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PWINSIDER Q&A: RIC FLAIR'S LAST OPPONENT, IRONMEN IN THE RUMBLE, ARNOLD ON SMACKDOWN AND MORE

Answered: 1/17

There have been many names tossed around as the person to defeat Ric Flair and send him in to retirement . Since WWE recently signed his son Reid to a developmental deal, what do think of the idea having the son be the one to defeat and retire his own Dad?

I think it is highly doubtful. 

Just wondering if you think or know if the Big Show will be Triple H's opponent this coming Monday night on RAW for his qualifying match for the Royal Rumble that Vince McMahon put him in?

I don't know whether Big Show will be Triple H's opponent on Monday, or even if he is going to be returning in time for the Rumble, but that is a very good idea. 

My question is about the looming rumble match. What are your thoughts on "ironmen" in the rumble? I agree having just one person do it every year looks a bit staged but it seemed like last year half the people in the match were going 20+ minutes in the match. Doesn't it dilute the importance of lasting in the rumble if lots of people have extended stays in the ring every year?

I don't think there is anything wrong with having one guy go 20-30 minutes as the "Ironman" and having a few guys have 15 minute runs in the match.  Especially if the wrestlers overlap, it can make it interesting to try and keep track of who is ahead on the clock when it comes to being the "Ironman".  I don't think it dilutes the importance of it, since every year, someone has to be the Ironman, just like someone has to be the wrestler who racks up the most eliminations. 

I've heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger was part of an angle on Smackdown back in its early days. What is the story behind that?

Back in November of 1999, Arnold was a special guest at a Smackdown taping in Baltimore, Maryland.  Vince McMahon presented him a title belt for being the "box office champion" and he sat in with the announcers for the show.  During the main event of Rock, Shane McMahon, Kane & Test vs. Triple H, X-Pac, Billy Gunn & Road Dogg, Arnold gave Steve Austin (special enforcer for the match) a chair, which he used to hit Triple H with.  After the match, Triple H went to punch Arnold, who ducked it and proceeded to pound Triple H on the floor. 

Love the site and I was just wondering, with Jamie Noble now 4-0 with Chuck Palumbo, is this Noble's reward for doing the job to Hornswoggle a few months back? And, once they are finished with the Noble/Palumbo program is there any chance of the Cruiser Weight Title coming back to either Smackdown or ECW? I would love to see the final match in the Noble/Palumbo program be a loser leaves Smackdown match, where Noble loses, then have him go to ECW and put the Cruiser Weight Belt on him there, giving an extra title to ECW and allowing more meaning to the mid-card stuff on the show. Your thoughts? Thank you.

I don't know if it is a "reward", but you would think WWE would appreciate that Noble was willing to be the butt of the Hornswoggle joke for quite some time.  As for the Cruiserweight Title, I got a feeling it will be staying in retirement for some time. WWE hardly used the belt anyway, so the few wrestlers in the company that would compete for it are probably better off as tag teams anyway.  I also don't see Noble being forced to ECW by a "loser leaves Smackdown" stip, since the talent on the two shows are constantly going back and forth anyway. 

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