Issue # 159

Date:  Monday February 8th, 1999  6:07 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

ROAD DOGG INJURED
TRUZ 316 reports that Jesse James was seriously injured in a 3 man tag match.
They ended the match prematurely due to his injury. He was thrown into the ropes
and then somehow hit them wrong and went through. he landed on his head and was
legitimately injured. he laid motionless and then the stretcher came out. On
1wrestling com Dave Scherer confirms that Jesse was fitted with a cervical
collar, and hospitalized. As more details are available, we will update this
story.
(Reported by Sister Midnight at: http://www.wrestlingpages.com/big3 )

STEINER UPDATE
Rick Steiner is now said to be out due to his chronic shoulder injury until May.
(Reported by Al Isaccs at: http://www.scoopscentral.com )
===========================================
SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT Report for February 7, 1999.
By: Mark George (attkdonkey)

~~SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT opens with a clip from last weeks HALFTIME HEAT match
between Mankind and The Rock and a promo for their "Last Man Standing" match at
St. Valentine's Day Massacre PPV.

~~Team Corporate (Vince, Shane, Chyna & Stooges) opens live action. Vince
builds next weekend's PPV event by pushing the Mankind/Rock title match and
announces Chyna & Kane will meet Triple H & X-Pac in a tag match. Vince then rips
into Steve Austin and predicts victory in their cage match. McMahon then offers
Austin "A Happy Valentine's Day" by having him face Mankind on Saturday Night
RAW.


Too Much defeats Kurrigan & Golga (w/Oddities) via pinfall.
Does anyone care about this match? During the match Droz was shown delivering a
beating to Giant Silva after he lured him backstage. Apparently Droz enjoys
hammering the members of The Oddities. Fine by me. Meanwhile, DOA showed up
ringside and interfered, allowing Brian Christopher to get the pin. DOA and Too
Much then celebrate together. Possible affiliation????

~~Michael Cole interviews Al Snow.
Cole asks what Snow plans to do to Road Dogg at their upcoming Hardcore Title
match at next week's PPV. Snow reponds by going balistic and tearing the
backstage apart.

~~Val Venis is shown making-out backstage with Shamrock's sister, Ryan. Val is
classic!!!

Godfather defeats Ken Shamrock via a countout.
The Godfather is joined by his customary Ho's. This weeks trio are the best by
far. During the match, Val shows up on the Titan Tron and is backstage
receiving some TLC from Ryan. Shamrock goes nuts and charges backstage
resulting in a countout. Kenny then proceeds to whip Val's ass and carry his
sister off.

Luna defeats Jaqueline (w/Teri Runnels) via pinfall.
Teri is Hot!!! Before the match, Sable comes ringside for commentary and she
and Shane engage in their continuing verbal war. D-Lo Brown comes ringside and
distracts Jaqueline allowing Luna to follow it up with a DDT for the win. With
the win, Luna earns a rematch against Sable for the Women's Title at St.
Valentine's Day Massacre.

Triple Threat Elimination Match:
Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart (w/Debra) vs. D-Lo Brown & Mark Henry vs. Triple H & X-Pac.
Early in the match, D-Lo showed some good in-ring action against JJ and X-Pac,
but Jarrett connected with the tag belt allowing X-Pac to get the pin and
eliminate D-Lo & Sexual Chocolate. Triple H and X-Pac follow up by double teaming
Owen, when Chyna appears ringside. Wonder what will happen??? As expected,
Chyna interferes by delivering a low blow to Triple H as he attempts the Pedigree on
Owen. Owen is able recover and record the 3 count and the win.
Winner: Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett.
===========================================
Baba's death marks end of an era
Sunday, February 7, 1999
By Mike Mooneyham
The death of Shohei (Giant) Baba last week at the age of 61 sadly marked the end
of an era in professional wrestling.

Baba, a larger-than-life figure in Japan, passed away Jan. 31 at the age of 61
of liver failure. Longtime owner of the All Japan promotion, Baba had been
hospitalized since a bowel operation on Jan. 8.

Very few men in the history of wrestling affected the industry as Baba did over
a period spanning four decades. He was one of the most influential figures in
the wrestling business dating back to the '60s when he teamed with another
Japanese legend, Antonio Inoki, who made his pro debut on Sept. 30, 1960,
ironically on the same show with Baba.

To say Baba was as revered a celebrity in Japan as Michael Jordan is in the
United States would not be an overstatement. Baba's far-reaching influence
extended to sports, politics and the mainstream media, and in a
tradition-steeped country such as Japan, he was considered a national treasure
and a cultural symbol.

"He was Japanese wrestling," said Jerry Brisco, who along with brother Jack,
toured Japan many times working for Baba's promotion. Brisco and fellow WWF
official Bruce Prichard were in Japan for Baba's last birthday celebration and
said his passing came as a shock.

"He looked fantastic," Brisco told The Post and Courier. "The tradition in Japan
is when one of those guys has a birthday, they get in the center of the ring and
everybody in the audience passes by and shakes their hand and gives them a gift.
They had a big crowd that night. It must have taken an hour and a half or longer
for all of them to pass through, but Baba stood there and shook every one of
their hands and bowed to all of them. When they left the ring, it was like they
touched the president."

Giant Baba's size alone (6-9, 300 pounds) made him unique by Japanese standards.
But Baba, who had the distinction of being the tallest man ever to play major
league baseball in Japan, had the innate ability to connect with the Japanese
fans and to successfully bridge two distinct generations of wrestling.

"He was one of these big guys with a personality deluxe and the charisma that it
takes to be a star," said Brisco. "Baba transcends all eras. No matter which era
it was, he would be the top guy. Certain guys are like that, and he was
certainly one of them. its a great loss to our industry, not only ring-wise,
but business-wise as well, for the country of Japan. I'm sure he'll be given a
burial over there that's worthy of a king."

More than 100,000 letters of condolence were sent to the All Japan office last
week.
A former NWA world champion, Baba also enjoyed great success in the United
States.

"He was a tremendous draw when he came to the States," said Brisco. "I had the
pleasure of seeing Jack go over and lose the strap to Baba (in 1974) and win it
back a week later. The reception that Giant Baba received after he won the title
was just tremendous. He was absolutely revered."

Baba, a successful businessman who accumulated vast wealth from a number of real
estate holdings in Japan and Hawaii as well as through the wrestling business,
also was one of the industry's most respected promoters who fashioned a style
which became unique in the wrestling business. Baba's philosophy centered around
a rugged and stiff work-oriented approach to the game that catapulted American
grapplers such as Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, Steve Williams and Vader to
superstardom.

"Baba could take a program that was hot in the United States and bring it over
there with four Americans and make it draw big, as he did with the Funks and the
Briscos. Baba always treated everyone first-class when they came to Japan.
During the time when I was traveling over there, he was the man to work for. He
was a first-class guy, and his wife was a very nice lady as well. He was always
a man who kept his word on his guarantees. You never had to worry about a thing.
In those times we didn't sign contracts; it was a handshake. If Baba promised
you a trip a year and a half later, you could rest assured you'd be receiving
your ticket a year and a half later. He was a great businessman who never backed
down from an offer."

Perhaps Baba's greatest accomplishment in the wrestling business, however, was a
mind-boggling streak that most likely will never be duplicated. From the time of
his debut in 1960 until 1984, a period spanning more than 4,000 matches, Baba
never missed a scheduled appearance for any reason.

"He made Japan wrestling what it is today," said Brisco. "All these other guys,
from Inoki down to the current regime, owe that man a vote of gratitude because
of all he's done for wrestling in Japan."

• And, even though this is a pro wrestling column, we would be remiss not to
mention a man whose passing truly symbolizes the end of the century here in
Charleston.

Few individuals gave more to their community than Bill Ackerman, and I, along
with thousands of other Charlestonians, will sorely miss him.

• Pro Wrestling Torch and The Wrestling Observer Newsletter remain two of the
most respected publications in the business.
For rates and more information, write Pro Wrestling Torch (editor Wade Keller)
at P.O. Box 201844, Minneapolis, Minn. 55420, or The Wrestling Observer
Newsletter (editor Dave Meltzer) at P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, Calif. 95009-1228.

• Jeff Archer's "Theater in a Squared Circle" is a must-read for serious
followers of the wrestling game. Published by White Boucke Publishing, the book
offers a fascinating view of the business and an entertaining look at the
mystique surrounding pro wrestling. Call 1-800-382-7922 for more info.

Mike Mooneyham can be reached by phone at (803) 937-5517 or by e-mail at
mooneyham@xxxxc.... More wrestling news with Mike Mooneyham is
available every Monday on The Wrestling Observer Hotline. The number is
1-900-903-9030. Calls are 99 cents per minute, and children under 18 must get
parental permission before dialing.
===========================================
ONE COUNT (part one of a new column ) by OSIRIS (burkeandhare@xxxxc...)
In today`s column, I`d like to perform a service for newer fans by introducing
and defining some of the more common terms used by people who`ve been around the
sport for a long time. These terms you should know, in order to obtain a fuller
enjoyment of the sport:

1)bump-------when a wrestler takes an unexpected bruise or injury at an event;
2)blading------when wrestlers make themselves bleed------sometime check out the
foreheads of Dusty Rhodes or Randy Savage;
3)face-----one of the ``good guys``;
4) heel-----one of the ``bad guys``;
5) booker-----someone in the organization who dreams up the
storylines-----develops the angles-----decides whether one will be `face` or
`heel`, and what their gimmick will be-----;
6) carry-----in a tag-team particularly-----one who does most of the work due
perhaps to more talent or experience----;
7) clean-----a legitimate (-seeming) win with no outside interference;
8) tweener-----one who seems to be neither good nor bad-------------

More terms next time, and thanks to Ice-Queen, editor of a former newsletter,
'Wrestling on Ice', for research. Also, let me thank you readers for your lists
of your top two favorite wrestlers. I can`t take any more lists after the 10th
of February----the response so far has been overwhelming (results in a future
column, so keep your eyes out), and finally (long overdue) I`d like to issue
congratulations to the Road Dogg Jesse James. He seems to be the first one to
avoid what the Living Legend
Larry Zysbsko refers to as the ``Armstrong Curse``. More power to you, Jesse.
Well, that`s it for now----see ya---ring the bell------
osiris
===========================================
WWF- No Jobbers Here
by Dale Moore
owner/editor- The Wrestle Pro Report
To subscribe to The Wrestle Pro Report, e-mail cmorre316

Jobbers have been used for years to put guys over, useless no name guys who
would appear on WWF Challenge or Superstars to job to guys who needed to get
over more. Mike Sharp, Brooklyn Brawler, Barry Horowitz, and Jim Powers all
come to mind when I think of those people jobbing on those shows in the early
90's.

Today however are there really any jobbers in the WWF? Matt and Jeff Hardy are
receiving somewhat of a push and are being billed as a young talented team, Too
Much get fan heat, Bob Holly and Scorpio are involved in a faction known as the
J.O.B. squad and they receive pops from the crowd, and Gillberg look at this
guy, at one time he was one of those guys jobbing on Challenge and today he's
the Light Heavyweight champion and involved in a hilarious angle of "Who's
First?".

Hmmm, still need more guys mentioned who you think are jobbers in the WWF? How
about The Oddities? Nope ICP's music helps them get over with the crowd.
Dennis Knight? Nope, the WWF got him involved in a big angle too. Okay here's
one jobber, Road Dog! Maybe at one time but the WWF did wonders with him and
he's held tag and hardcore gold and is part of the hottest faction going today,
DX.

Now does WCW have jobbers? Can you say Al Greene, Chip Minton, El Dandy,
Damien, Emory Hale, Johnny Swinger, Vincent, Horace, Kaz Hayashi, Tokyo Magnum,
and the list goes on and on. Is it bad to have jobbers? No, but save them for
WCW Saturday Night and Worldwide and put the stars on Nitro and give us at least
a semi-decent Thunder show.

The WWF does wonders with guys like Road Dog, Billy Gunn, Duane Gill, Bob Holly,
Scorpio, and so on. The WWF, there are no jobbers here!
===========================================
FANTASY BOOKING (THIS WON'T HAPPEN
Submitted by reader: Adam Schlosser (slush8)
WWF offices: Shawn Michaels is talking to Vince, talking about how he feels he
has healed enough and needs to make one more pass at stardom, against one of the
best. He wants to face Sabu. After a lot of coaxing, Vince agrees. He calls
Paul Heyman and Paul says only if its at an ECW PPV. After some convincing
from Shawn, Vince agrees to it.

ECW PPV: Sabu comes out to thunderous cheers, Michaels gets cheers that just
about equal the ECW hero's. The match starts off slow, a testing period. Sabu
hits three dropkicks in a row, giving him an upper hand thoughout the bout.
Eight minutes into the match Michaels is showing fatigue and is hurt but refuses
to quit. Even if his back goes out, he's not going down that way. He cracks
Sabu with a few hard rights. Sabu battles back and hits an Arabian Press.
Michaels is rolling on the canvas, near the point of blacking out, but he gets
up. Sabu tries for a Crossbody but HBK ducks to the side and winds up
superkicking Sabu right in the teeth on
his rebound. The kick was weakend from the state of Shawn's back, though and it
only let's him get a near fall, a 2 count, close to a three.

Five minutes later after an Arabian Face Buster and a triple jump Moonsault, HBK
gives out, and he is pinned by Sabu. His back is in agony and his vision is
swimming. Shawn gets up on his own though, he feels a hand on his wrist and his
arm being raised into the air by Sabu, showing how Sabu respects HBK for what he
did tonight and what he put on the line, showing who the real winner is.
===========================================
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===========================================
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.

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