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TJR Q&A #12: What My WrestleMania Main Event Would Be, NXT Takeover Dallas, Charlotte’s Future & More (50 Questions)

TJR Wrestling

It’s Super Sunday as we await the Super Bowl to take place in a couple of hours. While I’m looking forward to the game (picking the Panthers 27-13), I figured it was also a good time to do another question and answer session right here on TJRWrestling.

I asked for reader questions on Saturday on my Facebook page and then I picked out the best of the bunch talking WWE, but also some people asking about TNA and Lucha Underground as well. There are 50 questions in here, so plenty of reading for you. Let’s get to it.

1. Josh Lerud
Any chance Cena/Rollins/Bryan cleared in time for WrestleMania in Dallas?

I think Bryan could be, but who knows? Up to WWE doc. I doubt Cena is, but dude is a workout freak so maybe he gets back in four months. I would guess no. Rollins has little to no chance because it’s a torn ACL/MCL and it’s at least six months. Not enough time.

2. Jeremy Cottreau
Forgetting the direction creative is going, what would you choose as your ideal WrestleMania main event?

I would have made Kevin Owens champion at Survivor Series, book him as a really strong heel that almost never lost and then had Brock Lesnar win the Royal Rumble. Then at WM you let them go for 20-25 minutes. I don’t care who wins. It’s just a matter of building up a deserving, credible heel champion and a face that deserves the spot. Plus, you’re paying Lesnar so much money and he has mainstream appeal he should be in the main event.

3. Brian Coats
How would you make a Reigns/HHH match at Wrestlemania more appealing?

I like Scott Hall’s idea on Twitter. Put The Rock in Roman’s corner and Shawn Michaels in Triple H’s corner. Maybe have a guest ref that could be Daniel Bryan or somebody else. Rollins can probably do it but he can’t bump yet. You need to add outside factors to make it more interesting.

4. John JP Mayer
Could you see Dean Ambrose winning at Fast Lane to face HHH and have Roman face Brock again?

I think it’s very unlikely. Roman vs. Hunter is pretty much a lock at this point as far as I know.

5. John Czech
With all the injuries lately, and it’s awful, but in the long run do you think the product can benefit when the injured return? Like maybe it’ll be hotter because of the returns, and fans love those.

I think it’ll help certainly when the big names come back especially Cena and Rollins. Then the ones like Orton, Cesaro and hopefully Kidd too are all factors as well. They are missing a lot of really talented guys right now, so of course it would benefit from their return. With that said, the problem will be that there aren’t enough spots and TV time for everybody, so people will complain about certain guys not being used right.

6. Ryan Emmrich
Cryme Tyme wants back, think it will happen? JTG clock would be back up!

Almost every wrestler not in WWE wants to come back. I doubt it happens. Shad wasn’t that good or that well liked from what I understand.

7. Bradley Lopez
If Hunter and Steph were to die before Vince, who do you think would take over the company after his death?

They might call on Shane to see if he had interest. Other than that, I dunno. Somebody within management or creative that we may not even know right now. Tough for us to really know without being on the inside. Also, Vince is going to live until 120 or so. I’m joking…sort of.

8. Kelsey Graham
Do you think NXT Takeover will outshine Wrestlemania this year?

Absolutely. I think the NXT Takeover Dallas lineup is incredible, it’ll probably run 2.5 hours and I doubt there’s a bad match on there. I think it’s going to be a special show. We’ll see what they do for WM, but I think running a four hour show (with two hours pre-show) is difficult.

9. Erin Somers
Do you see big things in the future for American Alpha?? I think Jordan will be a huge star on the main roster, but as a heel..he totally has “the look” to me of everything Vince wants in a top heel.

They’re going to be a huge part of WWE’s future, no doubt about it. I’m not sure if Jordan will be a huge star on the main roster because personality wise he’s a good guy, but he’s not necessarily an outgoing guy. As a team, they should have long term success. Gable is such a natural pro wrestler already. I just worry about his height causing him to not be a huge star. Looking forward to them on the main roster although I think it’ll be second half of the year.

10. Aaran Kirk
I know it’s been on yr wall a million times in one form or another but…Where is Damian Sandow? Do you think he’s done something wrong?

He’s there, but not on the main shows much. I hate that he’s not being used more because I thought he killed it in that pairing with The Miz, then they didn’t even do a good pay-off and now he’s sitting on the sidelines. I think it’s stupid. Make him a GM of Smackdown that can lead to matches too – just give him something to do.

11. Adrian Libatique
Rock said they will break records at Mania, how can that be possible with the current line up of matches? Seems weak eh!

He’s getting paid millions and he loves the company, so of course he’s going to say things like that. They might break records. Even if they don’t they will lie to make sure that people think they do lol.

12. Ed Luis Valentin
Is there any chance whatsoever of Bray Wyatt beating Brock Lesnar, even If it’s by cheating? I don’t want Bray to lose three WrestleManias in a row.

Probably not. Just the way the story goes with Wyatt costing Lesnar the Rumble and Wyatt costing Lesnar the match at Fastlane (I assume), it would make sense from the story for the face Lesnar to get the revenge by winning at WM. I just don’t think Wyatt has a chance of winning.

13. Mitchell Wood
I’ve wondered thus awhile…if Nikki is forced to retire does Brie go too? Seeing as the gimmick is twins but more importantly if brie goes with her does Bryan decide to hang it up? I’m sure they want a family.

Yeah I think this is the last year of Brie in WWE as a full timer although I don’t know her contract details. While I know Total Divas is a work a lot of the time, she’s talked about having a family with Bryan a lot. She’ll probably move on to that part of her life in the next year or two. As for Bryan, my understanding is he’s under WWE deal another two or three years. I don’t think he’ll retire.

14. Kevin C Staed
Do you ever see any of the ECW that weren’t part of WWE ever be in the WWE Hall of Fame? Such as Axl Rotten and others.

My interest in Hall of Fame is very low. They might put The Godfather in this year. Was he ever that good? Not really, but he worked there for a while. If somebody is or isn’t in the HOF it matters very little to me. They hurt it because they don’t really make things clear.

15. Chris Goad
What if you were hired by the WWE? What kind of changes (besides the obvious bad storylines) would you change?

I’d suggest Paul Heyman be a part of creative. He may not want it because he has other things, but he’s too smart to not be involved. Then I would suggest way less scripted promos. The promos in WWE are rarely natural because the guys are forced to memorize lines. Let the guys have longer matches and they will wow the crowd. There’s so much talent there. Basically I think they are over-editing and it hurts. You’re a live action show, not a scripted show like Breaking Bad with post production. Just be what you are and stop trying to be something else.

16. Darrius Gaddy
Whose progression to a main event superstar have you had the most fun watching?

Daniel Bryan a few years ago even though they got it wrong in 2014 when he didn’t win the Rumble. At least he figured it out. Think about his journey to the top as a heel, then in a comedy team, then as a breakout face. The other one that really comes to mind is Eddie Guerrero in 2004 as well. Going back further, names like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin come to mind also.

17. Eric Hay
How do you avoid the fans absolutely crapping on the finish to the next two events? We pretty much know the outcome of Fastlane and WrestleMania…..and we all know Vince is insisting that Roman is guaranteed to be his next Cena. Just curious to your thoughts on how to avoid the inevitable.

I like the idea of Rock in Roman’s corner and HBK in Triple H’s corner. That would help. Also, I doubt Vince cares too much because by the time we get to WM they’ll probably have a record number of Network subscribers and the biggest gate in wrestling history at the show, so Vince is probably gonna be laughing all the way to the bank.

18. Chris McDonald
What handful of 80’s NWA/Jim Crockett Promotions stars would you like to see make the WWE HOF?

I think it’s stupid that the Rock N Roll Express and the Midnight Express aren’t in. They were so important to wrestling history. I didn’t even grow up watching NWA/Crockett where I lived, but I could name dozens of guys that are worthy. It’s frustrating because WWE chooses to ignore a lot of history. This is part of the reason why I don’t care that much about the WWE HOF.

19. Emory Cantstopmyswagg White III
Will Brock Lesnar become WWE Champion again in 2016?

If they are smart then yes. Since they are not then no. Can Brock Lesnar stop your swag? Probably not.

20. Dale Jackson
TNA – is it too little too late??? I’ve watched the product since its been on POP TV and it reminds me of TNA pre Hogan nearly bankrupting them.

I’ve watched the shows too and it’s been better. I don’t think they are going to really grow from what they are right now. They were getting 1.3 million US viewers about five years ago. Now they get about 1 million less. Will it ever go up again? Doubt it. The name is bad. The brand is tainted. Most importantly, the owner is the wrong person for that kind of thing.

21. Cory Andrew Bacon
Do you see Bull Dempsey returning down the line, or fading into obscurity?

I believe he’s 28 years old, so it could happen. Why not? I just don’t know if he’s ever going to be somebody that will be a standout star or that they see like that. Maybe if there’s a role for him in a team or with a gimmick then yeah. If I had to guess I would say no.

22. Rob Norris
What are the chances we will see the BAD ASS version of The Undertaker at mania or ever again?

He won’t be changing that gimmick. Never again. It’s a Vince McMahon thing where apparently he doesn’t like people talking about it, so it’s probably not going to happen again.

23. Shay Smithers
Who out of the current roster right now would be your ideal picks for the Money in the Bank match this year?

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bray Wyatt. Even Ambrose as a heel. Lots of choices. The roster is so good right now. Just don’t pick Braun Strowman lol.

24. Joe Sondag
How long do you think it’ll be before AJ Styles wins his first WWE title (i.e. I-C, US, Tag or WWE World Heavyweight) and what do you think he’ll win first?

Within six months. Probably IC Title. Hopefully he can win the WWE Title within a year or two, but I think they’ll put a secondary title on him first to see how he does in that role.

25. Mark Virutiao
Can Dean Ambrose be the next WWE Champion?

I think Roman is the next WWE Champion…for the third time in six months. Ambrose will probably win it at some point in his career. I hope it’s this year.

26. Lee Congerton
With the recent release’s from NXT and given that TNA are constantly looking for talent, any chance we see the likes of Bull showing up there? Or is going to TNA something that would be considered burning a bridge?

Yeah Bull could be TNA bound. However, I think guys know that WWE may be reluctant to sign somebody that’s in TNA. Plus, TNA may want to sign that person to a one or two year deal. Most guys can make a living without working for TNA. You can get booked nearly every weekend and live off that.

27. Sohail Aarif
Considering that TNA Impact has been growing viewership since their debut on POP TV (up to 339,000 last week), would you expect that the promotion will be averaging over 500,000 viewers a week by the end of 2016?

I have my doubts about them really growing. They probably won’t hit the 1.3 million mark they were doing five years ago. That’s the reason why it’s hard for them to grow. They may gete up to 500k viewers and I’m sure they would say a lot of people DVR it, but it’s tough to really make significant strides in today’s environment. For me, I’ll watch TNA sometimes yet I write about wrestling all the time and watch a few other shows per week. I want to watch/do other things too just like anybody else. All of the wrestling options out there are hurting TNA too.

28. John Harper
Do you buy any wrestling shirts? If so, what ones? If not, what would you buy now if you had to choose one?

Not really. Last one was probably the Owen Hart one in 1999 that said “Enough is Enough” because I thought it was cheesy and funny. I’ve had shirts given to me. I don’t really wear them. Go buy the TJRWrestling shirts!

29. Aj Giacobbe
Do you think we get the evil Sin Cara back again??

Unlikely. They want to market him to kids more with the mask. Kalisto’s more of a priority anyway. They may get rid of the Sin Cara character. I’m not sure what that would mean for Cara/Hunico, though.

30. Anthony Sergi
Watching a lot of matches from ’03 – ’04 and most of Triple H’s title matches ended in interference. Such as, Evolution throwing a sledge in the ring and distracting the ref so he could get the cheap win. Do you feel that made most of the matches he was in predictable and boring? And do you feel that it made his opponents look weak and silly? Like – “Hey, the last time HHH had a match its was basically 4 on 1, maybe I should bring my own backup!” Or am I looking at this a little too in depth? It just always bothered me, buying a RAW PPV and it ending with a 4 on 1 cheap win for HHH.

There were points in Triple H’s career where I loved him and other times where I loathed him. From late 1999 to the injury in 2001 he was amazing. He sucked as a face in 2002, was smart to turn heel and like you said 2003-04 was booked in a shitty way. However, he also put over the likes of Benoit, Batista & Cena in consecutive WM main events where he did clean jobs and made me respect him. As for what you said specifically, it was just a way to make him a cheap heel while also suggesting that life would be difficult for him if the group broke up and that’s what happened when Batista beat him in 2005.

By the way, you may notice his body type changes. There were times when he got off the juice because he was trying to get Stephanie pregnant. They have three kids, so you can see his body change in the 2000s. He was never “fat” really, but he was definitely looking different during some periods in there.

31. Bob Stephen
I had a lot of high hopes for Drew McIntyre (Galloway) when he came to WWE,being Scottish myself.They really did drop the ball with him. Just wondering how you would of booked him and if you would have given him a run with the World Title?

I think his release was one of the stupidest they’ve ever done. It was stupid to give up on a guy so young and so talented that was so close to being a World Champion when he was in his mid-20s. He’s done great outside of WWE, but I hope he goes back one day. If they really worked at it they could have put the World Title on him by like 2010 or 2011 for sure possibly after a MITB cash in. Too bad he got in that hotel argument with his wife Tiffany (Taryn Terrell) which led to her firing and he was never able to get out of the doghouse after. I know he’s doing well in TNA, but I hope he can find his way back to WWE one day.

32. Geoff Landtbom
Do you think that Ric Flair is unintentionally stealing Charlotte’s heat?

No. I think he’s adding to it and is a great addition to her character. It’s not like he’ll be there for years – it’s probably just a short term thing. In six months she won’t need him, but for now she does.

33. Nate Kuhl
How long do you think Shinsuke Nakamura will stay in NXT ? Is there a chance he has as short a stay as Kevin Owens did?

Yeah I think that Owens comparison is good because he won’t be there that long. Probably six months or so. It will be a good thing to familiarize himself with the WWE style for a bit and then he’ll be ready to go.

34. Mark Choi
Any possibilities of Chris Hero making a return?

Hero back in WWE would be cool. He’s in his mid-30s though, so I’m not sure if WWE is going to do it unless they have some gimmick for him that really works. Also, Kevin Owens stole his KO initials lol.

35. Billy James
John, do think that TNA was right in releasing Awesome Kong after the incident in the UK with Reby Hardy?

Yes absolutely. I also have heard plenty about Reby being a bitch and not liked by people, so the altercation isn’t much of a surprise. The only positive thing in that whole scenario is that Matt and Reby’s infant son wasn’t hurt during the altercation.

36. Daniel Mount
Is Joe, Balor or both likely to be called up after Mania?

I think Zayn is most likely on the main roster the day after WM. Same with Joe. I think Balor will be second half of 2016.

37. Greg Holman
If you could go old school booking and had a year to build to takers last match, how would you do it? assuming he could do a decent part time schedule.

The day after WM, he announces he has one more WM left in him. You hype the shit out of it all the time. If it’s a face like Cena then you don’t need to do that much to build it up. If it’s a heel then obviously the injury angle works.

38. Deryl Parnell Jr.
I just saw that TNA released Awesome Kong do you see her back in the WWE in the future?

She’s almost 40, so I have my doubts. Plus, she got fired for freaking out and attacking a much smaller woman in the locker room. I’m not sure if they would want to bring in somebody like her that has been fired for things like that. I’m a huge fan of her as a performer. Too bad the Kharma gimmick didn’t work out.

39. James Collins
How much longer do you think this no storylines, unwatchable, predictable, early 90s-ish garbage era last?

They are going to have a record number of Network subscribers in about two months, they are going to set the all time gate record at WM32 and they are growing the NXT brand at a rate that is going to put even more money in their pockets, so I don’t think it’s garbage to them. In other words, I doubt things change much. The company is very healthy even if the storytelling is mediocre at times.

Sadly, the PG rating means playing it safe a lot of the time. They aren’t going to take risks and lose sponsors. Their ideas of “big angles” are Sheamus cashing in on Reigns to win the WWE Title and Triple H winning the Royal Rumble. They don’t do major changes that often anymore.

40. Chris Wells
What do you think about a possible Wrestlemania match between Undertaker and Dean Ambrose? And do you think had Lesnar not broke the steak that Dean would be the perfect candidate to get the major rub off of being the who did break it?

It would be fun to do Taker vs. Ambrose. Don’t know if they will, but it’s better than their other Taker choices.

I think Lesnar was the right guy to break Undertaker’s streak. Problem is that two years later he’s in the midcard and Triple H is main eventing. What a dumb move that is.

41. Chris Goad
Do you think Lucha Underground will continue to grow and one day, be a serious threat to WWE?

It’s going to be hard if they are only on El Rey Network because it’s a small channel. They aren’t on TV in the UK. In Canada we only got the first season now. They have grown a bit from word of mouth and things like that, but whether they grow significantly I’m not sure about that. They have TV tapings where fans get in for free. They don’t do live touring. It’s really just a television show. WWE does three or four weekend live events nearly every weekend and is not slowing down. I don’t see anybody being a serious threat to WWE for a very long time.

42. Phil Jenkins
How to book Tyler Breeze better and quickly?

Put him in a tag team. I know people might think Ziggler, but I would look in another direction. Either find a bigger guy so they have a little guy/big guy dynamic or somebody that has a big ego like him. My solution for characters going nowhere is a tag team because you can always find ways to use a team and get them moving in a positive direction. I’m not sure who the best partner would be.

43. Jesse Ornelas
What will WWE do if fans continue to reject Roman Reigns before, during, and after WrestleMania?

They’ll probably count their money and smile. It will probably be the most profitable event in the company’s history not to mention everything else that weekend. I don’t think they care if people boo. They can sell 70k tickets without announcing a match. They hope the number is higher than that too.

44. Alexander Podgorski
What are your expectations for Nakamura’s WWE debut?

Nakamura should do well. I think he’s probably going to be paid pretty well, so they will do everything they can to help him succeed. Starting him in NXT for a few months is the right thing to do in order to get him acclimated to the WWE style. He presents something different to the WWE audience and I think he’ll do really well. He’s a charismatic performer that can have great matches with all kinds of different wrestlers. I’m excited for Nakamura vs. Zayn on NXT Takeover April 1.

45. Brett Beatty
What is your take on Kevin Nash wanting to manage a new NWO group? If that does happen, who you suppose would be in it?

He should call his buddy Triple H and ask. Other than that, I don’t think it’s likely because they have more than enough groups. The NWO name should stay in the past. He’s also 7 foot tall and would overshadow any wrestlers he tried to manage. No more stables – they have enough!

46. Aneil Komal
What was your favorite Wrestlemania entrance? I’m split between Cena’s WM24 & WM27.

Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 12. The worst entrance is Michael Cole at WM27 because it meant that they put FUCKING MICHAEL COLE in a match.

47. Dale Cleary
Do you think that the signing of all these smaller wrestlers hurts some of the bigger guys like Rusev, Big E and Ryback from main event pushes? Believe me when I say I’d rather see Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose any day of the week over those guys in the main event picture.

I don’t think it hurts anybody. It helps that they are signing people of different sizes. Just get the best guys and try to piece together the puzzle so that it makes sense. I think Big E can be a main eventer because he’s a good all around talent that’s young and improving. Ryback won’t sniff a main event again.

48. Larry Yadao
What would you do with Ryback? It’s pretty obvious that though he’s over, he’s not going to be over as he and probably WWE would like. I personally think he should go the tag route. It helps the division and it’s safe where the sole focus point in the match isn’t him, where when it is, it shows his faults. I say put him with a jive talking babyface that needs the TV time or someone who just needs a spot. Maybe Neville? Or even Sandow? I think the SLIGHTLY comedic yet entertaining tag team is always welcomed. Let Ryback in a new environment and keep him there for a while. (And Rybaxel didnt count because Ryback wasn’t a good performer and Axel wasn’t really good in any major area.) So long winded aside, how would you book Ryback to get max use of him?

Yeah put him in a team, hope that they take off as faces, one of them turns in six months or a year and maybe he can take off again. I don’t think he’ll ever be much bigger of a star than he is because if you book him in a 10 minute match you can see how limited he is. He’s fine in small doses, but his push failed a few years due to his limitations. Great look that will keep him employed as long as he’s able to work – I just don’t see him going much further.

49. Jake Pumfleet
Who would be the one wrestler outside the WWE that you would bring in?

I think Ricochet/Prince Puma is an amazing talent that is continuing to improve, so he’s my pick. I’ve never seen somebody make everything look so easy. He’s an amazing athlete. Jay Lethal is awesome, so he’s my pick from ROH. Also love Adam Cole and The Young Bucks. I think all five of them will be in WWE within the next two years.

50. Joe Craven
Do you think Cody Rhodes will be a World Champion in the future?

Yes. If I was booking I would make a goal in 2016 to re-establish him as Cody as a singles star for the future and then put the title on him in 2017. He has the tools. Just has to be built back up.

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That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and I’ll try to do another one of these next weekend as well. It had been nearly a month since the last one, so I have to make sure I keep up to date with it. Back tomorrow with a news update, Raw Deal late Monday and plenty more next week. Thanks for reading.