The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 382

Date: Wednesday November 3rd, 1999 3:27 pm

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

RATINGS FOR MONDAY, 11/1/1999
Reported by Al Isaacs at: http://www.scoopswrestling.com
RAW NITRO
1st Hour n/a 3.9
2nd Hour 5.9 3.0
3rd Hour 5.9 2.7
Composite 5.9 3.2
===========================================
ROUNDING THE SQUARED CIRCLE
"LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT GUILT CAST THE SECOND STONE"
OR
"ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND (WRESTLING) WAR(S)"

BY SAMJERRY
Visit My Home Page At: http://members.aol.com/samjerry

This past Monday on NITRO, WCW continued their conversion to the Sports
Entertainment genre with Big Sexy's portrayal of Emperor Vince. It has
been a hot topic on the Internet since. I have read several items that
applauded it, and several that thought it was tasteless. Most that
liked it defended their position with the argument that the WWF did
something similar a few years ago with their "Trillionaire Ted" skits.
Before I continue, I'd like to say that
being a fan of parody in general, I considered it to be somewhat
humorous.

Comparing the differences in what WCW did and what the WWF did several
years ago requires some background. At the time the WWF did the Uncle
Ted skits, they were in deep financial trouble. Uncle Ted had tried to
buy the WWF from Emperor Vince and was rebuffed. He was determined to
have a strong wrestling product for his TV Empire and to be a (the)
major player in wrestling. He proceeded to lure most of the top talent
away from the WWF with offers of big money contracts in WCW, the
biggest coup being Old Baldy.

Emperor Vince had built the WWF with talent he got from other
Promotions, but didn't strip them clean as Uncle Ted did. The WWF was
left with few major names. The biggest ones they still had were Shawn
"The Heartbreak Kid" Michaels and Bret "Hitman" Hart. Michaels was very
close to several who had left, including Big Sexy, so there was concern
about his future. As I recall they ran three (or possibly four)
different ones, but they were usually run once during the show.

Jump ahead to today and what WCW/Big Sexy did and we see it was done
for ratings, as opposed to survival. They also spent a decent amount of
time on NITRO doing the various segments. WCW may have been hurting in
the
ratings and have suffered a decline at the box office, but they are not
in danger of going under. Whereas if the WWF went under, Emperor Vince
went down with it. With Uncle Ted and the Time Warner Empire behind
WCW, there is no
chance that WCW will go out of business. A distinct difference in
motivation.

As you can see, it really wasn't a case of WCW doing what the WWF did.
WCW is changing their product to make it more "fan friendly" as they
see it. The first week they jumped a full point in the ratings,
apparently some of it at
least at the expense of the WWF. The second week both increased .2,
maintaining the same difference between them. When this weeks ratings
come out, we will be able to see if the gap has changed any. What
WCW/Big Sexy did was an attempt to close that gap.

There were also some comments about the skits that DX did, including
the "invasion" of WCW. I see these more as being part of what DX stands
for, and that being opposition to authority and doing things their way.
They were more in the frame of what Sports Entertainment is, similar to
the Birthday Party that Mick Foley threw The Rock recently on RAW.
While obvious ratings enhancements, they were done with that in mind,
and not ripping on WCW.

Next weeks RAW should prove interesting to see if the WWF responds.
One school of thought is that they will ignore it. I think we can
expect more of the same from WCW in the weeks ahead. Perhaps the most
telling comment made during the series of vignettes was one made by
Scott Hall about he and Big Sexy burning bridges behind them. The word
is that they both left the WWF in
good terms with Emperor McMahon. They may want to return.
===========================================
MID SOUTH AND OTHER HARDCORE TRAILBLAZERS
Written by reader: billy.stein

To the reader who claims McMahon stole Heyman's ideas, you could not be
more wrong. You could try, but you would not be successful. Obviously
you have only been watching wrestling for a few years. True, Heyman did
bring hardcore wrestling to the mainstream and Vince enhanced that
concept, but Heyman's whole style is basically a knock-off of the old
Mid-South/UWF/World Class/Georgia Championship Wrestling programs.

Go find some tapes of these shows. You'll be astounded at the
similarities of style in the venue, angle development, vignettes, etc.
Plus, hardcore was around then and long before those days. Ever seen a
Scaffold, Brass Knuckles, or Bullrope Match ? Guys bled back then on
every show and
stiff shots with foreign objects were the norm. Blindings by fire,
piledrivers on the cement, and parking lot attacks, nothing new.

In fact, if you want to just treat yourself and see some great
wrestling that produces tremendous heat, go get some of these old tapes.
===========================================
HHH HOLDING THE BELT IN THE FLAIR STYLE
Written by reader: Ed Pyle (epyle)

There has been a lot of controversy over HHH as champion, because he
appears so weak at times. I'd like to point out, that in the days of
the NWA, Ric Flair seemed like he was always on the brink of losing his
title. Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Luger, and Sting all seemed able
to beat Flair. Thing is they rarely did. That was what made Flair
such a great heel. He drove people crazy by looking so weak, then
pulling off a win (often underhandedly). Today Flair is one of the
greats, and this is how he made his career. I think that is part of
the reason I really enjoy HHH as champion.
-Ed
===========================================
HHH, THE UNDERVALUED CHAMPION
Written by reader: WeeColonel

I have to agree with the reader on Triple H. He should be given a
little more of a chance to be a credible champion. Look at The Rock -
he was given a 5 month title reign (it was on and off, I grant you),
but in those 5 months only he and Mankind held the titles, with Rock
getting the title most of the time. In those 5 months, Rock became a
household name, winning easily in the second-to-last matches while
Austin worked main events. If Rock had a bad night, people would
forget when the glass broke.

Triple H doesn't get that kind of help. He's a young main eventer, and
can't carry people like Bulldog in a main event, and I just hope he
doesn't become remembered as the "guy who got a main event push and
couldn't pull it off". Now I'm
not saying that The Rock was handed his role in professional wrestling,
but if Triple H were given that kind of opportunity, then he would
shine, too.
===========================================
THE FINAL COMMENTARY ON KEVIN NASH'S MANNERS
Written by reader: Joey (Mr2Cool21)

What I am reading about Kevin Nash being a jerk is ridiculous.
Sometime last December WCW came to my hometown of Lubbock, TX for a
house show and it was announced that Nash would be here to sign
autographs.

While he did charge, it was a fair price and he signed not one but two
autographs for people. My brother asked Kevin Nash a question and Nash
answered it. Kevin Nash was very nice to everyone there and they
charged EVERYONE, male and female fans.

I just felt I had to write this because I didn't see anyone saying that
Nash wasn't rude, and I have encountered Kevin Nash and he was very
nice to me and all the others.
-Joey
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENT
OUTSDR316 is looking to join a quality e-fed, please contact
him if you know of one.
===========================================
ADVERTISEMENT
NWWA ONLINE UPDATE
First off, our next Live Event NWWA Rage in a Cage is shaping up to be
an incredible event. Rage in a Cage is on Saturday, November 13, 1999.
From the Lincoln Center in Highland, IN. For ticket information please
call the NWWA
Hotline at (219) 641-5914. This will be an event that you will not want
to miss.

NWWA Championship, Rage in a Cage (Steel Cage Match)
Bam Bam Bino (Champion) Vs Rex "The Role Model" Hart

NWWA Midwest Championship, Chuck Smooth (Champion) Vs Luscious Luther

NWWA Tag Team Championship, Devon Fury & Guy Quebec (Champions) Vs Badd
Blood

Ghetto Vs PrimeTime
JT Sexy Vs Joey "Boom Boom" Jabroni

And fans, you heard it here first Kamala Jr. is coming!! Let me repeat
Kamala Jr. is coming!! First, let clear something up before rumors
began to spread. THIS NOT KAMALA 2 FROM ECW OR JAPAN. This is Kamala
Jr. from the Insane
Wrestling Alliance inIndianapolis. However, I have seen this
man...beast in action, and I guarantee that you will not be
disappointed.

Again, Rage in a Cage is onSaturday, November 13, 1999 from the
Lincoln Center in Highland, IN. Be there!!!
===========================================
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