SEScoops Mailbag for April 15th
Got a Question? Submit it with your name to: [email protected]
Q: I was wondering the other day about [all of the] things you can patent in wrestling… themes, characters, masks, logos and names. I don’t understand why you can patent characters, could you help explain that? Also, WWE has a habit of changing the names of indy stars to new ones. Why can’t they make a special contract in which the wrestler can still use the name after he/she leaves WWE? – Paul Jordan
A: They would want to trademark characters because they can claim it’s their creation and no other organization should be allowed to profit off of it. When Scott Hall showed up on Nitro doing his Razor Ramon shtick, WWE took them to court for it. Likewise, when it comes to wrestler names, WWE would not want to make such an arrangement — they would want to retain ownership of that person’s stage name so they can continue to make money off of it, and also make it less likely that wrestler would want to jump ship to another group.
Q: Many people came away from WrestleMania disappointed because of the predictability of the 4 top matches, however, I don’t think the results could have gone any other way. I’m interested to hear your take on this as I feel that the Undertaker, Cena, Triple H and Del Rio all had to win. – Justin from London
A: Undertaker winning was a given and I had no problem with it. As long as he thinks he can still go, the streak should stay alive, it’s the best gimmick in wrestling right now. Cena winning felt stale, but made sense in that he had to get his win back over Rock. But I disagree that Triple H and Del Rio HAD to win their matches. I’m glad Del Rio won because Swagger deserved to be punished for his DUI arrest, but there was more to be gained by having Lesnar beat Triple H for the second time, especially if he’s penciled in for next year’s main event against Rock. It was nice that the babyface got his revenge here, but from a business standpoint, it was foolish for Brock to lose.
Q: Solomonster, I know you would rather combine titles and get rid of most of them (World, US, etc.), but what if you didn’t have that option? How would you boost [the prestige of these] titles to where people would actually care about them? – C.R. Massey
A: Perception is reality. You don’t open a WrestleMania like they did the previous two years with a World title match. You don’t have a random World title contest on Raw in the middle of the show like it’s some mid-card match. You don’t have the United States champion lose every non-title match he is in, and then leave him off your biggest show of the year (not to mention Raw the next night). It’s not hard — just do the opposite of what they’ve been doing, let the challengers have more microphone time to put over how important the quest for those titles is to them, and you’re well on your way to making them mean something again.
Q: With The Rock being injured at WrestleMania, do you think he will stop wrestling altogether so injuries in the ring don’t interfere with his acting career? I know a lot of people hate on Rock for coming back, but I have really liked having him back and hope he has at least a few more matches. – Jake from Long Island, NY
A: Nobody knows for sure, probably not even Rock. My gut tells me he’ll be at WrestleMania next year, so we haven’t seen the last of him. I wouldn’t expect much more out of him than Mania at this point.
Q: I think [Chris] Jericho is doing an extremely important job building up new guys. He returns to wrestling for a few months, helps a new guy and leaves. Pretty much charity work, but with decent payment. What do you think about his contribution? – Nisim Levi
A: He’s been the MVP of WWE since his return at the Royal Rumble. He’s had terrific matches on TV, can play any role you ask of him and has no problem working with younger guys and putting them over if it’s good for business. His contribution has been huge.
Q: Is Fandango a made man thanks to that live crowd and [Chris] Jericho? He’s in a perfect spot now and really has no safety net. Do you see him making the most of his opportunity? – Tim from Pennsylvania
A: Well, his theme music is certainly over. Let’s not mistake that for meaning Fandango himself is suddenly a made man. He’s still saddled with a ridiculous gimmick, but aside from that, they’re giving him every opportunity to succeed. You can’t get any better than working with Jericho. It worked for John Cena early in his career. Ball’s in his court now.
Q: I have a question about WrestleMania 30 next year. With the rumored matches being Rock vs. Brock Lesnar, Undertaker vs. John Cena and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs CM Punk, which match should be the main event? – Joe S.
A: I have serious doubts we’re ever going to see Austin vs. Punk at this point. That said, I’m torn on this one. I’ve always said if Austin decides to return for a match with Punk, it should headline. And really, it’s probably Punk’s only chance of getting his elusive Mania main event. But The Streak has become larger than anything else at WrestleMania. Undertaker only has a finite number of matches left in him… who knows, next year in New Orleans could be his swan song. John Cena is the absolute perfect opponent for him, the only man who could create serious doubt about the outcome and have the fans ready to riot if he wins. Both matches are deserving, but for me, Undertaker vs. Cena has to headline.
Got a Question? Submit it with your name to: [email protected]
