PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

PWINSIDER Q & A: THE DRAFT, SMACKDOWN'S FUTURE, NAKED DIVA, RACISM, GREAT WAY TO BRING BACK TAKER AND MORE

Having watched RAW, ECW, and the supplemental draft...well, don't you feel WWE is a bloated, unorganized mess at this time? I know you liked RAW, but even me, a 20 year fan, had a hard time keeping track of all the madness... the 'random' draft that mainly dealt with top names only...the Diva match with the double DQ, where it was decided both shows get a pick, and then having the announcer from each show simply switch places (and don't get me started on how they treat JR), then ECW the next night featuring Punk, Kane and Henry, NONE of whom are supposed to be there anymore, plus the supplemental draft where the end result is pretty much all of the RAW and Smackdown roster merely switching places. Then we have a PPV this Sunday with champions who have been switched all over the place defending belts vs. guys on different brands...I am tired typing this as I sure you are tired reading all this, I think you get my point...does WWE have any plan where they are going, and does a draft matter if they are going to book wrestlers to show up on any show they want anyway?

I thought WWE was often an "unorganized mess" before the draft.  I actually think that with the moves that they made last week they tried to spice things up and put themselves in a position to make the product more interesting.  I had no problem keeping up with what they did either.  The changes they made were interesting to me so it wasn't a problem.  I agree that they should have simply explained that the guys who appeared on their old shows this week had one more date to fill on their former brand, and they dropped the ball there.  As long as it was a one time thing however I am OK with it.  I also think the changes made the PPV more interesting, so we disagree there as well.  As for a long term plan, well I understand your hesitance to believe they have one.  I share opinion that until they prove otherwise.  I hope they prove us wrong.

Has Maryse ever appeared in a Playboy magazine, in their online Cyber Club or in a Playboy video? I seem to recall reading that she has done one or all of these.

Yes, she has posed a number of times for various Playboy publications. 

I doubt many people would condone Michael Hayes use of the 'N word' recently and most people would applaud the WWE's subsequent reaction to said event. However, for a company that has repeatedly used racist and xenophobic characters in heel roles in order to make money and 'entertain' , isn't it a little hypocritical to punish an employee for using a racial slur? Surely WWE's less than exemplary past is far more damaging and perhaps partly responsible for the use of such a word in both society and backstage?

I certainly think it is and frankly I wonder if it would have ever been an issue had 1) Mark Henry not complained (and I am 100% behind him in doing so for the record) and 2) If the company were not publicly held.  As you said, there are far too many examples of WWE playing off of racist, xenophobic and homophobic stereotypes in the past to not see WWE as a company that has allowed some questionable things appear on the airwaves.  On the flip side, WWE could make the case that what airs on TV is satire and thus isn't meant to be taken seriously while Hayes said what he did in a management role off camera.  I think saying they are hypocrites is going too far but there is definitely some culpability here.

Could you see Kane turning on CM Punk and stealing his MITB briefcase and giving it to the Undertaker as a way to get his brother his job back with the WWE?

I am typing this on Sunday before the PPV, FYI.  I don't know if we will see it but I think that would be a very different and new way of explaining Taker's return.  They could have Kane win MITB, give it to Taker, he could challenge for a belt, win and then have to be reinstated.  I like it (except for it killing Punk, again).   

With Smackdown moving to new network in the fall, one that is able to be viewed by a lot less people, will that will affect how they fare in the upcoming draft?

As you know, it already did.  WWE is very serious about loading up Smackdown as much as possible.  They want it to be a big success for MyNetworkTV.  There are a few reasons for that.  One is that once CW decided to drop the show, there weren't very many suitors so it's in WWE's best interest to deliver ratings on their new home to ensure that they have the TV exposure that they want.  Other than MNTV, WGN out of Chicago was the only other channel bidding for them.  They certainly don't want to end up on a smaller network like WGN so it makes sense to deliver viewers to MNTV.  Also, with MNTV owned by Fox, they want to keep their foot dangling in that water in case they could ever make the jump to the big network. 

You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q&A by clicking here.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet