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Who do you think is the last member of Team Bianca Belair?
Becky Lynch makes the most sense. She's been out since August and November fits the timeline, plus Summerslam was where Damage CTRL was introduced coming out of the Bianca Belair vs. Lynch match, so her taking part in Wargames would tie that storyline point in.
What do you think were the major elements that led to WCW losing its grip on pro wrestling? Obviously, the Time Warner mergers was going to kill WCW, but had it been more successful, perhaps it would have had a fighting chance to be sold elsewhere. So, what killed those changes?
This is all my perspective from the outside looking in at the time, but the first true, major blow was Starrcade 1997 - According to Eric Bischoff in his book, Hogan felt that Sting wasn't dedicated enough to the business and that it would be a mistake to switch the belt. Then, as if by magic, Nick Patrick's "fast count on Sting", which was designed specifically to play off of the Montreal screwjob so Bret Hart could save the day, was incredibly slow, so now Sting looked like a moron who got pinned clean and Bret Hart looked like a jerk who screwed over the heel - Hogan. Before that night, WCW could do no wrong. After, it was a different story, at least from my perspective.
That night felt like the hottest moment (at the time) for WCW and since it was bungled (no matter who was at fault), I don't really believe that WCW never regained the momentum they had, at the time, leading into that Starrcade. The situation set the company on a path that eventually killed the Goldberg streak (letting the air out a most important balloon that they could never re-fill), the one finger Kevin Nash-Hulk Hogan finish before 40,000 paying fans (which began their live crowds dying off, slowly), Vince Russo being hired and presenting WCW as a second/third generation Xerox of what WWE was at the time (effectively turning off whatever diehard fans WCW had that believed "their" company was superior to WWE), the departure of The Radicalz (which took out the heart and soul of the company, handing it to WWE), among other issues.
To me, that Sting-Hogan moment was the spark that ignited the fuse that led to the giant box of TNT blowing up like it was a Coyote vs. Road Runner cartoon, and unfortunately, WCW was Wile E. Coyote in this equation. All of those moments led to WCW being in the position to being far less worthwhile for someone else to pick up back in 2001 when Jamie Kellner made the decision to cancel the programming, but that's a story best told in Guy Evans' book Nitro. When Kellner canceled the programming, the time crunch Eric Bischoff, much less anyone else, would have been under to pivot and move WCW somewhere else at the time would have been a near-impossible task in general, but give all the body blows WCW had endured from that night in 1997 on, what the company used to mean and what it meant in 2001 were two MASSIVELY different things.
Thoughts on Tyrus winning the NWA title?
I think he's going to have to prove that he can hold himself up to the level of work and prestige that previous champions had in order to win fans over, but I'm also realistic enough to know that while I love the history of the company, it's not going to be a run that defines generations like say Ric Flair or Harley Race had. It's a different time, so I can see why he got the title - who else in the promotion is getting the level of exposure he gets through his FOX News connections? No one, so if you are trying to get attention and that's the attention you can get, I can see why Billy Corgan decided to chase it, although my personal belief is that audience won't be converted into paying wrestling fans.
I noticed Naomi placed WWE back on her Instagram account. Any idea when?
I'll be honest. I don't know she ever removed it. I have to admit I don't pay close attention to bios in Instagram accounts.
Who oversees the creative on WWE house shows now?
Currently, Road Dogg. He writes the shows. Then, the producers are in charge are carrying out his direction.
Does WWE ever think about rolling out The Red Rooster for Halloween?
Not if Terry Taylor is lucky.
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