*NEW* Superstar 2 Superstar - The Official Thread

Hey guys! Just thought I'd take a little time here to post an official thread for a really cool new feature over at WWE.com, called Superstar 2 Superstar - in which every week, WWE superstars interview superstars in the entertainment industry. I'm starting off the thread here w/ the inaugural segment, which features WWE Superstar Hulk Hogan interviewing movie superstar Sylvester Stallone. Along w/ that, I'm including the 2nd S2S segment - which featured WWE Champion John Cena interviewing music superstar Snoop Dogg and the 3rd segment, in which WWE Diva Layla interviews the lovely Erica Durance from the CW's Smallville. From now on, whenever the newest interview is put up, you'll find it right here in this very thread. Till the next segment, enjoy!

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Hogan Interviews Stallone
December 20th, 2006

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In WWE.com’s new feature Superstar to Superstar, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan takes a few minutes to interview old friend and former Rocky III co-star, Sylvester Stallone. Sly’s new movie, Rocky Balboa, is in theaters now. Below is a transcription of their insightful, and sometimes downright comical, conversation.

Hulk Hogan: The greatest of all time, Sylvester Stallone is here. He’s my boy, he’s my friend. He helped me in the beginning of my career. I have a couple questions for Sly. Are you ready?

Sylvester Stallone: I’m ready.

Hogan: Okay. WWE Superstars like me are always getting injured in the ring. As an action star – the greatest action star of all time – what is the worst injury you’ve ever suffered in front of the camera?

Sly: Off-camera was when I got into a bench-pressing contest with Franco Columbu in 1979-1980, who happened to be pound-for-pound the strongest bodybuilder at the time, which is really stupid. I ended up getting like 160 stitches tearing the pec of the bone there. That was really traumatic. Truthfully, the hardest I was ever hit was actually by you, Hulk Hogan. We didn’t put it in the movie (Rocky III) because I was so traumatized. It was where you threw me into a corner and you leapt up, and you were really, really light on your feet that day, for 310 pounds. You went up and caught me with your shin, believe it or not, on my collarbone. I collapsed to the ground. I’ll never forget, I was laying there and I was thinking, “I don’t want to look. I don’t want to look because that bone is sticking through my flesh and it’s over. Here’s the end of the movie.” So that was the worst actual impact I ever had that was instantaneous, spontaneous, eruptive, absolutely mind-boggling pain at that time. When people tell me, “Oh, wrestling isn’t traumatic,” I say, “Trust me. He was going easy on me and I couldn’t see straight for three days.”

Hogan: You know what? I remember that day. It was supposed to be a high knee.

Sly: It was a high knee. But literally, you went so high, I said, “Guys, he’s so agile. He hit me with his shin on my collarbone. Does that kind of give you an idea of the altitude of his jump?”

Hogan: There you go. (Laughs.) Question: How come you didn’t write Thunderlips into Rocky Balboa?

Sly: (Laughs.) Because Thunderlips actually has moved on, became kind of a producer of adult films.

Hogan: (Laughs.) Oh my gosh. Well, there’s the answer to my next question, which is “Where is this character now?”

Sly: He became Thunderhips, is what happened.

Hogan: Thunderhips. Man, that sounds like a good idea. Just as long as Thunderhips isn’t hanging out with Mickey (Goldmill) and Apollo Creed I think I’m okay.

Sly: For sure.

Hogan: Word is that you’re talking about another Rambo movie.

Sly: Right. Well, what I wanted to do, Hulk, is this… Just like with this film, which I’m really happy about, we look at the side of the athlete and we see the downside and we also see the fire that burns in his gut, that need to be representative in life and not just watch the parade go by. Rambo is a different situation. Now after Vietnam, like many thousands of vets, they’re still traumatized. They feel as though they’ve been betrayed by America. They walk around alone, and they walk around not disoriented, but feeling disenfranchised from the country they lost their friends and a lot of their blood for. So, somehow even though this is going to be filled with a great deal of action, it has to really work on the psyche, too. And I’m going to figure, how do I get Rambo back into a belief “it’s going to be okay,” that he comes full circle and he comes back and accepts America and after a great action film that comes before that.

Hogan: That sounds great, man. Maybe you can give the Hulkster another exclusive when you get ready to rock ’n’ roll with this one.

Sly: You better believe it. Anytime!

Hogan: All right, brother. When it comes to headlocks and legdrops, Hogan knows best. But when it comes to Hollywood studios, tell us what Stallone knows best.

Sly: Well, every time I go off the formula that’s worked for me, it’s been a disaster. What I think I know best is what beats in the heart of the everyday man, because that’s where I come from. Sticking to that formula, that realizing that we’re all underdogs, and life is always going to deal you a heavy body blow. It’s how you roll with that punch determines how your life goes – up or down. That’s pretty much what I know, but not pretty much what is in fashion with Hollywood right now.

Hogan: Sounds great. This is the last question. I hate this question probably more than any other question because I’m asked it all the time. So they have asked me to ask you this question.

Sly: You got it.

Hogan: Some of the losers – you know, the guys we’ve beaten – say I’m definitely too old to be in the ring. So what do you tell people who say you’re too old to be making another Rocky or another Rambo movie?

Sly: Well, I think everyday consensus, the theory is I probably am too old in common sense. But what they don’t realize is that athletes, such as ourselves, and many other people, have uncommon sense. They have this ability to say, yes, what I don’t have in skill right now, I make up in will, and I make up in knowledge, I make up in professionalism, and I get it. I know how to take my weaknesses and deemphasize them and kind of emphasize my attributes. The most important thing is you know in your heart what you’re capable of doing and no one can tell you when to lie down. You’ll know when to pull the plug, and until then, I don’t think anyone has the right to tell you to go away. I think what’s happening here, Hulkster, is this: There’s a new athlete. Our generation, the baby-boomer generation, and the ones just after the baby-boomer generation, are different than the generations that came before. I believe that there’s going to be incredible new games made, records set by athletes, older athletes than ever before. There’s a different mindset. The therapies are different. The supplements are different. It’s just a different world, so we’re just a little ahead of the curve right now. We’re kind of like showing to other people that, “You know what? What the body can achieve and the mind can conceive, and what the mind can conceive the body can achieve.” It’s a give and take, and we’re not about ready to go away until we’re ready to say goodbye.

Hogan: I tell you, I saw you at the stunt man awards show, and I saw the trailer for Rocky Balboa. You definitely look awesome. You look ten times better than any of the young guys I wrestle in the ring.

Sly: (Laughs.)

Hogan: Keep doing it, brother. Thank you so much for your time. I wish you all the best with your movie and everything else. Keep it going, brother. You’re the man.

Sly: Thank you very much. You set an example. People ask me who is the best fighter I’ve ever worked with. Without a doubt, “Hulk Hogan was the most professional, the strongest, and by far, the most gifted fighter I’ve ever worked with, and he is considered a wrestler. So don’t ever undermine the abilities of wrestlers. They’re some of the finest athletes on the planet.”


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Cena Interviews Snoop Dogg
Written: December 27th, 2006

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For the second installment of WWE.com’s Superstar to Superstar, WWE Champion John Cena took a few moments to talk to fellow hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg. His new album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, is in stores now. Below is a transcription of their recent conversation.

John Cena: Hey, Snoop, what’s happenin’, man?

Snoop Dogg: Good, how you doin’?

Cena: Starting out, is there anything you want to say to our viewers on WWE.com? The album is out, it’s available, it’s in stores. I’ve got it and it is unbelievable, man. I kind of walked through the story of the album. You do a lot of things in this thing. You keep it hard, with tracks by The Game and Ice Cube. You’re having some fun with Akon. You’re sending a message, too, man – you got Stevie Wonder on there. I love that matching track with Dr. Dre. You’re doing a whole lot of things. Is there anything first and foremost you want to tell your fans about this album?

Snoop: Well, you know, basically, it’s Snoop Dogg all wrapped up in one. If you know Snoop Dogg, you know he do it every which way – he do it in his own exiting way, and that’s what this record is representing. It’s just a piece of me in every style that you always love me in, whether it’s gangsta, whether it’s with a message, whether it’s something for the ladies, whether it’s something for the club, whether it’s something just to get you hyped up before you go out there and whoop some ass as a wrestler, you understand what I’m saying?

Cena: That is indeed what I’m saying, man. Honestly, I was truly, truly taken back. You got 21 joints in this album. And that is indeed 21 true joints. I want to take a second to just talk about Track 18, called “Beat Up on Yo Pads.” Obviously this is something that is near and dear to you. This is a direct shoutout to the kids involved in the Snoop Football League. You want to talk about that for a second?

Snoop: Yes, sir. Like I said, when I made that song it took me back to when I was a youngster and me and my homies, we used to just sit around and beat on our pads and try to make beats and come out with those sayings about the team that we was ready to play and how good we was. It translated into me making music, so I never really did that as an artist. Now that I got my league, got 2,000 kids in my second year, I had to make a theme song for the league and it’s called “Beat Up on Yo Pads.” It’s catching on. Everyone around the whole world that love football, that play football are just enjoying it. It’s one of those songs that just takes you back, to having a good time being a kid all over again.

Cena: This is a joint I heard that really put a good sense about the whole album on me. This is something that you got everybody listening to the Snoop Dogg. Literally you have done so much for the game of hip-hop and kind of overextended the normal boundaries. Seriously, you are pretty much a household name in the industry of hip-hop, so you got a lot of people listening to this. This is the type of joint that can make everybody say that although you are talking about truth at points, you are talking about what’s real. You’re still moving in a positive direction and sending a positive message, especially to the youth out there who have a choice on which way to go with their lives.

Snoop: Yeah, you know that even in your profession, there’s so many kids that look up to us when they see us on TV and they aspire upon what we do. A lot of times we never get a chance to say how much they mean to us and how much we want them to learn from what we’ve been through and what we’re doing. That’s why I wanted to take time to make a song and pour my heart all into it. Trying to get at a kid one-on-one, that’s too hard. I’d rather get to all of them at one time.

Cena: That’s real talk right there. That’s great, man. That’s great. One little last thing before we wrap up. I just wanted to get your feelings, having been around the game for a long time. Each of your offerings is done unbelievably well. You’ve transcended hip-hop. You’ve legitimately become a household name. There’s a lot of hip-hop music out right there, right now. The reason I really love just putting this album in and listening to it front to back – because you do give so many views, so many styles, so much music – what is your view on the current state of hip-hop? I noticed there’s a lot of guest appearances on this album, and only a few new dogs on this thing. A lot of your old crew – you got MC Eiht, E-40, you got Kurupt, Nate Dogg, R. Kelly – the list goes on and on, but it’s mostly people you’ve been down with since day one. What is your current view on the state of hip-hop as a whole?

Snoop: I think the state of hip-hop is in a great biz, right now it’s on. You used to have rappers come in the game and want to own a gold chain and a car, now they coming into the game owning their own record company, they own publishing, they own a clothing line, they get movie deals. They’re really establishing themselves as conglomerates and really making mass amounts of money, and really making an impression on the world. So the state of hip-hop is in the best state it’s ever been because there’s more money involved, there’s more business involved. There’s more creativity because you’re starting to look at commercials on TV now, and it has to have hip-hop involved in it, whether it’s old school or new school. You have to take a piece of hip-hop and put it in a part of everything, or nothing sells. We sell everything, you understand what I’m saying? It’s a beautiful thing to see that even hip-hop has even reached off into the wrestling world. Me and my son, we love you for what you doing, for real.

Cena: Thank you, man. (Laughs.)

Snoop: We just did a little thing the other day, and they was asking, they wanted him to talk in-depth and he don’t really speak in-depth. They was like, “Who you like? Who are your favorite wrestlers?” He was like, “John Cena.” They were like, “Why?” He was like, “’Cause he tight!” They was like, “No, explain why.” He was like, “He just tight!” to explain – it’s like transcending. They like, “Why you like him?” He said, “’Cause he can rap good and he wrestles.” So it’s like wrestling is getting him, but then, it ain’t no gimmick that you’re flowin’ and doing your thing as an MC. And I’m gonna tell you, if you wasn’t doing what you supposed to be doing, we wouldn’t be doing this interview.

Cena: Exactly.

Snoop: I love what you doing and how you doing it. You doing it in a real fly way. I even said something to the effect of you could even get Snoop Dogg in a wrestling uniform and we could tag team.

Cena: Ah, I might call in that favor, man. I’ll be honest with you, never say never on that one.

Snoop: Yeah, you call in that favor. Just hold him up and let me slap the s*** out of him and I’ll walk up out the ring. (Laughs.) For real.

Cena: That’s my Dogg. (Laughs.) I’m not going to take anymore of your time. I just wanted to say on a personal note, Track 20 with you and Dre back together, is awesome for me, man. That is the bomb on the whole album. I think the whole album is tight. You brought out names – the list of cameos is unbelievable. You truly did roll out the “Blue Carpet.” It’s good to see you back doing your thing. I want to let WWE fans know the album is in stores now, they can go cop it. Is there any final message you want to send?

Snoop: Yeah, also be on the lookout for my animated movie. I got an animated movie that’s coming out to support Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, it’s called The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. It should be out in March or April, just to support it and give you something to look at because when I was making this record I was real visual about it. I had a cartoon mind while I was making it, so I just wanted to bring that to the light.

Cena: You could tell, you could tell that, man. Every song on the album’s got a story and every story is great, man. Snoop, I want to thank you very much for your time. I know WWE is going to check it out and enjoy it.

Snoop: And big John Cena, there’s only nothin’ to it but to do it. If you ever need somebody’s ass kicked on the DL, holla at me.

Cena: You got it, man. Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, in stores now. The animated The Adventures of Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, look for it in March. But I’m telling you, Blue Carpet Treatment is out and it is very, very heavy, in stores now. Snoop, thank you so much, I appreciate it.

Snoop: Good luck. And John, be good.

Cena: Later, man.


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Layla Interviews Erica Durance
Written: January 3rd, 2007

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For the third installment of WWE.com’s Superstar to Superstar, 2006 Diva Search winner Layla took a few minutes to catch up with Erica Durance, a.k.a. Lois Lane on The CW’s hit show Smallville. The Canadian actress, who also stars in the popular direct-to-DVD feature The Butterfly Effect 2, tells Layla who she thinks Lois Lane really is, and how she'll fit in when Smallville returns with new episodes starting January 11.

Layla: WWE Divas represent strength, independence, beauty, sex appeal and class. How do you think Lois Lane fits into these characteristics?

Erica: When I grew up, one of the things I loved about the Lois Lane character was her independence. The fact that she has this inner strength that basically says, “If anything goes wrong, I’m going to turn to myself first. I’m not a victim. Let’s see how I can get myself out of this.”

The beauty that Lois has is that she doesn’t view herself as a beauty or sex symbol. Her beauty comes from the confidence she has within, and the fact she can rely on her wit and her strengths. As a result, it comes across as confidence that people find beautiful.

Layla: Madonna was my first inspiration. Who were yours? As a child, was there anyone who you saw on TV that inspired you to become an actress?

Erica: Well, I don’t want to steal Madonna from you…

Layla: Go ahead, she’s an icon!

Erica: She’s an independent woman who didn’t take crap from anyone. She went out there and did her thing. But, over the last few years, another woman who I think is unbelievable is Angelina Jolie. She doesn’t apologize for who she is. It’s take it or leave it, and she’s not going to change. I really admire that. They are both people who make their own decisions and stick to them, and I really find that attractive.

Layla: Favorite Lois Lane actress?

Erica: Margot Kidder. She brought so much strength and class to the character.

Layla: What are some of the obstacles you had to overcome to win the role on Smallville?

Erica: I’m not sure how many actresses auditioned, but it was a long process. They were looking for a good six months before I even auditioned. I didn’t expect much; I expected it to go to some beautiful girl from L.A., so I figured I'd just give it a shot and see what happens. I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. I auditioned on a Friday, and got the part on a Monday.

Layla: That’s a great accomplishment. Y'know, the Divas welcomed me into WWE with a cold shower at SummerSlam. How did the Smallville cast initiate you?

Erica: Well, we didn’t have any cold showers, thank God. They welcomed me in with a sense of humor, and taught me to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously. The whole cast was very welcoming. I went to Paris with Allison Mack, who plays my cousin Chloe, for a Smallville thing. She took me out to dinner, which was really nice; it was just one of those things that helped break the ice.

Layla: At WWE, we never know what’s going to happen, but many of the Smallville episodes for this season have already been recorded. Can you tell us what’s in store for Lois Lane for the rest of this year?

Erica: Lois is going to keep getting herself into trouble, but she’s also going to grow up a little more. She’s been investigating more stories and getting into some sticky situations, so she will definitely have to do a little more fighting. And there will be more between her and her new love interest, Oliver Queen [played by Justin Hartley]. I don’t know if I can give away too much.

Layla: My personal kryptonite is desserts. What’s yours?

Erica: My personal kryptonite is probably chips and dip. Or In-N-Out Burger when I’m in L.A. Every time I’m there I have to go.

Layla: I love that place! Have you been to Fatburger?

Erica: No, I haven’t been there yet, but I’ll have to give it a shot.

Layla: You don’t look like you eat a lot of burgers.

Erica: We all need to make time for a burger once in a while.

Layla: Erica, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. We'll keep watching you on Smallville.

Erica: Thanks, Layla.

Hey guys! Here's the latest edition of Superstar 2 Superstar from WWE.com. This time around, S2S features FNSD! Diva (one of my absolute favorites) Ashley interviewing Hip-Hop superstar & actor Bow Wow. This one is hot, believe me when I tell ya. Enjoy!

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Ashley Interviews Bow Wow
Written: January 10th, 2007

For the fourth installment of WWE.com’s Superstar to Superstar, former Diva Search winner and current SmackDown Diva Ashley took a few minutes to catch up with hip-hop Superstar Bow Wow. The young rapper, who has also starred in a number of movies and is an avid WWE fan, just released his fifth album, The Price of Fame.

Ashley: Hey Bow Wow. How’s it going?

Bow Wow: I’m doing great Ashley, how are you?

Ashley: Good, I want to talk to you about your new album called The Price of Fame. They say it’s a personal diary of what’s happened to you in your life for the last year and a half.

Bow Wow: Yeah, well, it’s really there to bring my recent experiences to life. I want to make albums that people can relate to, so by talking about my personal relationships, I’ve found that I can be successful. I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Ashley: I love it! You team up with Chris Brown on your first single, "Shortie Like Mine." I’m curious as to where you’re coming from on that track.

Bow Wow: Basically, it’s a record about a guy who is really excited about his woman. She’s like a trophy to him. He’s really proud of her and he likes to brag about her. She does things for him that nobody else can, and he’s happy to have her and show her off. Chris Brown and I have worked well together in the past, so we wanted to keep it going.

Ashley: Tell us about working with Lil Scrappy, Pimp C, Lil Wayne and some others on the song called "Four Corners," which, by the way, is a song title that’s right up the WWE fans alley.

Bow Wow: Haha, basically it’s like four guys representing a different corner of the country. We’ve all got our own style and we bring it to this record. It’s definetly a song you can body slam somebody to. It’s a little edgier, almost a street type record.

Ashley: I heard about your new animated series on MTV called Homeboyz. What’s up with that? Can you tell me a little about it?

Bow Wow: It’s a cartoon I came up with. It’s about myself and my three best friends, my cousin and another friend of mine who produced on my recent album. It’s basically four young guys and how they get down. Everyone came to me to do a reality show, but I never wanted to do it. I wanted to show people my life but do it differently than the normal reality show, and that’s how Homeboyz came about.

Ashley: You’ve got everything going and you’re still a young guy. Is it true you have a clothing line?

Bow Wow: Yeah. Well I did have a clothing line, but not anymore. I basically just shut it down because we didn’t have much going on. But, I’m involved in a lot of other things as well. I just opened a McDonald’s franchise and I own a sneaker store down here in Atlanta. I’m also talking with the Atlanta Hawks about a possible ownership role.

Ashley: That’s awesome. Next time I’m in Atlanta you’re going to have hook me up with some new kicks! I have to ask, have you ever been to a WWE show?

Bow Wow: Definetly, I’ve been to many. I’m still a wrestling fan today. I love it and still watch. I remember recently when they were here in Atlanta, I saw it on the marquee and had to get tickets. I sat front row and everything and had a lot of fun.

Ashley: That’s amazing. We love having you at our shows. I have one last question, and it’s a tough one, so that’s why I saved it for last: I heard you were dating Ciara. Is that still going on?

Bow Wow: No, I’m single now, but I’m always waiting for your call.

Ashley: Well, Bow Wow, hopefully I’ll be able to see you at a WWE show in the near future so I can finally meet you in person. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Good luck with your album, I can’t wait to hear it!

Bow Wow: Okay, thanks for the call, Ashley.