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INDEPENDENT WRESTLING MOVIES ON THE NETWORK, PUTTING BATTLE ROYALS TOGETHER, VENTURA VS. WWE AND MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2014-08-28 10:00:00

So WWE has "split" the Bella twins, however they are still booked for appearances together and still share the same social media accounts? Please explain why!

I can't answer that one for you, except to say that WWE didn't change things up quick enough for your liking. I wouldn't be shocked to see their social media and appearances change if the Nikki turn is a long-term change to the Bella characters.

Will we ever see Beyond the Mat or Wrestling With Shadows on the WWE Network? They played a big part in the documentary and it would be popular for sure in regards to viewing.

It's possible but I don't see it as likely; WWE has so many hours of material that they own, they don't need to go out and license from third parties to fill their programming needs yet. Plus, they haven't begun to utilize their own WWE Studios films, so it doesn't make sense to spend money on other studios' material when they aren't using their own yet.

I've been watching a lot of Battle Royals lately and was wondering what kind of planning goes into them. I realize the end result/winner is predetermined as would most eliminations and some spots but I was curious as to whether wrestlers are given any free reign to improvise when there are so many bodies in the ring and so much going on. Naturally there aren't many high risk maneuvers and instead there will be no shortage of clutching/grabbing and elimination attempts. When watching on TV the cameras will try to put the focus on the matchups they want you to see but at live events where you can really pick and choose what to watch, it''s interesting to see what develops and whether a punch thrown here or a double team there is scripted or just guys keeping busy before they are to be eliminated. I assume there is a lot of talking on the fly and veterans working with the greener guys to make things flow. Your thoughts?

Usually with a battle royal, the talents have bullet points of moments or spots the company wants in the match and the rest of it is just improvised. In a bout like The Royal Rumble, there is a lot more booking involved. Obviously with TV, they are going to have stricter guidelines than they would on a house show.

For the most part, WWE does a great job with their documentaries, but doesn't it detract from them a bit to have WWE Superstars/Divas providing historical perspective on things that happened when they were in the crib, e.g. Summer Rae discussing the Rock n Wrestling Connection?

I think it depends on the person. If someone studies the business and loves it, why shouldn't they discuss something they are passionate about. No one was alive when say Stonewall Jackson was fighting in the Civil War but that doesn't mean he won't be studied as a General and discussed in documentaries on that era. The only time I think a subject detracts from a documentary is when they are forced in and obviously don't have a true understanding of the discussion and it takes away from the overall narrative being told.

I’ve started watching the Ultimate Warrior: Ultimate Collection on Netflix. Jesse the Body Venturas commentary on the Rick Rude/Warrior Summer Slam IC championship match is included. Has WWE worked out a deal with Ventura ? I’ve noticed Venturas commentary has been removed from some previous DVD releases.

Here is the deal with Ventura, because it's been totally blown out of proportion, WWE lost a lawsuit to Ventura years ago and had to pay out royalties owed for old matches that were released on VHS. Those royalties have been paid. WWE owns the rights and paid for that content. The WCW material did not fall under that settlement, since WWE didn't own the rights to the library at that point, so at times, WWE removes Ventura from WCW material being sold on DVD, as it prevents them from being in a legally actionable position or from having to cut Ventura a check. The older WWF material doesn't fall under this issue.

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