The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 241

Date: Sunday May 9th, 1999 12:15 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

ROCK INJURY UPDATE
For those of you writing in concerning The Rock's injury, it is indeed a work.
Expect him to take on Triple H at the next PPV with a cast on. This way, even if
Helmsley is defeated he's still a viable title contender since his loss will
probably have something to do with "The People's Cast". "Ace" Bob Orton Jr.
would be proud.
Reported by Al Isaacs at: http://www.scoopscentral.com

LUGER PLANS
Another man on the shelf but ready to return is Lex Luger. If you caught NITRO
then you saw him attempting a press conference with Liz that kept breaking down.
Word has it that he'll be taking over the Wolfpac following Kevin Nash's
defection, and Hpllywood Hogan's absence. A Wolfpac without Hall and Nash?
Something very unnatural about that.
Reported by Al Isaacs at: http://www.scoopscentral.com

ALL JAPAN POWER STRUCTURE
There was a press conference on 5/7 concerning Mitsuharu Misawa become the new
President of All Japan. He primarily focused on "an interchanging of talent
between the newly born All Japan and New Japan." For those of you who are
wondering what the power positions are in All Japan and who is filling in those
slots, here's the breakdown: Misawa (36) becomes President with Toshiaki Kawada
(35) and Mitsuo Momota (50) become VPs. The managing director is Ken'iichi Oyagi
(65.) The "directors" are Motoko Baba (59) and Masa Fuchi (45). Other directors
include Akira Taue (38), Kenta Kobashi (32), Norihiro Momota (53), Yukiko (or
Sachiko?) Baba (49). The company auditor is Masao Oba (75) and Akira Taue (38)
becomes a low-version chairsperson.
Reported by Zach Arnold at: http://www.1wrestling.com/

NEW LOCATION FOR THE BIG 3 NEWSBOARD
The Big 3 Newsboard, one of the best newsboards on the internet, has changed
locations. You can now check it out directly at:
http://www.cataclysmal.com/big3/index.html
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENTS
EHWL E-Fed: EHWL real and fake role play e-fed. No sims strictly hand written
explanitory results. One of the best feds in the whole internet. You work hard
on the role plays so when the results come out you are pleased, win or lose.
This fed will go donw in history as one of the best fed because we have tough
competition and excellent management. This fed has lasted more than a year and
is now running strong; this fed will be around for a long time to come. If you
are interested and would like info e-mail me, the prez., at Extrem9106
We hope to see you all join and if you don't its a regret that you'll never
forget.
===========================================
RIC FLAIR ARTICLE
Reported by Wade Ashley Hunter & Sister Midnight at:
http://www.cataclysmal.com/big3/index.html

Sunday, May 9, 1999, The Charlotte Observer
By MARY ELIZABETH DEANGELIS
Staff Writer

Ric Flair's cell phone chirps constantly.

Reporters call him for interviews. Colleagues need him at meetings. Friends want
to meet for drinks.

its lunchtime and he's sipping Evian with lime and munching on a Cajun chicken
salad at The Cooker Bar & Grille in South Park. He looks like success on a day
off: tan, fit and sporty in a striped Polo golf shirt and pressed khaki shorts.

The waitress stops to ask if he needs anything, but backs away quickly. Flair,
one of America's most famous tough guys, is crying.

He's talking about his 50th birthday party in February. He and his wife, Beth,
had walked into the Piper Glen Country Club, and there's his entire family and
closest friends waiting to surprise him.

Seeing his parents, kids and friends who'd traveled from around the country
overwhelmed him. Two months later, he still gets choked up about it.

its been an emotional year for Ric Flair. Here he is, back on top of the
popularity charts because pro wrestling's hot and so is he. At 6 feet 1, 230
pounds, perpetually tan and blond, he's one of its longest-starring masters --
Whoooo!!!!

He loves the money, the fame and the rush of performing for huge audiences.

There are troubles, too.

His mom has had two strokes since his birthday. Throughout lunch, when he
thinks about her, so strong and independent -- now so frail -- the tears return.
Seeing her suffer, and his dad so worn out saddens and scares him.

He's survived 26 years in a bruising business. He's thrived because when the
camera lights go on, performing transcends life and he's the ultimate showman.
He dances around the ring like its a party, threatens people like he's a killer
and screams at the crowd like he's crazy.

But on this day, life transcends wrestling. Behind ``The Man'' -- with his
1,000-watt hair, blazing blue eyes and supercharged personality -- is a
middle-aged guy struggling with the realities of his generation. Kids grow up so
fast. Work takes so much time. Parents get older.

`I don't want to give you the impression that my parents drag me down,'' he
says.
``its just that I'm an only child -- we have each other -- you know what I
mean?

``What I'm going through is not unusual . . . everybody goes through it. A lot
of people are dealing with harder things. . . . My parents have had a phenomenal
life. I've just never wanted to accept that they. . . . ''

He can't finish the sentence.

``Some people are tougher about this. I'm not.''

`A complete personality change'

If you tried to guess Ric Flair's background, you'd probably pick the wrong one.

His real name is Richard Morgan Fliehr (rhymes with clear). The people who've
known him longest live in a southeast Charlotte retirement community, where he
persuaded them to move because he wanted them closer.

His father, Dick Fliehr, is a retired ob-gyn. His mother, Kay Fliehr, wrote
newspaper and magazine articles and co-authored a book about the Guthrie Theatre
in Minneapolis, where she worked as a marketing executive.

They raised their only child in a Minneapolis suburb, figuring he'd someday
become a professional something. Wrestler wasn't it.

He hated school. It got in the way of sports and playing with friends. Worried
about his grades, his parents sent him to high school at the prestigious Wayland
Academy, a boarding school about 300 miles from home.

Lured to the University of Minnesota for football, he played offensive guard for
the junior varsity team, went to parties and drove his 1968 Corvette -- a green
one with gold stripes. His grades took a hit, which meant he couldn't play
anymore. He quit in the middle of his sophomore year.

In the early '70s, he tried selling life insurance but hated working in an
office. When a slot opened at legendary wrestler Verne Gagne's school for
aspiring pros, he jumped into the ring.

Kay Fliehr remembers watching one of his first matches.

``He struck me as having a complete personality change. .. . It was an
eye-opener -- this kid was serious. There wasn't anything that was going to stop
him.''

Minnesota couldn't. Charlotte, where the Crockett family owned the National
Wrestling Alliance, offered him a chance to be a star. Flair, always up for an
adventure, headed south.

Today, he laughs about being so broke that year -- 1974-- that he slept in a
$9-a-night motel room, ate on a tab at Valentino's Restaurant and hitchhiked to
the old Charlotte coliseum on Independence Boulevard. The day he got his first
$1,000 check, he caught a ride to Arnold Palmer Cadillac and bought a used,
black Fleetwood.

``That's terrible, isn't it?'' he asks. ``I wanted to be somebody and all the
big guys had Cadillacs.''

An autograph? You've got it

``Space Mountain may be the oldest attraction in the park but it still has the
longest line. Whoooo!'' -- Ric Flair

Flair the wrestler isn't always such a great guy. He's arrogant. He brags and
beats people up. He surrounds himself with women in tight dresses.

Fans love and hate him. They call him ``The Nature Boy,'' ``Slick Ric,'' and
``Space Mountain.''

``You know how much my suit costs?'' he screams at a crowd in Lexington, Ky.
``More than most people in Kentucky make in a year.''

Or in any city on any night: ``Whoooo!''

Like most pro wrestlers, Flair's been both hero and heel, weaving in and out of
the roles as the plots change.

As a good guy, he can inspire a standing ovation from 30,000 people. As a bad
guy, he's dodged rotten tomatoes, pocketbooks and rocks.

Out of the ring, the man described as ``the dirtiest player in the game'' will
put his fork down in a restaurant or drop his suitcases in the airport to sign
his name for a kid.

``I think I've only seen him not sign autographs twice,'' said Doug Dellinger, a
retired Charlotte police officer who now heads security for World Championship
Wrestling. ``Then, it was because the plane was getting ready to close its doors
and he was running through the airport trying to catch it.''

But fame has downsides -- including overzealous fans who've shown up at his home
or found his unlisted phone number. In one case, he got a court restraining
order against a woman who repeatedly called and harassed his wife and kids.

In his mind though, the rewards surpass the hassles.

He doesn't have to wait for a table in a crowded restaurant. He's campaigned
with former President George Bush, Sen. Jesse Helms and former S.C. Gov. Carroll
Campbell. He drinks with famous athletes.

When you're a party-loving extrovert, its a rush to walk up the stadium steps
at the Georgia-Florida football game-- one of college sports' fiercest rivalries
-- and have thousands stop watching the action to cheer you.

He performs.

In Baton Rouge, he once danced into a restaurant kitchen when he saw the cooks
peeking out.

``The kitchen staff went nuts,'' said wrestling writer Bob Ryder. ``its rare to
see someone in that position who will entertain for 24 hours a day.''

Of course, it cuts into family time. A dinner out often leads to pointing,
stares and table visits from strangers.

``We can't walk around Disney World,'' said his wife, Beth. ``He gets more
attention than Mickey Mouse.''

Trying to retire Secretariat

``To be `The Man,' you've got to beat `The Man.' Whoooo!'' -- Ric Flair

Many hard-core wrestling fans consider Flair one of the all-time greats. So
when a court dispute last year threatened to end his career, fans rebelled.
WCW, the wrestling organization Flair works for, sued him in April 1998. The
Atlanta company said he violated his contract by missing a crucial appearance.
Flair sued back a few days later. He says he had permission to take the night
off to see his son Reid, then 10 years old, wrestle in a national amateur
championship.

Flair feared the company wanted to push him aside and let younger wrestlers take
the limelight. It was, he said, ``an attempt to sideline me -- to retire
Secretariat.''

Fans, angry at the company's treatment of a consistent crowd-pleaser, fought
back.
Over the next months, they waged an anti-WCW campaign and demanded his return.
They boycotted shows, passed out pamphlets and sent e-mails urging others to do
the same.

In fall, Flair and the company settled out of court. Flair now has a three-year
contract estimated at more than $2 million and other perks, such as first-class
airline tickets and limousine service.

The buildup leading to his return lasted for weeks, with rumors racing across
the Internet.

In September, he donned a tuxedo and made his dramatic re-entrance in
Greenville, S.C. When he saw the crowd's reaction -- 15,000 people standing in a
cheering ovation, waving signs welcoming him back -- he did something Flair the
wrestler wouldn't dream of:

He cried in the ring. Fans cried, too.

``I'm almost embarrassed by the response . . . ,'' he told the crowd. ``But when
I see this, I know the 25 years I tried to make you happy every night . . . was
worth every minute.''

In wrestling circles, where fact and fiction often blur, that night is
considered one of the most moving -- and real -- moments in the history of the
business.

`I've never seen anything like it,'' Flair says. ``I was overwhelmed.''

Since then, he's jumped back to the top of the WCW roster. In true wrestling
fashion, WCW wrote the legal battle into a story line, pitting Flair against
real-life company President Eric Bischoff.

In December, during a tirade about Bischoff in Tampa, Fla., Flair suffered an
in-the-ring ``heart attack'' (real-life muscle spasms) that sent him to the
hospital.

Frantic fans called the emergency room and newspapers, fearing for his life. A
few days later in Charlotte, Bischoff pretended to apologize to Flair's family
during a ``Thunder'' show. He wasn't sincere. The show ended with Bischoff
making a pass at Flair's wife while his henchmen roughed up his sons Reid and
David.

As part of the same story line, Flair wrestled control of the WCW from Bischoff
and is now the company's "president.'' He also won (and has since lost) his 14th
professional world title.

He's also brought his oldest son into the business. Bad move. David, 20, has
since joined Flair's enemies, trashed him on TV and had him committed to a
mental hospital. ``Pretty good, huh?'' Flair says proudly.)

The power of the ``presidency,'' has turned Flair from beloved boss to dominant
dictator, firing anybody who bugs him and conspiring to get even. He dances,
preens and jumps around like a man in a violent trance.

In Charlotte for ``Nitro'' last week, he broke out of the mental hospital and
pretended to make amends with David. Behind the scenes, he set up a match
between David and one of the WCW's most feared wrestlers -- Meng. David left the
Charlotte Coliseum on a stretcher.
``I like being a heel,'' Flair says with a grin. ``I'm good at it.''

Family time can be hard to find

The hair is shorter now. The suits are tailored, more Wall Street than Bourbon
Street these days. Besides working for WCW, he's a partner in nine Gold's gyms
throughout North Carolina.

He spends a lot of time thinking about his four kids, talking about them and
trying to be with them as often as he can. The same goes for his parents. After
her recent stay at Mercy South's intensive-care unit, his mom is back home and
doing better. He's hopeful.

Wrestling made Flair rich. He's paid for it. In his early career he traveled
more than 300 days a year. Now, its about 200. Some of the biggest shows fall
on holidays.
Today -- Mother's Day -- for example, Flair's scheduled to wrestle ``Rowdy Roddy
Piper'' in a WCW pay-per-view match in St. Louis.

His first marriage didn't survive the lifestyle. Flair says he was too young,
too wild and traveled too much. David was a baby and his daughter Megan was 5
when the marriage broke up. Flair says he was devastated when they moved back to
Minneapolis with his ex-wife. Traveling had already limited the time he had with
them. Living in different cities made it even harder.

``It crushed me,'' he said. ``When I was home, I used to bring Megan everywhere
I went.''

He's had more time with his younger children. He and Beth, who married him in
1983, have 11-year-old Reid and 13-year-old Ashley. Both go to Providence Day.
David lives in Charlotte now. He attended Central Piedmont Community College
before dropping out to join the wrestling business. Megan, now 25, graduated
from nursing school on Friday and plans to get married this fall.

``Here's a picture of her in her wedding dress,'' Flair says. ``I started crying
when she gave it to me. ``I'll never make it through the wedding.''

Flair's emotions sometimes surprise even him. Movies can bring them on (He's
seen ``Father of the Bride'' -- the original -- about 10 times and still gets
choked up.) So can certain songs like ``Butterfly Kisses'' a ballad about a
daughter growing up.

He doesn't fret about getting older -- he fights age by working out harder and
surrounding himself with younger people. And turning 50 didn't bring him down.
its just another marker of time passing.

Maybe that's it, he says as he sits in the restaurant, thinking about his
parents. ``You just can't recapture that time. There were a lot of great times
-- I just wish there were a lot more.''

`They've had a phenomenal life'. Ric Flair visits with his mother, Kay Fliehr,
on Thursday. She has had two strokes since February.
===========================================
BISCHOFF ON THE RADIO
Written by reader: OuTkAsTcjb
I also heard Eric Bischoff yesterday (Friday) on Mancow's Morning Madhouse. When
asked what his biggest regret was, Bischoff replied that he made a mistake in
firing Sean Waltman (X-Pac, Syxx). He added that he was angry with the
situations backstage and took it out on Waltman while he was out of action with
an injury.

Bischoff was also asked about the attitudes of Saturn and Marcus "Buff" Bagwell,
specifically their egos and poor behavior on the Jenny Jones show, on which
Mancow co-hosted. Bischoff told Mancow that with that inability to handle the
pressure of being a star, they will never make it big in the business.
===========================================
WWF House Show Results for Saturday, May 8, 1999, USF Sundome, Tampa, FL
Hardcore Holly and Val Venis defeated Too Much
The Godfather defeated Goldust
Jerry "The King" Lawler defeated Test with a little help from Too Much.
The Big Show defeated Midian in the quickest fight of the night.
Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett defeated the Brood (sorry no puppies).
The Undertaker defeated Ken Shamrock in a casket match
Al Snow & Tori defeated D'Lo Brown & Ivory in a mixed tag match.
The Rock (with an arm that seemed fine) defeated Bad Ass Billy Gunn
Kane and Mankind defeated the Acolytes
Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Big Bossman. (NOTE: During the match The
Big Bossman whippd the referee (Hebner) with his belt so in the end Hebner
whipped him back and then shared a few "Steveweisers" center stage with the
Rattlesnake.
(Reported by Jason Evans)
===========================================
THE IMMORTAL RIC FLAIR
Written by reader: slush8
If you've ever played the computer game 'Blood II The Chosen' you will have
noticed tons of posters, from Dirty Harry, Children of the Corn, and From Dusk
Till Dawn as well as for computer games. In Chapter 3 though, in one of the
security levels you'll find a poster of Ric Flair that says "This is your
leader." Interesting...
===========================================
JERICHO SPECULATION
Written by reader: Danny Tsu-Tah Mi (midanny)
First off, let me say that I am a big fan of the middle card wrestlers in WCW. I
hope that Jericho takes a chance with the WWF, mainly because the WWF can and
will give him the push that he deserves. I have yet to see anybody who has the
Cruiserweight label take the World Championship Belt in WCW or get a spot on the
top part of a card. Jericho would more than likely be given a chance for both
in the WWF. Both Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko were give fatter contracts and
their position in the company hasn't improved. So, I seriously doubt that
Jericho's treatment would be any different, especially since Bret Hart is slated
to return.

The WWF specializes in giving wrestlers air-time for interviews and if Jericho
loves wrestling so much, he could always take some dates with ECW, MLW, and
other independents like other WWF wrestlers. He would probably even get
clearance to appear in All Japan and maybe EMLL. So yeah, even if Jericho gets
five minutes on Raw, he would and could get way more time on a PPV and a better
slot on the card than in WCW.
===========================================
STEVE CHIASSON
Written by reader: Moj8681
You can just forward this to anyone who is curious. In Chris Jericho's
commentary, it read "RIP Rick Rude and below that, RIP Steve Chiasson." I
wouldn't be surprised if people wrote in asking who Steve Chiasson was. Well, he
played for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, and the night they were eliminated
from the playoffs, he got into a car accident and died, which is just horrible.
===========================================
WCW Saturday Night Report for May 8th, 1999
Reported by James Liipfert & Nicholas Campbell (buff)
Hosted by Mike Tenay and Scott Hudson

El Vampiro d. Ciclope with the Nail in the Coffin.
Disco Inferno d. Bobby Eaton with the Last Dance
Mean Gene Okerlund interviews Bam Bam Bigelow and talks about his upcoming match
with Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs at Slamboree
Meng d. Al Green with the Tongan Death Grip
Gorgeous George promo
Jerry Flynn d. Barbarian via roll-up after Jimmy Hart missed Flynn and punched
the Barbarian
Rick Steiner interview conducted by Mean Gene
Slamboree plug
Fit Finlay d. Prince Iaukea with the Tombstone Piledriver
Slamboree plug
Hak d. Bull Payne via top rope senton splash through table
Psychosis d. Blitzkreig via Guillotine Leg Drop
Rowdy Roddy Piper interview conducted by Mean Gene
Slamboree plug
Scott and Steve Armstrong d. Stevie Ray and Vincent via roll-up when Stevie Ray
accidentally kicked Vincent
Gorgeous George promo

*Main Event*
Raven d. Dean Malenko by disqualification when Chris Benoit interfered and
applied the Crippler Crossface to Raven

Mean Gene plugged the WCW Hotline and Slamboree
===========================================
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