TJR Q&A #13: Plenty of WrestleMania Questions, New Day’s Future, NXT & More! (50+ Questions)
It’s been over a month since my last Q&A feature here on the site. While I think doing them weekly is a bit much, I was hoping to do them a bit more frequently than I have been.
I asked for reader questions on Wednesday on my Facebook page and then I picked out the best of the bunch talking WWE for the most part. Thanks to those of you that took part. There are 52 questions here. I could have picked more, but I think we covered a lot with these, so let’s get right to it.
1. Nicholas Worth
Out of all the injuries to WWE’s roster currently, which two hurt them the most? Which one hurts them the least?
I think Rollins and Cena hurt the most, no question. The rumored WM matches for them were Rollins vs. HHH and Cena vs. Taker. Losing them is a big deal. I think they miss Orton, Cesaro and others too, but not as much. I don’t think Sting’s injury hurts them as much as people think. He had his one match. I’m not sure if it was smart to have another one.
2. Mark Tallentire
Seth Rollins, Cena, Cesaro, Orton…..who will make the biggest impact on their return and why/what do you think they should do?
John Cena because his time is now! Okay bad joke. I think Rollins just because, to me, he’s the best performer in the company (two time Johnny Award winner for best wrestler) and he’s still in the prime of his career. Cena’s nearly 40. He’s still valuable as a veteran that can have good matches that also has name value that can work with newer guys like he did with Rusev, Wyatt, Owens, but he needs to put people over more. I love Cesaro but I doubt they push him to the main event. Orton’s liked by management. I just don’t think he’s as big of a star as WWE thinks he is.
3. Cory Andrew Bacon
Kind of an in depth question. Since Balor and Styles both led the Bullet Club, which do you see them siding with upon their debut? Once they side with one, do you see them being a heel faction with a newly-heel leader? Ultimately, I’m sure they’ll bring up their past with both Styles and Balor, so when the two of them feud, who plays the face, and who’s the heel?
I think they should be with Balor first because he was with them longer. Styles was really just put there because Balor left, so they needed somebody with a big name in that spot. He just fit that role well. Makes sense as a heel stable to me although I dunno if WWE wants Finn to be heel. Also, how many stables can you have? So many in there now. Styles should always be a face. Just not as good as a heel. Balor can pull off either role well, so if they feuded I would put Balor as the heel.
4. Jason Kallend
Where do New Day go post ‘Mania? Any feuds in particular you’d like to see them involved with? I get the feeling they’re just temporary faces at the moment, I’d rather they stayed heel. Still, I don’t mind them working more of a ‘tweener’ role myself as they can get the crowd behind them or get boos from them accordingly.
I think they’re full fledged babyfaces now. They are insulting the heels to try to pop the crowd, they are shouting catchphrases, they are selling merch and they are going to be in that role long term. I like them better as heels, but I get why WWE turned them. It’s probably going to be a long title reign for them. Maybe they pass 400+ days that Demolition had as the record. I could see the Dudleys winning them soon too. Let’s just enjoy it while it lasts because once they break up New Day it will be sad.
5. Stuart Pretswell
Do you think that because last year there was a multi man ladder match for the IC title and the same is happening again this year it will be an ongoibg thing every year?
It seems to be that way. Creative isn’t very creative when it comes to putting WM cards together. They really just do a couple singles matches and then pile in everybody else into other matches. I would rather see Owens vs. Zayn and then put the other guys in the US Title match.
6. Justin Summers
Early pick for Money In The Bank?
There are so many good choices for MITB if you looked at guys that have never been WWE Champ. As much as I’d like to pick Styles or Zayn, Bray Wyatt is my pick because they need to do something to get him over the top as a true top guy and that could do it.
7. Paul Yorke
Who do you think will be the next big name to join WWE/NXT?
Probably Bobby Roode. I think he counts as another. I’ll throw another name out there. I think Ricochet/Prince Puma will be there by the end of the year. He may not be a big name to everybody, but he’s amazing.
8. Paul Darren Woodage
Do you think they should just sack all the writers on RAW because they are useless and making the show boring for everyone who isn’t under six?
I think having 25 writers (or whatever the number is) really isn’t working. They should be able to tell better stories, but they are not doing a good job of weaving together the angles and doing stuff that makes sense. It’s pretty disappointing considering what they could be doing. Get some more former wrestlers on creative and that may help. The problem is the guys with the best ideas like a Steve Austin is so rich he doesn’t need to be in that kind of role.
9. Erik Martinez
Favorite NXT diva?
Bayley of course. Love her talent, her passion for the business and the way she treats the fans too. She busted her ass to reach this point. She’s still not on the main roster, but she’ll be a difference maker once she’s there. In terms of looks, Eva Marie lol. Alexa Bliss is damn good too.
10. Josh Burrus
What are the chances of Kurt Angle returning at WrestleMania, to maybe help Shane win?
Hope so, but I think WWE is leery because of his history of DUI’s and painkiller problems. As he said recently, he’s been clean for a couple years, so hopefully they can bring him in soon. I don’t think he’ll be in for this year’s WrestleMania. Maybe later in year.
11. Alan Burke
Create a tag-team. Which two wrestlers (who need a refresh) in WWE and NXT would you put together and why? Also what gimmick, if any would you run with?
I would put Damien Sandow in a team with somebody not doing anything like a Jack Swagger perhaps or Fandango, but get him a new gimmick. I’m not sure what the gimmick is. Part of it is finding out who are friends backstage too. The New Day guys were buddies before, so that’s why it works so well. Sandow has been there over a decade. Figure out who he has chemistry with and go from there. Maybe not a bad idea to put Sandow & Rhodes together again.
12. Justin Summers
When will WWE sign Johnny Gargano?
I dunno. I guess he likes doing his thing on the indies with his fiancee Candice LaRae so more power to him. They should sign him, though. Maybe he’ll be a featured guy in the cruiserweight tournament they are doing later in the year.
13. James Ferriman
What do you think Randy Orton’s role will be upon his return? Main event or mid card?
I think upper midcard with the chance to be in the main event again once in a while. He’s not as big of a draw as WWE thinks, but he’s 35 in April so he’s got five good years left as long as he can stay healthy. Still a valuable asset, but not the “THE MAN” again, I don’t think. I like him more as a heel. However, I think WWE sees him more as a face since he’s been around a while and gets cheered a lot.
14. Joe Sondag
After watching how good the last two matches between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles these past couple days do you see a feud between them starting at the end of the year or start of next year?
I think it’ll happen after Owens has that feud with Zayn. Maybe a SummerSlam type feud. They have awesome chemistry and I think with a real story behind them they can have a feud that works really well.
15. Roman Hoysak
Do you think Nakamura can have the type of success here he had overseas? He certainly has the Charisma and skills but do u think adjusting to the “wwe style” could hurt him?
Maybe. I don’t know if Vince McMahon is going to be as receptive to him as people think. History shows that Vince hasn’t really pushed a Japanese guys to the top or really anywhere close to that. Nakamura has more charisma than the others, though, so that will help him. Putting him in NXT for 3-6 months, getting used to that style and figuring it out as he goes should be fine because he’s a 15 year veteran that has worked in the US a lot too. Remember, he’s already in Orlando at the Performance Center now getting used to things. They aren’t going to rush him into it and he’ll be ready to succeed. I just hope old man Vince cares about him as much as as the fans do!
16. Roderick Walker
If the second divas match becomes a 10 woman tag match (since Emma is on the heel team) who do you think should be the 5th woman on the face team?
I think it’s going to be 5 on 5 assuming Lana wrestles, so they should probably put Bayley on the face team. She’ll get a big reaction.
17. Rob Platanitis
Do you think cesaro can get a push when he comes back in the next few weeks with all the injuries now?
Hope so. I’m not sure. People forget he was a Tag Champ early last year and that he was in a big match at SummerSlam against Kevin Owens. I think that counts as a push. Will he main event PPVs? Probably not. Would be nice.
18. Daniel Mount
I know it’s only TNA, but is Drew Galloway (McIntyre) getting the title a big deal or not?
I don’t think so. The company is hurting right now. I was hoping he would never go there and get back to WWE by now. The longer he’s gone from WWE the harder it will be to go back. He’s still young, though, so he’s got a bright future. I like that guy a lot.
19. Van Wilhoite
When do you anticipate Cena getting his next WWE title to tie Flair…. or will he at all?
I think it will be later this year. He’ll get it for sure. Probably get two more to set the record even though you could say Flair had 19 – it’s confusing, but the info is out there.
20. Duane X Johnson
I’m a huge Damien Sandow fan, any good news about him being a regular on TV again.
No. Nothing that I know of. Maybe he’ll be in the battle royal at WrestleMania. It’s sad to see how little he has been used in the last year. I think he’s top three most poorly used performers in WWE along with Natalya and probably Fandango – who was pretty good as Johnny Curtis in NXT.
21. Charlie Pérez
If Roman turns heel do you think that after a long heel period people will care got him as face?
Of course. People that hate him as a face would probably start cheering him as a heel because they always do something like that. Watch Survivor Series 2013 when he was a heel and people cheered. The fans turned him face, yet they boo him when he gets pushed. It’s silly. They should have turned him last April or May. Then he’d be hot to turn face in January and he’d be in a better spot now.
22. Steve Murray
Say Shane wins at WM, do you see him appearing every week as a on screen GM figure or will he give to someone that the Authority fucked over but can no longer wrestle… like ohhh I dunno, Daniel Bryan?
I think he might be willing to be on screen fairly often because why else would you do this angle? They have to realize how stare The Authority angle is and they need to change it at WM. If he were not around every week then they have some good choices as a face GM like Daniel Bryan, Sting, maybe Mick Foley (not sure if he wants to travel every week) and others.
23. Ian Henry
Who do you think they will save for the annual surprise return at the Raw after Wrestlemania? I am calling Kurt Angle.
I don’t know about surprise returns, but I think there will be debuts like Balor or Joe (one of them, not both), Bayley and perhaps Enzo/Cass.
24. Mark Goehring
Who is your pick for the win at the Andre the Giant battle royale?
I think it’s being setup for Braun Strowman to win. Hype up Kane and Big Show as threats to win that are favorites in the match, then they last to the final three with Strowman and you have Strowman win to push him as the new giant. Vince loves the big guys. I wouldn’t mind Strowman winning it.
25. Darrius Gaddy
When do you feel was undertakers first good match at mania and first good feud? I feel like during the early/mid 90s he did what he could with what he had but was involved in some pretty bad matches.
Yeah he had a lot of shit matches. I guess the first good match at WM was WM12 against Kevin Nash. It’s solid for a big man match. Then the ones at 17 with Triple H and 18 with Flair are really good. He started having the classics starting with Batista at 23, then every year that followed was like a MOTY winner or contender until WM30 with Brock.
26. Mattias King
HHH/Roman won’t main event – do you agree?
I think they might go Shane/Taker last. But I don’t know. If I had to guess right now I would agree with you. If you keep Roman face then you don’t want to run the risk of ending WrestleMania with a guy getting booed when you want him to be a face.
27. Nate Kuhl
Who should Finn Balor’s first feud be with on the main roster once he gets called up?
Depends who it is and what role he’s in. If he’s a heel with the Bullet Club at his side I would have him attack the reunited face Shield trio. That would be fun. I think feuding with AJ Styles right away would be amazing too.
28. Drew Jefferson
What is your favorite WrestleMania rivalry of all-time?
I think the Rock/Austin trilogy is the best. In 1999 it was a time when Austin was established as the guy while Rock was still rising. By 2001 they were both at an extremely high level as they put on an incredible match. In 2003 it was Austin’s last match and he did the right thing putting over his biggest rivalry.
29. Ed Luis Valentin
If you were to do a shoot fight tournament with current WWE wrestlers held under old school UFC rules, who would win? It’s two different tournaments, one for the main roster and one for NXT. Also, Lesnar can’t compete in either because that’s too obvious of an answer.
It’s hard to know for sure, but I think a guy like Jack Swagger would probably do well since he’s got the amateur wrestling background plus a big body. Picking a big guy like Braun Strowman is smart pick too. Chad Gable would be really good at it too.
30. Rick Bulow
Now that Bobby Roode and Eric Young had left TNA, do you see them coming over to WWE any time soon, and do you foresee them right on the main roster (like AJ Styles) or start in WWE NXT (like Samoa Joe) then work up to the main roster?
I think WWE will sign Roode very soon and maybe he shows at the NXT Takeover Dallas event. Young may be less likely, but I think they should give it a try. Start Roode in NXT like Aries probably. If they sign Young he’d probably be in NXT too.
31. Giles Hart
Do you remember the exact moment, match or promo where Triple H and the Sledgehammer became permanent partners in crime? I’ve looked for a while on video sites and on the network but haven’t found anything thus far.
Feels like summer 1999 maybe when he was feuding with The Rock around Fully Loaded 1999. These Reddit nerds seem to think it was 1999 with The Rock in casket, so I was on the right path. Here’s a link to see for yourself.
32. Dale Schofield
Will people be praising Wrestlemania the day after like last year having spent 3 months moaning about it?
I think so yes. I think the Lesnar/Ambrose match will be one of the best matches of the year, so if that is as good as I think then I think the haters will praise it a lot more. It depends on if they can have 4 or 5 above average matches. Like I said the problem is the length of the show. It’s hard to get people to care that much for that long.
33. Mike Gaudioso
How many F5’s will Ambrose kick out of, leading Michael Cole to say repeatedly “He’s running on pure instinct right now ladies and gentlemen”?.. Lol
Maybe one or two. It’s actually been good to see WWE having guys kick out of finishers less often the last few months. I think after the Cena/Owens feud they cut back big time. It’s been better of late.
34. Jeremy Bennett
This is the first time I will be in attendance at WrestleMania. Besides attending the shows, what is one thing you suggest I do that is wrestling related? WWE or otherwise.
I think Axxess is pretty cool especially for a first timer. It’s something like $50 and you get about 4 hours in that convention center. Lots of people around. I would also suggest going to a ROH or Dragon Gate show or something else. They have a lot of great talent. Wrestlecon is pretty cool too in terms of meeting wrestlers past and present. I’ll be there both days.
35. Douglas Paul Gundlach Jr.
Two part question:
1. KO wins the ladder match right? Wrestlemania moment…
2. How long until he is WWE championship contender?
Yeah I think KO wins the ladder match. Have Zayn come really close to winning and then they can feud post WM.
Owens should be in the WWE Title picture by the summer. Probably a good candidate to win MITB. Question is does Vince push him to the top or does he hesitate because of his look? I don’t know if KO will get to that top spot. He should be!
36. Roderick Walker
If you had the opportunity to book the women’s division in the 90’s, who would you have on your roster?
I think building it around Madusa was the right call when they did it. Bull Nakano was a great opponent for her. When I reviewed SSlam 1994 I was reminded of how awesome their match was at that show. Women’s wrestling in the mid to late 1990s wasn’t strong in the US, so it’s a lot tougher than it is today. They would have had to bring in a lot of imports and stuff to make it work. I can’t think of that many American women’s wrestlers in the 1990s. Hate to say it, but it’s true.
37. Ron Venturino
Thoughts on New Day inducting Fabulous Freebirds into the WWE Hall of Fame? And if not them, who would YOU have do it?
I honestly don’t care about the HOF that much or who does the induction. Kevin Von Erich makes more sense since they have a lot of history together. Pick somebody who worked with them instead of a current team that does the Freebird rule. I’m not sure why people care about who does induction speeches. It’s just a short intro.
38. Brian Wallace
Managers? Why does the WWE system seem to be so averse to them? Would it be worthwhile to use NXT to maybe start working managers back into the product, especially with performers that may never get a real shot at being called up, but could possibly become a mouthpiece/added benefit to guys like Apollo Crews (have all the talent in the world, but doesn’t quite have the mic skills down yet).
I’m not sure. Somewhere along the way Vince probably decided they don’t need them or that there just aren’t enough good ones out there. It’s kind of like how for a while there weren’t stables. Now there are too many of them. Most women in wrestling have to learn to wrestle while the guys also wrestle, so there aren’t guys that are specifically managers like there were 20 or 30 years ago. Times have changed. I think in Vince’s mind it’s not a necessary, but I’m with you in thinking they should have them again.
39. Kevin Alexander
Out of the 5 title matches at Wrestlemania, how many champions will make their entrance 2nd?
I know this is a bit of a joke question and that entrances aren’t that big of a deal, but I’ve always supported the idea of champions entering a match after the challenger. All of them should come out last! I think Triple H will be second in his match. I dunno about the others.
40. Ryan Mullins
Do you think WWE will push Aries or Roode as a singles competitor or could they go back to being a tag team?
Pushing Roode and Aries as a team would be awesome. I would do that because they’ll make every other team better because of their experience.
41. Nick Freeman
How likely would it be for Jim Cornette to sign a legends contract with WWE?
I don’t think he’s well liked by the people in WWE since he’s very critical of things all the time, so I doubt it happens. It’s not like those contracts are a lot of money anyway. He’s probably doing well for himself.
42. Diego J Amarilla II
So after Cena “retires” do you think he will be used more like Taker or The Rock when it comes to matches with new talent?
I don’t see him leaving any time soon. He’ll probably wrestle into his 50s like Undertaker. He’s not married and doesn’t have kids. Maybe his acting career takes off, so he only wrestles once in a while. He probably has 3-5 years left full time and then part time after. Undertaker worked full time until his mid-40s or so. I think Cena will be happy to work with newer guys. Will he be booked to put them over? Sometimes.
43. Jake Pumfleet
How far do you think Baron Corbin can go in WWE? I like his work in NXT.
He’ll get a fair shot because of his size and look. Might need a manager or valet to really get over because he’s pretty plain in a lot of ways. Should be main roster later this year. Putting him as a bodyguard of a smaller heel wouldn’t be a bad idea to start him on the main roster.
44. Chris Rowlands
Do you see the Balor Club getting involved in WM? Like interfering in the HIAC match?
I don’t think so, but I guess it’s possible since Shane has hinted at bringing in new stars.
45. Christopher Brown
I remember reading something about 4-5 months ago suggesting that Vince wanted to see more action happening on and around the ring apron, have you noticed any certifiable changes in that regard or no?
It hasn’t been that noticeable. A guy like Big E does his splash on the ring apron sometimes. The Undertaker’s got that legdrop there. I think Stardust does a move there sometimes. Other than that, it really hasn’t been a growing trend. I do remmeber that there was a growing trend for a PPV where guys were doing moves there, but for the most part it hasn’t been that significant.
46. Octavio Fierros
What is your favorite King of the Ring tournament?
Probably 1994 with Owen just because I think he did the most with it after he won as well. It meant a lot for his character at the time.
47. Larry Yadao
I know it’s too early too tell, and I may be off the rocker here, but after the short promos he’s had and his presence, I can easily see Braun Strowman as a newer Undertaker character type if he goes on his own. I actually wouldn’t mind him breaking off from the Wyatts and feuding with them. We obviously need to see more work in the ring , however I think with guidance from Taker, Show, and Kane it can happen. What do you think about him from what we saw? I actually hopes he turns out as good as people behind the scenes says he is.
He has some potential, but he’s already in his 30s and I’m not sure how he’s going to do when he has to go a bit longer in a match. Part of it will be with how he’s booked too. If he’s not out there taking bumps then it’s going to be tough to have a good match because then he’s booked like too much of a monster. Remember early Undertaker? He didn’t sell that much and the matches suffered. I still need to see more, but they obviously have high hopes to make him their next giant. Look for them to accelerate his push with a win in the battle royal at WrestleMania. Just a hunch.
48. John Harper
Undertaker is apparently working post-Wrestlemania, but if he loses his match against Shane this is his last WM… can you see him retiring in this next year and then going into the Hall of Fame next year?
I think he’ll have a match with Cena at next year’s WrestleMania. They were going to do it this year, but Cena got hurt. I think it’ll happen next year. Other than that, hard to know how often he’ll work. I’m surprised he worked as much as he did in 2015, but I’m glad he did. The “last WM” thing is a silly stipulation. I doubt it means anything in a year.
49. Shay Smithers
It’s been a while, (almost a decade I think) since it came out, and I never knew your opinion on it, so what did you think of the movie The Wrestler? And do you think if Micky Rourke hadn’t of backed out that he and Chris Jericho could’ve had a memorable angle for WM 25 out of it?
Loved that movie. It’s sad to see some of the inside things in the business in terms of the older wrestlers that hang around too long, but they really told the story well. It was a very gritty film where they weren’t afraid to hold back. It’s too bad Rourke’s management didn’t let him wrestle. They felt that associating with WWE would have hurt his chances during award season. I guess they had a point, but he probably could have done well against Jericho, who was at his absolute best in that 2008-09 period.
50. John C Hoddy
Lucha Underground accomplishes more in one hour than WWE does in three. Why do you think WWE has so much trouble creating compelling characters with clear motivations, and coherent, linear storylines?
I think WWE has too many people in creative while Lucha Underground only has a few decision makers as far as I can tell. When you have 25 writers in a room there are going to be clashes or things they argue about all the time. I just don’t think that’s the best way to write wrestling shows. With that said, it’s naive of us to assume we know things without being in those meetings, so we’re just going off what other people say anyway. Hope that made sense lol.
51. Michael Reichmuth
Is Summerslam 93 the stupidest ending ever with Luger acting like he won the title.
It was a bad ending for sure. Pretty ridiculous to see so much celebrating for a win where he didn’t win the title.
52. Khan Shahrukh
Had Montreal Screwjob never happened when and where do you think Bret would’ve retired?
Good question. He would have been so valuable as a veteran legend that could have good matches with anybody. WWE had a mostly young roster from 1998 to early 2000s in the Atttiude Era and he would have been in his early 40s at that point. I think he probably could have gone as a full timer until 2002 or so (as long as he didn’t have a serious injury) and then maybe wrestle part time after that. Imagine him in a feud with Kurt Angle? Would have been gold.
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That’s all for now. We’ll do it again soon although not next week because I’ll be in Dallas, Texas for WrestleMania festivities and won’t have time.
Please vote in our poll about the winner of the Shane McMahon/Undertaker match at WrestleMania. Interesting results so far.
Have a great weekend!