Do you think CM Punk will ever fight in MMA again?
CM Punk recently revealed on Twitter he still trains for MMA but that COVID-19 makes things difficult. His days of fighting in the UFC are probably over. He revealed in July 2019 he was technically still under UFC contract but had not been contacted for a fight. In that same interview he said every time they call him he expects to get word that he’s out. I know as of late last year he was still in the USADA testing pool but cannot confirm if he still is at this time. A lot of people hate on CM Punk and will crack jokes on his MMA career. I don’t think that’s fair. He made a huge name for himself in WWE, worked hard to try something different and it didn’t work out. I have all the respect in the world for someone like that.
It seems we are in the midst of another round of cuts in WWE. What’s the reason for this?
The releases we are seeing now are the same reason for the releases we saw in April. COVID-19 has severely impacted WWE’s travel scheduled and live event touring. They simply do not need as many people. For as long as WWE remains off the road and revenue is impacted by lack of ticket sales, it will probably continue as well.
With WWE being heavily criticized following their edict on talent working with third-party affiliates and high profile people such as former Democratic presidential nominee Andrew Yang being very vocal, is change on the horizon?
I have hoped for years Vince McMahon would be willing to change the way he treats his talent. The structure is completely one-sided and he has got filthy rich as a result. In his defense, it is smart from a business perspective but is wrong from a moral perspective. There is no reason WWE cannot offer their employees health insurance and retirement benefits. It is a multi-billion dollar company. I am hopeful things will change but this is not the first time WWE has been criticized for classifying their talent as independent contracts.
With today being Patriot Day as we remember 9/11, do you care to name some of your favorite USA gimmicks in professional wrestling history?
Hulk Hogan is probably the top patriotic character in professional wrestling history. I’m not talking about his time as Mr. America under the mask but 1980’s Hogan. His Real American entrance theme is one of the best wrestling themes in the history of the business. Some of you may remember Hogan and I had issues when he was with TNA because I felt like he was more interested in collecting a paycheck than helping the company succeed but my brother, Ryan, has interacted with him [in person] since and things were very cordial. Aside from Hogan, I will go with Kurt Angle as the Olympic hero from the USA, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, The Patriot Del Wilkes and Sgt. Slaughter.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Monday, September 14, 2020.
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