rajah.com Mailbag
-By Kayfabe and Rajah

Alright, I have re-opened the Mailbag section with the help of two individuals, Kayfabe and Grandpa. Hopefully, it will work out better this time, as the above individuals will handle the great BULK of the emails.

Here are the steps to take if you like your question answered in the Mailbag section:

1. Please check to see that your question(s) have not been answered on any other sections of the page. Take great note of the FAQ Part I and FAQ Part II as well as the mailbag archives at the bottom of the page. .
2. Send a legibly written question or comment to mailbag@rajah.com. Please limit yourself to only one question per person per email. This allows us to update the mailbag more frequently.
3. ALL email sent there may potentially be included in the Mailbag. If you do not want your response posted, do NOT send it there!
4. If a name is included, I will post it along with the email. If you do not want your name published, do NOT write it!
5. Remember, it is impossible that every email I receive get posted on this page. Only the best and most popular questions/comments will likely make it on.
6. Also remember, that questions will be answered by either Kayfabe or Rajah, so any personal remarks should be addressed accordingly. The following color scheme will be used:

Rajah - GREEN
Kayfabe - YELLOW


From: Josh
Dear Kayfabe
Normally you are 100% on the ball with your mailbag answers but recently you made two mistakes
1. Mailbag #19 Brian asked if The Mounties theme music was a remix of "In the Navy" you said "I assume you're referring to the Quebecers who were 'Not the Mounties' " But I think Brian wanted to know what the Mountie had as his theme music. Anyway the answer is yes it was a remix of "In the Navy"
2. Mailbag #20 Mathew asked what Head- Cheese was. I think he meant the thing that Al Snow& Blackman are named after. I dont know what that is cause I live in the UK. So what is it?

Sorry about this, I dont want to criticise cause you guys do a great job but I just wanted help out. Anyway keep up the hard work


1) Exactly. He wrote: "Mounties". Plural. I took this to mean the Mounties, which I assumed he was mistakenly calling the Quebecers. If he was talking about The Mountie, as in Jacques Rougeau, and not the tag team (Jacques and Pierre), then I digress.

2) Yes, and I took it to mean why are they called this. The name Headcheese has kind of a double meaning. Not only is it obviously reffering to Headcheese (more on this later, I believe), but it also works because Al Snow's mannequin is named Head, and Al introduced Blackman to the Cheese Hat to complete the name.


From: Ryan Cunningham
Rajah and Kayfabe~

Someone inquired about the reason that Rock usually ends up wrestling at the end of the first hour usually now. Now, I'm not a huge WCW fan, and I'm not sure on this fact, but I believe that WCW has went to two hours. Their main event hour is the WWF's first hour. Therefore, to detract some viewers from dubya see dubya, the WWF puts its top man in the bus there at the end of its first hour to go against there main event.


That is part of it, BUT, I don't think the WWF really cares all that much about WCW's ratings as it is now. They're concerned with their own product and WCW's has been so inferior for so long now that they aren't worried about losing any of their fan base.

Besides that though, the answer to the question was simple enough. The guy wasn't making a whole lot of sense. He asked why Rocky "hasn't been main eventing on TV lately", and I showed him the facts that say he, in fact, has been. As of when that question was answered, 11 out of the 16 TV's were main evented by the Rock. I'd say that's a good percentage, and proves that he actually has been main eventing on TV a lot recently.


From: MARKMOU345
Hey Raj and Kayfabe, great site you guys got going here. I just was wondering this, is it true that the Road Dogg of WWF and Buzz Kill of WCW are brothers? I was wondering this because of the similarities in their theme songs and commentary, ex. "You see its me its me its that b-u-double-z"


Yes, they're from the famous Armstrong Family. Buzzkill is sort of a not so subtle extension of the Road Dogg character. Brad Armstrong (Buzzkill) asked Brian (Road Dogg) if he would mind if he were to use a similar gimmick, and apparently the D-O- double G had no objections.


From: utaholic
Alright mailbag people, i just have one question and its about my god the undertaker. What are your views on what he has done for wrestling and with all he has done, do you think his name should be put in with names such as Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan as one of the greatest in wwf history?


Yes. Guys like Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Bob Backlund, Shawn Michaels, etc. are recognized as all time greats because of their wrestling talent and expertise. Then, there are characters that go down as legends. Hulk Hogan was a character. The Ultimate Warrior was a character. And The Undertaker is a character. Taker is probably the best gimmick ever created. He's been a mainstay in the WWF for a decade, and has survived based on his gimmick alone. He's the type of guy that doesn't need a Title to center a feud around. He's had many legendary rivalries, and as one of the most agile big men ever, has put on countless great matches over the years, whether they be in the ring or in more of a No Holds Barred environment. He's been held back only by lack of Title shots; the character was never really about the Title to begin with. The gimmick hasnot only had success on his own, but has effected others as well. From The Undertaker character evolved a plethora of previously unheard of gimmick ma tches. The Casket Match, Rest In Peace Match, Hell In A Cell Match, Buried Alive Match, etc. Taker has also provided for some of the strangest, coolest, most eerie and controversial moments in WWF history. Who could forget when he ascended into the sky at the 1994 Royal Rumble after his Casket Match, or when he came face to face with Ted DiBiase's Undertaker. What about when the 8 foot monster, Giant Gonzalez, attacked him? Or when he began to sacrifice wrestlers live on TV to from his Ministry of Darkness?

The man has done a ton for the WWF, and I think his name belongs right near the top when talking about the greatest names in WWF history. When I think greatest names ever in WWF history, I think Sammartino, Morales, Backlund, Hogan, Savage, Warrior, Bret, Shawn, Austin, and definitely, The Undertaker.


From: Ryan
I was watching Wrestlemania 13 and it seems to me that the Sultan and Rikishi Phatu are the same person. Is this true?


Yes, it is.


From: Paul XL
Hi Kayfabe, I heard from a girl at school that Too Cool are homosexuals in real life. I asked her where she heard that and she told me that she read it in RAW magazine. Is it true?


No, no, no. Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor are not gay. A year ago, they did have a gay gimmick, where they were supposedly homosexuals, but that was eventually killed in favor of their current Too Cool gimmick. Thank God. I would guess that your friend was referring to an old issue of RAW Magazine, in which their old gimmick was being hyped.


From: T-6
Just wondering what PPV was the hell in a cell with HBK vs Undertaker. I saw previews of it before the no way out hell in cell. It looked brutal. Thanks

"I wish i was never artificially created in a lab"


Badd Blood in October, 1997.


From: TommyGl384
If there is a show on a saturday night at 7:30, and it isn't posted as a RAW or SmackDown, what is it? is it just a house show?


Depends on if it's televised or not. If not, it's a house show. If it's on TV, it's likely your area's version of Jakked/Metal, a weekly WWF show taped before RAW each week.


From: j
hey raj. great site and i love the reading the wrestling columns. anyways to the question or comment! i have read on the internet that when SCSA comes back that he will be a heel! i hope they play it out like this. in the middle of the ring HHH and the Rock are standing there fixing to go at it and then the glass breaks and all Hell breaks loose! SCSA comes to the ring looking at HHH then he gives him a stunner and then after that gets up at gives the Rock a stunner! this giving him the old gimmick of "Don't Trust Anybody!" what do you think about this scenario? thanks and keep up the good work


I like the Austin turns heel theory. The Rock and Austin have both said that they want to go at it one last time with each other, and I think this scenario would be great. It would offer a twist, as this time, the new star, The Rock, could act as the babyface, and Austin would be heel. Maybe Austin/McMahon could even be revisited just a little bit, if Vince aligns with The Rock, seeing as how Rocky is his top moneymaker.


From: licidtibu
Have you noticed that Grandmaster Sexay or Brian Christopher looks a helluva lot like Jerry "The King" Lawler? They sound the same too...i'm wondering if he is his kid?


Yep, they are indeed father and son.


From: Captain Jackass
While browsing through the last edition of the mailbag, I noticed some Aussie bloke asking what Head Cheese is... it's a little long, but I hope this clears things up...

"To make headcheese, remove the eyes from the pig's head and set it in a large pot to slowly boil down for four or five hours in hot water and a generous dollop of white vinegar. If you like, add a handful of herbs to taste (bay leaf, thyme and cracked pepper works well), some onions, carrots and garlic. Add all four cleaned hocks as well, and make sure you have neatly de-hooved them first. You can add any meat scraps that you do not want for terrine or pate or sausage also, especially if they are gristly bits that will benefit from long stewing. You can add those trotters to the headcheese, or you can do something else with them once they have been boiled into softness. You can pickle them in a mixture of vinegar and brine, or bone them and stuff them and roll them in crispy breadcrumbs. The ears, boiled into tenderness on the outside and crunchy cartilaginousness within, are also worth removing and serving up separately. Splitting the head in half is optional but helpful; if you do, remove the brains and reserve for another use. By the time you're done butchering at the end of the day, about 5 hours later, you'll be ready to collect up all the tasty bits that have fallen off the bone and press them into a nice brick of headcheese. Continue reducing the liquid in the pot to a well flavored jelly, adding wine, salt, lemon juice, herbs and vinegar to your taste. Chop the meat coarsely into rough dice - sorry, no shortcuts here, as the food processor or grinder will turn your headcheese to mush. Layer the meat as interestingly as you like. I sometimes use a whole tongue in the middle, and some pistachio nuts for crunch. Cover with the reduced liquid and allow to set in the cold room or refrigerator overnight If you've reduced the liquid enough to just cover the meat, it will set into an attractive jelly. Slice and serve cold. "


Yum.


From: stephanie
i was just curious. on wcw monday i thought i saw a guy that is in the harlem heat that looked just like ahmed johnson. was that really him. i thought he finally gave up because he was to accident prone.


Yep, Ahmed is back in WCW as "Big T".


From: Tony
Hey guys... Rajah, I just wanted to say, THANK GOD YOU DIDN'T SHUT DOWN YOUR SITE !!

I don't know where else i would've gone had you shut it down. Anyways, on to my.... let's call it a storyline suggestion for the WWF, and me asking you for your opinion on this.

Y2J is awesome, and I keep reading about a huge push for the guy. Much deserved, as he is my favorite wrestler since HBK is out of action. How about this for a twist in storylines. Main event at a near future PPV... Y2J vs. HHH. Of course, they start feuding for a while prior. But think of the possibilities. Y2J and Chyna, and Jericho challenges Hunter for the belt. During their big WWF championship match... Chyna, like she has done to so many of her buddys in the past, nails Jericho, say, via low blow, with the belt, chairshot, etc. and then kicks the crap out of Stephanie McMahon, which she so obviously deserves. HHH and Chyna reunite, AGAIN, and go on their unstoppable rampage again. Leaving Jericho pissed, looking for revenge, and on a psychotic revenge tour. In the meantime, HHH and Chyna, pick up ol commish HBK and run the place as the True DX only can. (The HBK deal is wishful thinkin i guess) What do you think Rajah... sounds interesting to me, and the WWF could have so many storylines branch out from this. Any comments or suggestions you'd like to offer ? Thanks man, and thank you for giving me a site to look forward to looking at every day.


Again, I like this. The time will come (this spring) when the belt will be off HHH, and the Rock will likely carry the strap. All signs point to an eventual Rock/Austin feud when Steve recovers, and Mick foley has retired. So where does this leave Triple H? One word: Jericho. This whole Chyna business HAS to be for something, and I think a feud with former Champ, HHH would do wonders for Jericho's career. There's definitely a lot to this storyline.


From: Alvin "NycoJeL" Go
Yo raj! Now that Kurt Angle is a IC and Euro champ packaged into one, don't you think WWF is rushing him too fast? I mean, I can count with my fingers how long he've been in the business, and with a snap of my fingers, i can't see him anymore(he's on top). His immature ego might bloat with what the WWF are doing.


Maybe they are, maybe they're not, but I know I don't mind because he's already become my favorite WWF wrestler. He entertains me more than anyone, so I want to see as much of him as possible. If this means putting the gold around his waist, then I don't care. Regardless, though, don't say he has an immature ego. Don't get the obnoxious character confused with the man behind it. Lots of people with the WWF have said the real Kurt is one of the nicest guys they've ever met and has not let any of his success go to his head.


From: Dayene
I have been in a coma for along while,and I love the Undertaker. But everyone I have talk two can not tell me what happen to him, or where Mark is? I hope you can tell where is THE UNDERTAKER (Mark Callaway). Thank you.


I thought everyone had heard by now, but I still get e-mailed about this a ton, so apparently it isn't common knowledge. The Undertaker took time off last fall to have knee surgery and rest his injured hip, and was ready to return around New Year's. Unfortunately, during his rehab, he tore his peck muscle and will now be out longer tending to that injury. He is rumored to return to the ring around June, but could be back on TV before then.


From: King John
What was the deal with the EMT pulling a hand from Mae Young? Brisco was pukeing and Patterson was clapping. What the hell was going on?


Like every story, this one had a moral: Keep track of your toys.


From: Rebecca
great site guys. i have a few questions about edge. what is his real name? any idea how old he is? i heard edge dated tori, is that true? thanks


The low down on Edge: His real name is Adam Copeland, he's in his mid-20's, and he's not dating Tori; he's actually engaged to Val Venis' real life sister, Elena.


From: Matthew
There is always talk and speculation of the WWF signing all these people from ECW, WCW etc etc. But do they really need these people?? I think the WWF put themselves into danger from signing all these people. The best example is the recent arrival of "The Radicals" how does the WWF plan to keep these people happy? they'll obviously be on a very good wage but if their not getting into the big story lines and angles they are not going to be very happy. It's like spending five million on a football player then playing him on the sidelines. They are constantly bringing new wrestlers in but not using them to their full ptotential. An Example could be Jericho lately he's been given a push but it's only for the IC title and he's got the ability to be World Champ and now with the Arrival of these new "stars" he undoubtedly by out of the picture.


I don't know if I agree on Jericho. THe man has already been given a lot. He'll work his way up in time; he's just not being rushed. I do know what you're saying about the WWF roster though. It's loaded and the WWF had better be careful how they steer things from here on out. But I don't worry; I have all the confidence in the world in Vinnie Mac and Co.


From: Shane
I don't know about you guys,but I'm sick and tired of Chyna getting a push.WTF?She does the ddt like crap,and she probably will turn on Y2J and cost him a title match!The only reason she is so popular is because of her low blows.Great Site


I've said in the past that I don't like Chyna very much. I just don't see what the big fuss is about. Yes, she's strong, yes, she's a decent wrestler. But what makes her a star is the novelty of her character. A woman that can fly with the men. It's just not that interesting to me.


From: CACTUS GEOFF
Hey rajah.... did u ever notice how the best wrestlers are canadian ? like Bret hart, Owen hart, chris Benoit, christian and to a lesser extent edge and test?

CANADA RULES!

al snow is sooooo underrated! remember him in ECW (the best federation)? he was so over. they should have gave him the world title. the rock is overrated....

FOLEY IS GOD!!

thanx....... CACTUS GEOFF


Almost makes me wish I was Canadian.


From: GRYPHON
To Kayfabe,

- I have to take exception to the comments concerning Chyna in the latest mailbag and your response. Whether her music sucks or not is a matter of personal taste (it has grown on me the more I hear it), but I will try to address the more substantial points.

- On the question of whether Chyna is over or not, well the WWF certainly think so. If they didn't believe that Chyna is popular, then why would they make her the third most publicised wrestler in the WWF?

- After the Rock and (maybe) Austin, she is the person used more to publicise the WWF than any other. Whether it is personal appearances, billboard posters, magazine covers, interviews, television roles, or anything else she is there ahead of HHH, Foley, Jericho and even McMahon himself.

- Chyna appeals to a large audience that would not normally consider watching wrestling, and who tend not to go to a live event. The feud with Jericho damaged Chyna's support, and she certainly hasn't 'held him back'. I'm sure we all remember the great feuds he had with, um, did he have any feuds that actually ran their course? A large part of Jericho's fanbase are the young, teenaged or immature males, the same fans that the WWF had been trying to convert to her side and the feud had the effect of undermining their efforts. She is still over with the wider audience that allows the WWF to get viewing figures of 6 and 7 million households.

- She gets a bigger pop any time she actually hits someone or wrestles than 75% of the mid-card talent get for their high spots. She is one of the few wrestlers that actually have the crowd chanting her name even without playing to them, they were chanting during the recent Angle match and there were competing 'Chyna' and 'Go, Jericho, Go' chants during their matches. Even before her surgery, she was over. During the X-Pac/ D'Lo feud of '98 it was Chyna's name that was being chanted by the crowds, not X-Pac's. Her support is also affected by location, as the more chauvinistic, 'redneck' fans that dominate in the audiences of some states are never going to accept her simply because she's a woman.

- The WWF didn't turn Jericho face because of Chyna's failure but because of Jericho's. Her feud with Jericho started as the WWF's last ditch effort to establish Jericho as a HEEL, something that he has completely failed to do thus far in his WWF career. Much as I and everyone else liked him as a heel, we're supposed to hate him. After all, Chyna got Heatless Henry over (for a while) and the life-long mid-carder known as Jeff Jarrett to the point where anybody could possibly consider putting him in any kind of Main Event match. To be fair, the fact that none of Jericho's angles actually went to a conclusion didn't help, but the only time that Jericho got genuine heel-heat while in the WWF was when he faced the Rock.

- A 'Cool-Heel', as Jericho was, usually damages any face they feud with and the WWF have clearly decided that Jericho will never draw heel-heat with his current persona and so they have turned him face simply with a handshake from Chyna and a change in his opponents. His promos are pretty much identical however, it is simply that the targets have changed. (It looks like 'Elroy' and even 'Kirk Angel' are going to stick)

- And as far as her wrestling capabilities are concerned, I will concede that she occasionally seems hesitant or awkward, and that she lacks the experience to completely improvise a match, but very few matches are completely improvised. I don't know how much of a match is usually scripted in advance, but Billy Gunn's match with Mankind on the Owen Hart memorial RAW was almost identical, move for move, as their match on the British PPV a couple of months earlier (except RAW had an earlier finish with Gunn being counted out on the ring apron).

- Chyna's matches with Jericho were probably the best matches of Jericho's stint in the WWF so far. His matches with X-Pac seemed extremely awkward compared with the Jericho/Syxx feud, and his match with Angle was pretty good, but it was half as long as either of the Chyna matches and they screwed up about twice as many moves. Her first match with Jeff Jarrett, apart from the ending, was better than either of his previous PPV matches with Edge and D'Lo respectively. And add to that the fact that even those hostile to Chyna had to concede that her matches at Unforgiven, Survivor Series and Armageddon were amongst the best two or three matches of their night.

- I shan't list every move she has used in her couple of dozen matches in the last year or so, but she has done a greater range than most wrestlers could include in the same number of contests especially considering her character is supposed to be a brawler. Furthermore, her bouts usually include about one move in each that is unique to that match (tiger bomb, running powerslam, sleeping neckbreaker etc).

- I realise this is rather long and that there is no question, but since the original message didn't have any real point beside commentary either and you chose to publish it, the least you can do is read it all. :-)

- Oh yes, I love the site (apart from the Chyna bashing), Christian is cool and Hogan sucks etc, etc, etc.


Alright, let me try to reply to this piece by piece.

- Hey, I think the music sucks, but that isn't my sole reason for disliking the character. It's merely something I wanted to point out (I saw a sign that said 'Chyna's Music Absolutely Sucks' once and really identified with it). But as you said, let's get to the substantial points.

- Oh yeah, she's over. I'm not making any bones about that; I personally just don't like her much.

- See, that's what bugs me. When you see the WWF advertised, it's always The Rock, Triple H, and... Chyna. Wha?! Where's The Big Show or Undertaker, or Jericho? Chyna? It's the novelty of her character that bugs me. It's as if the only reason they give her the time of day is because she does what she does as a woman. She's an average wrestler, bad mic skills, not much charisma at all, annoying voice, etc. If it were a guy to you think he'd get anywhere? Hell no, but Chyna's a woman, and that fact alone should put her at the top? I don't think so.

- Yep, they're buying it alright.

- But at the same time, is the only reason we should accept her is because she's a woman?

- OK, now you're not even talking about what I wrote, you're talking about what the fan wrote. All I even said last issue was, "I agree with everything you said about the Jericho/Chyna saga. I've never been a big fan of Chyna and I'm sick of seeing them together every single week. It's time to move on; She's holding Y2J back! You gave some great reasons to back up your argument but you forgot the most obvious one... Her music ABSOLUTELY SUCKS!" Now did I really say anything that offensive. I didn't put her down much, I didn't insult her. Hell, I've gone off on her much more in the past, but this was nothing. How can you misconstrue what I said as "Chyna Bashing"?! The reader bashed her more than I did. I don't really see the problem. Jericho got over as a face because people wanted to like him, not because of Chyna. But I'm not the one that said it was Chyna that turned him. Tell that to the guy that wrote in- not me. And Do NOT credit Jeff Jarrett's success to Chyna, of all people. That make s my stomach hurt.

- Heh, especially Elroy.

- I just don't think she carries herself well enough in the ring. And it's strange for other wrestlers to be wrestling with a woman. For one thing she's a lot lighter, and, well, quite frankly there's some things you don't do in there with a woman as opposed to when you're wrestling a man. It alters everyone's styles.

- I don't have anything to add. Guys like Chris Jericho and Jeff Jarrett are world class wrestlers and were long before anyone ever heard of Chyna. I hardly think it's fair to credit the success of their matches to Chyna alone. It takes two to put on a good match. Chyna actually held up her end of the bargain, but I still don't think she does anything to make her stand out as above average.

- What is all this business about moves? This has nothing to do with Chyna, but in general, there seems to be a misconception about 'moves'. I don't want to hear, "Austin sucks BECAUSE he does two moves" or "The Rock is good BECAUSE he does a Samoan Drop and DDT." Big deal, they do wrestling moves... they're wrestlers. Being a good wrestler means being able to carry on a good match, knowing your spots, and putting on an overall exciting product. You have to know what to do when and when to do what. It's all about timing and knowing where you are in the ring. A good match consists of much more than which moves guys use during certain spots.

- Thank you for the well-written insight. As I always said, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I still don't see how I bashed her that much.


Continue on to Part 4


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