Hack-Man Q&A

Last updated 21 April 2015


Q&A

By Lance Storm

October 21, 2006

Q: Was there anyone you were afraid or hesitant about getting in the ring with, maybe they were sloppy or were clumsy in the ring?

A: Not that I recall no. I'm fairly confident in my ability to take care of myself. The person would have to be pretty bad before I was concerned.

Q: Have you ever been contacted by TNA for any reason?

A: I've talked to several people in TNA over the last 2 or 3 years.

Q: Do you feel that a major reason why TNA is not major competition for the WWE because people don't know that it exists yet? If so, is there anything else that they can do besides having a new timeslot and hiring Kurt Angle to make themselves known to the public.

A: It is near impossible to compete with WWE. They are the established product that everyone knows. Even if TNA were a way better product with a 2-hour show it would take a long time to switch fans viewing trends. Think about it this way. If you invented a better tasting Cola product, do you think you could make it more popular than Coca Cola, just because it's a better soft drink? Of course you couldn't. Coke is a nationally established brand, and competing with that is near impossible. WWE is a nationally established brand and TNA is a wrestling show. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

Q: Are you familiar with Wrestlecrap.com? I noticed the newest Bookmarks selection (Death of WCW), which was co-written by the creator of Wrestlecrap. As a regular on the Wrestlecrap.com message board (where you are pretty much looked at as being a wrestling god), I'm sure I'm asking this question on behalf of my cohorts on that board as well. Also, if you are familiar with Wrestlecrap, what do you think about a site that pokes light-hearted fun at some of the 'less-appealing' gimmicks in wrestling's past?

A: I am familiar with the site. I checked it out when I selected the book for Book Marks. I got a kick out of the inductions and was happy to see I am up there as well. As much as I don't' like people making fun of this business, let's face it, this business has done a lot of STUPID SHIT!!

Q: When you left ECW for WCW back in the day was there any interest in going to WWE instead of WCW or did they have interest in you?

A: I was told afterwards that they had interest, but I felt that they had more than enough talent at the time and thought I would be given a better opportunity in WCW. Paul also had strong WWE ties and I thought he might cause problems with a WWE deal in efforts to keep me in ECW.

Q: Does it upset you when people say that wrestling is fake?

A: Not really, I gave up worrying about what people say a long time ago.

Q: What is the best method to obtain good ring psychology for a worker? is it learned, experience or just some guys have a knack for it?

A: You can either come be trained by me, or get lucky and work people who understand it and learn from them.

Q: Do you think the average WWE fan has respect for the pain and work that guys put into their craft?

A: I think for the most part they do. They may not fully grasp what some guys go through but I would say most fans feel we work VERY hard at this job.

Q: What is a good sign that there is good ring psychology in a match? Such as believable false finishes etc?

A: That is part of it, but crowd reaction is the best indicator. I'm not talking just pops for spots but genuine emotion out of a crowd. I explained it this way to my students, which I think illustrated it well. Each move has a "Blue Book value" pop to it. A shooting star press will get an "X" pop no matter who does it. A stiff ass drop kick to the face will get a "Y " pop, regardless of who does it. Good ring psychology will allow you to get GREAT than "blue book value" pops for your moves because fans care about the individuals in the match and the consequences of the move as well. Young guys who are bump and spot fest crazy prostitute their bodies by just using more and bigger "blue book value" moves in order to get more crowd reaction. This leads to dangerous standards, burning out of crowds, shorter careers, and pain pill addictions. It is a DEAD END road in so many ways.

Q: What did/do you think of Ken Shamrock's work in his prime with WWE?

A: To be honest I didn't see that much of it. I was working in ECW and WAR at the time and was so busy working I didn't watch that much of it.

Q: In a previous commentary, you mentioned how Vince had commented to you about a commentary you had done on your website. So does that mean he actually checks the content of your website?

A: I assume someone in the company brought it to his attention. Vince works too hard to be spending time surfing the Internet reading what I write. There were several office people who I know read my stuff, one of them likely mentioned it to Vince. It was a commentary I did on legalizing Pot. I was against it and Vince agreed with me.

Q: I'm a really big fan of yours and miss seeing you on television every week. I've seen you perform a couple of times in Moncton NB and you seemed to have a blast! I believe I read somewhere on your site that you thought Moncton was a great wrestling city. I was just wondering why you would point out Moncton over so many other big cities? Also, how do "the boys" feel about wrestling in the Maritimes?

A: I pointed out Moncton as well as Halifax, because for some reason I was just ridiculously over in those Cities. I generally get a strong Baby Face reaction in Canadian Cities but in those two I often got Rock type crowd reactions. I think on the whole the boys love the Maritimes because crowds are traditionally large and rowdy.

Q: LANCE WHY DONT YOU GO TO TNA WHY NOT ECW?

A: I am very happy running SWA and have no interest in working full time any more. I like the stress free politics free environment of being home. There are no politics at home, I just do what my wife tells me. (LOL)

Q: What are some of the typical reasons a wrestler "no shows" an event? Are there acceptable situations that promoters will accept or are all "no shows" treated the same? Have you ever "no showed"?

A: I don't recall no showing an event but it is always possible that I have. There are a few cases where it is acceptable. If you flight gets cancelled or delayed it's obviously out of your control. I may have missed an ECW show because of this. Some guys are just irresponsible and show up late and miss flights or double book and no show on purpose, these types of cases will get you heat and a bad reputation.

Q: Do you watch the show The Ultimate Fighter or any UFC PPVs? Do you think guys like Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, or Chuck Liddell would do well in the WWE or TNA? Did you ever have the opportunity to work with Ken Shamrock or Tank Abbott when they were in the pro wrestling biz? What are your thoughts on those two as pro wrestlers?

A: It is a tough transition from UFC to what we do, so it is hard to tell which if any could make the cross over. I've never met Ken, and never worked with Tank. Tank was an entertaining character.

Q: Are there any or is it possible for a non TNA/ WWE wrestler to wrestle full time and make a living doing it? Also how long were you wrestling before you were doing it full time?

A: I broke in, in 1990 and was pretty much wrestling full time by 1993. I would imagine a guy like Colt Cabana is making a living not working TNA or WWE. There are certainly more guys not making a living at the Indy level than are but it can be done.

Q: I was just wondering of what you thought of Jeff Hardy as a worker? And also what you thought of him as a bumper? In Edge's book he said " I can't imagine how Jeff must have felt, although I think he is quite possibly the best bumper in the business". I was just wondering what your thought on this are.

A: I enjoyed working with Jeff, but the time I was working with him, he was not terribly motivated. We were doing tag matches mostly and Hurricane, Matt and I would for the most part put it all together and just insert Jeff's trade mark stuff.

Q: I'm guessing that you had to lift a lot by yourself, especially since the routine on your site had no barbell lifts. How did you get your dumbbells in position for chest presses by yourself?

A: For flat presses I just rest the Dumbbells on my thighs as close to my waist as possible and then when I roll back on the bench they pretty much roll up to where I need them. For incline I rest them on my knee and then just pop them up with my leg to where I need them.

Q: Similarly, how did you get the curl bar in position for head cavers?

A: I usually just lay the bar on the bench at one end and then lay down with my head at that end and just reach back and pull it up from there.

Q: Are you retired, or are you taking time off ?

A: I'm semi-retired. I have zero plans on coming back to work fulltime. I run SWA full time and occasionally consider the odd booking.

Q: I just wanted to ask, as someone who's been in a lot of tag teams, what's the easiest and hardest parts of being in a tag team? And also, are there any tag teams that have caught your eye recently, be it in WWE, TNA, or various indies?

A: The hardest part about being in a tag match is being on the apron when things go wrong. There is nothing you can due to salvage things so it is very frustrating. To be honest not many new teams impress me. I think true tag team psychology is dieing out and few people understand fully what tag matches are all about. I'm considering doing a Instructional DVD on Tag Team Psychology because I think it is something people need to learn.

Q: I marked for the mask switcheroo gimmick of the Killer Bees probably more than any other gimmick 20 years ago. In today's smark world of knowledgeable fans, would the Bees' gimmick fly (pardon the pun)?

A: I think anything can get over if done well. I think had Eddie and Chavo looked more alike they could have gotten it over huge during their Lie, Cheat, Steal tag team days, especially with the mask/Lucha history.

Q: Every time I've met wrestlers in airports, they don't seem to carry too much luggage leading me to believe they don't have too many changes of ring gear. Do you re-wash and if so, where?

A: You must see them before they get to baggage claim because everyone I traveled with carried tons of crap on the road. I always brought a couple pair of tights because I never washed anything on the road. A lot of guys rinse out their tights in the sink of the hotel and hang them up over night.

Q: I've once had Jacques Rougeau put the "Abdominal Stretch" on me and it really kills and so could The Figure 4 and Camel Clutch. What is your favorite and least favorite rest hold?

A: To me they AREN'T REST holds; they are wrestling holds put on for a reason not just to rest. All good hold can hurt if applied with pressure. I don't' have least and most favourite each has a specific purpose.

Q:Do you think Chris Benoit will have one more run as WWE/World Champion?

A: I'd like to think at least 1 more run.

Q: Which TNA superstar, in your opinion will bring the best out of Kurt Angle?

A: Kurt can work with anybody. I'd like to see him with Joe, AJ, and Daniels. Christian is further down my list because it's happened before.

Q: Do you think Jeff Hardy deserves a comeback push?

A: I think he is getting a push, but it isn't' about what he deserves it's about what is good for business.

Q: Would you rather win a championship title or compete on Wrestlemania?

A: I was NEVER in it for titles.

Q: Do you enjoy the "new" ECW product?

A: At times I do but not always. I loved the Test RVD match a couple weeks ago.

Q: What countries have the hottest crowds you have been involved with?

A: Most international crowds are HOT. The Countries you've gone to the least are always the most responsive. The first time we went to Korea it was insane!!!

Q: What are your three favourite moves you have ever seem performed and who by?

A: I've never been just about the moves. I still remember a clothesline Bobby Eaton hit Arn Anderson with on a SuperBrawl PPV in WCW maybe 10-12 years ago. It's all about the when and the how not about the what.

Q: With the recent rating for the Ken Shamrock vs Tito Ortiz UFC fight on Spike TV, do you think WWE should start do old school grudge match story telling like this fight did as a way to bring more realism to the show?

A: I think long term grudge match story telling has always been the backbone of the wrestling industry so YES I think it needs to be done more. Kurt and HBK was a great feud and all it was about was each thought they were the best and wanted to prove it. Wrestling booking isn't rocket science, but for some reason so many "creative" people think they need to keep reinventing the wheel.

Q: How Does Gabe Sapolsky's booking in Ring of Honor compare to Paul Heyman's booking in ECW.

A: I haven't seen enough ROH to fairly comment.

Q: Do wrestlers (especially those with short hairstyles) find it hard to get haircuts on the road?

A: Very seldom are you ever one the road for more than 10 days to 2 weeks, so you can just get your hair cut at home. There is also a hair person at TV so some guys just get it cut at work.

Q: My question for you is whether or not the Undertaker takes it upon himself to get booked into angles with some of the "less technically savvy" wrestlers over the years such as Kamala, Nailz, Giant Gonzalez, and more recently, Heidenreich, Mark Henry, and the Great Khali in order to work with them to improve their in-ring skills, or if it's just the WWE creative team that arranges these angles to create what seems to be the typical "Taker vs. the Latest Big Scary Bad Guy." Does the Undertaker find working with guys such as the above mentioned frustrating or does he just seem to accept it?

A: I believe the thought process is more in lines of trying to find viable monsters to challenge the Undertaker. Taker certainly has enough stroke to voice an opinion of who he works with but I think from a character stand point they like Taker working with large men. He has been stuck in a lot of programs with... shall we say...less stellar opponents, because of this. I think it is also believed (and rightly so) that Taker is skilled enough to salvage just about any program regardless of the opponent. If it bothered Taker enough he could get things changed.

Q: I remember a few weeks ago or so you said TNA should get a name change. I totally agree but I was wondering do you have any suggestions?

A: I never said they should get a name change! I said I felt their name choice was a poor one. Changing it now would likely be very bad as they have put a lot of time and money into establishing this and starting over now may not be wise.

Q: In 1994 you and Jericho wrestled a match against the "heavenly Bodies" Earlier that day Jericho had broken his arm but refused a cast because he wanted to be able to compete. I noticed while watching the match that obviously he didn't do as much with that arm/hand as usual but he was still wrestling which is incredible. Did it limit the things you as a team could do during that match and did you feel you had to carry a bit of Jericho's weight (so to speak)? Also you must have been worried about him during the match so did that distract you?

A: I wasn't distracted but I did have to talk him out of doing the dive to the floor that he wanted to do. Jericho didn't refuse a cast, he had surgery scheduled for the morning and had to sneak out of the hospital in order to make and work the show.

Keep the questions coming,
Lance Storm


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