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PWINSIDER Q & A: JERICHO PICKING WWE OVER TNA, WHY SOME GUYS HAVE SPOTS, ECW RETURNING TO ITS ROOTS, TOUGH ENOUGH RETURN AND MORE

With all these rash of recent WWE talent releases I'm so surprised guys that less-talented workers like Matt Striker, the Miz, and Snitsky haven't had their heads on the chopping block so far. Personally, whenever I read a headline posted on your site regarding a release I'm always hoping their names will appear in the report before I click on the link, but I digress. Didn't you guys report not too long ago that Striker had backstage heat with management to the point that he had to dress or shower in a separate dressing room from the other wrestlers? Plus, unless they're going the JBL butt-kissing route with both the McMahons and Johnny Ace I cannot think their wrestling abilities (or lack thereof) is keeping them steadily employed in the WWE. And neither guy isn't exactly known for selling merchandise. What are your thoughts?

In the case of Striker, they like that he is a good promo guy and can get heat, plus he can work as a manager for Big Daddy V.  He has had some problems fitting in backstage, but nothing major enough to warrant a release.  Plus, he works pretty cheaply and they need guys on ECW to fill out the roster.  So, he has a spot.  They think Miz has a lot of charisma (and to be fair, he does).  They like that he has a reality TV following and also that he is trying to improve in the ring.  I don't love the guy, but I think that is a fair assessment of him and he does have some potential.  As for Snitsky?  Well, he's big.  Real big.  That goes a long way with Vince and company.

Do you think that if ECW kinda went back to the way it use to be, that it would help bring in better ratings? 

Actually, yes I do.  I think that there are a lot of fans that would love to see an alternative product and with WWE making ECW just like Raw and Smackdown, they lost those potential customers.  The fact that the show did much better ratings when it debuted, because old ECW fans thought they were going to get "their" product back, backs that up.  There is a segment of the audience that watches everything that the company produces.  They are the current ECW crowd.  But, there are others that would watch if it were different and WWE has lost them because they refuse to think outside the box and deliver a different kind of product.

Do you think that if WWE went back to the original format of Tough Enough that it would get a better reception now based on how well The Ultimate Fighter is doing?

I don't think so.  The Tough Enough concept played itself out in my opinion.  How many times can you watch guys train to be pro wrestlers?  TUF is a different animal because it can pay off the TV shows by having guys actually fight.  WWE doesn't have that going for them with Tough Enough.

With ECW on SciFi getting a contract renewal, why does WWE.com still show the entire ECW shows??? 

I honestly think there are two factors in play here.  One of them is that they weren't sure that they were going to stay on Sci Fi so once they announced the web airings, they stayed with it after the deal with Sci Fi got done.  The other is that they do want to legitimately know what they could handle streaming on their website in case Raw or Smackdown were to lose their TV slots.  With that said, I really don't think they will find much out now that ECW is extended on Sci Fi through next year.

Why would Chris Jericho choose WWE over TNA? I know he gets a lot of chants at WWE events, but let's face it, he will get an initial push, but eventually he'd just get crushed by the "indestructible" HHH and likely Cena. In TNA, he could write his own ticket and not have his career "politically pedigreed". What gives?

A few factors are in play here.  A lot of guys see WWE as the big time and don't want to work for TNA for that reason.  They grew up dreaming on getting to "The WWF" and that is the game that they want to play if they had a choice.  Another reason TNA is very attractive is the softer schedule.  Jericho is coming off of a long break so it's not like he is burned out and needs the break.  Also, he realizes that given WWE's lack of top guys, he has a golden opportunity right now to get a big push, and a bigger paycheck.  And, if he ever debuts any time soon, there is also the matter of selling his book.  He will reach a much bigger audience of wrestling fans plugging it on Raw than he would on Impact.

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