Jim Ross commented negotiations with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan during a Dec. 17 media conference call. Ross confirmed his negotiations with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, but said no contracts had been signed. “Negotiations are still ongoing,” Ross said. “I’d like to give people an update, but that’s where we are.” Ross said he doesn’t agree with people criticizing the company for dealing with Hall, Nash, and Hulk Hogan because he is confident that the WWF’s locker room leaders are strong enough to prevent any newcomers from causing problems. Ross also commented on the possibility that Shawn Michaels will return to the ring. Ross said Michaels still has a passion to wrestle, but said his body will ultimately determine whether he is able to do so.
Other wrestlers are not as optimistic as Ross about the Hall, Nash, Hogan, and other returning veterans. “Ric and Booker know all about those guys,” one former co–worker said. “They are just being politically correct. I guarantee you they wouldn’t say that if a friend asked them in a private setting.” Others fear that the younger wrestlers will struggle if political games are played. “It’s going to be so different (in the locker room),” another wrestler said. “The young guys are going to be like, ‘Oh my God.’ Nash and Hogan will eat guys like Edge and Christian for breakfast.” Other wrestlers are upset that Curt Hennig and Dustin Runnels have been brought back. “It’s interesting,” said another wrestler. “There are an awful lot of 40 year–old men around right now. I don’t know how long (management) thinks guys like Edge will last. They’ll be burned out five years from now when (management) finally gets around to pushing them.” Wrestlers say locker room morale has dropped drastically since the rumors of Hall, Nash, and Hogan surfaced. Wrestlers have compared the morale of the mid–card wrestlers to that of WCW mid–carders before the company was sold. “It’s happening all over again,” said a former WCW wrestler currently with the WWF.
Kevin Nash is telling friends that he already signed his WWF contract, but doesn’t know when he’ll debut…
