Ring Remarks: Matt Hardy, Booker, Michelle McCool, Katie Vick, Nexus, Lawler, JR
Yo, yo, yo. It's Cryme Tyme.
Just kidding. But it is the sixth installment of Ring Remarks (with a shortened name and everything)!
You know the drill. You ask the questions. I give the answers.
Nothing is off limits as long as the fine people here at Bleacher Report will let me publish it.
You inquisitive folks can ask your questions at: http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher
You can also read the last installment of Ring Remarks right here. In that mailbag, I discuss steroids, debate whether The Rock is better than HBK, and much more.
Alright, let's get to it.
This is the Ring Remarks mailbag. And it's awesome.
Are Rookie Wrestlers Treated As Equals?
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Just like in major sports, I think there is a probably a rookie "hazing" period.
By that, I mean the Nexus and other rookies aren't just going to walk in the locker room and immediately have the respect of everyone there. They'll have to prove themselves in the ring, through promos and with their behavior backstage before being treated like one of the boys.
I know guys liked Hardcore Holly used to be very stiff in the ring with "rookies" as a way of saying: "Welcome to the big time."
The rookie wrestlers also may be asked to do certain things for the veterans, although I'm not sure.
Have Cena's Shorts Gotten Shorter?
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Haha. No, I haven't noticed that.
I really wish he would switch from those god awful jorts (that's jean shorts) to actual wrestling tights.
I remember when we used to make fun of the kids that wore jorts in high school.
Why does John Cena get a pass? Get that dude some actual wrestling attire.
What's The Deal With Katie Vick? The Ultimate Aggression Era?
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1. The Katie Vick storyline is what I like to call the worst storyline in WWE history. Here's a pretty detailed account of the entire fiasco.
But the basic gist of it, or the thing that made the storyline so famous, was that Triple H and Kane were feuding when Triple H simulated having sex with the dead body of "Katie Vick." It was pretty awful.
2. I think you may be confusing the Ultimate Aggression Era with the Ruthless Aggression Era.
Many people refer to the time period between the Attitude Era (1998-2001) and the PG Era (2008-Present) by that name.
So the Ruthless Aggression Era is the period in WWE history from 2002-2007.
It was a pretty big transitional period in WWE with the WWF changing to WWE, the company implementing the brand extension, ECW being brought back, the introduction of the World Heavyweight Championship, etc.
Thanks, man! Appreciate it.
I'm Not Tall. Can I Make It In The WWE?
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History says the WWE tends to shy away from smaller guys, but I don't think some people realize that the WWE tends to exaggerate the sizes of its wrestlers.
Its called "billed height" or "billed weight." Simply put, the company bills its guys at bigger heights and weights.
You can notice it all the time. Batista is billed as 6'5, he stands next to Cena who is billed at 6'1, and they're almost eye to eye.
Or they'll bill Undertaker and Kane as 7-footers when they're more like 6'9 or 6'10. I think they billed Brock Lesnar and The Rock at 6'5, and they're both actually about 6'3.
So what you see on WWE programming isn't always what is true.
For that reason, I think you would definitely be able to make it into the company if you have the right look, the wrestling ability, and the charisma.
Some of the most successful guys in the business (Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, RVD, etc) and even guys like John Morrison or The Miz hover right at or even below the 6-foot line.
Wrestling is about more than just size.
Why Was It Called The Ruthless Aggression Era?
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I'm not really sure why it was called that to be honest, but I think it has something to do with this.
"Shut Up, You Idiot!"
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Haha. Chris Jericho is truly the best in the world at what he does.
That promo was pretty awesome. But all of his promos are.
Do Some Superstars Pick Their Ring Names?
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Well, for the most part, creative picks the wrestlers' names. However, I think the wrestlers do have input in some cases.
It's just whether or not the WWE listens to that input. Tyler Rekks is the exception rather than the rule.
Is Matt Hardy's WWE Career Coming To an End?
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Yeah, I think Matt Hardy is all but done with the WWE.
It seems he has almost been trying to get himself fired, and being sent home from the European tour may have been the last straw. Matt wasn't at the Smackdown tapings, and it is rumored that he is "on thin ice."
Hardy seems to be going through a difficult time right now. Company officials have been concerned over his "wellbeing" although they haven't really said whether that's his physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, or both.
I honestly think Matt is just tired of being stuck in the WWE mid-card with seemingly no way to get out. Although Matt is over with the fans, the bottom line is that the company just doesn't view him as a main event caliber wrestler.
I know he's had intestinal issues, but he looks completely out of shape. It's almost as if he's looking at WWE management and saying, "I don't give a s**t."
His behavior has been odd to say the least. I think his current status in the WWE has disappointed him so much that he has lost his sense of reality.
He has posted cryptic videos on YouTube and cryptic tweets on Twitter. I personally am concerned for his well being too. Something just doesn't seem right with him.
I think the best thing at this point for Matt Hardy would be to cut ties with the WWE. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened within the next week or so.
What Happened To Law and Order In The WWE?
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The heels are running wild!
How Do Wrestlers Hide Under The Ring Without Being Noticed?
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Usually they do something before the match to distract the crowd (have someone shoot t-shirts into the crowd, have a kiss cam segment, etc), then have several WWE ring members make their way down to the ring while that is going on.
Whoever that person is, like Shawn Michaels, will be surrounded by those crew members so that the crowd can't see him.
He'll also be disguised, and (when they get to the ring) the crew members will act like they are doing something under/around the ring to allow the wrestler to go underneath it.
How Is a Wrestler "Buried Alive?"
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I'm pretty sure they just have some kind of trap door in the coffin that allows them to escape and go underneath the stage. I'm not completely sure, but that's pretty much the only way to do it.
At SummerSlam this year, when Kane opened the casket and Undertaker wasn't in there the first time (but was later), you could see that Undertaker was simply hiding under a layer in the casket.
Whatever Happened to Booker T Returning?
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Yeah, he does remind me of Booker T. As long as he doesn't become King Kofi, I'll be fine with that. Haha.
Booker T was in talks with the WWE around the Royal Rumble to return (after he left TNA) and was even rumored to be a surprise entrant.
But he wanted to work a limited schedule, and Vince doesn't typically let workers not named Shawn Michaels do that. F
rom what I've heard, that's the main reason Booker T is not back in the company.
How Much Money Did Jeff Hardy Make During His Final Year In The WWE?
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Haha. I know what you mean.
I'm pretty sure Jeff Hardy's salary was somewhere in that $500,000-$1,000,00 range, which is what the bigger stars in the WWE tend to make.
Hardy had a huge fanbase in the WWE, and he sold a crapload of merchandise (Hardy Boyz gear, the armbands, etc).
I'd guess he was pushing a million during the final year of his WWE contract.
Tights Or Trunks?
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Agree with everything you said. Haha.
I'm more of a tights guy too. But to be honest, I think the singlet is underrated.
The guys who wear it (RVD, Swagger, Angle, etc.) wear it well.
Trying To Find Out About Salaries (the WWE's Lochness Monster)
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I't's very hard to find accurate WWE salary lists online, but I do know that developmental workers have a $25,000 downside guarantee (they make that no matter what).
Just taking downside guarantees into account, I would guess lower-card workers probably make in that $50,000-$75,000 range, and mid-carders probably $100,000-$300,000 once they sign a new contract.
I did read on a very reliable site that Christian's downside guarantee is $75,000 a year, which I thought was pretty low, but he probably makes a lot more with the money from merchandise, appearances, etc.
Michelle McCool: Is She Terrible?
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No. Haha. I do too.
Although I think Michelle is better in the ring, I definitely think Layla is the more charismatic of the two.
Something about Michelle just bothers the living hell out of me. Her voice, maybe? I think the fact she's married to The Undertaker is a big reason why she's getting the push she is.
Plus, remember those Michelle McCool "Loving Life" vignettes the WWE used to run when she was making her return to Smackdown? God, she sucked back then even more.
I know she has been champion for a while now, but how she was named the PWI's Top Women's Wrestler is beyond me.
How Tall Is Cena?
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John Cena said on Twitter a while back that he is 6'0.
The WWE bills him as 6'1, but pretty much every wrestler on the roster is billed to be bigger than they actually are.
My friend worked backstage at a Raw taping. He's 5'8, and he said Jericho is not much bigger than him.
Do Nexus Members Sign Autographs?
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Yeah, I'm almost positive that they aren't allowed to sign autographs in order to keep their heel personas going.
I'm not sure about hanging out with the other superstars in public, but I wouldn't doubt it.
They want to keep the illusion of the Nexus being the villains/outsiders of the company. But that will end once Nexus splits up.
What Did I Think Of Night Of Champions?
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I wrote an article on what I thought about it. You can read that here.
Basically, I was shocked by a few things: Bryan winning (and The Miz not cashing in after Orton won), Punk losing in a squash, the terrible booking of the WWE Tag Team Championship match, and the fact that Jericho was completely buried in what might be his last WWE appearance for a while.
Will Orton Be a Better Face Champion?
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I think so. The crowd is popping HUGE for Orton right now, and when he hits the RKO, it reminds me of -- dare I say it? -- Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The fans go absolutely bonkers when Orton hits that move, and it doesn't really matter who he hits it on.
I was actually enjoying his chase for the WWE Championship because he waws just RKO'ing everyone who got in his way.
But I don't think his title reign will be much different. I'd expect Orton to just destroy people with the RKO every week.
I'm actually going to have faith in the creative team too, and say that Orton will have a pretty lengthy reign (at least by WWE standards). The WWE has to realize that he is the hottest act going in the company, and it would hurt his momentum if he lost the the title after a really short reign.
There are two things that make me worry that Orton might have a short-lived reign though.
The first thing I'm hoping is that the WWE doesn't go overboard and have him carry the title for so long that the fans get sick of him.
Another worry I have though is that once his feud with Sheamus ends, Orton doesn't really have many fresh heels to feud with. He feuded with Edge already,and Raw doesn't really have a lot of main event heels other than Wade Barrett.
Also, could The Miz cash in? It's possible.
I really wouldn't be shocked if it it happened soon, especially since Orton will probably face Sheamus at Hell in a Cell. That's a brutal match, and Miz could take advantage.
Plus, that would be a fresh feud
An Orton/Miz Feud?
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Looking at the Raw brand, there aren't really many top heels left for Orton to feud with.
You've got Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Edge, and The Miz.
I think the Sheamus/Orton feud will end at Hell in a Cell, and Orton's already feuded with Edge. So you really only have two options for an Orton feud: Barrett or Miz.
I actually wouldn't be surprised if Orton won at HIAC, then The Miz cashed in and won the belt.
That could ignite that feud, but Miz's feud with Daniel Bryan is a good one that the WWE probably wants to keep going.
I think the Orton/Miz feud will happen, but not just yet
Who Comes Up With Wrestlers' Catchphrases?
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I don't know for sure, but I think it's a little bit of both.
Let's be real here. There's no way the creative team thought of all the popular catchphrases you've seen on WWE programming. They're just not that, um, creative.
I'd imagine that some of the wrestlers pitched potential phrases to the creative team while others were given them.
"The Champ is here!" sounds like one the creative team would have came up with because it's terrible.
Believe it or not, the WWE pays attention to the IWC too. T
hey get some things, like telling Heath Slater he looks like Wendy, from Internet wrestling writers. A guy I read a lot, John Canton (from thejohnreport.net) used that for like a month or two before Cena said it on TV.
Will Cena Finally Turn Heel at Hell In a Cell?
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Nope. If it was going to happen, it would have happened at SummerSlam.
I don't think it's realistic that they turn Cena heel at a pay-per-view that nobody's going to order (because there's only two weeks between Night of Champions and HIAC).
Plus, the WWE is heel heavy right now.
If Cena joined Nexus, who would they feud with? Randy Orton? That's pretty much the only option.
Where's Shad?
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Shad is in WWE developmental (FCW). The WWE sent him down because he wasn't getting over as a heel on Smackdown.
That's what happens when you split up a perfectly good tag team.
Vince will never learn.
What Makes a Wrestler Marketable?
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In my opinon, three things make a wrestler marketable: his look, in-ring ability, and charisma.
Probably the least important of the three is in-ring ability.
What I mean when I say a wrestler is "marketable" is that people go out of their way to see him. Something about the guy just stands out from the rest.
Maybe it's his hair and skin tone (Sheamus), his lifestyle (CM Punk), or his gimmick (The Undertaker).
But people are willing to spend their hard-earned money to see people that are marketable, people that aren't just another bland wrestler.
For example, no one wants to see a Lucky Cannon. If Lucky was an ice cream flavor, he'd be sugar-free vanilla.
We want some toppings, damnit!
Give us some sprinkles or some chocolate chips. That's what marketable guys do.
Will Good Ole J.R. Ever Return?
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Unfortunately, I think J.R.'s days on commentary are over.
He's corrently working in a backstage role with the company, and seems to enjoy having a more flexibile schedule.
But it's still a shame that he just kind of left. There was no big sendoff, no last match. He was just gone one day.
That was due purely to his health, but it still sucks for wrestling fans like me who love great announcers.
It's especially hard when Jerry Lawler is on Raw calling a match with Smackdown wrestlers, and he has no idea who the hell they are.
For those of you who don't know, Lawler never watches Smackdown. He's clueless as to what goes on on that show.
Anyway, I know I'm a bit off topic, but I think he's certainly missed. If I had my way, Lawler would be gone, and Good Ole J.R. would be on Raw with the newly found Michael Cole as the heel sidekick.
Still, I just don't think we'll ever see J.R. return full-time. Maybe for one more pay-per-view, but I think the chances of that are even slim.
Does The WWE Need a Top Black Wrestler?
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Yeah, the WWE needs top black stars without a doubt.
I went into detail on this on an earlier installment of Random Ring Remarks, but the company has missed the boat with plenty of African American wrestlers in the company: Kofi Kingston (Thanks, Orton!), Shelton Benjamin (terribly misused), Bobby Lashley (left too soon), etc.
The only guy in recent memory I can think of who held a world title was Booker T, and that was the World Heavyweight Championship.
The Rock was WWE Champion, but you don't look at him and say, "He's black." Hell, I didn't really know what ethnicity he was until after he left the company (I was young then).
And I think Kofi is the only wrestler currently in the company with a legit shot at winning the WWE Championship. Vince needs to do something about this.
I Answer an Awkward Question and Hope To Not Lose Readers Because Of It
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Laser hair removal or wax, maybe? I'm not sure. Haha.
As awkward as it is to think about this, I'd guess they shave them, then lotion them.
I can't believe I'm answering this. Haha.
But I ran track, so I shaved mine for a while and that's what I did.
You could ask Batista though.
Note: I hope you readers appreciate honesty.
Is The WWE Creative Team Racist?
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I think so actually. Haha.
Regardless of race, I just don't think the creative team really knows how to book wrestling.
And I wouldn't say Kofi's gimmick is stereotypical. They bill him from Ghana, which is true.
Obviously the Cryme Tyme gimmick was completely stereoptypical, but I believe Shad and JTG came up with those gimmicks.
Smackdown head writer Michael Hayes has had a few run-ins with guys like Mark Henry and Bobby Lashley that make me believe he might be a bit racist though.
Why Jerry Lawler Is My New Michael Cole
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Haha. Yeah, I have.
Lawler has been absolutely terrible the last few years. The guy just doesn't have it anymore.
He doesn't even watch Smackdown for God's sake.
It's time for him to walk away from the announce table.
Final Thoughts
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Well, that'll do it for the sixth installment of the newly-named Ring Remarks.
That picture's a little WWECW throwback for ya.
Like Matt Hardy's WWE career, I'm done.
Comment away!
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