The Wrestling Booking Sheet online newsletter

Issue # 395

Date: Friday November 12th, 1999 10:18 am

The Wrestling Booking Sheet

TECHNICAL WRESTLING
Written by reader: Kevin McDermott (Sabres2655)

I read in the newsletter about people enjoying wrestling for what it is
and not for the storylines. I am one of the few who appreciate
wrestling for the wrestling and not the storylines.

However while reading the argument I came across two names of guys we
could appreciate for their ability who have no real wrestling ability.
Those two men are none other than the Rock and Steve Austin. Yeah these
two are good on the mike (if you enjoy the same 10 phrases over and
over again) but they have no skill in the ring. Austin had
some, then he hurt his knees and went to the WWF, The Rock couldn't
sell a move to a blind man. The Rock and Austin's arsenal consists of
10 moves at the most and
The Rock has the most ridiculous finisher in wrestling history (The
People's Elbow).

It's a bout time that those who can wrestle got pushes they deserve. I
will be a happy man when people like Edge, Brian Christopher, Chris
Benoit, Dean Malenko, Saturn, Jerry Lynn and Gangrel get the respect
that they deserve.
-Kevin McDermott
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kevin,
I'll share with you my opinion on what makes a good PROFESSIONAL
wrestler: a performer who puts together a match that is compelling,
keeps my interest, and tells a story.

One of the main knocks that Austin often receives is that his offensive
arsenal isn't varied; I can overlook that because what he does do is so
good. He doesn't use a wide variety of suplexes (like Taz) or
submission moves (like Ken Shamrock), he is a brawler.

Austin's marquee matches are generally long & almost always exciting,
which is a description of a top worker. Technical mat wrestling is
great when done correctly (Jushin Liger & Dean Malenko come to mind)
but it's not the only qualification to be a good "wrestler" (or worker,
performer, sports entertainer, choose your label).

If a wrestler performs his chosen style well he is a good worker,
whether it's aerial, brawling, or mat work. Before his untimely murder
in 1988 Bruiser Brody was considered one of the best workers in the
world. Brody was a brawler in the classic sense and he also could put
together a classic encounter. That's all we can really ask for.

As for The Rock, I think you may be underestimating him. While I
wouldn't call him great in the ring he has shown the ability to have a
good match against the right opponent. My thought (hope) is that he
will only get better with time.
===========================================
VARIOUS WWF ANGLES
Written by reader: MillenniumMN23

On Raw when DX KIDNAPPED Stephanie, where did you get the idea that
they raped her? They kidnapped Stephanie. I mean, Vince would not
sink that low.

As for Al Snow and the Head thing, what comes to mind when I hear the
word head? It depends on what state of mind you in. Kids under 13
shouldn't even know what head is unless someone has told them. Also, if
you are watching the WWF and you hear over the PA, "WHAT DOES EVERYBODY
WANT" and the crowd chants "HEAD", you actually see a Mannequin Head on
the Titan Tron. Some people just tend to make things more serious them
they already are. Plus, the WWF didn't come up with the Al Snow with
Head Gimmick. Al had that gimmick in ECW.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steve Appy responds:
When DX kidnapped Stephanie the implication (and it wasn't a subtle
one) was that X-Pac & The Outlaws were going to gang-rape Stephanie.
While the storyline (and I'm not going to reveal any spoilers for
Smackdown tonight) will reveal something entirely different, that was
the cliffhanger we were intentionally left with on Monday.

When you say that Vince McMahon would not "sink that low" I
respectfully disagree. I think the next several years will reveal just
how low McMahon is willing to sink (and he will do so gleefully).

The WWF creative team (I'm not sure if it is Vince, Shane, Pritchard,
Patterson, take your pick) has shown a fondness for skits/angles that
sometimes are downright bizarre without even the expectation that they
will draw money.

Does anybody remember the Harvey Whippleman/Howard Finkle Tuxedo match?
Mark Henry receiving oral sex from a transvestite? Someone in Titan
Tower feels the need to bring their personal fetishes to the air, with
no expectation that they will produce tickets/buyrates sold, ratings
or any of the other sacred cows.

While a debatably sick angle that draws money is still awful at least
we can understand the motivations. This is a cutthroat business and
while greed is a poor excuse it is some sort of justification. I have
a bad feeling that we haven't seen anything yet (and I'm hoping that
Time Warner will keep WCW from going down the exact same road).
===========================================
AUSTIN, DX, HARDY'S
Written by reader: Paul Tringali (paulie_9@xxxxs...)

I won't bore everyone with a long drawn out letter (which by the way is
happing way too much). Just some random thoughts.......

Stone Cold Steve Austin: Take some time off, you have lost your
momentum. Rest those bad knees for a while. Come back and run an
assault on the WWF like only The Rattlesnake can.

Chris Jericho: Go to the WWF "Powers That Be" and tell them they are
misusing you, just like they did in WCW. Having a match with Chyna at
Survivor Series is a complete joke.

DX: Glad to see you guys back, and kicking ass. Now go get The
Heartbreak Kid to be your manager, and rule the federation.
A side note: Hey X-Pac!!! You look like an idiot with that DX hat on
sideways.)

Mick Foley: I am on chapter five right now. Can't seem to put it down.
Some of the best reading I've enjoyed in a long time!!!!

Hardy Boys: By far the best tag team in the WWF. Period. Some of the
stuff they are doing now is incredible.

Finally, I would like to address the phenomenon known as The Rock: The
world is yours. Step up and claim your throne, and serve notice to all
the jabroni's in the WWF.....

In closing I would like to quote a good friend by saying
...Whooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
===========================================
A JUVI DETRACTOR
Written by reader: Jonah Peppiatt (dangeruz24@xxxxs...)

I just want to say that I am sick of everybody saying that the removal
of Juventud Guerrera Jr. from WCW would be so terrible. I know I will
get hate mail for saying this but frankly I don't care. There is a lot
of Luchador talent in WCW but I don't think that Juventud is a big part
of it.

I think that the best Luchadors are Chavo, Eddie , Psychosis, Mysterio,
Ultimo and many others. I have never liked Juventud and when he is on
TV I usually flip to the WWF, and in the past year, I think he has done
nothing for WCW.
===========================================
WEEEEELL, WELL ITS THE BIG SHOW ANGLE
Written by reader: Sirkenovap

Ok, I know this had been talked about enough in the past few weeks, but
this past Monday was ridiculous. What makes me even more mad are the
responses I read in this newsletter about how the angle is no big deal,
because
RAW is a television show and we would see the same thing on ER or Party
of Five.

Yes, RAW is a show, BUT, its different than a drama or sitcom or any
other show on TV. It's NOT a television show like ER. Its a live event
that puts on a show, with a live crowd and live announcers. Does RAW
have opening credits that read "RAW is WAR"...Staring.... Duane Johnson
as "the Rock", Mick Foley as "Mankind", Jean Paul Levique (sp?) as
"Triple H", etc? A wrestling show is just the real guys turned up, who
follow storylines.

When Mick Foley does a guest spot on G vs E, or appears on a talk show,
he is Mick Foley. If you meet Mick Foley, your meeting Mick Foley.
Where as if you meet Goerge Clooney, your not meeting Dr. Doug Ross,
your meeting George Clooney. See what I'm saying? When Arnold showed
up on Smackdown!, he wasn't his character from "End Of Days", he was
Arnold.

Then you have the announcers. The announcers sell the storylines.
That's what they do for the most part. But they also fill us in about
REAL happenings and events. Foley's book making the best seller list,
Al Snow's doll being pulled, D-Lo Brown being an accountant, etc. So
when we have the announcers and others talk about the Big Shows father
dying, people are going to believe that. They think it's a real thing.
A wrestling show is different than an ordinary TV show.

The ten bell salute is something that is always legit, and they used it
in a storyline which is just disrespectful.
===========================================
WCW & NJPW
Written by reader: Kevin Bryce (KevinBryce)

Who does WCW think they are? They way they treat NJPW is beyond a
joke. How can they say Goldberg has to wrestle the awful Rick Steiner?
No one in Japan wants to see that, they want to see Goldberg vs. Chono,
or Goldberg vs. Mutoh.

NJPW would lend WCW their best talent, but WCW is so stupid that they
would rather use Luger, Hogan, Flair, Bagwell, DDP, Nash, Sid etc,
instead of Liger, Chono, Mutoh, Kanemoto, Ohtani, Sasake, El Samurai
etc.

The worst thing, WCW is afraid that Chono or Mutoh will "Shoot" on
Goldberg. That is an insult!!! Chono and Mutoh are a lot more
professional than that, and WCW have no right to think that.

NJPW should now cut off all links with WCW, and ink a deal with ECW.
ECW has better talent, so acquiring good workers will not be a problem,
and I know Heyman would love to use Liger and Co.

I know this would mean we wouldn't see Chris 'Wild Pegasus' Benoit,
Dean Malenko, and Eddie 'Black Tiger' Guererro touring NJPW again, but
it has to be done.

Anyway, Malenko and Beniot have said though they will end their careers
in Japan, so as soon as their contracts end they will be back in their
rightful home.
-Kevin Bryce, London
===========================================
A COMBINATION OF STORYLINES & ACTION
Written by reader: Eric (Hogefan)

Replying to the well-written James Greene commentary, I wonder if the
WWF (frankly, I find WCW a lost cause and a circus right now as long as
R&F are running things) can improve things by putting more focus on
believable storylines and choreographed, longer matches. James is
correct: the WWF does have the wrestling talent and interesting
characters that could carry some good, long matches. And it isn't
necessary for Matt Hardy to only wrestle Christian, Edge, or a member
of Too Much. Put a Hardy against Jericho. Put one against the Rock in a
long match (they did Rock/Edge a little while back, but that was a
ridiculous squash, which made no sense at all). Who wouldn't want to
see the Senton Splash on Austin or HHH? Who wouldn't want to see Austin
speared?

Perhaps the best way for WWF to start is to cut down on the PPV's.
Cutting PPVs down to 4 per year would give the WWF creative team extra
time to plan out angles and long storylines, and would de-emphasize the
need to always come up with something special for the upcoming PPV.
PPV's would be more special since there would be fewer, and angles
would have a chance to develop with the extra time. And again, with the
extra time not spent on planning the monthly PPV, that time could be
spent working on creative matches and angles.

The first place to start should be with the wrestlers that you'd want
to see wrestle in a long, exciting match. Take, for instance, Edge and
HHH. These two would make a very entertaining match, and the
contrasting styles would make for interesting viewing. Once you have
your wrestlers, work on the angle. Why would they hate each other? Work
a good storyline into this. Good, as in believable, intelligent, and
interesting.

Follow this formula for several wrestlers that would pair nicely
together in wrestling matches, and you'd have yourself a helluva Monday
and PPV show. Mix and match them in tag matches, three way matches, and
other gimmick matches that would eventually build to a crescendo on a
PPV, and you really have the formula for a winning show that EVERYONE
could enjoy.
-Eric
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steve Appy responds:
Eric,
One thing that I can guarantee is that the WWF will not be cutting back
on the number of PPV's. They produce way too much revenue for the idea
to even be pursued. I agree that a reduced schedule would improve
their quality but the WWF doesn't appear to have any fear of
over-saturation (we will eventually see the television schedule cut
back before the PPV schedule).
===========================================
FANTASY BOOKING (This will not happen)
Written by reader: Mik69eyD

After a crushing victory over Chyna at the Survivor Series, Chris
Jericho goes on a tear through everyone he faces for the IC belt.

On the RAW before The Royal Rumble, he says he has an open contract and
it doesn't matter who he faces, cause the IC Belt will
never....EVER.....leave from around his sexy waist.

Vince McMahon comes out and states that Jericho already has an opponent
for the Rumble and that the contract is signed, sealed and delivered.

When Jericho questions Vince about his opponent, Vince states, "I
thought it didn't matter who you faced. Since it doesn't matter who you
face, I'll let your imagination go wild for a while, but not too long,
because in that very ring tonight, you'll face another mystery opponent
for the IC Belt." Jericho goes nuts and RAW goes to a commercial.

RAW Jericho VS. ?????

Jericho came to the ring awaiting his opponent. About six guys wearing
masks and the same ring attire stand on the ramp way and one of them
makes their way to the ring.

Before he could get into the ring, Jericho hits a plancha on the
outside. He rolls his opponent in the ring and hits his Lionsault and
covers for a two count. Jericho is thrown to the ropes and belly to
bellied for a two count. Seeing red and possibly his title slipping
away, Jericho gets his opponent to make a mistake off the top rope.
Jericho hits a top rope superplex, a missle dropkick for a two count, a
double powerbomb and then makes his opponent submit to The Walls Of
Jericho.

After playing with the mask, Jericho reveals his opponent to be Kurt
Angle and begins to stomp on him.

Smackdown, the next Thursday
Jericho comes to the ring in street clothes. He says that he's tired of
being played with and that was why he left WCW. He demands that Vince
comes to the ring and tell him who his opponent is.

"No Chance In Hell" plays over the loud speaker, but Shane comes out
instead. He says the his father is out on the town with your mystery
opponent and that he'll have to wait until Sunday like everyone else.
As Jericho throws a tantrum, Shane says that he should save his
strength, because his father booked another match with another mystery
opponent. Jericho goes ballistic and says he won't do it. Shane says do
it or he'll be stripped of the belt. Jericho goes nuts in the ring and
Shane goes in the back.

As Smackdown comes back from various commercials, cameras show Shane,
Al Snow, Blue Meanie, Sean Stasiak and Edge laid out in the back,
compliments of Jericho.

Smackdown Jericho VS. ???????
Jericho comes to the ring and says that he didn't know who his opponent
was, but he was sure he was dealt with. As The King pointed out,
everyone else in the building wrestled tonight and those who didn't
were unfortunate and felt the wrath of Jericho. Suddenly, someone said
over the loudspeaker, "You didn't get all of us"

Six men wearing the same black tights and a mask once again stand on
the ramp. As Jericho calls one of them down, one of them makes their
way to the ring. Jericho slides out and meets him half way and they
begin to fight on the ramp. The match doesn't even get to the ring and
the ref throws it out. Jericho finally gets his opponent to the ring
and after hitting him several times with a chair and
unmasks...........Hardcore Holly.

Royal Rumble
Jericho is interviewed and says that the belt came with him and that
the belt is leaving with him. He says that he's tired of playing games
and grabs Michael Cole, demanding to know who his opponent is and then
throws him down.

Royal Rumble Jericho VS. ??????
Jericho makes his way down and said that the time for games is over.
Bring out his opponent. The lights dim and 10 wrestlers dressed the
same, but without masks this time, stand at the entrance. As Jericho is
screaming for his opponent, a masked man comes out from under the ring
and gets behind Jericho.

Jericho shrugs him off thinking it's a ref, but he soon finds out it is
not as he's belly to back suplexed out of his boots. His opponent then
hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Jericho tries to slow
his more than worthy adversary down by pleading, but is suplexed once
again for his efforts.

Jericho tries a clothesline, but his opponent hits a T-Bone suplex. He
rips off his mask......"It's TAZ!! It's TAZ!!" JR screams. Taz stands
over his fallen foe and ends the match by submision with his Katajame,
and gets both the win and the Gold.
===========================================
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===========================================
ADVERTISEMENT
ON SEPTEMBER 25, XPW WAS BANNED FROM SEASIDE PARK IN VENTURA. ON
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 20, XPW RETURNS TO VENTURA AT THE MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER.

COME SEE WHAT THE HYPE . . THE DRAMA . . .
THE CONTROVERSY. . . IS ALL ABOUT!!

Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Internet Update
Volume 1 - Issue 3 - 11/11/99

I. DISMEMBERED IN NOVEMEBER TOUR HITS VENTURA NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT!

On Saturday, November 20, XPW debuts at the Majestic Ventura Theater at
26 S. Chestnut Street in Ventura, Ca. Bell time is 7:00 PM and doors
open at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available at TicketMaster, S.S. Video
Games and Magic Cards in Ventura, and the Ventura Theater box office.

XPW World Heavyweight Champion : "The Real Deal" Damien Steele w/ The
Hierarchy, Nicole Bass * "Queen of Xtreme", Jasmin St. Claire, "The
Tall Cool One" Jake Lawless * Michael Modest in his first XPW World
Title Defense -plus-Nicole Bass vs. The Blunatic

"White Trash" Johnny Webb vs. "The Tall Cool One" Jake Lawless Supreme
vs. Phenomenal Phil, Donovan Morgan vs. Michael Modest, "Mr. 80's"
Dynamite D vs. Shooting Star Carlito Montana vs. Dollaz vs. Cybil,
The West Side NGZ vs. Pancho Killa and Felony card subject to change

II. DISMEMBERED IN NOVEMBER COMES TO THE XPW ARENA ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER
26, Bell Time 8:00, Doors 7:00 MAIN EVENT: XPW World Title Match,
Champ: "The Real Deal" Damien Steele w/ The Hierarchy vs. Challenger:
Kronus, more matches to be announced!
===========================================
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