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WWF Byte This! by E.C. Ostermeyer

18.1.2

Main

BLAH

This is the WWF Byte This! report for Friday, 18 January 2002, and I'm E.C.
The guy who (if you are a regular visitor to the 411wrestling.com site,) had a little trouble proofreading his Mind Squeezins article this week.
My apologies to Tazz, and I hope the big man don't stuff ME in a car trunk this week! Jeez, I'd rather face an armed Tony Soprano.

As penance, I am to do a plug for 411wrestling's new T-shirt.
It is a cool T-shirt, and very durable. Get one for your favorite bedwarmer. It'll make him/her/it look REALLY sexy!
Sheesh!

Go.
Buy.
NOW!

On today's show, the Royal Rumble gets promo'ed to a fair thee well, Droz relates what it's like being in the Royal Rumble, Tazz takes us for a ride on the New Jersey Turnpike, though not from inside a car trunk, and Kurt Angle wants to be Your Olympic Champion.
For real.
Once more.
I am not kidding!.

Opening credits

are obliterated by a raucous Royal Rumble blurb, complete with Good Ol' JR muffing only half his lines this time, and Jerry Lawler's voice hitting G above high C, up in the "Dogs and Bats Only" frequency range.
The accompanying graphic includes an image of Ric Flair, participating in an impromptu game of "Red Light/Green Light."

Kevin Kelly is attempting to tell a joke to a bemused Howard Finkel.
"...priest and a rabbi all walk into a bar..."
"I think I heard this one before, Kev," says Fink, who spots Byte This! producer Big Country's frantic waving, and tries to lets Kelly in on the fact that the show has started.
"Uhh, I think we're on the air..." begins Fink
"Nah, the show doesn't start for another fifteen min- Uhhh, hello and welcome to another edition of Byte This!" says Kelly, who spots the wildly gesticulating Big Country just in time.

Kelly and Fink (who's doffed his baseball cap this week, and looks like Jean-Luc Picard's chubbier, hipper little brother as a result) shill the Royal Rumble like crazy. They give particular emphasis to DirecTV subscribers, informing them that they can watch the entire PPV, including the special ultra-hip two hour pre-game show starring Kev and Fink, on RoyalRumble.com and wwf.com. The cost is only $14.95 and kids get your parents permission first before ordering, we aren't kidding this time.
Also, they will be asking all callers and chat-roomers for their pick as to who will win the Royal Rumble this year, sort of an unofficial poll, and give the results at the end of the show.

Kelly says that the locker room is in a turmoil, as many of the wrestlers who are participating in the Rumble see it as perhaps their best chance to make a grab for the brass ring, and move up into top card status.
Fink agrees, but goes on to say that those same wrestlers are also saying that Chris Jericho won't be the Unified Champion after Sunday night's show, and that it'll be somebody else who will face the winner of the Royal Rumble at Wrestlemania X-8.
"A lot of people haven't given Jericho the respect due to his being the Unified Champion," says Fink, " and I think they are missing a crucial point. Like it or not, he is the Unified Champ. As Jericho said in that dynamite promo of his on Smackdown last night, he's going to do whatever it takes to be the Unified Champ at Wrestlemania as well.

Time for "Droz's Two Cents," Darren Drozdov's weekly review of all things WWF. Kelly asks Droz what it's like being in the Royal Rumble. Droz says that you hope you draw a number way down the list; otherwise, you have to pace yourself.
"I drew third in the Rumble," says Droz, "and stayed in until the ninth or tenth guy showed up. Pacing is everything if you are in early, but you can't afford to slack off, either, or your ass gets tossed over the top rope."
Kelly et al discuss the merits of last year's Royal Rumble, to see if there are any similarities.
Fink says that they should keep an eye on Kane this year, as he tossed eleven Rumble hopefuls over the top at last year's show, and was the last man eliminated by Good Ol' Stone Cold. Kane could be the one to watch this year, says Fink. Droz agrees, and adds that the Undertaker has a good chance as well, though the Royal Rumble's never been good to him, with 'Taker losing two casket match events and all. Droz also says that the early entrants had better be careful.
"If you are in the Rumble," says Droz, "you gotta watch your back, because you never know who might be sneaking up behind you."

Topic shifts to the return of HHH, and the awesome response he's gotten from the fans.
Droz is pleased with all the adulation that HHH has received, but isn't sure if HHH has gotten all the ring rust off enough to participate effectively in the Royal Rumble.
"He looks good," says Droz, "but looks don't mean the same thing if you haven't been in the ring in a while. All that working out at the gym is good, yes, but HHH needs to be sure he's gotten rid of the ring rust. He has to be asking himself if he has the stamina to compete for an hour or more, and him coming off that injury of his. Austin's not as cut or as shaped as HHH is, but he'd have no problem going an hour or more; he's done it. HHH is as much of a dark horse in the Rumble as any other wrestler."

Fink shifts the topic slightly, saying that he'd talked with Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig and Dustin "Goldust" Runnels yesterday, and that they are all excited about being in the Royal Rumble in Atlanta.
"Boy, talk about landing in the frying pan," says Fink.
Droz thinks Curt Hennig will be good to go at the Royal Rumble, and may surprise a lot of folks by staying in a long time.
Kelly agrees, saying that Hennig been working out, and is in the best shape of his career right now.
"We're in for some surprises," says Kelly, "we've got an eclectic field this year, with Hennig, Goldust, Val Venis and The Godfather all returning. It'll be interesting to see what they bring to the ring."

John from Florida is the first caller, but he hangs up before he can say anything.

Over to the Byte This! chat room, where some guy named Equinox from the United Kingdom says he's bet 100 Pounds (NOT euros, you notice) at a betting shop for HHH to win the Royal Rumble.
"That's pretty cool!" says Droz.

"Some guy named Humongous," says Kelly, "also from the chat room says, and this isn't helping matters any, folks, that Big Country's mom is like the Royal Rumble: a new guy enters every two minutes!"

"HEY!" hollers an outraged Big Country.

"I am SORRY!" says Kelly, trying, without much success, to stop sniggering, "I am truly sorry I read that..."
"The only problem," says Fink, "is that it IS two minute intervals..."
"Now wait just a..." begins Big Country.
"...which slows her processing rate down!" finishes Fink, and everybody laughs.

Big Country chews all of them out, including the chat room guys, for not coming up with more original material than ragging on his mom every week.

Next up on the phone line is Dan from Chicago, who thinks that the fix is in for the Rumble this year.
"Something's up!" says Dan, "and that's all I'm gonna say about that."
The guys press Dan to elaborate on what he means by that,
"Droz mentioned the word 'Outsiders'..." says Dan.
"Yeah, and...?" says Kelly.
"So who is to say that there aren't positions 31, 32, and 33?" says Dan.
'There's thirty men in this Royal Rumble," says Fink, "and that's it! But I see where you are going, and -"
"-And the thirty guys whose names are posted on WWF.com are the only ones who are in the Royal Rumble," concludes Kelly, "there's no position 31 or 32!"
"Ain't gonna happen," says Kelly with an air of finality.

"Out of the thirty entrants," says Fink "who do you pick to win the Royal Rumble?"
"Uhhh, the Undertaker," says Dan, "and my prediction on Flair/McMahon is: Whooooo!"

"Hey, Droz," says Kelly, "any thoughts about the shellacking the Terps got at the hands of Duke last night?"
"Ha ha ha," says Droz, "very funny."
Kelly and Droz get into some inconsequential talk about the NFL playoffs, where Droz says that Chicago is gonna clobber Philly.
Dan asks if Droz sees Chicago facing St. Louis in the Superbowl this year?
"Let's not get panicky about ... Da Bearz," says Droz.

Caller Nick from Fresno, CA thinks HHH is gonna win the Royal Rumble "because he has the fans on his side."
Kelly hasn't seen an athlete as focussed on one goal more than HHH is.
Droz agrees, but reiterates his earlier comments about LOOKING in good shape versus BEING in good shape.
"I'd like to see him win it," Says Droz, "for all he's been through and what happened before that. I'd like him to be in the Main Event at Wrestlemania, but I just don't see it happening."

Robert21 from the chat room wonders if Fink is jealous that Heyman has a better "Skullet" than he does?
"Robert then says 'Insert cheap Skullet shot here'" says Kelly.

Big Country obliges with a big picture of Paul Heyman, minus the trademark ECW baseball cap, and wow! that Skullet of his is working overtime!
"Paul Heyman has the greatest Skullet ever!" proclaims Kelly.
Fink's not jealous. In fact he's rather proud of his mature head of skin.
"Even when I did have hair," says Fink, "Heyman still beat me in the Skullet Department."

Fink changes gears and asks Droz about the Women's Title match between defending champ Trish Stratus, and the awesome Jazz.
Droz says we haven't seen half of what Jazz is capable of, and that Trish had better watch out. It's gonna be a really good match between these two.

Kelly, in his new role as official Oracle for Denny's Restaurants, prophesies that we should expect new Tag Champs, as the Dudley Boyz will take the Titles away from Spike Dudley and Tazz.

John from Florida is back, and wants to let everybody know that the Royal Rumble is his favorite PPV.
He was at the Rumble in 1991, where Sgt. Slaughter was interfered with by Randy Savage, after Savage broke his scepter over Slaughter's head. John was at ringside, and managed to retrieve the scepter when it fell out of the ring.
Kelly hopes the members of the Miami Police Dept. aren't listening to the show, because John might be in trouble.

John picks HHH to win the Rumble this year, "because he is so damned focused this year, nothing can stop him."

Kelly winds up Droz's portion of the show by asking him if he'd be on the pre-game show from 5 to 7 PM Sunday?
Droz says sure, why not?
Fink asks Droz who he thinks will win the Unified Title match?
Droz says that The Rock will win it, but it will be a lo-o-o-ng match.

Droz leaves the show, and it's time for Outthink the Fink. It's a two-parter.
Fink wants to know who entered the 1996 Royal Rumble as the first wrestler, and who entered as number thirty? Lastly, how did they get to be #1 and #30?

Tazz is up next with more "Tales from the Hook."
We get clips of Tazz's appearance at the Royal Rumble two years ago, as Tazz growls that we probably won't get any comments about them from Byte This! special guest Kurt Angle.

Kelly wants to know if Tazz will be doing his regular gig on Sunday Night Heat, even though he has the Tag Title match that evening?
Tazz says he will be all over the place Sunday.

Kelly asks about his being tossed into the car trunk on Smackdown.
Tazz says he learned all about throwing people in car trunks when he was 13 years old; he got it from his Uncle Pino.
(Jeez, I knew an Uncle Pino who lived four doors down from me in Rochester. Naw, it couldn't be...)

ON the subject of the WWF Tag Title match, the wwf.com poll has Tazz and Spike retaining the Titles 56% to 40%.
"If we keep the Titles tomorrow," says Tazz, "I predict we will have them for a long time to come."

Kelly asks about how Spike is doing?
"We have different likes and dislikes," says Tazz, "we don't travel together, but that's not a bad thing. And we rarely do a double team move."
Fink remarks that Tazz and Spike don't fit the mold of Tag Champs, who live, eat and breathe with their partner.
"You want that, check out Billy and Chuck!" laughs Tazz.
Fink says he'd prefer the mix of Tazz and Spike Dudley as the Tag Champs, thank you very much.

Interesting Tazz factoids: Tazz has held the Tag Title for exactly thirteen days, and his entrance music is 13 and a half seconds long.

Next caller says that Kurt Angle will win the Royal Rumble because he is the "most connected guy in the WWF!"
Lots of puzzled looks from those assembled. Kelly says the guy is a suck-up for Kurt Angle.

More on the subject of Tazz and car trunks. Tazz says that toughness isn't about strength. Strength can be overcome by numbers. Toughness is when you knock a guy down, and he keeps getting up and coming back, getting up and coming back. Kelly asks Mr. Angle Suck-up on the phone if he's p.o.-ed at Tazz for ending Angle's winning streak two years ago at the Royal Rumble?
Not at all, says the caller, because it was an illegal choke-hold, and the referee was too scared of Tazz to disqualify him. Tazz snickers evilly, and says that Angle's got this guy wrapped around his little finger, or words to that effect.

Footage from two years ago, and Tazz is clearly applying the "Tazzmission" version of the kata-hajime.
Tazz wants to know if what he did was so illegal, how come all of his matches don't end in DQ's?
The caller leaves the show at this point, quailing in the face of such masterful logic.

Tazz picks HHH to win the Royal Rumble, on account of the momentum he's building. Outside picks are The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Val Venis, and Rikishi.

Kelly wants to know about Tough Enough champ Maven being a part of the Royal Rumble this year?
Tazz says that it's a great opportunity for the man, but that he hasn't earned it. (And a big "Amen!" to that! I'd much rather see somebody like Charlie Haas or Brock Lesnar in there.)
Tazz says that "It should be one helluva learning experience for Maven."
Kelly remarks that Al Snow is also entered in the Royal Rumble, and how will that affect Maven's performance, having to face Snow for real in the ring. Tazz says that Al Snow may be a great guy and teacher, but once you get him in the ring, "The Wack is back! Maven had better not expect any help from Al Snow," says Tazz, "because Snow will treat Maven like any other wrestler. He'll clobber him."

Some guy named John Andrade, who is supposed to be the New York Knicks' color commentator, brings up the subject of the rumored return to the WWF of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan.
Tazz doesn't think he can pass judgement on them yet.
"I haven't met them," says Tazz, "so I can't tell you what I think of them, can I? When they were originally in the WWF, it was a much different place than it is now. They've got new people in the WWF locker room now, established stars, people who've paid their dues and then some. If Nash, Hall, and Hogan can come in here and draw ratings for the company, I say more power to them. It'll be good for the fans and for business. If they are successful, then God bless 'em. They're on the same team as me, and everybody succeeds if the company does."

(In the background, it sounds like a typical Friday afternoon at Tazz's place in Red Hook. The kids are playing, Miz Tazz is hollering at them to keep quiet, the dog is barking...ah, family life!)

"It's Vince McMahon's job and the Creative Staff's job to keep putting out an interesting, alternative entertainment product," says Tazz, "and if he has to use Nash, Hall and Hogan to do it, then so be it."

Kelly asks if the return of Goldust to the Royal Rumble will raise some interest?
Tazz snorts, and wants to know what will happen when Goldust meets up with Chuck and Billy?
"It'll be a love-fest, obviously," says Kelly.
"More Iike a porno movie," says Tazz, "hey, maybe we'll see the sports columnist from 'Blue Boy' covering the Rumble. You know, the magazine Michael Cole reads!"
(Ouch! Way to 'out' your co-workers, Tazz!)

Kelly asks if Tazz plans to rewrite history this Sunday, and have another Royal Rumble Moment when he and Spike defend the WWF Tag Titles?
God willing, says Tazz, who then recounts how it was two years ago, when he made his debut at Madison Square Garden.
"I was really nervous," says Tazz, "I was backstage, with Bruce Prichard, and Kurt Angle was cutting one heckuva heel promo out in the ring. I was scared the crowd wasn't going to recognize me. I told Prichard I hoped the fans know who I was. Then my entrance music fired up, and the crowd went berserk, just a huge pop! Prichard looked at me, smiling, and said I think they know who you are, all right!
It was the greatest feeling I've ever had. Ever!"

Lo and behold, here's Your Olympic Champion, Kurt Angle, who says that Tazz never beat him because it was an illegal chokehold.
Tazz laughs evilly, but says nothing.
"I talked to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), " says Angle, "and they agreed it was an illegal chokehold..."
Tazz can still be heard laughing in the background.
"... and I never tapped, either!"
"I knew you wouldn't tap," says Tazz, "because I knew you had too much pride as an Olympic Gold Medalist. So, well, you got such a skinny neck, I just cranked down a little harder, and you went night-night..."

"Now wait a minute here, Tazz..." begins Angle.
"No, no, really," says Tazz, "the hardest thing I had to do was to get my arms around that neck of yours..."
Kelly, Fink, and everybody in the studio is laughing by now.
Angle says that it was a greatest moment for him, too.
"I thought, man, listen to that crowd," says Angle, "this guy is a superstar already. It was the same reaction, the same electricity that HHH got on his return. We had a phenomenal match, and Tazz NEVER WON! He was the last man standing, which isn't the same thing as winning, but it was a great way for him to come in to the WWF."

Kelly asks Angle if he was intimidated by Tazz's reputation being the ECW World Champion, the "Human Suplex Machine?"
"Tazz's style is different from mine," say Angle, "he's a hoodlum, a street fighter, while I'm an Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler, but when we are in the ring, it's like looking into a mirror for me. A lot of things we do the same, lots of suplexes, lots of wrestling moves, there's great chemistry between me and Tazz. Although we had the opening match of the Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden, I'm hoping we will some day be the Main Event at the Garden for the WWF Title some day. That's the chemistry we have."

"The only reason I don't do a moonsault," says Tazz, "is that I don't want to step on Kurt's toes. Angle does the greatest moonsault in the business. I could do a great moonsault, but I don't want to bury Kurt's stuff."

Kelly asks Angle to comment on Tazz as a travel partner, specifically his paranoia, his miserable attitude, and how that misery translates into a long car ride to a wrestling gig."

"I'm always talkin'," says Angle, "and after about oh, 20, 30 minutes, it'll get on Tazz's nerves, and he'll tell me to shut the hell up! Well, I shut up for about five minutes, and then I start talking again. Then Tazz hollers 'God I can't TAKE it ANYMORE! Pull over!' And Tazz gets out and uproots some trees or something to get himself calmed down, then he climbs back in the car and we go on. I never pictured Tazz and I as traveling partners, but we have that chemistry, and, uh, well, he's not very tolerant with me..."

"It's the tollbooth people," says Tazz, "the people in tollbooths that Kurt knows. He knows TOLLBOOTH people! By name! I get hot at them."
"Yeah," says Angle, "Tazz has a real short fuse..."
"Tell us about the tollbooth people, guys," says Kelly.
"An example," says Fink, "give us an example."
"Tazz told a tollbooth guy once," says Angle, 'that if Joe's Diner wasn't EXACTLY up the road and to the right like the guy said it was, he was gonna come back and kick his ass!"
Tazz is cracking up at this, as are Kelly and Fink.
"He was SERIOUS!" says Angle.

"Hey," says Tazz, "remember the time at the Marriott, when we were checking in and that guy WALKED AWAY from me while we were talking?"
"Yeah," says Angle, "That got Tazz all fired up! This guy walks away from Tazz (!) while Tazz was talking to him, (!!) and Tazz hollered 'Don't turn your back on me! I'll kick your ass!' I thought 'Oh boy, we are gonna get arrested.'"

"Reminds you of Easter Sunday in the Hook, doesn't it, Tazz?" says Kelly.

"Hey," says Tazz "I thought, 'I'll go to jail, and while they are taking me off, Kurt'll be laying out people left and right, and he will just smile, and they'll leave him alone.'"
"I keep Tazz in line," says Angle.
"He does," says Tazz, "he does indeed."
"And he keeps me on time," says Angle.
"I do indeed," says Tazz.
"Because he is always punctual," says Angle.
"I am always on time," says Tazz, who then thanks everybody and leaves the show.
Fink says he will see Tazz in Chattanooga tomorrow.

We get a clip from last Monday's Raw show, where Kurt Angle squared off against the Big Red Machine himself, Kane. Definitely a candidate for Match of the Year, with both wrestlers selling every move like the professionals that they are.

Fink asks Angle about participating in the Royal Rumble for the first time in his career.
Angle says that he's ready to be in the Royal Rumble itself, but nervous at the same time.
"If you can come out on top," says Angle, "you are considered to be one of the best in the business, a top contender. That's what I want to be."
"Droz says that the Royal Rumble could very well be a test of endurance," says Kelly, "depending upon the luck, or the 'unluck' of the draw. If you draw, say, #1, are you prepared to go over an hour in the ring if necessary?"
"Not to compliment myself too much, although I do all the time," says Angle, "but I'm the most and best conditioned athlete in the WWF, and in the best shape of my career right now. If I go first, I'll make it through to the end. If I win, I win. If I don't, well, Kurt Angle will have put on a tremendous performance."

Fink says that, while drawing the lower numbers has it's drawbacks, doesn't drawing the higher numbers also change the style of wrestling you'd use?
"Without a doubt," says Angle, "if I drew #25, I'd be clearing the ring of everybody in there, and setting up for the next five arrivals. I'd be a pumped-up Kurt Angle going flat-out to win the Royal Rumble. Drawing earlier forces you to pace yourself, but if I draw later, you'll see Kurt Angle on fire!"
"You get a Stone Cold, or HHH, or Undertaker coming in the later rounds, you got a big problem facing you."

Kelly remarks that Angle had a big role to play in making HHH's return a successful one.
"That's the single most impressive thing I've seen in the WWF," says Angle. "the fans have respect for what he's been through, not what he's done. I made sure they remembered that he was a really bad guy before the injury. I was impressed by the fans' appreciation of his skill and determination, even though they knew who HHH was. I was honored to be a part of it, too."

Kelly announces that they've got a winner in the Outthink the Fink contest, so no more emails, please.

Looking down the road, what does Kurt Angle see in Wrestlemania?
"I want to be in the Main Event at Wrestlemania," says Angle, "I am at the peak of conditioning right now, but I don't know how long that will last, but right now, I'm ready. I am one of the best, and I can put on one tremendous show at Wrestlemania. It is the top event of the year, and to be in it, especially the Main Event, would cap off my career."

"You know," he continues, "prior to my joining the WWF, I didn't have any respect at all for what these guys did. I didn't think pro wrestlers were real athletes. Well, I learned the hard way. They are athletes all right, but they are also entertainers. Many athletes have tried pro wrestling and failed. If those who scoff would watch it more, they'd want to get into it."

Fink avers that Angle is planning to be a part of the 2004 Olympics, is this true?
"Yes," says Angle, "I have the go-ahead for 2004, and as long as I stay healthy, I'll be there. It'll mean taking some time off to train in 2003, so the fans won't see Kurt Angle very much at all next year. With a full year of training with the right program and the right training partners, I can win Olympic gold once more."

Fink tosses out the fishhook, asking "What happens if you don't make it in 2004?"
"If I don't make the team," says Angle, "or if I make the team, and I don't win the Gold Medal, then I'll know I wasn't as good as I was in 1996. I can accept that. But America needs to know that wrestling isn't an American sport, like baseball or basketball; it doesn't have the following over here that it does in Europe and Asia. Yes, I will be eight years further along from where I was in 1996. It will be difficult to win, but I can do it again. I know it."

Fink asks if there will be increased media attention on him since he's Kurt Angle?
Would the increased media pressure affect him?
"If anything," says Angle, "it would motivate me even more. And if I get beat, I'll be beat because I wasn't the better man. The media's not going to get to me."

The next caller wants to know which story line Angle had the most fun with?
"Probably, the triangle with HHH and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley," says Angle. "The writers left it open and unresolved, so you could see it come back. It could happen. If I win the Royal Rumble, and HHH wins the Title at the "No Way Out" PPV. HHH vs. Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania X-8. Now THAT would be some Main Event!"

On the subject Shane McMahon, Angle thinks that, for not being a real athlete, Shane is phenomenal in what he does. "I've wrestled Shane three or four times," says Angle, "and my favorite match is still 2001's King of the Ring. I got a concussion that night, and Shane did real well keeping his composure, knowing I was injured. I'm just sorry it didn't do any better than sixth in the Match of the Year for 2001. I'd love another match with Shane, maybe at Wrestlemania.

The next caller wants to know how Angle would eliminate HHH from the Royal Rumble?
"Suplex over the top rope." Says Angle with finality. "With Steve Austin, HHH, and the Undertaker all in the ring at the same time, it's going to be difficult to eliminate all three of them. So I'm hoping that two of them will toss out the other one, and I'll work on those that are left."

What was Angle's favorite match?
"October 2000, at No Mercy, facing The Rock.," says Angle. "A special night for both of us."

The next caller wants to know if the "What?" chant has affected Angle's ability to cut a promo?
"It is the biggest nuisance I've ever had to contend with," says Angle, "and I'll never forgive Steve Austin for getting it started! I have something to say, and that "What?" chant always makes me change it around! I asked Austin to tone it down, can't you, and he just laughed and told me to "Live with it!"

About travelling after 9/11 Angle says he's being very patient with all the extra security precautions.
"I'd rather get to where I want to go because of the extra time it takes to make sure about things," says Angle, "when I get to the airport, I'm not treated any different than anybody else taking a flight. Everybody gets the security check, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"There's no way for anything to get past what is in place in airports now," says Angle, " and if it means having to wait an extra hour to maybe catch a terrorist, then I'm fine with waiting. The wrestlers always joke about what would happen to the poor terrorist who tries to hijack a flight full of WWF wrestlers! It doesn't bear thinking about!"

(Sheesh, I'd rather get sucked into the maw of a jet engine than face a jacked-up planeload of wrestlers. I'd at least have a chance with the jet engine!)

"If some Security guy let me through because I was Kurt Angle," he continues, "and not check me out, I'd get mad all right, because that means they're letting other people through as well. Everybody gets checked, all the time.

Kelly wants to know what winter Olympic sport Angle likes the best?
"Bobsledding," says Angle, "I talked to the US Olympic bobsledding coach before I tried out with the WWF. My friends said I'd be a natural, I'd catch on very quick. Think of it, I could have won Olympic Gold in another sport! Wow!"

Kelly and Fink both thank Kurt Angle for showing up on today's show. Hugs and air kisses all around, and Angle leaves.

The Outthink the Fink answer is:
#1 position: HHH
#30 position: Duke Droese
They won those positions by participating in a "Free For All" match
The two-man match stipulated the winner getting #30, and the loser #1.

(Duke Droese?)

The Royal Rumble Poll ends in a tie between HHH and Kurt Angle.
Fink chooses HHH.
Kelly chooses Chuck Palumbo of Billy and Chuck.
Fink says that Curt Hennig is his dark horse pick.

The show ends with 1992 Royal Rumble where Ric Flair wins, becoming WWF World Champion.

Next week's show has Chris Jericho as the scheduled guest.

See you then.

(Blatant plug #2: Please buy the 411wrestling T-shirt.
Ashish and Widro are trying to start a family, you know.)

E.C. Ostermeyer
[slash] wrestling

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