Random Ring Remarks: WWE PG, Salaries, Wrestlemania, Rock Vs. Cena, Triple H

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Random Ring Remarks where the readers control the content.

The format is simply. You ask the questions. I answer them.

You can do that at http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher (which is incredibly easy and doesn't require you to sign up) or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/B_Oestriecher.

The questions can be about anything involving wrestling, or even pro sports. After answering about a dozen or so, I'll post them here at Bleacher Report, so you guys can debate my answers and provide your own in the comments section.

I started this about two weeks ago, and the response has been very good.

Almost nothing is off limits. I'll answer any question that they'll allow me to post on the site.

Here are the first twelve I answered. Only one of them is about something non-wrestling related.

Say if, well WHEN Triple H takes control of the company after Vince steps down, do you think he would do it any good?

Yeah, I think Triple H would do a very good job as the head of the WWE, but he won't be doing it alone. It's pretty much inevitable that when Vince steps down, he will turn over control of the company to both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie is already the WWE's Executive Vice President of Creative Development & Operations -- meaning she is already heavily involved in WWE's creative process -- while Triple H is known to sit in on creative meetings and have a pretty big influence on the company's creative direction as well.

Although he's still an active performer, Triple H is 41 years old, and I'd expect him to gradually transition into an even bigger behind-the-scenes role in the company. By that, I mean that he will likely have more and more influence the closer he gets to retiring. I'd say that Triple H will probably retire in the next 5-7 years barring another injury. At that point, Vince will be over 70 years old, and I'd expect Triple H and Stephanie to take over the main duties for Vince IF he isn't healthy enough (or alive for that matter). Let's face it. Vince McMahon lives for this business, and he won't quit running it before he has to.

Also, Triple H may not be the most liked wrestler ever, but we can't deny that he has a wealth of experience to bring to the table. Stephanie does as well because she has been around the product all of her life, and has actually been working for the WWE since 1998. She knows her way around the wrestling business.

All that being said, I wouldn't expect drastic chances when Triple H and Stephanie do take over the company. It will still be Vince's company, and he won't completely distance himself from it. Another thing to remember is that if they do take control of the WWE, it likely means that WWE PG is here to stay. Triple H and Stephanie have three daughters together, and they've both spoken about not exposing them to the type of programming we saw during the Attitude Era. So if you're not a fan of PG, then he may not do any good for the company. But like I said in an earlier question on this site, wrestling is cyclical so I would never say something is a definite. Triple H and Stephanie could change their minds. Either way, I think the company is in good hands with those two running it.

Ok alot of ppl say that kids adore cena and kids love the pg era well im a kid and i hate cena i hate the pg era i hate how vince keeps cena in the title hunt all the time plz explain y kids like cena

It's pretty simple why kids love Cena. It basically comes down to good vs. evil. The WWE portrays him just like a superhero, someone who saves the world (or WWE) from the bad guy. Vince McMahon has made Cena the face of the company because he is seen as the good guy who battles all evil (Sheamus, Nexus, etc.) Kids and probably more importantly, their parents, love Cena for that reason. Especially in a world where many athletes, actors and musicians continue to get in trouble with the law, Cena is viewed as an alternative to all the "bad" we see on TV every day.

I think the fact that you're a kid and you hate Cena means that you're a smarter wrestling fan, much like the older viewers who have a better understanding of the WWE product. I think you prove that you know more about the wrestling business than most kids just by disliking the fact that Cena is ALWAYS in the title picture. As long as he's a face, that won't change either. 

Actually, I was a lot like you when I was younger. I cheered for the heels and booed the faces. During the Attitude Era, I was only like 10 years old, and I loved watching anything that I knew most parents didn't let their kids watch. I'd venture to guess that your parents are like mine, and they let you watch basically anything you want. You probably hate the PG WWE because you're used to seeing blood, violence, and scantily dressed women on TV anyway. I think some kids, like you, have become so accustomed to seeing these things on other shows that having the corny humor on WWE programming is a disappointment.

Do you hate LeBron James? I do

 Haha. No, I don't HATE LeBron James, but I did lose some respect for him after "The Decision." He basically gave Cleveland a big "F*** you!" on national TV in an hour-long special that was one of the most egotistical, narcissistic displays I've ever seen. He then took out a newspaper ad and failed to mention/thank Cleveland AGAIN, another big "F*** you!" And he took the easier route to an NBA title by joining Wade and Bosh in Miami.

But every basketball star who's won an NBA title has had a sidekick (or two). Jordan had Pippen and Rodman. Kobe had Shaq for his first three and Gasol for his second two. Wade had Shaq for his championship in 2006. Duncan had Robinson, then Ginobili and Parker. LeBron never had that in Cleveland, and it didn't look like that was changing anytime soon. He'll never be considered in the Jordan/Kobe category because he "took his talents to South Beach," but I'm pretty sure he never would have won a title with the Cavs. So I can't totally hate him for leaving Cleveland, but I absolutely loathed the way he did it.

My most hated athlete? Probably Brett Favre.

 If you ran a wrestling company what whould it be called? What will your roster look like? When would it be on? Who whould do commetary?

Hm, this is a fun one. I'd probably call it something like the Global Wrestling League (GWL). At least at the beginning stages of the promotion, I'd have it air on Wednesday nights on a channel like FX, TNT or TBS from 8 to 10 p.m. (Eastern time). On Wednesday, it woudn't have to compete with any other wrestling shows, and on those channels, it would be available to a wide audience.

On commentary, I'd have to go with the best of all-time, Jim Ross, and another personal favorite of mine in Joey Styles. I think they'd definitely bring some excitement to the matches. I know you didn't ask this, but I'd have Howard Finkel as the ring announcer.

As for the roster, I'd focus on athletic wrestlers rather than the bodybuilder types, but I'd still bring some big names into the promotion because it would need some drawing power. Here's how my roster would look (assuming I had a huge company backing me up financially):

Male Wrestlers: Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Jack Swagger, Chris Jericho, Evan Bourne, John Morrison, Justin Gabriel, Carlito, Zack Ryder, Yoshi Tatsu, Cody Rhodes, Kaval, John Morrison, Joe Hennig (Michael McGillicutty), The Miz, Shelton Benjamin, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, D'Angelo Dinero, Nigel McGuiness (Desmond Wolfe), Amazing Red, Jay Lethal, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Colt Cabana, Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels

Tag Teams: Briscoe Brothers, Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money, Generation Me, The Hart Dynasty, Brian Kendrick and Paul London, The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli), The Filth and Fury (Teddy Hart and Matt Cross)

Women's Wrestlers: Serena, Mickie James, Sara Del Ray, Daizee Haze, Awesome Kong, Trish Stratus, Melina, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, The Beautiful People, Sarita, Gail Kim, MsChif, Katie Lea

I may have forgotten some, but that's probably a good start, although I might go bankrupt pretty quick haha.

What is your wm 27 predicted card

Hm, this is a hard one. I think that a lot could change between now and Wrestlemania (like the rosters and wrestlers getting a push), so I'll take that into consideration. But here's my predicted card, with my thoughts on why I think that match could take place:

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. The Miz
The Miz never cashes in for a cheap title win, and holds the MITB briefcase until Wrestlemania to face Cena. 

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Punk eliminates Orton from the Royal Rumble, igniting a feud between two of the company biggest stars.

World Heavyweight Championship: Kofi Kingston vs. Edge
Edge goes to Smackdown when it moves to SyFy. Kofi wins the Royal Rumble and challenges Edge for the belt at Wrestlemania.

Wade Barrett vs. Chris Jericho
Barrett costs Jericho the WWE Championship at Night of Champions, forcing Y2J to leave the WWE. Jericho then returns as a surprise entrant at Elimination Chamber, where he costs Barrett the match and sets up this match at Wrestlemania.

Triple H vs. Drew McIntyre
Similar to his match with Sheamus last year, Triple H wrestles McIntyre to give him a chance to prove himself on the big stage.

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
After a lengthy feud with The Miz, Bryan is attacked by Sheamus, who is irate over being left out of the WWE Championship picture.

Jack Swagger vs. The Undertaker
They've had good matches in the past, and Swagger wants to prove to everyone how good he is by defeating The Phenom at Wrestlemania.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio
At Hell in a Cell, Del Rio takes out Mysterio (who then takes his vacation and has knee surgery). Mysterio returns at the Royal Rumble to eliminate Del Rio, reigniting their feud that culminates at Wrestlemania. 

Women's Championship: Natalya vs. Beth Phoenix
Because the two most powerful WWE divas are very good in the ring, and should face each other.

WWE Tag Team Championship: Ted and Brett DiBiase vs. Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris
DiBiase starts a Legacy-like faction (all second generation superstars) with all four competitors initially members of the group. But McGillicutty and Harris defect from the stable, and challenge the DiBiases for the titles.

Money in the Bank: MVP, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler,Christian, John Morrison,Kane, Justin Gabriel, Alex Riley, Kaval, Evan Bourne

When do you see the PG era ending? Do you think it WILL end?

Yeah, I think it will end sooner or later. Wrestling is cyclical, and nothing lasts forever. However, I don't see it ending soon for a couple reasons. Earlier this year, the WWE signed a multi-year contract with Mattel to distribute action figures, championship belts, etc. Mattel gears its product toward kids, and Vince McMahon won't put that partnership in jeopardy. Second, I think Triple H and Stephanie will take over company management relatively soon. They have three children together, and Triple H has already come out and said that he thinks PG is good for the business because it is family friendly entertainment. Finally, other wrestlers (like Cena and Orton) have echoed Triple H's thought, agreeing PG is a smart move for the WWE. These are just a few reasons off the top of my head why it will continue for a while, but there are obviously more.

As for when it will end, it only started in 2008 although it seems like it's been forever haha. I'm not sure how long the agreement with Mattel is, but PG is here to stay until that ends at the very least. If I had to guess, I'd say it will end sometime between 2016-2018 because the type of programming seems to change every 10 years or so. That being said, I don't think it will revert back to the stuff we saw during the Attitude Era. I think it will be a happy medium between the two.

Cena v.s Rock who whould win? Whould you like to see it happen? Do you think it can happen?

I would love to see John Cena vs. The Rock headline Wrestlemania. I think it could happen if The Rock was willing to take a brief hiatus from acting to focus on wrestling for a few months -- say from Royal Rumble to the Raw after Wrestlemania. After all, he hasn't been setting the acting world on fire with movies like The Tooth Fairy haha. And I've heard from a lot of sources that they wanted to do Cena/Rock this past Wrestlemania, so I would imagine Vince McMahon would love to do it at Wrestlemania 27. If he throws a bunch of money (maybe $3-5 million) at The Rock, I don't think he'd pass that up, and the WWE could make that money back easily in pay-pay-view buys.

I'm sure The Rock would still be pretty good in the ring too, and I think him and Cena could easily put on a ***1/2 match. He's younger than guys like Edge, Jericho, and Triple H, so he'd definitely have something left in the tank.

If the match were to happen though, the only outcome I could see is Cena winning. I'd hate that, but I don't think Vince would put The Rock over Cena unless he was returning full time (which I highly doubt).

Who out of these wrestlers is the best Hbk Ric flair Aj styles or Kurt angle

Wow, awesome question. Assuming we're strictly talking about in-ring abilities, I'd go with Shawn Michaels. He is a 10-time winner of the PWI Match of the Year, and will probably win it again this year for his rematch against the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. He can put on a hell of a match with basically anyone. When he says he is Mr. Wrestlemania, he isn't lying. 

Second, I'd go with Angle, then Styles and Flair.

Do you like Tna or Wwe which one do u like more

I like both, but I'm a much a bigger WWE fan. I watch the WWE every week while I only randomly watch Impact. Usually, if I read the Impact spoilers and there's something I want to see (like MCMG vs. Beer Money), I'll watch it. TNA using older or former WWE stars has a lot to do with this. If they used their home-grown talent better, TNA would be up there with the WWE.

Do you think WWE going PG is a good move

In terms of business, yes. The WWE now has advertising and business agreements it never would have gotten if it wasn't PG, like its line of Mattel action figures.

But in terms of quality of the product, I think the WWE has suffered because of the PG rating. I'm not advocating for hardcore violence, but matches like a Hell in the Cell or TLC just aren't as believable without blood. I can't remember what pay-per-view it was (Extreme Rules maybe?), but the medics came out to patch up a cut on CM Punk's head in the middle of the match! That absolutely killed the crowd.

It's things like this (and anything involving Hornswoggle or divas in one piece bathing suits) that make me dislike the PG rating, but I don't think the WWE necessarily needs to revert back to the Attitude Era with all the cursing and promiscuity either. I loved the Attitude Era, but I think a happy medium between PG and Attitude would be a good solution for everyone.

Do you think TNA will ever be competitive with WWE, looks like WWE is just too strong!!!

TNA has two things that should allow it to compete with WWE: a talented roster and a major financial backer in Panda Energy. I could talk about the idiotic booking in TNA all day, but I actually don't think that is their biggest problem. TNA's biggest issue is marketing. If you look at the WWE, it's everywhere -- action figures, video games, movies, t-shirts, on cups at 7/11, etc. 

Another example: if you watch a match between CM Punk and MVP, would you realize that is between two former TNA guys? No. If you watched Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy on Impact, would you realize that it was a match between two former WWE wrestlers? Yes. Why? Because WWE does a much better job in marketing its performers. So until TNA does a better job of marketing its wrestlers and its overall product, I don't see them having a realistic shot at catching the WWE.

Do you know of WWE Superstars current salaries? I know, of course, you don't work for the company. But I always wanted to know what the mid carders like Kofi, McIntyre and Ziggler made a year.

I know that WWE developmental workers' contracts have a $25,000 downside guarantee, which means they make at least that much no matter what. Every wrestler on the main roster receives bonus money based on TV and pay-per-view appearances, merchandise sales, etc. Obviously, guys like Cena, Orton, Triple H, and the Undertaker make millions of dollars each year, but mid-carders like the ones you mentioned still makes hundreds of thousands of dollars. Take a look at this list, and you'll get some ideas:http://www.wrestlescoop.com/info/salaries.shtml.

As you'll see, a mid-carder like William Regal made $225,000 and that was five or six years ago. However, the important thing to take note of is that wrestlers are independent contractors, who don't have health insurance and pay for their own travel expenses (for the most part). So it's not quite the same as a typical salary of the equal amount.
 

Final Thoughts

That's it for the first edition of RRR.

Feel free to comment, and definitely hit me up at http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher with any questions you might want answered.