Welcome to the first installment of the rebooted SEScoops Mailbag. We got a ton of questions sent in the first day – keep ’em coming! Email [email protected] with the subject line “Mailbag” and you might see your question answered here next week. Here we go:
Jon E asks… Who do you consider to be the most successful British wrestler of all time? I have always considered it to be Davey Boy Smith for his impact yet others (such as Regal and Barrett) have arguably won more titles and held them for longer.
David Bixenspan: It’s hard to say, even if you’re going by international stardom. Davey Boy Smith was probably the biggest British star in an international promotion, yes. He was a huge part of WWE packing Wembley Stadium for SummerSlam ’92, was a legitimate draw as tag champ in the mid-‘80s, and had been a big star in Japan. That’s not even factoring in his ’93-’97 work.
Billy Robinson was very successful as a headliner in Japan, Canada, and the United States. He was a big enough deal in Japan to be in demand to switch promotions when it was rare, and he was, at times, the top full-time (Verne Gagne and Da Crusher were part-time) babyface in the AWA during its ‘70s heyday.
It’s probably between the two of them. William Regal is/was a magnificent performer in every facet and was on his way to a big run on top in Japan…when his addictions got the better of him. He never really had that big run, though he also found himself a nice gig as a trainer and talent scout in WWE. Wade Barrett just doesn’t have the success yet. Someone like Dynamite Kid has an argument, but he was never a headline level star in Japan and his best North American singles runs were in smaller territories. If you want to factor in Brits who mostly stuck to Europe and countries where British talent was booked, like India and South Africa, it’s tricky due to lack of records.
Everett W asks… Do you guys ever see an African American as a wwe champion in this lifetime? And who
Brad Davis: I will take it that you’re wondering if we will see ANOTHER African American WWE Champion in this lifetime, since The Rock already accomplished that feat back in 1998. Yes, I certainly do think we will see an African American WWE Champion ‘in this lifetime.’ I venture to say that NXT star Apollo Crews will hold the WWE Championship in the next 5 years. He has the look, he’s incredibly athletic and he’s been getting rave reviews for his work in NXT.
Another African American talent that could very well be WWE Champion one day is Jason Jordan. He and Chad Gable have been burning up the tag team scene in NXT and the idea of them going their separate ways any time soon is something I want to stop thinking about immediately. However, he’s proving month after month that he could be a ‘total package.’ If he can stay healthy and continue to improve at the rate we’ve seen from him so far, its only a matter of time before he’s making a name for himself on the main roster.
Brave asks… Which wrestlers do you guys think aren’t used to their full potential? And you’d like to see used more or in a better way?
A Realist: Well, aside from the obvious candidates such as Bray Wyatt, Stardust/Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, and Cesaro, I have three. Three acts that WWE tragically underutilizes:
1) Adam Rose: This is a big one for me. He has proven time and time again that he can make a turd into gold. He is a great hand, who is a proven remarkable actor. Look at the stark differences between Leo Kruger and Adam Rose, and this new “Party Pooper” Rose. Night and day. And the fact that they blew a giant opportunity with the Leo Kruger character confounds me.
2) The Lucha Dragons: The WWE is always looking for their next big Hispanic star. Their next Rey Mysterio. As much as I appreciate Albert The River (props if you get it) and his work, it’s not him. It rests on the shoulders of these two remarkable high-flyers. Specifically, Kallisto. The guy has “megastar” written all over him–if booked and built up properly. Not to mention the matches that these two can have with one another in the inevitable break up…
3) The Ascension: I know I’m going to catch flack for this one, but with their original Raven’s Flock Goth gimmick, they could have been something special. Lie to me and tell me that you didn’t get hyped with their original entrance. Not to mention, they really do remind me of an old school Demolition or LOD type team. They just needn’t be so blatant in their gimmick infringement.
NATEOB asks… Say between the years of 1999-2001 who do you think WWF dropped the ball with making a mid carder into a main eventer? Guys like Shamrock? Val Venis? X-pac. Guys like that.
A Realist: Easily, hands down D’Lo Brown. The guy carried himself like a superstar, had that amazing in ring prowess, the swagger to back up his mouth–guy had it all. He even made it a point to cut weight, and get into better shape. That shows dedication and commitment to the craft. So to reward him, WWE put a turban on his head, and gave him a horrible Middle Eastern gimmick with a former Headbanger.
Shawn J asks… Do you think Seth would work better as a Face? He’s too much of a coward and he doesn’t look strong going into his PPV matches as of late. He puts on the best matches on PPV but I rather him look strong so he can look more believable. He said he’s the best WWE champion ever but he gets pinned/submitted/DQ almost every week.
Brad Davis: Seth Rollins is going to make one hell of a babyface when the time comes and will be a bigger star as a babyface than he has been as a heel. Even though he plays the part well, WWE has taken the cowardly aspect of his character entirely too far and he does lose way too many matches. The Authority are sadly the true top heels in WWE, but Rollins has gotten himself over as a main eventer since WrestleMania is showing all the tell-tale signs of a Hall of Fame career.
Rollins is so good in the ring and his high-flying move set is better suited for a babyface. I know I wasn’t the only one who thought WWE was foreshadowing a babyface turn from Rollins when he started rocking his white ring gear at SummerSlam. Now that Rollins has been sidelined with a knee injury until mid 2016, he’s going to get a hero’s welcome return pop that will rival Triple H at MSG after his torn quad back in the day.
Ken B asks… If WWE could bring back Wargames, do you think they could pull it off?
David Bixenspan: They could, as it was WCW’s intellectual property and they own WCW’s intellectual property. it’s just that Vince McMahon is resistant to using a “WCW”/Dusty Rhodes idea. I have no doubt that WWE could put on an amazing Wargames with the talent they have, but that’s the big hurdle. Perhaps the best question is if those who have tried pitching it, like Triple H, have tried to feel out if he actually knows how the rules to the match work and if they could pitch a similar alternative. For example, if Triple H or whoever want pushed for a six man tag team Elimination Chamber match that was effectively War-games rules, could they get it past Vince? I honestly don’t know. Vince very rarely watched the opposition’s shows and it’s been a long time (18 years) since WCW’s last proper/original rules Wargames, so it’s entirely possible that it could get snuck past him.
Got a question you want answered here in the SEScoops Mailbag? Send it over to [email protected].
