UFC president Dana White says it all the time, “the job of a promoter is to make the matches the fans want to see.” To ensure that this happens, White has gone around buying out entire promotions, sometimes strictly for a single talent (White bought the WFA promotion just to acquire Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s contract).

Unfortunately for wrestling fans, our “Dana White” is a guy named Vince McMahon, a guy who doesn’t quite share the same philosophy about promoting.

While White’s slogan is “my job is to make the matches the fans want,” and more often than not he will, McMahon’s is, “I know what the fans want more than they do.”

Sure, in public you’ll hear McMahon say that all WWE does is listen to what the “WWE Universe” wants and his job is to give it to them, his track record, while solid, isn’t that great when it comes to making dream matches happen.

The following is part one of a new series I’m calling, “Dream Matches That Never Happened.” First on the list is the most obvious dream match of all-time, at least in this writer’s opinion …

Hulk Hogan vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

How is it possible that the two biggest names and highest drawing figures in the history of sports entertainment never once had a single high-profile match? Forget WCW, where I believe Hogan and Austin may have crossed paths (not 100 percent sure, however) when Austin was still “Stunning.”

I’m talking about “The Hulkster” and “Stone Cold” going at it, one-on-one, on the WWE stage.

Could you imagine the amount of money this match would have drawn? And don’t give me any of that crap that Hogan was too old when Austin was in his prime, and that the match would have sucked, therefore no true wrestling fan would care about it.

We’re all fans, and if two big mega-stars like Austin and Hogan collided in our lifetimes, we’d probably still remember where we were when it happened.

The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan. Was it the best technical match of all-time? Absolutely not. Were the “die-hard” fans going into WrestleMania that year talking as if they were more excited for Triple H vs. Chris Jericho because the actual ring work would be better? They sure were. I was around, and still doing this for a living, and I remember it well. When the show was over, what was the true main event that night?

Enough said.

Hogan and Austin would be the same thing. Hell, WWE could book that match at WrestleMania 31 next year and it would still be a contender for highest drawing pay-per-view of all-time. The two still have that much name recognition, and a match between the two would still garner that level of interest. While I’m well aware that it’s not going to happen, you get my point.

Hogan vs. Austin is so big, it would still be a big deal today.

Now imagine if you will how big that match would have been, say, 10 years ago. The record would probably still stand today.

The fact that both were under contract, and WWE decided to go with Rock instead of Austin that year, to me, is not a big deal. Both matches are the type of “dream matches” that should have been promoted. The fact that WWE never doubled back and made Hogan and Austin happen after that, when fans were clamoring for it at different times after Hogan-Rock, that’s the part that confuses me.

Many might say, “but Austin clearly didn’t want to work with Hogan.”

So what?

If you’re a promoter, you should be able to find a way to convince him. Dana White said it best, so I won’t try to top it. If the fans want something bad enough, give it to them.

Fans for years were begging for Hogan and Austin, and WWE never made it happen. Unfortunately in the case of a Hogan-Austin match, it never will happen. With Hogan no longer allowed to compete in a WWE ring due to their strict medical program, one-half of the equation is taken out of the picture. Austin doesn’t seem keen on returning to the ring, but if it were to happen, you can rest assured that “The Hulkster” won’t be the face he’s staring at across the ring.

So, it’s one of those situations were as a fan, you simply have to wonder “what could have been,” because “The Hulkster” versus “Stone Cold” will never happen.

And that’s the bottom line, brother!

What are your thoughts on Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin never happening, or any other big dream matches that never took shape? Which matches do you consider to be the biggest potential showdowns that never happened? Let us know by posting your feedback in the “Comments” section below.

You can also hit me up on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR, and/or follow me on Twitter @MBoone420.

David Arquette is a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Being a World Champion normally means you’re a big star. Vince Russo was a former World Champion. The Great Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion. Just so we understand each other, these guys, in my opinion, are not among the biggest stars in the history of pro wrestling.

Do we understand the formula?

Today, we are going to look at five legends of the ring who were without a doubt top stars in their prime. At one point or another, each person on this list could be considered “the guy” in the business. All were top stars who reached Championship-level success at one time or another, however they all shared one key factor in common — they pretty much sucked in the ring.

A lot of people have different ideas of what a “good worker” really is. Generally speaking, if you’re in the business, a good worker is someone who can take the live crowd on an emotional journey. Most of the people on this list were able to do that, however if you’re a die-hard fan of the sport, you have a different opinion of what a “good worker” is. To those people, a good worker is someone who took the time to perfect the craft, the art and skill of what goes on inside the squared circle. Guys who have matches that are considered “match of the year” candidates. Guys who could have what die-hard fans call “five-star matches.”

That is who we are looking at today. Guys who by die-hard fan standards would be considered god-awful workers. Guys who couldn’t have a classic, five-star match to save their life, even if they’re able — usually due to star power and enthusiasm — to pop a crowd during a match.

With all of thr explanation out of the way, let’s take a look at who made the list of the top five biggest stars who weren’t good workers.

#5. Hulk Hogan

The guy knows how to have a classic match. His WrestleMania VI clash with Ultimate Warrior, who we’ll be talking about later, surprised many. Still, if you examine the match with your “worker” glasses on you’ll notice that it wasn’t exactly a catch-as-catch-can classic by any means.

It was a great match though in the sense that the crowd was totally invested. A lot of that had to do with the promotional build-up to the match and the characters involved. The same can be said for Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8.

A Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat classic it was not.

But the response from the fans was about as passionate as things get. Hogan can have great matches when everything falls into place, but you can’t put just anybody in the ring with him and expect a great match. As far as his star-power is concerned, Hogan is one of — if not the biggest — stars in the history of the sport.

Hulk Hogan comes in at number five.

#4. Andre the Giant

Andre The Giant is one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in professional wrestling history. In his prime as a young wrestler he would come off of the top-rope, he could throw a pretty impressive dropkick and was a lot more agile than he became later in his career.

Most will remember the run Andre The Giant had in WWE in the 1980s, but prior to that he was actually a pretty solid in-ring worker. His most famous years, however, saw a number of rest-holds killing the majority of the time in his matches. It was almost a sure thing that there would be a few bear-hugs, nerve-grip holds and the ever-popular butt-smash in the corner spot.

So again, Andre wasn’t the best in-ring technician, but he was a huge star — literally — and could elicit a great reaction from the crowd from bell-to-bell when matched with the right guy.

Regardless, Andre comes in at number four.

#3. Kevin Nash

Outside of a few matches with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, better known to WWE-exclusive fans as “Diesel,” rarely had a match above a two-star rating. He was one of the first workers to be labeled as a guy with “five moves of doom,” long before that torch was passed to John Cena.

However, Nash was a big ingredient in the pro wrestling explosion of the late 1990s. His move to WCW, which led to the formation of the nWo, was arguably the jumping-off point of the Monday Night Wars, which ultimately led to WWE’s “Attitude Era.” WWE was forced to switch gears and change the way they do business, and Nash, along with Scott Hall, were two key players at the root of all of these changes.

Despite his importance level in the business, his work level earns him the bronze medal as one of the biggest stars who wasn’t a “good worker.”

Continued on page two …

The following are highlights of a new website Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On CM Punk: “Cash and creative strikes again and Punk isn’t the first nor will he be the last to leave a wrestling promotion in less than favorable circumstances. Sounded like Punk was burn out, banged up and needing a sabbatical. I’d say his wresting days are over.”

On Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania: “LT needed the money…Bam Bam was a great booking because of his skill set and professionalism. I think that Pat Patterson and Tom Pritchard worked with both men a great deal. No backstage ‘heat’ or no controvsersey…great performance by both men considering what their role was on the biggest show of the year.”

On whether or not he’ll attend the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia: “Not sure but not at this time. I will watch it nonetheless.”

On Rusev’s future: “Some day Rusev will be WWE Champion or so I feel. Might be sooner than we think.”

Check out more Jim Ross Q&A updates on his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:

On Ronda Rousey in WWE: “Loved the comments made by my favorite MMA star @RondaRousey who said recently that if she ever appeared in WWE she would prefer to be a villain. That would be easy to execute and would make a great presentation IMO. I predicted long ago that Ronda and the Four Horsewomen would be outstanding additions to a WrestleMania card. It’s a one off, fun opportunity that earns Ms Rousey and company some extra cash and provide UFC with ample, NEW promotion and PR.”

Ronda Rousey Talks About A Possible Run In WWE

On NXT talents that could potentially headline WrestleMania one day: “Get asked daily who has the best chance of headlining a future WrestleMania from the current NXT roster and that’s an impossible question for me to answer. I will say that from what I see of the NXT roster that their cupboards are far from empty. It largely depends on continued good coaching and MENTORING and the athletes themselves going the extra mile to improve their game in all phases. It’s not only about the PUSH or the GIMMICK but the work rate and ability to out prepare their peers by these formative, young talents.”

On a possible new SmackDown announce team: “Will WWE get a new announcing team for Smackdown when it move to Thursday night? I would be willing to ‘guess,’ likely so. That would provide the duo of @MichaelCole and @JCLayfield a much needed break and keep them fresher and extend both their shelf lives.”

On Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at the Royal Rumble: “I’m thinking that the Cena vs.Lesnar WWE World Title match at the Royal Rumble in Philly will be one of the more compelling WWE Title matches that we’ve seen a good while. Does Lesnar stay or does he go? Is Brock going back to MMA or is he staying around. Does Cena prepare Brock for Reigns or another young talent WM31? Is there a return match in the works for Cena and Lesnar? Will Rollins cash in his MITB Contract? Could a new ‘player’ step into the title picture in some manner?”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

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As noted recently, WWE painted up some of their giant WrestleMania 31-promotional tour buses with The Undertaker, which is said to be considered a strong sign that he will be working the show in some form.

As of right now, the booking plan is to have The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, as long as Undertaker gives word that he is willing to wrestle, which he has not done yet.

There’s also a chance that he will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame next year, if he is indeed done with his in-ring career, although there has been talk for years that he would retire at Cowboys Stadium — which is the site of WrestleMania 32 — since it will likely set the all-time attendance record.

Regardless, expect Undertaker involved in some form or fashion during WrestleMania 31 weekend, as he is under a seven-figure downside guarantee contract, and WWE wants to justify the deal.

Ever since rumors of Sting possibly signing with WWE first began circulating, the talk has been that he would eventually work a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

Once Sting officially debuted at Survivor Series, however, the focus seemed to be on a potential Sting vs. Triple H match.

Photo: Sting Featured On Survivor Series DVD Box Art

Current rumors suggest Sting may end up wrestling more than one match for WWE, however as things stand now, the company clearly seems to be building towards a Sting vs. Triple H match.

RF Video’s Rob Feinstein, who has broken news stories in the past — some of which related to the Sting and WWE rumors — posted the following online hours before Sting debuted at Survivor Series:

“From what I been hearing I think Undertaker is done and the plans are for Sting and HHH at Mania…but anything can change but that is what I have been told”

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In 1987, WWE presented their first ever “Survivor Series” event, the first non-WrestleMania pay-per-view event, originally designed to steal viewers away from their main competition at the time, NWA’s “Starrcade,” which was the south’s version of “WrestleMania” (even though Starrcade came first) and was WWE’s attempt to throw down the gauntlet to the pay-per-view industry.

Basically put, if you were a pay-per-view provider and you decided to carry Starrcade, you would not be able to carry WrestleMania, a proven success in the pay-per-view industry.

That was the beginning.

From there, throughout the years, a number of historical events would take place at a Survivor Series event.

In no particular order, you can point to single Superstar debuts such as The Undertaker in 1990, which was also the debut of the infamous Gobbeldy Gooker. Which was the more famous of the two, well, I’ll let you decide.

1996 saw the debut of “Rocky Maivia,” to this day arguably the biggest cross-over name to ever emanate from the world of sports entertainment. At the time, while he was touted as being the first-ever third generation performer, and as “Good Ole’ JR” would say, “that’s gonna be the man, right there! That’s blue-chipper, right there!” with all of the enthusiasm the only Jim Ross could muster, oh how true those words would come to be as time went on.

One year later, the most infamous moment perhaps in all of WWE would take place. A moment that certainly began the shift in the WWE vs. WCW “Monday Night Wars” would take place, as not only did Bret Hart get “screwed” in what would become known as “The Montreal Screwjob,” but in many ways, that became the birth of the “Mr. McMahon” character, one that without he, the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin character may have never reached the heights that he would go on to achieve throughout his illustrious career.

In 1999, WWE’s first ever Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, made his official in-ring pay-per-view debut, defeating Shawn Stasiak in the second match on the card.

In 2002, the Survivor Series featured another “first,” as this would be the first time that we were treated to a new gimmick match known as the “Elimination Chamber.” A man notorious among the wrestlers within the profession, just a few months ago the match concept was thrown out, large in part — according to various rumors — because of how unforgiving the structure was for those who had to actually compete inside it.

Most recently, the big “debut” of a match, concept or character took place at the November 18, 2012 edition of the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, which took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, as three men who would become known as “The Shield” made their official WWE main roster debut. Those three men would become known as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

Just to show how important those three men are, one is involved (as a Team Captain, no less) in the main event of this year’s Survivor Series, which takes place tonight from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

That man is Seth Rollins.

Another one of the former Shield members, Dean Ambrose, is in what is being billed as arguably the legitimate co-main event of the evening, as he collides with another rising up-and-comer, Bray Wyatt.

And that leaves Roman Reigns.

Well, while he’s not officially booked on the actual card for tonight’s show, let’s just say there are a lot of rumors going around that claim we just may see him involved on the show tonight in some form or fashion after all.

Finally, that leaves two other names.

First up, the hometown boy. St. Louis’ own “The Viper” Randy Orton is rumored to make his return to WWE, after taking a brief hiatus to film a WWE Studios project, “The Condemned 2.”

Last, and absolutely not least, is “The Icon.”

While yours truly is not holding his breath and is going to take a “wait and see” approach before getting overly excited, rumors on the internet over the past few days insist that a certain Crow-painted style performer will make his very, very highly-anticipated WWE pay-per-view debut tonight at the Scottrade Center.

That’s right, folks. “The man they call Sting” is rumored to make his WWE debut, after all these years, at the same show that has produced so many memorable debuts, characters, matches and moments. If, in fact, “The Stinger” does make his WWE debut on tonight’s show, this writer has his new favorite Survivor Series moment of all-time.

We’re just hours away! Make sure to keep it locked right here at SEScoops.com for the most extensive, in-depth, live results coverage of tonight’s WWE Survivor Series 2014 pay-per-view!

Until then, leave your feedback in the “Comments” section below, and don’t forget to add me as a friend on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or follow me on Twitter @MBoone420.

Enjoy the show, everybody!

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan continues to tease that he’s gearing up for a match at WrestleMania 31 on March 29, 2015. WWE hosted a WrestleMania 31 kickoff event on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium in California, with Hogan taking questions from the fans in attendance.

When asked by a fan if we’ll see Hogan wrestle again, he jumped right into hype mode, stating that he’s training like he’s got a WWE title match coming up, brother.

“Here’s the deal, brother. A very wise man once told me a long time ago – and that wise man was Vince McMahon – and he said, ‘Never say never.’ Right now, I’m back on my feet. I had a bunch of surgeries, a bunch of ‘whoa is me’ stuff, got back on my feet, and then training like I’m training for the WWE Title right now.

“It could happen at any time. Whether it’s a retirement match, whether it’s the beginning of the run, whether it’s a WWE Title spot – a chance to win the title. I’m getting ready like I’m the main event in this place. So, never say never, brother. You never know what’s going to happen.”

E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W!

The chants can still be heard today. In fact, WWE still capitalizes on those three letters to this very day.

For example, last Monday night after RAW, WWE premiered “ECW Exposed” on the WWE Network as part of a full “ECW Week” theme for their digital subscription service.

Next Tuesday night, a second edition of “ECW Exposed” is scheduled to air on the WWE Network.

Hell, this weekend, Tommy Dreamer will be presenting the seventh “House Of Hardcore” event, which is considered by many to be a show with the old “ECW feel” to it.

My question is this, why do we see so many ECW reunion shows, but no WCW reunion shows? I’m assuming it has a lot to do with dollars and cents.

For an ECW reunion show to be held, you need at least some of the following guys: Paul Heyman, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Taz, Bully Ray, Devon, Terry Funk, The Sandman, Rob Van Dam, Raven and Shane Douglas. Sure, there are many other names you can go with, but you need at least a few of those guys on the event for it to feel like a legitimate ECW reunion show.

For a WCW reunion show to be held, you need at least some of the following guys: Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Diamond Dallas Page, Lex Luger, Sid Vicious, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and Rick Steiner. Again, many names are missing, but the fact remains, the price tags of the key guys needed for an ECW reunion show versus the price tags for a WCW reunion show are world’s apart.

WWE has at different points in time had enough of the aforementioned WCW names under contract, and certainly has enough money to secure the stars they didn’t have at a particular point in time, to put together a legitimate WCW reunion show.

Outside of the financial side of putting together a reunion show for the former two biggest rival promotions to WWE, there is the financial side of how much these shows would generate.

When you compare the amount of DVDs sold between “The Rise & Fall Of ECW” and “The Rise & Fall Of WCW,” again you will notice that they are world’s apart.

When ECW went out of business in 2001 they were still a beloved promotion that just didn’t have the financial backing or television exposure to stay afloat. When WCW went out of business in 2001 they barely had a pulse.

The fan-base for ECW was a rabid, cult-like fan-base that loved their home-promotion dearly. The fan-base for WCW by the time the company folded in 2001 was practically nonexistent.

Still, it feels like there is enough WCW nostalgia for a reunion show to work. Anytime rumors circulate that claim WWE is in negotiations with Goldberg, Sting, or any of the other major names wrestling fans associate with WCW, there is a huge buzz. Fans are excited at the prospect of these guys coming into the current fold and squaring off against today’s crop of WWE Superstars.

Currently, there is a lot of interest in a Sting vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania. There has been buzz in the recent past about a possible showdown between Goldberg and his modern-day carbon-copy Ryback. There’s even been a lot of interest in “The Hulkster” lacing up his red and yellow boots once more.

If WWE were to sign all of these guys, or ever considered the idea at any point in time, why is it out of the realm of possibility that a WCW reunion show would be a success? Personally, I think it would work, however, I think WWE wants the WCW legacy buried and forgotten, and wants the fans of today to only remember history the way Vince McMahon and company choose to portray it.

Ever watched the “Monday Night War” documentary series on the WWE Network? Right there is a perfect example of the WWE-version of history being told.

The fact is, ECW was never a close second to WWE. They definitely provided a template on how to change the wrestling product into something more modern that fans of that generation soaked up in droves. The fact remains, however, that WCW was kicking WWE’s ass for a lengthy period of time.

Prior to that, when WWE was the top dog, WCW was always nipping at their heels. NWA before WCW was at times a close-second to WWE, and for a long period of time was considered to have the better talent roster. Additionally, NWA would beat WWE in television ratings on a somewhat regular basis before fans really paid attention to TV ratings or considered them any legitimate measure of success, as was the case when the ratings became the focal point of the WWE vs. WCW “Monday Night Wars.”

Outside of WrestleMania once a year, WWE puts on pay-per-views that for the most part feel the same. Nothing seems special or different about them anymore, and the entire idea behind a pay-per-view is to put on an event that feels bigger and more unique than a typical weekly wrestling television program.

Unfortunately, current WWE pay-per-views just feel like a slightly better version of a solid edition of WWE RAW and/or WWE SmackDown, when the company should be striving to put on pay-per-views that feel like “must see” or “can’t miss” programming.

Something tells me if WWE were to book a WCW reunion pay-per-view, if they booked the right guys, it would generate a ton of interest and likely draw a solid buyrate. It would garner interest from fans who escaped the wrestling bubble and moved on with their lives back in 2001 when the only alternative to the WWE-style of wrestling went out of business.

Picture it guys — WCW One Night Stand!

I’d fork out $44.95 and spend three hours of a Sunday evening to watch it.

And something tells me many others would as well.

How about you? Would you be interested in buying a “WCW Reunion” pay-per-view event? Let us know by posting your feedback in the “Comments” section below. You can also connect with me directly on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or on Twitter @MBoone420.

I’ve read a lot of feedback online over the past few weeks regarding WWE’s plans for Brock Lesnar at next year’s WrestleMania 31 event in Santa Clara, California.

For those who missed it, check out this article, which is a detailed update on WWE possibly making major changes to their original plans for Lesnar.

Back to the internet feedback.

Many, including WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross, have spoken out recently about how if WWE stays on track and has Lesnar stay untouchable leading up to WrestleMania 31, with Roman Reigns being the guy to finally end his reign of dominance and become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion at the “show of shows,” that “everyone will see it coming.” Especially due to the belief that fans will know it’s Lesnar’s final match on his WWE contract.

So what?

Who didn’t see Daniel Bryan ending last year’s show by leading the fans inside the “Superdome” in one giant “Yes!” chant as the pay-per-view goes off the air with him finally “having his moment” and becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion?

The answer: no one. Everyone saw that coming and guess what? It was still awesome. It still felt special, and had Bryan not gotten injured, it still would have been an effective way to start his push as a legitimate WWE main event performer.

So my question is, how is next year’s WrestleMania any different?

Once again — it isn’t.

A good idea is a good idea, whether people see it coming or not. This isn’t 1998, we’re not in the midst of a vicious “Monday Night War” where you’ve got to use the “Attitude Era” formula of “shock television.”

Surprises are great, don’t get me wrong. They keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a reason to continue tuning into the product because you “never know what could happen.” But again, I say a good idea is a good idea, whether it’s a surprise or not.

The key factor, however, is that it has to be a good idea.

And that’s exactly what the rumored plans for WrestleMania 31 are — they’re a good idea.

Lesnar breaks The Undertaker’s legendary streak. He squashes WWE’s top Superstar in John Cena at a major pay-per-view event. He wreaks havoc on the entire WWE roster, with seemingly no end in sight. That is, however, until he meets that bad son of a bitch Roman Reigns.

No one can beat Lesnar. Hell, no one can touch him. And then comes the showdown with the “untouchable” bad ass on the other side of the fence. The “good guy” version of Lesnar. A beast of a different breed.

Here comes Roman Reigns.

Unfortunately for Reigns, an injury has put him on the sidelines, which hurt his momentum as a guy rising through the ranks. However, if he comes back in time for the Royal Rumble in January, where he arguably made his name earlier this year as an individual player, instead of just being “The Enforcer” of The Shield, then all the cards fall perfectly into place.

First off, fans can get their precious “surprise moment,” when the ten-count clock counts down and out comes Reigns for the first time in several months. From there, much like last year, he can eliminate Superstar after Superstar, possibly breaking his own record in the process. The only difference? This time he’s the last man standing. This time he wins the Royal Rumble, which of course sets him up for a title shot at WrestleMania 31.

On the same show, Lesnar destroys John Cena for the third straight time, remaining WWE World Heavyweight Champion in the process.

The stage is set.

Heading into WrestleMania 31, we have Brock Lesnar as an unbeatable monster on the heel side. We have Roman Reigns as an unbeatable monster on the babyface side.

We have our WrestleMania 31 main event is what we have.

During the build up to WrestleMania, we make sure to point out the streak of dominance both men are currently riding and we ponder which immovable force budges first at the biggest show of the year.

What’s wrong with that? Do we really need some kind of big elaborate “surprise” to make WrestleMania feel special? To have a satisfying climax to the biggest show of the year?

Of course not.

Good is good, whether you see it coming a mile away or it creeps up on you out of the blue. If the story is solid enough, which I feel Lesnar vs. Reigns is — or has the potential to be I should say (you never know how WWE will handle the booking) then you’ve got all the ingredients for a “Superstar-making performance” for Reigns, which unless I’m confused, is supposed to be the goal in all of this.

Check it out — I didn’t mean a word I just said! Are you surprised?! You shouldn’t be …because of course I’m joking.

The point?

I shouldn’t have to surprise you to entertain you with a solid editorial, I just need to tell a good story. Whether or not I accomplished that remains to be seen. You can let me know if I achieved my goal by posting your feedback in the “Comments” section below. You can also connect with me on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or on Twitter @MBoone420.

The following are highlights of a recent Jim Ross website Q&A update:

On the crowd reaction to Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8: “WM18 was uniquely booked but Rock and Hogan should have closed the show in hindsight but no one predicted how the crowd was going to go crazy for the match much less embrace Hulk as they did.”

On how WWE should plan for Daniel Bryan’s return: “This email is a little long but I don’t know how one can plan for any thing with Daniel Bryan until he’s healed from his surgery and re-introduced into the mix in an intelligent manner.”

On issues between Rey Mysterio and WWE: “I am not a party to their grievances nor do I care to engage in them. I know little about their issues but always enjoyed working with both men. I signed Rey to WWE years ago and have always had a good relationship with him. I plan to have ADR on my podcast soon.”

On Curtis Axel: “Don’t know where WWE is with Curtis but he needs to show more personality and more physicality.”

On Cruiserweights returning to WWE: “I think that the ship has sailed for cruiserweights to return to WWE. Then again, I might be wrong but I don’t think so.”

Check out more Jim Ross Q&A at his website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

The following are highlights of a new U.K. Independent interview with Sheamus:

Returning home: “It’s always great to come home, it really is. It just kind of resets me every time I come home and reminds me how it started and how far I’ve come, and it’s kind of like the same thing where you’re so busy that you sort of get lost in the day-to-day stuff but you come home and it really puts everything into perspective.”

“This is where I started, I started in the UK and in Ireland wrestling, did my first couple of tryouts here a couple of years ago, well actually more than a couple of years ago back in 2005, 2006 and 2007 so yeah, it’s very special for me.”

Wanting a rematch against United States Champion Rusev: “I obviously want a rematch. I want to prove I can beat Rusev. That’s important, we went back and forth the other night – it was a long night – but it was cool the way it was on the network. It was like the first of its kind, to broadcast that match on the network and it shows how powerful the network can be with so much opportunity and options that the WWE can put any match on there, anytime, anywhere, exclusively for the fans that subscribe to the network.”

Possibly being in a UK WrestleMania main event: “That’d be fantastic. At Wembley, the Aviva Stadium or even Croke Park in Dublin, that would be amazing. I’d love nothing more, but I’ve got to get some more momentum first. I just lost the US Championship so I’ve got to get some momentum behind me, get everything back into perspective and I think I’ve got to come a little bit more ruthless and selfish to go out there and put Sheamus back where he belongs, back in the main event.”

Check out the complete interview at Independent.co.uk.

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with Chris Jericho:

Is wrestling a lot less organic than it was when you were at the height of your career? “Brian Gewirtz is very much responsible for some of the greatest things we seen over the years. That guy is close to being a genius in the wrestling things on coming up with ideas as Vince. Then you had Shawn Michaels who is one of the best in the business and Chris Jericho who is a Shawn Michaels disciple who is at the peak of his game after 17 years in the business. It is a perfect storm of trust and creatively. You had the fans buy into it. When I punched Rebecca in the face it was supposed to happen but obviously I wasn’t supposed to hit her for real. She zigged when she was supposed to zag and I zigged when she was supposed to zag and I actually hit her. We felt so devastated and I thought for sure Shawn was going to kick my ass and I gladly would have let him. All she got was a fat lip and after she got up she was like ‘Is that all you got Chris?’ people that were watching because people say then after a week we realized this was the best thing that could have happened. It made it real and the people are saying if anyone hit my wife, my husband, grandmother and grandfather I am going to kill them. That is when the feud went into overdrive because it got real.”

Is it difficult for a fan to buy into the current state of professional wrestling? Well, it is different. After Michaels there was the Mysterio angle. That is what I pitched to Vince to work around Rey’s mask. Vince said ‘they don’t care about the mask’, and I said ‘of course they do that is why they buy it.’ We had this guy wear a mask and never explained what it means too him. I want his mask. Vince said ‘Why do you want his mask’? I said because I am a bully. I want his milk money. I don’t want any milk. I am going to take it and throw it into the lake. Then Vince loved it. Then with the CM Punk feud in 2012 my thing I wanted to take it to this next level I wanted to tattoo him. Vince loved it and then was kind of talked out of it. I think someone got in his ear that there is going to be blood. Plus, Vince said he has a million tattoos. Well, it doesn’t matter if he has a million tattoos. What if I tattoo my initials on him FOR REAL? Punk was saying let’s do this for real and that is like being violated. That is why we switched over to the alcoholic thing and I got a lot of hate for that. People saying ‘Oh my father is an alcoholic and how dare you say and use that as a crutch for a pro wrestling storyline.’ Guess what? That is why I did it.”

Was CM Punk okay with the alcoholic angle? “I was begging Vince for us to do the tattoo angle; someone had told Vince that tattoos will create blood and Vince got scared. Plus no one would see it for the reason to describe but he doesn’t have tattoos so he doesn’t get it. He came up with the idea that Punk’s dad has problems with alcohol and you think he wouldn’t go for it and to Punk’s credit and he went for it. I don’t know if he had issues with his family and he wanted to take it out with them and I don’t think he even told his dad about it. Punk gave us full 100 percent with it as he should have and then his sister got involved then it got real. Can we do that now, I don’t know because you got to go into a deep place? When I came back with the Bray Wyatt thing and I was on fire and I was pitching so many ideas. I went in to pitch some ideas to Vince for Summer Slam and the PPV after that, and his response was (and this is great I should save it for my next book.) He was eating steak and I went through this entire 10 minute pitch about this and that and this guy will come back and this retired gunslinger will come in and help his old rival and this whole thing and his response while eating his steak and he says ‘Bad cow’ I said what? ‘Bad cow, this steak is tough, bad cow’ I am like’ is that all you have to say?’ And he is like ‘what else you got’ and I am like okay he doesn’t like this idea. We didn’t do much with the story but like I said all I can do is make suggestions and he is the boss, so he makes the suggestions, but I am a big fan for long storylines.”

It seems like you always had Vince McMahon’s ear: What happened was I finally came into my own in 2008. I came back in 2007 and it was kind of stagnant and I was still doing the Y2J thing that I was doing in the early 2000s and it wasn’t working and I needed a switch. That is why I changed everything and I watched the movie ‘No Country for Old Men’ with the character Anton Chigurh the very quiet, slow speaking psycho, I am going to kill you and that is the way it is. I took that kind of mindset and some people were still ‘Hey let me tell you something I’m going to do this!’ I took it down and turned the volume down and made people listen and I remember people saying ‘We can’t hear you’ when I was doing promo,s and I was like that is the point dummy. Just be quiet and listen to what I am saying, and when you have to pay attention to what I am saying, then you are going to understand that I am serious. I dropped the countdown, dropped all the catchphrases, dropped the highlight reel, stopped wearing tights and switched to trunks.

“I started wearing suits which people weren’t doing at the time. Letting people know that this is different and this is KISS without the makeup. People still ask me why did you switch from tights to trunks? I still get that until this day! I also watched a lot of Nick Bockwinkel tapes. They did that AWA anthology and he was using big words and talking over people’s heads and it pissed people off. Combine those two things and combine it and also with the Shawn Michaels hypocrite thing and bam I found who I am going to be. It made Vince a lot money and it caused a lot of problems. I was getting attacked on the streets. I got attacked by crowds in B.C. I had to pie face a girl who was on Nancy Grace. I was public enemy number one. The whole company was in an uproar. Rob Zimmerman who was the head of PR, he was angry, Stephanie was angry, the company was angry, but the only guy who stayed by me was Vince McMahon. He said you should never have been put into that position with all those fans in the first place. I will fight this until days end.

“When the glow stick happened I was cutting a heel promo and I had a glow stick hit me in the face. It actually hit me in the eye. I freaked out, and said ‘who threw that son of a bitch, you want to throw something? Then throw it! Then all of a sudden a blizzard of glow sticks come into the ring. It’s on YouTube you should check it out. Everyone in the company was so angry. I was going to get suspended for 15,000 and then Johnny Ace called me saying you’re getting fined or even suspended. I was so angry that I called Vince McMahon and saying maybe the corporate Vince McMahon would be angry, but the Mr. McMahon the heel would be like this is what we work for. I caused people to hate me so much that they spent money for a glow stick and threw it at me.

“He got mad at me with the Brazil kicking flag thing. I can’t say that he had my back on that one,but he did have my back to get me out of Brazil that night, He said ‘you know you’re in trouble? I want you out of the country.’ You’re fined and suspended and I want you out of the country, if not you can be in big trouble. He pulled some strings, and paid some people to help me get out of the country. Even though he was furious at me at the time, I didn’t agree with it, but in retrospect he was right. In the end he knows I draw money for the company, and I had the best interest in the company, because I was never an asshole. Even though people thought I was hard to work with.

We missed you at WrestleMania 30; we know at some point you will come back but will you be back by WrestleMania 31? I was going to come back for WrestleMania 30, but we just couldn’t find anything to do. There is a certain thing I need to do to come back to, but I will not do the Fandango thing again. The next night on Raw Fandango was the biggest character on Raw and I will put that directly on the work we did together. I need something that I can sink my teeth into. Something I can believe in and something that has some steam to it. It doesn’t have to be for a title, but it needs to be a semi- main event or something that I think people want to see and that is why when I came back I wanted to work with Wyatt. I wanted to work with Wyatt at WrestleMania 30 but he had the Cena thing. I wanted to work with Daniel Bryan but he was first scheduled to work with Sheamus, but he went on into the main event. So for me to come back and be in the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal, that wouldn’t have worked for me. I want to come back and it comes down to schedule with Fozzy and if I can work it out with Vince.”

Forbes magazine writer Mike Ozanian recently published his list of the “Fab 40 Most Valuable Brands In Sports,” a list that WWE and UFC appeared on.

Coming in at number eight on the list was WrestleMania, which they estimate as being a brand name that is worth $105 million.

Meanwhile, UFC made the list and is valued at $440 million.

You can check out the complete list at Forbes.com.

The payoffs for the first few pay-per-view shows following WrestleMania with the new formula are in and according to reports, are said to be described as “really bad.” Many are speculating that this points to the fact that talents are getting paid based on pay-per-view revenue and are seeing nothing extra from all of the pay-per-view revenue that has been eliminated due to the WWE Network.

It’s worth being mentioned, however, that there are a few people that are being “taken care of” and a few who have specific deals that prevent this type of thing from affecting them, although for the most part, this has hurt pretty much everyone when it comes to payoffs for pay-per-view shows.

VIDEO: Top UFC Contenders Have HEATED Exchange Backstage After Controversial Fight

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– The talk within WWE is that they have a working plan to turn Randy Orton from his current heel character to a babyface in the near future. The current word going around is that the turn is planned for about three or four months from now, which would be around Royal Rumble time, meaning Orton would be a face during the build up to next year’s WrestleMania.

– WWE Diva Layla noted via social media recently that she is currently dating former WWE Superstar Ricky Ortiz in real life.

WWE posted the following …

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WWE delivers the ultimate fan experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. Join WWE for the 31st edition of the Show of Shows with tickets to WrestleMania, the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess, Monday Night Raw and more!

For details on WrestleMania travel packages, click here.

As of last week, the plan for Roman Reigns over the next several months was to continue building him up, with him going on to win the 2015 Royal Rumble and challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.

Due to Reigns’ emergency hernia surgery, the recovery process will keep him out of action for at least a few months. However, it is believed that even in the worst case scenario, Reigns will be back in time for the Rumble, meaning WWE can continue ahead as planned with their idea of pushing him going into next year’s WrestleMania.

It’s worth noting that with Reigns on the sidelines, a major opportunity has opened for Dean Ambrose. While Ambrose was already scheduled for a big push, he will now be used as the #2 babyface in the company behind John Cena and his career is now on a faster track than it would have been had Reigns (and Daniel Bryan) stayed healthy.

Along with Reigns returning in time for the Rumble pay-per-view, Daniel Bryan is also expected to make his WWE return around the same time.

Another WWE Superstar that is expected to return in time for “WrestleMania season” is Batista, possibly returning to do his “farewell run” with the company, now that his Hollywood career is taking off.

Not to mention – Kurt Angle, Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy could all be free to work for WWE by WretleMania season.

• DANA WHTE & WANDERLEI SILVA Comment On Silva TRASHING UFC & His LIFETIME BAN!(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Brock Lesnar’s current deal with WWE expires after WrestleMania 31 in April and according to various sources, it is believed that WWE has yet to have any serious talks with him about his interest in re-signing upon the expiration of his current deal.

Many are working under the assumption that when Lesnar’s current deal expires, due to the state of UFC’s current pay-per-view business, that he will have negotiations with UFC and leverage those against WWE when discussing terms.

DANA WHTE & WANDERLEI SILVA Comment On Silva TRASHING UFC & His LIFETIME BAN!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Wrestling legend Sting posted the following teaser on his official Twitter account this weekend, with the date of Monday’s RAW mentioned. The belief is this is something to do with the new WWE 2K15 video game.

It's Showtime. 9.22.14

— Sting (@Sting) September 20, 2014

As noted earlier this week, Sting has signed a merchandise agreement with WWE and the company has been selling his merchandise at their live events with the belief that he will wrestle a match for them at WrestleMania next year in Santa Clara, California.

As things stand right now, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins is 100 percent off of tonight’s Night Of Champions lineup. There is some talk within WWE, as we noted yesterday, of having Dean Ambrose make a surprise appearance at tonight’s pay-per-view to fill in for Reigns against Rollins, however that is purely speculation at this point.

Also as noted yesterday, Reigns will likely be out of action for up to six weeks. WWE is hoping to have him back in time for the Survivor Series pay-per-view, but even under the worst case scenario, he will be back in time for the Royal Rumble in January, meaning he will be able to work WrestleMania and that if WWE was planning on having Reigns be the guy to end Brock Lesnar’s dominant streak, they can continue on with that plan despite Reigns’ current situation.

Speaking of Reigns, he surfaced on Twitter today to thank fans for their support. He tweeted the following:

Thank you everyone for your kind words, support and prayers!! I'm hurting right now but it's great to know good people have my back!!

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) September 21, 2014

Many are taking the fact that WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is talking about training hard right now as a sign that he is getting ready to work a comeback match at WrestleMania.

The latest word going around within WWE is that an Austin return at WrestleMania is not out of the question, it’s just a matter of the right creative, opponent and of course, money.

– WWE has now completely removed any and all CM Punk merchandise from their WWE Shop website. As noted, Punk’s lawyers sent WWE a 22-page legal letter regarding royalties owed from merchandise sales that included his likeness.

– Speaking of merchandise, Sting items are being sold at WWE live events. Sting has a merchandise contract with WWE and as noted several times in the past, many expect him to work a match at next year’s WrestleMania in Santa Clara, California in what would could be his one and only WWE in-ring appearance ever.

Triple H has continued to praise the NXT Takeover 2 special from Thursday night on Twitter. Below are his latest comments.

#NXTTakeOver is a prime example of why @WWENXT is the brand of the @WWENetwork. http://t.co/RtT7dQNDH4 #WWE http://t.co/PrprQJs5Op

— Triple H (@TripleH) September 12, 2014

“The Game” also promoted Floyd Mayweather’s pay-per-view boxing rematch against Marcos Maidana. HHH has appeared in the corner of Mayweather in the past for some of his big fights. He tweeted this one regarding the one-time WrestleMania co-headliner:

Watch the champ @FloydMayweather go 47-0 tomorrow night on PPV. Watch the #Mayhem on PPV http://t.co/eEzX7k0F0B #TMT

— Triple H (@TripleH) September 13, 2014

– With WWE announcing that their “Payback” pay-per-view will be taking place on May 17th in Baltimore, Maryland, that means they are looking to widen the gap between the “B” level show that comes after WrestleMania, as there will be seven weeks separating the two.

– Triple H noted during the conference call earlier today to promote this week’s NXT Takeover 2 special on the WWE Network that WWE is in discussions with some former NFL players to come into the company. He refused to reveal any of the names, noting that none of the deals are officially completed at this point.