Issue # 460
Date:
Friday January 28th, 2000 10:27 am
The Wrestling Booking Sheet
UPDATE ON THE WRESTLING
BOOKING SHEET
By Steve Appy
While The Booking Sheet is
still on hiatus, it
seemed a good idea to update
everybody on our
future status (there are
probably 4 of you who
still care).
Eventually (probably in
around a month) we will be
returning. We're looking to
publish once a week;
while the daily format is fun
and probably makes
for a better newsletter, it
also ended up
dominating most of my free
time.
The newest project I've been
involved in is the new
wrestling feature on IGN.com.
Headed up by TBR's
Blake Norton, the site is
shaping up to be one of
the better wrestling sites on
the net (and yes, I am
biased). Blake has put
together a strong team that
includes Chris Sabga, Miss
Galatea, Fritz Capp, Patty
Therre, Steven Festa, and
Michael Tavares.
My role in the project
involves writing a weekly column
(and I'm currently writing
the RAW TV report, which is
likely a short term
assignment). My new columns are
posted every Wednesday (and I
have two up right now).
Check out the site, I think
that you will be
pleasantly surprised. Find it
at:
http://wrestling.ign.com/
(and be sure to bookmark it!)
Plug time…
Shannon Rose's Pro Wrestling
Daily is running several
polls to crown the kings (and
queens) of the Internet.
There are two categories that
I found especially
interesting: Columnist of the
Year &
Best Overall TV Reporter.
The Columnist of the Year
ballot features two of our
own staff members: SamJerry &
Fritz Capp, along with the
very talented Bob Magee (all
three are writers who I am
proud to have worked with in
the past). I can make a
case for any of the three
running away with the award,
and cast your own vote if you
agree.
I had a far easier time
voting for the Best Overall TV
Reporter; Rick Phelps earned
my vote. Rick is our
longtime RAW, NITRO & Thunder
reviewer, so I was very
familiar with his work.
Cast your vote at:
http://www.prowrestlingdaily.com/pwdy2k.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to
Sports-Uncensored, the newsletter
for the hardcore sports fan.
Sports-Uncensored
features news, stories,
cutting edge columns,
and special features that
evolve around the
ever-changing world of
sports.
We cover the NFL, NBA, MLB,
NHL, college sports,
professional wrestling and
more. Get your free
subscription by sending a
blank e-mail to:
sports-uncensored-subscribe
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WCW faces embarrassing
aftermath
By Mike Mooneyham
Sunday, January 23, 2000
The smoke is clearing in the
wake of one of
the most tumultuous weeks in
the history of
World Championship Wrestling.
What remains,
however, is not a pretty
sight.
Vince Russo, who just four
months ago was
hailed as a creative genius
who would reverse
WCW's sagging fortunes, was
demoted and could
be on his way out. The
company crowned a new
world champion Sunday night
at its pay-per-view,
and by Monday he was gone,
leaving behind the
belt and an embarrassing
situation for WCW to
try and explain.
Chris Benoit, who defeated
Sid Vicious in a
makeshift main event at
Souled Out, a show that
promises to generate the
worst buyrate ever for
a major wrestling PPV, joined
aptly named
"Revolution" members Dean
Malenko, Shane
Douglas and Perry Saturn, who
were all sent
home by management after
insisting that newly
empowered Kevin Sullivan be
removed from the
booking committee. WCW
officials, allegedly
employing a "divide and
conquer" strategy,
attempted to persuade its new
titleholder to
stay, but Benoit walked out
on the company and
the championship belt.
Eddie Guerrero also was
offered his release,
while the status of Konnan,
Rey Mysterio Jr.
and Juventud Guerrera remains
unknown. Billy
Kidman, who several months
ago threatened to
walk out on the since deposed
Eric Bischoff
and last week voiced his
displeasure over
Russo's removal, was promised
a major
non-cruiserweight push and
paired with the
promising Torri Wilson.
Douglas also was wavering as
of late last week,
but was leaning toward
staying with WCW since
his options appear to be
limited.
The company has been split
down the middle, with
factions and sub-factions
forming and rumors
flying in the midst of the
maelstrom. Several
WCW performers confided that
they had never seen
a company in such turmoil,
confusion and
disarray, but were reluctant
to point fingers.
WCW has been a company in
upheaval dating back to
the wretched excesses and
unbridled arrogance of
the Bischoff reign, a fact
that must ultimately
raise questions and concerns
about exactly who
is overseeing WCW.
Bischoff's qualifications for
the top job at WCW
were, at best, highly
questionable. He was a
Ninja Turtles salesman and
Verne Gagne gofer
before arriving in Atlanta,
where a carefully
orchestrated plot to usurp
Jim Ross' power
moved him from third-team
announcer to the
executive board room and the
deep pockets of
Ted Turner.
The beginning of the end for
Bischoff, however,
came the day he showed his
utter incompetence
for the job when he berated
Ric Flair, not
behind closed doors in
executive session or to
his employee's face, but in
front of a locker
room of WCW performers that
included Arn
Anderson - and called the man
most responsible
for building and preserving
that company a piece
of "trash" whom he would sue
into bankruptcy.
The reason? Flair committed
the unpardonable
sin of missing a Thunder show
(he had cleared
it with J.J. Dillon weeks
earlier) in favor of
watching his then-10-year-old
son win a national
amateur wrestling title.
Vince Russo, a Long Island
native and longtime
fan of the WWWF and later
WWF, operated a video
store before gaining Vince
McMahon's confidence
and joining his inner circle
in Connecticut.
WCW saw Russo's WWF success
as a surefire
solution to a deeper problem.
It didn't work.
A statement that
much-maligned ex-WCW boss
Cowboy Bill Watts made seven
years ago rings
somewhat true today.
"Wrestling has gone so far
overboard to show biz
that it has no credibility,"
said Watts, who also
was hailed as a savior who
would put WCW back on
course when he assumed the
role of vice president
of wrestling operations, but
whose rocky reign
ended when the company asked
for his resignation
nine months later.
"But still, at WCW, we were
doing the right thing.
We just couldn't get rid of
the dead weight. We
couldn't get rid of the
people who didn't
understand what we were doing
and that just wanted
to save their damn job. I'm
telling you, the memo
wars that go on there are
mind-boggling. It's more
important to feather your
nest and suck up to
somebody and try to get rid
of somebody or put
them down or zing them or
stab them in the back.
My back looked like a
porcupine."
Little has changed in
Atlanta. The back-stabbing is
as pronounced as ever; only
some of the faces have
changed.
The silver lining, if there
is one, may be that
Bill Busch, who only several
months ago was thrust
into his position as
Bischoff's replacement, took
a stand and stuck to it. A
not so-subtle message
has now been sent to others
in the company who
assume they are irreplaceable
and are taking
advantage of the company's
lax policies of the
past.
In the immortal words of the
late Owen Hart:
"It's time for a change."
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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to The Jobber
Report, one of the
top wrestling newsletters on
the Internet.
Published 4-6 times a week,
TJR is a terrific
resource for all of you
looking to keep up
with all of the numerous
wrestling headlines.
For your free subscription,
send a blank e-mail to:
Jobber-Report-Subscribe
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ROUNDING THE SQUARED CIRCLE
"TIS A FAR, FAR BETTER THING
I DO"
OR
"GO NORTH YOUNG KNIGHT, GO
NORTH"
BY
SAMJERRY
Visit my home page at:
http://members.aol.com/samjerry
And the darkness and despair
that had overtaken
The Southern Kingdom did
continue. It has been
told throughout all the lands
that The Valiant
Warriors who had forsaken
bondage in the
Southern Kingdom, Sir Chris
of Benoit, Sir
Deano of Malenko, Sir Perry
of Saturn, and Sir
Eddie Les Guerrero, have held
counsel with
those who speak for Emperor
Vince, Supreme Ruler
of The Evil Empire of The
North.
Unhappy that Busch, The High
Overlord of the
Southern Kingdom, has named
the dastardly Sir
Kevin of Sullivan, High
Exalted Chief Booker
of the Realm, to be aided by
his allies Lord
JoJo and Squire Graham, who
they consider vile
and not to be trusted, they
departed. The
counsel hath offered them
bags of gold for
their services. The sum was
not nearly as much
as they had been paid by The
Southern Empire,
but as men of honor, they
accepted rather than
toil for the dastardly one
they so despised.
They took comfort with
provisions given for
their service, that should
they find favor
among the faithful citizens
of the Evil Empire
of The North, they would be
handsomely rewarded.
Knowing that other favored
Knights and Warriors
of the Evil Empire have been
so acclaimed, they
did agree to the offer. They
now await an
audience with Emperor Vince
to finalize the
details of their contracts.
The faithful
citizens await their arrival
with open arms and
great expectations. It is
also told that Sir
Deano was given encouraging
words about his
leading the reawakening of
the Light Heavyweight
Division in The Evil Empire.
Thoughts of Sir Chris once
again doing combat
with Sir Chris, Leader of the
Jericholics, Sir
Perry jousting with Taz The
Nasty, and Sir
Eddie meeting Taka The Flier,
are but a few of
things that have the faithful
smiling. With
tickets selling as fast as
the Empire can print
them, arenas filled to
capacity wherever the
Knights do battle, and the
faithful watching at
home in record numbers, life
is good in The
Evil Empire. The Valiant
Warriors look to have
chosen well.
Alas there seems to be no end
to the turmoil in
The Southern Kingdom. Their
citizens continue
to shun the Knights as they
do battle. The
Palace Guard must seek out
those camped near
the Arenas and bring them in
to fill the seats.
A report from one who was
there this past Monday
when The Southern Kingdom was
in the dessert
city of Lost Wages for NITRO
tells of but 1,000
paying, and The Palace Guard
rounding up 3,000
to fill the empty seats. So
also goes it with
the faithful at home, who
have either decided to
watch The Evil Empire's RAW
or find other things
to do rather than watch The
Southern Kingdom.
Busch, The High Overlord of
the Southern Kingdom,
had Sir Kevin take his leave
while he did seek to
resolve the crisis caused by
Lord Russo's
banishment. Words coming from
several of the
faithful are that the past
two NITRO's were as
exciting as watching the
grassy mounds of royal
courtyard grow.
The most noble Duke Ric of
Charlotte, was brought
back this past Monday to help
stem the tide. He
alone cannot change the
destiny of The Southern
Kingdom. They await the
return of Sir Bret of
Calgary and Goldberg The
Invincible. They are
pointing to a Monday in early
February when The
Dogs of Westminster make
their annual appearance,
thus causing The Evil Empire
to be seen in late
hours.
Hope is being pinned on
bringing back more of The
Old Ones, including Randy The
Insane, possibly The
Man Who Speaks 1,000 tongues,
(but not a one that
any, including the most
learned oracles,
understands), and the Man who
would be King, Old
Baldy.
These plans of The Southern
Kingdom could come
asunder as the upstart
Kingdom of Extreme, led by
Prince Paul, may bring his
Legion Of The Bloody
to that same Monday Night,
and do battle with The
Southern Kingdom. Many have
dismissed Prince Paul
as a threat, but it is
written that a Giant was
slain by a mere mortal with
but a slingshot. Could
The Southern Kingdom suffer a
similar fate?
This humble scribe hath been
honored to be nominated
to the exalted title of
Columnist of the Year. Should
thou wish to cast thy vote
for me, you need not even
leave your village, you need
but go here:
http://www.prowrestlingdaily.com/pwdy2k.html
I would be honored to receive
thy vote and thank thee.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ROYAL RUMBLE REPORT
LIVE FROM: MADISON SQUARE
GARDEN, 1/24/2000
By: Rick Phelps (wrestleri-)
Kurt Angle versus Taz
Taz started quickly flipping
Angle over the top
rope. On the floor, Taz
attempted a vertical
suplex, but Angle landed on
his feet and put the
human suplex machine on his
back. The next couple
of minutes saw both men
exchanging German and
belly to belly suplexes. Taz
then hit a couple
of overhead release suplexes,
followed by a
T-bone suplex. Taz was
successful in his World
Wrestling Federation debut
when the Olympian
could not respond after being
hooked in the
Tazmission. Angle did not
regain consciousness
and was taken away by EMT's.
Winner: Taz via referee's
decision
The Dudley Boyz versus The
Hardy Boys
*Tag Team Table Match*
The rules of this match
stated that the first
team to drive their
opponent's (consecutively and
with an offensive maneuver)
through a table would
win the contest. Prior to the
match, Matt and
Jeff told Terri that they did
not want her to be
at ringside. It did not take
long before both
teams pulled out the
furniture. The Hardy's
attempted a double superplex
through the table,
but D-Von moved the table at
the last second.
The Hardy's drew first blood,
as Matt with a
leg drop, from a ladder, and
Jeff with an elbow
drop from the top rope, put
Bubba Ray through a
table. Matt Hardy was then
powerbombed from the
ropes, courtesy of Bubba Ray
through a table
that was balanced on two sets
of ring steps. The
Dudley's dominated the
Hardy's for the next
several minutes, knowing that
they had to put
Jeff through a table to win
the match.
The Hardy's cemented their
spot as one of the
premier tag teams in the WWF
when Jeff Hardy,
from a balcony above the
entryway, hit a Senton
bomb on D-Von for the win.
Winners: The Hardy's via
putting both Dudley'z
through a table
Ms. Rumble 2000 Contest
Johnny V, Sgt. Slaughter,
Tony Garea, The
Fabulous Moolah, Classy
FrEddie Blassie, and
Andy Richter (from the Conan
O'Brien show)
were introduced as the judges
for this contest.
Jerry "The King" Lawler was
the master of
ceremonies. The contestants
were Ivory, Terri,
Jackie, B.B., Luna, and the
Kat. Highlights from
the contest saw Luna refusing
to show off her
swimsuit (even though she was
wearing a see
through overshirt), and the
Kat wearing bubble
wrap as a bikini. Mae Young
invited herself and
became a late entry in the
contest. Despite the
attempts of the censors, Mae
Young revealed her
"puppies." In a unanimous
decision, and to the
shock of the fans in MSG,
Young won the contest.
Winner: Mae Young via judge's
decision
Chyna (c) versus Chris
Jericho (c) versus Hardcore Holly
*Intercontinental
Championship*
This contest started as a
slapping match between
the three competitors.
Jericho attempted to end
the match first by applying
the "Walls Of Jericho"
on Holly, but Chyna
clotheslined Y2J from behind.
As expected with any triple
threat match, all
three combatants were on the
offense and the
defense. Chyna had Holly tied
up in a Boston Crab,
when Jericho bounced off the
ropes and nailed his
CO-champion with a bulldog.
He followed up with a
springboard moonsault off the
middle ropes onto
Chyna, giving him the win,
and the right to be
called the undisputed
Intercontinental champion.
Winner: Chris Jericho via
pinfall
(Undisputed I-C Champion)
The New Age Outlaws (c)
versus The Acolytes *Tag Team Championship*
The Acolytes started with
fists of fire, attacking
the tag team champions on the
outside. The
challengers used their power
to dominate the
champions for the first
couple of minutes. Farooq
hit a spinebuster on the
RoadDogg while Bradshaw
took Gunn out of his boots
with a clothesline from
hell. The Acolytes were in
firm control of this
match when X-Pac caught
Bradshaw with a spinwheel
kick, allowing Mr. A$$ to hit
the Famoser on
Bradshaw for the win.
Winners: The New Age Outlaws
(Retain Tag Team Titles)
HHH (c) versus Cactus Jack
*WWF Championship*
This street fight saw two men
who promised to reach
deep down and become more
violent than ever, battle
it out for the WWF title. The
fisticuffs began at
the outset, with Cactus
coming out on top. The
action spilled on the outside
where Cactus was
dominating the champion,
until "The Game" nailed
Cactus between the eyes. HHH
wielding a chair,
invited Cactus to come into
the ring. Once in the
ring, the champion nailed
Cactus with the chair.
The evil persona of Mick
Foley rose to his feet
and continued to fight,
stomping HHH to the mat.
The two battled through the
fans, ending up back
on the floor, where Cactus
suplexed the champion
onto two wood pallets, and
smashing him with a
trash can.
HHH then had his head
repeatedly smacked into a
wall. The Game fought back
and suplexed Cactus
through a trash can. Cactus
pulled a 2x4 wrapped
in barbed wire from under the
ring, but HHH
retrieved it and beat down
the challenger. Foley
recuperated and hit the
champion with a double-arm
DDT. The Spanish broadcast
team hid the 2x4, but
Cactus took it back and
busted HHH open. Cactus
Jack then continued to use
the 2x4 to rip and
gouge at the skin of an
already bloody champion.
Back on the outside, Cactus
attempted to
piledrive HHH through the
broadcast position, but
the champion backdropped the
challenger through
the table. The WWF champion
refused to stay down,
despite the offensive
onslaught of Cactus Jack.
On the outside, HHH hiptossed
Cactus Jack, whose
left knee banged the steel
steps.
The Game then worked on the
knee of Cactus, bashing
the barbed wire wrapped 2x4
into his injured knee.
HHH handcuffed Cactus and
began beating his
opponent with a vengeance.
Cactus tried to fight a
defensive match, but was put
down by a steel chair.
Near the entryway, Cactus
Jack was asking HHH to
hit him with the chair again,
when the Rock nailed
HHH with a chair. A police
officer then came out
and took the handcuffs off of
Cactus. After
piledriving the champion
through a table that did
not give, Cactus poured a
full bag of thumbtacks
on the mat. Cactus felt the
tacks first as HHH
backdropped him onto the
tacks.
The champion then gave Cactus
Jack the pedigree, but
the challenger kicked out.
The Game followed up with
another pedigree, on the
thumbtacks. HHH pinned
Cactus Jack, who could not
kick out of a second
pedigree. EMT's took the
champion away on a
stretcher. However, Cactus
Jack rolled HHH back to
the ring and delivered one
more shot with the 2x4.
Winner: HHH via pinfall
(Retained World Championship)
Royal Rumble
D-Lo Brown drew number one
with Grand Master Sexay
drawing number two. Mosh drew
number three. After a
short time in the ring,
Kaeintai, who were not
participants in the Rumble,
hit the ring, but were
quickly disposed of.
The other WWF superstars came
in the following order:
Christian, Rakishi, Scotty
"Too" Hotty, Steve Blackman,
Viscera, Big Boss Man, Test,
British Bulldog, Gangrel,
(Kaentai once again tried to
interject and once again
were ousted), Edge, Bob
Backlund, Chris Jericho, Crash
Holly, Chyna, Farooq (The
Mean Street Posse attacked
Farooq but were thrown out of
the ring), Road Dogg, Al
Snow, Val Venis, (Funaki
in...Funaki out...yet again),
Prince Albert, Hardcore
Holly, The Rock, Mr. A$$, Big
Show, Bradshaw, (Mean Street
Posse attacked Bradshaw),
Kane, Godfather, (Funaki once
again..in and out), and
X-Pac.
The Rock and Big Show were
the last two competitors in
the ring. The Rock dropped
the People's Elbow, but the
Big Show fought back and
chokeslammed the Rock. The Big
Show tried to slam the Rock
over the top rope, but the
Rock held onto the ropes,
sending the Big Show over the
top. The Big Show attacked
the Rumble winner after the
bell, but the People's
Champion stood tall.
Winner: The Rock
(Last Man Standing--Headed to
Wrestlemania)
Order of Elimination (In
Parentheses is Who Eliminated the Wrestler)
Mosh (Rakishi), Christian
(Rakishi), D'Lo Brown
(Rakishi), Too Cool
(Simultaneously by Rakishi),
Rakishi (Bossman, Test, Edge,
Gangrel, Bulldog,
Bob Backlund), Bob Backlund
(Y2J), Y2J (Chyna),
Chyna (Bossman), Farooq,
Bulldog (Road Dogg),
Edge (Al Snow/Val Venis),
Bossman (The Rock),
Crash Holly (The Rock),Test
(Big Show), Gangrel
(Big Show), Bradshaw (The New
Age Outlaws), Val
Venis (Kane), Prince Albert
(Kane), Hardcore
Holly (Al Snow), Godfather
(Big Show), Al Snow
(The Rock), Steve Blackman
(?), Road Dogg
(Mr. A$$), Mr. A$$ (Kane),
X-Pac (The Rock...
however the referee did not
see the elimination,
so X-Pac continued), Kane
(X-Pac), X-Pac (Big
Show), Big Show (The Rock)
===========================================
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.
Copyright- Steve
Appy of The Wrestling Booking Sheet ©1998, 1999, 2000
"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
|