From: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Subject: [INFO] The News From Dayton -- 07/29/96 Date: 1996/07/29 Message-ID: <4tjg74$r4h@alpha.sky.net> followup-to: rec.sport.pro-wrestling Organization: The Stone Cold Express - Whooping Asses From a Painted Bus! Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling.info,rec.sport.pro-wrestling As always, our lead items come courtesy of the weekly pro wrestling column, penned by the inestimable Alex Marvez, as seen in Sundays' Dayton Daily News: * Topping the column is a resounding "eh" from Alex in regards to last week's WWF pay-per-view. He basically compares it to a good episode of RAW, except that it had a $20 price tag. Marvez singles out Shawn Michaels for having the show's "only quality performance." [Which sees to me to be unfair to both Marc Mero and Steve Austin...] * On future RAWs, we will find out that Crush is the almost-convict that Clarence Mason is trying to get into the WWF. Ron Simmons will reveal that he has found out that he is descended from a long line of great warriors, and wants to be called "Faarooq Asad." And Ahmed Johnson won a stacked battle royal to earn a WWF Title shot on the live post-SummerSlam RAW -- although this may change, as you will find if you read on. * Providing further proof that Eric Bischoff and the rest of WCW's head honchos really might have the brains of monkeys: when WCW came through Ohio in March, all shows ended with a Savage/Flair main event and the brass knucks/reverse decision DQ win for Savage. When they came through Ohio again this past week, they ran that *exact same finish* ( Alex actually says the match in Cinci was hold-for-hold identical to March matches... though that might be hyperbole) again. Running similar finishes from town to town on one tour is one thing... running the same finishes in the same town months apart is another. * Other highlights of WCW's Ohio swing included a double switch of the tag team titles. On Wednesday in Cinci, the Steiners -- fresh ink drying on their contracts for a long-term WCW deal -- got the titles from the Harlem Heat. Saturday in Dayton, the titles switched back to the Heat. In both cities, the "outisders" got DQ wins over Sting/Luger in matches where the crowd was super hot... in Cinci, I guess the crowd was about 50/50, though in Dayton, Nash and Hall got more cheers. * As part of what I assume is Alex's Master Plan to build Ohio interest in ECW, he runs down the latest in the Gangstas/ Samoans angle in ECW, while saying that it seems each weeks, ECW TV just seems to get better. [FWIW, with the 4-way TV title elimination match on this past week, I cannot disagree!] Alex will probably start to cover ECW in more depth, as Paul E. Dangerously really wants to have Dayton/Cinci/Indy on a September tour, and Alex will be a big part of creating interest in those shows, thanks to his weekly column. * Alex answers questions from fans most weeks. You can reach him with questions at "Alex1Marv@aol.com" or "alex_marvez@dni.com", or if you are on America On-Line, you can interact with Alex in his "Hot News with Alex Marvez" folder as part of the Grandstand Wrestling area (keyword: gswrestling). Other news from other places (you know the drill... mostly AOL and my other top secret sources!): * On a purely self-serving note, I'd like to mention that last Monday, I finally put a counter on "The News From Dayton" web page (which has only existed in its current form for about one month), and was shocked to see it rapidly exceed 1200 hits in the first week! I thank all of you who stop by the New and Improved News site every week, and remind the rest of you that if you like the text version of "The News" here, you will love the HTML-ized version... along with other great web-exclusive bonuses like daily updates on breaking news, recent PPV reviews and other useful documents I've come across on the Web (this week, this include a COMPREHENSIVE account of the WWF/WCW legal war, as well as the super Ric Flair interview from the new WCW web site), and links to other useful pages. The News on the Web is available on my wrestlin page at: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ag725/HomePage.wrestling.html And again, I thank all of you who surprised and amazed me this past week! I never would have imagined that I had 1200+ people cruising through my web site weekly! * Clarification on the information mentioned in a daily update to the web page version of "The News" last week: Ahmed Johnson has reportedly suffered a ruptured kidney. The WWF Online site is saying this is due to the attack by Faarooq "Don't You Ever Call Me Ron Simmons" Asad on the live RAW, although we know this is not so, as Ahmed later competed in the battle royal (which he won). I do not recall offhand if Johnson appeared at TV tapings on Tuesday, but he *has* been no-showing his dates since then. Depending on the severity of the injury, this could represent a major problem for Titan... with Ahmed booked for an IC defense at SummerSlam, and a world title shot the next day, if he is not ready by SummerSlam weekend, major damage control will have to be done, probably including pulling the battle royal from its planned slot on the 8/12 RAW. * In other sort-of news taken from the WWF Online site, it looks like we will be seeing a more defined relationship between the two most bizarre superstars in the WWF, Goldust and Mankind. Suppossedly, they will be forming a Triangle of Terror, so to speak, with a mystery third person, with whom it is said both have a strong bond. Who knows? * Again, further clarification on a mid-week "News From Dayton" update: Herb Abrams, who headed up the UWF, died early last week. New information seems to indicate his death was tied to drug usage, as authorities responded to a call to Abrams' offices, to find him naked and destructive, and with drugs on the premises. Abrams died shortly thereafter while being cared for. * Ratings for both Monday Night shows last week slipped, due to Olympic coverage (I presume). RAW -- which was live -- was hurt least, and only dropped a couple tenths of a point from recent weeks' showings, posting a 2.2 ratings. Nitro, however, dipped nearly a point from it's recent ratings, netting a 2.6. While numbers from this week may prove me wrong, I think this is further evidence that the WWF's audience is made up higher percentage of loyal wrestling fans, while a good sized chunk of WCW's viewership depends on mainstream/casual fans who stumble onto Nitro. * Odd rumors are circulating about Mark Callaway -- otherwise known as The Undertaker. Although it seems that Callaway is under contract to Titan for a long-term deal, there is talk that the Undertaker gimmick's days are numbered. He may lose the UT charater at SummerSlam (perhaps as part of the turn of Paul Bearer?), then continue to compete with a different look. Not sure what to think about this.... I think Callaway has shown he is a credible worker with some of his matches in 1996, but without a doubt, his appeal has always been due to the gimmick, not to ring skills. Maybe after years of denigration by Herb Kunze, Mark Callaway has demanded to drop the gimmick to prove he, too, can work **** matches! * Another odd blurb out of TitanLand has Royce Gracie making an appearance at Titan Tower last week. This comes from Stamford, CT, resident (and AOL denizen) "Newzfirst". Again, I don't know what to think here.... last week, it was Severn, now Gracie. If they go with Vader as champ at SummerSlam, I can almost see bringing in legit fighters to face him as a plan (read between the lines of Cornette's interview on RAW last week... he did sort of set it up). If that's not it, I don't see either guy fitting into the typical Titan mix. If anything, it could be that meetings with these two could be initial probes into possibly creating a sister group for the WWF (not unlike the abysmal WOrld Bodybuilding Federations) that would emphasis shoot fighting. Again, outside of word that both Severn and Gracie have been in Stamford, CT, this is all *speculation*. * The August 15 Clash of the Champions on TBS will include a Hogan/Flair main event. We'll see what titles are on the line, if any, when this rolls around. ALso on that show, we will have a three-way-dance for the tag belts: Steiners/ Heat/Sting&Luger. Depending on the results of Hog Wild, these next two matches may also be for gold: Giant/Benoit and Eddie/DDP. And just to insure that I will watch, WCW has decided to put two good matches on the show, too: Rey/Psicosis (Cruiserweight match, I would assume), and Konnan/Ultimo Dragon (Dragon is my favorite high flier!). * Hunter Hearst Helmsley has signed a long-term deal with the WWF. Reportedly, the combination of his lack of a long term commitment to Titan and his actions at MSG in may were what caused his recent burial on WWF TV. Now that Titan has that commitment from HHH, the plan is to take him off TV for a month or two (to help cushion all the jobs he has done since WM), then bring him back in a big way later in the fall. * Finally, WCW has beat the WWF to the World Wide Web. Sort of. Titan had promised a web site "by WrestleMania" back last fall, but has only -- so far -- graced us with their Travel Club and Pro Shop (which actually has some cool merchandise for once!) on the web. WCW has, effective this week, started a more general web site, complete with news, TV highlights, and what not. Actually, I am assuming that it will be expanding, as it is currently pretty bare bones. The only really cool thing on the site was a GREAT interview with Ric Flair -- in it, he states that there is only one true peer who he has not faced in a meaningful match, and that is Shawn Michaels. The two did wrestle a 8 minute TV match in 1991, but that was more to get Flair over and set up the Rockers' break-up, and Flair said he'd love for Michaels to come down to Turner to do that match right. Also of note is the fact that -- at least for a while -- Scheme Gene's hotline reports will be available on the website. Personally, I would not sure it be worth the time it takes to download it, but hey -- you usually have to pay for it, and now it's free. So I guess that's pretty cool. Oh, the URL for WCW Online is: http://www.WCWwrestling.com/ * Here is the full line-up of WWF PPV dates and sites for the rest of 1996: - Summerslam Cleveland, OH August 18, 1996 - In Your House Philadelphia, PA September 22, 1996 - In Your House Indianapolis, IN October 20, 1996 - Survivor Series MSG, New York City November 17, 1996 - In Your House Lakeland, FL December 15, 1996 -- Rick Scaia | I'm on the Web now! Important to the Important People | http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ag725/ ag725@freenet.carleton.ca | Prepare to be Disappointed!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------