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
MTR - ORANGE

From: Craig
For the last couple of weeks my friends and i have been discusing the Utimate Warrior and how many there were, well how many were there and why?,also do youy think that there is any chance of him or tatanka returning to the WWF or the "NEW" WCW???

One Warrior. No chance.

From: alex
I Have 1 question only to ask you guys that has been bothering me and my friend for a long time now. My friend seems to think that Jake the Snake Roberts is 6'10 tall, while i say that he is 6' 6, who is right?

I think he was closer to 6'3 or 6'4 but I guess he could have been an inch or so taller. Jake was deceptively tall, but there's no way he was even close to the 6'8 or 6'10 range. I think you win this bet via the judge's decision.

I simply need to step into this question because when I was younger, I was OBSESSED with wrestlers' heights and weights. I had all their weights memorized cause they would announce it and I'd always make my own guesses for their heights. Cute, eh? Anyway, Jake was definitely taller than 6'3 or 6'4. The WWF billed him as being 6'5 and I would say he was either that or may 6'6. He was nearly the same height as Hulk Hogan when they were in the same Survivor Series team that one year. But yeah, definitely not 6'10. Big John Studd was 6'10 and in the Wrestlemania V match between Andre and Jake where Studd was the referee, Jake was shorter than Studd. See what I mean when I said I was obsessed?

From: Jodi
who was behind gtv? and what ever happened to it please put this on the site.

Vince Russo recently stated that as speculated, Goldust was originally supposed to be behind it. When he left the WWF, Russo proposed Tom Green to be behind the angle, but Vince McMahon didn't know who that was.

From: Oliver
Uhm in a recent ranking of surveys I read Dean Malenko came number 48 beating the Dudleys, The Harys and so many good wrestlers. Did I miss a performence of him in ECW or is this survey just plain wrong? I think Malenko is crap and I don't like him. I thought this is what everyone thought so why did he come number 48?

First off, those surveys don't have a ton of merit and don't have an effect on anything. Second, it depends on what they're ranking. With due respect to the Dudleys and the Hardyz and whoever else was below Malenko, the reason he was ranked above them is because he can wrestle circles around all of them. Chris Benoit is marketed as the best technical wrestler in the world today, and he should be, but Deano Machino isn't far behind him.

From: Die Hard Wrestling Fan
I made a bet with my boyfriend and I REALLY need to know what Vince's middle name is. So if you could please tell me, that would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

From: The British Baildog
hey, I wonder if you'll print this if i don't suck up. Right here is an old school question, at WM 4 The One Man Gang was like a top heal in the wwf and was in the semi final of the title torniment. However, one year later (well, some time before WM 5) he was Akeem the african dream. I can't remember the circumstances because i was 6 at the time. But why on earth was the mans gimmick changed? Secondly, why was a white guy playing a charracter called the african dream! Maybe he wasn't all that over, but then why was it him who was used to beat the hell out of Savage in the semi-final?

The WWF didn't think Gang was very over (and they were right) so they repackaged him in a controversial gimmick that I've heard was actually partially a knock at Dusty Rhodes' "American Dream" persona. The guys at Wrestlecrap speak about the actual transformation ceremony in which Gang became Akeem at length here.

From: Jeff
Reply Reply All Forward Delete Previous Next Close I have classified wrestling into 3 different eras dating back to 1985. There was obviously the Hogan era (1985-92), the Hitman/HBK era (93-97) and the Austin/Rock era (98-present). Which wrestlers over these time periods do you feel would have benefitted from competing during a different time period in wrestling history. Personally, I feel that Kane, Show and Albert would have been better suited for wrestling during Hogan's era. I think that Jake the Snake would have been ideal for the era that we are currently in. I see so much Jake in Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H. Ironically, Austin's win over Roberts in 1996 was actually the starting point of his popularity. Roddy Piper and Mr. Perfect would have been good fits as well. Chris Benoit and William Regal probably would've thrived in the mid-90's against Hart and HBK as would have Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage. I know it's a stupid question but it's one that gets you thinking of all the greats we've seen over the years.

Actually I think that's a pretty intriguing question. Like you said the bigger guys may have done better in the past, but Vince always goes for size, so the big guys will probably be given a chance to get over during any time period in the WWF. Regal certainly would have thrived in the late 80's because of his ability to work very solid longer mat based wrestling matches. Of course he had a successful run in the early 90's in WCW. I always thought Piper would have fit in well in the late 90's WWF. Certainly he's a central name of his own era, but if Piper had come along twenty years later I bet he would have done fine in the late 90's. He was the epitome of a guy taylor made for a Vince Russo push. He could work the stick well, had the crowd in the palm of his hands, and his style in the ring was more of a brawling one which really rose to the main event in the WWF in 1998 and 1999 after Bret Hart went to WCW and Shawn Michaels retired. One of my dream matches has always been a match between Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels in their prime, as well as Bret and Steamboat.

From: The v-man
Hey guys, I just want to say that I think the rock really ought to insist on them using his real name (Duane Johnson) for the Mummy returns and Scorpion King ads. If he doesn't he'll just end up with "Mark Hamill" syndrome ("You can't play a high-powered lawyer-you're the rock") At the very least they should use Duane"The Rock" Johnson. Thanks,

You raise a good point. I'm sure the producers of the Mummy were quite content in hyping "The Rock" instead of Duane Johnson, but then again who knows? Maybe the Rock likes it that way. He knows that The Rock sells tickets on name value and Duane Johnson doesn't. Mark Hamill was a regular actor but the Rock probably likes being known as the Rock. Mr. T never complained. And Hulk Hogan starred in several (less than enthralling) motion pictures as Hulk Hogan, not as Terry Bollea.

From: Alfie
Hey Rajah,Kayfabe, and Las Vegas, whats up?

As an avid site visitor and regualr wrestling fan i am kind of surprised this thing passed me by. Before Backlash Shane and Vince kept brinign up "Which wya did he go?" refering to sumthing about a past fued with Big Show. I have no idea what it means and i cant believe it passed me by! If you could tell me that would be great, thanks. GO LEAFS GO!

Last year when Shane and Show feuded, Shane often belittled The Big Show by charactarizing him as a big, dumb, goofy giant. The prevailing catchphrase that ended coming out of the whole thing was Shane imitating Show in a clumsy, unenlightened voice, asking, "Which way did he go? Which way did he go?" a la Elmer Fudd (or one of those slow witted Warner Borthers characters).

From: Kenny
Hey i have a question. If suppose Kane were to win the Intercontinental title, wouldn't he be a Grand Slam Champion? as he has won the WWF title. Tag-Team Title and Hardcore Title.

The WWF only considers the WWF, IC, Tag and European Titles as part of their so called Grand Slam Championship, so no, technically he wouldn't be.

From: Cool Philip P
Hello Rajah, Pete, and Aquaman,

I was reading some comments from fans who attended Backlash, and I came across something I could not believe. One guy, when talking about the Benoit/Angle match, said, and I quote:

"The technical stuff was great, but there was too much of it, I think if they would have gone hardcore, maybe used some more chairs, hit a head butt, this match would have been more entertaining to the crowd."

Now if I may speak to the person that said it, and anyone else who may agree with it:

EXCUSE ME!?! You have two of the greatest technical (repeat, technical) wrestlers today going at it for 30 minutes, and you want them to (I don't want to say 'lower' exactly, because it's not what I truly feel, but I can't think of another way to put it) lower themselves to some hardcore brawling? What the hell is going through your head? I would hate for you to watch a Flair/Steamboat match, because you, not being able to realize that this is what actual wrestling is, would sit there bored out of your skull waiting for a chairshot, only to find out there are none. And then you would wonder why people consider their matches to be classics.

And no, I did not actually see the match, but that is not an issue. I am simply asking that when you have two wrestlers whose repretoire is predominantly technical, why should they "go hardcore"? They're technical wrestlers, and so technical wrestling is what they do; it's their bag. Let Raven and Rhyno (who, I hear, had already delivered a sound hardcore match before this one, which raises the question of exactly how much hardcore wrestling do you actually except in a single show) take care of chairshots and the uses of foreign objects. That's what they're good at (though it is not their only skill, I might add).

Finally, even if the crowd was dead during the match, that doesn't mean the match was terrible or that the wrestlers should have done anything different. Many of Walt Disney's films flopped upon initial release, yet any number of them are considered classics today. Just goes to show that the public's original response to something is not the eternal response.

OK, I'm done ranting. Agree with me or not, I've said my piece.

***Note to mailbag: if you do print this, I ask that you please include my email address (philly_5@hotmail.com) as well, so any responses can come directly to me, rather than having 50 people write into the mailbag to give their two cents while clogging the next edition. Thank you.***

Not a lot to add there.

From: cheeseburglar
Hey Rajah, Vegas, and Kayfabe who now has my respect for answering my last question. Anyway i was just wondering if u think that 12 ppv's a year is too many, it sometimes feels like the wwf skips storylines just to go to ppv, thanx for your opinion. Later.

Ideally I think it would be perfect if there were only five or six a year, but now that we have twelve that will never happen. The bottom line is the almighty dollar and PPV's are major revenue sources. Perhaps WCW PPV's will be more sporadic when they finally get off the ground.

From: Philip
OK, this is a little late, I know, but I just realized something. Prior to Backlash, Regal said the Duchess of Queensbury was fond of submissions. Then at Backlash, she says submissions don't count. Even though it was a pretty lame angle, I'm disappointed that there was a plot hole in it like that.

Muy interesante.

From: Greg
This question is for Rajah, Kayfabe and Vegas. Do you think The Pedigree and The Impaler (now they call it "The Unprettier", what a stupid name!) are like the reverse of each other. After all the, application is the same (a double-underhook of the arms), and the end result is your opponent's face being driven into the ground. The reason I ask is, I gave both moves to a created wrestler in WWF No Mercy for the N64. My friend asked why, so I told him (they're the reverse of each other). He disagreed, and since then we've had a long-running (but friendly) debate. I hope you can end this and help me "Prove him wrong".

Wow, hard to say. I'm not sure that they're the reverse of each other, though they are similar. The difference lies with the fact that with Christian, his opponent is behind him and with Hunter the guy is in front of him. Since a reverse DDT, for example, is the same as a DDT only with the opponent's face facing the opposite direction, that tells me that the term reverse depends on the position of the opponent and not where he is in reference to the other person. I think the reverse of the Pedigree would probably be with the opponent facing up but still in front, but I could be wrong. Maybe I'm getting caught up in semantics, but I would say that a more appropriate term for their relationship would be that they are inverted and not reversed. Either way they're pretty similar.

From: fiel024
hello, I just recently stumbled onto this website and thought that you guys are doing a good job. But I just read something that I never heard. Is Edge married to Val Venis's sister?

Yes he is.

From: Mertzy
Hey guys. Now I just thought of this question but now that I think of it I really want to know the answer to it. Why on Earth does everyone on the internet... Including this one call the original Nation of Domination Black Americans who are Racist with Whites because i have a good memory and I remember that people Like Chainz and other WHITE Americans were in it. So how is it a bunch of African Americans being racist towards white Americans if there were White people in it? I am really wondering that. I mean I am not near racist but that really bugs me.
Thanks,
Mertzy

I'm not sure who you're referring to specifically but I don't think I've ever gone off at length about it being racist. I have used the term "race card" because it was a little bit racially oriented but I don't know about racist. Crush was part of the original Nation but then he and Savio Vega branched off to form separate stables. The Nation- all black men, Savio's Boricuas- all hispanics, and Crush's DOA- all white guys on motorcycles, then proceeded to feud for the better part of six months in what was dubbed the Gang Wars. The angle did involve race (that and a lot of really terrible matches). Then there was the angle when The Nation's locker room was trashed with racist comments and Shawn Michaels tried to put the blame on Bret Hart and the rest of the (all white) Hart Foundation.

From: Jon
Hi After attending 8 successive English WWF Events, I must say I am pretty upset with the way the WWF falsely hypes a meaningless house show in disguise PPV. Throughout all 8 of these shows, there has been one title change (Hardcore Title from Crash to Bulldog at Insurrextion 2000) and one piece of angle development (Rebellion 1999 with the Bulldog) At this past Insurrextion, the WWF had the audacity to increase ticket prices from 30 pounds to 50 pounds and still display a show that is no different from a regular house show. Meaningless matches, no angle development, botched spots in matches and no title threats. Further more the WWF did nothing to hype the PPV (I believe it was the raw before that they did a voice over hyping it) and when they do hype it, what is the point when the show is lame? It is upsetting and disappointing that they would claim to care for English fans when they basically mock us with a meaningless event. Where have the days of Summerslam 1992 disappeared to? How come the WWF continuously brush England aside in terms of its PPVs, even after the success of Summerslam 1992?

I respect the foreign WWF fans a lot because they get shafted in almost every way. It takes a lot more effort to be a dedicated WWF fan if you don't live in the U.S. or Canada. The TV schedules are inconsistent, and rarely, if ever, are there opportunities to see a live show or a live superstar. But on the other hand I can't blame the WWF. Business is so good here in America that they have no reason to visit other countries. Why go through the inconvenience of a world tour when you can make just as much, if not more, money in your own country?

Insurrextion was certainly nothing special and I don't blame you for being a little upset, but at least be thankful that the WWF goes to England twice a year. Fans in Australia, Germany, and any other overseas country would kill to have the chance to go to a WWF show just once. Believe me, I know.

Still, you might argue that if they are going to put on a card in England they might as well take it seriously and put on a top notch show. It's hard to argue with that, but it won't happen because over 95% of their fanbase is in North America and they're not going to advance key angles and storylines when only a small percentage of their fanbase is able to see it.

From: Thai
Is there going to be a Wrestlemania X7 DVD for sale? I've been holding out on getting the VHS copy hoping that WWF will release a DVD version.

I can't say that I'm 100% sure, but I'm pretty confident that there will be. There have been DVD's for Wrestlemania the past two years that sold well and they put out DVD's for less important shows, so I see no reason why they wouldn't do one for Wrestlemania this year.

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