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PWINSIDER Q&A: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS DVD, SHATNER INDUCTED LAWLER, 900 LINES, TNA-NWA SPLIT AND MORE

Do you think WWE would ever release a DVD about the Midnight Express? (I know not while Cornette's at TNA). They own all of WCW, WCCW, AWA (original MEx with Paul E.) and other footage. They were one of my favorite tag teams. They had great feuds, more than one finishing moves when at the time wrestlers or teams had only one finisher, Great double teaming moves, blind tags and a manager who could talk.

I would personally love to see a MX DVD as they were one of the my top three favorite tag teams of all time.  I think it's within the realm of possibility but not one that's really likely as they don't have the immediate name recognition of a Dusty Rhodes, a Ric Flair, or even the Four Horsemen.  Still, WWE is releasing a Mr. Perfect DVD later this year and I'd think he was on the same level as MX from a recognition standpoint among the general public, so you may not have a pipe dream there.

What is this 80,000 attendance garbage that McMahon is pushing?  Ford Field's website lists a capacity of 65,000 people.  While they may have freed up some space on the main floor since they didn't need the entire area for a football field, taping off the end of Ford Field to make room for the stage offset that.  Does Vince do this with every PPV?  I recall many accusations that he inflated the number for Wrestlemania 3 also.

According to a Ford Field staffer when I called the venue this morning, the posted capacity on their website is for football games.  It's not unlikely that WWE added another 15,000 seats to the venue, especially since there were hundreds of rows on the floor.

Without mentioning any particular web sites, what's your opinion of 1-900 hotlines for pro wrestling news in the Internet age? I personally can't phantom anyone shelling out $1.99 a minute for something I'm almost certain to read on the web, especially here at PWInsider.com.

I don't know why anyone would call anything for $2 a minute when they can easily log on to the Internet for free.  Even if they didn't own a computer, most public libraries offer online access today.  The 900 lines were a big money maker during their era, so I suppose it's possible they could still do OK business but if the print medium is hurting today (many newspapers and magazines have lost big pieces of their readership thanks to the online medium rising), I doubt the telephone medium is poised to make a comeback on any stage.  If anyone believes that 900 numbers are going to be the new trend, well, I have a great black and white TV that just rolled off the assembly line I'd like to sell them on.

I read on the internet recently that Jeff Jarrett has until May to make the NWA titles into TNA titles.  Do you believe this is the big break TNA needs much like ECW had in distancing itself from the NWA name?

I don't know where you heard May since PWInsider.com broke the story in our Elite section and I never discussed a timetable for the split between the two companies, only that it was going to take place in the near future.  There are no plans for it to be an on-air angle within TNA storylines.  As for a big break, TNA has weekly TV on national cable and monthly PPVs.  What they need is the strongest creative product they can muster, mixed with the great athletic wrestling they were presenting from top to bottom at one point.  Losing the NWA initials, which are mentioned in passing, means nothing for the company.

Why, Why, Why is William Shatner inducting Jerry “the king” Lawler into the WWE Hall of Fame? Couldn’t they have gotten “Fabulous” Jackie Fargo, “Superstar” Bill Dundee, or even Brian Christopher to do the honors? I’m not taking anything away from Shatner, I actually like him as an actor, but it just seems like one of the legendary wrestlers from Lawler’s past or his own son, a wrestler, would have been more appropriate. Also, do you think having Shatner induct him was Lawler’s idea or Vince’s?

I agree completely with you and Shatner was a WWE decision.  Obviously, WWE wanted some outside celebrities involved with the Hall to make it more palatable for the USA Network to air the special.  The problem is that it makes the Hall look like a farce because Shatner was obviously reading from a script and no one in the Ford Theatre bought it.  When Wade Boggs inducted Curt Hennig, he spoke of their friendship and it was a nice moment because he actually had a reason to want to be there.  Shatner did not. 

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