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PWINSIDER Q & A: WWE PICKING TNA WORKERS, WRESTLERS' GIVING INPUT, WWE-UFC RELATIONSHIP, TAKING WRESTLING OUT OF WWE AND MORE

This past weekend WWE.com had a big ad pushing Lesnar-Couture plastered all over their main page. They know that they're competing with UFC for PPV dollars, right? I know it will never happen, but I'd like to see a comparison of what they made from those ads to what they lost by pushing people to spend money on UFC 91, considering they have a big 4 PPV coming up this month and we're in a recession.

WWE's relationship with UFC is an odd one, for sure.  At times they seem friendly, at others they seem adversarial (and I think WWE loathes them a lot more than they like them).  I hear what you are saying about the two companies competing for PPV buy dollars and there is some merit to it, I just don't know to what degree.  I am not sure how much running ads on their website will hurt the buyrate for The Survivor Series.  My hunch is that the lackluster build for the show will do more damage than WWE fans spending their money to watch Lesnar fight instead of buying one of their big four shows.  I would think they got a nice bit of change for the ads so they figured it was better to get the money where they could.  I can't say that at the end of the day, I disagree with them.

In regards to the wrestlers now being called entertainers, is the WWE now called WE: World Entertainment?

No, it's not but more and more it seems that if Vince could find a way to take the "Wrestling" out of their name, he would do it in a second.

With TNA putting a heavy emphasis on older workers right now and with many of their contracts coming up do you think Vince will take that chance to sign those veterans away? It would be a smart move on his part to take several of the top guys from a company who has all but crushed most of their "home grown" talent. 

WWE is always looking to poach top names and good workers away from TNA when they can and they probably always will.  With that said, I think they will talk to guys when their contracts are coming due and if they think they can get good value and hurt TNA in the process, they will make an offer.  But, I don't think they will overpay just to hurt the company at this point.  Also in play here is the fact that WWE is coming off of a bad quarter financially so they will be more judicious as to who they spend money on.  They still have a healthy war chest of cash and are not in any danger of having financial problems any time soon but they won't spend money unless they think it makes them stronger.

Maybe it is just me but last night's RAW a complete mess. First the camera was not on the normal side of the ring. Which through me off during the opening. The opening was just with off pace and seemed unnecessary. I think they switched camera side for a couple of entrances. (at least JBL) Spots where called late, killing the pace. And HBK's promos were way out in left field. Almost like he was mocking the show. So, is it just me being picky or was RAW a complete disaster this week?

I didn't have the problems with it that you did with the 11/17 show.  As I said in my review the next day, I thought it was an overall solid broadcast.  I think where they dropped the ball was doing a better job of pushing the Survivor Series.  But, it wasn't a disaster in my opinion.

Are wrestlers given the opportunity to come up with ideas for storylines or can wrestlers raise their own ideas for storylines?

For years, WWE has asked workers to come to creative with ideas.  Whether they actually want to hear them or not is another issue.  Some guys have reportedly gotten heat for offering scenarios in the past.  So, I think for the most part it's a situation where they say they welcome input and in some cases, they actually mean it.

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