SEScoops Mailbag for April 10th
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: I have some concerns about the Rock vs. Cena match at next year’s WrestleMania. First off, I have no idea how they are going to do a year-long buildup without it getting stale. Is Rock just going to disappear and we are going to ignore it until next March? Also, with this set in stone, there is no way Cena can win any title between now and then and he cannot be taken seriously as a participant in the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber matches. They are essentially eliminating one of their biggest faces from any serious contention for a year. Also, what happens if Cena gets injured between now and then and can’t wrestle? They are risking an awful lot on this. – Christopher
A: Step down from the ledge and come back inside. You seem to presume lots of things with your questions. Is it possible the Rock/Cena feud will lose steam between now and next year’s Mania? Sure. But let me remind you of another Mania main event that was set up a year in advance – Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. True, they didn’t formally announce it as a match until the month before Mania 5 when the Mega Powers broke up and Savage turned heel, but anyone with a brain could see that is where they were going with that storyline as soon as Savage won the title the year before. And I think that whole thing turned out just fine. Rock will disappear from TV for a time and will return as we get closer to the big date. What I would do if I were them is at least record some fun training vignettes and promos with Rock that they could splice into their shows here and there in the summer and fall, just to keep the rivalry fresh in people’s minds. As for your statement that there is no way Cena can win a title between now and then, I ask, why the hell not? He’s going to continue feuding with Miz for the WWE Title, that much we know. He can very easily win the title between now and then and drop it before Mania. If Cena gets hurt before then and can’t compete, they will find a suitable replacement (and around the same time, somewhere in San Antonio, Shawn Michaels will disconnect his landline phone and toss his Blackberry into a river). This is not Henny Penny, the sky is not falling and everything will be just fine.
Q: Was there a medical reason that caused HBK to retire or was he just done? – Dallas
A: The reason was primarily medical, but HBK was just a total mess at that point in 1998 when he stopped wrestling. It’s well-documented that he had his own substance abuse issues at the time and was generally rather unpleasant to be around. But the reason he disappeared for so long was because of multiple herniated discs sustained on a botched bump in his Casket Match against Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. Michaels took a back body drop out of the ring and landed right on the edge of the casket, and while he was able to finish the match, as he tells the story, two days later he found himself unable to get out of bed. He was forced to miss the February PPV (where he was scheduled to be part of an 8-man tag team main event) and didn’t wrestle again until dropping the title to Steve Austin at WrestleMania. He was hoping to rehab the injury and avoid surgery, but when that proved unsuccessful, he went under the knife several months later.
Q: What ever happened to Chris Jericho’s game show “Downfall”? – Michael
A: Low ratings killed the show dead last summer. The show had a commitment for six episodes, but only five ended up airing. The first episode debuted with a 3.1 rating (roughly 6 million viewers), but just one month later, the show had fallen to a 2.0, nearly cutting the number of viewers in half. Those numbers simply won’t do for network television. If you’re a fan of game shows, do yourself a favor and watch Wipeout on ABC. I can never watch an episode without laughing until I cry and it’s easily the best show on the air right now.
Q: What are your thoughts Jeff Jarrett making Kurt Angle look like a dead beat dad and horrible husband? – Tyler Johnson
A: Don’t blame Jeff Jarrett, blame Vince Russo and TNA management for thinking it makes for such a wonderful storyline. Besides, Kurt Angle has done a fine job of making himself look bad lately, he doesn’t need anyone else’s help.
Q: Why is Alex Riley still carrying a briefcase to the ring? What is supposed to be inside it? – Michael V.
A: It’s simply become part of his gimmick. Bob Orton Jr. wore a cast on his arm years after his supposed injury had healed. D-Lo Brown continued wearing a chest protector in his matches long after his injuries at the hands of Dan Severn healed. There’s no real reason for it, yet I still probably get more questions about this than anything else after all these months.
Q: Something’s Caught My Mind, In WWE/TNA Do They Let You Decide Your Own Name, Music, Moves,Gear, & If You’re Face Or Heel, Or Do They Decide All Of This For You, Because I’m Determined To Be In WWE Or TNA Someday, And I Wanted To Get The Facts Straight. – Zachary
A: You’re quite fond of capitalizing the beginning of every word, I see. First, please stop that, it’s freaking me out. Performers in WWE and TNA are always able to make suggestions to the office about their character, but the company makes all final decisions on name, music and creative issues. Remember that if you sign a contract with them, you are essentially becoming their property (which is interesting when you consider that, technically, wrestlers are independent contractors). If you’re serious about pursuing your dream, I wish you luck.
Q: Why doesn’t WWE use the United Center when they go to Chicago? It seats like 5k more or so. – bigmike9208
A: It’s likely an agreement they have with the Allstate Arena. Also, keep in mind that up until recently, WWE was finding it more and more difficult to fill buildings for their house shows, so they would often go with the smaller venues if given the option between two. The only major WWE event I can recall at the United Center was the 1994 Summerslam.
Q: In [a recent mailbag] Rob Van Dam’s name came up, so would RVD be the world’s most successful stoner since he once graced the cover of High Times? – Andrew B.
A: Is RVD the first stoner in the history of the publication to be featured on its cover? I’m not sure how that alone is a qualification for making someone the most successful at anything. I have an old WWF Magazine from 1992 with Papa Shango on the cover. Does that make him the most successful voodoo practitioner to ever grace their cover? Actually, he’s probably the only one that ever did, so perhaps that is a bad example.
Q: A few weeks ago you mentioned that it’s rare for a superstar to stay either face or heel for their entire career. You mentioned Ricky Steamboat as an example that stayed face throughout his career, but can you think of anybody that stayed heel the entire time? – Shane
A: John Cena.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!