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JR's Blog: Is CM Punk leaving WWE? Will Hulk return to WWE? Why no viable Factions? Why Scott Hall left WWE in '02? Packed Q&A Blog.

Posted: Jul 10th 2011 By: CMBurnham

11th day in a row of 100+ degrees here in Norman. Challenging to get much done outdoors because the heat is oppressive. If you're in an area with extreme heat and drought then take precautions and use good judgment.

Today I'm answering questions that have been sent to the Q&A section of our site. Thanks for stopping by and for your continued support of our brand and products at http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss.

Did I ever work with Lee Marshall? Nope. I think we met somewhere down the road. He was a friend of Bischoff's as I recall so I'm surprised that Marshall, who has/had great pipes, didn't have a long, WCW run.

Why didn't WWE wait 18 months to do the 'Invasion' storyline? Beats me but the top talents that were needed to make the storyline really work were getting significant monies from Turner/WCW to essentially sit at home and fulfill their contracts. When judging the Invasion business, it's easy to Monday morning QB the matter but few will argue that it could have been more productive.

Why are there no viable factions? Factions were awesome in preceding generations because there were more recognizable stars who could be cast as members of various factions. Replicating successful factions today can be accomplished, in theory, but not nearly as easily as it was when, say, the Horsemen, were formed. Plus, for factions to be successful they have to have success in the ring over an extended length of time and cannot be overstocked with members.

What big stadium do I think WWE should use that they haven't? Easy, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Gotta be a future site of a Wrestlemania.

Will Hulk Hogan ever return to WWE? I have no idea. I assume any thing is possible. I can't see Hogan returning to wrestle multiple matches in WWE due to his health issues but regarding this talent and his future I simply don't know and nothing would surprise me.

Why are there not more 'top talent' surprises appearing on WWE TV and challenging WWE's incumbent top guys. Ever heard of contracts? Legal issues prevent talents from jumping from one brand to another PLUS who's out there that would make a massive impact if they just showed up live on RAW unannounced?

Do I expect to see a John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio PPV main event this year? Personally, no but who knows how the talent deck of cards will be reshuffled as the year goes on?

Why was the Steve Austin turn to being a villain unsuccessful at WM17? Bottom line, as SCSA would say, is that the simply fans didn't want Steve to be a villain. Can you see John Wayne in his heyday portraying a Nazi General? Me neither. BTW WM17 was a great PPV and memorable to me and is one of my all time favorite WWE PPVs.

Why did Scott Hall leave WWE in 2002? After the infamous plane ride from hell and the unprofessional incidents that ensued by many, it was decided that having Scott back on the road with extensive traveling was not in the best interests of the talent or WWE.

Why doesn't WWE produce DVDs of the Mid South Library? Simple. WWE doesn't own the Mid South Wrestling library. It can be seen at www.universalwrestling.com. To buy a library there must be two elements in place. An interested buyer and an interested seller. WWE has a keen interest but has been unable to come to mutually agreeable terms to purchase one of the last, great wrestling libraries available. I would love to see WWE own the library, maximize the legacy of the promotion and at the same time provide a fair payday to the owners.

Do I like the Money in the Bank Ladder match concept? I do. I've called many, many ladder matches, some of the best novelty matches I've ever seen, and adding the stipulation of cashing in one's contract to vie for a title is compelling and has been paid off over the years. MITB is a very creative concept.

What are my thoughts on homophobic remarks made by wrestlers either in a diatribe or an attempt at humor? Unacceptable. Period. End of story.

When will our on line store reopen? That's hard to say. We are looking to outsource the order fulfillment aspect of the business as it's grown way beyond our means to handle it. In the meanwhile, http://www.wweshop.com/Category/JimRoss is doing a great job for us and they ship literally everywhere. Until we get up and rolling in some form, your support of WWEShop and their distribution of our family products helps us a great deal.

Where are the legends Roundtables available? Only on cable systems that carry WWE On Demand and only in the USA and Canada. Technology, as I understand it, hasn't been perfected yet to deliver the 'on demand' concept to satellite. I am also unaware if WWE will be releasing any DVDs on Legends Roundtables. One was previously released but I'm under the impression that it wasn't a top seller. As I understand it, Legends Roundtables will not be made available at this time on WWEClassics.com.

Is CM Punk leaving WWE? I'm not involved in this matter whatsoever but from what I've read and what WWE has publically stated, Punk vs. Cena at the MITB PPV in Chicago, Punk's hometown, will be CM Punk's last, foreseeable bout in WWE....win, lose, or draw. As an outsider looking in, I'd say Punk will finish up Sunday July 17 as WWE has stated.

Are all the activities at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame open to the public? Most are. You can get all the info by checking out their website at http://wrestlingmuseum.org or calling 319-233-0745 for more info. The event is in Waterloo, Iowa on July 22-23. I'm looking forward to it a great deal as is Jim Duggan, Jerry Brisco, Dan Hodge, and Mick Foley among many others.

Have a great weekend and join us on Twitter @JRsBBQ where we have over 175,000 followers and are growing daily. Plus, the Q&A section of the site has been updated too.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.