The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 316

Date: Friday September 17th, 1999 12:43 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

NICOLE BASS SUES THE WWF
Reported by Kevin Langbaum at: http://www.wrestleline.com
Nicole Bass joined the ever-growing list of people filing suit against
the WWF, seeking $120 million dollars from her former employers.

"its a sexual harassment suit, as well as many other things that are
just too long to tell you right now," Bass told WOW Magazine
Editor-in-Chief Bill Apter. "After four months of being in the WWF, I
now have compiled 63 pages of every awful thing that happened to me. I
was glad to be released from there."

Bass says she once had both breasts grabbed by a WWF employee during an
airline flight.

"That employee threatened me that he would 'get me back' if I told
anyone," she told Apter.

"Some of the things that go on in the dressing room are disgusting.
That is discussed in the 63-page letter. The
treatment by management is deplorable. It was so demeaning to be a woman
working there. For most of the four months I worked there (March
through July) I was depressed all the time. I say it again, I am glad
they released me."

The story was reported in today's New York Post, whom Bass told "I'm
trying to stop other women in pro wrestling from going through what I
did." She was also on the Howard Stern radio show this morning, where
she is a frequent guest, telling her side of the story.

She told Stern that she was cut open after being hit on the head with a
guitar because a real guitar was used instead of a "fixed prop." She
also said she was not allowed to go to the hospital afterwards, and
instead had the cut glued to her head.

The Post reports that the WWF is unaware of the suit. Bass assures us
"this will go to trial!"

While many of you will automatically dismiss her claims (I can already
imagine some of the remarks), it may be wise to reserve judgment until
all of the facts are known.

BEYOND THE MAT GETS A RAVE REVIEW
Reported by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Barry Blaustein's documentry 'Beyond The Mat' got a tremendous review
from Dave Meltzer. Filmed over the past several years backstage at
WWF, ECW & APW (Hayward CA's All Pro Wrestling) events, Meltzer
believes that 'Beyond the Mat' surpasses the Bret Hart "Wrestling With
Shadow's" as the best wrestling movie ever.

Although it will be released briefly in Los Angeles theatres (to
qualify for an Oscar nomination), the film will likely be on video or
cable within the next six months. As soon as any sort of release
information is forthcoming we'll pass it on (this is one film I am
looking forward to!).

SID REFUSES TO TAKE BENOits CHOPS
Reported by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Prior to the United States Title defense at Fall Brawl, Vicious
informed Chris Benoit that Benoit was not allowed to hit Sid with any
chops to the chest.

The impact of those chops is one of Benoits best visual assets;
besides going over for the title, Sid was unwilling to do his part to
make Benoit look credible in the process.

EBAY KIDNEY DETAILS
Reported by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
There was a ton of publicity (actually it was a national news story)
over the past week about the guy who was offering to auction one of his
kidneys on an Ebay auction. It turned out to be Bobby Rogers, a South
Floridaindependent pro wrestler who once offered to make a bizarre
deal with Paul Heyman.Rogers offered to legitimately allow his finger
to be cut off on an ECW show (Heyman never considered the offer).

CANDIDO & SYTCH UPDATE
Reported by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Chris Candido & Tammy Sytch were backstage at the 9/11 ECW show, though
they were not used. Heyman said that since they started college this
past week, if he gets proof that they are going to class and staying
clean that he will give them a chance.

OBSERVER SUBSCRIPTIONINFO
To subscribe to Dave Meltzer's 'Wrestling Observer' Newsletter, send
$11 for 4 issues to:
The Wrestling Observer
P.O. Box 1228
Campbell, CA 95009-1228
===========================================
LETTER POLICY
As you may have noticed, The Wrestling Booking Sheet prints far more
material directly from our readers than most newsletters. Some of the
best stuff I see comes in from the most unlikely sources, from normal
fans who have a point they feel strongly about.

All internet newsletters have one problem that can't be defeated:
SPACE. If a newsletter is sent out with over 23 K of content it
becomes an automatic download. Besides being a pain for the few of you
who would bother, it would also automatically be deleted by many of
you.

Because of these space limitations, most of the letters we get are
never printed. Here is the main criteria used when selecting which
letters are actually printed:

Originality
Over half of the letters we get detail exactly why the author feels WCW
is awful. While the points are often valid, they also tend to echo
each other. If a writer expects to be published when rehashing such a
common topic, the column must be really good, even exceptional. Take
the road less traveled, find a topic that hasn't been explored to death.

Length
If we receive two letters of equal quality, we will always print the
shorter one before the longer one. Super long letters almost always
tend to be rambling and self-indulgent.

Stick to one topic
Write about the one subject that inspires passion. Branching off into
your critique of many different storylines/characters makes for a less
focused, less effective letter.

Grammar/Spelling
Use spell check; if you don't care enough about your article to
proofread it, why should anybody else? Don't CAPITILIZE EVERY LETTER.
If you are trying to say sucks, don't write sux. Pretend that this is
an English assignment; if your going to bother writing a letter, at
least do it right…
===========================================
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===========================================
BENOIT COMMENTARY
Courtesy of http://www.chrisbenoit.com &
http://www.scoopscentral.com

Benoit Addresses False Internet Rumors
September 15th, 1999 By Chris Benoit

Apparently there is this rumor, I'm not sure who started the rumor, but
during it involves the Miami show when I was wrestling Dean Malenko.
When Sid Vicious ran down to the ring, apparently someone had said that
the only reason Sid was running down was because there was a problem
about me and Dean getting beat. To
me that is one of the biggest jokes, its unexplainable how I feel
about that.

I'm very good friends with Dean, I got so much respect for the man.
We've wrestled together in Japan, we've been to Australia together,
Europe together. its just a joke for anyone to even talk about
something like that.

I'd put Dean over a hundred days in a row if I had to, and I know he
would do the same for me. He's a very talented wrestler and it wasn't
about that. It was about setting up the angle for the pay-per view.

I'd just like to tell the fans when they see something like that,
consider the source because there is a lot of crap out on the internet.
I laughed about it, but I was really disgusted about it. I'm a lot more
professional then that, and I know Dean is a lot more professional like
that.

I'm a little more comfortable doing interviews, and a lot of people
always said "Chris wasn't good at interviews" or "Chris can't do
interviews", well I have my very first match on VHS. You can watch my
very first match, and it was the same thing, "Chris can't wrestle.
Chris can't do that." its a matter of time, effort and practice.
Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to do a lot more of that. I feel
very confident that is a side of me I could develop. But in terms of
Dean or I having a problem putting each over is just a total joke.

Wherever the rumor came from, they have absolutely no credibility in my
eyes in this business. It was some malicious type rumor of someone
trying to create controversy, which is a total joke because anyone that
knows Dean or myself knows we aren't like that. To us, its not about
who wins and who loses. its about the match. We are wrestling for the
fans, and entertaining the fans. its not personal, its about the
public.

I just had to get that off my chest, because it was somewhat comical
but it bothered me a bit.
-Chris Benoit

(The reporter Benoit is referring to is Wrestleline's Mike Samuda
(Micasa). Actually, Samuda is one of the more credible reporters in
the business. Fritz Capp has already shared his theory on how Samuda
was tricked by a WCW wrestler into believing this story.

I passed on the report simply because it didn't ring true to me; that
said, the same thing could have happened to any of us. Samuda is a
reporter who I respect, and he has a well-earned reputation for both
integrity and humility).
===========================================
ANOTHER VIEW ON THE ECW/TNN OBSTACLES
Written by reader: Richard Knott (flyer88)

Just a quick response to your comments about the "dumbing down" of
wrestling fans and their failure to respond to "well worked 15 minute
matches". I think ECW`s ratings dip can be directly traced to two
factors:

1) The lack of depth on their roster has forced them to showcase the
same three or four people every week. I realize the show is
still in its infancy, but week after week of Lynn vs. Van Dam is not
going to get it done, no matter how "well worked" these matches may be.

The defection of Shane Douglas, The Dudleys and The Sandman, the
injuries suffered by Tommy Dreamer and the recently returned Raven and
the exile of Candido and Tammy Sytch have decimated the talent pool and
make ECW look like a second -rate operation to the viewers who are
seeing it for the first few times.

2) No matter how well worked a fifteen minute match may be, it loses
most of its effectiveness when it is interrupted every two minutes by a
seemingly unending stream of commercials and promos. Especially when
that 15 minute match is basically the only wrestling you get in an hour
long program. I have never seen so many commercials, promos, flashbacks
and so much product-hawking during a one-hour program in my life.

It seems like there are five minutes of that crap for every two minutes
of wrestling. Heyman is acting like he doesn`t expect to be in prime
time very long and is trying to sell as much ECW merchandise as
possible while the opportunity is still there.

Finally, though I personally think Taz is a waste of time, I
think his departure for the WWF, if it ever actually occurs, would be a
colossal mistake for all parties concerned. In closing, I don`t think
fans are dumbed down because they are losing interest in what, to date,
has been a one-trick show that more resembles a one-hour "info-mercial"
than a wrestling program.
Thanks,
Dick
===========================================
McMAHON AS THE CHAMPION
Written by reader: Franciszko

McMahon winning the strap is a great improvement over Triple H, who has
jobbed every match and then used a sledgehammer in the last 30 seconds
to win his matches. Triple H has zero heel heat and any crowd reaction is
the fans wishing his segment was done.

As for McMahon retaining the belt, its obvious that the belt will be
put up at Unforgiven in the six-way dance. I'd bet on Raw next week
that he gives the belt up.

I'd agree that there are few main eventers in the WWF. It is getting
stale having the same booking every week. They need to feud the stars
with some of the mid-carders to showcase their talents (no Billy Gunn,
as he has no talent). Or, maybe Taz's signing can stir something up if
he can come in as a main eventer.
===========================================
HOGAN'S NEW SLOGAN
Written by reader: Richard Jones (richard)

its getting harder each day to continue supporting Hulk Hogan,
especially since everything about him seems to indicate that he's so
out of touch with reality, both in and out of the ring. Everything from
his crumbling physique to his crappy new slogan marks him as a wrestler
long overdue for retirement. That or his marketing consultants are on a
secret mission -- from Vince, perhaps? -- to put him under rather than
over.

Of course his new slogan is his latest faux pas. I understand that
he's trying to 90's it, but he must be out of his mind to think that
the dwindling dozens and dozens of Hogan's fans, including myself, are
going to run around displaying or repeating a slogan that admonishes us
to take vitamins, pray, and kick somebody's ass.

The new slogan is so pathetic that its critics look better
criticizing it than Hogan does repeating it. Take Sting, for example,
standing near a backstage monitor on this past Monday's NITRO. After
saving Ric Flair from a career-ending injury at the hands of Sting and
Lex Luger, Hogan stood next to Bret Hart in the ring and yelled almost
incessantly that he and Hart are going to kick Sting and Luger's asses.
Sting, hearing this on the backstage monitor, asked the television
audience whether there is something wrong with "that picture." Of
course there is, which is the reason the viewing audience and Hart
silently reacted to Hogan as though he was temporarily insane.

The problem isn't Hogan's use of foul language -- cursing in public is
no longer taboo. Rather, the new slogan has fallen on deaf ears because
it trivializes, offends, and treads on our slight vestiges of
spirituality. However superficial our religiosity, we don't want it
disrespected and desecrated by the walking dead donned in red and
yellow. Most wrestling fans still fancy themselves to have deep
religious sensibilities, even the ones that are not involved in
organized religion. Therefore, its too much to ask them to also play
the unabashed hypocrite. Hogan the hero is to help sustain our fantasy,
not make a mockery of it.

Besides, listening to Hogan these days is like hearing your
grandmother swear on her deathbed. First time you're shocked beyond
belief. Soon afterwards, however, you're just plain ol' grossed out.
As sickened by the ill-fitted language as you would be after seeing her
naked. Whether face or heel, Hogan's image is taking a beating from his
new slogan.

Now, if Hogan isn't willing to dispense with the kick-ass part of his
new slogan, he would be wise to revise the part about praying. How
about something like, "Take your vitamins, keep looking up, and kick
somebody's ass!"

"Keep looking up!" Excellent because the phrase doesn't necessarily
bear religious connotations: It can simply mean to keep a positive
attitude.

Try it, Hogan.

"Works for me."

Copyright (c) 1999 by Richard Jones (richard) All
rights reserved.
===========================================
AN ODD METAPHOR
Written by reader: Rocck420

Last night as I finished watching Smackdown and I laid in bed I
started thinking about this title change. Did the WWF bookers book this
way on purpose? I began thinking the whole angle was sort of a
metaphor. Let me explain.

It went down like this... Vince McMahon played himself, SCSA
played himself, and Triple H played the part of Eric Bischoff.
Think about it. Throughout the match Bischoff (Triple H) was beating
the hell outta Vince, just like WCW was beating the hell out of the WWF
in the ratings. Then SCSA comes along and the tides change. Austin
becomes the man and one month into his
first title reign, the WWF finally wins in the ratings. Austin becomes
the main reason the WWF wins (stuns Triple H) and he puts McMahon on
top of Bischoff (Triple H) and now that Bischoff has been removed from
his position, McMahon now stands as the champion. It might seem like an
odd way of
looking at it, but that's the way it is.
===========================================
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===========================================
The staff of The Wrestling Booking Sheet
Editor: Steve Appy
Columnist:Mark George
Columnist: SamJerry
Columnist: Fritz Capp
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Columnist: Cindy Barnes
Columnist: Josh Hewitt
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Columnist: Tom Misnik
Columnist: Nate Pelley Columnist: Robert Troy (Osiris) Columnist: Tom Kirkbride Columnist: Ryan S. Oaks Columnist: Darren Kramer

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"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

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