Royal Rumble format changed?, Undertaker returning to the dark side?, more Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Saturday, November 16, 2002 at 5:37 PM EST
A lot of fans are wondering how the WWE is going to put together the Royal Rumble this year. Normally, the winner of the event would get a title shot at Wrestlemania against the champion but how will that happen with two rosters with two different champions?
There was actually a plan a few weeks back to adapt the World War 3 gimmick from WCW and have two rings set up but the idea was rejected. If the original formula is kept, expect that each brand will have an equal number of participants. Raw should have 15 and Smackdown should have 15. Nothing has been made offical yet and I'm sure the WWE will toss around several ideas on how to proceed between now and January when the PPV happens.
In a recent interview, William Moody (who most fans will remember as Paul Bearer) stated that there have been talks within the WWE creative department to have the Undertaker return to his "Dark Side" persona. However, it doesn't look like there is any immediate plans for this to happen.
Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter
Jeff Wilen sent in the following:
Nowinski on ESPN Clips are shown of Nowinski giving ESPN's Jeremy Schapp an airplane spin. The segment starts out with a picture of the White House, saying how there have been 7 Harvard graduates as President, dozens in the Supreme Court and scores in the Cabinet and Senate. ESPN then says, and now one in the squared circle.
Kane says, "Chris Nowinski, you think you're real tough because you're a captain of the Harvard football team? Well, most college's cheerleaders can beat the Harvard football team."
Nowinski is shown spinning the Penn Quaker mascot (Harvard football plays today at Penn).
ESPN says wrestling is a strange world rarely visited by his kind, and that Nowinski is the first to perform in this arena. Lots of wrestling clips of Nowinski.
Nowinski graduated cum laude with a sociology degree (lineman 1996-2000) at Harvard. Nowinski says he "understands the mentality of the crowd." He's the epitome of a Harvard snob.
Kane says Nowinski is "the most talented performer right now in WWE. He's talented at doing interviews, his in-ring talent is just unbelievable, and his greatest talent is pissing everybody off quicker than anybody else I've ever seen in my entire life." -- (Wow, that's high praise).
Nowinski says "They're extremely jealous of me. They all want to be me. They all fear the fact that I'm smarter, wealthier and all that stuff."
Nowinski's Harvard coach says, "Deep down he's just a down-to-earth Midwestern kid, but that irreverent side I think has steered him towards wrestling. And by the way, he's laughing his way all the way to the bank."
Nowinski says "When you go to Harvard you can learn how to be snobby very well just by watching your fellow classmates and (how) the rich kids act. So I can turn it on. I've learned it, I can study it. I can be it."
ESPN says Nowinski says that the Dean wants people who watch wrestling to apply to Harvard. Jim Ross says "he's hallucinating" if he thinks attendance is up because of him. Kane says he asks himself every day "what he's (Nowinski) doing in WWE." Nowinski says wrestling is a "dignified thing for him to be doing."
The announcers cut to a live clip from Harvard's game today against Penn. Harvard is shown getting the opposing crowd riled up. The announcers call him the "Goldberg of the Ivy League" and "The Rock of the Miami Hurricanes."
The segment ends. Nowinski came across as smart, cocky and likable.
Jeff Wilen also sent in the following:
WWE Blind Date Recap:
Monday, Chris Nowinski: Implied that he scored with his date.
Tuesday, Nidia: Had a good date, but Jamie Knoble kept calling during the date (implied that she and Knoble were boyfriend/girlfriend).
Wednesday, Jackie Gayda: Jackie came across as being snobby. Not sure if she was playing character or not, but her and her date didn't click. Her outfit in one of the segments; wow.
Thursday, Linda Miles: Very nice personality. Implied that it may turn into a long-distance relationship.
Friday, Maven: Weird date, as they went to a modeling school and had a personality test, where Maven got emotional talking about his mother. Maven and his date didn't connect.
