JR's Mailbag #2

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of JR's Mailbag! This is a bi-weekly feature here on EWA.com where yours truly will be doing his damnedest to answer all the burning questions from the EWA Universe! And as for the topics of discussion, that's entirely up to you! Whether factual or opinion-based, no subject is taboo, so if you've got anything you want to know for future installments, just remember that there are two ways to go about submitting your questions. You can either get in touch via the EWA's official Twitter account or you can send a direct message to me right here on EWA.com.

With all that out of the way, let's see what's in today's mailbag:


Like in any walk of life, education and experience is key. First and foremost, finding the right school is imperative to making the best possible start in a career as a professional wrestler. While there are unfortunately a lot of scam artists out there who'll happily take advantage of those looking to get their foot in the door, I can think of three reputable schools I would recommend, all run by former EWA World Champions. You've got the "Storm Wrestling Academy" up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, run by "The Ice Cold Man" himself. Then there's Brent Albright's "Shoot Academy" in my old stomping grounds of Oklahoma, where last I heard, Becky Lynch was also helping out. And last but not least, Steve Corino recently returned to Philadelphia to set up the "Old School Wrestling Center," which has also been getting rave reviews lately.

Aside from that though, studying the greats is a no-brainer as well. From how they carried themselves, to how they won matches, to how they used the microphone, to the nuances of in-ring work and psychology, there is nothing wrong with taking lessons from all those that came before you. Thankfully, the EWA Network presents the perfect opportunity to go back and do just that, all for the small price of $9.99 a month. And just to be clear, I'm not suggesting any prospective superstars go out there and straight-up copy those who blazed that trail first, but rather be inspired by them. The EWA in particular has seen so many amazing talents come through its doors over the last 17 years and no two have ever been exactly alike. So by all means, take inspiration from the legends in this sport, but use that to help forge your own identity, both in and out of the ring, in order to connect with the audience and rack up the wins so that you might one day breathe that rarefied air as champion as well.

Next question:


Given just how the last two challengers were decided, it almost seems like a fool's folly to try and predict who is next in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar's World Championship at this point. Both Chris Jericho and Jack Swagger seemingly came from out of nowhere to earn their shots, with "The All-American American" literally not having been seen or heard from in over three years when he was announced. Still, you've got to say that both superstars stepped up to the plate in their respective opportunities, Swagger especially so.

From a personal standpoint, I would love it if we had a more "organic" challenger rise through the ranks and earn a match against "The Beast," and it seemed we were well on our way to seeing that with Ken Shamrock's success since returning to the ring. However, that loss to Trevor Mann this past Sunday (not to mention whatever damage has been done to his leg in the process) may have put the brakes on his march to the top for the time being. That then raises the question of whether or not Trevor Mann has made himself a viable contender, something for which a strong argument can certainly be made. Like I say though, nothing is set in stone.

As for my thoughts on the somewhat random nature of these recent challengers, I can understand why some fans might be confused or even frustrated with the way they've been determined. Perhaps it's not an ideal selection process, but for my money, it adds into the whole "anything can happen in the EWA" vibe that makes our product so exciting and unpredictable. Especially so with the chaotic nature in which our monthly GM's are coming in and shaking things up in highly entertaining fashion as well. Until someone truly grabs the bull by the horns and stakes their claim against our esteemed World Champion though, I have no problem whatsoever if we continue to see "random" challengers plucked from out of nowhere.

Next question:


I can think of several off the top of my head. You've got those with past experience of running the EWA like Steve Corino or Sgt Slaughter, men that know exactly what that job entails. Or perhaps even bring in my old pal "Happy" Heyman to see what ideas he can bring to the table. You'd hope not even "Paul E" would be able to bankrupt the EWA in only a month, although given his connections to several superstars over the years, there might be a strong possibility of him playing favorites, ala Zeb Colter this past month.

In terms of past superstars, I'd love to see the Vegas Connection come back and give it the ol' roll of the dice now that their wrestling days are seemingly over. It would especially be fitting this month given we're heading towards Sin City Survival as well. Similarly, someone like William Regal might give us a more European-style leaning for a month, while the rise in global popularity of NJPW would seemingly make Masato Tanaka a good fit as well, giving his "strong style" sensibilities. At the same time though, it's shocking to think that the EWA has never had a woman in charge in the last 17 years. Perhaps six-time Women's Champion Gail Kim or her old rival Molly Holly-Helms would help reinvigorate the women's division and put the onus back on our talented female roster?

Thankfully, no one has asked yours truly yet. While there was a lot of pleasure to be had back in the day seeing superstars I'd signed run with the ball, I can't say I really miss the stress of talent relations or all that day-to-day decision-making. Nope, I'm plenty content with being a "keyboard warrior" these days!

And for our final question, some EWA superstars have been in touch:


I'm not so sure about "gross exaggerations" or "fruitless grand vociferations," but I can't say I know a whole lot about the 20s and 30s other than what I learned in school. I'm old, but not that old, folks.

Still, while I've no problem with others living in the past, I truly believe that this era right now is a golden one for the sport of professional wrestling. Thanks to the EWA Network, more people than ever can watch today's shows from all over the world, as well as those from yesteryear. On top of that, our roster right now is arguably as strong as it's ever been, with an incredible array of superstars who are capable of stealing the show any given night. Plus, we're about as wide open as we've ever been in terms of opportunities out there for those willing to chase them. The Vaudevillains themselves are prime examples of this after their impressive TLC victory at Summer Stampede guaranteeing them a future shot at the Tag Team Championships. So while I can understand the temptation of wishing you could go back to a previous time, I'm happy enough with where we're at right now.

Well, aside from politically speaking, but let's not open that can of worms.

Thanks for all the questions, folks! If you've got anything you want to ask me, feel free to send them into JR's Mailbag either here or here and I'll do my best to provide an answer in two weeks time.

BOOMER SOONER!