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HOW BROCK LESNAR FIGHTING NEXT MONTH COULD AFFECT SUMMERSLAM, WOULD I HAVE DONE WHAT HELWANI DID, MLB-WWE AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2016-06-12 14:01:00

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What is/was the involvement of MLB in the WWE network?

WWE used the same company that MLB to develop and implement their Network.

Athletic commissions issue standard medical suspensions to UFC fighters following their fight, which i've seen range in duration from 30 days to 6 months, depending on the severity of injuries sustained during the fight.  What is WWE's contingency plan for Brock at Summerslam in the event he gets knocked out, breaks a bone, or is otherwise medically unable to compete as a result of his UFC fight?

Good question. I don’t think WWE should (or will) do any SummerSlam storyline for Lesnar until they get past his fight next month. Their hope is he will come out of it cleanly. Even at that, The New York State Athletic Commission told The Law audio show that they will examine and Lesnar and he will have to pass it before he can wrestle at the PPV, which is in their state. And if Brock were to get knocked out, he would have to enter concussion protocol for WWE as well. WWE would be wise to wait until after the fight to make any plans with Brock.

Knowing that the UFC was planning on keeping Lesnar's return a secret until their PPV broadcast, as a journalist, would you have done the same thing Ariel Helwani did and reported it as soon as you confirmed the information?  Would your decision change if you worked directly for the UFC, knowing your job would be likely on the line if they weren't happy as a result?  And how is his announcement any different than you reporting that a big returning name is at a WWE PPV, for example most recently Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules?

In order:

Yes, I would have reported it as he did. That is his job and he did it.

If he was taking a paycheck from UFC, that would change the dynamic. When I interviewed with WWE in 1999 to take over as the editor of their magazines (remember magazines?), they made it clear that if I worked for them, my reporting days were over. The same holds true in this situation. If you work for UFC, you can’t do things your bosses don’t approve. You can’t go into business for yourself.

There is no difference in the reporting. It is the same thing. The difference how it played out is that Mike Johnson was not the guest of WWE, sitting in a comped seat at their show, when he broke the Rollins story. Helwani was, so the company was able to rescind that courtesy that they extended him. Whether you agree with their actions or not, they were within their rights to do so. He was a guest at their show and they decided he needed to get the boot.

Matt Hardy has been calling his brother “Nero” lately.  What’s the over/under on Jeff Hardy starting to call his brother “Dory”?

Whatever the highest odds are that will never happen are the odds I take.

With Brock Lesnar fighting in UFC 200 there could very well be some synergy and cross promotion with WWE that could be good for both entities. However, there is the risk of injury as well that he already faces in a WWE ring. What I'm wondering, what is the risk to his WWE character if he loses in what will be a high profile UFC fight? 

WWE would probably say, “We are two different businesses” but I think if Brock gets manhandled, there will be crowd backlash. Just look at the reaction Roman Reigns gets every week. Sure, the vocal fans like Brock more than Reigns, but I still think it will draw commentary from them.

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