As part of the build-up for this Sunday's Great American Bash at Nassau Coliseum, you can join Alfonso and I this Friday right here at newsday.com/wwe for a live chat starting at noon.
You can start posting questions here now, and can also send them in during the live chat on Friday. Besides the Bash, you can ask me anything you want about my time on the WWE creative team, and Alfonso will be answering your questions on his myriad wrestling assignments and interviews from over the years, and the history of LI wrestling.
To get you excited for Friday, here's a couple of quick hits for you -- two quick answers to some of your backstage questions from the past couple of days.
-- The main even of WrestleMania 18 in Toronto was supposed to be Triple H winning the title from Stone Cold Steve Austin. But coming off the Alliance storyline, Stone Cold insisted on being turned face again, effectively talking himself out of the main event of WrestleMania. It might have been a merchandise thing, I'm not sure, but the plan, as I understand it, would have seen Austin hold the title thru Mania (rather than lose it to Chris Jericho at Vengeance) and defend against HHH in a Battle of the Two-Man Power Trip. So instead, we get the HHH/Stephanie divorce storyline. Yuck.
-- Yes, there was a plan in place for Torrie Wilson to get a storyline sister after her father Al was killed off in 2003. I'm not sure why the plan fell through, but I was a huge advocate for the idea -- WWE has never had wrestling sisters. Imagine the marketing possibilities!
Comments (19)
If I were Austin, I'd actually rather win a match in the midcard than lose once again to HHH. HHH was never half the star Austin was, and yet whenever Austin and HHH would have a big match, HHH would go over. Austin would look really inferior to HHH if he lost to him again, this time in the Wrestlemania main event.
"WWE has never had wrestling sisters."
WWE currently does have a pair of twin sisters in developmental right now, Nicole and Brianna Garcia (Nicole and Brianna Bella professionally). Here's a photo of them.
http://sports.rightpundits.com/wp-content/photos/garcia_twins5_1.jpg
Yeah, if I were Austin, I'd probably have done the same thing. He was a sucky heel who did unheel-like things. No way he could have maintained that until Wrestlemania.
Can't really blame Austin. He probably knew that the fans weren't really all that keen on him being heel, and knew it would be difficult for him to maintain any sort of massive heat for another 6 months. Plus, it may not have made HHH look good, and would ruin the aura of the big babyface making his return if Austin was getting cheered a lot too. Plus, it allowed Jericho the chance to shine.
Will you be posting a transcript of the live blog up? Just incase I can't make it, would be interesting to see what answers you two give to the questions asked.
I guess it was Austin's fault that the main focus of HHH vs Jericho was Jericho running over HHH's dog...not creative's fault for not coming up with an intriguing story . Damn you Austin...that could have been you running over HHH's dog. Impressive and very creative!
"I guess it was Austin's fault that the main focus of HHH vs Jericho was Jericho running over HHH's dog"
The main focus? It happened six days before WrestleMania then wasn't really talked about on Smackdown that week. What did set up HHH-Jericho?
HHH made a big comeback from a career-threatening injuy, winning the Royal Rumble to get a title shot, and the champion was the guy who took credit for his injury, Chris Jericho.
Jericho and Stephanie showed footage of the match where HHH was injured, specifically the part where Jericho put the Walls of Jericho on HHH after HHH had already tore his quad. Jericho then said he did that because he knew that HHH was hurt, and he wanted to put HHH away for good.
Jericho, in the week leading up to Mania, attacked HHH on RAW with the sledgehammer, and HHH was stretchered from the arena. Then, Smackdown three days before Mania had Jericho putting HHH in the Walls of Jericho on the announce table (just like he did 10 months earlier) with Stephanie taunting HHH with Jericho's title belt while HHH was in the hold.
Oddly, all of this really did happen, yet it gets ignored. People act like Jericho wasn't even there for the build-up when he not only was there, but he beat the living crap out of HHH.
im glad jericho got a push, they never push him these days, he should get another world title reign.
im glad jericho got a push, they never push him these days, he should get another world title reign.
im glad jericho got a push, they don't use him right these days. i think they should give him more title reigns, i mean he is a top guy today and he been around for a while.
Exactly why are we listening to these to guys? First were way past wrestlmania 18 were in the 20's, Second Steve Austin doesn't even wrestle anymore and the posting are dated as of July 17th of 2008 so the story these guys are passing around isn't even close too what is happening in wrestling today? Their idiots.....
...because, believe it or not, reading about what went on behind the scenes of major wrestling storylines we all remember is interesting.
If it's that boring to you, don't read it.
Furthermore, why bother to take the time to post about it too?
Do they let you out on the weekends?
Total Pkg - did you check your username recently?
Lex Luger hasn't been even vaguely relevant since 2000.
Good review C1 - I often hear the 'Jericho was made secondary to a dog in the build up' line too, and it annoys the hell out of me.
Although didn't Vince reportedly say that Jericho was dissapointing as champion? Why was that Seth? He seemed to be getting great heat from what I remember - at least at the start of his run. Did it not translate into ratings?
Hi Seth,
Huge fan of the column. I have to say that for 2002 was one of my favourite years in wrestling!
Just a few questions regarding some storyline decisions.
1. Before Wrestlemania 19, Angle got injured which threatened the main event. Now I got the impression that if Angle was definitely out then he would have been replaced by Benoit. Were there any other backup plans?
2. When Undertaker returned in 2000, with his American Badass gimmick, who made that decision? Was it something Taker wanted to do or creative.The same question but regarding his return to the Dead Man gimmick in 2004.
3. In 2002 I remember a storyline where Hurricance found notes and clues to a stalker like character. Now that became Nidia who introduced the underrated Jamie Noble, but I remember reading that it was actually supposed to be Rey Mysterio. Was there any particular reason for this, other than Rey would suck as a heel?
4. According to IMDB's entry on John Cena he 'Was booked to be the 2003 King of the Ring before WWE decided to cancel the tournament for that year.' Now is that true or not? And why didn't it go through in the end?
5. What was the reason why Booker T didn't win the title at Wrestlemania 19? He really seemed to click with the fans and it seemed the way to go (and what have been more entertaining than HHH on a bad year vs Nash and Goldberg).
6. Have been any cases when wrestlers are told to change their status as either a face or heel, and they strongly don't want to do. Or vice versa; where they want to change, but creative refuse.
7. Out of the new wrestlers that debuted in 2002-03, who do you think has done the best or worst in your opinion?
By the way will there be a transcript of this live chat?
hey
think its great you post on here and clue people in to your past adventures.
I want to submit a resume for a writer assistant position.
Do I just mail it to the Stamford address on the WWE website and address it to Writing staff? Or is there a specific person i should send it out to.
It says don't submit character ideas, what ideally would be good to submit? I have done work with dwarf wrestling and Jerry Springer and the WWE is a lifelong goal.
Any advice would be appreciated!!
Ace
myspace.com/PARTYMIDGETS
Seth,
I was wondering if during your time with WWE if there was ever a storyline suggestion or a potential plan in place where Randy 'Macho Man' Savage would be involved? Since the Randy/WWE topic seems to be a hot one in the internet wrestling community online right now, I was curious.
Kind regards,
Anthony Maurizio
why is everybody on hhh and stephanie. i am sure they get tired of hearing rumors about them. if they were to get a divorce,we'd know it soon enough.put wrestling back in wrestling,and not all the stories. thank you for letting mesay my peace.
Seth,
Would you be able to add any backstory to what is the issue between Vince and Macho Man?
anybody for a john cena heel turn? how bout a title reign for JBL and a main event push for Santino?
anyone else think the tag team of cody rhodes and the million dollar kid is priceless? ted dibiase jr is gonna be good. i think cody rhodes wrestling and mic work is way better in a heel role...the rebirth of the big red machine would be "phenomenal".... what the hell happened to carlito caribbean cool? did i miss something or is vince back to under-utilizing his wrestling ability?