SEScoops Mailbag for October 14th
(please submit YOUR questions to sescoops@gmail.com)
***WE NEED YOUR QUESTIONS, SO GET THEM IN NOW!***
Q: Why was Brock Lesnar mainly based on Smackdown? He was the main guy in the company at the time and Raw is the flagship show. Why wasn’t he on Raw? Apart from The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and HHH, do WWE superstars have any influence as to which brand they wrestle on or is that all decided on by the WWE? – Trust
A: Lesnar WAS on Raw for a time, until he won the title and then moved to Smackdown for the remainder of his career. As I recall, they wanted Brock to help carry the brand and on that show, he was able to establish himself as a true top guy in the company. But really, the reason was that you were not going to have two champions on one show (which WWE doesn’t seem to care about these days) and there was no way in hell they were moving Triple H over to Smackdown. He was always going to be champion on the “A” show and Raw simply wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Another factor to consider is that Shawn Michaels had made it known to the company that he could not work Tuesdays because it would interfere with his weekly Bible study class back home the following day, and with him scheduled to return in the fall and feud with Hunter, he could not have been moved to Smackdown anyway. Lesnar and Triple H being kept apart was the absolute BEST thing for Brock’s career in WWE.
Q: When did Degeneration X start doing those Michael Buffer impressions in their promos like “For The thousands in attendance and for the millions watching around the world, let’s Get Ready to sucka.” Was it after Shawn Michaels temporarily retired in 1998 or was this thing started by The Originals, Shawn and Hunter himself? – Aasir from India
A: Pretty sure it didn’t start until after Hunter took over as the leader of DX following WrestleMania 14. I don’t recall them doing it as heels. By the way, I’m fascinated that you think it’s “sucka” instead of “suck it”. The PG conversion is now complete.
Q: Who do think are some of the top guys that had “the total package” (yes pun intended), but weren’t ready like a Sid or Lex Luger? – Andrew from Michigan
A: Big Show is someone who comes to mind. When he debuted in WCW, he was but a young lad at age 23 and was immediately thrust into a feud with Hulk Hogan, the biggest star in the company. It wasn’t long after that he won his first World title. He had the look, the size, great agility for a giant and was a decent enough promo, but he was green as goose shit (thanks Bill DeMott) and didn’t really know how to work. Obviously, he grew into the role and has had a very successful career for himself, but you can make the argument that he absolutely wasn’t ready when he got his first big break. If you open this question up to mid-card talents who were pushed before they were ready, we would be here all day. Then again, there are very few I would call the “total package”, so maybe not.
Q: Where do you rank Diamond Dallas Page as an in-ring performer? And is true that Vince Russo gave Booker T his first break to be WCW World champion? – Troy M.
A: I thought DDP was rather underrated as a performer. People often ragged on him because he was friends with Eric Bischoff and they said he was old, and that may all be true, but he worked hard to get himself over with the audience. He also did one hell of a job getting the Diamond Cutter over as an exciting, believable finishing maneuver that he could hit you with from any angle. As for Russo, one thing about him is that he does try to get younger guys over (and often fails) and he was, in fact, behind the push for Booker T in 2000.
Q: I was watching Raw two weeks ago and during the [vote of confidence] segment at the end with HHH, one of the referees and Jerry [Lawler] said that this was the most chaotic and dangerous enviroment since they have been in WWE. But years ago, didn’t the referees go on strike because of how the stars were treating them? Plus with HHH giving Cena title shots, giving [Zack] Ryder more TV time, CM Punk saying that it’s not [Hunter’s] fault and even hiring back Jim Ross, how could one person not say anything nice or positive? Make me believe this story. – Anthony from Frederick, MD
A: I can’t believe any of this nonsense myself, so why would I try to convince you that it’s any good? Yes, the WWF referees first went “on strike” during an angle in 1999, so this would hardly be the first time the refs felt threatened by things that were going on in the company. You also hit the nail on the head when it comes to Triple H bringing Jim Ross back to the announce booth and giving Zack Ryder more TV time than he ever got under Vince McMahon. For the two of them to walk out on him during that angle made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I mean, what a bunch of ingrates! The better question is why should any of us care who has the power in WWE? Just give us the best talent (both in the ring and on commentary) and the best matches and let the folks you pay to come up with creative ideas actually implement those ideas instead of changing them or rejecting them outright just because you have a narrow view of what wrestling should be. Rant over, I’m going back to my happy place now.
Q: I was just thinking about the What! chants during the promos on Raw and Smackdown. Would you agree that the crowd doesn’t give the wrestler a chance to cut a good promo before tearing into them with those chants? I know some of the wrestlers have overcome them by talking lower and slower, but do you agree that it probably gets to most of the wrestlers and puts them off? – Rob from England
A: The “What?” chant is one of the worst things to happen to the wrestling business. For all of his positive contributions, both creatively and financially, Steve Austin screwed over scores of wrestlers (primarily heels, though babyfaces have been affected by it as well) in the process. He may not have even realized it at the time, but that’s exactly what he’s done. But I also have to say that some of these wrestlers get what they deserve. Take Mark Henry for example. The man is your World Heavyweight Champion, and while someone like R-Truth is a comedy character that has incorporated the “What?” chants into his shtick, Henry is someone we’re supposed to take seriously as a vicious monster. However, when he’s out there cutting promos (and I do think his promos have been great of late), he speaks in sentence fragments. Just. Like. This. First, nobody talks like that in real life (I’m looking at you, Cody Rhodes). Second, you’re just setting yourself up for trouble by doing that. I actually thought Vince McMahon did a brilliant job of not allowing the fans to talk over him on Monday night when he came out. Chris Jericho had also mastered the art of beating the “What?” chant when he was doing all of those serious promos last year. I’m not saying you shouldn’t take a breath and talk like a bullet train, but every little pause gives those fans in the audience a chance to interrupt you.
Q: Do I have a better chance of marrying Triple H’s daughter or will I see John Cena without the WWE championship for more than 4 or 5 months? – Udit Sharma from India
A: So, where’s my invitation to the ceremony? Lost in the mail, I’m sure. Give Aurora my best.
Keep those questions coming to sescoops@gmail.com and remember to include your name!