Your pro wrestling questions answered
There are plenty of news tidbits this week, and several fans have emailed in questions about them, so let’s take care of the news and our weekly Q&A segment at the same time!
Timmy from Uniontown wants to know if Samoa Joe’s return to NXT means WWE may bring back other recently released performers.
I can see WWE bringing back a few performers, and there was word this week some of the top-tiered decision makers want to bring back Aleister Black.
Bruce from Waynesburg wants to know if AEW will have its own online platform like WWE has on Peacock.
It is something that will happen in the future, but the company doesn’t have enough catalogued material or shows to do it just yet.
Tomas Maglang from Lake Lane has several questions this week.
The first pertains to WWE returning to the road and the July 24 event at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and if there are announcers that he would be able to listen to with ear pods like at other sporting events.
For regular live events, there are no announcers other than the ring announcer, but the event will still be a unique experience for you and your kids, who will be going to their first WWE event!
Tomas also asked about the classic footage from WWE Network not being on Peacock.
When the deal between WWE and Peacock was announced, the hope was all footage from the Network would be transferred over by SummerSlam. If that holds, it will be about two more months until everything is ready to go.
My personal hope is that Peacock adjusts its platform as it is the most difficult to peruse out of all apps and platforms.
Lastly, Tomas asked if A&E will release another round of documentaries like it did over the last two months.
No word has been officially released, but I would think the two sides have had discussions.
The episodes were released later than planned although I don’t know why. The interviews for the documentaries were done in 2019 and maybe even some as far back as 2018.
Ironically, Ryan from Belle Vernon also has a question about the A&E documentaries. He wanted to know which was my favorite and which I liked the least.
A lot of what was shared on each documentary, I knew already.
For instance, the Steve Austin episode, almost everything on it has been covered ad nauseum.
The Roddy Piper episode was decent, as were the ones done on Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, The Ultimate Warrior and Mick Foley.
My favorite episode was the one on Booker T while my least favorite was the Randy Savage documentary. Savage had such a legendary career and for A&E to make most of the second hour about Gorgeous George, Lex Luger and Miss Elizabeth was wrong. It was a piece on Savage. And while Miss Elizabeth had to be included, the other two should have only been mentioned, at most.
Kelly from Smithton asked if AEW is making the right move by adding its second show, Rampage.
AEW is in a unique position as it has been given the green light on its one-hour show, Rampage, starting in August.
Is it too much to have a second show? Technically AEW will have four shows a week as it airs AEW Dark and AEW Elevation online.
I think if AEW spreads out the talent and doesn’t put every star on both TV shows each week, it will be all right as it will allow development of its mid card and lower card talents.
The online shows, not everyone watches those, and they can be seen as development shows as well.
Now, the reality show featuring the Rhodes family? That is a bit much.
Riley from Elizabeth wants to know if AEW will eventually have 12 Pay-Per-Views a year.
The guess here is yes, but with AEW getting four “Clash of the Champions” type of shows a year as part of its TV deal, I don’t think it will hit 12 PPVs a year until 2023 at the earliest.
AEW has to first get out on the road and build up more a following,
This Day in History, June 20
In 1992, WCW champion Sting defeated Cactus Jack in a non-title Falls Count Anywhere match. Mick Foley, wrestling as Jack, has stated this was his favorite WCW match.
Also on the card, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat defeated “Ravishing” Rick Rude in a 30-minute Iron Man match.
In 1997, The Dudley Boyz defeated ECW tag champion The Eliminators to win the titles.
In 2000, Rikishi defeated Intercontinental champion Chris Benoit to win the title.
Email questions/comments to powerhousehughes@gmail.com or tweet them to @BillHughes_III.