Earlier today Forbes & Bleacher Report wrestling columnist Alfred Konuwa was featured as a guest on WrestleZone Daily. Alfred was back with the latest installment of his new segment for the Daily called What’s Best For Business? This will be a regular segment on WrestleZone Daily where Alfred and host Nick Hausman talk about financial and business aspects of the WWE.
You can listen to Alfred’s appearance starting at the 40:40 mark in the embedded audio player below. Some of his quotes have been transcribed below it:
On ESPN and WWE’s relationship evolving to the same level as UFC and FOX Sports 1’s:
AK: I could absolutely see something like that happening. Especially if the relationship grows. Right now it’s in that awkward stage where the characters don’t know whether or not to be themselves. Are they characters on ESPN? I feel like once they figure out that identity in that weekly segment and once they get more eyeballs. If they find that this relationship is a success over the short term there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to get at least a WWE Pre-Show on ESPN television. So it’s like WWE Live, just like we said, like the NFL. Where they are covering the storylines, the show and the history of what is going down. Maybe even like we saw back in the day with ESPN and AWA. Maybe we get a WWE thirty minute to a one hour show on ESPN. I could see this relationship growing if they find that it benefits both parties.
On whether the Undertaker should be heel against Brock Lesnar at Hell in a Cell:
AK: I absolutely think he should be a heel. It would be a complete disconnect from the storyline if he wasn’t. He’s been low blowing Brock Lesnar ever since he came back. He won by shady means at SummerSlam in a controversial victory that wasn’t really explained but there was controversy surrounding it. Now that he is coming back for Hell in a Cell Brock Lesnar has been portrayed as this conquering hero. He hasn’t done anything heelish. He’s taken on The Big Show and the Suplex City thing is over with him as a babyface. In order to make this storyline intriguing to fans the Undertaker needs to be a bad guy. He’s been portraying a heel ever since he came back. I don’t see why he should go away from that. He cheated to beat Brock Lesnar and he needs to continue to be a shady character so that when Brock and Undertaker face off at Hell in a Cell there is a legitimate conflict that will have fans separated one way or another. Some fans are still going to cheer for the Undertaker because that’s just going to happen no matter what. He’s the Undertaker. If they know that he is a bad guy or a good guy they’re at least going to have a reason as to why they are cheering for him and who they are cheering for.
On Rusev & Lana’s engagement being leaked on TMZ:
AK: We could just see this guy get dragged through the mud. I watched Smackdown! and I saw how Rusev was beaten by Ziggler. Listen, I don’t know the details or the logic behind why they put up this social media post of Lana and Rusev in the middle of this marriage angle. They are supposed to be at odds. If this is the doing of Rusev and/or Lana where they just went out on their own and posted this… they deserve everything they get. You gotta understand who you are and what you’re doing because you’re supposed to be at odds. You’re just doing this thing like, “Ha ha. Just kidding. We’re in love in real life.” If WWE wants to punish Rusev and Lana to make an example of them I think it’s a waste because they are both incredible talents but I understand it.
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