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PWINSIDER Q & A: BISCHOFF BORROWING FROM JAPAN, CHYNA, TAZ SHOOTING IN ECW, DUDLEYS AND MORE

How did the Dudleyz start the "Wazzzup" diving headbutt spot? Did they just see it on the beer commercials and just think it looked cool? Or is there a hidden meaning behind it?

Yep, as far as I know it was all an offshoot of the Budweiser beer commercials.  

I've recently got into UFC and I've been watching a lot of the earlier ones. I also recently saw the Dan Severn shoot interview and the interviewers said that Paul Varelans had a worked-shoot match with Taz. Can you tell me how that came about and how the match actually came off? 

It happened back at Hardcore Heaven 1996 in Philadelphia.  In a nutshell, Paul Heyman wanted to capitalize on both the buzz that the UFC was getting, as well as build up the shooter rep he was booking for Taz.  The two had a very short match that Taz won by submission.

I always remember hearing that Eric Bischoff stole the NWO concept from somewhere overseas (Japan maybe). But I never hear what specifically did he steal. Could you explain more on what the concept was that he stole. How did it work over there? 

In essence, he went to a New Japan show, since they were working with WCW at the time, and saw that New Japan was doing an angle where a rebel group was invading the promotion.  All of the wrestlers involved worked for New Japan, but the crowd got behind the concept since it was fresh and different.  Bischoff saw how they reacted to the angle and filed it away in his head.  When Scott Hall and Kevin Nash's WWF's contracts expired, Bischoff decided to bring them in to WCW using the same concept, people from the outside showing up and invading.  As we all know now, it worked very well until the company lost its way with the concept.

Who is the greatest female heel you have seen in the last 20 years?

Sable or Tammy Sytch, but it was all due to their actions backstage! Seriously, I would say that it was Chyna, during her heel peak.  People hated her so much that when she turned face, they loved her.  

Was there any interest in the WWE of signing former Olympic wrestling champion Rulon Gardner?

Yes, WWE did want to sign him and talked to Gardner, but he chose not to go into Pro Wrestling.  It was probably a wise choice for him because while he was a heavyweight Olympic champion, he didn't have the kind of look that WWE likes in its top guys.

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