The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 273

Date: Sunday August 1st, 1999 4:48 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

ROUNDING THE SQUARED CIRCLE
"WCW DID SINK, WHILE GOOD KING ERIC DID SING"
OR
"HAS UNCLE TED FINALLY SEEN THE LIGHT?"
BY SAMJERRY

Visit my Home Page: http://members.aol.com/SamJerry

First I would like to again thank all of you for your warm wishes on my
recent surgery. I especially want to thank Rick Phelps
(WrestleRic) for doing last weeks RAW TV Report for me, and
ahead of time for doing this weeks RAW TV Report. I also want to thank
those that volunteered to do the ECW TV Report in my absence. This
proves once again that wrestling fans are among the best people there
are, no matter the detractors and nay sayers.

During the past week many things have happened in the sport, not the
least of which was the report that Uncle Ted himself has decided to
take an up close and personal look at why WCW has been suffering in the
ratings, PPV buy rates, attendance and other measurements of
performance. His decision to look into the problem could portend
changes in WCW and how it operates.

It shouldn't take him long to see that WCW has become stuck in a
quagmire of reliance on a core group of wrestlers that were popular in
the 1980's and has not kept up with the times. All he has to do is take
a look at the main event on last week's NITRO. It featured Hollywood
Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kevin Nash and Sid Vicious. Out of this group, Sting
was the only one capable of carrying a match.
While the most famous wrestler ever, Hogan was never much of an actual
wrestler, relying much on charisma. Kevin Nash has never been much of a
competitor, with a well known poor work rate. For a softball player,
Sid Vicious is a heck of a wrestler. Sting was the only one who has
ever demonstrated much wrestling ability. The match looked like three
men going thru the motions, with the other trying to sell the other
three. In the days of "good" and "bad," this might have sold, but in
today's environment where things are in shades of gray, it just doesn't
make it.

If you look further at WCW to see who their other main eventers are,
you find Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and Ric Flair, yet more holdovers
from the 80's, and Goldberg. They also have Bret Hart, another
holdover, whose desire to continue wrestling is in question. This is
the core of the problem; WCW has not developed new talent on its own,
relying on names that were popular earlier in their careers and mainly
in the WWF. Goldberg was brought along fast with a manufactured
"unbeaten" streak and then seemingly delegated to status of second
class citizen. It is reported that Hogan recently refused to work a
program that included Goldberg. This was intended to include both
Goldberg and Hart.

That brings us to WCW's second problem. That of having wrestlers who
are also bookers, with Hogan and Nash having dual responsibilities.
There are various reports that others such as Diamond Dallas Page
(lovingly known to many as Dirtbag Doophus Page), with input to the
booking as well. This is like having the inmates running the asylum.
With wrestlers having control of their character, they control the
matches, thus limiting how angles are planned and carried out.
Add to this WCW's practice of guaranteeing title reigns in wrestlers
contracts and you can readily see how restrictive things can be for the
other bookers. In a recent interview, WWF owner Vince McMahon stated
that it is the WWF's policy to not guarantee titles as part of
contracts. This is a significant difference between the two major
Federations.

Another thing Uncle Ted will quickly find is WCW's reliance on
"gimmick" matches, involving people who are not wrestlers (Dennis
Rodman and Jay Leno). The WWF uses outsiders, but in a capacity other
then competitor (Guest Time Keeper, Announcer, etc.) An example of this
will be at the upcoming SummerSlam where they will be using former
wrestler and current Governor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body/Mind"
Ventura. There are plenty of deserving wrestlers that never get a shot
at becoming main eventers because of this and the things mentioned
earlier.

Then there is the practice of bringing in entertainers and giving them
center stage. They have a DJ on NITRO, who spends his time asking
seemingly disinterested people to make noise. They signed a major rap
artist and his entourage and it failed miserably. They then signed a
major rock group, with the promise of a concert after NITRO. What they
got was indifference and few people staying for the concert. Wouldn't
it have been better to utilize their vast stable of wrestlers to fill
the time? Wrestling fans would have preferred a good match to any of
these.

With ECW finally getting a national TV contract starting later this
month on TNN, WCW is in the uncomfortable position of becoming Number
Three in popularity. ECW has a very faithful fan base and once their
product is available to most TV viewers, their prospects are very
bright. Many of WCW's (and the WWF's) best performers are from ECW. ECW
owner Paul Heyman is regarded by many as one the very best bookers
there are. ECW's ability to thrive despite the loss of many key
performers proves that.

Another problem that Uncle Ted is bound to see is over saturation of
the market. With WCW having to produce matches for NITRO, Thunder and
WCW Saturday Night, it means up to seven hours of new programming each
week. Add that to the WWF's two hours of RAW and two hours that they
will have to provide when SmackDown premiers shortly, ECW's new
program, along with the increasing number of PPV's, and its easy to
see a market that is quickly becoming very crowded and only the best
will survive.

It benefits all of us if he makes the necessary changes to improve WCW.
He may have to shake up WCW's management and alter their philosophy to
pull WCW out of its doldrums. WCW has a proud history and it pains long
time fans to see the way things are. WCW's President Eric Bischoff
began with an idea he saw in Japan and created what is arguably one of
the best angles ever, the NWO. However, the idea has long run its
course and its time for a new direction. The sooner Uncle Ted does
something, the better.
===========================================
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Below we present Chris Jericho latest commentary to his fans, found at:
http://www.chrisjericho.com/

7/24/99

NP:Blind Guardian-Nightfall in Middle Earth

Hello Jerichoholics!

Well after three years, I am now finished working for World
Championship Wrestling, after having had my final match for the company
in Peoria, IL, last Wednesday. It was a classic, featuring me and Eddie
Guerrero vs Mysterio and Kidman. We went about 40 minutes and it was a
lot of fun. Does anyone agree with me that Jericho and Guerrero were
the best tag team that never was? I don't have many regrets about my
time in WCW, but one of them is that I wish I could have had a run with
Eddie as my partner. I also wish that I would've worked a program with
Chris Benoit, Bret Hart and Ric Flair. Oh well, maybe some day.

I forgot a few names from my thank you list last week and I want to
amend that now. Thanks to Jimmy Hart, Arn Anderson, Scott Hall, Sting,
Bryan Adams, Fit Finlay, Steve Regal and Hugh Morrus, as well as all of
the other boys from last week. I'm gonna miss you guys!!

Alright, no more looking back, on to bigger and badder things! I'm
itching to get back into the ring to perform in the WWF as there's so
many potential classic match ups there. I'm looking forward to
destroying everyone from Austin, Rock, Mankind and Triple H to X-Pac, Edge,
Christian, D-Lo Brown and pretty much everyone on the whole roster.
I've been stagnating in limbo for so long, its going to be a blast
getting back into action!

Stay tuned for news and details on my debut, which I don't think will
be taking place until sometime in September. Rest assured, its going
to rock hard and ride free!!!

I'll be rocking the Mark Curtis tribute show on Friday, July 30 in
Pittsburgh. I'll be facing my old and future superior, Terry Taylor.
Now, while I respect Mr Taylor outside of the ring, inside of the ring,
he's just another victim for me to embarrass. It will be a pleasure to
put the man who boasted the worst gimmick of all time in his place. It
going to be an eggs-ellent victory for me, Red Rooster! If you're in
the area, be sure to check it out. Brian is a great guy who refuses to
back down from his adversities and he deserves a standing room only
crowd for this extravaganza. Benoit, Malenko, Guerrero, Douglas,
Foley, Snow and Brown will also be there, so you'll get your moneys
worth for sure.

If you're looking for autographs, send a self addressed stamped 8X10
envelope to
Chris Jericho
PO Box 8234,
Clearwater FL, 33758.
It'll take me awhile to get it back to ya, but patience is a virtue!

I enjoyed American Pie, it harkened back to the old days of teen
comedies, like Fast Times and Spring Break. Eugene Levy is one of my
alltime fave nerds.

I'm looking forward to checking out the Blair Witch Project. Looks
creepy.

I was fortunate enough to go tubing, water skiing and houseboating in
Hibbing, MN and Calgary over the past two weeks. The weather was
stellar and so was the water. Thanks to Ty, Ajax and Jess for kicking
it with me.

I saw Quiet Riot on Behind The Music and Kevin Dubrow's wig was bloody
hilarious. Top entertainment!!!

God Bless you guys and be good to each other!
-CJ
===========================================
RICKS REACTION
By Rick Phelps (wrestleric)

Good morning wrestling fans. It is almost 3:30 a.m. Gainesville,
Florida time. Many of you recognize me from the television reports that
I provide for countless newsletters and websites. Others of you know
that I do write an occasional column. I model this column after that of
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's "Brain Reaction" column which can be found
monthly in WCW magazine.

Before I begin with my thought of the current happenings in wrestling,
I must give kudos to a couple of special individuals. For those of you
that receive a subscription to or buy WCW magazine, the heart and soul
of that publication are Colin Bowman and Patty Therre. Allow me to
begin with Mr. Bowman. I was attending Thunder tapings in Orlando,
Florida earlier this year and had the privelege of meeting Bowman, the
editor in chief of WCW magazine. It may not mean much to the average
person, but to me, it was a big deal. If only for a few minutes, I
conversed with a man who is lucky enough to hold a position in life
that few can claim. He has traveled the world, "rubbed elbows" with
wrestlers, and most importantly is able to be in charge of putting out
one of the best wrestling magazines in circulation.

For those of you who do not know, I am a junior at the University of
Florida, seeking a duel degree in magazine and broadcast journalism. My
dream in life is to be in the position that Colin is in, and eventually
be in the broadcast booth. Colin, even if only for a few short minutes,
thank you. It means more than you will ever know.

Patty, oh Patty. Fans let me tell you about this incredible woman. She
has given me an opportunity that I would have never thought imaginable.
She has basically let me be an intern working under her. Working with
this lady, I have learned more about journalism and the sport of
wrestling than any other. The greatest honor that Patty bestowed upon
me was printing my name in the masthead of WCW magazine as research
assistant for the last four issues. Once again, a dream come true. For
those of you that are not aware, World Championship Wrestling is taking
the magazine in house. Needless to say, Colin, Patty, and a host of
others that have worked long hours to provide you with a quality mag,
will no longer be the staff in charge of the magazine.

Dont fret...Patty and Colin will still be involved with the wrestling
biz. As for me, I will continue to intern under Patty, who is working
with the HOWL publishing company. I encourage all of you to check out
HOWLs website. On a side note to fans of the female persuasion, Patty
has her own website entitled "On the Fringe", which is written by
women, for women.

Once again, I am living a dream. I am able to learn aspects of
wrestling and
journalism (I thought I knew everything about wrestling) that can not
be taught in some classroom. Patty, thank you for mentioning me in your
last column for WCW magazine. Also, I look forward to a continued work
relationship in the future.

Now that all of the mushy gushy crap is done, lets get to wrestling. I
just got done watching WWF "Fully Loaded". I have to say a few things
about this Pay Per View. First of all, Edge is one of the best young
talents on the WWF roster and he loses the Intercontinental strap less
than 24 hours after winning it? What kind of
G-A-R-B-A-G-E is that? Do not misunderstand, I truly believe that Jeff
Jarrett is a gifted technical wrestler, but the man gets on my nerves.
The best side of Jarrett is whatever side Debra is standing on.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H, whatever you want to call him is a great
actor. I almost felt for the guy when he was telling Jim Ross that it
was all about him and him alone becoming the WWF champion. Seems kind
of contradictory that Chyna and Mr. Ass had to assist him in beating
the Rock.

The WWF has been pounding WCW in the ratings for oh...forever and a
majority of the fans (the mail that I receive anyway) say that it is
because WCW uses the same angles and storylines week after week.
Ummm...forgive me if I am mistaken, but for how long exactly was this
feud between Vince McMahon and Steve Austin going to carry on? Once
again, do not misunderstand me, it has been quite humorous at times,
but how many stunners can a 50 something year old man (McMahon) take
before he is permanently in a wheelchair?

I am not going to just nail the WWF. I am also going to point out the
obvious about WCW. It has been discussed time and time again, but what
percentage of the WCW roster is over the age of 40? I could
speculate...but I won't. This is the exact reason why when fans ask me
what my favorite promotion is, I decline to answer. There are aspects
that I like and dislike in all organizations. That includes ECW and
independent shows that I view. But then again, we are all like that.

As many of you have seen, this is how I handle this column. Random
thoughts on an email page. However, when given a specific topic, I will
go further into detail. The main reason that I did not go further into
detail with this subject, is because we have all heard about this time
and time again. I felt that all I needed to do was state my opinion on
the matter.

On two end notes, I would just like to say that the editors that I
write for, I write for them because they care about informing wrestling
fans. Oh yeah, and Jerry........I GOT TWO WORDS FOR YA..........GET
WELL!!
===========================================
A PROFOUND RATING ANALYSIS
Written by reader: Brandon S. Kelley (Bskhbkid21)
This is in response to the reader's comments in #270 about Hogan
winning the
belt pulling a 4.7: I can't remember where I read it, but here it is:
"Big deal, Mark Henry taking a dump got a 6.5."
===========================================
Wrestlers wrestlers...
Written by reader: Brandonc4

I enjoy reading all sorts of wrestling news. I have been watching it
for about 8 years now. And I just want to comment on what wrestling
fans say over the internet. Well, first off, you can call me a mark or
whatever if you want, I really don't care. But let me say this...I
like Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and other "Wrestler's Wrestlers". But
the use of that term makes me absolutly sick. And that is because I AM
a wrestler. Not a backyard fed or anything...but a High School State
place winner.

I'm not trying to impress anyone, but I don't think the term
"wrestler's wrestler"
should be used. Because I am a wrestler, and other kids on my team
agree that the TRUE wrestler's wrestlers are: New Jack, Rob Van Dam,
Taz, and Mick Foley. And if u want to talk about guys who can take it
to the mat...TAZ is the best wrestler in the world. He is submission,
shoot fighting, crazy suplex, and hardcore, all thrown into one. He is
a world champion, and perhaps Benoit should be, but we as fans should
recognize that some guys just aren't the draw that a world champion
needs to be. I think Gangrel is awesome, but he is NOT champion
material...and never will be.

So I encourage everyone to take a step back, and look at what we are
saying. We need to backoff of B*tching about WCW. Because frankly
Benoit wrestles on that station, the world title is merely a strap with
gold on it. If Benoit was such a MASSIVE draw, he would pull in killer
ratings. But he doesn't. When Jericho was in
WCW he pulled in good numbers. Mysterio pulls in good numbers. Kidman
had
the #1 quarter hour. Perhaps WCW is screwing up, but pushing Benoit
and
Malenko won't save them. Pushing wrestlers that already get decent
numbers would be good. But I think we can all agree on one
thing....ERNEST MILLER SUCKS!
Brandon, E-Mail me at BCD130

Steve Appy responds:
I would agree that Mysterio & Kidman also deserve monster pushes, but I
also think its unfair to dismiss Malenko & Benoit. When booked into
15 minute matches against Mike Enos & Scotty Riggs, or Curt Hennig &
Barry Windham, the quarter hour is almost guarenteed to be
disappointing. its called being set up for failure.

Long matches, on either Nitro or RAW, can only work if all of the
participants are over with the audience. The Bret Hart vs. Booker T
match in Febuary worked; the Kanyon vs. Booker T match didn't for the
same reason (no disrespect to Kanyon, his star just hasn't reached that
status yet). Actually, Taz's push is a good example of a smaller
(shorter) wrestler getting over huge, and its because Paul Heyman made
his status believable. I think Benoit could rise farther if given the
shot...
===========================================
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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