Q & A

December 24, 2006

Q: Do WWE wrestlers & development wrestlers have access to the WWE video library, like if a guy in development wanted to study your work could he ask for the footage & get it?
A: I have no idea. I would imagine top guys do to an extent. I would think if a lower guy asked for a lot of stuff he would be turned down. I would think guys are too busy at the studio to be processing personal library requests.

Q: In Bischoff's book, he says guys no longer like to be heels, do you think that is true? Seems like a lot of guys say how much they like to be heels.
A: I think there is a large degree of truth to this. A lot of guys live for the pop and recognition that goes along with being the “Hero”. I don’t think it is 100% accurate but to a large extent yes.

Q: What do you think of TNA (Gunn & Road Dogg) doing this whole DX attack thing? It seems to make them seem a bit small time to me.
A: I’m not a fan of it, but I guess time will tell whether it works or not. If it gets people talking and more importantly watching TNA than it’s good.

Q: What do you usually do post match? Do you have to stay until the show is over?
A: Every night it different, I didn’t have a specific ritual. It was always encouraged to stay for the whole show. There used to be an unwritten rule of staying until the Main Event started in case there were last minute show changes and you were needed.

Q: Do you think wrestling today needs more clearly defined heel and faces?
A: I don’t think it is a matter of clearly defining heel and face I just think a lot of heels don’t know how to be heels and because of this get crowd pops in stead of heat a lot of times.

Q: I remember you saying you are not a big celeb guy, but who is the most interesting celeb your career has allowed you to meet.
A: From name value likely Bruce Willis. He was at a live event in Hawaii to see Rock and met everyone and was very friendly. I didn’t speak with him enough to consider him interesting but he would be the biggest star.

Q: Being one of the minorities who live in a cold climate, have you ever missed shows due to weather?
A: I don’t recall any specific shows I missed but I may have. I’ve driven through a few horrendous storms to make shows though.

Q: Are you surprised there are not more travel accidents with the amount of travel the boys do in a year?
A: Statistically there likely should be more but perhaps our years of experience make us better drivers than most.

Q: Does the WWE help non-US citizens get all their paperwork to work in the U.S. or is that up to the workers?
A: They process all the required work visas, yes. They charged me for it though. WCW, ECW, and SMW didn’t only WWE deducted the cost from my pay cheque.

Q: How does one get into the creative aspect under companies?(I myself am a writer and my dream job would be to book storylines and matches (for any company))
A: All this information is available at WWE.com

Q: Am I too old to start training? (I turned 22 in August, and have been waiting to graduate before starting, and joining your school)
A: Heck no, a lot of guys start older than that. Boogeyman was in his 40’s.

Q: Do you think there is any way that RVD will find himself jumping to TNA after his WWE contract expires? As a big RVD fan I am getting sick of watching him wrestle guys like Big Show and Holly. It just seems like TNA would suit him better. What are your thoughts on this?
A: I think it is possible yes.

Q: Your thoughts on Bobby Lashley jumping to ECW and do you think Monty Brown should go there?
A: Should or want doesn’t’ really enter into it. It’s where WWE decides to put him. With ECW canceling house shows and the disastrous December PPV I wouldn’t pick ECW over SD or RAW.

Q: What are your thoughts on Paul Heyman leaving the WWE? Will it effect how fans watch ECW on SCI-FI? Should TNA try to grab Heyman full time or just a one-time shoot on tv or ppv?
A: He hasn’t left WWE to my knowledge he’s just been sent home from what I hear. This is nothing new in the Paul Heyman WWE relationship.

Q: I'm really starting to like TNA, but I know they can make some improvements. What things do you think they can do to improve their show and how long do you think it will be until they are up there with WWE?
A: I think the best thing they could do is scrap all the Kevin Nash stuff and let the X-Division guys do what they do best, WRESTLE!

Q: With times such as now - when you have Survivor Series, December to Dismember, Armaggedon, New Years Revolution and the Royal Rumble all within two months - do you believe that the WWE/wrestling in general has too many PPVs per year?
A: Don’t forget Cyber Sunday that was in there too. Yes I do think there are too many PPVs. If I were a fan trying to keep up I mind give up trying.

Q: My question is, do you have a specific move set that you have in mind to work into a match, and how did you go about selecting your particular repertoire?
A: I don’t try to work specific moves into a match. I set up a match and then see what fits. Obviously there are a couple moves that I think fans want and expect to see, like my drop kick or the rolling ½ crab, that I try to fit in but it’s never about the moves to me, it’s about what works in the match. As for selecting moves to do, you start by seeing what you do well.

Q: In your training academy, do you train your students how to work gimmick matches? (the standards ,I suppose, such as ladder, cage, etc.) Or do you just teach the importance of psychology in gimmick matches in general?
A: I don’t specifically work on gimmick matches but I do address the proper way of working gimmick matches and the psychology involved there in.

Q: I was reading a thing for WWE a while back that was talking about what they expect performers to be able to do to be signed (or something like that.. it was a while ago, so i dunt fully remember) and they said they want a wrestler to have 3 - 5 years experience before they would sign someone on the active roster. Is this always the case? or if you recomended someone to them who has for instance been to your school and only worked for a year after would they sign them if they were good enough?
A: No rule in wrestling is cast in stone but generally if the person only has a year of experience or less, they would likely be offered a developmental deal rather than brought directly to the active roster.

Q: Lance, what's your stance on TNA staying in Orlando so much? I know they save money doing it there, but the fans who show up for the free show in Orlando are just terrible.
A: It’s a real catch 22. Doing it in the same location does have its drawbacks. I think doing the PPVs elsewhere is a good start. It would give them a unique look and make them feel more special.

Q: do u still have contact with Major Gunns, or know what she is doing ?? With the WWE looking for more divas would she be an asset after all she is particularly lovely ....????
A: I have not kept in touch with Tylene, so I do not know what she is doing.

Q: How long has Ric Flair been wrestling?
A: No offence but could you have not looked this up? I believe he debuted in 1972 so he’s been wrestling 34 years, almost as long as I’ve been alive.

Q: On Raven's Bio on the TNA website in the "getting to know Raven" section it asks "What wrestler, on appearance, is most-opposite from you, but someone who you consider a very good friend:" and the answer he gives is you and AJ Styles. I found this somewhat surprsing, does it surprise you?
A: I’m not surprised by this because we are so completely opposite yet hit it off extremely well. We booked together with Paul in ECW and became friends. He is one of the few people I would make a point to hook up with on the road with after shows to eat. I remember one funny story with Raven and I. We were both stuck in the Quagmire of Heat and we were wrestling a 6 Man match with Justin. We were joking about whose music they would play for the entrance, as that would sort of tell you who they thought was the bigger star in the match. We were joking about it back stage and when my music hit Raven let out a very Homer Simpson like D’OH

Q: If you were still wrestling and WWE asked you to go to Iraq for the tribute to the troops show would you go or would decline?
A: This is such a tough question. I would have to discuss it with my wife and family and see how they felt. My wife had to suffer through a scary Middle East trip of mine before we were married, I would not put her through that again with out her consent.

Q: After looking at the first blood match between Kennedy and Undertaker I was wondering if there is ever a backup plan if a guy actually starts bleeding before he is supposed to, or even worse if it is the one that’s not supposed to bleed. With the head being the major target and having it slammed into tables, steps, etc. there is always the chance for a guy's head to actually it one of these objects and bleed.
A: What possible back up plan could there be? If the guy is standing there bleeding it’s pretty hard to do anything but declare the other guy the winner.

Q: Anyways, in your last commentary, I noticed that somone's question about your pay got you mad, which I totally understand. A wrestler's finances are just as private as mine or anyone elses. This however got me wondering, what question do you get angers you the most? From different interviews and from meeting some wrestlers, I generally read it's the "is it fake?" question. What question do you hate the most?
A: He funny thing about the “fake” question is that no matter how you respond the person will always disagree with you. If someone asks you if it’s fake and you say, “Of course it is it’s fake as hell.” They inevitably start defending the business stating stuff like, “well yah, but you really get hit, and the stuff really hurts.” If you try to tell them it’s really, they will of course start pointing out all the obviously fake things about it.

Q: I'm a runner myself and i was wondering Do wrestler's do much cardio in the line of running 10 miles on the road?
A: Some might I never did.

Q: Do the mats outside of a WWE ring give any protection or are they just for looks as they like to put over?
A: They protect your elbows and knees more than anything. Banging bone directly on cement leads to a lot of bone chips, the mats really help in that respect.

Q: Did not having mats on the outside make any difference in what you would do in ECW?
A: Nope we just did it all anyway!!!!

Q: Do you think Chris Candido could have made it big in WWE or WCW if he was in the shape and preformed like he did in his good runs with ECW?
A: Chris was very short which is what likely held him back in either of his WWE or WCW runs. Chris was only about 5’ 6”.

Q: You have said your wife made a lot of your gear, what do guys who do not have such talented wives do? Does WWE have people who make stuff for them?
A: WWE has seamstresses that are at every TV event.

Q: Any set of tights that you liked or preferred more than the others?
A: I preferred the long tights over the trunks.

Q: Did you like Chris Candido's blonde bombshell (top rope powerbomb) as a finisher? To the viewer, it seemed to require a lot of work out of the guy taking it.
A: I didn’t really like taking it every night but trusted Chris enough to do so. It didn’t take work so much on our part just the willingness to take the bump.

Q: Did you deal with Onita during your brief FMW stay? If so, how was he to deal with?
A: I did deal with him, and don’t have a lot of favourable things to say about it.

Q: A recent Q & A you said that the match you had with Super Crazy was not that good, due to him being intimidated by you, why was he so intimidated?
A: Not sure, it must have been my massive presence!!! (LOL)

Q: Have you worked in the 6 sided rings before, if so is it any different than the normal 4 side ones? (aside from there being 2 more sides!)
A: It’s a good thing you added that bit in brackets, as I was going to be a smart ass! I have not worked in one no.

Q: Terry Funk says it was hard to do the empty arena match, what do you think of that? Is it hard to work with no one in the stands at all?
A: Of course it is. Any worker worth anything gears his match to the crowd reactions he receives during the match. With out feedback who is to say if anything you are doing is working.

Q: I have always wondered this: When a guy comes out in his own merchindise, such as Edge wearing one of his shirts, and he tosses it in the stands, does he have to buy the shirt he gives away or does WWE just give guys the merch. like that?
A: Generally in WWE they will supply the product and right it off as promotion.

Q: I'm watching your match with RVD at Barely Legal and he just did a leaping plancha on you from the inside to the outside of the ring, and he just looked like he landed right on you, how do you take that? He looks like he's got a few pounds on you.
A: Rob is very heavy, much heavier than he looks because his legs and ass are so muscular. You sort of just stand there and take it, and hope to be between him and the floor when you land in order to break his fall somewhat.

Keep the questions coming,
Lance Storm