I highly recommend WrestleCrap to all wrestling fans. Even those who don't enjoy wrestling might find the site amusing. Anyway, I love the site and R.D Reynolds (he's Burt's nephew you know?), the guy who runs it, was nice enough to agree to one of our little Q&A thingys. Let's see what kind of funny and well informed pearls of wisdom came from all of this!

Q. Hey RD, thanks for your time. Can you please tell our readers about the website you run: www.wrestlecrap.com? How did the site come into being? Did you ever imagine it becoming as popular as it is today?

I was just a pro wrestling fan, and was looking for some way to justify spending $3,000 on a computer I had just bought. My work wanted me to learn HTML, so I figured I would try to put my own website together before I tackled that one. I spent months trying to come up with a theme, and it always came back to either videogames or wrestling. But there were so many of those sites, and I wanted to do something different.

Finally, one night I was talking to the guy who would eventually co-found the site with me, Merle Vincent. We were talking about Nitro and how it was horrible, and Merle said whatever he just saw, I don't even remember what it was, was the worst thing he'd ever seen. And I said, "You must have never seen the Gobbeldy Gooker." And that triggered the idea for the site.

As far as it becoming popular…that was never in the cards. I just wanted to create something to make me and my friends laugh.

Q. What exactly is it about pro wrestling that made/makes you such a huge fan?

It's a wonderful combination of violence, theatrics, and even a bit of comedy. Well, at least that's what it is when it's really good….Or really bad, for that matter!

Q. You've actually been personally involved with wrestling in a few ways (booking and managing etc.); could you please tell us a little bit about that?

I was an independent manager here in Indianapolis for several different groups. All those groups had one thing in common - they drew about 40 people per show! And trust me, by featuring me, both as a booker and a performer, that didn't help attendance one bit! lol

Q. Who are some of your favourite inductees that have been featured at WrestleCrap?

Too many to name, but I still love anything with Cheatum, the evil one eyed midget. And some of the Hogan movies are favourites as well.

Q. Which inductees have you received the most feedback/email about?

I get the most email about the stuff I induct that some folks feel is NOT WrestleCrap. For instance, The Model or Double J. Some people felt that it was wrong to induct them. That's all well and good, and everyone's entitled to their opinion. I truly believe that. But I have yet to hear anyone explain how Jeff Jarrett was supposed to conquer Nashville via the WWF, and until I do, that's total WrestleCrap.

Q. You've had two books come about, thanks in part to the success of your website, the first being WrestleCrap: The Book and, more recently, one called The Death of WCW. How 'bout telling us a bit about the books? Shill those bad boys for our readers.

WrestleCrap is basically a look over the past 20 years at all the worst in wrestling. It's like the site, but there's a lot more meat to it. The book actually tells a story along the way of how WrestleCrap has caused men's careers to vanish before their very eyes. The foreword is by John Tenta, whom fans will know as Earthquake, and he does a great job of setting the tone for the book.

Death of WCW I wrote with Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly. The title says it all - the book chronicles how WCW went from being the biggest wrestling company in the world to dying in less than four years. It's an amazing story, one that still baffles my mind. Those who were in the company at the time, like Scott Hudson, have proclaimed it absolutely dead on accurate, which is something we were really striving for.

Both books are available at Amazon and finer book stores everywhere (because the scummier ones refuse to carry them).

Q. Also through your website you have met and built some kind of relationship with a couple of your heroes (and mine for that matter); Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, as well as John "Earthquake" Tenta. So…umm, that's all pretty cool right?

Very cool. In fact, both men are role models to me. They both treat their fans with the utmost respect. John is just a wonderful, wonderful human being. We talk on the phone quite often and he's just the greatest man you'd ever meet. I'll never forget the first time I met Bobby, we talked for almost four hours. As I was leaving, I asked him if he could sign his book for me. He said yes, but only if I signed mine for him. I still get choked up thinking about that.


Q. Hot women are nice to look at, I'm sure you probably noticed that. Who do you think are some of the hottest females ever in the wrestling world? What are your thoughts on all these current "divas" Vince and co. are trying to push on the fans?

I've always been a huge Tammy Sytch mark. I just thought she was unbelievable, not just in the way she looked, but the way she could work a crowd. Ditto Trish Stratus, whom I find not only to be absolutely gorgeous, but I really admire her for how hard she's worked to become a legitimate, bonafide wrestler. She's awesome.

Basically every other woman in the company is completely interchangeable. In fact, I don't even know half of their names. That's just bad promotion.

Q. Who are some of your all time favourite wrestlers? What are some of your all time favourite matches?

Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Ric Flair…the usual suspects. I always loved Scott Hall, too - he was such a goofball. I loved when he would make fun of the Giant in WCW and act like he was going to fall over when he got in the ring.

Hart-Austin (WM13), Hart-Lawler (Summerslam…93??), and Flair-Steamboat (take your pick) would be the matches I would take with me on a desert island. Loved them all.

Q. Apart from wrestling, what other things are you into?

Video and arcade games. I have a full size WrestleFest machine in my house, along with a Creature from the Black Lagoon pinball. I pretty much own every video game system known to man as well.

Other than that, I just like to hang out with my wife and our dogs.

Q. I happen to already know one of the answers to the previous question through reading your stuff: that being video games. What are some of your favourite games?

Hey, I just mentioned that! Are you cheating off my paper?

I am a classic game fan; it seems that I am getting further and further away from being a "mainstream" gamer. I like the old stuff: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mr. Do, Jungle Hunt, Dragon's Lair, Marble Madness…that's what I like. By gum, I was once the Pac-Man King of Aurora, Indiana - I'll never forget winning those ten free tokens for having the high score of the week.

Why yes, I am that much of a nerd.

Q. Many people seem to think that wrestling is in a bit of a "slump" at the moment. How do you believe the product could be improved and maybe ignite more people's interests again?

It just needs to be…different. It's been the same for so long. The sets are the same, the announcers are the same. Things need to be shaken up. How, I do not know. But I do know that wrestling is in dire need of reinventing itself once again.

Q. (This is straight from the old movie Stand by Me). What the hell is Goofy?

I counter: what is Grimace? Ok, he likes milkshakes. Why is he purple? And why is he called "Grimace"? I thought that meant to frown, or scowl? Why would I want to scowl when I'm ordering a milkshake?

Q. I think every true wrestling geek has at least one "dream match"; an imaginary bout that they'd love to see. So what's yours?

Vince Russo vs. Bryan Alvarez in a discussion of Mr. Russo's booking career. Undercard would be Warrior vs. Dusty Rhodes in a debate on the pros and cons of the metric system.

Q. Speaking of dream matches, who do you reckon would win in a fight between Batman and Daredevil?

Batman. Well, unless it's that new Batman Begins Batman, cause that looks like it's going to totally suck.

(Sammy's note: I find this answer interesting, because I'm really looking forward to the movie... As a Batman fan I am hoping RD is wrong about this one!)

Q. How's the married life? Do you recommend it?

I recommend it if you get a great wife like I did!

Q. What are your thoughts on the upcoming ECW reunion PPV that the WWE is going to do?

I think it's really smart of Vince to capitalize on the rabid ECW fanbase. Whether it lives up to ECW's legendary status…well, I guess we'll find out.

Q. What do you believe the immediate future of the wrestling world has in store? Will it remain pretty much as it is now for the time being, or will there be some changes in style or presentation?

Things will remain stagnant, because Vince is still making money hand over fist. Why change things if he's still making so much jack?

Q. Which is your favourite Wrestlemania and why?

IX. Because it was so horrible that it, in itself, is WrestleCrap. I think half the shots on the cover of the book are from Mania IX!

Q. Are there any upcoming things at WrestleCrap that people should keep an eye out for?

I'm just living day to day, trying to make people laugh. If I can do that, I know I've done my job. 8)

Thanks again RD. Keep up the good work dude!