The Official Web Site of Pro Wrestling’s “Louisville Slugger"
Posted June 23, 2009
Q.---Is booking a form of art, or science?
Asked by Iain in Scotland
A.---Definitely art. In science there are set formulas or answers to equations that work every time, there are constants that are regulated by natural law. Art is subjective, subject to interpretation, personal taste and the context and venue in which it is viewed or presented. One of the hardest things to learn in wrestling, and unfortunately this knowledge is not widespread today, what works in one era or in front of one audience or region or with one particular talent doesn't always work in another with another.
Q.---Once Vince is out of power, do you see WWE slowly changing back into the greatness that pro wrestling once was? Asked by Ryan in New Jersey
A.---Are you on drugs?? Today, Stephanie, the son-in-law and the comedy writers have a lot of power, but Vince is still around to steer the ship and in effect, will the company forward with some type of vision. Say what you want about his view of wrestling, and I've said most of it, but once he's gone there will be double knockouts all over Stamford with people either trying to grab power or running in circles, and with Stephanie figuring to be the one to run whatever's left, most vestiges of what we all knew as pro wrestling will be gone. Unless she misses a few because she just didn't know they were wrestling vestiges to begin with.
Q.---Does Dusty Rhodes have a truckdriving cousin named Ralph?
Asked by John in Chicago, Illinois.
A.---Well, John from Chicago, since you asked this question about a dozen different times, I'll put this crisis to rest once and for all--NO, you lunkhead, Dusty doesn't have a truck driver cousin named Ralph! You've fallen victim to the oldest scam in wrestling fandom--the superstar cousin. Some loudmouthed blowhard finds a way to tell everybody he comes in contact with about his famous wrestler cousin/uncle/fiance/next door neighbor. In the territory days, every city that ran regular matches had one fan with a famous "relative" in the wrestling business, but it seemed he/she was always buying a ticket to "visit" with this beloved family member from the fourth row and oblivious to the incongruity of this fact with their story. One huge, balding slopehead in Louisville used to rush up to the souvenir stand to interrupt everyone's conversation with "Did my cousin Jerry get here yet? Jerry Lawler? Well, he's riding with one of my OTHER cousins!" Then he'd rush off to start a conversation with some victim that would wish there was cyanide in their nachos. A repairman at my home, seeing a Mid-Atlantic wrestling poster, proudly informed me that the Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) was his best friend's father in Bowling Green, Ky. When I offhandedly mentioned it wasn't the same Superstar, he informed me "Yeah, my friend's dad was the FAMOUS one that went all over the world!" So, John, I guarantee you that the Ralph of whom you speak, (if that is indeed his real name), is a guy who has a lot of time on his hands in his truck to wish he was the cousin of someone famous, and he picked Dusty Rhodes. Which says something about America, I'm just not sure what.
Q.---Are there too many title belts in wrestling?
Asked by Rick in Springfield, Illinois.
A.---By leaps and bounds too many. Obviously, one of the reasons wrestling doesn't draw today as a ticket-selling event anywhere near what it did 20 years ago, and to a lesser extent one of the reasons UFC has overtaken wrestling on PPV is because of the influx of people into creative/management positions in wrestling who had neither an athletic background or experience inside the pro wrestling business itself. As such, they didn't understand the importance of the appearance of competition and the crowning of a champion aspects of pro wrestling. Because they were coming into a business they already "knew" was staged, the gimmicks and angles were more important parts of the business to them, and a shift began to treat things like belts more as props in the ongoing scripted personal issues.
Problem is, by taking away the logic of the original premise--that it is a sport where people try to win an athletic contest and ultimately the most important goal is to be World Champion--many of the tools of a booker to draw money are taken away. Throw in doing constant angles and a blurring of the lines of babyface and heel with cheapening the worth of the championships, and you have the three main reasons why pro wrestling today sells a fraction of the number of tickets to live events as it did in the 80's--people will watch this stuff for free, but they won't spend money on it. It's like watching a comedy show with all punchlines and no setup. It has no context.
In the territory days, the appearance of the World Champion meant a big jump in the gate, if not a sellout. He never wrestled for free on TV. The regional Heavyweight Champion in the better territories seldom wrestled on TV and the title match was always put on top in the arenas. World Titles changed hands every 2 or 3 years, major regionals a few times a year, and even in weekly territories 10 different champs in a year was unusual. Every fan in any territory knew the World Champ and his own area's champ. The title was every wrestler's goal, and winning matches would get him there. If another guy screwed him out of a victory, it became personal, because it cost him the title or a chance at it. Titles were put on the talent that the promoters believed were the best they had for selling tickets and having money main events. Only small, generally cheap territories overdid belts, like Nick Gulas' "Night of Champions" gimmick where every once in awhile, he would pull title belts out of a drawer and have "7 big title matches" on a card--but it would DRAW, even when you'd never heard of those championships before!
Now, there are so many titles talked of, promoted and worn by every wrestler in the world and they change hands so often that they mean little. It's a shame, because in less than 2 years of a concerted education effort and change in philosophy, you CAN reeducate fans to a World Title with the right talent wearing it.
Q.---What kind of music do you listen to?
Asked by Travis in Kansas City, Kansas.
A.---First and foremost Classic Rock, 70's music of any kind, Skynyrd, Allmans, Earth Wind & Fire, 60's top 40 (an expert thanks to Stan Lane), Pink Floyd, Elton John, Eagles, Hendrix, Santana, Rick James, 80's, one-hit wonders, disco, cool jazz, Sinatra & Dino, authentic bluegrass, some modern rock & roll (Saliva) & pop, almost anything except VERY little country music (Johnny Cash yes, most others no) and NO RAP!!!!!!!!
Q.---What current wrestler in any promotion you would like to manage?
Asked by Steven in Glasgow.
A.---Look no further than TNA's own Matt Morgan. Although my managing days are over, if I had to pick one person who has the potential to be a superstar, that I would love to get to do promos for, it would be him.
Q.---Does it make any sense to start an independent promotion?
Asked by August in Phoenix, Arizona.
A.---No.
Q.---Have you ever really played tennis?
Asked by Scott in Centerville, Ohio.
A.---Yes, several times, very badly, and not since I started in wrestling.
Q.---Do you think WWE "tarnished" Wrestlemania 25 by giving the title Miss Wrestlemania to a man pretending to be a woman?
Asked by William in Jacksonville, Florida.
A.---I need to give you John in Chicago's phone number. WHAT? As bad as I love to knock the WWE, the title Miss Wrestlemania is not up there in importance or respect with, say, the Pope or the President of Wendy's Hamburgers. As many other goofy things that have gone on at Wrestlemania through the years, if it isn't already tarnished I don't think this hurt it. And even though I think Marella is just taking up space with his comedy act that could be used to get a star over, he is still far and away a better worker than any of the girls there now (Ooops, forgot Beth Phoenix, and Mickie James, well, MOST of the girls there now)....come to think of it, it may HAVE tarnished the thing.
Q.---Equal time--do you like Whataburger? Standard order?
Asked by Victor in Corpus Christi, Florida.
A.---I got to be a Whataburger afficianado during my Texas days--"It's what a burger should be!" As a matter of fact, due to the economy, the 14 Whataburger locations in Florida just closed up, and to mourn their passing, TNA's Mike Tenay, Don West, producer Keith Mitchell and I made a last stop in Orlando recently. To celebrate, I went with the Triple Meat Triple Cheese Whataburger with mayo, pickle, onion, lettuce & tomato, along with a large Whatafry and a Sprite, with an appetizer of a Whatacatch fish sandwich with cheese and Tartar sauce only. Guess now we'll have to go to Texas to experience the Whataburger!
Q.---Is booking a form of art, or science?
Asked by Iain in Scotland
A.---Definitely art. In science there are set formulas or answers to equations that work every time, there are constants that are regulated by natural law. Art is subjective, subject to interpretation, personal taste and the context and venue in which it is viewed or presented. One of the hardest things to learn in wrestling, and unfortunately this knowledge is not widespread today, what works in one era or in front of one audience or region or with one particular talent doesn't always work in another with another.
Q.---Once Vince is out of power, do you see WWE slowly changing back into the greatness that pro wrestling once was? Asked by Ryan in New Jersey
A.---Are you on drugs?? Today, Stephanie, the son-in-law and the comedy writers have a lot of power, but Vince is still around to steer the ship and in effect, will the company forward with some type of vision. Say what you want about his view of wrestling, and I've said most of it, but once he's gone there will be double knockouts all over Stamford with people either trying to grab power or running in circles, and with Stephanie figuring to be the one to run whatever's left, most vestiges of what we all knew as pro wrestling will be gone. Unless she misses a few because she just didn't know they were wrestling vestiges to begin with.
Q.---Does Dusty Rhodes have a truckdriving cousin named Ralph?
Asked by John in Chicago, Illinois.
A.---Well, John from Chicago, since you asked this question about a dozen different times, I'll put this crisis to rest once and for all--NO, you lunkhead, Dusty doesn't have a truck driver cousin named Ralph! You've fallen victim to the oldest scam in wrestling fandom--the superstar cousin. Some loudmouthed blowhard finds a way to tell everybody he comes in contact with about his famous wrestler cousin/uncle/fiance/next door neighbor. In the territory days, every city that ran regular matches had one fan with a famous "relative" in the wrestling business, but it seemed he/she was always buying a ticket to "visit" with this beloved family member from the fourth row and oblivious to the incongruity of this fact with their story. One huge, balding slopehead in Louisville used to rush up to the souvenir stand to interrupt everyone's conversation with "Did my cousin Jerry get here yet? Jerry Lawler? Well, he's riding with one of my OTHER cousins!" Then he'd rush off to start a conversation with some victim that would wish there was cyanide in their nachos. A repairman at my home, seeing a Mid-Atlantic wrestling poster, proudly informed me that the Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) was his best friend's father in Bowling Green, Ky. When I offhandedly mentioned it wasn't the same Superstar, he informed me "Yeah, my friend's dad was the FAMOUS one that went all over the world!" So, John, I guarantee you that the Ralph of whom you speak, (if that is indeed his real name), is a guy who has a lot of time on his hands in his truck to wish he was the cousin of someone famous, and he picked Dusty Rhodes. Which says something about America, I'm just not sure what.
Q.---Are there too many title belts in wrestling?
Asked by Rick in Springfield, Illinois.
A.---By leaps and bounds too many. Obviously, one of the reasons wrestling doesn't draw today as a ticket-selling event anywhere near what it did 20 years ago, and to a lesser extent one of the reasons UFC has overtaken wrestling on PPV is because of the influx of people into creative/management positions in wrestling who had neither an athletic background or experience inside the pro wrestling business itself. As such, they didn't understand the importance of the appearance of competition and the crowning of a champion aspects of pro wrestling. Because they were coming into a business they already "knew" was staged, the gimmicks and angles were more important parts of the business to them, and a shift began to treat things like belts more as props in the ongoing scripted personal issues.
Problem is, by taking away the logic of the original premise--that it is a sport where people try to win an athletic contest and ultimately the most important goal is to be World Champion--many of the tools of a booker to draw money are taken away. Throw in doing constant angles and a blurring of the lines of babyface and heel with cheapening the worth of the championships, and you have the three main reasons why pro wrestling today sells a fraction of the number of tickets to live events as it did in the 80's--people will watch this stuff for free, but they won't spend money on it. It's like watching a comedy show with all punchlines and no setup. It has no context.
In the territory days, the appearance of the World Champion meant a big jump in the gate, if not a sellout. He never wrestled for free on TV. The regional Heavyweight Champion in the better territories seldom wrestled on TV and the title match was always put on top in the arenas. World Titles changed hands every 2 or 3 years, major regionals a few times a year, and even in weekly territories 10 different champs in a year was unusual. Every fan in any territory knew the World Champ and his own area's champ. The title was every wrestler's goal, and winning matches would get him there. If another guy screwed him out of a victory, it became personal, because it cost him the title or a chance at it. Titles were put on the talent that the promoters believed were the best they had for selling tickets and having money main events. Only small, generally cheap territories overdid belts, like Nick Gulas' "Night of Champions" gimmick where every once in awhile, he would pull title belts out of a drawer and have "7 big title matches" on a card--but it would DRAW, even when you'd never heard of those championships before!
Now, there are so many titles talked of, promoted and worn by every wrestler in the world and they change hands so often that they mean little. It's a shame, because in less than 2 years of a concerted education effort and change in philosophy, you CAN reeducate fans to a World Title with the right talent wearing it.
Q.---What kind of music do you listen to?
Asked by Travis in Kansas City, Kansas.
A.---First and foremost Classic Rock, 70's music of any kind, Skynyrd, Allmans, Earth Wind & Fire, 60's top 40 (an expert thanks to Stan Lane), Pink Floyd, Elton John, Eagles, Hendrix, Santana, Rick James, 80's, one-hit wonders, disco, cool jazz, Sinatra & Dino, authentic bluegrass, some modern rock & roll (Saliva) & pop, almost anything except VERY little country music (Johnny Cash yes, most others no) and NO RAP!!!!!!!!
Q.---What current wrestler in any promotion you would like to manage?
Asked by Steven in Glasgow.
A.---Look no further than TNA's own Matt Morgan. Although my managing days are over, if I had to pick one person who has the potential to be a superstar, that I would love to get to do promos for, it would be him.
Q.---Does it make any sense to start an independent promotion?
Asked by August in Phoenix, Arizona.
A.---No.
Q.---Have you ever really played tennis?
Asked by Scott in Centerville, Ohio.
A.---Yes, several times, very badly, and not since I started in wrestling.
Q.---Do you think WWE "tarnished" Wrestlemania 25 by giving the title Miss Wrestlemania to a man pretending to be a woman?
Asked by William in Jacksonville, Florida.
A.---I need to give you John in Chicago's phone number. WHAT? As bad as I love to knock the WWE, the title Miss Wrestlemania is not up there in importance or respect with, say, the Pope or the President of Wendy's Hamburgers. As many other goofy things that have gone on at Wrestlemania through the years, if it isn't already tarnished I don't think this hurt it. And even though I think Marella is just taking up space with his comedy act that could be used to get a star over, he is still far and away a better worker than any of the girls there now (Ooops, forgot Beth Phoenix, and Mickie James, well, MOST of the girls there now)....come to think of it, it may HAVE tarnished the thing.
Q.---Equal time--do you like Whataburger? Standard order?
Asked by Victor in Corpus Christi, Florida.
A.---I got to be a Whataburger afficianado during my Texas days--"It's what a burger should be!" As a matter of fact, due to the economy, the 14 Whataburger locations in Florida just closed up, and to mourn their passing, TNA's Mike Tenay, Don West, producer Keith Mitchell and I made a last stop in Orlando recently. To celebrate, I went with the Triple Meat Triple Cheese Whataburger with mayo, pickle, onion, lettuce & tomato, along with a large Whatafry and a Sprite, with an appetizer of a Whatacatch fish sandwich with cheese and Tartar sauce only. Guess now we'll have to go to Texas to experience the Whataburger!