Who do you expect to be moved during the upcoming WWE Draft?
I expect several changes to the midcard with some top stars changing brands and some surprises. The midcard on both Raw and SmackDown has been repetitive as of late with that has made for some bad TV. The women’s title scenes have lacked, especially on Raw where they are just feeding Asuka opponents with little to no build. It is also unfathomable how some superstars such as Mustafa Ali are not used, while some programs are just stuck on repeat. Other examples of stale programs would include Apollo Crews and the United States Championship and the Street Profits vs. Angel Garza & Andrade. The stuff between Seth Rollins, Murphy and the Mysterio family has droned on but WWE found another gear by incorporating Aalyah.
Eric Bischoff only lasted months in his role as executive director of SmackDown. Paul Heyman lasted longer but at the end of the day, both were replaced. What does this seem like a recurring theme?
I was surprised Paul Heyman lasted as long as he did in the role. Vince McMahon is very hands on and micromanages everything. He does not coexist well with others, especially when it comes to creative. There have been brief periods where he has ceded control but he has always had the final say. Someone recently asked me if I could see McMahon bringing back Vince Russo. While anything is possible, I just do not see McMahon being able to get along with Russo at this point. Vince is going to be in charge until he retires.
Could WWE do more to embrace their past with President Donald Trump? Perhaps even invite him to TVs. Surely every media outlet would pick up on it.
Vince McMahon and Donald Trump are best friends. WWE embraced Trump prior to him getting into politics and he and the McMahon family remain close even to this day. Linda McMahon served in the Trump administration and is currently the Chair of the official Pro-Trump Super PAC called America First Action. However, WWE wants to keep politics out of their product for obvious reasons. American politics are very divisive and even though controversy creates cash, they do not want to intertwine it in their storylines.
What happens with Superstars such as Ivar that are suddenly injured and out indefinitely? Are they still paid by WWE as independent contractors?
WWE performers have independent contract agreements that pay them a downside guarantee. This is money they receive every two weeks for as long as they are under contract. So a Superstar such as Ivar will still get paid while he gets healthy. WWE also paid for his surgery and will assist with medical expenses since his injury occurred during a WWE match on Raw.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
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