From: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Subject: [WCW] G.A.B. Hype in Dayton Daily News Date: 1995/06/19 Message-ID: Sender: ag725@freenet.carleton.ca (Rick Scaia) Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Reply-To: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling This morning's Dayton Daily News featured the latest in local market "hype" for the WCW PPV to be held right here in Dayton. However, I'm not sure it did much for ticket sales or cable buys. The first Bash article was by sports columnist Gary Nuhn, a known moron. It was typical I'm-reading-from-the-press-packet-they-gave-me garbage. This was almost a month ago. About 10 days ago, the TV critic took a stab at hyping the show... his angle was more the marketing/media side of the show, and contained many obvious hyperboles and lies (e.g. saying the GAB was the first wrestling PPV to ever emanate from Dayton, when WWF did KotR here almost exactly 2 years ago). This final piece... well, I can't say that if I was a mark, or even a moderate WCW fan, that I would have been clammoring for a ticket after reading it. The guy who wrote it, Alex Marvez, obviously has a strong Dave Meltzer influence, as he gets a lot of the "inside" info right, down to real names. Suffice to say, if I was asked to write an article for an upcoming WCW PPV, I think I would turn in something a lot like the following piece. This is reproduced without the permission of anyone. So sue me. 'MACHO MAN' HAS BEEF But it's unlikely to be settled at Hara wrestling show by Alex Marvez, Dayton Daily News Attacking someone's father and putting him a figure-four leglock isn't nice. But it's an especially bad idea if the dad's son is Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Ric Flair will discover that tonight when he battles Savage in the main event of the Great American Bash, a pro wrestling pay-per-view show emanating from Hara Arena. Slick Ric (real name: Richard Fleihr) attacked Angelo Poffo - Savage's elderly father and an ex-wrestler - in May after losing a match on the Slamboree pay-per-view show. Savage (Randy Poffo) now vows revenge and will have his dad in the corner for tonight's bout. Unfortunately for World Championship Wrestling, this match isn't expected to generate many pay-per-view orders. Flair has lost too many matches to retain credibility as a main eventer, although he will probably win tonight's bout thanks to outside interference. There also are too many wrestling pay-per-view shows, forcing fans to become choosy about what they order. In hopes of bolstering pay-per-view sales, WCW has added Hulk Hogan and Vader to the Great American Bash lineup. The Hulkster (Terry Bollea) will sign a contract to battle Vader (Leon White) for a July 16 match on the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view. There also is a Flair-Savage rematch slated for that show. In matches on the Great American Bash undercard, which begins at 6p.m.: - Sting vs. Meng: This is the finale of the US title tournament, but WCW already has revealed the victor. The promotion recently taped matches that will air after tonight's show with Sting wearing the title belt. That means that the Stinger (Steve Borden) will top the Mengster (Uliuli Fifita). - Arn Anderson vs. the Renegade: Because WCW couldn't sign the Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), it decided to clone him with the Renegade (Richard Williams). He's such a copy that the World Wrestling Federation, which owns the trademark to the Ultimate Warrior name and character, threatened WCW with legal action if Renegade didn't stop copying the Warrior's mannerisms. Thus, Renegade can now no longer shake the ring ropes ala the Warrior. Although Renegade is an awful wrestler (some of his taped bouts were so bad they never aired), WCW and Hogan feel he is marketable. Therefore, expect Renegade to defeate Anderson (Marty Lunde) in short order to win the WCW television title. Like Sting, Renegade already has taped matches wearing the belt. - Blue Bloods (Robert Eaton and Lord Steven Regal) vs. the Nasty Boys (Brian "Nobs" Yandrisovitz and Jerry "Sags" Seganowich): The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Rechsteiner) were originally slated to fight the Nasties, but couldn't reach a financial agreement with WCW. This Bloods/Nasties match should include outside interference from the Harlem Heat, leading to a three-way match on the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view. - Brian Pillman vs. Alex Wright: Pillman is an ex-Cincinnati Bengal and lives in northern Kentucky, but being a hometown favorite won't help him win the match. Expect a Wright victory. - Sgt. Craig Pittman vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan: Marcus Alexander Bagwell was supposed to face the Sarge, but he has sustained one of the most bizarre injuries in wrestling history: His calves are infected from silcon implants her recently received. That makes Duggan the sacrificial lamb for Pittman. - Diamond Dallas Page vs. Dave Sullivan: These two have practiced this match for months to insure it isn't awful. The slow-witted Sullivan (Bill Danenhauser) is enamored with Kimberly, Page's valet. Obviously, this doesn't thrill Page (Page Falkendurg). Expect Page to outsmart Sullivan for the victory. [Thus ends the article... it is pretty good stuff, right down to inferring Hogan's control over WCW in the criticism of Renegade to nailing not only the vast majority of outcomes, but also the real "injury" sustained by Bagwell. Later.....] -- Rick Scaia | "I am a lost soul, I shoot myself Why? Because I can. | with rock 'n' roll... nothing ag725@freenet.carleton.ca | else can set me free." -GbV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------