Twitter & Facebook Q and A

April 23, 2016

Questions from Twitter

What needs to happen to stop wrestlers dying young?
- @GyroLC

- I think the important thing to realize here is that it's not just wrestlers. Entertainers of all kinds die young, be they actors (River Phoenix, Heath Ledger) Musicians (Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse), what have you. I think artist/performers (not all but many) are insecure people deep down who perform as a means to get attention or express things they can't express in regular life. And I think these people are often more prone to seek out alcohol and drugs to deal with personal anxieties that come from being artists. Add to that tendency a travel schedule that fosters partying and solitude the risk factors for drug and alcohol abuse is likely exponentially more likely in the entertainment field. True sports are a little "safer" so to speak because drop in performance shows up much quicker and is more problematic to your performance so problems are likely caught sooner. So when you understand the full picture the problem becomes a lot harder to solve. I think the WWE Wellness policy is a great thing and will pay huge dividends in the years to come. All of the deaths we are seeing now are people who started their drug problems way before the wellness policy started in 2004 or 05. The drug abusers of the early Hogan era (mid 80s) were the ones who were dying in the mid to late 90s, and it's the Attitude era (late 90s) drug abusers that are dying now. To truly see the effects of the Wellness policy we will need to see if there is a rash of deaths of stars whose careers started in the early 2000s dying in the years 2025 -2030.

What do you think of Joe winning the NXT Title at a non-televised event?
- @deathtoneaenima

- I think this is great, I've always been a big proponent of making fans think that important things can happen anywhere. It makes every show more exciting and is a huge bonus to those more loyal fans who actually buy tickets and actually go to shows. There is also the added bonus that Fin Balor has still never been defeated withthe Demon paint. Had he lost at TakerOver Dallas that would not be the case.

Was is awkward doing The Un-Americans or was it truly a blast?
- @leafsrule68

- What would be awkward about it? As a Canadian it's a natural easy gimmick most of what I said I believed at least on some level, and I was working with good friends of mine.

Out of WWE, WCW and ECW which entrance theme was your favorite?
- @Mike_Bassily

- I thought my WCW theme and my WWE theme was the same song, was it not? I loved my ECW theme because it was more a cool song than the anthem type theme in WCW and WWE. As long as it wasn't that God Awful dance theme I was happy.

What would it mean to you to get inducted into the WWE HOF? And do you expect a phone call? Who would you ask to induct you?
- @daleranger

- I'm really not sure what a WWE HOF nod would mean to me. I'd certainly be honoured on one level, but I'd also question my deservedness on another. I'm not going to say a case can't be made for my inclusion, I'm just saying that there are a few people already in that you constantly hear named as unworthy of the nod, and I think I'd rather be a guy that some people complain is a glaring omission than be that guy that others groan at when their induction is announced. If I do get the call I'd definitely accept and there are several people I'd be happy if they inducted me. Jericho is a no brainer, we broke in together. A student of mine would be a cool choice as well.

When and how did you come up with the roll-through single leg crab?
- @DPSnacks

- This is an easy one. I saw Terry Taylor do a roll through Full Boston crab on Wild Bill Irwin in WCW. I never saw him do it again so about a year later I stole it. I later realized it was much easier and smoother to roll into the single than the double, so I modified it. In a strange twist in WWE (2002 maybe) Terry Taylor asked me where I got the idea and I told him I stole it from him. He had no recollection of ever doing the move.

How was your relationship with the office in the WWE, WCW, ECW respectively?
- @DPSnacks

- Always great. I'm the consummate professional. I do my job to the best of my ability and pretty much never complain. I'm chronically early, absolutely reliable and a zero risk employee. No substance issue, no attitude issue. Tell me where I need to be and what you want done and it happens. This may sound like tooting my own horn a bit here but I think if you asked JR, who was talent relations in WWE when I was there he'd agree.

Can you explain a little bit about "tape study/note taking" from a teacher's perspective?
- @DPSnacks

- This may sound odd but I think it's over rated and not that valuable. I never took a note or wrote down a thing in my career. I watched a ton of tapes, especially early on but that was mostly to see how everything I did looked. Was my selling good, did my clotheslines look good etc. Many people now take notes, I see a lot of my students doing it when I lecture and I'm not saying that's bad I'm just saying I don't believe that's the best way to learn. In my opinion you don't think this job you feel it; it's instinct not debated thought or planned responses. I always like to use a music analogy. I think wrestling (at it's best) is free form Jazz music. It's a little different every time because you just go and play, you feel it, you live it. Anyone can learn notes, and take pages of sheet music out there and play songs by hitting all the pre planned notes. A real musician can make people feel his music by feeling the mood of the room and playing music from his soul and his heart. Note taking just gives you a bunch of cheat sheets that you can refer to and think about. If you listen to instruction and absorb the idea, you will at some point be able to feel and react.

Thoughts on Eva Marie?
- @allredeva

- She is certainly not my favourite wrestler but I think she gets a lot of heat she doesn't deserve. She was hired because she is hot and they wanted her on Total Divas and they just threw the poor girl in the deep end so to speak as a wrestler and the audience rebelled against her because she wasn't ready, which really isn't her fault. I met her I think only once at the PC and she was in the ring doing the work. Now who knows maybe she doesn't have the ability to be really good at this job, but I don't think she was given a very good chance. I'd love to have the opportunity to work with her for a month or 2 to see if she has the ability to be good if given the time and proper training needed to be good.

What did you think of the Corner Gas movie? Also, would you have liked to do a cameo being a fan and all?
- @Mike_Bassily

- I love everything Corner Gas and would have loved to do a cameo in it. I almost thought I was going to have one but it never materialized. I know Brent Butt, calling him a friend is likely a stretch, but we've met and communicated several time and he reached out and asked about my schedule during shooting so I was hopeful but as I said it never came to be.

Do you wish you could have the proverbial "one more match" with WWE? You seem to be in shape enough to wrestle.
- @daleranger

- Jericho and I made a unofficial pact on his podcast that we would have our last match together so I'm hoping that once he decides to permanently hang them up he still has enough stroke with WWE to make it happen there, even if just on Live Event. I'd be open to a one off or 2 with WWE but I don't think I've got the name value to make it a priority for WWE.

Did you ever butt heads with Russo regarding how the New Blood Rising PPV match was being booked?
- @Mike_Bassily

- I wasn't one to butt heads with people. I thought the booking was idiotic but wasn't going to put up a huge fight. It was how WCW was booked. The only disagreement Russo and I had in WCW was over the Team Canada name. He wanted to call us the Canadian World Organization. Because it would be The CWO and he thought it would be funny if we didn't know it was supposed to be Order and got the name wrong. I asked him "When did we become a comedy act?" and "How stupid would we have to be to not know the name if the group from the biggest hottest angle in WCW history?" He then said, "yeah but think about the merchandising?" I pointed out that WCW had just put a cease and desist order on all new merchandise. He walked off grumbling "Fine do what you want" So I went with Team Canada.

Before joining WCW did you try to get with WWE? If not, why?
- @Mike_Bassily

- I didn't no. My feeling at the time was that Paul Heyman had connections in WWE and would either find out about it if I contacted him or have the ability to kill an offer should one be made. I also felt that WWE had a glut or great young talent at the time and I might have a better opportunity to stand out and be used in WCW. WCW as it turned out reached out to me and made me a good offer so I took it.

What things kept you going through your career? What made you love the business so much to be able to dedicate your life to it?
- @Heegsmcbiggs

- I enjoyed the job so I didn't need anything to keep me going. As far as dedicating my life, I'm a dedicated guy, regardless of what my job was I'd give it 100% and do my very best at it.

Do you read comics/graphic novels? If I'm not mistaken, you liked Greg Rucka's prose novels. His comics are excellent.
- @FadedEndless

-I've tried a couple times, and Greg has made a real effort to convert me but I've yet to be converted to Graphic Novels or Comics. I love Greg's regular novels, I've read all of those. Critical Space saved me years of back problems thanks to helping me diagnose my Psoas issues.

Do you think WWE cares if fans respond positively to current Roman positioning? I wonder if they see it akin to Cena.
- @JonathanBeckner

- I think WWE cares about how fans respond to everything including how they react to Cena and Roman. Accepting and making the best of how they react (in Cena's case) isn't not caring.

In WCW, Elix got you laughing during a match. You told us you'd tell us what he said if you wrote a book. Still the plan or can you tell us?
- @DarbyD53

- This is a question that has to be answered in audio form not written word. Maybe someday on a podcast.

If you had a career do-over, would you pick the same name, or something more chant-able? I recall you saying RVD got over that way.
- @deancomedy

- The majority of my career (at least most successful part) I was a heel, so it didn't matter. When I was a face and they wanted a chant-able name (CWA Europe) they just added the nick name "Tiger" to my name and I was "Tiger" Lance Storm and the crowd chanted Ti-Ger Ti-Ger and that worked well.

If you could do your WWE career over, what would you do differently? Would you say no to anything?
- @deancomedy

- I doubt it. I never wanted to have career success from politicking, complaining and being difficult. I brought my skills to the table and worked very hard and accepted where that got me, content in the knowledge that I never begged for a push or refused to do my job.

Your thoughts on death match wrestling?
- @daniels9119

- This could be a 3 hr discussion, which probably should be address in a podcast type forum. For the most part it's a huge negative to the business and is way more often than not used as a crutch to make up for a lack of talent.

What was Jericho like back in the day?
- @SammyBoyDPK

- Pretty much exactly the same as he is now he just had a much shittier car back then.

How good a feeling is it watching Emma's recent work?
- @comer2k

- Its great. I think she is very much at a place that I was in during my career back in ECW. She like me at that time had been a good worker for quite a while but in ECW I really found myself as a performer and a heel and I think she is in that grove right now too.

If you could have one big match with any wrestler alive or dead, who would you wrestle and what type of match?
- @Dan_Solo_FTW

- I think I would really enjoy working with Ricky Steamboat. He's such a classic baby face and I prefer wrestling as a heel so I think we could be extremely good together. As far as type of match I always find that such a silly question. Gimmick matches or types of matches to me are done because the angles lead you to them in a logic manner so just doing one is pointless. The best type of match is a Wrestling match, and that's what I would want to have.

If you could have one more run in WWE, who would you want it to be with?
- @daniels9119

-The only stories that would make sense would be a run with Jericho leading to a retirement match or a program with a student doing mentor student.

Who is the best wrestler you've trained?
- @wasstin316

- Wrestling is an art form and thus subjective, there is no such thing as absolute bests or rankings.

What was your opinion of things like the Wrestling Observer when you were a full time wrestler?
- @wynnetheridge

- I thought it was a good source of information for the boys but think now that so many fans read it there is a down side to it as well. The obsession it seems now (likely a small percentage of fans) with ratings and ranking matches is a minor detriment to the business IMO. I think too many fans think Dave's opinions are facts and care far too much about what is a 4 star match and a 5 star match. Wrestling is art and is subjective. As an example of the good: It was reading the Observer when I first broke in and it was through the Observer that I learned about SMW. If not for Dave and the Observer I wouldn't have known about SMW and never sent Jimmy a tape to get booked.

Since you never got a chance to wrestle in a Mexican lucha promotion, would you consider taking a date or tour there?
- @FadedEndless

- I'd consider anything, but yeah I'd contemplate an offer for a one off in Mexico more than I would anywhere else, just for the sake of checking off the box in another Country.

In ECW in that PPV where RVD wasn't even on the card at first, but then ended up beating you, how did that happen?
- @ipresnel1

- I believe the original match was supposed to be Chris Candito vs. RVD. I then debuted in ECW and I think Rob had done a couple appearances on RAW as part of the ECW Invasion. Paul then decided to do an angle to turn Rob heel as Mr. Monday Night. He was going to be the guy who was fielding offers from WWF (The Enemy) basically calling himself a big shot. As part of this angle I was going to get the match with Chris and the story was going to be (I believe) that Rob was holding out for more money. Before this could happen Chris tore his one biceps and couldn't work the show, so Rob and I ended up as the match. I didn't find out about the switch until mid afternoon the day of. Joey Styles came up to me and asked if I had a finish with Rob yet. I told him I wasn't working Rob I was facing Chris, and he then told me about the injury.

I dislike when a wrestler spins around to face camera side for the pin after a finisher, seems overly fake. Thoughts?
- @boostafied

- Yes I think WWE is way too obsessed with facing the hard camera. There are what, 3 hand held cameras out there, they should be able to find the guys without the guys having to look like they are posing for the camera.


Questions from Facebook

When traveling, how far in advance do you arrange for rental cars? Is it something taken care of months in advance or do you take your chances?
- Kyle Lance Davis

- We pretty much did this week to week. In WWE we got our travel info for the next week at TV, so I'd book hotels and cars as soon as I got home after TV. WCW they booked Travel for me and I got a Fax every Thursday with the upcoming weekends travel schedule. ECW was week to week as well.

What is the oldest you have seen someone start wrestling and still make a name for themselves? I know DDP and New Jack started later than most for example.
- Shaun Nightingale

- DDP is such a misnomer and it drives me crazy because I deal with people looking into training that constantly bring him up. Yes DDP started WRESTLING in his mid thirties but he was already in the business, had a few years as a manager under his belt and was under contract at the time to WCW. He was a known, over character on TV under contract to the company and decided to transitions into the ring because he heard they were moving away from managers. That is a far cry from someone in their mid thirties, with no experience or connections to the business going, hey I'd like to get into wrestling. I didn't know New Jack was as old as he is, and I suspect few others did either, which likely helped him succeed despite being older. New Jack had an amazing gift for gab and a ton of charisma. The Boogie Man is the latest started that I know of who reached a high level of success. He got scouted at a Tough Enough try out and got hired at 41 to start training. He didn't have a long career but since WWE was the company starting him he was fast tracked enough to get a Main Roster spot in spite of his age. Marty (Boogie's real name) was very much a special case and exception though. He had a great physique and did not look his age at all, and much like New Jack had great charisma and personality and brought something special to the table.

Even with established schools with comprehensive training and guidance like your own, what do you think of the growing number of wrestling schools popping up throughout the world nowadays? And are too many people getting into the business all at once?
- Luis Partridge

- I honestly don't believe there is another school like mine but I suppose that is irrelevant to your question. I do believe there are too many school, and more importantly too many school run by people that have no business training others. Just because you know how to bump and do moves does not mean you are qualified to teach others. When people with big holes in their game (fundamentals, technique, psychology being the big ones) teach others they just introduce a bunch of people to the business with the same holes in their game and when there becomes a glut of such individuals out there the business suffers for it.

If NXT had been a thing when you left ECW would you have signed a contract for WWE on that basis if the offer was there or held out for a main roster contract?
- Matthew Roberts

- I never spoke with WWE when I left ECW, I had a great contract offer from WCW so NXT being in exist really wouldn't change what I did at all.

What is your most favorite moment or memory while you were wrestling?
- David Stevens

- It was never about moments for me, it's the whole body of work. I view my career as a chain, each moment is a link in the chain, you can't have one without the other or the chain is broken.

What is the worst booking decision that you have been apart of?
- Julian Cannon

- I don't know if this is the worst but it's a horrible one that came to mind first. The finish at New Blood Rising in WCW was idiotic. Bret Hart was a huge Canadian draw and his career was over. I had the 3 titles with Canadian flags on them and this show was in Canada. I was super over on this show (go check out the show on the Network). This was an opportunity to make me a gigantic star in Canada and pass the torch from Bret to me as a Canadian wrestling Hero and Draw. Instead they did a stupid comedy finish where Mike Awesome beat me 3 or 4 times in a row in the match and still had him lose. If the plan was to protect Mike because they had big plans for him that would have been fine, but they gave Mike a new gimmick and made him That 70s Guy (a Comedy act) a couple weeks later. This was a reboot for Mike so protecting him at NBR was a complete waste of time, so that show should have been used to make me. We could have had a way better match without all of the over booking. I could have got him in the half crab as a near fall and eventually tapped him with the Sharp Shooter. Announcers could have put over that I used Bret's move. I'd have looked super strong straight up beating Mike clean, then when Bret's music hit post match the Announcers could have freaked out speculating about why Bret was coming out. Was he hot that I stole his move? Bret and I could have had that tentative face to face when he got in the ring, with announcers wondering what's going to happen, then when we hug, Mark Maddens drops the line, well who do you think taught him the move, he's from Calgary... Alberta, Canada. That could have been a huge passing of the torch moment, Bret endorses me, gives me his move and the strong clean win on Canadian soil would have Cemented me as a draw in Canada. Instead we did comedy crap with a Canadian Rule book and I got beat 4 times and had to cheat to win, and they made Mike a comedy act.

What would the WWE roster look like in 6 months if the UFC/USADA protocol was in place from now on?
- Sergei Gavriliuk

- WWE's wellness policy isn't that far off. They might catch a couple more people but I doubt there would be that much change.

Would you ever take a full time trainer position at the NXT Performance Center?
- Stephen Cooke

- This has been on the table several times. My family is not willing to relocate to Florida at this time.

Favorite memory of Lethal Larry Cameron during your time in Europe?
- Dwayne Soper

- I only knew Larry during our 5 months together in Europe, our entire time together as friends is my favourite memory. Such a great guy, if I had a son I was going to name him Cameron after Larry. RIP

Thanks everyone,
Lance Storm


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