Lex Luger [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I cannot say much positive about this. Lex Luger is asked questions, he answers them, he passes on some (mostly rumors that he does not seem to know about) and he keeps most of his answers concise and straightforward. He is not angry, bitter or obnoxious, all qualities that can give an interview entertainment value at the very least. He seems to not want to say anything too controversial, which is a testament to him. He does not really come across negatively here, unless you think he is being overly political and evasive in his answers, I tend to think he is just being thoughtful. My favorite part, in all its briefness, was his thoughts on steroids. An admitted user, Lex explains convincingly that steroids do not work alone, they need to be combined with hard work to be truly effective. He has some strong views and that topic pulls some fire out of him. It seems like talking about his gym, training regiment and views on health could have been really fascinating because that seems to be where his passion lies. Oh well.

The Bad
This interview falls in between the death of Elizabeth in 2003 and the physical ailments that Lex Luger had in 2007, so he is in the middle of his tragic fall here. In pro-wrestling, most everyone has some heat with someone somewhere, but Lex Luger has this reputation as a heat magnet that is probably based mostly on his personality and the perception that he is a prima-donna. He tries to dispel some of those ideas and in doing so reveals something. He is a well-educated and was even considering law school before pursuing pro-wrestling, he does not seem to want to talk bad about anyone, he does not want to be self-deprecating and he does not feed into the rumors and gossip about him, therefore his answers seem very calculated. This is probably him just being thoughtful, but it could be him riding the fence so to speak. He does not want to knock Vince McMahon, despite the fact that the WWF/WWE has been only negative toward him and his contributions to the business since buying WCW in 2001. Lex Luger has been a target since breaking in and has understandably learned to not read the "dirt sheets" and "internet," so he seems as if he does not really care about the business or even his legacy. It is odd. That aloofness really prevents this from being riveting. They go over his career, address some of good and bad parts, but you go away feeling like you spent almost three hours listening but that not much was said. Even the Elizabeth controversy is poorly approached (in typical RF fashion), washed over and practically dismissed. Lex Luger saw and did so much and this just seems to not be the interview to capture the good or the bad about his career.

The Rating: ***

RF Roundtable - Iron Shiek, Missy Hyatt & Kanyon

The Good
RF Video coordinates putting together three controversial characters and it is largely a trainwreck and not a particularly entertaining one. They mainly talk about current events (Tiger Woods' divorce, Barack Obama's presidency, Sarah Palin's rise to fame, Michael Vicks' dog-fighting, gay marriage and so fourth) and it does stimulate some interesting comments. Missy Hyatt dominates the conversation here, so if you enjoy hearing Missy be Missy, this is a treat. She expresses her political and moral views, which seem to have some inconsistencies. Sheik, for all his gay-bashing in the past, seems extremely moderate although practically asleep through much of this. Kanyon is largely quiet and makes a good showing during the gay marriage debate.

The Bad
When you have someone putting over Hitler in the first leg of a shoot interview, it's hard to get behind it. Missy Hyatt, who is often funny, comes across as frustrated and stupid on a level I've never seen before. I am sure some people would be disappointed by Sheiky's low-key showing here, but I thought he did his thing and did not make a total ass of himself. I was mostly disappointed by Kanyon, who always comes across a thoughtful person, yet he bowed out of much of the conversation and let Missy take over. Between Missy and the constant attacks on Eric Simms, this was amongst the most annoying and obnoxious roundtables ever.

The Rating: **3/4