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PWINSIDER Q & A: CONGRESS SHUTTING DOWN WWE, STABLES, WWE ADMITTING RESPONSIBILITY, HOGAN-SHOW AND MORE

I know that you have been defending the wrestling business over the recent issues that have hit the WWF/E. I have been a fan of pro wrestling for 27 years and right now, as a fan, I am worried!! There has been enough talk about the suspended wrestlers and we all know that Congress is running their investigation. Since the recent information about how badly Chris Benoit's Brain was damaged from so many concussions lead me to these questions. Are there any real doctors in the WWF/E to help these wrestlers when it comes to concussions?? My God, Benoit should never have been allowed to wrestle!! When this investigation by congress is all over and they are STILL not satisfied with Vince McMahon and the changes that he will make to the WWF/E whether it is because Congress does not trust him or any other reasons, does Congress have the power legally to shut down the WWF/E PERMANENTLY???

I don't ever defend the business so I don't see where you got that.  I do, however, want criticisms to be fair and factual.  170 wrestlers, or whatever the goofy figure is that people often incorrectly quote, didn't die in the last 10 years.  But, a real number did.  I get mad when people exaggerate the figures when the real ones tell the story on their own.  There is a problem with how things are done in the wrestling business that leads to people dying before their time.  There is no need to sensationalize the situation because it's sensational enough on its own.

As for Congress, they could regulate the wrestling business and set up stringent guidelines for it, but not shut down WWE.  WWE needs to be proactive though and do everything that they can to protect the health of their wrestlers before for ethical and business reasons.  The spotlight is now on them from both the media and Congress so if they don't, they will have to face the consequences.  It's better to be proactive and stay ahead of the scrutiny than to have regulations forced upon you.  That means better health options, more testing and improving the Wellness Policy.

I would like some thoughts about the lack of real stables in the WWE today. They want to return to the “Attitude Era”, right? So where have all the stables gone? Back in the day there was the nWo, the Hart Foundation, the Corporation, DX, the Ministry, the Four Horsemen, etc. in WWF/WCW, but all we’ve received in the recent past is Evolution – which I thought was very effective having a legend like Ric Flair, a prime Triple H, and a couple of young guys to get over in Batista and Randy Orton. Nowadays, we get some tag teams with the occasional third partner (usually a diva), but I think there needs to be a true Evolution-like stables mainstreaming to make titles seem more important and to have feuds with either other stables or even a few strong individuals. I had read somewhere that there was supposed to be a real stable in Rated-RKO with Dan Rodman as an “enforcer” type character to feud with (I assume) the “new” DX and I think this would have been a great idea. I believe stables are a great way to bring up young talent to be established through teaming them with already “over” performers and/or legends. I’m not saying that every wrestler should be in a stable, but wouldn’t having a few throughout the Raw and Smackdown brands be good? Then the two top groups could feud inter-promotionally leading up to PPV’s – especially Survivor Series. Wasn’t the stable one of the main ideas behind the concept of War Games and Survivor Series anyway? Stables are one of the items missing in the parallel between today’s wrestling and that of the Monday Night Wars – so why don’t they bring these back?

I agree, I like stables too.  WWE has just not wanted to do them because, as best as I can tell, they don't feel it fits in with their vision of what the creative process should be.  They feel it's more important to create singles stars because they are more marketable for the company and carry the product.  I wish they would reconsider. 

I was watching Hogan Knows Best and saw The Big Show on it. So I was thinking is the Big Show now living in the Sunshine State. If so why? 

Hogan and Paul Wight have been close friends for years.  If memory serves, yes he does live in Florida.  You ask why?  I ask why not?  The weather is great and there is no state income tax.  A lot of wrestlers live there.  The Tampa area in particular is very popular among the workers.

Have you guys received any word that Jamie Noble may be unhappy in the current angle involving Hornswoggle? Initially, I was against this angle once I read the PPV results online; however, Noble is getting face time every week in the process and isn't that what it's all about getting your face seen and cutting promos, too?

I haven't heard anything along those lines.  If I had to guess, I would say he is happy to be in a pushed program. 

I agree with you that the recent brain damage evidence regarding Chris Benoit doesn't totally excuse his actions or the choices he made in his life, but why are WWE being so dismissive of it? Surely, given the current climate, they would want to point people away from steroids as a cause, and playing up this report would be one way.

Ah, but to play up the point of brain damage in Benoit, they would have to say that they foster a climate and a workplace where such a thing could happen.  They would have to admit culpability in being a part of what happened to Benoit, which they don't want to do.  Also, if they trumpet the brain damage aspect of the case, they would also be on the hook for things that happen going forward.  Every time they had someone take shots to the head, they would put heat on themselves because they would have "known what it did to Benoit".  Don't get me wrong, I think they should address this and work to limit shots to the heads of their workers, but they don't think the way that we do. 

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