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SEScoops Mailbag for August 13th
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: Why does WWE just let people like the Dudley Boys, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan go onto the TNA show to build up their business even more, and even worse, their show is Attitude Era. All the stars that were involved in that era have gone to TNA and are making them a bigger brand than WWE itself. – Javad H. from Scotland
A: Really, those guys have built up TNA’s audience to even greater heights than before? I’d love to see evidence of this. Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy were the only guys from outside that had any sort of real impact and in the case of Angle, that was when he first came in. These days, he’s just another guy who doesn’t move the needle. Hardy moved the most merchandise when he was hot, but then they turned him heel, which basically erased whatever value he had to the company. They are not making TNA a bigger brand than WWE, so quit snorting coke off that mirror and hang it back up on the wall, please.
Q: I looked up Ring of Honor’s new TV timeslot in my area and HOLY CRAP its on free TV. With all the news of Impact being on its toes with Spike rebranding and the chance they could be booted, could ROH possibly become the number 2 promotion the in country? Like I said in this area (San Antonio) it’s on free TV in a huge wrestling market. – Kenneth
A: First of all, it’s highly unlikely that Impact is going anywhere, so they’re safe for now. It’s much more likely that UFC leaves Spike at the end of the year when their contract expires. Secondly, ROH’s new TV show will appear in syndication on many Sinclair stations across the country, most or all of which are going to be free TV outlets. I don’t believe any of them are premium channels. As such, their audience of each station is going to be fairly limited, so I think it would be a few years at the very least before we could honestly see ROH making a run for the #2 spot.
Q: What was the highest rating that WWE Monday Night Raw ever received and which year was it? I’m curious because week in and week out, the ratings are always around a 3-something, they never go beyond that. – John
A: Raw’s highest rating ever came on a night when WCW Monday Nitro was pre-empted due to NBA basketball. On May 10th, 1999, Raw scored a ridiculous 8.1 rating for an episode that featured a main event of Steve Austin, The Rock and Vince McMahon vs. The Undertaker, Triple H and Shane McMahon. Only two weeks later, WWE scored what would be its second highest rating ever of 7.2 for its Owen Hart tribute show the night after his death.
Q: Edge won his first World championship in 2006 and retired this year as World Heavyweight Champion. In that time, he has earned a couple tag team championships, a Royal Rumble win and become an 11-time champion. Would you say the last 5 years of Edge’s career was better than the last 5 years of any superstar’s career in recent memory? – Marc C.
A: If we’re talking stars that have retired within the last few years, then yes, I suppose Edge would be at the top of that list. But even with all of those accolades, if we’re going back through WWE history, then Steve Austin would be higher on the totem pole than Edge. In the five years prior to Steve Austin’s final match, which took place in March of 2003, he beat Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania to win his first WWE Title and ushered in a boom period the likes of which the company may never see again. Austin’s big run was a relatively brief one, but he did bigger business than any other individual in the history of company. All due respect to Edge, he could have won 20 World titles and I still could not rank his final five years higher than Austin’s.
Q: After their shocking debut to their uneventful end, would you consider The Nexus to be one of the worst factions in wrestling history? – Lee Wes
A: Hardly. The New Nexus was atrocious, for sure, but if we’re talking about the original group, I don’t see how you can say that. Their Raw debut made a huge impact and is one of the more memorable moments in the show’s history. Before they fizzled out at Summerslam last year, they were the hottest act in the company. On top of that, they actually made a main event star out of Wade Barrett, even though he has since cooled off on Smackdown. Were they handled perfectly? Of course not. But I can think of plenty of other groups far worse than Nexus ever was. Want the cure for insomnia? See the Truth Commission, D.O.A. and Los Boricuas from 1997 WWF. The Union and JOB Squad were also pretty awful, as were the Misfits in Action from WCW.
Q: I was just watching the Rock vs. Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle Triple Threat
match again from Vengeance 2002. When the match ends, J.R mentions he has seen many triple threat matches, but that was the best one he had seen. I thought about it and I agree with him. Where would you rank this match? – Michael
A: I’ve raved about this match before on my Solomonster Sounds Off podcast (check Audio Shows under FEATURES above). It remains the greatest Triple Threat Match I’ve ever seen in WWE. With three of the best main event performers in the company’s history, it should be no surprise, but their triple threat match format can often times be very formulaic and predictable. In this match, there was never a dull moment and the work was top notch. Definitely go out of your way to see it if you never have.
Q: Out of all the past WWF/E superstars to NEVER hold the World title, who do you think deserved it the most? Also, out of all the current superstars to never hold the WWE/WHC, who do you think deserves it the most? – Shane
A: There are plenty of guys that would have made great WWE champions, including Ricky Steamboat, Ted DiBiase and Jake Roberts. The one who deserved it the most and could have made the most money with it was Rowdy Roddy Piper back when he was at his heel peak. Yes, Piper got over without the title, but I can’t help but think Piper as the heel champion meeting Hogan one-on-one could have done phenomenal business. Piper really doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves for paying Hogan’s foil and boosting WWE to new heights in the mid-80’s.
Q: Nothing personal against these guys, but why is TNA pushing Gunner and Crimson so hard. Especially Crimson, [who has] shown zero charisma so far, and they have a roster with at least 10 other guys who deserve a better push. – Russell
A: I will give TNA credit for trying to push some younger, newer faces. Unfortunately, Crimson just isn’t that good. Gunner has a much better upside and is very well liked behind the scenes, but of course, Crimson is big and has “the look”, so he’s getting a chance. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe toils in obscurity with no points in the Bound for Glory series. May the WWE countdown begin.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!
