JIMMY VAN Q&A

Is there any chance of a Fightful APP. There’s so much diverse content.. Be like the Wrestling.Observer websites,but with better streaming! Can you imagine all the Social Media and writing material and the ability to watch and read the long term. Im pro that App

Aidan O'Connell

Damon Mcdonald (super j cast) mentioned that one of the difficulties of running anything on tv out of the east coast being “unions”. Are you familiar with this issue? What could this mean? Does a promotion have to word some special deal to run tv differently than out of, say, LA?

Jonathan Ma

seems like everyone AEW is doing the right thing giving Fyter fest and presumably Fight for the fallen away for free, but we now have gotten two preshows that are disappointing at best; and from anecdotes, bad enough to turn off new fans Is this a symptom of a division in the elitr’s booking? Khan has pushed a sporting aspect, we know cody wants midsouth stuff...leaving this bad humor as most likely kenny/bucks

Jonathan Ma

if Jeff Jarrett is the greatest, most invulnerable businessman in the industry...who is second? Maria Kanellis? The criteria is longevity and maximization of few actual, tangible assets

Jonathan Ma

There is a significant under utilization in WWE and it centers around the Mid Card. Can I get one line on these Stars) Here’s my 10 overlooked (Yes I have ten selected!) Asuka.(A disgrace). Shelton Benjamin (I mean WTF waste). AOP (Can elevate the Tags Division) Buddy Murphy (Missing!!!!!). Ali (Potential Top Tier..). Alister Black (The promos are awful). Mojo Rawley (Huge strength levels). Heath Slater (24:7 perfect..). Kalisto (Underrated). Apollo Crews (Again, strength levels.).

Aidan O'Connell

Why cant WWE just tine the adverts/commercials to be between matches/segments why do they need to be during matches or resttarted in a stupid way?

Simon Willis

Did the Carolina hurricanes storm surge ever hit your radar and what do you think about it? Interested to hear from someone in a "traditional" market but understands branding and marketing

During the post-show conference of Fyter Fest, Tony Khan was asked if he’d have Intergender Wrestling on AEW. To this, Tony said that he isn’t a fan of intergender wrestling and the inclusion of Jordynne Grace in the ALL IN battle royale last year was one of the things he disliked about the show. Tony’s reason for not including Intergender wrestling on AEW was because he considers it domestic abuse!! Quote!! What’s your view on Jordynne? I am a fan and non judgmental regarding transgender wrestling. Do you have a view on the bigger picture of Intergender Wrestling?! Tony’s reason for not including Intergender wrestling on AEW was because he considers it domestic abuse!! Quote!!

Aidan O'Connell

Do u think from a pure talent perspective AEW needs to bulk up their women's division? I kinda wish Tessa Blanchard was available for them at the moment.

Ryan Smith

Where do you see fightful in 3 years if you see that far ahead.

Zachary Schemmel

Has Fightful been everything that you wanted it to be? Is there anything you would have changed in the earlier years?

Zachary Schemmel

If you was in charge of AEW and you had a choice of either signing The Rock, Cena or Undertaker, who would you choose

Do you think Cena would ever want another title run? I would like it, but I think he’s content with his career. Thanks Jimmy

Rob Wilkins

If you were to put on wrestling shows again and had to pick performers to be main event, mid card, tag team and women's champions, who would you choose from who is available out there?

Graham Williams

What are your thoughts on Zack Sabre Jr’s potential to be a global star? He’s worked quite a few places across Europe (Progress, WXW, Rev Pro), USA (PWG), and Japan (Noaj, NJPW) and the last several years has ramped up his pro labor, vegan, arrogan heel schtick and combined it with a viscious, high paced grapplefuck style so well that may be a better, harder version of what Daniel Bryan’s doing in WWE with arguably better matches

Jonathan Ma

This is breaking news as of today - impact to AXS. How is this going to work with NJPW their featured brand?

Jonathan Ma

WWE has gotten well deserved flack for its attendance, ratings, talent loss, and talent misuse . . . But holy hell, how bad is ROH? Could they have fallen harder from the peak of being in MSG to failing to sell out hammerstein, a traditional stronghold? Why did they sign Cobb, Bandido, and Rush only to NOT push them? They had a head start on the “women’s revolution” with lots of talent and Women of Honor and did NOTHING with them Shouldnt they be getting more flack?

Jonathan Ma

I’ve been with the same department for two years and have interviewed for the same position two years in a row. Last year I wasn’t given any feedback but didn’t get the position, this year I was told I seem unapproachable due to being focused on work. I was later given the reason that I haven’t shown my leadership but that was also on my leaders for not giving me the opportunity to do so. I love the company and strive to be the top representative daily but the politics and overwork is starting to get to me. How would you advise me to proceed?

Arturo Gonzalez III

What’s going on with Conrad. Work with Conrad on a podcast and you’ll get a job back in Wrestling. Bruce Prichard - Job In WWE Tony Schiavobe- Job In MLW Jim Ross. Job in AEW Eric Bischoff Job In WWE Arn Anderson is next for a Conrad podcast. (Fact Checked!) What are your opinions on Conrad and Arn In General, going forward.

Aidan O'Connell

Social Media wise- JV Do you need an Social Media expert or to pay SRS double. I mentioned this to Sean before. He’s Pro Social Media!! Sean’s Twitter, Fightful Twitter are awesome. It’s a lot of work and SRS is killing it with, but not enough people know.. The no of Followers could be multiplied by ten. SEO YouTube. Instagram. Pinterest. Tumblr could be very big. FaceBook. FaceBook Live. FaceBook Watch Parties. There is huge creativity in the head of SRS. There’s a million tricks. It can’t all be done by SRS. Legitimately Fightful could change the industry. Some of this depends on your resources and willingness to invest which I believe are both positives No better time than now?? Make Fightful the global go to Say YES Jimmy!

Aidan O'Connell

Jimmy, can you encourage SRS to watch WWE Main Event?! Genuinely he refuses to watch it!! I’m only asking him to watch 2 match’s Main Event shows (I believe the Dark Match’s are before Raw?) (Fast Forward the Raw highlights) I am a big Dana Brooke fan. The show is improving and showing #MidCard Shouldn’t Sean be watching mid card WWE?! Can you use your muscle here pls?!

Aidan O'Connell

Is the way you and SRS interact with each other in the flesh much different to how you interact on The list and Ya Boy or is it just as bantery?

Ben Williams

What up and coming wrestlers do you think have the highest ceiling?

Ben Williams

Hi Jimmy, Baring in mind Sky Sports has around four times the subscribers to BT Sport in the UK, with the UK being the second biggest wrestling market, do you think that with AEW going onto ITV where there will be millions and millions more people that can access their content, that this could be a bad move on WWE's part. For example I know myself and others are cancelling their WWE network subscriptions and are not planning on going to any more live shows because if we can't access Raw and Smackdown then its not worth sticking with the product. Especially when theres an accessible competitor who is even talking about UK PPV's?

Ben Williams

Are we going to get a sports site?

Greetings from the Netherlands, it was funny to hear the Dutch song, back when you showed your dads documentary. And it's always a pleasure to listen to your opinions and viewingpoints, ofcourse also does of Sean and Alex. Well I have several questions. I don't know how long time you got, but I would be happy to hear your opinions 1. With the knowledge pro wrestling is scripted, and that people also get worked, and with the fact that a lot of big companies spent a lot of money on advertising, how real are the YouTube view numbers for WWE, there are multiple ways to influence them, do you think they would be all legit? 2. When AEW starts weekly TV, what is your thought about the style that they perform in, I mean even with all the extreme and hardcore taken away, the in ring style matches more the harder NJPW and NXT Takeover style and some WWE ppv matches, then a normal Raw or Smackdown, but is it physically possible for these athletes to keep performing this style on a much more regular basis ? 3. I have ofcourse high hopes for AEW, but I'm also slightly afraid, for when the time comes that they go weekly and that they need to come up with interesting storylines, week in week out, when they don't want to only put Cody and the Elite in stories, are there already enough stars known by regular audience ( the masses ), to fill 2 hours a week with interesting storylines with cliffhangers and all ? Because creative freedom is great for the performers, but there is a difference in having 10 / 20 great creative idea's and needing to be creative 52 weeks a year. I know that everyone complains about the creativity of the WWE, myself included, and that a lot of podcasts give creative better ideas, but still those are a few great ideas, but week in week out, staying fresh and original, with performers which the audience is not yet emotionally invested in, is very hard. What is your opinion on this? Thanks for your time

If fox sport one asked you to put nxt on wednesday nights live and make nxt two hours...do you think aew could survive that situation?

Would you suggest Niagara Falls as an honeymoon destination? Or any reasonable destination you've been that you would recommend for an honeymoon destination?

Favorite vegas restaurant?

In your opinion Why wont big name wwe employees take a stand for better creative freedoms...reigns rollins Charlotte strowman etc etc?

Finally this Sunday, a little heavy a subject. I’m a recovering addict -8 Years alcohol and 2 - drugs. After all the highs came unbelievable lows, I have my degree in psychology . Life’s good Question- Asked SRS before.100Mill$ Big Q-....A wrestler is recovering from depression, takes a course of prescribed Anti Depressants from his Doctor. WWE take you off TV?? I’m thinking - Health and Safety.. PS Is Depression common in wrestling Big shout out to Tommy Dreamer

Aidan O'Connell

I am going to assume you’re a WWE Podcast listener. Fightful are 100% no 1, superb, thank you for creating Fightful. SRS told me before. It’s all and only Conrad’s shows for him . Quick on my favorite ten sir- Simon Miller Solomonster Mat Men Matt Kloon Ryback What Culture Wrestle Ramble Brad Sheppard Sam Roberts Pete Rosenberg Big Thanks

Aidan O'Connell

Drake Maverick.. How good is this guy I just watched a 90 second video where EC3 convinces him to not go on his honeymoon! Hilarious Swapping tweets with Conrad about “Blue Chew”! His Twitter name renamed to Drake 24:7 Referring to himself as the second longest 24/7 champion. A special t shirt on his store with the header “Help me pay for my honeymoon” His wife’s Twitter game, that is good stuff I think this is simply outstanding Views on Drake and also his long term?? Thanks Jimmy Van

Aidan O'Connell

With more players in the upper tier of promotions (wwe, aew, njpw...roh), do we see agents becoming more prominent? Seems like any wrestler not using one these days is really stupid, both to get out of WWE’s insane terms and maximizing the current market

Jonathan Ma

Follow up to previous question: wwe also got boned on their TV deal, moving to a worse channel than before while AEW simultaneously swooped in on a better channel Is WWE so focused on india and china theyre just punting the UK?

Jonathan Ma

The Super J cast (part of VOW) reported that WWE had a “spy” in the ticket agency selling NJPW royal quest tickets, but WWE overlooked that there was a second agency selling tickets, causing them to badly underestimate how well the event was doing when they booked NXT UK takeover the same day. There is also a massive rugby game in the same area thats going to suck up fans How is such a mistake possible for a massive company like wwe to have badly misread a market theyve been in before?

Jonathan Ma

How difficult would it be for NJPW to untangle itsef from ROH? From various reports it appears the ties include lending production support stateside, sponsoring/supporting visa, a talent exchange with shows booked out a couple months or so, and possibly being part of a three way association with cmll (although NJPW’s relationship to cmll have predated roh)

Jonathan Ma