The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 235

Date: Monday May 3rd, 1999 11:15 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

WWF SMACKDOWN UPDATE
According to Reuters/Variety, UPN is set to pick up the option to make WWF
SMACKDOWN a regular series franchise starting next season. The article also says
that they're expected to schedule it in the 8pm time slot on Tuesdays; we'll be
sure when the WWF confirms this themselves.
Reported by Al Isaacs at: http://www.scoopscentral.com

DDP APPEARING ON ...AND JUSTICE FOR BRAWL
Diamond Dallas Page will be appearing on Derek Gordon's ...And Justice For Brawl
Internet broadcast this Tuesday; for more details, be sure to check out
http://static.pseudo.com/wrestling

ROCK & ROLL EXPRESS/HEADSHRINKERS
A few folks sent along a report from Veterens' Stadium in Philly, where earlier
today, the Rock 'n' Roll Express and Headshrinkers were slated to battle in a
pre-Phillies-game tag team match. Unfortunately, somebody forgot to bring a
wrestling ring, so they just brawled around the field for a while. Some thought
it came off really amateurish and stupid, but a couple fans who were there
thought it was kind of neat to see the old pros cut loose a little bit and try
some new stuff.
Reported by http://www.wrestlemaniacs.com/

CORRECTION
For the Chavo Guerrero Jr./Blitzkrieg match that took place 5/2 in Norfolk,
Virginia, it was Chavo that pulled out the victory.

ECW House Show at the War Memorial Auditorium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 4/30
Yoshiro Tajiri d Little Guido
Super Crazy d El Mosco
Jerry Lynn d Justin Credible
Lance Storm (w Tammy Lynn Bytch) d Nova
New Jack d Mustafa in a no DQ street brawl
Balls Mahoney d Skull Von Crush
The Dudley Boys defeated Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill
Tommy Dreamer (w/Francine) d Steve Corino
Rob Van Dam successfully defended his ECW TV Title against Spike Dudley.
Reported by Scott Levison (z800525a)
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The X-Treme Team Network now has a homepage
(http://members.tripod.com/~rickxtn/index.html)! its not a wrestling website
but rather an "interactive activities" website. There is a wrestling related
activity there called Revenge Championship Wrestling, though. Why not take a
look...it will only take a minute.
===========================================
WCW Nitro Report for May 3rd, 1999
By Steve Appy
Live from the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, NC
Ric Flair (acting more manic than ever) guided a bus load of mental patients to
Nitro.
As of this point, still no sign of Scott Hall; ironically enough, despite acting
crazy, Flair really came off as a nice guy, taking care of his less fortunate
peers...

As Tony Shiavonie & Bobby Heenan introduced Nitro, a loud "We Want Flair" chant
shook the arena (a chant conveniently ignored). Then again, we were treated to
another Sablesqe training video with Gorgeous George.

Ricky Rachman introduced WCW Nascar driver Jerry Nadeau; Rachman acknowledged
that "Charlotte loves Ric Flair", a surprising admission.

WCW World Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman defeated Steve &
Scott Armstrong in4:05 when Rey pinned Steve
Steve Armstrong wore his 1991 Young Pistol tights; Mysterio pinned Steve
Armstrong after a Kidman assisted flip into a Top Rope Frankensteiner. Benoit,
Malenko, Raven & Saturn all made their way to the ring, and a brawl ensued among
the six superstars (the Armstrong's made a hasty retreat).

Buff Bagwell pinned Ernest Miller (w/Sonny Onoo) in 8:43
The Cat interrupted Buff's posing with a kick to the chest; instead of a quick
squash, WCW decided to damage their first hour rating by giving us more than
eight minutes of Miller. After Onoo's interference backfired, Buff hit the
Blockbuster for the pinfall.

Gene Okerlund interviewed WCW President Ric Flair (w/ half of the mental
hospital waiting in the back). Flanked by Arn Anderson, Charles Robinson, JJ
Dillon, & a muscular female nurse, Flair ordered a Flair/DDP World Title match
for tonight, and rambled on about Piper, Savage, etc. Even playing crazy wasn't
enough to turn Charlotte against The Nature Boy.

Randy Savage (w/ the very scantily clothed Madusa, Gorgeous George & Miss
Madness) interrupted Flair's interview. As security intervened, Flair managed
to both kidnap (and grope) Gorgeous George. Wearing a very revealing bikini
top, Flair's nurse choked G. George into submission, a risque counter to the
WWF's direction.

Both Sting & Bill Goldberg responded to Flair's rantings, and Flair goaded them
into a brawl. After some realistic action that saw security get decimated, the
two fan favorites were finally separated. Although the fans cheered both men,
Goldberg got the stronger reaction.

Flair offered Stevie Ray $100,000 if he knocks Kevin Nash out of action tonight;
Flair is hilarious playing the out-of-touch hipster.

Bam Bam Bigelow fought Hardcore Hak to a No Contest in 13:43
Chastity was nowhere to be seen; every weapon imaginable was used in this
Hardcore match (including an empty beer keg). After Bigelow Superplexed Hak
through two tables (a scary looking spot), Brian Knobbs stormed the ring and
destroyed both men, leaving them both destroyed on the mat.

Stevie Ray convinced his fellow nWo members to help him eliminate Nash, although
he reduced the figure in half to $50,000 (what a guy!). One of the mental
patients listened in a stall, and scurried down the hall with something on his
mind.

As a skeptical Kevin Nash looked on, the mental patient informed him of Stevie
Ray's plot; it was clear that Nash didn't take him seriously.

Konnan defeated Horace via disqualification in 8:07
After K-Dawg locked Horace in the Tequila Sunrise, the nWo's interference caused
the disqualification. As Konnan was being destoryed, Kevin Nash surprisingly
came to Konnan's aid and cleared the ring of the nWo jobbers. Although
suspicious, Konnan & Nash touched knuckles, with a future alliance possible.

Ric Flair made peace with David Flair, who was accomponied by the truly gorgeous

Torrie Wilson. Promising him a match for tonight, Flair booked him into a match
with the monster Meng. Talk about sacrificing your child to the wolves...

As Flair held court with his insane friends, Roddy Piper stormed the dressing
room and left Flair for dead, promising even worse treatment at Slamboree.

A disheveled Flair enlisted Scott Steiner's ( "the six time All-American" )
assistance in destroying Kevin Nash; citing his own grudges, Steiner was quick
to agree.

Nitro cut to a press conference with Lex Luger & Elizabeth; the signal cut off,
with WCW apparently trying to make us anxious to learn the subject of the
interview. I have a feeling it didn't work...

After Rey Mysterio Jr. guided Steiner in Nash's direction, Steiner came upon
Buff Bagwell instead. Always one to seize an opportunity, Steiner used a table
to knock Buff to the ground.

Meng pinned David Flair (w/Torrie Wilson) in 3:23
Torrie Wilson is now billed under her real name, with the Samantha monicker cast
aside. David was overmatched, and Torrie was concerned for the safety of the
young Flair. Charles Robinson was the referee, and showed no concern for
David's well being. Meng pinned David with The Tongan Death Grip, and Ric
Flair came to check on his fallen son. As David was stretchered out, Ric was
much more interested in making hip gyrations in Torrie's direction than show
concern for his son.

Although made to look ridiculous, Flair has appeared in almost every quarter
hour since 9:00; despite it all, Flair is still WCW's top ratings draw.

Gene Okerlund interviewed WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page;
DDP boastfully compared his legacy to John Elway, Wayne Gretzky & Michael
Jordon. Although he tried everything possible, DDP was unable to get any
reaction from the fans, heel or babyface. A skeptical viewer might think that
the fans didn't care about DDP one way or the other...

Curt Hennig defeated WCW TV Champion Booker T via disqualification in 2:26
Stevie Ray once again interfered for no good reason; Rick Steiner made the save
for Hennig, and brawled with Booker T all over the ringside area.

Two uniformed police officers received word that the mental patients didn't have
releases, and would have to be returned to the institution. Presumably this
doesn't include Flair himself...

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page pinned Ric Flair in 13:17
Flair ally Charles Robinson was the referee; Flair was the overwhelming crowd
favorite. As the two brawled to the outside, Flair used a low blow to gain the
advantage. Tony Shiavonie hinted that "someone different" could show up at
Slamboree (perhaps Scott Hall?). As Flair dominated DDP, Randy Savage &
Gorgeous George invaded ringside. As Charles Robinson chased George to the
back, Savage handed Flair a foreign object that knocked Flair unconscious. A
second referee made the count for the absent Robinson, cementing the Savage/DDP
alliance.
===========================================
Sting unique in his loyalty
By Mike Mooneyham
Sunday, May 2, 1999
Few mat stars have achieved the popularity and celebrity status that the
wrestler known as Sting has over the past decade. He has held world titles on
several occasions and consistently has been one of the top-drawing and most
marketable performers for World Championship Wrestling.

Sting also has been unique in his loyalty to his company and his fans. He is one
of the very few major stars to stick with one organization, having been employed
by WCW since the buyout of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988, despite big-money
offers from the rival WWF. And he has steadfastly refused to shed his good-guy
image and turn heel.

This past year, however, has been a series of highs and lows for the 39-year-old
superstar once touted as "The Franchise." Sting mysteriously disappeared from
the wrestling scene last fall and, with the exception of a few house shows, was
not seen or even mentioned in WCW.

The real reason was known to only a few select friends inside the company.
Little was made public - other than Sting had requested the time off to work on
a film - and it was left at that. Sting, however, had reached a crossroads in
his personal as well as professional life. He was forced to make life-changing
decisions.

"All the years pounding the pavement took its toll on me mentally, physically,
spiritually ... in every way possible," Sting said in a candid interview in the
May issue of WCW Magazine. "It took its toll on my family. I had a real big
eye-opener last year; that's when it was time for me to stop and smell the
roses. I think a lot of people in my position go through those hard times, where
you've got to stop and smell the roses. And I did."

Many of the decisions Sting had to make were not easy ones, and some of his
friends were affected. He sold his interest in his longtime gym partnership with
Lex Luger. Many of his colleagues privately questioned Sting's motivations. He
even moved from Atlanta to Southern California.

Sting is back, but the "new" Sting is unlike the "old" Sting. Steve Borden, the
man behind the wrestler Sting, is a different man. His life changed dramatically
last September when he became a born-again Christian.

"I am walking a different walk now, and I am trying to figure out how to
integrate that walk into wrestling without becoming Father Sting because that's
the last thing I want to do," Borden said in the interview. "But at the same
time, I want to give a good message to the fans, especially the kids. I now want
to think about each and every move I make, knowing that I'm not just a husband
and a father, but I'm also a personality on TV. The fans watch me; they identify
with me; they take examples from me, as they do from all the wrestlers. That's
why I now want to really think clearly about everything I do, especially on TV.
I want to make sure I say and do the right thing, so parents are able to say,
'Yeah, I don't mind if my kids watch Sting on TV.'"

Sting, however, is particularly outspoken concerning his views on the current
WWF product.

"Some of the raunch that airs on our competitor's show, I wouldn't let my kids
watch and I can't imagine any parent letting their kids watch it. That's crap;
that's exactly what it is."

Sting, who says that his wife and two sons are the most important things in his
life, was unsure how his change would affect his relationship with his
co-workers.

"It was very tough to walk into the dressing room and say, 'Hey guys, guess
what, I'm different now,' because I knew there was a good chance that I might
lose some friends. But that hasn't happened. The guys have all been great."

Sting's wrestling future is still uncertain. He openly admits that his career
will never again be at the same pace that it once was. "It can't be," he says.

• American Classic Wrestling will return to Charleston Southern University
Fieldhouse on Saturday night with a five-match show. The lineup is:
Wildcat (with Wahoo McDaniel in his corner) vs. The Gambler in an Indian strap
match; Judy Martin vs. Susan Greene for the LPWA title; Tony Charles vs. The
Menace; Hoss vs. Big Bubba Shults; and Enigma vs. Adam Briggs.

Mike Mooneyham can be reached by phone at (843) 937-5517 or by e-mail at
mooneyham. 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.
===========================================
SHOW US THE HORSEMAN
Submitted by reader: barabaz
It was weeks since I saw him on tv, it was weeks ago I even heard his name. I
saw the Horsemen last week, it was Ric Flair, Dean Malenko and Chris
Benoit..hang on, that`s only three. Oh yea, Steve McMichael is in the group
too, or is he? WCW doesn't mention his name on tv anymore. The other Horsemen
doesn't either. Is he injured? Does he really no show all the time that we read
in sheets? Is he seeing a shrink because he`s depressed over Debra`s role in
WWF? You can't just ignore it WCW, tell us like it is! We want to know where
Mongo is now! Either he`s a Horsemen or he`s not. Don't pretend that he
doesn't exist. Dont insult our intelligence.
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KEVIN NASH COMIC
Submitted by reader: Barry Stulberger (mrmom57)
I found the full info for the NASH comic. its being issued by IMAGE Comics,
written by Kevin Nash and various others. Pencils are by Marat Mychaels, Inks
by Jamie Mendoza. Here's the blurb from PREVIEWS May 99 issue:

"Superstar wrestler Kevin Nash blasts into the future with an explosion of
action, adventure and excitement in the pages of his debut comic book NASH. The
special NASH Preview Edition will feature an exclusive interview with Kevin Nash
and the inside scoop on how and why the NASH comic book evolved and developed
into a story for the 21st century. Do not miss this first look at the dynamic
artwork and story outline for this landmark book as well as an original
sketchbook section featuring preliminary sketches and unused pages. PLUS, a
sneak peek at new and
future comic books from the studios of NEXT Entertainment." Shipping July 99.

The cover says:"Superstar Wrestler Kevin NashIn da House and in your Future"
Reported by Big Barry, From the radio show "Pro-Wrestling Wrap-up"
WCNJ, 89.3 FM, Weds 7-9pm
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THE UNHERALDED STARS
Submitted by reader: ICHIBAN729
Top Five Wrestlers Between WCW and WWF who SHOULD be Stars and not
Jobbers/Unknown Guys!

5. Johnny Swinger: I haven't seen him in like 2 months... last time I saw him he
was jobbing to Vincent. Swinger looks young, he is quick, and he has charisma.
I haven't seen much of him, but I'd say he could do a Val Venis-ish gimmick
well.

4. (Sho) Funaki: I know he may not have mic skills, but the guy should at least
be on Raws. He wrestles much better than most of the current WWF roster. He is
quick, presentable, and has solid workrate.

3. Tie, Brian Christopher and Hardy Boyz: The HB are a talented team. They know
how to fly and move. They do represent a new Rockers quite well. As for Brian
Christopher, the "alleged" son of Jerry "The King" Lawler, I have seen BC many
times and he is a great talent. His finisher connects well, the Tennessee Jam,
a top rope legdrop. He gets solid heat and he does moves well.

2. Papi Chulo: Oh man this guy has a ton of talent! He recently made Pro
Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500, at a very respectable number 84. He can do a
ton of dives. He hits his moves and high flying manevuers well. He is just like
Juvi but bigger and I believe Papi has more upside. Vince MacMahon, you don't
know what you have in Papi... he is just a phenomenal young lightweight that
should be a star.

1. Lenny Lane: What many people hae labeled "The Tragic Star that Never Has
Shoot". Lenny is excactly that. The man gets the most heat I ever heard for a
jobber. I mean, the guy even JOBBED to BARRY HOROWITZ! Damn! Anyhow,
Lenny is a youngster that is considered by many wrestling experts as "Potential
Main Eventer", "Terrific and Talented", and "Clean Technician." All this, plus
solid workrate and unbelievable charisma, and the WCW Bookers still keep Lenny
down. Lenny is 26 years old... and please, WCW, do something positive with
Lenny while he is still in his prime!
===========================================
ONLY WITH THE MAGIC
Submitted by reader: GCalla718
"Flying High Again (but don't quit your day job)"
Michael "PS" Hayes "Freebirds 2000", in my opinion, is not something that should
be happening, in the WWF, or any federation. While I would love to see the
Freebirds fly again, it should ONLY be done with Buddy Roberts and Terry "Bam
Bam" Gordy. This team was legendary, and will one day reside in the Wrestling
Hall of Fame, but to break up the chemistry...to add something different to the
mix,
basically destroys it.

While there have been many teams in the past that have changed members, none
of them have had the success of the original pairings, with the exception of the
2nd incarnation of the Midnight Express ("Sweet" Stan and "Beautiful" Bobby).
Imagine the Wild Samoans without Sika or Afa, the British Bulldogs without
Dynamite Kid or Davey Boy...and we've seen the damage that not having Hawk in
the LOD has had. Please, for the sake of wrestling fans everywhere....if
you're not gonna do it right, don't do it at all.
Michael
===========================================
FREEBIRD REUNION
Submitted by reader: Tbrutis1
This will be great if Dok does return as Michael P.S.Hayes, but does it have to
be the Freebirds 2000? I say this because look what was done to the LOD 2000. A
legendary team was all but destroyed, due to them having this futuristic Robocop
look about them. If your going to have the Freebirds 2000, bring them in with
the ORIGINAL theme music of the classic "Badstreet U.S.A.: Don't re-do it. Leave
it as is. With Michael Hayes & that familiar starting beat playing, the crowds
will go
ballistic.
Tomtbrutis1
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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: Robert Troy (Osiris) Columnist: Tom Kirkbride Columnist: Ryan S. Oaks 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