Answering your questions
Send your questions to slamwrestling@canoe.ca.
March 13, 2002
Q: When I keep telling friends that Hulk Hogan is coming back at WrestleMania, everyone asks me "how old is that guy now? 60?" I'm
thinking it's more like 50. Do you think you could let me know? (Will Spreadbury)
A: (John Molinaro): He's 48.
Q: Where is Goldberg and is he coming to
the WWF? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): Goldberg is at home. He's still under contract to Time Warner/AOL and because of that he can't go to the WWF unless they buy him out of his contract. Considering he's earning his regular salary by doing absolutley nothing, don't expect to him to sign to work for the WWF for less money and a full-time schedule.
Q: I keep hearing the announcers call Regal's finishing move (pre-brass knuckles) a 'modified version of an STF'. What exactly does STF stand for? (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
A: (John Molinaro): Stepover Toe-hold Facelock. The move was perfected by former NWA World Champion Lou Thesz.
Q: Several years ago the WWF had some unique wrestlers and I was wondering if they are still wrestling. The names I remember them wrestling under are Isaac Yankem (a deranged dentist) and The Berserker (a guy in a viking outfit).
(Rob Johnson)
A: (John Molinaro): Isaac Yankem is wrestling in the WWF as Kane! The Berserker no longer wrestles.
Q: While reading the WWA Revolution PPV results, I noticed Jerry Lynn attacked Eddy Guerrero after his cruiserweight title match. Did the WWF release Jerry Lynn? I was aware that he was injured, but I do not recall hearing he was released. (Andrew Ross)
A: (John Molinaro): Yes, the WWF released him. It was just a few days prior to the WWA PPV.
Q: Who was the fake Sting in the original incarnation of the NWO? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): Jeff Farmer. He currently wrestles in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Super J.
Q: What has Bret Hart been up to since his retirement? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): He's working for the WWA as their on-air comissioner. He's also working very hard on writing his autobiography.
Q: I was wondering if you knew about a Bret Hart/Mr. Perfect match for the IC belt. I am pretty sure it was a pay-per-view. I know they had a lot of matches, but in this one, Mr. Perfect's outfit got tore almost off. Do you remember that one? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): It was SummerSlam '91. Damn good match!
Q: Did Bret Hart ever wrestle as a heel in the WWF?
(Matt)
A: (John Molinaro): Yup! You might recall in 1997 he turned at WrestleMania in a match against Steve Austin. That led to the entire Canada vs. USA before Bret was screwed over in Montreal. And of course, he was one half of the heel tag team The Hart Foundation with Jim Neidhart.
Q: Is there any way to watch Japanese Wrestling on T.V.? Can it be found on satellite such as Bell Express Vu or Direct TV?
(Doug & Diane)
A: (John Molinaro): No, it can't. If you live in a major city like Toronto, you're best bet is to visit a Japanese grocery store as they'll liekly carry tapes. Outside of that, visit www.highspots.com or ultimotapes.com for the latest Japanese TV shows available on tape.
February 21, 2002
Q: Bret Hart won his first WWF World Title off of Ric Flair in Winnipeg at
a house show. I remember though, on a video montage of Hart, that there
were Coliseum Video banners at an event. I assume, that the WWF recorded
the match. Do you know where that match could be found? (Ron Cundell) January 31, 2001
A: To answer a fellow SLAM! reader's question from a few weeks back, I think you'll find the Bret vs.
Flair world title match can be found on a WWF tape called Smack 'Em Whack
'Em. Said tape was released in 1993 and the match in question went for over
26 minutes. It was also taped in October 1992 Saskatoon, SK - NOT in Winnipeg! (Edward Priwer)
Q: Has Bret Hart & Hulk Hogan ever wrestled? (NASEER)
A: (John Molinaro): Yes, they wrestled one or two times on WCW house shows in 1999.
Q: Where is Mike Tenay? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): Mike works for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. He also hosted the recent Cauliflower Alley Reunion weekend in Las Vegas.
Q: When is Chris Benoit
coming back? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): No official word just yet. He's still recovering and starting to work out but there's been no date set for his return. He will be back, though.
Q: Just wondering if the new Goldust is in fact Dustin Runnels? Any
news if Lance Storm will get a push of any kind or will he simply get lost in the
new NWO angle and the impending roster split? Do you think there is a
chance of the WWF trying to sign Vamprio? (Christian J. Hutchison)
A: (John Molinaro): Yes, in fact, that is Dustin Runnels playing Goldust. Can't agree with you anymore about Lance. It is a crime the way he's being misused. I think once the split happens, he should get more TV time and more of a push. I don't thnik the WWF will sign Vampiro. He's moved back to Mexico (his wife is Mexican) and doesn't appear to have any interest in working for the WWF.
Q: I've heard a lot lately about the shift in style in Japanese pro wrestling
from a traditional worked wrestling style to a shoot style. I understand
that the traditional Japanese style was stiffer and more realistic than
American style. I was wondering if you could clarify this shift. Have all
Japanese promotions adopted the shoot style? Is it vastly different from
the traditional Japanese style? (Matt Sweet)
A: (John Molinaro): No, not all promotions have. Really, the only promotion of note that has done this has been New Japan. The shoot style differs from traditional Japanese style in that it features more mixed-martial arts spots, more submission and bears more of a resemblance to UFC.
Q: I heard Chris Jericho's father played for the New York Rangers. Could you tell me his name? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): Ted Irvine.
Q: There were two wrestlers in the WWF whose names where Mo and Mable. Did they
have a tag team name? (??)
A: (John Molinaro): Men On A Mission.
Q: What's the highest buyrate ever for a wrestling PPV? (??)
A: (John Molinaro): Highest buyrate would be over 8.0 for WrestleMania 3. BUT, the most watched PPV in history would have been last year's WrestleMania, even though it had a 2.15 buyrate, with close to 1 million buys. The reason why it has a lower buyrate but had more viewers than WM3 is because back in 1987 the PPV universe was much smaller than it is today.
February 12, 2002
Q: The other day I was watching E!'s coverage of a
celebrity all-star hockey game and one of the coaches was Bill Goldberg. Oddly
enough they said that he was "WWF SuperStar Bill Goldberg". Is this insider
information of a possible Goldberg return or a prime example of the
non-wrestling media not knowing any better? (???)
A: (John Molinaro): You hit the nail right on the head... it's a "prime example of the
non-wrestling media not knowing any better." Goldberg is still under contract to Time Warner and the WWF has no intention of buying out his contract.
Q: Were Dustin and Teri Runnels really married? Are they still? Also, half of
the reason people were intrigued by "Golddust" during his first WWF stint
was because of "Marlena" What are the odds that she will be by Golddust's
side when he gets in the ring again? (Mark Dembousk)
A: (John Molinaro): Yes, they really were married (they have a young daughter together) but they are divorced. Dustin and Terri are reportedly on good terms with each other since the split so you never know.
Q: What's the word on Bart Gunn? I haven't seen him since Bart beat the hell
out of his WWF "Brawl for All" competition and then Butterbean bitch slapped
his ass at Wrestlemania. (Michael Paszt)
A: (John Molinaro): Bart's been working in All Japan Pro Wrestling the past couple of years.
Q: Is it true that CW Anderson of ECW fame is not related to the legend Arn
Anderson at all? Do you know if there is any chance of seeing CW wrestle in
the WWF? (Jonathan Clarke)
A: (John Molinaro): They're not related. CW is currently working indies and I haven't heard anything from Jim Ross about signing him.
Q: I remember some years ago, there was an
Undertaker vs Undertaker match, with Ted DiBiase managing the fake Undertaker. Who was the second Undertaker? (John Bartlett)
A: (John Molinaro): Brian Lee.
Q:
Whatever happened to Lance Von Erich? Was he acutally a cousin of the Von Erich's? What is Kevin Von Erich up to these days?
(MG)
A: (John Molinaro): No, Lance was not an actual Von Erich. His real name was Kevin William Vaugh. Last I heard he was retired and living in South Africa. Kevin is still retired from wrestling and living in Texas.
January 31, 2002
Q: What ever happened to Stevie Ray? It seems that the WWF has gone away
from tag team matches. (John Burt)
A: (John Powell): Stevie Ray is currently doing some work for the WWA (World Wrestling
All-Stars) as an announcer and part-time wrestler. It is not known if he
will ever be reunited with his brother Booker T. to reform the Harlem Heat
tag team. You are right about the WWF though. You think with all the talent
they have now that they would put them to good use in tag matches and
rebuild that division.
Q: Greetings, as I watched the Royal Rumble this year on PPV I noticed the
warning at the start of the event. It said you are not allowed to record,
exhibit...etc...the PPV. Now does this mean even private citizens who have
no intention of selling or making more than one copy cannot do so? For 30
bucks I think it's be nice to rewatch a few bouts here and there as I see
fit. (Joe Jalbert)
A: (John Powell): You've come to the right guy for this question. It is TECHNICALLY
illegal to copy CDs, DVDs, video tapes or record anything broadcast on
television. However...the general rule is that no authority will prosecute
you for doing so UNLESS you are making money from pirating the material by
selling copies, charging people to come over and watch the
pay-per-view...etc...because it isn't worth their time and effort. What you
have to understand is that by law, just because we -- the public -- buy
CDs, tapes or order pay-per-views does not give us the right or ownership
of the copyrighted material. The warning you see is for those who do that
and bars who show the pay-per-views without purchasing a proper licence
from the WWF to do so.
Q: Every time WWF Raw or Smackdown is being aired we can be assured that we
will hear Chris Jericho call himself "Living Legend". I have been around
wrestling all my life and thought that title went to Larry "Living Legend"
Larry Zbysco. Is that title copyrighted and owned by Larry Zbysco? How can
Chris use it? (Billy Jones)
A: (John Powell): Hey, Bill. Well...the answer is that you can't copyright a common
phrase. With the purchase of WCW, the WWF now owns all their copyrights
anyway. Usually a special gimmick a wrestler has is owned by the federation
if they came up with the idea and trademarked it. That is, unless the
wrestler has something to the contrary in their contract or they own the
gimmick outright. Example:...the character of Chyna is owned by the WWF
which is why you won't see Joanie Laurner advertised as Chyna now. This is
also why you saw many wrestlers in the past appearing in other federations
with new names and identities. Of course, if a wrestler is using his or her
real name like Jeff Jarrett, no one can do anything about that.
Q: I am just wondering what ever happened to Road Dog. (James Cannom).
A: (John Powell): Like Stevie Ray, Road Dogg is working for the WWA now. They have even
used him as a main event talent...if you can believe that. Road Dogg was
released by the WWF for substance abuse problems some while back.
Q: Living in Australia, we are always years behind in the gossip. One day I
was channel surfing and came across one of those ridiculous talk shows
(Riki Lake or Sally-Jessie maybe, who knows?) and Triple H and Chyna were
there as guests. They made it very public that they were an item in real
time. Is this still the case? (Brian Tombs, Brisbane, Australia).
A: (John Powell): I normally don't get into discussing this sort of stuff but...Chyna and
Triple H did date for awhile. They have since broken up and rumour has it
that Triple H now has a romantic relationship with Stephanie McMahon. This
knowledge came to light because Chyna has claimed in the press that the
break-up played a part in her failed contract negotiations with the WWF.
For their part, the WWF said that's not what happened. Chyna wanted too
much and wouldn't budge on her demands so they allowed her contract to run
out and dropped her from the roster.
Q: I have one question why didn't the British Bulldog enter The Royal
Rumble? He was the best wrestler in the WWF and the Royal Rumble was one of
his best matches. I saw him in the Royal rumble 2000 before he left and he
looked great! (Jeanine Panzone).
A: (John Powell): The British Bulldog has been fighting many personal troubles (as you
might have read here in SLAM! Wrestling) from sickness to addiction to
run-ins with the law. I would hazard to guess that getting one's life back
together means more than a wrestling match.
Q: When is the next WWA pay per view and have they signed any new wrestlers
since their Inception pay per view? (john).
A: (John Powell): They are supposed to be running one in Las Vegas this February. That
date however is tentative at best. Presently, it is unknown whether or not
they will be able to pull it off or have to reschedule it to another date.
Some of the talent they've picked up include Brian Christopher (Grandmaster
Sexay), Scott Steiner and Midajah.
Q: Is the big Yokozuna now a little smaller Rikishi? Where are the stars
from WCW (like Luger,Steiner,Goldberg,Sting etc...)? When the big split
occurs will it be two companies wrestling each other or two separate
entities only wrestling in house? (Tim Gauvin)
A: (John Powell): Wow. Lot of questions there Tim. Let's see if we can address them one at
a time. Rikishi has definitely filled his role as a "big man". Injuries
though has certainly stalled his progress as has the "stink face" gimmick.
It is hard to be taken seriously as a contender when one of your trademark
moves is grinding your butt into your opponent's face. I think in order for
him to move to the next stage he needs to turn heel again and alter his
character. Scott Steiner is working with the WWA but I believe the WWF is
interested in negotiating with him. Like most "big name" WCW talent, Sting
and Goldberg have "guaranteed contracts" with Time Warner. I am not sure
about Luger. What that basically means is they can "sit at home" and still
be paid by the company until their contracts run out. Credit should go to
Diamond Dallas Page who got out of his contract, sacrificing the Time
Warner money so he could return to work with the WWF. That is the sign of
someone who is a true worker and dedicated to the pro-wrestling business.
As far as the "split" goes, it appears that they will be running separate
house shows and will be wrestling each other on pay-per-view and maybe
television too.
Q: I have not heard anything about the Macho Man in a long time. I have
seen him in the crowds at sporting events but not in the ring. His web site
has not been updated in a long time. Are his knees that bad? How about an
update? (Harold Walls).
A: (John Powell): As long-time readers may know, Macho Man is my fav wrestler of all
time...bar none. The latest is that Savage might be appearing with the WWA
some time soon. Other than that, he will be in the new Spider-Man movie due
out in May. I believe he plays a pro-wrestler with whom Peter Parker
tangles with to make some dough before he learns that "with great power
comes great responsibility" and decides to fight crime as the heroic
web-slinger.
Q: Do you think the nWo will reform after Royal Rumble? If Hogan, Nash and
Hall all re-sign for the company, I know you been asked but a clever
gimmick could be the 1st PPV after Royal Rumble No Way Out (nWo)
Coincidence more than likely. Also do you think Razor Ramon and Diesel will
be the names Hall and Nash are known as again? (Kris) Stobbs
A: (John Powell): Well, if you watched Smackdown! last week, you saw that Vince McMahon
announced that instead of sharing the WWF with Ric Flair, he was going to
destroy what he created using the nWo. I am sure that the nWo will feature
prominently at No Way Out in some capacity and that Hall and Nash won't
assume the Ramon and Diesel gimmicks again but Hulk Hogan will be Hollywood
Hogan this time out.
Q: Has anybody at Slam! Wrestling ever applied for a job with WWF
Entertainment? You would figure the way you guys talk sometimes, that Vince
would hand over the reins and retire. (Shawn Linton)
A: (John Powell): Nothing official to my knowledge though I believe that my pal Greg
Oliver once explored a position with WWF Canada but nothing came of it. I
can't speak for anyone else but I could only see myself being a booker or
scripter in that capacity (as I am first and foremost a writer) and with
the kind of schedule those guys have to follow, I doubt I would want to
pursue such an opportunity. Being away from my family and friends and on
call 24-hours-a-day isn't my idea of an ideal or fun life. I don't know how
the wrestlers or other employees do it, unless they are single. To me some
things are more important than either money or fame.
Q: Bret Hart won his first WWF World Title off of Ric Flair in Winnipeg at
a house show. I remember though, on a video montage of Hart, that there
were Coliseum Video banners at an event. I assume, that the WWF recorded
the match. Do you know where that match could be found? (Ron Cundell)
A: (John Powell): I have a vast (and I mean vast) wrestling tape collection and I don't
have that match anywhere but do remember vividly the circumstance you
describe. I personally have never seen that bout and that leads me to
believe that it wasn't ever put on a tape. If someone out there has any
info on this, please email me and we will post an update with the next Q and A.
Q: When Rob Van Dam was in ECW, what was the song that was his entrance
music and who sang it? I could never make out the song because the fans
were right into it and singing along when ECW was on TNN. (Doug Pettigrew).
A: (John Powell): It was "Walk" by Pantera. It was originally on the album "Vulgar Display
Of Power' which was released by the band in 1992. Thanks for the question,
Doug.
Q: I would like to know what do you think the main event at WrestleMania
will be now after Chris Jericho defeating the Rock and Triple H winning the
royal rumble.Do you think that there is any chance that Stone Cold or The
Rock will be in it? (Brian James Murphy).
A: (John Powell): Despite what some are saying, I think there is a very good chance that
you will see Steve Austin as the WWF World Heavyweight Champion at
WrestleMania facing Triple H. The introduction of the nWo though might
change all that though. If the WWF decides to keep Jericho as champ they
have to know that he will most likely be cheered as a face upon entering
the Sky Dome in Toronto which leads me to believe that someone else will be
champ when WrestleMania rolls around and Austin seems the likely choice. If
they do keep Jericho as champ, then I predict you will see a "double main
event" circumstance come into play to take some prominence away from the
WWF World Title match.
Q: Hi. Please help. I know Kane played the part of the fake Diesel. Who
played the part of the fake Razor??? (Frank T.)
A: (John Powell): Big Titan (Rick Bogner) Canadian guy. Wrestled in Calgary indies in the
early '80s. Had a very brieft stint in ECW in early 1996. Last few years
has wrestled in New Japan and FMW. Also played the Fake Razor gimmick in
Mexico's AAA promotion in 1997 when the WWF had a brief working deal with
them. Of course, the fake Diesel was played by Glenn Jacobs, who went on to
greater fame as Kane.
Q: I have sent you an e-mail several times asking this question, but I
really am curious. The last we've seen of Tori was when she was the
mysterious widow lady helping Raven and she wasn't at the award ceremony to
announce the winner of Tough Enough. Is she with the WWF still or is she
elsewhere? Help me out please. (Crusadejd00).
A: (John Powell): I could be wrong about this but I think Tori is no longer with the
company. She is not listed in the their "Superstar bios" on the official
WWF site and is also not on the WWF Divas site either. That is usually a
tip-off that the person in question is not employed with the WWF. I don't
know for sure but I would hazard to guess that her contract wasn't renewed
by the WWF when it came up.
January 17, 2002
Q: What do you make of Mr. Perfect and Goldust coming back for this year's
Royal Rumble as announced on Smackdown? Do you think that their comebacks
will be permanent? Also, is Grand Master Sexy still in the WWF? Finally
what is the current situation with Kevin Nash. I heard recently that he
has definitely signed for the WWF. [Brian James Murphy]
A: I like what they are doing by bringing back wrestlers
of the past for the Rumble. Last year, the
Honky Tonk
Man and Haku appeared at the rumble, and other
wrestlers such as
Jake Roberts have used the Rumble as
their comeback appearace or as one shot deals.
The two wrestlers, in this case, are very capable of
full-fledged returns. Of the two,
Runnels is more
likely, since he has not done any "major league" work
since WCW folded. He's been involved in Turnbuckle
Championship Wrestling (Dusty Rhodes' promotion), but
that's about it. It would definitely make sense to
bring Goldust back, since McMahon seems headed for the
much edgier WWF angles that Goldust was previously
involved in.
Hennig also makes sense, though he has been involved
with the WWA/XWF/MECW on various occasions. In terms
of storyline, Hennig was billed as Ric Flair's
right-hand man for much of the Nature Boy's first WWF
tenure until he turned on Flair and teamed with Randy
Savage. It was, in fact, Hennig who pinned Ric Flair
in his last WWF TV match back in 1993 on WWF RAW.
Hennig is also a skilled color commentator who could
work Smackdown when the split occurs, acting as an
odd-time wrestler as well, similar to
Lawler. I'd love
to see Hennig back in the WWF regardless.
Grand Master Sexay was released from the WWF following
an incident where he was caught trying to bring drugs
into Canada during a tour in 2001. He's done various
work in Memphis and other indie feds.
As for Nash, it depends which site you read. Meltzer,
Scherer, Keller etc. all claim that Nash, Hall and
Hogan have signed, while we at SLAM! (in the only
statement from a named WWF employee thus far) are
reporting that Nash has
not signed yet, though there
are negotiations. It's a case of believe what you
want. Personally, I'm going to go with the
old-fashioned, pre-kayfabe notion that I will not
believe that Nash has signed until I see him on WWF
television.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: When's the last time somebody got a clean pin on
HHH? [Thomas Judd]
A: The last I remember of HHH losing a match without any
interference or shenanigans was at
Wrestlemania X-7,
when he lost to the Undertaker. Since that time, he
did lose to
Jeff Hardy in a feud over the IC title,
but I believe
Lita, Matt, Stone Cold and Stephanie
(and probably Vince as well) were involved in some
way. shape or form.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I would like to know the current whereabouts of these wrestlers: Balls
Mahoney, Jake" The Snake" Roberts, Bart Gunn, Larry Zbyszko, 911 and
D' Lo Brown. I was just wondering if these guys are still involved with
wrestling or what they are doing now.
[???]
A: Balls and Jake are doing indie work, Larry recently
wrestled for USA Wrestling (another indie promotion),
911 I haven't heard of in a long time, and D'Lo Brown
is in either OVW or HWA, though recently did a couple
WWF dark matches. Bart Gunn is in Japan.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I want to know do you think Shawn Michaels will be returning to the WWF at
all and if so will a reformation of a new D-X be likely? Maybe including HHH,
Michaels, Jericho and Test?
[???]
A: There's been some recent rumour talk that
HBK will be
coming back to the WWF. This really started to spring
up when it was believed that Nash was coming back, and
rumoured to be reforming DX with Triple H. Michaels
has been in talks with the WWF, but a return to the
ring is sitll unlikely. Michaels has stated several
times that if he cannot reach the levels he was at
before his retirement then he would not come back.
That being said, Michaels could act as a spokesman for
the group a la
Steven Richards - a guy who can
wrestle, but chooses to send out his henchmen instead.
The same scenario could work for Ric Flair if he
reformed the Horsemen.
As for the names you mentioned,
Jericho in particular
has always hated the idea of being in a faction. He
was offered a slot in the nWo back in 1998/99 but
turned it down because it would mean his mic time
being cut down, which I can agree with because he
would lose his own individual heat. We recently have
seen him hanging with the Canadians, so I'd suspect
that if he were to go into a stable at all, it would
be an all-Canadian group.
Test has been in a couple stables (corporation, Union,
Stratus' boys) and seems a natural fit as an enforcer.
I think putting him in the same group as someone like
Nash and Triple H would make him look pretty weak
though. He'd be a better fit with guys like
Christian
and
Storm (as the WWF has alluded to in recent weeks).
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Is there any chance of Eric Bischoff
joining the XWF?
[Tony Watt]
A: Eric Bischoff is currently involved with Matrats
solely. If he were to go to one of the national
promotions, I could see him going to the XWF,
especially because more than anyone else in WCW's
tenure, Bischoff was creative and had a reasonable
amount of success. That being said, with Hogan now out
of the promotion and that Bischoff's buddies like DDP
are in the WWF, I'd say that he'll more likely stay
where he is.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Is there any chance of the WWF distributing the old
WCW Pay-Per-Views to the
public?
[???]
A: I sure hope so. Certainly, there are enough stars in
the WWF now such as Austin, Jericho,
Benoit and
Flair
who wrestled high-level matches in WCW that it would
be worth going through the libraries for new VHS and
DVD content. We'll likely see WCW stuff in feature WWF
videos, but I can't see the WWF fully reproducing WCW
PPVs. If you want to find the old WCW stuff, I suggest
looking at smaller video stores, who would more than
likely sell you any vids.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: There's a big rumor going aroud town in
Montreal. After WM X8 in
Toronto, could it be possible
that Raw is War would come to Montreal?
[Martin Bean]
A: Thus far I have not heard about anything like that. A
check at wwf.com reveals that they have not announced
the location for that night's RAW. What works in
favour for Montreal fans is that the Canadiens do not
play in town that night, so more than likely the arena
is available. Also, the WWF is likely to stay in the
region so it does not have to travel far after
Wrestlemania, so Montreal, Ottawa or Hamilton are the
most likely candidates for RAW and/or Smackdown. As
soon as something is announced, all info will be
passed on.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What is the story behind HHH and Stephanie. Are they
really married or is that just a storyline? Just curious
[James Brown]
A: In "real life", Triple H and Stephanie are a couple;
however, they are not married.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Is it true that Hulk Hogan Will appear in the 2002
Royal Rumble and also
appear at Wrestlemania X8?
[Luke Sammut]
A: Unfortunately the truth will not be known until Hogan
appears on TV or there is a press conference. There
are so many varying reports these days on news sites
and newsletters that the only tried and true way to
tell is if Hogan actually appears on RAW or Smackdown.
So much is made of the mere mention of Hogan's name on
a WWF site or Excess or something of that nature. It's
as simple as you have to see it to believe it.
[Jon Waldman]
January 10, 2002
Q: Now that Flair is in the WWF, and Arn Anderson is "hanging around" backstage, what are the odds of the Four Horsemen being resurrected - if only in spirit? Benoit is due back in the next few months, which would give us 3 of the 4 needed pieces. [Mark Dembouski]
A: In spirit, yes they can be resurrected. Flair, if I'm
not mistaken, has the rights to the Horsemen, and now
that he is in the WWF I'm sure he'd be more than
willing to resurrect the stud stable.
However, even with Benoit back and the addition of
another wrestler, you would only have two active
competitors. The only forseeable formula would be if
Flair used the Horsemen as somewhat of an army at his
command against Vince McMahon. Put Arn as the manager
like JJ Dillon was and have Benoit and three other
wrestlers (three names that come to mind as "Horsemen
material" would be Edge, Tazz and RVD), who would
oppose a McMahon stable (possibly Jericho, Booker T,
Bossman and Test). This would work well especially as
a Survivor Series match.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Hi Slam! My question relates to a former WWF wrestler.
I was wondering what Marty Jannety was up to lately? I
believe he was fired from the WWF long ago, and I know
he had a short stint in WCW. I believe I heard
rumblings he tried to pursue an acting career even. So
what is he doing? I'm one of those few who thought
Jannety should have been the one to reach superstar
status instead of Shawn Michaels. I thought their
talent and wrestling ability were equal when they
broke up. Oh well, thanks for the great site. [Avi Krebs]
A: Last I heard about Marty Janetty was that he was doing
indy shows. I remember hearing about him a couple
years back working in New Jersey, and he was also part
of the
Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view.
As far as superstar status, Janetty was given a few
chances in the WWF after the Rockers breakup angle. In
the mid-90s he had a series of bouts with the likes of
Psycho Sid and the 1-2-3 Kid, and was later teamed up
with Leif Cassidy (Al Snow), pretty much up until his
departure to WCW. Janetty, for all intents and
purposes, did not have the charisma that Michaels had,
and the fans didn't care about him much.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I know you guys are getting tired of the "When is Kane's mask coming off?"
question. Do you think that the WWF as painted the Kane character in to a
corner? [Terry]
A: Tired? We love that question! That and "is that still
the same guy playing the Undertaker" are our
favourites!
It depends what you mean by painted him into a corner.
Kane's character has evolved since he was first
brought in as the Undertaker's brotehr hell-bent on
revenge. He's had mean streaks, happy streaks, and at
certain times has seemed very human, a far cry from
his once invincible, fire-cracker shooting monster.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Where is Dean Malenko at? Is he fired? And what about the
alliance wrestlers, what are they doing now since the
alliance vs WWF thing is over with? [???]
A: Malenko has announced plans to retire, but has not
wrestled his final bout yet. The last match I remember
hearing him participate in was at the
Brian Pillman
Memorial Show. I believe right now he is down in OVW
training wrestlers and acting as a road agent, though
he has said he would like to compete in the ring
again.
The majority of Alliance members are now wrestling
house shows. They are working the shows under the
guise of tryouts to impress Ric Flair enough to bring
them back into the WWF. Check out our reports on the
latest Canadian tour to find out how they are doing.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: A few years ago, the Ultimate Warrior made his comeback to fight Hogan at
whatever pay-per-view. It was hyped and all, but the match was one of the
most disappointing things I've witnessed in wrestling. What was the story
behind that, and what happened afterwards?
[Christopher Schiller]
A: The story basically was that they had a match and it
sucked. There was no way that the match was going to be
able to live up to the hype it had created for the
match, and quite frankly the match should never have
happened. There are backstage urban legends about
Hogan wanting to even up things since he jobbed to the
Warrior at WM6.
After the match, the Warrior brought the Disciple over
to his side to be part of the OWN (One Warrior
Nation), but the Warrior soon dissappeared. Whether he
went to live in the woods again or WCW told him to
stay home I'm not sure.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I'm just curious if there is any chance of Gangrel coming back to the WWF in
the future.I liked it when the New Brood was around, although the Hardy Boyz
were in it and weren't liked at first, though that did change for the
better.
[Darrell W.]
A: Gangrel was fired by the WWF last year. He recently
appeared on the
WWA pay-per-view, wrestling against
his real-life wife, Luna Vachon under his old name of
Vampire Warrior.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Where is Jeff Jerret and why isn't he in the WWF?
[Grant Cooks]
A: Jeff Jarrett (that's J A double R haha! E, double T.
Sorry, but how often do you get to do that these
days?)
is with the WWA right now and recently wrestled on
their pay-per-view against the Road Dog. His contract
was not purchased by the WWF when they bought WCW. If
you recall, on the Nitro/RAW simulcast, Vince McMahon
made it a point to say that Jarrett was g-o-n-e. The
backstory apparantly was that Jarrett did not want to
leave the WWF with jobbing to Chyna as his last match,
and supposedly was going to no-show the pay-per-view
as his contract ended the day before. In the
end, Jarrett did come to the pay-per-view, and was able to hold up the WWF for a rumoured $250, 000 in exchange for jobbing to Chyna and then he showed
up on Nitro soon after (if not the day after).
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Has Vampiro ever stated his feelings towards joining the WWF or Vice-Versa? I know he's done some shows for that XPW but
I'm not sure if he's under a big contract or anything, any news on him would be great. Also, what's the word on RVD getting a
PPV main event?
[Eric Rice]
A: Vampiro is currently with the XWF. I do not believe he
has said anything against the WWF though.
RVD is basically being given the same slow-burn
treatment that Jericho was given upon his arrival to
the WWF. If you recall, Jericho started out on fire,
wrestling or jawing with the top guys in the WWF,
including Shamrock and the Rock. However, had the WWF
pushed Jericho to the moon immediately, it would have
served to hurt him in the long run since it is very
rare for a guy to maintain main-event heat for an
extended period of time. Same thing was with Austin
when he turned babyface. After his initial run with
Bret Hart, Austin was pushed down the card and
wrestled for the Intercontinental title with the likes
of Owen Hart and The Rock before coming back to main
event level against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania.
You have to be patient with RVD, but I guarantee he'll
be main-eventing soon enough
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What has Tony Schiavone and J.J. Dillon been doing since the sell of WCW.
[vickie downs]
A: Tony Schiavone is currently with the XWF and serving as a radio announcer for the Atlanta Braves. J.J. Dillon,
I believe, is retired though I could be wrong.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Where is Rey Mystrio Jr?
[Jose Torres]
A: Rey is back in Mexico wrestling for EMLL and indy promotions in Tijuana.
His AOL/Time Warner contract is now up, and I think
the WWF would be well-served to bring him in.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Whatever happened to Wendi Rickter and Sherri Martel?
[Tom]
A: Wendi has not been heard of in wrestling for many
years. Martel was last seen at the "Heroes of
Wrestling" pay-per-view
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What on earth has happened to Giant Gonzalez?
What is the British Bulldog's finisher?
Where is The Kat?
What is happening to Paul Heyman and Shane 'O Mac now?
[Trevor Pyle]
A: After a brief WWF tenure, Gonzalez returned to Argentina. I'm not sure of his status now.
If you are talking about the tag-team, I'm not sure,
but if you are specifically asking about Davey Boy
Smith, his finisher was a running powerslam.
The Kat, Stacy Carter, is out of wrestling an is now
going through divorce proceedings with Jerry Lawler.
She did appear at some Memphis shows with Lawler and
Brian Christopher after they were fired/left the WWF.
Shane McMahon is doing behind-the-scenes work for the
WWF, mainly with the website. Heyma has not been heard
from since he was dropped after the Alliance angle. I
believe he's still with the WWF in some capacity
though.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What was the reason for Buff Bagwell being let go by the WWF? I heard he was a hard person to get along with.
[Eddie Ludwig]
A: Various word from behind-the-curtain has that Buff's
attitude got him his pink slip. He is now doing
various independant shows.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I was curious as to if the WWF had any plans of reuniting the Impact Players(complete with Dawn Marie maybe?)? I think it would
definately improve the tag team situation and give both of them an actual direction! Plus is Credible still hurt or has he been
demoted to OVW?
[Stephen Wood]
A: Credible is one of the Alliance send-offs that is
working WWF house shows. Bringing him back as a
tag-team partner for Lance Storm in theory is a good
idea, but Lance seems to be involved in a semi-faction
with Test, Christian, and Jericho (go Team Canada!).
In theory the WWF can bring in Dawn Marie, but I think
they are somewhat reluctant to as they are looking
more now for women who can compete in the ring.
Certainly, Dawn Marie can take bumps after her days in
ECW, and I think she would be a great fit in the WWF.
I believe, however, that she is involved with the XWF.
[Jon Waldman]
January 4, 2002
Q: I am curious as to the wherabouts of the following wrestlers or what are they doing now. The following 'names' are from their Stampede Wrestling days: Larry Lane, Killer Timothy Brooks, Ron Ritchie. [Tim D'Andrea]
A: Last I heard,
Ron Ritchie was teaching, I think, somewhere in Manitoba. Tim Brooks still runs occasional shows and teaches wrestling in Texas. Not familiar with Larry Lane. [Greg Oliver]
Q: I got hooked on wrestling back in the mid 70's (and was very much a mark) a station out of Houston, Texas televised a wrestling promotion ran by the late Paul Boesch. There was a wrestler named "Maniac" Mark Lewin I've been trying to find out what has become of him. [Carl]
A: Man, I've gotten so many leads on Lewin over the years -- he's in Australia, he's dead, he's in Michigan, he's in Oregon -- that I'm not sure of the real answer. He's still around, however. He just doesn't have anything to do with wrestling. [Greg Oliver]
Q: Back in the early seventies a wrestler that went by the name The Brute wrestled in the Vancouver area for All Star wrestling. Who was he and what happened to him? He was a great heel. [Steven Akeroyd]
A: I don't know that one. Other people have mentioned him too. He's a different guy than Brute Bernard -- I know that at least! Maybe if someone had a photo of him... [Greg Oliver]
Q: What television shows did the WWF have back in the 80's? I've heard of the Saturday Night Main Event, Shotgun, Prime Time, and WWF Superstars, but were there any others? If so, what channels were they on? I'm just curious... [???]
A: There was Maple Leaf Wrestling across Canada, TNT (Tuesday Night Titans) on USA Network, which was a variety show. I might have missed others. WWF Superstars was the main show. [Greg Oliver]
Q: I have been trying to remember what finish move Strangler Steve Disalvo used when he was wrestling in Stampede wrestling. I have heard that it was callled the hang man (sp) or something like that. Help me if you can. I need the info for a wrestling simulator. [Edward Letendre]
A: That sounds right -- the hangman. [Greg Oliver]
Q: I am a big fan of your site and wish they had something similar in the States. I have always wondered where these wrestlers were and perhaps you can help me: Crusher Verdu, Mr. Wrestling II, Pampiro Firpo and more recently, Sid Vicious?
[Curtis]
A: Mr. Wrestling II was Johnny Walker, and he's still around. His wife died not too long ago -- she was best known as the designer of some of the great gowns like Ric Flair's. Pampero Firpo was at the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion last February in Las Vegas. Sid Vicious worked as a referee this past weekend in Montreal for
Rougeau's show. Yves Leroux is writing up an interview with him for SLAM! Wrestling. I don't know about Crusher Verdu. [Greg Oliver]
Q: What ever happened to Mad Dog Vachon is he still alive?
[Dorine Beaulne]
A: The
Mad Dog is still growling in Iowa. There's a big show in Winnipeg at the end of January to honour him. [Greg Oliver]
Q: My question is what ever happened to the rugged heel Dr. D. David Schultz who wrestled in the Stampede wrestling circuit and the WWF. He had a clash with reporter John Stossel and seemed to disappear. I really enjoyed his interviews and ring style. Some of my favorite matches as a kid were watching Dr. D and the Honky Tonk Man take on all comers during their Stampede wrestling days.
[Tony Playter]
A: Last I heard Dr. D. was working as a bounty hunter. The real Sheik still lives in Michigan, and has overcome some health scares over the past couple of years. Apparently, he has been working on his memoirs. The Grand Wizard died at least
15 years ago. [Greg Oliver]
January 3, 2002
Q: Is Eddie Guerrero still in the WWF or what or his he still in Drug Rehab as I heard sometime before? [Guy Durnford]
A: Eddie Guerrero is no longer employed by the WWF. He was released
following an incident where he was caught DWI. He is booked
for the upcoming RFVideo card in Philadelphia in February. [Jon Waldman]
Q: What are the chances of Ken Shamrock coming back to the WWF? (Shamrock vs Angle would be a superb match). [Phil]
A: The chances on Ken Shamrock unfortunately are not
looking that good. While the WWF has an open door for
Shamrock to return, we have yet to hear about the
former Intercontiental Champion coming back. He has
been busy with shoot fighting, MMA and his "Lion's
Den" facility, and it looks like he's going to be
staying there for a while.
I agree that a Shamrock/Angle match would be
fantastic. Shamrock was one of the best performers in
the WWF in the late 1990s, having great matches with
Owen Hart and a couple good ones with
Shawn Michaels.
I'd really like to see him back in the squared-circle.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What's Scott Hall up to these days? Any chance of an "Outsiders" reunion anywhere, anytime?
[Cynthia and Mark Lanovaz]
A: Scott Hall's chances of coming back to the WWF are
slim to none, based entirely upon his problems with
alcohol abuse. The WWF has made it increasingly clear,
in light of the recent firing of Eddie Guerrero, that
they will not allow such behaviour.
That being said, if the WWF gets desperate (ie. if
ratings and house shows continue to drop), it would
not shock me if they were to bring Hall in. Hall has
name value, and can still wrestle when motivated.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Is Goldberg ever coming to the WWF?
[???]
A: Simple answer: no.
Complicated answer: After his little diatribe against
the WWF regarding September 11, past encounters with
big names like Triple H annd an overall sour attitude
to the fed, Goldberg has burned more bridges than
candles in his Menorah during Chanukah.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Who do you think will be the next commisioner of the WWF?
[Shawn Claridge]
A: I don't think we'll be seeing a commissioner in the
WWF for a long time, given that right now you have two
owners calling the shots. The only possibility of a
commish being introduced would be if Vince went
off-camera, which won't be happening for quite some
time. If there were to be a commisioner, however, I'd
have to pick an outside guy like Nash who only wants
to work TV and PPV.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: When is the British Bulldog coming back to Wrestling?
[Jeanine Panzone]
A: The last I heard about the
British Bulldog was that he
did a couple matches for Stampede Wrestling while it
was still on TV, over a year ago. I do not believe he
has officially declared his retirement, but the
Bulldog has had an incredible amount of drug problems
and injuries. If he were to come back to wrestling, it
woudl likely be in the indies.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What ever happen to Scott Steiner joining the WWF?
[Ed Greenfield]
A: Now that Steiner's contract with AOL/Time Warner has
officially expired, I expect him to be signed soon.
Steiner has all the charisma, size, look and appeal
that the WWF could ever want in a wrestler. He has
also recovered from his injuries, which is a major
positive. I fully expect Steiner to be in the WWF, at
the very latest, by King of the Ring.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Was Justin Credible Thrasher of the headbangers? Is there going to be a Hogan/Warrior match at Wrestlemania 18?
[Stephen Link]
A: Thrasher was played by Glen Ruth, who was fired last year.
Justin Credible was Aldo Montoya in his prior stint with the WWF, as well as odd-time jobber P.J. Walker.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Is it true that Goldberg will be stepping into the octagon? I have heard that he has shown some interest in the UFC.
[Eddie Ludwig]
A: I recall hearing some rumblings about Goldberg moving
to shoot-fighting, but nothing recently. If he were to
go into shoots or MMA, I could easily see UFC bringing
him in for his name value.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What is the update on the status of Sid Vicious and will he be returning to perform his plan for his career finale?
[???]
A: Sid recently participated in
Jaques Rougeau's card in
Montreal, where he refereed the main event. As for a
comeback, he has apparantly completely healed from his
leg injury, and in theory could wrestle. It would not
surprise me to see Vicious doing subsequent shows for
Rougeau, or possibly going to the WWA or XWF (so long
as it does not get in the way of softball).
[Jon Waldman]
Q: Do you think the Undertaker is going to retire anytime soon? If not, do you see him doing anything significant, like winning the undisputed championship?
[Jackson Nichols]
A: I've heard that
the Undertaker wants to stick around for a
couple more years, though his health has to be a big
question mark. Undeniably, 'Taker is still one of the
top dogs in the WWF in terms of fanbase, and Vince
recognizes it. I'd be surprised if one of the PPV's in
2002 is not main-evented by the Undertaker, simply
because of his drawing power, and because he is one of
the top heels in the company right now.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: In the current issue of WWF magazine and the
Wrestler:
There are hints that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will
join the WWF sometime in
2002 and furthermore, Pro Wrestling Illustrated,
predicts that the
Undertaker will face Kevin Nash in a retirement
match at X-8, besides Nash,
who else is strong enough to retire the Undertaker?
I don't mean to
criticize your reporting, but it looks Big Sexy will
join the WWF in the new
year and if he comes to the Royal Rumble, I predict
you and the other
naysayers will be eating crow. The Outsiders will
ride again.
As for Sting- if the NWO reforms in the WWF,
wouldn't Sting be considered
the nemesis to neutralize the NWO? I mean in
wrestling, you never say never
and Sting himself on a broadcast of WCW classics
said he would be back.
With Flair in the WWF, anything is possible. Sting
will be back, and don't
be surprised when it happens. I think the WWF would
try to sign Sting more
than they would Goldberg, who is nothing more than
SCSA clone.
Will the WWF sign Nash, Hall, Steiner and Sting in
2002? I predict they will.
[Jason]
A: Rumours about Kevin Nash signing with the WWF have
been getting a lot hotter in recent days, as
apparantly there have been negotiations between the
two parties. The biggest thing working for Nash is
that he left the WWF on good terms. What is working
against him, however, is that he does not want to do a
full-time sched. (ie. perform at house shows). Nash
has a wildcard, however, in that he could argue that
The Rock does not have to perform at all shows, becase
of his movie commitments. If Nash comes back to the
WWF, then he could conceivably be part of the Flair
team in terms of storylines, which would coincide with
your Taker/Nach prediciont for WM18. Conceivably, that
match could happen, but retirement matches mean very
little nowadays, epseically in light of multiple
"retirements" by the likes of Flair and Terry Funk.
The only possibility from that match would be that the
Taker would retre his biker gimmick and head back to
his "Lord of Darkness" gimmick.
However, until the ink is on the dotted line and
there's an official annoucement from the WWF, you may
want to put away the crow-hunting rifle (JIC, I like
mine barbecued :-) ).
Speaking of crow, Sting wil not be coming to the WWF
in any way, shape or form. Sting has said on numerous
occasions that he does not agree with the WWF's
direction, and with the WWF's further plunge into
adult-oriented entertainment as of late, Sting
certainly will have nothing to do with the fed. i'd
sooner expect to see Sting in the WWA or XWF, if
anywhere in wrestling.
On a side note, I can never see Vince pulling out the
nWo gimmick, namely because that would involve him
admitting that someone had a better idea than he did.
Yes the WWF bought the rights to the nWo and various
websites, but it seems more like a "let's buy it so no
one else can have it" purchase than an actual
purchase-for-use design.
[Jon Waldman]
December 22, 2001
Q: Do you guys have any info on the XWF. Like, how is it looking in their tv network hunt? Is the company even still surviving? Who specifically is still on the roster? [Bill Freeman]
A: The XWF is most definitely alive. Right now they are
running various house shows, while airing
"infomercials" on various larger-market television
stations.
As described on the XWF site, the informercials,
entitled "Countdown to the XWF" offer, "wrestling fans
their first look at the XWF and its state of the art
production facility. Featuring the wrestlers who will
be appearing at the shows, "Countdown to the XWF" was
filmed over a three-day period during the XWF's
inaugural television tapings at Universal Studios,
Orlando in November. Hosted by legendary wrestling
announcer Mean Gene Okerlund, "Countdown to the XWF"
takes wrestling fans to places they seldom have access
to, allowing them to meet the men behind the wrestling
and find out what fellow fans thought of those first
tapings."
The roster section on the XWF website lists Rena Mero,
Roddy Piper, Curt Henning, the Road Warriors and the
Nasty Boys, though several other wrestlers and
personalities have been involved in their various
tours, including Greg Valentine, Rick Steiner,
Vampiro, Christopher Daniels and others.
You can check out the XWF site at
www.xwfwrestling.com
or check out the officially released roster for the
Universal tapings here.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: This has probably been asked and answered but what is the word on Val Venus? Last I heard from JR was that he looked great but there was a matter of a storyline to work out. [Ron Knox]
A: Val Venis is currently working in the HWA, one of the
WWF's developemental leagues. The latest I've heard on
Val is the same that you read in the Ross Report. Val
was basically left hanging when the RTC angle
dissolved, and he, The Godfather and Bull Buchanan did
not have another role in the WWF, though Godfather and
Bull were initially seen in the InVasion angle. I'd
imagine that Val will be brought back before
Wrestlemania, but with the current glut of wrestlers
already on TV, Val may not be back in the WWF until
the split occurs.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: I was wondering if you knew if Billy Kidman would be returning soon. It looked like he might get pushed as a good guy before the Survivor Series. Also, the guys from RTC. I know they're wrestling in OVW or something, but what's up with them?
[???]
A: The last I heard, Kidman was injured yet again, but at
this point there are other factors, namely TV time.
Kidman is a great talent, but the WWF is not
showcasing their cruiserweight stars now, aside from
Tajiri. Tajiri would not be getting a lot of TV time
right now if it wasn't for the current angle with
Torrie Wilson.
As for the RTC (two questions on RTC members? I'm
stunned.), Bull is in OVW, Venis is in HWA, Godfather
is in one of the leagues (which one I cannot
remember), Ivory is doing Tough Enough 2, and Steven
Richards is still on the main roster. Unfortunately,
there isn't much else to be said about them, though
I'd expect to see them back when the split occurs.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: First, a big THANK YOU for starting this new section. What is the status of the three wrestlers that the WWF needs to bring aboard ..Sting, Kevin Nash & Big Pump Scott Stiener??
[Scott T.]
A: We're glad you are enjoying the site, thanks for the
kind words. There is now a quick link at the top of
the homepage, next to TV rankings.
Sting has said that he will never work for the WWF.
When I spoke to Jimmy Hart though, he mentioned that
he was trying to bring in the Stinger for the XWF. I
haven't heard anythign recently, however, on Sting.
Scott Steiner is wrestlig again, and still appears to
be a top candidate for the WWF once his AOL/Time
Warner contract expires. I think Steiner would be a
natural fit in the WWF. He'd have a great program with
the likes of Kurt Angle.
As for Nash, talks have apparantly broken off between
him and the WWF. I can't blame the WWF for not wanting
to deal with Nash, because of past problems in the
fed, and also because he has a rep for not being a
team player. There's also a question of how much of a
pop he would get, because by the time WCW closed,
Nash's popularity was decreasing. Reports I've heard
were that Big Kev wanted to only work TV and
pay-per-view, which of course is a big no-no in the
WWF.
[Jon Waldman]
Q: What is your best hunch to what the main even at Wrestlemania will be? Who do you think at this point in time will be involved in the main event?
[???]
A: This is becomoing a cloudier issue with every passing
day. I can't imagine them putting Jericho in the main
event, because no matter hat he does, short of spiting
on the Canadian flag, he will get a face-pop here.
Rock will be doing some re-shoots for the Scorpion
King, which means he won't be on TV as much to promote
whatever match he is in. So basically, by process of
elimination, the main event looks to be Austin vs.
Triple H, which will be a guaranteed four stars at
least.
Personally, I'd love to see them play up a Canada vs.
USA match between Jericho and Angle, which I think
would do an enourmous buyrate if they start to build
up to it immediately. Put Jericho, Test, Christian and
Storm (with Trish as their manager) in a faction and
let them go on a major US bashing spree leading up to
'Mania. Have Kurt Angle defend his country against the
Canadians, and go into Wrestlemania against Jericho,
even in some sort of gimmick match like a Hell in a
Cell. You'll never get a hotter angle, because there
is so much American pride at the moment, and Canadian
wrestlers ALWAYS get cheered here.
[Jon Waldman]
December 20, 2001
Q: I heard Triple H mention he spent time in WCW. I don't remember him, or his character. Can you guys fill me in? [???]
A: Triple H wrestled in WCW in 1994, first under the name "Terra Ryzing" and later as the aristocrat "Jean Paul Levesque". He left WCW shortly after the Starrcade '94 pay-per-view where he lost to Alex Wright. [John Molinaro]
Q: Back before Owen Hart died do you think we might have seen Bret Hart return to the WWF? I heard rumors that before Owen died that he was trying to get Vince and Bret back together to talk about possibly coming back to the WWF? [???]
A: It never would have happened. Bret was locked into a long-term contract with WCW and he always swore in every interview he ever gave that he would never work for McMahon again. [John Molinaro]
Q: What are the chances that Kevin Nash & Scott Hall will show up in early 2002 and lead a rejuvinated NWO or DX with HHH playing the Hogan role? [Noah Niznick]
A: It's hard to say at this point. Nash's contract with WCW expires soon but from people I've talked within the company, contract talks between Nash and the WWF have broken down. One of the major obstacles is that Nash only wants to work a part-time schedule (TV tapings and pay-per-views) while the WWF wants him full-time, including house shows. If I were to wager a guess, I would say Nash won't be coming in. A lot of people on the WWF roster don't like him because he has bad reputation for not being a team player and I suspect bringing in a guy who could poison your locker-room is the last thing guys like Jim Ross and McMahon need at this point. [John Molinaro]
Q: During the last few weeks, I've been reading a lot of stuff on a supposed split in the WWF. Now I've just read that it will take place on Jan 7th, yet I haven't seen anything about it on the WWF website. Do they really plan to keep it a secret from the viewing public? Is it
just a rumour Slam has heard? [???]
A: The tentative plans right now are, in fact, to split the WWF into two separate groups and a hold draft. The original date was supposed to be Jan. 7th but nothing is set in stone. The storyline should become more clear on RAW within the coming weeks and they'll promo the draft big-time before they do it (likely sometime before Royal Rumble). [John Molinaro]
Q: Do you know of a site where I can get a listing of the NWA/WCW titles histories? [???]
A: Check out the fine folks at the Great Hisa's Puroresu Dojo. [John Molinaro]
Q:I really want to know what Brian Pillman's finishing move was? I keep on searching on the net but end up with nothing. I don't remember since he died a few years ago. Was it the flying bodypress?
[Eric]
A: Yup. [John Molinaro]
Q:I remember some years back that Bret Hart fought The Mountie at a PPV with an apparent 104 degree celcius temperature due to a flu. Was it a work?
[Danny]
A: Yes and no. Yes, it was a work, no it wasn't at a pay-per-view. He dropped the WWF-IC title to The Mountie the day before the 1992 Royal Rumble at a house show. The next day at the Rumble, The Mountie dropped the belt to Roddy Piper. [John Molinaro]
December 14, 2001
Q: With VInce owning the rights to WCW and WWF, is
there any chance of an all wrestling channel. I'm sure older
independent stuff wouldn't be too hard to come by, along with Japanese stuff we don't get to see much of. It would be great to watch old "Saturday Night Main Event" stuff, as well as NWA classics. I'm sure a 24hr wrestling channel would be a hard sell, but if you package it as ESPN 7 (or however many they've got) it would have to be better than some of the new channels out there (two words:BOOK TV!, it's a book, read it). [Adam Neadow]
A: The simple answer would be that a station would be
possible given the hundreds of stations already out
there. However, there are problems with the new
digital channels (at least in Canada), and it is
widely rumoured that many will be shutting down soon.
As a result, I cannot believe that the CRTC would
consider any new channels any time soon.
There was also some discussion a couple years ago
about an all-fight channel showing up in the U.S., which
would run boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, etc. I haven't heard
about it in a long time though.
As far as coverage on other stations, ESPN Classics
has old AWA matches, and there is a channel in the UK
that airs WWF classics. One of Ted Turner's networks
(I believe Turner South) used to run WCW classic
matches, but I don't believe they do so anymore. [Jon Waldman]
Q: Now that TSN has signed to be the broadcaster of NHL regular season and playoff games, will RAW be pre-empted most weeks? Or will they wise up and allow TNN to carry it live on Monday instead? If not, what is TSN's problem and can something be done about it? Other broadcasters do not follow this stupid policy. CBC, for instance, allows the American networks to broadcast the same NHL playoff games without stopping them.
If TSN does not want to show RAW then they should allow somebody else to. [Mike]
A: If TSN were to have Monday night games, then WWF RAW
would likely go back to its prior format of only
showing the late edition of WWF RAW and replaying it
at a later date. TSN has had to do this several times
in the past, including a couple weeks ago when RAW was
pre-empted for the Olympic curling trials. If the WWF
becomes dissatisfied with TSN, it would not shock me
if they approach CTV or The Score once their contract
expires. [Jon Waldman]
Q: Why doesn't the WWF have another "Brawl for it All"
tournament? [???]
A: The Brawl for All tournament had a few problems when
it originally ran, the biggest being that too many
wrestlers sustained injuries during the tournament
(including Dr. Death Steve Williams). The tournament
was also not a huge draw, as many of the wrestlers
competing were lower mid-card wrestlers like Bart Gunn
and Bob Holly (at the time tagging as the New Midnight Express). [Jon Waldman]
Q: Who do you think will become the new WWF commishioner? Do you think it
could be Shawn Michaels? [???]
A: I think the commissioner role is a bit tired right
now. Given that there are already co-owners (who in
business terms would be able to veto any decisions
they don't like), a commisioner would just be yet
another person on camera that would make matches. If
you really want to look at an effective
commissioner/president, you have to go all the way
back to the days of Sg.t Slaughter, Gorilla
Monsoon, Roddy Piper and Jack Tunney before Vince came
out as the owner of the WWF. Back then, only the
president or commissioner had on-screen power, and the
position meant something. [Jon Waldman]
December 13, 2001
Q: I remember watching Portland Wrestling on Channel 12 when I lived in Washington State. Can anyone tell me what
Promoter Don Owens is up to these days? [CactusJayFoley@cs.com]
A: John Molinaro had a big feature on the old Portland territory a few years back and talked to Don and his son Barry Owen. Sept. 1999: Remembering the great Portland territory. "Now 88, Don Owen struggles to make it through each day. He's had several surgeries, is hard of hearing and his wife is in a nursing home. Contacted by SLAM! Wrestling, he proved a difficult interview for those very reasons," Molinaro wrote. [Greg Oliver]
Q: What is the site address for Missy Hyatt's wrestling woman web page. [Greg Weisgerber]
A: It's mentioned again today in the feature on Sunny -- www.wrestlingvixxxens.com [Greg Oliver]
Q: Is Scott Hall the uncle of Sean Waltman/X-Pac? [Bedford Crenshaw]
A: Never heard that one before, so no, I don't think so. They were paired up early in Waltman's WWF career -- 1-2-3 Kid knocking off Razor Ramon, but that's about it. [Greg Oliver]
Q: Could you tell me where Steve Strong is these days? Is he still wrestling? Also, is Triple H and Stephanie really dating in real life?
[Rose, Sarnia, On]
A: First off, there were two Steve Strongs from pro wrestling. The first was 'The California Terminator' and he's an artist now. In fact, I met him in February when he unveiled the official painting of Governor Ventura. See A Strong statement with Ventura portrait. But I suspect the Steve Strong you are referring to was Strangler Steve Disalvo, who was a monster heel in Calgary and Montreal, and basically a bust everywhere else (c'mon down Minotaur!). He is basically out of wrestling and living in Minnesota, last I heard, though he did work a Puerto Rican show earlier this year -- and from the photos I saw, you wouldn't have recognized him anyways.
As for Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, it really isn't our business, but the scuttlebutt is that their relationship had progressed past the storyline stage.
[Greg Oliver]
December 11, 2001
Q: Where are Abdullah the Butcher and the Missing Link? I heard Abdullah is truely the wildest and untamed wrestler of all time! [janusm@ameritech.net]
A: Abby still wrestles occasionally, especially in Japan. He runs Abdullah The Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food in Atlanta, Georgia at 2387 Fairburn Rd SW. Let us know if it's any good -- we've never been there!
As for the Missing Link, aka Dewey Robertson, he's basically retired in Hamilton, Ontario, showing up on occasional indy shows. [Greg Oliver]
Leftover questions from the chat
Q: Who in your opinion is the most talented and
dedicated wrestler today? (I say dedicated because sometimes being a
better technical wrestler doesn't make you the greatest.) [Sean Wilton]
A: It's a hard one to pick. There are several factors to consider, including overall charisma, in-ring skill and crowd reaction. My short list would include Triple H, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. If I had to pick just one, it would have to be Triple H. Sure, he's injured
right now, but look out when he comes back! [Stephen Laroche]
Q: What's up with Mick Foley? Was his resignation aboard the Corporate Jet on RAW
a work? I sure looked legit, but I doubt it would have made
on air if it was real. Doesn't Foley have a life-long job
at Titan? [Joey Ace]
A: Mick is, for all intents and purposes, done with the
World Wrestling Federation. He has expressed that when
his contract is up, he wishes to leave the WWF. The
reasons why are somewhat clouded, but it has been said
on many occasions that Mick is unhappy with the
direction the WWF and his commissioner gimmick were
going.
There is talk that Mick will now be devoting his time
to writing more, including children's books. [Jon Waldman]
Q: What ever happened to JYD? [RDP]
A: JYD died in June 1998. See the obit that ran on the site and John Powell wrote an editorial about the Dog. [Greg Oliver]
Q: With all he has done for wrestling why is Hulk Hogan
not given more respect and adulation? There seems to be a bit
of disdain towards the man? [Tony T.O.]
A: I think it comes down to the fact that people grew tired of the Hulkster.
Overexposure combined with some really strange career decisions (ie. Santa
with Muscles, the "presidential campaign") has made him a bit of a
laughingstock. The predictability of his matches also didn't help his
reputation.
Sure, he was once the most visible man in the biz, but his time has
passed. As a kid, I tended to root against him. Looking back, he's
probably one of the greatest to hit the ring - at least as a sports
entertainer. His technical skills... well... my Grandfather used to say
"Hogan couldn't wrestlie his way out of a paper bag" - and he was right. [Stephen Laroche]
Q: Do you think the REAL
most-electrifying man in sports entertainment, HBK, will ever come back? [Jason Hutton]
A: When I spoke with Michaels [Aug 13: Past follows Shawn Michaels around], he definitely looked as if
he could return to the ring. The bottom line is though
that Michaels is retired, his last match being against
Paul Diamond in TWA. Michaels is currently spending
time with his family, though he is doing various
promotional appearances for the WWF, and is
tentatively booked for WWF Excess on the 15th (this
coming Saturday). [Jon Waldman]
Q: So are you guys really looking forward to Wrestlemania as it looks? SLAM! is already pushing it down our throats. [Captain G]
A: Hmm, didn't realize we were pushing that hard. Wait under March when there will be scores and scores of stories from the Toronto Sun. But seriously, it's a good and bad thing that it's in Toronto. It's great for the city, and it will get great media coverage, but from my perspective, I don't get to travel to 'exotic' locales like Philadelphia, Houston or Anaheim. As for the show itself, it's not the WWF knows who is going to main event in their book-week-by-week style. [Greg Oliver]
Q: Okay, the WWF (and Jim Ross in
particular) constantly says they have plans to increase the visibility of their cruiserweight division, then turn around and let Essa Rios
go, after teasing in their magazine a couple of months ago
that a "mysterious wrestler" would come and help Essa win a
title. will they ever do something with their talented small guys? [Mike Sempervive, Ocean City, Md]
A: Try not to believe whatever you read in WWF Magazine. It's not exactly the
most credible source of information... I'd love to seem them put together
a legit cruiserweight division but Vince has always been about the big
man. Maybe the upcoming split will allow this to happen.
[Stephen Laroche]
Q: Finish this sentence: "The biggest cry baby in
wrestling
today is _____ " [Bubba Snafu]
A: Bret Hart... let it go, man... [Stephen Laroche]
Q: Waldman, according to the
new WWF magazine with Matt and Lita on the cover, the expected main event at X-8 is Triple H-Austin. The Rock's not even in the picture!! [Midnight Rider]
A: That's definitely a good sign then:-) Seriously
though, Rock looks to be involved in some upcoming
films which could take him away from pre-Wrestlemania
matches. More than likely the Rock will be in a
special attraction match since he will not be
available for pre-match hype.
Also, given the week-by-week booking of the WWF and
lack of long-term planning, I would suggest that the
main event plans can change six or seven times before
WM18. [Jon Waldman]
Q: Was Maka Singh from Stampede Bastion Booger in
the WWF? [barry horowitz]
A: He sure was! Read Greg Oliver's interview with Mike Shaw. [Stephen Laroche]
Q: Whatever happened to the Road Dog
Jesse James? [MxPx]
A: Road Dogg was released from the WWF a few months back.
I believe he has done some work with WWA or Dusty
Rhodes' promotion. [Jon Waldman]
Q: The question I had for you, is I was wondering if
the Harris Brothers were still on the roster for the XWF. I heard that they are wrestling in Japan and wondered if they are going to stay there. [Jodi]
A: The only word I have received about the
Harrissesseesses is that they were at the initial XWF
tapings. I have yet to hear any reports from the
subsequent shows, but they may very well be with the
company still. As for Japan, apparantly they are
really over there, so it would not shock me if they
took some time there before coming back to the States. [Jon Waldman]
Q: Don't you think The
Rock-Austin will headline the Royal Rumble or No Way Out and leave the main event as originally planned: Triple H-Austin? Or is that on hold, now
that Triple H is returning as a face? [Midnight Rider]
A: he headliner for the Rumble, thankfully, should be
the Rumble itself. The good thing with Jericho being
the champ is that we now have three or four guys who
could legitimately walk out of the PPV the Rumble
winner. Austin, Rock, Angle or a returning Triple H
could forseeably win the Rumble here. Think back over
the last few years, and the winner of the Rumble has
been more predictable than a Vince Russo swerve. This
should be an interesting PPV. [Jon Waldman]
Send your questions to slamwrestling@canoe.ca.
