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PWINSIDER Q&A: WHERE'S PAUL HEYMAN, STING DVD, FLAIR GOING OUT A WINNER, TNA'S BOOKING & MORE

I have been a long time follower of TNA.  I live in Nashville, so I have been with them since the early days at the Asylum.  It seems TNA, even though it has an amazing roster, gets worse and worse every single week.  This is the low point for me.  I almost have given up on them completely.  My question to you is:  How long do you think it will be, if TNA continues with such terrible programming, before the big names like Christian, Kurt Angle, Booker T realize how bad it is and try to return to WWE?  Also, I just want to add, TNA please get new writers.

While you echo the frustrations of a lot of diehard wrestling fans, the reality is that for whatever reason, the ratings for Impact continue a slow but steady rise, so someone is liking what they are seeing.  I don't think the names you mentioned will ever leave for WWE because they all left WWE for reasons that wouldn't have changed.  Booker claims that he felt betrayed by the company for an unjustified suspension, Cage left the company due to wanting to get away from the schedule as well as a realization he wasn't going to be pushed as a top-tier name, while WWE released Angle due to personal issues (or Angle worked them into getting a release and has no issues, despite his recent DUI arrest - whichever you prefer to believe).  TNA's booking, good, bad or indifferent, has no factor in those situations.  There is still some good wrestling in TNA, but they aren't booking a show that hardcore fans want to see - that's the reality you have to deal with unless there is a change in the creative direction, which there is no reason to believe is coming anytime soon.

What has happened to Paul Heyman?  I haven’t heard anything about him for months.

Heyman has claimed to those close to him that for all intents and purposes, he's moved on from professional wrestling.  He's said to be working on a number of entertainment projects including several screenplays that have been floating around Hollywood, at least one TV pitch called "Drive" that would be a faux reality series based around street racing, and a planned mobile content series titled "The Heyman Hustle" that would see the former ECW owner as the host of an entertainment magazine style show.  In the past, Heyman has said to have had feelers out to the MMA world as well, but I haven't heard anything in that regard in recent months.

My question concerns the brands. When will we ever see a big change, like HHH, or Michaels to Smackdown. I know they are popular , but wouldn't it spice things up on Smackdown ? I am just saying, it would be nice to have the stars spread more out. 

I don't see those names working Smackdown any time soon on a full-time basis, but I do want to point out that in terms of spreading names out, this is likely the most balanced we've seen WWE in some time.  On Raw, you have John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels.  Ken Kennedy, Chris Jericho, JBL and Jeff Hardy are bubbling right underneath while Bobby Lashley is slated to return soon.  On Smackdown, you have Batista, Undertaker, Edge and Rey Mysterio, plus Kane is a regular feature on that brand.  Ric Flair floats back and forth between the two top brands as well.  This is probably the most evenly balanced and loaded the brands have both been in some time, plus Big Show is slated to return soon.

With all the speculation going around of who will defeat Ric Flair at Wrestlemania 24 ending his winning streak, what are the chances of Flair actually winning? If this is indeed going to be his final match, why not have him go out on top? After all, he is considered, by many, including myself, as the greatest professional wrestler ever. He certainly deserves to leave wrestling with a win instead of a loss. What do you think?

As a Flair fan, I'd like to see him get one huge miracle win and walk out as the World champion.  That said, for the good of the company, I can see the point of those who feel that it would be hindering the company to build up someone who is leaving. Still, if you look at Flair as an asset who will be part of the company after his retirement as a "living legend" type and a brand name who can sell DVDs, etc. you can make a case to do it, because there would be no shame in having him retire as champion.  Knowing how Flair respects the business, I can see him requesting to go out losing, but that said, plans can always change and who's to say WWE won't push back the retirement plans for Mania, either?

I want to steer clear of any redundant questions regarding whether Sting will wrestle against Ric Flair for his proposed retirement match at WM24 or coming to wrestle for the WWE period. We should know by now what the obvious answer is to either question. Instead, I wanted to respond to the reporting of there being a WWE-produced DVD centering around Sting's career for later this year. I know it's too early to speculate, but is there a slight chance that Sting could be approached to a give a first-hand account of his life or matches for the documentary or will Vince go the route a la the Ultimate Warrior and belittle or criticize him? Sting never had the reputation of having a big ego or being power-hungry who used backstage politics like the Hogans and/or Nashes of the world. So I can't think why anyone would have anything negative to stay about either his matches or personality. However, I seem to recall Sting appearing on the 700 Club with Pat Robertson a couple of years ago and revealing his drug and alcohol addiction from his past. If Sting does not sign a follow-up contract to reappear on TNA, then I hope he is free to give his DVD some validity. Your thoughts?

As we reported a few weeks ago in the Elite section on a Hotline, the Sting DVD has been indefinitely postponed by World Wrestling Entertainment as the belief is Sting has or will sign a new deal with TNA, so it wouldn't make sense to do the DVD while he is affiliated elsewhere.  If and when the company does a Sting DVD, I do expect they will invite him to appear and I suspect he will for the same reasons Bret Hart did - to protect the legacy of his career and get a payday in the process.

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