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Sound Off 164: Hey JR, Getting Yourself Over Doesn’t Work!

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 164)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour

Solomonster is back with a special Father’s Day edition of the Sound Off, talking WWE tempting fate with John Cena, Punk and Austin magic, the Zack Ryder controversy and something to think about the next time you hear JR talk about new guys having to “get themselves over”, former ROH tag champs get a tryout, Mr. Anderson wins the TNA Title, Jessie Neal qualifies for food stamps, Desmond Wolfe released, and THE MAILBAG. The fastest hour in wrestling radio is here, so download this now!

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Sound Off 163: Skewering Raw and Praising TNA (Yes, It’s True!)

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 163)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

On Tough Enough, Andy Leavine called himself “Silent Rage”, but this week, Solomonster’s rage is anything but silent as he tears Raw to shreds, talks about Big Andy’s win over Luke, gives praise to TNA (you read that correctly), why Hulk Hogan will NOT sue Warrior over his wild claims, cause of death for Savage revealed, Tommy Dreamer done with TNA, an injury update on Skip Sheffield, UFC’s possible purchase of G4 and why WWE and TNA should be paying close attention, and a HUGE mailbag! Why are you still reading this? Download this show now!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

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MAILBAG: Is The Warrior Just Bashing Hogan For Publicity?

SEScoops Mailbag for June 10th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: I’m not one to take sides, let alone Hulk Hogan’s, but I do believe that Warrior is just some crazy lying lunatic. Every bit of the story you’ve covered always mentions Warrior “planning to make a big announcement” that doesn’t even involve Hogan. I honestly think this is some sort of publicity stunt to attract people to his videos just so he can have a lot of people hear the announcement. After all, why should we as wrestling fans believe anything that comes out of The Ultimate Warrior’s mouth? – Ryan Begley

A: Obviously, it is self-promotion on Warrior’s part and he must be doing a fine job of it since he has everyone talking, and even got some play on Fox News and TMZ. Be that as it may, it’s not as though many of the allegations lobbed in his recent video have not already been talked about for years. Hogan’s name has been linked to steroids for his entire career, and he has admitted to using them, but the rumors of cocaine use date all the way back to the 1970’s. In fairness, coke was the drug of choice for many wrestlers back then, but I fully believe he used. Now, did he deal the stuff, as Warrior alleges? That may be hard to prove. I also have never heard of the Hogans being swingers before, but as dysfunctional as that family has proven to be, nothing would surprise me. At the end of the day, Warrior just comes off as a bitter old man rehashing a years-old feud.

Q: Triple H and Undertaker had a great match at WrestleMania 27, as you know, but one part really got me. I know much of WWE is rigged and this match was probably rigged for Undertaker to win, but he never really walked out. Was this because he was tired or really because he was too sick and beat up to even move by himself? Also, I see that Undertaker stops making appearances after Mania for a little. Is this because Vince gives him a break or is it because he physically cannot work for a good 5-6 months. What is he doing for the 5-6 months he is gone? – Lucas

A: You mean besides boinking Michelle McCool? He uses those months off to rest his ailing body, which now has nearly 50 years on this earth, and in “wrestling years”, he probably feels a lot older than that. At this point, he is a special attraction and simply cannot do a full or part-time schedule. Injuries take longer to heal and may occur more frequently. He’s in desperate need of a double hip replacement, which I first starting hearing rumors about over a decade ago. As for WM27, what you saw post-match was a phenomenal job of selling by a ring veteran. I’m sure he really was feeling beat up after that match, but it was all part of the story and meant to look like Triple H had taken him to the limit.

Q: I was wondering why WWE does that lighting effect during Sin Cara’s matches? Is it just for show or does it serve a purpose, like to cover small flaws or something? – Josh

A: It is to make him stand out more. In reality, it’s every bit as distracting as it was when they used a similar red light for Kane’s first matches. Plus, if you have an arena full of people cheering for Sin Cara, good luck seeing them in the darkness. I applaud their attempt at trying to help get him over more, but come on, let there be light!

Q: I noticed for a couple of years now, many WWE superstars don’t wear belts around their waist anymore. They carry them on their shoulder or just drag it with them as if it was a wet towel. Only a few superstars I can recall within the last couple of years wear a belt as if it means something: Chris Jericho, Batista, Triple H, Sheamus, Christian, etc. Is there some rule regarding this? WWE needs to treat those belts (excuse me, “championships”) more seriously if they want them to [feel] more special. What’s your take? – T. Mills

A: I know Vince McMahon was on a kick in recent years about no longer wearing belts around your waist and having to wear them over your shoulder. I don’t believe that edict is still in effect as plenty of guys wear belts around their waist now, including John Cena on Raw last Monday. I agree that it doesn’t show great respect for the title to be dragging it on the ground, but it’s a different era now and they don’t show much value for their titles anyway, so what’s the point in getting bent out of shape about it? I do recall Kevin Nash and Steve Austin, in particular, would drag their titles to the ring for many matches back when they were WWF champion.

Q: What would your list of the top 10 best promo guys in the past 20 years look like? And do you think Shane Douglas was a great promo guy when he was in ECW? – Troy M.

A: Wow, that covers a lot of ground. I don’t usually answer questions like this, but here are 10 names (in no particular order) who have to be considered among the best talkers of the last 20 years: Ric Flair, Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Taz, CM Punk and Larry Sweeney. For those who don’t know, Sweeney was a wrestler and manager on the independent scene (most notably in ROH) for many years who was clearly influenced by the likes of Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan. He would have been a major league manager for WWE, but he had issues with depression and bipolar disorder and committed suicide back on April 11th.

Q: I may be wrong about this, but I can’t recall an episode of Raw or Smackdown ever being taped in Alaska or Hawaii. If that’s the case, I wonder why that would be. They seem to go to pretty much all the other States, but never those two. – Owen Hamilton

A: You make a very good point. I cannot recall WWE ever taping an episode of either show from those two states. They have run house shows there in the past, so I would imagine it has something to do with the cost of doing a TV taping. Of course, if they ever did decide to bring Raw to Alaska, I’m sure we would have to sit through a series of insufferable skits with a Sarah Palin impersonator.

Q: This is more of a “where are they now?” question. What ever happened to Matt Bentley a.k.a. Michael Shane? He was a big part of TNA in the early days, so is he blackballed from the industry like Teddy Hart for a “bad attitude” or something? – Andrew B.

A: Michael Shane is actually the real life cousin of Shawn Michaels. He had a good run in TNA from 2003-2007 and even held the X-Division title on two occasions. I never heard of him having an attitude problem, so I’m not sure exactly why he left wrestling, but he has not been blackballed. He did start a band called “Lost in Chaos” with some friends in Florida.

Q: I [want to get] your thoughts on PPV’s. I have noticed there seems to be more themed shows and I like that idea. That’s pretty much how it was before having WrestleMania and SummerSlam and the themes with Survivor Series and Royal Rumble. Just wondering what others may think of that. – Jared Robertson

A: Actually, WWE did not have any themed PPV’s, like they do now, before WrestleMania and Summerslam. Survivor Series likely would have been the first with the Rumble debuting the following year (though not as a PPV until 1989). I will disagree with you that all of these themed shows are a good idea. Having events every year like Money in the Bank, Hell in a Cell and TLC totally waters down those concepts, not to mention it locks you into having to do those matches at a time when it may not be appropriate to do so within the scope of your main storylines. If John Cena and Alberto Del Rio just started a new feud the month before, all of a sudden they have to have a Cell match? It’s the sort of thing that is best saved as the climax of a big feud, but often times, these gimmick shows screw that all up. I wouldn’t mind Elimination Chamber as much as it’s a nice buffer between Rumble and Mania, but I don’t see the need to have two of them on the same show.

Q: Does a superstar have to change their ring gear if they change companies like Mistico and RVD? Also, when Triple H said he would die trying to end [Undertaker’s] streak, is he gone from WWE action and just a backstage guy or will he come back to the ring and still have couple of title reigns? – John

A: As always, there are exceptions when it comes to ring gear. If someone’s gear has their name or logo on it and the promotion owns the copyright, they would be unable to use that elsewhere. Most guys have their own ring gear made, so as long as that is not an issue, they can still use it. No one was going to stop Hulk Hogan from wearing red and yellow in WCW or Sting from wearing crow face paint if he went to WWE. As for Triple H, I guarantee he has not wrestled his last match, but he will be saved for big matches only as his backstage role grows considerably. I don’t see him having more than maybe one more title reign, and even that would likely only be under dire consequences, such as if John Cena and Randy Orton both went down with injuries at the same time. I think Ric Flair’s “record” of 16 reigns is safe for now.

Q: In what way do you think Vince McMahon would have reacted had he known about the Benoit murders/suicide before Raw went live? You think he would have even addressed it? – Ryan B.

A: Some people believe strongly that, at that point, Vince already had a sense that Benoit had committed these sinister acts. Now, if prior to the show, police had publicly confirmed that Benoit did indeed kill his family, there is absolutely no way they could have aired that tribute to him. Of course it would have been addressed, in fact, Vince did just that the very next night at the start of ECW on SyFy. And he promptly said that would be the last time Mr. Benoit’s name would ever be uttered on WWE television again.

Q: Do I have a better shot of sleeping with Melina or John Cena losing the title? – Jose

A: I guess you better find some protection, but buy her some flowers first. Have fun!

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 162: Eric Bischoff Says He Doesn’t Care About You

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 162)

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Est. Runtime: 90 minutes

Solomonster talks Savage in The Hangover, the Tough Enough finale, why Kharma leaving WWE right now may be the BEST thing that could happen, Christian’s heel turn, WWE plays a cruel rib on Mark Henry and its fans, they finally admit their “brand warfare” concept is a failure, Mick Foley gone from TNA, Eric Bischoff shoots his mouth off on Twitter, Hogan/Warrior insanity, Shaq vs. Punk at WrestleMania, and Chyna does porn. Just another week in wrestling and Solomonster is here to sort it all out. Download this now!

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Sound Off 161: Enough! John Cena MUST Stop This Horrible Habit!

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 161)

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Est. Runtime: 52 minutes

Solomonster is back with a surprise Sound Off on Memorial Day! He’s got a lot more on Randy Savage, including thoughts on the WWE tribute and some rather pointed remarks directed at the morbidly obese mongoloid known as Brian Knobbs, a John Cena rant that has been a long time coming but may not be about what you think, the latest WWE acquisition from Mexico to feud with Sin Cara, an update on Kharma, Foley’s faux pass on Twitter, and Mister Wonderful gets seven years of bad luck! A fun show, so check it out!

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MAILBAG: Who Was Responsible For Bob Holly’s Broken Neck?

SEScoops Mailbag for May 29th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: Why did Mr. Kennedy leave WWE? Was it because he landed a wrong move on Randy Orton because that’s what I heard or was it because he was on bad terms with the company? Basically, why did he leave and why does he hate Randy Orton? – Haider A.

A: Kennedy made far more enemies than just Randy Orton due to being perceived as unsafe to work with. It is believed that other top stars, including John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and possibly Undertaker all complained about Kennedy to management at one point or another. The breaking point came when he dropped Orton the wrong way during a 10-Man tag match on Raw and Orton freaked out on him backstage after the show in front of everyone. He holds Orton responsible for getting him fired a few days later, something Orton himself denies.

Q: I recently went to my first live event, but have been a fan of pro wrestling for most of my life. When I was at Raw a week or so ago, I wondered if Vince McMahon still travels to Raw events or if he mainly only shows up for PPVs or big Raws, like The Rock’s birthday. – Dennis

A: Vince travels to ALL television tapings and PPVs. Often, he will even be present backstage at Madison Square Garden for house shows. Just because he no longer appears on camera, he is still very much involved in the production aspects of the shows, especially where it concerns the announcers.

Q: What’s the back story regarding Brock Lesnar breaking Bob Holly’s neck in 2002? I’ve heard before that the botch wasn’t so much Lesnar’s fault as it was Holly’s. Supposedly, he refused to cooperate during the match, resulting in the injury. Is this true? – Matt

A: Yes, that is basically what happened. Holly had a reputation for being quite a prick back in the day, especially to young rookies. He totally sandbagged Lesnar as Brock tried to hoist him up for a simple powerbomb and Brock just dropped him on his head. It was completely unprofessional on Holly’s part. I don’t ever wish injury on anyone, but Holly totally deserved it and to this day, I get a nice belly laugh out of it whenever I watch the clip back on YouTube. You play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

Q: You recently published an article about the long-lasting animosity between Vince McMahon and Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage. In the article you stated that this involved rumors of an incident that transpired between Stephanie McMahon and Savage years ago, and that some higher ups in WWE believed it to be true. I think I remember hearing briefly about this before. Is the rumor that Savage slept with Stephanie at some point? If so, would you be able to explain the incident? More importantly, do you believe this to be true? – Andrew C.

A: Personally, it doesn’t matter what I think. It is all rumor and speculation and would be unfair to discuss this any further given that one of the parties involved is now dead and unable to either defend himself or corroborate the story. If Vince McMahon, or better yet Stephanie McMahon, ever cares to comment on this publicly, then we will know the real story once and for all. Until such time, this remains nothing more than an internet rumor without any evidence or witnesses to back it up. If something sinister or illegal happened and somebody can prove it, then man up and step forward. Otherwise, let the man rest in peace.

Q: Is RAW Roulette rigged and planned, or are the matches random? – Brad H.

A: Like most everything else in WWE, it is rigged. The only gimmick they’ve used in recent years that was reported to be genuine was the fan voting for the old Cyber Sunday PPV.

Q: I’ve been watching wrestling for a long time now and it’s been a while since WWE has had a World champion who was African American. Now I’m not a racist or prejudice or anything like that, I’m just wondering why we haven’t seen one in so long. What are your thoughts? – Herman

A: I always hate it when people feel they have to preface their statements by saying they are not a racist. Is that really what we’ve come to today? If I tell you that there are few black performers on the active WWE roster who are worthy of being World champion (and have a proven track record of making money), then it’s because it’s the damn truth. Mark Henry and Ezekiel Jackson are not the answer. However, there is one African American star that has blown me away with his performance over the last month and, in my opinion, deserves a run with the WWE Title. That man would be Ron Killings. He has been such a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale product, I’d be proud to see R-Truth in a program with John Cena.

Q: Do you find it kind of dark that Randy Savage gets in a fatal car wreck and then WWE pulls that crap with the Big Show and Del Rio on Raw? – Ryan B.

A: No, I don’t see the connection at all. I was more offended by how stupid and unrealistic that angle was last Monday.

Q: At Backlash 2006, Vince and Shane McMahon beat Shawn Michaels and “God”. Did Shawn mind this as he is a big Christian or did he understand that it is all for show? – Richard Knox

A: He obviously didn’t mind too much since he went through with the angle anyway. If he was that bothered by it, he could have refused to do it. I do like this idea that he is a ”big Christian” (which I don’t doubt), yet he also never seemed to have a problem going out in front of arenas full of kids and getting them to shout “Suck It” at the top of their lungs. I suppose they were referring to lollypops.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 160: Honoring Randy Savage and Macho Madness

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 160)

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Est. Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes

This week, we take an hour to remember one of the greatest superstars in the history of pro wrestling, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and talk about the circumstances of his death, as well as what WWE should do on Monday night. Then, in the second hour, we’ll talk about the other two HUGE stories of the week and what they mean, including the sale of Ring of Honor to Sinclair Broadcast Group and the firing of Terry Taylor from TNA. Plus, a preview of WWE Over The Limit, Impact Wrestling proves to be more of the same, an update on Zack Ryder’s push, Desmond Wolfe resurfaces and TNA invades AAA at TripleMania XIX. All this and more on a packed show, so download and enjoy.

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MAILBAG: Is There Still Heat Between Triple H and The Rock?

SEScoops Mailbag for May 20th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: I read your articles and see how badly people bash TNA in the comments section. In my opinion, TNA/Impact Wrestling has done well for a company that hasn’t even been around for a full decade. What do you think of TNA and the progress they’ve made? If you had control of the company, what would you change and is it capable of being saved? – Cody S.

A: Here’s the deal with TNA. If their success was judged solely on the product they’ve been putting out on TV the last 5 years, they would have been dead and buried long ago. The talent is there, but the brain trust does more harm than good. They’ve done well for a company that hasn’t been around very long because of two things, money and luck. They’re backed by millions from Bob Carter and if he decided to back out tomorrow, they’re dead. On top of that, they got very lucky back in 2005 when Spike tired of its negotiations with WWE and cut them loose to go back to USA Network. TNA had left Fox Sports Net and without TV on a solid network, they were dead (as evidenced by their failed weekly PPV experiment during the NWA-TNA days). That’s when Spike gave them a chance and Impact got picked up. Now, they’ve rebranded their show and have “Wrestling Matters” as their new tagline. It should be apparent within a few weeks whether or not they are truly interested in making a change to their product. Lord knows wrestling could use a viable alternative to WWE.

Q: A lot of people have been talking about a dream feud between Steve Austin and CM Punk (ending at WM28) that even those two would like to have. I would love to see this feud just as much as everyone else, but I personally feel like Austin should be the one to face The Undertaker at his last WrestleMania. What do you think? – J. Walker

A: Another Austin/Undertaker match would be a big deal, but there’s no reason for Austin to come out of retirement and risk his health just to lose to Taker. Someone like Punk has so much more to gain just by being in a program with Austin, I would much rather see that match. And while I still don’t think Austin will wrestle again, if he WAS to come out of retirement for one more match, I think he would want Punk to be his opponent.

Q: There has been much debate between posters on some forums lately over the validity of the ECW title. The question is two-fold. Was the ECW championship a World title, and secondly, when did it stop being a World title? When it first entered the WWE era, the champions were referred to. But, when you look at WWE history these days, it seems to not be considered. When Christian won the WHC, the headlines were “It took him 17 years to win a world title.” Granted, we know they won’t acknowledge TNA, but there was the ECW belt. The consensus we have come to agree on is [that it happened] around the time of Vince/Lashley feud. – Paul Busa

A: The ECW Title in WWE was a World championship in name only. It never meant as much as the other two World titles (what a ridiculous concept that still is, having multiple World titles) and it was never going to. At first, they tried to make it a big deal by putting in on RVD and then Big Show, but it quickly became an ugly belt to give a mid-card guy in the hopes it would help get them over more by carrying a brand on their back. Not a bad idea, in theory, but Christian was already over before he won the title and I’m not sure it really did much to help Matt Hardy, Mark Henry, Ezekiel Jackson or Jack Swagger. Then again, I’m not sure winning the WHC did much to help Jack Swagger either, which signals a much greater problem when it comes to titles today.

Q: Do you know what happened to Muhammad Hassan (Mark Copani)? Where is he now and will he ever come back to wrestling? – Syed R.

A: Copani is currently working on completing his degree in adolescent education and history. After leaving WWE, he moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting and writing. He has worked with another former WWE star, Shad Gaspard, to write a graphic novel called Assassin and Son, which is due out soon. He has said that he has no interest in getting back to into wrestling.

Q: Is it true The Rock and Triple H have personal issues that kept them from feuding again when Rock still active during his last run in 2003-2004? I noticed in 2003, when Rock could win at the RAW Battle Royal for the #1 contender slot at WM19, but Booker T won instead to face HHH. And in 2004, The Rock N’ Sock Connection feuded with Evolution whose leader was Triple H, but somehow both of them never saw each other. Then, at the HOF in 2008, when Rock inducted his father and grandfather, we saw Austin, Cena, Stephanie, but when he mentioned Triple H’s name, he wasn’t there. And after WrestleMania 27, Triple H only met Austin on TV, but we know Rock attended that event too. When Rock had his birthday party, I watched all of his career footage they showed, but once again, I didn’t see any Rock vs. Triple H footage. – Archer

A: There has been an alleged professional jealously on Hunter’s part that goes back to the late 90’s when Rock exploded as a star. The story was always that Triple H was upset Rock got “his” spot and was given the title before he was. I even recall the episode of Raw from 2002 when Booker T was literally kicked out of the nWo by Shawn Michaels who made a comment about Booker stealing their thunder or spotlight or the like, “just like Rock does to Hunter.” Whatever heat may have existed back then seems to have cooled in recent years, especially since Triple H (as a company executive) must realize the value in having Rock back in the fold. But the examples you cite are ridiculous and have nothing to do with heat between the two. Rock put Booker over in that Battle Royal because the plan all along was to have Rock face Austin at WM19. As for WM20, again, Triple H may have been part of Evolution, but he was busy building to a title match in the main event while Rock was in an undercard match and had nothing to do with him. And the reason Triple H wasn’t shown on camera when Rock mentioned him at the HOF was because (as Rock himself said) he was backstage preparing for his induction of Ric Flair. The bottom line is that Rock and Triple H had one of the great WWE feuds of our time and by working with each other, both elevated their game and became big-time players.

Q: With The Rock vs. John Cena taking place at WrestleMania 28, it got me thinking of another “dream match” that was hyped but never took place: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan. I recall Hogan on Raw (maybe about 2005-2006 or so) issuing a challenge to Austin. They also exchanged verbal jabs at one another during that years Hall of Fame ceremony. Why did this match ultimately not take place? – Jesse

A: You are referring to the Raw Homecoming show on USA back in 2005. The show was running long after an earlier segment where Austin stunned each member of the McMahon family (or whatever it is that he did to Linda). So, they rushed Mean Gene Okerlund out there for an interview with Hogan, who only spoke for about two minutes but in doing so, he asked the fans how they would feel about a match between Austin and himself. Of course, the crowd roared in approval and the segment just ended. That was it. The problem is that nobody bothered telling Steve Austin this was going to happen and he was pissed. He was adamant for years that he would not wrestle Hogan as he didn’t think the match would be very good, and there was still some resentment towards Hogan for not wanting to work with Austin back in WCW. The HOF was a quick throwaway line that Austin snuck in before his induction speech for Bret Hart as a “receipt” for Hogan’s promo months earlier. Austin has softened his stance more recently, acknowledging that a match with Hogan would have been huge, but he’s still not interesting in doing it, and Hogan shouldn’t even be wrestling anymore.

Q: If WWE can’t get Sting to agree to a WrestleMania match with Undertaker, do you think they would reach out to Kurt Angle? They could possibly give him the HOF induction, DVD treatment, as you’ve stated could/should be done with Sting. I remember Vince McMahon stating in interviews following Kurt’s release that the “door is open” for Kurt to return, but with Angle taking shots at Randy Orton on Twitter recently and him re-signing with TNA, I guess it’s less likely. I wasn’t following WWF/WWE much during Angle’s final years with the company, so I can’t remember seeing a big match between them. I think this would make for a good threat to Taker’s streak. What are your thoughts? – Michael Avila

A: Kurt either has or will be signing a new long-term deal with TNA, so this is no longer an option. More telling is that WWE knew he was potentially available and made no attempts to negotiate a deal with him, which reportedly upset Angle a great deal. For WWE to not at least send feelers to the guy, especially when he was a big star in their company and their roster could use as much main-event level talent as they can get these days, that really says a lot about how risky they still think it is to have Angle under contract. Really, it’s probably in Kurt’s best interest to stick to the TNA schedule and continue making his independent films on the side. You mention not being able to remember seeing a big match with him and Undertaker, and they had many, but the one you need to go out of your way to see is their WHC match from No Way Out 2006. It was easily their best match.

Q: Do you know if WWE will induct Edge into the 2011 Hall of Fame, or maybe even Kevin Nash? – deadman619

A: Both are locks to be inducted in the next few years. Nash is under a Legends deal with WWE, so I could see it happening as early as next year. As for Edge, I’d wait another year or two, especially if the plan is to induct Rock next year in his hometown of Miami. Edge deserves to main event a class all by himself. Frankly, in light of today’s tragic news, I can think of one man in particular who deserves a spot in the HOF before either of these men.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 159: TNA Says Wrestling Matters, But Do They Mean It?

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 159)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Solomonster is back to talk Brock Lesnar’s illness and a potential return to WWE, The Pope leaving TNA, an idea to end the anonymous Raw GM gimmick, a MUST-SEE match on Smackdown, TNA says “Wrestling Matters!” but do they really mean it, the return of managers and Lex Luger as head of WWE’s Wellness program? Plus, Solomonster shares a story about the night Owen Hart died and more of your stories on how YOU became a wrestling fan!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

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MAILBAG: Should Christian Sue WWE For Taking The Title?

SEScoops Mailbag for May 12th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: Kane used to wear a mask because he was a “Burn Victim”. But now that I see him without it, I see no signs of any burns on him. I do admit he isn’t the best looking guy, but he is not burned. WWE kept this “Burn Victim” thing going for a while and then scrapped the idea. So did WWE just think that fans would forget this? – Abbas Rezwi

A: It was made quite clear shortly after Kane lost his mask that he only THOUGHT he was burned all of those years. It was all psychological. It wasn’t an angle that was dropped. I do wonder though if the original plan was, in fact to use makeup for facial scars and they changed course when the mascara on his face rubbed off that night from the sweat when he lost his mask.

Q: Back when Triple H feuded with [Randy] Orton, when Orton [delivered an RKO to Stephanie], was HHH really pissed off or just acting for the cameras? – Keith

A: He was really pissed off…for the cameras.

Q: Has any WWE talent ever tried to sue the company for being a victim of backstage politics? If you were Christian, would you have sued after they screwed him over 5 days after he won the belt? Do you think it is to make a new storyline or is it just [a reflection of Vince’s opinion] of Christian? – Dean Hydra

A: Unless your name is Hulk Hogan and you’re smart enough to work a clause into your contract giving you 100% creative control over your character, you cannot sue over bad creative. If that were the case, then all of us could band together and file a class action lawsuit right now citing the last 10 years. You also would have no case if you feel you were wronged by “backstage politics” because it’s so difficult to define, unless you can prove it as a form of discrimination. Then you MIGHT have a case, but you’re still going to need a really good attorney.

Q: I was just reading the mailbag for last week when this question popped into my head. How does the WWE decide who becomes champion? I know the wrestlers don’t just go at it in the ring and see who comes out the champ, but was just wondering how they decided to put the titles on people, and not just the big ones either but even the Tag and Intercontinental titles? – John, Pennsylvania

A: The criteria for being a champion in 2011 is very different from what it would have been in even 1998. Typically, your champion is the person who will help draw you the most money. They are the person that will draw big quarter hours on TV, help sell tickets to house shows, help sell PPV buys and move merchandise. For example, nobody was better at this in the late-90’s than Steve Austin. When he wasn’t the champion, the money was in his pursuit of the title. These days, ideally, you want your champion to do the same, but the difference is now, they will put the title on a young guy and hope that, by doing so, that helps get them over. Of course, this is an ass backwards philosophy that rarely works (see case file: Swagger, Jack). When it’s on someone like John Cena or Randy Orton – basically 98.6% of the time – it’s because they feel they are the best person to sell tickets to house shows. As for the secondary titles, like the IC or US, it’s usually a way to get a mid-carder into a meaningful feud, or to help elevate someone from low to upper mid-card status. This worked wonders back in the day for guys like Honky Tonk Man and Mr. Perfect, but means absolutely nothing these days because they treat their champions like shit. As a matter of fact, on the recent draft show, they had both Sheamus (US champ at the time) and Wade Barrett (IC champ) lose singles matches cleanly for no good reason whatsoever. It doesn’t matter who holds those belts because we’ve been conditioned not to care.

Q: What your are thoughts on WWE not allowing Sable to take bumps and how other girls say they had to carry her? – Brandon

A: I’d say good for WWE trying to protect its investment. The problem is once they started putting Sable in the ring and put the Women’s title on her, I can totally understand where that resentment would come from. Sable did take some bumps, but it was never anything too crazy that she wasn’t comfortable doing. Now, on the flip side, she became the hottest female attraction in the company and both of her Playboys sold millions of copies, so she made the company a lot of money. How much money did Ivory or Tori make for WWE? I’m guessing not nearly as much. At the end of the day, it’s a business and you need to protect your golden goose.

Q: I can’t understand why certain young stars get squashed while others get pushed. For example, why are Mason Ryan and Ezekiel Jackson getting pushed while guys like David Hart Smith and the Usos remain in limbo? I’ve heard criticisms of lack of character/mic skills, but Jackson and Ryan cut some of the worst promos I’ve seen in long time. I find myself perplexed week after week, asking myself what do these two guys have to offer? Why are they getting precious television time when a guy like Seth Rollins (Tyler Black) remains in developmental hell? – Matt Isaia

A: Let’s see, what do Mason Ryan and Ezekiel Jackson have in common. Well, one is a white guy with a Welsh accent and the other is a black man who bears a striking resemblance to Suge Knight, so that can’t be it. Oh yes, they’re both big dudes who aren’t particularly good workers. The key word there, of course, is BIG. Vince McMahon has always had this infatuation with big, jacked up men and no matter how many times they tell you that they push plenty of smaller guys today (which may well be true), the fact remains that a big man will always have far more opportunities to succeed than will a smaller man. Great Khali is another example, and let us not forget Jackson Andrews, Tyson Kidd’s short-lived bodyguard who they couldn’t wait to rush onto TV before they realized how green he was and sent him back down to FCW.

Q: WWE has title matches at house shows, but the title never changes hands. I understand that title changes are good for TV ratings, but wouldn’t title changes on house shows make the product more realistic? – SCSAFan

A: Not only would it add a sense of realism and unpredictability to the house shows, but I would argue that it would lead to an increase in ticket sales. Granted, it would be a modest increase, nothing crazy, but if you give people a reason to believe that something big might happen at a live event, they would be more inclined to attend. To be honest, it doesn’t even have to involve titles. I don’t understand why WWE doesn’t film an angle every now and then (you can’t do it all the time or it kills its effectiveness) on a house show and air the footage on Raw or Smackdown. They’ve done before, like when Steve Austin was going to the turnbuckles to pose after a match and “collapsed” or when an angle involving Eddie Guerrero and JBL led to Eddie’s mother having a heart attack (they even solidified the Diesel heel turn in 1996 at an MSG house show when he cracked a steel chair across HBK’s back), and I would like to see more it.

Q: Was there a particular reason behind WWE announcing Limp Bizkit as their “favorite band in the whole world” at WrestleMania 19? – Ryan B.

A: Alcohol, I’m sure.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 158: Feeding The Christian To The Lions On SmackDown

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 158)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes

A week that started with such promise took quite a turn and Solomonster is here to help sort through it all. Thoughts on Extreme Rules, Tough Enough + Lance Storm’s new “World of Hurt” show and how the two compare, Christian wins the World title only to lose it two days later with some choice words for WWE on this, Cena wins his 10th WWE Title, Rock’s birthday celebrations fails to impress while Smackdown SHINES, the latest on the TNA name change and Kurt Angle’s mistress revealed (with choice words for TNA on this, as well), Shane Helms seriously injured, Chris Jericho as Thor, a quick “Fast Five” review, and YOUR stories on how you became a wrestling fan!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

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MAILBAG: Did Sin Cara Really Wrestle Shoot Matches In Mexico?

SEScoops Mailbag for Cinco de Mayo

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: A few weeks back, SEScoops put up a story about Sin Cara bragging that most of his matches in Mexico where shoot bouts. I know what a shoot is, but what did he mean by this? The article also said that the “boys” in the back think he embarrassed himself and that Tomko used to do the same thing. – Ken

A: It basically means that the matches were more like real fights and not pro wrestling matches, which is laughable. He is not endearing himself to everyone in that locker room if various reports are to be believed, and people that were aware of the stories about Mistico (Sin Cara) in Mexico and how the other wrestlers felt about him are not surprised by this news. In fact, many of them predicted this would happen and it is one of the reasons Alberto Del Rio did not want him in the company. He’s an extremely talented performer, but when your ego is bigger than your entire body, you’re going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.

Q: By how much does WWE or TNA bump up the weight of the wrestlers? I once read that promotions tend to do this. Why is this? Miz is billed at 230lbs or so and Cena [is billed at] 240, but when you look at them, you get the feeling that the difference is a lot bigger. – Trust S.

A: Wrestling promotions have done this since the beginning of time, and WWE is as guilty as anyone if doing it. For example, I always used to wonder how Bret Hart was able to be so damn consistent with his weight, having been billed for years at 234 lbs. (which in itself was horseshit). Shawn Michaels was billed at 6’1, 220 lbs. for many years, even though Triple H revealed at the Hall of Fame that he was really 5’11 and about 195. And let us not forget that Andre the Giant stood at 7’4, 520 lbs. at WrestleMania III. Actually, he may have really been 520 by that point, but he was certainly nowhere close to 7’4. Of course, if Hulk Hogan is to believed, Andre actually tipped the scales at 700+lbs. when Hulk slammed him and he died three days later.

Q: Are [certain] storylines, like the Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler feud, real? Is everything during a storyline planned down to the single detail? I know WWE wrestlers are actors, but not everything seems to be acted, some reactions and some incidents seem real. The Rock and John Cena for example, do you think it’s real anger and [tension] between them or is that just for the camera? If so, how is it possible for two superstars that don’t like each other to work together for so many months? – David

A: The on-air heat between Cole and Lawler is 100% contrived for storyline purposes. Likewise, Rock and Cena are cool with each other, and if there was any real tension between them in the past, it got smoothed over at the 2008 Hall of Fame when Rock inducted his father and grandfather (and I think Rock realized it wasn’t Cena’s idea to make all of those comments that he made about him in the media). That said, not everyone who works together likes one another. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels REALLY did not like one another during that tumultuous period in 1997. In fact, they had one fight backstage (if you can call hair-pulling a fight) that had to be broken up and both were sent home from an episode of Raw. But they still worked together because it was the right thing for business. Same with Batista and Booker T in 2006 who also had a backstage altercation, but still went on to work a program together. It’s called being professional and doing your job.

Q: What are your thoughts on Lita being called a hoe and screwing over Matt [Hardy] and retiring because of the fans? – Marie

A: If she would’ve just dodged the Spear, this all could have been avoided.

Q: What are your thoughts on critics saying Trish Stratus was overrated? – Brandon

A: I’d say those critics are probably correct, but you need to keep these things in perspective. If people refer to Trish as one of, if not the, greatest WWE female performer of all time, you can definitely make that argument. She was a fitness model with virtually no experience who worked hard and transformed herself into a very good worker who won six World titles. Now, if you want to say that she was one of the greatest female performers of all time anywhere in wrestling, that’s not even CLOSE to being true. I’ve seen some female Japanese performers who would blow Trish out of the water. She gets more credit than I think she would otherwise receive because WWE’s Divas division is so atrocious these days and has been for many years now.

Q: On Raw [a few weeks ago] when R-Truth asked the fans for a [cigarette] and they gave it to him, was that scripted or did the fan really just give it to him? – Keysean

A: The fan really just gave it to him. You can count on there always being plenty of smokers around, or as I like to say, “I see dead people.”

Q: There’s been a lot of recently talk about Sting and the WWE, and you even stated Undertaker vs. Sting at WrestleMania would be an obvious route. My question is why? I get it from the marketing aspect, and from WWE’s point of view, but what good does this do for Sting? Obviously, he would lose and therefore his concerns over his character not being handled well would be correct. So what sense does it make for Sting in this scenario aside from getting to perform at WM? – Brant F.

A: I’m not sure how Sting losing a match, especially on the biggest show of the year to someone like The Undertaker, equates to a poor handling of his character. Has Sting gone undefeated his entire career? Wins and losses are incidental these days, and unless you are on a losing streak of some sort, they really don’t matter all that much. If WWE were to bring him in for a match of that magnitude, they would have no choice but to treat him as something special and as a believable threat to The Streak™. Add to that the fact that they would likely put him in the Hall of Fame and give him the requisite DVD treatment (which TNA cannot do since they don’t own the rights to all of his classic matches) and I fail to see what good it does NOT do for Sting. But I’ve said before, and will again, that I almost hope Sting doesn’t wrestle in a WWE ring because it would be something special for him to hang his hat on when he inevitably goes into the HOF anyway.

Q: WWE was in Turkey last year, TNA was in Abu Dhabi a few months ago and I heard that Sheamus was in Qatar to promote the recent WWE tour there. Do you think they will ever come to Egypt, especially since they are very popular in our country of 85 million people? – Hesham, Egypt

A: I would imagine it will happen at some point, but they likely want to wait and see how the recent political unrest plays out in that region. Frankly, I find it hard to believe they’ve never toured there before.

Q: I was looking through Lex Luger’s bio and saw that one of his finishers was named the Attitude Adjustment (a piledriver). I was wondering why would WWE let John Cena call his finisher the Attitude Adjustment when it was used by one of their former stars? – Syed R.

A: Perhaps it’s because hardly anyone even remembers him using that move. Certainly, the few people I asked about this had no idea he ever had a finisher by that name. It’s not something WWE likely even knows about, let alone would go out of their way to protect. The finishers that Luger became synonymous with were the Torture Rack submission and forearm smash (because, you see, he had a metal plate in his forearm and this somehow rendered opponents unconscious).

Q: I remember back in 2004-2005, Randy Orton used to cut great promos and was very confident on the mic. How come in the last few years he hasn’t talked on the mic a lot? Is this because WWE thinks he isn’t good enough or is it because Orton isn’t as confident now? – Haider A.

A: It’s because Randy Orton is not human, but rather, he is a robot disguised to look like a human. He only walks and talks like a robot. And his confidence is not the issue, it’s his firmware, which they haven’t updated in a while.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 157: Cena Drafted To Smackdown (Oh Wait, He’s Back)

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 157)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Solomonster was drafted to Raw yesterday, but was immediately drafted back to SEScoops and not a moment to soon as he delivers another PACKED Sound Off! This week, we’ll break down the 2011 WWE Draft and see how Solomonster’s picks panned out, talk UFC 129 from Toronto which was a great card with a boring main event, tonight’s WWE Extreme Rules and why it may set record lows, Steve Austin’s awesome RICKROLL, a word on Chris Jericho, CM Punk leaving WWE, Kurt Angle trying out for the 2012 Olympics, TNA’s sexual harassment suit, Kevin Dunn’s salary, and ONE MAN KRU. Who is that man, you may ask? When this show is over, you’ll know all about him. Listen NOW!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

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MAILBAG: We’ve Got A Myriad Of Diva Questions This Week

SEScoops Mailbag for April 28th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: I’ve never been to a house show, PPV or filmed show. I’ve only seen pay per views and filmed shows on TV. Considering that WWE is a PG product and they’ve got a strict no-no policy on blood, I was wondering if that only truly applies to when the product is televised. I suppose what I’m asking is, considering that with house shows the crowd is more intimate since it’s not being broadcasted, does the company show even a little bit of leniency towards blood or is it the same standard of “if you bleed, you get a bollocking and a fine” policy? – Liam

A: I’ve heard the word “bollocks” before, but never in that manner. I’m not sure I want to know what a “bollocking” would entail, although it sounds like something Pat Patterson may have done to newcomers in the late 80’s. To answer your question, WWE’s policy on blood is the same for house shows as it is for any televised event. Though people do bleed hardway, as Sir Michael Cole did on Monday, blading is banned. Besides, what sense would it make to slice yourself open on a house show these days?

Q: I am not a fan of TNA, but I’ve been growing very upset with one Knockout’s treatment as of late, they call her Velvet Sky. I hate this storyline with her and for the past 7 weeks, all she has done is get beat up and lose matches. Should she be standing up to TNA like the Divas stood up to WWE after WrestleMania? – Joe G.

A: I don’t recall the Divas “standing up” to WWE after Mania. Perhaps they were “standing up FOR” WWE as part of that ridiculous PR campaign during Linda’s senate run. But really, I don’t see what one has to do with the other. With WWE, you’re talking about women being upset because they were left off the biggest show of the year in favor of someone who is no longer an active member of the roster and a pint-sized, pseudo celebrity. With TNA, you’re talking about a storyline for one character, which I have to assume is going to culminate with a scenario where Velvet gets her revenge. I’d be more upset with WWE constantly booking Jim Ross to look like a fool (and get hurt in the process) or having your announcers refer to certain Divas as “fat” on TV for no apparent reason. If you want to be upset with one Knockout’s treatment by TNA, check out Sound Off 156 on this very website for the story about Daffney. That will get your blood boiling. It has certainly stirred a great deal of debate in the comments section.

Q: What are your thoughts on the in-career of Stacy Keibler and how critics say she just wanted to be an actor and not a wrestler? – Tristan

A: So what if she did? Newsflash: she would hardly be the only one to use wrestling as a means to an acting career. By all accounts, Stacy wasn’t a fan of wrestling long before she tried out for WCW’s Nitro Girls in 1999 and has always wanted to be an actress. I say more power to her. It was never her intention to actually wrestle when she started out, it was something that was asked of her and she obliged. This reminds me of those idiot fans that used to chant “You Sold Out!” whenever somebody was leaving ECW for either WWF or WCW. Get over yourselves, if someone dropped a big bag of money on your head from above, it’s not like you wouldn’t say (in the words of Tommy Dreamer) “thank you sir, may I have another?”

Q: What are your thoughts on WWE firing models they hire such as Penny Cash, Taylor James, Jillian Beyor, and Courtney Taylor and the females [then] stop wrestling altogether? – Linda

A: I must confess, I don’t know who any of these women are. So you’re saying that models with likely no prior interest or experience in pro wrestling are hired for their looks, inevitably fired and simply move on and do something else. Whodathunkit? Not that I expect them to alter their hiring practices when it comes to the ladies because rarely do they admit to their mistakes. By the way, the name Penny Cash is a fantastic oxymoron.

Q: What are your thoughts on Melina sleeping around with various people in the WWE locker room? – Brandon

A: It doesn’t reflect well on John Morrison if it’s true.

Q: After seeing Maryse given more on air face camera time (EDITOR’S NOTE: redundant much?) than any of the other Divas at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony, and as host of NXT Season 5, I was wondering if this could be the start of Maryse either as a permanent guest host of NXT or permanent General Manager for Raw for the foreseeable Future? – Sam Norris, England

A: Any way they can get Maryse on television is fine with me. It certainly beats the hell out of whatever twisted relationship she had going with Ted DiBiase. Personally, I’d rather she not wrestle at all and just be a valet for a young heel. She has such great charisma and mannerisms, I think she would excel in the role.

Q: I read that Sting chose not to sign with WWE [because] he felt they wouldn’t use his character properly. I just feel like he would get more out of the WWE crowd and have a chance at a real successful run. With who he is and what he has done, he could jump right into the title hunt somewhat like Scott Steiner and Goldberg had done. – Jared Robertson

A: And that right there is his concern. Sure, Steiner and Goldberg were slotted into title programs fairly quickly, but what ended up happening? WWE stuck a golden wig on Goldberg’s head on Raw, which killed his mystique, and exposed his weakness by booking him in long matches, while Steiner was quickly relegated to mid-card status. In the YouTube video you reference, Sting even cites the incident shortly after Booker T made his WWE debut where The Rock acted like he didn’t even know who he was. I can understand his point of view. Their track record when it comes to treatment of big stars they did not make is not exactly sterling. To be honest, it’s already been so long and Sting isn’t getting any younger, I almost hope he never wrestles in a WWE ring. That way, when they put him in their Hall of Fame, he can go in as the only major WCW star to never wrestle for Vince McMahon.

Q: With Rock getting involved with the WWE again, do you possibly see a Rock/Undertaker WrestleMania match in the not too distant future? – Ryan B.

A: No, I don’t. At what Mania would this even happen? Let’s say Undertaker reaches 20-0 next year and wants to keep going, to me it would be a waste of The Rock. Hell, good business would dictate that Rock loses to Cena next year in Miami and puts him over like a million bucks, so the possibility of Rock losing at Mania is hardly unthinkable. In fact, out of all the really top-flight main eventers in WWE over the years, the one guy (with the possible exception of Chris Jericho) who never really seemed to have a problem losing or putting others over was Rock. With Undertaker, difficult as it may be at this point, there needs to be intrigue and I think the only way you get that is by either matching him up with Cena or bringing in an outsider like Sting.

Q: If a superstar is thrown over the top rope in the Royal Rumble and only one foot touches the floor, could he hop about outside and not be eliminated? – Sam G.

A: Absolutely, and I’m surprised they don’t do this more often. I’ve often wondered why. I do recall Jerry Lawler doing this in a Battle Royal on Superstars back around 1995 until Bret Hart came over and knocked him on his ass.

Q: What happened to the Soaring Eagle? – Arthur L.

A: They clipped his wings.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 156: Exposing TNA’s Appalling Treatment Of Talent

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 156)

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Est. Runtime: 2 hours

Solomonster shines a light on TNA’s shoddy business practices and takes them to task for the treatment of its talent, and one former Knockout in particular. But that’s not all, we’ll also talk the upcoming WWE Draft and the names that should swap brands, the R-Truth smoking controversy, Jeff Hardy’s legal woes, Abyss injured at the Impact tapings, Jay Lethal released by TNA, where is Desmond Wolfe, Kevin Nash blogs about Scott Hall and more. If you’re a TNA apologist, you may as well skip the first 35 minutes.

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MAILBAG: Did The Rock Punch John Cena At The Hall of Fame?

SEScoops Mailbag for April 22nd

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: A few years back, there was a story about R-Truth and John Cena being in an altercation at an airport while Truth was still with TNA. Around the same time, Truth went on YouTube and had some harsh words for Cena in a rap song. They’ve claimed to be friends since Truth returned to WWE or at least did some backstage stuff during the Cena/Nexus storyline on Raw. Was there ever any real heat between the two? – Michael A.

A: The video you mention where Truth raps on Cena is still up on YouTube and is actually hosted by TNAWrestling. Supposedly, the two men ran into one another at an airport in Charlotte, NC back in 2006 after the video was posted. Whatever words may have been exchanged, I don’t believe there was any legit heat between them. Certainly, since Truth came back to WWE, both guys are cordial with each other and, by all accounts, are friends. With Truth seemingly going heel now, if he ends up staying on Raw with Cena, it may be a good time to start a program with the two of them. Besides, Cena needs something fresh to kill time before his battle with The Rock. Truth is charismatic enough on the mic where I think it could be very entertaining.

Q: With the recent news about “major changes” coming to TNA, could this possibly mean that Paul Heyman is on his way to save the company or is this just another letdown like we’ve seen time and time again? – Kenon Wilson

A: How many times have we heard that “major changes” are coming to TNA? It is true that they are moving forward with something of a rebranding campaign, pushing the “Impact” name harder and giving at least some thought to changing the name of the promotion (I can’t see this happening). If they want Heyman, they can probably still get him, but they would have to acquiesce to all of the previous demands he had made, which included a stake in the company and the ability to hire and fire people as he sees fit. These were things that Dixie Carter was unwilling to give him. If it’s true that Janice Carter (not this Janice), Dixie’s mom, is taking a more active role in TNA, then perhaps she would be more open to that as a possibility. At the end of the day, Heyman has other projects he is involved with, including a Brock Lesnar autobiography due out later this spring. If he ever was brought in, I think he would be a huge asset, but no one man is going to be able to “save” TNA. It would just as important to the health of the company to get rid of certain people than it would be to bring in others.

Q: A while back when Kurt Angle wrestled Samoa Joe, early in the match Kurt’s bell got rung and, reportedly, Joe called the rest of the match. Is it predetermined who calls the match in the ring? Do they alternate who makes the calls or what? – Rob F.

A: I’m not a worker, so I don’t know for sure. Generally speaking, there’s usually a ring general in there who calls the basic flow of the match. If someone’s bell gets rung and the match continues, the other person would have to step up and take over one would think. The referee can also play a vital role in this situation as he can relay instructions to each competitor from the back.

Q: Do you think we’ll ever see Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara feud, or better yet, partner up and be a tag team? – Coty K.

A: I sure hope so. With the upcoming draft, I’d move Cara over to Smackdown anyway and that would allow for them to eventually be paired off, preferably as partners first and later as opponents. Rey certainly knows how to work the lucha style and I think they would have great chemistry together. Besides, what else is left for Rey to do once he wraps up his feud with Cody Rhodes?

Q: When The Rock first showed up before WrestleMania 27 and said “Cena started talking trash about the Rock,” what did he mean? I read online that Cena ripped him in an interview after Rock had left and I was wondering if that was it. I also read that at the 2008 Hall Of Fame ceremony when The Rock was inducting his father and grandfather, Cena turned up with a black eye, and people said it was Rock who gave him it because of the things he said in the interview. Do you know if I’m on the right track and if the whole black eye thing is true? – Adam Meads

A: This is why WWE dropped the ball by not doing a better job of explaining the back story to the Rock/Cena feud. Yes, Rock was referring specifically to a U.K. Sun audio interview from January of 2008 where Cena basically said that Rock only “did this” (wrestled) to “do something else” (make movies). Cena also used some very non-PG language to get his point across. Keep in mind that Cena did this on more than one occasion and was likely urged to do so by Vince McMahon. Rock was not said to have been angry at the time, but rather, more surprised by the comments than anything else. As for the Hall of Fame ceremony, Rock did not give Cena a black eye. There was no backstage altercation. It reminds me of Hulk Hogan showing up to WrestleMania 9 with a black eye, which he credited to a jet ski accident. Of course, that didn’t stop people from saying that it actually came from a Randy Savage punch as the two supposedly had heat at the time. Whatever the real reason, the Savage story sounds only slightly more believable than Rock cold-cocking Cena.

Q: How come people like Viscera, Cherry and Husky Harris are taken off TV or fired because of their weight, but fat flabby Brodus Clay gets a contract on the spot? – Ryan B.

A: Were Viscera, Cherry (wait, what?) or Husky Harris ever a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg? No? Well, there’s your answer.

Q: So there’s a video on YouTube that shows Vince Russo “shooting” on Bill Goldberg after the WCW New Blood Rising PPV. It has Tank Abbott in it and Russo is calling Bill a chicken shit and starts screaming at production to show what looks like a legit fight. I was wondering if it was at all legit, and what’s the story behind it? – Mike Cornblatt

A: Ahh, the classic Russo worked-shoot. Don’t take anything you see with Russo on TV very seriously. I do believe he went into business for himself with the Bash at the Beach 2000 shoot on Hulk Hogan, but aside from that, all of these angles with him swearing up a storm and “shooting” on someone are about as real as Velvet Sky’s chest.

Q: Did Jamie Noble really retire due to the attack from Sheamus or did they just have Sheamus to attack him to write him off because he wanted to retire? – Rory “RoRo” Bennett

A: WWE wanted Noble to work as a backstage agent. As such, he had planned on retiring from the ring. They merely used the attack by Sheamus as an effective way to get him over as a monster heel.

Q: I have a few old WrestleManias on VHS tape from back in the day. Tonight, I sat down to watch newer copies that a friend gave me on DVD and noticed something very strange. Some of the wrestler’s theme music had changed, very obviously digitally added later, and it also sounds like Howard Finkel’s ring announcements have been re-done too. Most notably the first thing I caught was WrestleMania 6, Andre/Haku vs. Demolition. Demolition’s classic Rick Derringer theme was removed and [replaced with] some cheap instrumental knock off. I can’t imagine they’d lose the rights to use a song that was performed exclusively for them. [It also] seems like Koko B. Ware and Dusty Rhodes’ music have been swapped out too. It’s certainly not a royalties thing now as Rhodes is currently USING that theme, isn’t he? – Steve

A: Actually, it’s specifically a royalties issue. Jimmy Hart may well still have ownership over some of that old music as he played an instrumental role in that area many years ago (both in WWF and WCW). Whatever they don’t own, they’re unlikely to use as part of a DVD release or on their Classics on Demand channel, each of which is a product or service that they profit from. Allowing Dusty Rhodes to use his “Common Man” theme on TV every now and then is fine. It’s very much like Sandman being able to use his Metallica theme at the first One Night Stand PPV during the initial live airing of that show, which was then edited off of the subsequent DVD release. It’s the same deal with Undertaker’s old Limp Bizkit entrance.

Q: What are your thoughts on all the backstage heat on Trish Stratus and people saying she wanted the spotlight on her and also rumors that she slept with Vince? – Tyler Johnson

A: That’s funny, I wasn’t aware that Trish Stratus had any backstage heat. Just because John Morrison is an immature buffoon and a handful of divas were jealous of Trish getting a Mania payoff, that doesn’t mean she had backstage heat. As for Trish sleeping with Vince, why of course she did! Don’t you remember 10 years ago? I mean, he was making out with her right in front of his comatose wife. He probably sat his wife in the corner and jackhammered Trish in front of her, too!

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 155: Sad Week As 2 Careers Meet Very Different Ends

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 155)

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Est. Runtime: 2 hours, 16 minutes

Some sad stories this week as we remember the life of Larry Sweeney and the potential he left behind, talk about Edge’s sudden retirement and reflect back on his Hall of Fame career, Hulk Hogan’s stupid comments, the list of banned WWE terms and possible new PPV name, big changes coming to TNA, thoughts on Tough Enough and Raw including the person who lost their spot to R-Truth (one guess), Rock’s return, the 1-2-3 Kid rises from the dead, and a SPOILER-FREE review of the movie Scream 4! And yes, the mailbag is back.

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MAILBAG: Is There Still Bad Blood Between The Rockers?

SEScoops Mailbag for April 15th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: So is the Kane/Undertaker feud that was going on before Taker was buried alive completely over or are they going to go back to it upon Taker’s return? – Ryan B.

A: You assume that Undertaker will return for a program at some point, but that’s not etched in stone. If he’s back before next year’s Mania, it sounds like Triple H will be waiting for him. Also, it would be mighty difficult to take such a feud seriously considering that Kane has seemingly reverted back to being a babyface. Going from blowing Santino’s trombone on TV (hmm, that doesn’t sound PG) back to being a heel to feud with Taker seems unlikely, and you know what, I hope it doesn’t happen. For years, Kane lost virtually all of his singles matches against his brother and FINALLY racks up a string of PPV wins over him last year without retribution. It would be rather fitting for their feud to end on such a note.

Q: [Some time] ago, someone sent you a question asking about the first cage match being in 1937 and if it was true. That brought a couple of questions to mind for me. When was the chair first used in a match, as well as the first table? – Bryan Weeks

A: First, it’s impossible to know for sure when the first chair shot or first table bump took place. They each could have occurred in some random match in Japan 40 years ago for all we know. Now, with that disclaimer out of the way, some research indicates the use of folding chairs in pro wrestling isn’t really traceable prior to the 1950’s. It is believed that Dory Funk Sr. might have been the first to use them in Texas. He is credited not only for the creation of the Texas Death Match, but wrestling in over 250 of them himself. Seeing as how these were essentially no-holds-barred, anything goes brawls with weapons, the chair was used here a time or two. As for the table, if we’re talking about taking a bump onto or through one, it can be traced as far back as Memphis in the early 80’s.

Q: What was the deal with HBK and the HHH/Undertaker match? Hunter made a big thing about asking Shawn why he was going to beat Taker at WrestleMania on the Raw before, but nothing came of it. Was this an idea [Vince] scrapped afterwards? – Alex L.

A: Hunter and Undertaker pretty much had full control over their match and the buildup to it. Vince didn’t nix anything. Of course, WWE decided that Taker was not losing, but I don’t think that was ever going to be a disputed finish, anyway. As for the go-home Raw show where Michaels appeared and seem to tease something with Hunter, I think you simply read too much into it. My interpretation was that Hunter asked Shawn to tell everyone why he was going to win at Mania, but after hearing Undertaker’s comments earlier in that same segment, HBK freaked and realized that Hunter truly had an impossible task ahead of him. Even though they were best friends, HBK “found religion” and realized that his buddy didn’t stand a chance, hence why he kept saying “I’m sorry, you can’t win” at the end of the segment.

Q: What are your thoughts on the FCW divas division? Some people say it’s better than the divas division on Raw or Smackdown. – Tyler Johnson

A: Who might these people be, pray tell? Just curious. I don’t have access to FCW television since I’m not in Florida, but a cursory check of the FCW website shows seven divas on their roster, all but two of whom were part of the cast from NXT Season Three, including Kaitlyn who won the competition and briefly appeared on Smackdown before being relegated back to developmental. Aksana is apparently their champion, which is frightening. Naomi is probably the most athletically gifted of the bunch, so I can see her doing well. Raquel Diaz is listed as Diva of the Month and she is of course the daughter of Eddie and Vickie Guerrero (which is clearly stated in her bio, which begs the question why they had to give her a different last name). I haven’t seen her wrestle yet, but she’s apparently green as grass, which is to be expected. Lastly, the only thing I know about Sonia is that she’s done some announcing down there and is currently dating Jerry Lawler. It’s good to be the king.

Q: Will the NWO storyline ever brought back to WWE? With Kevin Nash back and possibly X-pack, Big Show, this can be a good angle to turn The CORRE & NEXUS under the NWO banner? – Mohammed

A: This would be a horrible idea. The NWO has been dead and buried since 2002 and that is where it shall stay. Nash is back under a Legends deal with WWE, but has no business being in the ring for more than a token match here and there. Sean Waltman is on good terms with the company and could end up with them in a training capacity at some point, but his Hepatitis C would preclude him from being cleared to wrestle under their Wellness policy. As far as “turning” Nexus and The Corre under the NOW banner, I’m not sure what you mean, but it doesn’t matter. Whether you’re talking about a feud or an alliance, or if you were going to use the NWO to help put over the newer factions, nobody would take them seriously in 2011.

Q: Why did TNA all of a sudden get rid of their octagon ring to get a square ring to copy WWE? – Devin G.

A: They actually had a hexagon ring. An octagon has 8 sides and is what UFC uses. Plain and simple, it was a call made by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff when they first came to TNA over a year ago. They have a more traditional view of what pro wrestling should be, although you would never know it watching Impact on most weeks. And I wouldn’t say they “stole” the idea from WWE, either. For decades, pro wrestling promotions have used a 4-sided ring. It’s not as though Vince McMahon can be credited for being the first to use it.

Q: What’s the real story behind Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels? Was there some major falling out? Did Michaels squash Janetty’s singles push? Or is it simply that Michaels career “took off” and Marty’s didn’t? The reason I ask is because recently Jannetty made some sarcastic comments regarding the HOF induction of Shawn Michaels. What happened that there’s still bad blood after all these years? – Matt Isaia

A: Not sure if these are the remarks you are referencing, but Jannetty had been asked the week before WrestleMania if he would be attending HBK’s induction in Atlanta. His response was, “I want to be there, but the cab ride from where I am is over 22 dollars and 23 cents, give or stank a dolla.” I didn’t realize the crack house was that far from the arena, but I digress. I’m not aware of any lingering bad blood between the two as I had heard they made amends years ago. I know Marty was unhappy when the Rockers were broken up, but Shawn never tried to sabotage Marty’s single career, Marty did a fine job of doing that himself with his hard partying. In 2004, it was Michaels who actually “saved” Marty and baptized him at an event in Phoenix (there are photos floating around online that show he and Marty in a pool together during the baptism). The following year, in promoting Michaels’ match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania, they even did a Rockers reunion on Raw.

Q: I haven’t seen Ezekiel Jackson in action many times since he joined The Corre except for a few minutes in the 2 out of 3 falls last week on Smackdown. Is he still injured or just kept for the house shows or what because I think he is a great talent and he has the size and the charisma to be a great superstar in WWE? – E.H. from Egypt

A: He stinks in the ring, that’s why you don’t see him wrestling all that much. He’s just not that good. It’s the same reason you don’t see Vladimir Koslov in the ring too much, or Great Khali. They’re limited in what they can do and you need to hide a person’s weaknesses and accentuate their strengths. In the case of Big Zeke, I do think there’s a charisma there that has not yet been tapped.

Q: I’ve always wondered this, is every move planned for a match or are they just told who has to win and its just their job to make it like that? – Harrison M.

A: No match is scripted move for move. In fact, the only time I can recall hearing of such a thing in a big promotion was Randy Savage mapping out his match with Ricky Steamboat move for move, months before their WrestleMania 3 bout. They are given a finish and while certain spots may be suggested for them to incorporate into the match, the workers are left of the their own accord to plan certain spots for their match and call the rest of it in the ring.

Q: I’m from Kentucky and I have always wanted to go to a WrestleMania in KY so I will have a story to tell when I am older (as in 60-70). Is WrestleMania ever coming to Kentucky? – Arthur Bradley Lewis

A: Let’s put it this way. I don’t think you will have a story to tell even if you live to be 100.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 154: Real Story on Why Billy Graham’s a Bitter Old Man

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 154)

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Est. Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes

It’s time for a special WRESTLEMANIA-sized edition of the Sound Off, breaking down the biggest show of the year and backstage controversy coming out of the event. Did it live up to expectations? Plus, more on “The New WWE” and Triple H’s role in talent development, thoughts on the Hall of Fame and the debut of Tough Enough, announcing the WM28 main event a year in advance, and finally… Solomonster has some ranting to do on Kurt Angle, “Superschmuck” Billy Graham (oh does he have something to say), Larry Zbyszko and the sad state of affairs that is Scott Hall. This is not an episode you want to miss!

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MAILBAG: Is WWE Risking Too Much With Cena/Rock Match?

SEScoops Mailbag for April 10th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

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 sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

EXCLUSIVE Photos From Today’s WrestleMania Press Conference!

Head on over to the official SEScoops fan page on Facebook for EXCLUSIVE photos from this afternoon’s WrestleMania XXVII press conference — including photos of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Miz, John Morrison, Trish Stratus and … PEE WEE HERMAN?

Click HERE for all the goods!

Also, don’t forget LIVE coverage begins here at 7pm/EST!

MAILBAG: Trying To Sort Through The Memphis Tapes Fiasco

SEScoops Mailbag for March 31st

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: Watching Raw over the last month, I can’t help but feel what a missed opportunity WrestleMania 27 is going to be. You have John Cena and The Rock in a series of verbal spars with absolutely no payoff (aside from some great one-liners). Why tease it? Also, it’s completely overshadowing Cena’s match against The Miz for the WWE championship. Why not have Cena face Rock in a dream match and have Miz defend the title against someone else? The only practical answer I can come up with is that maybe Rock can’t wrestle due to some stipulation in a contract with a movie studio. Is this possible? – Matt

A: If Rock were filming a movie as we speak, it’s very possible, even practical, to think that the movie studio would either limit or totally prohibit any physicial activity. But he’s not, so that doesn’t make any sense. I believe Rock had an idea for what he wanted to do at WrestleMania and was dead serious about staying retired, as we had stated in dozens of interviews over the years. When he came back on Raw, he was overwhelmed by the response and started having a lot of fun jabbing back and forth with John Cena, to the point that he started to have a change of heart. The last few weeks, his tune seems to have changed and he doesn’t say he’ll never wrestle again. Unfortunately, this all came too little, too late for this year’s WrestleMania. Had things been different, I would have booked Rock vs. Cena with Miz defending the WWE Title in a Ladder Match against John Morrison.

Q: Why is WWE pushing down main event guys like Wade Barrett and Sheamus? – Boabel

A: They’ve always built guys up only to break them back down. I’m convinced it’s some sort of psychological exercise that Vince puts them through. To be fair though, Wade Barrett totally overachieved and got a bigger push than anyone ever would have imagined right out of the gate. He’s a very good performer, but he’s about at the level he should be right now. With Sheamus, I would not have turned him into a jabroni the way that they did. Another egregious example of this would be the late Andrew Martin (Test), who was one of the biggest babyfaces in the entire company coming out of his 1999 Summerslam match against Shane McMahon before they cut his legs off and killed all of his heat.

Q: Given the current landscape in TNA, how would you close the Immortal storyline in the least screwy and strongest possible way? I feel TNA will need to have strong close to this angle for them to ever have a good chance of rebuilding their credibility going into some sort of new age or era. I maintain that a lot of the hate geared towards TNA at present is because they failed a lot of their fan base when they stopped being a viable alternative to WWE and decided to give Hogan & Bischoff the ropes. The last time they worked this angle (which seems to be the only one they know) they were ‘in power’ the finish was their company being bought out by WWE. What would you do to [ensure] TNA doesn’t suffer a repeat of history? – Dan, London, UK

A: It’s 2011 and I can’t believe I’m still watching Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff as heel leaders of a faction on TV. Back in its early days, TNA went out of its way to market itself as an alternative to WWE, as you said, whereas in the last several years, they’ve decided to be WWE Lite. They will always fail at this because nobody does what WWE does better than WWE (good, bad or otherwise). They have their brand of sports entertainment that, if duplicated, will always be looked at as a copy. If I had the book in TNA, I’d decide which 5 young stars I want to build my company around and begin plotting an exit strategy for this Immortal storyline whereby the babyfaces are not made to look like fools (as they so often are), but rather, they begin conspiring to turn Hulk and Eric against each other. All roads lead to some sort of elimination match for control of the company, which the babyfaces win. At that point, it’s sayonara Hulkster and time to rally around guys like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Kazarian and Robert Roode to help get that company back on track.

Q: I read somewhere that the reason WWE is burying Kofi Kingston is because of Kingston’s attitude in the locker room. Several superstars have complained about Kingston being pushy and bossy backstage. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Kingston on the chopping block. What do you think? – Rachel

A: I’ve never heard a bad word said or read anything about Kofi’s demeanor or backstage attitude. I suppose one can never be certain, but I’m calling bullshit on these rumors until I hear otherwise. That doesn’t mean Kingston isn’t at risk of being released after WrestleMania considering the way he’s been treated of late. If I had to bet, I’d say his job is safe.

Q: I was wondering did everybody not realize when they made the Nexus they were copying the nWo. – Dallas

A: Holy shit, I never realized. Thank you for the insight.

Q: So I just remembered on May 25, 2009 when Mr. Kennedy made a surprise return on Raw and worked a five on five match. What happened with him? He was there for one night and then disappeared without an explanation. I read somewhere he was released after four days, but why would they do that? – Julian

A: Ahh yes, the Denver Debacle. This was when WWE was booted from the Pepsi Center when the Denver Nuggets NBA team made it to the playoffs and their game was given priority over a Raw taping the same night. WWE was forced to move their show to the Staples Center in L.A. where they hosted a five-on-five tag team main event that included a returning Mister Kennedy. Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of dropping Randy Orton the wrong way on a back suplex. Orton, who’s known for having a short fuse and has broken his clavicle twice, was none too happy about it backstage after the match and chewed out Kennedy in front of everyone for being an unsafe worker. Shortly thereafter, he was gone from the company. The reality is that several top stars (allegedly including John Cena and Shawn Michaels) had complained to Vince McMahon about Kennedy and this was the straw that broke the camel’s toe.

Q: Why doesn’t WWE release a documentary on Memphis wrestling? Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen USWA or CWA footage on WWE programming. Being from Memphis, I watched an excellent documentary on Memphis wrestling called “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrestling.” So many great moments in the industry happened in the Memphis territory: Lawler-Kaufman, Rocky Johnson, Jimmy Hart’s faction, Jackie Fargo’s strut, Tojo Yamamoto’s wooden shoes, the list goes on and on. Even Rock and Undertaker got their starts in Memphis. So, who owns the rights to the Memphis wrestling video library? – Dirk

A: Plain and simple, the reason WWE has not produced a Memphis wrestling DVD or used Memphis footage of any kind on TV is because they don’t own the rights to the library. As far as who actually owns the tapes, that’s an entirely different mess unto itself. Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett were co-owners of the promotion until business began to sag in the mid-90’s thanks to the booming Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW. In 1997, Lawler got together with a man by the name of Larry Burton to purchase Jerry Jarrett’s half, only to turn around and sell his half to a businessman out of Cleveland named Mark Selker after conning Selker into believing that the USWA was actually a successful national promotion worth millions. Of course, it was neither of those things and the promotion went belly up later that same year. As I understand it, Selker still owns the rights to that footage, which dates back to 1989. Any Memphis master tapes from before then would likely be in Lawler’s possession, though there’s still the question of whether or not he actually owns the rights to use them. If this isn’t confusing enough, Lawler filed a lawsuit last year against Corey Maclin, claiming Maclin went behind his back and sold the rights to all of Lawler’s footage for $20,000 to some phantom buyer who has since produced a 20-volume DVD set, which is now being sold on the internet. No wonder Vince McMahon doesn’t bother with any of the Memphis stuff. He’d have an easier time trying to crack the DaVinci code.

Q: Speaking of FCW, do you ever see the show going on mainstream TV? Smackdown really needs to come off the air already, or get new faces on it. It is the same crap week after week and I would love to see Smackdown get replaced by FCW. – Jeremy County

A: Why would FCW ever be on mainstream, network TV? It’s a regional promotion that serves as a feeder system for WWE, filled with young guys who can’t work and have no name recognition. Moreover, WWE does not want those guys on TV before they make it to Raw, Smackdown or NXT. Now, if their mentality were different, I’d be in favor of offering up either current FCW programming or classic OVW shows on WWE’s Classics on Demand channel, or their eventual cable network. They’re going to need more content anyway and it would be entertaining to watch. But as far as replacing Smackdown on SyFy (which is actually a fine show most weeks), only hold your breath on that one if you promise to move all of your furniture with pointy edges away. I don’t want you hitting your head on it when you pass out.

Q: What happen to that one WCW announcer, Tony Schiavone? Last time I saw him was on TNA in 2003 and I never saw him again. – Eddie Cheese

A: Schiavone also worked for the WWF for a time around 1988-89. As for what he’s been up to, he is currently the play-by-play announcer for the Gwinnett Braves baseball team, Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He’s also been a morning sports anchor for two different radio stations in the Georgia area and owns his own radio production company. Schiavone has always been a die-hard baseball fan and once remarked in an interview that he would have taken a job in MLB over wrestling, were it offered to him. I always thought he was very good at his job, but he never struck me as someone with a real passion for the business. That said, this may be the greatest question in the history of our sport!

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!

Sound Off 153: Hot Raw Show and a TNA Personality Suspended

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Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 153)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 13 minutes

Solomonster is back with his SECOND show this week and his 4th annual WrestleMania predictions show! But first, thoughts on a TNA personality getting suspended, Finlay’s unfair WWE release and breaking down a hot Raw show in Chicago that was not without its imperfections. Then, we’ll run down the entire WrestleMania 27 card with predictions on the winners, losers, Rock’s promise to whoop John Cena’s ass, what role Christian might play in the World title match and more. Enjoy this special bonus show!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

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Sound Off 152: The Rock Says He’ll Wrestle John Cena After All?

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 152)

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Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 22 minutes

It’s one week until WrestleMania and Solomonster has some pointed thoughts about a lackluster Raw show, Rock dropping hints that he WILL be wrestling John Cena, Jericho on “Dancing with the Stars”, Michael Cole’s amazingly stupid tweet, Kurt Angle arrested but appearing in yet ANOTHER horror film with other wrestlers, vintage Solomonster clips from 2002 and a BIG announcement about WrestleMania coverage on SEScoops!!

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MAILBAG: Did Sid Really Crap His Pants At WrestleMania 13?

SEScoops Mailbag for March 25th

(submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)

Q: Just wondering, if WWE isn’t having a Money In The Bank Match, then why is it both mid-level champions are being used in squash matches on a weekly basis? Without a MITB match, they will need a US or IC title defense [on the WrestleMania card] and both Bryan and Kingston barely get TV time and when they do they get demolished. Your thoughts? – Mathew

A: I agree that your champions, mid-level or otherwise, should not be used as squash guys. I really think WWE is making a mistake by not utilizing actual jobbers for one or two squash matches a week on TV to help younger guys get their moves over. I’m not saying a return to the days of Superstars and Wrestling Challenge would be a wise move (for ratings it certainly wouldn’t be), but those matches do have a place in today’s product. These days, a new guy will make his in-ring debut against an established player on his first night in instead of building to a credible challenger over the course of several weeks. When a veteran like Rey Mysterio puts over Alberto Del Rio and his new submission hold in his very first match on TV, that works great and gives Del Rio instant credibility, but how often does that actually happen?

Q: I want to know that why hasn’t WWE toured India more than once in all these years? And why are there no Indian wrestlers in WWE except The Great Khali? WWE toured India in 2004. Was that an unsuccessful tour or is WWE simply not interested in expanding their business in Indian market? Also, don’t you think Great Khali was a high profile star when he debuted in WWE, but he became underrated soon [even though] his fan following [remained] quite high? – Sagar Punjabi, India

A: WWE is always looking to expand their international business. I believe it was on their tour of India in 2002 that several superstars fell violently ill from food poisoning, including William Regal who nearly died a few months later. The wrestlers complained loudly about the conditions and some vowed they would quit the company before ever touring India again. I would imagine that has something to do with it. As for Khali, I know he’s revered as a big star in that part of the world, but here he’s just another big guy that can’t work. He’s got some personality, but I just don’t think it translates as well to the North American audience. He wasn’t really a “high profile” star here when he debuted, he simply got a big push because of his size and now he’s in the role that he belongs in.

Q: Do you think Vince McMahon will let Ric Flair or any member of the TNA roster into the Phillips Arena to see Shawn Michaels get inducted into the HOF? – Rory

A: The better question is whether TNA would allow it. In the past, they have not, although I believe some of their talent has snuck in before. If Ric Flair wants to go to the Hall of Fame and TNA allows it, I don’t see Vince McMahon stopping it.

Q: Would TNA have been better served to send out another member of Immortal, like Matt Hardy, to have a no build-up, 15 minute match with Sting than the sham they had at Victory Road? I know WWE would have done that. – Trust, Germany

A: You can’t even make that comparison to WWE in this situation because they never would have allowed for it to happen in the first place. He never would have been even been sent to the ring. To be fair, if Jeff Hardy is ultimately fired from TNA and doesn’t serve jail time on his pending drug charges, WWE will try to sign him up in a heartbeat. They would likely require he attend rehab first and foremost, but they are as guilty as TNA when it comes to this stuff. They will turn a blind eye and try to get him back under contract. Now, should TNA have sent Matt Hardy out to replace his brother? I’d have sent out Samoa Joe seeing as how Matt already wrestled earlier against A.J. Styles and Joe wasn’t even on the show. Joe and Sting have had matches before that I recall as being pretty good. Really, you could have sent any able-bodied wrestler from the back, heel or face, to at least give the fans a serviceable main event instead of the atrocity that we saw. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for TNA. They put themselves in this situation and deserve all of the blame. Jeff seemingly doesn’t know any better and the warning signs existed long before Victory Road, so I can’t even blame him.

Q: I just recently read online that Sid Vicious pooped his pants in his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 13. Is there any truth to this? – Phil M.

A: Pure folklore, it’s never been confirmed. People have said that Taker himself has confirmed the story in the past, but I have yet to see evidence of such an admission. That said, wrestlers have, in fact, LITERALLY lost their shit during matches, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. There’s the infamous story of Andre the Giant having diarrhea during a 6-man tag match while sitting on Bad News Brown’s (pun absolutely intended!) face in the corner. Also, John Cena noted in a WWE Magazine interview in 2008 that he once got sick during a match with Scott Steiner in Winnipeg. He was suffering from food poisoning and went underneath the ring at one point during the match to vomit. Unfortunately, he also crapped his pants at the same time. Barney’s turd, indeed.

Q: Everyone is talking about how Undertaker/Cena is the only WrestleMania match that could end the streak if Triple H fails. What about Taker/Jericho? – Ryan B.

A: Absolutely not! Perhaps, and I stress perhaps, they could have done this a year or two ago and built it up as the first-ever meeting between two of the company’s biggest stars, but they blew that the moment they put them in the ring against each other on Smackdown. They had a unique match that had never been done before and wasted it on a TV match that not many people are likely to remember. To be honest, even if they never had that match, I cannot fathom anyone on planet earth believing for a second that Jericho would actually have a shot at ending the streak. I think Y2J is a fantastic performer, the MVP of the promotion in fact in 2008-2009, but it’s not the right booking for Taker on the biggest show of the year. I do think that matching Taker up with Cena next year would force them to tone down dramatically on the comedy with him, which would be a gigantic plus, and you’d have plenty more people believing that if anyone can end the streak, it’s the man who has been involved in a championship match in every single WrestleMania he’s ever been part of.

Q: I’ve been wondering, why hasn’t WWE turned guys like Rey Mysterio heel at all? It’s just flippin’ weird, almost every WWE superstar turns heel somewhere in their career, but why not Rey Rey? – Brad L.

A: First of all, I like the fact that he has remained a babyface throughout his WWE run. Too many guys are turned for no good reason, and then you have stars like Kane and Big Show who have turned so many times in the last 10 years, I’ve lost count. Ricky Steamboat is the most well-known example of a major star who not only never turned in his WWE career, but played the role of babyface throughout his entire career. He did just fine for himself. Secondly, turning Rey heel at this point would be about as successful as Jeff Hardy’s heel turn in TNA (minus the 90-second match with Sting). Rey’s not really a great talker and if he turned heel, he’d have to do one hell of a job on promos getting the fans to hate him. You already have people who boo him, but that’s more smart fan backlash, a la John Cena. Plus, much like Hardy, you’re sacrificing millions in merchandise money by turning one of your top sellers. It’s also worth noting that his small size makes him more suitable to be a babyface than a heel.

Q: If you could pick one TNA home grown star that you think could go to WWE and become a big star, who would you pick? – Ryan

A: I could go the easy route and say A.J. Styles or Samoa Joe, either of whom if used properly could be a HUGE star in WWE, but I’m going to be more practical and say Robert Roode. He’s got the size and look that WWE loves and he’s one hell of a talented performer who has improved ten-fold during his TNA tenure. I believe he signed a lengthy contract extension fairly recently, so good for him and I think Beer Money is a great act, but he’s wasted potential as long as he stays there.

Q: Did Rob Van Dam get his name due to his likeness to actor Jean Claude Van Damme or is it pure coincidence? – Matt from Kent, UK

A: Indeed, he was given the name for that very reason back in 1991 by Florida promoter Ron Slinker, who also helped get him into WCW (as Robbie V). Beyond the physical resemblance, Slinker also felt they shared similar styles. Since you brought up JCVD, this gives me the perfect excuse to tell people to visit YouTube and type in “bloodsport mentos” for a hilarious, mock Mentos commercial synced to footage from one of his movies. Anyone who remember those cheesy ads from the 90’s will appreciate it. I guarantee you’ve never seen a more authentic-looking parody.

Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!