their contract (i.e Elijah burke, Mr. Kennedy etc.)?
I think it’s a case of being scared to push new people because you never know if they are in it for the long haul (think of Lesnar and Lashley), so they tend to rely on the veterans more like HHH and Undertaker because they know they’re loyal company guys.

What celebrity would fit in wwe perfectly from movies to other sports ie. nba, nhl, mma, etc. and have the draw power that would help the company out?
Shaquille O’Neal, easily. Big wrestling fan, has a strong personality and obviously has a legit look to him. I think they should try to get him for Summerslam since it’s the NBA offseason to have some kind of match with Big Show. That would be a huge draw.

Do you think Chris Jericho can ever surpass Shawn Michaels as the all time greatest in ring performer in wrestling history?
No. I think Shawn’s the best ever in ring. I love Jericho, but Shawn’s on another level. The only other person I think that’s at or near Shawn’s level is Angle, who won’t have enough years left to surpass him.

Had the nWo remained small and not had so many members, would it have helped WCW keep its lead in The Monday Night Wars?
Yes. The biggest problem with the NWO was that it had too many people. If they kept it at four or five guys it would have allowed it to stick around longer and been more effective.

What WCW and/or ECW PPVs should WWE use to replace some of their current PPVs (War games in Sept? Halloween havoc in Oct? Starrcade in Dec?)?
I think War Games and Starrcade are the two I would use. Doesn’t matter what month they do War Games, but Starrcade should be a December thing. Vince isn’t a big fan of using other people’s concepts, though, so that’s why we’ve yet to see them.

Would Vince & Co. still have changed their product to a family-friendly blood-free TV-PG product if the Benoit tragedy had not have happened?
Hmmm, tough call. I’ll say yes. I think the fact that Stephanie and Hunter having two kids has led to more of a family-oriented product. They have a lot of influence obviously, so they might be less inclined to present an adult product. I guess we’ll never really know, though.

If done properly, which finishing move, out of all the finishing moves ever created, would you think would hurt the most?
The Big Show punch in the face. Go watch UFC or Boxing. A knockout punch hurts the most. I also think something like a Powerbomb would really hurt if you did it to somebody hard and they hit their head with that kind of impact.

What are your top 10 favorite finishing maneuvers in WWE history?
This could always change. Off the top of my head: Stunner, Pedigree, Top Rope Elbow, Frog Splash, Powerbomb, Brock Lesnar’s F5

What would be the state of the current industry if Hogan’s testimony against McMahon in the early ’90s have taken down Titan Sports & the WWF?
It would have killed the WWF, definitely. WCW was still around and they’d probably thrive without competition, but the entire business would have changed for sure. Vince is the most important person in the history of American pro wrestling and without him in the picture it would be totally different.

Who is better at carrying other ppl in great matches: hbk or angle?
In their primes, they are about the same. They both carried so many people. Michaels has been doing it for longer, though. I’ll go with him.

Is it truly possible that the demise of Owen Hart was done on purpose to “get back” at Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, & Jim Neidhart for taking off to WCW? Or, in relation to my last question, was it payback for permanently fucking up Austin’s neck, thus possibly (at the point of view at that time) costing McMahon millions, if not billions, of potential dollars?
There’s no way that they wanted Owen to fall and die like that. That’s obvious. Were they probably pissed off that Bret left and took it out on Owen? I think they were to some degree. The whole Blue Blazer thing was a complete joke and for somebody as talented as Owen it was beneath him, yet he still did it. I don’t think they were mad at Owen, but I doubt they had any plans to push him either.

Who was bigger in the business: Stone Cold or The Rock?
Stone Cold. Sold more shirts, sold more PPVs in a main event spot, sold more tickets. There are numbers to back it up. Vince McMahon has said that Austin’s the biggest draw in the history of the company and he’s right. Bigger than Hogan too although I’d say Hogan is more known worldwide.

Should the WWE Hall of Fame have eligibility rules? (For example, can only be inducted a minimum 3 years after retirement, certain number of world title reigns or time spent w/ the company?)
No, because it’s not a legit HOF like sports have.

Should anyone ever take the type of bumps that Mick Foley took in the HIAC back in 1998 ever again?
No. The wrestling business is not worth risking your life over the way he did that night. His injuries could have been a lot worse than they were. And I think he would be the first person to tell people that.

Where do you see the WWE and the wrestling biz going in the 2010’s?
No idea. I don’t know if Vince knows either. He’s a guy in his mid 60s that should probably hand some more responsibility over to Steph/HHH or whoever else is on creative that have more of an idea of what’s more current. Booking his show like he did in the late 80s isn’t working. Fans are too smart now.

Should the WWE pull the plug on the weekly Raw guest host gimmick?
Yes. Maybe after WrestleMania. I don’t think it’s done anything for ratings or PPV buys like they had hoped. Get a more permanent GM.

If J.R. is the best, who is second best?
Gorilla Monsoon. His phrases were great (the bread basket, the kisser) his excitement at the right time was usually pretty good

We all know about Mickie James-Canton. Who was your first diva crush?
Missy Hyatt in WCW in around 1993. I was 13. In WWF I’d say it was Sunny a couple years after that. I love 1996 Sunny. She was ridiculously beautiful in those days.

Was there ever a point when watching WWE television that made you say “They went too far, here?”
Katie Vick, for sure. That was way too far and way too stupid. I also didn’t like the Undertaker/Hassan angle where they simulated Hassan cutting his head off. There are others, I’m sure, but those two stick out.

Ten years ago, did you think WCW would still be around today?
Yes, absolutely. I think if AOL didn’t merge with Time Warner, which led to Ted Turner losing power, then it would still be around. The reason they died was mainly because the new people in charge didn’t want to put it on TNT or TBS. Turner always wanted it on TV, but due to the merge he lost that power.

Of Mankind, Cactus and Dude, who was your favorite face of Foley?
Cactus. I like the heel version of Mankind. The silly, babyface version of Mankind was something Mick had to go to once his body started to fail him. Dude was fun too, heel or face. Jack’s always been my favorite because I liked his personality of being a badass and he took his matches more seriously in that role.

Favorite manager?
Bobby Heenan. Also liked Jim Cornette and Jimmy Hart a lot too. That’s what I miss about the ’80s and early ’90s. They actually had managers and they were important to the business. Now? It’s a lost concept, which is a shame.

Did you watch the first episodes of Raw, Nitro, Smackdown! and Thunder when they originally aired?
Smackdown for sure. With Raw, I didn’t always see it live. I think that started in like 1996 here in Canada. Before that it was on tape delay. I never got Nitro live since we didn’t get TNT in Canada. Had to wait a day or two. For Thunder I did see it live because we had TBS, but it wasn’t the greatest show.

People like Jim “warrior Warrior” Helwig, as well as numerous others, have said that the “Montreal Screwjob” might have been a work….considering how it has revolutionized the business and how fans look at it and can somewhat understand it for what it truly is, what are your thoughts on that conspiracy theory?
Not a work. The fact that Bret’s agreeing to work with WWE 12 years later doesn’t make it a work either. It just means he wants to say goodbye on his own terms. Also, never listen to anything that the Ultimate Warrior says. He’s not all there. To say the least.

How about the top 10 (or whatever number you choose) moments in BROKEN KAYFABE that have changed the business forever?
Survivor Series 1997 is far and away first. I’m sorry for bailing on this, but I don’t think about other ones coming even close. One that make made me laugh was when Pillman jumped onto Heenan during a WCW event and Heenan swore on live TV. That was classic.

Who was the most selfish/reckless booker/head of creative in your experience of Fandom?
Vince Russo in WCW, easy. His first run in 1999 bombed. Then they brought him back and not only did he put himself on TV too much, he also put the World Title on himself. That guy’s reckless.

Top (#?) “jumping-ship” moments ever?
1. Hulk Hogan to WCW.
2. Randy Savage to WCW. These two were WWF lifers, so when they left it was absolutely huge.
3. Chris Jericho to WWF. Once he left WCW and you saw how good he could be when used properly it was a nail in the coffin for WCW.
4. Scott Hall to WCW
5. Kevin Nash to WCW. They signed at the same time, but Hall debuted first. Started the NWO. Huge impact.
6. Ric Flair to WWF. This was a big deal because Flair was WCW’s top guy.
7. The Radicals (Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko, Saturn) to WWF

Those are the ones that stick out the most.

With the TLC PPV done, which gimmick (of all time- not just any of the TLC) has revolutionized the industry the most?
I would say the ladder match because it spawned the TLC matches. They went from doing a one on one ladder match to doing multi man ones, involving tables, involving ladders, doing MITB and everything else they’ve done. I’d say the Ladder Match has revolutionized the business the most. One of my favorite DVDs ever is the Ladder Match one too. It’s awesome.

What was the worst gimmick match ever? Mine is punjabi prision.
Punjabi prison is really bad. The worst ever was Big Bossman vs. Al Snow in the Kennel in the Cell Match. Look it up. That’s the worst.

Who is the best wrestler to have never won a world championship?
In order: Mr. Perfect, Ted Dibiase, Owen Hart, British Bulldog and Rick Rude. Pretty sad that four of those guys have passed away too.

Is the TNA/WWE Monday Night Wars a cooperative deal manufactured to reinvigorate the wrestling industry? Is Vince behind it all? Is Hogan setting up for the next “Montreal” job?
Ha, I don’t think that’s the case. I think TNA wants to push Vince and WWE probably welcomes it. As fans, I think it’s great for us.

How would the industry be different if poor financial planning hadn’t caused ECW’s demise?
I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did, honestly. They didn’t have a lot of money and the talent roster was getting stripped by WWF and WCW for years. Their influence was huge on the WWF starting the Attitude Era, which is probably why Vince still uses the ECW letters long past its demise.

Do you think the frequent title changes in recent years are the result of too many PPVs?
Yes. They feel like they have to do some title changes in order to keep people’s interests for the next week of TV. I disagree with that thinking. Putting out good stories

Where is Mark Henry and Mae Young’s baby hand now?
In a casket with Katie Vick, Kenzo Suzuki and Mr. America in wrestling gimmick hell.

What is the best (in your opinion) gimmick match ever used in any of the big promotions?
Ladder match. I went into the details up above. I also really like Hell in a Cell and I think street fights are great in terms of being a blowoff match.

Do you think the WWE will one day go back the other way towards more blood, violence, etc?
Yes, because wrestling is cyclical. It’s kid friendly for a while, then it becomes edgy. I’m not sure when. Could be two years. Could be ten years. I have no idea.

WHY CANT WWE BE NOW LIKE IT WAS 1997-2002??????????????????????
Because the roster’s not as good as it was then. There’s no Austin, Rock, Hart, Foley, Angle, young Michaels, young Undertaker, young HHH and a loaded tag division with E&C, Hardys, Dudleys like there was back then. The booking was also better too.

Who was behind GTV?
The big rumor was Goldust, but the whole thing got dumped when Vince Russo jumped to WCW.

What happens if a wrestler gets accidently eliminated in the royal rumble?? What if a wrestler accidentally gets pinned?
Improvise or make up some excuse.

In your opinion, why doesn’t WWE have more tournaments? I have always loved them, even if they are only the KOTR!
Not sure. They probably don’t draw well enough in terms of ratings or PPV buys.

How can I become a wrestler?
For WWE? Pray that you grow to be at least 6’4″ and find out what gym HHH trains at. Otherwise, research wrestling schools on that net.

Who had the best character/gimmick reinvention of all time?
That’s easy. Steve Austin went from a lame gimmick like the Ringmaster to Stone Cold and absolutely took off. In number two would be Rocky Maivia going as this smiling babyface into this cockey heel known as The Rock.

In this world of Celebrity Guest Hosts on RAW, which celebrity is most likley to be the next “David Arquette”? *knocks on wood*
Nobody. I’d like to think that Vince McMahon isn’t that stupid.

Within the world of wrestling (no celebrities), who played the best On-Screen Boss of all time?
Vince McMahon first, Eric Bischoff second. The fact that both actually served in that role probably helped their heel character. Vince was obviously huge as the top heel against Austin during WWE’s boom while Bischoff did it first with the nWo a couple of years earlier.

Storyline-wise, which personality got the most heat at one time ever?
Probably Sargeant Slaughter in 1991 during the Gulf War when he was bringing the Iraqi flag out with him. I would also say Hulk Hogan’s heel turn in WCW 1996, Bret Hart’s Anti-American rants in 1997 and Vince McMahon from 1998 to 2001.

What is truly more important to you- work in the ring or on the mic? Why?
Both are very important, but work in the ring is more important because at the end of the day people pay money to see wrestling. It’s the name on the marquee.

If HHH was not a McMahon and did not have so much backstage stroke , where do you think his place would be at the WWE right now? Would things be different for the good or bad??
It’s hard to say. He might not have as much influence on the booking, but in terms of an on air talent he probably would be at or near where he’s been as a perennial main eventer.

What is your favortie wwe womens match of all time and what is your fav non wwe female match of all time? And who do u think would win in there prime, mae young or awesome kong?
Win in their prime? Um, wrestling’s not real. Kong, I guess. She’s bigger. Favorite no WWE women’s match would be Kong vs. Gail Kim from TNA a couple years ago. Forget the PPV, but I believe it was their first match. Favorite WWE Women’s match? That’s tough. My favorite feud was easily Mickie vs. Trish, but their Mania match wasn’t THAT great. I’ll go with the Trish/Victoria street fight that I believe was in Chicago (can’t remember the year). That was good.

If the WWF did not screw Bret Hart (1997) and Goldberg not ended Bret’s career accidently in WCW. Could Bret Hart have molded these new age wrestlers to benefit the WWE?
Yes, absolutely. I think if Bret didn’t have his falling out with the WWF he’d be working for the company either as a trainer or as part of the creative team. He’s the kind of guy that had the mind for either of those roles.

If TNA Wrestling pulls off a half-decent show when they go head2head against WWE Raw for the 1st time ever, should Vince be worried since WWE Raw has been the ‘Same Old.. Same Old’ for so long now?
I think Vince should only be worried if his TV ratings go down and if his PPV buys go down. You can’t worry about the other show in terms of quality. You should only think of them if they’re costing you money.

Having the tag titles unified and having the champs on both shows has increased the worth of the belts and created some interesting rivalries. For example Jericho able to interact on all three brands has pretty much saved WWE this year! So my question is, do you think they could go further? Could they not unify the Intercontinental and United States Championships, the Womens and Divas Championships & the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships? Would this not make these titles more valuable? You could also bring back the Cruiserweight Title!! Imagine having Evan Bourne on all three shows, fighting Chavo on Raw then Rey on a Friday for example!! You’d be left with 5 titles and once ECW is done, two shows where everyone knows the value of being a champion! Also as with the tag belts, longer title reigns….
I think it would definitely increase the value of titles to have somebody on two or three of the shows on a regular basis. However, I think it’s more important for guys like Miz and McIntyre to be the US/IC champs like they are now because it helps elevate them. If only one of them holds a belt like that it kinda hurts the rest of the roster. I’d prefer it if they had separate tag titles anyway.

if hogan never steped into a wrestling ring, who do u think whould be the “face” of pro wrestling??
Hmm, that’s tough. Randy Savage, maybe. Way better in the ring, but not as tall as Hogan. We all know Vince loves that.

who will move on to main eventing in the wwe once the current main event wrestlers decide to move on or quit wrestling?
Cena’s 32, Orton is 29. They’re not going away. Hopefully some of the younger crop of guys like Morrison, Kingston, Sheamus, McIntyre, etc. are ready for that spotlight because the company needs them to carry the ball, so to speak.

If the madison square garden incident (where HHH, Shawn michaels, nash and hall all embraced breaking kayfabe) didn’t happen, would stone cold still have become as big as he did considering it was HHH who was booked to win the king of the ring and not Austin?
He would not have won KOTR that year and wouldn’t have cut the famous Austin 3:16 shirt, which is the number one sell. I do think that his gimmick, which he had started by mid 1996, was something that would have taken off with or without his KOTR speech. It might have taken longer to happen, though.

Would a PG rated WWE have been able to launch Stone Cold and the Rock to the same level of fame as the attitude era did?
No. The appeal of those two was the swearing and the colorful language they used. Without that, they would have lost their edge and probably had a harder time relating to the audience.

Which wrestler in wwe today would win in a real fight? I recon jack swagger would stand a decent chance, but who could actually beat the big show?
Yeah, have to go with Big Show. Swagger’s got the legit wrestling training and he’s a big guy, so he’d be tough to handle for sure. Somebody with a background in striking, be it punches or kicks, would likely do well too.

What do you think Vince McMahon’s memorial service was going to be like? I was pissed it didn’t happen. O well Benoit.
A silly angle that probably would have been treated as a joke with people making fun of. If they attempted to do anything serious with that angle they would have been foolish. Oh wait, that means they would do something serious.

What matches, with which stipulations, would you book in a greatest ppv ever you have a time machine and unlimited finances, so any guy from any era!
I could go on forever with this, but I’ll go with five singles matches.

Ric Flair (1989 as a heel World Champion) vs. Steve Austin (1997 as a face before the neck injury) – So much fun with them at their best.
Bret Hart (1997 as a heel) vs. Kurt Angle (2003 as a face) – If Bret was face and Angle was heel it would work too. I just think Bret’s anti-US gimmick would be perfect against a gold medalist.
Shawn Michaels (1997 as a heel) vs. The Rock (2002 as a face) – Yes please! Imagine the promos.
Chris Jericho (2008 as a heel) vs. Randy Savage (1989 as a face) – Absolutely the perfect mix of styles.
Triple H (2000 as a heel) vs. Eddie Guerrero (2004 as a face) – I loved HHH that year and Eddie was so good in 2004.

I could really pick so many different people with so many different choices.

How would ECW be different if Benoit had showed up to Night of Champions and won, as had been booked? And Morrison–would his push still happen without the change in booking that occurred that night?
It’s not like Morrison has been pushed quickly, so I doubt much would have changed with him. I would imagine that Benoit would have been used to help develop younger guys on that show like Punk or Morrison because all he did was make others around him better.

Besides the name, what is the difference between a no dq, hardcore, extreme rules, street fight, and a no holds bared match? which do u prefer?
No difference. I prefer calling it a street fight or no holds barred.

do you think that any of the belts that have been retired will make a comeback in 2010?
Nope. They have enough belts and barely know how to book them properly.

do you think wwe programming would be of a higher quality if wcw was still around as competition?
Yes, I think so. Let’s hope TNA becomes competitive. That’s the best thing for everybody in the business and for us as fans too.

And that’s all of them. I will answer the questions posted below as often as I can, so keep them coming. It’s fun for me. I hope it’s fun for you to read them.