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SEScoops Mailbag for June 24th
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: Why does WWE think they can feed our head with things like we don’t remember the past? Not even 3 months ago, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole were in this personal feud that resulted in 2 PPV matches. Now, they sit beside each other as if [nothing ever happened]. I’m also hearing about Mick Foley returning to WWE. Some say he should be revealed as the anonymous GM. So during his tenure with TNA, Mick has been keeping up with WWE that much to feel the need to call shots from home or on the road and e-mail constantly to that stupid laptop with the script being shown on the keyboard. – Terrell
A: I agree, it’s completely ridiculous to have Cole and Lawler sit next to one another like nothing ever happened. Lawler will make a crack here and there that reminds us he still does not like Cole, but as annoying as Cole is and if he made remarks about my dead mother, I wouldn’t be so quick to forgive and forget. As far as Mick Foley goes, I don’t see what the problem is. WWE goes out of its way to not acknowledge TNA, or any wrestling promotion, on TV (WCW and ECW being the exceptions, but they’re both dead and owned by Vince now). Remember when Christian returned to WWE? Funny how he was gone for three years and they never mentioned he not only was wrestling on another national network, but was an NWA champion as well. It’s just how they operate. They have their own little world (err, Universe). So if Foley were to return as the Raw GM, it’s perfectly logical to assume that yes, in fact, he has been doing nothing but lounging on his sofa, stuffing his face with Doritos and sending e-mails to Michael Cole.
Q: I remember a few years back when there was a series of SmackDown After Show Webisodes on WWE.com where Josh Matthews would interview the referee that got injured in a Hell in the Cell match by Triple H. It went for a good 6 weeks where the ref would try to kill himself in various ways (Drowning in a fishtank, Electrocution, Rat Poison) and Josh would talk him out of it. On the final webisode, the ref “shot” himself off camera in a bar. Do you remember this ref’s name and do you know where he is now? – Anonymous
A: The referee in question was Tim White, who had been with WWE for close to 20 years before suffering a shoulder injury in 2002 that effectively ended his career. He tried to officiate matches after that, but his shoulder kept popping out and he retired for good at that point. Since his WWE release in 2009, I’m not sure what he’s been up to, though he has been back to WWE shows and may be assisting in some backstage capacity. By the way, those skits you are referring to were part of a series called “Lunchtime Suicide” where White, depressed over how his career had ended, also tried to off himself by slitting his wrists with a razor blade, drinking a substance in a lab laced with Mad Cow Disease and hiring a hitman to kill himself.
Q: Did D-Lo Brown catch any heat in the company and/or fines for the in-ring accident that left Darren Drozdov a quadriplegic? Also, do you think the accident somewhat effected the star that Brown could have been in WWE? What I mean here is, if the accident never happened, do you think Brown had what it took to have been a main event star? – Jeremy
A: I don’t recall any stories of Brown getting punished for what happened to Droz. He slipped on a running powerbomb out of the corner. It was a freak accident. He carried enough guilt on his shoulders that, if anything, people felt sorry for him. Had the incident not taken place, I don’t believe D-Lo would have been WWE champion. He was never pushed as a main eventer and, frankly, I never saw him in that role. He attained great success as a mid-card act, holding the Intercontinental and European titles simultaneously at one point, and I think that was the role he was best suited for.
Q: I’m an Undertaker fan and I know his time is almost up. Do you think the gimmick should stop with Taker or be handed down? – Vick Pick
A: There can be only one Undertaker. Can you imagine the backlash if they tried to pass it on to someone else? Kane is the only one that would really make sense (you know, bound by blood with Taker and all), but he’s already 40+ years old and has built a legacy for his own character over the last 14 years. It would be unfair both to Undertaker and the person trying to fill his shoes to put anyone else in that role.
Q: Since TNA changed the name of Impact, slogan, and posted videos of the wrestlers talking about “why wrestling matters” and talk about providing more wrestling, how come there has not been a significant increase in the total time of wrestling in the show? – Rory B.
A: In fairness, I do think there has been more wrestling over the last two episodes. Plus, that parking lot brawl between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett showed an intensity and realism that we need to see more of in wrestling. That said, the whole “Wrestling Matters” campaign was never intended to be anything more than a rebranding of the show. It’s a farce. You still have Vince Russo, who hates wrestling, writing their TV show and until that changes, you’re never really going to see consistency in the product. What I mean by that is, even if there is more wrestling right now and it continues leading up to Destination X, I can guarantee that after that, they will fall back into old habits. If you have followed TNA for any length of time, you already know this.
Q: What do you think is the most hurtful move in WWE? – Frank G.
A: Trying to get yourself over. Oh wait, you mean hurtful PHYSICAL move in WWE? More than a few men have had their noses busted on the receiving end of CM Punk’s GTS (which he “borrowed” from KENTA in Japan) and I reckon if he was to really go full force with the move, it would cause quite a bit of damage. Nobody likes getting hit in the face, let alone with a knee. Beyond that, the Five Knuckle Shuffle and Santino’s Cobra are pretty intimidating, too.
Q: Do you know why WWE got rid of the Cruiserweight title and do you believe that it will ever come back? I know it was pretty much worthless after they gave it to a guy who was smaller then the physical belt itself, but it would be nice for it to be reinstated, especially with the planned introduction of more luchadores into WWE. – Ben
A: They got rid of it because they were never fully behind it in the first place. And by “they,” I mean Vince McMahon. To him, it was just a bunch of small guys wrestling a dangerous style, and when you make them conform to WWE style and slow them down, they lose whatever appeal they may have had. WWE is definitely going after more talent from Mexico, but if you think they’re going to go on TV and wrestle lucha-style matches, prepare to be disappointed. They won’t even allow Sin Cara to use his old La Mistica submission, which is a hell of a lot easier to perform than his C4 finisher off the top rope and every bit as visually impressive.
Q: I was wondering if there was a reason why Bret Hart wasn’t booked to win his first WWF championship at a major PPV event? I recently saw the Hart/Flair match from 1992 and remembered that it took place on Prime Time Wrestling. Was there a rush to get the title on Bret at the time? – Michael A.
A: I don’t believe the match actually aired on Prime Time (though there was a PTW banner visibly hanging in the arena), but rather, was taped for some Coliseum Video releases. I know I have a video called “Smack’em Whack’em” from 1993 that has the match on there. As far as why Bret got the title, I believe it was rushed onto him because Vince McMahon was adamant about getting the belt on someone new who wasn’t a lightning rod for steroids, which is not to say Ric Flair was abusing steroids at that time or looked like a bodybuilder. But, WWE did get real serious in a hurry around that period about getting clean and Flair was part of the old guard. Within a month of Bret winning the title, the company also fired Davey Boy Smith, who dropped the IC title to Shawn Michaels only two months after his big victory at Wembley Stadium, and the Ultimate Warrior, which forced them to bring back Mr. Perfect early as Warrior was slated to team with Randy Savage at the Survivor Series.
Q: I just saw a Fruit Loops commercial where Toucan Sam was chased by a yeti. This yeti looked somewhat modeled off of Randy Savage. The color streams in its hair reminded me of his outlandish attire. The fur on the yeti’s face was drawn like a full beard. It even had a pair of Savage-esque goggles. And it was a yeti so he was muscular. I watched the commercial from the kitchen, so on the off chance he sounded like Savage, I didn’t hear it. – Ryan B.
A: This isn’t really a question, but this commercial is a fail without Tony Schiavone in the background screaming, “IT’S THE YET-TAY!!!” Sometimes, I really do miss WCW.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!
