The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 355

Date: Sunday October 17th, 1999 10:53 am

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

WCW going overboard in pursuit of publicity
Sunday, October 17, 1999
By Mike Mooneyham

Hulk Hogan, in the wake of Internet reports that he had given his
90-day notice to WCW, fueled further speculation when he told a
national television audience last week on Nitro that he was going to
get "the last laugh." Hogan also said he was going to beat Sting at
WCW's Halloween Havoc pay-per-view, with the implication being that he
might use his creative control to avoid doing a job.

The truth, however, is that the entire scenario is an elaborate, albeit
clumsily handled, work to generate much-needed publicity and interest
for the sagging company.

Hogan's spiel had the rumor mill working overtime last week, with WCW's
own
in-house journalists attempting to sell the reality-based angle on
their Internet and radio sites, confirming the false rumors that were
started by the promotion itself and damaging their long-term
credibility in the process.

The angle was designed to fool not only the small percentage of the
audience privy to the behind-the-scenes machinations at WCW, but also
"the boys" backstage, many of whom reportedly took it as a shoot when
Hogan stormed out of the building last Monday night after his
interview. Hogan may have, in fact, given notice to the company in an
attempt to further sell the angle.

To the vast majority of the audience, however, Hogan's comments made
little sense since neither announcer Gene Okerlund nor the announcing
team addressed what the problem was between Hogan and management.

Hogan's options within the wrestling business appear to be few. While a
WWF feud with Steve Austin could have a short-term value attached to it
and Vince McMahon may even have visions of putting himself over Hogan,
the Hulkster would not likely agree to either of those scenarios.

"I would cut Hogan," ECW's Raven (Scott Levy) recently told Ringside
Wrestling Talk radio show. "I would cut him immediately, and you know
what? I don't think Vince would take him. If Vince did take him, Vince
would just use him as cannon fodder for Austin and The Rock. I would
play poker with Hogan. I would tell Hogan that they don't need him. I
guarantee you Hogan would renegotiate for less money with no say in his
contract just to stay on TV. Hogan can't walk away. They need to call
his bluff."

New WCW booker Vince Russo reported that Hogan was uncooperative during
a meeting between the two, although its not known for certain if the
two had actually yet met. One possible storyline is that Hogan could
return with "Outsiders" Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to reform the NWO.

Among Russo's many plans for turning around the company are cutting
Nitro from three to two hours and reducing Thunder to a one-hour show,
eliminating long matches, reviving the women's and hardcore divisions,
revamping the announcing team (which Russo considers behind the times)
and introducing new entrance music for WCW performers.

Russo also said he talked to Bret Hart for an hour and a half before
last week's Nitro, and predicted that Hart will be hotter than ever in
the near future.

Russo's fingerprints were on last week's Thunder, but the show
basically was an example of booking on the fly due to a number of
no-shows and other problems. Nash, who assisted in his final booking
stint, didn't help his cause as he took the show down several notches
with a horrendous job behind the mic.

Sid Vicious (Sid Eudy) and Hall, who was scheduled to do commentary
with Nash, were among the no-shows, with Nash joking that Hall was AWOL
again. Hall and Nash, who is relocating from Arizona to Florida, are
both going through divorces. It is Hall's second divorce from wife Dana.

• ACW will present a seven-match show Oct. 31 at the Music Farm.
Headline bouts include Wildcat Lee Scott vs. The Gambler for the ACW
heavyweight title and Big Jack Spurrs vs. Tony Charles.

• Raw beat Nitro by its biggest margin ever, 6.1-2.5, last Monday.

Raw, which posted hours of 6.2 and 6.0, peaked in the first quarter
with a 6.4. Nitro posted hours of 3.7, 2.2 and 2.1. Its highest
competitive quarter was only a 2.4. Raw trampled Nitro in the final
quarter hour, 6.2-1.9, continuing the onslaught during the overrun,
6.1-2.3.

• The sad spectacle of Jake "The Snake" Roberts was on alarming
display at the Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view last Sunday night at a
casino in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Roberts, who has a well-documented history of drug abuse problems,
should never have been allowed near a ring on an evening which had been
advertised as a tribute to legends of wrestling. Roberts staggered
through his match with Jim "The Anvil" Niedhart, but not before a crude
exhibition in which he placed a 14-foot python between his legs and
entertained the fans with middle-finger gestures. Roberts, who looks
well beyond his 44 years of age, further nauseated viewers when he
tongue-kissed the snake and later, in a scene that mercifully prompted
the cameras to cut to black following the finish of the match, placed
the python inside his trunks.

Perhaps even more outrageous were Roberts' statements days before the
show on the Fox network that he was going to lead a campaign to clean
up wrestling, and that he wouldn't even allow his own children to watch
today's product.

Roberts, incidentally, was served with a subpoena at an independent
show in Oklahoma last year after being $21,000 delinquent in child
support payments. Roberts was later incarcerated and ordered to appear
in court Athens, Ga., where he was warned by a judge that he could
spend up to 4 1/2 years in the Georgia state penitentiary if he showed
back up in court.

• One of the true legends of wrestling, Gordon Solie, was forced to
pull out of the Heroes of Wrestling PPV due to serious health problems.
The dean of wrestling announcers was hospitalized with a growth on his
vocal chords reportedly so large that it has displaced his heart and
lungs.

A close friend of Solie, who had throat surgery last year, said that
his longtime acquaintance had "given up."

"He said this is ridiculous. He's fed up now. He hurts all over. He
keeps talking about how he wants to be with his wife. When she died, he
just didn't give a darn anymore. Unfortunately I think he's going to be
missing in action. A lousy shame."

• Darren Drozdov, who suffered a fractured neck in a match against
Di-Lo Brown, has regained some feeling in his feet.

• Scott Norton was among those at WCW who found out about his release
the hard way.

Norton contacted WCW hatchet man J.J. Dillon about a list that had been
circulated containing names of wrestlers allegedly cut from the roster.
Norton's name was among the casualties, although Dillon reportedly
assured him his job was secure.

Norton, who makes $800,000 per year, later that night did the job to
Bill Goldberg on WCW's Thunder show. The next day he received a Fed-Ex
notifying him of his release. Dillon told Norton that he knew nothing
about the release, although the letter was written prior to their
conversation.

• Vampiro, despite showing star potential, also appears to be a
casualty of the new WCW regime. Vampiro had been signed by Eric
Bischoff for four years at $350,000 per year, but new WCW management
exercised a 90-day clause in which performers can be dropped from the
company.

Also rumored to be on their way out are Brian "Crush" Adams and Sandman
(Jim Fullington).

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.
===========================================
WWF House Show Results for Saturday, 10/16/1999 in Dayton OH
Reported by Sister Midnight & Viperx321 at:
http://www.cataclysmal.com/big3/index.html

Al Snow pinned Steve Blackman
Hardcore Holly (w/Crash Holly) pinned Mark Henry
WWF Womens Champion Ivory defeated Luna Vachon & Tori
Mankind defeated Val Venis via submission
Edge & Christian defeated The Hardys, Dudleys & The Hardys
Kane pinned Prince Albert
Gangrel pinned Shaun Stasiak
Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett (w/Miss Kitty) pinned The
Godfather (w/Ho's)
Road Dogg pinned Chris Jericho
The Big Show pinned The Big Boss Man
===========================================
IN DEFENSE OF THE HULKSTER
Written by reader: SAMPRESTO1

I like what the Wolfeman has to say about Hogan. I've been thinking it
all along but
haven't been moved to say it. When Hogan donned the red and yellow he
energized
the crowd like I haven't experienced in many years. Go back and look
at your tapes of this again. Listen (yes! Listen) to the crowd chant
as he slams his opponent's head into the turnbuckle pad......One! Two!
Three! Four! Well, you get the idea.

The point is this......THE CROWD IS ALL IN UNISON. How long since
you've heard the chanting have you heard the crowd so wired. No one
seemed to be talking or walking. All were on Hogan's side. That yellow
and red were like magic. Is that good? How would I know? We're a
fickle bunch, those of us who like wrestling!! Am I a Hogan mark?
Maybe!! I only know that I get a chill down my spine when everything
works out all right. I'm happy when the good guy wins. I like it when
my country is ahead. I'm very patriotic. I'm a "good guy" mark....no
question about it.

Still, I like good wrestling, no matter who does it...good or bad. I
do know how the game is played, you see. Still, its fun to put aside
reality and get into it. When I see Sting going "heel," I'm really
disappointed. I don't want to see him get ahead or become better that
he was? Hardly! Because I have a great deal of respect for the man.
He didn't see the reason to "change sides" in all the years behind him.
Still he was one of the top draws for WCW. Now.......He's becoming a
heel? He's lost a lot of the young people's respect because of it.
He's taught them that its OK to turn on your friends. To just put
aside all of your morals and "go with the flow."

I worried when "Power Rangers" taught all the young guys to punch and
kick your
buddies. Now we're telling them to turn on them and betray them for
personal gain. How much more can we, the public, stand?

Yes, I can mold to it. After all, I have thick skin. (In reality, I'm
now old enough to understand.) Pity the poor young teenager who thinks
that this is Nirvana. (That's a good word for you.) I hope that Sting
isn't forced down this road and that Hogan still carries the crowd.
Maybe both will don red and yellow....Hogan with his garb and
Sting with his "war-paint." What a force to be reckoned with...!!

In the meantime I'll keep watching and hoping. They always surprise me
(and you)! But, that's the fun of it all....isn't it?
-SamPresto1
===========================================
ANOTHER TAKE ON CENSORSHIP
Written by reader: Rebel4War

As much as I agree with the general anti-censorship sentiment going
around, I've also got to say that its quite annoying to have to read
about it in 50% of all reader responses sent in. The very same people
who repeatedly talk about how overdiscussed the topic is are the ones
who most often bring it up!

Give it a rest, please! Whether you're for or against censorship of
the WWF's television product (I, personally, am against censorship),
the reality is that its not going to happen. Our constitution
provides us with the right to free speech, and Vince McMahon is merely
exercising that right. All the whining and complaining in the world by
Internet fans is not going to be enough to amend the constitution in
order to remove from it one of our universal freedoms, and, this said,
it can be logically deduced that, by whining and complaining, you're
really doing nothing.

The bottom line is this: whether or not you like what the WWF is
doing, they're going to keep doing it. Period. So stop complaining,
and stop taking up valuable space in the newsletter. You're all
flogging a dead horse.
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENT
LIVE PRO WRESTLING EVENT by WORLD WIDE WRESTLING ALLIANCE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH 1999, BELLTIME 8 PM
LOCKHAVEN UNIVERSITY, TV TAPING
SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCER: BRUNO SAMMARTINO
ABDULLHA THE BUTCHER vs.THE GIANT LEPRECHAUN
JIMMY "SUPERFLY" SNUKA vs MONGOLS
TAG TEAM MATCH (to determine the #1 contender) THE PIT BULLS vs KOOL
KID ICE & CUJO
IC TITLE MATCH: "MR.USA" TONY ATLAS vs CHAMPION, 6'9" JACK HAMMER
W/MANAGER REV. DIAMOND MIKE, ESQ,MD
LADIES MATCH: MISSY HYATT vs BRANDY WINE
GILBERG vs RAYMOND RICH
WOLFMAN vs MYSTIC WORRIER
HARD-CORE TITLE: PATCH vs CHAMPION, TY STREET

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:LOCKHAVEN HAVEN UNIVERSITY ALTH. DEPT. WALMART,
LOCKHAVEN 97.7 FM RADIO, WILLIAM SPORT TRUE VALUE HARDWARE, SOUTH
WILLIAMS PORT TICKET PRICES:
$20.00,18.00,15.00,12.00
TO BENEFIT ROBERT ROGER FUND, CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENT
North Carolina 10/16/99 Attendance: 247
New Dimension Wrestling, Greensboro, at the Glenwood Recreation Center,
Steel
pinned The Missing Rick Link...Brad Blackmon defeated Simply
Delicious...Nite-
Stic Eddie Brown w/Jonny Fairplay defeated King by
disqualification...Brute
Shooter defeated Tears by disqualification...Jimmy Valiant pinned Chris
Cruise w/John Hitchcock...King & Tears defeated Nite Stic Eddie Brown &
Brute Shooter w/Jonny Fairplay.
New Dimension Wrestling announced a return date of Sat., March 25,2000.

New Dimension Wrestling Daily News/GossipSunday, October 17, 1999
-NDW Executive Committee Member Chris Plano and manager Chris Cruise
will be
starting a live wrestling call-in talk show on Guilford County
Television beginning this week. The program is slated to be one hour
long each week and will be very interactive with viewers, the show is
slated to run on Tuesday and/or Wednesday nights at 7:00p.m. The two
will cover all of the news in professional wrestling as well as NDW
Wrestling. Weekly trivia and prize giveaways will be featured on each
show. Guilford County Television covers the entire Guilford county of
North Carolina, which houses the main cities of Greensboro and High
Point, NC. They will also supply copies of shows to Forsyth and
Alamance county television systems which cover cities such as
Winston-Salem, and Burlington, NC.

-It appears the continuing saga of former NDW Wrestler Beastmaster Rick
Link
continues in New Dimension Wrestling as a masked man appeared on the
NDW Wrestling show this past Saturday night in Greensboro, NC, as The
Missing
Rick Link claiming to be the New Dimension Wrestling Hardcore Champion.
No
further word or comment from either the NDW Wrestling Executive
Committee or
The Missing Rick Link was available at press time. We will have more
on this in future issues as the story unfolds.

-New Dimension Wrestling is reporting record sign-ups and inquiries for
its New Dimension Wrestling School which is now located in Greensboro.
The company is also going to be releasing a mass campaign on the school
to even bring further enrollment and inquiries higher.

-NDW Wrestler Brute Shooter has moved into the number one contenders
spot for
the New Dimension Wrestling Heavyweight Title. The current title is
vacant and is unofficially claimed by Nite-Stic Eddie Brown and his
manager, Jonny Fairplay. A bitter war is beginning to take place
amongst the wrestlers in New Dimension Wrestling as the title has been
vacant for nearly 3 weeks and the New Dimension Wrestling Executive
Committee has mentioned no plans about the future of the title yet.
Others looking for that coveted gold include King, Mike Gunner, Chilly
Willy and The Dirty White Boy. It should be very interesting once all
of the dust settles who will come out on top with the New Dimension
Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

-NDW Referee Bob Hunter has been fined an undisclosed amount of money
for
leaving early on two occasions with his duties in New Dimension
Wrestling over the weekend. It seems lately Hunter's mind has been on
other issues other than his career as a referee and other
responsibilities in New Dimension Wrestling.

New Dimension Wrestling Schedule (thru December)
Sat., Oct. 30, 1999 Ferrum, VA Ferrum College,8:00p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13, 1999 Laredo, TX Veterans
Park,8:00p.m.
(C.S.T.) Sat., Dec. 4, 1999 Thomasville, NC National Guard
Armory,
7:30p.m.Sat., Dec. 11, 1999 Madison, WV George Washington
H.S.,
8:00p.m.New Dimension Wrestling Roll Call of Champions
NDW Heavyweight Champion: Vacant (10/9/99)
NDW U.S. Heavyweight Champion: Vacant (9/13/99)
NDW Light Heavyweight Champion: Vacant (10/9/99)
NDW Tag Team Champions: Vacant (6/3/99)NDW Women's Champion: Bambi
NDW Hardcore Champion: The Missing Rick Link (10/16/99)
New Dimension Wrestling Hotline: 336-882-492124 hours a day, 7 days a
week
NDW Wrestling Worldwide Website: www.ndwwrestling.com
For all of the latest news, results, rankings, upcoming shows,
merchandise, and wrestling school visit the hottest independent
wrestling website on the web today!!!! Or write to: New Dimension
Wrestling, P.O. Box 10211, Greensboro, NC 27404-0211. New Dimension
Wrestling Merchandise, We now accept Credit Cards (Mastercard, Visa,
AMEX, Discover, Debit Cards), or mail payment (check or money order) to
the NDW P.O. Box address, e-mail at CPlano or call
336-882-4921 for more information on ordering and payment options.
T-shirts, hats, and videotapes, calenders, pens, are all for sale at
reasonable prices!!!

New Dimension Wrestling School, call 336-882-4921 or e-mail
atCPlano
or Brute Shooter. Serious applicants only need apply. Training
to be wrestlers (male/female), managers, valets, and referees. For the
hottest real audio wrestling talk show on the internet, listen to the
Jonny Fairplay show at www.fairplayshow.com

Boogie D's Wrestling Report, every Monday afternoon at 4:50p.m., on
Greensboro, NC's hottest hip-hop and R&B radio station 102 JAMZ.
Ringside Radio, every Wednesday night 9:00p.m., on UNCG's radiostation
103.1 WUAG, with hosts Chris Bushnell and Jesse Sowa. Andy Durham
Sports Show, every Tuesday night on 950AM WPET,Greensboro, with your
hosts Andy Durham & Bruce Mitchell, 7:00p.m. Ripley Von Slam's
Slamfest, every Tuesday night on 89.3FM WSOE, Burlington, NC,
6:00p.m.That's all for today!!!!
-Chris Plano, New Dimension Wrestling, LLC
===========================================
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