Issue # 141

Date:  Friday January 22nd, 1999  10:24 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

HBK ARTICLE
Shawn Michaels recently commented on his status to San Antonio Express-News.  The following article was first reported by Joe De Leon, and was found at:
http://www.ultimowrestling.com/rwin/

Shawn Michaels speaks
By Ron Parsons -- San Antonio Express News, Online Entertainment Editor
Thursday, January 21, 1999

Professional wrestler and San Antonio native Shawn Michaels, who recently
announced his retirement from wrestling following back surgery, has a message
for his fans: thank you.

Michaels, 33, wanted to tell wrestling fans who've followed his career that he appreciates their support and that he's "going to miss performing for them."

Years of back problems, exacerbated by a brutal fall through a table during a
match with The Undertaker, forced "The Heartbreak Kid" out of action on to the
operating table Jan. 12, where San Antonio orthopedic surgeon Pablo Vasquez
removed a herniated disk and performed a bone graft to repair the wrestler's
back.

"He's doing very well, its been a week or so since the surgery, and he's ahead
of the game compared to many other patients," said Vasquez. "He's doing
terrific, I'm very pleased. He's still recovering, there's no therapy or any
other exercise program for at least a few weeks. He still needs to heal, bones
need to set."

Michaels, who appeared a little stiff but was able to walk and sit without
obvious discomfort, said he's taking his doctor's advice to relax and let the
healing process take place.

He also admitted that he has not always wanted to do that in the past. But
seeing the latest set of X-rays and hearing Vasquez describe the operation
changed that.

"When you see an X-ray with four bolts in your back, and a titanium plate, and
after going through the surgery and how long that took, it makes it easier to
listen," Michaels said. "(Vazquez) says 'Sit and lie down,' I sit and lie down."


The first time they met, Michaels was lying down — flat on his back in an
emergency room, days after the match with The Undertaker. Michaels said he woke
up one morning and couldn't move. After years of chiropractic adjustments,
therapy and pain, Michaels decided it was time to hang up the boots and tights.

It was a decision he was close to making anyway; the back problems had grown
progressively worse, and Michaels — a three-time WWF champion who has also held
several other titles — was satified with his achievements as a wrestler.

"I'm very lucky to have accomplished all the things I wanted to accomplish,
there was nothing out there to make me second guess" the decision to retire,
Michaels said.

"The circumstances were, if you get back back in the ring you could really do
significant damage to yourself and affect the rest of your life, so in that
instant it was an easy decision to make."

Michaels' immediate plans include weekly visits to see Vasquez and normal, daily
activities usually denied high-profile, frequently traveling pro wrestlers.

"I plan to watch Spurs games, come back here every week, go the mall, go the
movies, go out to eat. Those are the types of things I've missed the past 14
years anyway."

In a forum and via e-mail, fans from around the country and across the globe
wrote expressnews.com to offer their support for Michaels and inquire about his
future plans.

Michaels and Vasquez sat down with expressnews.com Wednesday at Vasquez's office
to talk about Michaels' recent back surgery and recovery, his plans for the
future, and the wrestling profession as a whole. As a special treat, we've
provided the full audio of the interview in RealAudio format. Click here to
listen; if you need the free RealPlayer, click here to download. Also check out
our Pro Wrestling section and forum.

Highlights of the interview:

• Contrary to what some fans have thought, or would like to think, Michaels is
indeed fully and completely retired from wrestling. Doctors have told him he may
never walk again if he decides to get back in the ring, and his quality of life
is more important to him than his desire to compete. So again, Michaels will not
be wrestling — ever — in the
future.

• There is no firm timetable for when Michaels will return to TV in his role as
commissioner. For at least the next few months, he will be relaxing and
recuperating in San Antonio, so don't expect him back on "Monday Night RAW" for
quite some time.

• Michaels is hard at work firming up the site and other plans for his local
wrestling school, which he will operate with wrestling legend and personal
mentor Jose Lothario. He says the school, which will train not only wrestlers
but also managers, will open sometime around the beginning of April.

• Though he hasn't spoken to his former "Rockers" tag-team partner Marty Jannety
in more than a year, Michaels said the two, despite a somewhat rocky parting,
have mended fences and may keep in touch.

• Acting could certainly be in Michaels' future; he received script offers
before his surgery and may yet end up in Hollywood.

When asked if he had anything he wanted to say to his fans in San Antonio and
around the world, Michaels said:

"its been very, very nice that so many people have written in, have sent stuff
to WWF, have sent stuff to (expressnews.com), have sent stuff to my parents'
house. its nice to know that everything I did in the past 14 years — 10 years
in the WWF — didn't fall on deaf ears or blind eyes as far as the fans were
concerned.

"Within the inside of the wrestling business, the insiders can be a little cruel
sometimes. But I always was concerned with what the wrestling fan thought. its
been very, very nice knowing that I was able to step out of this business, say
goodbye to it, and know that people appreciate what I did and are really
honestly going to miss me.

"I think its important that they know I'm really going to miss performing for
them because that's what drove me to get started in this business, that's what
drove me to keep going when people told me I couldn't do things or shouldn't do
things.

"And when people attacked me within the wrestling business, the wrestling fans
were always there to support me, and that's nice. Because as long as I'm
understood, and accepted, and cared for and loved and missed by them, that's
more than enough for me.

"I just wanted to say say thanks to them, because its been a wonderful career,
I'm very, very happy for everything I've done, I'm very happy that people
watched me and didn't care whether I was playing a good guy or a bad guy, or
whatever personal decision they heard I made, or that I might not have made or
that I made, that they stuck by me and supported me.

"That they're honestly and truly going to miss me, that's nice."
(Reported by Joe De Leon at: http://www.ultimowrestling.com/rwin/ )
===========================================
IF RAVEN WAS PRESIDENT...
Submitted by reader: Adam Schlosser (slush8)
In homage to SamJerry, the dean of wrestling writers...

1. PBS' programming schedule would be replaced with shows on how to form a
dysfunctional family and how to create social problems.

2. The "Greasy One" Kanyon would be used as an oil reserve

3. If our enemies got out of line we'd let Sandman share a beer with them then
and have him bash the can against their head before caning them half to death.

4. WCW's management would be ousted in favor of ECW's.

5. Saturn would be made to join him, or be exiled to an indy fed in San
Francisco where he would wear that dress all the time.

6. Tommy Dreamer would be repaid in kind for "the chairshot heard round the
world" by forcing him to job to Lodi.

7. His staff: Lodi-the guy who gets him his coffee, Chastity-resi-dential
bimbo, Kanyon-the pool cleaner, Jim Fullington(Sandman)-Administrator of
beatings, Scotty Riggs- Speaker for the disabled.

8. Band shirts without sleeves, jean shorts, ripped leather jackets, and
flannels tied around the waist would be in style forever.

9. Our motto would be "What about me, what about Raven?!" and our money would
have his depressed looking picture standing, with arms out and on the back it
would say "I feel your pain"

10. Prozac would be banned and marked as illegal contraband.
===========================================
FANTASY BOOKING- THIS WON'T HAPPEN
Submitted by reader: DXPACHYNAO
SuNDAY NiGHT HeAT- 1/24/99
Vince McMahon comes out by himself to start HeAT off. He is greeted with boos
and chants of "ASSHOLE." Vince says that the PPV later tonight will be one you
will never forget. He says that Mankind better watch out because he, Vince, is
feeling a dark presence in the building. He calls out Austin. The breaking
glass is heard and Austin comes to the ring. Vince shows Austin the Titan-Tron
for a clip of the RAW after Survivor Series that had Austin's new contract being
spoken of in more detail. Vince says that in the contract, Austin can't lay a
finger on Vince, unless he's provoked. Austin gets pissed at himself for not
noticing the clause while
Vince leaves the ring smiling.

WWF Royal Rumble 1/24/99
Ken Shamrock loses the IC Belt to Bad Ass Billy Gunn.
In the Royal Rumble match, Austin comes out first and wait for McMahon. Vince
comes out to the Brawl 4 All music. The bell sounds, and McMahon is smiling and
taunting Austin to hit him. Austin stands there for a few seconds,then just
goes to the side, goes over the top rope and eliminates himself and leaves the
ring as he flips Vince off. Vince is happy, yet surprised by this move. Number
3, the Big Boss Man comes in. He notices that they are just standing there,
waiting for the two minutes to be up for number 4 to come in. He looks at Vince
with a smile on his face and Vince looks nervous. Boss Man starts to push Vince
around and is about to throw him over the top rope, when he brings him back down
and laughs, saying that it was a joke. Vince says very funny, already with
sweat and anger on him and he hadn't even wrestled yet.

They wait for the rest of the wrestlers. Throughout the Rumble, Corporate and
DX members show up. A few midcarders come like Owen Hart, Double J, Steve
Blackman, Goldust, a few JOB Squad members, even surprising appearances of Dude
Love and Cactus Jack, and they of course, get eliminated. Number 29 comes out
and its the Blue Blazer. The Blazer gets in the ring and walks towards Vince.
Vince is not sure what to make of it and the two get a staredown, then they go
separate ways as they fight on other people. Chyna comes at number 30 to finish
up the lineup. Then, the last two men turn out to be Vince and the Blazer.
Vince then decides to hit the Blazer, but then Blazer gives him the Stunner and
throws him out. Then the Blazer takes off his mask and its Austin.

In the "I Quit" Title match, the Rock and Mankind go back and forth in a match
that you could almost compare to Hell in a Cell II at King of the Ring. The
action goes all over the building. Tables are smashed, chairshots are hit,
thumbtacks are used and anything else that would cause pain is used. Mankind
even climbs on the side of the Titan-Tron and falls off so many feet to land on
the Rock. Eventually, the match returns to the ring. Both Rock and Mankind are
bleeding. The two pummel each other to the point where they are just laying in
the ring. Then the lights go out and the Undertaker's old music plays. The
Undertaker comes out, along with the Acolytes, Midian, and the Druids. They all
bring a casket to the ring. The Acolytes get in the ring and take the beaten up
Mankind and shoves him in the Casket. The
Undertaker speaks and says to Mankind that its time for him to join the
Ministry of Darkness. But in order for that to happen, he must go through a
torture process (just like with Dennis Knight in the dungeon). He tells Mankind
to tell the world that he quits as Mankind and tomorrow he will emerge a new
man. Mankind is reluctant, but the power of the Undertaker and the growing
Ministry of Darkness is too strong for him and he says "I QUIT, as Mankind."
Then the lights go back on and Finkel announces that the winner of the match is
The Rock, due to Mankind saying "I quit." The Rock comes to and sees what the
Undertaker is doing and is shocked. He wants to help Mankind, but fellow
members of the Corporate Team come out and quickly drag Rock away, with his
Championship belt. Once the Corpoation leaves, the Undertaker nods and the
Acolytes close the casket, the lights go out, the Undertaker's music plays and
Jim Ross can be heard saying "Good god, all mighty and I can't believe what I
have just seen, etc."

RAW IS WAR 1/25/99
Austin comes out to start the show. He brags about how he outsmarted the
bossand also says that since he was the one that eliminated himself, Stone Cold,
he should get the 100 Grand. McMahon then shows up at the top of the ramp. He
tells Austin that it wasn't Stone Cold Steve Austin that won the 1999 Royal
Rumble, it was the Blue Blazer. He then directs Austin's attention to the
Titan-Tron and shows him the two other occasions when the Blue Blazer's mask was
taken off, revealing the identity of the Blazer being Owen Hart and Jeff Jarret.
And since those two deny they are the Blue Blazer, Vince came to the conclusion
that whoever is behind the mask of the Blazer, is not really the Blazer.
Therefore, Austin is not the number one contender for the Title. But Vince
offers Ausin another shot at becoming the number one contender again at the next
PPV, St. Valentines Day Massacre, if Austin gives up the 100 Grand. Austin
agrees, although he's pretty pissed. Vince tells Austin to show up later in the
night at the MAIN EVENT to reveal his opponents at the PPV.

Later, Undertaker comes out with a casket. The Acolytes open it up and they
carry the body of Mick Foley and they sacrifice Foley, giving him a new name.

MAIN EVENT TIME. its Bossman/Shamrock vs. Owen Hart/Double J for the Tag
Team Titles. Bossman and Shamrock come out. Then Owen Hart and Double J come
out with beautiful Debra. The match starts. The match goes back and forth.
In the middle of the match, Austin comes out like he said he would during the
MAIN EVENT and sits with the commentary. Bossman and Shamrock are distracted
when McMahon goes towards them at the side of the ring and acts like he's about
to say something to them. With their backs turned, Owen Hart attacks Boss Man,
who is in the ring, puts the Sharpshooter on him, and the ref counts 1, 2, 3.
Owen Hart and Jeff Jarret are the new Tag Team Champions! The former champs
realize what has happened and they are pissed. McMahon, however, is laughing.
He tells them that he can't have someone in the Corporate Team that jokes around
during important moments, referring to the Boss Man, and he can't have a loser,
Shamrock, who lost the IC belt the night before, either.

He tells them that they are fired from the Corporate Team and that Owen Hart and
Double J will replace them as the new Corporate Tag Champs. He turns to Austin
and calls him Stone Cold Blazer, and says that at the next PPV, you will fight
for the number one contender spot against three other supposed Blue Blazers;
Owen Hart and Double J...Then, another Blue Blazer, who is in costume, comes
behind Austin from the crowd and attacks him. He takes off his mask and its
Dan Severn. Vince continues to say that it will be a three on one handicap
match for the number one contender spot for the Title and when the Corporate
Blazers win, the spot for the number one contender will be determined later.
Vince says that Austin will pay big time for putting on the Blazer outfit the
night before. Owen Hart reminds Austin how he broke his neck before and it will
be a pleasure to do so again. Austin brought back the Blue Blazer when it
appeared he had disappeared, and now Austin would have to pay. Then Steve
Blackman runs into the ring, followed by the other Steve,
Goldust and the JOB Squad, and Team Corporate as RAW goes off the air, ending
in an all out brawl which also includes the former Tag Team Champions. So Owen,
Double J, Debra, and Severn all go Corporate. I think this would be interesting
in bringing Owen Hart back to Main Event status and giving Double J some
exposure. It would also be a good attempt in getting Dan Severn over with the
fans since he has had some difficulty with that as a face and a heel. Bossman
and Shamrock turning face could be fun to watch. And also, other people could
get involved with this angle, including Steve Blackman, who is definitely in
need of a Title Shot. Perhaps we could see a battle of the Steves, Championship
match some time after Wrestlemania
between Steve Austin and Steve Blackman. And if Debra went Corporate like
Double J did, that would give Sable more than enough reason to face Debra some
time down the line since Sable is not very fond of Team Corporate.
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENTS
I just recently returned form Tokyo, Japan with one of the largest collections
of "ORIGINAL" Japanese Videos tapes to be found "ANYWHERE". To view this list,
"AND" read about my trip, go to my site at
http://members.aol.com/gmayfield/index.htm Contact me at gmayfield@xxxxc...
with any questions.

Check out "Wrestling Illustrated News". To subscribe, send an e-mail to:
winewslist-subscribe@xxxxpgroups.com

SWF Roleplaying Federation...Be anyone you want! Come Check us out!
http://www.angelfire.com/wv/swfrp/SWFRP.html
You think you can handle it? Go ahead and try!

If you would like to subscribe to Pro Wrestling Newsletter send a blank email to
pwn316-subscribe@xxxxpGroups.com with the subject as subscribe. My newsletter
features news, trivia, columns, fantasy tournaments, Q&A with Philip Ali, Polls,
Ads, Results, all of SamJerry's workings, and Quote of the Day. Also needed,
someone who can help me out with the newsletter!!
Email PWN_eXtremist for more info on the job!!
===========================================
The staff of The Wrestling Booking Sheet
Editor: Steve Appy
Columnist: Mark George
Columnist: SamJerry
Columnist: Fritz Capp
Columnist: Rick Phelps
Columnist: Cindy Barnes
Columnist: Josh Hewitt
Columnist: Swami
Columnist: Tom Misnik
Columnist: Nate Pelley
Columnist: Osiris
Columnist: Tom Kirkbride
Columnist: Darren Kramer

Any submissions sent in by readers or columnists become the property of The Wrestling Booking Sheet, and are subject to editing due to grammar, spelling, or content. Any information taken from The Wrestling Booking Sheet must be credited properly, with our E-Mail address listed. We have no problem if you want to use our stuff; just credit it properly.

"When you're young and you pick up a guitar, it feels so powerful. It feels like you pulled the sword from the stone. I used to believe that it could save the world. But I don't really believe that anymore." - Bruce Springsteen

"The greatest challenge of adulthood is holding on to your idealism
after you lose your innocence and believing in the power of the human
spirit after you come crashing into the limits of the real adult
world." - Bruce Springsteen