wwepromoter

I agree with those who say things are too tightly scripted with no improv and cookie cutter physiques that prevent any stars like Ric Flair or Dusty Rhodes possibly popping up. I'm also not too sure about Vince Russo being the sole cause of this either because I remember Steve Austin complaining about when he returned the product was too scripted and the newer wrestlers were in the back like robots and scared of rocking the boat by not doing exactly what they were told. As we know, we saw the decline of wrestling once Austin returned like a year or two later.

THE "WRITE" STUFF I can't count the number of times over the last 10 years that someone, usually not connected to professional wrestling in any way except as a fan, has asked me, "How do I get a job as a writer?" or given me a package of "scripts" as an audition for a "writing position". This usually gives me the sour belches. It's not these folks' fault that they want the position, it's the fault of the idiots who actually HIRE idiots like these that gives others the idea they, too, can get the jobs with no experience whatsoever. So the inaugural Cornette's Commentary deals with what a "booker" is, what a "writer" is, and the difference between the two. The inspiration for this column was a paragraph in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter from several months back. I quote that here verbatim, as an example of the intellect of people who "write" wrestling in some places these days: "It started with Marella and Phoenix out. Marella talked about the three perverts he might face at Cyber Sunday, two crossdressers, Rodney the Piper and Goldendust, and a third pervert in Honky Tonk Man. He called "Johnny Knockville" to the ring. He was out there plugging his website about 50 times, so it was no subtlety as to why he was there. He made a remark about Phoenix's tallywacker and implying she was a guy in drag (I mean, she doesn't exactly look like Nicole Bass or even Chyna to make that joke work), so she bodyslammed him. This was just about the worst bodyslam in history, all his fault. She gave him an extra boot out of frustration and I'm sure she was glad her time in this skit was up. Hornswoggle ran in for a tadpole splash. Then Chris Pontius, who was with him, came to the ring. Christopher DeJosephs (a WWE "writer") as Big Dick Johnson then showed up, peeled off his clothes and started dancing. Pontius then peeled off his clothes, so you had two guys running around in jock straps dancing. I'd hate to think who this was trying to appeal to at this point. But we weren't done. Out came the Boogeyman.. DeJosephs ran away, but Boogeyman gave Pontius a lousy looking clothesline and spit worms all over his face. Almost none went in Pontius' mouth, but one or two may have and they were selling it like a ton did. But we STILL weren't done. Knoxville got up and said he'd been blown up before, and finally since this was all building to it, out came Khali. They started laughing and Khali gave Knoxville the head squeeze, picked him up and dropped him with a slam from the head squeeze. There have been mercy killings less painful than this segment. Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times, there live, said "I've never seen a segment die live quite as bad as that Jackass segment did. And it seemed to go on forever." There were people internally quietly saying the segment was awful, and Brian Gewirtz (WWE "writer") was very defensive of it, saying those people just don't understand good comedy." Apparently that stupid son of a bitch Gewirtz doesn't understand good WRESTLING, either. Let's clarify our terms at the start. Pro wrestling doesn't have "writers", it has a BOOKER. "Sports entertainment" has "writers". Since Toots Mondt laid the groundwork for the position of booker back in the 20's and 30's, the booker in wrestling served as the matchmaker, deciding who would wrestle who, who would win, constructed the finishes to lead to rematches if applicable, and set up the "programs", or series of matches between two opponents. He determined the talent roster by hiring and/or firing the wrestlers who wrestled in the particular territory he was booking. As the TV era began, the booker also laid out the TV formats, came up with the angles to be worked, and gave the talent ideas for what to say in their promos. The promoter, or owner, of the territory the booker was in charge of was the only person the booker answered to. He might have assistants to carry out his instructions, but he had sole control over any decisions relating to talent. If business was good, he stayed in the position. If business was bad, the promoter replaced him. The wrestlers, especially the main event talent, had great leeway in their performance as long as they carried out the booker's basic instructions. The booker gave the finish and any important spot, the rest of the match was up to the talent. The booker told the talent the subject and time of their TV promos, content and delivery was up to talent. As an example, Dusty Rhodes' instructions to me might be, "You've got 3 minutes, you're wrestling the Rock & Roll Express in Charlotte, last show there you interfered with the racket so this time they've asked for a cage match, and it's for the Tag Title. Go sell me some tickets." If the talent performed the booker's angles, finishes and promos properly while getting their individual personalities and style over, they drew money. If they didn't, they were replaced with someone who did. So, in summation, a booker assembled a crew of wrestlers that he felt were unique, charismatic and talented, gave them direction and a platform on which to get over, built up their won-loss records, and then manipulated them into personal issues or title matches with other stars he felt were compelling enough that fans would pay to see them. The talent did the rest, and that's why main event stars got reputations as being able to "draw money". You often hear these days that "so and so has never drawn any money." In TODAY's environment, few particular talents "draw money", because few are put in positions to do their own thing and prove it's THEM, not the "writing", that people are paying to see. Great talent can sometimes take mediocre booking and make it work, but it's hard for great booking to draw money with subpar talent. Being a great booker was an art form, possibly the hardest job in wrestling, because it not only required great knowledge of and experience in wrestling, but the ability to spot and feature great talent as well. Many of the greatest bookers were also top stars in the ring. The reason for this is because only a proven money-drawing talent with a track record of success and years of experience would be trusted by a promoter with the most important job in his company. In many cases, only a top star known for his accomplishments would have the respect in the eyes of the talent to be able to tell a locker room full of stars and tough guys what to do. Of course, there was often a problem with the booker also being a wrestler, in terms of ego, overpushing himself or his friends, etc., but there was also an upside in that the booker knew he wouldn't walk out on himself, hold himself up for more money, and the like. So how did you become a booker in the "old days?" Every story is different, but the gist is the same.Unless you had some outstanding accomplishment on your resume, such as being a standout amateur champion, former pro athlete, local sports hero, or physical giant that made a promoter come to you, you generally followed a path something like this: You were a fan of wrestling who hung around the matches, set up the ring, ran errands, etc. until your presence became accepted in the "closed society" of wrestling. An established wrestler took a liking to you and agreed to train you in the basics. After getting the crap kicked out of you in training, you started as a TV job guy or a "curtain-jerker", got beaten like a drum, losing to everyone wherever you could get booked. You suffered through long trips and low payoffs until, IF you had any talent, you began moving up the cards, and MAYBE you would get a break if you impressed someone in power, and you would get to be involved in an angle or program. If that went well, you MIGHT get booked in a decent spot somewhere else. Over a period of years, working in many different territories, IF you were really good, you MIGHT establish yourself as a top talent. IF you showed an interest in or aptitude for the booking end of wrestling, you might begin to get input in your own programs and angles, and IF that worked well, you MIGHT be offered a spot as an assistant to an established booker who had taken an interest in you and wanted to mentor you, and if that worked out, a promoter somewhere MIGHT have enough faith in you to give you a shot as his booker. So as you can see, it was fairly easy. In my case, I was a fan for 5 years, a photographer/ring announcer/gofer for 6 years, and a manager for 7 years before I was given an opportunity to be an assistant to WCW booker Ric Flair at the age of 28, and THAT raised eyebrows as I had so "little" experience. I also had to overcome the fact that I was not a wrestler, but "only" a manager. Still, I had been a performer, and that was the key. Not only was it almost unheard of for a person without many years of experience to be given a booking spot, but it was even rarer for someone to book if they had not been a performer of some kind. You needed the experience of actually performing angles, finishes, promos and the like to know, through trial and error and on-the-job training how these things were laid out and implemented, how crowds would react, and how slight variations would lead to the success or failure of anything you were trying to accomplish. Contrast the old system, where idiots like the aforementioned Gewirtz couldn't have gotten a job popping popcorn, with today. "Sports entertainment" started in the mid 80's, as a term coined by Vince McMahon to con major advertisers into thinking they were buying something other than professional wrestling, which many considered "low-class" programming. Of course, it was really still wrestling, as fans have never said, "There's sports entertainment at the Coliseum tonight", or "Did you get your sports entertainment tickets". But, especially over the last 10 years, the WWE has spearheaded major changes which have resulted in wrestling being possibly the only product of any kind where the fans, or the consumers, know more about the product than most of the people in charge of producing it. The WWE executives and higher-ups have deluded themselves into thinking that they really AREN'T in the wrestling business, that they have created something better than "rasslin' ", as they condescendingly refer to it. Even though they owe their homes, their savings, possibly everything they own to pro wrestling, they are so ashamed of being in the business of promoting wrestling that they refuse to even call it that. Over nearly a generation of hiring new employees, most of whom don't know the true story, they have created an atmosphere in the company whereby many there genuinely believe they have created a new genre of entertainment out of something that was seedy and small time, never successful before Vince got ahold of it. Nowhere is this more prevalent as on their "creative team", which is what they optimistically call their "writers". For years, the head of the creative team has been Stephanie McMahon, the boss' daughter. While an intelligent, college-educated woman, her credentials qualifying her to be the head "writer" of a wrestling promotion remain the three words "the boss' daughter." Her knowledge of wrestling history, especially of how her father put the territories out of business, is nil, as evidenced by her testimony before Congress. Her experience as a performer has been limited to what she wrote for herself. It's not her fault entirely, as until she came to work at the WWE after college, she attended the matches sporadically, and certainly no one was going to teach the boss' daughter anything that might be politically imprudent. Her husband, Triple H, a student of the game, is certainly not going to rock his marriage boat, and much more important to him, his position as the heir to the throne, by telling her any of the negative effects her father has had on the pro wrestling industry in general while building his personal empire. So Stephanie, as head of creative, hires people like her.Young people with college degrees in writing, many with experience writing scripted television, comedy shows in particular, with little or no respect for wrestling, and little if any experience performing ANYTHING. As a matter of fact, being a fan of wrestling is not even a requirement for the job, and God forbid if you DO admit to being a wrestling fan, and having watched any other wrestling besides WWE, you will at best be viewed as a "mark" and your days numbered. These sitcom writers and comic book/video game enthusiasts don't apply for WWE jobs out of a lifelong love of wrestling, they do it to add to their resumes for the day they can get jobs in "real" TV and feed their dreams of winning an Emmy. They write things to amuse themselves and/or Vince, because seemingly 80% or better of "sports entertainment" has to be funny, usually involving stripper pillow fights, fart jokes, crossdressers, fat oily guys, inside jokes only a small portion of the audience understand, and midgets. When the fans who actually watch wrestling because they like it don't enjoy this crap, they are called "smart marks", "spoiled", and mocked and made fun of for not being "with the program", because in the WWE the customer is NEVER right. While the WWE employs some of the greatest in-ring talent of the past as agents, like Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat and others, not only do they not have a hand in actually writing the shows, but they know better than to ruffle feathers by giving their true opinions, so they are forced to sit in muzzled silence while one of the writers sacrifices his dignity with gusto by slathering oil on his repulsive, 300 pound frame and parades about in a G-String, taking up time that could be used to get a hardworking young wrestler over. They know that Vince and his minions love to embarass and humiliate his loyal wrestling staff on TV if they step up with a dissenting opinion. It's no wonder that Michael Hayes, the last remaining person out of the revolving door staff of "writers" who has actually BEEN a pro wrestler, has had public issues with alcohol. After watching these amateur Shakespeares barge into the front door of my profession, wipe their feet on the rug, and turn the business into a clown show resembling the Harlem Globetrotters on acid, I feel like taking up a Mexican black tar heroin habit. In this process, all the individuality has been taken from the talent. As the RAW script which was recently leaked on the internet shows, every word, every bit of business, even every gesture is scripted and only the upper echelon of talent has the liberty of any improvisation. Wrestling has been homogenized, pasteurized, and "sanitized for your protection" like a cellophane wrapper on a toilet seat at a cheap motel. The "writers" have become so absorbed in self-aggrandizement that every page of the detailed script is headed with "You are watching the longest-running weekly episodic television show in history", as if they are on the level of Gunsmoke, Bonanza or I Love Lucy. I don't recall Marshall Dillon spouting bad jokes like a standup comic in the Poconos, or Fred Mertz giving Ricky Ricardo a piledriver. If the material succeeds, the creative team pats itself on the back. If it fails, they blame the wrestlers, saddled with silly gimmicks and lame scripts they don't have the power to refuse, for not being able to "draw money". If stars of the past like Dick Murdoch, the Sheik, Abdullah the Butcher, or even Dusty Rhodes, were to come along today, they couldn't even get jobs in developmental because they don't fit the cookie-cutter mold of what "stars" are supposed to look like. They would sound the same as everyone else because they wouldn't have the power to "go into business for themselves" and get themselves over with their unique personalities. The matches themselves, the very basis of how wrestling sells tickets, are minimized in importance because, from bell to bell, the matches are the one thing that's hardest for the "writers" to control. The overwritten, overproduced skits take precedent because, as the old saying goes, if the "writers" ever walked into an athlete's locker room, they'd be whistling "Stranger in Paradise." The passion and emotion has been drained from the promos, as instead of colorful personalities speaking their own words from the heart, the talent recite memorized promos handed to them in a script, so everyone sounds the same. Credibility has been sacrificed as instead of two men fighting over a championship or personal issue easily understood and believed by the viewer, they are mired into an overwritten, convoluted soap opera that is obviously contrived. Injury rates soar as people who have never been in a match come up with ridiculously complicated stipulations and gimmick-laden bouts that are impossible to perform safely, all the while knowing THEY'LL never have to risk their necks actually executing the shit. I've made a lot of money in wrestling over the years, but I'd have a lot more if I had a dime for every time someone has recognized me in public and told me they USED to watch wrestling, but they don't anymore because it got so (pick one) A) Show biz B) Fake C) cartoony D) offensive or E) variations on A-D. And who suffers? Besides the fans who have to sit through so much of this hokey shit to see the great matches and promos the top talent are still capable of delivering when given the chance, it's the wrestlers. The aspiring rookies are handicapped by having no territories left to gain experience in, as well as the WWE's butchering of their own developmental system. The guys who do make the main roster are forced to sacrifice their dignity and self-respect by doing the silly things that hamper their ability to get over but amuse the writers. The more physically demanding style combined with the mainstream knowledge that pro wrestling is a complete work means they now have to hit each other twice as hard to get half the response. Careers last 5 or 10 years instead of 20 or 30. I won't even go into the drug issues caused by the cosmetic look needed to fit the WWE's hiring practices or the resulting depression experienced by those who get a brief taste of stardom, then have it taken away when the gimmick or spot they are given turns out to be a short-term success with no legs and they are "typecast" in the fans' eyes and cannot reinvent themselves. Additionally, the wrestler is the one who takes the blame if he grows a set of balls one day and says, "No, the Boogeyman is NOT going to spit live worms in my mouth tonight." Wrestling is a talent-driven industry.The stars are ultimately the ones the fans pay to see, or watch on TV. But never in our sport's history have people who have no experience and background in or respect for our industry had so much control over those who do. And that's sad, for the wrestlers AND the fans. I'm Jim Cornette, and that's my opinion

Okay, the discussion was a bit heated at the other site. Here are some posts from the discussion. Well Undertaker winning the title at 26 was very suprising. I think he was the youngest star to win it at the time, and thats why it came to be such a massive shock and upset, let alone him beating Hogan. As for the topic of what the prime years are, and its still early to mid 30s. Apart from Underaker and Rock, no one else won it in thier 20s in the 90s, and only a few have done it in this decade ; Orton, Lesner and Cena? Lesner failed, Cena kinda did it when he was on the verge of 30s, and Orton is really the only guy who's managed to do well winning the title in his 20s, at best. The reason for this age change though is what took place in 2001-2002. The 30 odd stars which usually rule, all somehow got pushed out. Austin, Rock, Foley just to name a few. Not only that, but the 40 odd people made a massive return. The WCW stars with Hogan, Nash and Hall. Goldberg and Flair. HBK wasn't 40 when he returned, but he was getting there. I think this is where they ended up with a locked room of 20-30 and 35-45. They lost the stars in the early 30s, the men who usually carried the roster. Vince had no choice but to go for the young stars, and it kind of worked. ------------------------------------------------------ I agree with you. I think in wrestling it is 30-40 years old. Now physical prime wise it might tend to dip a bit once the late thirties are there (around 37 years old). But at the same time all around character and performance wise I think it is 30-40 in wrestling. Remember in the NBA when Jordan was completing his second three peat. He was 33, 34, and 35 years old respectively for those 4th, 5th, and six titles. He was still the best player in the game and would have been probably for another two years until he was 37. He wasn't the same on an athletic basis (even though he was still very athletic and had hops still) but skill wise and mentally he was better than ever. That made up for the half a step he may have lost. Some guys are so great that even if they are past their prime physically they can still be great at their sport, even as good as they ever were. It just depends on their skillset and style. Taker is a great example, HBK is as well. Taker is a big power guy who has that naturally long lean frame. Of course over the years you become more injury prone. But when he's in the ring and can go Taker in my mind isn't past his prime all around. HBK doesn't move as fast as he did back in the day but he's still damn fast. HBK was could always go the technical route, even back in the 96-98 days. However he's relying on technical shit more now because of the injuries, even though he can still do high flying stuff very well. ------------------------------------------------------ Okay, I guess the best way to do this may use some of these definitions and then apply them to the greats. I also think the greatness of someone is of equal importance to the greatness around him that made him great. An example would be Mike Tyson whom many say was great when he fought average fighters(in other words bums), but once he started facing guys of equal status he started to show his kinks. ------------------------------------------- Hulk Hogan: I say Hogan's prime was actually 1986-90. The reason I say this is that he was at his physical prime where he could work matches to the best of his ability. He was at the height of his drawing powers and a mainstream cash cow. The matches in this time frame included matches with Andre The Giant(back to him later), Paul Orndorff, Randy Savage, Harley Race(back to him later), Ted Dibiase, Mr. Perfect, Ultimate Warrior, and Earthquake for his big feuds. You have to ask what age was Hogan here. He started to lose steam in 1991 as a draw and his matches also suffered at the time in performance with going through the motions for the most. The business started to tank as a result of this. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin: I actually think his prime was 96-99. He was such a great heel in 1996 that it gets overlooked and he was also at his physical peak imo in 1997(he put up a good fight with that bad knee that started to haunt him right before WM 13). His character peak was 1997 when he was in his tweener role against Bret Hart and Vince Mcmahon(remember his first stunner on Vince in MSG was built up from him not wanting to sign a waiver). His drawing power peak was 98-99 imo and it was off the strength of the character of 1997 imo. He obviously wasn't the same physically since that match with Owen Hart at SummerSlam 97. You have to consider what age he was here. His matches and feuds included The Rock, HHH, HBK, Bret Hart, Mankind, The Undertaker, Savio Vega, and Mr. Mcmahon. The Rock I believe his prime was actually 2000-2001, but I say the timeframe could stretch from 1999-2001. He was at his physical best knowing how to work a match to the best of his abilities. His drawing power was off the meter. He was at ease on the mic compared to 1997 and even 1998. The character's prime may be a bit more tricky though. Some may argue The Rock's character was at its best in 1998-99 when he was just being a top level heel that got cheered for being so entertaining. His big feuds from 1998-2002 included Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, HHH, Mankind, Brock Lesnar, and Undertaker. You have to consider what his age was here. "Macho Man" Randy Savage I would say his prime was 1986-1990 just as Hulk Hogan. All of the same attributes I gave to Hogan for this period I give to Savage. His major matches and feuds included George The Animal Steele, Ricky Steamboat, Jake The Snake Roberts, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and Ted Dibiase. Consider what his age was at this time. The Nature Boy Ric Flair I would say his prime was the same as Hogan and Savage imo for all the same reasons as The Mega Powers. His major feuds and matches included Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, and Lex Luger. Consider what his age was at this time. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat I think his prime was the same as the trinity of Hogan, Savage, and Flair for the same reasons mentioned. Some may even stretch it to include 1984 and 1985. His major feuds and matches included Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Honky Tonk Man, and Don Muraco. Consider what his age was at this time. Bret "The Hitman" Hart This is where the prime thing gets tricky. I actually think Bret two prime eras in the wwe. The Hart Foundation were extremely over from late 1986-1989. They were a draw and put on the best matches on the night every time they feuded with The British Bulldogs in 1986 and 1987. His singles career prime would have to be 1992-1997 imo. I actually think he was a better draw in 1992 than he was in 1993 and 1994 and some may argue he was putting on better matches in 1992 too. However, his physical peak may have actually been 1994-96(right before the layoff). He was still putting on classics as we know with Austin and UT(One Night Stand). Again, consider what his age at this time was. His top feuds and matches included Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Undertaker, Diesel, British Bulldog, Mr. Perfect, Dibiase, and Jerry Lawler. "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels I think his prime years were 1994-1998. He was a much stronger draw however after the Montreal screwjob imo than any time during his "boyhood dream" title reign that actually ended up with him getting booed in MSG losing to Sid. He was consistently the best performer on the night(more things change the more they stay the same). His big matches and feuds included Bret Hart, Razor Ramone, Diesel, Sid, Jeff Jarrett, Vader, Mankind, Steve Austin(remember the feuding tag team champion started with them first in the attitude era?), and British Bulldog. Consider his age at the time too. The Ultimate Warrior I say his prime years were 1988-1991 in terms of drawing power and match performance. His top feuds and matches included Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, Ted Dibiase, Sgt. Slaughter, Macho Man Randy Savage. Andre The Giant I bring him into the equation because I think it's safe to say even the most casual fan could see Andre was not in his physical prime when he was at perhaps his most strongest as a draw from 1984-1988. Consider the age. The Undertaker I say his prime for drawing may actually be now. I think he has become a better draw in the last couple of years than the previous years in the business. However, I think his physical prime may have been around 2001-2005. I bring him up since he is debatable to some as being in his prime now. Consider the age. HHH I think it was no doubt 1999-2002 in terms of drawing power and performance. His top feuds and matches included Mick Foley, The Rock, Steve Austin, Jericho, and Undertaker. Consider the age. --------------------------------------------- Now does anyone think any of the current stars such as John Cena, Edge, Orton, Batista, and............you see the problem? Cena, Edge, and Orton imo haven't hit their prime yet, but they have been booked like they have hit their peak. Sometimes the booking should equate the level of the stage of the career of the wrestler. Maybe some of the masses sees it the same way which is why some are getting mixed reactions. It should also include how great the talent around them actually is as well. The whole image of you are only as great as the next talent you are involved with. This is an argument in boxing about how a George Foreman can return to win the world title 20 years after losing it to Muhammad Ali. Was Foreman really that great or was the landscape that weak? That is an argument that is made sometimes with Hogan's return in 2002 or anytime someone of that status returns and outshines the younger talent(HBK was another one the night at SummerSlam that year). Also, I notice basically there is a 3-5 year timespan where that wrestler in his peak can be at the top for his performance and drawing power. After that it kind of drops off. With that said it could be possible The Rock got out at the right time before he really started to show weaknesses at a younger age. ================== WrestleMania III: Randy Savage (34) vs. Ricky Steamboat (34) Chi-Town Rumble: Ric Flair (39) vs. Ricky Steamboat (36) WrestleMania XII: Bret Hart (38) vs. Shawn Michaels (30) WrestleMania XIII: Bret Hart (39) vs. Steve Austin (32) Royal Rumble 2003: Kurt Angle (34) vs. Chris Benoit (35) WrestleMania XXV: Shawn Michaels (43) vs. The Undertaker (44)

However, it's apples and oranges when you look at the business models. The wwf actually made more money than the NFL in that era. Plus, those numbers are fishy as well Meltzer stated for Austin. The wwe released info that stated 2007 was their most profitable year with 55 million. So, where is Meltzer getting that 56 million from?

True. I also think all those trendy t-shirts Austin had that was a lot more accessible than most gaudy wwe gear also helped. The shareholders also played a part in Vince's company gaining all that equity too. Vince never would have got that big without going public.

This was a topic being debated at another site and thought it would be interesting here, so I cribbed it. his is an off shoot from the retirement thread. In boxing most heavyweights prime tend to be 28-33. Do you consider this to be the case for pro wrestling as well? I think before 1998 and The Rock Vince Mcmahon thought the same thing to. He usually liked to have the world champion to be in the 30 range because he felt they would be mature enough for the title and position. I think there were exceptions such as UT in 1991 and Yokozuna in 1993, but for the most part Hogan's first reign came in this age range as well as Randy Savage and Steve Austin and HBK. Has the rush to have wrestlers become the youngest champs ever hurt their chances of being as great as the greats who became the champion at a later age? Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar come to mind. Should that rule apply to wrestling what applies to boxing for the most part with the exception of say a Bob Backlund(who was patterned after George Foreman in boxing imo and is an example of what I meant in another thread about Mcmahon use to know how to connect with pop culture) or Hulk Hogan in 2002. It seems the boxing "rule" may also apply to wrestling in that those greats prime years were in that age range. Of course, someone like Ric Flair defied that logic in 1989 at the age of 40 I believe with his matches with Steamboat and Funk although some may still say his prime was 86-87.

Kinda makes you wonder why they are using Piper and Snuka, who are so very limited at this point. Dusty probably could at least work better than those two and is around anyway. Sarge (who may be on bad terms) or Hacksaw would have made a good choice too since they've been shown in the past few years to be able to work a five-minute match. It's not like we are expecting a classic out of any of these guys, but I'm sure Jericho could easily pull a ** match out of Sarge, Hacksaw or Dusty, who are at least mobile at this point. I think it has to do with Piper, Snuka, and Steamboat all being apart of the original WrestleMania in 1985.

WWE should realize putting their brand name behind things other than pro wrestling is a negative. The movies suck for the most part too. The Rock doesn't film movies under the wwe for a reason.

That HBK/Jericho angle sounds interesting because they could have done exactly what they have done with Jericho, but it could have led to HBK saving the legends and also getting his last chance at the title in his homestate. It would have also freed up Cena to be in a better position for now.

They should add those taped interviews where Savage tries to prove Hogan was trying to move in on Elizabeth. Those were classic.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter -- Internally, no one has any confidence that Wrestlemania will do a buyrate anywhere close to the past two events. Most company officials predict the show doing somewhere in the 500k range, which would be the lowest since WrestleMania XIX in 2003. If the "25th Anniversary of WrestleMania" experiences the same percentage drop as the Royal Rumble did (23 percent), the number would be around 800,000 buys. However, it would cost the company approximately $4,000,000 as compared to last year, and will more than likely lead to more cost-cutting measures from the company. So much of the company's financials are tied into the revenue that WrestleMania produces, so a number of jobs are on the line with this year's event. WWE will be releasing their 1st quarter report featuring the numbers from WrestleMania in May, so that's when you can probably expect another storm of company layoffs to hit providing things don't turn around creatively within the next few weeks.

They are getting sloppy making things like this get online. I agree with others that the promos are too scripted. Austin and Nash were complaining about that. Coming from two guys who were a big part in the resurrection of pro wrestling should know a thing or two since they had some of the better promos. Also, I need help getting my old handle back mods