wrestling / Columns
Ask 411 Wrestling 12.28.11: The Fingerpoke, WWE Network, Andre Shooting, More!
Hey there, this is Ask 411 Wrestling, I am Mathew Sforcina, and I just got Skyrim.
Now, I could, and will claim, that the reason this week’s edition of this inexplicably popular column is a Total Opinion Week is because it’s the holiday season, and everyone is taking it slightly easy, and because of work and stuff I can’t give this the full attention it deserves.
But then again, I just got Skyrim. And Dead Rising 2: OTR as well. So you do the math.
After doing the math, go listen to the Tom Tom Club, upon which I got a total moral victory by placing third in fantasy football despite not doing anything apart from draft (and make a couple changes in the playoff) and being an Australian who knew NOTHING about American Football. So truly, I won.
Also you should listen to 411mania’s podcasts. They are excellent. As is the Wrestling PodClash, now with added noteworthyness!
Banner’s always noteworthy.
411 on Twitter!
Me On Twitter~!
http://www.twitter.com/411mania
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma
Backtalking
Nepotism: OK, yes, technically ‘nepotism’ doesn’t really apply. If you take the term at it’s most literal meaning. But the general idea still holds. Of course, in wrestling it’s not frowned upon. Hell, it’s how wrestling works 95% of the time. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. But Technical English Nazi points for all who called me on it. Cronyism was a word I didn’t think was an actual word…
Your Turn, Smart Guy…
Who am I? I once won a title off Xanta Claus. I once won a title off The Christmas Creature. And I’ve been Santa myself. I’m white, although I once nearly injured the Golden Child. I nearly gave the American Cancer Council and my mother a big gift, I am who?
Crowley (which is my new favourite comment poster if that’s a Good Omens reference) got it mostly on the money.
You are Buh Buh Ray Dudley?
Beat Balls Mahaony(Xanta Clause) and Masato Tanaka (and Balls/Spike twice) for the ECW Tag Team Titles.
Beat Kane(The Christmas Creature) and Undertaker for the World Tag Team Titles.
Wrestled Tajiri on Raw while they were both dressed as Santa.
As Bully Ray he powerbombed AJ Styles off a stage through a table “injuring” him.
On the Weakest Link he was playing for the American Cancer Society and “his mommy” but lost in the finals to Kane.
The sole thing no-one got was the Golden Child thing. That was from a segment of a shoot interview Bubba did that was featured in Botchamania, where his arm shut down and he dropped Triple H badly through a table. And he called Triple H the ‘Golden Child’. And sadly I didn’t keep a record of WHICH Botchamania. That would have been smart.
…
But anyway, as a rule, anything odd like that? Probably from Botchamania. Speaking of…
Who am I? I was in the Trio of Pre-Botchamanias that began the whole series, albeit as a cameo. I’ve wrestled in WWE, WCW and TNA. I’ve written a book. I’ve feuded with a superhero, a movie star and a Jeff Jarrett. I got fired due to a blade job. I’ve pulled double duty at a Royal Rumble. I’ve had a feel good moment by pinning Chris Jericho, I’ve railed against the system and I’ve ‘shot’ live on air, I am who?
Questions, Questions, Who’s Got The Questions?/My Damn Opinion
We start with Benjamin, who wants to talk finger pokes.
Ahoy hoy,
So watching ancient aliens at thanksgiving on south park this week got me thinking. Ancient aliens is a revision of history….what COULD have happened (I’ll be it mind-numbingly retarded) but not, based on facts, what did. I’ve gotten the sense that the iwc, in their plan to hate anything wcw did and worship the wwf, forgot what the finger poke of doom was really like.
yes, millions, including myself, turned the channel to see foley win… Briefly. But I also remember millions anticipating hogan vs Nash that night, going nuts over the finger poke and the nwo reformation.
The real nail in the coffin was going into a hogan vs flair program and shoving Goldberg vs hogan II aside.
Thoughts?
Many people do point to the Fingerpoke of Doom as being cause of WCW’s Death but some people disagree. Like, for instance, Nash.
For those who don’t or can’t watch the video, Nash gives his take on the subject. Some of his comments are questionable (Crowds chanting Goldberg Sucks, that he wasn’t booking, since clearly you have to be the head booker to have influence), and one part was flat out wrong (Goldberg put his hand through the limo a YEAR later dude) but I do agree with his general attitude.
Basically that had Goldberg then mowed through each member of the newly reformed nWo, taking them out and then squashing Goldberg to win the title back, that would have worked. But they didn’t. As you say, they switched it around and so what should have been the impetus for Goldberg to become the all conquering superstar World Champion became something that devalued the belt.
See, you have to be careful whenever you do anything that devalues the title. If it’s a title that’s practically a vanity belt, like the WWF European title, you can argue that it doesn’t matter if you fingerpoke it. But this is the World Heavyweight Championship, supposedly the most important title in your company and therefore wrestling. You have to have one hell of a good reason for someone to give that up.
Now, Nash could have had that reason. But by switching to Hogan/Flair and ending up going back to the Red and Yellow, you end up never getting the retribution for the incident. Whatever reason they didn’t do the follow up right, and that ruined the whole thing.
However, totally absolving the incident isn’t fair either. Saying that the fingerpoke didn’t do anything isn’t right. The poke DID cause the title to become tarnished. It’s just that they should have had the follow through to clean it off. But they didn’t, which makes the poke a mistake. If you’re going to do anything to ruin the belt’s image, you need to be DAMN sure you have a follow through to clean it up again.
Sam has two random questions.
I got some random questions for you!
1. Why does Michael Cole start every raw after a PPV saying that last night’s show was the most controversial? What makes each PPV so bloody controversial?
They’re all competing for the record for the worst buyrate in WWE history.
Actually they are controversial in the sense that each one is even more of a status quo than the last.
All right, all right, it’s controversial because LOL Cena Wins.
Really, all it is is that Cole is trying to get you to buy the replay. And since all PPVs are now are continuations of the storylines rather than actual events, it’s where turning points in the storylines occur, and thus controversy occurs because it’s the only way they can think of to say “storylines progressed”.
…
Right then.
2. Now that Cody brought back the Old school inter. belt do you see them bringing back the eagle championship? And would WWE ever use the U.S belt that Goldberg used when he was champ in WCW?
They’ll never revert to a non-WWE title. So the US title is stuck like that. Although they might update it. Knowing our luck it’ll end up with Long Island in the middle of it or something…
As for the WWE title… WWE has dropped hints and suggestions, they’ve taken ideas… But I don’t see them reverting. Not to the Eagle, not to the (in my eyes only) vastly superior Undisputed big one, but to a brand new one. After all, that way they have one more title they can sell replicas of. I’ve seen supposed leaked images of designs, none of which I like, but I suspect that there will be a new one for whichever heel wins the belt off of Punk… Jericho maybe?
Nate asks about fantasy booking.
Hey Matthew, just curious what you think would have happened with Edge had he not been forced to retire. Does he drop the title to ADR at WM, with the Christian turn? Because then we obviously get Edge/Christian which would be fun but in turn that means no Christian/Orton, likely the feud of the year. So what would have become of Edge?
It depends on when they know he’s good. There is some confusion as to where and when WWE knew that they had lost Edge. But it appears that they didn’t know for sure until 4/4, which for those paying attention, is the day AFTER WM. Basically the timeline seems to be that Edge felt weird going in, then did WM, and then the day after he got the MRI and was then told that he was done.
So then, Edge winning at WM was the plan. Or at least, was what Vince decided. At the time, Del Rio was supposed to win (if only to make the Royal Rumble win actually mean something again) but Vince got paranoid about predicability and so Edge went over.
But, we can fantasy book. Let’s assume that the MRI actually showed that Edge… I don’t know, had picked up some sort of VD from Lita that caused neck spasms, and a short course of antibiotics cleared it right up. What happens next?
I would suspect that what would happen next would be that Extreme Rules would be a three way ladder match, with Del Rio getting a rematch but then Christian, based on pinning Del Rio in a E&C V Del Rio/Clay match gets put into the match. During the match at Extreme Rules, Edge, despite saying he just wants to keep Del Rio away from the title, costs Christian the title at some point via ladder knocking over. Deliberate or not, it directly leads to Del Rio clunking Edge in the arm with a chair, climbs, Del Rio wins title.
Christian blows it off, but then next month at Over the Limit, Christian turns heel and costs Edge the rematch. You then move into Edge V Christian and Del Rio V Orton (or maybe Kane or Big Show if they don’t mover Orton). At least, that’s what I believe they would have done. I’m sure some readers will disagree. Maybe a couple might even comment about it.
Hey Jude!
What? I can’t make a bad Beatles reference every so often?
Hi Mathew,
I was reading your column this week and was interested in your answer on companies staying small and local or attempting to grow more nationally. you mentioned that if a company grew too big the promotor would be worried the Vince would “come in and ruin you if you get too successful”.
If you applied that to TNA, what in your opinion would make VKM decide to take off the kid gloves and have a go at knocking TNA down a peg or two?? impact breaking the 2.0 rating regularly?? signing a major ex-wwe talent like y2j or batista? running spoilers about the next days smackdown?
I realise that its highly highly unlikely that Vince is bothered about TNA at the moment and may even be happy to let them co-exist to allow talent somewhere else to go but would like your opinion on what might trigger Vince to go back to war??
Great column, keep up the great work,
I think Impact/TNA/Whatever they are calling themselves now is in a weird place, and might well have worked out the one way to stay out of the warpath of Vince. I think Vince does miss, in some ways, the Territories. They served a purpose, in that while they were a threat to him, they did give him a free way to get talented and seasoned wrestlers and gimmicks served to him. When guys got to WWF, they knew their shit. Today, you get… Mason Ryan. And Alex Riley. And Mason Ryan. And Michael McGuillicutty. And Mason Ryan. And Alicia Fox. And Mason Ryan. And Mason Ryan.
Yeah, I don’t like Mason, even without paying to see him. I’m backing the Illuminati. And that’s probably the most esoteric ‘joke’ I’ve ever made.
Anyway, the point is, Vince I think would like that back, albeit in a way he controls, or at worst, not a threat. If TNA has proven anything over the past few years, is that they want to desperately to be a threat but aren’t. So Vince gets ‘competition’ that isn’t really a threat, but who can maybe find him the occasional talent. He has a way to prove he’s not a monopoly, but is under no possible trheat of them taking him over or challenging him. After all, why should he worry about TNA? UFC’s got him saying uncle enough as it is.
So, what would cause Vince to go on the warpath? Basically it comes down to two different possibilities, with the unlikely third option of both at once.
The first is the most obvious, and that’s for TNA to suddenly become… Well, good. I don’t mean in terms of purely the on screen product, although that’s a good start. I mean if TNA suddenly becomes a well run, focused, stable company, with a decent booker, a smart business mind (or several), and basically stops fucking up every second hour, then that would worry him. If this sudden focus and drive got traction? Then he might whip out the checkbook and buy TNA outright. Or at least sign away everyone he can.
The second one is slightly more subtle, in that if UFC continues to grow and begins to impact on WWE more so than it is, that might lead to him turning on TNA. This is unlikely given that WWE has shifted to PG to deliberately avoid going head to head with UFC, WWE has gone to the families in order not to fight the UFC for the Male 18-45 demo, but if UFC became family acceptable (unlikely) or a staple of US culture (more likely), then Vince might panic and go after TNA in a bid to cannibalize their fanbase and add to his own. The ratings and PPV buys aren’t great, but if he’s desperate, he might go after them.
A worst case scenario is if both happen, and suddenly he’s fighting a war on two fronts. That’s a sure fire way for TNA to come under attack, since it’s the easier opponent to remove.
But there’s no one move TNA could do to worry Vince. They’ve blown each and every possible ‘big move’, from Christian to ECW to fricking HULK HOGAN, short of John Cena up and quitting, there’s no one move. And hell, Cena moving over probably wouldn’t matter long term anyway. We’d get Cena V Angle 3, a couple of underwhelming matches and then Cena would be just another guy.
Kyle asks about Triple Threat matches.
Your question on the earliest triple threat matches in the US promotions got me wondering about them from the wrestlers’ perspective. In your experience, what is different about a triple threat from the performance side of things? Obviously there’s another body in the ring, but how does that change your preparation for the match? How does it change the in-match calls of the actual moves? Does it make resting easier since two guys can hammer away on each other while the third gets a breather? I’d be very interested to get your perspective on the difference.
I have been involved in both basic types of triple threat matches, in that I’ve been a part of the ‘every man for himself’ basic type and the ‘two on one’ variations which I get since I’m, you know, big fat giant.
If it’s a two on one storyline, there’s not much that different, in that you basically tend to work the match as you would if it was one on one. At the most basic level, you have the face side get control early on, then the heel takes over, with the good guys getting the occasional brief glimmer of hope, and then they make the comeback, then you do your finish. You might have dissension in the ranks between the two, but the basic gist is the same. I tend to experience that as me V two small faces. I’ll get kicked around a bit, double takedown, then spend time beating on each in turn as they each try their stuff, then eventually they’ll come back, both beat me up, and then one will turn on the other to get the pin or I’ll isolate one or, occasionally, I’ll pin both at the same time. Which is cool.
But in triple threats that are true triple threats, you basically have to work out how you’ll accommodate the third guy. The most common ploy is to do the “you hit me, I hit him, he hits you” type opening and then have one guy take a breather, and then you just trade off until the finish sequence. One guy enters, another leaves, there’s always one guy not involved. It’s the simplest way to handle it, but it works best with one heel and two faces. If you flip it, then you usually go the “heels try to one up each other” style.
Basically there’s a few simple plots that a three way match can take, and you tend to just go with whichever one fits the dynamics of the people involved, and if they are faces, heels or whatever. That’s the normal, boring way to do it. You can try to be clever and come up with your own, brand new storyline, or sometimes a running feud or angle may require a certain plot (if two guys are mortal enemies, you’d probably have the third guy playing them off each other, for instance) but the thing is, the basic plots work because they are basic. The more complicated you get, the more likely you’ll fuck up. Three guys doubles the risk of there being confusion and blank stares. If it’s one on one and someone gets lost, the heel just clotheslines the face, locks in a hold, and you talk. In a three way, that’s harder to do…
And hell, since it’s the end of the year, here’s a selection of my fav wrestling videos, just for kicks.
Greg has a whole lot of questions about the upcoming WWE Network.
Hello again Matthew, thanks for doing an amazing job yadda yadda yadda….
I’ve got some opinion questions this time. With the coming of the WWE Network imminent and gaining steam, recent details have made me wonder:
1) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is a lot of time to fill. WWE has an extensive library of wrestling shows, but is still lacking on other content. I know they’re going ahead with the Legend House and probably that Santino sitcom they filmed last year, as well as some behind-the-scenes stuff and all that’s been mentioned in the last year, but what else can they add to fill their time? They must have a few surprises under their hat, but even with adding all these new shows the network can’t possibly air just original (or owned) stuff all the time. What’s the possibility of the Network buying the rights to syndicated episodes of shows like “Lost” or “How I met Your Mother,” for example?
According to the scuttlebutt and the article most websites are using as fact WWE is apparently been negotiating with some sports teams and other programming. So they do appear to be going after some stuff. The idea appears to be that eventually, WWE Network will be another entertainment/lifestyle network, that isn’t just wrestling related. They would be going after outside the box programming, hoping to, say, find their own version of Pawn Stars or some such, find tv shows that are surprise hits that aren’t wrestling related.
Of course, it would not surprise me if they didn’t turn the network into infomercials between 2 and 6am, or some such time frame. But they do seem to be going after non-wrestling shows as well. I’d expect some minor sports league to sign on and make the WWE their network, at sort of Arena Football League down criteria. Arena would be a surprise big name to sign on, but I could see WWE buying, say, the American Rugby League company rights or Beach Volleyball or something. A sport, rather than a team. Plus I’d be shocked if there wasn’t some sort of video game/tech show, something done in flash, and possibly a Tosh.0 rip off. Maybe dust off that one Jericho shot a pilot for a while back.
2) It’s been reported here on 411 that MacMahon is going to keep NXT and Superstars around to air on the new network, with the possibility of adding new live shows. Do you think it’s possible that Vince will allow those two (or more) shows to expand and cement themselves as brands like Raw and Smackdown? Would they get their own storylines, brand-centric performers, titles, GMs, etc?
Probably not. They are still produced because they made deals overseas that required them to keep making them. I’m sure they’ll be treated as ‘big deals’ on the new network. And NXT at least does have it’s own storylines and such. But the idea that they’d grow into a fully formed third brand? Rather unlikely.
3) Second part to the above question. Assuming NXT, Superstars, and possible new live shows become their own brands with all the fixin’s I mentioned above, it would make the talent roster explode. If this were to happen, would it be easier to get a job in the WWE (as a performer, agent, trainer, cameraman, whatever) because the the scope is so much larger? Will it dry up the indy market because more people can get jobs with the WWE? Would that be a good or bad thing?
Again, it isn’t going to happen, in that the most that might occur is FCW getting onto the network. But let’s assume that they do make NXT/FCW into the third brand, it would almost certainly become the feeder brand, the one that’s a step down. So they wouldn’t go on a hiring spree, if anything they’d slow down, and not hire as many, or they’d begin to cycle, as guys who couldn’t cut it on FXTW would get fired and replaced by indy guys. So for wrestlers, it would become perhaps easier to get in the door, but your odds of being shown the door have also increased.
And in terms of all the backstage stuff, they are currently looking for 200 or so staff to run the network. Hardly an explosion of talent there. So no, I don’t think the odds have improved THAT much…
4) For that matter, how willl the WWE Network affect TNA? I suppose they’ll keep chugging along on Spike not doing anything different, but how willl they stay on the air if their (perceived) competition isn’t just a few shows, but an entire goddamned neverending stream of MacMahon-approved television? Would Dixie Carter even consider a deal to air TNA on Vince’s channel if it meant she retained ownership and creative control? Would Vince allow her that?
No, Vince would never allow that. I’m sceptical that any show they bring in won’t have Vince as Executive Producer and have his fingerprints all over it, from the XFL style rule changes to the Rugby and to the never ending parade of Felicia Day/Olivia Munn/April O’Neil clones on the video game show. If a video game show can’t escape Vince’s touch, there’s zero chance a wrestling company would. Which is not to say that Dixie wouldn’t consider the idea, just that Vince would never offer it.
As for what TNA would do? Nothing. They sure as hell aren’t getting a network any time soon. All they’ll do is pimp the Video Vault service more, probably touting the fact that you can decide what to watch, when, rather than be forced to watch stuff at a certain time. Play up the interactive nature V the network’s rigid structure.
5) Will Triple H and Stephanie retain their roles running the wrestling show, or willl they have to take higher positions as needed? If Vince promotes them, who would take over?
I would suspect that Hunter and Steph remain where they are and run the WWE while Vince tries one last time to become a media mogul rather than that guy who owns wrestling. I mean, that’s clearly why Vince is doing this. His entire life, Vince has wanted to be that mass media power broker, he wants to be a player on the world media stage, not just some wrestler. Which is both good (it’s what drove him to make the WWE all that is) and bad (he keeps trying stuff that always fails). The network appears to be the final roll of the dice for him.
In the unlikely event that Hunter and Steph were upgraded to the network, they’d probably still run the show, but if they did need replacing, Gerwitz would move up a notch, going from Senior Vice President of Creative Writing to [i]Executive[/i] Vice President of Creative Writing. And one of the agents would take over Hunter’s job of EVP of talent. Michael Hayes most likely.
6) It seems likely that Vince will continue to allow Raw and Smackdown to air on their current respective networks even after the WWE Network goes live (the current contracts probably guarantee that, anyway). Eventually it might be more cost efficient for Vince to restrict Raw and Smackdown to his own network, since he’d be paying USA and SYFY money he really wouldn’t need to. The question here is, would Vince just walk away from USA and SYFY as soon as their current deals expire, or would he try to keep some crossover value for as long as he could (basically using Raw and Smackdown as advertisements for the WWE network)?
…
USA and Syfy pay WWE dude. In the 3 months ending September 30, 2011, for instance, WWE earned $34 Million in TV rights fees, which was an increase in their current deals which made up for the loss of rights from NXT and Superstars.
WWE programming is paid for by the networks. They pay for the programming, WWE provides that. That’s why NXT and Superstars are still going, as WWE has all these deals overseas that requires them to produce something. It’s only in America they can’t find a buyer that they like, so they put it on the net.
It’s also how TNA can make money too, it’s one of the few areas they are good at, is selling their TV shows overseas, for basically free money.
So Vince would keep them where they are, since he’s getting paid. But I’m sure he’ll work out a way to get rights to rebroadcast them on the network a day or two later…
7) What type of network are they going for, basic cable (like the History Channel or Comedy Central) or premium (pay channels like HBO or Cinemax)? Some sort of weird hybrid? None of the above?
WWE seem to be aiming for a package deal. The survey they had about the network a while back focused on a theoretical offer of $7-$12 bucks a month for WWE Network in a “package with additional channels, including the NFL Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB Network, Fuel TV, and Fox Business Network.” So it would become part of a “Sports Plus” package. You wouldn’t buy the network by itself (Aside: I really hate the family/teir structure of cable TV. I have the Super Mega Deluxe Everything level for my TV, since there’s a dozen or so channels the household wants that are all over the shop. There’s plenty of channels that we never use. But we can’t pick and choose, no, we have to take the whole lot… It’s bloody stupid. But it’s profitable for the providers, so yeah. But put me down as pro-a la carte, since I know you’re all very interested in my views on the subject). Instead, you’d by the WWE Network package, or you’d buy the sports or entertainment or maybe even family package that your provider, er, provides, that they put WWE into. Oh, and you’d get access to the internet stuff as well, they’ll be combining the tradtional network with on demand stuff via the website.
8) The PPV market has been a major source of income for the WWE for decades now. With the WWE network, PPVs seem a lot less important, because the network itself will be the thing making the big money instead (probably?). Will Vince keep monthly PPVs around, or will they slowly die off, leaving the Big Four left standing? If PPVs are no longer a major source of income, how will that change the way the shows are produced?
Have you seen the buyrates? WWE PPV is going downhill anyway. That said, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the PPVs, as WWE seems to be changing their minds. At first, they seemed to be preparing to moving the big 4 (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam and Survivor Series if you’re reading me for the first time, in which case welcome!) onto the network, now they seem to have changed their minds, and now the other PPVs will be the ones that move over and the big 4 will remain on PPV, which does make more sense.
Regardless, big monthly shows will remain, and overseas at least they’ll stay as PPVs, until such time as the network moves overseas. But what, exactly, will happen, we don’t know yet, because I don’t think WWE knows.
But if I had to give my opinion, and I do, I suspect that the big 4 might well revert to the big 5, and they’ll bring back King of the Ring, and keep them on PPV, with a one week delay onto the network. The rest will be on the network and then replays will be offered on PPV. But that’s just what I suspect. I may well be wrong.
9) Last one. What do you think will be the WWE Network’s inaugural show? I bet everyone’s first guess would be Raw, but my guess would be some new original show that would benefit more from the initial excitement, or maybe a “free” PPV to kick-start the new era. What say you?
Thanks again for your time and effort. It’s much appreciated.
It’ll be WWE’s new show, “Twitter-crazy” where they spend 2 hours every day plugging Twitter.
Honestly, I expect a special event, but not a PPV. You remember Wrestlemania All Day Long?
I expect that, to be honest. They’ll launch the network at 8am, say, and for 12 hours run a huge Wrestlemania Hype show, with segments on what you can expect from the network, look backs at past WMs, interviews, competitions, and the like. Then at WM time I expect them to show WM, regardless of if they intend to do that all the time or not. It’ll be a one off, ‘Welcome to WWE Network!’ deal.
William wishes to go back to WMIII, brother.
Hi Matthew!
Out of respect for your great work, I won’t waste your time. Let me get to the point:
Three questions regarding the match between Hulk Hogan and André The Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III. More specifically; the rumor that Hogan feared that André would “shoot” on him.
1) Has Hogan himself ever said he was concerned André might shoot on him, or did the rumor origin elsewhere?
Hogan says so on the True Story of Wrestlemania DVD, that he was scared going in. So yes, Hogan has said this. And that Andre was nearly 700 pounds. And that he was holding up the moon, while also having a fractured spine and no legs…
2) If Hogan started the rumor, do you think he was legit concerned about André shooting at the time, or is he just in his old age trying to add some intrigue/hype/aura of mystique to the most famous moment in his career?
I won’t doubt that at the time he may well have been nervous, but the idea that Andre would shoot on him? I really doubt that was ever on the cards, and he’s just building it up more. Like with Andre’s weight.
3) And regardless of the source of the story; if André had decided to shoot on Hogan, wouldn’t Hogan have owned him fairly easily? I know Hogan was never a legit fighter, but neither was André. André couldn’t even walk to the ring, Hogan was by far the most agile of the two, André had known injuries i.e. weak spots to attack. I’d consider Hogan the heavy-favorite in a shoot-fight, but what the hell do I know… Thoughts?
Thanks for your work!
Yes, Andre was weaken and in pain. But he was also very, VERY strong. And unlike today, where half the wrestlers have done some MMA work, Hogan was a body builder and rock guitarist. I doubt Hogan has any chops in actual shoot fighting. I wouldn’t want to get punched by him, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want to get punched by anyone. Including you, the person reading this. I don’t want you to punch me. It might well hurt.
But Andre was huge, and strong. Much stronger than you might realise, pain or no. I’m sure that if Andre wanted to fuck Hogan up, he could fuck Hogan up. Hell, all he’d have to do is get Hogan to go down (as part of the match) and then stand or kick or drop his weight down on Hogan’s leg and BAM, Hogan’s screwed. In the unlikely event that Andre had decided to shoot, Hogan would not be in a good place. He might get out, sure, but I’d bet on Andre.
And on that note, I will bid you Happy Holidays and Happy New Arbitrary Time Division, and I will see you next week, bright and chipper and with a proper column and everything.
Maybe. After all, Skyrim…
