Jeff Marek, host of The LAW on FAN590, joined us live Tuesday, July 18 for a little more than an hour, answering your questions.
Moderator: Hi everybody! Welcome to the Jeff Marek chat. Jeff made the long journey of about 5 blocks from the offices of The LAW and is here in person. And now, on to the questions!
Anonymous: What do you think of what XPW did on Sunday?
Jeff Marek: I thought it was a pretty cocky yet savvy move by a promotion who is desperate for attention. Both companies came out looking pretty bad though. Probably lawsuits on both sides. Paul kind of did the same thing in spirit to the NWA so I guess what comes around…….
Heyman is God!: What are your opinions on ECW bringing back a lot of it’s old talent such as the Blue Meanie and Psychosis? Is it a good idea?
Jeff Marek at CANOE. — Photo by Greg Oliver
Jeff Marek: Good idea to bring back Psychosis since the card has been so decimated by the departures…I’m not sure what Meanie can bring to the table other than comedy
terry harris: I was listening to your show a couple of weeks ago when you interviewed Steve Williams, at what point do you feel you are crossing the lines with your questions. By this I mean if a wrestler makes a statement that you do not totally agree with , do you feel comfortable challenging him or are you told in advance not to ask certain questions.
Jeff Marek: Occasionally we are told to stay away from certain question…although that is becoming increasingly rarer and rarer……I don’t have a problem challenging someone on a question but if you know it won’t get you anywhere there is not sense chasing it.
Joe: What happen to the ICW Ontario promotion. I though you were going to be the producer of there TV show.
Jeff Marek: They talked about doing TV about 2 years ago and the group (medium Entertainment) I was working with was going to produce it…..however money became a huge issue with ICW and basically they couldn’t deliver what they promised and the entire project fizzled.
Diego: Do you think that Chris Benoit will win the world title at fully loaded? and when are you going to make another edition of crippler radio?
Jeff Marek: no, I don’t think Chris will win the title anytime soon…if there is a world title on the horizon for Chris it is about a year away. As for C Radio I spoke with Chris this morning and we will shoot for sometime later this week to (finally) do another one.
DTC: Do you think that the WWF will try to pull off a “Shoot” at Fully Loaded just like WCW and ECW did on their PPVs recently?
Jeff Marek: A shoot? Nah….the formula they have right now is working just fine. I don’t see them tinkering with that anytime soon.
Anonymous: Is there any chance of you guys getting back on the air on Sunday nights? I always enjoyed watching a PPV and then listening to you guys.
Jeff Marek: I loved doing Sunday nights for that very reason. However it makes more sense from a sponsorship perspective to have the show on before not after the PPV’s to help build traffic to the shows. However we will start adding more online shows soon and Sunday after PPV’s is on the list
John Pollock: Could we ever see a one hour special on OTR on just wrestling, hosted by you and/or Michael Landsberg?
Jeff Marek: Hosted by me? no, I have a face for Radio not TV. There was talk the last time the WWF was in T.O. that OTR would do two, half hour one-on-ones with the Rock but that went south. OTR will do more wrestling specials and at one time there was talk of doing a “state of the industry” special on wrestling. I’m lobbying to bring that back
Darryl Sharma: Can you please tell us more about your latest audio show called “The PIT” that you do with Notorious T.I.D. for www.NotoriousTID.com
Jeff Marek: Well, it’s just me and T.I.D., and a bunch of questions about Indy wrestling, his career and wrestling in general. Just like we do with Storm, Saturn and (sometimes) Benoit
Heyman is God!: What did you think of Heat Wave?
Jeff Marek: I thought it was mediocre. That company has done better PPV’s. I thought Kid cash and CW came out looking really good, RVD was overexposed, it was tough to take any blood spot seriously (read: main event) after what Corino did, and the international 3 way got sloppy in spots. Having said all that I thought pretty much everybody worked hard and thought the pacing was good.
John-Paul: Where is Big Daddy Donnie gone? Will he ever host the LAW again?
Jeff Marek: Donnie is teaching full time at a high school just outside of Toronto. Not sure if he will ever host the show again but he still does daily news reports on our Starphone system at (416) 350-3000×5291. he’s on there every day
TONY TOOT: why isn’t Hulk Hogan on the LAW?
Jeff Marek: We would love to have Hogan on the show and he is welcome anytime but I’m not sure he’d ever want to do it. Trust me, if we did have him on the program it would be way different than what he does with Bubba the Love Sponge…..plus I have a feeling the callers would be merciless with him…Hogan, we’ll take him anytime
terry harris: What is your opinion of the Hulk Hogan situation in WCW, it this a shoot or is it a case of addition by subtraction.
Jeff Marek: A good angle..really well done. I thought Hogan turned in an amazing performance at the Bash PPV. But, yeah, it’s a total work. Everyone knows that now right?
DTC: With TNN dropping ECW, does that ruin any chance of a possible future ECW Canadian Tour?
Jeff Marek: Without TV it will be really hard for that company to tour Canada. My gut say’s yes without the TNN (or whatever it turns into) show I don’t see ECW coming to Canada for any serious duration
terry harris: Who in your opinion is the most under utilized worker in the big two?
Jeff Marek: Probably Kaz Hayashi
DTC: Do you like the idea of having RAW and Nitro on separate nights?
Jeff Marek: Nope, it was this competition that made (for a while) both shows better. With VCR’s it doesn’t matter when shows are on anymore.
Cuyler Syrenne: How long do you predict it will be until Y2J (the best damn wrestler there eeeeever was) will win the Heavyweight gold?
Jeff Marek: At least a year..they’re giving him (and Benoit and Angle) a view of the top but I don’t think the company is ready to hand any of those guys the ball…yet.
Frank Pozen: Would somebody explain why a pathetic move like “The Worm” gets such a huge pop? I cringe every time I see Taylor do it and I don’t understand what the appeal is. It makes wrestling fans look like fools.
Jeff Marek: Can’t say I disagree with you…but go explain the peoples elbow too. It’s just a cool (for some) looking move..I can’t explain it either. For casual fans it’s great, for people like you and me, well……..
Kim : Whats the best PPV of all time?
Jeff Marek: AAA When Worlds Collide…best in ring work of any PPV…ever. the tag with Santo/ Octagon and Art Barr/ Eddy Guerrero is a text book tag match. Every wrestling fan should see this PPV
Shawn : Has Raven and Curt Hennig joined the WWF?
Jeff Marek: Curt: No. Raven: Has an agreement with the WWF that when he get’s his release from Paul he’ll be welcome to the WWF mix
TONY TOOT: how much wrestling do you watch each week, because you must watch a lot!
Jeff Marek: Probably between 20 and 24 hours depending on what’s going on in Japan and how much international stuff I have to see. Surprised I’m single?
kc: do you think Trish Stratus’ move to being a heel is good for her career?
Jeff Marek: Sure…it sets up a babyface turn later. After Rikishi put his ass in her face I didn’t think she could be taken as a babyface anyway
wrestler78685: is the law really kayfabe free?
Jeff Marek: there are some things that I am told in strict confidence that I can’t make public but other than that everything you hear is non-biased and as honest as we can make it.
DTC: Which up and coming Canadian wrestlers do you think we’ll see in the WWF, WCW or ECW someday?
Jeff Marek: I really only get a chance to see Ontario indy’s so… I think Jamie Jackson has a shot, Custom as well, Fuego, Tornado, Eric Young. There are more but these are the guys I get to see most.
wrestler78685: will Fit Finley get a push?
Jeff Marek: I doubt it. It would be nice but in today’s wrestling climate he really doesn’t fit (pardon the pun) in. he was in his day however, one of the worlds finest
John: Why do you feel WCW would switch from the Air Canada Centre to the Skydome. They barely get 5000 people for a show so why go to a dome that holds 70,000. It looks awful for T.V, and giving away free tickets is bad for business.
Jeff Marek: That was the ACC’s idea actually. WCW had a contract to deliver 4 events last year and they only delivered two so ACC said goodbye to Atlanta and hello to New York.
Han Solo: Any new web sites soon?
Jeff Marek: We are negotiating with three major stars that I can’t discuss right now….but I can tell you we have totally redone the Dynamite Kids web site and will be launching that soon. It will have all the features as our other sites (audio, news, etc…)
Mr.JL: Do you have a another job?
Jeff Marek: No, Live Audio Wrestling Inc is my full time job. The Company isn’t just the radio show it’s a promotions and marketing company that specializes in pro wrestling.
Anonymous: Why was the Rock given a push so early, too early, in his career?
Jeff Marek: Early? Too early? I think how the company handled the Rock was absolutely perfect….and the numbers would reflect that as well.
Nova Viper: Hey Jeff, I wanted to ask you’re opinion of Curt Hennig. I think his whole career he was underrated. Do you think Curt could have been a World Championship material, if he had stayed healthy? I personally think that he had the look, mic skills and in ring ability to be a champion.
Jeff Marek: I think there was a time on the WWF when he SHOULD have been champ. But who was calling the shots then? Oh yeah, Hogan. I agree with you totally. He did have it all and it’s a shame his health was hot and cold because he could have been one of the greatest ever.
www.TheHollywoodHunks.com: What’s your opinion on the speculation of Vince Russo getting paid by Vince McMahon to corrupt WCW?
Jeff Marek: Absolutely not true. These are the same rumours that dogged Nash when he was booking WCW into the ground. Maybe Bischoff and Siegel are on Vince’s payroll.. heck, judging from the numbers it seems everybody there is being paid by Vince to tank it…
Aydin: Do you have any funny stories about your road trip with the Radicals?
Jeff Marek: Driving around Montreal till five in the morning with Perry Saturn looking for eye contact solution was interesting.
TONY TOOT: what actually is the LAW company can I work there?
Jeff Marek: Live Audio Wrestling Inc is a marketing and communications company that specializes in pro wrestling. The backbone of the company is Thin Data, a web design and E Commerce company. can you work here?
Bill Cosby: Who are you favourite wrestlers of all time?
Jeff Marek: Ric Flair, Great Muta, Chris Benoit, Ray Stevens.. man that’s a tough one..Dynamite, Tsuruta…that’s tough
Steven Guardino: Jeff, do you know why WWF does not run more shows in Canada as they did in the past (i.e Saskatoon, Quebec City etc.)?
Jeff Marek: The company gets killed on the dollar everytime they cross the border so they have to really make it worth their while. If our dollar was stronger, trust me, they would be here more often. That is the number one reason.
ginomassari: whan is WCW coming to Toronto
Jeff Marek: Sept 18th at Skydome.
Steve Mack: What do you think of Chyna in Playboy?
Jeff Marek: I will buy it only out of my sense of responsibilty as a journalist to be on top of every wrestling story 🙂
Anonymous: What is your position on dealing with the indies. Do you try to help them? If you work with them how do you remain objective when covering them?
Jeff Marek: We don’t work with any company. I consider it a conflict of interest to take money from any of the companies (which is also why I don’t own WWF stock). I help wrestlers with stuff and suggest things to indy promoters but refuse to be compensated.
DTC: If you were trapped on an island and were only able to watch one wrestling program per week, which show would you pick?
Jeff Marek: Like I’d want a wrestling show on if I was on an island. If I had to choose one it would be the (now defunct) All Japan Tv show. Good question.
D.H: Who is your favorite tag team of all time? I always loved watching Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood at Maple leaf Gardens.They had some classics.
Jeff Marek: I agree they were really good.. I would have to go with either the Bulldogs or Patterson and Stevens
Aswani: Is there racism in professional wrestling? It seems that other than Johnson and Booker T, what other coloured champions has there been.
Jeff Marek: Absolutely there is racism in wrestling just like there is everywhere in the world. Wrestling is no different. It seems so much more pronounced since the product is out for public consumption
Anonymous: Do you think Bret Hart wants to/ will ever wrestle again?
Jeff Marek: I know he wants to (trust me, he doesn’t want his career to end like this). But I have a feeling that this might be it for Bret.
Steven Guardino: Do you know why WCW does not acknowledge Vampiro as Canadian? He’s still billed from Mexico City.
Jeff Marek: It’s a Canadian Conspiracy!@! Actually when he was brought in early, Mike Tenay used to talk about him being from Thunder Bay…I think the problem is that Vamp has a strong Goth thing going on and T Bay doesn’t exactly fit the Goth bill (not that Mexico City does either I know, I know)
TONY TOOT: have you ever been to Stu Hart’s famous basement?
Jeff Marek: No, just outside the mansion. Greg Oliver showed me his pictures a while ago,….that’s as close as I’ve come.
TONY TOOT: where’s Tiger Ali Singh and his side kick Babo gone?
Jeff Marek: He injured his foot in Puerto Rico and went home to Milton. I think that the WWF is going to either send him back to work for Victor in PR or Cornette in Ohio Valley.
DTC: What do you think of WCW booking Scott Steiner verses Goldberg for Nitro? Is it too soon for them to wrestle against one another?
Jeff Marek: Way too early for this match….way too early. This is supposed to be the match they build for Starrcade. That company needs to stop trying to win the ratings war every week and concentrate on its own show. Forget winning a TV battle with Vince.
TONY TOOT: is Vader going back to the WWF?
Jeff Marek: No, apparently Vader signed a deal with Misawa’s Pro Wrestling Noah group. He belongs in japan
DTC: Have you ever taken bumps inside of a ring?
Jeff Marek: yes and my neck hurt for weeks
Aydin: You guys have been teasing a Hardy Boyz interview for a while. Whatever happened with that?
Jeff Marek: I keep talking to Matt (just about every week) and for one reason or another things never manage to work out.
John: What goes on at O’Grady’s after Raw is over.
Jeff Marek: We watch Japanese wrestling on tape. Drop by sometime
wrestler78685: do you have real guests on the law or is it Jason Sensation doing impressions?
Jeff Marek: The mask comes off!! Damn you!! I wish it were that easy.
Steven Guardino: Jeff, when will Vampiro be on Off the Record?
Jeff Marek: OTR has been trying to get for a while and he gets a lot of requests. I think the problem is going through WCW to get him. If we could just call him I Montreal and put him on a plane, no problem but you have to go through the company for TV.
Roger: What is happening with Macho Man Randy Savage? There were rumours he was going to either the WWF or ECW but haven’t seen or heard anything?
Jeff Marek: Nothing is happening with Randy. I do know that Slim Jim has been offering to eat (no pun) part of his asking fee in order to get their number one pitchman back on TV though.
Jeff Marek: Judging from Heat Wave it looks like his former girlfriend is getting more work than him these days
Andrew Martelli: Hey Jeff…. I appreciate everything you do for The LAW (the show, website and the StarPhone) I was just wondering, what was your best interview you’ve had on The LAW and also the worst interview? The best interview in my opinion you guys had was with Ted Dibiase and the worst was definitly Doink the Clown.
Jeff Marek: -Thanks for the kind words. We’ve had a lot of really good interviews on the show over the years. There are a few that pop to mind instantly: Lance Storm is always a good interview since he’s so thoughtful and intelligent; Dynamite Kid is very engaging and candid and probably the most brutally honest wrestler we’ve ever interviewed. Some of the older guys have been great too, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Bad News Allen. But I think the best interview we’ve had on The LAW (for me) was Chris Benoit. Although he is not really controversial he is always 100% genuine and has a real passion for wrestling that always comes through in his interviews. He has a good combination of respect for the past, balanced by an ever stronger optimism about the future. The worst was Duke Droese…never made it to air.
Tom Bradley: Hey Jeff: Whatever happened to the stars of that Federation in Quebec that we used to chat about in the Guild office at U of G, featuring the classic performances of Rocky Dellassera and Gino Brito Jr., Dave Schultz, and Sadistic Steve Strong? Congrats to you on the success you’ve had with the Law. Few people know wrestling like you do. Hope you’re still drumming!!!
Jeff Marek: Tom is a guy I went to the University of Guelph with and we used to shoot it all day about wrestling. That Quebec promotion folded after a few years and well, George Cannon died. Milt Avruskin lives in the Toronto area I believe but I’m not sure what he’s doing. Thanks for the compliment about the show. As for drumming, maybe I’d have time if there weren’t so much damn wrestling on TV.
Anonymous: Is the WWF still in good terms with the USA Network?
Jeff Marek: -I think it’s pretty safe to say that the relationship has been strained. Obviously Barry Diller and the USA Network feel like chumps for losing a number one rated cable property that they helped develop to rival TNN. As much as USA is publicly downplaying the loss, they’re feeling it. Big time.
Cuyler Syrenne: Is ECW in cahoots with USA?
Jeff Marek: In cahoots? I know that Paul E has been meeting with USA about moving ECW over to the network. But nothing can happen until the USA appeal plays out.
Cuyler Syrenne: How long till Big Show comes back?
Jeff Marek: Big Show has medical clearance and will be back on TV soon
Danny Middaugh: How did you get into this business?
Jeff Marek: Long story but here’s the ten cent tour. Graduated from University, took a job in promotions at The FAN, got a job sourcing programming for an Internet radio station, helped create The LAW in early 1997 and went from there.
wrestler78685: is O’Grady’s a strip club or is it open to all ages?
Jeff Marek: It is open to all ages…come on down, we’re there every Monday night. Sometimes Dan takes his pants off though
Stevie Cool: Who was the funniest guest ever on the Law, my vote goes to the Honky Tonk Man.
Jeff Marek: Yeah, I’d go Honky as well. Absolutely.
Mindwarp/Jenn (at work): Why can’t the LAW site advertise in advance who’s going to be on that week? Sometimes the guests aren’t listed until a day or so after the show was aired… And as for your face not being good enough for TV…(give us a look)
Jeff Marek: Sometimes we don’t even know till that day.
Cuyler Syrenne: Will Kevin Nash and/or Scott Hall ever return to the WWF. I’ve heard rumors that once their contracts run up, they’re WWF bound, can you confirm this rumor?
Jeff Marek: I know that the WWF would take Nash back and recently I heard that they would think about bringing Hall back to the mix. But if you consider the numbers the company is doing and the number of young prospects on the horizon I don’t know why New York would bring in two guys over 40 unless it was to put over the young stars.
D.H: What would it take to get an interview with Ric Flair? A Miracle? Would he be your dream interview?
Jeff Marek: No, Owen would be the dream interview because that would mean he’d be alive again. Flair is a tough one…I keep saying eventually and I’ll keep saying it.
Moderator: We’re going to limit it to five more questions.
Mr.JL: Which matches can you watch over and over again? I hope you’re joking about Dan.
Jeff Marek: The Tag match from When World’s Collide, Flair Steamboat from ’89, Kobashi/Kawada from ’97 and just about any Kobashi/ Misawa marathon
Anonymous: Is there heat between the LAW and the local indy the AWF? You interview wrestler’s from other indy’s but never and from the AWF.
Jeff Marek: No heat at all…. I like that company and Ron and his group a lot. If he wants his talent on the show he’s welcome to have them on. We’re just a phone call away.
terry harris: I have always heard so much about ECW and granted their PPV’s are great, but their TV show in my opinion sucks big time from the workers to the production. What are your thoughts.
Jeff Marek: Paul refuses to spend (mainly because he doesn’t have it) any money on the TNN show so invariably it will be bad TV. As for the workers, while they may not all be the best in the world the may be the hardest working locker room in the business. There is a big difference from the top workers to the bottom guys in that promotion though and it does make for some strange matches.
Justin Letto: Jeff, If ECW can’t grab a TV deal the U.S.A. do you think they would go after a TV in Canada?
Jeff Marek: They have tried to get TV in Canada befoe but the problem is that there are no Canadian broadcasters who would touch it due to content.
DTC: Will we ever see a Jeff Marek and The Mouth verses Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez match?
Jeff Marek: Considering none of us do angles I doubt it…actually Chico (Bryan) would beat us all…he knows what he’s doin’ in there.
DTC: Who do you think will be the next ECW Tag Team Champions? How about World and TV Champs?
Jeff Marek: Tag: CW Anderson and Bobby Eaton. World: RVD. TV: Kid Cash.
Moderator: Thanks to Jeff for coming by today. It certainly was a busy chat! And thanks to everyone who sent in questions — even those wondering about Dan’s underwear. In fact, maybe we’ll have Dan do a chat one of these days too!
Jeff Marek: I want to thank everybody who stopped by today. This was the first time I’ve ever done this by myself and I gotta say it was pretty cool. I’ll definitely do this again, hopefully sooner than later. Thanks to everyone who listens to the show either on The FAN on Sat nights at 11, on the net at liveaudiowrestling.com. And thanks to SLAM! Wrestling for having me by. I won’t say who the moderator was since you guys were so threatening with him and besides I don’t think Greg Oliver wants people to know it was him.
