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

gnfnrhead

Is Devon under contract in kayfabe?

In the story, he left the company when his contract expired and returned as a masked member of Aces and Eights. I'm guessing he wasnt offered a contract after that. So did Hogan re-sign him before Devon was unmasked or has he been the TV champion despite not having a contract? Knux and Doc are outsiders so I'm assuming are supposed to be without contracts. Everyone else already worked there. What is Devon's status in the storyline?

rovert wrote: »

Just read Meltzer's What If story in the Observer and now have a massive need to buy the latest iteration of Total Extreme Wrestling.

Is it worth buying?

The 2005 version is free and updated monthly. Unless you plan on using it a lot I cant see how it's worth buying the newest version.

Omackeral

Wasn't there a multi-man match a few months ago where if Aces & 8's beat Team TNA they were granted "full access" to the Impact Zone. I can only assume that's what has that base covered.

Hematocyte

In the Curtis Axel v Sin Cara match on the most recent Smackdown the lighting was different to the rest of the show. It looked darker and "orangy" for want of a better description. I've actually seen this before recently in some other WWE match (most likely another Smackdown match).

So I'm wonder when this happens is it a technical problem or are they deliberately making it look like this for some other reason?

ShagNastii

Hematocyte wrote: »

In the Curtis Axel v Sin Cara match on the most recent Smackdown the lighting was different to the rest of the show. It looked darker and "orangy" for want of a better description. I've actually seen this before recently in some other WWE match (most likely another Smackdown match).

So I'm wonder when this happens is it a technical problem or are they deliberately making it look like this for some other reason?

Nope. It's pretty much every Sin Cara match. I suppose it's to add to his mystic, more likely to mask the botchfests that are his matches.

Omackeral

I recall them doing that with the lighting when Kane started out in 97. It was a red glow. His match with Mankind at Survivor Series in Montreal had it. Was cool for someone like Kane with that monster presence.

Not so much for Sin Cara....

Angron

I find it a bit strange that they are still doing it for Sin Cara tbh.

jaykhunter

Although I think blue and orange barf look horrible on TV as lights, the idea of getting separate lighting for your matches is awesome. Can only be done for highly gimmicked wrestlers. I LOVED Kane's red lighting in 97. since magazines were monthly and i spent his segments trying to get a good luck at him! We got a bit of that red lighting during the bloodbath strobe lighting for the brood aswell.

Omackeral

Speaking of lighting and the Brood.. Who else used a total black out? The obvious one would be Undertaker and recently we've had the Shield do it too. Outside of these I've seen it used at the ECW Arena for Sabu and a few returns/surprises. Did Sting do it in WCW or anyone else?

Hematocyte

Thanks for the answers everyone.

Actually now I have another question about lighting. I saw a few youtube clips and photos just now from (what I guess?) were house shows. The lighting appears to be less intense than the perfect lighting for tv (ie it's darker, lots of shadows etc).

For example....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSUEs8GpJo

My question is , is there any difference in lighting here or is just the way it was filmed by the fan in question?

Which leads me to another question again which is (if there is a difference in setup) do the wrestlers actually have any preference when it comes to lighting? Is the stuff for tv shows actually obtrusive perhaps?

gnfnrhead

Usually there are only lights on the ring itself for house shows. TV shows have them everywhere to show how full the place is etc.

Dont know about the preferences. Cant see it making much of a difference really.

Cherry_Cola

Omackeral wrote: »

Speaking of lighting and the Brood.. Who else used a total black out? The obvious one would be Undertaker and recently we've had the Shield do it too. Outside of these I've seen it used at the ECW Arena for Sabu and a few returns/surprises. Did Sting do it in WCW or anyone else?

Always loved this one, serious pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etF5YdJwBmY

QikBax

Why can't Orton clothesline properly? Does he have Advanced Stupid Arm Disease

Seriously though why is it so bad. Otherwise he can be pretty good technically. His dropkick is top notch.

gerrybbadd

jamc wrote: »

Why can't Orton clothesline properly? Does he have Advanced Stupid Arm Disease

Seriously though why is it so bad. Otherwise he can be pretty good technically. His dropkick is top notch.

Could it be to do with his poppy out double jointed shoulders perhaps?

Mr.Saturn

jamc wrote: »

Why can't Orton clothesline properly? Does he have Advanced Stupid Arm Disease

He actually does, he's got hypermobile shoulders, and they have been a source of grief on more than one occasion. It's curtailed his style somewhat over the years, evidenced most notably in his pre-RKO mat pounding; before his 2010 injury at OTL, he used to batter the mat like a loon, but gave way to a more feathery slap upon his return.

One of the issues with Randy Orton's shoulder dislocations is that he has hypermobile shoulders. It's a condition that allows his shoulders to stretch back much farther than the average person. The flip side is that he's more prone to injuries, mainly shoulder dislocations and in the long run, his shoulder joints can wear out much faster than a normal person. When Orton gets older, he will be a strong candidate for osteoarthritis.

From WON, via WrestlingInc.

Omackeral

Two questions.

1) Outside of Wrestlemania 13 featuring Bret Hart and Steve Austin, are there any other definitive examples of 'double turns'.

2) What are some good examples of proper 'tweeners in pro wrestling?

gnfnrhead

Omackeral wrote: »

2) What are some good examples of proper 'tweeners in pro wrestling?

Austin. Despite being the most popular guy in the company a lot of his actions were that of a heel. Austin himself wasnt a babyface or a heel, he was out for himself and would face anyone.

That's during his peak and not the last few years of his career where he was an annoying babyface.

Currently, I think Styles is the best big example you'll find.

Omackeral

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Currently, I think Styles is the best big example you'll find.

That's what made me ask the question actually! So I take it Sting was the same in his 1997 WCW run? What about Taz in ECW, was he face/heel/tweener?

Ape Lincoln

Omackeral wrote: »

Two questions.

1) Outside of Wrestlemania 13 featuring Bret Hart and Steve Austin, are there any other definitive examples of 'double turns'.

2) What are some good examples of proper 'tweeners in pro wrestling?

1) The seeds for the Austin/Hart double switch go back to when fans were cheering for him even though he was booked as a heel. It wasn't until the submission match that the transition was fully acknowledged - Vince on commentary through 97 was saying how he didn't know why fans cheered him.

Anyway, there were other double turns in wrestling just can't think of any atm certainly not in WWF. Iirc Mr Fuji switched from managing Demolition to managing Powers of Pain around 1988 (at Survivor Series?). I think the two teams switched then but not 100%


2) Examples of a tweener would be Diesel post Survivor Series '95, Sid late '96 after he beat Shawn for the title, the aforementioned Austin particularly in '97, Undertaker during the Summer of '98 Highway to Hell angle, CM Punk for a few months last year. Some might say Goldberg in WCW was a tweener for a time.

From the best that I can tell being 'in between' a heel and face doesn't last that long and is usually occurs during a wrestler's transition period.


Ric Flair's first WWF run was a bit tweener- fans were fed up with Hogan, Flair was fresh to the territory and the crowd went nuts for his title win at RR92.

bobby_says_hi

Paige on NXT is a tweener right now. She essentially started out as a heel in FCW but fans kept cheering for her. She was a jobber for her first two appearances on NXT and was getting "let's go Paige!" chants so they had to turn her face. Except her character is a screaming ruthless savage who enjoys inflicting pain. She normally plays the face in her matches but they can have her play the heel against someone else and it won't be out of character. She's very clearly out for herself

The Undertaker these days is one. He's cheered by fans but doesn't show faces mercy or anything. He exists outside the face/heel division and is on his own very much. But he won't cheat during his matches either. I think the last time he was a full-on heel in WWE was 2001-2002 when he was the American Badass and had cut his hair short, feuding with Hulk Hogan

Re: double turns there was another one involving Austin. During the Invasion Stone Cold was on the side of the Alliance. At Survivor Series 2001, Kurt Angle revealed he'd been the mole for WWE and had been face during the storyline. But the next night on Raw, Angle acted cocky about the whole thing and turned heel again while Austin turned back face the same night.

And there was Survivor Series 1998 where the Powers of Pain turned heel on Demolition, which turned them face because of the tactics used.

And on the SHIMMER Volume 43 & 44 tapings, Mercedes Martinez (face) was against Athena (heel). The match went to a count out finish but Martinez refused to restart the match. On the next match, Martinez DQ'd herself by attacking Athena with a chair and breaking her leg. For their rematch on Vol 45 Martinez was the heel and Athena the face

Mr.Saturn

I'm sure Russo's been responsible for more, but the whole TNA in 2010 and the Sting/Nash vs Immortal jazz involved a double-turn. Sting'd played heel the whole year, ragging on about a conspiracy. Turns out, he was right.

Of course, like 87.2% of what Russo did, it bombed; Russo had a habit of stuffing a year's worth of storyline material into about 2 minutes of programming and rendering you incapable of barely recalling a moment of it two seconds after, as a result of its density and lack of focus on any given aspect.

Kolido

Omackeral wrote: »

Speaking of lighting and the Brood.. Who else used a total black out? The obvious one would be Undertaker and recently we've had the Shield do it too. Outside of these I've seen it used at the ECW Arena for Sabu and a few returns/surprises. Did Sting do it in WCW or anyone else?

Aren't you missing another obvious one, Jericho

Omackeral

Kolido wrote: »

Aren't you missing another obvious one, Jericho

Hmmmm at a stretch I guess so. But I was thinking more along the lines of 'lights go out, come back on, and then there's someone in middle of the ring'

Kolido

Omackeral wrote: »

Hmmmm at a stretch I guess so. But I was thinking more along the lines of 'lights go out, come back on, and then there's someone in middle of the ring'

Ah ok, my mistake, I thought you meant a black out as part of their regular entrance routine.

gimmick

Is Cena not the biggest "tweener" of the lot? Hated by the smarts. Loved by the kids.

To some he is the ultimate heel. To others the absolute hero.

jaykhunter

I wouldn't call him a tweener as he's trying to be a straight-up babyface. He's just a terrible at it. If he were to troll the smarks on a regular basis, then I'd agree.

gimmick

But he does. His post mania promo was very much trolling the marks.

I genuinely Cena is booked the way he is deliberately. He gets a mixed reaction constantly where ever he goes. This has never happened before.

jaykhunter

That post-mania "how about a heel turn" was genius and definitely trolling (I'd love a troll-babyface cena) - but he doesn't do that every week. Since then he's been back to his grating kid-friendly worst. It's possible WWE are being straight-faced about him but WWE aren't that subtle. I genuinely think they don't want to adjust his character despite vociferous older-fan opposition. WWE have a hard-on for phoney corporate babyfaces.

Ape Lincoln

Cena is booked and wrestles as a face. That's the key difference. Austin in '96-97 was booked and wrestled as a heel though fans cheered him and then after WrestleMania 13 he was booked as a tweener fueding with babyface Undertaker and Shawn and refusing Foley as his tag partner. Then later in the year when he was out with the neck injury he interrupted matches, stunned babyfaces as well as J.R. and Vince both of whom were faces at the time. He also stunned heels obviously and briefly got back into a fued with Owen.


Oh and Austin didn't beat Taker clean at SummerSlam 98- he used a low blow before the Stunner.

mtjm

Why did the WWF come up with the story line of fake Diesel and Razor what was the story behind that?

Omackeral

I think Vince was of the opinion that it was his 'characters' people enjoyed rather than the individuals that were portraying them. He thought replacing Hall and Nash with imposters would be a seamless transition... It wasn't. Fans hated it.

Glen Jacobs, who played Isaac Yankem DDS (Jerry Lawler's evil dentist... Really) later found his niche as Kane. The fake Razor never really did anything in the US after that afaik.