Ask Apter: Vince McMahon's retirement; Wardlow in WWE; was it really Ric Flair's final match?
For the past few weeks, I've been compiling your emails, tweets, and texts and putting the three most asked WWE questions here on "Ask Apter."
If you have any queries you would like me to consider answering, please email me at bill.apter@sportskeeda.com.
And now (in a ring announcer voice, please) it’s time to ASK APTER!
Q: What do you think of Vince McMahon retiring? -- Anthony Quitella, Philadelphia, PA
At 77, time for me to retire.
Thank you, WWE Universe.
Then. Now. Forever. Together. #WWE #thankful
A: Thanks for the question Anthony -- and so many of you who asked this same one. Okay, here's my take, and this has several things to take into consideration.
First, the reason for him stepping down. Of course, I cannot and will not condone what he allegedly did. I am shocked that he announced his retirement. I never thought -- no matter the circumstances -- he would do so. Yes, this was a "Stone Cold" stunner for me.
Secondly, will he really be totally hands off the product? In my opinion, the answer is a solid "no." Given that his son-in-law Paul "Triple H" Levesque is now in charge of creative -- like at a family gathering -- it's a given they would chat about the creative end of things, in my opinion (I could be totally wrong, of course, as there may be a "non-disclosure" rule here).
On the business end, his daughter Stephanie, along with Nick Khan, call those shots, and I do not think either of them will confer with Vince as it would most likely be wrong to do so. The legal allegations against him would certainly prevent this type of conversation from taking place.
Finally, do I think Vince will totally never be seen in a WWE ring again in any capacity? My answer is "no." Somewhere down the line -- even if it's years from now -- he will emerge and be totally embraced by the WWE Universe worldwide. That's not a prediction -- that's a spoiler!
Q: What would WWE do if Wardlow was working for them? -- Gregory McNeal, Toronto, Ontario
#AEWDynamite
Walking into Wednesday 🐺 #AEWDynamite https://t.co/Q8GaQIhUBH
A: OMG -- they would make him a bigger monster than he is in AEW! Not a knock to the AEW creative department, but this guy should be a main player each and every week.
You know what drives me crazy? When he comes to the ring for an interview or to make a save, they have him come out with his shirt on! The guy has a great wrestler look and body -- why hide it?
In WWE, he would be the modern version of Batista. Imagine Wardlow against Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Drew McIntyre. So the answer is that he would become a household wrestling name in WWE, as that's where he would get the opportunity to shine in a top-tier spot.
Q: Bill, what did you REALLY think of Ric Flair's final match?-- Mike Bauman, Atlanta, Georgia
Do Whatever Makes You Happy! You Only Live Once! WOOOOO! https://t.co/VvBn6zCjUG
A: Okay, I have mixed feelings about it. I am glad to see that Ric made it out alive. I was very concerned about the one or two times he passed out (he admitted this publicly).
I thought he should not have started the match but been made a "hot-tag" a few minutes into the bout. What I would have liked to have seen is tag, kick the opponent low, the opponent crashes to the mat, Flair puts a figure-four-leglock, and it's all over.
Making him a bloody mess is not something I wanted to see. The match went on for too long. I sincerely hope this was his final match, but he shot some small angles with Carlos Colon a week or so afterward in Puerto Rico. He and Carlos must have wrestled over 100 times, but let's hope one more time is not going to happen!