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!