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PWINSIDER Q & A: ORTON'S PHYSIQUE, ANNOUNCER CONTRACTS, JERRY LAWLER, CAN THE WRESTLER REVIVE THE BUSINESS AND MORE

I know that he announcers in the WWE are considered actual employees instead of independent contractors like the "superstars", but what does that mean exactly? Is it harder to release an announcer? Any other major differences? 

Just like the wrestlers, the announcers have contracts.  Whether it's easier to release them than wrestlers all depends on whether they have the 90-day out clause written into their deal or not.  If they don't, then WWE would have to pay them whether they used them or not.  As for what it means, mostly it's benefits and perks.  They get health care, retirement benefits, their travel paid for and more.  

When Jerry "The King" Lawler does a match, does he have to sign like a one- day contract or waiver or something in order to compete? 

I believe that Lawler's contract is written so that when he wrestles, he makes pay over and above his announcing contract.  It doesn't affect his regular deal in any way.

I have a question for Dave, Buck and Mike. Before the three of you became PWInsider.com , did any of you think of trying to become pro wrestlers when you were younger? 

I can speak for Mike and myself when I say that no, we did not have any desire to be actual wrestlers.  Now, if you ask me if I wanted to be Middle Linebacker for The Philadelphia Eagles or Centerfielder for the New York Yankees, that would be a yes.  But a wrestler, no.  I know how hard of a life it is for those guys.  Plus, I wasn't a fan of wrestling until my late teens so that figured in as well.  By the time I started getting into it, I had already outgrown the stuff I wanted to do as a kid.  Buck is away on vacation but I believe he had no desire to be a wrestler either.

If the movie "The Wrestler" is very successful, either in box office money or awards, do you think this will create a resurgence in wrestling's popularity?

I don't think any movie could be that powerful.  The best case scenario would be that people watch the flick and decide to give wrestling a try.  At that point however, it's up to the promotions to grab the fans and keep them.  They need to make the fans that give them a try stay.  The movie can't do that for them.

I was watching the promo Randy Orton gave on the RAW before Christmas and is it me or has Orton gotten "bigger"? He's obviously been in shape but his arms seemed bigger than they were at Mania.

To me he looked more cut than he had been.  I don't know if it's bigger so much as more defined.  Plus, he was also pretty oiled up on the show, which added to him looking better.  I am not saying he isn't bigger but he definitely looks more cut to me.  That is the biggest difference I noticed in him.

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