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

CastorTroy

Having missed WWF during most of the Attitude era, was wondering why was Mick Foley sometimes referred to by his name instead of the character and why was it acknowledged that Dude Love, Mankind and Cactus Jack were all the same person, unlike say Papa Shango being The Godfather being acknowledged?

Did Mick just have a habit of changing between the characters often or something?

Stereomaniac

Yes, to answer your question. I might be wrong now but I'll try to summarise his appearances during that time period. He came in 1996 (the night after WrestleMania XII, or was he there earlier?), and was Mankind until Summer of 1997 when he teamed with Steve Austin and was Dude Love. Actually, ya know what, YES! YES!! YES!!! is your answer.

gerrybbadd

CastorTroy wrote: »

Having missed WWF during most of the Attitude era, was wondering why was Mick Foley sometimes referred to by his name instead of the character and why was it acknowledged that Dude Love, Mankind and Cactus Jack were all the same person, unlike say Papa Shango being The Godfather being acknowledged?

Did Mick just have a habit of changing between the characters often or something?

I think this started happening around the time WWE were doing kinda personal interviews (semi shoots). JR would do them, and if I recall correctly, started with Goldust.

With Mankind, it started with his home videos, jumping from the roof of a house, emulating Jimmy Superfly Snuka, and another video where he invented Dude Love as his gimmick, kinda like a HBK persona.

From there, they covered his time in Japan as Cactus Jack, to where he was up to that point as Mankind.

It was also around this time, or shortly afterwards that Mankind became a fan favourite, as the interview was received very well by fans

rovert

I they did four interviews in all.

The other 3 can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/azizsga/videos?query=foley+jr

Ground breaking for the time. Mentioning prior characters, promotions etc. Also was before digital cameras or even camcorders were wildly available. So wrestlers how having video tape of their youth was a real novelty.

Stereomaniac

It was all part of the shift in the, for want of a better word, attitude that the company started to take leading into the Attitude era. I'm not sure when it started to happen, but I'm pretty sure that they just began to openly acknowledge that Goldust was Dustin Runnells, Dusty Rhodes' son (for some reason I think that it was before the interview that someone mentioned earlier). See also, Steve Austin's promos in ECW, they get very real.

A Primal Nut

CastorTroy wrote: »

Having missed WWF during most of the Attitude era, was wondering why was Mick Foley sometimes referred to by his name instead of the character and why was it acknowledged that Dude Love, Mankind and Cactus Jack were all the same person, unlike say Papa Shango being The Godfather being acknowledged?

Did Mick just have a habit of changing between the characters often or something?

Yep, I've been watching late 97-98 straight through recently. Part of his gimmick was that he would switch between the three characters and there were times you didn't know which one would appear. There was one video promo where he used all three. Or when Kane attacked Dude Love, it was Mankind who tried to get revenge.

I guess the commentators referred to him as Mick Foley when they needed to talk about the guy representing the three gimmicks as a whole. Although each of the gimmicks would talk about the other two like they were different people, so part of the joke was that the three characters wouldn't acknowledge that they were the same person although it was obvious to the viewer and acknowledged by the commentators.

As for why he is now referred to by his name instead of one of his characters; when he realised his dream of headlining WrestleMania, it was fighting as Mick Foley (for the first time I think) rather than any of his three characters, to emphasise that this was just Mick Foley himself realising his dream, which was nice! That continued on when he was commissioner and probably ever since. The Mick Foley character has his own costume and theme, and could be considered the 4th face of Mick Foley.

GTR63

What is Alex Shelley up to these days?

gnfnrhead

GTR63 wrote: »

What is Alex Shelley up to these days?

Unemployed. He only recently left TNA and it usually takes a couple of months for them to get set up again so we should be hearing from him fairly soon.

Thats assuming he keeps wrestling, he also has a band with Sabin and Petey Williams.

rovert

GTR63 wrote: »

What is Alex Shelley up to these days?

Working on his band.

Graduated College last month which explains how quiet things have been.

He left TNA to work DGUSA, PWG & New Japan. Out of the blue he got a call from WWE which I really don't what the story is with it. Whether things are dodgy with the ongoing WWE-TNA lawsuit or Alex is waiting to get his life, tests and paperwork together. He is very respected worker with a lot of friends/supporters on the main roster & developmental level. So it would surprise me he got signed.

Best to my knowledge his next show is on August 26th:

Fans living near Sacramento will be in for a treat on August 26th - the Sacramento Wrestling Federation will feature two title defences of IWGP belts, as Shinsuke Nakamura will defend the IC Title and the team of Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov will defend the Jr. Tag Titles. Alex Shelley and Hirooki Goto will also be on the show.

SWF will also hold a New Japan tryout on August 25th, with Rocky Romero as the head trainer.

Which would indicate an association with New Japan.

Omackeral

Was Faarooq vs Savio Vega vs Crush the first triple threat match in WWF? I remember having a VHS of In Your House: Ground Zero and this was on it. I can't think of any others that pre-date it.

NB- I know about ECW's the Night the Line Was Crossed in 94, this is strictly a WWF question.

rovert

This was the first for WWF:

gerrybbadd

Omackeral wrote: »

Was Faarooq vs Savio Vega vs Crush the first triple threat match in WWF? I remember having a VHS of In Your House: Ground Zero and this was on it. I can't think of any others that pre-date it.

NB- I know about ECW's the Night the Line Was Crossed in 94, this is strictly a WWF question.

Seemingly the first was Owen Hart vs HHH vs Goldust.

I would have thought it was the Farrooq etc match too.

Professey Chin

Google results are calling the Farooq/Vega/Crush match a Triangle match instead of a triple threat. Isnt there a difference of one is 1st fall wins and the other elimination? (or was that just the WWF Attitude game rules?)

bobby_says_hi

Triangle match is typically the same as a Four Corners match. Only two people may be in the ring at a time and the other must tag in. it isn't used much for three people matches these days and mostly for triple threat tag team matches. Triangle rules have only two wrestlers inside the ring at once

Omackeral

bobby_says_hi wrote: »

Triangle match is typically the same as a Four Corners match. Only two people may be in the ring at a time and the other must tag in. it isn't used much for three people matches these days and mostly for triple threat tag team matches. Triangle rules have only two wrestlers inside the ring at once

Just to add to that, the '3 way dance' is a triple threat match but with an elimination. i.e. First guy to be pinned or submit is eliminated, leaving the last two to battle it out. A good example is Taz vs Tanaka vs Awesome at Anarchy Rules 99.

My next question is a bit obscure as sources will be thin. The main event of No Way Out of Texas (1998) originally pitted Steve Austin,Owen Hart, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie vs Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The New Age Outlaws. Now I know HBK was injured and the WWF drafted in Savio Vega as a sub, but at the time were there any other wrestlers rumoured to take the spot? How come they picked Savio? Would anyone have worked better?

GTR63

Is there any truth to the ewrestlingnews story that a lot of lower-mid card talent are pissed at the mania bonuses and travel expenses.

Charisteas

GTR63 wrote: »

Is there any truth to the ewrestlingnews story that a lot of lower-mid card talent are pissed at the mania bonuses and travel expenses.

Haven't read the ewrestling story, but rovert posted an excellent article about the subject here - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=80143152&postcount=3180

Lord TSC

I've often wondered why there's never been a unifed movement by the lower card guys to protest about stuff like that. I know you'd have some who fear for their jobs, but if (for example) all the udnercard, a significant portion of the midcard and even one or two of the older (even non-WWE) main eventers got involved, why it wouldn't achieve something. Have them protesting, on television talking bad about WWE, and just rallying together to improve conditions.

rovert

GTR63 wrote: »

What is Alex Shelley up to these days?

Updating my prior answer:

New Japan has announced that Alex Shelley will wrestle on its September tour. Harry Smith returns to NJPW next month as well

Omackeral

@rovert

Could you make a stab at my question a few posts up about No Way Out of Texas please? You seem to be quite the knowledgeable fella.

Stereomaniac

The month prior, when DeGeneration X ambushed The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble, Los Boricuas and New Age Outlaws helped them as well. It was the most fitting scenario, story-wise.

rovert

Omackeral wrote: »

@rovert

Could you make a stab at my question a few posts up about No Way Out of Texas please? You seem to be quite the knowledgeable fella.

I really don't think/remember so. The roster had zero depth and WCW had every Wrestler in the entire world under contract. I think Powerslam Magazine said Savio got the nod as it was a NO DQ match and Savio got his initial fame as T.N.T. in Puerto Rico for a World Wrestling Council - a promotion famed for a super bloody brawling matches.

Stereomaniac wrote: »

The month prior, when DeGeneration X ambushed The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble, Los Boricuas and New Age Outlaws helped them as well. It was the most fitting scenario, story-wise.

Zero memory of this but I wiped that PPV from memory as soon as I saw it. :P Twas horrible.

A Primal Nut

I watched that PPV recently funnily enough (been watching late-97-early 98 in its entirety). Wasn't great but I loved Stone Cold at the start of the main event. Just insane!

But all the feuds for WrestleMania were already well underway and had being building for a long time so they didn't bother creating any extra feuds for this PPV and just threw any old matches together I suppose.

As for Shawn Michaels not being at that PPV, they didn't announce it until the very last minute although Michaels had been injured weeks earlier. Very cynical.

Hashtag_HEEL

Was anybody else looking at the Olympic stadium and thinking "Big enough to hold a Wrestlemania"?

A Primal Nut

Hashtag_HEEL wrote: »

Was anybody else looking at the Olympic stadium and thinking "Big enough to hold a Wrestlemania"?

Jim Ross was asked about hosting another big PPV in the UK soon and he said its unlikely due to the time difference. As it would be live too early in the USA.

SureYWouldntYa

Does anyone know why Daniel Bryan is called such, and not his real name Bryan Danielson ? Seems a bit stupid

ceegee

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Does anyone know why Daniel Bryan is called such, and not his real name Bryan Danielson ? Seems a bit stupid

The WWE cant trademark his real name so they change it. Stops him from using the same ringname if he joins TNA.

The only time they use real names now are for some of the 2nd gen stars whos fathers used their real names eg Orton and DiBiase.

edit - forgot about Otunga - not sure how he ended up using his real name. Could be due to him having a famous GF

Insect Overlord

I've seen references in a few threads to a court case between WWE and TNA. What are the basics of that story? I'd heard nothing about it besides a few comments on the forum here.

jaykhunter

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I've seen references in a few threads to a court case between WWE and TNA. What are the basics of that story

Talent Coordinator Brian Wittenstein left TNA after 3 years and joined WWE, and TNA are claiming that he supplied WWE with TNA wrestlers' contract details & insider information. There's been no update to the story since May afaik.

credit ewrestlingnews/PWinsider and here

sockmo

ceegee wrote: »

The WWE cant trademark his real name so they change it. Stops him from using the same ringname if he joins TNA.

The only time they use real names now are for some of the 2nd gen stars whos fathers used their real names eg Orton and DiBiase.

edit - forgot about Otunga - not sure how he ended up using his real name. Could be due to him having a famous GF

This is one of my main WWE pet hates, it does my head in.Just wondering on that note,Why isnt Michael McGillicuddy called Michael Henning? or even Michael Perfect?