Having missed last week’s mailbag, there’s no time to waste! Let’s get right to your questions, kids!
Joe C kicks us off with…”Which Muppet would be the best professional wrestler ?”
My head says Animal, but my heart says we are far overdue for a pair of hecklers in the mold of Statler and Waldorf. I also keep thinking we need Hornswoggle playing a Muppet character since a) he’s actually been in a Muppet movie and b) he’s such a huge fan. He’d be great, so one of you fine young eggs come up with a role for him in the comments below.
Rob N ponders…”Who are the worst referees in wrestling?”
The worst I ever, ever saw was Bronko Lubich. Dude could barely move and he was a detriment to every match in which I ever saw him involved. It’s been 40 years and I can’t ever remember anyone even in the ballpark of being that bad.
Adam C brings up old wounds with…”Worse coach – Josh McDaniels or Rich Kotite?”
I mean, Josh McDaniels left my Colts high and dry and we all thought that was a horrible thing. In hindsight, we dodged a bullet…even if we are just treading water year and year with no end in sight. Thankfully, I’ve always ignored Blade’s scoldings and cheer for the Bengals too.
Arya W gets to cracking in the vein of…”If Undertaker came out of the egg and Gobbledy Gooker was Ted DiBiases mystery partner, does it change wrestling forever or does Undertaker somehow still become a giant star?”
Even as awesome as Taker was, I don’t think even he could salvage coming out of an egg. Also, I don’t for a second buy he was ever going to be in the egg, that’s just carnie baloney being fed to us in a carnie fashion by carnies. PS – carnies.
Craig B asks…”Other than Flair, who lived their gimmick the most over the last 30 years and why is it the Sandman?”
Having actually worked a show with him, it was hands down New Jack. That dude may have been even scarier in person than he was on screen. I was set to be a manager against him and I ran as far from that ring as I possibly could. Rosie didn’t raise no dummy!
Jarvis G wants to know…”Am I the only wanted who wanted to see a Hart-Savage title match/feud in 1992-1993?”
I was right there with you. Savage wasn’t what he was in 1986, but as the Savage-Flair feud showed us he still had plenty in the tank. I would have taken Savage-Bret or Savage-Shawn in a heartbeat. When you think we could have had something like that but got an extended Bret-PAPA SHANGO run instead is baffling. No wonder business began tanking then.
Geoff G finds an empty mailbox with…”Thoughts on Dave Meltzer finally ending the print edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter? Were you ever a subscriber?”
I was an intermittent subscriber to the Observer in the early to mid 90’s, but I far preferred Figure Four Weekly. Bryan was/is a fantastic writer obviously, and our humor and views aligned perfectly. It was a thrill to say the least to be able to work on the books with him, but even better to just be friends with him. These days we never really talk wrestling, just brag about our kids to each other. One of the best things wrestling has ever given me is my friendship with him.
Speaking of good things in wrestling, Ed Z wraps us up with…”After being so entrenched in the wrestling world on the business side Even if it is just a website, for the last 25 plus years how aren’t you an embittered nihilist at this point?”
Probably because I’m not a fool – I consider every day a blessing. Anyone who doesn’t I think should really take a step back and think about all those awesome people who are no longer with us. The best part of wrestling to me is all the folks I was completely blessed to know while they were here – friends like Blade, Quake, Merle, Bobby. I’m guessing you all are in the same boat, even if it’s folks who had nothing to do with this silly business. Step back, be thankful. Enjoy life.
And on that note, I take leave of y’all. Say something nice to someone you don’t know today and keep sending in those questions rightchere.