EdwardKnoxII

Vikings Coach Says No Thanks To Brock NFL coach Mike Tice doesn't seem interested in Brock... Mike Tice, head coach of the NFL's Minneasota Vikings, commented today on the rumors that Brock Lesnar will be trying out for his team. The following quotes are from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune : "I've heard it. There's no tryout. We haven't talked to him. I'm not gonig to spend any time on that rumor." Brock's college wrestling coach, J. Robinson, had this to say: "If he were to call me, I'd investigate to see what kind of football background he has. But I'm not spendnig any time thinking about it." Credit: WrestlingObserver.com

Steph was part of the match, though. Yeah but. lets be real here it was booked as a feud between HHH and Steph with Jericho tagging along.

USA Today's Huge Story On Wrestling Deaths Now Online Check out the story that everyone in wrestling has been fearing... USA Today printed their huge story on wrestling deaths today. Research for the story went on for 8 months. Below are the different parts of the story: http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/new...p?news_id=8799p

If you're watching TV right now turn to Spike TV cause The Shield's own Michael Chiklis is on Miami Vice and he looks to funny. He's pretty thin, has lost alot of hair on top but, yet he has a pontail in the back and those 80s style earrings own and he's playing a crooked cop that's going to be bitch slapped by Crockett and Tubbs. It's to funny to see how different he looks.

McMahon Again Considering Bringing Back WCW But will he actually do it this time? Some backstage indicate that Vince McMahon has once again given some thought to bringing back the WCW brand name. However, it seems that when Vince starts to think about bringing the name back again, he ends up deciding not to bring back a "failed brand." Credit: Torch Newsletter HAHAHA like it will ever happen.

Debra Auctioning Off Austin Wedding Ring Now you can pretend to be married to Steve Austin! Steve Austin's ex-wife and former WWE diva, Debra, is auctioning off her weddng ring on eBay. The asking price is $20,000. Check out the listing http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=11017 This unique ring was made by a custom jeweler for WWF wrestling sensation "Stone Cold Steve Austin" to be given to Debra. The ring is platinum and totals 4.71cts. The center diamond is HRD certified and is G color and VVS2 clarity. The matching side diamonds are half moon shaped and total 1.20cts. The ring is a size 5 3/4. The HRD certificate is included in the sale. Debra will supply a notorized letter of authenticity and a signed wedding picture. A portion of the proceeds of this sale will benefit SafePlace, a non profit organization against domestic violence.

Paramount Set To Remake Pet Semetary Yes, another remake... Paramount Pictures is getting ready to make a remake of Pet Semetary, the 1989 horror movie based on Stephen King's novel. Mike Werb and Michael Colleary (Face/Off) will be doing the screenplay. The book and the film both told the story of a special cemetary where for generations, people come to bury dead pets in order to resurrect them. As they come back in their second life, however, they act in a very aggressive and violent manner. When a family decides to bury their small boy in the ancient Indian burial ground, all hell breaks loose as the sweet innocent child isn't what he used to be. Credit: Cinecon.com, Variety

JR Speaks On Brock, WMXX, Foley, Rock, & More Jim Ross speaks on Brock's shocking announcement... Jim Ross discussed Brock Lesnar, this weekend's 20th Wrestlemania, Steve Austin's current health situation and a whole lot more, on The Wrestling Guys Radio Show last night. The Wrestling Guys can be heard on 910 WPFB in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio at 6 p.m. every Wednesday. You can listen to the interview at the redesigned TheWrestlingGuys.com (http://www.thewrestlingguys.com), as well as past interviews with Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan over the last month. Jim Ross on Brock Lesnar "He's a great kid. i have a lot of respect for Brock. I like him. He grew up on a farm in South Dakota and I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. I followed him in college. Jerry Brisco and I recruited him. Jerry Brisco primarily recruited him. Brock's coach (his wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota), Jay Robertson, was a college wresting teammate with Brisco at Oklahoma State. We got Sheldon Benjamin and Brock off that team. We have a lot things to say about Brock. He's a good kid, very athletic and has a lot of opportunities in this world for him. Whatever decisions are made will be finalized after Wrestlemania, that's our focus. On recent media coverage of Brock Lesnar "Somethings I've read on the internet are somewhat accurate. A lot of things you read, its someone getting someone's opinion over the telephone, because the internet fellas aren't normally behind the scenes. They aren't reporters who are asking questions and don't have access to people on an official basis. You can't beleive everything you read. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I can tell you this, Brock Lesnar is highly regarded in our office and probably the most highly regarded athlete we've picked up in the talent department." On Lesnar's match at Wrestlemania "He'll be at his best on sunday. Goldberg will be challenged to match him athletically in that match, and I know that's something Bill will do." On Steve Austin's rise in physical involvment on television: "I think what you're seeing is Steve continuing to feel better. His quality of life and level of health is improving. I would not say that Austin will not wrestle a match again. I don't think that would be accurate or honest. With that said, we dont have any matches for Steve on the drawing board, or anything on for Wrestlemania 21, or "he'll at return Summerslam," or "we'll waite until we do Houston Astrodome again." People will start booking this match when they hear it, it will take on different incarnations. He feels great, he is in excellent condition. His head is good, his fire is burning. He still, unfortunately, has some health limitations that will never go away. If his overall general health continues to improve, it might allow him to work a retirement match at an ideal circumstance and an ideal time of place." On Mick Foley and Rock being prepared for their match at Wrestlemania: "From a pure wrestling match, Rock and Foley may be taxed if the match goes long, but it being a tag should help. With Rock, Foley and Flair in the same match, it can't help but be good." On changing wrestling style: "We're trying to get back to a more fundamentally sound presentation in-ring presentation for our wrestlers. Doing acrobatic moves is very hollow. It doesn't allow the fan to make a long term emotional investment in a match. The game of human chess, as Gordon Solie used to say, is still a factor in the basics of human nature... Its going to allow these young men and women to have a longer career and not deal with these horrific and nagging injuries."

411's Byte This Report: Eddie Guererro, Shawn Michaels Posted By Ashley Nicholas on 03.11.04 The Champ and the Showstopper give mad props to the big guy upstairs on a star studded Byte This! Hosts are Dr. Tom and WWE Champion Eddie Guererro! Segment One: Eddie Guererro Eddie has been living his dream, everyone knows he has had his problems and has faced an up hill battle. To explain what he has been through would take 5 or 6 shows. Tom points out that at the last WrestleMania Eddie was wrestling for the Tag Team titles, whereas at XX, he is going in as the WWE Champion. Eddie says that he never imagined he would be in a situation like this, but he’s a firm believer that anything is possible. Tom points out that everyone is looking for Eddie to slip up. Very nice. The champ believes in God and that the big guy rewards when it is deserved – in Eddie’s case, when he got his life back on track and strived for the title. The title is not just a belt, it represents the right decisions that Eddie has made in his life. Dr. Tom mentions that every time something big happens in the industry, it is natural that the boys will talk. He says that everyone had a positive thing to say about the title win; they all felt he deserved it. Eddie realises that it is all about what he does with the opportunities that are given to him, and also the ones that he earns. Corey from Michigan asks how Eddie will mentally prepare for the match. The champ replies that he will try and take everything that’s happened to him, the stuff from Angle, and Heyman, and use it in a good way. He will take it out at the expense of Kurt Angle. Dr. Tom asks how Eddie felt after Angle said what he did on Smackdown. Eddie isn’t bothered – if Angle wants to jump on the bandwagon like everyone else then he is free to. On who inspired Eddie to go into the wrestling business, he notes that he is a second generation wrestler and was inspired by his father and older brothers – as well as Ric Flair, a wrestler whose work Guerrero has always appreciated. Eddie discusses his unique entrance of driving a Lowrider to the ring, and how he was the first man to be on the cover of Lowrider Magazine! He points out that although all the wrestlers go through the same hectic schedule, there are a lot of extra things involved when Champion. When you finally attain the belt you also gain the responsibility that accompanies it. How is Eddie handling the pressure? He discovered a few years ago that he doesn’t handle things too well. These are times when he needs to ask God for guidance. He is looking forward to both the pleasure and the challenge of facing Kurt Angle at WrestleMania. Segment Two: Droz Joined by the main man himself, who wants to congratulate Edie on his title win, and believes he will walk out of WMXX the retaining Champion. Droz sees Benoit pulling off HBK and HHH as well, and also walking out champ. Eddie agrees, and wants to see Benoit win more than anything – although the little time he has known HBK has been great. Droz leaves. Eddie is not sure who his dream opponent would be, he’s living the dream right now and has faced more dream opponents than he could have ever imagined. He believes that the focus of the wrestling industry is now returning to ‘wrestling’. He doesn’t really understand why the ‘Eddie’ chants started, they cam at a time when he was really trying to make the people mad. He believes that the fans will appreciate any star in the ring who wrestles with his heart, and not his ego. More power to guys like Lesnar and Cena, but if they’re not ready, it will show and they will be shot off the top spots. Eddie thinks Lesnar has more than proved himself as the top dog, but that Cena still has to prove himself. Segment Three: HBK Shawn thinks that in a situation like WrestleMania the fans are the true winners, as the ‘good natured competition’ of the wrestlers will mean better matches. He is looking forward to two matches in particular – Undertaker vs. Kane and Eddie vs. Angle. Just the fact that the original Undertaker is coming back will make a good match in itself. HBK himself is looking forward to ripping it up with two great wrestlers. Although he is more comfortable with HHH, in the first 10-15 seconds of his first match with Benoit he could tell that they really gelled. HBK looks forward to facing guys like Benoit and Eddie as they will bring him to a level he doesn’t always get to experience. HBK has two favourite WrestleMania moments. The first would be his title win against Bret Hart. The second and the one which really got him on the map was his ladder match against Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X. Cheryl from Alabama says she hates her preacher saying that WrestleMania and asks HBK for his thoughts. Shawn says he likes to think of Christian wrestlers like Eddie and himself as light in the darkness of the world. Eddie adds that you couldn’t have a better testimony to Christianity than HBK. HBK says that he generally gets nervous the Saturday before the PPV – it’s his ‘PPV focus time’. He hopes that Eddie is enjoying what’s going on at the moment, as he didn’t himself. He feels like he can now finally practice what he preaches. On how Evolution compares to DX, HBK doesn’t think the newer group is as risk taking, and are a lot more serious. Onto the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, where HBK will be inducting Tito Santana. Tito was one of the first guys to come on strong when ‘wrestling’ itself wasn’t the main focus. His hard work paved the way for guys like Benoit, Eddie and himself. Maybe he didn’t get the success he deserved at first, but he finally achieved it when the business started looking at the wrestlers as athletes. Eddie wants to say that Shawn Michaels has always been an inspiration to him. On a personal note he wants to thank HBK for that, and also the way he carries himself outside of the ring. HBK replies that compliments from his peers and guys that are at the top of their game mean a lot to him. He thanks Eddie for the talks that they have in the dressing room. He feels he can talk to Eddie about stuff that would normally scare away others and considers him one of the only guys he can talk to about stuff outside of wrestling. HBK leaves with the thought that WMXX is the starting point for something really big. It’s amazing how it can be 20 years since the first WrestleMania and they’re only just getting warmed up. Next week we have the return of Josh Matthews! End of Show.

Don't you know. They need the roids to help rehab their injuries and they have a doctors note to prove it.

Jericho: Oh Master H I offer you my first born son for another title run.

How about stop using too much roids like Batista,Steiner and HHH, those 3 get injured just by walking. Yet notice how wrestlers that use the "hollow acrobatic moves" like RVD hardly ever get injured.

Yeah, cause ain't nobody else manipulated Vince before! Ok let me break it down like this. HHH wished he could play the game like Hogan. Hogan made Vince TONS of money for many years and help put the WWF in the mainstream. But, the difference is that Hogan knows when to take a break or the change. In other words when the crowds was booing Hogan turned heel and joined the NWO, when the crowds start getting tired of Hogan's act he knows when to take a break so that when he comes back the fans will love him again. And Hogan did all of this WITHOUT marrying Steph. HHH doesn't do any of these things he just has to stay in the world title hunt ALL the time, he just can't take a break so the fans might miss him and if he is gone it's for a very short time and he's STILL in the top program. So, please don't ever compare HHH to Hogan cause HHH just wishes he could lick Hogan's boots when it comes to playing the game.

Exactly at least HBK was able to still go in the ring and was over to boot.

Vince McMahon Speaks On WM, The Rock, WCW, More A very interesting interview with Vince... The Hollywood Reporter has put up a great interview with Vince McMahon. In it, he talks about the origins of WrestleMania, his future, The Rock going to Hollywood, WCW’s collapse, and more! Check out the interview http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/inter...t_id=1000457166 March 09, 2004 Vince McMahon, WWE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Chad Williams It's been a long, wild ride to WrestleMania XX. Since the first edition of WWE's annual wrestling spectacular in 1985, the company has exploded into a television powerhouse, fought a life-and-death battle for its very existence and even changed its name. WWE chairman Vince McMahon recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter's Chad Williams to reflect on the road his company has traveled these past 20 years and where it's heading. The Hollywood Reporter: Twenty years ago you rolled the dice and risked your national expansion on the first WrestleMania. Could you have imagined back in March of 1985 that you'd still be here trying to top yourself in 2004? Vince McMahon: Well, yes. It was a bit of a risk, there's no question about that. We didn't have to make money, that's for sure, but it all caught on, it did extremely well, and the rest is history. But after the first one, then there's no reason why they wouldn't be successful on an annual basis. The whole theory behind (WrestleMania) was no different than the Super Bowl, or the Emmys, the Oscars, whatever. We should have had our big annual event. And that's what it still is. THR: The early days of WrestleMania saw WWE utilize a lot of mainstream celebrities. Can we expect anything along those lines this year? McMahon: This year we're not. Quite frankly, our guys have become the celebrities. ... The original emphasis of WrestleMania was all about "what is sports entertainment." We were still defining it for the masses then. They understand what sports entertainment is now. We find that our audience actually resents celebrities coming in unless the celebrity is woven into the fabric of a story line and really adopts what our audience adopts, which is WWE. THR: About three years ago now, your last national competitor (Time Warner-owned WCW) went out of business. Do you miss the competition? McMahon: Hindsight being 20/20 ... I don't know that it may have been just a matter of time before we killed each other off. I don't know. Our understanding of the business on a long-range basis really gave us an advantage. We were overmatched in terms of assets, but they were overmatched in terms of work ethic and in terms of understanding how to build a brand. And in the end, our formula worked. Quite frankly, though, I was surprised when (they) threw in the towel. I didn't think that would ever happen. THR: You were wooed quite publicly when your contract with USA Network expired in 2000. What convinced you to make the move to Viacom? McMahon: We always enjoyed (our relationship with) USA. Some of the people who are still there are still our friends. But Viacom gave us more of an umbrella type thing in terms of what they could do for us. Obviously, this is before USA was acquired by NBC. But when you look at Viacom in terms of all they could do for us in terms of theme parks, publishing, everything along those lines ... And we were already on UPN, so it was just a matter of time then before there would be synergy with that and Spike TV, or TNN as it was called when we first went over. It just gave us more opportunities I guess. THR: About a year ago, WWE re-upped its "SmackDown!" contract with UPN, and in doing so abandoned a long-standing practice of purchasing airtime and then selling the advertising yourselves. Why the switch to a more traditional license-fee arrangement? McMahon: We made that decision because it was a better deal for us from a downside standpoint. But beyond that, we were hopeful that the "SmackDown!" sales force combined with CBS' sales team would bring more advertisers than we were able to attract because they deal with a larger spectrum (of advertisers). So the hope is that they will be able to attract sponsors and advertisers that we otherwise, in our small little world, cannot. THR: You came out on the losing end of a legal battle in 2002 with the World Wildlife Fund over the rights to the name WWF, a name your company had been using for a number of years. Were you surprised that you lost that case? McMahon: Very. THR: You had some sort of understanding in place with the World Wildlife Fund prior to the lawsuit, didn't you? McMahon: At one point they came over and strong-armed us into signing something. There was absolutely no confusion whatsoever in the marketplace between the World Wildlife Fund and the World Wrestling Federation. We were told by those people that their chairman or someone got off a plane in Nairobi and the people who were there to greet them were disappointed because they thought that "the wrestlers had arrived." To my knowledge, if that's true -- and I doubt it very seriously -- that is the first and only confusion of the two brands. But nonetheless they said that this was a big problem for them. We signed something ... (after) they threatened all kinds of litigation, etc., which at the time would have buried us. So we signed it under duress ... and basically as time went on, it was like, "This is onerous, this is absurd." And we continued to grow exponentially ... far more than they did, and we became a global brand. Quite frankly, I don't know why they picked on us really ... because we've done them no harm. So the only avenue that was available to us -- other than living under their thumb, which we didn't want to do -- was to change the branding ... so we did. And quite frankly, I'd like to think it's a textbook case of how you change your branding. THR: Following the collapse of WCW, you essentially went about creating your own competition by creating separate rosters for UPN's "SmackDown!" and Spike TV's "RAW." Are you committed to this strategy in the long term? McMahon: I am committed to it very long term and ... it has worked out extremely well for us. We actually have a tour going on in Japan as we speak and one back over here. When we were going head-to-head with Turner, it was one big soap opera played out on Monday and Thursday, and it was just a matter of time before we burned out those stars or those story lines creatively. We just did a survey in which Nielsen told us that 70% of both "RAW" and "SmackDown!" viewers do not watch the other brand. Which means that we have a pretty large audience out there when you combine the two. Whereas before it was the opposite -- 70% of our audience watched both because it was the same story line. Now (that we've established) the brand separation ... we're gonna go the opposite direction and start promoting one to the other. THR: You recently had a bit of a contractual showdown with DirecTV during which four of your pay-per-views were not aired. Are you satisfied with the deal you ended up with and is the WWE getting the slice of the PPV revenue pie it deserves? McMahon: Well, I haven't tried to change our deal. I don't know that (our current) 50/50 deal really is fair because there's nothing that's organic about a WWE pay-per-view. We create the interest, we create the characters. We're (both) the creators and the presenters as opposed to other PPVs from the sports world that happen organically -- ours is completely created and done by us. ... We're not the only thing in pay-per-view, but from a live-event standpoint, we're obviously the biggest contributor on an annual basis and have been for some time. We've also elected to produce two additional PPVs that will come out this year. At one point there were 24 PPVs -- we had 12 and Turner had 12. Since then, it's been down to just 12, and there's room now since we have the separate brands ("RAW" and "SmackDown!") and each brand has had their own successful PPVs. By (adding PPVs), I'm not asking DirecTV or anyone else for more money -- even though we're creating two events that they otherwise didn't even know they had on the books. So I do think that we're entitled to our 50%, and I won't take any less. It's unfair to a producer who creates all of this to not give that company a 50/50 (split). If you accept less than that, it's just a matter of time before the pipeline squeezes you out. THR: Your deal with InDemand is up for renewal soon. Can we expect any similar drama? McMahon: We've drawn the line in the sand with InDemand. We have a 50/50 deal with the cable systems, and InDemand being the distributor garners some points from us as well as they do from everybody else that uses them. But again, this year is where we drew the line in the sand and said, "Look, if you take more than you have in the past ... why are you taking more? Just because you're greedy? Give me a reason why you want more money. Give me any valid reason whatsoever." I don't mind paying people more for something if we're getting more. But just to change a deal because you're greedy and you want more? No. I'm not gonna go along with that. But we have agreed in principal -- it's not in writing yet -- to stay the course with InDemand. THR: Attendance at house shows (nontelevised events) has been a source of concern for the company recently. With so much emphasis on building to the PPVs and putting on exciting free television, is it tough to convince the fans that nontelevised events still matter? McMahon: I think it's a difficult balance. It always has been, even with the various tiers that we service on television. You want to be able to give away enough to maintain interest, but at the same time, if you give away too much, then it's going to hurt your PPV or DVD or whatever the next tier is. Likewise in terms of our live events: It's difficult but it can be done. You don't want to play a market too frequently. I think Madison Square Garden is the building we play most frequently, which is only six times a year. Of those six times a year, there should be three "SmackDowns!" and three "RAWs." So let's say you're a "RAW" devotee, in order to see the stars live you only have three opportunities a year to do that, and that's in a major market. So I think that as time goes on it's a question of supply and demand. And we're building up the demand to see our new, younger stars in action. I also think that our live events have to more closely mirror our pay-per-views and we're gearing that up too. The downside is, some might say, "Well, geez, you guys are only doing 40% capacity or something like that now." True, that is a downside. But the upside is -- what's gonna happen when we catch on fire? THR: Speaking of catching fire, it's sort of become the common wisdom that wrestling is a cyclical business. During the red-hot periods of the mid-'80s and late-'90s, WWE brought an entirely new audience to the product. Is there a level of faddishness that those types of periods will always depend on, or can those boom periods produce a long-term fan base? McMahon: Well, I don't subscribe to (wrestling) being cyclical. And they've always said that about our business. I think that we're no different from a Hollywood studio ... and our batting average is much higher than any studio. By and large, regardless of how well a studio is run, it's only as good as the product it produces. And we're the same way. The difference, though, is that even at a time like this when we're not, quote, "on fire," we're still making money. A Hollywood studio (will) lose millions of dollars until they hit. Through the years when you chart our progress ... there's been a constant (upward) grade, so that every plateau we reach is higher than the last, which means that we (ultimately) have a larger base of fans. THR: In the last couple of years, you've bought up a lot of wrestling footage from defunct companies like ECW and the old American Wrestling Assn. Combined with the library that came with the purchase of WCW and WWE's own archives, you're now in possession of thousands and thousands of hours of footage. How do you plan to exploit that library? McMahon: It could take any number of forms, and we're exploring that now. It could be a channel in and of itself in terms of a digital channel. It could be an analog channel, although they're very expensive. It could be an SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) type situation, which we think is a viable alternative, too. So we're looking into all of that, and we know that with all of the libraries and everything that it is a tremendously valuable asset. You can even exploit it on a tiered basis -- where if you start it out as SVOD you can eventually then move it onto a basic cable channel, etc. The other aspect of this is that it's really global in nature. When you think about our brand and the inroads we've made in so many different countries, that channel is viable in almost any language or any country because it's readily understood. I think we're poised for a lot of growth in the very near future on a global basis. THR: At a press conference a couple of years ago, your wife, (WWE CEO) Linda (McMahon), said that you hoped to eventually have 25% of your total revenue coming from international operations. Is that something that you see on track? McMahon: I think we'll eventually get there. From an international standpoint, I don't think we've done a very good job, quite frankly, of exploiting the international market like we really should. We're on television in many many markets and do extremely well television ratings-wise, but that's only one aspect of what we do. We do licensing, we do merchandising, and live events, and publications, and DVDs and everything else imaginable. And we haven't integrated all of that in our international platforms, and (doing that) is one of our goals. THR: Speaking of the international arena, you recently took your crew to Baghdad to tape a special "SmackDown!" in front of U.S. troops there. What was the genesis of that trip? McMahon: This company is truly an American success story. It's Chevrolet, apple pie and WWE. Some people tend to forget the roots that we have in the fabric of Americana. So I'm very pro-American, and whether you agree with whether we should be in a war or not, I think that it's important for everyone -- unlike Vietnam -- to support our troops. Wherever our troops are, they're away from home, they're making a sacrifice, and they are defending the freedoms that we enjoy back over here, even though they're on foreign soil. So to us it was a privilege to go over there. THR: The Rock has been the first WWE star to make the transition to major film star. How do you weigh the loss of a charismatic performer -- at least on a day-to-day basis -- against the benefit you get from having a mainstream star identified with your company? McMahon: First and foremost, when you create stars, I think you want to hold onto them to a certain extent. At the same time, you want them to be able to go fly, and that's what we did with Rock. The Rock loves this business and will always be a part of it, but only on a sparing basis. He's graduated so quickly into successful film work, but he'll always want to come back. And as such that spot needs to be filled with someone else that's gonna come along and capture everyone else's interest and imagination ... and then at the same time probably do a little Hollywood work on the side and gradually get into that. So it's important to have a new young stable of stars, always ready, always pushing the envelope, so that you can capitalize on them. If you stop building stars, which we never do, you wouldn't be in business. THR: You've had a couple of dust-ups with reporters in the past year or two, including rather memorable encounters with Bob Costas and HBO's Armen Keteyian. Is that the real Vince McMahon we're seeing, or is there a degree to which you're slipping into the onscreen persona you've crafted for WWE fans over the years? McMahon: I'm extremely passionate about our product. And when I think that the product is being treated unfairly, it upsets me. I guess maybe you can easily read me sometimes when I'm upset. But the character I play on television, in our environment, that's a performance. When I'm doing the Costas show or any other show, generally it's me. It depends on where they lead me. A lot of times they're looking for me to be the bad guy. And if they give me reason to be, sometimes I don't disappoint them. THR: There are few companies -- public or private -- that are more closely identified with one person. Do you see WWE continuing to thrive when you're no longer at the helm? McMahon: Absolutely I do. This is a young man's business. Now that doesn't mean at 58 I can't contribute, because I think young -- I think mentally maybe I've just reached puberty. You need to surround yourself with quality human beings that are intelligent and have a vision, and we're doing that. I'm setting it up now, even though I have no compunction to check out at all. I think my idea of retirement might be to one day work a 40-hour week. At the same time, I don't want to be an impediment to progress. Some people when they get up there in age tend to be a little too conservative, not want to take as many chances. And I know people around me, not just my family, will let me know if I don't know it myself, and hopefully I will. But (the company) is to an extent heavily identified with me, I guess, because I've been a public figure for all these many years. I've been on television for 35 years or whatever it is. But it won't even have a hiccup if I get hit by a bus tonight. It really won't. Photo Copyright 2004 World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

I know HHH had Vince's ear before he married Steph but, if he wasn't married to her HHH wouldn't be anywhere near the top cause of the shit he's done. Bad numbers, matches, etc.

But, if he wasn't married to her you know HHH wouldn't be anywhere near the top with the shitty matches, interviews, etc that he's been doing.

He hasn't done any of that. All he's done is marry the boss daughter because he doesn't know how to play the backstage game.

And didn't at one time Berry said she didn't like playing superheros or something like that?

That would hurt RVD more. I mean he's a very popular so why would they move him down to brand that will be seen on late Saturday nights and barely be seen on PPV.

So we can see HHH, Undertaker, and Austin on both shows? Fuck no. Exactly. And think of this. You know if they end it they going to reunited the belts and you know what that means. Eddie is going to be jobbing to HHH big time.

Is that if WWE did the right thing and booked Benoit/Brock for the title at WM Benoit could win the title and say that he beat beat so bad he ran him out of the WWE and that could have put Benoit over big time. And it would have been Benoit finally getting the belt.

LOL Chiklis character was trying to steal some rare artwork and in the airport he dresses in drag to try and get away from Crockett and Tubbs. And he's wearing one god awful dress. And now he's going to jail.

Me to. I didn't say right now but, with the way RVD is it wouldn't take much to build him up as a ME star.

The fans still cheer him and RVD is at a stage were it wouldn't take alot to make him a ME treat in the fans eyes.