Random Ring Remarks: Undertaker, Divas NXT, Miz, and More

Welcome to the second edition of Random Ring Remarks.

For those of you who missed the first one, the format is very simple.

You ask the questions. I give the answers.

You can do that here: http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher. It's really easy. You don't even have to sign up.

It can be about anything involving wrestling, pro sports, or whatever. 

Nothing is off limits, as long as I can put the answer here on Bleacher Report. I'll do that after about every dozen I answer. 

Let's get started.

I have a question, bro. About The Miz, I hear WWE is planning on "going all the way" with his current push. Which could mean him possibly cashing the MITB in for a World Title, becoming a main event player. Your thoughts on his current push?

I've read mixed reviews on The Miz's push, but I love it. He obviously isn't the greatest in-ring worker ever, but he's still pretty good. His match with Cena on Raw a couple weeks ago was the best match of the week in all of wrestling.

And remember how bad he was at first? He has worked really hard to improve in the ring and earn the respect of fans and fellow wrestlers. He's earned my respect because he could have just quit when he was kicked out of the WWE locker room (which I read is a true story) or when he was the laughing stock of the WWE. But he didn't.

Also, we're always used to seeing the same wrestlers in the main event scene, and I think Miz would be (or already is) a welcome face in the title picture. The dude has a TON of charisma.

Whatever "it" is, he has it.

I'd argue that his mic work of late has been among the top three (if not the best) in the company, along with Jericho and Punk.

The Miz has worked hard to get where he is, and the WWE has built him up well. I'm all for the push. I think he'll do well in the main event scene.

Do you think when WWE loses guys like the Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, and Jericho, which I think could happen in the next two to three years, that WWE will go into an even worse decline than now and do you think that TNA might rival WWE when these guys go?

I agree with you in thinking that most of these guys (and Rey Mysterio) will be gone within two to three years, with Triple H being the exception. I think he'll be around a bit longer unless he suffers another injury.

But will WWE go into a huge decline when they do? I don't think so. The WWE has lost plenty of stars in the recent past: Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero (RIP), Batista, Bobby Lashley, Goldberg, etc.

Yet, the company is still around.

Those stars will certainly be missed because they've been the backbone of the WWE for so many years, but the company always builds up new stars, just like they did with Orton, Cena, and Edge. That's why the WWE is grooming guys like Sheamus and The Miz as main event wrestlers. Everybody leaves at some point, and they need new guys to take over. I think the WWE has already realized that, which is why they are infusing so much young talent onto the main roster (Nexus, NXT, etc).

I don't think TNA will compete with the WWE when Triple H, Undertaker, Edge, Jericho, and Mysterio call it quits.

Will the WWE product suffer when they do leave? Probably initially. But it'd take a lot more than a few stars leaving for TNA to compete with WWE. As I said in an earlier question, they need to market themselves better before even having a shot at dethroning the WWE as head of the wrestling world.

Will Season 2 rookies come back just like Season 1 rookies, or was the Nexus a one-time thing?

I've read conflicting reports about how long Nexus will last, but based on the ending of NXT last night, I think that most (if not all) of the losing NXT rookies will join Nexus to freshen up the feud.

I, for one, would like to see only Alex Riley, Husky Harris, and Michael McGillicutty join the group because they're all already heels in fan's eyes. I think it would be a dumb move to try and get Percy Watson, who was pretty over as a face, over as a heel. I want no part of Titus O'Neil, Eli Cottonwood, and Lucky Cannon being on the main roster.

But if I had to bet on what will happen with the Season 2 rookies, I'd put my money on some of them joining Nexus and the angle expanding to Smackdown. The Nexus is down to just five right now, so adding three would be ideal in my opinion. The Nexus started off with eight members. Adding Riley, Harris, and McGillicutty could get the group back up to its original number.

How do you think Kaval will do in the WWE?

Having him win Season 2 of NXT was a surprise to me. I thought for sure it would be Alex Riley, or Michael McGillicutty, but I still have my doubts that Kaval will get a big push in the WWE.

I thought Evan Bourne was in line for a huge push a few months ago. That went nowhere. Daniel Bryan lost to Michael Tarver and then got a jobber's entrance on this past Monday's Raw (although I honestly think that might have been more due to time constraints).

So will Vince ever push a smaller wrestler, besides Rey Mysterio, into the world title picture? I honestly don't know.

I've read reports that Vince McMahon wants to get smaller guys like Bourne, Kaval, and Bryan more over the fans so that they can be viewed as main event contenders. But then he goes and completely stops Bourne's push out of the blue. I don't think Vince has made up his mind either way because he's always seen bigger wrestlers as more marketable. I disagree just because of the sheer popularity of Rey Mysterio and the pops that Bourne, Bryan, and Kaval receive.

I mean, Kaval's pops on the NXT final were HUGE.

Fans love watching the smaller wrestlers. Vince just can't seem to jump firmly on that bandwagon. If I had to guess, I'd say he won't win a world title in the WWE and will spend most of his career in the midcard.

Of course, if Vince changes his mind, that could change too. But I wouldn't bet on it.

Do you think that having an all diva season was a good idea? I don't. The divas in the WWE right now can't keep my interest so I'm not watching next season but what about you?

I think it is a good idea to have divas on NXT, but I'm not sold on having ALL divas. As nice as they may be to look at, I'm not sure that fans care about that as much as they do about actual wrestling.

The show could wind up being a disaster. Look how bad some current divas are in the ring, like Rosa Mendes. Now I've heard good things about NXT rookie A.J., but I'd imagine that some of these divas will be downright terrible.

Think the female version of Lucky Cannon.

The main reason I think the WWE decided to do an all-divas season is because NXT only has six weeks remaining on SyFy. After that, the show's future is up in the air.

I don't think that the WWE wanted to do a season with male wrestlers because six episodes isn't really enough to get them over with the crowd. But they don't really give a crap about the divas division anyway, so if the season only last six weeks, they won't be too upset.

Either way. I'll be watching just to see if we have any new talented divas. Right off the bat, I'd expect A.J. to win because she was supposed to be called up to the main roster a couple months ago. Also, the 6-foot-9 diva named Aloicia (who wrestled as Isis the Amazon in the indies) should be a sight to see.

On Friday night during the Undertaker's promo (a pretty good one in my opinion) I noticed that the Undertaker was coughing somewhat and wondered if the WWE would limit his activity or if it was just a one time thing?

I actually didn't get a chance to watch last Friday's Smackdown, but I would imagine the WWE is certainly limiting his activity. The Undertaker was out because of a broken orbital bone (among other injuries), and reports stated that he only received clearance to start lifting weights about two weeks prior to SummerSlam.

Because of that, he's not in quite the same shape he was in prior to the injury. I wouldn't plan on seeing him wrestle too much on Smackdown before Night of Champions. Not only is the WWE trying to minimize the chance of him getting hurt again, but I also think they're trying to play up the idea that he just isn't the same Undertaker since Kane put him in a vegetative state.

Do you know what salary the WWE/TNA  Referees make?

I did a lot of looking around, but I couldn't really find a definitive answer to this one. Some website claimed that WWE referees make $50 per show, which (including house shows) would be about $200-250 per week.

That's living well below the poverty line, so that isn't true. Most sites said the WWE referees make an average of $150,000 per year. That's probably a much more accurate number because they're on the road four to five days a week, and pay for their own travel expenses.

I could find anything on TNA referees. Sorry about the lack of knowledge, but that's the best I can do on this one.

Why is there so much love on the IWC for Daniel Bryan? Yes, he can wrestle, but (to me anyway) his mic skills are horrible. Granted, I only started seeing him on NXT and he just came across as a winy little b***h. Clear this up for me because I just dont see it

I think you probably stated why the IWC loves Daniel Bryan. He can wrestle. He has wrestled in matches all over the world and the second he stepped in a WWE ring, he was a better in-ring performer than almost anyone on the company's roster. 

Most members of the IWC are older, smart fans who appreciate a guy who can really go in the ring more than someone who is phenomenal on the mic, but can't put on a good wrestling match.

But I disagree with you saying that his mic skills are horrible. Did you see this episode of NXT? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUE0xOsx8TA. I thought that was a really good promo by Bryan.

I don't love Daniel Bryan like some people in the IWC do. In fact, I think there are a lot of people in the IWC who don't love him either. But I do like him. Yeah, he isn't phenomenal on the mic, but very few are. He can hold his own when he cuts promos, even as a heel.

Am I head over heels in love with the guy? No. Do I appreciate what he can do in the ring? Yes.

Will the Deadman's streak ever end? If so, when and by whom?

No, I don't think the Undertaker's streak will ever end. The only logical reason to end it would be to start a MONSTER push for a younger wrestler or elevate him even more—someone like Sheamus, Swagger, McIntyre, Barrett, etc. Ending the Deadman's legendary Wrestlemania streak would do wonders for any of those wrestlers, but I just don't see it happening.

Why? Vince pushed Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley to the moon very early in their careers. Now? They're gone. I just don't see Vince letting someone end the most famous streak in wrestling history only to see them leave the WWE one year later.

IF it did end though, I would expect it to happen at Wrestlemania 28 because everyone would be expecting him to go 20-0. It would be a huge shock. Who would end it? I'd go with one of the wrestlers I mentioned above, or maybe even someone like John Morrison.

I hear a lot of talk about 'WWE PG sucks because they can't swear on television anymore. That's not true. I've heard words like "ass" and "damn" recently in this PG era. Why do people say there's no swearing or attitude in WWE anymore? Other than blood?

I'm not sure exactly what can and can't be said on PG programming, but one thing to remember is that Raw is a live show. Hearing a wrestler say "ass" or "damn" could be a wrestler going off script rather than a scripted part of the promo or skit. I don't think it's a big deal as there is a way to have an edgier WWE product without all the cursing, violence, and provocativeness.

Just write better shows!

The reason I think you hear people saying there's no "attitude" in the WWE anymore is because of what we saw during the Attitude Era as compared to some of the corny humor we see today.

For example, John Cena calling Sheamus a "human jar of mayonnaise" today would have never happened during the Attitude Era. I think fans are just sick and tired of the Nickelodeon type humor we're getting from the WWE, and they want a change.

Most people think that the WWE is a bit racist when it comes to black talent. They say that African-American performers don't exactly get the same attention and pushes the white competitors do, which are the majority of the talent in WWE. Your Thoughts?

I'll start by saying that I don't think Vince McMahon and the WWE are intentionally deciding not to push black talent, in most cases that is. If you look at recent WWE history, some African-American performers have received pretty big pushes. Guys like Booker T, Bobby Lashley, and Kofi Kingston were all elevated into the main event picture, but only Lashley's decision to leave the WWE dealt with racial issues. Booker T requested his release from the WWE in 2007 after being caught up in the Signature Pharmacy steroid scandal, and Kofi's push was halted when Randy Orton told WWE management that "he wasn't ready" for the main event.

At the time Lashley decided to leave the WWE, Smackdown head writer Michael Hayes had been suspended for 60 days for using racial slurs toward Mark Henry when he was intoxicated. Allegedly, he told Henry, "I'm more of a n***** than you."

Some say Hayes was joking when he made the comment, but obviously, that is an absolutely despicable act on Hayes' part.

Now, at the same time, Lashley was rehabbing an injury when a sexual storyline was pitched for Kristal, who was Lashley's girlfriend at the time. Also, Paul Heyman revealed that a WWE writer referred to Lashley as the "black Brock Lesnar." So Lashley's decision to leave the company was a combination of those three things, two of which dealt with racism on the part of WWE employees.

Then, there is a guy like Shelton Benjamin who is one of the most talented wrestlers in the business, yet he never got pushed. And there's Cryme Tyme, a duo which quite obviously was portraying the stereotype of African Americans being criminals. None of these wrestlers received the pushes I thought that they deserved.

Why? I can't really say. But I honestly don't think the entire company has the philosophy of "oh, we can't push black wrestlers."

In fact, Vince McMahon mentioned a while back that the WWE needed a top African American superstar to fill the void left by guys like Lashley and Booker. Kofi was supposed to fill that spot, but again, Orton stalled his push.

So to answer your question, I don't think that black performers in the WWE have received the same pushes that white wrestlers have. However, I also don't believe this has been done intentionally because everyone in the WWE is a racist.

It's due to a number of different factors. The biggest problem I see is the sheer lack of black wrestlers in the company. To push black wrestlers, you have to have black wrestlers. And quite simply, the WWE just doesn't have enough.

Who do you put money on to win the Six Pack Challenge?

In my opinion, there are too many heels in the WWE Championship picture, and not enough faces. If you break down the main event caliber heels on Raw, you have five: Edge, Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, and The Miz. With Triple H gone, you have only two main event caliber faces: John Cena and Randy Orton.

I don't think it would make sense to put the belt on Edge or Jericho at this point. Edge doesn't need it, and I think Jericho will take a hiatus from the WWE after Night of Champions. Cena absolutely does not need the belt, but it's the WWE. I certainly wouldn't be shocked if he won. So my three likeliest options are Orton, Barrett and Sheamus.

If the WWE wants to continue the Sheamus-Orton title feud, either one of those obviously has to win. Personally, I think feuds are better with heel champions, so I'd like to see Sheamus retain clean (which would really help his credibility) and have the feud with Orton continue.

Then, there's the wild card: Wade Barrett. If the WWE plans on continuing with the Nexus faction, having Barrett as champion would do wonders for the group. But there would have to be a Barrett-Sheamus match somewhere down the road, and heel vs. heel matches don't go over well with the fans (especially with two relatively new wrestlers).

You can still make Barrett look strong, and continue his feud with Cena without having him win the title.

All that being said, Orton is on fire right now, so I'll put my money on him to win the WWE Championship, with Sheamus retaining a close second.

Will Wrestlemania ever come to Cleveland, OH?

There have been 26 Wrestlemanias held in 14 states: New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Florida, and Arizona.

Wrestlemania 27 will be held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. If you look at the last four Wrestlemanias, they've all been held in stadiums. If it's an outdoor stadium, the recent trend is to hold Wrestlemania in warm-weather areas like Florida (WM 24), Texas (WM 25) or Arizona (WM 26).

And it seems the WWE is trying to set the attendance record with almost every Wrestlemania. 

Cleveland's only shot to land Wrestlemania is to hold it in Cleveland Browns stadium, but that's an outdoor stadium. Wrestlemania is usually the last week of March or first week of April, so I don't think the WWE would run its biggest show of the year there at that time of year.

When the WWE does decide to run Wrestlemania in a smaller arena rather than a stadium, it tends to run in places where the crowds are the best: Staples Center (Los Angeles), Madison Square Garden (New York), TD Garden (Boston), or the Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia).

I'd say the chances of Wrestlemania heading to Cleveland are slim right now. The WWE has been running its biggest event in huge warm weather stadiums to get as many people to attend the show as possible.

Unfortunately, Cleveland doesn't fit that bill. And if Vince does decide that Wrestlemania will take place an arena, I'd expect it to be one of those four mentioned (although you might be able to cross Staples Center off the list because it looks like that is the new home for SummerSlam).

Sorry, bud. I know Cleveland can't catch a break.

Final Thoughts

That'll do it for the second installment of Random Ring Remarks.

Again, hit me up on http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher or http://twitter.com/B_Oestriecher if you want a question answered.

Comment away!