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PWINSIDER Q&A: WHY FLAIR, RUDE, DAVEY BOY, HEENAN AND MORE LEFT WWF FOR WCW & MORE

Is Rick Steiner signed to TNA?

I haven't heard Steiner signed a deal with the company, so he may have just been in for a short program with Team 3D.  Hopefully, once Scott Steiner is able to return to the ring, they'll get to do the match.

Is Hulk Hogan opposed to the idea of being in an on-screen/non-wrestling position with WWE, like the way Flair was brought back in 2002 as part owner? He could have blown up the limo to finally get rid of McMahon. Unlike Flair, he doesn't need the money of in-ring status, but his ego (and McEgos)may not feel it is worth being around if he's not going to be THE star?

Part of the reason Hogan and McMahon have their current rift is because Hogan feels he's worth main event top dollar and WWE feels that he isn't, so an on-air supporting role isn't going to sooth the Hogan camp over.

I have a question for your ASK PWI section...In 1992/1993 it seemed like a lot of wrestlers and talent left the WWF for WCW. Bobby Heenan, Mean Gene, British Bulldog, Ric Flair, Rick Rude just to name a few. Now I know WWF was definitely the more popular of the two companies at that time. Why did these people leave or were they released? It seemed like before the McMahon steroid trial a lot of people were leaving.  Was all this a coincidence or were people leaving WWF before the trial?  If not could you elaborate on why some of these people left or were fired. Thanks.

Each one was a separate instance, so we'll review each one.  Rick Rude left WWF after he was injured.  At the time, WWF was still advertising him in main event bouts for house shows, so his name was drawing the gate, yet he felt he wasn't being paid commensurate with the money made on the shows while he was hurt.  When his deal expired, he signed with WCW, debuting in October 1991.  Davey Boy Smith was fired in late 1992 by WWF alongside Ultimate Warrior when both were accused of using HGH during a time period where WWF was doing everything in its power to clean up the company due to the impending indictment of Vince McMahon for steroid distribution.  Ric Flair asked for his release and got it in January 1993.  He and McMahon had an agreement where if he wasn't going to be used as a main event player, he could leave.  Shockingly enough, when he was moved out of main events, McMahon kept his word to Flair.  Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund left in 1995 during a period where WCW was doling out top dollar contracts and health insurance as well.  WWF at that point didn't want to match the offers, so each left.    

I just watched WWE's The most powerful families in wrestling dvd. I have more comments then questions. I thought the Orton family was too long (WWE pushing their guy again), I think they should have put the Graham family under questionable family ties, in fact I think the questionable families should have been a separate DVD. I think they should have mentioned all the Hart kids names (I guess they did only the WWE ones) and show a family tree of the Anoa'i's. They didn't mention The Steiner brothers. (is this cause they are at TNA right now?) Also can you think of other families they missed? I know not the most powerful but families never the least. Besides the Steiners, I can think of the Youngbloods, Buzz and Bret Sawyer and (not sure if they are really related) Tommy and Davey Rich.

They actually mentioned all the Hart kids while they showed Stampede footage.  In regard to the Steiners, they are brothers while the documentary focused on, mostly, generations of wrestlers.  I guess the Briscos were an exception, but if it wasn't for them, WWF wouldn't have been able to take over Georgia Championship Wrestling, so they will always be revered in WWF's version of history.  I can't think of any other names off the top of my head. 

I was watching some of my old wrestling videos the other day and came across something that I have a question about: On an ECW on TNN episode that originally aired on June 30, 2000, there is a commercial for the ECW 900# hot line in which Joey Styles says "It's the end of an era in WCW, and even we here at ECW are sad about this one!" What was he talking about? I am extremely curious, especially considering that this was only 2 months after the Mike Awesome/WCW incident, so I presume it had to be a pretty special "era" ending in WCW, for ECW to be sad. P.S. If you tell me to call the hot line, I'll be perturbed!

I am pretty sure it was some management shakeup and ECW said that to try and entice viewers to call the 900 line, which did good business during that period.

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