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411 Fact or Fiction 10.04.12: Ryback, Austin vs. Punk, Batista’s MMA Debut, More

October 4, 2012 | Posted by Steve Cook

Hi, hello & welcome to 411 Fact or Fiction! I’m Steve Cook, and it’s been another crazy week in the world of professional wrestling. Monday night’s Raw broadcast was Jim Ross Appreciation Night in Oklahoma City, and everybody’s favorite Ryback saved good ol’ JR from the wrath of CM Punk., who was talking trash about JR & Stone Cold Steve Austin and everybody else that wasn’t showing him respect. Team Hell No is waiting for a team to emerge from a #1 contenders’ tournament, while one of Daniel Bryan’s students has herself a gig training future WWE superstars. King Mo will be making an impact at Bound For Glory, people have a good idea who the leader of Aces & Eights is, and Dave Bautista’s first MMA fight is imminent.

I’ve invited two of 411’s finest to discuss these topics. Introducing first, the man that knows more about Ring of Honor than I know about anything, Ari Berenstein!

His opponent hosts 411 Ground & Pound Radio & handles most of the live eventcoverage over in the MMA Zone. Say hello to Mark Radulich!

  • Questions were sent out Monday.
  • Participants were told to expect wrestling-related questions.

    1. Ryback will be the WWE or World Champion within the next twelve months.

    Ari Berenstein: FACT. Ryback winning the WWE or World Championship almost has been inevitable since the moment Stephanie McMahon looked at and hired “Ryan Reeves” years ago. The rumors and reports began to surface that she saw big things for him in the future and as far as that goes, never doubt the power of obstinacy in a McMahon.

    The Ryback has been the recipient of “The Goldberg Push” since his debut in this new gimmick. It hasn’t been as organic or effortless as WCW’s run with big bad Bill, but it is starting to take with fans chanting “Feed Me More” (that is a damned fun phrase, too). It is also fun as a viewer (though again probably not the opponent) to see him smash through other people. Now WWE is bringing him up a level in terms of the degree of credibility in opponent and have teased him versus CM Punk for two weeks running. Given the sparse babyface roster depth (realistically Ryback is number four behind Cena, Sheamus and Orton-caveat being it’s hard to classify what Bryan and Kane are doing right now in the tag division). He also fits in with the big man image Vince McMahon has always tried to instill in his main event and mega stars.

    Never mind that Ryback has proven himself to be a danger—crushing Ricky Steamboat with a lariat that ended up causing a brain aneurysm and extended hospital stay (back when he was Skip Shefield of The Nexus) and then almost killing Jack Swagger with several botches a few months back. I don’t know that Ryback should be the one to be trusted with the health and welfare of WWE’s main event roster, but regardless, this move to the top of the card and with it a likely top championship run has been in the making for a long while and I don’t think near-deaths, injuries and botches will get in the way.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. One word for you; Sheamus! It is indeed true that Vince McMahon and his son-in-law favor big men over smaller, more technically sound wrestlers (Daniel Bryant, CM Punk, Zack Ryder, Tyson Kidd, etc.) It is also true that if you are a loyal company man who goes above and beyond the rest of the locker room you will be handsomely rewarded with favoritism in terms of on-screen time. In Sheamus’ first year there was no reason he should have been elevated to the main event and then even given a cup of coffee with the world title but regardless, he was. He met the minimum criteria: 1) Big and strong 2) Loyal and hardworking. Clearly Ryback meets the former criteria and so long as he doesn’t kill anyone in the ring and he is willing to dedicate himself like a religious zealot to the church of the WWE, he will be champion.

    Score: 1 for 1

    2. Stone Cold Steve Austin will have a wrestling match with CM Punk.

    Ari Berenstein: FACT. I’m going to agree with this statement because there is no pre-set time limit mentioned, but it is hardly a sure-fire bet. CM Punk and Steve Austin have spent the better part of the last two years already greasing the wheels of the wrestling fans’ imagination for this dream match. They have commented about the possibility of it happening at some future point. There have been small interactions, from tweet conversations to the both of them sharing a podium on the recent WWE ’13 Q&A roundtable. CM Punk wore the Austin shirt during his famous “Pipe Bomb” promo that set up Money in the Bank 2011 and boosted his career another peg. There was even a mention of Austin by Punk this past week on Raw during his interruption of the Jim Ross Appreciation Night. CM Punk clearly wants this match to happen and Austin has always said that he would be interested in it “under the right circumstances”. However, what those right circumstances would be are very vague.

    Here’s the problem—I don’t foresee Austin vs. Punk happening at WrestleMania 29 due to Austin’s recent knee injuries and the surgery he had to undergo. The recovery time is too much to match up with the timeframe of being physically ready for the match, much less setting it up and properly promoting it. I just don’t see Austin messing around with his health or returning to the ring if he is less than 100%. So, what about WrestleMania 30? The issue there comes if WWE runs Madison Square Garden for that anniversary event, as has been recently rumored. Punk vs. Austin is a MEGA match, a true once-in-a-lifetime scenario. It would sell a huge, probably record-setting amount of tickets. WWE could and should run Dallas Cowboys Stadium, or at least another major stadium such as the Meadowlands if they plan on Austin returning for one more match. Madison Square Garden only holds about 18,000 spectators at most and that would limit the return on investment in live attendance and perhaps live gate. However, I do believe that if Mania 30 is not hosted by MSG then that could be the perfect time for Punk vs. Austin. After that, the match becomes a long shot due to Austin’s increasing age and unwillingness to risk his health for a fantasy dream match, regardless of how much it would sell. All of that taken into consideration and I still believe that Austin vs. Punk WILL happen at some Wrestlemania within the next five years, so I’ll still go with FACT on this statement.

    Mark Radulich: FICTION. From what I understand, the man’s neck is being held together with scotch tape and popsicle sticks at this point. Steve Austin is busy doing films and doesn’t need to risk his health by giving the rub to CM Punk. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be entertaining. I am saying I doubt he’d be bothered to get back in shape, turn away film work and risk further injuring his neck for some one off match with a guy who is doing just fine getting a reaction without his help. CM Punk vs. The Rock is more likely.

    Score: 1 for 2

    3. Sara Del Rey will have a successful career as a trainer in WWE’s developmental system.

    Ari Berenstein: FACT. The statement is about judging Del Rey’s time in WWE as a trainer and not as an in-ring performer. If the latter was the case I might have a different answer given WWE’s treatment of actual wrestlers in the Divas division over the last five years. However, Del Ray is being used as a trainer foremost and on those grounds I think she will have an exceptional run in WWE. She is a brilliant wrestler and I’d expect her to be able to translate her wrestling knowledge into instruction to others during her time as a trainer and mentor, actually both for women and men. If you look at how Del Ray wrestled against younger wrestlers on the independent scene over the last few years (like Saturnine and The Batiri in CHIKARA), then you can see her giving that knowledge to those wrestlers in the ring as the match is ongoing. Del Ray was a smart wrestler, a great in-ring technician and knew how to maximize her personality and her character to get over with her fan base. I expect her to be able to give great advice to the Divas about how to better perform in the little time they are given and to work with men on basics of psychology and the finer technical points of moves and holds. I hope WWE will also give her the chance to shine on Raw and Smackdown as an active and performing Divas wrestler in her own right, but no doubt she has what it takes to be an instructor in their developmental system.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. I don’t see why she wouldn’t. Her job is to take models and train them to do some minimalist wrestling so as not to hurt one another. I’m sure she’ll be able to do that just fine. It’s not as if the WWE expects or ever gives the opportunity to the diva’s to put on some sort of Owen Hart vs. the British Bulldog technical wrestling clinic. You are lucky to get Owen Hart vs. the Brooklyn Brawler out of these women so as long as Sara Del Rey goes with the flow and doesn’t make a fuss, she’ll be just ducky.

    Score: 2 for 3

    4. WWE appreciates Jim Ross.

    Ari Berenstein: FACT. As much as WWE and especially Vince McMahon likes on occasion to humiliate and embarrass Jim Ross (when it’s feasible and they can get away with it), it’s also very obvious that those in WWE-the staff, the wrestlers and even the higher ups like Triple H—very much appreciate Jim Ross for his talent and the hard work he has done on-and-off screen for WWE over the last three decades. Even Vince McMahon, who has a love-hate relationship with Ross—at times thinking he is over the hill and then realizing he is still the best in the broadcasting side of the business, has at least a grudging respect for him, if not more. WWE wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing in the likes of Danny Hodge and Bill Watts (two guys whom Ross acknowledges play a large role in his career) and videotaped tributes from Oklahoma University football coach Bob Stoops and Jerry Lawler (still recovering from his heart attack but obviously a dear friend to Ross) in the post-Raw ceremony on Monday if they didn’t have respect and appreciation for him. Jim Ross might be a member of the “Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass” Club, but he is also a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. That right there says it all about the relationship between the two sides and that ultimately WWE does appreciate Jim Ross, even if they like to do also knock him down a peg every so often.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. Sure they do. The man did a lot of good work for them for many years both in the front and the back of the house. They just don’t want him on TV because of his medical condition. If Jim Ross could do the same job but in Brad Pitt’s body I’m sure he’d still be on Raw and Michael Cole would be back on Smackdown.

    Score: 3 for 4


    SWITCH!

    5. WWE’s current push to revitalize the tag team division will work long-term.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. Only if they want it to. The WWE does a lot of things wrong in terms of storytelling and long term booking but if they really want something as broad as tag team wrestling to succeed and they are willing to stay with it for more than 5 minutes, then it will definitely be successful. Of course if the WWE brass gets ADD and decides they want to push midgets or something and forgets about the tag team division than forget it. However, as things look right now they seem committed to the idea and lord knows most fans thoroughly enjoy a well crafted tag team match.

    Ari Berenstein: FICTION. It is great that WWE has set up and re-established a pretty good tag team division, but appearances are deceiving as far as the possibility of any long-term potential or permanence. The seeming new-found strength of the tag division is undermined by the tenuous connections created for the newest tag teams formed in recent months for the division. The pairings of Daniel Bryan & Kane, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow, and Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara are all inevitably bound to fall apart. Kane and Bryan and disagreeing and letting their egos get in the way. That can only go for so long before it costs them the titles and then what reason do they have to stay together as a team? Rhodes and Sandow have the potential to be the longest termed tandem but their potential as singles heels will eventually be the reason why they will be split up again. It is also known that WWE wants to have a major spotlight match between Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara, maybe as soon as this coming WrestleMania. That means inevitably they will split apart as well.

    In addition, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth have been champions in the past, but if they fail to win the titles back there could be a heel turn that splits them up. That leaves us back with a four team division of mediocre tag teams like the Prime Time Players (great in the charisma department, so-so in the ring), Primo and Epico (bet you ten dollars 90% of the WWE fan base still can’t tell one from the other), and low-card go-nowhere thrown-together teams such as Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel and the comedy pairing of Zack Ryder and Santino Marella. The bottom four of the new tag division isn’t all that much, and the top four could be split apart at any time. Enjoy the current strength of the tag division now, because it will likely not last going deep into 2013.

    Score: 3 for 5

    6. Special Guest Enforcer King Mo will add interest to Bobby Roode & James Storm’s match at Bound For Glory.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. Between my various podcasts which typically record on Thursday and my general disinterest in anything Hulk Hogan related, I don’t watch Impact anymore. However, before MMA Uncensored my DVR caught Hogan announcing King Mo as the Special Guest Enforcer for the Bobby Roode/James Storm match and I must admit, I became interested enough to at least DVR it. I think curiosity about particular celebrities always brings some fans to pro-wrestling and with the mixed bag fans that share an interest in both MMA and pro-wrestling, I’d imagine at the very least some of the MMA crowd (myself included) are intrigued by what King Mo will do in TNA. If nothing else it will be a morbid curiosity just to see if the whole thing fails miserably.

    Ari Berenstein: FICTION. The announcement and involvement of King Mo in the Roode vs. Storm grudge match at Bound For Glory is a thinly veiled attempt to bring him in and put him over as something special straight away to the TNA audience. TNA has a long way to go to convince fans judging from the tepid reaction Hogan’s announcement received during last week’s iMPACT,. Wrestling fans hate when they can tell something or someone is being pushed down their throat—they want to think they are the ones deciding who they like, not being told to like someone because it’s what they’re supposed to do (see Gunner Bischoff). I think that mentality could really hurt King Mo in TNA, at least initially. Moreover, if King Mo is being pushed above and beyond the importance of Roode and Storm finishing up their grudge feud, that actually does not add to but diminishes the importance of the match. Roode and Storm had enough build added to it thanks to a very good brawl they had at The iMPACT Zone two weeks ago. It was a strong fight and made me want to see more of them going at it, but just the two of them, finishing their issue once and for-all. King Mo is NOT needed to do that.

    Score: 3 for 6

    7. Eric Bischoff being revealed as the man behind the Aces & Eights would be disappointing.

    Mark Radulich: FACT. Haven’t we already been down this road with Vince McMahon as the “Higher Power?” Like I said before, I don’t watch Impact and outside of a snippet where Austin Aries was beating up some fellow at the end of Impact episode a few weeks ago, I haven’t the faintest clue what an “Aces & Eights” is. I do know that having
    Mr. NWO Eric Bischoff as the leader of yet another evil faction would be about as interesting as Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

    Ari Berenstein: FACT. Eric Bischoff as the leader or co-leader behind Aces & Eights would be the obvious answer along with Jeff Jarrett. That booking choice might make sense given recent history (Bischoff being thrown out on his own petard and even losing the right to call himself by his own name—yeah, I know, but, TNA). However, that decision also has that “been there, done that” feeling to it, and also an “ugh factor” going for it. That’s certainly how I react when I consider the possibility that all this Aces and Eights business was another way to get Bischoff over. Who wants to see Eric Bischoff on television again other than his own family and Hulk Hogan? That would once again take up air time better used for pushing actual wrestlers and stars that can make a difference in driving the company forward. Bischoff may be able to make a difference behind the scenes, but is not going to cut it front-stage as the leader of a biker gang. At least Jeff Jarrett would be able to wrestle in the ring, and do it well enough to make it worthwhile, Bischoff is just done as an on-screen personality. It’s a turn-off and the last thing I want to see in this angle, but there is a very realistic chance it will happen.

    Score: 4 for 7

    8. Dave Bautista will have a successful career in mixed martial arts.

    Mark Radulich: FICTION. The man is over 40 years old. Yes, he may win one or two novelty fights for whatever promotion is willing to pay him big bucks but that is all he will accomplish. He isn’t going to fight in the UFC. He isn’t going to be winning any meaningful titles and his career can’t possibly go more than a year or 2. I have all the respect in the world for Bautista or anyone else for that matter who seriously trains and chooses to fight professionally. However, it’s a little too late for him to be anything other than a special attraction. He simply cannot be taken any more seriously than that. Being a novelty fighter is not “being successful;” It is being Bob Sapp.

    Ari Berenstein: FICTION. Dave Bautista / Batista may turn out to be a decent MMA fighter, but I don’t think he’ll be long for the MMA world. It is commendable that he follows his passion and actually goes through with fighting, but at his age and experience level there is only so much he can do and only so far he can go. I don’t think UFC will pick him up unless he fights many times against good opponents and wins them all and even then it is a long-shot. They never ended up bringing in Bobby Lashley, whose fights have been against mostly average or sub-par opponents. So maybe Bautista will be successful in that he has a small winning record or in that he gets what he wants out of participating in the sport, but when looking back at the strength of his opponent and the visibility of his fights it may not amount to much besides that personal satisfaction.

    Final Score: 5 for 8

    I’m impressed that Mark managed to work his favorite MMA fighter Bob Sapp into the discussion. He spent a half-hour after our podcast with Jeremy Lambert going on about the guy. Thanks so much to Ari & Mark for their participating this week, and I invite you to chime in with your takes down in the new & improved comment section. See you next week!

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