From: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Subject: [INFO] The News From Dayton, 4/29/96 Date: 1996/04/29 Message-ID: <4m1e87$e1v@alpha.sky.net> followup-to: rec.sport.pro-wrestling Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling.info,rec.sport.pro-wrestling To start things off this week, here's a recap of the weekly Dayton Daily News wrestling column (by Alex Marvez): * Top story is confirmation that we do, indeed, have a new WCW Champion. Nitro (which airs at 7pm for the next several weeks to accomodate TNT's coverage of the NBA playoffs) for 4/29 was actually taped on 4/22. In the main event for this week's canned show, The Giant (who Marvez lists as Paul Wight - not Wright) cleanly pins Ric Flair after a chokeslam to win the strap. Marvez says this makes the Giant just about the youngest and least experienced wrestler ever to hold a world title (Wight is 24 years old, and has been wrestling just about a year now), but tempers that with (deserved) praise for how Wight has worked on improving himself into a decent wrestler with a lot of charisma. Wight played college basketball at Witchita State, and is legit 6'10" tall and just about 400 lbs. Marvez also notes that Wight suffered from the same glandular disorder (acromegaly) as the late Andre the Giant, but has been cured by treatments. * Marvez says to look for Razor and Diesel to drop their respective matches at tonight's In Your House PPV. He contends both are headed to WCW after May 19. [See below for my thoughts on this issue.] * Although Nitro is canned this week, Marvez says it might be worth tuning in for what he describes as a stand-out parking lot brawl between Steve Regal and the Belfast Bruiser. The "match" was highlighted by Regal piledriving Bruiser on the roof of a car. WWF RAW is live this week, and airs at its regular 8:57 start time. * "Psycho" Sid Vicious is doing a retirement angle in the USWA, claiming a serious neck injury. He and the 1-2-3 Kid were slated to take the WWF tag belts last winter, and to be the lead heel tag team, until Sid's injury. Some other bits of info that might be of use to you kids: * According to the WWF site on AOL, the live Monday Night RAW this week will include: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Isaac Yankem, The Godwinns vs. The Rockers, Mankind vs. Bart Gunn, and a match featuring Steve Austin. As always, the post-PPV RAW will likely include some changes from the announced line-up, as well as a surprise or two. * Various sources are reporting the the Ultimate Warrior's deal with the WWF is up soon. VERY soon, actually. There was some talk of Warrior being gone after May 19, the same Madison Square Garden house show that will mark Diesel and Razor Ramon's departures. Also, in a chat on AOL, the WWF Informer said to expect GOldust to somehow retain his IC Title tonight against UW. However, if this means anything to you, the WWF has the Warrior prominently featured in ads for the King of the Ring PPV. * Here is the full line-up of WWF PPV dates and sites for the rest of 1996: - In Your House Omaha, NE April 28, 1996 - WWF PPV Spectacular Florence, SC May 26, 1996 - King of the Ring Milwaukee, WI June 23, 1996 - WWF PPV Spectacular Vancouver, BC July 21, 1996 - Summerslam Cleveland, OH August 18, 1996 - WWF PPV Spectacular Philadelphia, PA September 22, 1996 - WWF PPV Spectacular Indianapolis, IN October 20, 1996 - Survivor Series MSG, New York City November 17, 1996 - WWF PPV Spectacular Lakeland, FL December 15, 1996 * And now, if you'll indulge me, a brief editorial: For the past 7 weeks or so, since the WWF "officially" announced the imminent departure of "Diesel" Kevin Nash, a lot of speculation has been bouncing around. Was Diesel really taking the big money from Turner? Or was it all a ploy? Well, from the start, I was leary. But cynicism is cheap around RSPW... hell, we had people around here not convinced Brian Pillman was in a serious accident, even after *mainstream* news reports began piling in. So I didn't bother talking about it till now. And now that we've reached to point where the WWF is either going to unmask a major "gotcha" angle with Diesel sticking around, or just job him out to Shawn Michaels, I figured I might as well put my two cents in: I'm guessing we've once again been played like a well-tuned violin by Vince. The fact that some people are guessing its all a "work" doesn't mean anything... the fact that we're even serious debating this issue is all that matters. Those of us who are gonna tune in tonight are doing so with a legitimate question in their minds as to what's gonna happen. To me, that is the best part about watching wrestling. So I guess what I'm saying is that no matter what happens, hat's off to whoever was involved for at least making us wonder. [And FWIW, the heel Diesel is reminding me of why I began ignoring Kevin Nash's somewhat lacking ring work and starting being a fan of his just about 2 years ago. He's just fun to watch/listen to when he's doing the bad-ass routine. Some of his interviews since he's starting dropping the WCW hints have been super. And I still maintain he doesn't totally suck as a wrestler. So if he is sticking around, I certainly won't be disappointed.] Later.... -- Rick Scaia | I'm on the Web now! All of a sudden, I'm relatively sane | http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ag725/ ag725@freenet.carleton.ca | Prepare to be Disappointed!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------