I don't think they used the older talents at the expense of the younger stars, but I did feel that they minimized the "core" talents. At the same time, their goal on 1/4 was to secure a regular Monday night timeslot and obviously, they achieved what they wanted. Now, if they continue to downplay the Beer Moneys and the AJ Styles of the world, you'll have a point, but they've been trying to get talents like Abyss, Styles and D'Angelo Dinero over in recent weeks.
Has anyone else besides Bret Hart been that successful at being both heel and face at the same time depending on area, not someone playing both all the time, someone who played both based on territory?
Absolutely. There were a ton of traveling NWA champions who would switch back and forth depending on where they worked in order to get the local stars over.
A couple of questions about Arn Anderson. I was re-watching his retirement speech from Nitro, and after 12 years, it's still moving. Where does that promo rank against other promos over the last 30 years. Also, can you see Arn being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame solo, or only as a Four Horsemen group induction?
It was absolutely the most emotional moment of the WCW Nitro era, with the exception of Ric Flair's return to the company. My feeling is that when Arn Anderson goes in, he goes in alone. He's had a long run with WWE backstage as a producer and was one hell of a great in-ring performer. I don't see him going in as part of the Horsemen group.
I've been watching some of the Rock's matches from 2001 onward & noticed that he used the Sharpshooter in some of these matches, particularly at Wrestlemania 17 & 18, at No Mercy (2001), Vengeance (December 2001) and in Vengeance 2002 (triple threat match against the Undertaker & Kurt Angle). Any idea when he started using this and was it done as a tribute to Owen and/or Bret Hart?
Johnson used the move on a semi-regular basis, stemming back to Survivor Series 1998 when he "screwed" Mankinds out of the WWF title in their tournament final. I am sure it was done with Bret's blessing, as Hart always liked Rock and felt he was going to be a major star.
What are the chances of Booker T coming back to the WWE ? If he did, what show would you like to see him on and who should he feud with ?
It's possible it could happen down the line, but WWE sources indicate they yanked a potential deal off the table a few months back.
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