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After watching the Impact special on Twitch, I have to ask, is there any relation between Yokozuna and Fallah Bahh?
Despite the obvious creative and inspirational influence on Bahh, there is no relation between the two in any way, shape or form.
Any chance of a Kamala WWE Hall of Fame induction this year?
While I personally feel that a WWE Hall of Fame induction is well overdue, as he was one of the best characters ever and was a phenomenal heel with a great career, I've not heard any rumblings of that happening in New Orleans. One can hope!
I was wondering how the mechanics of an independent booking works? We know that WWE doesn't usually cover hotel or rental car, but they cover flights. What do indy promoters cover? Is it different for nationally known names (like John Morrison) vs. someone who's never had WWE exposure nationally (like a Joey Ryan). How does it all shake out?
WWE covers flights only with the exception of certain situations like Wrestlemania week. When a talent is booked for an independent date that requires them to fly, the independent promoter is responsible for the cost of the flight. What sometimes happens if a promoter has a name like Morrison booked is that if Morrison can pick up another nearby booking or two, the promoters will then split the cost of the airfare, making it cheaper for all involved. Even if the performer is not a "name" star, if they are booked somewhere cross-country by a promoter, it's on the promoter to cover the cost of the flight, although some wrestlers breaking in will jump into a car with a group and drive all over the country to save money and attempt to pick up more bookings and get experience. But, if a NYC wrestler is booked for PWG in California, it's on PWG to book the flight.
As far as hotels, it depends on the situation. I know of some promoters who will cover the cost of hotels, especially when it comes to name stars, because the stars can demand that as part of their booking agreement. For independent stars, it depends on the promoter and where their next booking is. Some stars might hit the road to go to the next town while others will crash together in a room to save money - or simply stay with someone they trust in that market. Every independent star has some form of "I slept on promoter X's couch."
As far as rental cars, no one picks up the cost of that. If a wrestler wants one, it's on them. In most cases where it's a one night booking and then out the next day, the wrestler will either arrange to get a ride from someone they know or, most likely, be picked up by someone who works for the promoter, literally getting in a car with a stranger, the exact thing everyone's parents told them not to do when they were growing up.
Who was Freddy Joe Floyd?
Tracy Smothers.
I was reading through This Day in History and I've seen instances of contracted WWE talents working for independent companies in the 1990s. Why did this happen and why did it end?
It happened because at the time, the company had a practice to book talents out to approved independent promoters on days when they weren't being used by WWE. Kevin Kelly and Jim Cornette handled the bookings, WWE would be paid directly for the use of the talent, in advance. Why it was dropped was several reasons. One, the company got far more popular and busier, so there were less and less dates that were available. Two, there were a few instances where an indy promoter would book Wrestler X for a date, only for WWE to later find out that the promoter didn't really have a show and was flipping Wrestler X to someone else for more money to pocket the difference themselves, effectively making a profit off their relationship with WWE. The other factor was increased concern over WWE talents getting hurt in rings that weren't up to the safety standards that WWE wanted. If Too Cool, for example, was booked in an important program on Raw and Brian Christopher breaks his ankle in a substandard ring on an independent show in Delaware, it wasn't worth the risk.
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