Wade Keller: What do you think of Lance Storm and Justin Credible?
Talk about both of them in tandem and then contrast them. They're two young guys with
similar experience, they've taken different paths to get here, and they're in a similar
spot in the promotion.
Jerry Lynn: You know what? They're doing great. They're uh,
I don't want to say trying to because they are doing it, they're being true heels which
the majority of heels now days are what you'd call - I hate the term - tweeners. There are
too many heels out there now that want to be the bad guy but they want the applause from
the crowd at the same time. You're not a heel then. And if you're going to be a so called
tweener, you're just wasting your time and you're out there taking bumps for nothing, I
guess. Because you cannot tell a story properly and get people involved properly if you're
gonna be a so-called tweener.
WK: Do you think Lance and Justin are rivals in the sense that
they're both climbing this ECW ladder at the same time? Is there a friendly rivalry
between them to see who can do this better or do that better, get the crowd reaction, or
have better matches?
JL: No, actually I don't think they're competitive at all.
I think if anything they're helping each other learn more on how to properly be a heel.
WK: And you think they're helping each other in that process?
JL: Yeah
WK: What strengths does Justin have to make it worth building the
company around him as the top heel?
JL: Basically it's that he's trying to be a genuine heel,
plus he can wrestle, so you can do so many different things with him.
WK: Same question for Lance. What does he bring to the table that
makes him special and worth building around?
JL: Well besides the fact that he's one of the greatest
technical talents, he has got a tremendous mind for the business as far as booking ideas
and storylines and psychology. A lot of people don't realize that about him.
WK: Name two of the young guys on the roster that people should
keep an eye on that people don't appreciate yet.
JL: I could name more than just a couple.
WK: I don't want you to name every one of ECW's young wrestlers. If
there are three or four, that's great. Who in particular have you seen future sparks of
brilliance in?
JL: Hmmm. Oh, I would say someone like Danny Doring and
Chris Chetti. Guys like that. They can do some incredible stuff and they do have some
incredible matches.
WK: And a good learning curve in terms of doing all of those things
that veterans need to do?
JL: Right.
WK: What do you think of Spike Dudley?
JL: Spike is another good young talent. Right now he's
stuck in the brawling spot, but he can work.
WK: Do you sense in ECW that there is kind of a perception that one
half of the wrestlers are brawlers and the other half are the wrestlers? Not that they
don't wrestle each other and associate with each other, but are there almost two
categories?
JL: Actually, no, because believe it or not the Dudley's
can wrestle even though they're stuck in the brawling style. Balls and Rob have had some
impressive matches. You'll see some of the guys get in the ring and work out before the
show and you're like, "Wow, I'm used to seeing them brawl" and then you see them
wrestling and it's a pleasant surprise.
WK: Do you want to engage in some of the more hardcore ECW style
brawls or do you want to really stick to playing your strengths, so to speak?
JL: It depends who it's with and what the angle is because
I believe there is a time and a place for both. It just depends.
WK: So you're open minded to a frying pan here or there as long as
it's for the right reason?
JL: Well, yeah, and it depends on who's swinging it
(laughs).
WK: Are there any guys who swing a little harder than they should?
JL: Have you ever seen Ball's chairshots (laughs)?
WK: Yeah, but hasn't the recipient agreed to it ahead of time?
JL: I guess. They must. All I can do is talk for myself
because I will never be hit in the head with a chair by Balls.
WK: And you've made that clear. You'll block or duck or run?
JL: Oh yeah. I will turn and run like the biggest pussy.
WK: How long have you been in ECW now?
JL: In September it will be two years.
WK: Have you seen the wear and tear take its toll on a few of the
guys who take those chairshots and frying pans to the head? Is it something where you go
"Wow, this guy a year ago wasn't as beat down as he is now"?
JL: You see it every once in a while. You'll see that the
guys are just kind of dragging and not as... you can just ell on certain days, but then if
they get a break from it, it helps them recoup.
WK: There is nobody who seems to have lost a good portion of their
brain cells compared to two years ago?
JL: Maybe (Masato) Tanaka (laughs).
WK: Did he change over time? You know the look in his eye?
JL: There were times you could tell he wasn't feeling all
that good with all of the chairshots he was taking.
WK: Do you think there comes a time when a boss like Paul Heyman
needs to step in and say, "I've seen this too many times. I appreciate your
enthusiasm, but for your own good I'm going to tell you no, you cannot do this move or
this series of chairshots or this bump."
JL: I've seen Paul at times tell guys, "No, take a
break." So Paul E.doesn't want to see guys out there killing themselves, literally.
WK: Did you like when Sid was brought in two pay-per-views ago?
JL: I don't know. It had nothing to do with me so I guess I
really...
WK: From a company perspective, did you groan when you watched Sid
squash the two top heels in the company like they were jobbers?
JL: Well, I just questioned bringing him in since he quits
every year to play softball. I just questioned that.
WK: When you saw how he was used, did that scare you a little bit?
JL: I don't know. Yeah, I guess... the way the business is,
I try not to figure out too many decisions anymore.
WK: Of the two years you've been in ECW, has there ever been a time
when you groaned a little bit about an angle or match. Do the guys in the back do a
collective groan when something happens that they think is against the grain of what the
company should represent?
JL: I guess it would mostly be like the profanity because
to me it's just not even genuine heat. That's what causes us to lose most of our timeslots
- well, not even timeslots, but most of our TV stations - is the profanity. It's not even
the blood or anything, it's mostly the profanity. So I guess that's mainly what I've
moaned and groaned about.
