Q&A thread - Your Questions Answered! **no chat**

jaykhunter

Interesting! Seems like a waste of time & effort bringing two copies of each belt around.

I heard that performers have to carry the real thing around with them and it's their responsibility. (I believe they also have to plonk down a deposit). Sheamo commented on having to have it as his carry-on luggage everywhere, it's extremely heavy but it's a burden he loves. And although most wrestlers hide it in their bags D-Von said Bubba Ray (before he was Bully) would wear his tag belt through the airport!

I imagine they have exact replicas in Stamford but if a performer lost his belt (the shame!) he'd have to use someone else's belt or a replica. I kinda recall somebody coming out with the wrong midcard belt at a house show.

starviewadams

Yeah I remember a photo of Jericho wearing the old Light Heavyweight Title at a house show doing the rounds a good few years back,think his Intercontinental title got lost with his luggage IIRC.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Jericho had to use the Women's title for that house show. The centre piece was covered in electrical tape. He had left the IC belt back in his hotel room.

CastorTroy

Sure don't forget the IC title could have different colours like blue or white. I remember reading once that the real belts consisting of the gold, etc. are transported from show to show securely while the champions use replicas for public appearances. Though that was a good while ago that that was the case.

QikBax

Why is Jerry Lawler allowed to wrestle on the independent circuit?

I'm sure I've seen him advertised for shows recently

Lord TSC

jamc wrote: »

Why is Jerry Lalwer allowed to wrestle on the independent circuit?

I'm sure I've seen him advertised for shows recently

He only works one night a week for WWE (twice on PPV weeks) so he has the time.

I guess at some stage during his last contract negotiations, he managed to get it put in he could do indy shows.

gnfnrhead

He can't appear on PPV or DVD shows. Everything else is fair game so long as it doesn't affect his WWE commitments.

Stereomaniac

Which is fair enough. Vince McMahon also signed him while he was still involved with USWA in Memphis (I'm not sure of the exact arrangement but Bret and Owen went there wrestling).

bobby_says_hi

CastorTroy wrote: »

Is there any set rule for wrestlers staying in character while doing interviews? Under what circumstances can they break character?
I prefer to read interviews with wrestlers when they're just being themselves and talking about who they like to work with, etc as opposed to guys who just seem to be slagging off their upcoming opponent.

in the older days when kayfabe was really preserved it was strongly enforced. nowadays wrestling fans are too sophisticated to believe that faces and heels really hate each other. in most mainstream interviews, they are out of character but they do preserve kayfabe in a little way. they will acknowledge that the storylines aren't real but they do pretend that the matches are actual competition. they'll just avoid saying the matches are scripted. it's only on WWE.com interviews that they'll stay in character

some wrestlers do try to exploit this to build excitement in their feuds. Gail Kim said in an interview that she wouldn't like anyone to believe that her and Awesome Kong were good friends behind the scenes during their feud and earlier than that her and Jacqueline kept a lot of people backstage guessing whether or not they actually really hated each other when they were feuding. and she got annoyed when Melina tweeted her fans that their little feud on Superstars last year was just a storyline

Lord TSC

Is there any wrestling based charities out there? I know there's the Nowinski Concussion Research thingy, but I was wondering if there's proper charities and the likes with wrestling connections.

Cherry_Cola

How is CZW still in business?

I don't mean that in a negative sense, it's just with all the talk of ROH's difficulties at the moment, I'm surprised how CZW can keep going. I've just started watching the Cinco de Mayo event and there can't be more than 50 people at it.

I know they don't travel much but is it really as simple as that? Is it just a case of running more events? I can't imagine they pay the talent all that much, though when you see the risks some are willing to take, it makes you wonder.

gnfnrhead

CZW kept it to about one show a month and don't bring in many big outsiders. ROH run several events per month (and have done since probably year two or three) and are fond of bringing in outsiders with name value. Most Indy guys are paid per appearance meaning ROH are paying some guys three or four times a month while CZW would be paying them once, maybe twice.

Cinco was a minor show for CZW, I think it's only about two hours. All their proper shows get a good crowd and the big shows (KOTDM, TOD etc) are nearly always full houses.

Charisteas

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Is there any wrestling based charities out there? I know there's the Nowinski Concussion Research thingy, but I was wondering if there's proper charities and the likes with wrestling connections.

The last wrestling event I went to was a fundraiser for a young kid with Cerebral Palsy. It was a NLW show in April which had Prince Devitt on the show and the owner of Zero-1 Gravity was there scouting.

Unfortunately, there were less than 100 fans in attendance, likely because the show was in Bray and not in the heart of Dublin where some MSW shows i've been to were standing room only, but really hope that extra cash has made a difference to that kid's life.

http://www.braypeople.ie/news/live-wrestling-returns-to-bray-3078264.html

I would have more respect for Jim Ross if he should start a Cerebral Palsy charity instead of faffing about trying to sell Barbecue Sauce.

jaykhunter

Just a note there, JR had several bouts of Bell's Palsy, which is facial nerve paralysis. Cerebral palsy happens to infants 0-2 generally much more severe and involves movement, learning, hearing etc.

Wrestler's Rescue seems to be a legit charity. It's run by Dawn Marie.

Hashtag_HEEL

After watching Death Grip and beyond the mat, I've been wondering why do wrestlers not have a union?

QikBax

Hashtag_HEEL wrote: »

After watching Death Grip and beyond the mat, I've been wondering why do wrestlers not have a union?

WWE would never allow it. Between all the dates they work and all the travel they do it would be very hard to get a contract that would allow the business to run the way it does now.

Plus if a union was started I doubt WWE would hire anyone in that union thus making it pretty useless. I'd say having all the talent as independent contractors is a way to stop it from ever happening too.

jaykhunter

Hashtag_HEEL wrote: »

After watching Death Grip and beyond the mat, I've been wondering why do wrestlers not have a union?

Money. Because it'd cost Vince and other promoters millions....millions that they should morally pay. The Government only looks into this sort of thing when something big happens (Vince & Steroid Trial, Death of Owen, Benoit) but they don't care enough to make Vince/Dixie etc treat their employees fairly. The janitor in WWE has a better health plan than the wrestlers.

Pro-Wrestling Promoters have fostered an environment that makes wrestlers paranoid and look out just for themselves. The people that could make a difference (i.e. the main eventers) do not want to jeopardise their lucrative spots. If you've made it, WWE will pay for your transport and medical bills. For everyone else, it's coming out of your pay.

You are right, wrestlers should have a union - they have to be at a certain place at a certain time and WWE decide what jobs or outside ventures they can take - i.e. they're employees but without the health & security benefits. It's an absolute disgrace. A union would stop wrestlers self-medicating, steroid abuse and so hopefully curb wrestler deaths.

GTR63

Didn't Hogan block a union being formed once or does that belong in the I nearly joined Metallica chapter of his fiction filled book

fman

The story goes (I think in Bret's book) that Hogan ratted out Jesse Ventura to Vince when the Body was looking at creating a union.

rossie1977

vince is strongly conservative so would never allow a union in his company

a union would have advantages but it would also have disadvantages, we have seen in this country the power of unions and how they can cripple the country on a whim, in the usa basketball, baseball and football unions have stopped matches and sometime full seasons over pay, if that happened in wwe the company would be out of business in a month, tv and fans are sympathetic to the nfl or nba but wwe not a chance, no wwe on tv for a month and usa, syfy and cable companies would find something to replace it with

Andy_rse

So has Kenny King actually signed a contract with TNA or is it more of a "We'll see how it goes" basis?

GTR63

Was continuing to put Laurinaitis on tv and the road a excuse to take power away from him behind the scenes and is HHH behind this?

BohsJohnny

GTR63 wrote: »

Was continuing to put Laurinaitis on tv and the road a excuse to take power away from him behind the scenes and is HHH behind this?

It looks that way i remember hearing that hhh hated his guts i wouldn't be suprised if he got wished his future endeavors which would hilarious.

Stereomaniac

Is John Laurinaitis not very well-liked amongst the talent then, or am I just picking that up wrong?

SirDelboy18

What was the story with the Orton push in 04? I heard he was eventually supposed to win the title back at the next WM but Batista won it instead.

Anybody know anything?

Stereomaniac

Wasn't he acting the goat backstage and getting ripped every night of the week in those days? Just going from what I read other people say about him on here that is, maybe I'm mistaken.

Garseys

GTR63 wrote: »

Was continuing to put Laurinaitis on tv and the road a excuse to take power away from him behind the scenes and is HHH behind this?

could very well be, either way the VP for Talent relations needs to be there for TV anyway and meetings with Vince, then the rest of the week they're up in Stamford.

Trips is moving up the company though, and tbh I'm thankful for it. He's got fresh ideas, is in touch with modern culture and is willing to take chances (sin cara for example)

connemara man

just wondering as its happening in the 1000th episode. When the title is being contested or feuds in general is it usual to have face vs face (Punk vs Cena) or heel vs heel (Jericho vs Ziggler that looks to be starting)

gnfnrhead

Heel vs heel is rare unless someone is turning in the near future. Face vs face happens a fair bit, more so outside WWE.

Penn

connemara man wrote: »

just wondering as its happening in the 1000th episode. When the title is being contested or feuds in general is it usual to have face vs face (Punk vs Cena) or heel vs heel (Jericho vs Ziggler that looks to be starting)

Heel Vs Heel is pretty rare, unless there's some added factor like a face special referee or something. I'd say with Ziggler, we could be seeing a face turn. No-one better than Jericho to start it off.