QuestionMan

ROB VAN DAM SHOOTS ON BENOIT, THE WELLNESS PROGRAM, THE NEW ECW, TNA, AND TRIPLE H BENOIT TRAGEDY & THE WELLNESS PROGRAM When discussing the Benoit tragedy, Van Dam said he was as shocked and horrified as everyone else. He said a lot of people are too quick to accept what they hear. Part of him still can't believe that Benoit was capable of doing it. He said, "What a minute? OJ didn't do it but Chris Benoit did? They never found any reason to believe it was anyone besides OJ and he had everything stacked against him and they said he didn't do it. With Chris Benoit, you have a guy that everybody speaks so highly of. " He said Benoit was the person he looked up to the most in the locker room and wishes he could call and tell him that too. Van Dam said, "No one saw this coming and after the fact, no one can believe it happened." Van Dam said he read tabloid coverage of the incident on the airplane to Great Britain and it's just starting to sink in that Benoit is gone. "The way this whole thing went down is so bizarre. I think everyone is jumping all over the lifestyle, which of course is so challenging and I needed a break from the traveling, but it doesn't make us kill our families. Now we are hearing steroids. People are automatically, when they hear the word steroids, they're trained, because the word's been demonized to think - 'BAD! BAD! Well, obviously that's what happened.' No, unless there was some crazy amount in his system that we've never heard of, which could be the case. Honestly, anything could be the case because if this could happen, anything could happen and anything is as believable as anything else at this point. You are talking about a man that bound his wife's limbs, strangled her, allegedly, choked his son out and hung himself. We don't have things like this going on. This isn't something associated with or common to people taking steroids, it's not, it's unheard of." "The Wellness Program, a lot of people want to say that Vince McMahon just came out with the Wellness Program to pacify those who were putting pressure on him after Eddie Guerrero's death. I can say that I do know for a fact, that I've seen the Wellness Program help some athletes who were going down a self-destructive path and that's overlooked quite a bit. The guys who do have problems and don't realize how recreational and destructive they are being. A lot of times, you know who they are without taking a cup of their urine and they could be taken care of without everyone in the entire locker room, and those of us who know how to take care of ourselves and are professional, I don't think you need to get everybody be part of this, but that's the system. The majority is always affected by rules that are set for the minority with the problems. The Wellness Program is something I've been a part of. I think I've been tested 4, 5, 6 times since it started. "I think it's ironic that everyone is jumping all over steroids because when Eddie Guerrero passed, it was heart failure. They said he had an enlarged heart and he had heart disease and that's what killed him. The heart disease, they said, could have been prevented if they knew about it and they said his addiction to painkillers was a large contributor, even though it had been four years since he had, allegedly, been off of them before he passed." Van Dam said after Guerrero passed away, he's been regularly seen by multiple doctors including having his heart measured and getting full physicals and exams beyond what WWE requires for the Wellness Program. Van Dam said that the Policy isn't a complete, absolute answer to programs but "it has helped some people." THE ECW RELAUNCH Van Dam, who comments earlier in the interview about his personal burnout and needing time away from wrestling, said one of the factors in that burnout was the weight of responsibility for the ECW re-launch on his shoulders. He noted that he was concerned about bringing back ECW because the original players were the only ones who could do it and they were "limited" at that point, but quickly got excited about the idea of finding younger stars to become a new, modernized version of ECW. He noted that all eyes were on him because his entire WWE run, he was "bitching he missed ECW" and it was on his shoulders to carry the re-launch. Van Dam said the "new ECW sucked." Van Dam said that when the brand was re-launched last summer, they were struggling to bring up the live crowds but the advertising and budgeting for the live shows were "reduced to an offensive level. Paul Heyman and myself were so disgusted by it that we would both talk about quitting. Paul left before I did and I knew I only had a matter of time before my contract was up." Van Dam said he would have liked to have seen WWE "utilize the phenomenon that was ECW" and that fans would stop him to tell him they loved the old ECW but didn't like the new version. Van Dam said that he went to Vince McMahon "on a few occasions and told him this isn't going to work and the ECW crowd isn't going to like that. To my dissatisfaction, I learned that his vision of this new ECW was nothing at all like my vision. Nothing at all like the original ECW fans wanted or expected. It was also something that he wasn't going to be able to force the original ECW fans to expect, so his reaction was, 'Screw them, I own the world, here's this new ECW. I'm going to get a whole new audience of new kids and new adults and they're going to like this new ECW like they like Raw and Smackdown because it's a new alternative.' In the long run, as we all know, it's looked at as a lesser product. It never should have been that way. I saw it coming, I saw it happening and now I see that it did happen. Now that it's still happening." Van Dam also noted that as his contract expired, "I honestly felt like I was abandoning the ECW project. Sabu left. I feel that he left because he knew I only had a few weeks left and he didn't want to be there anymore. I'm concerned about Sandman. The Originals being put back together - me, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Sandman - was that like being thrown a bone, to me and to the ECW fans saying, 'We know the new ECW sucks compared to the old ECW, but here's a little something for you guys that want to hold onto the past.' It works. They know how to throw me a bone every once and a while to get me to give that much more and I kept giving and giving but the fact is, they killed ECW. They being WWE, way before I did. I walked out with a clear conscience on that." **** In regard to the possibility of going to TNA, Van Dam said that there was a time where he weighed the options and "TNA sounded incredibly appealing" due to the benefits it provides compared to WWE. Van Dam said that by the time June came around and his WWE deal expired, he was so burnt out that he needed to take an "indefinite hiatus." Van Dam said that he can't tell anyone how long it will be before he returns to the ring because he needs to have piece of mind from being away from the ring and having "a calmness" that he's trying to find. On Paul Heyman: "The whole time I was in WWE and he was in the office, he was the only guy that I felt looked out for my better interest. The only guy I could talk to and the only guy I could trust. Part of trusting Paul is letting him be what he is. You have to take that into consideration. You have to say, 'he's good at lying but that's just part of what makes him Paul.' On Triple H: "He's always been, to me, a self-crowned king. What I mean is he's got the most important team members behind him. The people who sit there at the table, at the meetings, that make the plans and he quite probably has plans to run the WWE one day. As far as being one of the boys, I would guess that he would be one of the last people that you would see riding in a car with RVD." On Stephanie McMahon: "Could be my favorite McMahon possibly. She's a sweetheart and I can relate to her on a compassionate level of just being a good person. She's definitely all business. I think all the McMahons are capable of only thinking from inside the box and I don't know if they are aware there is world outside of WWE. Not her particularly, but all of the McMahons."

Shoichi Funaki has only had the job he's had for so long because he's a good friend of Shawn Michaels.

JOHNNY GRUNGE'S WIDOW SAYS DR. PHIL ASTIN IS A "DRUG DEALER" Greta Van Susteren interviewed Pete Combs from WSB radio. He said Michael Durham (Johnny Grunge) was found to have drugs in his body at the time of his death last year that were prescribed by Dr. Astin apparently. Combs said investigators want to look more into his relationship with Dr. Astin. He said Durham's wife has a lot of "unhappy things to say about Dr. Astin." He said earlier this evening Grunge's widow said, "He's a drug dealer. He is no different than the guy who is down in the ghetto pushing drugs to little kids." Van Susteren asked if there was a legitimate medical purpose for Durham getting the drugs. Combs said that's being looked into. He said soma bottles were empty near Durham's body when he was found dead. Van Susteren interviewed John Oxendine, a Georgia Insurance Commissioner, who said they are looking into insurance fraud on the part of Astin, such as him filing fraudulent claims to have pills covered. He said they are looking for evidence to open a full-blown criminal investigation. He said they are going through insurance records right now and asking for companies to do computer searches for Astin's name. He said they have had some inquiries from citizens who have asked if they are looking into the situation. He said there is one source close to the situation that got them interested in further investigation based on what was said. Van Susteren asked if a doctor prescribes pills that aren't needed medically, is that a crime. The official said you have to lie on the prescription or supporting info for the prescription. The key is that there is a lie involved.

NEW MATCH ADDED TO GREAT AMERICAN BASH Add Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton to the Great American Bash on 7/22 in San Jose, CA.

Meltzer is reporting Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at Great American Bash.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Nicky of the Spirit Squad was one of the biggest bore-fests ever.

I agree. I think it's impossible to delete him forever. He's been part of too many classic moments. I'm sure we'll never see his embrace with Eddie at WM 20 ever again, but I'm sure he'll still be in Flair's Nitro return promo, and be put back in the Monday Night Wars and other 24/7 stuff. Pretty much. You'll never, ever see a piece of video on WWE TV or WWE.Com with Benoit as the center of attention. But I think after a year, you'll start seeing video with him not as the focal point again (i.e. Horsemen reunion in '98).

I think WWE will totally, 100% ignore Benoit in everything for about a year, but will go back to only mentioning him when historically needed. But you can forget about ever seeing any of his matches on DVDs or seeing him used to promote something ever again.

The Rock never seemed big to me until I saw him on Saturday Night Live the first time. He looked like a monster next to the cast.

I seriously doubt anyone would that has ever watched WM9 and WM13, which you clearly haven't.

Yeah, because Bret would totally do the show with Michaels.

DR. PHIL ASTIN MAY HAVE OVERPRESECRIBED MEDICATION TO JOHNNY GRUNGE The Atlanta Journal Constitution and the local FOX 5 affiliate in Atlanta are reporting that Johnny Grunge's name has surfaced in their ongoing investigation related to Chris Benoit's family deaths. They report that Benoit's doctor, Phil Astin, may have over prescribed medication to Grunge before his death in February 2006. Grunge was linked to Benoit through their close friendship as neighbors, with Grunge regularly helping Benoit cope with Eddie Guerrero's death. The AJC report includes a quote from the captain of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office drug task force, which was not involved in the investigation until Friday. "We were just pulled into the investigation today," Cpt. Mike Pruitt told the AJC late Friday night. "We still have to look at the toxicology reports and autopsy reports on his death, and that won't be before Monday." The implication is that the toxicology report has been complete, but it has not been released to the public yet due to the ongoing investigation both the local and federal drug enforcement agencies. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fay...07metastin.html http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/Ho...mp;pageId=1.1.1

Mero looks like he's had plastic surgery done on his face.

Yes, because she was totally capable of strangling herself with a TV cable while her wrists and ankles are tied together with duct tape.

FORMER WCW VALET "MIDNIGHT" WEIGHS IN ON CHRIS BENOIT Performing as a valet under the name Midnight, AnnMarie Crooks worked for one year in World Championship Wrestling at the same time as Chris Benoit. Now a real-estate agent and owner of a "mid-century furnishing and accessories store" in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. area, Crooks recently sent an email with her thoughts on the Benoit murder-suicide. Here are her thoughts: "Professional wrestling does not control my life, so I can say what I want unlike others who fear of losing their jobs. "I knew Chris for about a year and this is not in the man's character at all. Most wrestlers I knew were cocky, womanizing, etc. He was a true worker. He was low-key, soft-spoken and just a nice guy." "All this media speculation about 'roid rage is crap. How about just plain old 'Fed up with WWE' rage? I am not saying he wasn't using steroids. I don't know and frankly don't care. It is insignificant, in my opinion, to what caused Chris to do what he did. "The media is always so quick to start drawing conclusions before the whole story is known. They don't know how these wrestlers live for this job, how so many can't leave because they don't know how to live outside of the public's eye or can't ever move on because they don't have any other skills. How these promoters own them, manipulate them and control their destinies through storylines that sometimes involve their personal lives off-stage! "Why do you think old wrestlers like Ric Flair won't just retire and accept his age and limitations? It's not for the money! He has more than enough, a successful gym, and other business enterprises. It's part of the wrestler mentality. I know of what I speak. "Who knows what was going on behind the scenes with WWE and Chris? I know how quickly [promotions] can change your life, income and destroy dreams. I also know of several other ex-wrestlers who are hooked on drugs, doing anything to make ends meet and just plain unhappy. They couldn't accept the end of that lifestyle and career. I can't help but wonder what actions and/or conversations within WWE involving Chris caused this? "I consider myself lucky for being released long before I sunk to the levels necessary to play the game and hang on to your contract. I thank God and my family for the strength to move on and to have the ambition to find new doorways of opportunities and new business ventures. "When lesser known wrestlers pass away, we never hear about it; but now it's just too much. Eddie Guerrero was the beginning of the doors to the lies and secret of this business opening. And now we must add Chris Benoit's name to what I am sure will be an ever-growing list of wrestlers who die before their time. I am disgusted that yet another wrestler and human being was so overwhelmed with life and issues that he felt he couldn't control, that he felt this was the only way to a solution. "I am deeply saddened by this tragedy. WWE's claim that he just tested clean on his last test … All I can say to that is spare me your media-ready statements. "I can't speak for WWE's drug-testing policies. But I know when I was in WCW, they passed who the hell they wanted to pass and failed who they want to fail. It's all politics, just like the sport itself. "I think there is much more behind this story that led him to snap. And from my brief and disgusting stint in the professional wrestling biz, I am sure Vince McMahon knows what caused this to happen. I hope he will find it in his heart to look past the money he makes off these wrestlers and do the right thing. He was so quick to air a special memorial show to Chris – let's see how quick he is in changing protocol and telling the FACTS and the TRUTH, because its only then will things begin to change. "Lies beget lies; the truth can change things! This whole thing stinks of a cover-up of the entire truth – to save WWE being connected with this in any way. But it's like the postal worker who comes back with the loaded gun and kills everyone in the building … Incredible frustration and stress from a job spiraling out of control. "Every action has a reaction, and though WWE is not to blame for the decisions Chris made, if they were catalysts – stand up and state so!"

Hulk Hogan and The Rock have been removed from the Raw superstar page on WWE.Com.

Today is the 20-year anniversary of the very first 2-ring War Games match. It took place on July 4th, 1987 at The Omni in Atlanta, GA. In the match, Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, The Road Warriors, & Paul Ellering defeated Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Lex Luger, & J.J. Dillon.

CHRIS BENOIT'S MOTHER SAYS THE TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED The AP has a new article looking at a DEA investigation into Chris Benoit buying large quantities of steroids prior to the Benoit family deaths. Chris Benoit's mother wonders whether the deaths could have been prevented had the DEA been more aggressive when they discovered Benoit's name. When Benoit's name surfaced, he was not charged, and his supply of steroids was replenished continuously until May. The DEA told the AP, "It's ridiculous for anyone to think we could have known that anything like that could have happened.'' However, Benoit's mother points to previous investigations of Dr. Phil Astin, which revealed to local authorities that he may have been improperly prescribing medications to patients. The obvious link is that there were two separate investigations that revealed problems with Benoit and Dr. Astin. Asked if the authorities taking action could have helped Chris deal with his issues, she said, "We would certainly hope so. We just don't know. We're dealing with so many things. It's incredible.'' The DEA said it usually takes years to build a case from investigations to formally arrest or charge offenders. "You don't run out and arrest a doctor for making one prescription that is questionable,'' the DEA told the AP. "There's just not enough evidence to arrest or bring charges. We want to bring charges that are legitimate. Cases take time.'' The new AP article is currently the top Headline news item on ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2925866

Brynn was drunk when it happened. When she realized what she did, she immediately sobered up and contacted a family friend. He came over, saw Phil's body, and called police. While police were attempting to remove the couple's two children from the house, Brynn shot herself in the head. A neighbor had stated they had marital problems, but didn't think it would go to that point. The authorities pinpointed the anti-depressant Zoloft, which Brynn had been taking, as what caused her actions. A lawsuit was filed against the manufacturer Pfizer, Inc. as well as Arthur Sorosky, Brynn's psychiatrist who had prescribed her the drug.

The closest thing is what happened to comedian and SNL alumni Phil Hartmann. In May 1998, Phil was murdered by his wife, Brynn, and then she committed suicide. All this happened with their two children in his house. They were physically unharmed.

MEMBER OF WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY CRITICIZES WWE'S WELLNESS PROGRAM A Newsday article which covered the latest in the Chris Benoit story has been updated to include comments from Dr. Gary Wadler, who sits on the committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Wadler explained that testing positive under WWE's Wellness Policy requires a higher level of testosterone than tests in other sports. He also criticized WWE for giving test subjects as much as a one hour notification prior to administration and for prohibiting wrestlers from using banned substances only in "non-medical use." "It's sort of opening up a Pandora's box to define what 'non-medical use' is," said Wadler. WWE did not respond to specific criticisms, although it did tell Newsday that its policy is "one of the most aggressive of its kind compared to testing programs initiated by competitive sports organizations, and is unique for an entertainment company." It added that it would make any necessary its vision "to send a very clear message that WWE finds the abuse of drugs and steroids to be unacceptable." http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/na...y-rangers-print

Lance Storm has been added to the Alumni section on WWE.Com.

And let's not forget Austin vs. HHH at Survivor Series 2000, which features a run-in by the Radicals. Is Benoit/Jericho from Rumble 2001 and Smackdown's TLC 3 on the Ladder match DVD?

I like the guy who had the sign in the beginning that said "SOMEONE BEAT CENA ALREADY"

I bet none of the casual WWE fans even remember Nitro as John Hennigan from Tough Enough 3.