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INTERVIEWING WWE AND TNA TALENT ON PWINSIDER.COM, JILLIAN HALL'S DIVAS TITLE WIN, FLAIR'S TITLE REIGNS AND MORE

I had a question about interviews as I download everything you guys post in the Elite section because they are my favorite type of interviews, sort of conversations with the talents as opposed to feeling like they are in the Law & Order interrogation room.  It seems like sometimes WWE and TNA will have talents doing interviews to promote events, yet they overlook PWInsider.com.  It happens always with WWE, as a I see online radio shows getting names like Cody Rhodes and Jim Ross, but never with you guys.  With TNA, I know Mike has had names on, but then I see people like Kevin Nash doing junkets as they are all over the place, but not with PWInsider.com.  Ditto ROH.  So, why does that happen and how do you set up the interviews?

First, thank you for the kind words.  That's exactly what I personally try to go for when I conduct interviews, although it doesn't always work out that way.  In regard to your questions about WWE and TNA, they are two different animals.  WWE has never given us access to talent and probably never will.  We are seen as an online competitor, while other sites may be getting interviews due to their connections with radio shows or newspaper columns in specific markets.  Obviously I'd love to interview WWE talents, but I suspect they'd be given be red flagged on a lot of topics, and to be honest, I've never contacted the company trying to arrange any.  If WWE wants to provide us talent, they can reach me by clicking my name above.

In the case of TNA, we've had good relationship with the company, although it does vary from time to time.  There have been times they aren't happy with things we report and I can respect why they wouldn't be from their point of view.   Still, they have been very good to us in providing access to talent and with assisting in our attendance at TNA-related media events - sometimes the talent is offered to us and other times, such as in the case of Abyss, I requested him and was given a date a few weeks later.  I know they have different people working when it comes to media relations, so it could be whoever was responsible for those junkets didn't think of the site or wanted to spread around who those talents spoke to.

On the recent WWE Raw Mickie James was defeated by Jillian Hall to become the new WWE Divas champion. I was disappointed to see Mickie James treated in this manner. To drop the title to a woman who hasn't been seen on TV for quite some time. How did she earn a chance at the Divas title? Did they drew her name out of a hat? I know James was traded to Smackdown but did she have to lose to Hall? Why not Beth Phoenix? It would have made more sense. I know WWE making sense? Impossible. Is it now going to be Melina vs. Beth Phoenix?

As I reported the morning after the match on my Elite Hotline, they made the call to give it to Hall for a moment as a nod to her for her service and because Vince McMahon has been a fan of her work.  They couldn't have Beth Phoenix win as she was heading to Smackdown as well.

Where is Curt Hawkins?  Could Zack Ryders' turning on Regal this week on ECW be setting up a reunion with his old partner?

Hawkins is down in Tampa, Florida working for WWE developmental FCW.  I haven't heard of any definitive plans to return him to the main roster as I write this.

Is it me or has the WWE been cutting back on the programming for WWE Classics?  I barely had anything added at all over the last two months.  Right now I think the lineup consists of parts 3-4 of the Kane DVD, two old "big ones," one television show each of ECW, WCCW, and WWE, and maybe five Shorties.  Compared to what they used to give it doesn't seem like you're getting much for your money.

You may want to check with your local cable provider as WWE updates their Classics on Demand offerings EVERY Wednesday.  Brian Pickering does a great job here on the site keeping track of the latest updates on that day.  If you aren't getting the updates he writes about, it's an issue with your cable system not downloading the content from WWE's servers and making it available to you.  Since you are paying for that service, you should look into what the issue is.  Also remember that some content is only available for 7 days before it's removed, so it's possible you are missing content before its taken down as well.

Do you see WWE recognizing Ric Flairs 2 reigns as WCW International World Heavyweight Champion just as someone is set to break the record to build suspense for when that person does do it?

No, Flair will always be known as the 16 time World champion, whether its factually correct or not.  WWE won't change that.

While former WWE Diva/women's champion Lita was with WWE was there ever any suggestion made to cover up that tattoo on her right shoulder by applying makeup? Was any order ever considered to remove it permanently? Would you know what exactly the tattoo represented?

No, WWE had no problem with the tattoo.  If I recall correctly, Amy Dumas got the tattoo while traveling in Europe and an artist created it for her and inked it onto her without her knowing what it would be. 

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