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PWINSIDER Q & A: AUSTIN AND ROCK, RICH HOGAN, STYLES SHOOTING, EARLY TNA PPV PROBLEMS AND MORE

Hey there, I read that Austin is signed for two additional movies with WWE. So, I wanted to get your thoughts on something: Generally I love the idea with Austin and Rock in the same movie. Do you think a movie where they are worst enemies and battle it out big time would sell better or maybe a movie where they both play the old guys they are and maybe try to break back into the wrestling business one more time, or some kind wrestling movie, cause I'd love to see a few more?

I don't think either of those movies would sell very well.  The movie-going audience has made it pretty clear that they don't think much of Steve Austin as the lead in a movie given the embarrassing performance of "The Condemned".  Frankly, I don't see any scenario where it would be in the Rock's best interest to do a movie with Austin given his failure.  As for any kind of wrestling movie, it just won't make money so there is no point in doing it.  Plus, Rock has worked very hard to get away from the wrestling connection and establish himself as an actor.  I don't see him going backward.

My question revolves around finance: Who is the wealthiest wrestler? Surely Hulk Hogan. I read that he was earning $10mil per year for 7 years in the 80's and then $15mil per year for WCW from 1994-1998. I have his total career earnings at in excess of $140mil but what about you?

If you don't count Captain Doo Rag Vinnie Mac as a wrestler (though he sees himself as one) it has to be Hogan.  He made a mint during his WWE heyday and had a truly cherry deal during his WCW years.  He has made a ton of money and done so for decades.

My question is in response to a recent This Day in History article. It mentioned Joey Styles "quitting" Raw in a shoot style promo that led to the ECW resurrection. I read the transcript and wondered how Vince McMahon let that on the air. If Vince wanted the reasons for his falling ratings, he needed to look no further than that promo. Did Joey write that promo and how was that promo viewed backstage?

Vince was 100% behind the promo.  Shoots don't happen on his TV show unless he is the one doing them.  I know that creative wrote the promo and Styles had some input into it.  He delivered a great one that day.  It was the promo of the year due to Styles' delivery as well as how true everything he said was.  Of course, the truth part was lost on Vince because, well, he doesn't believe it.

I seem to remember a few months after TNA started with their weekly PPVs they had trouble with their PPV promoter having mislead them on the number of buys they should be expecting which caused TNA to over-budget their shows. I recall them switching to a different venue and making some other cut backs. Also the guy that had mislead them was doing the same work for the WWE or something. I can't seem to find anything anywhere on the net to support this can you confirm or deny that this happened and help me fill in the details.

That was Jay Hassman, who was an executive in WCW and tried to put together a group to buy ECW before working with a marketing group called "Team Sports".  They handled the marketing of the initial TNA PPVs.  After the early shows, Jerry Jarrett said that he got misinformation on buyrates from Team Sports which led to problems with the early TNA since they felt that they were doing better business than they actually were .  He also pointed to the fact that Team Sports worked with WWE as well.  My take is that TNA overspent early on, paying around $250,000 a show, and should have been more conservative with their money early on.  It's no secret that if The Carters/Panda Energy hadn't come along, the company would have died after less than three months.  So, whatever Hassman did or didn't do, I don't think it's fair to say he was detrimental to TNA.  It was actually the weekly PPV idea that was deadly to them. 

In your opinion, what are the chances of Rob Van Dam staying in WWE? I would figure, that the chances aren't too bad, given that he is currently (relatively) pushed on ECW on SciFi and even worked a good match with Umaga on RAW. Wouldn't WWE destroy the RVD-character before he leaves the company?

As it stands now, unless there is a change, RVD is leaving when his contract expires at the end of June.  We will probably find out this week if RVD is already done or whether he will finish up at the 6/3 PPV, which was the plan a few weeks ago.  After that, he will be paid until the end of his contract and then be free to do whatever he wants.

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