Skip to main content

RF Video Shoot Interview with The Outsiders

This was filmed in 2007

The interview was conducted by Rob Feinstein

It runs for one hour and fifty-five minutes long.




The interview starts with the guys asked when they first met. They said it was at the first SuperBrawl PPV for WCW. The next day, Nash picked up Hall at his hotel and they worked out then stopped to have a few beers. They both then tell a funny story of how Hall reached across to play with the radio and accidentally brushed up on Nash's junk a few times, as there was barely any room for them in the car and after the third time Nash held Hall's hand there, who thought it was either a joke or Nash was going to kick his ass so he called Nash a "fag" jokingly and they became friends after that.



When asked about not getting chances in their first WCW run, Nash said he understood as he was green but Hall had experience. Hall said it was still the most money he was making and that the fans were not knowing how much he was making so he decided to go out and act like he was making a ton until he left for the WWF. Hall then talked about how in WCW, you position on the card was already determined before your first match as no matter what crowd response you received as a guy making $75,000 a year was never going to beat a guy making $750,000 a year. He then talks about in the WWF, everybody gets a "few swings" and the decisions are based about your performance.



They are asked about what pressure you face when being the top wrestlers in a company. Nash talks about how the fans are behind you until you reach the top then the "smarks" start to automatically hate you. Hall says that when Vince ran the WWF back then you were as good as your last performance and it created a competitive environment and how if you had a bad match, agents would tell you what was wrong and how you did. In WCW, they barely cared as Nash recalls a time when they didn't have his entrance music ready for a show in Tupelo. The agent then told him that it didnt matter because it was a small show in Tupelo and after that Nash said that was his battle cry and how he wanted to be told ahead of time if stuff didnt matter because he could be sitting at home if that was the case.



On their first road trip, they were with Shawn Michaels and all put towels over their faces on the way into the arena because at that time they were still supposed to keep kayfabe.



Hall talks about how he was in a meeting with Vince, Savage, Heenan, Mr. Perfect, and Ric Flair to discuss Savage dropping the belt to Flair. He said that he wanted to stand up and tell Vince if he really wanted to give Flair the belt seeing how he came into his company with the WCW belt. Hall said he almost did that because he hated Flair for fucking him over in WCW when he was the booker.



They are asked about the Ultimate Warrior. Nash said he got along with him but that he was really "different" as Hall admires him for holding out for more money.



When asked if Vince was responsible for the heat between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart Nash said that Vince always stirred the pot because it was good for business, adding that is not the case today where everything is so heavily scripted. Nash talks about guys shooting on interviews back then as Hall notes how today on Smackdown you can see how the cheers are canned as you hear the noise but do not see anyone reacting in the crowds as Nash adds how there are people who work on Smackdown for a reason.



On working with Shawn, they both joked how he was the reason their matches were any good and talk about how great he is and how he is a lot bigger in person than you would think.



When asked about any road stories while in the WWF, Nash attempts to recall a time when they were all fucked up on pills along with Shawn and the 1-2-3 Kid. HHH was with them but sober and they went into a diner that was filled with cops from a nearby police convention where they gave Shawn the choice to either go to jail or a hospital because he was such a mess. Hall says that he has no recollection of this as Nash jokes that he was probably too fucked up. Nash then talks about how when HHH first started to travel with them, 1-2-3 Kid got so fucked up that they were all trying to slap him in the face so he could wake up then HHH went and slapped him, causing the others to remind HHH that he just started hanging with them and that he basically had not earned that right.



Nash talks about the "50 mile rule" where he would not drink while he was driving until they were 50 miles away from their destination. Hall then said the only driver worse than him was the 1-2-3 Kid.



They talk about traveling to Toronto for WrestleMania 18 and were driving. While approaching the border, they realized they had some pills on them and instead of tossing them out of the window, they decided to take them all. They both talked about having past arrests and not being sure if they would even be able to get into the country but the guy at the border was a fan and they had some merchandise and tickets that the WWE gave them so despite being extremely fucked up they got in and sat and Tim Horton's were they drank coffee and ate donuts until they sobered up a bit.



Nash talks about how when you are the champ you have to look out for the boys and talks about how they were on a bus that was broken down so he told agent Tony Garea that this better be fixed tomorrow and the next day it was as Nash recalled how he barely even slept that night as he was fearful of his job.



They talk about when Bischoff fired 1-2-3 Kid from WCW and how Nash booted the door to his office and scared Bischoff as Hall stood there leaning on the door so no one could get into the office.



Now they are asked about the deal they made to come into WCW. Hall said that he had a few meetings with Vince to get more money and wanted to come up with solutions like more merchandise or a few weeks in Japan. Vince declined these ideas. Hall then said that when you work for the WWF you are so overworked that you are unaware of the outside world then talks about how Vince always had you on your feet and made you think your job security was always on the line. At the time, 1-2-3 Kid was talking to Barry Bloom, who later became their agent and they got a deal with WCW from that.



On the nWo formation, Nash said that there was never a plan for a 3rd member originally and remembers Bischoff coming over and they then went to a strip club after that as he pitched the nWo idea. Nash joked how Hogan wasnt going to let that "money train" leave without taking a seat when he was approached about the plan. Hall notes how he heard that the Associated Press thought when Nash sent Rey Mysterio into the trailer that it was a legitimate attack.



When asked about working with Hogan, they both said that he was a good sport but Hall recalls how he got upset when at a TV taping in Universal, Hogan referred to them as his "Hollywood Wolfpac." Hall then talks about how the Wolfpac was Nash, 1-2-3 Kid, and himself as they lost their identities coming from the WWF over to WCW.



They both talk about not getting money from merchandise sales as WCW had intellectual property rights.



Hall said how Michael Hayes once told him that if you are five minutes late, you get yelled at but if you are over an hour late, they are just happy that you showed up so there was no point being just a few minutes late.



Nash talks about they started off driving around then when they got more popular in WCW they got to fly on the private jet with Hogan and Savage and while they did not change, the locker room perception was that they did and were no longer "one of the boys" because they were not with them as much.



When asked about D-X coming to the WCW show in Norfolk, Nash said that he wanted to come out and say "what the fuck are you guys doing here" because there show was live but he couldn't find them.



On Goldberg speaking negatively about them, they called him a "mark" as Nash said he likes him away from wrestling though. Hall said that he was with him on his first road trip, he brought him along and helped him out then introduced him to Barry Bloom after his first contract was up and has no idea why Goldberg has heat with him after doing all of that.



When asked if WCW would have as successful without them, Nash jokes about how they were heading into the right direction with the Yeti vs. Giant, Dungeon of Doom, and how Alex Wright was misused.


Nash then jokes that blaming Russo for WCW going under is like blaming the cello player on the Titanic for sinking the ship, stating it was dead and there was no way to resurrect the company at that point.



They are asked about Bischoff as Nash talks about how he was given Nitro under the guise that it would fail and how they could get rid of wrestling on Turner once and for all.



Hall tells a story of how they worked a show in Little Rock, AK and that the fans were throwing stuff at them and Nash got on the mic and said they would leave if they did not stop as they didnt come to this "shithole" town to get hurt and they ended up walking out and leaving then on the next RAW, they introduced the fake Diesel and Razor Ramon.



Nash said that by the time Russo took over it was over. Hall then said that he should apologize to Russo for how he treated him at that time but was not comfortable with him booking his career.



On the WCW Invasion angle, Nash said that the WWE contacted him about coming in, offering 50 cents on the dollar of his $2.3 million dollar contract. The WWE also offered him a $750,000 downside and Nash said that he could have taken that and busted his ass on the road and might have made as much as he would have sitting at home watching TV and smoking pot until his contract ran out.



When asked if the nWo promos would have gotten over as much as they did if they were scripted, Nash said absolutely not and that (scripted promos) is what is wrong with WWE TV today. They recall when they went back to the WWE as the nWo they had to rehearse promos in front of Vince as Nash jokingly says "welcome to Monday Night Contrived!" He also asks why the production values have not picked up as Hall notes how Heenan used to get pissed when the crew was shown in the background and whenever he sees that now he thinks of Heenan.



They are now asked about a few tag teams. They both liked working with Harlem Heat as Hall tells a story about how he spit on Stevie Ray during a match to get heat, stating that he did not want to tell him before the match and have him say no. After Hall spit on him, he tagged out then after Stevie got some heat on Nash, he spit right back at Hall, which is something that Hall credits Stevie or doing. They also both liked working with the Steiner Brothers.



Nash joked that it was "too fucking late" when asked about Bischoff questioning if he gave him too much power. Hall says how Nash seizes power and that they would call him the grouch as everything when he traveled was too small and that it would wear him down. Hall then talked about how Nash's first night in charge he put over Rey Mysterio on Nitro just to show that he was all business. Hall then talked about how he would do jobs himself when he was not supposed to on Nitro then get chewed out by Bischoff afterwards.



They talk about how the same unnamed guy who told them to not care about the show in Tupelo would complain about their ideas then when asked if he had anything, that person said they did not and this leads Nash to say how Hall was one of the best "shit stirrers" and that they were both pricks so they could work every angle. Nash then talks about the whole business being a work as the person he is once he grabs his gear and heads into the arena is a lot different than the one traveling on the road and at home. Hall said they would drop their gear and look around to decide how to stir some shit, like telling rookies their gear looked like shit or saying that guys looked stoned when they were in the ring.



Hall talks about them as a team as he recalls a story while sitting next to Scott Norton on a bus trip in Japan. Norton kept telling him that he was not wrestling Japanese style and after a few days, Hall turned around and told him that he was not Japanese and that they have seen him work and was brought in for that reason. Hall then said that they were one of the best tag teams in the world and Norton thought about it and agreed. They both talked about how they liked Norton and how he was a straight shooter.



When asked about Jim Cornette's rant against them on RAW, Nash said he took no offense as at the time he knew no one was watching the WWE at the time as Hall was cracking up.



They close the interview about how they will be touring the independent scene as Nash notes how Hall will be sober but cannot promise that he will be as Hall talks about taking Antabuse to help with his alcohol abuse issues. Feinstein then talks about how the next time he wants to have the 1-2-3 Kid join them for an interview all about road stories.




Final Thoughts: Solid interview. Towards the end, these two really seemed like they wanted to leave as Hall checked his watch a few times but they were both funny and the best parts where when they went off and bullshitted between questions.

If you have seen any shoot interviews between these two before then there isnt a whole lot of new stuff here. However, Nash always delivers in shoots and this was no exception. Hall was fine here as well, although a bit reserved at times.

Too bad the shoot between them and Waltman never happened. That would have been great.

Overall, I recommend this interview but be warned that if you have seen these guys in different shoots that you will some stories you have heard before.

You can purchase the video for $20 at RFVideo.com or download a digital copy for $9.99 at highspots.com by clicking on the links below.


http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwiththeoutsiders.aspx

http://www.highspots.com/p/22514.html

Comments

  1. Circle jerk. Fuck those two guys.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:18 AM

    Taker mentors the big idiot and stands in his corner at Wrestlemania.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll say this I really hope in a few years we get Mega-Heel Reigns starting a faction called "The Roman Empire"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nothing will be more hilarious than the main event of Wrestlemania being flooded with "Daniel Bryan" chants, while Brock Lesnar stands there with a shit-eating grin on his face, and Reigns looks incredibly flustered.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The only mistake Jericho/HHH had was following Hogan/Rock.
    There is going to be nothing close to Hogan/Rock.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good review Bayless! I wonder how much Nash has made off of shoots telling the same stories.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That'll be worth the $100+ my sis paid for my ticket lol

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nash never accepts blame for WCW's demise. Has he ever said what he believes is reason why the company fell apart? Bischoff usually says that the risque content WWE was doing and the fact that WCW couldn't match the raunchiness is the reason.

    ReplyDelete
  9. They should have jobbed to Bret Hart and Shane Douglas and liked it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's so lame! They would never do that! :)
    Well, maybe once every 20 years...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nope, from what I gather he felt some weakness, worked the match, then found out afterward that he was done for good.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Having not read it yet, ugh. What an over-covered time period they represent.

    But Nash is usually funny so I will give it a go.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Really, he was a face as soon as he CLEANLY defeated Cena for the title. When Cena kidnapped his friend Paul Heyman (b/c he was upset... about losing CLEANLY) Brock did what no other faces do... he came out to save his friend.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Montreal revisit was originally scheduled for Mayhem, but got pushed back to Starrcade.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Is there a way to save it? Yeah. Have Bryan beat Rollins for the case at Fast Lane, have Lesnar beat Reigns at Mania, and have Bryan cash in.

    Will they do it? Hell no.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Given how oblivious they've been to fan reaction so far, I wouldn't be surprised if they pull the Wrestlemania X ending where Ambrose, Bryan, Ziggler, etc come down and hoist Reigns on their shoulders while a jealous Rollins looks on from the ramp.


    LOL, the fans would flood that ring with trash.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Given the way the 2015 Royal Rumble was going I'm surprised Nash didn't get a guest spot to toss Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and Daniel Bryan all at once or join in the Big Show and Kane fun at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  18. When they turn in this match, at least Brock can pull a Snitsky and be like IT WASNT! MY! FAULT!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Here's a way to save the WM title match:


    - Have Brock Lesnar continue to call out Rollins for jumping him/betraying their implied alliance against Cena and for "breaking his rib" at the Rumble.
    - Lesnar appears on the Raw after Fast Lane for whatever reason, contract signing with Reigns or something. Rollins shows up with Kane and Big Show who, continuing their destruction from the Rumble, beat Lesnar down to the point where Rollins cashes in.

    - Rollins/Reigns/Lesnar at WrestleMania. Doesn't matter who wins.


    Here are some of the ways works:


    1. Gives a much needed shot in the arm to Raw. No WWE title changes on Raw since the Cena/Mysterio match in July 2011, which was actually for a vacant title. No actual changes since Miz cashed in December 2010. Adds more of a "must see" element to Raw which it has none of now.


    2. Takes advantage of your one true and hot heel in Rollins, establishing a heel that everyone can get behind at Mania. People want to cheer Brock and now they don't know what to do with Reigns. Make it all about Rollins, as he has shown he can carry the feud and the match as a heel. As long as he stays associated with the Authority and uses the universally hated Show and Kane as his muscle, he's not going face, intentionally or unintentionally, any time soon. Removes the focus from simply blowing up a Reigns/Lesnar match.


    3. If Lesnar stays, he can win the title back and go full babyface. If he leaves, Rollins can retain to carry the company into the spring if they're still not sure Reigns is ready and/or won't get the response they want in victory. Hold him off until SummerSlam if necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:35 AM

    Seriously. Just have Rock, the Mania host, raise Cena's hand after winning....the Rock Bottom him to send a message. Big showdown the next night on Raw, contract signing, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I want Brock leading YES! chants. BURY. THIS. GUY.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 11:37 AM

    Cena vs. TakerMiz vs. Morrison, WWE Title

    ReplyDelete
  23. Given where we're at now, that (along with deafening boos when he's announced as the "NEWWWWW..." would be great.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Reigns should just go full heel on Ambrose and blame him for not being a good enough leader to keep The Shield together. Brock is already a defacto babyface. I see no problem with a heel winning at Wrestlemania and launching the Roman Empire.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Awww jobber is butt hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Have Bryan inserted in the main event at the last minute, creating a yearly tradition like the streak.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nash has said a bunch of times that he blames it on the merger.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I think KC released a shoot of all three of them.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Is this shoot that Hall tells the story of first meeting the Dudleys and telling them "Love your finish. Can't wait to kick out of it."?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yes it was. I think I forgot to include that.

    ReplyDelete
  31. WCW's demise had more to do with them constantly revolving things around Hogan than Nash. He was really never the focal point people think he was.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wine will do that.

    ReplyDelete
  33. These things aren't exactly investigative journalism and the two interview subjects are best friends. What do you expect?

    ReplyDelete
  34. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 12:09 PM

    It's interesting in that Nash freely admits to drinking and doing drugs but he never seemed to to end up as messed up as Shawn, Hall, and Kid would be. Guy knew the line I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  35. That....would be genius actually. Fingerpoke pin fall. Heyman raises Reigns hand and gives him the belt. Brock rides off into the sunset..undeated if they ever want to bring him back.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Fatal 4 way. Reigns, Brock, Rollins Bryan. Have a McMahon in every corner (you can use Steph and HHH kid for Bryan.

    ReplyDelete
  37. The nWo reboot wasn't terrible, but Goldberg took time off to do a movie and renegotiate his contract so it ended up being Hogan/Flair on top. In 1999. But if people are going to rag on WCW's top guys for ring selfie and doing whatever they wanted it's only fair to assume they were all just as difficult to work with when Nash was running things.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Brock Lesnar mockingly doing the "Yes! " taunt to a flustered Reigns would be a thing of great beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Have Brock come out to interfere and beat down Bryan in the earlier match, just because...I don't know. Maybe he wants respect, or to show the crowd that the kind of person they are cheering for just can't hang with him in the ring. Then Reigns makes the save. Then Brock and Roman square off for the Championship match right then and there and Bryan somehow helps Reigns out (fending off Rollins interference or something).


    I'm not real good at fantasy booking.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I'm not saying there's no difference between truly not enjoying watching them perform and booing them for being effective heels. I'm saying the difference isn't all that important. And one could maybe even argue that this "I actually hate that guy" heat is even preferable, in a way.
    Wrestling is ultimately about the babyfaces, not the heels. With rare exceptions, almost any good wrestling story is paid off with the babyface triumphing over the bad guys. Take last year with HHH, Orton and Batista. Them, specifically? They were all excellent in their roles, in my opinion, but they were also far less important to the story than Daniel Bryan. What was important pertaining to them was what they represented and the heat they generated to fuel Bryan's rise to the top.

    Or, since you used the Big Show and Kane example, people weren't sitting on their hands silently when they were unceremoniously dumping everyone. They were booing their asses off and screaming it was bullshit. That's arguably even more, and more effective, heel heat than Rollins or Lesnar- heels we actual like- get. Especially in today's environment, where fans have smartened up to the point that trolling us is almost a reinvented kayfabe, where we're reacting to perceived reality.
    I don't think Big Show and Kane and those elimination spots were the problem: any heel heat is good heel heat. The problem with that spot was we didn't have anyone left in the ring to avenge Ziggler and Ambrose that we wanted to see be the conquering hero and dump the bad guys to win the match.

    I really need to stop because I just realized this is a column I could write.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I guess that would have had to have been 2002, then? Only time I can recall them being in the same company together.

    ReplyDelete
  42. RF released won with Waltman and Nash where Nash broke down crying over Waltman's suicide story

    ReplyDelete
  43. I asked about this on Ask411 a year or two ago. Sforcina gave a pretty detailed answer on the whole deal. I tried to find it for a pal during the Rumble but I couldn't.

    ReplyDelete
  44. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Seriously if I had to pick anyone from wrestling to hang out with I think it would be Nash. You KNOW you are going to have a good time with him and you can trust him to get you home safe.

    ReplyDelete
  45. "When asked if WCW would have as successful without them, Nash jokes about how they were heading into the right direction with the Yeti vs. Giant, Dungeon of Doom, and how Alex Wright was misused."



    One of the funniest lines in shoot interview history. Also, reviewing this shoot doesn't really do it justice. So entertaining just watch these dudes bullshit. Thanks Bayless!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Yeah, but Nash's idiotic booking didn't help things, either.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I think they should have Reigns and Bryan at Fastlane and see if Bryan can get him over. That might be it.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I'd rather they rehash the "Fingerpoke of Doom" than have Roman beat Brock clean given where Roman currently is at.

    ReplyDelete
  49. If that shoot with them and Waltman telling roadstories ever took place, it would have been an all-time classic.

    ReplyDelete
  50. They should put Reigns in the HOF this year to build momentum for Mania.

    ReplyDelete
  51. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 12:42 PM

    I'd go all Rocky IV on the storyline. At some point within the next month, (at Fast Lane perhaps?) Brock and Ambrose have a match, or altercation where Brock basically beats Ambrose within an inch of his life until Reigns makes the save. Roman see's the monster he's facing vows to win the title and avenge his friend, appears sporadically on Raw over the next few weeks and goes into intense training. (They can show vignettes of the training.) Come Mania it's go time. Hell even if the fans still booed Reigns it would fit in well with the storyline as Rocky got booed in Russia.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Yeah but near the end of the match rocky started getting cheered.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Am I crazy for think the "Making a Difference" gimmick wasn't that bad? If Fatu got a real push with that, it may have clicked. Who thought Rikishi would get over like it did?

    ReplyDelete
  54. What about going rocky 3 instead. Fast Lanes is Reigns vs. Brock and Brock hands him his ass and destroys him. Ambrose comes in picks him up trains him..gets him running fast on the beach and then Reigns over comes the monster.

    ReplyDelete
  55. That's wasn't the only mistake. Almost as bad was the shitty, shitty booking of the feud -- like Jericho taking care of Stephanie's dog -- which not only lacked drama, but also made it obvious that Triple H was going over.

    ReplyDelete
  56. I hear you, but having Mania end with their new "guy" getting booed out of the building does not start "The Roman Empire" off on a good foot.

    ReplyDelete
  57. I don't think Austin will ultimately do it. unless it's an ungodly amount of money. The company needs him a lot more than he needs them. Between his podcast, TV show, and movies he has a lot of irons in the fire and doesn't have the free time he had even five years ago.

    He didn't come out of retirement in his forties. I don't know why he'd want to do it in his fifties except for an ungodly amount of money.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I am just commenting so I won't get fined.

    ReplyDelete
  59. You should totally turn it into a column. I'd be interested in reading it.


    And then we can debate further.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Agree with you on all that except "Hogan can barely walk." He is training for a comeback, but I think it will come before Mania 32. I'm pegging SummerSlam this year.

    But otherwise you are right. They've burned their bridges with their big name part-timers. Batista isn't coming back (especially since he'll be coming off starring a Bond film). Rock has already done his thing. Foley can't wrestle. Brock will be gone. Punk won't come around by then. Taker and Mysterio are shot. Goldberg isn't interested unless they give him more money than he's probably worth.



    Aside from Austin they don't have any other huge names for a comeback so yeah, they might be willing to pay him anything. But I don't know how interested he really is, especially if the only choice of opponent is Cena.

    ReplyDelete
  61. So instead of the US and USSR, the Cold War is being the WWE and the fans?
    ...Yeah, that fits.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Although considering his obsession with money, he probably won't be picking up the bar tab.

    All jokes aside, I always found it funny that the IWC thought Nash was the worst person in the whole world who put himself over everybody and, as it turns out, Nash is a wrestler who you can never accuse of being a mark for himself. He's done everything for the money.

    ReplyDelete
  63. I'm thinking a change of costume would help. Something with a hat. Maybe a ROMAN Gladiator complete with SHIELD and a SPEAR!

    *winks to camera*

    ReplyDelete
  64. where can I find your Beast Mode apparel?

    ReplyDelete
  65. It'll really depend on the next year. If WWE keeps on this track, you'll have no Brock, a failed Reigns run, a devalued Bryan, a tired Cena, and they've burned through most of what they can do with The Rock, the Punk bridge is burned, and Hogan can barely walk.


    All of a sudden you're sitting there with a 100,000 seat stadium. They'll fill most of it off the strength of Mania itself, but you need something big enough for that event to capitalize beyond the die hards who will show up no matter what. It should be a crowning moment for them in terms of publicity.

    So yeah, they might fill a truck with money for Austin.


    I listen to enough of his podcasts, I think the guy is intrigued. But I also think he's worried about ruining his legacy/branding by having a terrible match, and while the money would be nice, I doubt he needs it. He also to some degree has to worry about taking bumps at his age even if it's just one match. It would take the right opponent. I just don't see the guy out there right now. Maybe Cena.


    And if it's not next year, then it's definitely never.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I honestly think Vince has a raging, raging hard-on for booking The Rock vs. Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 32. "The Anoa'i Family Explodes!"

    Do you think he can take all that sweaty Samoan beefcake in the ring at once?

    ReplyDelete
  67. Oh, agreed. Especially for the era - it had a social context that was totally missing in the mid-90s WWE. It's a tough gimmick to do right, though, because you don't want to seem pandering, and it's really hard to connect to his in-ring career unless you go for obvious, obvious stuff (Fatu is fighting the DOA because they're a GANG and gangs are BAD, that kind of thing). But having that as his background and having him save other faces from beatdowns would've been fine.
    Or go the other way: you have Ted Dibiase buy up youth centers to turn into Scrooge McDuck-style cash vaults, and Fatu has to wrestle to SAVE THE YOUTH CENTER, BOOGALOO.
    Hey, speaking of DOA, there's a faction that was about fifteen years too soon, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  68. Better! The Summerslam '93 ending where he beats Brock by countout because he can't lift a deadweight Brock back into the ring. And we get the giant, confetti celebration with all the faces anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  69. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 1:34 PM

    One thing I also think would help is to give this match the Hogan/Warrior treatment, I.E. they plan the match out in advance then practice it.

    ReplyDelete
  70. What if in the lead-up, Brock steals Reigns' delicious Subway sub? And they have a ladder match for the sub instead of the title?

    ReplyDelete
  71. Oh, if they can get Brock to bother, they'll be doing that like crazy. It's the best option at this point if they're not going to swerve things with a MITB cash-in or third participant or anything.

    ReplyDelete
  72. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 1:37 PM

    They should tell Brock that for what he's getting paid, he can suck it up and do some extra work.

    ReplyDelete
  73. What's your beef?

    ReplyDelete
  74. you mean like that : http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5ED1btuHwW2N_jLAcDHnKV_iBLjYcgfmjCsUdnQbceyFWJicX ?

    ReplyDelete
  75. Is it in the contract? If not, they'll have to pay extra.
    At this point they probably keep Brock home just so the other wrestlers won't ask him how to negotiate a contract. (The answer is eating a live horse during the meeting with Talent Relations, and signing it while the other side is too scared to argue.)

    ReplyDelete
  76. Nash wasn't booker for very long -- wasn't it just February 1999 until he "retired" at Road Wild in August 1999? There was worse shit before and after that.

    ReplyDelete
  77. He should borrow Paul London's trident and net.

    ReplyDelete
  78. I'm only in on this if Lesnar kayfabe kills Ambrose.


    Then it's the greatest thing ever.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Hilariously enough, it's been reported that Brock would love to work more dates, it's just that WWE can't afford it.


    Maybe they shouldn't be giving Stephanie that extra salary to be an on-air performer.

    ReplyDelete
  80. LOL I forgot about that. What the hell was Vince thinking?

    ReplyDelete
  81. Reigns to WrestleMania crowd: "If i can change...and you can change...then EVERYBODY can change!!"


    Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

    ReplyDelete
  82. It's been proven that he was booking from November 98 thru Sept 99. Nash claims he wasn't booking that far back.

    ReplyDelete
  83. WCW had some moments until they buried all the top talent. Mike Awesome and Evan Kurigaruas and Norman Smiley were not going to carry WCW.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Maybe the fans were sick of Hogan, but did anyone thing Lash Laroux was anything special?

    ReplyDelete
  85. The best part is that would have actually gotten him over.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Then Ambrose can come back as a zombie and Boom! New Undertaker!

    ReplyDelete
  87. He's an independent contractor. They pay him to show up and do a job (literally in this case), and that's all he has to do. He's under no obligation to show up for a few extra hours that he isn't being compensated for.

    A plumber getting paid to fix your sink doesn't have any obligation to come early and practice the job.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Have Bryan beat Rollins for the case at Fastlane, then have him make a deal with Reigns; Reigns waits for his title shot to either take Brock on after Bryan fails or be Bryan's first challenger, but he gets Rollins at Mania.

    ReplyDelete
  89. They should've had Brock send in a bunch of promos by Tout for all the money they spent on that thing.

    I know they're an international multimedia conglomerate or whatever, but talent and staff should be the priority in the budget (although the Network would be a reasonable substitute if they could make back their money on it). It's like Fake Vince once wrote, "Does Dixie realize that just by firing Sting, she could hire every female wrestler in North America?" If they stopped wasting their money on making movies that never profit, or keeping guys like Kane and Big Show around on full-time contracts, they could afford Brock and Sting dates. Hell, even if they just cut their writing staff down to a more manageable 72 people.

    ReplyDelete
  90. He could borrow Hogan's old Hulkamnia gladiator helmet

    ReplyDelete
  91. I watched a lot of the early TNA - and trust me - seeing Scott Hall and Ken Shamrock jobbing to Jeff Jarrett was just as bad as seeing Sid job to Jarrett or Scott Striner.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Keep it up pal. None of your laughing at scousers being crushed to death. You're learning pal.

    ReplyDelete
  93. "Maybe they shouldn't be giving Stephanie that extra salary to be an on-air performer."

    Of course, "they" IS Stephanie.

    ReplyDelete
  94. I find it funny that Eddie Guerrero in his book said "kevin nash is a pure evil person." lol. Nobody ever brings that up

    ReplyDelete
  95. Lesnar's the second most over guy on the roster behind Bryan. If he's wrestling anyone who's not Bryan, he's getting cheered.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Reigns would probably go over since Rocky is half black.

    ReplyDelete
  97. That would be such a great gimmick if they had the balls to run with it. Every year, face or heel, Bryan spends Jan and Feb desperately trying to squeeze himself into the Mania main event.


    Think HBK in '04.

    ReplyDelete
  98. He's basically short Diesel with a tan and legs that don't explode.

    ReplyDelete
  99. maybe the problem was that shawn and kid were keeping up with him with 100 less pounds to absorb it?

    ReplyDelete
  100. Fire all the Divas besides AJ, Paige and Lana and throw the saved money to Brock.

    ReplyDelete
  101. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 29, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    that could be the reason.

    ReplyDelete
  102. This Forbes article headline does a good job summing up the current state of WWE...and America:

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2015/01/29/wwes-terrible-content-has-done-little-to-slow-the-company-down/?partner=yahootix

    ReplyDelete
  103. Right, and the problem with Bret and Shawn- and to some extent even Diesel- wasn't actually them, it was the undercard. Doesn't matter how over your champ is if nobody wants to see everyone else. Reigns is the opposite- nobody wants to see him on top, but the undercard is potentially the strongest its been in a decade with Ziggler/Bryan/Wyatt/Cesaro/Rollins/Ambrose/Rusev/Orton/Mizdow all extremely extremely over. Hell, even Miz is over as fuck right now.

    ReplyDelete
  104. They just didn't get it with Hogan, did they? His red and yellow routine didn't fly in WCW five years earlier.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Anyone remember when Brock was around in 2003 and would bump around quite a bit. Those days are long over (for the better--suits him more).

    ReplyDelete
  106. I said this last night but Lesnar/Reigns needs to be booked like Doomsday vs. Superman...just a complete wrecking ball fight from the start that leaves a path of destruction in its wake. If they amp up the match from the opening bell, it won't give the crowd the time to get bored and begin chanting.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Haha! The solution is right there staring them in the face!

    ReplyDelete
  108. Nah. They'll just do a lame stare down and lock up like with Brock/Goldberg.

    ReplyDelete
  109. That's what I've said - give Patterson a call, pronto. Have him plan it out like he did with Hogan/Warrior, like a dance routine to be practiced over and over again.

    ReplyDelete
  110. I have this shoot and thought it was kind of annoying that they are really antsy to leave at the end. I think Hall even asks if they can hurry it up. To their credit though they both seem pretty sober in this shoot. There's a solo Hall shoot from the same company where he is beyond fornicated up.

    ReplyDelete
  111. So people just imagined crashing?

    ReplyDelete
  112. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:14 PM

    Give Faarooq a call

    ReplyDelete
  113. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:16 PM

    He could always win the MITB Briefcase from Rollins, then cash-in to make it a three-way dance at Mania

    ReplyDelete
  114. Yeah, but maybe his career could have been ten years longer too.

    ReplyDelete
  115. What's funny about that too is that in Jericho's first book he basically says Nash was cool and Hall was the prick. I find that a lot of the guys like one and hate the other, but they never seem to like or hate both.

    ReplyDelete
  116. Bret's book would have been another 100 pages if that happened.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    With an Uso in each corner!

    ReplyDelete
  118. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    Have Brock murder the Rock, with Reigns rescuing. Rock can be his corner man. At least someone will be over in that main event that way.

    ReplyDelete
  119. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    Ah, you'll be all right. Walk it off, kid.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Brock flew across the ring, selling for both Big Show and Taker in their buildups last year. It was still impressive. I wouldn't say those days are long over.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Medium Daddy Cool

    ReplyDelete
  122. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJanuary 29, 2015 at 3:27 PM

    This year's introduction: "Every Samoan wrestler ever!"

    ReplyDelete
  123. If they want to start printing money, turn Reigns heel, much like the Rock corporate champion heel turn at Survivor Series 98, and have Bryan be the Austin to his Rock. It seems simple to me, the people obviously want to boo Reigns and cheer Bryan. Make Reigns a heel and eventually, just like the Rock, the people will come around to cheering Reigns if he pull off being an awesome heel.

    ReplyDelete
  124. That's what I've been thinking, it's not like good matches haven't taken place between guys that can't call matches in the ring, they just have to be planned out first. That'll be the difference in Brock/Reigns being like Hogan/Warrior at WM 6 or being like Hogan/Warrior at Halloween Havoc '98.

    ReplyDelete
  125. CM Punk was RIGHT THERE but oh well, lets try with this Miz guy. 4 years later Daniel Bryan is RIGHT THERE but lets try with this Roman guy. WWE is Vince's plaything. He doesn't care about making tons of money anymore as long as its just enough.

    ReplyDelete
  126. I like that everyone is acting like Reigns is on Brock's level physically. Reigns is barely bigger than Bret Hart.

    ReplyDelete
  127. So getting an icepack after the match is right up there with slapping Sean Waltman in the face.

    ReplyDelete
  128. That works too! Anything but what's actually happening.

    ReplyDelete
  129. More time helping Hall means less time taking care of his hair.

    ReplyDelete
  130. That's so bizarre to me too, because subsequent stuff with Hall (like his review of the Hall-Jericho match) indicates that he saw something in Jericho and actually got in trouble for doing the job to him.

    ReplyDelete
  131. miz is somehow charismatic yet has zero presence... idk if thats possible per se, perhaps he's charming

    ReplyDelete
  132. Brock's level in way bigger than Doomsday's.

    ReplyDelete
  133. I really like members of the kliq as individual wrestlers, but they were just toxic together for each other and for the companies they worked for. I'm glad that DDP was able to help Hall deal with his issues in recent years, because Nash and his other long-time buddies sure couldn't.

    ReplyDelete
  134. I said something similar earlier in the thread . He's really not all that imposing compared to the other monsters on the roster

    ReplyDelete
  135. Interesting. I used to be okay with Kevin Nash, but I like him less and less as time goes on. Even his entertaining moments in recent years (like his interactions with Alex Shelley in TNA) never accomplished anything of use.

    ReplyDelete
  136. I'd pay the money and keep the belt on him until WM32. He's oozing awesomeness at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  137. I'd say it was a combination of backstage politics, overspending on getting talent to compete against WWE, and some really insipid corporate people in charge.


    Ironically, two of those things might be what drives WWE out of business today.

    ReplyDelete
  138. I'm still trying to think of ways to salvage this. I'm thinking maybe he should wear a cape. Possibly a superhero mask too, like his brother. Would fit in with his promos. Bring in The Hurricane as his manager.

    ReplyDelete
  139. Jericho said that Hall seemed like a good guy deep down but power and his "demons" made him an asshole. Hall used to pick on him until Jericho stood up to him.

    ReplyDelete
  140. Careful what you wish for - they could change it to have Brock take on Kane and the Big Show in a 3 way

    ReplyDelete
  141. The face or heel part is what makes this hilarious.

    let's say he gets in this year too. Then in year three he could fail but there would be real drama that he would pull it off.

    ReplyDelete
  142. Treating Hunter like he was just a runt is all pretty ironic looking back on it.

    ReplyDelete
  143. Punk made the most sense, now Cena seems like the guy but ugh...we already did it with Rock.

    If Austin wants to have a great last match Bryan is the guy. And what's Vince gonna say if Austin demands Bryan, it's not like he has any leverage negotiating with Austin.

    ReplyDelete
  144. Punk is under UFC contract

    ReplyDelete
  145. I watched the Rumble again with my brother, I can see Vince envisioning the end. Reigns is down, being beaten on by two over 300lb 7 foot monsters, but he some how manages to pull out the win and stands tall as the hero who overcame the odds. It's a simple story told countless times through the eons, but for it to work people have to give a Fuck about the hero.

    ReplyDelete
  146. So the next night on Raw four guys turn up seeming to be the real Roman starting The Reign of Reigns.

    ReplyDelete
  147. It was a work.

    ReplyDelete
  148. I thinkYokos heart did enough exploding for all of them.

    ReplyDelete
  149. Weird, what I saw was Regns getting his ass kicked by two middle aged man with zero heat. Getting almost eliminated and surviving only because the two geezer started to fight between themself. He then manages to eliminate them by heroicly sneaking up behind them while they were distracted and cheaply tossing them out. He then got his ass kicked again until The Rock came to help him.

    ReplyDelete
  150. This is how they should book Reign from now on :

    1. Roman needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine.
    2. Whenever Roman is not on screen, all the other wrestlers should be asking “Where’s Roman Reigns?”
    3. Roman needs to say “Sufferin’ Succotash” and other hip, new Looney Tunes catch phrases as often as possible.

    ReplyDelete
  151. Hall's volume #1 is very, very good but the Volune #2 shoot never should have took place. If Hall was that fucked up, Feinstein should have cut his losses and called it a day.

    ReplyDelete
  152. WM 25 did end with a title match.

    ReplyDelete
  153. I'll be there and either be 1. Joining in with the crowd to chant for Daniel Bryan and hijack the match 2. Chanting alone for Daniel Bryan and being that irritating asshole everyone hates.

    ReplyDelete
  154. Surely sometime during the match when Reigns is getting a beatdown, Heyman has to pull out a fiddle?
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Too highbrow?

    ReplyDelete
  155. I really don't care for these two. They were out for themselves and that's fine, but undercutting others in the process is crap. I guess it was cool that Nash freely admits that they showed up to work for the sole purpose of starting stuff. Guys like that knew exactly who to mess with.

    ReplyDelete
  156. He would have to lose an inferno match for that to be accurate.

    ReplyDelete
  157. In Vinces outdated mind he was making Reigns Hoganx2 but everything was beyond Fucked by that point, the fact Reigns was a bleeding, helpless and needed help was a bit overshadowed by the Philly crowd chanting for the U.S hating Russian to win.

    ReplyDelete
  158. Miz = Jeff Jarrett. He's not a draw as the top banana. His character alignment is irrelevant.

    ReplyDelete
  159. Hahaha, I am! I did the 1995 to summer of 1996. That's awesome that you still go there?

    ReplyDelete
  160. They didn't imagine it. It was just their own fault and their own problem.

    What they imagined was wanting to cancel the Network in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
  161. What happened is that The Miz, no matter what dipshit smark revisionist history tells you, was on point, character-wise, as a main event heel from the time he won MITB right up through WM27.

    The company thought, for whatever reason, the beat use of him from that time on was to repeatedly job in high profile tag matches.

    He kept his shine, never lost his edge, took the belt off Orton and his first defense of note was against fucking Lawler in a TLC match. He actually defended against Lawler twice (!) and in the first match, needed Alex Riley and Michael Cole to help when he should have been able to split the geezer's skull in half effortlessly.

    Aside from that, I recall a tables match (the kind of match where neither the winner or loser come out looking strong) against Orton (I think that one had a shitty inference finish, too) and... I think that may have been it.

    You can totally blame him for getting lazy and shitty after he went back to the midcard, but he did everything he could to make his reign count and character-wise, he was fantastic. Booking-wise...

    You just can't open the pantry, find some stale potato chips, old coffee grounds and a bottle of maple syrup and make a five-star meal out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  162. Some people were big on LeRoux, but I don't think as anything more than a Crusierweight champion. Had the TV Title not been destroyed beyond repair, he could have fit in with that belt.

    ReplyDelete
  163. And the tears... all those tears...

    ReplyDelete
  164. Also - I posted this in another thread - they should have had the announcers attribute the snowstorm to him! Think of the banter!


    Cole - Folks,last night the northeast was shaken to its core when Roman Reigns executed a thunderous double elimination of The Big Show and Kane! It has generated a massive snowstorm that has caused RAW TO BE CANCELED! *fake forced laughter * In fact fans have taken to calling him The Blizzard Wizard on Twitter!

    Jbl - Hes the Father Force of Fighting nature Maggle! He's brought the white gold down! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

    booker T - I'M TELLING YA THE BIG DOG DONE FED ON A BIG SHOW AND A BIG DEMON AND HE'S HAVING SNOW CONES FOR DESSERT!

    ReplyDelete
  165. That was awesome. I just looked it up on YouTube, and it's just so bad ass.

    ReplyDelete
  166. He needs a few more nicknames. Three is not enough. Maybe "The Samoanizer" and "The Fist and the Furious" and "The Locomotive“. That'll get him over.

    ReplyDelete
  167. http://youtu.be/TfCpjgcnLfs

    Roman should use this promo. Change it around to fit him - but yeah.

    ReplyDelete
  168. His brother had more talent. Was Ugmaga also their brother?

    ReplyDelete
  169. Would we even be talking about the Miz if he wasn't on a shitty MTV reality show?


    If Mike Mizdan (or whatever his name is) were to show up at NXT with out any previous experience would he even get a second look?

    ReplyDelete
  170. How about Raw just putting out a better product with more interesting characters? Nobody seems to mention that. And if you really think that the WWE is gonna go out of business any time soon (within the next 15 years) then please PM me. I have real estate I'd like to tell you about.

    ReplyDelete
  171. How has it been proven?

    ReplyDelete
  172. Technically that was exactly what happened. Without the merger and with Turners apparent loyalty, they probably would still be around. I didn't say a good product (though it might be...who knows ) but with Turner backing them, they would have financial and television backing, hell or high water. The merger killed both.

    ReplyDelete
  173. Beyond being entertaining, what use were they supposed to have?

    ReplyDelete
  174. How has it been proven?

    ReplyDelete
  175. Some people are addicts. Some aren't. Its actually a quite interesting thing and deals with the way the brain processes and rrleases dopamine, amongst other factors. If interested, highly recommend reading up on it, just fascinating stuff. Also reminds me of how addicts are treated as criminals or degenerates instead of ill people.

    ReplyDelete
  176. He's upset that Nash used the word 'mark' Its apparently the equivalent of the "n-word" jobber. As a wise man once said "Methinks the lady doth protest too much"

    ReplyDelete
  177. "A Fist Called Wanda," "The Reignmaker," "The Romanizer," give him a show on the Network about his life on the road called "Roman Around," it really all just writes itself.

    ReplyDelete
  178. I wouldn't be surprised if Heyman dropped a Nero reference at some point.

    ReplyDelete
  179. Well technically it was two mergers. . .

    ReplyDelete
  180. Miz was... Awesome (sorry had to), as a chicken-shit heel, ala Honky Tonk Man. Almost losing to Lawler cemented him in that role, so the real problem was after Wrestlemania when he tried to become a 'tough guy' rather than Honky Tonk. I remember something about Vince giving him shit for not acting tough enough, which pretty much ruined his character. They really should have thrown more money at the Rock to fight Cena at WM27, as it totally overshadowed Miz, and made it seem like 3 years of the same Rock/Cena stuff. Would have freed up WWE to print money with a Cena/Taker or Brock/Rock WM match instead of Rock/Cenax2.

    ReplyDelete
  181. Rosey is his brother, Rikishi and Umaga cousins. I think.

    ReplyDelete
  182. Sure. But just because someone isn't a tippy-top, elite guy doesn't mean he isn't a useable, effective heat-getter. That's actually a really good comparison.

    ReplyDelete
  183. Yeah, dude just has the most punchable face in history. Give him a beautiful valet that he treats like she's beneath him and male fans both DESPISE him.
    His major issue is that he lacks credibility. I just don't see him as even being a scrappy little fucker like Bryan or CM Punk- he just looks like a pussy. Ideal for a lot of things, but definitely not World Champion Material.

    ReplyDelete
  184. Yep. This is one of the reasons you hear people say they hate Hall. He thinks he's being funny, but to other people he just comes off as being a dick.

    ReplyDelete
  185. Sullivan has said similar and thinks someone inside Time Warner/AOL was tasked with getting rid of WCW as quickly as they could, which is why they sold it to Vince for a pittance and not to Bischoff's crew for $80 million or whatever since that deal included TV rights.

    ReplyDelete
  186. Yes. I've mentioned before that there are things from Sons of Anarchy that the E could copy.

    ReplyDelete
  187. Bryan may be the only guy the crowd wouldn't shit all over. Especially if Austin does the whole handshake deal after and doesn't go all Stone Cold by giving him the stunner.

    ReplyDelete
  188. The other factor there was that Superstar was crazy over as a heel so WWWF (for the first time ever) gave a heel champ a significantly long reign as champion. Backlund was a good draw overall as a champ, but man, you wonder how much money was left on the table by not keeping Graham on top for a while longer...or turning him face.

    ReplyDelete
  189. The swat gear helps immeasurably in making Reigns stand out and look like a badass. Check out his old NXT stint as 'Leakee' when he just wrestled in normal tights...he looks completely generic.

    ReplyDelete
  190. But WCW went down in 1999 and not 2001. They startet 1999 with 4-5 ratings and in the end they were down to 2-3 and the shows over the summer were really bad with first Hogan turning face, then all the crappy No Limit Soldiers gimmicks... After that, they could do anything and it never would have worked. Just like with WWE after 2002.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment