PWTorch.com readers are invited to send Ed Ferrara questions about his experiences co-writing TV during Raw's boom period and subsequently for WCW Nitro and TNA's weekly PPV series. When submitting questions, put "ASK ED" in the subject line of the email so we can differentiate them from regular "Ask the Torch" questions and thus quickly forward them to him. Ferrara was interviewed with Vince Russo for the "Ultimate Insiders" DVD released earlier this year and subsequently did a VIP Audio Talk with me with follow-up questions to our DVD interview. Now it's your turn to ask the questions. To send in questions for Ed Ferrara, click here.

PWTorch.com reader Aaron Randall asks

I first want to say that you and Vince Russo made one the biggest impacts in professional wrestling history as heads of the creative team of the WWE. My question for you is if there has been any interaction with you, Russo, and McMahon since leaving?

Ed Ferrara answers

Since we left the WWF, I've had no interaction with VKM. Russo and I have been in contact regularly over the past couple of years - we speak on the phone on average every couple of weeks, and we're actually closer now than we ever had been. The days we shot the footage for the Ultimate Insiders DVD were, however, the first time we were in the same room together since I left Nashville in 2003.

To my knowledge, Russo only had very brief contact with VKM a couple of years ago when he was slated to return to the WWE creative team. They had had several pleasant conversations during those few days, but Russo's rejoining the team ultimately never happened (not through any disagreement between VKM and Russo, however).

PWTorch.com reader Patty Ann asks

Do you think anything can be done with Triple H at this point to make him interesting again like he was in the days you wrote for WWE? Or is his character pretty much ruined from the long title reigns and the predictability?

Ed Ferrara answers

Do I think ANYTHING can be done? Of course. I have to acknowledge, however, that I have not watched ANY WWE programming over the past few years, with the exception of this past year's WrestleMania PPV. I have, however, loosely kept up with the latest happenings through the Torch's recaps and reader reviews, so I'm aware of many of the complaints about the direction of Triple H's character, not to mention WWE programming in general.

With that said, the one thing I'll respond to your question with is this - Triple H is a phenomenal talent and, booked properly, there's no limit as to what his potentially positive impact on this business could be. Much like dealing with an alcoholic, however, the first step in recovery is admitting one has a problem. This may be Triple H's problem, it may be the creative team's problem, it may be a combination of the two, and it may be something else entirely. But until those in power look at the situation with an UNBIASED eye, nothing is going to get any better.

PWTorch.com reader Patty Ann asks

So, here's a real question. Almost all of the top wrestling stars play characters that draw upon who they truly are. Steve Austin, The Rock, Batista, Triple H, John Cena, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Mick Foley, etc. They incorporate the way they are in real life to their characters. Do they go over the top? Of course they do, but they hold on to a little bit of who they truly are. Granted, there is the occasional Eugene or Undertaker, but there are far more Simon Deans and That '70s Guys. When a character like that is created, how much of it is the creative team and how much of it is the wrestler.

Ed Ferrara answers

I can't speak for how they do things now, but we would flip-flop back and forth, depending on the particular talent in question, on whether the character was a mostly-manufactured gimmick or an extension of the wrestler's real personality. I personally feel that there's a place for both... although the manufactured gimmicks should be viewed as short-term only... until we're able to tap into that particular wrestler's actual persona and bring it to the fans in a way that they'd respond to. The problem, in my opinion, is that there are many wrestlers out there who are phenomenally talented in the ring, but are "charismatically challenged." Charisma is the single most important element that will make an honest-to-god star... it's what gets the fans emotionally caught up in the action... what makes them CARE about the wrestler and WANT to see them over and over again. You can't manufacture charisma. You can't fake it - either a talent has it or they don't. If they don't have it, they're only going to get so far with the fans. It's a sad but true fact.

So we'd often try different gimmicks/characters with the hopes that we'd be able to tap into whatever charisma reserves the talent would have hidden deep down inside. If we were able to tap into that, we'd do everything in our power to maximize it. Sometimes it would work, other times it wouldn't. It's a difficult game to play, because the only way you ever find out 100 percent if something is going to work or not is by trying it in front of the fans... and once you've done that, it's out there, and you've got to find your way back from it. The wrestling business moves incredibly fast from a booking perspective, and there are so many thing to keep track of and keep afloat that sometimes talented guys end up stuck with lame gimmicks. It's not necessarily their fault that we can't make good for "The '70s Guy," because we're too busy trying to figure out how to best use Hogan, Flair, Steiner, and Nash, (who were, at the time, more proven commodities). Alternately, sometimes you find a Rikishi stuck in a lame gimmick who ends up making it sing. (C'mon - who ever thought when he debuted with his ass cheeks hanging out that  he'd be back on the show again the following week?)

I realize I rambled a bit - hope this at least partially answered your question!

Final Notes from Wade Keller:

Ed Ferrara will continue to answer reader questions in coming days and weeks, so keep the questions coming. Direct them here and be sure to put "Ask Ed" in the subject line.

Ed Ferrara has written a collection of short stories called "Dark Consequences." I highly recommend it, especially for fans of Twilight Zone and Tales from the Darkside or horror movies with a sci-fi twist. You can get info on ordering a copy from him by clicking here.

To order the Ultimate Insiders DVD featuring my interview with Ed Ferrara and Vince Russo, together for the time for an interview since their split in WCW, clicking here.

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