Select Answers: The Sphere, Uncle Howdy, Bloodline, Joe Hendry

Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

Has Bo Dallas always played Uncle Howdy, even going back to the very beginning with the vignettes? Or did he step in at some point?

He was always planned as Uncle Howdy and was the person set to portray the gimmick. There were some instances where a stand-in was used, but that was the first time around before Bray Wyatt's untimely passing. The stand-in was never planned to be revealed and it was always set to be Bo Dallas to the best of my understanding.

When UFC and others speak about the cost of running the sphere, what exactly is that due to? Is it the technology involved in the screen? Staff needed? Preparation to put together the production? For something like WWE and Mania could any of these ever be offset by Las Vegas or a sponsor to cover some of the cost?

It's a variety of things. The cost of running the venue itself is insanely expensive. Word was that the LED ball cost $450,000 a day itself, and running that actual venue could be north of $1 million. Unless the event and scenario made sense, it probably won't end up being booked out by a wrestling company. UFC did over $20 million in gate this weekend, breaking their own record.

With UFC running the Sphere do you think we see WWE announce a Sphere show in the future?

Sticking with the Sphere, I've heard nothing about WWE reaching out about it yet. I know Tony Khan and AEW reached out and inquired about it. I don't know the reality of them actually ending up running a show there, though.

Anything on Naomi, Tamina or Nia joining the Bloodline?

Naomi was brought up in creative meetings well before she rejoined the company. Nia Jax has never been pitched for it to my knowledge. Tamina is no longer on the road with WWE, and hasn't wrestled in over a year and a half. They could integrate her, but she is largely done with WWE on a day-to-day basis.

What is Joe Hendry's contract status with TNA?

Hendry has a substantial amount of time remaining on his TNA contract. It's nowhere near up at the moment.