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PWINSIDER Q & A: WWE BAIT AND SWITCH AND WHAT FANS CAN DO WHEN THEY FEEL SCREWED, IS VKM WORTH IT, CREATIVE, TAG TEAM RETURN AND MORE

I'm one of the few who fared better with the ECW PPV the other night by going to a blast area and not feeling the remorse of spending hard earned money to watch it at home. But something struck me last night. Let's say for instance I was a die hard Sabu fan, and seeing him in the Extreme Elimination Chamber (which might have actually lived up to it's name if he had been included) was just about the only reason I was ordering the PPV, especially since only 2 matches were hyped to any extent. I know that card is subject to change is always in effect, but I thought that was more of if there was a problem out of the WWE's hands (performer travel issues or family emergency). With the bait and switch of Sabu last night, could a disgruntled fan who wanted to try to make a point, sue the WWE for their 40 bucks (maybe a class action would send Vince a nice little message)? It's not like Sabu couldn't perform last night, they just decided to take him out and put Holly in there. That's like getting tickets to see your fav rock band and you get there and they change it to a Brooke Hogan show.

On the whole, the ECW PPV was a total joke and an embarrassment. WWE should be ashamed of themselves for what they did there.  First, they only announced two matches on the card.  Then, they blatantly screwed us out of Sabu's involvement because the "brain trust" (and boy do I use that term loosely in this case) felt that they couldn't have four babyfaces in the Elimination Chamber match.  Well, they knew that there were four of them in it well before the PPV so the right thing to do would have been to have Sabu taken out on the TV show BEFORE the PPV.  That would have been the honest and reputable thing to do.  Instead, they used his presence in the match to sell PPVs and then made the change after people already laid out the 40 bucks.  I agree with you.  It's really wrong.  A lawsuit wouldn't work though and would cost more to pursue it than it would ever be worth.  A number of readers did complain to WWE and various PPV companies, which led to the backlash against Paul Heyman because, well, the company had to blame someone and he got to be the scapegoat.

The one thing any angry fan can do is not buy the next WWE PPV.  Or maybe the next few.  You can always get 24/7 and get the shows as part of that package a few months after the fact, or buy/or rent the DVD.  It's a much better and fairer value at that price.

Frankly, I am at the point now where if I didn't have to buy them for my job, I would wait and see what the reaction is to the show was and buy the replay if it was worth it.  Most of the time of late, they aren't.  WWE PPVs used to be worth the money that they charged.  More and more, they aren't, especially at 40 bucks a pop.   

In today's Q&As in regards to the VKM angle, you wrote, "TNA feels this is a "buzz" angle that will get people talking about their company. As I said in the other Q and A today, I don't share that assessment and think they should just keep doing what they do well and not worry about WWE." 5 of the 10 questions you answered today were in relation to the VKM angle, so it would seem that TNA is correct, and the angle is getting people to talk about the company. Thoughts? BTW, I do agree that TNA should just concentrate on themselves instead of the competition.

Here's how I look at it.  Getting people on the internet talking is fine.  But, if you don't get people to spend money on your product, it doesn't serve a real purpose.  If they make money on the angle, or get national publicity that brings people to the company with an open wallet, it's a plus.  If not, it's not, from a business standpoint.

How much different do you think the WWE and TNA would be different if Eddie Guerrero had not died? 

I think that one thing Eddie's death did was send a message to people that there is more to life than the grind of working for WWE.  Despite what people think, much of the time life on the road is brutal and more and more, we are seeing people who made some money in WWE walk away largely because of that reason.  They see now how short life is and how being away every week is so hard on them and their families.  

We also have a Wellness policy in place in WWE due to Eddie's death, which is a big positive.  It's not as strong as I would like it to be, but it's a start and certainly better than no policy at all.

About the only effect I can see on TNA from Eddie's death, other than people looking at it as a viable, less taxing option, is that WWE came to a point with Kurt Angle where they felt that they had to cut ties with him and he fell into TNA's lap.  But to be fair, they did the same thing with Jeff Hardy before Eddie's death, so I don't even know if we can say it wouldn't have happened anyway.

You've noted an improvement in Smackdown since Michael Hayes took over. Yet, in the past you've made it clear that nothing happens without McMahon's say so. I get he's the boss and it all starts and ends with him, but how can Michael Hayes have such and effect on Smackdown, yet Heyman wasn't allowed as much influence on ECW? Is it simply a case of McMahon allowing certain people to do more than he lets others do, or something else?

I think it's more a mix of things.  ECW was a new project, with live TV, in its infancy.  That made it something that Vince wanted to shape and mold.  He had a vision for it so it required more of his time and supervision, at least from his point of view.  Smackdown, on the other hand, is "old faithful" because they have a deal in place and it's an established product.  Hayes can go in there and just book a wrestling show and the company is happy with it.  Plus, Hayes has been around long enough that he knows what Vince wants and he gives it to him.

DX. Rated RKO. Team Extreme. MNM. The Highlanders. Cryme Time. Turkay&Burke(?). All recent tag (re)formations. Is tag wrestling back, or on it's way, or is this just a renewed focus on the division that happens to have HHH in?

WWE always brings in tag teams (and seemingly feeds them to the wolves after building them up).  I don't see any rebirth of the division and until it's treated as being important, I don't think anyone else should either.

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